Within the many great realms, most were composed of both land and sea. Often, the seas covered far more area than the land. Though these seas were nominally under the dominion of Great Yi, the fortune that rose from them was sparse and thin. The numerous aquatic clans that resided within these waters made it difficult for Great Yi to truly exert influence. After all, names meant nothing without substance. And within the seas, the dragon race reigned supreme.
Even though the dragons had long adopted a low-profile stance and no longer interfered in the affairs of other aquatic races, none among the seas dared ignore their existence. The dragon clan's authority was etched into the blood of all scaled beings beneath the heavens. Among all creatures with scales and armor, dragons were the undisputed rulers—a legacy carved into the very marrow of their bloodline.
Now, with the dragon race joining Great Yi, the impact upon the aquatic clans across the world was immediate and immense.
The aquatic races revered the dragon race. And the dragons had now become ministers of Great Yi.
This created a direct, symbolic connection. As a result, the fortune emanating from the seas grew rapidly richer and denser. The creatures of the sea outnumbered even the human race—by far. Even if they only nominally acknowledged Great Yi's decree, the sheer volume of fortune that resulted was astronomical. Beyond imagination.
Even after the fate dragon of Great Yi reached 25,000 zhang, it continued to grow.
This was a continuous process.
"This time, bringing the dragons into the system of Great Yi is a massive gain," Yi Tianxing remarked, smiling at the golden fate dragon coiling in the void above."Whether it's land or sea, both are now within my grasp."
This was all thanks to the opportunity provided by Blood Heaven Dao Venerable. Without the incident of the heavenly rain, it would've been hard to find an opening to speak to the dragon race—or to give them a proper pretext to descend from their lofty position. Otherwise, Yi Tianxing wouldn't have had a good excuse to make a move.
Now that the dragons were officially part of Great Yi, its control over the seas had dramatically increased, and the vast fate flowing in from the sea was overwhelming. Compared to that, the fate consumed when conferring the dragons was but a drop in the ocean—utterly negligible.
It was an exchange with returns multiplied by ten thousandfold.
A single decree, a single edict, had brought forth limitless fortune. Without a doubt, this was a gift from the heavens. Of course, such a gift was only meaningful if one had the strength to hold it.
And Great Yi—undeniably—was such a force.
With its current power, Great Yi could now walk forward with bold and unshackled strides.
"You're quite the strategist, husband," Queen Mother of the West said as she appeared beside Yi Tianxing."Still, now that the dragons are part of our structure, what do you plan to do with the sea realm?"
The aquatic races were incredibly numerous. Some had already established their own Destiny Dynasty systems, complete with mature civilizations. Even in the name of the dragon race, it would be impossible to completely subjugate all the sea clans.
Since Yi Tianxing had taken this step—akin to the first move in recreating the Investiture of the Gods—and received a clear response, he would surely have a follow-up. There was no way he'd leave the entire sea realm outside the structure of Great Yi. That would be unthinkable.
"Naturally, we won't leave the sea unattended," Yi Tianxing replied, eyes flashing with resolve."The dragons have already opened the gap. Great Yi now holds the moral high ground. If the aquatic clans live in the seas—why shouldn't Great Yi enter them as well? As long as we build cities on the seabed, how can the sea realm remain beyond our grasp?"
"Cities beneath the sea?" the Queen Mother of the West asked, stunned."The sea realm is vast—no smaller than the land. To build cities under the ocean... how many immortal cities would that require? How many people? How many officials and troops?"
If he wanted to build undersea cities as densely as those on land—one immortal city every 3,000 li—the workload would be beyond astronomical. The movement of resources and manpower would be unimaginable.
"Not many. One city per realm," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
Making the sea like the land was out of the question. Humans lived on land—forcing them to adapt fully to underwater life would have devastating consequences. He would never do such a thing.
One city was enough.
Just like the dragon palace—each realm had only one, yet it commanded the loyalty and obedience of all sea clans.
Yi Tianxing planned to construct a single immortal city in each realm's sea domain, under the banner of Great Yi.
"These cities will be built to the standard of imperial or even Emperor capitals," he explained."We've already preserved several imperial cities from fallen foreign Destiny Dynasties in the past. Even if they're damaged, they can be restored. Imperial cities are powerful enough to rival innate spiritual treasures. With one in place, we can suppress an entire sea domain."
The city would not be confined to a single location—it would move continuously, patrolling the surrounding sea. Wherever it went, the majesty of Great Yi would follow. Its presence would gradually embed the influence of Great Yi into the hearts of all aquatic races.
"They must understand: within the borders of Great Yi, the sea is also our sovereign territory—sacred and inviolable."
This was a pivotal moment—a chance to extend the edicts and divine laws of Great Yi into the oceans. As long as its immortal cities existed in the seas, the divine majesty of Great Yi would be absolute.
One immortal city was enough to command an entire sea domain.
Whoever dared resist—Yi Tianxing would simply teleport a million or even ten million troops through the city's formation array. Anyone who refused to submit would be erased from existence.
This was the trend of the times.
The chess pieces had already been placed—now it was up to the world to respond.
This world would ultimately belong to Great Yi.
With the Nine Heavens Dao Venerable still watching from above—apocalypse hanging like a blade—Yi Tianxing had to unite every power, twist all strands into one rope, and forge an unstoppable force.
Meanwhile, in the Vast Sea Region…
The vast seabed was filled with mystical beauty. Coral reefs, sea trees, and glowing marine plants lit up the deep with a kaleidoscope of colors. Even sea-floor forests thrived here, sprouting strange and beautiful undersea flora.
In one area, countless giant clams were scattered across the seafloor—some sealed shut, some half-open, others fully unfurled. These clams looked like small houses, and inside them were young women with jade-like skin, adorned in pearls and shimmering ornaments.
The largest clam—comparable in size to a royal city—held within it a resplendent throne, where a crown-wearing woman sat surrounded by powerful female guards.
She was the Queen of the Spirit Clam Clan, also known as the Pearl Maiden Clan. This race was entirely female, born and raised within clams. At birth, each girl was fused with her clam shell. Upon reaching adulthood, she could grow legs and exit her shell at will.
The Spirit Clam Clan loved peace. Their favorite activities were sleeping in their shells, nurturing pearls, collecting glowing treasures, and listening to music.
Now, the Clam Queen looked toward the sky above with a grave expression.
She too had heard Great Yi's divine edict conferring the dragons. And she fully understood its implications—the sea would soon enter a period of immense upheaval. No aquatic race could now afford to ignore Great Yi's expanding influence.
"The tides are shifting," she murmured."Prepare thirty million pearls. Form an envoy delegation to present tribute to the Holy Court of Great Yi."
These pearls weren't ordinary items. They were specialty treasures of the Spirit Clam Clan, containing refined spiritual energy suitable for cultivation. The energy inside was mild and easily absorbed by all beings. Crushed into powder, the pearls could even be used in high-grade beauty products or as ingredients in youth-preserving and appearance-locking elixirs.
For the Spirit Clam Clan, thirty million pearls was no big deal.But for other races, it was a priceless fortune—a currency of its own beneath the sea.
Elsewhere, in the Sea Serpent Clan…
These serpents had human upper bodies and serpentine lower halves. Their entire demeanor was cold and sinister. Among the aquatic clans, they were infamous for pillaging and plundering.
When they heard the edict…
Cold eyes stared upward.
"Ignore it. The dragon clan's main forces have already withdrawn. Now they actually submit to humans? They've disgraced the dragon name. We hide in the deep seas—does Great Yi really think they can reach us? Even the dragons have no excuse to act against us without cause."
The sea serpent clan remained well-hidden and was not afraid of Great Yi. The sea itself was their greatest shield.
Different aquatic clans were responding in different ways.
Some began preparing precious treasures to pay tribute to Great Yi—at least outwardly recognizing it as a suzerain, and placing themselves in the position of vassals.
Others scoffed, believing Great Yi's influence could never truly extend into the ocean, and that even the dragon race had lost its bite.
After all—land and sea were two entirely different worlds.
In the Dragon Palace…
The Turtle Prime Minister stood alone in a grand hall, gazing far into the distance.His eyes held wisdom, vast and deep—reflecting the shifting tides of history and the rise and fall of empires.