Watching the sudden surge in population in Xuanhuang Town, Huang Chengyan could hardly contain his joy.
His Confucian cultivation method required managing household affairs, governing the country, bringing peace to the world. Through administration, education, and care for the people—ensuring their well-being and happiness—his cultivation would progress faster, and his scholarly aura (Wen Qi) would grow ever more rapidly. This was the power of the people's will.
Naturally, the more people there were, the better it was for him.
Moreover, he truly wanted to bring fortune to more people. To genuinely support Yi Tianxing in creating a true land of bliss.
"Not only that, with the appearance of the lighthouse, if there are other villages around, they'll definitely spot it. Using it as a landmark, they can find their way to Xuanhuang Town. Even if they don't join the town directly, they can still establish contact, open up paths, even trade routes. At that point, our town will become the central hub of the entire surrounding area," said Master Lu, a gleam in his eyes.
Previously, the wilderness made contact nearly impossible:
There were no landmarks—easy to lose one's way.
Communication was nonexistent—no one knew where other humans were.
But now, the lighthouse had caught everyone's attention. As long as it was possible, groups would send people to investigate. Once roads were opened, all nearby factions would inevitably converge toward Xuanhuang Town. It was only a matter of time before it became the core of regional influence. The lighthouse was an irreplaceable advantage.
"It won't be long before the opportunity to introduce Eternal Coins arises," Huang Chengyan mused.
This was a golden opportunity. Once the town became a hub, all trade and communication would require currency. That would be the perfect moment to implement Eternal Coins.
Currency only had meaning when it circulated.
Time passed quietly.
More and more people gathered in Xuanhuang Town. The population now exceeded thirty thousand, and was quickly approaching forty thousand. Every day was bustling. After registering as residents and receiving cultivation techniques, newcomers eagerly began cultivating and integrating into town life, considering themselves part of the community.
They personally experienced the town's strength and its peace and order. Having lived in fear and chaos for so long, the people regarded Xuanhuang Town as a sanctuary, a place of safety and hope. They treasured this rare opportunity.
Moreover, they had a chance to become cultivators—to gain strength, to protect themselves, to no longer fear monsters and beasts, to personally fight them, and to live long lives. These hopes fueled their determination.
Many young men directly joined the army, becoming soldiers. They trained in battlefield combat techniques, aiming to protect the town, its people, and themselves.
The number of recruits surged, bringing the army's size to over ten thousand, with more joining daily.
Unknowingly, night arrived again.
Yi Tianxing, as usual, entered his meditation chamber to cultivate.
"Tonight, I'll definitely complete the transformation of the Divine Spring from illusion to reality and break through to the fifth level of the Divine Sea Realm," he vowed silently as he sat down.
For days now, he had poured immense effort into nurturing and refining the Divine Spring in his Divine Sea. He had already exhausted one full layer of true qi from his sea. The process was vast and demanding.
Fortunately, with each drop of consumed true qi, he could sense the Divine Spring transforming.
Now, only a small portion of it remained illusory. Once refined, the transformation would be complete.
Without hesitation, he began visualizing, already skilled in the process.
Strands of True Dragon Qi transformed into divine light, flowing into the Divine Spring. Around him, worldly energy surged into his body.
Time passed.
Unknowingly, as one more strand of True Dragon Qi turned into divine light and entered the spring...
A mysterious sensation erupted.
Within the Divine Sea, the head-sized Divine Spring suddenly shone brilliantly. Countless mystical runes danced within, shifting and intertwining before vanishing, merging with the spring.
At last, the illusory spring transformed into a real spring, no longer ethereal. A strange sense of fulfillment welled up in his heart.
"Divine Spring fully condensed—Divine Sea Realm, Fifth Level. My ability to absorb worldly energy is now at least ten times faster. Even passively, I absorb nearly as much as when I used to train at full concentration. This speed… it's astonishing. Worldly energy flows directly into my body, and with just a bit of refinement, becomes True Dragon Qi. My cultivation speed has skyrocketed again."
Yi Tianxing focused on the changes.
The vortex in the spring spun faster, drawing in energy at a terrifying rate—ten times faster than before. The spring's glow subtly made the surrounding True Dragon Qi denser. His connection to the world deepened, more harmonious.
It even felt as if, with a step, he could float—light as a feather.
Training would now be easier.
Even his life orifices (Ming Qiao) grew more active. Worldly energy from the Divine Spring now naturally flowed into the orifices, nurturing and strengthening them. Even during battle, this meant he could recover life orifice energy rapidly.
This was a profound transformation.
His endurance in combat had increased drastically. He could now fight longer, harder, stronger.
Even his sensitivity to the heavens and earth seemed to grow. His body now felt incredibly grounded and stable.
The Divine Spring had merged seamlessly with the Divine Sea—no longer a floating illusion. It became a solid foundation. Unlike before, there was no more instability.
"The true difficulty in breaking through is just a matter of time. As long as the Divine Spring condenses, the rest of the first tier of the Divine Sea Realm is just a natural progression. Each step is a ladder, waiting to be climbed. Once you're there, you realize it's all a logical evolution."
Yi Tianxing nodded to himself.
In the Divine Sea Realm, whether it was gathering energy, forming the spring, or expanding the sea—each stage was about accumulating and refining true qi, and reinforcing one's foundation.
Having already filled his Divine Sea from the beginning, Yi Tianxing essentially completed the end goal of this realm from the outset. Now, climbing the ranks was just a matter of will.
The Divine Sea Realm's level doesn't equal combat power.What mattered was one's battle techniques, life orifices, and divine abilities.
Even now, he could fight a ninth-level Divine Sea Realm cultivator without flinching. There wouldn't be much difference in raw power. Of course, each breakthrough did improve him—he just felt his physical strength increase by nearly a thousand jin just now.
This was why some cultivators experienced explosive leaps in power during breakthroughs.
Just like Huang Chengyan, who advanced in cultivation at blinding speed once he started.
That was the special nature of the Divine Sea Realm.
"Leveling up feels great. I'll reach the sixth level in a few days and complete the first tier of Divine Spring cultivation."
Yi Tianxing exhaled a long breath, a faint smile on his lips.
If anyone overheard this, they'd probably be driven to despair.
To him, leveling up and increasing realms sounded as casual as eating or drinking. But for those who hadn't broken through in years or even decades, it would be a soul-crushing comparison.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Yi Tianxing let out a puzzled exclamation.
His eyes showed surprise.
Raising his hand, he summoned a white jade token, its surface glowing with bloody-red archaic runes.
"The Heaven's Number One Martial Tournament Entry Token is reacting. Could it be… the tournament is starting?"
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly as he examined the token—it was the one he'd received for entering the Heaven's Number One Martial Tournament. It was glowing, pulsing with strange light, like a lantern flickering in the dark. Quite eerie.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a beam of divine light shot out from the token and entered his mind.
The information transferred smoothly and was instantly absorbed.
Yi Tianxing's face grew serious.
But at the same time, a flicker of excitement and battle-hunger flashed in his eyes.
"It's really starting. The Heaven's Number One Martial Tournament is actually beginning now. So soon after the fusion of the myriad worlds into the Eternal Continent… Is it too early? Still… it's incredibly exciting."
He whispered to himself.