"To sacrifice oneself for righteousness, to die with meaning—Fellow Daoist Heavenly Poison, even if you fall, your name will be remembered for eternity. Within Great Yi, we shall soon establish the Hall of Heroic Spirits, in which will stand the Monument of Heroic Souls. There, the people shall worship for all ages. Even if you perish here, in the endless incense and prayers of the masses, you may yet return from the River of Time, forging a body of heroic spirit, an undying divine body. Perhaps the one who returns will not be the complete you, but the most primal imprint you left upon heaven and earth, carrying on the undying will of your spirit." Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
Great Yi still had many cloud worlds left unopened, precisely so they could be used when necessary. When the time came, it would ensure that they were not caught unprepared.
The Hall of Heroic Spirits was a wondrous architectural treasure Yi Tianxing had obtained. Within it, one could erect a Monument of Heroic Souls. By inscribing names upon the monument, they could receive the incense of all beings, their worship, and the recognition of all living things under heaven. This would ultimately gather together a heroic spirit body, which was in essence another kind of rebirth—born of the faith of the people. Strictly speaking, if a soul had already reincarnated, then this heroic spirit body would not truly be the same. Instead, it was a lingering imprint of the former life.
A mark that remained in the fabric of heaven and earth.
If possible, it could even serve as a kind of second incarnation.
And if, after reincarnation, one awakened the memories of their former self, a profound connection with the heroic spirit body might even be formed.
Of course, for someone like the Heavenly Poison Holy Mother, who had even detonated her Life Altar and whose true spirit was nearly shattered, the possibility of returning was slim. Yet even then, the Hall of Heroic Spirits offered another kind of rebirth. The timing, however, was not something anyone could predict.
The heroic spirits could only persist by relying on the Hall of Heroic Spirits.
This war against Eternal Night was destined to see countless soldiers fall—many of them top-tier powerhouses. Even the fall of Dao-Proving experts would become commonplace. Thus, forging the Hall of Heroic Spirits was necessary. At critical times, it could become a hidden foundation of Great Yi.
"Emperor Yi, it would be better for you to return to Great Yi. Let this Well of Gods and Demons be guarded by me. The war against Eternal Night will not be decided in a short while. This battle is destined to drag on for years. Within the Immortal Court, your presence is still needed. The disasters of demons will only worsen. This may very well be an opportunity for Great Yi."
The Daoist in a green robe spoke calmly.
"In that case, I must trouble Fellow Daoist Tongtian to guard this place."
Yi Tianxing did not object to his words.
The green-robed Daoist before him was none other than the Tongtian Cult Master. Or rather, it was one of his Three Corpses—a split-off Evil Corpse created through the Three Corpses secret method. Its strength, however, was absolutely no weaker than that of any Dao-Proving powerhouse. In fact, it might even be stronger.
With him guarding the Well of Gods and Demons, it would remain as steady as Mount Tai.
A true Saint's body could not enter the Well of Gods and Demons.
Yi Tianxing had already communicated with the Tongtian Cult Master beforehand. After a thorough discussion, both sides had easily reached agreement. The opening of the Well of Gods and Demons benefited the entire Eternal World. Tongtian readily agreed, sending forth his Evil Corpse to guard the site. Naturally, Yi Tianxing's reputation and influence played no small part in this as well.
The Great Yi Immortal Court had become a treasure coveted by countless experts and great beings. Many longed to forge closer ties, yet few had the opportunity.
That Great Yi was a Dynasty of the Great Dao was no secret among the great powers.
Even if Great Yi had not yet revealed all of its divine wonders, its future lacked nearly all shackles. Its potential far surpassed even the Heavenly Court. All it needed now was time.
And the right opportunity for expansion.
This was the moment when Great Yi most needed support. To add flowers to brocade was easy, but to send charcoal in the snow was priceless. The wise chose the right moment to invest—and Tongtian was no exception.
Otherwise, he would not have personally sent his Evil Corpse to guard the Well of Gods and Demons.
Moreover, guarding here naturally brought heavenly favor, bestowing massive amounts of Heavenly Merit. Such merit was invaluable even to Saints. The more, the better.
Additionally, Tongtian knew much about the Great Yi Immortal Court. From humble beginnings, it had risen step by step, embodying a spirit of perseverance and belief that man could conquer heaven itself. The sight of peace and prosperity within Great Yi was like gazing upon a true earthly paradise, a boundless holy land.
The aura of civilization inspired genuine goodwill.
A flourishing civilization stirred even deeper admiration.
Clearly, Great Yi was such a civilization.
Thus, both Yi Tianxing and Tongtian naturally shared goodwill and aligned interests.
"Be assured, my disciples of the Jie Sect will also come in succession. With them here, Eternal Night will never stir great waves in this place." Tongtian smiled faintly.
"Then I leave everything in your hands, Fellow Daoist."
Yi Tianxing nodded. The arrival of Jie Sect disciples had already been agreed upon.
To fight within the Well of Gods and Demons was to clash directly with Eternal Night. Such killing was meritorious for the Eternal World, and thus the heavens would grant merit. Slaying a single Eternal Night soldier might only grant a wisp of merit, but gathered in the millions, billions, that merit would become immense.
Especially for Dao-Proving experts.
Slaying one Eternal Night powerhouse granted immense merit. Slaying several could allow one to use merit to shatter heavenly shackles, break through, and attain the Hunyuan Realm, becoming a supreme wielder of great divine powers.
Killing was proving the Dao.
Killing was transcending tribulation.
Here, slaughter was truth.
Tongtian had every reason to summon his Jie Sect disciples. With him holding the line, this was the best battlefield for them. Whether they survived to achieve Dao depended on their own strength.
If they succeeded, Tongtian would not stop them—he would rejoice.
How wonderful if the disciples surpassed the master.
Yi Tianxing said no more. After nodding slightly to Zhuge Liang, he turned, boarded the Nine-Dragon War Chariot, and swiftly departed. His purpose here had been twofold: first, to personally oversee the opening of the Well of Gods and Demons, stabilizing the morale of Great Yi's armies; and second, to gauge the true strength of Eternal Night.
Now he understood: Eternal Night indeed possessed terrifying power. Its foundations exceeded those of the Eternal World by far.
This was only the beginning of the war. What followed would be a contest of the deepest foundations of Eternal Night and Eternity.
Just as Tongtian was summoning the Jie Sect disciples, Eternal Night was undoubtedly gathering its own countless prodigies and powerhouses, preparing to step into the Well of Gods and Demons. A blood-soaked war was inevitable.
Every day, deaths would be counted in the hundreds of millions.
With Zhuge Liang and Tongtian here, Yi Tianxing could leave with peace of mind.
"Next comes the matter of how to reap enough benefit for Great Yi from this demon calamity. After all, our foundation is still too shallow. In just a hundred years, we've risen to this point—a product of the times and destiny's favor. As I expected, this demon calamity may be our opportunity to ascend further. But it will require careful management and time."
Yi Tianxing pondered silently.
In his mind, he reviewed the surrounding situation of Great Yi.
According to the intelligence gathered by the Hall of Calamity, there were more than a dozen realms bordering Great Yi. Most were already unified and in a state of relative balance and calm.
Intervention would only be possible once the demon calamity worsened and upset that balance.
"Hunter, Divine Spring, Ghost God, Silver Moon, Blue Moon, Bhikkhu, Precious Elephant, Black Rooster, Blazing Sun, Maya, Shadow, Nether Abyss, Chichi, Wu Gu, Feilian, Moon Worship, Heavenly River, Elf, Goblin. These nineteen realms neighbor Great Yi. If they can be brought under control, our territory will expand instantly, our foundation will soar, and our destiny will surge."
These nineteen surrounding realms had long been laid out upon the desks of the Heavenly Strategy Mansion. Every strategist was working tirelessly to gather intelligence, looking for flaws and opportunities for intervention. For years, Great Yi had sent countless outstanding disciples of the School of Diplomacy into those realms, infiltrating them, seeing if their famed silver tongues could achieve miraculous results.
At present, the School of Diplomacy was highly valued. Even core disciples were being dispatched without hesitation.
If the School of Diplomacy could persuade a realm to submit to Great Yi, that merit would be enough to make their name forever resound, to be ennobled, and to receive unquestionable honors.
Their efforts were permitted by Great Yi.
Yi Tianxing knew well and encouraged it. If it succeeded, excellent. If not, nothing would be lost. Either way, it allowed the disciples to apply their learning and gain experience.
Meanwhile, within the Eternal World, waves of turmoil had already begun.
In the Immortal Palace, the Liuli Lamp fell from the hands of the Dark Saintess Dingdang, shattering to pieces. Her flawless face was filled with disbelief.
"How could this happen…" Dingdang murmured unconsciously.
"No, impossible. How could this be? Wasn't it another feint? For hundreds of times it had been false, why is it real this time? And we didn't even send the intelligence back. It's over. Everything is over."
Within the Hydra, the nine of them in red robes gathered together, their faces pale with terror. Their very hearts trembled, feeling their fates grow dark and hopeless.
Death itself seemed like a luxury they might not have.
"Do as you will."
Xietian swept them with a cold glance, his eyes utterly expressionless.
This generation of Hydra… truly worthless.
(End of Chapter)