From their perspective, Yi Tianxing's uncompromising approach was tantamount to cutting off any path of reconciliation with the human sects. A more intense clash with the Fragrant Temple was now inevitable, perhaps even large-scale warfare with other sects. Should this internal strife erupt, humanity would fall into chaos and division, leading to disastrous infighting. For the Dragon Clan, this was an excellent opportunity.
The mountain was sealed.
Fragrant Temple couldn't be touched for now.
However, the common people at the foot of the mountain couldn't be left behind. Yi Tianxing ordered them all to be relocated. Without civilians to labor for them, to provide resources, the monks would no longer be able to enjoy an effortless life of cultivation—clothing and food readily supplied, feeding off the people's lifeblood.
"Despicable. Do they think sealing the mountain can shelter them? They'll face retribution soon enough. These lamas and monks all deserve to rot in the dungeons. Their sins are far too heavy," Xu Shu said darkly.
The million people living under the mountain had been mentally and physically enslaved. Liberating them would take who knows how long. But they were human, and Great Yi could not ignore them. This was an unspeakable crime committed under the guise of religious mercy.
In the void, the Sea Dragon King and his entourage disappeared. The battle was over, and there was nothing left to witness. More importantly, he had seen what he wanted.
"Investigate. Discover Emperor Yi's primary cultivation method—at all costs."
Upon returning to the Dragon Palace, the Sea Dragon King issued a direct order to dispatch covert operatives. What Yi Tianxing revealed this time was too startling. First, the Nine-Dragon War Chariot—its artifact spirit was a Primordial Dragon Son. If captured, this could mean nine future supreme true dragons for the Dragon Clan—a bloodline of unimaginable potential.
Second, was Yi Tianxing's cultivation technique and divine abilities. Every movement he made seemed to command true dragons. When the Sea Dragon King saw him act, he faintly sensed his own mind being affected.
Yi Tianxing's cultivation technique could influence dragonkind. If this technique was designed to counter dragons, or restrain the Dragon Clan, it had to be eradicated. No dragon would stand by idly.
Kill the cultivator.
Destroy the technique.
Prevent any form of transmission.
This was non-negotiable.
With the destruction of the Skyhawk Royal Court, the fortune-bearing flood dragon above Skyhawk City was instantly devoured by a suddenly appearing five-clawed golden dragon, wiping out the royal court's entire national fate.
Above Great Yi, the golden clouds of merit surged even further. The golden fortune dragon that coiled above the nation's fate swelled drastically, reaching an astonishing five hundred and sixty zhang (approx. 1,680 meters).
When the Heavenly Decree was issued and the Heaven's Net formed, Great Yi's fortune had already surged, evolving the dragon to four hundred zhang. As the realm expanded—campaigns against islands like Python Island, and the deployment of Celestial Cities to subdue territories, even across the seas—the empire's fate grew continuously.
Now, devouring the Skyhawk Court's fate caused yet another leap. The Fortune Dragon grew to 560 zhang, and this was just the beginning. Once the Skyhawk Island was fully subdued, the gains would be even more immense. Breaking through to 600 zhang was just a matter of time.
The extermination of the Skyhawk Royal Court did not mean there would be no more resistance on Skyhawk Island, but its strongest power had been wiped out. News spread fast. For neighboring factions, it was a massive deterrent. For countless human factions, it brought jubilation.
"Finally! That damned barbarian dynasty is gone. For years they forced us to pay tribute and bow to them. Now they've fallen!"
"I heard it was Great Yi, the number one Destiny Dynasty of humanity, who struck them down. The Skyhawk Court was like paper before their divine army. The Skyhawk King and every adult male in the court were thrown into the dungeon. They'll never see the light again."
"Justice! Those monsters killed so many of our kin, cooked them, ate them. They were devils. Now they're in the dungeons, given barely enough food—ten people sharing a single ration. I bet they'll eat each other before the end. Poetic justice!"
"Great Yi has already begun occupying the Skyhawk Plains, deploying Celestial Cities across the land. Every thousand li, one Celestial City. The empire suppresses the wilderness with these cities. Humans live within, non-hostile non-humans stay outside. Anyone with blood debts against humanity will be hunted."
"If only we could join Great Yi. They say every citizen can freely receive foundational techniques and martial arts training. No one goes hungry. When the Skyhawk City fell, they built massive grain reserves in the squares—mountains of rice, refilled as quickly as it's used."
As word spread, many human factions and commoners felt hope rekindled. To them, Great Yi was a dream, a paradise.
And now, that dream seemed within reach.
"The wolf has arrived…"
Many minor lords with ambition could only sigh in bitterness. Facing Great Yi, they had no hope of resistance. This victory over the Skyhawk Court had brought massive prestige and unstoppable momentum.
Ambition had to be buried—for now.
"Send an envoy with generous gifts. We must seek an audience with His Majesty Emperor Yi at Golden Scale City."
Though reluctant, they all knew how to choose wisely. No one could resist the tide of destiny. To oppose it was to be ground into dust.
At this moment, however, Yi Tianxing had no time for politics.
The conquest of the Skyhawk Court continued to expand Great Yi's domain. With it, the nation's fortune surged, and through the Mountains and Rivers Society Map, that energy poured back into his Life Map, rapidly strengthening it.
Within, his Heavenly Emperor Primordial Spirit meditated on every growing Dao pattern—each one clearly perceived, deeply understood.
At the same time, crystals of Dao attainment formed within his body.
The Life Map was the foundation of one's Dao. Its growth deepened his comprehension.
Quietly, his internal Dao Crystals increased day by day. Every new Celestial City, every conquered region, fed the Map and formed more crystals.
Before he knew it, he had accumulated:
1,000 Dao Crystals.
"A thousand crystals. A thousand years of Dao cultivation. The Second Cataclysm is upon me."
Sitting quietly in his cultivation chamber, Yi Tianxing felt a twinge of anticipation.
Every five hundred years of Dao cultivation triggered a Heavenly Cataclysm. These disasters were both trial and transformation. Surviving them led to immense increases in power and insight.
Not everyone could form Dao Crystals. But once they reached the limit, they had no choice but to face the Three Cataclysms.
The first time, he faced the Wind Cataclysm.
That would never occur again. The Three Cataclysms never repeat.
The question was: Should he now trigger the disaster himself?
Ahead of him was the Heavenly Dao Seal. Once touched, the entire world's seals would shatter, leading to bloodshed and chaos.
"Let it come. Let me see—which one is it this time?"
Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.
Power was everything. If the seals had to break, so be it. Only strength could determine one's fate.
With a single thought, he triggered the disaster.
A mighty force stirred in the heavens.
BOOM!!!
In that instant, above Golden Scale City, dark clouds silently gathered, forming a terrifying tribulation cloud in the sky at an unnatural speed.
Lightning flashed within the clouds.
A suffocating pressure descended like a tidal wave.
"It's the Lightning Cataclysm."
Yi Tianxing's senses confirmed it instantly. Without hesitation, he stepped out of the chamber and into the skies, facing the heavens.
The tribulation clouds churned above, oppressive and vast.
Among the Three Cataclysms:
Wind Cataclysm was strange and elusive,
Lightning Cataclysm was brutal and dominant,
Fire Cataclysm was heartless and merciless.
The ancient Bodhi Patriarch once told Sun Wukong:"Every five hundred years, the heavens send a lightning strike to test you. You must reach enlightenment to dodge it. Dodge it, and you live as long as the heavens. Fail, and you perish."
That was how terrifying the Lightning Cataclysm truly was.