He had ultimately not reached the Hunyuan realm, was not a true Saint. Even though he had forcibly transformed a clone into the Heavenly Emperor's Altar to cooperate with the sealing, the target was still the Dark Moon Demon Lord. The seal was almost perfectly locked onto the Demon Lord's aura—any movement on his part would trigger the seal to suppress and block his escape from the abyss.
However, if it was just ordinary dark creatures trying to leave, the seal would not react.
In other words, as long as there were monsters in the abyss, the Dark Realm would never find peace. Attacks by dark creatures would be inevitable. Deploying the army wasn't just a precaution—it was an absolute necessity.
Until the Dark Moon Demon Lord was completely dealt with, preparations for long-term confrontation with demonic forces had to be made.
Now that the Dark Realm had been brought under Great Yi's control, there was no reason to give it up.
War—at times—was a path to strength.
The army of Great Yi needed the tempering of blood and fire. This place was destined to become a land of a hundred battles, a training ground for troops.
The war with the Eternal Night Devils had never stopped.In the underworld, Great Yi was already guarding a Demon Abyss, where Nannan herself oversaw its defenses. All major armies of Great Yi took turns being deployed there, enduring the fires of war.
One thing was certain:
The Dark Moon Demon Lord would never allow Great Yi to enjoy peace. He would inevitably launch a counterattack.
"Now that we've taken the Dark Realm, we've earned the goodwill of over a hundred Forbidden Zone lords. They all owe you—and Great Yi—a favor. In my opinion, if we maintain these relationships well, they will become powerful allies in the future. For today's Feast of Immortal Delicacies, we should send them invitations. I believe they will not refuse."
Queen Mother of the West offered her suggestion after a brief pause.
"Yes, it's time to send invitations."
Yi Tianxing nodded in agreement.
The Feast of Immortal Delicacies had become a tradition in Great Yi. Even among outside forces and mighty cultivators, it was well-known and highly coveted.
But for outsiders, it was extremely rare to be invited.
Every feast, a total of three thousand anonymous invitations would be distributed to the outside world. Regardless of identity, anyone holding such an invitation could enter and attend the feast. Each year, these invitations became the targets of fierce competition.
Why?
Because each Feast included immortal treasures and spiritual fruits that could not be found anywhere else. For cultivators, they were immensely attractive.
And Great Yi's cuisine was legendary—not only was it delicious, but it offered many benefits: improving cultivation, strengthening the body, refining blood and flesh.
More importantly, it was a high-level gathering of Great Yi's top officials—City Lords from all immortal cities would be present. Their conversations often contained invaluable information. Just building a single connection could bring immense benefits.
In the eyes of the surrounding cultivators, Great Yi was now a pillar of power—its future limitless.
Right now it was only a Sacred Court, but rumors already spread that Great Yi had met all conditions to advance to an Immortal Court.
If that happened, even more powerful factions would flock to curry favor.
Thus, the invitations were immeasurably precious.
"In my view," Cai Yan spoke up, "why not bring out treasures like the Heavenly Fate Longevity Peaches for this feast, and host a Peach Banquet? One, it will show the Forbidden Zone lords how much we value them; two, it can display the depth of Great Yi's foundation. We could even make the Peach Banquet a regular event—a powerful way to promote the name of Great Yi and attract more talent."
Years ago, a Peach Banquet had been held—and the event was unprecedented. Only top-tier powerful beings had been invited. The immortal-grade fruits were not for just anyone.
Since the invitations were being extended to over a hundred powerful Forbidden Zone masters, the rank of the feast had to be elevated. A simple Feast of Immortal Delicacies might not be enough. A Peach Banquet, however, could truly reflect Great Yi's heritage.
"Yes. The Feast of Immortal Delicacies and the Peach Banquet can be held together. One internal, one external. It'll stir up a festive atmosphere in Great Yi."
Queen Mother of the West nodded approvingly.
Why had the Heavenly Court of the last epoch gained such legendary status?
One major reason was the Peach Banquet of the Jade Pool. Anyone who heard of it remembered the Heavenly Court, its majesty, and the powerful figures it drew.
Great Yi, with its many top-tier spiritual roots, was more than qualified to host such events.
The invisible benefits of this—were endless.
"Let's do it then. Today, we shall hold the Feast of Immortal Delicacies alongside the Peach Banquet. As for invitations, have Zhao Ji and Yaochi coordinate and send them out on an auspicious day."
Yi Tianxing nodded, making the decision.
Winning over the hundred-plus powerful lords of the Forbidden Zones was absolutely necessary.
Even gaining favor with a portion of them would bring tremendous unseen benefits—especially now that the War Against the Heavens was looming, and the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns were eyeing them from the shadows.
It was all part of strengthening their foundation.
"What do you plan next, husband?" Cai Yan asked.
"Continue cultivating and recovering. The Dark Realm issue isn't over."
Yi Tianxing replied calmly.
"Though it's now in our hands, it's only a detached domain, not truly integrated into Great Yi. There's no Iron-Blood Great Wall to defend it. If any disturbances arise around it, enemies could easily break through. Right now, only a Domain Gate connects it. The Dark Moon Demon Lord definitely won't stay quiet—he'll stir up trouble. That place will be a perpetual war zone."
"Great Yi can use this to grow stronger through battle. But it's not suitable for further expansion just yet. Detached territory isn't a long-term solution. When the time comes, we must fully integrate the Dark Realm into Great Yi's map. For now, our key focus is the War Against the Heavens."
This whole matter had been unexpected.
Had it not been for that sudden incident, he hadn't planned to take action against the Dark Realm. But now that he had, he had no regrets.
Detached territory had its flaws—but also its advantages. As long as the Domain Gate remained stable, nothing else mattered.
Meanwhile – Dark Realm
Abyssal Demon Palace
The Dark Moon Demon Lord sat upon his throne, his face grim.
Looking around the palace, the Hydra leader, the Black-White Dual Fiends—they were long gone. Only his personal loyalists, such as the Dark City Lord and others, remained—dozens in total.
Each of them was no less powerful than the Dark City Lord himself. Others had slightly lower cultivation, but were still top-tier powerhouses.
The foundation he had built was far from weak.
"My lord, what do we do now? That Hydra group were nothing but cowards. The moment things turned sour, they vanished without a trace. Truly disgraceful."
The Dark City Lord asked coldly.
"The abyss has been sealed. Yi Tianxing is more formidable than expected. The Dynasty Dao—the dominant path of this epoch—is truly extraordinary. He hasn't even become a Dao Lord, yet he can instantly break through boundaries with its power. Outrageous."
"The seal itself, though not fully Saint-level, is almost there in effect. I've reincarnated and cultivated anew, but still haven't regained the strength of the last epoch."
The Demon Lord's expression darkened further.
"And now, my lifebound treasure, the Dark Moon Demon Wheel, was shattered again by Yi Tianxing. My injuries are worse than before. I can't break the seal right now. Even if I could, stepping out would only bring humiliation—perhaps even another beating from that brat."
He took a deep breath.
He understood the situation perfectly:
He was Yi Tianxing's primary target. The moment he tried to escape the seal, he'd be attacked. The version of Yi Tianxing that had come earlier had only been a clone.
Even that had suppressed him.
If it had been the real body… The consequences were unimaginable.
And when the Dark Moon Demon Wheel shattered, he had felt an all-too-familiar aura: the Law of Strength—the exact same force wielded by Pangu in the last epoch.
He would never forget that oppressive power.
Only the Law of Strength had the overbearing might to destroy his lifebound treasure.
Of course, the Demon Wheel had once been shattered by Pangu and never fully healed. That had contributed to its weakness.
Even with Yi Tianxing's Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower, it would not have broken so easily otherwise.
But broken it was—and that was final.
"Why don't we just break the seal and leave the Dark Realm entirely? There are other places we can go."
One deathly figure suggested.
"Yes, we could open a tunnel from Eternal World to Eternal Night and go there instead."
Another ominous presence chimed in.
Voices rang out in the hall, suggesting various retreats.
They were not yet at the end of their rope—other roads remained.
"Enough," the Demon Lord said coldly. "This seal only targets me. As long as I don't leave, it won't be triggered. It doesn't respond to beings below a certain level. The dark creatures can still move freely."
"Great Yi wants to take the Dark Realm? It won't be that easy."
"So what if they purged the monsters? There are always more where that came from. I will ensure Great Yi never knows peace."
He let out a cold, sinister laugh.