"Our Great Yi Dynasty has endured countless hardships. Since its founding, we have secured peace for our people within, driven out fierce beasts and foreign enemies without, allowing our citizens to live with dignity and strength, free from humiliation and the ravages of natural disasters. We march into the battlefields of gods and demons, clash in bloody combat with the evil of Eternal Night, and emerge victorious, asserting the might of our Eternal World while suppressing the arrogance of Eternal Night. We now command hundreds of celestial cities and govern over five hundred million citizens, who live in peace and prosperity."
"We have refined our martial cultivation, enabling all to become dragons among men. Even amidst natural disasters, we have cultivated grain strains capable of withstanding such trials, resolving the issue of survival resources."
"However, a mere kingdom can no longer contain the destiny of Great Yi. As the Heavens shift and the Heavenly Dao retreats, we can no longer perform the sacrificial rites to Heaven. Thus, we offer these tributes, beseeching the Great Dao to descend, and permit the ascension of Great Yi to imperial status. We humbly invite the Great Dao to descend."
Cai Yong spoke every word with solemn rhythm, each syllable imbued with a sacred cadence—this was a summoning of the Great Dao.
"I, the ruler of the Great Yi Dynasty, humbly invite the Great Dao to descend."
Yi Tianxing bowed deeply toward the sacrificial altar from afar. As the sovereign of a Destiny Dynasty, no ordinary being could withstand the weight of his ceremonial bow—lesser cultivators would have their fate shattered and their karmic fortune broken under such a force. Now, as he stood atop the sacrificial platform and bowed to the heavens, an invisible might transmitted upward.
"Humbly invite the Great Dao to descend!!"
At that moment, millions within Xuanhuang City bowed in unison, their voices rising in a heartfelt cry. Within that cry was their purest will and their most profound hope.
This collective willing force surged like a tidal wave onto the sacrificial platform.
Willpower is one of the most mysterious forces between Heaven and Earth—it can reshape reality and move mountains.
The entire sacrificial platform began to emit a strange light, with runes flashing across its surface.
"Humbly invite the Great Dao to descend!!"
Not just in Xuanhuang City, but across the entire Great Yi Dynasty, over five hundred million citizens simultaneously offered their prayers. This vast tide of willpower crashed over the altar like a tsunami.
Amid divine radiance, the three mystical treasures placed upon the altar began to glow. A mysterious force activated them, causing them to melt and emit strange runes that embedded themselves into the altar. The runes on the sacrificial platform underwent an incredible transformation.
No one could say what secrets lay within these treasures, but they fused perfectly with the altar, causing it to grow ever more majestic and profound—as if it were connecting to some unfathomable existence.
"Humbly invite the Great Dao to descend."
All of Great Yi's ministers bowed in unison.
They were offering the people's will as the price, using the sacrificial platform to beseech the Great Dao itself to manifest.
Amid the boiling sea of willpower, the altar began to transform.
Above the altar, a silent, unseen, yet unfathomably mighty presence seemed to descend. It was not a form, not even an aura—merely an invisible will. And yet, at the very instant it arrived, the world fell silent. The drifting snow stopped midair. Even the natural disaster seemed to yield before this overwhelming will.
The sacrificial platform, which originally had two tiers—a square base and a circular second layer—now revealed a third triangular tier, forming a trinity. At its apex, atop the triangle, appeared a singular point. It was like the tip of a pyramid—a singularity that represented the presence of the Dao itself.
"The Dao has truly descended."
Yi Tianxing felt a solemn awe in his heart. Even the tiniest sliver of this will exuded an unfathomable majesty, far beyond what the Heavenly Dao could match. It was omnipresent, watching all—like an unseen eye piercing every secret.
This was the Dao—the Great Dao.
All natural laws and principles stem from it.
Though the Heavenly Dao had retreated, the Great Dao remains eternal.
With the will of hundreds of millions condensed into the sacrificial platform, and guided by mysterious treasures, the Great Dao had indeed responded.
This event was unique and unrepeatable—only in the absence of the Heavenly Dao could such contact be made.
"Bow to the Earth!!"
Cai Yong, now sensing the presence of the Dao, was inwardly elated. He knew this would become an unprecedented act of creation.
"First bow to the Earth—the Earth nurtures all things. Man stands upon it. The Earth is our Mother!"
Yi Tianxing stepped onto the first tier and knelt deeply. This bow honored the Earth for sustaining the human race.
The earth trembled. Throughout Great Yi's territory, Xuanhuang Qi surged.
"Second bow to the Heavens—Heaven is our Father. Heaven moves with strength; mankind must strive for self-improvement."
Yi Tianxing ascended to the second tier and knelt again. This bow was to honor the Heavens for providing space for human survival.
But this time, there was no response from the Heavenly Dao.
Its retreat had rendered it unable to respond—but this had been expected.
"Third bow to the Dao. The Great Dao is impartial, it births Heaven and Earth, boundless and eternal. May the Dao take pity on the struggles of humanity and protect our lineage."
Yi Tianxing climbed the final triangular tier. As he stepped on it, he felt an immense pressure descend upon him. Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he felt like an ant facing an endless sea.
"I, Yi Tianxing, sovereign of the Great Yi Dynasty, do hereby beseech the Dao. Our current kingdom rank can no longer contain our nation's destiny. I petition the Dao to allow our elevation—to ascend to Imperial Dynasty."
Each word from Yi Tianxing's mouth grew heavier. The pressure intensified. Any weaker will or lesser cultivation would have crumbled under the burden.
Crack!
A clear sound split the sky—a sign of the Dao's response.
Yi Tianxing instinctively felt a shackling force around Great Yi dissolve.
"Today, our Great Yi shall ascend to Imperial Dynasty!"
With joy surging in his heart, he declared it to all under heaven.
"Ascend to Imperial Dynasty! Ascend to Imperial Dynasty!!"
In Xuanhuang City, countless citizens erupted with emotion. The upgrade to imperial status meant a transformation of heavenly rank—a monumental act of creation.
For the people, this would bring vast blessings. The concentration of national destiny would elevate their fates and fortunes.
Before this could fully happen, the first to evolve had to be Xuanhuang City.
Just as it had once evolved into the Royal Capital, it now had to become the Imperial Capital to support the rise of the Dynasty.
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. He gazed into the sky and solemnly declared:
"Before the Great Dao, I, Yi Tianxing, ruler of Xuanhuang City, humbly petition that this city—the capital of Great Yi—has the heritage and accumulation necessary. Now that we ascend to Imperial Dynasty, the Royal Capital can no longer bear this destiny. I beseech the Dao—permit Xuanhuang City to evolve into the Imperial Capital. May it guard one realm under Heaven."
This request too was directed at the Dao.
Now that the Dao hovered above Great Yi, this was the only chance to make such a leap. If granted, Xuanhuang City would be marked by the Dao itself—and even the Heavenly Dao would be powerless to interfere in its future.
That was the ultimate goal.
"Granted."
A thoughtless, indescribable will echoed in Yi Tianxing's mind.
It was the Dao's response.
Crack!!
Suddenly, above Xuanhuang City, thick black clouds began to gather. Within them, lightning danced, and a terrifying pressure descended. The entire city seemed poised on the edge of annihilation.
"A Heavenly Tribulation! This is a thunder trial. Xuanhuang City must endure it to ascend. This tests both its Destiny Dragon and its foundation."
In that moment, Yi Tianxing received knowledge from the Dao itself—he felt a chill in his heart.