"Great! We can finally meet the Emperor. To have battled the Eternal Night for twenty years and held the front—that's something only our Emperor could do. A living legend!"
"Emperor Yi truly is the human race's pillar. After meeting him, I'll gladly serve as a front-line soldier. Even dying in battle would be an honor. Until now, we couldn't locate the Great Yi forces, so we followed the imperial heirs. But now, we'll get to see him with our own eyes."
"I've waited for this day for decades. 'Learn the arts of war and letters to serve your ruler'—surely the Great Yi has a stage for me to show my worth. Once we return to the Eternal World, the Empire will definitely begin expanding again!"
For the past twenty years, since Yi Tianxing had embarked on the Eternal Night campaign, his fame had reached unmatched heights among the human race. No one could rival him. Many capable talents had been drawn to the Great Yi, eager to offer their service.
But until recently, there had been no trace of Great Yi's forces—nor any way to cross into the Eternal Night battlefield. It wasn't until Yi Xianhuang and her siblings entered the battlefield that a new option opened up: follow the Emperor's children, protect them, earn merit, and possibly forge connections with the imperial line.
And those who followed quickly realized—the Emperor's children were monstrous prodigies.
Each one possessed special physiques and overwhelming combat power. In their respective realms, they were all peerless. That only made these hopeful followers admire the Empire more.
"If even the children are this powerful, how terrifying must the Emperor be?"
As the top Destiny Dynasty of the human race, joining Great Yi practically guaranteed prosperity, power, and faster cultivation.
Now, seeing the spatial gates open, those eager talents were overwhelmed with joy.
"The Emperor is back! Our lives are about to change forever!"
Without hesitation, waves of Great Yi soldiers and hopefuls stepped through the portals, heading toward White Crow City.
White Crow City
With a flash of light, a young woman in imperial robes—no longer a child but a stunning beauty—stepped through. The moment she saw Yi Tianxing and his consorts, joy filled her face.
Without a second thought, she leapt into his arms.
"Father! I missed you so much! Twenty years—you're so heartless! You left us for two decades!"
The one who arrived was Yi Xianhuang.
She pounded his chest a few times with her little fists, pouting adorably but smiling through her tears.
Yi Tianxing laughed, embracing her and gently patting her head.
"Haha, good girl, good girl. You've finally grown up. You were a little child back then, and now you're a graceful young lady. Just like your mother—an absolute beauty. You're going to break the hearts of countless geniuses."
He was filled with emotion. Time passed too quickly. His children had grown up without him by their side. That had always been one of his greatest regrets—but now, seeing them alive and strong, he was proud beyond words.
"Don't say that, Father! What do all those geniuses matter to me? I'll stay by you and Mother forever!" Yi Xianhuang huffed playfully.
Turning, she beamed and greeted the other women warmly:
"Mother Yaoyue! Mother Lianxing!"
Though not her birth mothers, they were treated as such, with deep familial affection. In the Great Yi imperial palace, all the consorts were called "Mother" by the children, and there had never been any internal strife or drama.
"Xianhuang, where are the others?" asked Nie Xiaoqian.
"My siblings are all on the battlefield too, scattered across various war cities. Now that the spatial gates are open, they should be arriving one after another."
Indeed, as the spatial gate pulsed, wave after wave of Great Yi soldiers poured through, along with the Emperor's other children—Yi Wuchang and others—joining together in joyful reunion.
Yi Tianxing smiled warmly.
"Very good… truly wonderful."
Watching his children grow into maturity—alive and thriving—there was nothing more worthy of celebration.
Just then, a familiar figure stepped through the portal.
"Minister Jia Wenhe pays his respects to His Majesty. Congratulations on your triumphant return from the stars!"
It was Jia Xu.
"Wenhe, still as sharp as ever. I'm grateful you were by my children's side all these years. Who knows what trouble they might've stirred up without you." Yi Tianxing laughed.
"You flatter me, Your Majesty. The princes and princesses have all done exceptionally well. In fact, they've brought a great surprise for you—they've recruited many talented individuals on your behalf."
Yi Tianxing raised a brow, intrigued.
"Oh? Is that so?"
He glanced over at Yi Xianhuang and the others, clearly curious about what sort of talents they had drawn in.
He summoned them forward, instructing them to bring their recruits to the City Lord's Mansion for further discussion.
Meanwhile, White Crow City began to move again, sailing across the God-Demon Battlefield.
City Lord's Mansion
Yi Tianxing now sat on his throne, a list in hand—a dossier compiled personally by Jia Xu.
It documented the many talents who had pledged loyalty to his children over the past two decades. Jia Xu had been careful not to reject them, but had used various means to gather intelligence on them all. Though not exhaustive, it painted a solid picture of most.
Yi Tianxing read through it slowly.
"Interesting... these are the talents they've recruited. Though I see both quality and mediocrity among them."
Some names stood out immediately.
One such name was Sima Guang—a legendary historical scholar and author of the immortal classic Zizhi Tongjian, one of the greatest historical works in Chinese history. His talent was undeniable.
In this world, his life-bound treasure was none other than a divine version of that very book.
Not merely a tome, it was a worldly treasure—blank at first, but now filling with accounts of the Eternal World. As he traveled, recording the rise and fall of powers and events, the book accumulated power. The more he chronicled, the stronger he became.
History was his Dao—and time was his law.
He had quietly followed the imperial children, recording the events of the God-Demon Battlefield. Jia Xu had spoken with him and found him highly knowledgeable and insightful.
But not all names were so welcome.
"Wu Sangui? What is he doing here?"
Yi Tianxing frowned. In Chinese history, Wu Sangui was infamous—a notorious traitor who opened the gates to foreign invaders. His talent in commanding troops wasn't in question, but his loyalty was.
He was known for switching sides, for putting personal interest above all else. Such a man could not be trusted easily. Jia Xu had noted his military ability, but Yi Tianxing remained cautious.
Another name caught his eye—Wang Yue.
A legendary swordmaster from the Eastern Han era, known as a supreme youxia (wandering warrior). There was a saying:
"On horseback, Lü Bu is unmatched; on foot, Wang Yue is supreme."
Wang Yue's swordsmanship was near godlike. In this fused world of myriad realms, his sword talent had likely reached astonishing heights.
The dossier noted he possessed great ambition, particularly a strong desire for government office.
"Ambition isn't bad," Yi Tianxing murmured. "Wanting power isn't bad either. In Great Yi, there's no shortage of positions—as long as you can live up to the title you receive."
He turned to Jia Xu.
"Wenhe, what realm has Wang Yue reached?"
"His sword Dao is extraordinary. By our assessment, he's in the Yang God Realm. He once slew an Eternal Night prodigy with a single strike. His sword art is called Bright Heaven Sword Canon—a single slash shines like the sun at high noon. Extremely domineering."
Clearly, Jia Xu had taken interest in Wang Yue, who was a peerless sword genius capable of crossing realms to kill stronger enemies.
Yi Tianxing nodded.
"Good. They should have arrived by now. Let them in."