"If fellow Daoist needs to restock, Great Yi should be able to meet your demands," Yi Tianxing said with a calm smile. "You can source our specialty products and regional goods. Many of them are rare in other realms. And besides, Eternal Coins themselves are an extremely scarce resource—wherever you go, they're always in demand."
Was Zhen Chengxin truly emptied out?
Yi Tianxing didn't believe it for a second.
If a traveling merchant were ever truly out of stock, he'd cease to be one. Zhen certainly still had items stashed away, just not on public display. Naturally, Yi Tianxing didn't press to buy everything at once—that wouldn't be appropriate.
Still, he wasn't about to miss an opportunity to promote Great Yi's own goods.
After all, Great Yi boasted dozens of thousands of Immortal Cities, each with its own specialties. These products were renewable and perfect for trade. Great Yi's craftsmanship and manufactured items were also highly marketable—and spreading them far and wide only helped expand Great Yi's reputation.
"Indeed," Zhen Chengxin said with a squinting smile, clearly pleased."Great Yi is rich in products, and many of them are precisely what my merchant guild needs. Particularly the spiritual rice varieties, which always sell out instantly.And let's not forget your spirit wines—simply irresistible.Of course, I'll need Your Majesty to open the gates of convenience."
Ordinary grain had little value, but spiritual rice was sought after in every region. Only a few factions could grow it, and even fewer had enough to sell.
"There is one more thing, though," Zhen added cautiously."It depends on whether Your Majesty is willing to permit it."
"Oh?" Yi Tianxing asked. "And what might that be?"
"As Your Majesty knows, Eternal Coins have already spread through many realms of the Eternal World.They've become the top-tier currency of choice.But their origin is solely within Great Yi.If one travels far from your borders without a supply of Eternal Coins, things become quite inconvenient."
"Would Your Majesty allow me to acquire Eternal Coins directly from Great Yi on a regular basis?It would help facilitate wider use of the currency."
Zhen spoke frankly.
Indeed, Eternal Coins were now under the gaze of many powers. Countless factions and mighty beings were secretly trying to crack the coin's forging method, hoping to produce counterfeit coins.
But they all failed.
Because the Eternal Coin wasn't just metal—it contained the national fate of Great Yi. Without it, one could not recreate it, no matter the effort.
So while many factions used their own currencies for daily transactions, Eternal Coins had become the preferred high-grade currency across all regions.The exchange rate was public, and Eternal Coins had the highest preservation of value.
What's more, newer, higher-value Eternal Coins had been minted, making trade and storage more efficient. Its value and status were becoming irreplaceable.
The trend was unstoppable—Eternal Coins were becoming the dominant currency of the Eternal World.
Zhen Chengxin didn't expect to acquire the forging technique—he knew that was one of the Empire's greatest secrets. Instead, he hoped to maintain a reliable supply.
"The forging of Eternal Coins is a core secret of Great Yi," Yi Tianxing replied calmly."It will never be sold or shared. What we can offer are exchange services—Eternal Coins for treasures or resources, based on the official conversion list. No deception."
"That's not enough," Zhen Chengxin shook his head."I need unlimited exchange access."
"You're a traveling merchant, always on the move," Yi Tianxing said, also shaking his head."My Empire's territory, for now, is limited to the Hanhai Domain and adjacent regions. We can't support such access across the vast Eternal World."
If he could, he would've done it already. But reality had limitations.
Still, progress was being made. Thanks to Heaven's Court and the efforts of many Heaven's Favored, Eternal Coins had begun spreading steadily across realms.
Just not in overwhelming numbers—not yet.
"There's no need for Your Majesty to worry about that," Zhen said with a grin."I've prepared a solution. Please look."
He raised his hand, and a glow of light appeared. In it emerged a miniature altar.
Starlight shimmered across its surface. It looked mystical and powerful.
"What is that?"Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with interest.
"This is a Celestial Star Altar," Zhen said."It allows direct transmission of goods.The altar can be split into two halves—one stays with me, the other goes to Your Majesty."
"Using this, we can directly exchange items and Eternal Coins, efficiently and securely.It solves the issue entirely, and ensures Eternal Coins spread even more quickly.What does Your Majesty think?"
Clearly, he had prepared for this well in advance.
"A transmission altar…"
Yi Tianxing's gaze deepened.
In the Eternal World, altars were supreme treasures—incredibly important. The Dao Platform Realm involved forging an altar within one's body. Proving the Dao Realm raised the altar to the heavens, receiving worship and sacrifices from all beings.
So anything with the nature of an altar… was never simple.
And this Celestial Star Altar?
It had better functionality than many teleportation arrays.
Yi Tianxing didn't pry—some secrets didn't need asking.He had his own guesses.
"Very good. If fellow Daoist ever wishes to exchange for Eternal Coins again, you may send your items through this altar.We'll evaluate them and send the corresponding coins back."
Yi Tianxing nodded and accepted one half of the altar.
Zhen Chengxin beamed—the arrangement was perfect.
His greatest concern had been resolved. Transactions would now be standardized, fast, and secure.
This trip to Great Yi had been immensely profitable.
Afterward, Yi Tianxing took one last walk through the merchant plaza, purchased a few more items, and then left.
Zhen Chengxin, however, remained in Xuánhuang City, repeatedly buying large volumes of local specialties.
Great Yi truly had an astonishing variety—military equipment, enchanted siege weapons, Divine Crossbows, rune-infused arrows, talismans, spiritual rice, spirit fruits, pills, potions, ethereal silk, and even floating trains—all on the list for export.
Of course, for things like floating trains, Yi Tianxing's permission was needed.
Zhen spent a full month traveling across Great Yi's many Immortal Cities, stocking up on goods before finally departing.
However, many cultivators who followed Zhen into Great Yi never left.
They chose to settle, registered for Heavenly Residence Cards, and became citizens of the Empire.
They had seen something here—a stage worthy of their talents.
The best possible environment to grow.
Yi Tianxing didn't interfere.
Great Yi welcomed talent, but operated under strict rules. If someone wanted to rise, they had to follow protocol, walk the righteous path.
Those with real skill would stand out naturally—and no one could question their merit.
Yi Tianxing would never obstruct that.
Within the Imperial Palace…
Outside Empyrean Heart Hall, Chief Eunuch Cao Zhengchun bowed.
"Your Majesty, Director Jiang of the Astrological Bureau urgently requests an audience. He says it's a matter of utmost urgency."
Inside the hall, Yi Tianxing slowly opened his eyes.
Above him, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda glowed, purple divine light descending from it. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the pagoda now had 43 layers—another silent evolution.
Recently, Yi Tianxing had fused the Limitless Gold Brick into the pagoda, birthing a new inner world.
That flying brick was no joke—now upgraded, its power was terrifying.
As an Innate Spirit Treasure, it now rivaled the Heaven-Flipping Seal in sheer force.
One strike could shatter the heavens.
The pagoda then transformed into a streak of divine light and merged back into his body, resting within his Auspicious Cloud.
"Bring Director Jiang in."
Yi Tianxing exhaled deeply.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Cao Zhengchun left to carry out the order.
"For Jiang Ni to leave the Astrological Bureau at this time… something must have happened,"Yi Tianxing murmured.
He knew the man well—he never left his post without a serious reason.
If Jiang had come personally… then it wasn't a small matter.
Before long, Jiang Ni arrived at the Empyrean Heart Hall, bowed deeply, and said:
"Jiang Ni greets the Emperor."
"No need for formality. Speak—did something happen?A shift in Great Yi's geomancy?Or some looming natural disaster?"
Yi Tianxing's voice was calm and composed.
He was not a man easily shaken.
"Ten days ago," Jiang Ni began solemnly,"The Seismograph registered a sudden anomaly.I immediately convened the entire Astrological Bureau to calculate the fate-lines…"
"We discovered that the heavenly fate had grown obscure.Above Great Yi… dark clouds loom."