The Heavenfire Furnace had always been crucial to Great Yi's development. Its presence enabled large-scale refining of various materials, providing indispensable support to the empire's growth. Now, after its transformation and fusion with the cloud realm, the furnace had not only expanded in size, but also gained the power to produce replicated furnaces throughout the realm.
Multiple furnaces could now operate simultaneously.
The result: a tenfold, hundredfold increase in refining efficiency.Such a change would no doubt make the artisans of Heavenly Works Pavilion ecstatic.
"Excellent. This will vastly improve our efficiency," Yi Tianxing nodded, pleased.
Indeed, this level of control and planning was only possible thanks to the Eternal True Spirit—a core existence within the Eternal Heaven Ark capable of managing all. Even a single reorganization produced such dramatic improvements.
"The Twentieth Cloud Realm, transfer the Universal Printer. Merge it into the realm. Infuse it with Eternal Divine Power and infinite wish force. Let it evolve into the Eternal Unit, and awaken its true spirit."
This time, what was being fused was one of the most important artifact buildings in the entire Great Yi Dynasty: the Universal Printer.
Its role had been foundational to the rise and stabilization of Great Yi.
Without it, their rapid, smooth progress through hardship and conquest would never have been possible.
Its awakened spirit was named Grandmaster Omnipotent. With the integration complete, the Universal Printer could now replicate subunits to massively boost output.
Truly, it was one of the greatest assets of Great Yi.
"The integration of the cloud realms and artifact buildings is complete. Now begins the true transformation. My lord, prepare yourself."
Ruyi's voice turned solemn.
Yi Tianxing nodded. "I'm ready."
The Divine Baptism Begins
Suddenly—
A radiant divine light, carrying the eternal Dao rhythm, descended from the unknown and shrouded the entirety of Xuanhuang Immortal City.
Everything inside froze in place.
Time seemed to stop. The city fell utterly silent, cut off from all perception of the outside world.
This divine power descended silently but mightily, infusing every corner of the city.
Yi Tianxing also felt a colossal force enter his body. It fused into him naturally.
Thump—Thump—
His heart pounded violently.
Inside his body, the transformation resumed. Drop after drop of purple-gold Origin Blood began to form at astonishing speed—something that normally took enormous life force and time to generate.
But now, it came naturally, continuously.
His entire being shone with radiant light.
Every drop born elevated his strength. His Qi, his aura, his mind—all rose at once.
It was like a divine enlightenment had begun.
Even more miraculous: he felt that the universe itself was on his side.
He had the timing, the environment, and destiny.
"This must be the great fortune Ruyi spoke of," he realized.
Everything around him felt altered.Even obscure traces of heavenly laws now appeared crystal clear before his eyes.
His understanding of the Emperor's Dao surged wildly. His mind blazed with inspiration.
"This is the perfect time to break through."
"Destiny Fishing Rod… cast into the river of fate… FISH FOR THE HEAVENLY SOUL!"
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate.
His mind and soul connected to the Destiny Fishing Rod—a mystical tool tied to the deepest laws of fate.
The River of Fate
In the blink of an eye, his consciousness appeared in a divine realm.
He stood before the River of Fate—a boundless, multicolored river without beginning or end.
Each droplet of its water carried countless memories, fragments of lives, and moments of destiny.
Soul-fish swam within the current—vivid, multicolored, each representing a life traveling through fate. Some brushed past one another, creating ripples of karmic interaction.
This was the true Destiny River.
Overhead, a seven-colored Destiny Rod materialized—its handle held by an unseen hand.
The hook arced down.
Its bait was forged from the Dao of the Emperor—a piece of Yi Tianxing's own Dao-fruit.
Yet this was not enough.
To fish in the River of Fate, one must also pay with lifespan and luck.
Every cast cost ten thousand years of lifespan—and even a true spirit realm expert only had around a hundred thousand years total.
One failed attempt could cost a lifetime's fortune.
Most true spirit cultivators never dared to cast even once, even if they had condensed their destiny rods. Those who refused to risk it were simply false true spirits, walking the path but never embracing it.
Still, if successful…
All the risk was worth it.
The bait sank. All around, soul-fish swam cautiously. They dared not bite, but they absorbed his luck and lifespan from the bait—stealing power without commitment.
Failure loomed.
Suddenly—A massive purple-gold soul-fish surged forth like an arrow.
"It's here. Success or failure—all in this moment!"
His heartbeat thundered.He recognized it instantly—his own Heavenly Soul.
The fish took the bait.
"Hooked!"
The rod tensed. As he reeled it in, he felt an immense resistance—as though the fish was buried in a swamp. Fate itself was fighting back, trying to drag the soul back into the river.
Just when it seemed he would fail—
A mysterious force suddenly strengthened the rod.
"This must be the Eternal Green Lotus intervening!"
Seizing the opportunity, Yi Tianxing summoned all his strength and yanked the soul-fish out of the River of Fate.
A vortex appeared above the fish, and it was drawn away.
The River roared in fury—waves crashing, echoes of wrath sounding across time.
But it was too late.
Once the soul had left the river, fate could no longer bind it.
Fusion with the Emperor's Soul
In his Sea of Divine Consciousness, a vortex opened.
The purple-gold soul-fish manifested in midair—then morphed into a figure identical to Yi Tianxing: his Heavenly Soul.
"I have endured countless lifetimes in the mortal world…Birth, death, grief, resentment—But today, I shatter the chains!From now on, my destiny is mine alone!"
The Heavenly Soul sang aloud, then stepped forward—
—into the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body standing atop the Emperor Dragon Diagram.
It merged perfectly.
"I am complete."
The Dharma Body opened its eyes, radiating immense joy.
The soul, the spirit, the will—had all become one.
He had achieved true perfection.
Yi Tianxing's perception of universal laws had now risen to unimaginable levels.Every breath, every thought, held unfathomable power.
It was, simply put—beyond words.
Perfect beyond perfection.