Its grade was higher than that of the Xuanhuang Bricks. Not only was its defensive power more than a level stronger, but within the Xuanhuang Creation Bricks lay a powerful compatibility. The name Creation signified their ability to absorb various heavenly treasures, growing stronger without limit, and fusing with special materials to grant the city unique abilities. Their compatibility with the engraving and fusion of runes was greatly increased, transmitting heaven-and-earth energy with better efficiency.
They even bestowed the city with a mustard-seed-holds-a-mountain effect—its apparent size was not its true size. Inside, the space was more than ten times larger than what the exterior suggested. This was precisely why the interior of the Great Yi immortal cities had expanded more than tenfold.
The greater the space, naturally, the more population it could hold, and the greater fortune it could provide.
On the walls stood countless battle towers—arrow towers, magic towers—erected at key positions along the fortifications. Once war broke out, they could instantly unleash terrifying destructive power. These were not heaven-and-earth treasure buildings, but rather constructs the Great Yi had created over the years by analyzing the essence, prohibitions, and formations of such treasure towers, and then recreating them using rune-craft.
In terms of growth potential, they could not compare to true heaven-and-earth treasures, but the crucial point was—they broke the shackle of numbers. As long as there were enough materials, more could be built. So long as the tower was forged at the right grade, it possessed matching power.
From the battle towers now standing on the walls of the immortal cities, each one possessed astonishing might. Once activated, they would surely be great killing weapons on the battlefield.
Not only that, but rows of rune cannons were also embedded within the walls. When needed, they would extend outward; when unused, they were completely hidden inside, invisible from the outside. The same was true of the battle towers. Within the walls—there was an entire world.
All of this became possible after the development of the Xuanhuang Creation Bricks.
Great Yi, Xuanhuang Immortal City!
At this moment, Xuanhuang City was countless times stronger than it had been ten thousand years ago. The aura it released was deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss. Over the span of ten millennia, the entire city had absorbed and merged with countless Wish Power Beads. These beads, piled together, would be larger than a whole realm, higher than the heavens themselves—yet all had been fed into Xuanhuang Immortal City.
Within the city, the fifth ring had long since been completed. Towering buildings stretched upward, housing a vast sea of Great Yi's citizens.
In the void, vast clouds of karmic merit covered the sky. Upon them, a colossal eight-clawed purple dragon coiled amidst the clouds, its form half-concealed. Even the faint glimpse of a scale or claw exuded a crushing pressure. Its body already spanned over ten million zhang.
Dang, dang, dang!!
That morning, bells rang within the Celestial Palace. A heavenly staircase descended, upon which the many ministers of Great Yi ascended, entering the Heavenly Observation Hall.
Inside the grand hall, the civil and military officials stood to the left and right.
"Greetings to Your Majesty! May our Emperor's sacred life endure boundlessly!!"
When Yi Tianxing appeared, the ministers bowed.
"Rise, my beloved subjects."
Yi Tianxing nodded slightly, raising his hand in a gesture of support.
After the rites, Liu Bowen stepped forward and asked:
"Your Majesty, now that nearly ten thousand years have passed, what should be our next course of action? The decision rests with Your Majesty."
Ten thousand years. Great Yi had lain dormant for a full ten millennia. For cultivators, this was by no means a short time. In the mortal world, oceans turned to mulberry fields, oases into deserts.
But for a Destiny Dynasty, this was a supreme fortune—immeasurable in scale. Today, Great Yi's strength had long surpassed mortal imagination.
The ministers' eyes turned to Yi Tianxing.
"Indeed," Yi Tianxing nodded. "We of Great Yi have hidden ourselves for ten thousand years. Now, with the time barrier about to be lifted, naturally we must act. But first, let us hear what changes have occurred during these ten thousand years, before we decide our future course."
All the ministers agreed.
In truth, the transformation of Great Yi over these millennia was earth-shaking. If a cultivator who had once visited Great Yi returned today, they would find a completely different world.
Time was the greatest fortune of heaven and earth.
"Your Majesty, according to our records, one-third of our citizens have reached the True Spirit Realm, one-third the Yang God Realm, and another third the Life Aperture Realm or above but below Nascent Soul. This excludes children not yet of age. And among bounty hunters and hidden experts, many have already stepped into the Dao Platform Realm. Truly, Your Majesty, in Great Yi, everyone is like an immortal."
Xun Yu stepped forward and reported.
A cultivator who reached the Yang God Realm was already akin to an immortal. The True Spirit Realm equated to a True Immortal. In other realms, such beings would be revered as gods—but in Great Yi, they were simply ordinary citizens. To speak such a fact aloud would terrify anyone to death.
"Your Majesty."
Another minister now stepped forth. He was elegant, with unyielding spirit. A new face among the court—one who had risen during these ten thousand years. His name was Wang Anshi, current head of the Celestial Registry Hall, after Jia Yucun had long since retired in honor.
"According to the statistics of the Celestial Registry, within the seventy-two realms under our rule, each now has a population of one hundred trillion. In total, our numbers approach eight thousand trillion. Taking into account the natural cycle of life and death, this represents a population growth rate over these ten millennia thousands of times faster than before."
His eyes shone with passion. This figure was only for the seventy-two realms directly counted.
In truth, Great Yi had never restricted births. Instead, they encouraged them. Families with many children were rewarded, not punished. Every child received a stipend until the age of sixteen, when they reached adulthood and self-sufficiency. With no burden of raising children, the people of Great Yi bore no hesitation. Unlike the pressures of the modern world of old, where cars, houses, and dowries crushed young people until they dared not even have children—here, births increased every year.
Thus, Great Yi's true population far exceeded even eight thousand trillion.
Every year, the newborns were counted in the trillions. This was no exaggeration. The sheer population base brought an ocean of destiny to Great Yi.
"Your Majesty!!"
Zhuge Liang now stepped out. "The army now numbers one hundred trillion soldiers, with a reserve force consistently above the same. We maintain one thousand main battle legions, each with ten million troops. The average strength of frontline soldiers is the True Spirit Realm, officers at Dao Platform Realm, legion commanders at the Proving Dao Realm. Outside the legions, most soldiers are at least at the Yang God Realm. This does not even include the reserves."
The entire hall fell silent, the ministers shuddering in awe.
This strength, if revealed, would drive countless factions mad with terror.
One thousand legions. Each led by a Proving Dao-level commander. In the past, such beings were rare Great Powers—yet now they were simply military officers. And many of these commanders had advanced not by qi cultivation, but by the body-tempering path, refined by army resources, fortune, and blood-killing energy.
Proving Dao powerhouses were as numerous as clouds.
"Incredible," Yi Tianxing nodded, satisfied. "Have the troops prepare themselves. Soon, their chance to display their strength will come."
This was Great Yi's foundation.
Just the military alone had over a thousand Proving Dao powers—once considered almighty beings. Clearly, in these ten thousand years, Great Yi had truly sprouted wings.
"Your Majesty, even among the ministers here, most have reached the Proving Dao Realm. To serve our Dynasty is our supreme fortune," Liu Bowen added with a smile.
Indeed, the court officials had grown no less than the army. Under the support of the Dynasty's fortune, in ten thousand years, none lacked resources. Their cultivation surged like rockets.
In ten thousand years, the changes had been earth-shattering.
Then, one by one, the ministers gave their reports on their respective domains. In every aspect, the vast transformation of Great Yi was clear. Their strength and foundations had grown at a geometric pace.