"Indeed!!" Yi Tianxing nodded and said.
Standing before the Wishing Dragon now, his feelings were completely different from those years ago. Back then, it had been an unimaginable pressure. That kind of crushing weight… yet now, such pressure could be ignored. In the end, this was the transformation brought by changes in cultivation realm, status, and position.
The dragon's gaze swept across Yi Tianxing and his ministers, nodding as it said:"Speak your wishes. As long as it lies within this dragon's power, any wish can be fulfilled. You may obtain world-shaking wealth, countless beauties, rare treasures, even the ability to raise the dead. Now, tell me your desire."
The Eternal World had grown stronger with each passing year. The fusion of myriad realms deepened the world's foundation, and the laws of nature continuously transformed and evolved. Accordingly, the power of the Wishing Dragon had also grown—several times stronger than before. After all, the Wishing Dragon drew its strength from the Eternal World itself.
Thus, the wishes it could fulfill had naturally grown in scope.
Hearing this, the gathered women and ministers all turned their eyes toward Yi Tianxing.
To make this wish, naturally, it had to be him.
"I wish that within my Great Yi Immortal Court, the flow of time may differ from the outside. Let the flow outside remain unchanged, but within Great Yi, let time accelerate."
Yi Tianxing looked at the dragon and stated his request.
"The Great Yi Immortal Court spans seventy-two domains. To isolate the inside from the outside, and reverse the flow of time, you must choose a ratio."
The Wishing Dragon's eyes gleamed as it spoke solemnly.
"What ratios are available?" Yi Tianxing asked.
"You may choose one to ten, one to one hundred, or one to one thousand," explained the dragon. "One year in the Eternal World will equal ten years, a hundred years, or even a thousand years within Great Yi."
These ratios were all measured in years.
"With your power, how many years of accelerated time can you grant my Great Yi in total?" Yi Tianxing furrowed his brows and asked. Only by knowing the dragon's true limits could he decide.
"To reverse time is a heavenly taboo. To sever inside from outside consumes an immense price. With this wish, I can adjust the flow of time for three thousand years."
The Wishing Dragon spoke plainly, without concealment. That was its current limit.
"Three thousand years?"
Yi Tianxing nodded secretly. Behind him, the ministers also smiled with satisfaction. Clearly, this number was more than acceptable. What did this mean? It meant that Great Yi could gain an additional three thousand years of development, of accumulation, of strengthening its foundation.
In just over a hundred years, Great Yi had reached its current level. With three thousand more, the ministers were confident they could push Great Yi to an even higher step. If not directly ascending to a Heavenly Court, they would at least be infinitely close. Great Yi did not lack resources—what it lacked was time.
"Then make it one to one thousand. One year in the Eternal World will be a thousand years in Great Yi."
Yi Tianxing pondered briefly, then made his decision.
"Very well. In that case, as you wi—"
The Wishing Dragon was about to act, when Yi Tianxing suddenly raised his hand to stop it.
"Wait. In my possession are two more sets of Wishing Dragon Balls. If I sacrifice them, how many more years can be added?"
As he spoke, two complete sets of Dragon Balls appeared before him.
"With two additional sets, if you sacrifice them, the reversed flow of time can reach ten thousand years in total."
The Wishing Dragon's eyes flickered with surprise. It had not expected Yi Tianxing to hold not just one, but three entire sets of Wishing Dragon Balls. This was nothing short of unbelievable. Yet it still answered truthfully.
"Then let them be sacrificed. Begin at once."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing sent the two extra sets of Dragon Balls to the dragon.
Ten thousand years—that was enough. Ten thousand years of accelerated time would allow Great Yi to complete its ultimate accumulation. With vast domains, boundless population, endless resources and talent, Great Yi lacked nothing but time. Now, with this deficiency filled, their path would become a true fast track—rapid development and unstoppable growth.
"As you wish!!"
The Wishing Dragon swallowed the Dragon Balls. Divine light burst forth from its body, growing denser and more radiant, its figure swelling larger and larger. Clearly, its wish-granting power had multiplied several times over.
"What? His Majesty actually made such a wish!"
"Excellent! Our Great Yi lacks nothing but time. Now, with Eternal Night pressing closer, with the Demon Calamity worsening, and countless realms sinking into misery, the final battle between the two sides is not far. At any moment, it may erupt. Every day feels like the calm before a storm. Our only regret was not having enough time to grow stronger, fearing we'd become a burden in the final war. But now—now His Majesty's benevolence ensures that our people will have the time to grow. We won't face ruin helplessly."
"Yes! In Great Yi, every man and woman is a cultivator. As long as they work hard, with resources never lacking, they need not be inferior to Eternal Night. In ten thousand years, our human race will surely rise. We shall all become dragons. Ten thousand years—we will create miracles."
Yi Tianxing's words with the dragon, carried by a mysterious force, spread across every corner of Great Yi. Every being could see and hear them clearly.
Countless commoners trembled in joy and awe.
"How is this possible? How can Great Yi achieve such a thing?"
"How terrifying! To alter the flow of time itself—this is like giving Great Yi a pair of wings to soar. After ten thousand years, what unimaginable change will come? I can't even dare to imagine."
Within Great Yi, cultivators of all races stood dumbstruck, their shock reaching the extreme. This move was utterly earth-shattering, beyond all reason. Who could have guessed Great Yi still held such a card?
Unveiled, it was nothing less than a power to overturn heaven and earth.
With Great Yi's capabilities, everyone could foresee that after ten thousand years, it would ascend to an unfathomable height of power.
"Yi the Immortal Emperor—truly a sovereign among sovereigns. From today onward, Great Yi will be unstoppable. The human race will rise, and none will be able to halt it. Even Eternal Night could never have imagined such a move." Countless foreign races sighed inwardly.
Yet trapped within Great Yi's domain, they could transmit no word of this.
Still, even for them, this was a blessing. Ten thousand years of accelerated time—was that not also a fortune for them?
All eyes turned to the Wishing Dragon, waiting to see if it could truly fulfill this wish.
"Very well. Your wish has been granted."
The dragon nodded, and then its body transformed into golden light and vanished. At the same time, a mysterious power swept across the entire Great Yi Celestial Court, cloaking it completely. This force seemed to sever Great Yi from the Eternal World itself.
Above Great Yi, a vast river appeared out of thin air. In it, countless images unfolded—living beings' voices, the rise and fall of life, the transformation of all things—vivid beyond words.
It was the River of Time.
Not the true River of Time, but its projection manifested in the heavens. Yet even so, it made every cultivator feel an invisible pressure that could crush everything.
The next moment, the flow of time across heaven and earth twisted into chaos. And yet, it seemed as if nothing had changed at all.
In just an instant, it disappeared without a trace.
Within Great Yi, nothing appeared abnormal.
"All is done. My loyal ministers, remember your duties. This ten thousand years must not be wasted."
Yi Tianxing nodded, turning to his ministers with calm authority.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
They bowed deeply.
Though nothing around them seemed different, they knew the change had taken place. The time ratio between Great Yi and the Eternal World had shifted. Only at the borders of Great Yi would one sense the altered flow.
Within Great Yi itself, life would continue as before.
A day was still twenty-four hours, twelve double-hours, a year still three hundred sixty-five days. Every day was real, every moment true, every action solid and lasting.
This was a heaven-shaking fortune.
The ministers departed. Upon the Rainbow Bridge, Yi Tianxing strolled slowly with his wives.
"Husband, what about Xianhuang and the others? With this change, we can no longer influence the outside world. If I had known, I would never have let them join the Chaos Heavenly Ladder. Now, with this wish… we may not see them again for ten thousand years."
Cai Yan's eyes dimmed with sorrow.
Their children, participating in the battle of prodigies, could not return. Now, with the time reversal, they would only meet again ten thousand years later. For a mother, such separation was heartbreaking beyond words.
"Children must grow. In the end, they will spread their wings and fly. As parents, we cannot shelter them forever. To see the rainbow, one must endure the storm. The Chaos Heavenly Ladder will bring them opportunities, perhaps no less than what we gain from these ten thousand years. To us, ten thousand years is not long. We too must enter seclusion, to strengthen ourselves. In these ten thousand years, I must reach the Hunyuan realm."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath. Some fortunes could not be forced. Children had to grow. This separation was simply part of the path.
For Great Yi, these ten thousand years were a vital metamorphosis.
"After ten thousand years, our Great Yi will shake the heavens and earth."
The Queen Mother of the West felt little sadness. To her, ten thousand years passed in a blink.
"Ten thousand years later, I shall present Eternal Night with a grand gift."
Yi Tianxing looked into the void, his words full of profound meaning.