Great Yi moved with remarkable speed. In the Undead Realm, once its various legions entered the battlefield, their advance accelerated dramatically. Countless undead were crushed into dust. One immortal city after another rose up, drawing on geomantic veins as feng shui masters followed to reverse the spiritual energy's attributes. Seeds of various flora were sown across the land, gradually restoring life to the dead soil. This process was far more complex and tedious than occupying a regular realm.
The undead's regenerative nature made them especially troublesome. From the start of the campaign, the undead hordes launched frenzied assaults against the Great Yi armies. Even when outmatched, they never retreated or hesitated. Each day, endless waves of undead swarmed forward, creating one devastating surge after another—fully employing sea-of-undead tactics to the extreme.
Day and night, the attacks were relentless.
But unfortunately for them, in the face of absolute power, they were still brutally crushed.
Immortal cities of Great Yi began to rise one after another. Large numbers of human civilians settled within them. Barren lands transformed into fertile fields. Greenery returned to the realm.
Ner'zhul raged with fury, launching counterattacks again and again. But each time, his efforts were futile—his generals fell one by one.
In just one month, Ner'zhul was killed in the Emperor capital of the Lich Empire.
That battle was fierce. Undead flooded the battlefield like an ocean; terrifying undead monstrosities surged endlessly, fighting with lives for lives. The intense combat inflicted heavy losses upon Great Yi's legions. In the end, Ner'zhul detonated the entire capital, initiating mutual destruction—utterly ruthless in his methods.
"Ner'zhul isn't truly dead. His phylactery isn't located in the Undead Realm but hidden somewhere secret. Once he resurrects, he may well spark another undead catastrophe."
After thoroughly eliminating the resistance, Zhuge Liang frowned and commented.Liches were notoriously hard to kill. Their phylactery was effectively a second life. Without destroying it, their "death" was never truly final.
Still, for Great Yi, even if Ner'zhul returned in the future, he wouldn't pose a serious threat—not anymore.
With Ner'zhul's defeat, the Undead Realm was fully brought under control.
Of course, not all undead vanished from the realm. Even with yin-yang reversal by feng shui masters, there remained regions of intense yin energy—deeply entrenched and impossible to purge completely. These places were turned into Undead Zones, where undead creatures were driven and contained. Immortal cities were built around them for suppression and surveillance.
As long as another Ner'zhul-like figure didn't rise, they posed no existential danger.
The Witch Realm had also fallen.
With Chen Sheng and Wu Guang leading the charge, Great Yi's offensive met with overwhelming response. In a flash, flags atop city walls changed hands. The upper echelons of the witches quickly abandoned their foundation and retreated. Many witches, however, became captives—stripped of their status and thrown into the Heavenly Prison. Whether they'd ever emerge was unknown.
Within the realm, countless civilians eagerly awaited to become citizens of Great Yi. The power and sophistication of Great Yi's civilization could be witnessed firsthand.
Especially the men of the realm—once oppressed and stripped of all dignity by the witches—now saw their lives completely reversed. Becoming a citizen of Great Yi meant a life no one could refuse.
Naturally, the populace responded in droves.
Their cooperation was not mere compliance—it was total, enthusiastic devotion.
Once they received all the rights and benefits of Great Yi citizenship, many were stunned speechless. It was as if they'd stepped into a dream—or paradise—after years of living in hell.
Three full meals a day.A home of their own.
Food stored in their personal Heavenly Cards.
These were luxuries they had never even dared to dream of before.
"To live as a citizen of Great Yi, and die as a spirit of Great Yi. From now on, if anyone dares slander Great Yi, I'll bet all hundred kilos of my flesh to teach them a lesson!"
Voices like this echoed across the Witch Realm.The contrast between past and present was simply too stark. Even the dullest minds could see which life was better, and who was worth supporting.
Absolute loyalty followed.
No one like Chen Sheng or Wu Guang could ever again stir rebellion among these people—there was no room left for it.
With the fall of the Undead Realm and the Witch Realm, twelve surrounding target realms were also brought under control.
The Iron-Blood Great Wall extended to cover them all.
But Great Yi did not pause. Ferocious beasts, massive birds, corpses, and even Ice Crystal Clan members were continually sacrificed to feed the Iron-Blood Great Wall—accumulating power for the next wave of expansion.
Two months later, another six realms fell:
Macaque Realm
Celestial Hound Realm
Holy Temple Realm
Black Iron Realm
War Tiger Realm
Pagoda Realm
All were fully absorbed into Great Yi's domain. Every local power either withdrew or was eliminated.
Of course, hidden agents were likely left behind. Countless beings, mostly humans, remained. Among them, many were spies and operatives from the fleeing powers.
Still, these people had to be accepted. Great Yi had already demanded the enemy forces withdraw—if they couldn't tolerate the remaining people, it would make Great Yi seem petty and narrow-minded.
"So what if there are some hidden agents?" said Yi Tianxing calmly."We already have spies within Great Yi. As long as they don't harm the nation, we won't act against them. Let the Hall of Calamities keep an eye on them. If anything, they might even be useful. Great Yi is vast—if they truly dedicate themselves to us, they'll be treated equally as citizens."
Indeed, Yi Tianxing was never surprised by the presence of spies—he had long expected it. As Great Yi expanded and absorbed more people, it was inevitable.
Petty schemes and sabotage couldn't shake Great Yi's foundation.In fact, many of those spies had already willingly integrated into Great Yi's system. The nation's prosperity, culture, and opportunity had a way of changing hearts.
Great Yi's assimilation power was formidable.
Additionally, one more special realm was absorbed: the Myriad Islands Realm.
This realm was composed entirely of islands—large and small. Many sects, demons, and strange powers inhabited it, with the dominant force being the Blood God Demon Sect, backed by the Blood River Ancestor.
But after learning how Great Yi's rapid growth could help speed up its ascension to the Immortal Court, the Blood River Ancestor willingly handed over the entire realm, even withdrawing the Blood God Sect.
The Myriad Islands Realm was incorporated effortlessly.
With this wave of conquest, nineteen new realms were added.Great Yi now controlled a total of thirty-two realms.
It officially entered a phase of rest and recuperation.
"This time, we've expanded so fast it's like we grew fat overnight. Even the realms we absorbed earlier haven't been fully digested. Without proper rest now, it could cause problems."
"Agreed. We need to focus on civilian development—convert our victories into lasting strength."
"And let's not forget talent cultivation. The expansion has left us short-handed. Scholars must redouble their studies to earn their place in Great Yi's vast stage."
All over Great Yi, students gathered to discuss politics and national policy with eager smiles.
To the citizens, this expansion was a monumental blessing. Many old citizens volunteered to pioneer the new frontier cities. There, opportunities to rise through merit were countless. It was a golden chance to build their fortunes.
Thus, the population began to flow and redistribute.
More importantly, Great Yi's talent reserves had been depleted. To the scholars of the land, this meant unprecedented opportunity. Passing the imperial exams now meant entering the ranks of the empire's core elite—with a future in government close at hand.
Everyone understood: now was the time for rest, recovery, and internal development.
And Great Yi did exactly that.
With thirty-two realms under its rule, a decree went out:
All troops would return to the War Soul Battle Realm.
All newly absorbed realms would be exempt from taxation for three years.
A stream of civilian-oriented policies were rapidly implemented.
The Star Network expanded into the new realms.
Exploration of wilderness zones, development of farmland and spirit fields, discovery of special resources—new progress occurred daily.