Lu Yang didn't wait long.
Almost exactly a month after their conversation ended, Lu Yang sensed that his puppet had been reactivated. He immediately projected his consciousness over.
However, this time, the scene before his eyes had changed drastically.
It was a magnificent and towering high platform. Lu Yang looked up and saw it piercing straight into the clouds, similar to the [Star Plucking Tower] he had built in the Dao Court.
But it's several levels shorter... only half the height of the [Star Plucking Tower].
Of course, this was normal. After all, he was the sole ruler in the Dao Court, while Hong Tian, though the Grand Preceptor of the Immortal Court, was clearly only one of the power holders.
In the next second, Lu Yang looked at Hong Tian, who was sitting upright on the high platform, and said loudly, "Fellow Daoist is about to seek the golden core."
"Indeed."
Hong Tian nodded upon hearing this. "After all, I have long been fully prepared. If not for my conversation with you that day, Fellow Daoist, I should have actually sought the golden core half a month ago."
"The reason I invited you here is to ask you to bear witness." Speaking of this, Hong Tian smiled faintly. "After all, watching from the outside can't compare to the clarity of watching from here. Here, Fellow Daoist should be able to see everything clearly and plainly. Consider it my repayment for your guidance."
Just then, a voice suddenly transmitted into Lu Yang's ear:
"I buried an item on Lone Heart Island overseas. If I succeed today, I won't need it. If I fail and perish, that item is a gift to you, Fellow Daoist."
Lu Yang's eyebrows raised slightly upon hearing this.
Before he could respond, Hong Tian, as if having resolved a knot in his heart, let his aura surge freely. He flicked his sleeves, stood up, and strode resolutely off the high platform.
Boom!
Hong Tian stood in the sky, yet his aura instantly spread to the four seas. Throughout the entire [False History], everyone under heaven couldn't help but sense it.
Almost simultaneously, the [Heavenly Fire] shone brightly.
Lu Yang saw clearly that a spiritual light rose slowly from the top of Hong Tian's head, revealing countless illusions of palace gates within. It was his Blessed Land.
[Vast Light Blessed Land].
With this Blessed Land as the center, Lu Yang saw a dense network spreading out. It was the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws], known in the [False History] as the [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom]. Essentially the same thing, this great net was now expanding unscrupulously toward the five regions under heaven!
It has begun!
Every place this great net covered was illuminated by the light of the [Heavenly Fire], and Hong Tian's aura grew a fraction stronger, drawing closer to the heavenly Dao Fruit.
This was the ritual of the [Heavenly Fire].
Soon, Lu Yang seemed to see the myriad living beings of the five regions, the mountains and rivers, all land under the heaven emerging in turn, all pressing down on Hong Tian.
Crack! Crack!
In that instant, visible cracking sounds came from Hong Tian's body. But in the next second, a dark golden light surfaced on him.
[Heaven]!
Hong Tian had actually also cultivated this Rank 2 technique. Now, with its blessing on his physical body, he easily withstood the weight brought by all land under the heaven.
And the moment he bore this weight...
Throughout the five regions under heaven, from the flowers, birds, fish, and insects below to the mediocre mortals, and up to the foundation establishment perfected ones and spirit materials and treasures, everyone felt a heavy sense of oppression.
Ruling the world, taking the world as oneself!
This was the function of the [Heavenly Fire] ritual. Only by ruling the world could one turn the entire world into a stepping stone to reach the place where the [Heavenly Fire] resided!
At the same time, Hong Tian took a step forward.
Beneath his feet, the scene of trillions of mountains and rivers emerged, piling up into steps, allowing him to tread upon them, clustering around his figure as he walked step by step toward the sky.
The next second, his figure dissipated.
His stature elevated, no longer existing in the mortal world... the Foundation Establishment Realm!
Lu Yang instantly shifted his vision. The foundation establishment perfected ones and even the golden core perfected lords in the [False History] also turned their gazes, focusing on the Foundation Establishment Realm of this moment.
At this instant, Hong Tian stood within the Foundation Establishment Realm, hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. The brilliance of the [Heavenly Fire] was even brighter here, for this was a high-stature place transcending reality, the lowest layer of the [Sea of Bitterness], and the inevitable path to enter the Dao Fruit and cross the Sea of Bitterness.
The Sea of Bitterness was boundless, the Dao Fruit was the boat.
Refining the golden core and entering the Dao Fruit was like a mortal struggling in the Sea of Bitterness finding a raft, no longer needing to worry about drowning at the bottom of the sea.
Thud!
A dull, heavy sound echoed within the Foundation Establishment Realm. Hong Tian continued upward, the light and shadows beneath his feet still gathering, lifting him and his Blessed Land slowly higher.
At the same time, Hong Tian spoke slowly:
"[Imperial Controller of Fate]."
As his voice fell, the imperial crown with twelve tassels landed on his head. The divine ability's radiance made the steps formed by the light and shadows of living beings beneath his feet even more solid.
Hong Tian continued upward.
Like a mortal climbing a mountain, the [Heavenly Fire] hung high in the sky, and he climbed step by step toward the Dao Fruit, treading upon the myriad living beings.
Only when he was halfway there did he rest slightly. Yet, the road ahead was still long, but no new steps were generated beneath his feet. It seemed the road had broken off here... However, Hong Tian was not surprised. He rested for a moment, then uttered another Dao sound:
"[Palace of Returning Boundaries]."
Instantly, the scene of living beings beneath his feet changed, adding pavilions, palace gates, houses, and towers... the creations of civilization carried by this land.
Now, they too became Hong Tian's stepping stones.
With the filling of this new concept, the steps beneath Hong Tian's feet regained their luster, extending toward the direction of the [Heavenly Fire].
Hong Tian continued upward.
By this step, Lu Yang could no longer see the other party clearly, only vaguely making out a figure shrouded in radiance. Rolling thunderous sounds spread out:
"[Heaven and Earth Union]!"
Because of this divine ability, the illusions forming the steps gained the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers. In this moment, all things in heaven and earth plunged into darkness!
It was as if all things in heaven and earth had been packed into the steps beneath Hong Tian's feet!
Until—
Whoosh!
With the lighting of the first flame in the darkness, all things returned to light. It was the [Heavenly Fire], and beneath it, a figure stood.
Hong Tian stood with hands behind his back, scrutinizing the supreme Dao Fruit before him.
Immediately after, he nodded slightly. Heavenly light emerged between his opening and closing lips, and the final voice rang out, calm and indifferent, yet every word resonant:
"[Coiled Dragon Root]!"
The four innate divine abilities manifested their wonders completely at this moment, jointly pushing Hong Tian and his Blessed Land to take the final step into the [Heavenly Fire].
Also at this moment, the [Heavenly Fire], which was usually high above and elusive, approached the present world closer than ever before. It caused the mortals of the present world to reach out their hands, looking at the scene of the sun and moon shining together, as if they could easily pluck it down with a gentle grab—
"Seize it!"
In this moment, the Immortal Court moved.
The [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom], which should have been supporting Hong Tian, suddenly retracted. Like a fishing net waiting for the fish to take the bait, it abruptly covered the [Heavenly Fire]!
Not only that.
Including Hong Tian's [Vast Light Blessed Land], everything was encompassed within the capture range of the great net at this moment, showing a trend of dissolving instantly!
To capture the [Heavenly Fire], the [Supreme Law of the Heavenly Kingdom] no longer held back any concealment.
All concepts were fully opened.
And all of this was seen clearly and plainly by Lu Yang, who was located directly below Hong Tian's place of attaining the Dao. He saw the truth hidden behind that great net.
One... two... ten...
Lu Yang couldn't help but hold his breath because, at the very bottom of that great net, he saw brilliant stars—countless Grotto-Heavens!
Not fragments, not wreckage, but complete Grotto-Heavens!
In an instant, Lu Yang recalled the rumors he had heard in the Dao Court: Every Dao Court Son of Heaven would ascend and depart on a dragon a thousand years after taking the throne.
Taking their Grotto-Heavens with them.
Hiss!
Lu Yang sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling as if his whole body had fallen into an ice cave. What "accompanying the Dao Lord"? They clearly became nutrients for the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws]!
—At first, that great net was still small.
Until it captured its first prey—the first Son of Heaven of the Dao Court. His origins, background, and Dao Fruit had long been buried by the weight of time.
But as it captured more and more Grotto-Heavens, its scale grew larger and larger, finally resulting in the terrifyingly magnificent scale it had today.
The [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws]... is actually the [Sword Dao Fruit] of the Dao Court!
It was created out of nothing using Rank 1 True Arts!
No wonder the Dao Court closed its borders and ignored external affairs... because the Dao Court's Dao Lord had already laid the foundation long ago. He didn't need to do anything, just develop!
The entire Dao Court, the entire Jiangdong.
Everyone was resources for the Dao Court's Dao Lord. Even the seemingly carefree Imperial Clan members cultivating their own nature were actually nothing more than higher-grade materials!
It's simply like... a ranch!
Once upon a time, Lu Yang felt that compared to the Saint Sect and the Sword Pavilion, the cultivators of the Dao Court lacked personality and seemed quite out of place in this wretched world.
Only now did he suddenly realize—
Mortals are chickens and ducks, cultivators are pigs and cattle, and the Imperial Family's Son of Heaven... is just a sheepdog guarding the ranch! They are all livestock; what personality do they need?
It was simply like—
The Saint Sect's style!?
For a moment, Lu Yang opened his mouth wide, speechless. Yes, the Dao Court's Dao Lord's design for Jiangdong was exactly like the Saint Sect's design for human materials.
Even more extreme than the Saint Sect.
The Dao Court's Dao Lord... couldn't be related to the Saint Sect too, right?
The World Honored One studied in the Saint Sect, and the Dao Court's Dao Lord is also related to the Saint Sect... So this wretched place, the world is just a giant Primordial Saint Sect!?