He wanted to escape, but his body was forcibly frozen by the power of Golden Decree. This immobilization gave him no chance to resist—it was entirely unreasonable, binding him in place. Unable to move, he could only watch helplessly as five dragon horses tied him up, dragging him apart limb by limb. These dragon horses radiated terrifying power.
These were not real horses, but dragon horses manifested from the power of Golden Decree—a power far beyond imagination.
"Transform!!"
Faced with the savage dragon horses, the Faceless Saint could only shout.
Suddenly, the form of Lu Bu that the Faceless Saint had assumed dissolved, returning to his original appearance, still wearing the faceless mask. However, this time, a face emerged upon the mask—one that looked like it had been cast from gold. As light flickered, his entire body underwent a massive transformation.
He turned into a towering golden giant.
His whole form radiated dazzling golden light, as though forged from vajra metal, glistening with a metallic luster. His explosive muscles clearly emanated immense power—his physique was far beyond ordinary, seamlessly formed, as if sculpted from divine metal.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the five dragon horses pulled, the clash of iron rang out. The chains seemed to be anchored to solid steel. The immense force they unleashed seemed to be enough to reverse the charge of the dragon horses. But these were not normal beasts—they were forged from Golden Decree, and the power they exerted was even more wild and domineering.
The golden giant's limbs and head were pulled in five directions, bones cracking audibly, meridians and joints fracturing under the strain.
And yet, the body of the golden giant was extraordinarily resilient. Even five dragon horses could not easily tear him apart—his body didn't dismember immediately, resisting the pull of the horses.
"By decree—quarter him!!"
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. Another decree burst from his mouth.
Instantly, five massive war chariots manifested in the air, each pulled by two dragon horses. Five new chains lashed onto the head and limbs.
The chariots charged.
Charged again.
Accelerated.
And accelerated once more!!
When the speed hit its limit—snap!
With a sharp crack, the golden giant's body was finally torn apart. True quartering. Blood exploded in the air like a red mist—then faded as if it had never been there, dispersing into nothingness.
"Yi Emperor! Just wait! This holy son will return! You've only destroyed one of my lives. I will never let this go!"
A furious voice echoed from the distant void.
"As expected from the Wuxiang Demon Race—one of the hardest to kill races in the Eternal Night World."
Yi Tianxing wasn't surprised in the slightest.
The Wuxiang (faceless) Demon Race was a terrifying, heaven-defying species. Their most vexing trait was their incredible survivability—made possible by their faceless masks, treasures bound to their very lifeforce. Each mask could replicate countless powerful beings. Every replicated face was immutable and permanently stored.
They possessed thousands of identities.
When facing certain death, they could assume a different identity. As long as it wasn't their true body, any death only destroyed a copied form.
For instance, the Faceless Saint had just faced death using the golden giant identity. When that body was torn apart, his true form shed it like a cicada leaving its shell and escaped. That identity was erased, and a crack appeared on the mask.
If the mask could hold a thousand identities, now it could only hold 999. The upper limit was permanently reduced.
There's a saying: A cat demon has nine lives. But compared to the Wuxiang Demon Race, that's trivial. Unless all their personas are eradicated, they cannot truly die.
A maddeningly tenacious race—so hard to kill it was nearly hopeless.
In the previous era, they had caused catastrophic losses.
But they had one flaw—their reproductive ability was abysmal. Their race's population was extremely sparse. To reproduce, they first had to fix their gender, an irreversible process. They were oviparous, but only one out of 100,000 eggs was viable. The rest were dead eggs with no vitality.
Even worse, reproducing cost them a life—every egg laid required permanently destroying one persona stored in their mask.
So for their race to even exist was already a miracle.
Which made them few in number, but maddeningly hard to kill.
"Kill one of me, and a thousand more remain"—this described them perfectly.
Still, Yi Tianxing was not disappointed in slaying one life.
Dripping water can bore through stone. If he destroyed enough of them, they would eventually perish.
"The Emperor truly is mighty—he could even suppress a member of the Wuxiang Demon Race on the spot! Even if it was just a persona, it's awe-inspiring. So this is the divine Emperor Technique—Golden Decree. A single word becomes universal law, a true ruler above all!"
"Incredible. So this is the one we're meant to serve?"
The surviving cultivators aboard the flying boat were stunned, eyes burning with reverence. Clearly, they had been completely awed.
"Li Zhilin, White Crow City is already en route to this location—it will arrive soon. Come with me back to White Crow City. In Great Yi, there will naturally be a place for you."
Yi Tianxing turned to speak to Li Zhilin.
"Yes, my Emperor."
Li Zhilin agreed without hesitation, then continued:"However, I've come to the Divine-Demon Battlefield bearing a grand gift for Your Majesty—one I've spent over twenty years preparing. You must receive it in person."
His tone brimmed with confidence and pride—clearly, he believed this gift was of unparalleled value.
From the moment he first heard Yi Tianxing's name and that of the Great Yi Dynasty, he had been preparing for this day. Planning to offer the perfect tribute—and to earn himself a seat at the Emperor's table.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Yi Tianxing's interest was piqued. He never underestimated Li Zhilin—another Chosen of the same generation as himself, possessing sharp insight, boldness, and great intellect. Nothing he did would be trivial.
"Years ago, I encountered fortune and inherited a legacy in the Leaving Sea Realm. To survive—and to resist the foreign races—I founded the Gathering of Heroes Pavilion (Juxian Tower). We united a group of like-minded human cultivators. We hunted ferocious beasts, assassinated foreign powerhouses, and did our utmost to protect surrounding human settlements."
"We scouted and welcomed all kinds of talented individuals. Anyone with ability could become a guest of the pavilion—a part of our cause."
"Over the years, the Gathering of Heroes Pavilion has drawn in many experts. All of them have now entered the Divine-Demon Battlefield. If Your Majesty is willing to accept them, they could greatly enrich the foundation of the Great Yi Empire."
Li Zhilin's explanation flowed confidently.
He was from the modern world. His vision was naturally ahead of the curve. He understood that true power lay in talent—in exceptional people.
When he heard of Yi Tianxing and Great Yi, he immediately began seeking out talent in all surrounding regions. Any unusual or gifted individuals—he tracked them down, persuaded them, and brought them into his fold.
These individuals were diverse: alchemists, apothecaries, blacksmiths, talisman artisans, brilliant strategists, battlefield generals, and even historical figures wielding strange powers. Li Zhilin recruited them all.
The Gathering of Heroes Pavilion boasted top-tier generals, master strategists, powerful cultivators—every one of them an undeniable talent. Among them were true elites.
Some were convinced to join only because Li Zhilin invoked the name of Yi Tianxing and Great Yi.
"The Gathering of Heroes Pavilion… a haven for talent?"
Yi Tianxing's eyes sparkled. He looked at Li Zhilin with growing admiration.
This… was truly a gift. A tremendous one.
He could already imagine that Li Zhilin's collection must include historical geniuses—there was no way someone like him would boast otherwise.
"Where are they now? Take me to them—at once."
Yi Tianxing inhaled deeply and made a decisive request.
The Divine-Demon Battlefield was no gentle place. If these individuals were truly rare talents, every single one was a precious treasure. Any harm would be an irreparable loss.
He had to meet them immediately.
Once they were brought safely into White Crow City, only then would he be at ease.
And in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
An anticipation for just how brilliant these gathered talents might be.