Under the intense gaze of the crowd, Han Yi glanced at Sound Sage and transmitted a message with his Immortal Sense:
"Fellow Daoist Sound Sage, this opponent is dangerous. I must focus entirely on this battle, leaving no room for distraction. Please guard the formation for me."
Sound Sage Profound Immortal frowned slightly. Han Yi's words implied that he would take the lead, while she sought opportunities from the sidelines. This declaration revealed his confidence in his ability to contend with Yuan Jingtian.
The memory of Han Yi's earlier sword strike flashed through her mind. Despite its power—enough to place him in the top five of the Profound Immortal Ranking—she doubted he could truly defeat Yuan Jingtian. The gap between the top five and the number one spot remained vast. Yuan Jingtian, after all, had once clashed extensively with Murong Wuxiang, the ranking's reigning champion, their battle ending in a mutual retreat—a testament to the Demon Immortal's extraordinary strength.
Yet...
In terms of raw power, Han Yi surpassed her. His willingness to step forward and lead the charge against Yuan Jingtian at this critical moment demonstrated remarkable courage and a strong sense of responsibility.
The hesitation in Sound Sage Profound Immortal's heart vanished almost as quickly as it arose. She slowly retreated a few steps, a thought flickering through her mind:
Perhaps Fellow Daoist Han has hidden cards up his sleeve. Maybe he'll deliver an even greater surprise.
Ahead of him, Han Yi focused all his attention on Yuan Jingtian after sending his mental message.
Despite the Demon Race Heaven's Chosen's arrogant tone, his appearance was surprisingly ordinary for a Demon Immortal. His aura, though at the peak of the Profound Immortal Realm, didn't seem particularly remarkable.
Yet, as the second-ranked cultivator on the Profound Demon Ranking of the Ten Thousand Demons Pagoda, Yuan Jingtian's reputation and strength were well-known to Han Yi, even though he resided far away in the Sui Zhu Immortal Court and spent most of his time in secluded cultivation.
Therefore, Han Yi didn't underestimate his opponent. Instead, he steeled his resolve and focused with utmost intensity.
This was the first time he had faced a Heaven's Chosen of such renowned stature. In the past, his opponents—whether cultivators or Immortals of the same rank or one tier higher—had been ordinary members of Immortal Sects, giving him no opportunity to battle someone of this caliber.
As he grew cautious, the battle intent within him began to surge relentlessly, climbing higher and higher.
Yuan Jingtian's pressure was different from the overwhelming force exerted by the Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns he had encountered on the Two Realms Battlefield.
The pressure from those higher-level experts had been crushing, leaving no room for resistance. For Han Yi, escape or evasion had been his only options. But Yuan Jingtian's pressure was different—it was the pressure of a peer, the kind that ignited the desire to unleash one's full potential.
How immense that pressure truly was would only become clear when their blades clashed.
But the pressure from Yuan Jingtian was different—it was the pressure of a peer, a force that allowed Han Yi to unleash his full potential without restraint.
The true extent of this pressure would only be revealed in the heat of battle.
And just as Yuan Jingtian sought Han Yi's death, Han Yi harbored no less intent to kill Yuan Jingtian.
For an Ancient God who had reached the Supreme Truth Realm, Han Yi's comprehension of "Knowing Destiny" had deepened. He now understood that all beings possessed both Fate and Fortune, and that by severing these threads, one could seize them for oneself.
Simply put, the higher the level of an Immortal, the greater the celestial energy they accumulated. By slaying and plundering this power, one could accumulate it, deepening their own foundations.
Hence the saying, "Plunder Fate and Seize Fortune."
Some fantastical tales even spoke of twisted cultivators and Immortals who specialized in preying on undeveloped Heaven's Chosen, slaughtering them to alter their own destinies.
Gathering his thoughts and focusing his spirit, Han Yi stepped forward. With a sweeping gesture, he unleashed twenty-two Immortal Swords—the maximum required for his grand Sword Realm, excluding the Green Ripple Sword.
In an instant, the formation materialized before him. At its core stood the Fifth-Rank Burial Path Dragon God Sword, surrounded by nine Fourth-Tier Immortal Swords and twelve Third-Tier Immortal Swords, serving as internal and external nodes of the Sword Realm.
Boom!
Sword Intent surged, far surpassing the force he had unleashed when slaying the seven Peak Profound Immortal-Class Ape Demons earlier.
Sound Sage, who had retreated several hundred meters, widened her beautiful eyes, surprise and delight flickering across her face.
"Incredible power."
"Twenty-two Immortal Swords, including that Fifth-Rank one from earlier... Just how vast is Han Yi's Immortal Power to wield them all simultaneously and form such a sword formation?"
"Absolutely terrifying."
"No wonder he's confident enough to challenge Yuan Jingtian."
"The power he's demonstrated rivals the top three on the Profound Immortal Ranking."
"With my help, we might even be able to force Yuan Jingtian to retreat."
Sound Sage Profound Immortal steeled her resolve. Behind her, the Nine-Colored Screen stood tall in the air, its swirling colors resembling chaotic brushstrokes. Yet each hue represented over a millennium of her arduous cultivation, each a primal sound of the cosmos imbued with immeasurable power. When the nine harmonies coalesced, even the heavens paled in comparison.
This was the origin of her Daoist Title, Sound Sage, and the foundation of her sixth-place ranking on the Profound Immortal Ranking.
Farther away, Xuan Cheng's eyes lit up briefly, then dimmed with disappointment. Han Yi's display was purely Immortal Path power, distinguished only by its staggering quantity and quality. As a Veteran Profound Immortal, he might rival an ordinary Golden Immortal, but there was no trace of divine power—the secret Xuan Cheng had hoped to uncover.
Across from Han Yi stood Yuan Jingtian, the thirty-zhang-tall ape demon immortal, his eyes blazing with excitement. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his two Demon Immortal guards to retreat before taking a step forward.
That single stride transformed him completely.
Yuan Jingtian's demonic aura erupted skyward like a volcanic plume, causing the very heavens and earth to tremble violently. Even the Sixth-Rank Immortal Formation surrounding the nearby Immortal City began to flicker and shudder spontaneously under the immense pressure.
With his second step, a massive, profound-black cudgel materialized in his hand. A phantom shadow of a Primordial Wild Beast—the Sea-Rending Black Whale—flickered across its surface.
This Immortal Artifact was named the Sea-Rending Black Whale Cudgel. Though only Fifth-Rank, it stood at the pinnacle of its tier. More importantly, Yuan Jingtian had personally refined it, achieving perfect harmony with his Immortal Power.
It was with this very cudgel that he had slain the severely injured Senior Golden Immortal, etching his name into the annals of the Immortal Realm.
Of course, Yuan Jingtian possessed other hidden cards. However, Han Yi's demonstrated strength didn't warrant their deployment. This Immortal Cudgel, which had accompanied him through centuries of battle, would be more than sufficient to crush his opponent.
With his third stride, Yuan Jingtian stood before the Sword Realm and brought his cudgel crashing down.
As the cudgel rose, wind and clouds churned. When it struck, space shattered, unleashing a tidal wave of destruction.
BOOM!!
The Sword Realm, capable of annihilating ordinary Golden Immortals, recoiled violently from the blow. Within its depths, two Fourth-Tier Immortal Artifacts and seven Third-Rank Immortal Artifacts shattered with mournful cries, their fragments cascading into the void.
Yet, though repelled, the Sword Realm remained intact.
A ferocious black dragon phantom roared from the Burial Path Dragon God Sword, devouring the Sword Realm's violently oscillating sword light like a whale. In a kshana, it compressed the light to its absolute limit before spitting it back out. A crack split the Sword Realm, and this supremely condensed sword light surged through the fissure, hurtling straight toward Yuan Jingtian.
This counterattack was swift and cunning, the Sword Realm's recoil from the cudgel's blow merely a setup. It targeted the precise moment when Yuan Jingtian's initial force had dissipated but his next surge of power had yet to fully materialize.
Yuan Jingtian's dark eyes flashed with savage glee. Grinning fiercely, he thrust his free left hand forward in a tearing motion.
With that grab, the very fabric of reality seemed to tear apart. The dimension containing the Sword Realm's strike collapsed from three dimensions to two, flattening into a mere planar sheet that Yuan Jingtian seized in his grip like a curtain.
Behind Han Yi, the Sound Sage instinctively sensed that he was within the range of the devastating grab. His Immortal Power surged, and the colors on the Nine-Colored Screen behind him began to flow rapidly, spilling outward and swiftly dyeing the space around his Profound Immortal body.
In that fleeting moment, the Sound Sage Profound Immortal's innate sense of danger activated, and the Nine-Colored Screen, a sentient Immortal Artifact attuned to his will, automatically shielded him.
Meanwhile, Yuan Jingtian, the ape-demon who had torn through space, shook himself violently, sending the Sword Realm's attack plummeting downward as well.
However...
A streak of crimson blood, as vivid as fire, shot from the back of Yuan Jingtian's left hand. The demonic aura within the blood rapidly dissipated as the droplets scattered below.
For a Profound Immortal-class Demon Immortal, regenerating from a single drop of blood was effortless—each drop carried their complete essence. Yet the blood Yuan Jingtian shed carried no trace of his power, proving that the Sword Realm's attack had inflicted genuine damage.
Though minor, the wound was undeniable.
Yuan Jingtian stared at the back of his hand, his thick brows furrowing slightly. His demonic aura suddenly froze momentarily, as if solidified, for a single breath's time. Then, an even more violent demonic aura erupted from his body, surging skyward with frenzied intensity.
Behind him, Yuan Jingtian's black cloak rippled and transformed, molding to his body and coalescing into a suit of black armor. A ferocious, primeval aura radiated from the armor, as if it were poised to devour anyone who dared approach, making it utterly terrifying.
Clad in the armor, Yuan Jingtian's body surged upward by another twenty feet, reaching a towering height of fifty feet. While this wasn't particularly remarkable among the Demon Race, the sudden growth wasn't intentional. The terrifying Demonic Power coursing through his Demon Body in this state forced him to slightly expand his Physical Body to maintain control.
"Good, very good. In a thousand years, only Murong Wuxiang has ever managed to wound me."
"Yet today, another dares to draw my blood."
"You... deserve my full strength."
"Before I crush you, you have earned the right to speak your name."
As Yuan Jingtian strode through the sky, the sheer intensity of his Demonic Power manifested behind him as a phantom image—a colossal Ancient Demon, towering between heaven and earth.
!
Xuan Cheng, observing from the periphery, glanced at Yuan Jingtian, a flicker of understanding crossing his eyes.
"So, he has obtained the Essence Blood Inheritance of an Ancient Demon."
"No wonder his progress has been so rapid."
"Truly astonishing luck."
"This will undoubtedly force Han Yi to reveal his hidden trump cards."
Daoist Xuan Cheng shifted his gaze back to Han Yi. Under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, Han Yi casually flicked his wrist, sheathing all his Immortal Swords, including the Fifth-Rank Burial Path Dragon God Sword.
Then, he drew the Green Ripple Sword and grasped it firmly.
Though his expression was solemn, he remained silent in response to Yuan Jingtian's taunts.
This only intensified the sinister grin on Yuan Jingtian's face, revealing a hint of cruelty.
In the next instant, Yuan Jingtian vanished from his spot. A deafening crash erupted where he had stood, as if a colossal hammer had slammed into the ground.
Boom!
Simultaneously, Han Yi disappeared as well. A dazzling golden light radiated from his body, swirling around him like a heavy, radiant cloak.
This was the Divine Art: the Supreme Ancient Immortal Divine Body.
Named by Ancient God Yang after the Primordial Great World, the addition of "Immortal" to the name betrayed the terrifying scale of Yang's ambitions to achieve eternal glory within that ancient realm.
In the Divine Canon Inheritance, all four tiers of the Ancient God Golden Body shared this name. Each transformation represented a step closer to achieving an immortal physique within the Primordial World.
As Han Yi bathed in golden light, Daoist Xuan Cheng's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Finally, divine power! And such advanced divine power... the Divine Canon Han Yi cultivates must be extraordinary."
"Let's see if it's truly an Immeasurable or even Primordial-level Inheritance."
The Sound Sage Profound Immortal, who had been approaching the battlefield, frantically retreated dozens of miles before stopping, her expression even more complex than before.
It wasn't just Yuan Jingtian's terrifying power exceeding her expectations, but also Han Yi's ability to injure him in such a situation.
In a sense, Han Yi's strength was already approaching that of Murong Wuxiang, the top-ranked Profound Immortal on the Profound Immortal Ranking.
The other Ape Demons present had retreated even further, filled with awe. With their power, even a Peak Profound Immortal would have little chance of survival if caught in the battle's shockwaves.
Back on the battlefield, Han Yi, having vanished from his original position, now clashed fiercely with Yuan Jingtian, Green Ripple Sword in hand. Though his two-meter frame seemed dwarfed by Yuan Jingtian's fifteen-meter stature, and the Green Ripple Sword appeared insignificant beside the Sea-Rending Black Whale Cudgel, the outcome of their initial exchange defied all expectations. The massive Immortal Cudgel not only failed to gain the upper hand against the Immortal Sword but was repeatedly sent flying by its force.
Yuan Jingtian, wielding his Immortal Cudgel, was inwardly shaken to the core. His speed and power were such that ordinary Golden Immortals couldn't withstand more than a few blows, and even seasoned veterans would struggle to parry them effortlessly.
Yet this unfamiliar Profound Immortal, wielding a cyan-black Immortal Sword, had effortlessly deflected every single one of his attacks.
Is that a Sixth-Tier Immortal Sword?
Moreover, the opponent's cultivation realm was plainly visible: a Veteran Profound Immortal, clear as day.
The absurdity of it all struck him.
When did I become incapable of killing even a Veteran Profound Immortal?
A century ago, when he had first ascended to the Peak Profound Immortal Realm, he could slay wounded Senior Golden Immortals. Without a doubt, his combat prowess had already reached that level.
Now, a hundred years later, he found himself subtly outmatched by a mere Veteran Profound Immortal.
Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.
The thought ignited a primal rage within Yuan Jingtian. With a thunderous roar, his body expanded exponentially until it reached a hundred zhang in height, transforming into his Giant Demon form. The Immortal Cudgel in his hand swelled into a colossal pillar that seemed to pierce the heavens.
Across from him, Han Yi's confidence solidified.
He had underestimated his own strength and the true potential of the Proficiency Panel.
After years of cultivation, even without relying on his Sixth-Tier Green Ripple Sword, his Immortal Dao system—comprising the Fifth-Rank Burial Path Dragon God Sword and the Fourth-Rank Sword Realm—granted him the power to challenge ordinary Senior Golden Immortals.
Wielding the Sixth-Tier Azure Lotus Sword, Han Yi possessed the power to directly engage even Senior Golden Immortals in combat.
Moreover, by harnessing the Ancient God Tai Zhen Power and unleashing the Ancient Divine Artifact Yueguang, hidden within his Divine Aperture World, the terrifying destructive force he could unleash was beyond even his own comprehension.
Of course, Han Yi would only resort to the Ancient Divine Artifact Yueguang as a last resort, in a life-or-death situation. This Ancient Divine Artifact was so overwhelmingly powerful that it could instantly drain all his divine power, turning his attack into a mutual destruction strike.
Having assessed his combat capabilities, Han Yi strode forward confidently. Golden light erupted from beneath his feet, spreading outward like the footprints of an Ancient God walking through this world, yet somehow not bound by it.
This was a Divine Art: True World Eternity.
True World Eternity was an Ancient God movement technique. Activated by leveraging the True Realm, a phenomenon that could only manifest in the Supreme Truth Realm, this art straddled the line between the Void and the Supreme Truth. It was one of the most formidable movement techniques Han Yi had ever witnessed.
Activating the Golden Pupils of the Dao of Fate, transforming his body into the Supreme Ancient Immortal Divine Body, and accelerating to the speed of True World Eternity, Han Yi augmented his capabilities with these three Ancient God Divine Arts. His Immortal Sense surged as he channeled the Fifth-Rank Sword Control Immortal Technique into the Green Ripple Sword.
Only now did the Sixth-Tier Immortal Sword fully unleash its potential.
A cyan-black sword light sliced through the heavens, sending a shockwave through the entire world.