It could be said that these innate spiritual veins were very weak. Moreover, being connected to their respective heavens and earth, they could no longer be separated. The spiritual veins would follow their worlds, continuously growing and strengthening, swallowing and exhaling the world's spiritual essence. At the beginning, they were fragile, but they carried tremendous potential for growth. In the future, once they reached their limit, it might not be impossible for them to once again transform into ancestral veins.
The spaces that had been opened up were merely Cave Heavens, and the weakest kind at that—each only a hundred li in radius. Yet at this moment, every leaf on the Palace Treasure Tree had completed its transformation. The number of leaves was like the sands of the Ganges, immeasurable and astonishing.
The Palace Treasure Tree already had dozens of layers, and each layer bore leaves so numerous they could not be counted. They were to be reckoned not by thousands, but by tens of thousands, millions, tens of millions—even billions.
Without the accumulation of the Xuanhuang Immortal City over the past several decades, together with the boundless fortune obtained during its ascension, storing up a vast ocean of energy, even a single ancestral vein would not have sufficed to open Cave Heavens across all the leaves.
Even though each newborn Cave Heaven was only about a hundred li across, when all these worlds were stacked together, the territory they represented exceeded imagination—a fertile, boundless expanse with infinite potential for the future.
During the process of world evolution, the surface of the Palace Treasure Tree did not reveal the slightest anomaly. Everything was deliberately suppressed and hidden. Naturally, the Xuanhuang Immortal City was capable of this. To the outside world, it would seem as if nothing had changed. No one could have imagined that in just the span of a moment, the Palace Treasure Tree standing tall in the city's center had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Even an ordinary-looking leaf had experienced a fundamental change.
"Master, the leaves of the World Tree have already opened up Cave Heavens. However, for now, only the lowest layer of leaves has birthed Cave Heavens a hundred li wide. As for the other forty-eight cloud layers, their leaves have merely opened Cave Heavens about a single li across. Although an ancestral vein is precious, it could not allow the Palace Treasure Tree to open Cave Heavens of a hundred li on every layer. These are merely preliminary spaces. Yet they still retain their potential, and as they continue to absorb essence, they will keep growing and transforming. It will only take more time."
Fairy Ruyi spoke softly.
Although an ancestral vein contained vast energy, the number of leaves on the Palace Treasure Tree was simply outrageous—beyond imagination.
Normally, when a World Tree grew leaves, each leaf represented the gestation of a world, and the number of leaves would not be large. Time and accumulation were necessary. But the Palace Treasure Tree had transformed midway into a World Tree; its leaves already existed beforehand. This was merely a conversion process, so the number was naturally immense. The resources required to nurture them were immeasurable. A single ancestral vein could only lay down the foundations for these worlds.
The next stages of growth would require an ocean of resources to nourish them.
"Mm. That lowest layer with a range of a hundred li is already enough at this initial stage. Moreover, the combined range of all the Cave Heavens within the tree's leaves is no less than the territory Da Yi now controls."
Yi Tianxing nodded, unsurprised. If every leaf could truly produce a Cave Heaven of a hundred li, that would be too absurd. The number of leaves on the Palace Treasure Tree was simply too many—far beyond ordinary standards. This was an anomaly among World Trees.
"Next, these Cave Heavens must be made more stable, and as much energy as possible should be drawn in and integrated into them. The lowest layer is to be given priority—allocate fifty percent of the energy there. The other fifty percent is to be evenly distributed among the other forty-eight layers.
"And also—let the Cave Heavens opened on the Palace Treasure Tree be cut off from the outside world. Seal everything. Do not allow any communication with the Eternal World."
He spoke a series of instructions.
Fairy Ruyi carefully committed them all to memory.
What came next would be their implementation.
"Rest assured, Master. No one will ever discover the creation of these Cave Heavens. They are completely hidden within each cloud realm. Normally, the clouds obscure everything. In the eyes of others, the leaves are nothing but clouds, indistinguishable from them."
Fairy Ruyi smiled as she answered.
"Good. I leave this to you."
Yi Tianxing patted her head with a smile. The next moment, his figure disappeared from the core space.
The next day.
Inside the Hall of Knowledge and Action, Liu Bowen, Jia Xu, Xun Yu, and a number of Da Yi's most important ministers stood in attendance, respectfully facing the figure seated high upon the throne.
After paying their respects, Yi Tianxing was the first to speak:
"My beloved subjects, how fares the Demonic Calamity within the Eternal World? What impact does it have upon my Da Yi?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty," Xun Yu said, "according to our information, the spread of the calamity has slowed somewhat. This should be due to the fusion of the two worlds and the interweaving of their laws reaching a certain threshold. The mutual influence has reached a limit. The situation should not worsen beyond this point.
"Within Da Yi, the impact has been a thirty percent reduction in yields of normal crops. However, after switching to new species unaffected by the calamity, the damage has been greatly reduced.
"In other realms, however, the calamity's effects are dire—harvests have fallen to less than thirty percent. Even with unaffected new crops, they cannot produce sufficient seeds. Countless beings are starving daily. In many territories, chaos has already begun. As long as hunger persists, disorder cannot be eradicated."
Such news was plain to see every day, most directly through the Star Net.
With Star Net covering the entire Eternal World, it had become an indispensable part of life for countless cultivators and races. For many starving beings, only through Star Net could they still feel connected to life.
Of course, some realms had stabilized. By various means, they had curbed the calamity's destruction, promoted the new crops, and gradually recovered.
But in the territories surrounding Da Yi, the suffering was even worse.
Without comparison, there is no despair.
Placed side by side, the difference was glaring. The people in those realms could no longer endure. Rebellions flared one after another, their cries and demands pressing the ruling powers into agony.
"Hunger is but a trivial effect of the Demonic Calamity. The true horror lies in the Demon Abyss that will open. From them, endless demon soldiers will pour forth, wreaking devastation far greater than famine. Realms will be reduced to ruin. Enduring such trials will be even harder. For us, there is no need to act rashly. The time will come naturally."
Jia Xu smiled faintly.
Disaster was opportunity.
This was what Da Yi had been waiting for.
Now, Da Yi had the patience to wait.
"Mm. Since that is the case, we will not interfere for now. The reason I summoned you here today is to discuss a matter that concerns the very foundations of Da Yi."
Yi Tianxing nodded. The situation remained well within expectations.
"May Your Majesty enlighten us."
Liu Bowen and the others exchanged glances, then spoke in unison.
"Just now, this Emperor has opened brand new Cave Heavens upon every leaf of the Palace Treasure Tree. Each Cave Heaven has the potential to grow into a complete world. At present, only the lowest layer spans a hundred li. Within them are environments suitable for habitation, reproduction, and life. Taken together, their range already surpasses our current territories—and in the future, their growth will be even more astonishing."
Yi Tianxing's words resounded.
"What?!"
At once, the bodies of the assembled ministers trembled. Shock surged through them, their minds racing.
The implications were clear to them immediately. They knew exactly how significant this was.
Territory meant land. Land meant fate and fortune. It meant space for endless subjects, and stronger foundations.
"Your Majesty, may I ask whether any others know of the Palace Treasure Tree's opening of these Cave Heavens?"
Liu Bowen's eyes burned as he asked.
"None but you."
Yi Tianxing answered calmly.
"In that case, I beseech Your Majesty to seal this secret completely, and cut off all connection between the Cave Heavens and the Eternal World. These Cave Heavens can become the unshakable foundation of Da Yi for all eternity—the immortal cornerstone for ascending to the Heavenly Court."
Liu Bowen said gravely.
"Indeed. These new Cave Heavens can allow Da Yi to nurture billions of new citizens, gathering boundless fate. If they remain hidden, at the crucial moment they could turn everything around—determine heaven and earth—freeing us from reliance on the Eternal World. They would eliminate one of the greatest weaknesses of a fortune dynasty, ensuring Da Yi's national destiny continues without end."
Jia Xu declared firmly.
A hidden card—this was the ultimate hidden card.
A fortune dynasty was not without flaws.
In fact, its flaws were obvious: it must rely on its people. Only by gathering countless subjects could it condense human destiny and draw fortune. If its citizens were slaughtered, its cities destroyed, its territories occupied, then its fortune would dissipate, its national destiny would collapse, and it would weaken. If all its lands were conquered, the dynasty would teeter on the edge of destruction.
This was a fatal weakness for fortune dynasties.
Throughout history, many had tried to solve this problem. But it was nearly impossible. Even if one opened secret realms or Cave Heavens, one could not carry away all the people of the dynasty. Without earth's destiny, how could national destiny be gathered?
Only with the triad of Heaven, Earth, and Man united could national destiny be achieved, condensing the fate of the nation.