In the beginning, Mamba Island was not solely inhabited by humans. It was home to a vast array of races from the Mamba Serpent Tribe, as well as countless ferocious beasts and birds of prey. However, over the years, these races either found ways to migrate elsewhere or perished at the fangs of the serpents—devoured so completely that not even bones remained. Even powerful tribes had no choice but to retreat from the island. Entire clans migrated together.
This alone was enough to illustrate just how terrifying the serpents of the island were. It had truly become a world ruled by snakes.
And yet, these serpents seemed to possess a degree of intelligence. They refrained from completely consuming all their prey. Instead of exterminating all other races, they expelled most of them—except for the humans. The human race was kept on Mamba Island to reproduce and survive, only to be devoured periodically, sometimes daily, sometimes over a few days. In essence, the humans became livestock—living blood food raised by the serpents.
The serpents maintained a balance, never wiping out the humans completely. They preserved just enough population to ensure a sustainable food source, picking off a few when hunger struck.
At present, the number of humans on Mamba Island numbered in the hundreds of millions, yet this was a mere fraction of the tens of billions that once lived there. Countless humans had fallen—bathed in blood and broken bones. Some perished to alien tribes and savage beasts, while many others fell to the fangs of the Mamba serpents.
Adding to this torment, marine beasts frequently attacked, and various accidents claimed more lives. The conditions for humans on Mamba Island were nothing short of hellish.
If not for a few human cultivators and warriors, their plight would have been even worse. But becoming a cultivator was still a luxury beyond the reach of most. Even if one had a technique, resources were scarce, and it was nearly impossible to grow stronger.
There were a few sects on the island.
For example, Qingsong Daoist Temple, White Cloud City, Black Tiger Gang, and Black Wind Stronghold. These sects had passed down basic cultivation methods, such as the Iron Shirt external refining technique, the Five Tigers Gate-Crushing Saber, basic saber forms, and the Arhat Fist. Through persistent cultivation and with the abundant spiritual energy of the Eternal World, it was possible to open the Divine Sea and step onto the path of cultivation. But going beyond that was extremely difficult.
Even so, none of this could change the reality that humans had become blood food.
Moreover, humans were forbidden from leaving the island by sea. Any attempt to do so would be intercepted by giant serpents lurking beneath the waves. They would overturn the boats and swallow the humans whole.
Countless people dreamed of a day when they could escape this nightmare.
Among them was a young girl named Pearl (Zhenzhu), who had cultivated these crude techniques. Though she had opened her Divine Sea, she had only managed to clear one or two meridians throughout her body. Without resources or better methods, this was already a remarkable feat. Many were like her—ordinary humans who couldn't even fill their bellies, much less dream of becoming stronger.
"Eh? Look! What's that?"
"In the sky… there's a ship flying!"
"Where did that warship come from? It's flying through the air! And it's heading… it's heading right toward our land!"
"I see people! There are human warriors on the deck! Are they really human? Are they a human army? But we've never had such ships on this land…"
On the beach, a crowd of humans stared in shock as a massive blue celestial vessel rapidly approached. Mouths hung agape in disbelief. The closer it came, the clearer it became: the vessel was immense, blocking out even the setting sun as it cast a vast shadow.
Humans!
They could see fully armed human soldiers standing proudly on the deck, their armor gleaming. A deep, instinctual recognition stirred within them—these were kin, human warriors, a human army.
Hope surged in their hearts. Any force capable of fielding such a vast fleet had to possess tremendous power. Perhaps… they could be saved from their dire situation.
"No… this sea is teeming with serpents. These creatures are ruthless. They'll definitely attack. Outsiders are never allowed near this land."
Pearl's face, initially alight with joy, turned pale with concern.
This land was completely sealed off by the serpents, impossible to escape and forbidden to enter. The humans here were little more than livestock in a cage. It was a horrifying reality.
"Be careful! There are serpents underwater!"
Pearl shouted a warning toward the celestial vessel.
"Your Majesty, there's a situation," said Zhou Yu.
From its vantage point, the celestial vessel had already spotted the crowd on the beach—and heard Pearl's desperate cry. The fear and longing in their eyes made the situation unmistakably dire.
ROAR!!
Suddenly, from the waters near the shore, towering waves erupted. Within them, one could see serpents dozens or even over a hundred meters long, with blood-red eyes filled with ice-cold bloodlust. They surged from the sea and lunged at the ship, their massive bodies whipping through the air like deadly whips, generating tsunami-sized waves.
BOOM!!
The celestial vessel was too large to evade. Several serpents struck it directly. The impact carried tremendous force—enough to split open the very ground. But when they landed on the vessel, all that power was absorbed. The ship trembled slightly… and that was it.
The Blue Celestial Vessel, able to harness the power of water, was as fluid and resilient as water itself—capable of absorbing and dissolving force. Though the serpents were mighty, they couldn't damage it.
Instead, the impact sent the serpents crashing back into the sea. Scales shattered and blood sprayed, dying the ocean red.
"Rune bombs—throw them!!" Zhou Yu ordered calmly.
Immediately, wave after wave of rune bombs rained down into the sea.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
These weren't ordinary bombs—they had been upgraded and were capable of threatening even Life Map Realm cultivators. When deployed en masse, their power multiplied exponentially.
The resulting explosions launched massive tidal waves hundreds of meters high. Screams of agony echoed from below. Soon after, mangled serpent corpses floated to the surface. Many had been blown to pieces, leaving chunks of flesh and shattered bones behind.
A glance revealed hundreds of massive serpents, all at least a hundred meters long.
"They're dead… all those serpents… just like that!"
"Incredible! What kind of weapons are those?! They flipped the entire sea! That can't be the serpents I know!"
"Unbelievable… is this really the human army? We might actually be saved!"
Despair had filled the people's eyes when the serpents appeared. But within moments, the tide had turned—the serpents were decimated, and the humans above remained unharmed.
Hope blossomed.
A force powerful enough to annihilate the sea serpents could very well liberate them from their torment.
From atop the vessel, Yi Tianxing stepped forward and addressed the crowd warmly:
"Fellow human kin, I am the Emperor of the Great Yi Dynasty. We came while exploring these waters and happened upon your location. Tell me—what is going on with these serpents?"
Yi Tianxing had noted the unusual nature of the serpents. Mamba Island was clearly no ordinary place. But the presence of human survivors made it valuable. Incorporating Mamba Island into the Great Yi's domain would be much easier with a local population. After all, population is the foundation of empire.
"The Great Yi Dynasty… are you… are you the Yi Emperor of legend? The ruler of the number one human destiny dynasty?"
Someone stared at Yi Tianxing, eyes wide. The name Great Yi had echoed in their minds countless times. They had dreamed of the day the Great Yi would come and slay the serpents.
"I-It's really him! We've waited so long! Your Majesty, please send your army and save us! We wish to join the Great Yi and become your citizens!"
"We beg the Celestial Army of Great Yi to descend!"
The beach erupted with cheers and tears. Countless humans wept with joy. The sky had never seemed so bright.
"We beg the Celestial Army to descend!"
Voices filled with raw emotion echoed through the air.
Yi Tianxing nodded gently. Their plea justified action. This was no invasion—it was righteous conquest.
"This land… what exactly is it? Young lady, would you be willing to explain it to me?" he asked, looking to Pearl.