With the acquisition of fourth-grade Immortal Flame, the quality of the Array Banners crafted by Joe Di immediately rose to a new level. Previously, Joe Di was only on the verge of becoming a fourth-grade Immortal Arraymaster, but with the upgraded Array Banners, the formations he set up were now true fourth-grade Immortal Arrays, making him a genuine fourth-grade Immortal Arraymaster.
With the addition of Quinn Tong, Ben Taylor, and Ian Shaw, the construction of Starhaven City progressed even faster.
Three months later, Joe Di had already set up a fourth-grade protective array for Starhaven City. Half a year after, he added a fourth-grade Strangler Array around its perimeter, and within the protective array, he placed a fourth-grade Entrapment Array.
A year later, Joe Di's arraycraft skills improved further, making him a fifth-grade Immortal Arraymaster. He then upgraded the three previous arrays to fifth-grade Immortal Arrays and set up a massive Spirit Gathering Array outside Starhaven City.
At this moment, the Immortal Realm was without sects, so regardless of how grand or expansive the Spirit Gathering Array was, no one would come to question its existence.
Joe Di handled all the array formations himself, without seeking help from others. Firstly, he did not trust anyone else, and secondly, he was the only fifth-grade Immortal Arraymaster present. Asking others for help would only hinder the process.
Starhaven City had long been completed, and everyone was waiting for Joe Di to finish merging the grand arrays. The city was beautiful, but if Joe Di's Fortune Gathering Array failed to channel fortune into the city, its beauty would be meaningless.
What everyone truly cared about was Joe Di's final Fortune Gathering Array. As for how many arrays he had set up, no one knew. Only Quinn Tong was aware that the last array Joe Di placed was the Grand Fivefold Array, not the Fortune Gathering Array.
Although Joe Di hadn't explained, Quinn Tong had vaguely guessed the truth. That mystical spring was likely the remnant of the Immortal Realm's fortune, and Joe Di's Grand Fivefold Array was meant to suppress the fortune there, gradually gathering it back.
Joe Di placed all kinds of Fivefold Array Banners, setting the Terraflame Banner at the core of the City Lord's Mansion to lock in the fortune.
It took Joe Di a year to set up all the other arrays, but for the Grand Fivefold Array, he spent more than half a year.
When all the array banners had been placed, and only the final Starwater Banner remained, Joe Di was filled with excitement.
As long as he placed the Starwater Banner at the bottom of the Celestial Bamboo River, the Grand Fivefold Array would be fully activated.
All the Guardian Arrays, Spirit Gathering Arrays, Strangler Arrays, and Deathtrap Arrays set up by Joe Di depended on the Grand Fivefold Array. Once the Grand Fivefold Array was activated, the other arrays would also activate simultaneously.
This chain-linked grand array had both advantages and disadvantages. The benefit was that as long as the Grand Fivefold Array remained intact, the other arrays would operate endlessly, forming a chain formation that greatly increased their power. Even if part of it was damaged, it could quickly repair itself.
The drawback was that if the Grand Fivefold Array was destroyed, the other Guardian Arrays would become almost useless.
Joe Di set things up this way for two reasons: one, his arraycraft skills were not yet perfect, so this arrangement enhanced the power of the arrays; and two, the Grand Fivefold Array was the core of the city, directly under his control. If even the Grand Fivefold Array was destroyed, the remaining arrays would be meaningless.
With a sense of anticipation, Joe Di placed the Starwater Banner beside the clear spring.
Boom! Boom! Boom! As the Starwater Banner was set, Starhaven City erupted in a series of thunderous roars.
The city, once fully visible to spiritual sense, suddenly became hazy. Even with the naked eye, only a limited area could be seen; the rest was blocked by Guardian Arrays and auxiliary formations, isolating spiritual sense.
Everyone stared in surprise at the changes in the surrounding space. Ian Shaw, the strongest cultivator present, muttered in disbelief, "Friend Di is actually an Immortal Arraymaster—this must be at least a fourth-grade Immortal Array..."
He wasn't deeply versed in arraycraft, but he'd seen many Guardian Arrays in other Immortal Cities. Even before the Twilight Immortal Era, a Guardian Array like Starhaven City's was not something any ordinary array master could construct. It was hard for him to believe—a cultivator from the cultivation world could possess such profound arraycraft skills.
The thunderous roar continued, and soon everyone seemed to see a stream of pure water essence erupting from the Celestial Bamboo River. Dense immortal spiritual energy gathered madly, and the previously blurred ambient laws became crystal clear.
"Is it possible to cultivate now?"
Someone uttered in a daze.
Most people couldn't even speak; they simply knelt to the ground, trembling all over.
Those who sensed the immortal spiritual energy all understood—this cultivation was fundamentally different from what they had experienced in Twilight Domain castles. This was true cultivation, unrestrained. The castles of the Immortal Realm only allowed for the absorption of scattered spiritual energy, just enough to avoid regression.
"I can sense the Lightning Tribulation—I can feel the True Immortal Lightning Tribulation!" a Domain Stage cultivator shouted excitedly, his voice nearly hysterical. He had seen many cultivators advance to True Immortal by simply transforming their immortal essence, but he could directly sense the tribulation—this felt like a dream.
Once he crossed the tribulation and became a True Immortal, his strength would far surpass those who had only converted their immortal essence.
"I can feel it too!"
"Me too..."
Of the more than one hundred Domain Stage cultivators, at least half sensed the True Immortal Lightning Tribulation.
They had already reached the peak of the Domain Stage; all they lacked for tribulation was the right environment and opportunity.
One cultivator after another knelt to the ground, feeling only gratitude—grateful they had followed Joe Di to this new Immortal City.
Those who managed to reach the Immortal Realm were no fools. They all guessed that this New Immortal City was not formed by a Fortune Gathering Array, but was a true Immortal City of the realm. How Joe Di accomplished this was unimportant; what mattered was living in this city.
Joe Di also sensed the dense immortal spiritual energy. Although he had expected this, experiencing it firsthand still filled him with excitement.
This change proved one thing: his Grand Fivefold Array had suppressed the Immortal Realm’s fortune and had begun gathering the realm’s fortune together.
Soon, the fortune around Starhaven City would slowly spread outward. One day, the Immortal Realm would be restored to its former glory.
What surprised him even more was that, although he was only a fifth-grade Immortal Arraymaster, after setting the Terraflame Banner and Starwater Banner to suppress the realm’s fortune, the Grand Fivefold Array upgraded itself to a sixth-grade Immortal Array, rather than the fifth-grade array he had originally set.
He calmed his excitement, lifted his hand, and wrote four large immortal essence characters: Starhaven City.
These four large characters were linked with the Grand Fivefold Array. As long as the array continued to suppress and gather the realm’s fortune, the words Starhaven City would never fade.
"The celestial bamboo is coming back to life..."
Another voice cried out in delight. When Starhaven City was being established, according to Joe Di’s plan, the Celestial Bamboo River was to remain untouched, and the celestial bamboo on both banks would be transplanted along the streets.
Although no one understood why Joe Di wanted the withered bamboo transplanted along the streets, they followed his instructions nonetheless.
Only now did they understand why Joe Di had done this—he had known all along the bamboo would come back to life.
Ian Shaw also knelt down, gazing excitedly at the vibrant bamboo gathering life along the streets. Something caught in his throat, leaving him speechless.
After the twilight of the Immortal Realm, Ian Shaw had thought he would never again witness the realm’s scenery, never see any green, never feel any vitality. All he could do was watch the Immortal Realm wither and die like an old man reaching the end of his life.
He never expected to see vitality again, to see the Immortal Realm sprout anew after its withering.
This was true rebirth, not the false rebirth of the Sanctuary Domain.
Starhaven City was the new life of the Immortal Realm, like a freshly sprouted seed. That seed had sprouted in his heart as well, growing stronger. Starhaven City was worth defending with his life.
"Thank you, City Lord." Ian Shaw gazed in Joe Di's direction, murmuring again, unable to contain the surge of emotion within him.
When he first came with Ben Taylor, it was merely because he admired Joe Di's words. Now, he was grateful for having come with Ben Taylor, for it spared him disappointment. This was no mere Fortune Gathering Immortal Array; it truly suppressed the realm’s fortune, restoring the Immortal Realm to its origin.
"It's raining..." Ben Taylor, equally moved, looked up as a gentle drizzle began to fall. Like the other cultivators, he knelt on the ground, giving thanks for the rebirth and sprouting of the Immortal Realm.
Over a hundred people, like Ben Taylor, lifted their faces to the sky, letting the fine rain fall on their faces and bodies.
How long had it been since they last saw rain? No, how long had it been since they last saw water at all?
The rain grew heavier, eventually forming streams that gathered into the Celestial Bamboo River.
The once-dry Celestial Bamboo River grew moist, and the water level gradually rose...
No matter how heavy the rain became, no one wished to retreat into their caves. They all wanted to savor the breath of new life.
Joe Di's voice rang out at the perfect moment: "Fellow Daoists, Starhaven City is built by all of us, and we will live and cultivate here together. Those who sense the True Immortal Lightning Tribulation, please leave the city to undergo your tribulation. Once you have finished, gather at the City Lord's Mansion."