Yi Tianyun had only revealed a small display of strength, yet it was enough to scare the invaders into a hasty retreat. With their leaders dead, how could the rest dare to charge forward?
One after another, they turned and ran, not even daring to look back. They sprinted straight toward their home bases. Although their leaders were dead, their second- and third-in-commands were still alive. This was a major event, they weren't the ones who could make decisions, so it had to be reported to those higher up.
Very quickly, the cultivators who had originally planned to enter and seize treasure all began to withdraw.
As for the nearby wandering cultivators who had been spectating, they too were shocked and quickly chose to leave first, so they could spread the news. These rogue cultivators typically didn't like joining any factions. If they had wanted to, they would've joined long ago, not now.
These wanderers were the true messengers of information. Without permanent bases, they wandered aimlessly, making them the perfect people to spread news. Yi Tianyun believed that the word would quickly spread to every corner of the Chaos God Territory, and how many would come to surrender would be another matter.
Still, he was confident that some forces would choose to join.
For now, what concerned him more was the baptismal progress inside the Three Realms. Quite a few had passed out after just a few hours. Others had lasted much longer before finally collapsing.
He himself had lasted fourteen days back then. That hadn't been his limit, he simply couldn't absorb more, and had to stop. After all, unlimited absorption wasn't possible. If it were, he would've exploded long ago.
"Not bad, quite a few have held out for several days."
Yi Tianyun remembered each of their performances and began categorizing them into different tiers for future cultivation. This wasn't based on cultivation level, higher cultivation didn't guarantee longer endurance. In fact, the star power had been softened, so it didn't create overwhelming pressure.
Even infants could last longer, provided they were naturally attuned. Some people were just inherently sensitive to this energy and could endure longer.
As the days passed, many passed out, but many also endured. This earned Yi Tianyun's admiration.
Finally, on the tenth day, everyone had completed the baptism. The longest anyone had lasted was eleven days! And these people were all familiar faces, Shi Xueyun, Yi Yuwei, and Ye Qingxuan among them, all held out for a long time.
But the record holder was none other than his daughter, Yi Sixue! She achieved an eleven-day record, the longest among all, without question.
"Excellent! Very good!"
Yi Tianyun laughed heartily and waved his hand, splitting all the Three Realms inhabitants into separate groups. Based on how long they endured, they were assigned to different development categories. Even if they were close friends, if they only held out a day or two, they'd be placed in the lower-potential group. No favoritism would be shown.
"I'm sure you've all felt the God Territory's baptism by now. This is a form of body transformation, the longer you endure, the better the results. I believe you've all felt that. It's a very direct effect."
"Correspondingly, the longer you held out, the greater your potential and talent. Those who didn't last long, don't get discouraged. It doesn't mean we'll give up on you. You'll still be trained. But if you want more resources, then you must earn them through effort."
"Next, I will begin assigning missions, not just cultivation tasks, but also land expansion tasks! If you can conquer enough territory and stabilize more regions, your contribution points will rise. Even if your talent is poor, you can still receive key training!"
"As your Emperor and leader, I cannot treat everyone equally. I prioritize contribution! If your contribution is low, even if you're my relative, you won't receive a single resource. I mean what I say, you are all welcome to supervise me!"
The people around him were never freeloaders, nor were they unmotivated. In fact, each one was more hardworking than the last. In terms of contribution, they were without question at the top.
Upon hearing Yi Tianyun's speech, many cultivators who had been feeling down, especially those who only lasted a few hours, began to feel hope again. Knowing they could still receive training by completing missions got them excited.
Especially the task of territorial expansion, it meant they would be part of the founding force of a new nation.
"We will definitely work hard and expand our territory to grow our power!"
"That's right! We know our talent is weak, but that doesn't mean we're useless!"
"Well said! Even if we're not gifted, we can still contribute! Talent doesn't define worth!"
They didn't get discouraged. Instead, their fighting spirit burned even brighter. Many of them already knew their own limitations, progress would be hard and would take significant effort. But with top-tier examples in front of them, all hard-working individuals receiving major resources, it inspired them.
If geniuses could work this hard, what right did they have to slack off?
Cheers grew louder and louder. With Jiu Lingyun's influence bolstering their loyalty, none of them showed hesitation or rebellion.
Besides, Yi Tianyun didn't overly favor the talented. Even those with weaker talent were given opportunities. For example, access to martial arts and pills, as long as they worked for it, they could earn rewards!
But if someone expected free handouts, sorry, they could get lost.
Immediately, Yi Tianyun began discussing with Shi Xueyun and the others, organizing various tasks and future plans, everything was listed out one by one.
These things directly related to the development progress of the Three Realms within the Chaos God Territory. If they wanted to complete the main quest, they would have to fully conquer the Chaos God Territory and rename it. Only then would the mission be considered complete.
This mission wasn't as simple as flying here and calling it done. If it were that easy, it would've been completed long ago, not left untouched as it was.
Before launching into the mission, Yi Tianyun generously distributed a variety of pills and weapons to everyone. Mountains of them.
These were to help them solidify their cultivation and strengthen themselves. The true war would begin one month from now, as he had already issued the order: the local powers of the Chaos God Territory had one month to either submit or leave.
This was the perfect time to consolidate strength and prepare missions, keeping the Three Realms running continuously, with clear objectives to fuel their passion.
Coming from the Mortal Territory into the God Territory, this new land gave them the opportunity to expand territory, how could they not be thrilled?
"I wonder… can I completely make this my territory within half a year?"
Yi Tianyun's eyes gleamed with ambition. He would not be content with just a Grade One God Territory, his aim was to reach even higher realms!