The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 367 Changes in the sky
"Within the fiefdom, a first-rank Heavenly King is Heaven itself, acting on behalf of Heaven with his own will. This is essentially a power that has been split from the Heavenly Dao. Within the fiefdom, with the support of this power, a Heavenly King's strength can increase by at least 30%. Above the Heavenly King is the Super Rank, known as the Emperor, whose title is even more prestigious. However, apart from the Six Emperors, they are essentially the same as Heavenly Kings, only with more power split from the Heavenly Dao. Within the fiefdom, an Emperor's strength can increase by at least 50%."

Ding Lin listened thoughtfully.

Princess Iron Fan continued, "Once you reach the Taiyi level of cultivation, every improvement is incredibly difficult. But once you receive a title from the Heavenly Court, you can instantly gain three more levels of cultivation. It's undeniably tempting, and such a significant improvement inevitably comes at a price."

"After Taiyi, the inner world will be formed, which is beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements. Or rather, the existence of Taiyi realm itself has begun to be rejected by heaven and earth. Even if one has a heavenly duty, one can only barely be tolerated in the Three Realms. If one still wants to grasp power, one needs a reliable medium, the divine seal. The divine seal is placed in the soul as a bridge, and from then on the inner and outer worlds are connected. One can naturally cover the sky with one hand within the fiefdom. However, the inner world is also exposed to the Heavenly Dao. In other words, cultivators can manipulate power through the divine seal, and the Heavenly Dao can also influence cultivators through the divine seal. The royal seal is irreversible after being refined. That is to say, refining the divine seal, accepting the position of Heavenly King, and enjoying power also means paying a pledge of allegiance."

Princess Iron Fan stopped speaking at this point.

"What would happen if we didn't refine the divine seal?" Ding Lin asked.

“If it is not refined, then the inner and outer worlds cannot be completely integrated, leaving hidden dangers for the rule. Besides… back then, the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao because of the circumstances, not out of his own will. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao supervises the Three Realms more according to the mechanism and does not deliberately target them on a daily basis. So… there should be no problem?” Princess Iron Fan said.

Ding Lin understood.

If Hongjun Daozu truly acted in accordance with the will of the Great Dao and used the Heavenly Dao to monitor the Three Realms, such treacherous behavior would naturally be targeted. But now...

A huge stone fell from my heart.

“But even without refining it, relying solely on the connection of the divine seal itself, the Heavenly King can enjoy ten percent of the authority within his fiefdom. And not only within his fiefdom, but as long as he is in the Three Realms, the title of King will receive some benefit. Outside his fiefdom, the share is too small; at most, he will feel close to the king, and that’s all,” Princess Iron Fan added.

"I see." Ding Lin nodded.

At this point, Princess Iron Fan naturally understood that Ding Lin had received a title from the Heavenly Court: "Your Excellency, there are very few Heavenly Kings and Emperors in the Three Realms who have truly refined the Divine Seal. It will not be considered a sin. Being granted a royal title only represents the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother's high regard for him, which is a good thing."

Ding Lin's brows relaxed completely.

So, for the best.

"Your Excellency." Princess Jade Face poured a cup of fine wine and brought it to Ding Lin's lips.

Ding Lin savored the drink, his eyes narrowing. With a worry gone, the wine seemed even more fragrant and mellow.

Heavenly King!

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the divine seal leaped, yet remained separated from the inner realm of the cave. The four large characters "Yellow River Dragon King" carved beneath it occasionally appeared. Ding Lin recalled the spectacle when the decree was issued. Throughout the Three Realms, all those belonging to the Heavenly Court and the divine path, from the lowest land deities to the highest emperors, had heard of it. Indeed, once he gained strength, he immediately received a corresponding status.

But then Ding Lin saw the silent spatial law in the inner realm. Since the Yin-Yang law completely overshadowed the spatial law, there had been no unusual activity in the inner realm cave. Everything seemed calm, but the hidden danger was still not eliminated.

Ding Lin recalled the battle of magic not long ago. It was clearly a conflict between him and the Southern Dipper Star Lord and the Northern Dipper Star Lord, but in the end, it was the Purple Star Emperor and the Queen Mother who made the final decision.

The fleeting sense of pride that had just risen in my heart vanished in an instant.

The higher one's cultivation level, the more precarious one's path becomes.

And then there's the Mountain Moving Demon we just killed. 'Bull Demon King' is an old acquaintance of his, and he was just possessed like that.

Ding Lin grew increasingly silent, and reflecting on his own situation, he felt a sense of shared sorrow, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

Princess Jade Face then brought over another cup of wine.

Ding Lin drank it, but the flavor that had just begun to rise faded, leaving it bland as water. He focused his spiritual sense on the green lotus in the inner cave, but the hidden danger remained, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

But there's no solution right now, so the only thing to do is to improve our foundation so that when we finally unleash our full potential, we won't end up like the Bull Demon King.

Ding Lin pondered. He had already grasped the Five Elements and gained significant benefits from it, greatly advancing his understanding of the Yin-Yang principles. However, he had also reached a bottleneck. The period of rapid development was over, and it would be difficult to achieve further progress in this area in the short term. From now on, he could only rely on the accumulation of quantity and gradual, subtle influence. Apart from that… “Reincarnation…”

Ding Lin murmured, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

His trip to Five Elements Mountain yielded more than just the Five Elements Laws. Perhaps he should also visit the Underworld to learn about the Law of Reincarnation, a top-tier law. If he could gain a deeper understanding of it, it could naturally serve as a means to strengthen his Dao foundation.

The decision has been made.

Having a direction for the next step eased my anxiety considerably.

Ding Lin smiled again. He decided that after leaving Jilei Mountain, he would return to the Yellow River and then head straight to the underworld.

As for now...

Ding Lin glanced to his left and right at Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face, with beauties in his arms.

Of course, one should enjoy life to the fullest when things are going well!

……

A day later, a streak of crimson light flashed across the sky above Mount Jilei and then vanished in an instant.

……

Yellow River.

"Star Lord, these are the offerings presented by each branch this year." Prime Minister Turtle smiled and bent down to present a jade talisman.

Qingyi glanced at the old tortoise's regal demeanor, her eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't show any particular reaction. She reached out and took the jade slip. This old tortoise wasn't like this before. She came with Ding Lin's token, and although the old tortoise didn't dare to be negligent, his respect was tinged with wariness.

As time went by, the old turtle may have found out something—that her official position was obtained through Ding Lin's recommendation, which was no secret—and began to speculate about her relationship with Ding Lin. This gradually made him less wary, but he still maintained a degree of restraint.

Although the Yellow River Chancellor's official position was to assist the Water God in handling government affairs, he was ultimately a minister of the Heavenly Court. He was indeed a subordinate official, but not simply a subordinate.

Until recently, in the waters, regardless of rank, as long as they were on the register of immortals, their divine seals all trembled, receiving the same heavenly decree—to appoint the Yellow River Water Lord as the Yellow River Dragon King.

Proclaim this to the Three Realms!

The significance of being called a First-Rank Heavenly King is self-evident. From that day on, the old tortoise was left with nothing but obedience, and the subordinate truly became a subordinate and a retainer.

"The offerings this year are 30% more than in previous years."

Having managed the Yellow River for many years, Qingyi was no longer as inexperienced as she had been at the beginning. She naturally knew this. She swept her divine sense across the jade talisman and nodded slightly. The old tortoise, who had been watching her expression, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Although he felt a little pain in his heart, he was mostly relieved. This 30% was a tradition of his lineage in previous years. Now that the situation had changed, it was wise to take it back decisively.

“Thirty percent,” Qingyi placed the jade slip on the table in front of her. “That’s quite a lot more, but…” She looked up at the old tortoise, whose back was bent even more as it carried its shell. Her relaxed mood tightened again. “Just give it the same amount as in previous years. Put it away in the storeroom.”

"Yes!" the old tortoise replied, his heart growing even more apprehensive. This potential future Dragon Queen was not only incredibly powerful, but her methods were also masterful. While it seemed she hadn't taken the 30%, she was actually tacitly accepting the old rules. But now, unlike before…

Can it be the same?

Things have changed.

(End of this chapter)