No one should say the Tianlong Emperor was cowardly.
In truth, he had long been a puppet, his authority stripped by the Five Elder Stars. Most real power had been in their hands for years. The emperor had merely served a symbolic role—bearing the karmic burden of the imperial destiny.
By nature, he was indulgent, lecherous, and obsessed with pleasures. Expecting him to embody imperial dignity was wishful thinking. Even the Five Elders themselves didn't live up to such ideals—much less this emperor.
What angered them wasn't his proposal to surrender, but rather that he had decided before they did, undermining their authority and challenging the prestige they had cultivated over the years.
Worse, by rushing to pledge loyalty, the emperor sought to reap the greatest reward, leaving the deepest impression with Great Yi and securing future wealth and comfort.
After all, history remembers the first to submit, never the second.
For once, the Tianlong Emperor had acted shrewdly.
"Great Yi is truly the destined empire,"
muttered the Firecloud Evil God, watching the expressions of the emperor and the Five Elders.
"To think I now stand on equal footing—or higher—than rulers and pseudo-True Spirit elders.
Had I not joined Great Yi, received such abundant resources and destiny enhancement, how could I possibly have reached this level of cultivation?
I would've needed decades more.
This is the power of cultivating under a Destiny Empire."
Once, these figures were lofty and untouchable.
But now… they were nothing more than soon-to-be subordinates, if not prisoners.
Even if they surrendered, at best they'd become idle nobles.
Compared to him, their future potential was severely limited.
In Great Yi, as long as you had talent, you could always rise.
This meritocratic system was its greatest allure.
Over the years, Tongtian Pavilion had recruited many strong individuals—some once vagabonds, others once heaven's prodigies. With the merging of myriad realms, opportunities abounded, and those who seized them soared.
Powerhouses like him were not rare.
Now, many such individuals had been dispatched across various Immortal Cities, each holding the line.
Such deployments earned contribution points, the universal currency in Great Yi—accepted and valued everywhere.
"Firecloud Evil God,"
"If the Tianlong Nation chooses to surrender, what treatment can we expect from Great Yi?"
The Five Elder Stars no longer intended to resist.They weren't ready to die.
Just from this single Immortal City, they could see the terrifying depth of Great Yi's foundation.
Their national destiny was already on the verge of collapse.
The reality was already clear—they had to submit. What mattered now was:
What kind of treatment could they receive for their submission?
"Please write a national letter of submission.
This city lord will deliver it to the Holy King.
Final judgment rests solely with His Majesty."
The Firecloud City Lord stepped forward and spoke firmly.
A matter of this scale—the fall of a dynasty—was not a decision he could make.
Only Yi Tianxing could make that call.
To overstep would be a grave offense.
"Yes. Write the letter.
We await the Holy King's decree."
The Firecloud Evil God echoed solemnly.
Though he bore a hint of wickedness in his nature, he too dared not act beyond his station.
The Legalists of Great Yi would not spare any transgression.
"Yes, yes!
I will write it at once!"
The Tianlong Emperor didn't hesitate.
Each second that passed was torment.
He feared the fate dragon supporting him might collapse at any moment.If that happened before surrender, the value of submission would be lost—a bargaining chip wasted.
The letter of submission was completed swiftly.
The emperor affixed his imperial seal, and the Five Elders added their signatures.
This jointly affirmed the will of the dynasty—a submission none could contest.
"Issue orders across Tianlong territory:
No attacks are to be made on any Great Yi Immortal City.
Command the naval forces to stand down immediately."
The Tianlong Emperor issued swift decrees.
He feared that some rogue element might stir up trouble at this critical moment, ruining his chance at luxury.
The Firecloud City Lord was pleased by the cooperation and quickly delivered the submission letter via teleportation array.
Soon after, the letter appeared before Yi Tianxing himself.
In the Palace of Knowing and Acting (Zhixing Hall), Yi Tianxing sat on his throne, surrounded by trusted ministers like Xun Yu and Bao Zheng.
This operation to seize the Demon Sea Realm was a major campaign—worthy of a formal court assembly.
Although a full session hadn't been convened, the core officials had gathered in Zhixing Hall to ensure that any updates could be addressed, debated, and acted upon immediately.
Unfolding the letter, Yi Tianxing chuckled and said:
"The Tianlong Emperor has submitted a national letter of surrender.
He wishes for his dynasty, its people, and its cities to be accepted under Great Yi's banner.
Ministers, what say you?
Let us discuss."
"He's quite clever,"Yi mused inwardly."Willing to discard his throne for survival.
Cowardly? Perhaps.
But also… adaptive.
Living is more important than dignity."
"Your Majesty,"Xun Yu stepped forward.
"This is the result of Great Yi's overwhelming might,
and the brilliant strategies of the Heaven Strategy Pavilion.
In one night, the Demon Sea Realm changed hands.
Immortal Cities spread like stars across the realm,
and Tianlong's national destiny began to crumble."
"Strictly speaking, we do not need their surrender.
We could exterminate them—though it would cost us time and perhaps casualties."
"However, if we refuse this act of surrender,
it may discourage future submissions.
This is a chance to set a precedent—
like paying a high price for a prized steed to show respect for virtue.
Future powers will be more inclined to join us peacefully."
"Accepting them is wise,
but what treatment to offer…
That is the true matter.
Too generous, and our people may question us.
Too harsh, and our name may be tarnished."
"Your Majesty,"said Pei Ju,"I propose a nobility system—titles without office.
Honorific in name,
meaningless in authority.
It offers face, but not power.
To outsiders, it appears magnanimous.
Internally, it prevents disruption."
Granting real positions—especially to a fallen Destiny Emperor—would be unacceptable.
But a noble title… That was palatable.
"Mhm. That's a good proposal."
Yi Tianxing nodded in approval.
In ancient Huaxia, titles were typically divided into five ranks:
Duke (公)
Marquis (侯)
Earl (伯)
Viscount (子)
Baron (男)
Kingship was a privileged title, reserved for royalty—imperial princes or bloodline heirs.
Non-royal kings were extremely rare, only appointed under extraordinary conditions.
Thus, giving title without rank, and rank without office, was a safe and elegant solution.
Yi Tianxing quoted from Mencius, Volume II – Wan Zhang:
"The Son of Heaven holds one position;
Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons form five.
Ministers and officials—six further grades.
The Son of Heaven governs a land of 1,000 li.
Dukes and Marquises hold 100 li,
Earls 70 li, Viscounts and Barons 50 li.
Those without such holdings must serve as vassals."
"Now that we've settled on a title system,"Yi continued,"what level of treatment shall we bestow?
And how should it be graded?"
"Your Majesty,"Liu Bowen stepped forward,"Nobility titles draw upon our national fate.
Even submission cannot entitle one to feed off Great Yi forever."
"I propose that titles be ranked,
and each generation receive less than the last.
Eventually, when the legacy is spent,
the family returns to commoner status."
"This will prevent excessive fate drain,
while offering a long grace period—a reward for surrender."
"Interesting. Go on—what is this Nine-Rank Nobility System you speak of?"
Yi Tianxing asked with interest.
Liu Bowen explained:
"We divide each noble title into nine grades.
For example: Baron.
From Ninth-Rank Baron (lowest) up to First-Rank Baron (highest).
Above that lies Ninth-Rank Viscount, and so on…"
"Each higher title follows the same nine-tier structure:
Baron → Viscount → Earl → Marquis → Duke."
"If a family holds a First-Rank Baron title,
the next generation inherits it as Second-Rank Baron,
and so on, until the Ninth Rank,
after which the title expires."
"This grants them a gradual decline, not abrupt removal—
a reward for loyalty, but a limit to entitlement."
With this, the nobility system would become finely stratified, ensuring both order and balance.