The Sui Zhu Immortal Court presided over seventeen Immortal Domains, commanded six Great Immortal Sovereigns, over a hundred Immortal Monarchs, tens of thousands of Golden Immortals, millions of Profound Immortals, and countless True Immortals and lower-tier cultivators.
Though the expedition to the Wisdom Realm had been assembled from the combined forces of multiple Great Luo powers, even their combined might couldn't rival the Sui Zhu Immortal Court's singular strength. This demonstrated the court's terrifyingly vast resources and formidable foundation.
Han Yi withdrew his gaze from the boundless Sui Zhu Territory and returned to the interior of the Immortal Boat he was aboard.
He found himself sharing the Seventh-Tier Immortal Ship with eighteen Golden Immortals from the Primal Art Dao Field, along with Profound Sincerity Profound Immortal and Sound Sage Profound Immortal. This high-tier vessel had been bestowed by the Golden Immortal Pavilion to counter the impending Demon Race invasion.
The Pavilion Master of the Golden Immortal Pavilion was none other than Immortal Venerable Wan Chuan.
For this Immortal Combat, the entire Sui Zhu Immortal Court had mobilized. High-ranking Immortal Monarchs from the court's upper echelons, the Golden Immortal Pavilion, the Orthodox Law Immortal Palace, and other key institutions had poured in immense resources.
For example, every Golden Immortal participating in the war received a Sixth-Tier Immortal Artifact from the Golden Immortal Pavilion.
Sixth-Tier Immortal Artifacts were exceedingly valuable; even some newly ascended Senior Golden Immortals couldn't afford such treasures.
It could be said that Age Candle had brought out some of its hidden reserves to prepare for this battle.
Although Han Yi was not yet a Golden Immortal, his admission to the Golden Immortal Pavilion and his ranking on the Profound Immortal Ranking had tacitly recognized him as one in status and strength, granting him the same privileges.
However, instead of choosing his most proficient weapon, an Immortal Sword, he opted for a Sixth-Rank Immortal Formation. This formation wasn't for his personal defense, but for the sake of the Profound Pill Sect.
Before Age Candle's combat team departed, Han Yi returned to the Azure Shu Mountain Range to deploy the Immortal Formation. Despite the hasty preparations, the Great Sage Supreme Phoenix Miro Formation, a Sixth-Rank Immortal Formation, wasn't perfectly integrated with the Immortal Vein beneath the mountains. Still, once activated, it would be difficult for even veteran Golden Immortals to breach within a short time. Given enough time to harmonize with the Immortal Vein, it could potentially withstand attacks from Peak Golden Immortals.
With the Immortal Formation in place, Han Yi's anxiety eased considerably.
After all, such a large-scale Immortal Combat between two Immortal Courts was a rare occurrence in history. With battle lines stretching vast and far, it was impossible to achieve complete containment and prevent every enemy from infiltrating.
During this immortal war, Demon Immortals would inevitably slip through the battle lines, infiltrating deep into the Sui Zhu Territory and wreaking havoc across numerous Immortal Domains. Immortal Sects and Dao Fields alike faced the imminent threat of annihilation.
Despite years of development, the Profound Pill Sect remained a tiny sect against the backdrop of this grand conflict between the two realms. If Han Yi were absent, even a single Golden Immortal-level Demon Immortal—or just a handful of Profound Immortal-class ones—could easily obliterate it.
Therefore, the Sixth-Rank Immortal Formation was Han Yi's most coveted treasure and the most suitable for the Profound Pill Sect. A higher Seventh-Rank formation would require an immense reserve of Immortal Power beyond his capabilities, while a weaker formation would be redundant with Yuan Hong guarding the sect.
With this formation in place, Han Yi's concerns for the sect's defense were somewhat alleviated.
"In this campaign," said Immortal Monarch Yuanshu, "our Primal Art Dao Field is responsible for the frontline between the Spirit Origin and Holy Ape Immortal Domains. With the fall of the Spirit Origin Immortal Lord, the defensive capabilities of this domain have been severely weakened. Across the border in the Holy Ape Immortal Domain, the Demonic Ape has emerged, rampaging relentlessly with overwhelming demonic might. In a single day, it destroyed nine Immortal Cities. Upon hearing this, the Immortal Sovereign was furious and immediately dispatched our Primal Art Dao Field to reinforce this critical line."
"Of course, we can't handle the Demonic Ape ourselves. That's a task for the Immortal Monarchs. The Demonic Ape is a Great Sage, ranked fifth among Donghuang's Great Sages, but the Immortal Monarchs are no pushovers. They have their own ways to deal with it."
"Our target is the other Demon Immortals of the Demonic Ape Clan."
These words were spoken by Zhenheng, a Golden Immortal.
Within the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, inside the Void Tower within the Void Mirror, three ranking lists floated: the True Immortal Ranking, the Profound Immortal Ranking, and the Golden Immortal Ranking. Each list featured only one hundred names.
True Heng Golden Immortal was a formidable figure who had ascended to the Golden Immortal Ranking, currently ranked seventh, a testament to his immense strength.
However, the top ten positions on the Golden Immortal Ranking had remained unchanged for millennia. This wasn't because those ten Golden Immortals were too powerful; rather, most Golden Immortals capable of reaching that level had broadened their horizons beyond the Void Tower and begun pursuing the path to becoming Immortal Monarchs.
Han Yi also followed these rankings closely. He recognized several True Immortals on the list, such as Zhenxiao Golden Immortal at fourth place, Golden Resonance Daoist at twenty-seventh, and Jade Spring Golden Immortal at thirty-eighth.
Yet...
The Golden Immortal Ranking differed from the other two in one crucial aspect.
Immortals who reach the True Immortal Ranking generally possess combat power comparable to ordinary Profound Immortals. Most Profound Immortals who make it onto the Profound Immortal Ranking can defend themselves against Golden Immortals, while a small fraction can even contend with ordinary Golden Immortals.
However, only Golden Immortals ranked in the top ten of the Golden Immortal Ranking can survive an encounter with an Immortal Monarch, and only those in the top three possess the strength to truly challenge one.
True Heng Golden Immortal, ranked seventh, was second only to the secluded Zhenxiao Golden Immortal within the Primal Art Dao Field, making him Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's right-hand man.
The gap between Golden Immortals and Immortal Monarchs was so vast that ordinary Immortals could scarcely imagine it.
Han Yi currently ranked fifty-seventh on the Profound Immortal Ranking. This wasn't his limit; rather, his ranking had stagnated because he had focused on cultivation and hadn't challenged the Void Tower in recent years.
By his own estimation, if he were to re-enter the Void Tower now, securing a spot in the top ten, or even the top five, should be within reach.
Yet his current cultivation realm was only that of a Veteran Profound Immortal.
At that moment, aboard the Seventh-Tier Immortal Ship, True Heng Golden Immortal finished speaking, and the assembled Immortals fell into contemplation.
The Demonic Ape he mentioned was Great Sage Demonic Ape, the fifth-ranked among the nine Great Sages of the Eastern Sovereign Immortal Court.
This Demon Clan Great Sage was even more formidable than the Great Sage Bull Demon, whom Han Yi had witnessed fall in battle on the Two Realms Battlefield years ago.
The reason this Great Sage bore the Daoist Title "Demonic Ape" was due to his berserker-like ferocity in combat, resembling a maddened demon.
The line between saint and demon was as thin as a hair.
"The Demon Race's terrifying reproductive capacity... they breed in litters like vermin. It's truly frightening."
"With the Wisdom Clans as an external threat, we never fully appreciated the danger posed by the Demon Race. But now that the external threat is gone and their true nature is exposed, the horror of this race becomes clear."
"Exactly. We must be vigilant."
The Golden Immortals began to murmur among themselves.
Standing beside Golden Resonance Daoist, Han Yi didn't share their sudden realization. In the Cultivation World of the Jade Balance Realm, the Immortal Kingdoms and the Demon Race had long been sworn enemies, locked in perpetual warfare.
However, he wholeheartedly agreed with the Golden Immortals' concern about the Demon Race's reproductive prowess.
Their fertility was astonishing. A single powerful Demon Cultivator could spawn countless descendants, creating thriving clans—outstripping human fertility by more than a hundredfold.
This extraordinary fertility had led to the fragmentation of the Demon Race into myriad clans.
Great Sage Demonic Ape had existed for several epochs. His offspring, the Demonic Ape Clan, had risen to become the supreme power in the Holy Ape Immortal Domain.
A secret organization had conducted an investigation, revealing that the Great Sage Demonic Ape had fathered as many as a million offspring over hundreds of thousands of years.
This staggering number might seem unbelievable, but given the Demon Race's unique nature, it was highly plausible.
Next, True Heng Golden Immortal explained the battle arrangements for the Dao Field to the assembled immortals.
The plan was simple: immortals would be divided by cultivation realm and engage in combat within their respective tiers. Immortal Monarch Yuanshu would hold off the Great Sage Demonic Ape, while the Golden Immortals aboard the Immortal Boat would target the Golden Immortal-level Demonic Apes. Below them, separate battlefields would accommodate Profound Immortals, True Immortals, and even lower-ranked cultivators.
Three exceptional Profound Immortals—Han Yi, Xuan Cheng, and the Sound Sage—were aboard the Immortal Boat with the Golden Immortals. However, upon reaching the battlefield, they wouldn't participate in the Golden Immortals' duels. Instead, they would be deployed to the most dangerous Profound Immortal combat zone.
In the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, Profound Immortals with nascent Golden Immortal-level combat power were common. The Eastern Sovereign Demon Court possessed even more such Profound Immortal-class Demon Immortals, potentially outnumbering them by an order of magnitude.
Therefore, exceptional Profound Immortals like Han Yi, Xuan Cheng, and the Sound Sage bore missions that, in some respects, were even more perilous than those of Golden Immortals.
A Seventh-Tier Immortal Ship moved with the speed of an Immortal Monarch, traversing several Immortal Domains in a single day to reach the Spirit Origin Immortal Domain. This domain was separated from the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain by the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain. If the Demonic Ape Demon Clan were to breach the Spirit Origin Immortal Domain, the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain would also be in grave danger. This was one of the reasons why the Primal Art Dao Field had been stationed here to hold the line.
However, with the Spirit Origin Immortal Lord's death during the Great Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, the Spirit Origin Dao Field had descended into chaos, losing its central pillar of leadership. Despite fierce resistance against the Demon Race's invasion, the Dao Field's defenses were utterly disorganized. Within days, multiple Immortal Cities had been razed to the ground, resulting in tragic losses.
Consequently, the Immortals and cultivators dispatched by the Primal Art Dao Field to this front line represented the Dao Field's core and primary fighting force. If the front line collapsed entirely, the Heavenly Knowledge and Primordial Arts Immortal Domains behind it would be exposed to the Demon Race's advance.
Han Yi felt a chill run down his spine. If the situation proved truly untenable, the Azure Shu Mountain Range would inevitably suffer the same fate, forcing him to consider relocating his sect once more.
Gasp!
Since Han Yi began his cultivation journey, the Profound Pill Sect had already relocated three times. Could they possibly be forced to move a fourth time?
Upon further reflection, Han Yi shook his head inwardly.
This time, he had almost no room for retreat. If Age Candle suffered a decisive defeat, they would have to flee to the Lingxiao Immortal Court. But if the Demon Race gained the upper hand and Lingxiao fell as well, their only option would be to relocate to another Immortal Realm, such as Penglai or Kunlun.
Among the Nine Primordial Realms, the six Yang Realms, excluding Great Luo, contained only Kunlun and Penglai as major realms of the Immortal Path. Eternal Life was a Wizarding World, Wicked Demon was a realm of Strange Demons, and Wild Desolation was a fragmented Wasteland Demon realm. While the Eternal Life Immortal Realm could coexist with others, it wasn't ideal for the development of the Immortal Path. Wicked Demon and Wild Desolation were even less hospitable to human survival.
Moreover, Han Yi dared not venture into the Kunlun Immortal Realm due to the lingering influence of the Interception Sect's luck.
If the Immortal Court were defeated, the Penglai Immortal Realm would be his last refuge.
However, even in Penglai, Han Yi had antagonized the dark force led by Black Yama, a figure capable of covertly clashing with the Law Source Immortal Sect, which was backed by an Immortal Sovereign-level Immortal. Strictly speaking, even if he led the Profound Pill Sect to Penglai, establishing a foothold there would be far from easy.
Reining in his scattered thoughts, Han Yi's expression turned grave. He realized that this immortal combat was no longer a distant affair, but intimately connected to his own fate.
One misstep could lead to another, potentially endangering even the Profound Pill Sect.
Determined to give his all, he resolved to unleash every lethal technique and utterly crush the Demon Race.
Emerging from the Immortal Boat, Han Yi, Profound Sincerity Profound Immortal, and Sound Sage Profound Immortal set course for a fortress immortal city within the Spirit Origin Immortal Domain.
Among the trio, Sound Sage Profound Immortal had reached the peak of the Profound Immortal Realm, Han Yi was a Veteran Profound Immortal, while Profound Sincerity remained at the ordinary Profound Immortal level.
Sound Sage Profound Immortal was a female cultivator in her early forties, possessing a mature, voluptuous figure and an exceptional aura among female immortals. However, her formidable combat prowess often overshadowed her striking appearance.
Ranked sixth on the Profound Immortal Ranking, she had even slain an ordinary Golden Immortal in the past.
"Dozens of Peak Profound Immortals have already gathered in Silver Lake Immortal City," Sound Sage Profound Immortal said, her voice grave. "Reports indicate that nearly a hundred Peak Profound Immortal Demonic Apes have converged in the Ancient Silver Mountain Range, including some with terrifying combat capabilities—capable of contending with Golden Immortals—poised to annihilate Silver Lake Immortal City at any moment."
"The three of us are ranked on the Profound Immortal Ranking. At this critical moment, we must set aside our past grudges and unite against the common enemy."
Han Yi and Daoist Xuan Cheng exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
Sound Sage Profound Immortal, observing this, felt a slight sense of relief. She was clearly aware of the past tensions between Han Yi and Xuan Cheng.
The arrogance of Heaven's Chosen was inevitable, but she feared that their lingering animosity might lead them to sabotage each other on the Two Realms Battlefield, potentially jeopardizing the entire Profound Immortal campaign. This risk had to be prevented.
The trio moved with astonishing speed, covering dozens of kilometers in an instant. Sound Sage Profound Immortal, leading the way, grew increasingly astonished. She had already pushed her speed to its absolute limit, effectively entering the realm of Golden Immortals.
Yet the two behind her kept pace effortlessly. Xuan Cheng struggled visibly but managed to hang on, while Han Yi moved with effortless grace, leaving the Sound Sage profoundly impressed.
Behind Sound Sage Profound Immortal, Han Yi and Xuan Cheng maintained calm expressions, though their thoughts diverged.
Profound Sincerity True Immortal, sensing the familiar aura of an Ancient God emanating from Han Yi at close range, had long since confirmed that Han Yi had reached the Supreme Truth Realm. Moreover, Han Yi's extraordinary speed wasn't solely due to Immortal Techniques; it was a fusion of both Immortal and Divine Arts, granting him velocity comparable to a Golden Immortal.
As for Xuan Cheng himself, before his reincarnation, he had been a Venerable-class Ancient Demon. While not among the most powerful, many of his ancient demonic techniques could still be used in the Profound Immortal Realm, granting him considerable speed.
However, his Immortal Power was still limited, having yet to undergo his first complete cycle of cultivation. Sustaining these ancient demonic techniques proved challenging.
What puzzled him most was Han Yi. Even if Han Yi had advanced to the Supreme Truth Realm, he should only be at the initial stage, with limited divine power. It was inconceivable that he could move with such ease.
Beyond the secret of the Ancient God, Xuan Cheng thought, Han Yi must be concealing deeper secrets. His identity before the Primordial Era must have been extraordinary.
The more Xuan Cheng considered this, the more cautious he became.
Meanwhile, Han Yi showed no interest in Xuan Cheng's secrets. What surprised him slightly was that Xuan Cheng's rate of advancement rivaled his own, and his aura wasn't flimsy or unstable, but remarkably solid.
This man's background is far from ordinary.
Suddenly, the Sound Sage Profound Immortal cried out.
"Watch out! The Demonic Apes are attacking the city!"
Even as her words echoed, a subtle surge of speed came over her in the face of the impending crisis.
Han Yi abruptly looked up. The distant rumble reaching the limits of his Immortal Sense made his expression darken, and he pushed his speed even higher.
Behind him, Xuan Cheng watched as Han Yi's speed continued to increase. Yet Han Yi refrained from pushing his Immortal Power to its limits, aware that the situation ahead remained unclear and that he needed to conserve his energy for the impending Immortal Combat.
Finally unleashing his full speed, Han Yi instantly traversed dozens of miles, surpassing even the Sound Sage Profound Immortal's velocity as he boldly plunged into the chaotic battlefield of Destruction.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a single sword strike.
The Sword Light roared.
A thunderous boom reverberated across tens of thousands of miles!