"Chaos came before the heavens, and one era is but a year," the Turtle Prime Minister sighed. "This era truly belongs to Destiny Dynasties. When you ride the wind, even a pig can fly—let alone a dynasty like Great Yi, which is so favored by the heavens. A Grand Dao Dynasty… what incredible fortune. The Dragon Clan joining Great Yi is simply going with the flow—avoiding a bloody storm. It benefits both the dragons and Great Yi. Now, we'll see how far Great Yi can go. The Nine Heavens harbor darkness. The Heaven-Slaying War was, in the end, a boost for Great Yi."
"Rest, rest… Who wakes from the great dream first? I, this old turtle, know myself."
As his voice faded, the deep, abyss-like gleam of ancient wisdom in the Turtle Prime Minister's eyes also disappeared. What returned was his usual calm sagacity, as though all mystical brilliance had receded inward.
In the vast oceans, countless races and hidden mighty cultivators dwelled. These powerful beings had remained quiet not because they lacked strength, but because Great Yi had never reached into the sea, never touched their interests.
But now... that balance had been disturbed.
One by one, eyes hidden in the darkness opened, gazes turned toward the outside world—toward Great Yi. As the pressure of Great Yi loomed, different responses emerged: some eyes were filled with discontent and rage, some with helplessness, and others with cold disdain. Then... calm returned.
"Watch them raise their great tower… then watch it collapse."
To them, Great Yi would not last.
The Dao Sovereigns of the Nine Heavens were watching it closely, and they would never give it enough time to grow unchecked. World annihilation was the Nine Heavens' chosen path.
No one wanted to clash with Great Yi head-on. To them, Great Yi was already like a rotting stone, waiting to crumble, while they were fragile porcelain. What fool would smash porcelain against stone? It wasn't worth it. They would simply wait.
Wait for the Nine Heavens to destroy the world—and then, all troubles would vanish. Great Yi would be turned to ashes.
Why stand up and clash now? After all, not everyone was brainless.
Despite everything, Great Yi remained calm as ever.
With the Dragon Clan now integrated into the Great Yi system, imperial edicts for rain were delivered to the Dragon Palace. Soon after, large numbers of flood dragons emerged, traveling across the land, summoning clouds and rain. Wherever they passed, thunder roared and lightning flashed. In no time, all regions were nourished by abundant rain, ensuring healthy crops and eliminating drought concerns.
In the Nine Heavens World…
The Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns had gathered.
Nine figures shrouded in divine brilliance, standing tall and majestic—impossible to comprehend.
"The World Annihilation Plan is confirmed," said Cangtian (Violet) Dao Sovereign calmly. "Great Yi's disrespect toward us Nine Heavens Sovereigns is disrespect to the Heavenly Dao. This behavior cannot be allowed to grow. The face we lost to them must be regained. However, according to reports, the ancient, undying ones from the last era are preparing to slay us—to claim the Hongmeng Purple Qi and ascend to the Hunyuan Realm. Even more importantly—according to reliable sources—among us… is a Dark One."
His tone was flat, but it carried the weight of immense emotion. His gaze swept the other eight sovereigns.
The "Heaven-Slaying" movement hadn't escaped their notice. But the terrifying revelation was this: one of them had been infiltrated by a demon from the Eternal Night World.
A Dark One—a Great Demon from the Eternal Night World.
Whatever the reason, as Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns—wielders of divine authority—they had a duty to resist external invaders. In this, they stood aligned with the world's saints. None dared to treat it lightly.
If word spread that a sovereign had been overtaken by a Dark One, and the world discovered it before they did, the shame would be unbearable.
Now, Cangtian Dao Sovereign was laying it bare.
They would self-inspect.
If the infiltrator could be found, they could handle it internally and cleanly. If not—things would get ugly.
"First off," Cangtian said, "I, Cangtian, am not a Dark One. I swear this. And I promise: if anyone among us is a demon, and you step forward now, for the sake of our brotherhood—I will not act against you. But you must return to Eternal Night immediately. The next time we meet, we'll be enemies. Life and death will be decided then."
His words carried a powerful conviction—making it hard to doubt him.
"I'm not a demon," said Xuantian (Golden) Dao Sovereign after a moment of silence. "But I support Cangtian's approach. We've been brothers for countless years. Even if one of us has fallen, we should at least show some sentiment. If you're the one, step forward now—before feelings are ruined."
His eyes swept the circle slowly, seemingly probing for guilt.
"Heh… this is interesting," said Motian (Gray) Dao Sovereign with a laugh. "To think there's a demon among us. Though my name is 'Motian'—Demon Heaven—I'm no Eternal Night Dark One. Still, if one of them steps out, maybe I'd make friends with him. Let's see who's the real demon—me or him."
His eyes sparkled with dark amusement.
"I'm definitely not the demon," said Juntian (Yellow) Dao Sovereign, falling quiet again after speaking. He remained silent and mysterious as always.
"So now you're all looking at me?" sneered Xietian (Blue) Dao Sovereign, aura leaking twisted corruption. "Anyone who doubts me—just fight me. If we're going to tear each other apart over some rumor, we'll be the laughingstock of the universe."
His voice oozed displeasure and hostility.
"Exactly," said Xuetian (Red) Dao Sovereign. "I think this 'demon' story is just an excuse from those old immortals planning Heaven-Slaying. We all came into being together—how could we not know if one of us was a Dark One? If someone truly was, the Heavenly Dao wouldn't tolerate it. Regardless, if we stay united, we can crush all those ancients. Why sow division among ourselves now?"
But this gathering had clearly damaged their trust.
Suspicion spread—never a good thing among rulers of this scale.
"Anyway, the real issue is still Great Yi," said Qingtian (Green) Dao Sovereign, frowning. "Great Yi is a Grand Dao Dynasty. If they bar us from interfering, they block our path to breaking our limits. That alone is reason enough—they should not exist. We can suppress a Holy Court… but if they rise to Immortal Court, not even we can stop them. And Yi Tianxing—their ruler—will be able to speak on equal terms with the Heavenly Dao. That must never happen."
Clearly, he didn't want to waste time hunting a hidden demon. If one hadn't revealed itself by now, it likely wouldn't anytime soon. Pushing the matter would only worsen relations.
"Fine. In that case, everyone return and prepare. We'll revisit this later," said Cangtian Dao Sovereign after a moment of thought, not pressing the subject further.
The Nine Heavens Sovereigns each left—but Cangtian remained, silent.
Meanwhile, the Nine Heavens' home worlds stirred…
In the Demon Heaven World, countless demonic larvae were being born—feeding on negative energies and evolving rapidly. Giant demonic cocoons formed across the land, absorbing other demons as nutrients. Within each cocoon, terrifying auras brewed.
"Eat. Devour it all. Soon, your time will come," said Motian Dao Sovereign coldly, surveying the landscape. "Heaven-Slaying? Just the delusions of ants."
In the Blood God Realm, massive blood cocoons pulsed ominously. Inside, Blood Shuras were being born—once completed, their strength would reach True Spirit or even Dao Platform level. Ferocious and unstoppable.
In the Xuantian World, golden cocooned giants formed. Wind and sand whipped around them, thick and ominous. A terrifying presence filled the air.
In the Evil God Realm, twisted sword cocoons gleamed with sinister light—each nurturing a deadly Evil Sword Immortal.
The Nine Heavens were preparing.
To destroy a Grand Dao Dynasty like Great Yi carried immense karmic weight. Even for Dao Sovereigns, the burden would be too great. They dared not act directly against the innocent masses.
But their avatar races—these born warriors—could.
This was the safest path.
Because Great Yi was not so easy to destroy.
They waited.
Just then, all Nine Heavens Dao Sovereigns suddenly looked toward the void.
A trace of confusion crossed their faces.
"Strange… someone is spying on me," said Cangtian Dao Sovereign, his brow furrowing. "A being of equal realm? I can't detect them. Someone's watching us—and I don't like it."
He had sensed something—faint and fleeting—brushing across his awareness.
He tried to trace it… but found nothing.
If it wasn't a person, it had to be… something far worse.