In the sky, the giant azure dragon, whose head was larger than a man, was undoubtedly a legendary divine beast rarely seen in history. But at this moment, more dazzling than the dragon was the black figure to whom even the dragon bowed!
That black figure stood there, and even without releasing an aura, no being could ignore his existence. It seemed that as long as he was there, he was the center of the world—the most invincible and respected existence.
"Little Azure greets Master!"
The dragon's majestic voice echoed through the sky, but under the power and majesty of its bloodline, there was a childish playfulness and dependence. It was only then that many realized that although this dragon was a powerful Four Symbols divine beast that had reached Soul Transformation upon hatching and survived a three-colored tribulation, it was still a hatchling.
As the dragon spoke, a series of even more shocking voices rose:
"Congratulations to the Lord of the Star-Sea for obtaining a Saint Beast! Congratulations to the Saint Beast for descending upon the Star-Sea!"
Then came wave after wave of voices:
"Congratulations to the Lord of the Star-Sea for obtaining a Saint Beast! Congratulations to the Saint Beast for descending upon the Star-Sea!"
This was something Meng Tianqi, Bai Liyun, Lin Yue, Wang He, and many generals of the Qing-God Army had agreed upon. Since the Star-Sea Continent had reached its current state and the Nine Domains were flourishing, most of the credit belonged to Qi Ping. He was truly worthy of this title.
More importantly, the Nine Domains were now essentially under the total control of the Qingyuan Academy. Various industries were flourishing under the academy's promotion. The lives, careers, and cultivation of many had improved significantly. Almost everyone had become a beneficiary of this change and saw hope for the future. All the people of the Star-Sea could see hope for themselves and their descendants to move forward.
Thus, integrating the Nine Domains and the entire continent into a single whole was not just the trend of the times, but the will of the people. Only by fully integrating the continent could the potential of the Nine Domains be exploded at maximum speed.
Surprisingly, the first ones to propose this weren't Qi Ping or Lin Yue, but Meng Tianqi, Bai Liyun, and the eighteen sect leaders who had helped sweep through the continent. They had first discussed it among themselves and then actively made the proposal to Lin Yue and the leaders of the army. After reaching an agreement, they informed Qi Ping. With his approval, the event was finalized today.
Their goal was simple. Through their interactions with Qi Ping and the development of the domains, they had been completely won over by the boldness of the academy. Instead of clinging to their original sects, it was better to become key figures under Qi Ping. This way, the massive benefits from the future development of the Nine Domains would help them continue to advance on the path of immortality.
If they waited until the sentiment from helping Qi Ping sweep the continent was exhausted, it wouldn't be as easy to become core members of the continent's leadership. Furthermore, so many geniuses were being born, and the performance of the Qing-God Army was dazzling. Stronger experts would surely emerge in the future. If their own strength didn't keep up, their voice in the future might not be as loud as it was now. Sentiments always run out eventually.
It was better to act now, while the gratitude and trust were at their highest and while their own strength was still top-tier. By actively promoting the unification of the Star-Sea Continent, they could secure important positions for themselves. This way, the domains could develop faster, and they could gain more resources to support their own cultivation. It was undeniably the best choice.
When they analyzed these pros and cons, everyone agreed to the decision without dissent. However, they also made two requests:
One was to establish a sacred heritage site to record the history and achievements of their original sects, so they could have an answer for their ancestors. As long as Qi Ping agreed, their sects weren't dying out but were entering a more prosperous state in a different form.
The second was that the final unified power should be named after the "Star-Sea." This name would maximize the sense of identity and facilitate the construction of the unified force.
When Qi Ping first heard these proposals, he was quite surprised. Although he had been consciously moving toward a unified force, he hadn't intended to make them give up their heritages. He had hoped for more competition on the continent to promote the prosperity of cultivation civilization. But after considering the proposal, he realized that a fully unified power would indeed facilitate development.
As for the issue of competition, that could be left to those below. As long as a system was established to promote competition and civilization, he believed Lin Yue could provide a rational answer. The collective wisdom of the continent was not to be underestimated.
So Qi Ping nodded in agreement. He understood the little schemes of Meng Tianqi and the others, but he didn't reject them; he felt it was only right. These people had helped him when he lacked power, and it was only fair they got what they deserved.
Furthermore, there was a more important reason: Qi Ping felt his past vision had been a bit small. The Star-Sea Continent was very large, with over a billion beings! Using their wisdom was a great help to his cultivation. But the continent was still small compared to the Myriad Worlds. Instead of focusing on internal competition, it was better to look at the wider world—whether it was other powerful cultivation civilizations, demon civilizations, or civilizations beyond the cultivation world altogether. There was too much knowledge and power to explore.
With this goal in mind, a fully controlled rear base was more suitable. Total unification suited his needs best. As for the other two requests, Qi Ping didn't think they were problems at all.
Establishing heritage monuments for the sects that joined not only gave them a good answer but deepened their sense of identity, making their geniuses more loyal. Most importantly, he never represented just the Qingyuan Sect, but a power belonging to all sentient beings. If he didn't have that kind of vision and heart, how could he have won the people over so quickly? Only by judging people by their merits rather than their origins and building a prosperous age for everyone could he win the hearts of the people.
The request to rename the institution to "Star-Sea Academy" was even less of an issue. It was consistent with why he named the Nine Domains as he did. Among all names, only "Star-Sea" could be recognized and accepted by everyone. It was a name that had existed for ages, with a foundation that was hard to shake and capable of evoking a sense of identity and belonging. If he chose any other name, the effort needed for unification would be multiplied.
Thus, after getting Qi Ping's approval, the work to build a unified power governing the entire continent began. In the process, some issues needed to be solved. For example, besides the eighteen sects led by Meng Tianqi, there were over a hundred other sects, large and small, that hadn't participated. Unification could not ignore them.
Lin Yue, with Qi Ping's approval, drafted an announcement and detailed regulations, sending his trusted aides to those sects to discuss the current situation of the Nine Domains. Fortunately, the process was smooth. Most sects happily accepted the terms because it was a good thing for them too. Only a small number chose not to join.
Lin Yue didn't make things difficult for them; he even gave them subsidies and conveniences. But most could see that with the birth of the Star-Sea Academy, no genius would pass up the chance to join it. Thus, those who chose not to join would eventually vanish in the river of history, without even leaving a monument behind.
Among those who chose to join, there were also some old stubborn fools who resisted. But Lin Yue didn't care; he left it to the sects to handle internally. Such a major change could never cater to everyone's interests. Unification was the will of the people and the trend of the continent, and it was unstoppable. Qi Ping's final kindness was to tell Lin Yue not to suppress them but to provide compensation and convenience.
He didn't care about their future development. At this stage, he only needed to control the grand trend and ensure the continent's prosperity and safety. Once most sects joined, everything became simple; all resistance vanished.
The news of establishing the Star-Sea Academy and placing all industries under its management quickly spread. It was another celebration for everyone. A power with unparalleled teaching resources and heritage was born! Most importantly, it was a power everyone was qualified to join. Any cultivator could join the academy!
Initially, one would join at the lowest level and could only rise by meeting standards. As long as one had talent or showed other abilities, they could rise step by step. This was the fairness mechanism Qi Ping valued most. He would never allow any fraud in the promotion of status, as oppression and unfairness were the greatest factors of instability. Fortunately, as an Earth Immortal Druid, no one could hide anything from him in the Nine Domains. This was his greatest confidence.
After the academy was established, Qi Ping was naturally the sole Dean and the only one with the special title of Lord of the Star-Sea. One of the Vice Deans was Lin Yue. His management talent and the skills he had honed over the years were extraordinary; currently, no one in the continent could surpass him. Because of this, his quality, and his loyalty, Qi Ping gave him the most powerful tasks, even though Lin Yue wasn't one of his original followers.
The right person should be in the right place—this was a truth Qi Ping believed in. If he chose people based on personal relations, he would be delaying the continent's development and his own cultivation, causing the limit of the continent to be lowered. For example, in terms of overall coordination, no one could do better than Lin Yue—not even Qi Ping.
Of course, those who had always stood by him—Wang He, Zhang Da-niu, Meng Yan, Han Li—were placed by Lin Yue in the most suitable positions. For example, Wang He still oversaw punishments and security, as his Heavenly Heart Sword Intent was most suitable for that. These were all based on ability. In management, even those closest to Qi Ping weren't exceptions.
However, Qi Ping didn't ignore their relationship. While positions weren't guaranteed, the benefits and resources in other areas were absolutely provided. He wouldn't mistreat his old friends; he hoped they would accompany him on this long path of immortality.
As for Meng Tianqi and Bai Liyun, Qi Ping placed them in high positions according to their abilities and specialties. These were among the most outstanding people of the past ages, with top-tier talent and ability. He wouldn't waste such talent. With them, the development of the academy and the Nine Domains would rise even further.
Currently, everything regarding the Star-Sea Academy has been finalized. Once an auspicious day arrives, the founding ceremony will be held. According to history, such a founding has a high chance of triggering a resonance with heaven and earth for a "Feng Shan" ceremony...