It was just grain, after all. What they longed for even more was to join Great Yi, to become citizens of Great Yi, true people of Yi, walking as supreme Immortal citizens upon the earth. As long as one joined Great Yi, that grain was merely the most basic relief. From that moment on, as long as one was willing to work hard, toil, and endure hardship, survival would no longer be a problem. More than that, they could even become cultivators, gaining the opportunity to cultivate. That was a step to ascend to the heavens in one stride.
And now, such a chance to ascend in one step was right before their eyes—yet they could not obtain it.
To see the opportunity but be unable to seize it filled everyone with agonizing torment.
If there were no hope, it would be one thing. But to clearly see hope before one's eyes, only to be denied—that was unbearable.
"Because Great Yi was obstructed by the forces on our side, they had to make agreements. That's why we now have no chance to join Great Yi. If we overthrow them and take our fate into our own hands, then the Great Yi Immortal Court will have no reason not to accept us."
"Let's go petition. Let's gather people, enough people, and go together to petition. I've already heard that in many other realms, entire domains directly submitted themselves to Great Yi. So as long as we can persuade the higher-ups, we too will have the chance to become citizens of Great Yi. For the sake of our future, we must go petition."
"This concerns our destiny. If we don't fight for ourselves, how can we expect others to show us mercy? We must save ourselves. We must pursue a better life. Joining Great Yi, becoming Immortal citizens—this is the chance we have been given."
Countless common people gathered together, voicing their hearts' desires.
They were too close to Great Yi. Not only could they connect with it through the Star Network, but they could also feel, up close, the immense gulf between themselves and ordinary citizens of Great Yi. That difference was like heaven and earth, an uncrossable chasm. They wanted to join, and the chance was right within reach. If only the shackles were broken, they would all undergo a magnificent transformation.
The temptation was too great.
So great that no one could resist.
The desires buried in their hearts had begun to awaken. Many with intent were already gathering in secret, connecting with each other, preparing to take action, to make this possibility reality: to join Great Yi, to become its people, even to turn their entire realm into Great Yi's territory, so they too could gain the beautiful life that belonged to Great Yi.
Yi Tianxing did not concern himself too much with these matters. Everything was in the hands of Liu Bowen and the others, who steered the direction step by step, seizing initiative from the people's hearts, and reaping endless benefits. In the end, they would dismantle all resistance from within, making the common people sincerely submit to Great Yi.
Even if the realm's rulers did not wish to agree, faced with overwhelming public will, they would still have no choice but to decide.
If they chose correctly, then naturally, all would prosper together. If they chose wrongly, perhaps in some "accident," they would suffer heaven's punishment.
This was a stratagem to conquer the heart.
It was an open and righteous plot.
Even if you saw through it, you could not refuse it. You could not resist it. In the face of famine, who could refuse food? Who could imagine what would happen otherwise—what desperate people, seeing no hope, might do? That boundless fury could drown and destroy everything.
Yi Tianxing trusted Liu Bowen completely.
At this moment, one of his incarnations silently entered the Nightmare World.
"So I've entered the Nightmare World again. As expected, the Nightmare World is the aggregation of the dreams of all living beings, countless wills condensed together. It contains the will of Heaven scattered through heaven and earth. Only when something arises that threatens the Nightmare World does it manifest suddenly. Normally, it is in a half-asleep, half-conscious state. Back then, when I devoured a vast amount of Nightmare power from the Nightmare World, its will instinctively retaliated. But I escaped swiftly and wasn't completely locked onto. Over the years, I've even used the power of reincarnation to wash away my aura. The Nightmare will has not truly fixed its gaze upon me."
Although it was only an incarnation stepping into the Nightmare World, there was little difference between it and his true body. The reason for sending an incarnation was the worry that the Nightmare World might still have a mark upon him, which would bring fatal attacks if he entered personally. Now, it seemed that concern had been somewhat excessive. Even though he had devoured a great deal of Nightmare power, compared to the entire Nightmare World, it was but a drop in the ocean.
The awakened will had not been strong. Once it drove him away, it dissipated.
This meant he no longer needed to sneak about.
The path ahead would be far smoother, far more advantageous.
At the very least, he would not suddenly suffer a strike of ill fate.
"The Nightmare World… indeed, every time I enter, it is a completely different experience."
Yi Tianxing looked around. He found himself in an immense swamp. Green mists and toxic vapors drifted everywhere, filling the air with an unbearable stench. A normal person could not possibly survive here.
The environment was extremely harsh.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Not long after he arrived, the air suddenly filled with the sound of dense vibration.
Raising his eyes, he saw, within the miasma, countless giant blood-red mosquitoes emerging from nowhere. Each was the size of a calf, with crimson mouthparts sharp as blades, gleaming like crystal, radiant and dazzling, enough to make one's heart long for them and lose themselves in their strange beauty.
But if one of these blood mosquitoes pierced into the body, it could instantly drain all the blood from an adult human, not leaving a single drop. Such was their terrifying brutality.
Even worse, they possessed powerful bloodline divine abilities, able to transform into blood shadows and attack like lightning, swift beyond defense. Ordinary attacks, common magical powers, could not harm them.
Thus, they were also called Blood Shadow Demon Mosquitoes.
A single Blood Shadow Demon Mosquito was already fearsome. What was truly terrifying was when they swarmed in groups of thousands or tens of thousands. Even cultivators stronger than them would turn pale at the sight and flee without hesitation.
To be entangled by them was to fall into a nightmare.
And now, what appeared before Yi Tianxing was not thousands nor tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands, even millions.
Just one glance filled the heart with dread.
It was like a sea of blood sweeping forth.
"Courting death!!"
Yi Tianxing did not retreat. Instead, he uttered a calm command.
His eyes flashed.
A red-and-blue treasure bottle appeared out of thin air.
"Yin-Yang Treasure Bottle—devour!!"
At his thought, the treasure bottle shone with divine light, soaring into the air. Scarlet and blue radiance alternated upon it, and at the mouth of the bottle, a mysterious vortex formed, exuding an indescribable devouring force.
The vast swarm of blood mosquitoes was instantly dragged toward it, without even the chance to struggle. The aura of the bottle was too terrifying; even Dao Proving realm experts could not easily resist it. They could only be pulled inexorably toward the bottle.
Even when they turned into blood shadows, they could not escape the devouring power.
As they neared the treasure bottle, their bodies shrank at an unnatural speed, compressed by an invisible might.
In the blink of an eye, they were forcibly sucked inside.
That single devouring act swallowed up an entire swarm of a million Blood Shadow Demon Mosquitoes.
"A fine harvest. With this, I can refine a batch of top-grade Yin-Yang Pills."
"Refine!!"
At his thought, red and blue divine flames surged within the Yin-Yang Treasure Bottle, blazing into overwhelming fire. The mosquitoes inside screamed shrilly, their bodies reduced to ash as every impurity was burned away, leaving only pure essence perfectly fused together.
Under the mysterious Dao rhythm, heaven and earth vitality and the laws of heaven poured in rapidly.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Within a few breaths, clear chimes like pearls falling upon jade plates resounded.
The sound was crisp and delightful, filling the heart with joy.
The bottle returned to Yi Tianxing's hand.
With a flash of light, a gemstone-like pill appeared in his palm.
It was red and blue, flowing with a peculiar radiance. Mysterious lines shimmered across its surface, forming strange pill patterns.
One.
Two.…Seven lines shone.
A Seven-Turn Yin-Yang Pill.
It could mend flesh and bones, bring the dead back to life.
"On average, every two mosquitoes yield one Seven-Turn Yin-Yang Pill. That makes six hundred thousand pills. When I return, placing them in the Hall of Merit will certainly bring countless cultivators great joy."
Yi Tianxing nodded in satisfaction.
Each mosquito's strength was equivalent to seventh-rank, comparable to a True Spirit cultivator. Yet now, they had been transformed into flawless pills—perfect Seven-Turn Yin-Yang Pills.
Not only supreme healing treasures, but also peerless elixirs to increase cultivation.
Never before had such high-grade pills been condensed. With this, Great Yi's foundation would be greatly strengthened.
A million seventh-rank Blood Mosquitoes—only in the Nightmare World could such a thing exist.
Crack!!
Rumble!!
Just then, the swamp around him twisted violently.
Countless creatures burst out of the mire, fleeing frantically in all directions.