Appearing before him was none other than Yi Tianxing. To be honest, even Yi Tianxing himself felt his heart skip a beat—he had narrowly avoided death.
The power unleashed from the Nether God Banner was an almost unsolvable divine ability, like a curse. It began by condensing countless millions of souls to form the opponent's name. Then, when the banner was shaken and the name shattered, it meant the person themselves would collapse alongside it. This was a terrifying cause-and-effect curse, so potent that even the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower could not resist it—not that it was incapable, but it simply could not withstand the overwhelming force. The destructive power of the Nether God Banner was essentially lethal.
This was the Nether God Banner's ultimate ability—the Nether God Curse!!
The cost of using it even once was unimaginably high.
The power of the Nether God Curse depended on the number of souls used to fuel it—the more souls, the higher the grade, and the greater the destructive force. Normally, a hundred million third-tier souls could kill a Dao Platform master. But just now, the Nether Dao Sovereign had used ten trillion third-tier souls to target Yi Tianxing with the Nether God Curse. This curse required no intermediary; merely knowing the name allowed the mechanism to instantly lock onto cause and effect.
There was absolutely nowhere to run.
Moreover, unleashing the full force required consuming the Nether God Banner's primordial power.
To guarantee a one-hit kill and eliminate Yi Tianxing as a major threat, the Nether Dao Sovereign had ruthlessly expended ten trillion third-tier souls and tapped into the banner's supreme power. The destructive force was such that even a saint could be critically damaged or annihilated under the curse, let alone a Dao Realm cultivator.
The damage was horrifying.
Once the curse was activated, the target would instantly suffer a terrifying soul shock. If they could not resist it, from flesh to spirit, everything would collapse and be obliterated. Yi Tianxing had no desire to experience that terrifying ordeal a second time.
The impact was so strong that even the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower could not withstand it.
It's important to note that the tower contained soul-guarding power, yet even it could not prevent the instant, lethal-level destruction.
Had Yi Tianxing not possessed the Life-Substitute Secret Technique, which allowed him to instantly activate a life-saving mechanism, he would likely have died. Even if he had survived, the unimaginable damage would have left him critically weakened—the destructive power was terrifying.
No one would willingly face death so closely a second time.
Of course, the Nether God Curse wasn't something that could be cast casually. Consuming the banner's primordial power meant that even the Nether Dao Sovereign could not unleash it a second time.
But now, Yi Tianxing had no time to settle scores with the Nether Dao Sovereign. He looked up into the void.
The Eight-Clawed Purple Dragon had already appeared above Xuanhuang City. Light flashed across its body, and a surge of merit flowed from within, transforming into a cloud of merit in the void. Compared to before, this display of merit was trivial—like a grand sorcerer witnessing a minor trick.
In the Sea of Suffering, less than one ten-thousandth of the merit remained.
Additionally, the supreme ancestral bloodline of Great Yi emerged from the Fate True Dragon, descending into Xuanhuang City and merging into the Twelve Zodiac Dragon Statue.
"Yi Tianxing really isn't dead. Each of the rulers of the Fate Dynasty has countless hidden cards, all more secret than the last. Killing them is far harder than defeating a great divine master."
"The Fate True Dragon has ascended. The Eight-Clawed Purple Dragon… purple fate. Is this the fate of the Immortal Court? Truly miraculous and inherently noble."
"This time, no one can stop Great Yi from ascending to the Immortal Court."
Countless cultivators who had been concerned for Yi Tianxing's safety quietly exhaled in relief. Especially those battling the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign—had Yi Tianxing fallen, Great Yi's suppression over the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign would vanish. Restoring it would make conquering the heavens even harder than ascending them.
Yi Tianxing's survival was a reason for most to rejoice.
"The Fate True Spirit has completed its transformation. Xuanhuang City, the holy city of Great Yi, must now ascend to an Immortal City to accommodate the Immortal Court's scale."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing spoke. The Fate True Spirit and Xuanhuang City were one. Now that the True Spirit had transformed, the city's constraints on ascension were broken. Only by ascending together could the transformation be perfect—the true ascension to the Immortal Court.
A Immortal Court must have an Immortal City.
In the path of the Fate Dynasty, Immortal Cities were indispensable. For a dynasty ascending to the Immortal Court, its capital must also ascend. Only an Immortal City could bear the fate of the Immortal Court.
Yi Tianxing held great expectations for this transformation.
Xuanhuang City was no ordinary city. It was not only a Fate Dynasty Immortal City but also a supreme artifact and an Eternal Ark. The three-in-one fusion created an unparalleled Immortal City. Even at the Holy City stage, it possessed the combat power of a normal Fate Dynasty Immortal City—already surpassing others by an entire level.
Immortal Cities, from dynasty establishment through royal and imperial stages, progress through multiple ranks: Royal City, Imperial City, Emperor City, Holy City, Immortal City, Heavenly Court.
Eternal Arks were ranked: Lingyun→ Peerless → Supreme → Immortal → Primordial → Eternal.
Now, thanks to the three-in-one fusion, Xuanhuang City had already surpassed a level during the Holy City stage, achieving Immortal-level status with the characteristics of immortality.
Because of the ascension to the Immortal Court, it now had the potential to become a Primordial-level Supreme Immortal City. If achieved, the impact would be staggering. Primordial-level means eternal, indestructible, and everlasting.
It could travel through the river of time and remain unscathed, survive the chaos of myriad worlds without perishing.
This level could only be attained during ascension to the Immortal Court. Then, it would symbolize the Immortal Court itself—dominating eternity, observing all worlds, unmoved by their rise and fall, enduring when all else perishes.
This was the fundamental reason the Immortal Court intimidated countless powerful beings.
If Great Yi truly succeeded in elevating Xuanhuang City to Primordial-level status, the consequences would be beyond imagination. Though Xuanhuang City had rarely been utilized to its full potential, even then it had not yet demonstrated the full might of an Immortal-level Eternal Ark. Few outside would realize its true nature.
This ascension was expected to achieve Immortal-level, but few knew it aimed for Primordial-level. Once revealed, no one—even saints—could remain calm.
This transformation could not be interfered with by the Heavenly Dao—it came directly from the Great Dao itself.
Whether it would succeed remained uncertain. Perhaps this ascension would only enhance Immortal-level power, not reach Primordial-level.
But undoubtedly, the possibility existed.
Yi Tianxing's heart was tense at this moment.
"Master, for Xuanhuang Holy City to ascend, an immense quantity of Willpower Pearls is required. Their use requires your authorization. Furthermore, this ascension is from Immortal-level to Primordial-level. If it succeeds, a colossal transformation will occur, demanding an immeasurable amount of Willpower Pearls."
Ruyi Fairy's voice echoed in Yi Tianxing's mind, tinged with excitement and anticipation.
Primordial-level Eternal Arks were extremely rare in the previous era—true supreme existences at the pinnacle of the heavens. On the Eternal Night battlefield, they were dominant weapons of war.
Fortunately, Xuanhuang City was forged primarily from Willpower Pearls. Using other materials would make ascension far more difficult, requiring an unknown quantity to meet the demands.
Of course, such an ascension would receive support from Heaven, the Great Dao, and even the Eternal Azure Lotus. But without sufficient Willpower Pearls, the Immortal City's potential could be compromised, possibly preventing full transformation.
"Use them—all of them if necessary! Even if it bankrupts us, we must meet the demands of ascension. Willpower Pearls can be accumulated again later. There is only this one opportunity. If we miss it, it will never come again."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and made a decisive choice.
There was no other option. Willpower Pearls were only a resource; no matter how many were consumed, ensuring ascension and the greatest benefit for Xuánhuáng City was paramount.
"Understood, Master."
Ruyi Fairy said excitedly.
Over the years, Great Yi had accumulated an enormous amount of Willpower Pearls.
When forging Eternal Coins, magic thought pearls were used. The Willpower Pearls had never been touched—they were saved for this critical moment. Now was the time, even if it meant going bankrupt.
Flash!!
The moment their communication ended, a godly light of creation shot through the void, enveloping the Eight-Clawed Purple Dragon and Xuanhuang City alike.
"This is a blessing from Heaven and the Great Dao—a gift of creation from the Dao itself. This creative force is exactly the fundamental material Xuanhuang City needs for ascension."
Yi Tianxing understood: this was the greatest fortune after ascension. A blessing from the Great Dao itself—no heavenly authority could bestow it, only the Dao could.
Xuánhuáng City needed to ascend to Primordial-level.
Primordial-level status meant standing shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Dao itself.
But this was not the end. Simultaneously with the Dao's light of creation, a vast azure light descended from the heavens, covering Xuanhuang City. Within this light radiated a rich aura of eternity.
This was the Eternal Ark's blessing, granted after communicating with the Eternal Azure Lotus during ascension—a celestial radiance of eternal power.
Such an ascension could not be ignored by the Eternal Azure Lotus.
Flash!!
Immediately after, another light descended—a golden divine light, originating from the Heavenly Dao of the Eternal World itself.