The golden dragon patrols the heavens, and sweet rain blesses all!
Wherever the golden dragon passed, a blue divine rain descended from the sky, falling upon every celestial city. Whether indoors or outdoors, everyone was naturally touched by this rain, as if it ignored all barriers and inevitably landed on their bodies. The moment it touched their skin, the blue light rain miraculously seeped into their bodies, merging into their blood and flesh.
In that instant, one could feel their entire being elevate, as though their body and spirit had been sublimated.
The sensation was akin to eating an icy bowl of snow pear on a scorching summer day—pure, blissful comfort radiating from deep within.
"My old injuries are completely healed! Even the hidden ailments I suffered while imprisoned in the alien tribes are gone. I feel rejuvenated—like I've regained my youth. My life potential is surging again!"
Many citizens, freshly rescued from the alien tribes, were unable to contain their joy as they experienced the effects of the blue rain.
During their captivity, mere survival had been a miracle for the human race. Injuries and lingering illnesses were almost inevitable. Such wounds had scarred their very essence—damaging their life source and limiting their future growth.
Even if they later embarked on the path of cultivation, these injuries would remain shackles, impeding their progress or causing devastating consequences at critical moments.
While most of their superficial wounds had been treated by the Moonwell waters, the deeper, foundational damage remained.
But now, nearly everyone bathed in this divine rain could clearly feel their injuries completely purged. It was as though their bodies had been swept clean.
This was truly a rain of salvation.
"I feel my bottleneck loosening—my cultivation is about to break through!"
"Me too! This rain is like a divine elixir. My mana is not only growing but becoming more refined. All the impurities are being removed—it's like a full-body rebirth!"
"A Life Aperture! I've awakened a Life Aperture! Could it be that I always had a latent one, but it never activated until now?"
Countless citizens felt their cultivation rising. These breakthroughs came without any hidden dangers, representing an immense stroke of fortune. Many even awakened new Life Apertures (命窍) without needing elixirs or specialized techniques. The process was entirely natural and wondrous.
It was a gift of heaven itself.
Just like on the battlefield of the gods and demons, where the Heavenly Dao blessed cultivators with the power to open apertures rapidly, this Rain of Fortune yielded the same miraculous effect.
Life Apertures—abilities that could alter one's fate.
Many wept tears of joy in secret. Different Life Apertures granted different abilities, and even the simplest ones could drastically change someone's livelihood or prospects.
For example, a wood-type Life Aperture gave one a natural advantage in agriculture, nurturing spirit herbs and fruits more efficiently. The newly awakened rejoiced—this was their chance to rewrite their destiny.
Wherever the five-clawed golden dragon flew, the blue Rain of Fortune followed, covering entire cities.
"Heaven blesses the people—universal celebration!"
Yi Tianxing listened to the waves of cheers echoing from every celestial city in the Great Yi territory. A genuine smile spread across his face.
For this heartfelt joy alone, the cost of this divine rain was well worth it.
Indeed, this wasn't a miracle summoned from nothing. This was Fortune Rain drawn from the very destiny of the Great Yi Dynasty. It could only be triggered during the dynasty's advancement, a phenomenon known as Universal Celebration (普天同庆). Though the rain consumed a substantial amount of national destiny, it also returned immense popular support—which itself fed back into national fortune.
It was, essentially, from the people, for the people.
And what they received in return—the hearts of the people—was the most precious reward. Yi Tianxing could see the rising tide of destiny surging from each celestial city, growing faster than ever. This was the power of popular will.
Boom!
At the same time, streams of destiny surged in from all directions, forming blue beams of light that enveloped the court officials of Great Yi who had been granted titles.
In that instant, figures such as Yang Ye, Qi Jiguang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Huang Chengyan were enveloped in a mighty aura as their cultivation realms surged.
In the skies, thunderclouds gathered rapidly.
Heavenly Tribulation Clouds—dark and dense—rolled in with a terrifying presence.
"Tribulation clouds! Someone's crossing a heavenly tribulation!"
"Who is it? And why is the tribulation so massive?"
The citizens stared in awe and astonishment. The only possible explanation was that, under the infusion of destiny, many of Great Yi's officials were breaking through—so rapidly that they could no longer suppress the advancement.
This was the tribulation from Fate Map Realm to Dharma Phase Realm.
"Kill!!"
Guan Yu opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within. Behind him, a massive Frost-Cold Green Dragon Crescent Blade emerged. Coiled around the blade was a majestic azure dragon—a manifestation of his Fate Map, named Spring and Autumn Crescent Blade Diagram.
He had chosen the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade as his Dharma Phase—it was both his weapon and his soul. With a flash of blade light, the dragon surged forward and struck the thunderclouds.
That blade—peerless and devastating.
It tore through the skies with the might of the dragon.
One after another, the heavyweights of Great Yi began their breakthroughs, their accumulated strength exploding under the divine rain. Though multiple simultaneous breakthroughs intensified the tribulation, this was happening during Great Yi's ascension. Even the Heavenly Tribulation would be weakened by at least 30% under the influence of the empire's fortune.
In this state, their chances of success were dramatically higher. They were the chosen of fate. Nothing could stop them.
Soon, the sky was filled with lightning as countless Great Yi powerhouses braved their tribulations.
In the Tower of Heaven's Reach, peerless blade intent tore the sky apart and cleaved through thunderclouds.
In less than half an hour, countless officials had successfully overcome their tribulations and condensed their Dharma Phases—advancing to the Dharma Phase Realm.
"Good! Very good! This one wave of breakthroughs alone has made Great Yi's strength multiply severalfold!"
Yi Tianxing was ecstatic. It wasn't just the court officials. Within the army itself, countless soldiers had broken through as well. As their cultivation rose, so did their power.
This was a realm-wide metamorphosis.
A benefit granted through Great Yi's promotion.
Such was the nature of an Imperial Dynasty—it bestowed blessings upon all. Everyone who followed would share in its fortune.
At the same time, torrents of destiny merged into Yi Tianxing's body.
Though he had just recently broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, under the forceful infusion of fortune, his power surged once more.
His nascent soul expanded and grew rapidly.
His internal mana and Dao attainment swelled:
One year.
Two years.
Three years…
Though he originally had about two hundred years' worth of Dao power, and it was of the purest quality, under the rain of fortune, it skyrocketed. In the blink of an eye, it reached four hundred and fifty years.
To clarify—Dao attainment doesn't equal one year of cultivation per year lived.
If one were to peer into Yi Tianxing's Divine Sea, they'd see a vast ocean of misty true essence. At the bottom lay countless chaotic-colored hexagonal crystals, each flawless and intricately inscribed with divine patterns—Dao Crystals.
Each one was a masterpiece of nature.
These were the crystallized laws and principles—a fusion of his understanding of Dao and Heaven-and-Earth energies.
Each crystal emitted a majestic power, continuously producing mana for the Divine Sea.
These were the Dao Crystals—the essence of one's path, born from the fusion of Dao comprehension and nascent soul. They were the ultimate manifestation of one's understanding of the world.
Each Dao Crystal enhanced the quality and power of one's mana exponentially.
Thus, the more Dao Crystals one had, the more devastating their magic would become. This was the relationship between Dao attainment and mana.
So no—cultivating for a year doesn't necessarily yield one year's worth of Dao. You might condense multiple Dao Crystals in one year, or just one in many years. It all depends on your comprehension.
Mana is accumulated. Dao is understood.
The fusion of the two is the true foundation of the Nascent Soul Realm.
And Dao attainment also determines the onset of the Three Calamities.