"There are Demons God in the Nine Heavens," said Queen Mother of the West, her expression heavy.
"Dark creatures from Eternal Night?"
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly. He already understood what kind of demons she referred to—clearly not ordinary ones. Only the Eternal Night had the greatest possibility.
"That's right. According to the deductions of many fellow Daoists, among the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns, there is definitely one who has been corrupted by the Eternal Night's dark forces—or even worse, was an Eternal Night dark entity from the very beginning, who seized the position of Dao Sovereign and hid within the Heavenly Dao. Since the very inception of the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns, one was already a dark sovereign from Eternal Night—a peak existence among them," Queen Mother of the West said gravely.
"Is it possible to determine exactly who it is? Surely not all nine of the Dao Sovereigns are dark infiltrators?"
Yi Tianxing asked again.
If all of them really were, then the entire Eternal World would be in upheaval—coffin lids would be flying off.
"We don't know. All we've deduced is that there is indeed at least one dark infiltrator among them. But the exact identity hasn't been confirmed yet. During this time, some fellow Daoists have been secretly observing the Dao Sovereigns, trying to find any trace or clue. But heavenly divination doesn't work on them. Attempting it would alert them immediately, and that would only alarm the snake in the grass. Not ideal," she said, shaking her head.
They were certain that a dark entity had infiltrated, but not who it was.
Any one of the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns could be suspect. But the infiltrator had hidden too deeply—it wouldn't be easy to uncover.
"You mentioned earlier that a great calamity is approaching Da Yi. What exactly is it? Are the Dao Sovereigns planning to strike at us again? They've already tried several times, and all ended in failure. It seems they've truly become fixated on Da Yi."
Yi Tianxing asked curiously.
It wasn't surprising that enmity had formed with the Dao Sovereigns. Their underhanded strikes had become a habit. Every once in a while, they'd act against Da Yi like scratching an itch. The real question was how they planned to strike this time.
"The Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns may have already sensed something special about Da Yi."
A thought flashed through Yi Tianxing's mind.
It wasn't impossible. They clearly had their eyes fixed on Da Yi for a reason. Otherwise, if they wanted to expand their influence and seize faith and fortune, they could easily support a new imperial dynasty somewhere else—even a pig could rise under their blessing. They wouldn't need to concern themselves with Da Yi.
But they focused solely on Da Yi. That alone said everything.
Still, it was likely just suspicion—they didn't have conclusive proof yet. Otherwise, their actions wouldn't have remained so "subtle" until now.
If they really were preparing another strike, this time it might not be so simple.
"According to our sources, the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns are secretly plotting against Da Yi. The signs indicate that when they act, it will be with overwhelming force. They may even enter the battlefield themselves."
Queen Mother of the West took a deep breath.
"They'll act personally? Are they really ready to throw away their reputation like that?"
Yi Tianxing frowned. If they truly moved in person, it would be a serious problem. The Dao Sovereigns were genuine saint-level existences. If they descended, the entire Holy Court of Da Yi could be shattered.
The consequences were too severe.
"Now that the Heavenly Seal has been lifted, if it weren't for the great war among the dragon, phoenix, and qilin races that counted as a tribulation and allowed the world to pass the cycle, countless divine laws and heavenly principles have become much more active. For great cultivators, this is the best time to go into seclusion. Insight comes faster than ever before. If not for that, many supreme powers would already be walking the world again. But based on current spiritual flow, this rare opportunity will not last much longer. Soon, mighty beings will start emerging one after another. The Dao Sovereigns of the Nine Heavens may act as well. But no one can say exactly how."
She spoke slowly.
A strike against Da Yi was certain. The specific method? Unknown. But they had to prepare for the Dao Sovereigns to descend in person.
"If the enemy brings troops, we'll block them with generals. If water comes, we use earth to stop it. The Dao Sovereigns may be noble, but my Da Yi Holy Court is not one to be trifled with. If they dare to extend a hand—I'll sever it. And if they dare to descend into the world—then I'll… slaughter them."
Yi Tianxing's voice was cold.
There wasn't a hint of jest. If the Dao Sovereigns really did come down, he would find a way to kill them. Anyone who dares stand against him—god or buddha—must die. No one is born untouchable.
"You intend to slay the heavens."
A strange look flashed in Queen Mother of the West's eyes. From Yi Tianxing's voice, she could sense his iron will.
"If the heavens are unjust, what harm is there in slaying them?"
Yi Tianxing said calmly. Then he looked at her with deep meaning.
"You didn't come just to warn me about the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns. Say what's on your mind. If I can help, I will."
"Do you know how many paths there are to attain the Hunyuan Realm?"
She didn't answer directly, but instead asked a question.
"As far as I know, to reach the Hunyuan Realm—one can walk the Divine Path, mastering a law to perfection and naturally ascending. Or one can form their own Dao and continuously strengthen their Dao Pillar until it reaches tenfold perfection. There's the Body Path—refining the body to the Ninth Turn and then breaking through space, smashing the void to prove the Dao through power. It's said that in the last era, Ancestor Hongjun taught the path of severing three corpses and attaining sainthood through merit. As for other methods—I'm not too clear."
Yi Tianxing thought for a moment and then replied.
"You may not know that ascending to the Hunyuan Realm is far from easy. Hunyuan represents perfection—flawlessness in one's personal Dao. When someone proves the Dao, they imprint their Dao onto the Heavenly Dao—branding it into the world. But reaching Hunyuan means becoming a master of a Dao—taking over control from the Heavenly Dao itself. If you were the Heavenly Dao, would you easily give up your authority?"
She took a deep breath.
"If the Heavenly Dao permits it, ascending is difficult—say a level 10. But if it doesn't approve, the difficulty may reach dozens of times higher—even a hundred or more. Without the Heavenly Dao's recognition, it will instinctively resist. The only way to break through is to be acknowledged."
"Then what exactly is this Heavenly Dao recognition?"
A flash of insight struck Yi Tianxing, and he already had a guess, but he needed confirmation.
"Hongmeng Purple Qi."
She enunciated the words slowly.
Even with Yi Tianxing's composure, his heart skipped.
Of course he knew what the Hongmeng Purple Qi was—he even possessed more than one!
From the last era, its significance was already clear. Great powers like Zhen Yuanzi dared not challenge the Hunyuan Realm without it. It was the key—a quota, the Heavenly Dao's approval in physical form.
A peerless treasure of the world.
Any news of it would attract countless top cultivators to scramble for it—even to the death. The number of great powers who perished over it was beyond counting.
"So it's the key to knock on the door."
Yi Tianxing mentally reviewed the various methods of proving the Dao. Using power meant smashing through the restrictions of Heaven and Earth—forcing one's way through the lock. It brought disorder to the Dao laws, and only then could one's personal Dao be established. Even if order was restored, those who used brute force couldn't be easily interfered with.
Naturally, the Heavenly Dao resisted this most.
In contrast, possessing the Hongmeng Purple Qi was like signing a contract with the Heavenly Dao. Acknowledgment and approval granted in exchange for obedience to certain rules. Once sanctified, they were subject to supervision. Break the rules, and the Dao itself could punish them.
But generally, such sanctions rarely occurred.
Saints were the face of the Heavenly Dao.
Most great cultivators didn't mind this kind of restriction—it was negligible. Compared to the prize of reaching Hunyuan, such limitations were minor. One could always try to escape them later.
"The Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns were originally born from fragments cast out of the Heavenly Dao. According to reliable information, each of them possesses a strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi."
Queen Mother of the West continued.
"Your goal is their Hongmeng Purple Qi."
Yi Tianxing had already guessed it—and wasn't surprised.
But such a task was easier said than done. Taking a Hongmeng Purple Qi from a Dao Sovereign meant killing them. That meant shaking the heavens and the earth.
"During the last era, our Eternal World's greatest disadvantage was the lack of supreme powers. This time, we can't repeat that mistake. We must take a gamble. Now that the Nine Heaven Dao Sovereigns are compromised, many people already have their eyes on them."
She made no effort to conceal her intentions.