"Such power… such terrifying pressure!"
Yi Tianxing clenched his fists. The final stage of Heaven and Earth's tidal baptism was beyond imagination. Even with his unshakable will, he felt like he was constantly on the verge of collapse. Countless invisible blades ravaged his soul and shredded his will, only to be restored again and again through sheer determination.
This cycle of destruction and rebirth repeated endlessly—a torture that surpassed even the torments of hell.
He could only grit his teeth and persevere in the depths of his consciousness.
Hold on!
I must endure!
I must not falter!!
Only by forging the strongest Dao foundation could he carry the supreme Dao, wield boundless power, and ascend to rulership.
Fifty.
Fifty-three.
Fifty-seven.
Sixty...
Time lost all meaning.
Amid the repeated tidal waves, the Violet Qi Dao Altar was completely submerged—its form no longer visible, seemingly destroyed and swallowed up by the tides.
But the tides continued.
That meant… the altar had not collapsed.
It still persisted.
No one knew how long had passed.
Suddenly, from the endless golden tide, a brilliant beam of violet divine light broke through the waves, unstoppable and radiant. Bit by bit, a Violet Qi Dao Altar exactly eighty-one zhang wide (approximately 270 meters) rose from the tide. It stood firm amid the waves, enduring every surge without flinching—a towering, immovable mountain.
Unnoticed, the golden tides gradually faded away—just as silently as they had come. They dispersed, vanished, returned to the void.
Eighty-one tidal waves—fully endured.
The Heavenly Trial—silently concluded.
"The tribulation is over. I've truly broken through... I've entered the Dao Platform Realm."
Yi Tianxing took a long breath. His consciousness stabilized as he gazed at the altar before him.
This altar—eighty-one zhang in diameter—was now pure, solid violet crystal. Its structure was tougher than any divine artifact, utterly indestructible. Even a Supreme spiritual treasure might not break it.
This was a Dao Altar forged through eighty-one heavenly tides—a supreme altar, unmatched, peerless.
A first-stage altar only multiplied Dao insights by ninefold.
His altar could amplify them eighty-onefold. The difference was astronomical.
"Excellent. I've finally broken through to the Dao Platform Realm."
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with clarity. This feeling—mystical and vast—was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
His true spirit and nascent soul could now enter the altar, directly comprehending Dao Rhythms and cultivating with unprecedented clarity.
Even more significant—
At the Dao Platform Realm, he naturally possessed a form of suppression over all who had not reached the same level. This wasn't ordinary pressure—it was Heaven's suppression.
Against him, those below the Dao Platform Realm would feel as though they were stuck in quicksand, their strength restrained to a fraction of their potential.
And that was being generous.
In truth, weaker cultivators might not even be able to resist. They would be paralyzed by sheer awe—lifeforce suppression so strong they might surrender without a fight.
This was the difference in fundamental existence.
Greater than domains, deeper than aura—this was the pressure of Heaven and Earth itself, emanating from the Dao Platform.
The platform was as heavy as Mount Tai.
There were no signs of celebration. No heavenly lights. No divine rain.
The trial itself had been the reward.
The Dao Platform Realm came quietly, without spectacle.
But the transformation was absolute.
Even now, Yi Tianxing was confident he could defeat ten of his previous selves with ease.
However—
This was just the beginning.
This violet circular altar was only the foundation of his cultivation at the first stage of the Dao Platform Realm.
The circle represented Heaven.
What came next was construction. He had to collect wondrous treasures to serve as offerings, fusing them layer by layer into the altar, forming new tiers and evolving it into a complete, multi-tiered altar.
The more treasures, the more powerful the resulting altar.
This was the essence of cultivation at the first stage of the Dao Platform Realm.
"Hmm? Something's happening…"
Just as he stabilized his new strength, Yi Tianxing suddenly felt a strange premonition arise.
It was like a sudden impulse from the depths of his soul.
It felt… like a new lifeform tied to his very bloodline was about to emerge.
"It's coming from the Underworld!"
Yi Tianxing's expression changed. Without hesitation, he waved his hand, summoning the Bridge of Yin and Yang, piercing the barrier between life and death.
In a flash, he stepped across the bridge—and vanished from the Imperial Palace.
He traversed through the Yin-Yang realms swiftly. The eerie forces of the Yin Void tried to interfere, but were easily brushed aside.
His power had increased beyond comparison since he last came.
The Yin aura in the air—thick and oppressive—was effortlessly absorbed and suppressed.
"Back in the Underworld… this is—Yin-Yang Market!"
Before him lay a bustling town with no walls—only a giant stone archway with four bold characters:
Yin-Yang Market.
Within, it was lively and chaotic. Humans and ghosts intermingled freely.
He saw all manner of undead—ghosts floating through crowds, skeletal traders bartering with mortals, zombies arguing with cultivators over prices.
And no one found it strange.
The crowd was used to it.
Humans, skeletons, ghouls, zombies—everyone traded side by side.
Even when disputes arose, there were no fights.
To an outsider, this scene would be beyond bizarre.
But to the people of Great Yi, it was simply life.
The Yin-Yang Market was part of the grand trade network between the living and the dead, created by the Great Yi Dynasty.
The benefits had been incalculable—for both sides.
Even if Great Yi wanted to shut it down, the Underworld factions would likely revolt.
But Yi Tianxing had no time for the market.
After a quick glance, he made his way toward the Yellow Springs Inn.
No matter how much the surroundings changed, that inn had always stood at the river's edge.
Soon, it appeared before him.
Just as he was about to approach, a shadowy figure in black appeared out of nowhere.
She seemed to emerge from the folds of space itself.
"King Acha!!"
Yi Tianxing's pupils narrowed slightly.
"Hmph! Yi Tianxing, you heartless bastard!"
"You're worse than a demon! You should be thrown into the Eighteen Hells, flayed a hundred ways, and tortured until you understand the meaning of pain!"
"You claim to be an Emperor—a ruler of billions—and yet your morals are filth! Despicable scum! You dare show your face here?! Watch me whip you three hundred times! Let you taste the wrath of a UnderworldKing!"
With that, Acha—her eyes blazing—pointed straight at him and unleashed a verbal barrage like a hailstorm.
Her every word was filled with outrage, her accusations raining down like thunder.
Even Yi Tianxing, with his immense willpower, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
What the hell...
This was a disaster out of nowhere.
What did he even do this time?
"Let this King teach you a lesson, you heartless man!"
Acha's eyes narrowed. Light flashed—and suddenly, a long whip appeared in her hand.