The Heavenly Law of Great Yi was not to be taken lightly. It was the embodiment of the Great Yi's laws, manifesting as a Heavenly Net that covered its entire domain. Within Great Yi's jurisdiction, the Heavenly Law was everywhere. There was no such thing as "the heavens are high and the Emperor is far." The Heavenly Law was the rule.
Great Yi was a Great Dao Dynasty. Everything within the dynasty was beyond the interference of Heaven itself. The Heavenly Dao could only exert slight influence, but within Great Yi's territory, the Dao's principles and laws could not be violated. All statutes came from the Great Yi Immortal Court. Within or beyond the law, Heaven had no say.
Even the Heavenly Dao could not interfere in Great Yi's internal workings. Now, even rain and weather were administered by gods and dragons enfeoffed by Great Yi. As the number of enfeoffed deities continued to grow, many functions were gradually drawn under the control of Great Yi. Weather, seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—were all being brought under the authority of the Immortal Court.
The influence of external forces inside Great Yi was reduced to the barest minimum.
Now, Rahu controlled the Demonic Realm and unleashed Heart Demons upon the living. That was the authority of the Demon Ancestor, spreading the majesty of demonkind and striking terror in myriad races. Even peerless prodigies would pale under the test of Heart Demons.
But within a Dynasty, especially within Great Yi, the shackles of the Great Dao Dynasty were far too strong. Without permission, if Heart Demons even approached, they would be struck down by the Heavenly Law.
As Great Yi's Immortal Court continued to expand, this influence would only spread further. To the demonic path, this was no small problem. After all, the purpose of Heart Demons was to test cultivators' hearts. Those who passed grew stronger and refined; those who failed fell to corruption, perished, or went insane. That was karmic consequence.
Heart Demons were a warning, a reminder to cultivators to know reverence, to respect boundaries, to fear the power of demons.
More importantly, if Rahu could allow his Heart Demon trials into Great Yi's system, then the merit and fate derived from testing Great Yi's cultivators would be immeasurable. Compared to ordinary circumstances, the benefits would be many times greater. Such an arrangement would tie his path directly to Great Yi, raising his status and breaking shackles. This was the kind of opportunity the Nine Heavens Dao Venerable once sought tirelessly.
To gain fate from Great Yi's Immortal Court was to gain the fate of the Great Dao itself—immeasurably higher in grade. Compared to that, a single ancestral vein was insignificant.
And if one day Great Yi truly rose from Immortal Court to Heavenly Court, Rahu too would reap boundless benefits.
Sages fought for fate—what else?
Now that there was a chance to ride on Great Yi's carriage, there was no reason to hesitate. Rahu made no effort to conceal this.
"You want me to open Great Yi to your Heart Demons? In that case, one ancestral vein is not enough."
Yi Tianxing's expression turned faintly meaningful.
How could he not see what Rahu intended?
The miracle of a Great Dao Dynasty did not lie at the lower stages, but only began to fully unfold after reaching the Immortal Court.
Now that Great Yi was an Immortal Court, Heaven could not interfere. Before this stage, Heaven still had some power to influence, just as the Nine Heavens Dao Venerable still maintained his blockade, issuing decrees that limited Great Yi. Yet once they advanced to Heavenly Court, all such bans would become void. Under Heavenly Law, they would acknowledge nothing, and Heaven could do nothing.
It was like a sovereign state establishing a special autonomous zone—external powers had no authority inside.
Great Yi's Immortal Court was just like that within the Eternal World.
If they became a Heavenly Court, the elevation would be unimaginable, inestimably noble—beyond even the Heavenly Dao.
The Nine Heavens Dao Venerable once fought to the death to block such a rise and failed. And now Rahu, with merely half an ancestral vein—since the other half was already Yi Tianxing's by right—wanted to insert himself into Great Yi's Heavenly Law? That was far from enough.
Their past cooperation had been smooth, yes. But that did not mean Yi Tianxing would so easily let Rahu in. This was no time for sentiment. Without sufficient benefit, there was no reason to agree. Half an ancestral vein was absolutely insufficient, even if Heart Demons entering Great Yi could bring benefit to its cultivators.
"Heh, it's not as you say, Yi Emperor. If you have conditions, speak freely. Don't stand on ceremony with me. As long as I can agree, I will never object. In my hands are treasures you might desire—such as the Heaven-and-Earth treasures that can lay the foundation for innate spirit veins to become ancestral veins. Or the highest-grade cultivation manuals. If there's one thing I have in abundance, it is scriptures. I dare say my collection is among the top three."
Rahu smiled broadly.
He had expected Yi Tianxing's reaction. But since he hadn't outright refused, that meant it was negotiable. If it could be negotiated, then the only matter was the price. To Rahu, these external treasures no longer mattered. What mattered was the future—his path. What he sought was a place aboard the great ship of fate.
Every era had its protagonist. He understood that well.
The momentum of Heaven and Earth aligned with destiny.
This era was the clash of Eternal and Eternal Night, a battle of life and death. If he died again, he would be annihilated with no second chance. Of all forces, Great Yi had the greatest chance of transcendence. Of course he wanted to climb aboard—if he could.
And now, his prior gestures of goodwill seemed not wasted, for at least negotiations were possible.
"Twelve portions of Heaven-and-Earth treasures capable of laying the foundation for innate spirit veins to become ancestral veins. Every cultivation manual you hold, copied in full. Plus this ancestral vein. If you can provide these, then I can add a clause into Great Yi's Heavenly Law allowing Heart Demons to enter. And at critical times for Great Yi, you must render aid."
Yi Tianxing's voice was calm but firm.
Rahu indeed had what he needed.
Such treasures, capable of forming the foundation of an ancestral vein, were not things one could find casually. Each could, in primordial times, forge a top innate god or demon, even lay the roots for Hunyuan-level strength. To offer twelve such treasures—that was a lion's great opening.
And the manuals—Rahu was the Demon Ancestor. Countless cultivation methods had fallen into his grasp, plundered through Heart Demons. Most were useless to him, but they were still the crystallization of countless cultivators' wisdom. That was civilization's light. What was useless to Rahu could be priceless to others. For sects and great powers, manuals were the very foundation.
No one would willingly give them away. To do so was to cripple their own heritage.
But Rahu only smiled:
"Heaven-and-Earth treasures to establish vein foundations—I don't have so many on hand, but I can acquire them. As for manuals, copying them all is no problem. Take as many as you want. Once I return, I'll send them over. The ancestral vein too is yours. No problem."
He agreed without hesitation, without even haggling.
Yi Tianxing looked at him deeply, then smiled and nodded:
"Good. Whenever you deliver the goods, the agreement shall take effect."
He too looked forward to Rahu's scriptures. If obtained, Great Yi's Scripture Pavilion would become the most formidable in the Eternal World, a gathering place of wisdom unmatched, benefiting not just Great Yi, but the entire human race. The value of that was infinite. Wisdom was the true foundation of inheritance.
And with those Heaven-and-Earth treasures, their innate spirit veins could begin transforming into ancestral veins. This would lay the foundation for their future Heavenly Court. Combined with the ancestral vein already in hand, the benefits were immeasurable.
Rahu, in this era, would not be an enemy—though necessary precautions would remain.
"What shall we do next?" Rahu asked lightly, as though their earlier matter had been settled, his tone more intimate now.
"The summoning of Eternal Night's ancient powerhouses should still take some time. But I estimate they will not wait too long. After this theft of an ancestral vein, the timing may be hastened."
Yi Tianxing mused.
For now, they could only wait—ever prepared.
"Indeed. By my estimation, Eternal Night may attempt the summoning during the Chaos Heavenly Ladder. It is the perfect distraction—everyone's attention on the competition, while they move in secret. Very likely."
Rahu said with a knowing smile.