"Fellow Daoist Chunyang, please have a seat."
Yi Tianxing smiled calmly and gestured for him to sit.
Pure Yang Sword Immortal didn't hesitate, choosing a seat and beginning to sample the immortal fruits and delicacies laid out before him, visibly pleased with the environment and hospitality.
Soon after, Dao Lord Changsheng and other members of the Ancient Eight Immortals arrived, both familiar and previously unseen faces from the Divine-Demon Battlefield.This time, their numbers far surpassed any previous gathering—clearly, the scope of this assembly had grown significantly.
Taoists, monks, farmers, woodcutters—cultivators from all walks of life were present. Many of them radiated deep, unfathomable auras that commanded respect.
They came in all shapes and kinds, a spectacular blend of diversity.
In the blink of an eye, the number surpassed hundreds, then reached over a thousand.
It was now clear that the Eternal World far outstripped the Divine-Demon Continent in both scale and power.And the auras these mighty ones exuded were far stronger than before.
Each of them carried the profound heritage of their true selves, allowing their incarnations to grow rapidly—even if they followed a new Dao path, they could draw on prior knowledge to accelerate their journey and avoid countless detours.
To not grow stronger under such conditions would truly be strange.
Among these mighty beings, Yi Tianxing spotted that mysterious female cultivator he had seen on the battlefield—she had come too.
Some knew each other, some didn't. They exchanged respectful nods and gestures of greeting.
Everyone seemed satisfied with the Tianxin Lighthouse's environment. It rivaled, or even surpassed, any celestial blessed land.The exquisite fruits and immortal delicacies, though perhaps not crucial to them at their level, were a display of attentiveness and respect.
And that made all the difference.
Without realizing it, the gathering space was now nearly full.
"Fellow Daoists," Yi Tianxing said calmly, sitting naturally at the head seat—his rightful place as host, "I thank you all for coming to Great Yi and entering the Tianxin Lighthouse.It is my honor to host this gathering.As usual, we shall begin with Dao discourse, followed by exchanges and trades.What say you all?"
He spoke confidently, unshaken by the presence of so many powerful cultivators.
"Of course," the Carefree Wanderer laughed, "This time, you're the host, Emperor Yi. We'll follow your lead."
"Indeed. I was hoping to hear your Dao myself," added another cultivator.
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
This kind of gathering clearly wasn't the first of its kind—there were already established procedures. And among them all, Yi Tianxing was the only one who had walked the path of the Emperor Dao. He was also the one who had advanced the furthest along the Emperor's Path.
Naturally, everyone was extremely curious about his insights.
Now, to hear it firsthand—they could hardly wait.
"Very well," Yi Tianxing smiled."Then I'll begin, and if there's anything that seems unclear or flawed, feel free to point it out.The purpose of Dao discourse is mutual refinement—only through challenging one another can true insights emerge."
Without hesitation, he began to expound upon his Dao.
To explain one's Dao was also to refine it—reviewing, reshaping, deepening one's comprehension.
"From the primordial chaos came Heaven and Earth.With spirit came wisdom, and with wisdom came civilization.The will of the people is like water—capable of carrying a boat, or overturning it.The Emperor Dao lies in the Dynasty.The Dynasty relies on Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.Heaven is fate, Earth is foundation, Humanity is essence."
"The Three Powers converge—Heaven's mandate, Earth's fortune, and Human will—unite to form National Destiny…"
Yi Tianxing began to articulate the profound structure of the Emperor's Dao.
The Emperor Dao was among the most powerful and mysterious paths in existence. It held limitless potential—but it could only be sustained through a Dynasty of Fortune (运朝).If the Dynasty fell, then the Emperor's Dao would be severed.
The Emperor's Dao governed the world—one Dao to suppress all others.
At its pinnacle, it could command all other Daos.
A single imperial decree could make all laws and principles submit.Even the laws of Heaven and Earth would shift in accordance.
As he spoke, a glorious cloud of divine light (Qingyun) emerged above his head.
Within the Qingyun, one could glimpse a Primordial World, where sun, moon, and stars shone down.
Eight-tone celestial music echoed across the heavens.
Purple-gold dragon-shaped tribulation lanterns floated in and out of view.Each emitted a profound Dao rhythm, radiating auspicious light and washing away impurities.Within each lantern were countless intricate runes, whispering divine sounds that cleansed the soul and refined the will.
From the Qingyun, golden lotuses, jewels, and hanging pearls cascaded down like unending raindrops from a heavenly eave—a display of unmatched majesty.
Above it all stood a nine-tiered altar, half-hidden within the cloud, known as the Calamity-Transcending Qingyun and the Heavenly Emperor Altar.
Strands of Dao intent interwove across the Qingyun, evolving the mysteries of the Imperial Dao.
In that moment, Yi Tianxing naturally entered a state of profound enlightenment.
His understanding of the Emperor's Path deepened greatly.
Countless principles and laws became crystal clear before him.
The other cultivators listened in silence, their expressions revealing that they too were gaining insights.
Their views of Yi Tianxing began to shift.
Before, some had dismissed him as a mere fortunate junior—lucky to enter their ranks.
But now, hearing his Dao personally, they completely shed their earlier arrogance.
They saw him now as an equal, worthy of standing among them.
And they were shocked by the might of the Emperor Dao.
If cultivated to its peak, it could crush all other Daos by nature alone.
One decree—a thousand laws respond.
No one could disobey.
And anyone who tried would be instantly shattered.
It was a terrifying Dao.
But it was also immensely difficult to cultivate.
Without a Dynasty to anchor it, the Emperor Dao could not take root.Training it by ordinary means was futile.
However, once cultivated, the benefits were staggering:
An Emperor could draw on the entire Dynasty's strength, allowing them to battle across realms with ease, and accelerate cultivation through gathered national destiny.
No wonder countless cultivators yearned for it, but few could attain it.
Time flowed quietly.
In the midst of discourse, time lost all meaning.
No one noticed how long it had been—it felt like an instant, or perhaps eternity.
At last, the discourse ended.
"Such a magnificent Dao—the Emperor's Path truly inspires awe.Strong beyond imagination, yet every step is perilous,"said Dao Lord Changsheng with deep emotion.
He understood all too well—if cultivated to the extreme, this path would lead to the realm of the Heavenly Emperor.
And there could only ever be one.
The Dao of the Heavenly Emperor was absolute.
None could attain it unless the existing Emperor was destroyed.
Other Daos could evolve and be reimagined.
But the Emperor's Dao allowed for no shortcuts, no duplication.
Only one sovereign, one peak.
The other cultivators nodded in agreement.
They were deeply satisfied with this discourse.
Now, it was time for others to share.
One after another, cultivators began to explain their own Daos.
Many of them had reincarnated into new bodies and walked new paths, but even these fresh Daos were already showing great refinement.
Of course, flaws remained.
And those flaws were exactly what the Dao discourse helped to address.
Through the collision of ideas, each participant absorbed insights and refined their own Dao.
This was the true essence of Dao discourse.
Yi Tianxing, too, continued absorbing wisdom.Within the Tianxin Lighthouse, time flowed differently, having been warped with temporal laws.
No matter how long they spent here, only a short time passed in the outside world.
This allowed for limitless discussion, and the realm itself encouraged Dao comprehension.
His life apertures were evolving.
His origin strength surged.
His grasp of Dao laws deepened quickly.
The feeling of constant transformation and growth filled his entire being with joy.
Unknowingly, the discourse was approaching its end.
Yi Tianxing's foundation after stepping into the Dao Platform Realm was now fully consolidated—unshakable.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
But everyone had gained something.
"Following the Dao discourse is the exchange phase—where we trade what we have for what we need,"Yi Tianxing smiled and announced."As always, I'll begin."
With a wave of his hand, a flash of light revealed a seven-colored mystery box.
"This is a Mystery Box—they come in grades from single-color to nine-color.Single-color being the lowest, nine-color the highest.Inside can be found all manner of rare treasures, depending on luck.This one is seven-colored—a high-grade box.With a bit of fortune, it might even contain a Innate-level treasure."