When Han Yi landed deep within the Azure Shu Mountain Range, in the Profound Pill Sect's secret realm behind their Back Mountain, he saw an Immortal Puppet standing near the core area.
A low-ranking cultivator would undoubtedly mistake this Immortal Puppet for a true Immortal. Its appearance and the faint aura of Divine Sense it emitted made it nearly impossible to discern its true nature.
But Han Yi, now a Profound Immortal, immediately recognized the puppet for what it was with a single sweep of his Immortal Sense.
Lian Tingxi, on the other hand, had known the puppet's identity earlier. The True Immortal who had created it had effortlessly entered the secret realm and revealed its nature to Lian Tingxi through Immortal Sense.
As constructs of Artifact Refinement, Immortal Puppets also possessed Immortal Sense. As long as their Immortal Cores remained intact, their capabilities were nearly identical to those of true Immortals.
As soon as Han Yi entered the secret realm, the standing Immortal Puppet bowed respectfully and greeted him. "Senior Brother Han Yi, I presume?" it asked. "I am Yuan Hong, a name bestowed upon me by my Master."
"Ah, Senior Brother Han has already advanced to the Profound Immortal realm! Congratulations!"
"Master will surely be thrilled to hear this news."
Han Yi's gaze shifted. The puppet's features bore a striking resemblance to Yuan Shun's, though it appeared noticeably younger. From its words, Han Yi deduced that Yuan Shun was indeed its Master and had granted it the name Yuan Hong.
It seemed the Immortal Puppet and Yuan Shun shared an extraordinary bond.
Han Yi glanced at the Jade Disc Yuan Hong held. A potent aura of Yuan Shun, at the True Immortal level, radiated from it. Yet Han Yi felt puzzled. Normally, even Demigods or Transformation Gods, let alone True Immortals, could project a fragment of their consciousness to manifest an image or, if close enough to their True Form, even create a Clone.
Despite the intense True Immortal aura emanating from the Jade Disc, it failed to produce the expected visual projection or Clone.
Suddenly, Han Yi's brow furrowed.
This potent aura clearly served another purpose.
Shifting his gaze from the Jade Disc to the Immortal Puppet calling itself Yuan Hong, Han Yi nodded.
"I am Han Yi."
"Where is Sect Leader Yuan now? When will he return?"
The Immortal Puppet Yuan Hong replied, "Master departed for the Dark Realm not long ago."
"This journey requires his full strength, and his survival is uncertain. That is why he instructed me to come here."
As he spoke, Yuan Hong handed the Jade Disc to Han Yi, his expression relaxing with visible relief.
"Senior Brother Han," he said, "Master ordered me to deliver this Jade Disc into your hands without fail."
"For decades, I've been cautious and meticulous, finally reaching the Sect to complete this mission."
He added, "Senior Brother Han, Sect Leader Lian, I know you have many questions, but if you're hoping for answers from me, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
"Over the years, Master has made many enemies. Before I departed, I erased part of my memory to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. All I know is that Master instructed me to deliver this Jade Slip to Senior Brother Han and then remain in the Sect, following Sect Leader Lian's orders."
"That's all I know."
Han Yi frowned. He didn't entirely believe Yuan Hong's words. One term in particular caught his attention:
"Dark Realm?"
"The Dark Realm of the Three Yin Realms?"
The Profound Repository Palace contained records of the Three Yin Realms.
In primordial times, the Ancient Great World shattered into nine Immortal Realms. Among them were Immortal Path Worlds like Great Luo, Penglai, and Kunlun; the Eternal Life Immortal Realm, which had embraced the Wizarding Path; the Strange Demon Immortal Realm, which inherited the legacy of Ancient Demons while forging its own unique path; and the Barbaric Immortal Realm, a relatively barren land dominated by Ancient Beasts.
Beyond Kunlun, Great Luo, Penglai, Eternal Life, Strange Demon, and the Barbaric Realms lay the final three realms, located in the northwest quadrant of the Primordial Great World.
These three realms were occupied by three enigmatic entities who shunned all external contact, preferring self-imposed isolation.
These three entities were known to the outside world as Nether, Dark, and Ferocious.
Their respective realms were collectively called the Three Realms of Absolute Yin, often shortened to the Three Yin Realms.
Among them, only Ferocious originated from the Primordial Great World. Nether and Dark, however, came from the Chaos. They descended upon this region during the First Epoch, shortly after the Primordial Great World shattered, and entrenched themselves in these lands.
Since the formation of the Three Yin Realms at the beginning of the First Epoch, countless Heavenly Venerables had ventured there over the past million years, seeking to drive out Nether and Dark. After all, these two were not native to the Primordial Great World and harbored impure motives, making their expulsion back into the Chaos the ideal solution.
Yet none of these Heavenly Venerables succeeded.
Legend even claimed that Heavenly Venerable Qin, the first Heavenly Venerable of the Great Luo Immortal Realm, had attempted it but failed, leading to a widely circulated rumor:
The entities within the Three Yin Realms had become intrinsically linked to the realms themselves. Unless one transcended the Heavenly Venerable rank to become a supreme Great Realm Lord, even victory over these three would only achieve suppression, never expulsion.
The primary reason for this lay in the divergent Dao Principles. The Dao of the Three Yin Realms had diverged drastically from that of the other six realms. There, the concepts of Heavenly Tribulations, Immortal Tribulations, and even the Dao Ancestor's Tribulation were unknown—a truly bizarre anomaly.
Across from Han Yi, Yuan Hong nodded solemnly, his expression grave.
"That's right," Yuan Hong confirmed.
"It's the Dark Realm within the Three Yin Realms."
"We were originally in the Kunlun Immortal Realm, but Master received some news and insisted on traveling to the Dark Realm. He ordered me to return to the Sect."
Han Yi nodded.
Having roamed the Immortal Realm for so long, Yuan Shun was undoubtedly aware of the dangers of the Three Yin Realms. His insistence on venturing there must have been driven by a compelling reason.
The most likely explanation concerned a Fragment of Reincarnation.
However, Han Yi had studied the map provided by the Green Ripple Sword and found no indication of any such fragments falling into the Three Yin Realms.
Could it be that the Fragment Yuan Shun had discovered wasn't merely a broken piece of the one belonging to Tongtian Sword Sovereign, but a larger, more intact piece?
Only such a possibility could have driven Yuan Shun to resolutely brave the Dark Realm, risking certain death.
As these thoughts swirled in Han Yi's mind, he temporarily suppressed them. He activated his Immortal Sense, preparing to touch the Jade Disc, but Yuan Hong stopped him. "Wait! Master instructed Senior Brother Han to activate the Jade Disc only in a secure and secluded location, and completely alone. No outsiders are allowed, not even me."
Han Yi didn't object. His current strength was considerable, and he wasn't worried about any unexpected complications. If even he couldn't handle it, destroying the Profound Pill Sect would be effortless—why bother with such an elaborate scheme?
"Very well. You two wait here. I'll be right back."
With these words, Han Yi grasped the Jade Disc, soared into the sky, and transformed into a streak of spirit light that flashed back into the Battle Law Divine Mountain Grotto-Heaven.
As soon as he departed, the Immortal Puppet Yuan Hong slowly exhaled.
"Master said Senior Brother Han possesses peerless innate talent and is destined to reach the realm of a Monarch Venerable, perhaps even a Dao Ancestor. Seeing him in person today confirms it."
After a moment of reflection, Yuan Hong turned to Lian Tingxi with a smile. "Sect Leader Lian, please don't hesitate to give me any instructions. From now on, this is my sect as well."
Yuan Hong's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he stared intently at Lian Tingxi. Standing beside him, Lian Tingxi's confusion deepened. He had encountered Immortal Puppets before, but never one with such a distinct sense of self.
The Profound Pill Sect had been established on Azure Shu Mountain for over a century. Armed with the Sect Founding Token from the Primal Art Dao Field, Sect Leader Lian had occasionally ventured out to attend Dao Assemblies and visit the Primal Art Dao Field, as well as major Immortal Cities.
Over the years, Lian Tingxi had seen countless Spirit Puppets and Immortal Puppets. But the spirituality of the Immortal Puppets he had encountered paled in comparison to that of Yuan Hong.
"Strange... utterly bizarre," Lian Tingxi thought. "Where did Old Sect Leader Yuan obtain this Immortal Puppet? And its features even bear a striking resemblance to the old sect leader himself."
Yuan Hong noticed Lian Tingxi's bewilderment but merely smiled, unconcerned. "Sect Leader Lian, there's no need for such reservations," he said. "If you deem me unsuitable for any particular role, I'm perfectly content to guard the Mountain Gate."
"During my decade-long sojourn in the mortal realm near Kunlun, I learned a local saying: 'Those who guard the Mountain Gate, sweep the Scripture Pavilion, or dwell in humble thatched huts—these are all hidden masters.'"
Seeing the eagerness in Yuan Hong's eyes, Lian Tingxi hastily interjected:
"Master Yuan, Senior Brother Yuan, there's no need for such humility! As a True Immortal, you can't be treated so casually. I will certainly assign you a position of great importance. I believe this is also what Old Sect Leader Yuan would have wanted."
"However," Lian Tingxi added, "let's wait for Senior Brother Han's return before finalizing anything."
Subconsciously, Lian Tingxi treated Yuan Hong not as an Immortal Puppet, but as a true person.
Yuan Hong nodded, his eyes sparkling with curiosity as he surveyed the Sect's Secret Realm, eager to explore its mysteries.
Meanwhile, Han Yi returned to the Battle Law Divine Mountain. He immediately evacuated all the Sect Disciples still undergoing trials in the various Cave Heavens and then reopened a new one. Channeling the full power of the Divine Mountain into this Cave Heaven, he stepped inside, activated the Sword Realm, and made thorough preparations within its boundaries before unleashing his Immortal Sense, directing it toward the Jade Disc.
In the next instant, a sharp crack echoed as the Jade Disc shattered, revealing another Jade Disc within. It was as if Han Yi's Immortal Sense had acted as a key, unlocking the outer layer and releasing the inner one. Without it, the destruction of the first layer might have destroyed the second layer as well.
As the second Jade Disc materialized, Han Yi's heart lurched violently. He recognized a familiar aura emanating from it.
"Just as I suspected."
"It's the Green Ripple Sword."
Han Yi had long anticipated this. Before Yuan Shun's departure, he had sensed the Green Ripple Sword's aura, promising to help Han Yi locate its sub-swords. Now that Yuan Shun had sent his Immortal Puppet back with a secret gift, Han Yi was certain the Qingping Sword Division was part of the plan.
The moment the second Jade Disc appeared, the Green Ripple Sword at Han Yi's waist began to vibrate, emitting a resonant sword cry filled with eager anticipation.
The Green Ripple Sword levitated and unleashed a beam of Sword Light that struck the Jade Disc. Han Yi made no move to stop it. Where the Sword Light landed, one-sixth of the disc's jade surface transformed into gold. Simultaneously, another Qingping Sword Division emerged from the Jade Disc, hovering in mid-air with a gentle tremor.
As if gaining insight, the Green Ripple Sword unleashed five more beams of Sword Light in succession. With each strike, another sixth of the Jade Disc turned golden, and a new Qingping Sword Division materialized.
By the time the Jade Disc had completely transformed into a golden disc, the Green Ripple Sword had released a total of six beams of Sword Light, resulting in the creation of six Qingping Sword Divisions.
These sub-swords were identical in design to the main blade, sharing its dark-green hue. However, their auras varied wildly in strength, ranging from Magic Treasures to Spirit Treasures and Immortal Artifacts. The most powerful sub-sword radiated the aura of a Fourth-Tier Immortal Artifact.
Next, all the hovering, vibrating Green Ripple Swords began to merge into the main blade. With each sub-sword that integrated, the main sword's aura grew stronger.
When the sixth sub-sword merged, the Green Ripple Sword's aura surged to its peak before suddenly plummeting to silence. The sword drifted gently downward and was caught by Han Yi.
This scene had played out many times before during the Green Ripple Sword's sub-sword fusions. However, this time was different: before its aura vanished, it had soared to unprecedented heights.
The aura surpassed even the Fifth-Rank Immortal Sword gifted by Immortal Monarch Yuanshu, undoubtedly reaching the Sixth-Tier.
This meant that after merging these six sub-swords and stabilizing, the Green Ripple Sword would become at least a Sixth-Tier Immortal Sword—enough to serve him until he reached the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm.
However, the previous Green Ripple Sword fusion had taken a considerable amount of time, and this one was likely to take even longer.
Despite this, Han Yi was overjoyed. In the near future, he would possess a Sixth-Tier or even higher Immortal Sword—a blade deeply bound to him as the final thread of the Interception Sect's causality was woven into his destiny.
After storing the Green Ripple Sword in his Immortal Spirit Realm, Han Yi turned his attention to the floating golden disc. His expression shifted dramatically.
The disc also bore Yuan Shun's aura, but it was neither that of a True Immortal nor a Profound Immortal—it was the aura of a Golden Immortal.
Had Yuan Shun already advanced to the Golden Immortal Realm?
Han Yi's confusion deepened. He probed the disc with his Immortal Sense, and suddenly a voice echoed from within—a pre-recorded message left by Yuan Shun.
This voice would only activate if the aura of the Six Paths Green Ripple Sub-Swords could no longer be detected.
In other words, even if someone managed to open the First Layer Jade Disc, break the Golden Lock, and release the six sub-swords, the message wouldn't play. This was because the aura of the final sub-sword hadn't been suppressed, failing to meet the activation condition.
Moments later, after processing the information contained in the voice, Han Yi felt a chill run down his spine.
"The Dark Realm, Three Rivers Valley—the largest Fragment of Reincarnation."
"Just as I suspected."
"Yuan Hong is the most peculiar Immortal Puppet in the Kunlun Immortal Realm, his origins shrouded in mystery. We must proceed with extreme caution."
Delivering the Green Ripple Sub-Swords, revealing the location of the Fragment of Reincarnation, and sending Yuan Shun back to the Profound Pill Sect—these were Yuan Shun's threefold objectives.
There were also other pieces of information contained within the message.
Before him lay the Golden Prison Dao Heavenly Origin Lock, a Fourth-Tier Immortal Artifact.
This artifact contained countless spatial dimensions, each capable of storing or imprisoning various beings, be they Immortals, Demon Beasts, Evil Immortals, or anything else.
Han Yi had used this "Lock" to store the Green Ripple Sword he had recovered. Because the spaces were isolated, the six sub-swords had been unable to merge with the main blade until moments ago, when the master sword released them, allowing them to finally integrate.
The artifact's versatility made it highly useful to Han Yi. He could now safely store any uncertain or dangerous objects he might encounter in the future.
Next, he retracted the Sword Realm, dispelled the suppressive power reinforcing the Cave Heaven, and departed the Divine Mountain, returning to the Sect's Secret Realm deep within Azure Shu.
"The Jade Disc contains Sect Leader Yuan's instructions for me," Han Yi said casually, glancing at the disc. Neither Lian Tingxi nor Yuan Hong showed any inclination to pry further.
Han Yi then turned to Yuan Hong, scrutinizing him briefly before nodding. "Junior Brother Yuan Hong, since Sect Leader Yuan has sent you back, and I happen to have a task that needs completing, you shall handle it from now on."
Yuan Hong's eyes lit up. "Senior Brother Han, please give your orders. I will spare no effort to fulfill them."