"Whatever happens, the Seven-Star Dragon Balls are complete. It's time to summon the Divine Dragon."
Yi Tianxing smiled as he looked at the seven glowing dragon balls before him. After collecting them, he turned and vanished from the auction house.
In the next moment, he appeared within the imperial palace.
"Your Majesty, Lady Gongsun has arrived. She's with the empress and the others right now," Cao Zhengchun reported as soon as Yi Tianxing emerged.
"So Wan'er has come."
A knowing smile surfaced on Yi Tianxing's face.
Naturally, Cai Yan and the other consorts had long known about Gongsun Danu's situation. During the previous New Year celebration, she had already returned to the palace and met them. That encounter had gone smoothly and without unnecessary drama. After all, anyone who chose to follow Yi Tianxing would know from the outset that, given his status, it was impossible for him to have only one or two women.
Compared to those legendary emperors with harems of three thousand, three palaces and six courts with seventy-two concubines, Yi Tianxing was already rather restrained when it came to women. Moreover, they had long been psychologically prepared for Gongsun Danu's existence. Nothing about her stay on Skyhawk Island had been hidden. With her personality, she was never difficult to get along with. Once they met, it wasn't long before she and the others became close sisters.
Later on, Gongsun Danu had returned to Skyhawk Island, unwilling to leave the Sword Pavilion she had built behind without proper arrangements. Now that she had come back, it was clear those affairs had been settled.
In the palace, Gongsun Danu had the right to come and go freely. Cao Zhengchun was also very aware that the only thing she lacked was an official title—a formal recognition. It was only a matter of time. In the palace, everyone already regarded her as a royal consort. A palace had even been prepared for her long ago—named Sword Dance Palace.
"Go summon the empress and the imperial consorts, and bring Princess Anning as well. Have them meet me at Rainbow Bridge," Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Cao Zhengchun responded without hesitation.
Soon, his message was conveyed to Cai Yan and the others.
"Rainbow Bridge?" Cai Yan glanced at the others and smiled. "I wonder what our husband is planning this time. Come on, let's go take a look. Maybe he wants to take us out for a bit of sightseeing."
Rainbow Bridge could instantly connect to any location within the Great Yi territory, making it the most convenient mode of travel imaginable.
Currently, the Xuanhuang City was not even in Yi Prefecture anymore—it floated above the sea.
The Great Yi Dynasty had expanded far beyond its initial borders, encompassing vast swaths of ocean. Xuanhuang City drifted across these seas, spending more time over the ocean than on land. But this posed no issue. In fact, large numbers of citizens gathered daily at the city's edge just to admire the ever-changing seascape. Each day brought a different view—a charming novelty for all.
Sometimes, the city would pass near other celestial cities, allowing residents of those realms to catch a close glimpse of the splendor and majesty of the imperial capital, deepening their admiration and sense of belonging to Great Yi.
At present, the city floated above the sea near Python Island.
The sapphire waters below rippled gently, carrying what seemed to be the enchanting song of sea demons, calling out to lure onlookers to their doom.
From Rainbow Bridge, one could truly grasp the vastness of heaven and earth, and the beauty of all living things.
Before long, Cai Yan and the others arrived at the bridge. Seeing Yi Tianxing standing there, they smiled and bowed. "Husband, did you summon us to take us somewhere nice for a trip?"
"Why don't we visit Serpent Island? I've heard the scenery is absolutely breathtaking," Lian Xing added with a soft chuckle.
"No," Yi Tianxing said, still smiling, "this time, I called you here to ask—do you have any wishes? Anything you truly want to come true? As long as it's within a certain range, it might really be fulfilled."
A casual outing could happen any time. But a chance to have a wish granted—that was truly rare. Perhaps this was the first such opportunity since the dawn of the Eternal World.
"A wish? A real wish? Are we wishing to you, husband?" Nie Xiaoqian asked curiously.
"Father! Father! Anning wants a wish! I want to make a wish!"
Yi Xianhuang, eyes sparkling with joy, squealed with excitement.
Though born in the second half of Eternal Year 4 near the New Year, she was now nearly six years old in Eternal Year 10. With her extraordinary physique and a steady supply of rare cultivation resources, she had grown like a young girl of seven or eight—like a delicate jade carving come to life.
She was utterly adorable. At this moment, she radiated pure innocence.
Beside her was the second daughter, Yi Xianling, born in Eternal Year 8, currently just over two years old. The other children were even younger.
"What does my precious girl wish for?" Yi Tianxing crouched down and asked, a doting look in his eyes.
"I hope the people of the human race everywhere can live in peace," Yi Xianhuang said earnestly. "I don't want anyone to suffer, to starve, or to die."
Yi Tianxing was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected such words from one so young. But he could guess it must've been something she overheard Cai Yan and the others talking about and took to heart.
Still, it was a noble wish—one even he couldn't fulfill. Not yet. Certainly not the Divine Dragon either. That kind of wish was too vast—across the entire Eternal World, not just the Great Yi territory.
"In time, my daughter," Yi Tianxing said sincerely, "Father will take you and lead more people of the human race to live safely and well—where no one need fear going to sleep and never waking, nor suffer the pain of an empty belly. If we keep working hard, that day will come."
That was his wish too.
A world where all men could be like dragons. At the very least, within the dominion of the Great Yi Dynasty, such a vision would come to pass.
"Father is the best!" Yi Xianhuang nodded earnestly.
"I've gathered the Seven-Star Wishing Dragon Balls. With them, I can summon the Wishing Divine Dragon—and make a wish. Any wish within its power will be granted. I called you here because I wanted to give you the chance. If there's something you truly desire, this wish can be yours."
With a wave of his hand, the seven dragon balls floated into the air, glowing with radiant golden light. Once gathered, they seemed to awaken, exuding a far stronger spiritual aura than when apart.
"So these are the wishing dragon balls you once mentioned," Yao Yue murmured in awe. "Is the Divine Dragon real? What kinds of wishes can it grant?"
"You can take a moment to consider your wish," Yi Tianxing said. "But first, let's summon the dragon."
He pointed to the floating dragon balls and shouted, "Wishing Dragon Balls, summon the Divine Dragon!!"
Shua shua shua!!
The seven dragon balls shot together, forming a radiant runic array. From within, brilliant golden light burst forth, drawing on endless power from the world's Wishing Dao.
The laws of the Great Dao of Wishing descended!
In a flash, the gathered power coalesced into a massive golden dragon—an awe-inspiring Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, tens of thousands of miles long. It blanketed the sky, casting light across all directions. Even from hundreds of thousands of miles away, its divine form could be seen.
Each of its scales was the size of a mountain, radiating an oppressive majesty. The weight of its presence made it feel as though the entire world revolved around it.
"What is that!? A nine-clawed golden dragon!? That's a royal of the dragon race!"
"No way! We've never seen anything like that before!"
"Terrifying… That aura alone feels like it could crush me to dust with a single glance. It's above anything I've seen!"
"The aura's coming from above the imperial capital—Xuanhuang City! Is the Great Yi Dynasty responsible for this!?"
"Could it be an illusion? A mirage!?"
All across the surrounding realms, countless experts and races looked to the sky in shock—even the sea dragons were stirred. The Sea Dragon King looked over with grave intensity. That pressure… it felt like a superior being, compelling reverence.
The Divine Dragon lowered its enormous head and gazed at those on Rainbow Bridge. Its voice, though calm, boomed across the entire region with divine might.
"Was it you who summoned this Divine Dragon?"
"Yes," Yi Tianxing replied calmly.
Even as he answered, he could feel the unimaginable pressure. If it so desired, this dragon could obliterate him on a whim.
The Divine Dragon's golden eyes swept over Yi Tianxing and his consorts. It nodded slightly.
"Speak your wish," it said. "If it is within my power, any desire can be granted—immense wealth, countless beauties, legendary treasures, even resurrection from death. Now—state your wish."