"May my Great Yi never age with the heavens.May my Great Yi endure through all eternity."
"Honor to the Emperor!!"
Inside the Crystal Palace, everyone stood in unison and shouted in chorus. Their expressions brimmed with fervor and excitement. Their eyes gleamed with hope for the future—filled with confidence and expectation.
This was both a hope and a goal.
Great Yi was steadily advancing toward that vision.
"Your Majesty, I wonder… does Great Yi still have room for a common soldier?"Suddenly, Zhao Yun stepped forward and bowed toward Yi Tianxing.
Dressed in white robes that accentuated his tall, imposing figure, his elegant features marked him as a true paragon of heroism. Though he stood still, he exuded calm strength.
"Common soldiers? Great Yi has no shortage of those," Yi Tianxing replied with a smile. "But what we lack is a commanding general. General Zhao, would you be willing to take on such a post?"
He already knew that Zhao Yun had been traveling across the empire, gradually developing a sense of belonging to Great Yi. This moment marked his full commitment—to fight for the human race, to fight for Great Yi.
"If Your Majesty commands, how could Zhao Yun refuse?"
Zhao Yun's voice was firm and resolute.
"Excellent. In Great Yi, we have the Four Divine Beast Legions, the Four Supreme Legions, the Five Elements Legion, the Seven Colors Legion, the Twelve Zodiac Legion, and several Special Forces. The Four Supreme Legions are at full capacity. The Four Divine Beast Legions still lack two commanders. The Five Elements Legion lacks four, the Seven Colors Legion lacks five, and the Twelve Zodiac Legion lacks nine. Which one would you prefer?"
Yi Tianxing chuckled as he spoke.
Zhao Yun's joining was a great boon to the empire. In ability, he was every bit the equal of Guan Yu and other renowned generals—and perhaps even more loyal and unwavering in character.
"May I ask, which Divine Beast Legions are still vacant?" Zhao Yun asked.
"The Vermilion Bird Legion is commanded by General Yang Ye; the Azure Dragon Legion by General Qi Jiguang. That leaves the White Tiger Legion and Black Tortoise Legion. If you wish, you may choose one of them."
Yi Tianxing offered calmly.
"Then I choose… the Twelve Zodiac Legion," Zhao Yun replied unexpectedly.
"The Zodiac Legion? Very well. You shall command the White Dragon Legion," Yi Tianxing declared with a smile. "Today, Zhao Yun—styled Zilong—renowned for his valor and character, possessing the strength to fight ten thousand—shall be appointed Commander of the White Dragon Legion, one of the Twelve Zodiac Legions. You shall command 500,000 troops and all associated unit types. I hereby grant you the White Dragon Command Token. Your rank: First Grade Commander."
As he spoke, a complete White Dragon Command Token appeared in mid-air. The token split in half—one half vanished, while the other flew toward Zhao Yun.
"Zhao Yun offers sincere thanks for Your Majesty's great favor!"
Zhao Yun accepted the command token. At the same time, a torrent of fate energy surged toward him. Though Yi Tianxing kept it sealed for now, the presence of the Heavenly Duty Mandate lingered.
"I've sealed the Baptism of Fate for now," Yi Tianxing said with a smile. "After the Immortal Delicacy Banquet, you may seek a quiet place to initiate it. I suggest first visiting the Scripture Pavilion to acquire the Heavenly General Battle Codex before proceeding with the baptism."
Soon after, the Immortal Delicacy Banquet officially began.
A feast of rare delicacies and spiritual fruits was laid out in abundance. In the grand hall, celestial music and dances heightened the atmosphere.
Yi Tianxing sat with Cai Yan and the other women. The Phoenix Fairy and others also remained nearby. Surrounded by family, he engaged in lively conversation while enjoying the exquisite feast.
"Sigh…"
Suddenly, as Yi Tianxing looked at his wives and daughters, a trace of melancholy flickered in his heart. A sigh escaped his lips.
"My husband, what troubles you?"Lian Xing was the first to ask. It was rare to see Yi Tianxing so pensive.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of my foster parents and younger sister. I wonder how they're doing now… On a night like this, when families reunite, their absence feels like a blemish on an otherwise perfect occasion."
He sighed softly.
His foster parents, Zhao Haifeng and Huang Yu, were still unaccounted for, though he believed they lived. His sister had been taken into a powerful Immortal Sect—to have acted so early in the Eternal World's fusion meant they weren't ordinary.
He couldn't help but worry—what if they were being mistreated?
"Don't worry too much, husband," Cai Yan said gently. "Everyone has their own destiny. As long as they're alive, there will come a day when you reunite. And as our Great Yi Empire grows stronger, the fate they enjoy will also increase. That will only help them rise among their peers. Even if we don't know where they are, they'll hear about Great Yi eventually. For now, worrying won't help."
She knew his heart well. She had often seen him staring at the moon in silence—clearly lost in thoughts of loved ones.
"Yes. One day, we'll be reunited."Yao Yue also comforted him.
"You're right. Enough of this—it's the New Year's Eve. The Immortal Delicacy Banquet should be full of laughter and cheer," Yi Tianxing chuckled, shaking his head to dispel the gloom. He turned his attention back to the food.
DONG DONG DONG!!
Unnoticed, the feast had lasted until midnight. As the clock struck twelve, fireworks erupted across Xuanhuang City and all other immortal cities under Great Yi. The night sky lit up in dazzling splendor, as if turning the world into a dreamscape.
With that, the Immortal Delicacy Banquet came to an end. The guests slowly took their leave.
This marked the official start of the tenth year of the Eternal Calendar.
That night, Yi Tianxing lay with his wives under one blanket, enjoying the pleasures that only they could offer—intimate and sacred, an experience beyond words.
Great Yi allowed time off for Spring Festival. The court was on recess for nine days, resuming on the tenth day of the first lunar month. The entire empire celebrated, streets bustling with joy and festivity.
Ten years had passed since the fusion of the Myriad Worlds—a long time, especially for ordinary people.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, not long after the banquet, just a day before the Lantern Festival, the void shook violently. A divine light split open the sky, forming not a mere crack, but a massive portal. From the other side, an oppressive presence radiated—a presence that could only come from a supreme being.
Just one glance made hearts tremble with dread.
"Your Majesty, a great power has opened a Domain Gate," Jiang Ni reported, appearing promptly in the palace.
"A Domain Gate… what an extravagant move," Yi Tianxing murmured.
"I understand. Inform all departments—do not interfere. This gate won't remain forever. It's unstable and will close on its own."
He knew what it was: an unstable gate forcibly opened by a supreme being—very likely from the Barbarian Race. It hadn't existed before and was clearly formed through the sacrifice of tremendous resources, using a Realm Stone as the core.
Unlike teleportation arrays, Domain Gates were far superior—the ultimate form of dimensional travel.
"I read in ancient texts," Jiang Ni added, "that Domain Gates are only possible because of Realm Stones—peerless treasures of heaven and earth. If a Domain Gate exists, a Realm Stone must be nearby. Though having a Realm Stone doesn't guarantee a gate, it's the prerequisite."
A Realm Stone (界石) was thus the key to crafting Domain Gates.
Without it, even with the correct methods, constructing a gate would be impossible.
Even Yi Tianxing, who knew there was a gate somewhere on Yi Continent, hadn't been able to find it—it was too well hidden. For now, that wasn't a problem, as teleportation arrays sufficed.
"This unstable Domain Gate was likely forced open with a Realm Stone at great cost," Jiang Ni concluded. "It cannot persist unless linked to a second, stable gate."
"They must've deliberately avoided our native gate, lest we discover their location," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
He dismissed Jiang Ni and opened a space gate of his own, stepping through it.
In an instant, he arrived at the location of the newly opened gate—the Thorned Plains.
There, gathered in force, stood tens of millions of Barbarian warriors, many accompanied by their women, preparing to travel through the gate. Their faces radiated longing and hope.
Hovering above the plain, Yi Tianxing spotted a familiar figure.
"Brother Niu!!" he called.