The mission Golden Resonance Daoist presented next stirred something within Han Yi.
According to Golden Immortal Puming, the Evil Immortals who had recently appeared in the Lin'an Immortal Domain included an Immortal Monarch-level entity. This was why Immortal Monarch Lingyue was leading the expedition, accompanied by dozens of Golden Immortals, to eliminate the threat.
Han Yi's cultivation realm was too low. Even with his formidable combat prowess, it was only impressive relative to True Immortals and Profound Immortals. Against a Golden Immortal, he stood no chance.
Therefore, he remained silent, merely listening.
After leaving the Heavenly Candle Hall, Golden Resonance Daoist retrieved another Immortal Ring and handed it to Han Yi.
"This is a reward from the Immortal Monarch. Take it."
"The Immortal Monarch also instructed me to tell you to set aside worldly distractions and focus wholeheartedly on your cultivation."
Han Yi accepted the Immortal Ring without hesitation. Instead of immediately inspecting its contents, he bowed toward the Origin Technique Arena. "Thank you, Immortal Monarch."
He then turned to Golden Resonance Daoist and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
Golden Resonance Daoist waved dismissively, turned, and left on his own. Having just accepted the mission, he naturally needed to make thorough preparations before departing from the Immortal Court.
After a few breaths, Han Yi sent his Immortal Sense into the ring. Inside, he discovered a Fifth-Rank Immortal Sword and a million Immortal Stones.
Han Yi's face lit up with joy.
Han Yi's most powerful Immortal Sword was only Fourth-Rank, which was also the highest rank he could currently wield. However, this Fifth-Rank Immortal Sword would serve him well in the future.
Once he reached the Veteran or Peak Profound Immortal stage, he would have the strength to wield it.
As for the million Immortal Stones, they would sustain his cultivation for an extended period.
Of course, he could also acquire Immortal Marks through the Void Tower within the Void Mirror, which he could then exchange for Immortal Stones and other cultivation resources.
However, this gift from the Immortal Monarch demonstrated the monarch's high regard for him, and Han Yi wouldn't refuse. More was always better.
After stowing away the Immortal Ring, Han Yi stood motionless. With a thought, the token at his waist began to glow with golden light. The light intensified, enveloping him completely, and then he vanished from the spot.
In the next instant, the scenery blurred into motion as he arrived in the Void Land. Before him stood an Immortal Tower that pierced the heavens, an ancient structure that stood eternally unchanged in the void.
This was the Void Mirror, and the tower before him was none other than the Void Tower itself.
In truth, back in the Penglai Immortal Realm, Han Yi had considered returning to Age Candle to complete all levels of the Void Tower's True Immortal Realm, aiming to reach the legendary True Immortal Limit—the 1,000th floor.
This True Immortal Limit of 1,000 floors wasn't a limit of cultivation realm, but rather a measure of combat prowess—a theoretical peak calculated by the Void Mirror itself.
Since the Void Mirror's creation, no one had ever reached its summit.
Yet Han Yi believed he might have had a chance to do so before undergoing his Tribulation Crossing.
However...
He wasn't obsessed with this goal and wouldn't risk a forced return to the Void Tower.
Instead, he triggered his Profound Immortal Tribulation in the Miao Lei Domain, ascending to the Profound Immortal Realm.
The Immortal Path stretched endlessly, requiring resilience rather than rigid adherence. Regrets were inevitable; striving beyond reason served no purpose.
This was Han Yi's cultivation mindset.
Within the Void, Han Yi stepped forward, entering the Void Tower. The scenery shifted subtly, placing him above a vast ocean.
Beneath the azure depths, a Sea Monster leaped forth, lunging at Han Yi. But in an instant, Han Yi slew it. The creature possessed only the combat strength of an early-stage Profound Immortal, making it trivial for Han Yi, who had already weathered his Profound Immortal Tribulation.
Only after dispatching the Sea Monster did the token at Han Yi's waist emit a golden light. The radiance spread outward, forming a luminous screen that displayed his information:
Mirror Lord: Han Yi
Cultivation: Profound Immortal
Void Tower: 1001st Floor
Immortal Marks: 2,133,520
A realization struck Han Yi. The moment the Sea Monster appeared, he had already guessed that he had been ejected from the top thousand floors, landing directly on the 1001st floor of the Profound Immortal Realm.
As Han Yi slew the Sea Monster, golden light cascaded before him like a curtain. Within the Void Tower, the True Immortals battling their way through suddenly noticed a change in the True Immortal Ranking.
Han Yi, who had sensationally surged to second place over seventy years ago, had vanished from the list.
There were only two possible explanations.
The first was that Han Yi had fallen, his Immortal Name erased, causing his ranking in the Void Tower's True Immortal Ranking to disappear along with it.
The second was that Han Yi had broken through to the Profound Immortal Realm, transcending the first thousand floors of the Void Tower and entering the 1001st floor.
Most True Immortals favored the first possibility.
Normally, True Immortals from the Immortal Court would make one final attempt at the Void Tower before breaking through to the Profound Immortal Realm, striving to reach higher floors or even hoping for a miracle that would propel them to the 1000th floor.
Given that Han Yi had already reached the 925th floor over seventy years ago, they reasoned that his cultivation progress over the years would have inevitably advanced, making it impossible for him to remain stuck at that level.
Therefore, they surmised that Han Yi wouldn't have missed the chance to reach the 1000th floor without at least trying.
Of course, they were unaware that the Myriad Immortals Hall had been sealed. Even if Immortals on the Great Expedition to the Wisdom Realm were to perish, their Immortal Names imprinted within the Hall would temporarily persist—a collective decision made by the Immortal Court's high command.
Their initial assessment had been wrong from the start.
Han Yi, now on the 1002nd floor, remained oblivious to the shockwaves his departure from the True Immortal Ranking had caused among the True Immortals. With another swift sword strike, he slew an early-stage Profound Immortal Evil Immortal on that floor. Without pausing, he immediately ascended to the next level.
His speed was astonishing, allowing him to climb floor after floor.
Within the Void Tower, alongside the True Immortal Ranking, existed the Profound Immortal Ranking and the Golden Immortal Ranking. These higher-tier lists carried far greater prestige, especially the Golden Immortal Ranking, where the top ten Golden Immortals were all potential candidates for Immortal Monarch status.
The Void Tower's Profound Immortal Ranking spanned floors 1001 through 2000. Unlike the True Immortal Ranking, where the top contenders had already climbed past the 900th floor, the Profound Immortal Ranking's leader had only reached the 862nd floor. This was because by the 800th floor, cultivators already possessed the combat prowess of a Golden Immortal. The Profound Immortal at the top of the ranking was considered exceptionally strong, even among early-stage Golden Immortals—an exceedingly rare feat.
As one's cultivation realm advanced, the possibility of defeating opponents of higher realms diminished exponentially. The difficulty of such feats climbed at an exponential rate. For a Profound Immortal to defeat a Golden Immortal was hundreds of times more challenging than for a True Immortal to overcome a Profound Immortal.
Therefore, the fact that the leader of the Profound Immortal Ranking could hold their own against early-stage Golden Immortals was a testament to their extraordinary strength.
The Golden Immortal Ranking was even more demanding.
Han Yi, having begun his ascent through the Profound Immortal Tower, hadn't given it much thought. He simply wanted to test his true combat prowess after successfully weathering the Profound Immortal Tribulation, perfecting his Immortal Body and Soul, and significantly enhancing his Immortal Power.
For the first three hundred floors, he faced early-stage Profound Immortals. From the three hundredth to the six hundredth floors, he battled veteran Profound Immortals. Between the six hundredth and eight hundredth floors, he confronted peak Profound Immortals.
Initially, his progress was rapid, but his pace gradually slowed. By the time he reached the 1,750th floor, he had to approach each battle with utmost seriousness, unleashing his full strength to secure victory. The opponents at this stage were all peak Profound Immortals, and formidable even among their peers. Han Yi experienced both wins and losses, but even in defeat, he could exploit the Void Tower's infinite resurrection feature. Within two or three attempts, he would identify his opponents' weaknesses, devise targeted strategies, and ultimately triumph.
This, however, also revealed a significant flaw in the Void Tower: each floor represented a fragment of intercepted spacetime. While the inhabitants appeared lifelike, they were essentially "programs." When facing opponents of similar strength, repeated attempts allowed one to uncover their vulnerabilities and turn defeat into victory through focused countermeasures.
This was precisely why the Void Tower was regarded solely as a training ground; combat results within its confines bore no resemblance to those in the real world.
Upon reaching the 1,790th floor, Han Yi encountered opponents who ranked among the elite even among Peak Profound Immortals, causing his progress to nearly grind to a halt. Yet, after five to ten resurrections per battle, he managed to scrape out narrow victories through sheer luck.
By the 1,798th floor, he finally concluded his "ascension journey" through the Void Tower.
Although he knew that Golden Immortal-level opponents awaited him on the 1,801st floor, continuing held little value for him.
He had now thoroughly assessed his current combat prowess. He remained firmly within the Peak Profound Immortal realm, barely scratching the surface of the top tier among his peers, though not by much.
This level of strength still fell significantly short of Golden Immortal-level combat capability.
Of course, in real-world, life-or-death battles, factors like timing, terrain, and interpersonal dynamics would all come into play.
This time, Han Yi didn't linger in the Void Mirror. Instead, he activated the Token with his Immortal Sense, conjuring a golden light barrier. Gazing at the Profound Immortal Ranking displayed on the barrier, he smiled in satisfaction at his position.
!
Han Yi's name blazed at sixty-third place on the Profound Immortal Ranking.
"To reach such a rank so soon after entering the Profound Immortal Realm... I'm satisfied," he mused. "Given time, once I break through to Veteran or Peak Profound Immortal, I'll undoubtedly possess genuine Golden Immortal-level combat power."
Stowing his token, he left the Void Mirror with a thought, returning to Heavenly Candle Hall. Then, transforming into a streak of light, he sped toward Profound Repository Palace.
Unbeknownst to him, his rapid ascent to sixty-third place on the Profound Immortal Ranking had become the most talked-about topic in Sui Zhu Immortal Court, even overshadowing the Blazing Flame Dao Court's recent foreign policy maneuvers.
True Immortals who had previously seen Han Yi's name disappear from the True Immortal Ranking—assuming he had perished in the Outer Void—were dumbfounded to discover not only his survival but his immediate placement on the Profound Immortal Ranking.
Their astonishment quickly turned to awe.
Less than a year had passed between Han Yi's departure from second place on the True Immortal Ranking and his arrival at sixty-third on the Profound Immortal Ranking—a speed that shattered all previous Immortal Court records.
The shock among Profound Immortals was no less profound. They witnessed a newly ascended Profound Immortal effortlessly climb over seven hundred floors, solidifying Peak Profound Immortal-level combat power and nearing the threshold of Golden Immortal-level strength.
The situation was utterly insane, bordering on the absurd.
Some Profound Immortals even suspected that Han Yi had obtained some heaven-defying opportunity, reaching the Peak Profound Immortal stage but deliberately concealing it from the Immortal Court. They speculated that his sudden return and simultaneous update to the rankings—dropping off the True Immortal Ranking and climbing onto the Profound Immortal Ranking—was motivated by ulterior motives.
As for the Golden Immortals' interest, it stemmed from the level Han Yi had reached in the Void Tower, demonstrating combat prowess that threatened their status. Given time, he would undoubtedly secure a prominent position within the Golden Immortal Realm. Monitoring him now and fostering amicable relations would prevent future conflict.
Of course, these Golden Immortals referred to those below the Peak Golden Immortal stage.
Peak Golden Immortals who had previously been unfamiliar with Han Yi rarely appeared in the Void Mirror anymore. Focused on their own cultivation paths and the Grand Unity Realm rather than the Void Tower, even if they noticed the commotion caused by Han Yi, they only registered mild surprise, their inner worlds remaining largely undisturbed.
Nevertheless, after this "ranking shift," Han Yi's name spread like wildfire throughout the Immortal Court and beyond. Virtually everyone below the Immortal Monarch level now knew of him.
Primal Art Dao Field, on a certain Immortal Peak.
A spark of Immortal Spirit Light flickered into existence, coalescing into an immortal figure clad in a profound robe. Had Han Yi been present, he would have immediately recognized the figure as True Immortal Profound Sincerity, whom he had encountered several times before.
Profound Sincerity's eyes still shone brilliantly like the stars, their depths swirling with rich Dao resonance. Within this resonance, a colossal Dao Shadow could be faintly discerned, seated in meditation. The shadow's form was both ancient and bizarre, radiating an even deeper Immortal Aura. Between the opening and closing of his eyes, he encompassed the boundless cosmos.
Yet, at this moment, Xuan Cheng's mind was occupied with more pressing concerns.
The Immortal Realm was in constant turmoil, and he was convinced that the impending Epochal Cataclysm would bring about significant upheaval.
In such circumstances, he needed to recover his strength as quickly as possible, aiming to regain at least Immortal Monarch-level power before the chaos began. Thus, he had resolved to begin preparations for his Profound Immortal Tribulation.
He had just emerged from the Void Mirror, where he had been honing his combat prowess in anticipation of the Tribulation Crossing. As for his ranking on the True Immortal Ranking, he paid it no heed, not even bothering to check it.
As these thoughts swirled within him, a beam of Spirit Light shot forth from the golden token at his waist. Puzzled, Xuan Cheng caught the light and scanned the token with his Immortal Sense, swiftly comprehending its message.
A tremor ran through his body, and shock rippled across his radiant eyes.
"Han Yi..."
"He's jumped directly from the True Immortal Ranking to the Profound Immortal Ranking!"
"Truly worthy of being an Ancient God who achieved Dao Entry even in this era where the Dao itself has been corrupted."
In truth, True Immortal Profound Sincerity harbored a suspicion: Han Yi, like himself, was no ordinary being living out a second life. He believed Han Yi was an ancient existence from the Primordial Era who had sealed his true nature in a unique way to experience another existence.
Profound Sincerity himself had been an Ancient Immortal in his previous life, deliberately plunging into Reincarnation through a special method to live a second life in the Eighth Epoch. He strongly suspected that Han Yi, too, was an Ancient God who had survived the Ancient God's Death Tribulation by living a second life.
"It seems Han Yi has sensed the impending great upheaval and has taken the initiative to break through," Profound Sincerity mused. "I must hasten my own preparations as well."
He descended into the Immortal Pavilion to prepare for his Profound Immortal Tribulation.
Of course, given his mysterious origins and profound reserves, his mastery of Immortal Techniques, Skills, and Inheritances far surpassed that of others in the True Immortal Realm. He had no real fear of the Profound Immortal Tribulation, but he preferred to err on the side of caution.
Meanwhile, Han Yi emerged from the Void Mirror and headed straight for the Profound Repository Palace.
His current access privileges were equivalent to those of a Golden Immortal, granting him access to the thirtieth through thirty-ninth floors of the palace.
However, his Great Unrestrained Cosmic Light Profound Scripture only extended to the Profound Immortal Chapter. To be safe, he wanted to obtain the Golden Immortal Chapter's Immortal Techniques as soon as possible.
His previous opportunity to cultivate Immortal Techniques after crossing the Tribulation in the Penglai Immortal Realm had arisen precisely because his Profound Immortal privileges had allowed him to acquire the Profound Immortal Chapter's techniques early.
One step ahead now means countless steps ahead later.
Beyond this, he also sought to uncover the many secrets surrounding the Chaotic Demon Zone, the Nine Realms, the Primordial Era, the Wisdom Realm, and even Chaos itself.