"Sitting in command of the Ghost Cave and possessing boundless merit, if the Ghost Mother joins Great Yi, then unless necessary, we naturally will not arbitrarily move you. However, once part of Great Yi, you must obey our laws and commandments. In Great Yi, even a prince breaking the law is punished like a commoner. So I hope you will take time to study our laws and decrees," Yi Tianxing said with a calm smile.
The Ghost Mother's desire to "follow orders but not be commanded" was a trivial matter in itself—because ultimately, all such claims rested on power. As long as Great Yi remained strong enough, even if the Ghost Mother broke through to the Dao-Proving Realm, she would still be guided by Great Yi—not through control, but through interest.
Such was the strength that came from holding the mandate of destiny.
And now that it was clear the Ghost Mother was not steeped in karmic backlash, and had joined Great Yi seeking to cleanse her karmic burden through Emperor fortune, then Yi Tianxing had no hesitation in welcoming her into the system—he had confidence he could restrain her if needed.
Of course, had it been someone like the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign, Yi Tianxing would never have dared to allow them in.
Even without intentional action, such people radiated influence far and wide.
"Of course," the Ghost Mother agreed without hesitation.
Following Great Yi's path might just be the opportunity she needed to reach Dao-proving. She had come to this conclusion through a unique method—and she wasn't about to abandon it lightly.
"Very well." Yi Tianxing nodded slightly and stretched out his hand.
A golden scroll appeared before him—one side bearing the names and ranks of Great Yi's court officials, and the other a true Divine Enlistment List, used to enshrine gods and spirits.
On the back of the scroll, one could already see names such as the Ice Queen, who had been enshrined as the Goddess of Ice and Snow within Great Yi.
"Ghost Mother of the Nine Sons, your merits shake the heavens. Today, by your own will, you join Great Yi. As such, you are hereby enshrined as the Child-Giving Ghost Mother of Great Yi, seated within the Ghost Cave, ranked First Grade, holding divine office, bringing blessings of fertility to the people of Great Yi. You are granted entry into the Hall of All Gods, and shall receive the people's incense and offerings. You are a First Grade Deity."
Yi Tianxing wasted no time, issuing the divine decree. Then, with a press of the Xuanhuang Imperial Seal, the order was finalized and imbued with the mandate of heaven and earth.
The moment the seal struck the divine list, a dragon's roar echoed from the skies.
A golden light descended instantly, enveloping the Ghost Mother and her Nine Sons in divine brilliance.
The Nine Sons of the Ghost Mother were not separate entities but extensions of her. Their vital energy was identical—they were essentially one being, able to merge into one whenever needed.
At that same moment, over Xuanhuang City, capital of the Great Yi Dynasty—
A white palace materialized within the sea of merit clouds.
It looked nearly identical to the Hall of Ten Thousand Immortals—but atop it shone three ancient characters:
Hall of All Gods (万神殿).
This was the divine counterpart to the immortal palace—its equivalent for enshrined gods.
As the enshrinement concluded, a portion of the Ghost Mother's soul entered the Hall of All Gods, transforming into a Fate Avatar that now sat within, surrounded by her nine ghostly sons—accepting the incense and willpower of Great Yi's citizens.
"This... this fate energy. My comprehension of heavenly laws has accelerated so drastically! This is the power of a destiny-bound dynasty! Incredible!" the Ghost Mother marveled inwardly.
With fate now tied to her, her comprehension of Dao principles and laws soared visibly.
Her cultivation speed had increased by a full seventy-two times.
Incredible!
This was the power of a Fortune Dynasty. Becoming part of its system granted opportunities far beyond what normal cultivation could offer. The infusion of fate energy could even allow one to catch up to cultivators who'd trained for centuries or millennia, regardless of natural aptitude.
The dynasty's fortune could cleanse karmic backlash, break natural limits, and unlock talent.
No wonder top talents and peak cultivators across the world all sought entry into Fortune Dynasties.
"…But something seems different," the Ghost Mother thought to herself.
She sensed a special quality in this fortune—it wasn't just cleansing karma or boosting comprehension. It was also easing the shackles of heaven and earth upon her.
These "shackles" were the natural barriers that hindered breakthroughs. Even just slightly loosening them greatly improved her chances of advancing to the Dao-Proving Realm.
This wasn't something other dynasties could normally achieve.
"Could this be something unique to an Emperor Dynasty? Or is Great Yi far more profound than it appears on the surface?"
This idea flickered through her mind—but she said nothing aloud.
Such secrets were best kept private.
In addition, her divine office granted her a new life aperture (命窍)—a unique one aligned with her divine domain.
As the Child-Giving Ghost Mother, her role was to aid in population growth. The divine power granted through her life aperture manifested as a child-giving divine ability.
The more she helped Great Yi citizens reproduce, the more law energy accumulated in her aperture—paving the way to prove the Dao through divine law.
This was the path of the gods: leveraging the willpower and incense of the people to rapidly ascend.
This is also why public officials had an easier time cultivating—the structure of the empire directly empowered them.
As her enshrinement concluded, the Ghost Mother's domain immediately extended across all of Great Yi.
That night alone, across the entire Great Yi territory, countless women who normally would not have conceived… suddenly did.
Within one night, the number of newly conceived children likely exceeded one hundred million.
This was the terrifying fertility-enhancing power of the Ghost Mother's divine role.
And her body was perfectly suited for it—she was, after all, someone capable of birthing nine ghost children in one go.
Appointing her as the Child-Giving Deity was simply the perfect match.
"First Grade… I thank the Emperor for the enshrinement," the Ghost Mother said, her voice now tinged with respect.
Having joined the imperial system, she naturally had to follow its unspoken rules.
"You're too polite. Now that you're part of Great Yi, you're one of us. Soon, our army will come to station forces in the Ghost Cave. I hope you'll provide them the necessary assistance," Yi Tianxing replied with a nod. His tone had softened—she was now an ally.
"This Ghost Cave is a critical underworld location. Naturally, my Halls of the Underworld King will not stand by idly," said Acha. "One million elite Ghost Envoys will remain behind to help defend the Eternal Night passage. To die defending the underworld is the Ghost Envoys' honor."
Acha had watched the exchange between Yi Tianxing and the Ghost Mother with a frown—but she did not intervene.
The matter was already beyond obstruction.
And since the Ghost Mother had voluntarily joined, there was no fault to assign.
Still, despite Yi Tianxing's promise to send troops, Acha could not allow the underworld to appear weak.
This was, after all, the underworld's territory.
If word spread that an Eternal Night passage in the underworld had to be defended by forces from the Yang Realm's Great Yi, the underworld's honor and pride would be shattered.
They'd forever be looked down upon.
That was unacceptable.
"Very well. The Underworld King's contribution is a great virtue," Yi Tianxing said with a mild smile.
He understood the implications perfectly.
But he didn't interfere.
To gain a base like the Ghost Cave in the underworld was already a tremendous windfall—no need to push further.
Greed at this level was a dangerous thing.
Soon after, Yi Tianxing and the Underworld King departed the Ghost Cave.
Under the Ghost Gate's power, they easily returned from Yin Mountain to the Yellow Springs Inn.
The moment they appeared, they were spotted by Meng Qi, who had been anxiously waiting.
Her eyes swept over Yi Tianxing, but when she didn't see the child in his arms, her hopeful expression instantly collapsed. Her body trembled violently—on the verge of fainting.
To return without the child... to her, that could only mean something terrible.
"H-Husband… the child?" she asked, her voice shaking with despair.
"Don't worry—the child has been rescued," Yi Tianxing said quickly, stepping forward to gather her into his arms.