Yi Tianxing immediately withdrew the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower, returning it into his Divine Sea. The entire treasure tower looked like a porcelain artifact on the verge of shattering, covered in dense, intricate cracks—so fragile that the slightest force could cause it to collapse completely. It was in a precarious state, teetering on the brink of destruction.
One must know: once a life-bound treasure reaches this level of damage, its grade will inevitably fall if it shatters. Not only would its power be drastically reduced, but repairing it would also become extremely difficult. Its inherent spirituality would be damaged, and for an innate spiritual treasure evolving toward the Profound Grade, it would become an even more arduous process. If it broke, both body and soul would suffer grievously. It could damage his very foundation of the Dao.
"Fortunately, it didn't actually break."
Yi Tianxing felt relieved. As long as it hadn't truly shattered, it could be repaired. With the power of the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower, it could slowly heal itself over time. The cracks would eventually close on their own.
However, this would take time—and during this period, he couldn't recklessly use the tower's true form again. One mistake, and the damage could worsen. If it truly shattered, not even crying would help.
"No destruction, no construction. This damage may not be a bad thing."
If the tower were whole, it would be difficult to integrate new divine or immortal materials. While he could skip some materials, now was the perfect moment to fuse the Hongmeng Purple Qi into the tower.
Yi Tianxing had long possessed a portion—one-tenth—of a complete strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi. Even as a fragment, it was still an immeasurable treasure, always hovering above his Divine Sea like a purple sun, illuminating the sea and granting him a tenfold boost in understanding Dao Rhythms and Laws. It worked continuously, enhancing his insights whether he was walking, sitting, or sleeping.
It was nothing short of miraculous.
Still, what he desired most was to completely refine it.
Although the Hongmeng Purple Qi had previously entered and exited the Heavenly Emperor Tower, it had never merged with it. As if it lacked a catalyst. Now, Yi Tianxing sensed that the catalyst had appeared. In this "nearly broken" state, it was the perfect opportunity to fuse the Purple Qi into the tower.
With a thought, the purple sun hanging in his Divine Sea suddenly descended and merged into the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower.
Before, the tower's surface was flawless.Now, with cracks everywhere, the strands of purple qi began to seep into the fissures. In no time, the entire crystal-like tower turned purple, emitting a misty purple glow that spread into every crack and edge. There was no resistance. On the contrary, the tower absorbed the Hongmeng Purple Qihungrily, as if starved for it.
"It works!"
Yi Tianxing's heart filled with joy.
Fusing the Hongmeng Purple Qi into his life-bound treasure was nearly equivalent to fusing it with himself. And although this was only one-tenth of a full strand, it still vastly deepened the tower's foundations and potential.
Even more, as the Purple Qi fused, a mysterious Dao Rhythm emanated from the tower, enhancing his comprehension of the Dao, as well as boosting the growth of his Fate Orifices tenfold—just as it did before. Only now, this power was embedded in the treasure itself.
"The process will still take time, but at least the tower is no longer at risk of crumbling."
Though cracks remained, the Hongmeng Purple Qi now acted like a divine adhesive, binding the fragments together. It might appear cracked, but its durability was no less than before—perhaps even greater once the fusion was complete.
Once fully fused, the tower would transcend its previous state and become even more formidable.
Yi Tianxing returned to reality and issued a command:
"Everyone, stay on the city walls. Do not leave until daybreak. We'll clean the battlefield in the morning."
This assassination attempt by Eternal Night had not been aimed at destroying Sunset City, but at killing him. It had been a top-tier assassination mission. But the attempt failed. Even the great being sent by Eternal Night had been suppressed by Heaven's Punishment and forced back.
Most of the danger was now gone.
He didn't need nine full days to reap rewards—he had already earned a massive harvest.
He had personally shattered three Star Gates, each worth one billion merit points. Together with previous accumulations over the past few months, his total now exceeded four billion merit points—an astronomical amount.
Just thinking about the myriad treasures in the Divine-Demon Treasury made Yi Tianxing's heart burn with excitement. With these points, he could obtain incredible treasures, vastly enriching the Great Yi Dynasty. He could even forge a true national treasury, a vault of supreme treasures.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The soldiers replied in unison, their eyes filled with fervent admiration. To survive Eternal Night's repeated assassinations without major losses was a feat in itself. This was their king—the sovereign of the Great Yi Dynasty.
"Master Zhuge, esteemed friends, since the matter is resolved, why not accompany me to the City Lord's Mansion? We can relax beneath the Golden Crow Tree and Crimson Flame Firecrow Tree, and soak in the hot springs to wash away fatigue."
Yi Tianxing smiled as he invited the other human cultivators.
"That would be most welcome,"
Zhuge Liang smiled. It was exactly what he had in mind.
Having watched Yi Tianxing survive one assassination after another—and even benefit from them—he felt this man more and more resembled the Ming Lord of his heart.
In chaotic times, the most important thing is…
Survival.
If you can't even survive, you can't build anything. In such an era, brute strength is the only way to ensure survival. Only those with strength could be kings. Virtue alone wouldn't gather followers. Strength created charisma, not the other way around.
In this eternal world, there weren't so many fools. Only strength and martial power could build a foundation.
And Yi Tianxing clearly possessed both.
Others like Guan Yu and Zhang Shun also agreed readily. After seeing Yi Tianxing's overwhelming power, their attitudes shifted entirely. This was a true powerhouse—one they respected.
"Very well. Let's go together."
Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
"Husband, your body… are you alright?"
Lian Xing asked softly with concern. Yueyue also looked over, her eyes expressing silent worry.
"No problem. Just a minor injury from the treasure's damage. A soak in the hot springs will fix it."
Yi Tianxing replied calmly. Although he had coughed blood earlier, he wasn't seriously injured. With his formidable physique, his wounds were healing even as he spoke.
The group entered the City Lord's Mansion and reached the backyard.
It was spacious enough to accommodate hundreds without feeling crowded. The once-overgrown weeds had been cleared, replaced by beautiful plants that created a peaceful, natural ambiance.
Then came the centerpiece—a massive ancient tree.
It rose several dozen zhang high, its branches spreading like a canopy. Its leaves resembled scarlet suns, each one radiating intense heat and emitting glowing light like burning flames. With every breath, it absorbed heaven and earth energy, converting it into blazing brilliance.
Hanging from its branches were slender crimson sabers, each engraved with mystical red blade patterns, exuding sharp auras as though splitting darkness like a rising sun.
"Good blades."
Guan Yu exclaimed, unable to hide his admiration. The blade patterns looked naturally formed, imbued with innate Dao Rhythms, making them more precious than forged weapons.
"These are the Golden Crow Sabers. We harvested a batch previously—those were the best. These are slightly lower in quality but far more numerous—nearly ten thousand."
Yi Tianxing explained with a smile.
The tree had been nourished by immense amounts of flesh and blood, accelerating its growth. In just a few months, it had matured and produced a new crop of sabers—not as refined as the original batch, but vastly superior in number.
These would make excellent additions to the future Great Yi Treasury.
"Used properly, these blades could arm an elite army."
Zhuge Liang nodded. A military force equipped with such weapons would be terrifying in battle.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!!"
Just then, sharp cries of crows rang out in the distance.