"They finally marched out. The legions of Great Yi have finally moved. As expected, with the opening of the God-Demon Battlefield, how could Great Yi possibly miss such an event? The strongest will always appear last, holding the final position. What came before was merely an appetizer."
Within the StarNet, countless races breathed a sigh of relief. With Great Yi present on the battlefield of gods and demons, it was as if they had swallowed a calming pill. They felt their side's confidence and foundation instantly become different.
"Heh heh, as expected, Great Yi still made a move. More than sixty legions—this may not be the entire Eternal Court's army, but from the intelligence we've gathered, if not all, it's at least more than half. With most of their forces sent to the battlefield, their domestic strength must inevitably weaken. They'll be left with only defensive power, with no energy left to stir up trouble. Now that they've moved, it feels like the boulder pressing on my chest has suddenly lifted. Truly relieving."
Within the Hydra organization, the black-robed men watched the projection of the massive army's expedition. Not only were they not afraid, they actually revealed expressions of relief and even joy.
They had already received their mission: to cooperate with the coming Demon Calamity and inflict as much damage as possible upon the Eternal World. If Great Yi's main force had not left, with ample armies still available for mobilization, then no matter what, they wouldn't dare act recklessly within Great Yi's territory or even nearby.
This was the deterrent power of Great Yi.
A deterrence that could suppress everything.
Now that the armies had left, it was enough to ensure that during the Demon Calamity, Great Yi would not easily mobilize large forces to interfere with surrounding regions. Even if they avoided the Immortal Court of Great Yi, they could still make their moves elsewhere, achieve their goals, and complete their objectives.
If Great Yi hadn't moved, they would instead be constrained.
After all, Great Yi's StarNet now covered the entire Eternal World. Small matters might slip by, but once something major occurred—such as the raging sweep of the Demon Calamity, demon soldiers flooding across the world—Great Yi would definitely learn of it through the StarNet. At that time, it would inevitably draw Great Yi's counterattack. The probability of this was very high.
Thus, Great Yi's mobilization not only reassured their own people but also allowed their enemies to relax.
Everyone was happy.
This was the influence of a true hegemon.
They personally witnessed the endless armies stepping into the Gate of Gods and Demons. Gradually, the live broadcast came to an end. The projection within Great Yi's void space dissipated as well. In the blink of an eye, the War Soul Battle Realm began to seal itself off. No longer could the outside world peek within.
At this moment, inside the War Soul Battle Realm, however, was another scene entirely.
Yi Tianxing still stood tall upon the Commanding Platform, gazing out at the legions neatly arrayed before him. The very legions that should have entered the Gate of Gods and Demons were, in fact, still standing motionless before him. They had not moved in the slightest.
If anyone saw this, they would be utterly dumbfounded.
It was hard to believe their own eyes.
"Your Majesty, will this method really work?"
Zhuge Liang, standing nearby, asked with hesitation.
"The Dao of Creation—using paper men as puppets, seizing a wisp of the true spirit essence of the soldiers—can indeed make all beings believe. Belief gathers will, gives rise to Creation, and even deceives the Gate of Gods and Demons into granting recognition. This Dao of Creation is indeed extraordinary. With Mister Ma's strength, it might truly play a tremendous role. Even on the God-Demon Battlefield, it can maintain itself without flaw."
Liu Bowen's tone was full of praise.
Indeed, the armies that had stepped into the Gate of Gods and Demons were not Great Yi's true soldiers, but fakes.
Of course, to say they were completely fake would be inaccurate. At the moment they were displayed before the masses and gained the acknowledgment of countless cultivators and beings, they had, in fact, become true Great Yi soldiers. That much could not be denied.
As long as no one exposed the truth, no one could see the flaw. Even if revealed, it wouldn't be incomprehensible.
The most critical figure in this was none other than the Immortal King of Creation—Ma Huaqian.
The very reason he had been summoned was to stage this grand play. Without him, it would never have been executed so flawlessly. Only Ma Huaqian's Dao of Deception could transform falsehood into reality, a power bordering on the miraculous. To call it an alternate form of Creation was no exaggeration.
This was a performance only he could deliver.
First, he used the art of paper men, crafting tens of millions of figures. Then, by fusing a trace of the soldiers' true spirit essence into them, the paper men could temporarily transform into the soldiers' likenesses—their auras, even their cultivation realms, all identical. With the help of the StarNet broadcast, the entire Eternal World witnessed it. Under those circumstances, who would ever suspect that the armies they saw were merely paper constructs? No one would.
Even the Yongye beings of Hydra were completely convinced, without the slightest doubt.
This belief was precisely what the Dao of Deception required.
This time, the faith of the entire Eternal World's beings empowered the deception. With that belief quietly laid upon the millions of paper soldiers, under the wondrous Dao of Deception, they transformed into living soldiers of flesh and blood. Their cultivation bases were genuine, no different from true men. They had thoughts, souls, and flesh. They could laugh, cry, and feel pain. Even if one used divine sight to observe them—what they saw would be living, breathing soldiers of Great Yi.
The soldiers formed from these paper figures were identical in cultivation and strength to their originals.
Before the live broadcast, it might still have seemed hollow. But afterward, with the Eternal World as witness, the cultivation and power became real, without a trace of emptiness. It was truly miraculous.
The Dao of Deception was eerie beyond belief.
Even generals like Zhuge Liang, though mere incarnations, still retained the same wisdom, talent, and divine abilities as their true selves. From the moment they came into being, the same faith had been planted in their minds—
Loyal to Great Yi. Warring for the Eternal World. Fighting against the Yongye demon soldiers.
In this sense, the expedition to the God-Demon Battlefield was not false. In a certain way, it was indeed real. But with Ma Huaqian's Dao, the true armies of Great Yi remained behind, guarding the Immortal Court, able to march again at any moment.
The stratagem was ingenious beyond measure.
At first, when Liu Bowen and the others had been secretly informed, they were skeptical. But after seeing it firsthand, they were astounded. And yet—it worked.
This was the art of "deceiving Heaven and crossing the sea."
The legions formed of false yet true soldiers would march into the God-Demon Battlefield, kill enemies, earn merit, and all of it would belong to the Eternal Court of Great Yi. A single move that was everlasting. As long as the deception was not exposed, it would bring infinite merits.
"Ma Huaqian's Dao of Creation is indeed wondrous. Truly marvelous."
The ministers secretly sighed in amazement.
Of course, Yi Tianxing never revealed that Ma Huaqian's true Dao was the Dao of Deception. The Dao of Deception was not meant to be spoken of. If it were exposed and widely spread, Ma Huaqian's true nature would be revealed. At that moment, all would collapse. His Dao would vanish, and he could no longer walk the path of deception. After all, once everyone knew you were a deceiver, who would still believe you?
Thus, to the outside world, Yi Tianxing claimed it was merely the Dao of Creation. Conveniently, Ma Huaqian himself also used the Dao of Creation as a disguise, bearing the title of Immortal King of Creation. No one doubted it. After all, who would ever think a Dao-proving powerhouse was merely a deceiver?
Moreover, the Dao of Deception was mystical. From truth to falsehood, from falsehood to truth. By using deception to seize the Dao of Creation, Ma Huaqian was, in truth, comprehending real Creation. Once perfected, even if one day exposed, he would not fall in cultivation. At that point, his Dao of Deception would reach completion—turning false into true, completing the ultimate transformation.
A wondrous cycle indeed.
For now, he had not reached that extreme, but his grasp of the Dao of Creation was not shallow. Otherwise, the Palace of Creation could not exist. Without true substance, how could disciples be taught? Deception was a shortcut, but reaching the peak required one's own efforts.
"Ma Huaqian may yet prove useful. It seems I must make an effort to truly win him over to Great Yi."
Yi Tianxing's thoughts flickered.
Undoubtedly, he now regarded Ma Huaqian with greater importance.
He then gave an order: "This matter is to remain known only to those present and the generals involved. The War Soul Battle Realm shall remain sealed for now, restricting entry and exit. We will await the proper opportunity."
His words carried unquestionable authority.
This matter was tied to future plans. If leaked, all would be lost.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We shall keep our lips sealed."
Liu Bowen and the others replied in unison.
In their minds, they were already calculating how to reap benefits from this. With Ma Huaqian's help, they now had far more room to maneuver.
With the army still at hand, if calamity erupted in surrounding realms, they could dispatch troops to suppress it. Afterward, proclaim Great Yi's benevolence, and naturally, those realms would fall into Great Yi's embrace. This was an opportunity worthy of attention.
After nodding, Yi Tianxing departed.
Just like that, silently and without sound, Great Yi completed a scheme of "stealing Heaven's pillar, crossing in the dark."
The outside world remained unaware.
At the same time, Hydra immediately transmitted the news back to Yongye.
The powers within Yongye, upon hearing it, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Yet they did not fully relax. Only once the battlefield truly erupted would they be completely certain. Only then would they feel one hundred percent secure.