Cultivators do not necessarily walk a solitary path of a single law. Only one individual can achieve enlightenment through any given law. Once someone becomes a Dao Lord through a law, others attempting the same will find it nearly impossible—unless the law's master perishes, at which point there may be a slim opportunity. But breaking free from such shackles is extremely difficult and would create great hidden dangers.
For example, the natural laws of heaven and earth are typically dominated by innate deities, who possess innate advantages in comprehending and mastering them. They can, in the shortest time, become Law Masters and sovereigns of heaven and earth—true Dao Lords of the Void.
As many laws as there are in the universe, there are that many paths to attain Dao.
But cultivators are different. They condense their own Dao Fruit through cultivation, which essentially represents their personal Dao. This Dao could be of painting, Confucianism, military strategy, and so on—any path could serve to attain enlightenment.
Moreover, multiple laws can be fused together to create a personalized path. For instance, fusing the Law of Wind with the Law of Thunder can create a new Dao of Storm and Lightning—a transcendental path beyond any single law. Cultivators thus discover and forge their own new truths.
Allowing one's Dao to reach enlightenment in the Void also enriches the laws of heaven and earth, which benefits the world immensely. It makes the very fabric of reality more robust.
"Attaining Dao is harder than reaching the blue heavens!!"
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Although his journey of cultivation appeared smooth and rapid, every step had been perilous. Each breakthrough came through unimaginable effort. Nothing came without hard work.
Cultivation always goes from easy to hard. Early on, progress seems quick and easy. But as one advances, each realm becomes increasingly arduous, requiring years—centuries—even tens of thousands of years to break through. That kind of stagnation breeds despair, enough to grind down one's will.
Take just the Nascent Soul Realm (Yuan Shen Realm): one must endure three great tribulations, each occurring after five hundred years of Dao attainment. Just this stage alone can span millennia. And there's no guarantee one can overcome the tribulations.
In fact, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm is already close to becoming a god or immortal. It's no different from what people usually call "immortals."
And that's not even considering the realms beyond.
Hard! Hard! Hard!!
"You've established the Great Yi Dynasty, and the national fate supports you. Your cultivation speed surpasses that of any ordinary person. It's not impossible for you to attain enlightenment."The Ice Queen gave Yi Tianxing a deep look.
Though reluctant to admit it, she had to acknowledge that Yi Tianxing might have a real chance at becoming a Dao Lord. Of course, it was still only a possibility.
"The Dao is difficult. All one can do is keep moving forward."Yi Tianxing smiled, choosing not to dwell on it. Rather than pondering distant dreams, it was better to live each day fully, to forge ahead one step at a time. Only then would results eventually come. Thinking too far ahead was meaningless now.
Nonetheless, just knowing about these higher realms of cultivation was a rare and valuable gain.
"Now that you're staying here, it's obviously impossible to let you leave. Once you do, the natural disasters will return endlessly.Also, about what we discussed earlier—I hope you'll reconsider it seriously."
Yi Tianxing rose and left.
Before he departed, he left behind a cache of resources. These materials would allow the Ice Queen to experience firsthand the benefits of the Great Yi Dynasty—benefits that represented the true meaning of civilization.
In a quiet chamber…
A black-robed Jiang Ni stood before Yi Tianxing.
"Your Majesty, did you manage to glean any information from the Ice Queen?" Jiang Ni asked.
"She's indeed an Innate Deity, born of the Ice and Snow element."Yi Tianxing nodded.
Jiang Ni exhaled slowly and said,
"Good thing Your Majesty didn't attempt to slay her. Otherwise, grave calamity would've followed. Innate Deities cannot be killed. Doing so brings bad omens and will draw down heavy misfortune. Heaven and earth will turn against you."
Innate Deities are the true children of heaven and earth. Like beloved sons, they are nurtured to rule over the world's laws, to govern the cycles of seasons, the sun, moon, and stars. Each one is incomparably powerful and closely watched by the heavenly Dao.
To kill one is to defy heaven. The heavens will loathe you. Worse, it incurs enormous karmic backlash—so immense that even ancient cultivators wouldn't dare touch it lightly. Sudden death would become a real possibility.
So, during the previous battle, Jiang Ni had specially warned Yi Tianxing that if possible, he should only suppress the Ice Queen, not kill her.
"According to the Ice Queen, her imprisonment won't instantly end the blizzard, but it will gradually weaken and eventually dissipate—probably within the next one or two years.Jiang Ni, I'll need you and the Celestial Bureau to closely monitor the celestial omens. We must prevent any unexpected changes."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave!"
Upon hearing that the disaster would soon be over, Jiang Ni's voice carried clear relief. Prolonged snowstorms would have been a great blow to people's lives and to the Great Yi Dynasty's development. The sooner they ended, the better.
Time passed silently.
It had been nearly two years since the battle with the Ice Queen.
This year marked the Eighth Year of the Eternal Calendar.
Over these two years, the world had changed dramatically. Just as predicted, the snowstorm did not worsen. Instead, it steadily weakened. The cold retreated. Although the world remained frozen and lifeless, Great Yi had been mostly unaffected.
With the miracle grain Snowpine Rice, every immortal city was full of grain—warehouses overflowing, more than enough to feed everyone.
Abundant food flowed into the Trade Markets, exchanged with alien tribes for all kinds of rare treasures. Each transaction brought back untold wealth for Great Yi.
Of course, over the years, the alien tribes had tried to uncover the secret of the rice. But they failed.
Song Yingxing had used a special method on the rice—ordinary seeds stolen and planted would not germinate. Even if forced to sprout, they'd become ordinary rice and quickly die. A special process was needed in every planting cycle, or the seeds would be useless.
Also, all exported rice was de-husked grain, unable to be replanted.
Because of this, Great Yi harvested a wealth of exotic materials from the aliens—beyond measure.
Overhead, the azure cloud sea above the Great Yi territory had expanded more than tenfold. A giant five-clawed golden dragon coiled within, breathing in and out streams of fate, radiating an invisible but immense pressure.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
All over Great Yi, fireworks burst in every immortal city. Each firework displayed radiant images—flying fairies, golden monkeys embracing moons, thousands of blooming flowers, silver trees ablaze, and more.
The night sky sparkled brilliantly, turning into a never-ending festival.
Laughter and joy echoed through every city.
In the streets, inns were full, and crowds bustled. Families strolled with children, enjoying the brilliant night markets. Everyone wore smiles of celebration.
In an inn in Wanghai City...
A group of cultivators sat by a window: a young man, a young woman, an elderly man, and a burly warrior. Despite being together, the old man and the warrior showed clear deference toward the young pair—revealing their unequal status.
A table of delicacies sat before them. The aroma of rare seafood—lobster, crab, and more—filled the air. The cooking was clearly top-tier, though not quite to the level of glowing cuisine, it was certainly delicious.
Yet none of them touched their chopsticks. Instead, they frowned slightly.
"Big sis, it's really festive today. Looks like it's New Year's Eve here in the Great Yi Dynasty. After tonight, it'll be a new year—Eighth Year of the Eternal Calendar. It's so lively outside.Back home, we've never seen anything like this. Can we go watch the fireworks together later?"The youth was excited, looking out at the glowing sky with envy and longing.
"This Great Yi Dynasty is truly extraordinary. I've heard many tales about the Emperor Yi.Truly a sage-king among men. His poise and strategies are unmatched. Few in the world can rival him.He even managed to suppress the Ice Queen.And now, the disasters on this continent are fading... Unbelievable."The woman marveled.
When Great Yi had advanced, a mysterious force had broadcast the event into the minds of all sentient beings. Once again, it became the talk of the world.