Within the Great Yi, there was no lack of materials.
What it truly lacked—was people.
Resources? Great Yi had them in endless supply.Each Immortal City stored mountains of grain, kept perfectly preserved in granaries inscribed with Stasis Runes, which halted time within. Even after hundreds or thousands of years, the food would remain as fresh as the day it was stored—only after tens or hundreds of thousands of years might spoilage occur.
Materials of every kind existed in abundance, and new creations emerged daily.But now, Great Yi was about to expand, aiming to conquer four entire realms at once.
And for that—it desperately needed people.
Without enough population, even if those four realms were conquered, it would take a long time for Great Yi to recover its foundational strength, let alone have the means to expand further.
In truth, this journey across realms had one primary goal—beyond exploration or diplomacy:
To "harvest" population from other realms.
—No, not "harvest"—that sounded harsh.
Let's say… to recruit.
When Yi Tianxing learned of the Kingdom of Women, he had been delighted.
"This is a good place," he thought."So what if it's all women? Bring them back to Great Yi—there's no shortage of young men."
"Women give birth. Even if daughters are born for two or three generations, that's fine."
"Daughters can still bear children later."
Even if the population here only produced females, it was still valuable.Over time, those female-born descendants would eventually return to a normal biological balance. After passing through the initial transition, everything would normalize.
From what Yi Tianxing had gathered, this realm-sized island was mostly territory of the Kingdom of Women. It held no less than three or four hundred million citizens.
And if the conditions allowed, the real number could easily reach three or four billion.
Here, simply drinking a bowl of water from the Mother-Child River would guarantee pregnancy—a 100% success rate.
Of course, the problem wasn't whether they'd come…
The real problem was: how to bring them back?
What Yi Tianxing valued most wasn't just the women.
It was the Mother-Child River.
This river could cause explosive population growth in the shortest possible time.
Of course, such a treasure was not without risks—it would all depend on how it was used.
"If only I could build a gateway connecting the Kingdom of Women and the Great Yi Holy Court…Then we could continuously transport women of appropriate age, helping populate Great Yi."
The idea lit up in his mind.
He had his Space Gate, but it couldn't yet span the massive distances between realms.Even now, as a Innate Spirit Treasure, it was still too limited.
Only if it were to evolve into a Innate Supreme Treasure could it possibly cross realms.
But that was a future hope, not a present solution.
"Even if I can't, maybe someone else can."
"Besides, using Domain Gates as anchors, I might create inter-realm teleportation routes."
Though complicated, this would let them hop between realms via known Domain Gates.Even if it wasn't fast, it was still feasible.
Domain Gates existed within Great Yi. Every realm had them—few in number, but immensely important.Formed by void insects boring through the dimensions, each realm typically had less than ten Domain Gates.
They were hard to locate, but not impossible.
Take the Hanhai Realm as an example—Great Yi had only located five Domain Gates there, scattered across islands and oceans.
These led to other realms.
Great Yi had already dispatched agents from the Calamity Hall to explore the realms beyond, not for war, but for reconnaissance—to gather intelligence and prepare for future conquests.
Of course, those were plans for later.
When Great Yi launched campaigns, it conquered realms one by one, not with scattered leaps.This ensured firm control and avoided unstable "outposts."
After all, Domain Gates could be destroyed—and a broken link would be disastrous.Great Yi couldn't risk such vulnerabilities.
Still—using Domain Gates to transport population?
That, Yi Tianxing thought, was worth serious consideration.
But it would require an accurate map of all Domain Gate coordinates—without that, one could search a lifetime and never find the correct route.
Back in Red Embroidery City, the air was thick with feminine fragrance.All around were rare and exotic flowers.
Even at night, the city blazed with lights. Vendors filled every street and alley, selling all manner of goods.
One such unique treasure was the Purple River Flower Tea, no less esteemed than the prized Sparrow-Tongue Tea.
Brewed from the Purple River Flower, this tea could restore vitality, extend lifespan, and replenish life essence.Drinking it before cultivation offered profound benefits to one's magic and inner power.
But the flower had a bizarre origin.
The Purple River Flower was grown from a Purple River Placenta—that is, afterbirth.
In most realms, afterbirth was discarded.But here, in the Kingdom of Women, it was sacred.
After each childbirth, the placenta was buried, then watered with Mother-Child River water.
Before long, it would sprout, take root, and grow into the Purple River Flower.
Each flower grew with the child, reaching full bloom only when the girl reached sixteen.Thereafter, it bloomed annually, and its petals could be harvested for tea.
If the child died prematurely, the flower would wither too.
It was a deeply mysterious process.
Many outside forces coveted this tea—including Zhen Deqiong, who bought some every visit.
Yi Tianxing tried it as well—brewed a pot himself.
"Truly a marvel of creation," he sighed inwardly.
"Purple River Placentas embody the essence of life.But here, children are not born of yin-yang union.They are created through pure yin, a mystical blend of motherly and heavenly energies.Hence, the placenta here is a Yin Purple River Placenta."
"Watered with the river's divine essence, it regenerates into flora.Its petals are infused with the power of creation and life."
"This tea… may even hold the potential to patch the heavens."
But…
"This tea is not for women."
He could sense that the tea carried an overwhelming yin force.
For men, it helped balance yin and yang, bringing life essence and vitality.But for women, it was like ice in the veins—dangerously unbalanced.At worst, it could cause serious harm.
Thus, it was a treasure with taboos.
And growing it outside the Kingdom of Women was practically impossible—every key component existed only here.
Night passed uneventfully.At dawn, the sun rose and swept away the darkness.
Unbeknownst to all, the Husband Selection Festival was about to begin.
Awooo!! Awooo!!
Suddenly, the air filled with clear, melodious cries—not harsh, but noble, regal.
"What's that sound?"
"Look—it's coming from the capital!"
"There are birds flying!"
"Not just any birds—Qingluan!!"
The young men who had arrived the day before rushed out of their lodgings, looking skyward in amazement.
They saw two magnificent Qingluan birds pulling a Phoenix Chariot, followed by a flock of Bluebirds.
Each bluebird carried an armored female warrior on its back—members of the Kingdom's elite guard.
Their presence radiated sharpness—clearly not mere escorts.
"It's Her Majesty!"
General Hong Ying's eyes lit up.
"The Queen is arriving for the festival herself.If she finds someone she likes, that man will become the Consort of the Kingdom."
"She is the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom.I wonder if anyone can capture her heart this year…"
The Qingluan was the Queen's exclusive steed, and the guards behind—the Bluebird Sword Guard—were elite warriors, each a master of the sword and harboring secret deadly techniques.
"The Queen herself!?If I'm chosen, won't I ascend to heaven overnight?"
"Pick me! Pick me!!"
"With my looks and elegant charm, I'm sure to be picked!"
Excitement rippled through the crowd.
The Phoenix Chariot grew closer, hovering above Red Embroidery City.
Everyone's heart raced in anticipation—the Queen of legend was about to appear.
"Interesting,"Yi Tianxing muttered, lips curling in amusement.
Elsewhere, on a major street in the city, Tang Xuanzang and his disciples also stood watching.
"Master,"the monkey said,"since the Queen is arriving, why don't we exchange credentials right here in Red Embroidery City?That way we can get on with our journey and avoid unnecessary complications."
Soon, the Phoenix Chariot hovered overhead.
The beaded curtains parted slightly, revealing a regal woman crowned in gold, her noble aura making it hard to look directly at her.
Even her silhouette left the young men dumbfounded, hearts throbbing.
Suddenly—
Woooo!!
The light in the sky dimmed.
Darkness swept across everything for a split second.
Then—light returned.
"Wait—what happened to the other men!?"
"Senior Brother! Not good! Master's been captured by a demon!!"