"So, what the Nine Dao Sovereigns are proposing... is to shelter the Great Yi Emperor Dynasty?"Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Naturally," said Qingtian Dao Sovereign confidently."With our protection, Great Yi can expand freely.Whether it's becoming a Holy Court, or even ascending to something greater,it would be within arm's reach.No need to fear any powerful enemies or mighty cultivators—any threat beyond Great Yi's level would be intercepted by us.Great Yi could preserve its strength and energy,and focus solely on sweeping across the realms,perhaps even taking control of the Primordial Continent and contending for the role of Heaven's true protagonist."
For beings like them, sheltering a dynasty was as simple as raising a finger.
"There are no temples or shrines within Great Yi," said Juntian Dao Sovereign,gently playing with a jade ruler."Our request is modest: in each immortal city, erect a Daoist temple in our names.Permit the people to worship us and acknowledge our divine authority.Do so, and we shall shelter Great Yi in return."
"It's mutual benefit," added Mingtian Dao Sovereign."The souls of the fallen within Great Yi—I shall ensure they reincarnate into good lives."
"Under my blessing," said Xuantian Dao Sovereign coldly,"the people of Great Yi shall comprehend Heaven's laws more easily.Cultivation breakthroughs will come more swiftly."
"With my protection," said Motian Dao Sovereign,exuding a strange and eerie aura,"your people will be immune to inner demons,and find tribulations easier than others of the same realm."
—
The Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns promised unparalleled advantages:
Shelter from any external threat.
A fast track to elevation—possibly to Holy Court, even Immortal Court status.
Enhanced cultivation speed, divine protection, spiritual blessings.
It sounded like a dream.
But Yi Tianxing did not relax.
In this world, there were no free lunches.
If something seemed like a windfall, it was usually a trap—a deadly one.
You reap what you sow.
There was no way the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns would offer their aid without expecting compensation.
Their true intentions remained unknown, but one thing was obvious:They were seeking influence within Great Yi, even a foundational stake in its structure.
The danger wasn't in the present—it was in the future.
Once they gained influence, their power could gradually and subtly erode Great Yi's independence.
Would Yi Tianxing still be the true master of Great Yi?
History was filled with examples of rulers being emptied of real authority, reduced to figureheads.
Even if the risk was small, it could never be allowed.
In truth, Great Yi already had no formal religion. It wasn't that it forbade faith—it promoted freedom of belief.
But there were no temples, no deities, and no institutionalized worship.
The only figures honored and venerated were:
The great sages of humanity,
The fallen soldiers of Great Yi,
And the Iron-Blood Great Wall—symbols of sacrifice and resilience.
Great Yi's spirit was built on self-reliance and the belief that every person can become a dragon.
Its people didn't place hope in gods.
They were the gods.
In their eyes, cultivation itself proved that deities and immortals were nothing more than powerful cultivators—those who had simply walked the path further.
Given enough effort and fortune, any person could become the very being they once worshiped.
Worship was, therefore, a shackle—a spiritual imprisonment.Yi Tianxing would never permit it, not even for the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns.
To build temples and spread teachings?
Impossible.
Yi Tianxing had already formed a guess.
The Nine Dao Sovereigns likely wanted to use Great Yi as a platform to establish their own teachings—perhaps even to found religions in their names.
If that were true, then their goal was to split Great Yi's destiny and fortune—perhaps even the fortune of all humanity.
They wanted to anchor themselves in Great Yi and eventually control its fate.
"What does Emperor Yi think?" asked Xietian Dao Sovereign,his voice low and calm, but exuding an unsettling aura."This is a mutually beneficial offer."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and replied decisively:
"It is indeed an honor for Great Yi to be noticed by the Nine Dao Sovereigns.But when Great Yi was founded, we established one of our most foundational laws:In chaotic times, our people must fight with blood and steel—against beasts, against invaders.We stand on our own.Everyone is a dragon.From the beginning, Great Yi has never built temples nor worshiped deities.And so... I must regretfully decline."
It was a flat-out rejection.
A dangerous one.
Turning down the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns would likely make enemies of them.
But this was a matter of principle.
To yield even once would be to allow a chain of concessions in the future.
He had every reason and every right to refuse.
"No temples, then... what if we simply placed statues in Xuanzang Immortal City?"asked Xuetian Dao Sovereign, voice chilling.
"Still no."Yi Tianxing didn't even pause.
Having refused once, what was a second time?
There were lines that must not be crossed.
"Is Emperor Yi not being too... cold-hearted?"sneered Juntian Dao Sovereign.
His words were clearly edged with anger.
They'd been refused twice—in front of others, no less.
Even the Three Pure Yang Immortals had witnessed it.
This was more than rejection. It was humiliation.
To beings like them, face was everything.
"You should reconsider, Emperor Yi," said Cangtian Dao Sovereign gravely."We have other options.If we offer our protection to another power,by the time you regret it—it will already be too late."
"Hmph. I hope you don't live to regret this."Xuantian gave a cold snort, flung his sleeve,and disappeared into the void in a flash of divine radiance.
The others followed, each casting Yi Tianxing a final, piercing look.
With a series of cold harrumphs, they too departed.
The nine great worlds that had hovered above Great Yi faded from the sky.
It was a clear rupture.
But it was also clear: This was not the end.
"Daoist Yi," said Lü Dongbin,staring into the void,"you've just invited a catastrophe upon yourself."
"The Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns," he continued,"are equal to Saints—each one can suppress eternity.They reflect through the void and command the worship of countless beings.In some ways, they are even more exalted than Saints,as they embody a part of Heaven's will itself."
"If not for the fact that we're in Great Yi,they might've lashed out already.I'm not even sure we'll survive this."
Their restraint likely came from more than one concern:
This was the capital of Great Yi—gathering the will and fortune of billions.
The Emperor's Dragon Qi cloaked the land, repelling even the most formidable invaders.
This place was saturated with karma—a cause-and-effect nexus that deterred rash action.
Still, Lü Dongbin wasn't sure that was all they were worried about.
"Fellow Pure Yang Immortals," Yi Tianxing asked solemnly,"Do you know their true motive for coming to Great Yi?"
Han Zhongli frowned and replied:
"At their level, common logic no longer applies.But I recall my master once saying:
the higher the path of cultivation goes,the more one must rely on Fortune. With fortune, the world aids you; without it, nothing will go your way."
"Even in the last epoch, Saints fought to gather fortune,accumulating merit to accelerate their Dao.These Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns likely have their eyes on Great Yi's Destiny.They want to hitch a ride on your momentum."
Fortune was no trivial thing.
In the past, even the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans had fought over it.
Becoming the main character of Heaven and Earth meant wielding cosmic favor—moving Heaven and Earth with a gesture, finding the path easier than ever.
Great Yi was the largest Destiny Dynasty under Heaven, with over 20 trillion citizens.
And given enough time, that number would explode geometrically.
The Destiny born of such a massive population was beyond imagination.
So it made perfect sense for the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns to covet it.
But Yi Tianxing felt... there was still something deeper hidden beneath their offer.
And he wouldn't rest until he uncovered it.