"Still not enough. I've accumulated all this time not just to condense a single soul. It's either all or nothing—all seven souls fused into one," Yi Tianxing muttered as he sensed the transformation of the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body. There was no trace of pride in his heart—condensing a single soul was never his goal.
The Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body was like an embryonic existence.It was an embryo meant to fuse the three spiritual souls and seven corporeal souls—a process of complete unification.
"Continue."
Without hesitation—strike while the iron is hot, hesitation leads to decay. With a thought, he once again began to perform the Seven Emotions Summoning.
This time, what he summoned was the Corpse Dog Soul—one of the seven corporeal souls. Upon manifestation, it took the form of a fierce, savage hound, ferocious and terrifying. Sensing the call of the Seven Emotions, the Corpse Dog pounced eagerly into the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body.
The moment it entered, the tribulation clouds in the void responded. A golden bolt of tribulation lightning, thicker and more fearsome than the last, tore through the air and struck straight into his body, bombarding the Dharma Body.
Crack!!
Golden arcs of lightning danced wildly over the Dharma Body.
The Corpse Dog Soul was also targeted. Struck by the lightning, it let out a mournful cry before shattering, its essence dispersing and flowing into the Dharma Body.
The soul's shattering was normal in the Dharma Phase Realm, but the core rule was this: the Dharma Body, which bears the three spiritual and seven corporeal souls, must not be destroyed. If it were to shatter under the lightning, the essence of the broken soul would dissipate—any loss would mean the loss of one's soul power, a loss that would take vast time and resources to replenish, impacting one's very foundation.
Hence, upon reaching the Dharma Phase Realm, the moment the Dharma Body is formed, one must rapidly strengthen it—so it can withstand the tribulation lightning and fully absorb the soul's essence without wasting a drop.
The Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body did just that—it completely suppressed the essence of the Corpse Dog Soul, absorbing it like a dry sponge soaking up water. Under the tempering of lightning, the soul fused perfectly with the body. The lightning itself acted as a miraculous catalyst—creating a profound transformation.
Second soul fused. Another success.
"Again."
Yi Tianxing gave a mental shout.
With another thought, he began summoning the third soul.
His accumulated foundation was simply too profound—so deep that even the tribulation lightning couldn't harm him. Instead, it became his forging fire.
One soul, two souls, three souls…
…
One after another, the seven souls fused. Before long, he had reached the seventh and final soul—Fushi (伏矢) Soul, the most critical of the seven. It was the core of the entire corporeal soul system.
The lightning grew more intense with each fusion—multiplying in strength. By the sixth bolt, the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body nearly cracked. Without its deep foundation, a single fracture could cause soul essence to be lost.
Now came the seventh bolt, even more terrifying in power. If it struck, the Dharma Body might shatter entirely.
"Fushi Soul—Fuse!"
With a steady mind and no hesitation, Yi Tianxing began the final fusion. Since these were his own souls, summoning them was easy.
With a thought, the Fushi Soul entered his body and merged with the Dharma Body.
BOOM!!
A golden lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel descended. In an instant, not only did it shatter the Fushi Soul, it nearly ripped apart the Dharma Body.
"Rivers and Mountains of the Realm!!"
At that critical moment, Yi Tianxing gave a shout. With a thought, power surged from the Mandate Diagram—specifically, from the Map of Rivers and Mountains within it. A steady stream of artifact power flowed into the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body, instantly reinforcing it several times over.
What was about to be destroyed was now solidified. The Dharma Body fully withstood the blow, and soon, the Fushi Soul had completely fused.
"Seven tribulations, seven souls. With all seven bolts of tribulation lightning passed, the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body has finally become real from illusory. The seven corporeal souls represent the body. With their fusion, the Dharma Body has become substantial—and each soul's power is perfectly integrated. Domain control is stronger, the grasp over heaven and earth's energies is easier. What once required tenfold effort now only takes one."
With the transformation, his domain expanded, his control over natural forces sharpened. In terms of power, he had become more than ten times stronger than before.
One realm, one heaven. Every step is a new world.
Unnoticed, the tribulation clouds vanished from the sky.
"Seven tribulations, seven bolts of lightning—he actually endured all of them in one go. King Yi has fully fused all seven corporeal souls, reaching what is essentially Great Perfection of the Soul Condensation Stage. Unbelievable," murmured Young Master Hollow from a tavern in Xuanhuang City, sipping his wine while gazing into the sky.
The Dharma Phase Realm was perilous—many perished trying to advance. Yet it was also the foundation of becoming a true powerhouse. Without perfecting the Dharma Phase, there was no way to ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm.
It was intimately tied to one's soul strength, and ability to control the domain and the elements.
King Yi had become far stronger.
Lord Emptiness couldn't help but marvel. Yi Tianxing's cultivation speed exceeded even those who had previously discarded their power to start anew. Yet his foundation was unbelievably solid.
"The Dharma Phase Realm has three stages. The Dharma Body is the foundation. Soul Condensation and Spirit Formation follow—but the order isn't fixed. Condensing the soul gives form, forming the spirit gives life. The Dharma Phase is essentially the soul becoming real, taking on new mysteries," he muttered.
He was not inferior to any other cultivator in understanding cultivation realms. With his powerful sword and peerless techniques, he had a deep grasp of the path.
"Once I finish this cup, it's time I set out. With the new Immortal City just built by Great Yi, unrest is bound to follow. Those alien tribes won't just sit by and watch humanity grow stronger. My sword has been itching for blood."
He smirked with confidence.
Meanwhile, in the Cloud Realm beneath the royal palace, on a branch of the palace's divine tree, stood great halls like the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion, Military Intelligence Hall, and Palace of Heavenly Virtue—the core of Great Yi's governing machinery.
One hall in particular was pitch-black, its doors adorned with a lifelike nine-colored lotus—mysterious and entrancing.
Within it sat a petite figure with a loli-like appearance—Tong Empress (Emperor).
Before her stood Windcatcher and Shadowseeker.
"Are you sure what you said is true?" she asked seriously.
"Palace Lord, we wouldn't dare lie. If it were false, we wouldn't have reported it. These alien tribes have gathered secretly, clearly plotting something sinister. We personally saw them dispatch warriors to hunt fierce beasts and collect poisons," Windcatcher reported.
"Yes, and we also saw them rounding up human civilians en masse. It seems they're preparing for something big—and they're still capturing more," Shadowseeker added.
"I overheard a word," Windcatcher continued.
"What word?" the Doll Empress asked.
"Sacrifice. That's what they said."
The Doll Empress frowned. "Sacrifice? Are they preparing offerings? What are they sacrificing to? And why would so many alien races need to join forces?"
Something instinctively felt wrong.
"Alright. You may go. I will report this directly to the King," she finally said.
Both Windcatcher and Shadowseeker bowed and retreated respectfully. Rumors had long circulated that the Doll Empress was favored by Yi Tianxing—possibly even one of his consorts. Naturally, none dared show her disrespect.
Tong Empress vanished from the hall.
"Your Majesty, Tong Empress requests an audience."
A voice rang outside the meditation chamber, awakening Yi Tianxing from his breakthrough.
"Come in," he responded.
The moment he heard her name, an image of the petite woman with an alluring figure crossed his mind, and a smile flickered on his lips. But he quickly grew serious—he knew that if she had come now, it must be a matter beyond her authority to decide.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," she said, bowing respectfully.
Even before she spoke, Yi Tianxing could feel a profound, abyss-like pressure emanating from himself—his power now truly unfathomable.