From the moment the Immortal Gate appeared until it vanished again and shifted, at least a quarter of an hour had passed. During this time, it had remained motionless. Now, the Immortal Gate was but an arm's length away from the True Dragon of Destiny—so close that it was practically right before them, with no difference at all. It stood open, allowing entry and exit at will.
"Excellent. True Spirit of Destiny, dive in."
A smile appeared at the corner of Yi Tianxing's lips.He secretly let out a sigh of relief.
In the Sea of Bitterness, no one could be certain whether the Gate of Ascension could even be found. Even with the True Dragon of Destiny reaching more than 1.7 million zhang, it had already lost over 700,000 zhang in just a short time. Who knew how much longer it could endure? But now, the Immortal Gate had manifested before them—was this not a heaven-sent opportunity, like a meat pie falling straight from the sky and striking his head?
If such a chance was missed, there would likely never be another.Fortune never falls twice on the same head.A gift from the heavens, if not taken, would only bring blame upon oneself.
Yi Tianxing naturally would not let such a great opportunity slip away.
Without hesitation, the True Dragon of Destiny turned and dove straight toward the Immortal Gate.
The gate's entire body shone with a bronze hue. On its surface, endless divine radiance shimmered, and countless divine beasts and immortal spirits flickered into view. A mysterious aura of awe radiated from it, as though one stood before a supreme immortal spirit. To step through it was to ascend, to prove the Dao, to transcend the mortal world, and to obtain eternal life.
ROAR!!
The True Dragon of Destiny plunged directly into the Immortal Gate.
Inside, endless divine light surged forth, drowning and enveloping the dragon completely. Within the gate, countless bolts of thunder rumbled, crackling fiercely, seemingly enveloping the dragon within. A profound and mysterious power was tempering it. The gate was filled with inexhaustible immortal qi, causing the True Spirit of Destiny to undergo a complete transformation. Before their eyes, the divine light and immortal qi condensed it into a massive immortal egg.
On the surface of the egg, countless mystical runes shimmered.
The greatest obstacle for a Holy Court to ascend into an Immortal Court was finding the Immortal Gate. Once it was entered, the path of ascension was assured—there would be no more obstacles. Everything would proceed naturally. Once the transformation within was completed, the achievement of Immortal Court status would be as easy as turning one's hand.
Having reached this step, Great Yi's ascension into an Immortal Court was already nailed in place.
Barring some tremendous accident, it was impossible not to ascend.Unless Great Yi was completely destroyed and reduced to ruins before the transformation completed.
"The Nine Heavens Dao Venerables likely won't be able to sit still now."
Ancestor Minghe revealed a smile.
What happened within the Sea of Bitterness could not be interfered with—not even by the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables—for it was governed by the laws of heaven and earth. Even Saints could not alter the fact that Great Yi had found the Immortal Gate. If they did not want to see Great Yi ascend into an Immortal Court, they themselves would have no choice but to act personally.
"Isn't that exactly what we've been waiting for?"
Odin gripped the Eternal Spear, his heart leaping with excitement, an uncontrollable urge rising within him.
They had waited so long for this moment—when Great Yi's ascension would force the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables onto the stage, compelled to take action. At that time, they would finally have their chance to slay the heavens. Even more so, Yi Tianxing had unexpectedly forced the Demon Heaven Dao Venerable into the open, which was an unexpected joy. Whether the other Dao Venerables took the field or not, at least Demon Heaven could no longer escape.
RUMBLE!!
Thunderous roars echoed across the void, growing ever more terrifying, countless bolts crackling in the skies.
"Good… good… Yi Tianxing, you are truly worthy of being called a peerless sovereign. The cards you hide in your hand are indeed astonishing—even I have fallen into your scheme. But do you really think that by dragging me out of the Demon Heaven Realm you have already won? That is but the dream of a fool.
You may invite your guest into the urn—but whether your urn is strong enough to hold them, that remains to be seen. And the one you invited in may not be a shrimp or a fish, but a shark."
Demon Heaven Dao Venerable let out a cold laugh toward the heavens.
He had already seen the scene within the Immortal Gate. Great Yi had taken the crucial step toward ascending into an Immortal Court. Since he was now within Great Yi's territory, he cast aside all hesitation. His only thought was to destroy Great Yi and slay Yi Tianxing. Nothing else mattered. He would wash away his humiliation with Yi Tianxing's head and blood.
As his words fell, a dark light flickered, and a pitch-black demonic zither appeared before him.
On the zither's surface, countless sinister demon faces twisted and shifted—ferocious, horrifying. Even the faint aura it emitted filled hearts with dread, stirring hidden demons within.
This was none other than the Demon Heaven Dao Venerable's natal life-bonded treasure—The Myriad Tribulations Heavenly Demon Zither!!
This was no ordinary instrument but a terrifying treasure of innate supreme grade. Its sheer power could be glimpsed by its very existence.
Normally, it would never be used lightly. But once drawn forth, it meant he was truly enraged, and bloodshed was certain.
A throne manifested beneath him, and before him floated a desk, upon which the Heavenly Demon Zither lay across. Seated in the void, he gave Yi Tianxing a cold smile:
"To invite a guest is easy; to send one away is hard. Today, I shall let you experience the True Chapter of the Heavenly Demon. There are seven movements in total. Let us see, Yi Sacred King, how many of them your Great Yi Holy Court can withstand."
The True Chapter of the Heavenly Demon was an unparalleled demonic scripture, born together with the Myriad Tribulations Heavenly Demon Zither. Each of its seven movements could overturn all beings, ensnaring the world in demonic ecstasy. Its destructive force was no less than the sound of world-destruction itself. Since its birth, it had never been played in full—this was the first time. He would use the lives of Great Yi's billions of people to write his war hymn.
DING—DONG!!
Without hesitation, Demon Heaven Dao Venerable's ten fingers struck the strings. Instantly, the zither's sound resounded—but it was no ordinary sound. From the strings, one could see countless demons entrenched, unleashing waves of terrifying demonic resonance.
In but an instant, countless citizens and cultivators felt bizarre illusions surge into their minds. It was as if they were suddenly immersed in their heart's deepest longings.
"Not good—quick, use the Sound-Sealing Jade Cicada!!"
Many cultivators in the city, sensing the change, suddenly felt blazing heat and icy cold surge through their bodies simultaneously. Looking closely, they realized the sensation came from the brands of the Sun Eye and Moon Eye on their arms, which jolted their spirits awake.
Drenched in cold sweat, they realized they had nearly fallen into the illusion. Without hesitation, they pulled out their Sound-Sealing Jade Cicadas and stuffed them into their ears.
In Great Yi, the Sound-Sealing Jade Cicada had long become a daily necessity. Not just adults—even newborn children were gifted with one at birth. It was an indispensable item. Over generations, the Tiangong Pavilion had refined and perfected them, making their sound-blocking abilities truly formidable, capable of shutting out all kinds of mystical demonic sounds.
The moment they wore them, the demonic resonance invading their minds was immediately weakened by half.
But it was not completely blocked.The Heavenly Demon Zither was simply too overwhelming. Its demonic resonance was terrifying beyond measure.
"Ah! No—it's still not enough! My head… it hurts so much! My eyes, my nose—they're bleeding!!"
"I—my hand… what's happening to it?"
"No… my hair, it's growing uncontrollably!!"
"My foot has turned into a claw!!"
"My fingers have become tentacles—such a terrifying sound!!"
All across Great Yi's territory, as the sinister resonance spread, countless citizens underwent grotesque transformations. Some grew roots beneath their feet like trees, claws sprouting, eyes opening on their skin, or fur erupting until they resembled giant apes. Some became rooted like trees, their roots burrowing into the soil, unable to move without feeling their limbs tearing apart. Some had hair writhing like black serpents, hands becoming tentacles, or tails sprouting behind them. Some grew scales, turning arms into demonic claws, or their legs shrank into deformities. The transformations were endless—bizarre beyond words.
This was the First Movement of the True Chapter of the Heavenly Demon—The Demon Transformation!!
Once begun, all who heard the resonance would undergo heaven-defying and grotesque changes, with devastating consequences.
Even with the Sound-Sealing Jade Cicada, how could one truly resist the True Chapter of the Heavenly Demon?
"Truly terrifying."
Yi Tianxing furrowed his brows. He had to admit—the power of the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables was far beyond imagination.
"Green Emperor, get out here—time to work."
Yi Tianxing barked sharply.
SWISH!!
Before him, a whirlpool of green light appeared, and from it leapt a green figure—none other than the Green Emperor. He tumbled out spinning, shaking his head wildly before finally standing upright.
"Master, I was just enjoying an intimate moment with my little flower—how could you drag me here like this? This is far too inconsiderate. This emperor is most displeased. Huh!?"
His eyes widened, suddenly filled with golden stars.
A look of astonishment appeared.
"Who is playing the zither?"
Looking up into the void, his eyes landed on Demon Heaven Dao Venerable.
At once, his eyes shone with green light, overflowing with excitement, as if he had finally found a true soulmate.
"Green Emperor, weren't you always complaining that I never let you sing freely? Today's your chance. Go—sing, shout, compete with him. Let us see whether you, Green Emperor, are the greatest singer, or whether Demon Heaven Dao Venerable's zither truly reigns supreme!"
Yi Tianxing pointed toward Demon Heaven Dao Venerable as he spoke.