Inside Silver Lake Immortal City, atop a towering three-thousand-zhang pagoda near the main gate, Han Yi retrieved the sinister black Ancient Demon Heartstone. Enveloping it in divine power, he levitated the stone before him.
Three days had passed since his decisive battle against Yuan Jingtian. During this time, Han Yi had remained stationed in Silver Lake Immortal City, diligently gathering intelligence and maintaining constant vigilance.
The Immortals within the city, including representatives from the Great Immortal Sects and the Spirit Origin Dao Field, treated Han Yi with extraordinary reverence, clearly regarding him as the city's central pillar of leadership.
News of his epic battle outside the city walls had spread far and wide. The True Immortals and Profound Immortals who witnessed it firsthand were deeply shaken, while those who saw recordings of the event were equally stunned.
Three days later, word arrived from the front lines: Age Candle had recaptured six Immortal Cities, pushing the battle lines closer to the Holy Spirit Mountain Range. This meant that Silver Lake Immortal City, once at the heart of the conflict, was now further from the most intense fighting and considerably safer.
With this assurance, Han Yi finally felt at ease and began preparing to refine the Ancient Demon Heartstone.
Before commencing the refinement process, he retrieved the Burial Path Dragon God Sword and established a concealed Sword Realm to prevent any unwanted interruptions.
Before this, Han Yi had consulted Xuan Cheng on the method for refining the Ancient Demon Heartstone. Xuan Cheng, who had been an Ancient Demon in his previous life and thus possessed unparalleled expertise in this matter, readily shared his knowledge.
Though he suspected Han Yi's inquiry stemmed from his intention to refine this particular Ancient Demon Heartstone, Xuan Cheng still offered a subtle warning.
"Since ancient times, there have been cultivators with extraordinary innate talent who simultaneously cultivated multiple systems. However, such dual-system cultivation inherently possesses two major flaws."
"First, it inevitably slows down the progress of one's primary system, hindering advancements in its Cultivation Realm."
"This alone isn't fatal."
"The critical issue lies in the inherent conflicts between different systems. For instance, if an Immortal were to cultivate Demonic Techniques, the merging of Immortal and Demonic powers could disrupt their Immortal Power, damage their Soul, and ultimately corrupt them into Evil Immortals or demonic cultivators."
"This has been the case throughout history."
"Fellow Daoist Han, I urge you to proceed with utmost caution," Xuan Cheng said, his words carrying unspoken meaning.
Truthfully, Xuan Cheng had omitted a crucial detail. The conflicts he described arose when Immortals attempted to cultivate incompatible systems. However, those who were inherently beings of another system, reborn through special means into a second life, could cultivate Immortal Techniques while retaining their original system's capabilities without conflict.
Take Xuan Cheng himself as an example. His previous life as an Ancient Demon, followed by reincarnation, allowed him to seamlessly integrate cultivation paths from both the Immortal Path and the Ancient Demon Path.
As for Han Yi, Xuan Cheng believed him to be an Ancient God who had lived a second life.
Whether he was the Primordial Ancestor-level Ancient God himself, Xuan Cheng couldn't be certain. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that Primordial Ancestor-level Ancient Gods were far more complex than he had initially thought. Even if Han Yi possessed the Ancient Divine Artifact, it didn't necessarily mean he was that Primordial Ancestor-level Ancient God. He might simply be another Ancient God who had inherited the legacy of the Primordial Ancestor.
Inside the Immortal Tower, Han Yi recalled Xuan Cheng's earlier warning, and a new thought struck him.
When he had first opened the Demon Sea within his body and began cultivating the Nine-Headed Bird True Body, he hadn't encountered any of the conflicts Xuan Cheng had described. His progress had been remarkably smooth.
Over the years, as his cultivation had advanced, he hadn't devoted any further time to the Demon Cultivation System. Yet if he were to unleash the Nine-Headed Bird True Body now, his cultivation would likely reach the Demigod level.
Regardless, the Immortal Path, the God Path, and the Monster Dao flowed harmoniously within him, free from the contradictions Xuan Cheng had warned about.
"It's the Proficiency Panel," Han Yi realized.
"Exactly. All my cultivation systems are built upon Proficiency. If I differ from others, it must be because of the Proficiency Panel."
In that instant, he understood. Without realizing it, the Proficiency Panel had shielded him from the chaos that usually accompanied cultivating multiple paths simultaneously.
Now.
The Ancient Demon Heartstone floating before him, though only the size of his palm, contained an immense internal space—a true Demon Spirit Realm.
To refine it, one needed to infuse Demonic Power into its core, establish a connection with the central nexus, and then absorb it into the Demon Sea, replacing the original Demon Core.
From that moment on, there would be no need for deliberate cultivation of the Demon Core. The Ancient Demon Heartstone would continuously channel energy from the Demon Spirit Realm into the Demon Body, and as time passed, one's cultivation realm would naturally advance.
There were two main cultivation paths. The first, chosen by Demon Cultivators with their own established Cultivation Techniques, involved treating the Ancient Demon Heartstone as a pure source of Demonic Power, extracting only the desired Inheritance without fully assimilating it.
Yuan Jingtian had followed this path.
The second path entailed fully accepting the Ancient Demon Heartstone's Inheritance, gradually transforming one's Demon Body into an Ancient Demon form and walking the path of the stone's original master.
Both paths had their drawbacks. The first, relying on the Ancient Demon Heartstone solely as a source of Demonic Power, made further advancement beyond Peak Profound Immortal—the realm of Demonic Power's perfection—significantly more difficult than for other members of the Demon Race.
This was the price Yuan Jingtian paid for his smooth and effortless early cultivation.
It was precisely this that trapped him at the Peak Profound Immortal stage, preventing him from breaking through to the Golden Immortal Realm.
Moreover, if the host were to perish, all the Essence Blood cultivated through their efforts, being of the same origin, would be reabsorbed by the Ancient Demon Heartstone.
This explained why Yuan Jingtian's corpse was drained dry by the Ancient Demon Heartstone after Han Yi slew him.
The flaw in the second branch was even more pronounced. By treading the path of the original Ancient Demons, one's form would gradually resemble theirs. Eventually, one's demonic wisdom could become clouded, leading to the delusion that one is that Ancient Demon, thus losing one's sense of self.
Considering the flaws of both branches, the second was clearly the greater risk. Yuan Jingtian's choice had been sound.
But for Han Yi, the situation was different.
His superior Ancient God System offered powerful suppression, and his Proficiency Panel provided additional support. He faced no danger of losing his mental clarity. By cultivating along the second branch, he could attain even greater power.
Regaining his focus, Han Yi reviewed Xuan Cheng's Ancient Transformation method one last time, confirming he understood every detail. He then began refining the Ancient Demon Heartstone.
His consciousness connected with the Demon Sea. A wisp of Demonic Power flowed out from his body, landing on the Ancient Demon Heartstone hovering before him.
Han Yi's Demonic Power, derived from cultivating the Nine-Headed Bird True Body, was inherently black. As it landed on the equally dark Ancient Demon Heartstone, an immediate transformation occurred.
A strange, demonic light emerged from the heartstone, readily absorbing Han Yi's Demonic Power. Undeterred, Han Yi continued channeling his power into the stone. As time passed, the Ancient Demon Heartstone suddenly trembled. Han Yi's consciousness shattered through a barrier, revealing the vast Demon Spirit Realm within. At the realm's core hovered a mysterious Phantom Shadow.
The Phantom Shadow possessed nine heads and nine tails, radiating immense dread.
With a single glance, Han Yi felt a savage ferocity surge from the Demon Spirit Realm, assaulting his senses.
This Phantom Shadow was the heartstone's core, the final imprint of the Ancient Demon who had originally forged it.
Unable to identify the Ancient Demon by name, Han Yi cautiously extended his Demonic Power to touch the Phantom Shadow.
In a fleeting vision, he witnessed an immeasurably colossal Ancient Demon striding through a primordial world, dominating the heavens and earth, inhaling and exhaling galaxies.
The image flickered, revealing an Ancient Demon who had weathered countless battles, slaughtering innumerable beings—Ancient Immortals, Ancient Demons, Ancient Gods, Heterospecies, and Wild Beasts alike. Each massacre solidified its fearsome reputation.
During one particularly brutal clash, this Ancient Demon intervened in a higher-level conflict and was severely wounded by the aftershocks. Mortally wounded, it fled, gathering all its Essence Blood into the Ancient Demon Heartstone before its demise.
The vision abruptly ended, silent yet powerful, transporting Han Yi once more to the savage Primordial and Primordial Eras—a brutal age where myriad races clashed for survival.
Snapping back to reality, Han Yi resumed channeling Demonic Power into the Heartstone. As his energy neared depletion, the Ancient Demon's Inheritance finally unveiled its mysterious veil before him.
His eyes shot open, brimming with delight. He murmured in awe:
"An Ancient Demon... the Wild Vulture."
...
Meanwhile, as Han Yi refined the Ancient Demon Heartstone, a new storm gathered on the battlefield between the two races.
First, an Immortal Monarch-level battle erupted in the Holy Spirit Mountain Range. Three unfamiliar Demon Monarchs appeared, launching a joint assault on Immortal Monarch Yuanshu. The Great Sage Demonic Ape, previously wounded and forced to retreat by Yuanshu, seized the opportunity to escape. Enraged and frenzied, the Great Sage Demonic Ape relentlessly pursued Immortal Monarch Yuanshu across the Spirit Origin Immortal Domain, all the way to the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain. Only when other Immortal Monarchs intervened was the Great Sage Demonic Ape finally driven back.
Meanwhile, on other Immortal Monarch battlefields along the front lines, numerous unfamiliar Immortal Monarch-level demons had suddenly appeared, including several Great Sage-tier powerhouses.
These Immortal Monarch demons seemed to have materialized out of thin air. No matter how thoroughly they were investigated, no trace of their past existence could be found, as if they weren't even from the Great Luo Demon Race, but from the Outer Domain.
The defeats on the Immortal Monarch battlefields had forced the front lines to retreat to their original positions, and in Age Candle's sector, the retreat was even more pronounced.
Inside Silver Lake Immortal City, Han Yi was interrupted by Sound Sage before he could finish refining the Ancient Demon Huanglong's Heartstone. She informed him of the situation.
"So many unfamiliar Immortal Monarchs have suddenly appeared. The Immortal Court is already preparing to reestablish the front lines. The Primal Art Dao Field, responsible for this sector, must abandon the Spirit Origin Immortal Domain and even temporarily cede the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain, fortifying instead along the borders of the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain."
"Fellow Daoist Han, the Immortal Court has ordered us to depart immediately and retreat to the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain."
"Silver Lake Immortal City will be evacuated shortly."
Sound Sage Profound Immortal's tone was grave, her eyes betraying her shock.
"I've heard that this isn't just happening on our front. The Luo Tian and Huangya Immortal Court sectors are also facing waves of mysterious Immortal Monarch demons."
"No wonder the Eastern Sovereign Demon Court dared to launch a three-pronged Immortal Combat against two factions."
"The Eastern Sovereign Demon Court originally had only one hundred and eight Demon Monarchs. Even after accounting for the twenty-odd who died during the Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, they shouldn't have more than ninety left."
"Yet our intelligence shows that thirty-six unfamiliar Demon Monarchs have suddenly appeared on the Age Candle front alone."
"Combined with Luo Tian and Huangya, that's well over a hundred. The Demon Race's Demon Monarch numbers have at least doubled."
"And that's just what we've seen so far."
"What if the Demon Race hasn't merely doubled its Demon Monarch count? What if their Immortal Sovereign numbers have also doubled?"
As she spoke, even the Sound Sage, in her Profound Immortal form, shuddered inexplicably, a chill creeping into her heart.
"We have to leave immediately. Right now."
Han Yi stood, his expression equally grave. "Agreed. We depart at once."
In such a large-scale Immortal Combat, there were no rules restricting combat to equivalent tiers. If a Demon Race Immortal Monarch arrived and obliterated Silver Lake Immortal City, they'd have no chance of escape.
Moreover, having slain Yuan Jingtian of the Demon Race, the Great Sage Demonic Ape would undoubtedly seek retribution. Once word spread, if the Great Sage Demonic Ape himself descended, Han Yi would have no choice but to offer his neck for execution.
The thought sent a chill down Han Yi's spine. With a flick of his sleeve, he strode out of the Immortal Tower. Outside, Xuan Cheng was already hovering in mid-air, waiting for him.
"Let's go," said the Sound Sage Profound Immortal, who had emerged from the tower first. She fled towards the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain, with Han Yi and Xuan Cheng close behind.
As for Silver Lake Immortal City, the Immortals stationed there would handle its evacuation. Those who wished to flee would follow, while those who remained would be doomed, even if the Immortal Court itself intervened.
During their flight, Han Yi was deeply troubled. Events were unfolding in the worst possible way.
However...
When he had deployed the Sixth-Tier Immortal Formation across the Azure Shu Mountain Range, he had consulted with the Sect elders. They agreed that if the battle lines retreated and the situation became untenable, the Profound Pill Sect should abandon any hope of holding their ground and immediately relocate.
Losing the Azure Shu Mountain Range, which they had cultivated for centuries, offered a chance for eventual reclamation. But if the Sect's cultivators perished, there would be no hope for recovery.
In short, as long as the green mountains remained, they could always gather firewood again.
The Profound Pill Sect's elders had raised no objections. After all, the Sect had relocated three times before, making them quite experienced in such matters.
Neither Lian Tingxi, Zhuge Wuyou, Shen Ping, nor He Fengdi voiced any resistance.
The recent surge in Demon Race Immortal Monarchs had forced Age Candle to relinquish several Immortal Domains, not out of defeat, but as a strategic maneuver to consolidate defenses.
However, the Demon Race's advance was relentless. As the Sound Sage had warned, the sudden emergence of unfamiliar Demon Immortal Sovereigns could easily shatter even the most fortified battle lines, leaving them no choice but to retreat to the core territory of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court.
By then, the vast Sui Zhu Immortal Court, with its dozens of Immortal Domains, would become a feeding ground for the Demon Race. If the Profound Pill Sect failed to escape, they would be utterly at their mercy.
Han Yi's thoughts raced, and he finally sighed inwardly.
Weak. Still too weak.
Though he possessed the combat prowess of a Golden Immortal—and could even contend with seasoned Golden Immortals if he pushed himself to his limits—his influence on this grand war between races remained severely limited. He could only achieve localized effects, utterly insignificant in the overall scheme.
The trio moved with astonishing speed, but halfway back to the Primal Art Dao Field, as they crossed a vast plain, they spotted a terrifying battlefield in the distance.
The battlefield stretched for tens of thousands of kilometers, filled with the ceaseless clash of immortal techniques and demonic roars. Space shattered under the force of the combat, and entire mountain ranges were leveled.
"It's a Golden Immortal battlefield," the Sound Sage declared.
"We'll take a detour."
A glint appeared in the Sound Sage's eyes. Without hesitation, she veered sharply to the side, attempting to bypass the conflict entirely.
But just then, a voice suddenly pierced their minds, and a colossal demonic figure hurtled through the air toward them.
"It's Sui Zhu Hanyi!"
"Haha, you're right! It's definitely him!"
"My luck is truly divine! The Great Sage Demonic Ape's bounty includes a Sixth-Tier Immortal Artifact—I'm set for life!"
The demonic figure stood hundreds of meters tall and had traversed fifty kilometers in less than half a breath.
Sound Sage turned toward the voice, her expression darkening dramatically.
"It's a Lion-Roc Demon Race member!"
"Damn it! That overwhelming aura... it's a Senior Golden Immortal!"
Her face changed as she instinctively glanced at Han Yi.
Though she ranked sixth on the Profound Immortal Ranking, giving her a considerable advantage against ordinary Golden Immortals, facing a Senior Golden Immortal meant certain defeat—and even escape wasn't guaranteed.
Yet Han Yi's combat prowess, demonstrated outside Silver Lake Immortal City, made her believe that if he intervened, he might stand a chance against this Demon Immortal.
Han Yi's eyes flickered as he scanned the battlefield. Pointing to one side, he said swiftly, "This Lion-Roc Demon Immortal is after me. You two take this path back to the Primordial Arts Immortal Domain."
"I'll draw him away by going the other way."
"Don't worry. Even if I can't win, I can still escape."