In three years, it wasn't just about hunting sea beasts to sacrifice to the Iron-Blood Great Wall. Inside the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda, the Ice Crystal Clan had already proliferated. Under deliberate influence—and with the Time Pocket Watch adjusting the time flow within that small world at great cost—the population of the Ice Crystal Clan exploded exponentially.
When part of the Ice Crystal Clan was first taken in, their memories were thoroughly wiped, leaving them blank. No hatred for the Great Yi Dynasty remained in their minds. In fact, they were not even allowed to form a civilization. All they did was reproduce—over and over again.
Once they reached maturity, they would split, then split again.
One became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand.
Expansion at an inhuman speed.
In just a few short years, aided by the Time Pocket Watch, their numbers exploded.
Yi Tianxing even allocated a layer in the Palace Tree Cloud Realm, naming it the Ice Crystal Realm, and released a vast number of Ice Crystal beings into it. There, with no natural predators or oppression—and a fully icy environment—their reproduction rates skyrocketed.
As of now, their population had reached fifty to sixty billion.
With such a massive population base, a fixed number could be harvested each day without raising any alarm. The Ice Crystal Clan served as the perfect sacrificial offerings for the Iron-Blood Great Wall—without the slightest risk—enabling it to continuously expand.
Upon detecting a nearby island, expansion was directed toward it, and it was naturally incorporated into Great Yi's territory.
Even if the surrounding foreign races noticed, they were powerless to stop it. The island was taken in overnight, and the region covered by the Iron-Blood Great Wall could shift at will.
It was so sudden that no one could prepare for it.
Thus, the island was effortlessly integrated into Great Yi's rule and named Flying Fish Island. Around the island lived many types of fish, especially a species called Twin-Finned Flying Fish, known for leaping out of the water. The most delicious part was their fins—an ingredient even more exquisite than any land-based delicacy. A true gourmet treasure.
Flying Fish Island had some foreign tribes and wild beasts, but they were instantly suppressed. The entire island was enveloped in silence. Any resistance was futile.
Once incorporated into Great Yi, the island was immediately occupied. All foreign tribes trembled before the unstoppable army and were swiftly conquered.
After that, countless Immortal Cities appeared at an astonishing pace, rising across the island like bamboo shoots after rain. They soon covered the island. Large numbers of Great Yi citizens were relocated there. Anyone who migrated could obtain a house of their own—though all property remained state-owned and constructed by the Great Yi Dynasty.
According to official policy, ownership in these Immortal Cities remained with the state. Citizens received residency rights, not full ownership. These rights could be sold and transferred.
For example, a piece of property had a maximum ownership term of 100 years. Once that term ended, it had to be repurchased. This 100-year term was fixed. The price was paid to the state treasury at the time of signing.
In short, no citizen could permanently own property. However, the dynasty also could not confiscate it at will. All property laws were grounded in strict legal codes, painstakingly developed by Li Kui and a team of Legalist scholars. Each law naturally integrated into the Great Yi Heavenly Code.
These Heavenly Laws were constantly improving, covering every aspect of society and every profession.
Even in the most ordinary Immortal City, a 100-year residency right was astronomically expensive—starting at 1,000 Eternal Coins per square meter. Thus, obtaining a home required massive effort and resources.
However, those who migrated to newly established cities received a free home with 100 years of residency rights. During this time, the house could also be traded. Couples forming new families had to forfeit one of their residences.
Such a benefit was irresistible to the common folk.
As a result, many citizens without homes eagerly migrated. It was seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Migration was effortless.
This deep-seated attachment to property was ingrained in the very blood of humanity.
Almost immediately, the new Immortal Cities were fully occupied. Many who failed to secure homes remained, hoping for future opportunities. They believed that, with persistence, a home would eventually come.
There was no doubt about that.
Over these three years, Great Yi's population skyrocketed.
With a pro-birth policy in place, the number of newborns grew at an explosive rate. From the previous 10 billion, the population had now reached 28 billion.
This didn't even count the influx of people brought daily by the Void Trains, which transported citizens from beyond the borders into the empire.
Surveys showed that the number would only keep growing—and at an increasingly rapid pace.
Meanwhile, the national economy and civil well-being also soared.
All kinds of spiritual crops were being cultivated and spread. Massive scarecrow sentries guarded rice fields around every Immortal City, patrolling constantly like a unique landscape.
Airships zipped through the skies, leaving streams of light.
Bounty hunters drove war chariots pulled by fierce beasts, traveling through the void. There were all manner of beast mounts—each one exuding majesty.
The whole world felt like it had stepped into a mythical era.
Eternal Calendar, Year 15, Month 11, Day 7.
In the center of Great Yi's maritime territory stood a solitary island.
It was small—enough to host just one Immortal City. It was completely surrounded by ocean.
This Immortal City was utterly devoid of human presence, exuding an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. The air was frigid, and a sinister chill crept into the bones.
All around, piles of bone-white skeletons covered the ground, forming mountains of corpses, hiding the very soil beneath. It was a city built upon bones.
Swish swish swish—!
Suddenly, the entire city began to shake violently. With each tremor, beams of black divine light burst out, sending a terrifying chill through the soul.
Wooo wooo—!
Amidst the howling wind, faint ghostly wails could be heard.
The land churned, as though something monstrous was writhing beneath it. Waves of nether qi erupted, draping the city in darkness. Mysterious runes flickered across the city walls, then faded and sank into the structure.
A black mist hovered above the city, with ominous dark clouds swirling overhead, blocking all light.
Then, a massive suction force emanated from the city, turning the black mist into a spinning vortex. The entire Immortal City seemed to become a bottomless abyss, pulling everything toward the underworld. Ghost wails rang out endlessly, and phantom shadows flickered through the fog.
"May the Emperor descend."
A black-robed figure hovered in the sky, eyes gleaming with excitement as he gazed down at the vortex and spoke loudly.
Shua—!
A seven-colored rainbow light streaked across the void.
Yi Tianxing appeared in the air.
"The Ghost Gate Formation is complete," he observed. Within the vortex, a black Ghost Gate hovered ominously, radiating an ancient aura.
"Yes, after three years, the Ghost Gate Feng Shui Grand Formation has finally been completed," said Jiang Ni, excitement flashing across his face. "Beneath this Immortal City, a Nine Nether Yin Vein has already formed. Now, all we need is the Emperor's Yin-Yang treasure to serve as the core. Once in place, it will connect the realms of yin and yang. Once stabilized, this passage can exist permanently."
Setting up this formation had been a herculean task over three years. While the Ghost Gate alone couldn't breach the barrier between life and death, with the right Yin-Yang treasure as its core, it could forcibly open the divide.
Once that was done, the formation's own power would maintain the passage—even without the treasure.