"Is it dead?"
"They say the Hydra is extremely tenacious. As long as even one of its heads remains, it won't die. The severed heads will regenerate, returning it to its original state. It's notoriously difficult to kill. But looking at it now, all its heads are still intact. It's badly mangled, but none are severed."
"Could it be that even such a devastating attack wasn't enough to completely kill the Hydra? I feel like even a Seventh Rank True Spirit Realm cultivator would have been killed instantly in that storm of destruction. If it survived that, it's beyond resilient."
The cultivators within Blazing Flame City watched on, pupils contracting sharply, expressions turning grave. If true, then the terror posed by the Hydra species needed to be reevaluated entirely.
"It's dead. There's no longer any soul fluctuation within it. Though its body wasn't destroyed, the soul was completely annihilated by the force of annihilation. Even if the body remains intact, without a soul, it's still dead," Feng Baiyu said with certainty.
His spiritual perception was keen. He could clearly sense that the Hydra's soul had entirely vanished.The Power of Yin-Yang Annihilation didn't just destroy the body—it could utterly crush the soul, tearing it into pieces. A terrifying power indeed.
"Snake meat has always been delicious. The stronger the snake, the more exquisite its flesh. This Hydra's meat should qualify as a top-tier delicacy. Once we find a chef, let's prepare some and enjoy it," Yi Tianxing said with a calm smile, gazing at the Hydra's massive corpse—not as a threat, but as a heap of premium ingredients.
"If the Emperor wishes to enjoy a dish of serpent meat, there's no need to wait long. Several of the top chefs are now back at Juxian Pavilion. The dishes they prepare can literally emit Gourmet Light. Previously, when you visited, those chefs had been requested by Crown Prince Lionheart and Wu Wudi, which is why they weren't present. Now, they've returned. They can begin cooking at once," Li Zhilin said quickly.
Clearly, food was no trivial matter to him—he had gathered several renowned culinary masters, each a legend in their own right.
"Oh? I'd like to meet these chefs," Yi Tianxing replied with interest.
"Ah Fei, Lan Feihong, Mira, and Chef Iron-Rod Xie," Li Zhilin answered.
"It's them? Perfect! I've been wanting to taste their cooking."
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up, unable to suppress his anticipation. These were top-tier chefs from the Cooking Master Boy world, each with remarkable talents and unique specialties.
Chef Xie's mastery of dough, Lan Feihong's dragon whisker noodles, Mira's exotic spices—all made them stand out with distinctive flair. With such elite chefs and the finest ingredients, he couldn't wait to see what culinary wonders awaited.
"They will not disappoint, Emperor," Li Zhilin said with confidence.
"Thank you for your assistance, Emperor. Without your intervention, even if we'd managed to win, Blazing Flame City would've paid a heavy price," Crown Prince Lionheart said sincerely.
"That Hydra was far too strong, and the snake swarm was ferocious. It wouldn't have been easy to hold them off. Still, it was a pleasant surprise to witness the peerless might of the Great Yi Empire's army. The human race is fortunate to have Great Yi among us," Wu Wudi added.
"Daoist Wu is too kind. In times like these, how could the Great Yi Empire stand by? On the Divine-Demon Battlefield, we share common foes and mutual interests," Yi Tianxing replied. "Our troops are sweeping the battlefield. The Serpent Orbs left behind by the Hydra and its kin are highly valuable. Of those collected, half will be handed over to Blazing Flame City. That half belongs to your soldiers."
The other half, naturally, belonged to Great Yi's army—a well-earned war trophy.
"Emperor, you're too generous. Honestly, if not for Great Yi's intervention, this victory wouldn't even have been possible. It would be entirely fair if all the spoils went to you," Feng Baiyu said with a smile.
Though he said that, he didn't decline the offer. The value of those Serpent Orbs was massive. With so many, Blazing Flame City's strength could surge within a short period. It was a benefit they couldn't possibly turn down. And as for Great Yi claiming the other half—no one questioned that. It was only natural.
After a brief exchange, Wu Wudi and the others returned to their duties. The battlefield cleanup progressed swiftly. Not a single Hydra corpse was left behind. Even their souls were consumed by the White Bone Nether Crows, while the Serpent Orbs were collected and meticulously categorized by type and grade for distribution.
Once sorted, half would be delivered to Blazing Flame City.
"Li Zhilin, have the cultivators of Juxian Pavilion gather immediately. White Crow City has arrived. From now on, the pavilion can relocate there. After proper registration, they will be assigned their roles."
"And the Yue Family Army will withdraw to White Crow City. Once there, they will officially be integrated into the Black Tortoise Legion. The ranks will be filled back to 500,000 troops, and all necessary equipment will be issued promptly. However, the soldiers' cultivation levels still need to improve. You'll be granted time to train and regroup."
Yi Tianxing's orders were clear.
Both Li Zhilin and Yue Fei responded with visible joy. They had no objections to the idea of restructuring. Having witnessed the might of Great Yi's legions firsthand, Yue Fei clearly understood that the original Yue Family Army was no match for them—not in cultivation, martial skills, or equipment. Now that they were joining Great Yi's forces, training was both necessary and welcome.
They didn't just need to improve in strength, but also fully assimilate into the Great Yi military system.
As orders were carried out, the Yue Family Army immediately marched toward White Crow City. The gates swung open to welcome them. For warriors like Yang Ye, Yue Fei's reputation was well-known and deeply admired. To meet him in person was a moment of celebration.
Once inside, military officers handled their resettlement and began transmitting the army's official techniques and skills.
Shortly after, waves of Juxian Pavilion cultivators also entered White Crow City. Everyone wore wide smiles, their faces glowing with excitement.
Before long, White Crow City lifted off once again, departing the skies above Blazing Flame City.
Watching it vanish into the distance, Wu Wudi and the others standing atop the walls couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"The Great Yi Empire truly inspires awe. Its soldiers are all elites, and with a city like White Crow City that can move freely through the battlefield, it enjoys an unparalleled strategic advantage," Feng Baiyu said, his eyes gleaming.
"Indeed. But now that Juxian Pavilion and the Yue Family Army are gone, our strength here in Blazing Flame City has taken a serious hit. We'll have a rough road ahead. We must immediately begin refining the Serpent Orbs we just obtained—use them to elevate our cultivation and fill the void left behind," Wu Wudi replied.
Juxian Pavilion had never been a minor power. On the battlefield, they'd been a backbone force. Now, though none could stop them from returning to Great Yi, their departure left a major gap in the city's defense.
…
Within White Crow City.
Yi Tianxing had already introduced Liu Bowen and the others to Zhuge Liang, letting them get acquainted. He then headed to the central plaza with his wives.
There, he stood before a towering White Bone Crystal Pillar. Countless names and images of treasures flickered rapidly across its surface like a torrent of divine light—dazzling, overwhelming in number.
This was the Exchange List of White Crow City.
All of the White Bone Nether Crow clan's treasures could be exchanged here.
Over the past several days, Great Yi had collected a vast number of souls in battle. These souls formed the foundation for exchanging treasures with the Nether Crow Clan.
"Husband, is this where we exchange treasures? How many souls have we gathered so far?" Lianxing asked, looking at the crystal pillar curiously.
"We made an agreement with the White Bone Nether Crow Emperor—half of the souls from slain Eternal Night demons go to them, the other half to us. Though their clan handles the collection, the numbers are recorded on this pillar. Look closely—our current tally is right there," Yi Tianxing replied with a smile.