Yi Tianxing paid no mind to the retreat of the Crimson Comet Demon Star.Even if it was an Emperor dynasty that had fled—so what?
They were not his match now, and they certainly wouldn't be in the future.Great Yi's development would only grow faster and stronger, to the point where even their shadows would fade in the distance.
"Next time you come back, I'll crush you with a snap of my fingers."
He murmured to himself, eyes still watching the direction the Demon Star had escaped toward.
"A predator civilization, unable to accumulate destiny through normal means... must rely on plunder—devouring the fate, people, and resources of other forces to grow stronger.
What a curious civilization. But if they want to plunder, let them plunder someone else.This world always needs a few troublemakers—otherwise, wouldn't it be too dull?"
"As long as they don't interfere with Great Yi, I don't care."
Yi Tianxing's gaze lingered meaningfully on the void where the Crimson Comet had vanished.
Despite appearing to remain in the Sacred King's Palace during the earlier battle, he had been watching everything unfold in real time. If he had wanted to, he could have prevented the Demon Star from escaping altogether.
He had deliberately held back—for he had discovered something.
The true nature of the Shadowmoon Empire's transformation:
A Predator Civilization.
That made them a high-grade troublemaker—and a very useful one.
He had acted, just not in the way most expected.At the last moment, Yi Tianxing had secretly deployed a single-use heavenly treasure:
Mother-and-Child Cause-and-Effect Lotus (子母因果莲).
A mysterious relic formed by the heavens, this treasure had no offensive capabilities but came in two parts—mother and child.
The mother lotus remained with the user. The child lotus turned into a lotus seed that implanted itself within the target, in this case, the Demon Star.
Once embedded, the child lotus would establish a causal connection, silently transmitting information about its location.The seed could not move once implanted, and if destroyed, the treasure would be lost forever.
It posed no threat. It emitted no hostility.Like a parasite, it blended into the Demon Star undetected—leaving behind a hidden "eye."
Yi Tianxing's real goal was not to destroy the Demon Star—but to use it.
As a predator civilization, the Shadowmoon Empire would wander across countless realms, seeking conquest and plunder.As long as the lotus remained intact, it would passively generate coordinates for each new realm it visited.
And for Great Yi, realm coordinates were priceless.
This single move was worth more than destroying the Demon Star outright.
"Let them become Great Yi's vanguard, its unknowing pioneers.
Isn't that a marvelous outcome?
You win, I win—everybody wins."
Yi Tianxing's smile deepened.In his mind, he already envisioned a future where the Demon Star inadvertently delivered dozens or hundreds of realm coordinates into his hands—bringing boundless wealth and opportunity.
The Demon Star roamed freely between realms—how could he find another "scout general" so perfectly suited?
Besides, the Shadowmoon Empire being the first to evolve into a predator civilization meant they were likely under the favor of heaven itself.The Heavenly Secrets indicated their fate had not yet reached its end.
Forcibly destroying them now might actually backfire.
Back in the Bohai Realm, everything had become stable.
As time passed, Great Yi's destiny only grew stronger.The Heavenly Decrees and Law Web had already taken hold.
The Iron-Blooded Great Wall, once a phantom, was gradually being made real.When completed, the Bohai Realm would become a fortress of iron—unshakable and indomitable.
Moreover, the Immortal Cities deployed here were all transplanted from the Hanhai Realm, with rich governance experience.All that remained was to migrate the population and expand infrastructure—everything was unfolding step by step.
It would take months or a few years, but eventually, every foundation would solidify.
According to his imperial blueprint, one realm required at least 15 trillion people to be fully developed.
With two realms, Great Yi could now accommodate 30 trillion citizens.
Next in line would be:
The Demon Sea Realm,
The Caribbean Realm,
And the Dead Sea Realm.
The Dead Sea Realm was not suitable for human habitation and would not be prioritized for mass migration.Real population growth would rely on the other two realms.
August 13, Year 50 of the Eternal Calendar
It had been nearly one month since Great Yi unified the Bohai Realm.
That month had been marked by intense labor.
15 trillion citizens were relocated into Bohai.
Each took residence in an Immortal City.
Massive numbers of artisans were dispatched to expand city walls.
Countless tons of Xuanhuang bricks were transported and fused into each structure.
The scale of every city grew tenfold, transforming into massive strongholds—majestic and imposing.
Even those hiding in the wilds—watching from the shadows—couldn't help but tighten their eyes in wariness.
Yet none dared to act.They witnessed the cities evolve.They saw countless humans farming the land.They watched as countless strawmen were planted in every field.
Anyone foolish enough to damage the crops... would learn the hard way.The strawmen had become synonymous with Great Yi's military presence.
Even wild tribes treated them as a non-official army of the empire.
If one had the skill to see qi flow, they would notice something astounding:
Earth fate surged from the land, drawn toward each Immortal City.
Centered around the cities, fate coalesced in gold, green, blue, yellow, red, and even white.
Even in the deepest wilds, red-grade fate appeared. White was nearly gone.
Great Yi's influence was infiltrating even the wildest places.
At this point, only an apocalyptic disaster could cause upheaval in Bohai again.
At this moment – in the Demon Sea Realm
This domain consisted primarily of islands, with very few large landmasses.
A pervasive aura of bloodlust and death hung in the air.Murderous qi flooded the void.
Every pirate faction radiated hostility.Even allies regarded each other with deep suspicion.
For the Light Goddess's favor, even brothers would slaughter each other on the spot.
The lure of Light Crystals was simply too strong.No one could resist.
The entire realm had no cohesion left—consumed by greed and desire.
"Lord Prefect, the time is nearly ripe.
Most major forces have been battered from infighting over the Light Crystals.
The people are panicked. The Tianlong (Celestial Dragons) Dynasty and various pirate clans have all suffered great losses.
It's time for the next phase."
In a secret Great Yi base within the Demon Sea, strategists from the Heavenly Strategy Prefecture were analyzing intelligence, preparing their final plan.
They had been seeding Light Crystals into major regions, stirring up repeated conflicts—each costing tens of thousands of lives.
For these planners, those were enemy lives—not worth mercy.
"Hmm. Zhuge Liang has already conquered Bohai.
We, the Heavenly Strategy Prefecture, must not fall behind.
The Demon Sea Realm is in chaos.
Time to initiate Phase Two.
This operation will be called: The Skyfall Campaign (天变战役)."
Jia Xu's eyes flashed with ruthless brilliance.
He was the mastermind behind the plan.
It involved the Celestial Astronomers, Geomancers, military support, and hidden operatives—all working in perfect coordination.
If successful, it would become a legendary campaign in Great Yi's history, passed down for generations.
"Lord Prefect, all departments are ready. Orders can be issued at any time."
"The infiltrators are in position. We can strike whenever you command."
"The Military Affairs Pavilion has coordinated with all legions. They are already in formation."
"The Hunters' Hall has pledged support. Once the signal is given, billions of bounty hunters will teleport to their targets."
Strategists came one by one to report.Everything was ready.Just waiting for the command.
"No... not yet."
"It's still daytime—the timing isn't right.
We'll wait until midnight, when all is still.
Only then can we strike with the greatest chance of success—no mistakes allowed."
"We must remain calm. In all great matters, patience is key."
Jia Xu lifted his eyes to the sky.He spoke slowly and steadily.
One must be calm in great endeavors.Only then could one remain clear-headed, undisturbed by external noise.
Night fell.
Clouds thickened.
The sky was shrouded, and no moonlight pierced the gloom.
A strange silence blanketed the Demon Sea.
Midnight approached unnoticed.
Though some still moved about, the realm overall remained eerily quiet.
No one noticed that countless figures had silently appeared across the realm—
On islands,
On land,
In valleys, hills, and plains.
They came without sound.
Each one had used methods of concealment, their presence perfectly blending into their environment.
Unless someone looked very closely, they would seem like part of the natural world itself.
Their numbers were vast.They had infiltrated every corner of the Demon Sea Realm.
And if one observed closely...They would see that each figure stood exactly 3,000 li apart.
Perfectly calculated.
Utterly synchronized.
Each waited silently.
Each prepared.