98: Unifying the Five Realms

One month later.

Inside the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace.

“His Majesty arrives!”

Accompanied by a loud cry from Wei Zhongxian.

The civil and military officials all knelt in unison: “We pay our respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty shine as brightly as the sun and moon, and may the imperial legacy endure forever.”

Upon the dragon throne.

Di Yan's figure slowly manifested. He raised his hand in a dismissive gesture: “Ministers, you may rise.”

“We thank Your Majesty.”

The officials rose and stood respectfully.

Di Yan's gaze swept across the refreshed assembly of ministers in the hall, and he nodded slightly.

“It seems that over this past month, all of you have gained much.”

“We kowtow in thanks for Your Majesty's grace!” the officials responded in unison, their voices filled with awe and gratitude.

They knew full well that the root of all this lay with Di Yan.

If not for him, it would have been absolutely impossible for them to achieve Breakthroughs so rapidly.

Di Yan spoke no further and cut straight to the point: “Where is the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy?”

“I am here!”

Master of the Ghost Valley stepped forward.

He had now successfully broken through to the Middle Stage of the Profound Immortal realm.

His cultivation was second only to Qin Liangyu, who had also successfully reached Profound Immortal Perfection.

“A month has passed. What changes have occurred in this world?” Di Yan asked.

“Reporting to Your Majesty.” Master of the Ghost Valley bowed and replied, his voice steady: “Since the recovery of the Five Evolutions Great Thousand World's Origin, the World's Fetal Membrane has expanded, and the Laws have been completed.”

“In this month, the world's territory has expanded more than tenfold, the concentration of Spiritual Qi has increased more than a hundredfold, and immortal spiritual qi has already enveloped the entire Five Evolutions True Realm.”

“Currently, throughout the Five Evolutions, thirty-six top-grade Spiritual Veins have been promoted to Immortal Veins, and seventy-two Spiritual Apertures have transformed into Immortal Caves.”

“The Chaos at the borders of each domain has receded, and the newly born mountains, rivers, seas, and Secret Realms are beyond count.”

He paused, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes: “More importantly, the Heavenly Dao has manifested, making the Great Dao perceptible. The cultivation Bottlenecks are several times looser than before, and Immortal Ascension is within sight.”

“Good!” Di Yan nodded slightly, then turned to look at Xiao Heng: “Xiao Heng, what is the current strength of the Taiyan Immortal Court? Have the various races submitted?”

Xiao Heng bowed and reported: “In response to Your Majesty, the commanders of the various Heavenly Armies, the ninety-seven Stars of the Bureau of Astronomy, and the Lords of the one hundred and eight domains have all broken through to the Great Emperor realm.”

“Those who have broken through to Quasi-Emperor and Supreme number in the tens of thousands.”

“Furthermore, all one hundred and eight ethnic groups in the Five Evolutions True Realm have submitted formal documents of surrender, offering their ancestral sacred items to show their sincerity.”

“And each race has pledged to follow the Laws of the Immortal Court and pay tribute on time.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

A series of gasps immediately rang out in the hall.

Especially the Old Ministers who had followed Taiyan from the beginning; hearing these words, their hearts surged with emotion.

To think that Taiyan was once just an Imperial Dynasty, and now, in such a short time, it had not only become an Immortal Court but had also unified the entire Five Evolutions Great Thousand World.

Such a grand occasion was something they could never have imagined even in their dreams.

Di Yan's expression remained calm, as if everything was already within his expectations.

He nodded slightly: “As the world recovers, Opportunities are many, but order must not be disrupted. Hear my decree!”

“We respectfully await the Sacred Edict!” the officials cried in unison.

“The Bureau of Astronomy shall join with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to resurvey the world's territories within three months; the East Barrens, Western Desert, Southern Border, and Northern Abyss shall each be divided into fifty domains.”

“Announce to all races that anyone who breaks through to the Great Emperor realm and wishes to serve as an official may undergo assessment at the Ministry of Personnel. Those who pass the assessment may take office as Domain Lords.”

“Newly born Secret Realms and ruins shall be centrally registered by the court and surveyed and developed according to the Law.”

Di Yan then looked at the Vice Minister of War: “Now that the territory has doubled, our military strength is insufficient.”

“Pass my decree: starting today, the Immortal Court shall openly recruit soldiers from the entire Five Evolutions Great Thousand World.”

“For the first phase, recruit one hundred million elites!”

“The standard must be at the Saint Realm or above, and their Heart-Nature and bone structure must undergo strict verification.”

“The Ministry of War shall lead the effort, with cooperation from each domain, to complete the preliminary selection within three months and send them to the Central State to be trained together by the Heavenly Army generals.”

“I accept the decree!” the Vice Minister of War responded solemnly.

An army of one hundred million at the Saint Realm or above was unthinkable in the past, but with the current foundation of the Five Evolutions, it was entirely possible to achieve.

Subsequently, the various ministries and departments reported their important matters in turn.

The Vice Minister of Revenue reported on the resource survey and tax reform for the new territories.

The Vice Minister of Works requested instructions for several major projects, including the construction of a Super Teleportation Array connecting all domains... Di Yan either made decisions on the spot or ordered details to be refined for further discussion, handling government affairs with clear logic, fully displaying his Emperor's demeanor.

Three days later, there were no more petitions in the court.

Di Yan's gaze fell upon Master of the Ghost Valley.

“Master of the Ghost Valley, have the soldiers of each army entered the Nine Heavens Celestial Pagoda?”

Master of the Ghost Valley bowed and said: “Reporting to Your Majesty, they have already entered.”

“In that case, accompany me for a visit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Di Yan rose: “Ministers, attend to your duties and serve with diligence. Court is adjourned.”

“We respectfully see off Your Majesty!” the officials bowed their heads.

Di Yan took a step forward and vanished from the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace along with Master of the Ghost Valley.

The next moment, the two appeared within the vast space of the eighth floor of the Nine Heavens Celestial Pagoda.

In the Void Realm ahead, iron armor gleamed coldly, and banners stood like a forest.

An endless sea of soldiers stood solemnly, their Auras surging.

The instant Di Yan appeared.

“We welcome Your Majesty!”

Without a prior order, without command.

All the soldiers dropped to one knee in unison, the sound of their armor clashing echoing through the Void Realm.

Their gazes were fanatical and loyal, all focused on that incomparably noble figure.

And in front of this steel torrent, three female generals with distinct temperaments were particularly striking.

Huan Liuli, in a suit of dark purple battle armor, her posture graceful, looked at Di Yan with eyes full of tenderness and admiration.

Su Ying, in silver armor and a red robe, looked heroic and imposing with her ponytail tied high.

She looked up at Di Yan, her gaze burning and frank, making no effort to hide the love stemming from the depths of her Soul.

Behind her, the deputy general Xia Die's eyes were almost overflowing with affection.

Feng Qingge wore red-gold phoenix-patterned battle armor, looking noble and stern.

She pursed her lips slightly, her phoenix eyes shimmering with a mixture of a subject's respect and a woman's deeply hidden heartbeat.

The gazes of the other main generals toward Di Yan were either of admiration, respect, or reminiscence... Di Yan's gaze swept across them, pausing slightly on those three pairs of eyes, before raising his right hand.

“Rise.”

“We thank Your Majesty!”

The soldiers rose with a roar, their movements perfectly synchronized, their armor clanking, and their Aura growing even stronger.

“You are the foundation of the Immortal Court, my sharpest blades.” Di Yan spoke, his voice carrying the sound of the Great Dao: “I hope you will strive forward with all your might. In the future, follow me as my sword points toward the heavens.”

“We are willing to die for Your Majesty! We are willing to expand the territory for the Immortal Court!” The earth-shaking voices rang out again, the soldiers' eyes filled with fervor.

Di Yan said no more and turned his gaze to Master of the Ghost Valley behind him, nodding slightly.

Master of the Ghost Valley understood and flipped his hand to take out a Formation Plate emitting a profound, bloody light.

“All soldiers, according to the formation map, take your positions and enter meditative focus!”

Master of the Ghost Valley's voice spread in all directions.

The soldiers acted immediately, their movements swift and orderly.

Within a few breaths, hundreds of millions of figures had already sat down in their positions according to the profound trajectories.

Master of the Ghost Valley looked solemn as he tossed the Formation Plate into the air.

Buzz!

The Formation Plate expanded rapidly against the wind, instantly transforming into a massive blood-colored light screen that blotted out the sky, slowly descending to envelop all the soldiers below.

Upon the light screen, countless fine and complex Dao patterns flowed frantically, emitting a terrifying Dao rhythm of devouring and refinement.

Next, Master of the Ghost Valley formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

The Void Realm behind him twisted, revealing a massive, hazy shadow of a world.

Within the shadow, countless corpses were piled up like mountains, their numbers so vast they vaguely reached ten billion.

These were all the spoils of war from the various Heavenly Armies, with members of the God, Demon, and Yao races being the majority.

“Ten Thousand Transformations Return to the Source, Blood Refinement Casting the Dao — Sacrifice!”

With Master of the Ghost Valley's final low shout, the corpses of countless living beings from that world shadow transformed into a torrent that poured into the blood-colored grand array below.

Boom!

The grand array was activated to its limit. The corpses of the living beings were transformed into Life Essence, and the blood-colored light shone brilliantly.

The soldiers in the array shuddered, then immediately circulated their Cultivation Techniques with all their might, frantically absorbing and refining this vast energy.

Their Auras began to climb at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Di Yan stood in the air with his hands behind his back, quietly watching it all.

Seeing that the grand array was operating smoothly and the soldiers' cultivation was on the right track, he did not stay any longer, and his figure quietly faded away.

The next moment, he was back in the Imperial Study.

Just as he settled onto the dragon throne, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Wei Zhongxian's figure appeared at the doorway, bowing to report:

“Your Majesty, General Bai Qi has returned.”