Consort Wanfei—also known as Gongsun Wan'er, or Gongsun the Elder Lady—had never initially planned to have children. However, after seeing Yi Xianhuang and the others, a wave of maternal instinct overwhelmed her usual logic.
On a beautiful night, she brought up her desire for a child with Yi Tianxing, and not long after, she became pregnant.
The length of her pregnancy remained uncertain—it was focused more on nurturing and strengthening the child's origin than adhering to any set timeframe.
Now, it seemed the child had chosen to be born—just as the Dead Sea Realm was conquered.
Heavens' fortune baptism… these little ones are still in the womb and already so calculating. What can one even say to that?
"To the Sword Dance Palace."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing turned and rushed toward the palace to see Gongsun Wan'er.
Like all parents, he too eagerly wondered whether it would be a boy or a girl. The moments leading up to birth always brought such excitement.
Not long after, a beam of Heavenly Fortune descended from the Dead Sea Realm and landed in the Sacred King's Palace.
Bathed in this celestial light, Gongsun Wan'er gave birth to a boy.
He was born with nine strands of hair on his head—each one shimmering with mystical Dao Runes and Laws. They weren't ordinary strands of hair; they contained innate divine powers.
Each strand housed a heavenly ability—innate magical powers that would grow and evolve as the child matured.
However, they weren't inexhaustible.
Each power could only be unleashed by pulling out the corresponding hair, after which it would vanish permanently.
These mystical hairs were dubbed "Heavenly Strands." There were nine in total—each capable of manifesting a unique innate divine ability. Once used, it could not be regenerated.
These nine were like supreme trump cards for the boy's future—cards no one would know existed until they were played.
That uncertainty was his greatest protection.
What is unknown... is what people fear most.
Though they were not permanent, if never used, they were effectively eternal.
And the longer they were cultivated, the stronger they'd become. Their potential was limitless.
At their peak, a single pulled strand might be enough to shatter a starry river with ease.
The tenth prince was named Yi Shentong (Yi Divine Power), in the hope that he would one day use his godlike powers to suppress all enemies.
Eternal Calendar, Year 50, Tenth Month, Fourth Day:
The tenth prince of Great Yi was born.
Bathed in Heaven's Fortune, he inherited nine Heavenly Strands, each holding unfathomable potential—a peerless genius destined for greatness.
His name: Yi Shentong.
Mother: Gongsun Wan'er.
Naturally, this occasion was celebrated throughout the realm.
The people of Great Yi rejoiced from the heart.
Having lived prosperous lives under the Sacred Court, they were fiercely loyal to Yi Tianxing. Gratitude toward him ran deep—many even kept portraits of the Sacred King at home, praying to them morning and night.
To the people, the more imperial heirs the Sacred King had, the better.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, the Caribbean Realm was cloaked in uneasy silence.
Normally teeming with pirate activity, the seas were now subdued.
Many pirate groups had already received vague reports—rumors that the nearby realms had all fallen into Great Yi's hands.
They felt a storm coming—and instinctively knew their golden age was over.
If the Caribbean Realm was next to fall, their lives of freedom and plunder would be over. Worse, they had even attacked Great Yi in the past.
Surely, Great Yi would not let them off lightly.
It wasn't a question of if, but when—and how.
At that moment, a pirate fleet sailed the sea.
Their black flags flew in the wind—six ships strong. This was the Sanguang Pirate Crew.
Wherever they went, nothing was left behind.
Feared across many islands, they were notorious for pillaging entire settlements.
Their target today was Octopus Island, shaped like a giant octopus.
This island produced a rare and valuable ink known as Octopus Ink—a spiritual substance used in writing, talisman crafting, and many other areas. It was a precious export, often looted by pirates.
However, constant raids had made the islanders bitterly resentful, and production had plummeted. With no profits to be made, there was no incentive to harvest the ink.
This was the destructive impact of piracy.
On the island stood Octopus City, a small human settlement, with surrounding villages and scattered population.
"We've reached Octopus Island!
Everyone ashore! Ransack Octopus City, and don't forget to grab the pretty girls!"
The pirate leader shouted, and the crew roared as they stormed toward the coast.
But as they approached the city walls, they stopped abruptly.
There, fluttering in the wind, was a flag—ten thousand dragons coiled around a massive 'Yi' character.
"B-Boss… that… that's the flag of the Great Yi Sacred Court!"
"This… this means Octopus City has pledged loyalty to Great Yi! What now? Are we still attacking?"
"Damn it! When did they join Great Yi?! They didn't say a word!"
The pirates froze in place, filled with dread.
Just that single banner made them feel like they were facing a mountain they could never climb.
Those who had once fought against Great Yi in the past still had nightmares about it.
Even just seeing the banner now was enough to make them retreat.
"Boss, do we still attack?"
SLAP!
One of them got a harsh smack in the face.
"Attack your head! Don't you see that flag?! You want to die? If you wanna die, go alone—don't drag us down!
Retreat! Now!"
Without waiting for more orders, they turned and fled.
Damn it, we just came here to rob someone—what's with the scare tactics? Flying a Great Yi flag? That's just cruel…
The Sanguang Pirates vanished into the sea, steering far from Octopus Island.
Across the Caribbean Realm, similar scenes played out again and again.
Everywhere the pirates went to plunder—they found the same thing: the banner of Great Yi fluttering from the walls.
City after city…
Island after island…
Land after land…
That night, pirates across the realm were stunned.
"No way… these flags aren't fake. I can see the fate energy flowing into Great Yi.
These cities… they've truly submitted."
"It's over. Great Yi has taken over the Caribbean Realm. Just like that… silently.
What do we do now?!"
Among the pirates were talented cultivators, capable of sensing fate. And what they saw confirmed their worst fears—this was real.
For the pirates, it was an unmitigated disaster.
**A single night.
The banners on the city walls changed hands.**
Many pirates spiraled into panic.
Their futures now looked bleak and uncertain.
"I quit. My mom was right—being a pirate is a dead end!"
"Let's go home. I'm done. I just want to be a normal citizen now."
A wave of desertions began.
Thousands of pirates fled, trying to shed their past and blend into civilian life on any island they could.
With Great Yi now controlling land and sea, what was the point of piracy?
Fighting the Sacred Court? That was suicide.
Many pirates abandoned their flags and identities, choosing instead to live quietly.
As dawn broke, the Caribbean Realm was in utter uproar.
Even the non-human factions were stunned.
No one had imagined that in just one night, the entire realm would be covered in Great Yi's banners.
Though many powerful non-human races dwelled in the Caribbean, they lacked the strength to oppose Great Yi.
And compared to pirates, Great Yi was far more terrifying.
"It's over… the Caribbean Realm has completely changed."
Many cried out in disbelief.
But in truth, this realm had never belonged to them anyway.
Once ruled by pirates—now, it belonged to Great Yi.
As the sun rose, a miraculous scene unfolded.
Cities that had pledged allegiance to Great Yi were teleported away by mysterious power.
In their place, brand new Immortal Cities appeared—bearing the same names as their predecessors.
On every island, Great Yi's policies were enacted.
Each Immortal City suppressed and ruled over three thousand kilometers of territory.
The world had changed overnight.
And there was no going back.