Han Yi ascended to the thirtieth layer of the Profound Repository Palace. Instead of immediately searching for the information he most desired, he surveyed the vast collection of texts and artifacts.
With his current Profound Immortal-level perception, the volume of information he could process in a single breath was staggering.
The ten layers accessible to Golden Immortals were significantly smaller than the True Immortal and Profound Immortal levels. Yet every Jade Slip, Jade Disc, Ancient Text, and Ancient Artifact contained secrets forbidden to Immortals and cultivators below the Golden Immortal realm.
Time passed. When Han Yi stood at the end of the thirty-ninth layer, facing the fortieth, he finally paused.
This time, he made no attempt to ascend further. It wasn't necessary.
He knew that the fortieth to fiftieth layers held secrets accessible only to Immortal Monarchs, while the fiftieth to sixtieth layers were reserved for Immortal Sovereigns.
As for the layers above sixty, their mysteries remained unknown to him.
All he knew was that the very pinnacle of the Profound Repository Palace housed a secret that even the Dao Ancestors coveted.
Why such a secret, so important to the Dao Ancestors, was stored within the Profound Repository Palace rather than the core lands of the Immortal Court remained a deeper mystery, one that eluded Han Yi's understanding.
Han Yi spent three full years scouring these ten layers. During this time, he immersed himself completely, hungrily devouring every scrap of information about the Immortal Realm and even the Chaos of the Wisdom Realm.
Three years later, Han Yi left the Profound Repository Palace and flew directly to the nearest Immortal Market Palace. He headed for the Zhengyang Pavilion and the Nine-Ring Pavilion, but Yang Jiuhuan had still not returned. As for Li Zhengyang, he was on a Great Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, and his fate remained uncertain.
Han Yi left messages at both pavilions, instructing them to contact him at the Profound Pill Immortal Sect in the Azure Shu Mountain Range of the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain upon their return. Afterward, he departed the Immortal Market Palace and set course for the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain.
His speed was now several times greater than when he was a True Immortal. In just three days, he traversed multiple Immortal Domains, arriving at the Azure Shu Mountain Range and entering the Profound Pill Immortal Sect.
Approximately ten years had passed since Han Yi's departure, and little had changed at the Profound Pill Immortal Sect.
After notifying Lian Tingxi with his Immortal Sense, he descended directly into the space within the Battle Law Divine Mountain.
Instead of immediately beginning his cultivation, he focused his thoughts on the Immortal Spirit Realm. At the center of this realm, his Immortal Soul stirred, causing a black-robed figure to slowly emerge from the Ninth Layer Pavilion.
The figure was a delicate maiden who appeared to be around eighteen years old, lost in a deep slumber. It was none other than Han Zhi of the Wisdom Clan, whom a mysterious entity within the Age Candle had sealed away after Han Yi left the Divine-Demonic World.
Han Yi later learned that Immortal Lord Linghua had been personally captured and suppressed by the Dao Ancestor. He speculated that the mysterious entity responsible was likely Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor himself.
Years ago, he had discovered through the Spirit Light sealing Han Zhi that the seal could only be broken once he reached the Profound Immortal realm.
At that time, Han Yi was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. Yet today, in less than four centuries, he had surpassed the Transformation God, Demigod, and True Immortal stages to attain the Profound Immortal realm.
With a thought, Han Yi channeled Immortal Power, imbued with profound Dao resonance, into the seal on Han Zhi's body, causing it to vanish instantly.
Han Zhi, who had been lying with her eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open.
Golden light shimmered in her eyes, instantly transitioning from bewilderment to clarity.
She turned to Han Yi, her golden eyes filled with confusion, and asked, "You... have you achieved Immortal Ascension?"
As soon as the words left her lips, her expression shifted slightly. "No, that's not right. This aura... the profound Dao resonance surrounding you... you must be a Profound Immortal of this realm."
"What on earth is happening here?"
It was clear that after sealing Han Zhi, the mysterious entity suspected to be Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor had left her in a deep slumber, unable to perceive the passage of time or the changes in the outside world.
She had no idea that nearly four centuries had passed during her sleep.
In those four centuries, the world had undergone earth-shattering transformations. Not only had the Great Luo Immortal Realm and the Primordial Great World experienced unprecedented upheaval, but even the Wisdom Realm—also known as the Source Wisdom Great World—had been shaken by cataclysmic changes not seen since before the Primordial Era.
However, the moment Han Yi saw a Profound Immortal materialize before him, his Wisdom Body instinctively reacted.
A mysterious aura emanated from him, so potent that it even affected Han Yi's Immortal Soul, forcing him to retreat a distance to alleviate the pressure.
Han Yi's face paled in shock. He recognized this power from the Two Realms Battlefield—it was equivalent to that of a Golden Immortal.
In the Wisdom Clan, the corresponding cultivation realm was known as a Wisdom Master.
Han Yi suddenly recalled Han Zhi's words before her slumber: her Wisdom Core was exceptionally advanced, and once fully stabilized, it would reach at least the level of a Wisdom Master.
Considering she had already possessed Profound Immortal-class strength before entering her four-century-long sleep, it wasn't surprising that her Wisdom Core had evolved and stabilized, allowing her to ascend to the Golden Immortal realm.
Gathering his thoughts, Han Yi swiftly said, "Wait! I'm Han Yi."
"You were sealed away, but nearly four hundred years have passed since then."
Han Yi immediately explained. Han Zhi suddenly noticed something amiss. She lowered her head to examine her hands, where a mysterious power surged between her palms. The intensity of this force astonished even herself.
"This is... the power of a Wisdom Master."
"How is this possible?"
She raised her head again, her gaze fixed on Han Yi. "What exactly happened?"
With a single thought, Han Yixian swiftly conveyed to Han Zhi the circumstances leading to his four-century slumber, along with a concise summary of the significant events that had transpired during that time.
Moments later, Han Zhi finally grasped the reality of his four-hundred-year sleep, yet he showed no signs of distress. After all, he had once slumbered for nearly a hundred thousand years in the Chaotic Demon Zone, from the Eighth Epoch until Han Yi ventured into Mount Yuanlao and rescued him, awakening him with the aura of "Wisdom."
"The Wisdom Realm has undergone changes as well," Han Zhi remarked.
"This..."
Han Zhi shifted his gaze to Han Yi, his golden eyes rippling with faint curiosity. "You carry the aura of a Wisdom Seed."
Upon hearing this, Han Yi immediately understood that the "Wisdom Seed" Han Zhi spoke of must be the "Life Seed" he had absorbed from the Mechanical Divine Battleship at the edge of the World Barrier within the Chaos.
"But the aura of 'Wisdom' itself has completely vanished?"
Han Yi raised an eyebrow at this remark.
The "Wisdom" Han Zhi referred to was likely the Realm Lord of the Source Wisdom Great World, a supreme being who had dominated the Chaos during the Primordial Era.
Han Zhi's initial awakening had also been due to the aura of "Wisdom" emanating from Han Yi. This aura had allowed him to break free from his Spirit Puppet form, develop his own spirit intelligence, and attain an exceptionally high inherent quality. That was why, after four centuries of slumber, Han Zhi had reawakened with the strength of a Wisdom Master.
Fundamentally, Han Yi had granted her a new life, and even her name was bestowed upon her at her request.
Yet now she claimed that the aura of "Wisdom" emanating from Han Yi had vanished.
Thoughts swirled through Han Yi's mind, instantly generating multiple hypotheses. He considered it most likely that after completing the Immortal Path, ascending to Immortality, and perfecting both his Immortal Body and Immortal Soul, any lingering aura of "Wisdom" had become completely contained within him.
In essence, as his strength grew, his mastery over his aura had intensified, making it impossible for others to casually discern his true nature.
However, this realization sparked further reflection. During his Nascent Soul and Transformation God Stages, he had encountered numerous Immortals—True Immortals, Profound Immortals, Golden Immortals, and even a mysterious entity suspected to be the Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor. None of these Immortals had acted against him, likely because they hadn't detected the aura of "Wisdom" within him.
He reasoned that the Immortal Realm and the Wisdom Realm operated under fundamentally different systems, making such detection difficult. Despite their adversarial relationship, the Immortal Realm's scholars had extensively studied the Wisdom Clan. Yet the exceptionally pure nature of the "Wisdom" aura within Han Yi's body made it equally hard to perceive.
Only members of the Wisdom Clan might be able to sense this "anomaly" within him.
With this understanding, Han Yi quietly exhaled in relief.
Seeing the shifting expressions on Han Yi's face finally settle into calm, Han Zhi knew he had likely understood the reasons behind her departure.
"Now that the aura of Wisdom within you has faded, there's no longer any purpose in my remaining by your side."
"I must journey to the Wisdom Realm."
"Before I leave, is there anything else you need me to do?"
Han Yi fell into a brief silence after Han Zhi's words. His feelings for her were complex.
From their initial encounter as a Spirit Puppet to her evolution into an Immortal Puppet, then her awakening as a member of the Wisdom Clan, followed by her dormancy and subsequent reawakening—
This being had silently accompanied him for over five centuries.
Now that she was awake and ready to leave, he naturally wouldn't stop her. Yet he couldn't help but feel as if something that had once belonged solely to him was now seeking independence.
This emotion was intricate and difficult to articulate.
After a moment, Han Yi shook his head. "I'm fine here."
With a thought of his Immortal Sense, Han Yi moved Han Zhi from the Immortal Spirit Realm to the Battle Law Divine Mountain Grotto-Heaven.
"Take care, Han Zhi."
The Golden-Eyed Maiden gazed at Han Yi, tilting her head slightly with a puzzled expression.
"Your mind isn't at peace. Is this what humans call 'worry'?"
At that moment, Han Zhi's Inner Core couldn't comprehend the complexity of Han Yi's feelings.
Han Yi shook his head with a smile, remaining silent.
The Golden-Eyed Maiden swept her Wisdom Thought across the Battle Law Divine Mountain Grotto-Heaven. With a gentle flick of her finger, she conjured a mysterious force that coalesced into a ball of Spirit Light at the heart of the Divine Mountain.
"Your control over this Grotto-Heaven is insufficient," she said. "I'll leave a portion of my Wisdom Thought here to serve as its central control hub, making future management much easier."
Withdrawing her finger, Han Zhi flickered away from the Grotto-Heaven, reappearing above the Profound Pill Sect. She then activated her Escape Technique, streaking eastward at lightning speed and leaving the Azure Shu Mountain Range behind in the blink of an eye.
Inside the Battle God Mountain Grotto-Heaven, Han Yi sensed her departure. Suppressing the complex emotions swirling within him, he turned to cultivation.
For now, his connection with Han Zhi had come to an end.
Han Yi began by reviewing his current skill repertoire.
His Sword Control Immortal Art had reached the Fourth-Rank, making it his most powerful skill—surpassing even many Divine Arts from the Ancient God System, including the Divine Canon and the Nine Transformations Art.
Beneath this Fourth-Rank Sword Control Immortal Art, his other Immortal Arts were at most Second-Tier, creating a significant gap in his capabilities.
Han Yi resolved to continue enhancing his Sword Control Immortal Art with Life Seeds, aiming to elevate it to the Fifth-Rank. By then, he predicted he would possess the strength to contend with even an ordinary Golden Immortal.
Of course, this referred only to his offensive capabilities—speed, agility, and auxiliary Immortal Arts. He still had a long way to go to reach the Golden Immortal realm.
This imbalanced system of Immortal Arts, prioritizing offense above all else, was a hallmark of Han Yi's tactical approach: using his strengths to compensate for his weaknesses.
Once his Sword Control Immortal Art reached Fifth-Rank, securing his combat prowess, he would focus on improving his other Immortal Art skills and the Divine Arts of the Ancient God System.
Having decided on his course of action, Han Yi focused his attention on the Life Seed column of his Panel and began consuming them to enhance his Sword Control Immortal Art.
Over twenty thousand Life Seeds visibly dwindled as the progress of his Sword Control Immortal Art advanced in noticeable increments.
Simultaneously, an endless stream of insights into the Sword Dao flooded his mind, deepening his comprehension of the sword with each passing moment.
The vast, esoteric, and profound Sword Dao unfolded before him in an increasingly intuitive way, transforming into skills and even instinctive reflexes.
In this frenzied progression, Han Yi's sense of time grew hazy.
Then, in a moment...
A strand of Divine Sense knocked on the boundaries of the Cave Heaven within his Battle Law Divine Mountain, jolting Han Yi from his immersion.
Opening his eyes, he immediately scrutinized his Panel and discovered significant changes in his Sword Control Immortal Art.
Sword Flight (Fourth-Rank Immortal Art 93/100)
Checking his Life Seed reserves, Han Yishen found that the original 24,163 units had dwindled to 11,983. He had consumed over 12,000 Life Seeds to elevate his Sword Control Immortal Art to the peak of Fourth-Rank, bringing it tantalizingly close to Fifth-Rank.
In a flash of thought, he realized that six years had passed.
"Almost there," he mused. "At this rate, the remaining 11,983 Life Seeds should be more than enough to sustain this Immortal Art's breakthrough to Fifth-Rank."
"Ten years."
"Within ten years, I'll definitely break through."
Han Yishen took a deep breath, his heart brimming with anticipation.
This entire review had taken less than a single breath.
Next, he mentally connected to the Cave Heaven's central nexus. Enhanced by Wisdom Knowledge, the nexus's intelligence had vastly improved, now standing just a step away from becoming a true Immortal Spirit.
The nexus opened a small aperture in the Cave Heaven's barrier, allowing Lian Tingxi, who had been knocking on the Cave Heaven's "door" outside the Divine Mountain, to fly inside.
"What urgent matter brings you here?" Han Yi asked.
He had previously instructed Lian Tingxi not to disturb him during his cultivation unless absolutely necessary. For years, Lian Tingxi had strictly adhered to this order, never overstepping his boundaries. Today's interruption clearly signaled a critical development.
Lian Tingxi immediately reported, "Senior Brother Han, Old Sect Leader Yuan has sent an Immortal Puppet bearing a Jade Disc."
"The puppet has authorization to open the Sect's Secret Realm on the Back Mountain. It's currently there, and the Jade Disc genuinely carries Old Sect Leader Yuan's aura."
"It's likely genuine," Lian Tingxi concluded.
Upon hearing this, Han Yi abruptly stood up.
The "Old Sect Leader Yuan" Lian Tingxi referred to was, of course, Yuan Shun.
Years ago, Yuan Shun had obtained a clue about the Fragment of Reincarnation from Han Yi, then left the Profound Pill Sect and ventured to other Immortal Realms.
Now, after all this time, a lead had finally surfaced.
Moreover, before Yuan Shun's departure, the Profound Pill Sect had been located in Sui Gu Immortal City within the Great Firmament Realm. However, due to the Reversal of the Dao, the Great Firmament had fragmented, and the Sect had relocated to the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain, establishing a new Sect headquarters there.
Of course, over the years, the Profound Pill Sect had also dispatched cultivators to Sui Gu Immortal City to establish a small Branch Sect, ensuring Yuan Shun would be able to find the Sect upon his return.
"Let's go. I need to see this for myself."
Han Yi rose and, with Lian Tingxi in tow, escaped from his Cave Heaven. They headed toward the Sect's Secret Realm, nestled deep within the Azure Shu Mountain Range behind the Profound Pill Sect's headquarters.