The moment countless Immortals across the Immortal Realm, from the highest Immortal Sovereigns to the lowliest True Immortals like Han Yi, were alerted, a colossal spatial rift tore open in the southeastern region of the Great Luo Immortal Realm. Eleven figures materialized on its surface.
Had any of the Immortal Realm's top Immortal Sovereigns been present, they would have been utterly astonished.
These eleven figures encompassed all the Dao Ancestors of the Immortal Realm, including Age Candle, Lingxiao, Luo Tian, Imperial Cliff, and even the Demon Emperor Sovereign of the Eastern Sovereign Demon Court.
Beyond these five established Dao Ancestors, six previously unseen beings also appeared. Though their auras were chaotic and weakened, there was no doubt they were genuine Dao Ancestors.
Among them, standing beside Age Candle, was a figure clad in a gray-white Immortal Robe. Of medium build and youthful appearance, this young Dao Ancestor possessed extraordinarily peculiar eyes filled with multicolored light that constantly shifted and swirled. Upon closer inspection, one would find themselves drawn into their depths, as if plunged into the midst of countless tribulation lightning strikes.
These tribulations included Heavenly Tribulations and Immortal Tribulations. Within the Immortal Tribulations lay an immeasurable number of Divine Thunder of Law, even the Dao Lawful Divine Lightning typically reserved for Immortal Monarch or Immortal Sovereign tribulations.
A pair of immortal eyes, bearing witness to the birth and destruction of countless kalpas.
If Han Yi were present, he would have found the aura of this Dao Ancestor strangely familiar. It unmistakably carried the essence of Myriad Tribulation Heaven, the very place where Han Yi had once weathered his Primordial Divine Tribulation.
Moreover, during Han Yi's great expedition to the Wisdom Realm, when he was flung into the Chaos and later mysteriously returned to the World Barrier by a mysterious Immortal, the aura emanating from this young Dao Ancestor was unmistakably that of the Immortal who had guided him back.
He was precisely the Dao Ancestor Han Yi had long suspected to be deeply concealed within the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, unknown to most Golden Immortals.
His Daoist Title, just as Han Yi had surmised...
Myriad Tribulations.
The Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor.
Before the colossal spatial rift, Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor and Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor stood side-by-side, representing the Sui Zhu Immortal Court. Nearby, another unfamiliar Dao Ancestor stood beside Lingxiao Dao Ancestor.
This Dao Ancestor appeared exceptionally aged, yet a Dao Ancestor's appearance is a manifestation of their inner nature, not necessarily reflecting their cultivation or age. Though he seemed ancient, he might well have been the youngest Dao Ancestor present.
Apart from the four Dao Ancestors from the Sui Zhu and Lingxiao Immortal Courts, the remaining figures included Luo Tian Dao Ancestor, Dao Ancestor Huangting, the Demon Emperor Sovereign, and four other unfamiliar Dao Ancestors.
Among the four Dao Ancestors, two were reclusive cultivators from the Great Luo Immortal Realm: Dao Ancestor Zhenyuan and Dao Ancestor Pure Yang.
Dao Ancestor Zhenyuan was a Primordial Ancient Immortal who established the Hidden World Heaven and the Five Villages Temple. The Five Villages Temple had no fixed location, drifting through the skies of the Great Luo Immortal Realm.
Dao Ancestor Pure Yang, on the other hand, attained enlightenment after the Primordial Era's end, during the fragmentation of the Immortal Realm and the Great Luo's emergence—in other words, during the First Epoch.
The remaining two Dao Ancestors were not native to the Great Luo Immortal Realm. They hailed from the Four Great Dao Sects of Penglai, having been drawn into this conflict by chance.
At this moment, before an immense spatial rift, the eleven Dao Ancestors faced off. "Face-off" was perhaps too mild a word; strictly speaking, the other ten Dao Ancestors had surrounded the Demon Emperor Sovereign.
Among the eleven, the Demon Emperor Sovereign was the most severely wounded. However, beneath his feet lay a mystical supreme treasure that transcended even Dao Artifacts, reaching the level of a Chaos-Grade Supreme Treasure: the Hetu Luoshu.
Yet despite being encircled by the assembled Dao Ancestors, the Demon Emperor Sovereign showed no trace of concern. His demeanor suggested he was the sole victor in this confrontation.
"Esteemed Dao Ancestors," Emperor Jun declared, "my younger brother, the Great One, has ascended to the Heavenly Venerable Realm."
"The outcome of this conflict is now decided. If any of you refuse to accept it, my brother and I will gladly see it through to the end."
Emperor Jun's words had barely faded when a colossal aura erupted from the ancestral court of the Eastern Sovereign Demon Court, far beyond the spatial rift. This aura, naturally belonging to Eastern Emperor Taiyi, pulsed with a Heavenly Venerable-level power. Though Taiyi had just ascended through unconventional means, his foundation remained unstable.
Yet his declaration was clear: should any Dao Ancestor dare to attack Emperor Jun, Taiyi would gladly cut short his seclusion to eliminate the threat.
The moment Taiyi's aura erupted, the two Dao Ancestors from the Four Great Dao Sects of the Penglai Immortal Realm exchanged glances. Without another word, they turned eastward, preparing to bypass the Void and return to Penglai.
Their departure signaled to the remaining Dao Ancestors that they had been outmaneuvered. Though displeased, they had no choice but to accept their defeat.
While Taiyi's ascension might have been unorthodox, a Heavenly Venerable was still a Heavenly Venerable. Even if Eastern Emperor Taiyi was among the weaker of his rank, he now occupied a realm far beyond the reach of any Dao Ancestor.
Within the Great Luo, the three most supreme and enigmatic Dao Ancestors were Void Ancient, Age Candle, and Zhenyuan.
Void Ancient was dead, and the other two Dao Ancestors were present.
The remaining Dao Ancestors turned their gazes toward Age Candle and Zhenyuan. Zhenyuan first glanced eastward, toward the heart of the Monster Court, then bowed respectfully to Age Candle Dao Ancestor in the arena. With a flick of his sleeve, he vanished without a trace.
Age Candle Dao Ancestor returned the bow, then led Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor northward into the Great Luo.
As the trio departed, Lingxiao Dao Ancestor led away the Dao Ancestors accompanying him. Luo Tian and the Imperial Court exchanged a look before leaving in turn.
In the blink of an eye, only Demon Emperor Jun remained before the massive spatial rift.
Jun paid no mind to the Dao Ancestors' disregard. After all, he and Great One had indeed orchestrated this deception against them.
As the Dao Ancestors disappeared, his expression turned grave.
"This time, we've incurred a great karmic debt."
"A debt that won't be easily repaid."
"That entity is closest to the Ancient Realm's Origin Land, effectively blocking the path for others."
"Centuries ago, during the Great Luo Eternal Life Immortal Assembly, the combined power of forty-seven Dao Ancestors from the Nine Realms allowed me to glimpse the Ancient Realm's path to the Origin Land. I learned that this path is now sealed—even the power of a high-level Heavenly Venerable would struggle to overcome it."
"The other Dao Ancestors are also aware of this truth," Emperor Jun murmured inwardly, his initial solemnity giving way to confusion and bewilderment.
"This time, the entity blocking our path opened a crack, luring us Dao Ancestors into a trap while allowing the Great One to escape. Using a mysterious Immortal Sacrifice Art, he plans to leverage the Half-Realm Great Luo to help the Great One ascend to Heavenly Venerable status."
"Because of this, my brother and I have incurred a significant karmic debt."
The entity blocking the Ancient Realm's Origin Land was already a high-ranking Heavenly Venerable. In the Primordial Great World, only the Great Heavenly Venerable of Kunlun could rival him in power.
Why would such a formidable being need to orchestrate the Great One's ascension? There must be some hidden motive at play.
Yet the allure of ascending to Heavenly Venerable status proved irresistible. Even knowing the immense karmic debt they would incur, the Dao Ancestors had plunged headlong into this scheme.
This was a yearning they had harbored for millions of years.
As Emperor Jun's thoughts raced, the spatial rift behind him swiftly closed, as if it had never existed at all.
With one last glance backward, Emperor Jun flew toward the Eastern Sovereign Ancestral Court.
Just as a spatial rift appeared at the edge of the Great Luo Immortal Realm, in the northwestern region of the Great Luo, lay the Kunlun Immortal Realm, the largest and most central remnant of the shattered Ancient Realm.
At the heart of the Kunlun Immortal Realm stood Kunlun Mountain, its peak towering immeasurably high. Though no longer strictly part of the realm, the summit remained connected to the mountain's slope.
Within a magnificent palace atop this peak, a Daoist slowly opened his eyes.
His brow furrowed slightly as he gazed southeastward, as if witnessing the colossal rift and the Dao Ancestors gathered beneath it.
Shifting his gaze, he glanced toward the location of the Eastern Sovereign Demon Court.
Finally, he raised his head slightly, peering into the depths of the Nine Realms. Through the endless void, he seemed to glimpse a mysterious space—or rather, the edge of that space—where a Dao Shadow sat cross-legged, enduring the primal forces emanating from its depths. This Dao Shadow had occupied this enigmatic space for countless eons, since long before the Primordial Era and the fall of the Great Realm Lord.
As the Daoist observed this distant figure, the Dao Shadow in the mysterious space trembled faintly. Instantly, the Daoist's vision was severed, preventing him from perceiving the Dao Shadow's condition any further.
"Dao Immortal..." the Daoist murmured, his gaze calm as he withdrew his sight and closed his eyes once more.
The perspective shifted outward from the Daoist, moving beyond the grand palace. There, etched on its plaque, were three grand characters:
Purple Heaven Palace.
Kunlun Immortal Realm, Kunlun Mountain—the Purple Heaven Palace atop its summit.
Every Dao Ancestor in the Nine Realms knew that the master of this primordial and supreme palace was none other than...
The Grand Heavenly Venerable Hongjun.
Han Yi, of course, could not have known the secret behind the sudden appearance of eleven Dao Ancestors in the southeastern region of the Immortal Realm.
However, the Dao Ancestors made no attempt to conceal their auras, which surged forth like a vast tidal wave, engulfing the entire Great Luo Immortal Realm. Every immortal in the realm was shaken by their presence, including Han Yi.
He stepped out of his Immortal Pavilion and gazed southeastward. Though he couldn't see the Dao Ancestors themselves, their auras manifested vividly before him, traversing the immeasurable distance.
This was the majesty of the Dao Ancestors, not directed at any single immortal, but rather a universal sensation felt by every immortal in the entire realm.
"The Dao Ancestors have returned."
Yet, as quickly as the familiar presence arose, all eleven auras vanished without a trace, leaving no lingering anomalies in his perception.
Han Yi withdrew his gaze, a seed of doubt taking root in his mind.
"If my senses hadn't betrayed me, there were indeed eleven Dao Ancestors."
"But throughout the Great Luo Immortal Realm, aside from the Supreme Unity Dao Ancestor, who has already attained Venerable status, only five are publicly known: Age Candle, Lingxiao, Luo Tian, Imperial Court, and Emperor Jun."
"Who could these other six Dao Ancestors possibly be?"
"Could they be Dao Ancestors from other Immortal Realms?"
"Furthermore, the sudden simultaneous appearance of all these Dao Ancestors suggests they were either deliberately entering a certain place or were trapped there beforehand."
Han Yi paused briefly, then shook his head. "Never mind. The affairs of Dao Ancestors are beyond my comprehension."
"Still, with the return of the Dao Ancestors and Eastern Emperor Taiyi's ascension to the Venerable realm, how will the power dynamics in the Immortal Realm evolve?"
Reining in his thoughts, Han Yi returned to the Immortal Pavilion to resume his cultivation.
For him, the return of Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor—the backbone of the Immortal Court—brought immediate reassurance that the realm would be more stable. He felt an instant sense of relief.
After all, within the entire Great Luo Immortal Realm, the two most ancient beings were undoubtedly Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor and Void Antiquity Dao Ancestor, who had founded the two Immortal Courts. With Void Antiquity Dao Ancestor's demise at the hands of the Wayless One, Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor now stood as the sole surviving primordial presence.
According to the vast records Han Yi had gathered, Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor's origins stretched back to the Primordial Era, possibly even earlier. Moreover, Han Yi had previously speculated that the Demon Race's withdrawal after Eastern Emperor Taiyi's ascension might stem from their fear of this ancient Dao Ancestor.
This further demonstrated the Dao Ancestor's profound mystery and formidable power.
For the next six months, Han Yi refrained from deep cultivation, instead closely monitoring the evolving dynamics of the Immortal Realm.
During this period, the return of the Dao Ancestors significantly reshaped the political landscape.
The Imperial Court and Luo Tian Immortal Courts relinquished eight Immortal Domains in the east, seizing the territories vacated by the Blazing Flame Dao Court after Brilliant Flame's departure.
These domains had plunged into chaos following Brilliant Flame's withdrawal, drawing Luo Tian, the Imperial Court, Lingxiao, and even Qingling and Yinglong from the Southern Immortal Realm into a scramble for territory.
However, with the Dao Ancestors' return, an agreement was swiftly reached: all Immortal Domains seized by the Blazing Flame Dao Court from Luo Tian and the Imperial Court were restored to their original ownership.
As a result, the territorial shifts for Luo Tian and the Imperial Court remained minimal. In essence, Donghuang simply claimed the domains vacated by the Blazing Flame Dao Court. This represented a concession by the Immortal Courts to the Heavenly Venerable.
Meanwhile, in the Azure Profound Immortal Domain, the power vacuum left by Qingxuan Immortal Venerable's departure with the Sacrificial Daoists was filled by a new Dao Ancestor.
This Dao Ancestor, known by his Daoist Title Pure Yang, had attained enlightenment as a Sword Immortal.
Pure Yang Dao Ancestor established Pure Yang Mountain in the Azure Profound Immortal Domain, attracting countless Immortal Swords from the Great Luo realm to join his sect.
Although this newly established power was loosely organized, the presence of the Pure Yang Dao Ancestor made it one of the most formidable forces in the Immortal Realm.
In addition to the Azure Profound Immortal Domain, the Pure Yang Dao Ancestor officially named the territory of the former Chaotic Demon Zone, now integrated into the Immortal Realm, as the South Pole Immortal Domain, signifying the southernmost Immortal Domain of the Immortal Realm. He also formally incorporated the South Pole Immortal Domain into the sphere of influence of Pure Yang Mountain.
With this, Pure Yang Mountain controlled both the Azure Profound Immortal Domain and the South Pole Immortal Domain.
However, the Clear Spirit Immortal Domain and the Yinglong Immortal Domain, bordering the Azure Profound Immortal Domain, remained independent and did not submit to Pure Yang Mountain.
The balance of power in the Immortal Realm had once again stabilized.
Far away in the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, Han Yi heard news of the turbulent events unfolding in the Immortal Realm and suddenly realized the immense importance of belonging to a major power.
Since the Dao Ancestor's return, the Sui Zhu Immortal Court had remained remarkably peaceful, fostering a sense of profound security.
As stability returned to the Immortal Realm and spatial anomalies receded, many grand gatherings that had been put on hold began to resume.
Three years later.
Han Yi opened his eyes, slowly emerged from his Immortal Pavilion, and saw a stunningly beautiful female immortal standing outside. To his surprise, it was none other than Profound Immortal Qingyan from the former Primal Art Dao Field.
She had been the one who guided Han Yi through his initial induction into the Primal Art Dao Field.
"Fellow Daoist Qingyan, what urgent matter brings you here?"
Profound Immortal Qingyan bowed slightly to Han Yi in respect, then telekinetically delivered a pure golden invitation card to him.
"Fellow Daoist Han," she said, "Pure Yang Mountain invites you to attend their Sword Debate Immortal Assembly."
Han Yi's brow furrowed as he accepted the invitation. Gazing at its surface, a vivid scene unfolded before his eyes, transporting him to an Immortal Realm. Atop a towering mountain peak sat a middle-aged man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. Though he radiated no discernible aura, appearing as ordinary as a mortal, his gaze met Han Yi's.
"Pure Yang Mountain's inaugural Sword Debate Immortal Assembly invites you to grace us with your presence," the man said.
The vision abruptly vanished, the Immortal Realm fading away.
Clutching the pure golden invitation card, Han Yi felt his heart tremble. Though the middle-aged man in the vision had displayed no overt Immortal Might, Han Yi, a Sword Immortal himself, possessed an innate sensitivity to the Sword Dao. In that fleeting moment, he had glimpsed a Dao Sword of peerless heavenly might, surpassing all others under heaven.