"My goodness… who the hell is that guy? He actually fought that kind of monster to such a degree—brutal beyond reason. If I hadn't run fast enough, I might've died right there too. That guy just now… if I'm not mistaken, that was none other than the Lord of the Great Yi Sacred Court—Yi Tianxing."
Outside Dark City, in a remote corner, a fat man patted his chest in lingering fear.
It was none other than the same Treasure Fatty who had previously fought to the death against the Dark City Lord. During the great battle, while Yi Tianxing was clashing with the God of Darkness, he seized the chance to blast open a path with the Myriad Treasures Heavenly River, escaping Dark City without a second thought.
He was still cursing his rotten luck—he had only managed to steal one treasure from the city; everything else turned out to be rubbish. Wolf hearts, dog lungs, and a couple of kidneys. He was so embarrassed he couldn't even bring himself to talk about it.
He had also personally witnessed the battle inside the city.
Even from a vast distance, the sheer intensity left his heart pounding. Being caught up in a fight of that level meant certain death. It had fully reached the Dao Proving Realm, and not just the entry level—the absolute peak.
Top-level combat didn't involve flashy nonsense.
Every move was a killing blow.
Every action aimed to end you.
Just like in Journey to the West, when Sun Wukong clashed with Zhenyuan Daxian—did Zhenyuan Daxian waste time trading sword strikes? No. One move: Universe in the Sleeve. No matter who you were, whether Great Sage Equal to Heaven or a true god—he'd just sweep you up. Your life or death would be fully under his control. Let's see you jump around then.
The battle earlier was exactly like that.
"I heard the Great Yi Sacred Court is the number one Destiny Dynasty under the heavens. Other than the Immortal Court evolved from the Ancient Heavenly Court, Great Yi is the largest. In fact, if you don't count the legacy of the previous era, the Immortal Court may not even compare to Great Yi."
"Looks like I'll have to go there for a look myself."
He rubbed his chin, eyes darting. "Heard there's a sky ferry headed to Great Yi soon. I'll hop aboard and go see just how magnificent that empire really is."
Fatty's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he secretly made up his mind.
No matter what, he had to see Great Yi for himself.
And rumor had it—something earth-shattering was about to happen there.
That was exactly the kind of chaos he loved.
Meanwhile, Yi Tianxing and Nannan didn't return to Dark City. Instead, they made their way to the White Lotus Forbidden Zone—the very place where they had once explored a source crystal mine together. They both remembered the location clearly.
Soon, they arrived at a strange region.
In front of them stretched a vast area of white mist, dense and strange, blanketing the land across more than 100,000 miles—much larger than before.
Even with the mist obscuring everything, they could faintly make out mountains rising and falling, lush with vegetation. Towering ancient trees and vibrant flora grew in abundance, radiating strong vitality. It felt like a primeval forest.
The presence of source crystal mines meant that pure heaven-and-earth energy permeated the area, nourishing the plants. In such a land, lush growth was inevitable.
However, this mist-shrouded forbidden zone was far from simple.
Ever since it had transformed from a source crystal mine into a forbidden zone, the white mist had become terrifying. It contained strange anomalies and forbidden powers that few could resist.
Any creature that entered would find their soul pulled from their body, drawn into the mist, fusing with it—never able to return. The body, it was said, would then transform into a lotus lantern that floated within the fog.
These lanterns were terrifying.
Once touched, they would emit a light capable of directly snatching a person's soul. Even if you escaped the forbidden zone, you would still meet misfortune. Eventually, your soul would be pulled back—as if cursed.
Only the rarest cultivators could resist such a force.
"Let's go in," Yi Tianxing said calmly, stepping straight into the white mist.
The moment they entered, they felt the strange force trying to drag their souls out. Mysterious and enchanting celestial music seemed to echo around them.
But for Yi Tianxing, this was meaningless. With the Heavenly Emperor Altar and Primal Chaos Heavenly Emperor Tower, no force could touch his soul.
Nannan was no weaker. Her cultivation had reached the peak, her constitution had evolved, and within her resided the soul treasure Three Lives Mirror—a key reason she could stay in the underworld long-term without trouble.
"With how much this area has grown, how are we supposed to find the White Lotus Celestial Maiden (Bai Lian)?" Nannan asked, frowning slightly.
"No need," Yi Tianxing replied. "This entire forbidden zone is her domain. The moment we stepped in, we were already within her sight."
Looking forward, he raised his voice:
"White Lotus Celestial Maiden, the Lord of the Great Yi Sacred Court is here to pay a visit. Will you not show yourself?"
His voice echoed across the entire forbidden zone.
He wasn't about to wander around like a headless chicken. He had come to visit—there was no need to sneak around. He wasn't a thief. As a figure of renown and status, basic courtesy demanded a response.
Suddenly, a soft, musical laugh echoed through the fog:
"Hehe… How interesting. As expected of the Lord of Great Yi. So it really is you, Saint King Yi. What a surprise—it seems we are old acquaintances."
As her voice faded, a divine light burst forth from within the mist.
A massive source crystal mountain appeared, glowing with radiant celestial light. From within it bloomed a pure white lotus, rooted deep into the mine, absorbing its divine essence.
Streams of glowing light flowed from the mineral veins into the lotus, which had grown to thousands of meters wide—still closed in bud form. It exuded a pure, holy aura that cleansed the soul at a glance.
Just looking at it caused all thoughts and distractions to vanish. It calmed the heart and brought the mind into a perfect state of clarity.
The white lotus swayed gently amid endless divine light. Illusions danced within its glow—celestial maidens, immortals laughing, sun and moon shifting. Sacred and flawless.
A peerless immortal flower.
As the lotus opened, a dazzling immortal palace emerged from within, resembling a lotus pod in shape. It was both unique and harmonious.
With a flash of light, countless lotus petals spread outward, forming a radiant path through the sky that led directly to Yi Tianxing and Nannan.
Clearly—it was an invitation.
Without hesitation, the two stepped onto the petal path and were drawn into the immortal palace.
They arrived inside a grand hall.
At its center was a lotus platform, upon which a graceful woman reclined lazily—none other than the White Lotus Celestial Maiden herself.
"You and I met years ago," she said, rising slowly. "Back then I was still slumbering. Your intrusion into my source mine woke me. I left a lotus mark on you… yet you actually managed to remove it. Impressive. I never expected the one I encountered back then would turn out to be you, Saint King Yi."
She waved her hand, and two lotus seats appeared beneath Yi Tianxing and Nannan. Her gaze studied him closely, clearly recalling the past.
That encounter had left a deep impression.
"After all these years, your beauty remains as stunning as ever," Yi Tianxing said with a smile. "That meeting was fate. If you ever wish to visit Great Yi, I would welcome you with open arms."
"You shouldn't have come to the Dark Realm," she replied calmly, staring into his eyes.
"Oh? And why is that?" Yi Tianxing asked. "Are you referring to the Dark City Lord?"
"The Dark City Lord?"
She scoffed. "He's nothing. Just a pawn placed in front."