At present, by purchasing slaves as a method of operation, the Skyhawk Royal Court's various tribes had been lured into selling off vast numbers of slaves. In just a few days, over two to three hundred million people had already been acquired. All these human civilians were transferred into the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda, though they had yet to be resettled or organized.
Of course, the internal supplies were still extremely abundant. A number of officials from the Great Yi Dynasty had already entered to manage the place. On one hand, this helped the people quickly recover from the trauma they had suffered, and on the other hand, it allowed them to recuperate physically. After all, their bodies had been ravaged by hardship, riddled with hidden injuries—truly a pitiful sight. Only after proper recovery could they begin the path of cultivation. These future citizens of the Great Yi Dynasty could then be taught cultivation techniques.
They were relocated into the internal world of the Time Stopwatch, where time flowed at an accelerated pace. Their recovery progressed at a pace that changed dramatically each day. Food, drink—everything was as though they had entered a mortal paradise.
Day by day, countless humans began to yearn for the Great Yi Dynasty, utterly loyal, all eager to join and become citizens of Great Yi.
"We're about to launch a military campaign against the entire Skyhawk Island. Once war breaks out, countless immortal cities will be established. Immortal cities are built around their people. Naturally, these civilians will become residents under the governance of these cities. With this foundation, we'll be able to gain control of Skyhawk Island in the shortest time possible. And they'll already be loyal to us. Restoring order will be much simpler and easier," Xu Shu said with a smile.
Assuming one immortal city could support one million human civilians, a population of two to three hundred million could support the founding of hundreds of such cities—and even double that under the right conditions. Realistically, just 500,000 people were enough to keep an immortal city fully operational.
"Indeed. According to intelligence from the Skyhawk Royal Court, they are wildly enthusiastic about selling slaves. Each tribe only keeps a small number of human slaves, selling the rest to us. Everywhere we go, the trend follows. Rescuing several hundred million more civilians shouldn't be an issue. This way, our apprehensions about the Royal Court will be reduced by more than half. This strategy truly works—and the Skyhawk King can't stop it. If he tries, the people will lose faith in him," Jia Xu said with a grin.
This move drastically weakened the Skyhawk Royal Court's bargaining power. If things escalated and the Royal Court tried to put a stop to it, a direct assault from the Great Yi Dynasty would become far more feasible. Even if it meant the slaughter of the enslaved civilians, in times of necessity, such a decision could still be executed to demonstrate Great Yi's resolve and unwavering will.
"Additionally, the Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine has already taken the Skyhawk Royal Court by storm. Regular consumption will gradually reveal its strange properties. Eventually, it will sow chaos and become a considerable threat," said Zhuge Liang calmly.
This spirit wine was no ordinary brew. It was actually a byproduct accidentally created by Du Kang, the ancestor of all alcohol, while experimenting with new recipes. Brewed with the essence blood of various ferocious beasts, the wine indeed had beneficial effects—enhancing both cultivation and physical strength.
However, it had a unique side effect.
Anyone who drank it would carry the aura of a hundred beasts. While it seemed harmless, this aura attracted nearby fierce beasts and savage birds. To them, the scent triggered a reaction akin to seeing their greatest enemy—a blood feud that would only end in death. They would attack on sight, with no room for compromise.
If too many beasts were drawn in, it could lead to a beast tide.
The number of wild beasts and birds across the Skyhawk Plains was immense. A beast riot would cause catastrophic destruction and deliver a massive blow to the Royal Court. Most importantly, no one would even know what had triggered it. After all, beast tides always seemed to occur without warning.
No one would suspect a deeper cause—just chalk it up to bad luck and note how the beast tides were becoming unusually frequent.
This was the second phase of the Falcon Plan.
Using the Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine as a medium, it would silently weaken the Royal Court's forces and continually inflict damage.
And clearly, this phase had already begun to show results. The wine had become extremely popular within the Royal Court. Without wine, people refused to dine. Meanwhile, beasts in the surroundings were beginning to gather. A beast tide could break out at any moment.
"We can now initiate Phase Three. After all three steps are complete, I want the Skyhawk Royal Court to collapse completely," said Yi Tianxing calmly.
"Yes, Phase Three will render the Royal Court a turtle in a jar—ripe for the taking. We'll have to spend some time preparing the deployment," Zhuge Liang replied with a smile.
Each phase of the Falcon Plan was designed to dismantle the Royal Court without letting them realize what was happening. This wasn't an easy feat. But thanks to the brilliant strategy crafted by Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang, and Xu Shu, the plan had a ninety percent chance of success.
It was tailored with human nature, desire, and ambition in mind—a plan calculated by those with full awareness against those without.
As long as the Skyhawk Royal Court took the bait, they were as good as finished.
"Excellent. Proceed," Yi Tianxing nodded. He had handed the matter over to Jia Xu and the others. There was no need for him to micromanage. Just watching from the sidelines was fine. Talented ministers must be given room to shine. Otherwise, what was the point of having them?
In Yi Prefecture, within the immortal cities of the Great Yi Dynasty…
Every city's Hunter Hall had just updated a new bounty mission. The task was marked gold, radiating dazzling brilliance.
"What's this? A new bounty task?"
"Gold-tier! That's the highest level. What kind of mission is this?"
"Look—it's a group task, with no limit on the number of participants. Anyone can take part!"
Hunter Halls across every city buzzed with crowds. Bounty hunters gathered to accept missions, trade rewards, share intelligence, and form parties. The halls were always lively with foot traffic.
Now, all eyes turned to the newest task.
Special Task: Disguised Pioneering
"The Great Yi has discovered a new overseas island: Skyhawk Island, ruled by a foreign regime called the Skyhawk Royal Court, composed of barbaric tribes who treat human civilians as livestock and blood-food. In order to collapse their regime, this mission requires participants to disguise themselves as refugees, captured by the enemy, and blend in as slaves—await further orders."
The description was brief but powerful. It emphasized this was a land expansion mission. Once successful, the entire Skyhawk Island would be annexed into the Great Yi Dynasty. This wasn't just bounty—it was national conquest. Glory and contribution far beyond ordinary missions.
Reward details were explicit:
10,000 Eternal Coins
3,000 Merit Points
And this wasn't a reward for one person—the mission was unlimited in participants. Every successful hunter would receive the same payout. In the end, this could total an astronomical sum.
"Damn those savages! They eat people? They don't deserve to exist. I'm in—I'll tear the Royal Court apart myself."
"Exactly! This is for the Great Yi Dynasty. Even without the bounty, I'd go. I'd give my life for this mission. We can't disgrace our title as bounty hunters of Great Yi."
"To war! To Skyhawk Island!"
Bounty hunters across the immortal cities shouted with enthusiasm. They gathered in groups and entered the teleportation arrays. Using coordinates, they made their way toward Skyhawk Island, wave after wave.
Know this: in every immortal city, tens of thousands—sometimes hundreds of thousands—were registered bounty hunters. These weren't official soldiers, but their strength rivaled any army.
Now, these hunters surged toward the battlefield.
Who would dare miss the chance to contribute to such a monumental conquest? Their loyalty to Great Yi made them race to accept the task.
The teleportation arrays in Golden Scale City shimmered without pause. Groups of bounty hunters continuously arrived.
After landing, they quickly gathered intelligence, formed small teams, and headed toward the Skyhawk Plains. But before that, they all disguised themselves—tattered clothes, ragged appearances, completely concealing their cultivation through aura-suppression techniques. To most eyes, they looked like ordinary refugees. Unless one was a top-tier expert, their true strength remained undetectable.
Aura concealment was a basic skill for all bounty hunters. Anyone who lacked it was no true hunter.
Now, it was finally being put to great use.
"Unbelievable…" muttered Huan Lin, watching the spectacle unfold.
The true depth of Great Yi's strength was terrifying. Even the bounty hunters—mere irregular forces—had such astounding cultivation levels.