"Count me in. This old Daoist has nothing much to do, and I can also guard one Demon Abyss. If, in the future, when the Well of Gods and Demonsl is ready and the crusade against Eternal Night begins, this old Daoist can still exert some remaining strength. How could I miss such a great matter? If I missed it, I would regret it for a lifetime." Zhuang Zhou said with a cheerful smile.
This was a clear declaration of his stance—ready to hang his name under Great Yi as a consecrated guardian, and guarding a Demon Abyss would be the best outcome.
Other great beings also began expressing their intentions one after another.
Many of them were mighty experts originally stationed in restricted zones within the Dark Domain. Of course, not all of these experts were willing to join Great Yi. After all, Great Yi was a human destiny dynasty, a human Immortal Court. Some great beings had their own races to look after and could not easily decide. But those without many attachments—or who were originally of the human race—spoke out without hesitation, declaring their willingness.
In the blink of an eye, no fewer than dozens of powerful figures openly declared they would join Great Yi, becoming consecrated under the Tongtian Pavilion and helping to guard the Demon Abysses.
These were opportunities falling straight from the heavens.
Naturally, Yi Tianxing accepted them all without refusal. Each one who joined was fully incorporated into the system of Great Yi. Once they accepted enfeoffment, received an official position, and gained the blessing of fortune, they were bound to Great Yi by karmic ties—practically inseparable.
Although recruiting them required offering stipends and sharing out some of the fortune's blessings, compared to the significance of their joining, the cost was more than worth it. Moreover, their very presence would in turn increase Great Yi's fortune. Experts—especially great beings of such level—each had the power to sway the world and alter the balance of realms.
Many others already leaned toward Great Yi.
Given time, or once they witnessed tangible benefits, it was entirely possible to recruit them as well.
Even Saints displayed great closeness toward Yi Tianxing and Great Yi.
As one of the only two Immortal Courts in the Eternal World, Great Yi's weight had never been light.
And now, they had even opened the Well of Gods and Demons.
The Demon Abyss were both a danger and an opportunity. They meant a direct confrontation with Eternal Night, face-to-face battles. For cultivators, slaying Eternal Night demons meant merit, reputation, and renown.
Many great beings were already at the end of the proving Dao path, yet lacked confidence to forcibly break through heaven and earth's shackles to prove Dao into the Hunyuan realm. Now, their only chance was proving Dao through merit. With sufficient vast merit, heaven and earth would grant recognition, open a path, and allow them to step into Hunyuan.
The process was, in fact, quite simple to explain.
It was as if the Hunyuan realm were a commodity—if you wanted to obtain it, you had to purchase it with merit.
The premise was having enough merit to afford it.
Where to get such merit—that was the real problem. The most direct and straightforward source known now was guarding a Demon Abyss and slaying Eternal Night demons. If there was a chance to invade Eternal Night itself, the merit gained would be even more immense and astonishing.
That alone was enough to make countless great beings rush for it.
Great Yi had opened more than thirty Demon Abyss, plus nine Well of Gods and Demons. What was that? That was living merit placed right in front of them. Who would willingly miss such an opportunity? Anyone with even the slightest chance would seize it.
To take the counteroffensive into Eternal Night, and to participate in such a campaign—what greater glory could there be?
To achieve merit and prove Dao into Hunyuan was no longer a dream.
For the sake of the future, everyone was willing to give it their all.
Unknowingly, the banquet dispersed. The entire process was perfectly rounded, with hosts and guests both delighted.
Of course, perhaps some were displeased, but those were trivial matters of no consequence.
Many guests did not leave Great Yi, but chose to stay temporarily.
For example, Chang'e remained, using the excuse of wanting to catch up with the Queen Mother of the West. The Heavenly Maiden of Dunhuang seemed deeply interested in the myriad gardens and residences of the Immortal Palace, wanting to stay longer to explore.
Yi Tianxing simply allowed them freedom of action.
The next morning—
The jade bell rang.
The Great Yi Grand Court Assembly opened once again.
Normally, it was not the time for such a Grand Court Assembly. In Great Yi, this was usually held only once per year. At the Grand Court Assembly, all officials eligible to participate in the capital, Xuanhuang City, were required to attend. Absenting without special reason was forbidden. Even those in closed-door cultivation had to temporarily exit to participate before resuming seclusion.
Such assemblies, under normal circumstances, were held once annually—at year's end—to summarize achievements of the past year and set goals for the next.
Other assemblies were not compulsory.
In truth, cultivation within a destiny dynasty was vastly different from ordinary cultivation. With the blessing of fortune, growth was dozens, even hundreds of times faster. Retreats were rarely long and often less meaningful.
Though the officials of Great Yi busied themselves endlessly, when had they ever delayed their cultivation?
Inside the Watching-Heaven Hall, the ministers gathered, civil and military officials standing in rows.
Yi Tianxing sat high above, his gaze sweeping the hall.
"My beloved ministers, this assembly is held for a special reason. I believe you are all already aware. Because of the hidden plots of the Hydra, demonic corruption within our territory suddenly accelerated, giving rise to thirty-two Demon Abyss. Adding to those in the Dark Domain, all realms are now under threat from Demon Abyss. Fortunately, we were prepared. By activating the Mountains and Rivers Sheji Map, the Eternal Night power that should have expanded thirty-two Demon Abyss was instead absorbed by us to open nine large Well of Gods and Demons under Great Yi Immortal Court. Thus the thirty-two Abysses remained only mid-sized. Yet, their existence still exerts a subtle, long-term influence. How we respond next depends on everyone's counsel."
Yi Tianxing nodded and declared the assembly's purpose: to deal with the Demon Abyss problem.
The Demon Abyss meant not only a constant stream of Eternal Night demons pouring out, but also an intangible influence.
"The Demon Abyss must be guarded. The areas surrounding each should be designated as war zones, garrisoned by armies. To better deploy troops and resources, I propose that outside every Demon Abyss, we establish a Floating Battle Fortress. These fortresses would serve as central hubs for logistics, supplies, and troop movement. First, this would avoid disrupting nearby Immortal Cities. Second, it would allow for more effective responses to battlefield situations."
Zhuge Liang stepped forward and offered his proposal.
Inside the Floating Battle Fortresses were all manner of facilities. Their internal space was vast, fully designed for war. They were equipped with countless weapons—Space Annihilation Cannons, massive crossbows, destructive super-weapons, and more. The standard configuration for each fortress included one hundred Space Annihilation Cannons, ten Mushroom Houses, and vast numbers of Light Bombs. On the battlefield, such a fortress was an unshakable stabilizing anchor.
When facing Demon Abysses, such trump cards naturally had to be deployed.
"Gongshu Lin, how many Floating Battle Fortresses have been completed so far?" Yi Tianxing asked.
Gongshu Lin immediately stepped out and replied:"Your Majesty, at present, fifty fortresses are battle-ready and can be directly deployed. If we assign one fortress per Demon Abyss, that will fully meet our current needs."
With confidence, he continued:
"Moreover, our Heavenly Engineering Pavilion is currently developing an even greater battlefield weapon—the Star-Destroying Demon Cannon. Once completed, its power will surpass the Space Annihilation Cannons, capable of delivering fatal blows even against Proving Dao-level beings. There are still difficulties to overcome, but with so many talented craftsmen in our ranks, I believe with a little more time, we can complete its forging. A Floating Fortress equipped with the Star-Destroying Demon Cannon would truly be an unstoppable battlefield weapon."
At these words, many generals in the hall turned fiery gazes toward Gongshu Lin.
Battlefields were contests not only of soldiers' strength, but also of equipment.
"Excellent. Every Demon Abyss must have a Floating Battle Fortress stationed for coordination. As for the locations of the Well of Gods and Demons, each must be supported by ten fortresses. These numbers must be resolved as swiftly as possible." Yi Tianxing nodded and gave his decision.
"The Demon Abysses and Well of Gods and Demons must each have Proving Dao-level experts stationed there to ensure stability. Merely relying on ordinary troops to contend with Abyssal demon soldiers is only a temporary stalemate. Within the Demon Abyss, there must be far more terrifying beings. Once an Eternal Night great being takes action, the battlefield pressure would be overwhelming."
Zhuge Liang continued with his recommendations.
"Yes. The guardians will depart immediately after this assembly, accompanying the Floating Fortresses to station at each Demon Abyss. We cannot allow any Abyss to fall out of control." Yi Tianxing's voice turned firm. "The true focus of this assembly is deciding the timing of our counterattack into Eternal Night—who will lead the vanguard, and how we will strike."
Having been stabbed once by Eternal Night, Yi Tianxing had no intention of swallowing the insult. If they struck, he would strike back.
"Within Eternity, Eternal Night spies surely exist. The news of our opening the Well of Gods and Demons must already have been leaked. Fortunately, before the Wells are fully penetrated, their coordinates remain unknown. I recommend that the nine Wells not be opened simultaneously, but one by one. Each opening will be an opportunity for a surprise assault. When we do strike, it must be with thunderous force, delivering Eternal Night a grievous blow. Prior to that, we can also feed false information to the Hydra…"
Jia Xu stepped forward and quickly presented his plan.
(End of Chapter)