Thirty years—half a sexagenary cycle—had passed. Han Yi's cultivation had reached the Veteran Profound Immortal stage, and his skills had advanced by leaps and bounds, surpassing his initial goals.
Eager to test his newfound combat prowess, he emerged from seclusion, seeking the perfect arena. Without question, the Void Mirror was the ideal choice.
During his previous journey through the Void Mirror after returning from Penglai to Age Candle, he had climbed to the 1,798th level despite being a newly ascended Profound Immortal, just three levels short of the 1,801st level, which required Golden Immortal-level combat power.
With this in mind, he stepped out of the Immortal Pavilion. At his slightest thought, golden light erupted from the token at his waist, enveloping him before he vanished from his position in an instant.
The next moment, he found himself in a dimly lit realm—the Void Mirror.
Before him loomed the colossal Void Tower, its summit piercing the heavens, an eternal monument to cosmic law.
He strode inside. Light and shadow warped around him as space shifted, and after more than forty years, he reappeared on the 1,798th level.
Suddenly, a crimson-eyed Ancient Alien Race turned abruptly to face him. Its gaze flooded the surroundings with murderous intent as a tidal wave of the Blood Sea surged forth, crashing upon him in an instant.
This Ancient Alien Race possessed combat power rivaling a Peak Profound Immortal, standing on the precipice of the Golden Immortal Realm.
To test his own strength, Han Yi refrained from immediately unleashing his Fifth-Rank Sword Techniques. Instead, he simultaneously activated the Primordial Cosmos Immortal Art, the Mind Realm Immortal Technique, and the Flame God's Myriad Realm Traverse.
Despite the Mind Realm Immortal Technique's Third-Tier upgrade, the combined might of the Ancient Flame Moon God's Nine Transformations and the time-manipulating Primordial Cosmos Immortal Art still left him a step behind the Blood Bull Tribe's assault.
In terms of overall skill, he still had a small gap to close before reaching the Peak Profound Immortal level.
Then, the illusory Blood Sea crashed into him, instantly shattering the outermost layer of his silver-white Protective Divine Light. The attack then struck the inner layer of grayish-black Protective Divine Light, causing it to ripple slightly but hold firm.
The outermost silver-white radiance was the Protective Divine Power generated by the Moon God's Imperishable Body, the sixth transformation of the Ancient Flame Moon God's Nine Transformations. Though potent, Han Yi's cultivation realm was only the Primordial Realm, limiting its effective power to that of a Veteran Profound Immortal.
The inner layer of grayish-black radiance, on the other hand, was the Black Tortoise version of the Four Origins Dao Technique. Despite being an incomplete advanced Dao Technique, it remained steadfast against the Peak Profound Immortal's offensive power, performing with unwavering stability.
Outmaneuvered in speed but having blocked the initial strike, Han Yi retaliated with Sword Flight, simultaneously wielding thirteen Immortal Swords. Instead of immediately forming a Sword Realm, he unleashed the Great Freedom Cosmic Light Sword Canon.
Overturning Sea! Dawn-Breaking! Heavenburning! Netherworld! Eternal Night! Light-Slaying!
Thirteen Immortal Swords, channeling six sword techniques, coalesced into a tidal wave of sword arts, colliding head-on with the enemy's bloodlight aura of murderous intent.
Having mastered the sixth technique, Light-Slaying, Han Yi had reached the theoretical limit of this Sword Canon within the Profound Immortal Realm, effectively achieving the combat power of a Peak Profound Immortal.
Thirteen pillars of light erupted skyward, transforming into massive, space-rending barriers that reshaped the world.
A deafening roar shook the cosmos as the battlefield dissolved into a chaotic vortex of light and blood—yin and yang, order and chaos—locked in a mutual annihilation.
This single strike demonstrated that Han Yi possessed combat prowess equal to his opponent's.
But his arsenal of techniques extended far beyond this.
The thirteen Immortal Swords shifted formation, their radiant blades weaving together to form a Sword Realm. Though only at the Third-Tier, this realm was composed of three Fourth-Tier Immortal Swords and ten Third-Tier Immortal Swords, granting it destructive power far surpassing ordinary Third-Tier Immortal Arts. With a single strike, space shattered into void, and the Blood Bull Tribe warrior vomited blood uncontrollably.
Yet the creature remained standing, its bloodshot eyes blazing with savage fury. With a swift, backward slash, it tore its spine from its back, the crimson vertebrae transforming into a bizarre sword artifact. Wielding its own spine as a sword, it clashed against Han Yi's Sword Realm.
The Sword Realm shifted unpredictably. Thirteen Immortal Swords materialized and vanished at will, unleashing techniques that could wither worlds into ghostly wastelands, plunging them into the Netherworld with the Netherworld Strike; draining the source of light to envelop worlds in Eternal Night; or cleaving through existence with Light-Slaying, plunging all into absolute darkness.
The fusion of the Sword Canon and Sword Realm allowed Han Yi's attacks to flow ceaselessly. Even with its spine transformed into a formidable Rare Treasure weapon, the Blood Bull Tribe warrior could no longer withstand the onslaught. In the span of three breaths, Han Yi's swords struck true, ending its life.
As the foreign race warrior fell, Han Yi casually waved his hand, retrieving the thirteen Immortal Swords. His heart calm, he strode toward the passage leading to the next level.
Han Yi felt little satisfaction in this victory, for the outcome had never been in doubt.
The Immortal Path, combined with the Ancient God System and several Third-Tier Immortal Arts—equivalent to the Fourth-Rank Sword Canon—had already granted him the combat power of a Peak Profound Immortal.
But the most crucial detail remained:
Throughout this battle, he had refrained from using Fifth-Rank Sword Control Immortal Techniques. Instead, he wielded the Immortal Swords solely through the combined power of the Sword Realm and Sword Canon.
Han Yi was confident that even without combining the Sword Realm and Sword Canon, a single strike from his Fourth-Tier Immortal Sword, empowered by a Fifth-Rank Sword Control Immortal Technique, would be enough to deliver a fatal blow.
On the 1799th floor, he once again annihilated the guardian using the combined power of the Sword Realm and Sword Canon.
The same held true for the 1800th floor.
Before ascending to the 1801st floor, Han Yi took a deep breath. The combat prowess he had long suppressed within him rapidly coalesced and compressed, ready to erupt with explosive force against a Golden Immortal.
In the next instant, the void shifted, and he found himself in a vast world of swirling clouds and mist. Eighty li ahead, a colossal Cloud Dragon coiled in the sky.
The Cloud Dragon stretched hundreds of li in length, its serpentine form spiraling upward to fill the heavens. Its boundless draconic might permeated the realm as it exhaled clouds and inhaled mist—a true god among dragons, embodying the very essence of the world.
As Han Yi materialized, the dragon lowered its massive head, its eyes gleaming like twin cloud-white stars suspended in the firmament. Deep within those majestic orbs burned an immeasurable depth of solemn authority.
Han Yi felt his body grow heavy, as if the weight of an entire world were pressing down upon him.
"Such overwhelming majesty... this is indeed a Golden Immortal."
"Perfecting the Third Tier of Immortal Power brings an immense leap in cultivation. Each tier's perfection grants a significant breakthrough, but the third tier's perfection is an extraordinary transcendence, transforming Immortal Might into Heavenly Might—the majestic, boundless authority of the Dao itself."
The gulf between Profound Immortals and Golden Immortals is vast, primarily due to the Golden Immortals' inherent possession of Heavenly Might. Under this overwhelming divine authority, a Profound Immortal's combat prowess is significantly diminished.
Five hundred years ago, when Han Yi first ascended to the Immortal Realm, he heard an age-old saying that had been passed down for generations:
"True Immortals are as numerous as woven threads, Profound Immortals are rare as distant stars, Golden Immortals shine with Heavenly Might, Grand Unity expounds the Dao, and Great Luo reigns supreme."
In this saying, the "shine" of Golden Immortals refers to their radiant Heavenly Might.
Whether in the Great Wheel Mountain Range, the Outer Void, or the Two Realms Battlefield, Han Yi had witnessed Golden Immortals in action before. Even from afar, he could sense their Heavenly Might. But never before had he felt it as intensely as he did now.
Facing this steadily intensifying Heavenly Might, Han Yi's expression grew solemn. With a thought, thirteen Immortal Swords materialized, their blades radiating brilliant Sword Light that shook the Void and momentarily cleared the Sea of Clouds. Another mental command sent fragments of the Heavenly Demon Halberd hurtling forth.
Roar!
Seeing Han Yi strike, the Cloud Dragon erupted in fury. Its earth-shattering roar shook the entire Yunlong World, instantly causing the cloud-filled realm to boil. An overwhelming pressure crushed down on Han Yi, bringing a sense of imminent doom.
Yet Han Yi's expression remained unchanged.
Thirteen Immortal Swords danced between the Sword Canon and the Sword Realm, their forms shifting ceaselessly. The Heavenly Demon Halberd Fragment transformed into a streak of silver light, darting through the void, flickering in and out of sight.
This time, Han Yi wielded both the Immortal Swords and the Heavenly Demon Halberd Fragment with Fifth-Rank Immortal Arts.
His previously concealed combat prowess now erupted in full force. Under the Fifth-Rank Sword Control Immortal Technique, both the Immortal Swords and the Heavenly Demon Halberd Fragment were imbued with terrifying sword momentum, their speeds soaring beyond even Han Yi's ability to track.
In other words, if he were to face this same assault himself, he would likely perish.
This was the peak of his power after half a Sexagenary Cycle of secluded cultivation. The Cloud Dragon's roar faltered against this onslaught, the solidified space around him began to fracture, and beneath the churning clouds, glimpses of the dark, underlying realm became visible.
Suddenly.
The Cloud Dragon whipped its tail, the appendage striking the seamlessly integrated Sword Realm with earth-shattering force. The impact was evenly matched, sending both combatants recoiling. As the dragon's tail retreated, a streak of silver light flashed, piercing through the severed appendage. Milky-white dragon blood cascaded across the sky.
Aow!
The Cloud Dragon roared in pain, its pride stung. Miles away, Han Yi's eyes suddenly gleamed with understanding, having gained deeper insight into the dragon's combat capabilities.
"This Cloud Dragon can be slain," he thought.
The dragon's injury confirmed that if he could capitalize on this advantage, he had a high chance of finishing it off.
At his command, the recoiling Immortal Sword surged forward again, encircling the Cloud Dragon. The Heavenly Demon Halberd Fragment, previously driven behind the dragon, now reversed course to join the sword in a pincer attack.
However, at this critical moment, the injured Cloud Dragon sensed the imminent threat of death.
How could a human with an aura barely equivalent to a Veteran Profound Immortal wield such terrifying destructive power? This was beyond anything the dragon had ever imagined.
In the past, a single roar of its draconic might or a whip of its tail had effortlessly crushed any Profound Immortal it encountered, without exception. Never before had it faced such a heaven-defying cultivator.
Sensing imminent danger, the Cloud Dragon opened its maw and spat forth a Dragon Pearl. The crimson-golden orb, etched with profound and enigmatic runes, radiated an overwhelming draconic aura that momentarily froze the entire Yunlong World, halting time and space itself.
Boom!
Dozens of miles away, Han Yi's heart tightened. His Immortal Sense surged outward uncontrollably as his body expanded explosively, reaching a hundred zhang, then a thousand, ten thousand, and finally settling at twenty-seven thousand zhang.
In the Primordial Realm, an Ancient God's Body—excluding illusory forms—could only reach a maximum height of thirty thousand zhang. This limit could only be broken upon reaching the Supreme Truth Realm. As Han Yi's Ancient God System remained in the Primordial Realm, his current height of twenty-seven thousand zhang placed him near the peak of that stage.
However, even in his fully transformed True Body of an Ancient God, Han Yi's colossal form paled in comparison to the gargantuan Cloud Dragon.
Yet this explosive growth granted him a corresponding surge in power. With a thunderous roar, he hurled a punch, divine power surging through his body and harmonizing with his Immortal Power. This combined force rode the crest of the Sword Light like a tidal wave.
Meanwhile, the crimson-golden Dragon Pearl, radiating overwhelming draconic authority, charged forward from dozens of miles away, hurtling toward the dense, boundless torrent of Sword Light.
Boom!!
A cataclysmic storm of destruction engulfed the Yunlong World. The realm boiled, fractured, and died.
When Han Yi regained consciousness, a chill ran down his spine.
"A Golden Immortal... This is what a Golden Immortal truly is."
"Even a first-tier Golden Immortal is this terrifying. I must never underestimate them."
His expression suddenly brightened with delight.
"Still, to achieve mutual destruction with a Golden Immortal-level Cloud Dragon on our first encounter proves that my combat prowess has officially reached the Golden Immortal realm."
"That Dragon Pearl's attack was truly terrifying. It shattered the True Body of an Ancient God, and even my Four Origins Dao Technique couldn't withstand it."
Just before the Yunlong World crumbled, the Cloud Dragon had unleashed its Dragon Pearl, obliterating Han Yi. In turn, Han Yi's Immortal Sword and the fragments of the Heavenly Demon Halberd had slain the Cloud Dragon, resulting in a mutual demise.
This outcome wasn't uncommon in the Void Tower, signaling advancement to the next level.
However, Han Yi didn't immediately proceed to the 1,802nd floor. Instead, he checked his ranking on the Profound Immortal Ranking. To his surprise, merely clearing three floors had propelled him from sixty-third to twenty-second place.
"In other words, the Sui Zhu Immortal Court alone boasts over twenty Profound Immortals with Golden Immortal-level combat strength."
"Across the entire Great Luo Immortal Realm, including Immortal Sects and Rogue Cultivators, the total number probably doesn't exceed two hundred."
Han Yi wasn't surprised. The Great Luo Immortal Realm was vast and boundless, making it entirely plausible that two hundred Profound Immortals possessed Golden Immortal-level combat power.
He continued deeper into the Void Tower. Space shifted, and he found himself on the 1,802nd floor, facing another world—dark, deathly silent, and desolate.
At the world's center stood a stone tower about a hundred meters tall. Atop it rose a ten-meter-tall member of a foreign race, its eyes pure black.
"A Primordial Alien Race... the Deathwild Dark Clan?"
Han Yi's Silverfire Dual Pupils blazed as he focused on the alien atop the stone tower, his battle intent surging.
Neither the Cloud Dragon nor the Deathwild Dark Clan could be underestimated.
The Golden Immortals within the Void Realm were clearly no ordinary figures. Han Yi had a premonition that he would soon encounter more enemies he had only read about in ancient texts from the Profound Repository Palace, creatures he had never seen in reality.
As the Deathwild Dark Clan member slowly ascended, waves of deathly stillness washed over him like a rising tide.
Han Yi struck first with his sword.
Three years later, Han Yi emerged from the Void Mirror, his final level frozen at the 1,813th floor.
Initially, he had breezed through the thirteen levels in just a few attempts. But by the 1,813th floor, it had taken him a staggering eighteen tries to clear. He didn't even attempt the 1,814th floor.
The primary reason for his three-year sojourn was to familiarize himself with the combat styles of Golden Immortals. Through hundreds of simulated battles, his experience fighting these powerful beings rapidly increased.
Leaving the Void Mirror, Han Yi felt deeply satisfied with his progress. He had clearly defined his current combat capabilities: with all his techniques unleashed, he could now contend with the most ordinary Golden Immortals. However, against those with more diverse abilities, he would easily find himself at a disadvantage. The longer such a battle dragged on, the greater his chances of defeat.
Regardless, his combat prowess had undeniably entered the realm of the Golden Immortals.
After exiting the Void Mirror, Han Yi visited the Heavenly Candle Hall, intending to exchange Immortal Marks for another Fifth-Rank Immortal Sword in preparation for advancing his Sword Realm. While there, he overheard shocking news:
"The Chaotic Demon Zone resurfaced three years ago?"
"Was it the Sacrificial Daoists of the Blazing Flame Dao Court who took action?"