Rivals of Ixalan features one new keyword: ascend. Ascend unlocks different bonuses on different cards if you have the city's blessing. That's a fairly unusual description for a Magic ability, but then again, ascend is a fairly unusual ability.
What is the city's blessing? How do you get it? Let's have a look at a couple of new cards.
The city's blessing is a designation that the ascend ability can give you. The city's blessing isn't a permanent or emblem, and nothing can destroy it or otherwise interact with it. It's just something true about you. It doesn't do anything by itself, but different cards will get bonuses if you have the city's blessing. For example, Dusk Charger gets a nice boost to 5/5 if you have the city's blessing.
If ascend is on a permanent, it constantly checks to see whether you control ten or more permanents.
The moment you do, you get the city's blessing. This doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. It just happens. But the permanent with ascend has to be under your control to check. If you control ten permanents, then go back to eight, and then you cast Dusk Charger as your ninth permanent, you won't get the city's blessing just yet. Ascend always looks at the current game state, not the past.
Ascend also appears on instants and sorceries, such as Secrets of the Golden City.
The ascend ability on an instant or sorcery works slightly differently. In this case, the ascend ability checks if you control ten or more permanents only once, as the spell resolves. Spells with ascend also do other things. Those instructions appear after the ascend ability, so they'll happen after the check.
This means Secrets of the Golden City can give you the city's blessing before determining whether you'll draw two or three cards.
When checking if you control ten or more permanents, count every permanent you control, including lands and tokens. Don't forget Auras and Equipment, even if they are somehow attached to permanents you don't control. Don't count counters, though, as they aren't permanents.
Once you have the city's blessing, you keep it for the rest of the game. Nothing can take it away from you. If you lose all your permanents after gaining the city's blessing, well that sucks and you're probably going to lose, but you'll keep the city's blessing! For example, if you control eight permanents but have previously received the city's blessing, you'll draw three cards as Secrets of the Golden City resolves.
Multiple players can all have the city's blessing at the same time. With all the warring factions on Ixalan, the Immortal Sun hops around like a hot potato, but possessing it even briefly leaves you forever changed. Gaining the city's blessing doesn't impact any other player's current blessing status.
Although the city's blessing isn't a permanent, token, or emblem, there is a a printed card to use as a reminder.
