One by one, flood dragons received imperial edicts and began whipping up winds and clouds. The sky darkened as thick storm clouds gathered overhead. Thunder roared through the heavens, and lightning streaked across the skies, creating an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
Crack!!Boom!!!
Thunder rumbled in the void, lightning split the heavens.
Then—downpour.
Rain fell in torrents from the sky, joining heaven and earth in one seamless deluge. The rain hit the ground with sharp sizzling sounds—shhhh!—and white steam billowed upward in layers. The extreme heat of the volcanic land caused the rain to evaporate instantly, producing clouds of fog. In this mixture of scalding ground and cool rain, mist rose and swirled, transforming the entire volcanic domain into a wonderland, like a realm of immortals.
It was beautiful—almost surreal.
The once-scorched land began to cool rapidly. Moisture spread across the ground, making it damp. Though the heat remained intense—far beyond that of normal terrain—the land was now at least humid rather than bone-dry.
However, when rain hit the rivers of magma, it produced sharp crackles before being instantly vaporized. The rain had minimal impact on the magma rivers. The air filled with a dense sulfuric stench. When raindrops hit the molten flows, they burst into sparks, like oil dropped into fire. It was clear that one or two storms wouldn't be enough to change the nature of these magma flows—they came from deep within the volcanoes, and were practically inexhaustible.
Still, at least the surface began to cool. The temperature was still high, but now tolerable. Then—
"Scatter the sacred rain!!"
Soon after the land became damp, the falling rain suddenly changed color—it became emerald green. As the green rain poured down, it carried with it a powerful vitality, imbued with mysterious force.
Swish swish swish!!
With the descent of the verdant rain, green shoots burst from the earth. From tiny sprouts, they rapidly grew—inch by inch—at a speed visible to the naked eye. The once-barren land was soon covered with grasslands that spread in every direction.
Even near the volcanic craters, trees began to sprout.
The transformation was nothing short of miraculous.
"It's growing! It's really growing!"
"These are special plants the Farmers developed specifically for volcanic, high-heat zones. I heard these seeds are embedded with traits resistant to high temperatures and low moisture—they can thrive even in extreme environments. The green rain contains nutrients specially formulated by the Farmers to catalyze growth and shorten the time needed to mature."
"I heard these trees are called Earthfire Banyans, Flamebristle Vines, and Crimson-Iron Palms. The grasses are Geothermal Grass—the higher the underground temperature, the better they grow. These species were cultivated under the leadership of Song Yingxing. It took enormous manpower and time to produce just four viable new plant types. They'll become the foundation of future prosperity for this realm."
Great Yi didn't want a barren volcanic realm. It needed a realm suitable for living, full of value—volcanoes, mineral veins, and a working ecosystem—all of it together. This day had been long in the making. These seeds were part of a long-term plan.
Once planted, they would gradually alter the entire ecological balance of the volcanic domain. The soil wasn't infertile—on the contrary, volcanic ash was extremely fertile. The problem was that ordinary plants couldn't survive here.
But once the conditions were right, the land would undergo a dramatic transformation.
Rumor had it that Song Yingxing and the Farmers had already begun developing crops specifically suited for high-temperature volcanic conditions—working toward a full ecological system and unique local agricultural products.
"How can this be? There are trees growing outside?"
"No way! This place has never supported plant life. I've never even seen what a real tree looks like—until now."
"We're done for. Is Great Yi really not leaving? They're planning to stay? Then what happens to us?"
Inside the Volcano Tribe, many clanspeople stared at the changes outside in utter shock. Their mouths hung open in disbelief and fear. Something felt off—their home, it seemed, was about to change owners.
They had lived within volcanoes, but now humans had taken over the outside—and it completely broke their expectations.
This wasn't just occupation—it was permanent settlement.
And sadly, it was already too late to stop it. Even if they wanted to take action now, there was no way to dislodge Great Yi's celestial cities.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, volcanoes across the region began erupting without warning. Ash clouds blanketed the skies.
One could clearly see that as the celestial cities settled and new vegetation took root, the environment was rapidly transforming. The surrounding land's destiny began to flow toward Great Yi. Luck and fortune surged. The Mandates of Heaven spread swiftly across the domain, and the StarNet began to envelop the land.
Now within StarNet's reach, every citizen could clearly sense its presence—with a single thought, they could connect to it.
The volcanic domain had already been drawn into Great Yi's control. It was now a fait accompli, and nothing could change it.
Great Yi's expansion had not gone unnoticed by the surrounding powers. Many had guessed that Great Yi was growing strong—but no one expected it to expand this fast.
In just a few short days, multiple realms had been absorbed into Great Yi's territory. These weren't nominal claims—they were actual, effective control.
It was terrifying.
"Is this Sacred Court of Great Yi really that powerful? In a single wave, they've swallowed the Grotesque Realm, the Volcanic Realm, and the Gourmet Realm. Of the twelve realms being contested, only nine remain. They've already taken a quarter in one move. If this continues, who will be able to stop their rise?"
In the shadows, Eastern Sovereign Taiyi watched the expansion unfold, his gaze growing colder.
To him—and to the demon race—this was not good news.
He realized now that Great Yi's reputation played a huge part in its swift conquest. In the Eternal World, Great Yi was no longer an unknown.
It was a household name.
Many realms felt no strong resistance toward them. That was the key. If any other Destiny Dynasty had attempted to invade the Volcanic Realm or the Gourmet Realm, it would have met massive resistance.
"Good! Truly satisfying. The day Great Yi ascends to Immortal Court status may not be far off. Their destiny is growing faster than anyone expected. With each new realm, their foundation expands. The more they grow, the faster the destiny accumulates. With the ancestral vein in hand, Great Yi's Immortal Court is within reach."
Lu Dongbin stood in the Xuanhuang Immortal City, inside a teahouse's private room. At his side was a stunning woman with the noble bearing of a peony flower. She smiled gently as she poured him wine.
"I hear Queen Mother of the West has become Great Yi's Western Queen. Before long, she might be one of the future empresses of the Immortal Court."
The woman chuckled softly.
"Cough cough cough…"
Lu Dongbin choked on his drink, coughing violently. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face.
"Peony, you know there's nothing going on between me and the Queen Mother of the West!"
Many powerful figures watched Great Yi's conquest with interest. Most welcomed it. Some even eagerly hoped that Great Yi would expand faster, accumulate destiny more quickly, and ascend to Immortal Court status.
As for how powerful Great Yi would become in the future—that was tomorrow's problem.
Right now, nothing was more important than slaying Heaven.
With no way to distinguish who among the nine Supreme Saints was the hidden dark force, they had no choice but to treat all nine as enemies. The pressure of that… not everyone could understand.
At this moment — the Witch Realm.
Here, a unified Destiny Dynasty had already taken shape.
It was established by the widely acknowledged leader of the witches—Nightmare Witch—who founded the Flourishing Empress Empire. Beneath her command were four top-tier witches: the Summer Witch, Winter Witch, Spring Witch, and Autumn Witch. Each represented one of the seasons and possessed immense bloodline power. They were often referred to as the Four Seasonal Witches, akin to gods of the changing year, and served as her empire's guardians.
The Witch Realm was full of cities—most bearing strong Western architectural styles. The people here were human, but of many different skin tones and backgrounds.
In one remote city—Beck City—a large estate was packed with people.
If one examined closely, they would realize that every single person present was a battle-hardened warrior—all emanating dangerous auras honed through blood and conflict.
Every eye was fixed forward—on a raised platform.
There, two men stood. They bore the rugged air of outlaws, yet also the grounded bearing of simple farmers—an unusual but charismatic blend.