The promotion of an Immortal Court into a Heavenly Court was a number so vast it bordered on despair. The amount of fortune required was unimaginably massive, not to mention the other conditions that had to be met. Without fulfilling those, ascension was impossible. Strictly speaking, the so-called Heavenly Court of the previous era had only been a false Heavenly Court, lacking the true, all-suppressing might that should have belonged to one. Compared to the current Immortal Court, it could hardly be considered powerful at all. Even Haotian himself had no confidence that, in this era, an Immortal Court could be promoted into a true Heavenly Court.
The situation of the Lingxiao Immortal Court was complicated—so complicated that even he found it a constant headache. After this War of Slaughtering Heaven, if they could obtain the Primordial (Hongmeng) Purple Qi, everything would be possible. If not, then he would have to carefully sort out the path ahead and decide what direction their future should take. Of course, in this era, the mystical might of a Fate Dynasty gave the Lingxiao Immortal Court an undeniable advantage.
In the last era, when the power of fortune could not be harnessed, what attracted other mighty beings were merely resources, spirit fruits, and things like the legendary Peaches of Immortality.
Now, however, with the blessing of fortune itself, the attraction was far greater. For many great powers, such temptation was nearly impossible to abandon.
With fortune as its backing, there was naturally capital to provide benefits for its subjects.
The Lingxiao Immortal Court had inherited the remnants of the old, but within it, factions were tangled and chaotic. Countless ambitions and intentions intertwined, making its politics turbulent and unstable. The Great Yi was different. Once it rose to the Immortal Court, the entirety of Great Yi would move as one, with unity of heart and will that left the Lingxiao Immortal Court far behind. For a shared goal, they would fight and struggle together, and the explosive battle strength born from such unity was immeasurable.
When Great Yi ascended to the Immortal Court, countless rulers of other Fate Dynasties watched with bloodshot eyes, consumed by envy.
The Dao of Fate Dynasties was simple: whoever took the first step held the advantage at every step thereafter. Fortune accumulated was rarely surpassed by latecomers. As long as development was steady, such an advantage was nearly impossible to erase. On this point, Great Yi had already pulled far, far ahead.
Even so, Yi Tianxing still felt a wave of helplessness toward promotion into the Heavenly Court.
The fortune required was simply too enormous.
What was needed now was not golden fortune, but purple fortune. And even a hundred parts of golden fortune could only condense into a single thread of purple fortune—if it could even be done at all. The exact method of transformation was still unknown. One thing was certain: once at the level of an Immortal Court, the speed of gathering fortune slowed dramatically. To stagnate there for an entire lifetime was not unusual.
For many Fate Dynasties, the Immortal Court was already an unattainable dream. For most, the Holy Court was the end of the road. This was something long fated.
"Nevertheless," Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, a glimmer of joy flashing in his heart, "this time, my Great Yi has already ascended to the Immortal Court."
The ministers of Great Yi, upon witnessing it, could not restrain themselves from showing unbridled joy. With Great Yi's ascension, they, as its highest officials, were the greatest beneficiaries. How could they not be ecstatic?
"Great Yi has risen to the Immortal Court."
In Great Qin, Ying Zheng's pupils contracted sharply as he muttered, "Excellent. But Great Yi, you have only taken the first step ahead. My Great Qin will not fall behind. The Immortal Court is not beyond reach. Perhaps the name 'Great Qin Immortal Court' will be most fitting."
He was Ying Zheng, and he would never be content beneath another. If Great Yi could ascend, then Great Qin certainly could as well. In fact, this was not a bad thing. With Great Yi ahead, they could clearly see the disasters awaiting during ascension, prepare their hearts, and increase their own chances of success.
For a Fate Dynasty, time was never an issue.
"Horrifying, truly horrifying. For Great Yi to reach this step under the threat of the Nine Heavens Dao Venerable… it must be admitted, this is a colossal threat. To Eternal Night, it is too great a threat. Once the battlefield of Gods and Demons opens again, with that madman's temperament, he will surely strike into Eternal Night again. Still, this is not over yet. Ascension has only just begun. Since the Nine Heavens Dao Venerable has already made a move, he will never give up so easily."
Within a secret Hydra base, every leader wore a look of shock, their hearts sinking. Great Yi was becoming more and more difficult to deal with. All they could do now was sabotage in the shadows.
"It seems," the White-Robe sighed, "our efforts against Great Yi must shift entirely underground. Whatever destruction we can cause, we will. Concealment is the most important thing."
From here on, Hydra's strategy toward Great Yi would undergo a fundamental shift. A direct confrontation would no longer bring any benefit—at least, not unless Great Yi failed to survive this tribulation.
"Good! Good! With Great Yi, my Human Race is truly blessed. If there were wine, I would raise a great toast!" Emperor Xuanyuan said with immense excitement.
"Indeed. Now we must see Great Yi complete its ascension to Immortal Court. That will decide the outcome of this war. I did not expect Rahu to intervene, restraining four Dao Venerables, while the remaining five were intercepted by Patriarch Minghe and the others. Few hands remain free to act. If Great Yi fully transforms into an Immortal Court, its suppression over the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables will grow even greater. They may even be destroyed outright. If that happens, a monumental event will shake the heavens." Fuxi sighed.
"No… damn it!!"
Suddenly, Shennong cried out in alarm.
"Jiutian! You dare!"
Fuxi roared in fury.
At that moment, the battlefield shifted once more. While clashing with other powers, the Dao Venerable Jiutian suddenly summoned forth billions of Nether Soldiers. The Nether Banner in his hand revealed countless howling souls. Upon it appeared two golden characters—Yi Tianxing!!
With a cold smile, he shook the banner. The two characters shattered instantly.
Almost simultaneously, upon the altar of Heaven where Yi Tianxing stood tall, his body suddenly fractured without warning, shattering into billions of golden motes of light that dispersed into heaven and earth.
Yi Tianxing… had fallen.
"The Holy King… the Holy King has fallen!?"
"Impossible! This can't be real! The Holy King led us from nothing, fighting through blood and fire to build today's foundation. How could he die? Not even Eternal Night's Demon Gods could kill him. How could he die? We were just about to ascend to the Immortal Court!"
"This isn't real. I don't believe it. The Holy King will not die. This is an illusion, a trick! It can't fool me!"
The countless citizens and cultivators of Great Yi, who moments earlier were filled with ecstasy, suddenly froze, their joy turned into blank despair. They could not believe what they saw. In their eyes, Yi Tianxing, the Holy King, was omnipotent, a towering tree sheltering them all. How could he die? How could he simply vanish without sound? It was as if the very pillar of their spirits had been smashed to pieces.
It felt like losing everything—their hearts left hollow, empty, unable to accept this reality.
"Holy King!"
Within Great Yi, countless strong cultivators cried out in grief. One after another, their livers and gall blazed with fury, eyes bloodshot with wrath.
"Kill him! Kill the Dao Venerable Ming Tian! Avenge the Holy King!"
In an instant, furious roars spread from Xuanhuang City. Within the War Realm of the Army Soul, countless legions teetered on the brink of riot and frenzy.
No one could imagine the consequences of Great Yi losing Yi Tianxing. But even in death, they would avenge him—no matter the cost.
"Hear my decree!" Cai Yan's voice was icy as she appeared in the void. "As Empress of the Eastern Palace of Great Yi, consort of the Holy King, I command: activate the Stellar Rings, form the Zhou Tian Star Array!"
Dare to kill her husband? Even if it meant her own death, she would make them pay.
By now, the Holy King's Palace had already undergone its second great selection. Hundreds of peerless beauties had been brought in, making over three hundred consorts in total. With the addition of Yi Tianxing's many descendants, gathering three hundred and sixty-five Stellar Rings posed no difficulty. The Stellar Rings were the symbol of the emperor's bloodline in Great Yi.
"For the Holy King, for my husband—avenge him!!"
"With Sister Cai Yan at the core, form the Zhou Tian Star Array!"
Within the Holy King's Palace, the unmatched beauties—one in a million—had their hearts ignited by hatred. The sight of Yi Tianxing's body shattering left wounds upon their souls that words could not describe.
Swish, swish, swish!!
From the Holy King's Palace, beams of starlight pierced the heavens like divine pillars. Within them, the Holy King's consorts rose into the sky, each one wrapped in starlight, shining like resplendent stars. Their Stellar Rings, refined, had reached heights of incredible power.
Over three hundred stars converged in the void, weaving into a mysterious trajectory that suddenly transformed into the Zhou Tian Star Array. From beyond the heavens, countless streams of starlight descended, merging into the formation.
"I am the Lord of the Stars!!"
Cai Yan stood within the Star Array, her voice like thunder.
"I guard the Lunar Star—manifest, Bright Moon Bow!!"
Yao Yue's voice rang clear. At her brow, a crescent mark burst forth in dazzling radiance, condensing into a snow-white warbow. Upon it shimmered countless patterns of moonlight, runes of the lunar force. Power of the moon poured ceaselessly into the bow, while the surrounding Star Array fed it endless stellar force, making the Bright Moon Bow shine with incomparable brilliance.
The Bright Moon Bow soared into Cai Yan's hands, crowning her with divine majesty. She seemed no longer a woman, but a supreme goddess.
"I guard the Starry Firmament—manifest, Starfall Arrow!!"