"Don't worry. I told you before—Zhao Ji and the others are not bad people. As long as you approach them sincerely, they're all easy to get along with. There's no need to be afraid—just treat them with a calm heart."
Yi Tianxing could clearly see the unease and nervousness in Cao Jie's heart. Holding her delicate hand, he comforted her gently.
Some things have to be faced sooner or later. If anyone should be anxious, it should be him. But there is no hurdle that cannot be overcome. What must be faced must be faced—avoidance solves nothing.
"Mm, Jie'er understands."
Cao Jie nodded softly, holding Yi Tianxing's hand as her inner anxiety gradually calmed down.
No matter what, as long as he was by her side, everything would be alright.
After returning, Yi Tianxing had learned that from the beginning of the Immortal Sojourn to now, around two months had passed. Evidently, the time spent traversing the realms—and especially the journey through the Underworld—had consumed a considerable amount of time. There might even be a temporal difference between the Yin and Yang worlds.
They arrived at the imperial garden. The pavilion they usually dined in had already been cleaned thoroughly, and one exquisite dish after another was being brought out. When Yi Tianxing arrived, he saw that Cai Yan and the others were already present.
"Husband, you've come out of seclusion. And this sister is…?"
Cai Yan, dressed in noble attire and holding Yi Xianhuang's hand, walked over. Seeing the unfamiliar woman by Yi Tianxing's side, a subtle glint flashed through her eyes before she asked. From her manner and expression, it was clear she knew their relationship wasn't simple.
"Yes, I went into seclusion and brought back a sister for us."
Yao Yue replied, her expression unreadable.
Lian Xing, Nie Xiaoqian, and the Serpent Empress also turned their eyes toward Cao Jie. As they examined her, they all subtly nodded. Her appearance was no less than theirs, and her bearing clearly revealed noble upbringing. Appearance can deceive, but demeanor cannot. Such poise was not something one could fake.
They did not object to Yi Tianxing bringing women into the palace, but they needed to approve of them. At the very least, they had to ensure she wasn't someone rude and lacking decorum. If the palace were to be thrown into disarray by some unruly woman, it would be a disaster for everyone.
Yi Tianxing also didn't want such a thing to happen.
In the palace, they hoped everyone could live together like one big family—harmoniously. After all, as cultivators, they wouldn't be living for mere decades, but hundreds, even thousands of years—perhaps forever. If the harem were unstable, the consequences would be dire.
"This is Princess Cao Jie of the Great Wei Dynasty—Cao Cao's daughter. During the Immortal Sojourn, due to certain events, she became my woman. From now on, I hope you all will look after her."
Yi Tianxing introduced calmly.
"Princess of the Great Wei? Cao Cao's daughter? What happened exactly?"
Cai Yan was surprised and asked immediately.
Yi Tianxing hadn't previously mentioned the Starry Sky Immortal Sojourn Talisman, not because it was a secret, but simply because the fewer people who knew, the better. But there was no need to hide anything from his wives.
"Greetings to Sister Zhao Ji, Sister Yao Yue, Sister Lian Xing, Sister Xiaoqian, Sister Serpent Empress."
Cao Jie respectfully bowed to them, her courtesy impeccable. As a palace lady of a great dynasty, she had naturally studied proper court etiquette. Her gestures and conduct were refined and pleasing.
"No need to be so formal, Sister. Come, let's sit and talk. Now that you're here, we're one family, and we'll be sisters from now on."
Cai Yan smiled as she took Cao Jie's hand and led her over, clearly accepting her with grace.
Everyone soon sat down.
Yi Tianxing held Little Wuchang in his arms and lovingly ruffled the little one's head.
Then he recounted his journey through the Immortal Sojourn to the Great Wei Dynasty—covering everything in broad strokes, even mentioning some parts of his time in the Underworld. The story caused the expressions of the women to shift again and again. When he spoke of his battle with the Ghost Mother, Nie Xiaoqian and Lian Xing couldn't help gasping in alarm, their eyes filled with concern.
"What a pity. Cao Cao was a formidable figure who established the Great Wei Dynasty. To suffer such a fate… The fall of a major human destiny dynasty is a great loss for our race."
Cai Yan sighed. She knew of Cao Cao—he was more than capable of founding a top-tier Destiny Dynasty. But unpredictable fate had struck. Truly, Heaven is mercurial, and nothing is set in stone. If such a thing could happen to the Great Wei, it could happen to Great Yi as well.
"The road ahead is long and arduous. I must strive with all I have. Our Great Yi must grow stronger."
Yi Tianxing nodded firmly.
Soon, the women all began treating Cao Jie with warmth, and she was fully accepted.
Later, Yi Tianxing issued a formal edict, bestowing upon her the title of Consort Cao. After breakfast, Cai Yan personally led her to select a residence within the imperial palace, which they named Jingsi Palace (Palace of Quiet Reflection).
Eternal Calendar, Year 10, Month 3, Day 27
The second day after returning from the Immortal Sojourn.
A Grand Court Assembly was held.
In the Hall of Heavenly Judgment, the court was filled with Great Yi's top talents: Huang Chengyan, Zhuge Liang, Jia Xu, Zhao Yun, Su Shi, Su Che, Bao Zheng, Mao Sui, Li Kui, Heshen, Gongshu Lin, Zhou Yu… civil and military officials stood side by side, completely filling the hall. A strong fighting spirit radiated from each of them.
The court no longer suffered from petty infighting and intrigue. Each day brought change and growth.
The sense of watching the dynasty improve and grow stronger filled every minister with pride.
Over the past two months, many issues had been raised in court and swiftly resolved. Some matters requiring Yi Tianxing's decision were also addressed. It took nearly a full hour to deal with all the accumulated governance.
Afterward, Yi Tianxing spoke of the Great Wei Dynasty encounter. It could no longer be hidden—not because of Cao Jie, but because of the one billion citizens brought back from the Great Wei.
Yes—over one billion people had been brought into Great Yi.
That number was staggering.
If one Immortal City were to house 500,000 people (the basic benchmark), then in Great Yi, where cities could often house over a million, the math was simple:
1 billion people meant building 2,000 new Immortal Cities.
Each city would sit roughly 1,000 kilometers apart, suppressing wild territories. That much land? Absolutely vast.
In other words, Great Yi now had the resources and foundation for another large-scale territorial expansion.
The moment this was announced in court—
Shock filled the room. All eyes gleamed with excitement. Everyone understood what a massive opportunity this was for Great Yi.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! With this population, our dynasty can build two thousand more Immortal Cities. Our territory can expand once more!"
Wu Yong stepped forward and bowed in excitement.
From his perspective, this was cause for great celebration.
"What joy is there in the fall of a great human dynasty?"
Yi Tianxing turned to Wu Yong, speaking coldly.
At that moment, Wu Yong's heart turned cold. His joy instantly vanished, as though a bucket of cold water had doused him from head to toe.
"Indeed. The Great Wei Dynasty was a major human Destiny Dynasty. Its fall will create a power vacuum in the Wei Prefecture region. Our people will be at a disadvantage. This is a grave loss for our race."
Zhuge Liang echoed solemnly.
In the Eternal World, the human race was far from unified. External pressure from myriad other races was ever-present. When one Destiny Dynasty fell, the entire human race suffered—its fortune and destiny diminished. Even with a billion refugees, there was little to celebrate.
["What joy is there?" becomes the moral pivot of the chapter—while Great Yi gains population, the fall of another human dynasty is a deep loss for the entire race.]
"Wu Yong still lacks a broad enough perspective," thought many ministers silently.
"Of course," Yi Tianxing continued, "how to handle this billion-strong population will require serious deliberation."
"Your Majesty," said Jia Xu, "Great Yi now commands Yi Prefecture, Python Island, Skyhawk Island, Swan Island, and Crocodile Island. In the past two months, these three new islands have been fully covered with Immortal Cities. Although some areas still lack population, they cannot absorb one billion people. The only viable solution is continued expansion."
Indeed, Great Yi could easily handle a billion more people—most cities had just 300,000 to 600,000 residents. Absorbing them would be easy. But that would be a waste.
Expansion would be much more profitable—territory, resources, security.
"For further expansion, I fear the Dragon Clan will not sit idly by. Even if they don't strike directly, they will surely interfere. At sea, the Dragon Clan holds many advantages."
Zhuge Liang raised the concern.
The Dragon Clan might not take overt action, but their covert schemes could be endless.
"They likely won't act—yet. For now, we expand and absorb the new population. Once stabilized, we shift to rest and recovery. We must hunt sea beasts, use their remains to nurture the Iron-Blood Great Wall, and expand its reach across all Great Yi territories."
Yi Tianxing concluded after a moment of thought.