Naturally, the Bodhi Seed quickly merged with the Heavenly Emperor's Tower of Primordial Chaos.
Within the chaotic world, the power of the Bodhi Seed itself did not appear to be overwhelming. Waves of enlightenment melodies echoed gently, fracturing only a small portion of the chaos, transforming it into a small area of space. Even in terms of expansion, it lacked substantial force. After all, this was a treasure for enlightenment, not for slaughter—its capacity to expand space was extremely limited.
Ultimately, it carved out a space no more than five hundred li in radius.
Immediately, it fully integrated into the treasure tower.
Swish!!
Without a sound, the Heavenly Emperor's Tower of Primordial Chaos extended by one more level, reaching twenty-six tiers. The treasure tower evolved into a twenty-six-level pagoda.
Then, from within the tower, twenty-five internal tower realms, along with the chaotic space, began channeling Heaven and Earth's source energy into the new realm. With each breath, the newborn space expanded at incredible speed.
Cave-heaven spaces and minor worlds—These barriers were shattered instantly.
Mountains and rivers emerged at inhuman speed. A massive number of plant seeds descended from the sky, landing in the newborn world. Under the power of creation, they grew rapidly, blanketing the land in vital life force.
Most critically, the entire realm brimmed with a profound Daoist resonance, endowing all life with a unique spiritual quality. Simply observing a blade of grass or a tree could offer deep insight into the Dao.
This realm could truly be called a Land of the Dao.
Once this internal tower realm had fully transformed, Yi Tianxing entered it with his spiritual sense.
"What a marvelous aura... it feels like bathing in the ocean of the Great Dao, as if drawing near its very source. Enlightening the Dao here is incomparably easier than usual. Even though it's not as effective as holding the Bodhi Seed directly, it's still three to five times faster than normal at the very least,"
he exclaimed, unable to suppress a surge of excitement.
The benefits were simply too great.
Once cultivation reached the Life Aperture Realm, the most fundamental task became comprehending Daoist Laws, condensing Law Origins. The deeper the understanding of Daoist Laws, the faster the increase in one's origin. It was a mutually reinforcing process. Cultivating in this realm would significantly accelerate progress.
Comprehending laws was far more difficult than increasing cultivation base or magical power.
Naturally, if one were to cultivate directly near the Bodhi Seed, the speed of enlightenment would reach unbelievable levels. Whether for comprehending divine abilities or analyzing cultivation methods, it would be like cutting through butter—effortless.
"Good. This world shall be named the Bodhi World—a Sacred Ground of Enlightenment. With this realm, more top-tier experts will emerge in Great Yi. Cultivation will be vastly accelerated, allowing us to nurture a continuous stream of talents. Furthermore, access to the Bodhi World can serve as a reward system within Great Yi, offering incentives for geniuses and prodigies. Its appeal will be unmatched,"
Yi Tianxing thought, his heart ablaze.
This was true heritage.
With the Bodhi World, even without recruiting legendary historical figures, Great Yi could still cultivate countless experts—becoming the very backbone of the dynasty.
"Twenty-six levels of the treasure tower, twenty-six internal realms. I must find time to explore the Nightmare World again. Only through the power of the masses can the Heavenly Emperor's Tower of Primordial Chaos be truly refined and enhanced."
This matter was of utmost importance—there could be no room for error. Still, now was clearly not the right time.
Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. Dawn was approaching.
Not lingering in the meditation chamber, he willed himself—
—back to the Heart of the Empire Palace.
The four women still lay languidly in bed, their white cloud blankets unable to completely hide the sensual spring scenery. Some revealed pale jade arms or long legs, others, glimpses of plump snow-white curves. Especially with the lingering blush on their skin, the temptation was overpowering. Anyone who saw them would feel an unspoken heat.
Each woman had her own charm—Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum—each with a different flavor.
Though his heart stirred, seeing their exhausted state, he didn't plan to bother them further. Any more exertion, and they might not even get out of bed today.
He smiled, climbed into bed, and wrapped his arms around the nearest soft beauty, feeling her silk-smooth body.
Glancing at the peacefully sleeping Nie Xiaoqian, his gaze softened.
To Yi Tianxing, romance was a luxury now. In these troubled times, who had the time or energy for sweet nothings? In this world of survival of the fittest, possessing more women was simply natural. Although Xiaoqian was inadvertently dragged into the conflict, he couldn't deny he felt something for her.
Now that he had her body, he naturally wouldn't let her go. From now on, she was his woman. So what if she was a ghost cultivator? All paths return to the Dao—only the races differ.
Thinking of her, he couldn't help but stir again. Her Mysterious Yin Ice Cauldron was simply divine.
At dawn, the four women rose, all casting cold glances at Yi Tianxing.
Nie Xiaoqian, on the other hand, was shy and blushing.
But used to this by now, Cai Yan soon pulled her aside for girl talk. She took Xiaoqian to pick out a future palace residence within the royal compound. Xiaoqian quietly followed, not resisting—she had already accepted her new identity as one of Yi Tianxing's women, and now also a consort of Great Yi.
The royal palace was vast, and after fusing with Yuanming Garden, it became infinitely more scenic.
Yao Yue and Lian Xing had previously chosen their residences within the palace—not far from Xianhuang Palace.
Yao Yue's quarters were named Moving Flower Palace, commemorating her origin. Lian Xing's was called Starry Palace. That day, both stayed with Xiaoqian, helping her pick a residence, which was finally named Lady Ghost Palace (倩女宫).
She was soon officially titled and added to the Divine Sealing List, taking her place in the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall.
Her official title: Consort Qian (倩妃).
Yao Yue and Lian Xing had already been conferred as Consort Yue and Consort Xing. Their ranks in the palace were second only to Cai Yan. There was no messy fighting over the Queen's position.
After a day of rest—
Yi Tianxing took the women with him again, traveling via the Nine-Dragon War Chariot, touring the Great Yi territory. They often entered immortal cities, using spells to mask their identities. Otherwise, his appearance in the cities would cause too much commotion for a leisurely visit.
They not only visited cities, but often ventured into the wilderness, personally investigating emergent demons and monsters. Sometimes, he directly slaughtered them without mercy. Countless fiends were destroyed by his hand.
Yet with the weakening of Heaven's seals, more and more monsters continued to appear. No matter how many were killed, more kept surfacing.
At the same time, human sects began emerging within Great Yi's territory. They spread all kinds of news. Some were dedicated to slaying monsters, others acted haughty in immortal cities, flaunting their status as sect disciples.
But in truth, when they saw the cities' technologies and goods, their eyes widened in shock. To Great Yi's citizens, they seemed like country bumpkins.
When introduced to communication devices, exotic treasures, spiritual grains, and elixirs, many sect disciples had never even seen such things before.
Comparing currency, the difference was even starker. Next to Eternal Coins, their crystal coins felt utterly obsolete. Some couldn't even bring themselves to take them out.
At first, they had assumed humans lived in hardship, oppressed by alien beasts. But seeing Great Yi firsthand, their worldview shattered. Here, every citizen was a cultivator, cultivation methods were open, food was abundant—even spiritual rice was sold to commoners. In their own sects, eating spiritual rice was a luxury.
"I thought the human race was barely scraping by. Turns out, the people of Great Yi live better than we do in our sects."
One sect disciple sighed to the heavens.
"Compared to Eternal Coins, crystal coins might as well be trash."
Another turned pale as he clutched his first Eternal Coin.
"To think that I—a proud sect disciple—would end up selling talismans on the roadside in Great Yi…"
Said one miserably, sitting at a street stall.
Time flowed by amid these changes.
Fortunately, with the power of the Great Yi Dynasty, the emergence of monsters and sects didn't cause too much disruption. It was a smooth transition.
Sect disciples, natural disasters, agents of the Six Doors Bureau, and bounty hunters—All ventured into the wilds to battle monsters and beasts.
Unknowingly, the time for the first imperial examination of Great Yi had arrived.
This exam undoubtedly stirred the hearts of countless aspirants. As the day approached, all eyes turned to see how it would be conducted, eagerly awaiting the final regulations.