"Demonic qi, what is going on?" The court ministers were all startled when they heard this, and their gazes turned toward Zhuge Zhengwo.
"That's right," Zhuge said. "The Directorate of Astronomy has also detected it. Demonic qi is sprouting in various places. Observing the stars at night, I discovered that within the Eternal World, a demonic calamity will sweep across the land. The root of this calamity most likely originates from Eternal Night."
Jiang Ni stepped forward and added,
"Recently, in studying the heavenly patterns and astral omens, many geomancers have sensed a layer of gloom over the world, one that is difficult to dispel. With the spread of demonic qi in various places, it is clearly not a good sign."
"It seems," Yi Tianxing said gravely, "that this is truly a turbulent age. The growth of demonic qi must be tied to Eternal Night. This matter is by no means simple. Our Eternal World lies too close to Eternal Night. The great war of the last epoch ended without a final victory, leaving both worlds still in opposition. This demonic qi is likely the manifestation of Eternal Night's laws infiltrating our heavens and earth."
Of course, this infiltration was mutual. Eternal Night's laws eroded the Eternal World, while Eternal World's laws also affected Eternal Night. In the end, the two supreme "only true realms" would eventually overlap and merge into one. At that time, in order to determine the final master, a fierce and tragic war was inevitable. This was the omen of the two realms' fusion.
The situation was far from optimistic.
"According to the intelligence available to Great Yi," Liu Bowen said solemnly, "the future situation does not look promising. The spread of demonic qi is only the beginning. I fear this is merely the prelude to the birth of demon abyss. Their numbers may continue to multiply."
Yes—the rise of demonic qi, according to their calculations, could very well be the sign of demon abyss forming.
"Hm. Eternal Night will not stand idly by while our Eternal World gradually grows and recovers. Back when we fought on the Eternal Night Battlefield, we gained some understanding of Eternal Night. In the great war of the previous epoch, our Eternal side ultimately fell behind. In terms of foundation, we could not compare. Our current stalemate is only possible because supreme mighty beings continue to guard and buy us time. But the truth is, Eternal Night's strength surpasses ours. This infiltration will primarily favor Eternal Night.
"However, once demon abyss take shape, they will connect not only to Eternal Night but also to the Eternal World. If we can suppress them, these abyss become paths—shortcuts into Eternal Night itself. The channels go both ways."
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly as he spoke.
Regardless of whether it was the abysses that had appeared before, or those yet to come, all of them connected Eternal Night and Eternal World. In a sense, they were supreme domain gates. How they formed remained unclear, but without doubt, their essence was similar to domain gates.
Eternal Night could use them to invade the Eternal World, but if the Eternal World became strong enough, it could also use them to counterattack Eternal Night. They were mutual passageways.
Such abyss had existed before, but up until now, they could only be suppressed and defended against. To launch an invasion through them was exceedingly difficult.
For now, defending against the demon abyss was the challenge the Eternal World had to face.
In short: whoever was stronger would seize the initiative.
Between Eternal Night and the Eternal World, it was either you die, or I perish. The fusion of the two realms was inevitable. Who would hold dominance after the merger depended entirely on each side's foundation and strength.
"In the territory of Great Yi," Liu Bowen continued with a faint smile, his eyes glinting with wisdom, "if demon abyss appear, our strength is more than enough to suppress them. But should they arise outside Great Yi, the harm they cause will not be so easily resolved. The surrounding regions may not remain stable for long. And once chaos erupts… that might become a great opportunity for Great Yi—provided we can suppress the abyss within our own borders and still retain enough power to extend control over more realms and suppress additional abyss."
The ministers in the hall smiled at these words.
Yes, the demon abyss brought both danger and opportunity.
"Now that Great Yi has ascended to the Immortal Court," Yi Tianxing said, "our control over the realms has grown stronger. From this point forward, our primary opponent will gradually shift toward Eternal Night—for example, waging war against the demon abyss. My beloved subjects, you will need more time to cultivate and grow stronger. Do not allow your progress to be hindered. With so many Immortal Cities across our realms, if every small matter must be reported to the central authority, it will become a heavy burden on you.
"Our system can be improved appropriately. If any of you have suggestions, speak freely."
The Nine-Rank Official System had always been a cornerstone of Great Yi's governance. Now that the nation had advanced to the Immortal Court, with its vastly larger scale, some adaptations were necessary—though still rooted in the nine ranks.
This was not reform, but refinement.
"Your Majesty," Xun Yu spoke, "though the StarNet allows all realms to be connected, messages delivered quickly and efficiently, there is indeed a need for reorganization. Having only city lords is insufficient. I propose establishing domain lords, whose rank and power would be above the city lords. Each realm should have a domain lord, who oversees all Immortal Cities within it. Matters too great for city lords to decide may be escalated to the domain lord, and only if the domain lord cannot resolve them should they be reported to the Immortal Court."
In truth, the idea of domain lords had long been under consideration within Great Yi. In fact, it had already been simulated many times in the virtual world of StarNet. They had experience with the changes it would bring.
Domain lords would wield authority over entire realms, with power surpassing city lords. They would oversee resources, coordinate development, and unify the administration of all cities. Efficiency would rise dramatically, with countless benefits.
"Approved!!" Yi Tianxing nodded in agreement.
Thus, domain lords would act like governors, ruling over vast territories. And importantly, the system left room for upward mobility.
After much discussion, the structure was finalized:
Domain Lords would be newly established, with Domain Cities as their seats.
Domain lords would rank at the second grade, above city lords at the third grade.
City lords would rotate every ten years, domain lords every thirty years, subject to examinations and promotions.
One agenda after another followed, with lively debates, until the court session finally concluded in the late evening.
Not long after, word spread throughout Great Yi:
"Domain Lords! At last, our Great Yi Immortal Court is formally creating the position of domain lord. To govern entire realms, their rank is second grade—one of the highest! Such positions are few indeed."
"I wonder if we have a chance to become one. I heard candidates will be selected from among city lords, only those outstanding and proven in practice can qualify. If a domain lord performs well, he may even advance into the central Immortal Court, perhaps even to the first grade!"
"They say the Ministry of Works has already begun forging Domain Cities. They will float through the skies of each realm, constantly traveling. Each can hold tens of millions of people. Great Yi will soon have over thirty such Domain Cities. If only we had the chance to live in one…"
News spread rapidly under deliberate encouragement from the authorities.
It stirred heated discussions throughout Great Yi. Especially among the city lords of Immortal Cities—their eyes burned with ambition. With a clear goal ahead, how could they not work harder?
A domain lord could someday rise into the central Immortal Court itself.
Such temptation was immense.
At the same time, large caravans traveled through domain gates to various realms, carrying vast amounts of goods. Most notable among them were wristwatches capable of connecting to the StarNet—numbering in the billions—sent to realms not yet under Great Yi's control.
Within days, many wandering merchants arrived from afar on giant birds, flooding into Great Yi to purchase these wristwatches, then rushing back toward other realms.
In Great Yi, wristwatches were the standard medium to connect to the StarNet.
From birth, every child received one free Heaven-Star Wristwatch, embedded with their information and communication code. It remained locked until they entered school, at which point limited functions would activate. Only upon reaching adulthood would full access be unlocked—ensuring children grew up in a healthy environment.
But for outsiders, it was different.
The exported wristwatches were all restricted versions. They could log into StarNet, but only its outer network, with communications kept away from Great Yi's core systems.
Even so, once these watches appeared on counters in other realms, they went from being ignored to frenziedly bought. Countless cultivators donned them, and upon connecting to the StarNet, they were utterly astounded by its marvels.
(End of Chapter)