"Calamity… calamity has come."
"You just had to seize cheap fortune, and of all people, you took it from him. The karmic weight is too great. This time, you may have to pay with your life."
Inwardly, Ma Huaqian was filled with regret and bitterness. If he had stolen fortune from someone else, perhaps it would not matter. But the problem was that this person was Yi Tianxing, the first Emperor of the Eternal World, ruler of the Great Yi Immortal Court. Since his rise, he had swept all before him, founding a vast dominion.
His strength was needless to say—invincible among his generation.
Step by step, he had surpassed his peers and entered an entirely new realm. He was the first to step into the Dao Proving Realm, finding his own Dao. Ma Huaqian knew full well that Yi Tianxing was the true first to prove the Dao. He himself was nothing but a shameful thief, an impostor exposed with a single poke. There was no comparison. Yi Tianxing was a man fierce enough to slay even Hunyuan Saints, sitting atop the Great Yi Immortal Court, lord of the legendary Dao Dynasty.
Every time Ma Huaqian thought about these things, his heart quaked.
Since proving the Dao, he had hidden away on the Primordial Continent, building the Palace of Creation Immortals, creating his own holy land. He barely dared to step outside, staying as far away from the Great Yi Immortal Court as possible, praying that Yi Tianxing would forget his existence.
The longer forgotten, the better.
But after decades of hiding, he still could not escape.
The jade talisman had come to him years ago, and he knew it belonged to Yi Tianxing. He feared it, but he had never dared to discard it. It was a time bomb he carried constantly. And now, the day had come.
"If it is fortune, so be it. If it is calamity, I cannot avoid it. Great Yi… I must go after all."
Whether he stretched his neck or shrank it, it was still the same blade. There was no longer any way to delay. This day was inevitable.
Ma Huaqian gritted his teeth, inhaled deeply, and stepped into the heavenly gate before him.
Great Yi.
Xuanhuang Immortal City.
Inside the Hall of Knowledge and Conduct.
Yi Tianxing sat alone upon the throne. The hall was empty, save for him. Suddenly, a spatial gate appeared, and in the next moment a figure stepped quickly through. It was none other than Ma Huaqian, the Immortal King of Creation.
Yi Tianxing looked upon him, secretly impressed. Truly, he had the bearing of an immortal king, celestial and dignified—enough to inspire natural trust at first sight.
"Immortal King of Creation !!" Yi Tianxing's gaze fell upon him, his voice calm.
"Ma Huaqian of the wilderness greets His Majesty the Immortal Emperor. May His Majesty live eternally, undying and everlasting."
Ma Huaqian bowed deeply. "Before Your Majesty, how could I dare claim the title of Immortal King?"
Yi Tianxing laughed lightly. "Immortal King of Creation, Ma Huaqian—you are truly bold. To prove the Dao borrowing my name—have you considered how to repay such karma? By weaving truth with falsehood, your Dao of Deception has indeed fooled the world's beings. If word spread, many would find you… fascinating."
Ma Huaqian's expression was deferential. "Your Majesty, that deed of the past was indeed my transgression. I am willing to accept punishment. Whatever command Your Majesty gives, I shall obey without hesitation. I only wish to settle this karma between us. Even if my deceit is exposed and I fall from the Dao Proving Realm to dust, I will accept it willingly."
His attitude was entirely submissive. No matter the outcome, he was prepared to pay. Even if stripped of his cultivation, he was willing—so long as this karmic tie with Yi Tianxing was cut. He never wished to be entangled with him again.
Had he known it was Yi Tianxing back then, he would never have dared.
To pluck wool from Yi Tianxing's sheep—that was courting death itself.
Living in fear day after day was unbearable.
"Rest assured," Yi Tianxing said calmly. "Though you borrowed my name to prove the Dao, your Dao of Deception is indeed unique, with its own charm. At that time, I permitted you to use it because I wished to see how far you could take this path, what divine abilities you might manifest. Would you share some of its principles with me?"
"Of course… there is no problem."
Ma Huaqian hesitated briefly, then nodded. He began explaining the principles of his Dao of Deception.
Yi Tianxing did not interrupt, but listened quietly, nodding from time to time. He gradually came to understand its truths. Indeed, this Dao of Deception was a strange, special great Dao. At its peak, one could deceive men, ghosts, gods, Buddhas—heaven and earth, myriad races, all living beings.
If people believed it, the false became real.If people doubted, the real became false.
Between true and false, there was no boundary in this Dao. It was unfathomably mysterious.
Ma Huaqian was truly a master of this Dao.
Even his casual words carried a subtle power that compelled trust, leaving no room for suspicion. This was his special ability.
At last, he finished, a little reluctant to stop.
Yi Tianxing nodded. "Excellent. Your Dao of Deception is indeed remarkable."
"Your Majesty flatters me," Ma Huaqian said humbly.
"This time, I summoned you because there is a task I wish to entrust to you. If you succeed and allow my plan to unfold, then the karma between us will be erased. From then on, you will be the true Immortal King of Creation. Your proving of the Dao will remain unknown to all but us."
Yi Tianxing's words carried both weight and promise.
"May Your Majesty instruct me," Ma Huaqian said, heart tense. He was somewhat relieved, yet also wary. If Yi Tianxing offered such a reward, the task would not be small. It might even risk his life.
But he dared not refuse. This was the only chance to sever the karmic tie. Miss it, and there might never be another.
So he agreed without hesitation.
"Do not worry—it will not be sending you to your death."
Yi Tianxing smiled meaningfully.
But Ma Huaqian's heart jolted. That smile boded nothing simple. His Dao of Deception had given him a deep understanding of human nature—he knew there was a great storm behind that smile.
Not long after, Ma Huaqian left the hall, settling quietly in Xuanhuang Immortal City under palace arrangements. To the outside world, his identity was unknown. He lived in seclusion, going out rarely, always keeping low.
After he left, Yi Tianxing gazed into the void, his eyes deep and unreadable.
"Ten years. In ten years they will begin summoning back powerhouses of the previous epoch. As expected, Yongye seeks to use the prodigy war to draw attention, making it difficult to interfere. They want to drag Eternal into a quagmire of war, exhausting every living force and elite army."
He had just received exact intelligence.
Indeed, Yongye's calculations were shrewd. If events went according to their plan, the coming war would be unimaginably bloody. Eternal might suffer catastrophic losses. Yet with this foreknowledge, the outcome was no longer certain.
Time passed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, three years went by.
During these three years, Buzhou Mountain remained suspended in the void, its scenes reflected across the realms. Battles of prodigies were displayed openly, their struggles witnessed by all beings. Many prodigies had fallen. Some suddenly gained fortune, rising overnight, their strength soaring.
Such scenes became the talk of all races.
Supporters cheered passionately for their favored prodigies.
On the Star Net, lists were drawn—ranking the prodigies, recording their battles, sharing them widely. Countless voices debated and argued.
But three years in such a war was only the beginning. Many prodigies still searched for fortune, awaiting the chance to rise in one stroke and carve their names into history.
BOOM!!
On this day, thunder boomed in the void. A massive heavenly eye appeared once more.
A voice echoed across Eternal:
"The fusion of the two realms deepens. The collision of origins grows fierce. The Eternal–Yongye channel opens. In five years, the God-Demon Battlefield shall begin. All races may join. Those who fight may gain merit and destiny, exchanging it for endless fortune. May my Eternal endure forever, may martial destiny flourish."
The heavenly message entered the minds and souls of every being, clear beyond doubt.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the golden eye vanished, its immense pressure dispersing.
The abruptness left many stunned.
"Again… the God-Demon Battlefield is to open. This will be the third time. The interval was short—too short. And in the middle of the prodigy war as well. Truly, the fusion of the realms has accelerated the frequency of war."
"Five years. Only five years to prepare. Then we march to battle."
"Go! We cannot enter the prodigy war, but the God-Demon Battlefield welcomes us all. If we cannot slay Yongye prodigies, then we will kill Yongye demon spawn on the battlefield! We missed the last one—we will not miss this one!"
Across the Eternal World, the myriad races erupted in discussion.
On the Star Net, stormy waves surged.
Countless cultivators declared their intent to join the battle.