The imperial decree from Great Yi was issued swiftly,reaching all military legions almost instantly.Upon learning that the decisive battle would soon begin,excitement surged through every camp.
Each legion hastened to finish deploying Immortal Cities onto islands and continents alike—planting down their strongholds as dictated by the Heavenly Origin Strategy.
With the help of the Rainbow Bridges,this large-scale operation was executed with ease,especially within the range of the Iron-Blood Great Wall,making teleportation even more direct and efficient.
All 44 legions of Great Yi moved simultaneously.
Thousands of Immortal Cities fell upon island after island,staking claims across the Vast Sea Realm,driving Great Yi's presence into every corner.
The strategy was simple:
Nail down footholds first, and then letmasses of human citizens teleport in and settle.
Before long, the Heavenly Origin Layout was fully established.
Of course, the fastest man of all was Cheng Yaojin.
After completing his deployment,he rushed to Dragon Demon Continent at top speed,confident that the vanguard position would be his.No one could take it from him.
The Demon-Slaying Legion under his commandwas already burning with battle fervor—eager to shed blood and win immortal merit for Great Yi's glory.
Flash!
A green light streaked across the city wall.
Without anyone knowing when he'd arrived, Green Emperor (绿皇) had appeared on the ramparts,wearing nothing but his signature green shorts.
Standing upright on his hind legs like a human,with his forepaws clasped behind his back,he struck the pose of an old feudal lord—wriggling his hips in what he probably thought was elegance.
Next to him stood a snow-white canine girl—yes, a literal dog-eared beastwoman,her white fur spotless,her dress dainty and charming.
She stood on two legs like a human,her fluffy ears twitching adorably.
Oddly enough, the outfit didn't seem out of place.
She exuded a soft, lovable aura.
"Beloved consort!" declared Green Emperor grandly,"Feast your eyes upon this land—the great dominion I have conquered for you!"
"What a magnificent view!Someday, we shall build the largest hot spring palace here.It'll be our vacation palace, to live in as long as we please!"
"How do you like it, my darling?"
"Your Majesty is the greatest!" the white canine girl squealed."If you can conquer this land,you'll be the eternal hero of our canine race—our brightest pride!"
Her eyes sparkled with admiration and reverence.
"Fear not, my love," Green Emperor preened,"I shall conquer even more lands for you!"
"Behold! These are the warriors of our dog tribe—brave, invincible, unwavering in the face of battle.Wherever I go shall be the safest place in the world.All beings shall kneel before me in worship!"
He pointed at Cheng Yaojin and the others, full of pride and confidence.
Cheng Yaojin's mood instantly soured.
"Damn mutt—how did he get here?"
The past few days, Green Emperor had caused another scandal.
After returning to the Eternal World,he'd somehow found a pure-white spirit dog and immediately became obsessed.
He disappeared for three whole days,then returned with the dog spirit completely transformed.
Apparently, he had begged Yi Tianxing for Holy Water from the Five-Colored Beast Soul Pool and a Shapeshifting Pill, which not only gave the dog human form, but also refined her bones and gave her speech.
She became the white canine girl now following him everywhere.
After that, he was basking in glory,strutting around the Great Yi territory,while countless single cultivators looked on in jealousy and rage.
But no one dared speak against Green Emperor.
Even after twenty years,his infamy still echoed through the land.
Tales of him were endless—enough to make children cry.
His return made everyone uneasy.Because wherever Green Emperor appeared,strange things were guaranteed to happen.
"Green Emperor, did His Majesty send you here?"Cheng Yaojin asked suspiciously.
"Of course not!Where in this world can I not go?I walk where I please—none can stop me!"
Green Emperor flinched slightly at the mention of Yi Tianxing,but raised his head proudly again,defending his freedom.
Suddenly—
A terrifying invisible pressure swept over the city,like a surging tide.
A massive figure appeared outside the Immortal City.
It was a Kobold—a dog-headed humanoid,draped in beast hide,towering over 1,000 meters tall,as imposing as a mountain.
He wielded a massive gray scythe,wreathed in ghostly mist.On the blade, countless souls writhed in torment,screaming and moaning in endless agony.
This was a Death Scythe—a rare and terrifying weapon.
The Kobold was none other than:
Gou Hun (苟魂),one of the top elite of the Kobold Clan.
Said to possess the blood of Death itself, he had nearly reached the Dao Platform Realm. Among the True Spirit Realm, he was a true powerhouse—once one of his race's hidden trump cards.
The moment the Immortal City landed,the Kobold army had arrived too.
Gou Hun, known for being ruthless, vain, and obsessed with performance,saw this as the perfect opportunityto showcase the Kobold Clan's might in front of the entire Hundred Race Alliance.
How could he pass it up?
He struck immediately.
With a swing of his mighty arm,the Death Scythe sliced toward the Immortal City—intending to cleave it in half and reduce it to rubble.
"What!?"
"Demon-Slaying Legion—Celestial Army Battle Formation!!"
Cheng Yaojin's eyes flared with battle intent.
He had long reached the Yang Spirit Realm,having already overcome the three tribulations of the Divine Soul stagethanks to the secret tribulation-evading techniquecreated by Yi Tianxing himself:
Heavenly Emperor's Divine Step Through the Stars (星空仙游步).
With this method, all Great Yi warriors could face tribulations with minimal risk once they reached the Yang Spirit Realm.
And Cheng Yaojin—famous for his talent and strength—had long since stepped into greatness through countless battles.
With the Heavenly Formation in place,the legion's power flooded into Cheng Yaojin's body.
"Haah!!"
With a furious roar, he grew to match Gou Hun's size—his war axe expanding accordingly.
"Take this axe of mine!"
His strike cleaved toward the Death Scythe.
The two weapons clashed with a resounding crash.Frosty death met burning yang energy—and the air around them twisted from the shock.
Backed by his entire army's strength,Cheng Yaojin halted the Death Scythe's advance,even sending it flying backward.
"W-What!?He blocked it!?What kind of battle formation is this!?"
Gou Hun's face filled with disbelief…quickly replaced by embarrassed fury.
He had struck personally—and was stopped by "mere soldiers".
Back on the wall, the white canine girl asked in shock:
"My Emperor, is that one of our kind?How dare he raise a weapon against you!That's treason!"
Green Emperor's face turned even greener.
His boast just moments earlier was now utterly undercut by the appearance of a monstrous dog-headed warlord trying to destroy the city right in front of him.