With a single imperial decree, Jiang Ni held the edict in one hand and the Mountain-Driving Whip in the other, standing in mid-air. In an instant, his aura became utterly ethereal—he seemed to merge with the very heavens and earth. Though visible to the eye, his presence could no longer be sensed. If not seen with one's own eyes, one might have thought he had ceased to exist.
Crack!!
Jiang Ni lashed the Mountain-Driving Whip downward in a mysterious arc.
At that very moment, a thunderous roar echoed across the entire Great Yi Dynasty. Countless earth veins seemed to respond to the command.
Throughout the territory, each Immortal City began to tremble violently. These cities, previously submerged beneath the sea, now shook as if awakened from slumber.
"What's going on? The city is shaking!"
"Could it be sea beasts attacking from below?"
"But the Xuanhuang Barrier is still intact! The city shouldn't have been breached!"
"It's the Earth Dragon turning over!"
"Look! Our Immortal City is rising out of the sea!"
Initially, the citizens within each Immortal City were gripped by fear, mistaking the tremors for another wave of sea beast attacks. Weapons were drawn, defenses braced. But then—a surprising sight unfolded before their eyes.
With the quaking of the ground, each city began to rise.
They weren't floating on their own. Rather, the land beneath the cities had begun to swell and lift them upward, as if a massive unseen hand was pushing from below. The terrain beneath each city transformed, resembling a natural hill rising, or more accurately, a dragon beneath the earth lifting its head, pushing the cities out of the sea.
"By decree of the Emperor—Dragon Raises Its Head!!"
In that moment, a voice echoed throughout the skies of the Great Yi Dynasty.
"It's the Emperor! Do not panic!"
Hearing the imperial edict, the frightened hearts of the citizens calmed at once. The Emperor's words became their anchor, their unwavering pillar. That was the status Yi Tianxing had long since held in the hearts of the people—unshakable, godlike.
Many recalled an ancient legend: beneath each Immortal City lay a spiritual vein, known as an Earth Dragon Vein. This "Dragon Raises Its Head" command was a sacred technique to awaken the dragon vein and raise the cities from beneath the waters, freeing them from the flood.
And indeed, it was just as they had believed.
One after another, every Immortal City rose above the sea, each emerging one zhang (over 3 meters) above the waterline. Freed from the ocean's grasp, the Xuanhuang Barriers dissipated—maintaining them required enormous energy, so they were deactivated once no longer necessary.
In an instant, Great Yi's Immortal Cities stood tall above the waves, no longer threatened by the sea.
Only now, with safety restored, did the people dare to look at the devastation around them. And what they saw was harrowing: the sea's surface was littered with corpses, broken structures, and ruined tribal encampments. The ocean had devastated countless hidden non-human tribes. Survivors stood clustered on high ground or atop ancient treetops, their faces pale with despair.
It was tragic—beyond words.
More than a decade of struggle and hardship had been wiped away by a single tide. The pain and grief were immeasurable.
"Emperor, what should we do now? Shall we send out troops to restore order?"
Yang Ye stepped forward and asked. Outside the Immortal Cities, chaos reigned. Slaughter and turmoil engulfed the wilds. What had once been a peaceful land now boiled with bloodshed.
Yi Tianxing glanced at Ao You, Hong Luan, and the others, and replied calmly:
"This is the power struggle between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans. Whether they live or die is none of Great Yi's concern. As long as they don't touch our cities, let them fight all they want."
Great Yi's stance was simple: absolute neutrality. They would support no one—not the dragons, not the phoenixes, not the qilins. And strangely, all the sea beasts, fierce beasts, and flying creatures seemed to understand this. None dared approach Great Yi's cities. Even the earlier assaults by sea beasts had merely ridden the tides—they hadn't deliberately attacked the cities. Clearly, they had been warned in advance.
"The non-human tribes within Great Yi's territory suffered heavily from the tide. How shall we deal with them? Should we eliminate the threat once and for all?" asked Qi Jiguang, whose guiding principle was: Those not of our race are bound to have divided hearts.
"No need. We shall remain still," Yi Tianxing responded. "But those tribes friendly to the human race may be absorbed into Great Yi. If they truly wish to join us—live among us, intermarry, and accept our Heaven Registration Cards—then they can become citizens. The human race is tolerant. Great Yi is fair to all."
There were many non-human races who maintained amicable ties with humans—gnomes, elves, dwarves, and others. They often possessed unique abilities humans lacked and could become valuable members of the Empire.
The greatest strength of humanity was assimilation. Once intermarried, future generations would inherit bloodline talents, often becoming extraordinary talents themselves. This silent fusion was a long-term strategic boon.
"Emperor, while Great Yi is recovering, what of the world beyond? Countless human lives must be lost—people displaced, suffering. Shouldn't we act to save them?" asked Huang Chengyan.
He wasn't moved by the fall of other human dynasties—but by the fate of the ordinary people. The tide would have scattered millions, many of whom still struggled in the waters. If left unaided, they would perish. Among them could be geniuses and sages, untapped resources of the human race.
"Indeed," said Cai Yong. "With great power comes great responsibility. As the leading destiny dynasty of the human race, you must shoulder the greater burden. Moreover, saving them would only strengthen Great Yi's foundation and reputation."
Every minister in the court voiced agreement.
It was more than compassion—it was a strategic advantage. Saving those in need would allow Great Yi to win the hearts of the people across the Hanhai Realm, dramatically increasing its prestige and loyalty.
"Our people suffer—we cannot look away," Yi Tianxing declared solemnly. "We will save them."
His gaze swept across his court. Their calls to action stirred no resentment within him—only pride.
To ignore the suffering would have disappointed him deeply.
That was not the kind of human race he envisioned.
Nor the kind of ministers he wanted by his side.
"Void Train—come!!"
Taking a deep breath, Yi Tianxing shouted into the void.
Whoosh!!
A pitch-black train suddenly pierced the air, speeding toward Xuanhuang City. As it approached, its size shrank rapidly. By the time it reached him, it was no larger than a toy model in his hand.
The train had nine cars, its body glowing faintly with a sci-fi sheen.
This was the Void Train, a treasure born of heaven and earth.
Over the years, the Void Train had been operating outside of Great Yi's borders, shuttling human refugees to safety.
Each car could hold fifty passengers, with a max capacity of 450 people per trip. It could travel through the void at incredible speeds: 100 li per minute, or 6,000 li per hour.
This one was Black Iron Grade, equivalent to a basic magical artifact.
Above it were Bronze, Silver, and Gold Grades, corresponding to magic treasure, spirit treasure, and supreme treasure, respectively.
To advance, the train required a vast amount of void essence, something not easily gathered.
For now, it remained at the Black Iron level.
"Your time to shine has come."
Yi Tianxing waved his hand, and the train vanished, stored within the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower.