The successful unification of the Three Kingdoms World, achieved entirely by his subordinates, came as a profound realization to Qin Yi.
For the first time, he grasped that the King's Domain was not an ability confined to his personal use. By granting his most trusted officers access and authority, they could act as extensions of his will: conquering worlds, expanding his territories, and strengthening their own forces, all independent of his direct presence.
"Your Majesty," General Yang reported, a broad, triumphant smile splitting his face, "the population of the Three Kingdoms World is modest, barely thirty million, but its natural resources and mineral deposits are unbelievably rich!"
"I humbly propose that Your Majesty designate it as our nation's strategic reserve, a granary and resource vault to serve as the very foundation for Qin's rapid development!"
Qin Yi nodded, a faint, appreciative smile touching his lips.
"Since this realm was conquered under your command, your merit is great. I approve your proposal, proceed as you see fit!"
"Furthermore, I hereby appoint you as the Supreme Commander of the Three Kingdoms World, granting you full, unbridled authority over all matters within it."
He spoke with casual finality, yet those two simple decrees carried the weight of a cosmos.
Qin Yi had no intention of initiating the King's Way to fully merge the Three Kingdoms World into his own King's World. His reasons were practical and swift.
First, its civilization too closely mirrored that of the Dragon Emperor World, yet was comparatively weaker. Even its martial arts offered little unique value, as they were often inferior to or overlapping with the traditions found in Li Yuanli's three realms.
Second, General Yang was right: a world so ripe with resources was better utilized as a vast quarry and vault than absorbed into the larger kingdom.
Third, as the King's World continued its explosive expansion, Qin Yi knew he would conquer an endless stream of new realms. Under these circumstances, rewarding his most capable subordinates with dominion over these conquered worlds was not merely practical, it was a crucial element of motivation.
It was no different from the ancient emperors: rewarding merit and punishing failure. If he had nothing truly grand to offer for fiercely loyal service, wouldn't that loyalty eventually wither?
These worlds were already within his grasp. Delegating authority cost him nothing, yet it inspired fierce, lifelong devotion. To him, it was a bargain.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your boundless grace!" General Yang exclaimed, his voice trembling with elation. "I will immediately begin a full survey of the Three Kingdoms World's wealth, categorize everything, and report it to the National Statistics Bureau and Resource Department for rapid allocation!"
His excitement was impossible to mask; his eyes practically blazed with ambition. This wasn't merely a promotion, it was an entire world! Even if it was a "mortal" realm, the allure of ruling it was irresistible. To be granted command was to become a world's king, a position of unimaginable honor and prestige.
"You may go," Qin Yi said with a warm wave of his hand.
He could see the general could hardly contain his eagerness to depart. General Yang bowed low, turned on his heel, and strode out of the great palace hall.
As the footsteps faded, silence descended upon the Royal Palace once more. Qin Yi closed his eyes, lost in thought for a brief moment, then slowly raised his right hand.
A single finger extended forward into the air.
"King's Way!"
The words were whispered, yet they resonated with the primal force of creation itself.
In that instant, a fierce, jet-black dragon erupted from Qin Yi's body, coiling upward and spiraling toward the heavens. In the blink of an eye, it soared so high it grew vast and indistinct, then, with a final surge, it vanished into the void above.
Within the Royal Palace, torrents of pure King's Power surged out of Qin Yi, condensing again into a serpentine force that shot toward a distant, unseen star.
At that very same moment, high above the Pirate World, a colossal black dragon suddenly materialized in the sky over the entirety of the Grand Line.
Its scales were pitch-black like midnight ink, shimmering with a cold, ominous light. Its sheer body mass blotted out the sun, casting the world below into an unnatural shadow. From the great floating cities of the New World to the tiny villages of the East Blue, countless people looked up in paralyzed awe and terror.
"What… what in the hell is that!?"
"On the horizon, that enormous thing! It's radiating such overwhelming power it feels like my heart will burst!"
"What manner of divine or monstrous being is this? Its very presence makes my soul tremble!"
People across the Four Blues and the Grand Line shuddered, eyes wide with fear and reverence, gazing upon the divine, world-spanning leviathan in the sky.
Suddenly, the colossal black dragon violently shuddered, and in that moment, observers at both ends of the Grand Line finally grasped the full, horrifying scope.
"Its head… it's at Twin Cape, and its tail… it reaches all the way to Raftel!"
"What a monstrous black dragon! Its body stretches the entire length of the Grand Line, how terrifying!"
They stared in petrified awe, their very souls trembling, incapable of describing the cosmic feeling that had gripped their hearts.
Then, from the dragon's massive, cavernous mouth, two faint words rumbled, shaking the continents:
"King's Way!"
In the next instant, the black dragon raised its head and let out a single, deafening roar that fractured the clouds. Its body trembled fiercely, and then exploded, bursting apart into a dazzling rain of multicolored, ethereal petals that drifted gently down from the sky.
As the kaleidoscopic rain fell, soaking into the sea, the land, and merging into the bodies of all living things, everyone's eyes widened in profound astonishment, For they suddenly saw another world.
It was a vast, boundless realm, more than ten times the size of the Grand Line. Its horizon stretched beyond any human imagination, filled with the faint silhouettes of countless powerful figures and bizarre, wondrous architecture unlike anything they had ever conceived.
There was no doubt, under Qin Yi's King's Way, the two worlds had begun to merge.
Simultaneously, the King's Strength within Qin Yi's body surged once again, and the measure of power he commanded grew exponentially.
In the newly expanded King's World, distant celestial bodies and territories began to expand rapidly under his silent will.
A long stretch of dark ocean emerged, complete with volatile calm belts, colossal Sea Kings, strange and exotic creatures, and islands with mysterious, unpredictable magnetic fields. Under the spread of Qin Yi's King's Strength, the unique features of the Grand Line were reborn anew.
He hadn't consumed its essence; rather, he had copied its characteristics exactly, recreating the same perilous, adventurous sea route within his own King's World.
"This will serve," Qin Yi murmured, a faint, anticipatory smile playing on his lips, "as an adventure realm for my kingdom."
"My people may explore it in the future, to test their limits and grow stronger through their journeys."
The King's Way lasted only two hours before the entire, staggering process was complete. When it ended, the flow of King's Strength finally settled.
At that very moment, at the far end of the Grand Line within the King's World, on the legendary island of Raftel, a strange tree sprouted from the lake at the island's heart. Its trunk glowed with vibrant color, and it bore an array of mysterious, multicolored fruits. It grew to about one and a half meters tall before stabilizing, permanently rooted in the world.
"This is the Tree of Devil Fruits," Qin Yi announced, smiling softly. "From now on, it will bear fruits imbued with wondrous, terrible abilities. Whoever eats them will gain an extraordinary power, at the cost of the sea's embrace."
After merging the Pirate World, this Tree of Devil Fruits symbolized the successful birth of a new civilization into his domain.
The Fire of Civilization flared even higher, burning with greater intensity than ever before. In the heart of the flames, two distinct trees could now faintly be seen, the emblems of the Shinobi and the Pirate civilizations, both nourishing his strength.
"Phew…"
Seated on his dragon throne, Qin Yi slowly exhaled a long breath.
"Starlight Level Three."
After this King's Way, the civilization's rank had risen once again, crossing a new threshold and reaching the third tier of the Starlight Rank.
"And a new ability has awakened…"
Information flooded into Qin Yi's mind, flowing through his bloodline, the complete details of a newly unlocked King's Skill. His vertical, draconic pupils sharpened in focus.
After carefully examining the new power, Qin Yi's lips curved into a wicked, satisfied smile.
"Excellent… what an interesting skill. It will be very useful for what comes next."
He slowly lifted his gaze, his pupils like twin golden slits, the Eye of the King, gazing far beyond his realm, piercing the boundaries of space and time.
Through that single glance, he beheld countless worlds within the Myriad Realms, and among them, one vast, radiant, and spiritually rich world stood out like a beacon.
"Then it's time… to explore a new world."
"The realm of Legend of Sword and Fairy, I'm coming!"
P.S.: The Legend of Sword and Fairy 1, surely everyone's seen it, right?
(End of Chapter)
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