Chapter 0723: Heaven-Sacrificing and Nation Founding
There was an illusion, as if by merely raising one's head, one could see the will of heaven and earth.
That sensation was exceptionally clear.
It felt as though the Will of Heaven and Earth was observing from directly above.
"To worship Heaven, there must be a ritual vessel. This one shall be the Heaven-Sacrificing Cauldron."
Standing on the Heaven-Sacrificing Altar, Yi Tianxing looked at the empty platform, frowning slightly. With a wave of his hand, the bronze cauldron that had once suppressed the Evil Shadow appeared before him. Though no longer used for alchemy, the bronze cauldron radiated an ancient and heavy aura, bearing the weight of ages.
At this moment, this cauldron became the Heaven-Sacrificing Cauldron on the altar.
Cauldrons, from ancient times, were created for sacrifice.
Inside this cauldron was not emptiness, but earth—not rare or sacred soil, but dirt collected from every village, town, and even from beneath Xuanhuang City. This mixed soil was placed inside the cauldron, forming the Soil of the State (Sheji Soil). It symbolized the land the soon-to-be dynasty would govern.
Yi Tianxing then produced three incense sticks, each three meters tall.
These were not ordinary incense. They were personally crafted by incense artisans in Xuanhuang City, made from the Sheji Soil, mixed with the blood and bones of countless ferocious beasts. This incense was called Sheji Incense, a special incense used solely for heavenly sacrifices.
The Sheji Incense shimmered with a five-colored glow.
Ordinary flames could not ignite this incense. Not even spiritual or elemental fire could do so—it had to be lit by the monarch himself, using the vital essence of a living being.
Humans possess three internal flames—some call them the Three Soul-Lights, others the Three Fires—manifestations of one's Essence, Qi, and Spirit. These fires burn at the shoulders and atop the head, representing one's life force and mental vigor.
Yi Tianxing, long familiar with this principle, summoned the three incense sticks to his shoulders and head. Three ethereal flames ignited from nowhere, radiating a searing brilliance, and lit the incense. Only with exceptionally powerful vitality could these be lit.
Holding the three blazing incense sticks, Yi Tianxing placed them into the Heaven-Sacrificing Cauldron.
A fragrant aroma naturally dispersed.
The smoke was unusual—five-colored, condensing without dissipating, converging above the cauldron regardless of the wind. From the multicolored smoke, two distinct streams emerged—a pure white one rising upward, and a dark yellow one descending downward—as though echoing the primordial division of heaven and earth.
This was the dual purpose of Sheji Incense: to worship the Heavens above, and the Earth below.
"Heaven and Earth, I, Yi Tianxing, Lord of Xuanhuang City, now offer a heavenly sacrifice. Since the beginning of the Eternal Calendar and the fusion of all realms, I have built villages, repelled beasts and invaders, established order, revived livelihood, standardized currency, and united countless towns under one banner. Today, I formally offer sacrifice to Heaven and announce my intent to found a Dynasty of Fortune. May Heaven grant approval."
Yi Tianxing bowed solemnly.
With a wave of his hand, four sacred artifacts appeared:
A seal forged from the Xuanhuang Jade.
A majestic palace model.
A divine register.
A scroll, still rolled up.
These were the Four Sacred Artifacts of National Destiny—Divine Instruments of State (镇国神器).
Floating above the cauldron, they rested upon the cloud of five-colored smoke produced by the incense.
Below the altar stood Cai Yong, dressed in ceremonial garb, his expression solemn. Today, he served as the ritual officiant.
Yi Tianxing placed the artifacts down and kneeled before the Heaven-Sacrificing Cauldron.
"First Kneel—to Heaven!" Cai Yong inhaled deeply, his voice solemn.
"Bow."
"Bow again."
"Bow thrice."
"Rise."
Yi Tianxing completed the three bows and rose slowly.
"Second Kneel—to Earth!"
"Bow."
"Bow again."
"Bow thrice."
"Rise."
"Third Kneel—to the Nation!"
"Bow."
"Bow again."
"Bow thrice."
"Rise."
Three kneels and nine bows—the Grand Ceremony of Sacrifice. Before Heaven and Earth, kneeling was not only proper—it was imperative.
After presiding, Cai Yong too kneeled and bowed. Earlier, he was the officiant; now, he bowed as a subject and citizen, bound by the same rites.
Throughout the nine-bow ritual, the Will of Heaven did not object. It only intensified—growing ever stronger.
Yi Tianxing looked down upon Xuanhuang City. Millions of people had descended from the Iron-Blood Great Wall and knelt. Even the entire million-strong army on the city wall bowed in reverence. A sovereign aura gleamed in Yi Tianxing's eyes. This was the transformation that came from seizing divine mandate—commanding the future of all beings.
Calmly, he unfurled the Divine Register, then took the Xuanhuang Jade Seal and pressed it upon the register.
"From this day forward, I found the nation of Yi, under Heaven's Mandate. May it endure eternally!"
"GRANTED!!"
From the heavens, a booming voice resounded—a response from the Will of Heaven itself, acknowledging Yi Tianxing's founding of a nation and establishment of a Dynasty of Fortune.
At the moment the name "Yi" was declared, a massive character "易" surfaced on the register—ethereal yet undeniable. This was now the exclusive national register of the Yi Dynasty.
It could never be altered.
From now on, it was fused with the nation's very destiny—inseparable.
On the left of the register, a prominent "King" (王) character appeared, with Yi Tianxing's name below it. This marked him as the unchallengeable master of this Divine Register. No one could surpass him.
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and pressed the Xuanhuang Seal onto his name.
ROAR!!
A deafening dragon's roar shattered the sky. For thousands of miles, all living beings—humans, beasts, and other races—heard it as if it echoed right beside them.
Brilliant golden light surged from the altar, enveloping it in divine radiance.
Within that radiance, Yi Tianxing stood like a supreme emperor. All the imperial aura he'd accumulated during his simulations of emperors' lives erupted. His Chaos Battle Dragon Robe underwent a complete transformation. The dragons and serpents embroidered on it all morphed into nine vivid flood dragons, each unique in color and aura, alive and moving.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!!"
Huang Chengyan and others couldn't help but fall to their knees, shouting fervently.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!! LONG LIVE THE KING!!"
The entire army knelt in unison, their shouts reverberating.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!!"
The voices of millions of citizens surged. Not just in Xuanhuang City—but throughout the entire territory under its rule, villagers and townspeople alike felt a mysterious resonance, as though they could glimpse the mighty figure on the altar through space and time.
Yi Tianxing felt overwhelming joy. At this moment, he truly was—Heaven's Chosen.
"The Dynasty of Fortune is founded. The National Destiny manifests!"
As he declared this, the Fate Pool soared from his core space, rising above Xuanhuang City. It expanded into a massive sea of clouds, 365 zhang wide. Within it, part of the cloud was already solidified into golden-yellow mist—condensed, refined national destiny.
A mystical image appeared within the cloud.
Looking closer, one could see a lifelike Map of Rivers and Mountains, depicting all territories and settlements under Xuanhuang's control.
From each location, strands of white luck rose into the clouds, absorbed by fountains within the cloud sea and transformed into golden fate energy.
So long as the land remained under control, fate would continually accumulate.
In an instant, the previously illusory parts of the cloud began rapidly solidifying.
"This is the power of a Dynasty of Fortune. Fate comes not only from people, but also from the land itself. The greater the territory, the greater the fortune—it flows endlessly. This is Earth Fortune nurturing National Fortune."
ROAR!!
At that moment, the golden flood dragon that had earlier fused into the Fate Pool now roamed joyfully in the cloud sea. Though still in the form of a flood dragon, it had become the Dragon of National Fate.
It now represented the entire national destiny of the Great Yi Dynasty, stabilizing the sea of clouds like a celestial pillar.
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Hall shall reside above the Fate Cloud Sea."
Yi Tianxing pointed at the Hall of Ten Thousand Immortals, and it soared into the sky...