What an opportunity—a heaven-sent opportunity.
This time, Ma Huaqian's moment had come. His chance at destiny, his moment of creation had arrived. And now, whoever had just undergone the Dao-proving phenomenon wasn't revealing themselves. Clearly, they were still choosing to hide their identity. As long as he could seize this point, it meant his plan—his grand ambition—had a real chance to succeed, maybe even to receive tacit approval.
If this turned out to be real, then his rise would be unstoppable.
A flash of light crossed his eyes, countless thoughts racing through his mind. Naturally, he understood the peril of what he was about to attempt. It was unimaginably dangerous. If he misstepped, and the hidden Dao-proving took offense, he might be killed in an instant, with just a flick of their finger.
But if he succeeded—he'd soar to the heavens in one leap.
"Let's do it!!"
After weighing the pros and cons, he made his decision.
Then, he stepped into the void and soared into the sky. No one could tell what he had done, but somehow, his body suddenly and naturally appeared before all living beings in the Eternal World. It was as though he had merged with the recent heavenly Dao-proving phenomenon, connected to the power of heaven and earth.
"This humble Daoist is the Creation Daoist. Today, I prove the Dao of Creation. I seal destiny with the Gate of Creation. All living beings under heaven and earth—recite my name, and you shall receive fortune.
The Dao of Creation: forging reality from illusion, turning the false into the true, transforming the impossible into the possible, and decay into the miraculous.
From this day forth, I shall be known as... the Creation Immortal King!"
Wrapped in divine light, Ma Huaqian's voice rolled like a vast ocean, echoing across the entire Eternal World. It was as if the entire realm, with all its myriad Daos, resonated in acknowledgment.
His presence radiated an overwhelming aura—like mountains, like the vast heavens—causing all who gazed upon him to feel as though they were staring at Creation itself. As if, through him, anything once thought impossible could be made real.
Countless beings instinctively turned to look at Ma Huaqian.
"The Creation Daoist... the Creation Immortal King. He's proving the Dao of Creation? But why was there no sign at all?"
"My heavens... who is this Creation Daoist? How have we never heard of him before? He just suddenly appeared and claimed he had proven the Dao? This is beyond incredible."
"Creation... Creation..."
"Creation Immortal King—the first person in this Eternal Era to prove the Dao. Truly astounding!"
The outcry came from all races.
Curiosity. Frenzied awe. It didn't matter what race one belonged to—he had just become the first person to prove the Dao in the Eternal Era. That was a historic moment. He was now a pioneer. The first and the second—those were worlds apart.
At this moment, the Creation Daoist was the center of all attention.
And under the eyes and approval of the masses, his aura deepened and grew even more profound. He truly gave off the feeling of being the embodiment of the Dao of Creation.
Meanwhile, in the Palace of Nuwa, Empress Nuwa looked toward the sky, her brow furrowed with a hint of puzzlement.
"The Dao of Creation? Why don't I feel it? How did he prove the Dao?"
She was a Hunyuan Saint—she had already proven the Dao in the last era through the Path of Merit. Her Dao naturally leaned toward Creation and Life. In fact, if not for proving the Dao via merit, she would've chosen the path of Creation directly. Her act of creating humanity—that itself was a form of Creation.
In this era, she had reincarnated and walked the Dao of Creation again to make up for her earlier path. She was planning to use this opportunity to fully comprehend it and prove her Dao anew.
But now, a "Creation Daoist" had suddenly appeared and declared that he had proven the Dao of Creation?
Strangely, after his declaration, the laws of Creation really did seem to align with him—as if he had truly claimed the authority of the Dao. But simultaneously, her own avatar still felt connected to Creation. She still felt she could prove the Dao herself.
This contradiction made her feel odd and somewhat suspicious.
Still, she said nothing.
This Creation Daoist… there's something off about him.
"What the hell? It's not Yi Tianxing?"
Many powerful cultivators watching from the shadows frowned.
They had been almost certain that Yi Tianxing would be the one to prove the Dao this time. Among all the new-generation cultivators of this era, his progress had been the fastest. His strength, cultivation, and battle prowess were all at the pinnacle. He had already reached the peak of the Dao Platform Realm, just one step away from Dao-proving.
Everyone had assumed it was him—perhaps he was using some secret method to hide the signs of his breakthrough, to keep it concealed as a hidden trump card.
This made sense to many. They had already been ninety percent sure it was him.
But now, a Creation Daoist had suddenly appeared, completely disrupting their assumptions. They were bewildered.
Where had this person even come from?
How could someone this powerful be totally unknown?
On the surface, everything looked legitimate. The laws of Creation were resonating with him. He appeared to have truly proven the Dao of Creation.
It was all too bizarre.
"Interesting... trying to steal my thunder, eh? Borrowing truth from illusion... This isn't the Dao of Creation. This is the Dao of Deception."
"He wants to convince the world he's proving the Dao. If everyone believes him, then he becomes a Dao-proving powerhouse. Not because he's walked the true Dao, but because he's fooled the world. Deception as the root, Creation as the disguise—what a cunning trick."
"Still, what's not real will never be real. If the lie is exposed, it'll all come crashing down like a bubble bursting. But... since he's tying his fate to mine, why not let him succeed?"
Yi Tianxing's gaze sharpened as he stared at the Creation Daoist floating in the void.
Others might be uncertain, but he knew the truth.
The one who had just proving the Dao—was him.
And this person—Ma Huaqian—was clearly trying to hijack that moment.
He was using this opportunity to claim the results as his own, cleverly blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, between real Dao and fake Dao. In doing so, he had created a believable illusion... one that, for the moment, worked.
Right now, the Creation Daoist truly had the aura of a Dao-proving powerhouse.
But if that lie was exposed—his entire cultivation base would vanish in an instant. What was once real would become false. If no one believed in him, his Dao would collapse.
Yi Tianxing could easily expose the truth right now. Just one display of power, and Ma Huaqian's whole act would unravel.
But what would that accomplish?
Nothing of value.
On the contrary, the Creation Daoist had just become a perfect scapegoat. A human shield for Yi Tianxing's own concealed strength. If needed, he could even recruit this person as a hidden card.
As things stood, he had successfully erased all suspicion from himself.
Ma Huaqian was now a pawn—exposed to the world—while he, the real Dao-proving, remained hidden in the shadows.
Clever.
Of course, this also meant Ma Huaqian now carried a great karmic debt with Yi Tianxing—a Dao-level cause-and-effect entanglement. One he could never escape.
"Still... if you take from me, you'd better know where it came from."
Yi Tianxing smiled faintly. A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a jade talisman formed out of thin air. With a wave, it flew straight toward the Creation Daoist.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Ma Huaqian caught the jade talisman.
As he grasped it, a message entered his mind.
His expression froze for just a moment—then returned to normal. From the outside, no one could tell what had happened.
"Damn it... it really was him."
Ma Huaqian cursed inwardly. The message hit him like a thunderbolt.
He had known the risks of what he was doing.
But now, he understood that the consequences were even more dire than he'd imagined.
Still... the message also gave him confidence.
It meant Yi Tianxing wasn't planning to expose him—at least not yet.
That meant this deception could become a hidden truth, a buried secret.
"Whatever. That's a problem for later. Right now, what matters is that my Dao is truly growing. That part... is real."
Ma Huaqian made his silent vow.
Meanwhile...
"Pity... I still haven't reached full completion. I have over 100,000 drops of origin blood, but I'm still about 20,000 short. At my current pace, with all the spirit herbs, rare cuisine, and body-refining techniques... I should finish in about ten years."
Yi Tianxing sensed the changes in his body.
His Imperial Divine Physique was close to full completion. Once it was complete, it would become a lineage-type Dao body, one that could be passed down.
Even now, after proving the Dao, his body was comparable to a top-tier innate spiritual treasure. His fists alone could smash most divine artifacts.
It was terrifying.
"Having proving the Dao through the body, and completed the ninth rotation of body refinement—Purple Cauldron Roars—it's time to prepare for my next Dao: Qi cultivation."
That would come later—ideally, when he ascended to establish his own Immortal Court.
That moment wasn't here yet.
Until then, he would tell no one—not even his beloved consorts.
It had only been a few days since his seclusion.
Outside, the Great Yi Sacred Court's war campaigns across the various realms had entered a white-hot phase.
In the Knight Realm...
Upon an ancient battlefield, a massive army of armored knights had assembled—over one million strong. All clad in radiant silver, their hooves thundered like gods marching to war...