Within the Immortal Pavilion of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court's Primal Art Dao Field, Han Yi's consciousness sank into a Divine Aperture World. There, a colossal corpse, transformed into the true form of a Demon Race entity, floated suspended in the Void.
The crimson corpse had been severed in two, its severed ends oozing bizarre demonic blood. Rather than seeping or splattering, the blood formed smooth, deep-red surfaces that resembled strangely colored jade.
The lower half of the corpse bore seven tails, each immense, stretching for tens of kilometers—longer than the torso itself.
This was the corpse of the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch.
Qin Yi's sword strike, though appearing effortless, had been his full-powered attack, the only strike he could muster at his peak. After unleashing it, he immediately turned and fled. Yet that single strike had cleaved the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch in two, killing him instantly.
As a Fox Clan Demon Monarch, the Crimson Fox possessed only seven tails, and his seventh tail had only emerged three thousand years prior, making him one of the weakest among his peers.
Within the Fox Clan, eight tails signified an Immortal Sovereign, nine tails marked a Dao Ancestor, and ten tails—found only in the Primordial Era—represented the clan's founding ancestor.
However, the Primordial Ancestor, who had reached the Heavenly Venerable realm, perished in the Primordial Era. By the late Primordial Era, the Fox Clan had fallen into extreme decline. The legendary nine-tailed techniques had become so rare that even eight-tailed foxes were now scarcely seen.
The Fox Clan currently boasts only two Seven-Tailed Fox Demons. One is the Celestial Fox Immortal Monarch, ranked seventeenth among the Donghuang's One Hundred and Eight Demon Monarchs, and revered as the Celestial Fox Ancestor by his clan.
The other was the recently fallen Crimson Fox Demon Monarch, whose corpse Han Yi had seized.
With the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch's demise, turmoil was bound to grip the Donghuang Fox Clan. The Celestial Fox Ancestor would likely emerge from their territory to hunt down Qin Yi.
Yet Han Yi harbored no concern for Qin Yi. This was a being who had attained the Half-Step Immortal Monarch realm in a mere millennium, possessing secrets no less profound than his own.
Regaining his composure, Han Yi turned his attention back to the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch before him, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The corpse of a Demon Monarch-level Demon Immortal was a treasure trove from head to toe.
After a moment, Han Yi extracted only the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch's Demon Core. This core represented the essence of a Demon Immortal, akin to the Immortal Spirit Realm of the Immortal Path—the very foundation of their existence.
Han Yi sought the Demon Core to nourish his Wild Dragon Inheritance. Though he had obtained the Ancient Demon Heartstone, using a Demon Core as fuel would undoubtedly accelerate his cultivation of the Ancient Demon System.
This method was explicitly documented within the Wild Dragon Inheritance.
The Wild Dragon, a notoriously ferocious and malicious Ancient Demon from the Primordial Era, had devoured other beings with Primordial Bloodlines, assimilating their power to fuel its own growth and become even stronger.
Apart from the Demon Core, Han Yi had no intention of dismantling the corpse himself. Instead, he planned to sell it directly for Immortal Stones or Immortal Marks to aid his cultivation.
Inside the Immortal Pavilion, Han Yi tossed the Crimson Fox Demon Core into the Demon Sea. Above it, a bizarre world materialized—the transformed Ancient Demon Heartstone of the Wild Dragon.
As the Crimson Fox Demon Core entered the Demon Sea, the Wild Dragon's Demon Spirit Realm pulsed like a living heart, expanding outward while generating a powerful suction force. It swiftly seized the Demon Core and dragged it into its depths.
Han Yi made no move to stop it, allowing the Demon Spirit Realm to claim the Demon Core for refinement.
He withdrew from the Demon Spirit Realm, left the Immortal Pavilion, and set about discreetly gathering clues about the Blazing Flame Dao Court, its connection to the Chaos Cataclysm, and the purpose of the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel.
He headed straight for the Golden Immortal Pavilion.
With his current strength and the tacit recognition he had earned after slaying Yuan Jingtian, Han Yi now commanded the respect of nearly all Golden Immortals within the pavilion.
The Golden Immortal Pavilion served as the central hub for all Golden Immortals under the Age Candle lineage. Regardless of their Dao Field affiliation, allegiance to the Immortal Venerable Realm Heaven, or direct lineage from the Dao Ancestor, all Golden Immortals were theoretically subject to the pavilion's authority.
Within this Immortal Pavilion, a vast ocean of intelligence flowed daily, representing the highest level of information access currently available to Han Yi.
Inside the Golden Immortal Pavilion, the shopkeeper was no longer Golden Immortal Puming but a female immortal with the Daoist title Ruyi.
When Ruyi Golden Immortal saw Han Yi, her eyes flashed with surprise and recognition. Smiling, she greeted him, "Fellow Daoist Han, what brings you here?"
Although a senior Golden Immortal, Ruyi was a Pill Immortal and not skilled in combat. Han Yi, on the other hand, had slain Yuan Jingtian over a century ago and recently topped the Profound Immortal Ranking in the Void Tower.
While her cultivation realm far surpassed his, she knew her strength was no match for his. Thus, she treated him as an equal, rather than with the condescension a Golden Immortal might show a mere Profound Immortal.
Han Yi clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Recently, I ventured into the territory of the Blazing Flame Dao Court and obtained some information. I've come to report it to the Golden Immortal Pavilion."
"Additionally, I require all intelligence gathered by the Immortal Court regarding the Blazing Flame Dao Court, the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel, and the circumstances surrounding the Dao Vessel's and Dao Court's disappearance."
"Also, if any immortals from the Immortal Court have been dispatched to the Dao Court's territory recently and made any discoveries, please share those reports with me as well."
Han Yi produced a jade slip containing a detailed account of his experiences in Brilliant Flame Immortal City, including Qin Yi's revelations about the Dao Graves.
Of course, Han Yi only mentioned discovering these subtle clues, concealing his connection to Qin Yi and instead portraying him as a mysterious Golden Immortal.
After Han Yi submitted the Jade Slip, Ruyi Golden Immortal placed it on a seven-colored pillar of light, a manifestation of the Heavenly Candle Hall's Realm Spirit. The Jade Slip vanished into the pillar in an instant, its brilliance flickering faintly.
Within the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, submitting information earned Immortal Marks, a standard practice. The amount of Immortal Marks awarded was determined by the Realm Spirit, with higher-level, previously unrecorded information naturally receiving more.
In less than a breath, a series of messages materialized within the seven-colored pillar, including the number of Immortal Marks awarded.
Ruyi Golden Immortal glanced at the display, momentarily stunned. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. She turned to look at Han Yi, then back at the information on the pillar. After a moment's hesitation, she turned to Han Yi again and said:
"Fellow Daoist Han, may I have your Token? I'll try to transfer the Immortal Marks to you."
"Try?" Han Yi asked, puzzled. "Fellow Daoist Ruyi, is something amiss?"
Ruyi Golden Immortal's expression remained perplexed. "The number of Immortal Marks awarded for the information in your Jade Slip is... a bit unusual."
"Hmm, that's quite a lot," Ruyi Golden Immortal said, her brow furrowed. "Logically, I shouldn't doubt it. The pillar of light connecting the Golden Immortal Pavilion to the Heavenly Candle Hall is a Thought projection of this Boundary Heaven's Realm Spirit. It shouldn't make mistakes."
"But I've never seen so many Immortal Marks displayed before."
Han Yi nodded and handed over his Token, understanding what was puzzling Ruyi Golden Immortal.
The Jade Slip he had submitted contained terms like "Chaos Cataclysm," "Dao Grave," and "Vast Heng Dao Domain." To ordinary Immortals, these might seem like distant, ethereal concepts—the sky could fall, but someone else would hold it up.
But it was different for the Heavenly Candle Hall's Realm Spirit.
This Boundary Heaven had a direct connection to the Spirit of the Immortal Court, granting it discernment far beyond that of ordinary Immortals.
By now, Han Yi was no longer just an Immortal Mansion cultivator. With his Golden Immortal Authorization, his understanding of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court's workings had deepened.
He knew that the Sui Zhu Immortal Court was home to many such "Spirits," like the Spirit of the Immortal Mansion, the Spirit of the Heavenly Candle, and the Spirit of the Void Mirror. All these Spirits were interconnected with the Spirit of the Age Candle.
The Spirit of the Age Candle was the governing intelligence of the entire Sui Zhu Immortal Court, rumored to be the most powerful Dao Artifact Spirit of the Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor.
Information flowed seamlessly throughout the system.
In other words, the Jade Slip Han Yi had submitted instantly reached the Spirit of the Age Candle. Given the Spirit's transcendent awareness, it immediately recognized the critical importance of Han Yi's information and granted him a correspondingly larger number of Immortal Marks.
The Ruyi Golden Immortal took Han Yi's Token and placed it on the pillar of light. The pillar shimmered, and luminous streams flowed entirely into the Token, which then levitated as the pillar returned to its normal state.
She immediately realized that the displayed Immortal Mark reward had been accurate. Only such a substantial grant could be properly transferred; otherwise, the Token wouldn't have been able to contain it.
A chill ran down her spine. Turning to Han Yi, she instinctively blurted out, "Fellow Daoist Han, did the information you submitted involve the Dao Ancestor? How else could you have received so many Immortal Marks?"
The moment these words left her lips, she realized her impropriety and quickly stopped herself. She had inadvertently pried into Han Yi's confidential submission. An apologetic expression immediately followed.
"Forgive me, Fellow Daoist Han," the Ruyi Golden Immortal said, "I didn't mean to pry, but the number of Immortal Marks you received is truly extraordinary. In all my years as a steward at the Golden Immortal Pavilion, I've never seen a Golden Immortal earn so many from a single mission."
Han Yi waved his hand dismissively. "It's quite alright. I acquired this secret purely by chance in Brilliant Flame Immortal City. The Realm Spirit might find it useful, but it's of little practical value to practitioners like us."
He deftly changed the subject. "By the way, Fellow Daoist Ruyi, I also need to purchase information regarding the Blazing Flame Dao Court."
The Ruyi Golden Immortal composed herself after the initial shock. With a few gestures on the rainbow-hued pillar of light, she summoned a Jade Slip and handed it to Han Yi, who paid with Points from his Token.
After securing the new Jade Slip and his Token, Han Yi cupped his fists in a polite farewell to the Ruyi Golden Immortal and withdrew from the pavilion.
Once outside the Golden Immortal Pavilion, he finally focused his Immortal Sense on the Token to check the actual number of Immortal Marks. Though he had braced himself—judging from the Ruyi Golden Immortal's expression and the earlier circumstances, he knew the reward wouldn't be insignificant—the sheer magnitude of the grant still left him stunned. After the initial shock came overwhelming joy.
"What a delightful surprise!" Han Yi exclaimed inwardly.
"Sixty-nine million Immortal Marks! That's quite a generous reward!"
"From what I understand, that's equivalent to the accumulated Immortal Marks of an average Immortal Monarch."
"He's even close to being able to purchase a Seventh-Tier Immortal Artifact!"
In the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, acquiring a Seventh-Tier Immortal Artifact typically requires around one hundred million Immortal Marks. However, for higher-tier artifacts, mere wealth isn't enough; one must also possess substantial merit, something that can't be achieved through mere accumulation.
Adding the several million Immortal Marks he had already obtained from the Void-Crossing Tower, Han Yi's total now exceeded seventy million. Among Golden Immortals, this was considered a top-tier accumulation.
Given his current Peak Profound Immortal cultivation, this vast sum was more than sufficient to support his advancement to Peak Golden Immortal. It would easily cover the cost of a Sixth-Tier Immortal Sword, Formation Arts, Talismans, Medicinal Pills, and more.
After Han Yi departed from the Golden Immortal Pavilion, Ruyi Golden Immortal reviewed the information he had submitted via the Jade Slip.
To her surprise, the Jade Slip claimed only a modest number of Immortal Marks—just tens of thousands.
Tens of thousands of Immortal Marks might seem substantial to an ordinary Profound Immortal, but to Ruyi Golden Immortal, born a Pill Immortal, they were utterly insignificant.
Without a second thought, she exchanged the information Han Yi had submitted, using her own authority.
Upon reviewing it, her confusion deepened.
Han Yi's report wasn't particularly sensational. The most valuable piece of information was the death of the Crimson Fox Demon Monarch of the Demon Race at the hands of a mysterious Sword Immortal who didn't appear to be an Immortal Monarch. Afterward, the Sword Immortal had been pursued by two Eastern Emperor Demon Lords. Yet, based on her years of experience in the Golden Immortal Pavilion, while this information was indeed valuable, it certainly wasn't worth sixty-nine million Immortal Marks.
Her brow furrowed deeply as she took a sharp breath, instantly realizing the truth.
"The Realm Spirit intercepted the information."
That must be it.This explains how Han Yi acquired such a massive sum of Immortal Marks, and why I found no information worth a comparable number of Immortal Marks after exchanging it.
Ruyi Golden Immortal shook her head. If the Realm Spirit had extracted Han Yi's submission, it meant the information wasn't meant for her eyes, and she wouldn't force the issue.
She merely sighed inwardly.
"No wonder he topped the Profound Immortal Ranking. He's truly extraordinary."
Meanwhile, Han Yi returned to the Immortal Pavilion, his Immortal Sense immediately focusing on the Jade Slip he had acquired from the Golden Immortal Hall. The slip had cost him 100,000 Immortal Marks, a mere drop in the bucket for someone with a net worth of seventy million.
After reviewing its contents, he shook his head slightly. While the Jade Slip contained a wealth of information—from the Great Luo Immortal Court's schism to the Dao Boat's departure, documenting all the Immortals' discoveries within the Blazing Flame Dao Court's realm—it lacked the specific details Han Yi sought.
"As expected," he mused, "the mysteries of the Chaos Cataclysm are far beyond the comprehension of Golden Immortals. After all, only those at the Immortal Monarch level possess the qualifications to survive in the Chaos, and even then, they'd be at the very bottom of the food chain."
"Perhaps only Dao Ancestors or Heavenly Venerables could truly participate in the affairs of the Chaos."
"At my current level, I am far from qualified."
Han Yi took a deep breath and buried all thoughts of the Chaos and the Great Calamity deep within his heart, resolving not to delve further until he advanced to the Immortal Monarch realm.
Han Yi prepared to resume his cultivation.
Having reached the peak of the Profound Immortal realm with his Immortal Power refined to the second level of perfection, his next step was to continue cultivating, pushing his Immortal Power toward the third level of perfection. Once he achieved triple perfection, he could prepare to undergo the Golden Immortal Tribulation.
For now, he couldn't concern himself with monumental events like the Dao Ancestor's disappearance, the Great One's attainment of the Dao, or Brilliant Flame's departure. If the heavens were to fall, more powerful Immortals would bear the weight.
Yet, three months later...
Han Yi was jolted awake.
He wasn't alone. The entire Sui Zhu Immortal Court, and indeed, nearly all Immortals across the Immortal Realm, were stirred.
In the southeastern region of the Immortal Realm, over a dozen terrifying auras suddenly erupted. These auras were immense yet chaotic, their owners unable to fully control their immense power as it spilled outward, radiating across the entire Immortal Realm.
These were the auras of Dao Ancestors.
Moreover, it wasn't just one Dao Ancestor, but many.
Awakened by these dozen terrifying auras, Han Yi emerged from his Immortal Pavilion, his heart trembling.