The radius spanned thirty million miles. The Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower was extremely mysterious—although its growth was incomparably difficult, when it came to advancement, it was far easier than ordinary heaven-and-earth treasures. The only requirement for the Heavenly Emperor Tower's breakthrough was for the inner worlds to advance. Once the inner worlds broke through, the Tower's ascension would follow as a natural matter of course.
Now, it had already reached the limit of a Middle Thousand World, spanning thirty million miles.
At this moment, increasing its radius by even a single mile would trigger the Tower's breakthrough and bring about its final transformation.
However, that one extra mile was bound by limits. The shackles of heaven and earth were not so easily broken.
There were two ways to advance: one was to pour in vast resources, refine them within the Chaos World, and directly force the breakthrough, shattering its shackles and rising to a Great Thousand World. Once that was done, the other inner worlds within the Tower would all advance naturally.
"Nothing breaks shackles better than heavenly thunder. It's best to let heaven and earth themselves do the work."
Yi Tianxing smiled faintly. With a thought, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower flew out from his body, rising high above the Immortal Palace. In that instant, the Tower's aura intertwined with heaven and earth, resonating with the outside world.
That aura of imminent ascension carried an almost instinctive attraction for heaven and earth.
Moreover, Yi Tianxing released the fortune of the Great Yi Immortal Court without concealment. As fortune and qi converged—
Above the Immortal Palace, vast tribulation clouds condensed in the void at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within the dark clouds, dazzling bolts of lightning flashed incessantly. The oppressive sight felt as though black clouds pressed down from the sky.
A pair of golden eyes vaguely appeared within the clouds, glancing down with a hint of strange emotion.
"What's going on? This is Xuanhuang Immortal City, the capital of our Great Yi Immortal Court, and above the Immortal Palace itself. How could tribulation clouds suddenly appear here?"
Cai Yan looked up into the void. The capital of an immortal dynasty, protected by national fortune, should not easily draw heavenly tribulation. Even heaven's will needed the permission of dynastic fortune to descend. Otherwise, all laws would be deflected, unable to touch them.
Such vast tribulation clouds were clearly not ordinary tribulation for the Three Calamities.
"No need to guess—it must be our husband's doing. Don't worry, without his permission, the tribulation cloud wouldn't appear here. Since he's drawn it down, it must be something important. We can just watch."
The Queen Mother of the West glanced up once before looking away. Whatever great commotion Yi Tianxing stirred these days, she no longer found it strange. A man who dared to strike back at Eternal Night—what wouldn't he dare to do?
Compared to that, a bit of tribulation cloud was nothing.
This was no matter at all.
Boom—!
The area beneath the tribulation cloud was shrouded in a hazy mist. Even the strongest divine sense could not penetrate within to see what was happening. Unless Yi Tianxing willed it, no one could glimpse inside.
The Dark Saintess Dingdang understood this well. Though she longed to see what was occurring, no method could pierce through even a trace.
"It seems my husband is undertaking something of great importance. Since it involves heavenly tribulation, perhaps his cultivation has broken through to new heights… or perhaps he has achieved some profound breakthrough."
She murmured softly to herself, but remained within her palace without moving.
At this moment, if anyone could see, they would behold a treasure tower radiating purple divine light beneath the tribulation cloud. From within the cloud, a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel crashed down upon the Tower. The aura within the lightning was terrifying—enough to make even Dao-proving experts shudder. For this was no ordinary lightning, but tribulation thunder that had taken form.
The first bolt transformed into a ferocious primordial Thunder Dragon.
Savage and terrifying.
But when it struck the Tower, an invisible devouring force emanated outward, like a gluttonous maw, swallowing the entire Thunder Dragon without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the Tower—appearing instead within the Chaos World inside. There, it was devoured and refined, transformed into the purest chaotic origin power, strengthening the world.
That first strike was only the beginning. Soon, countless bolts of tribulation thunder rained down.
They transformed into various beings: primordial Thunder Phoenixes, endless Thunder Serpents, fearsome Thunder Bulls… a sight enough to terrify anyone. Yet each one that touched the Tower was swallowed, vanishing instantly.
"There is no better source of energy than heavenly thunder."
Yi Tianxing smiled faintly at the scene. When heaven's will descended, it already knew the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower was his life-bound treasure. Yet it still conjured tribulation clouds—clearly a great gift. Otherwise, as a merit treasure, the Tower would never be touched by tribulation thunder. This was no punishment but a forging, a refinement, and an aid to its ascension.
The Great Yi and Yi Tianxing's contributions to the Eternal World had not gone unnoticed. They had purged Eternal Night's corruption among the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables, thwarted Eternal Night's schemes, suppressed what should have been large-scale Demon Abyss into medium ones, and even opened nine Well of Gods and Demons—shifting the balance of war.
One deed after another, immense merit for the Eternal World.
This merit was indelibly recorded in heaven's will.
Thus, when the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower sought ascension, heaven descended with tribulation thunder. But this was no ordinary thunder—it carried heavenly law, even divine punishment. Yet within that punishment was not only destruction, but vast creative and transformative power.
Thunder covered the Tower, arcs of lightning dancing across its surface, etching mysterious Dao patterns upon it.
If one looked closely, each bolt carried entirely different power. The first was pure thunder; the second shifted into fire; the third into metal…
Each bolt carved a unique Dao mark into the Tower's body. To gaze upon them was dizzying, as if peering into endless truths.
With each strike, the Tower's aura grew ever more profound.
It faintly exuded an immortal, indestructible presence.
Its body gleamed like glazed glass, resplendent and divine, transcending the touch of time and space.
Heaven itself was inscribing the three thousand Dao marks upon it.
Once complete, the Tower would embody the full foundation of the three thousand laws. With such completeness, its transformation would be unimaginable—just like the legendary Creation Jade Disc of the previous epoch, revered because it contained the entirety of the three thousand Daos.
Boom—!
Within the Chaos World, as bolt after bolt was devoured, the primal chaos churned violently. Tides of chaotic qi surged and roared, ready to crash against the world's boundaries and break its shackles.
"Not yet. Wait a little longer."
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed as he forcibly suppressed the surging tides. Not to quell them, but to hold them back. The longer they were suppressed, the greater the eruption when released—the power would be beyond imagination.
The heavenly tribulation raged for three days and three nights.
Thunder roared ceaselessly above the Immortal Palace.
Countless eyes watched, yet none dared to intrude, no matter their curiosity.
Finally, when the last bolt struck—
The clouds dispersed instantly. The golden eyes within did not fade but lingered, watching with anticipation.
Boom—!
Within the Tower, the suppressed tides of chaos erupted. Waves of primal energy surged like a boiling sea, battering the boundaries of heaven and earth.
In an instant, the Chaos World reached thirty million miles, the very limit of a Middle Thousand World. The barrier to a Great Thousand World shattered instantly—no resistance possible.
The Tower had devoured three thousand tribulation thunders, each inscribed with a Dao mark. Its accumulation had long since reached the breaking point.
In a single breath, the Chaos World expanded to thirty-one million miles.
The Chaos World had ascended to a Great Thousand World.
And as it did, boundless chaotic qi overflowed, pouring into the other forty-some inner worlds of the Tower.
Chaos—the mother of all things, the root of heaven and earth. The primal qi of creation, the nourishment of worlds.
For any world, it was an unparalleled boon.
As the influx poured in, one after another Middle Thousand Worlds shattered their thirty-million-mile limits, expanding instantly to thirty-one million.
(End of Chapter)