Simulating the Pill Refinement process was tedious and monotonous, yet Han Yi found immense joy in it.
For him, this was his old trade, though it had been centuries since he last practiced it. His initial clumsiness led to two failed attempts, resulting in explosions.
One month later.
Han Yi stopped the simulation and began refining the Ascension Pill.
This time, he was just one step away from success. At the final stage of pill formation, a slight lack of Immortal Power caused the pill to explode.
Returning to the base of the Heavenly Ladder, Han Yi saw no trace of Golden Resonance Daoist. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the Heavenly Ladder once more.
Back in the Pill Refinement Chamber, he refined the pill again. This time, without fail, he finally succeeded in creating a First-Rank Immortal Pill—the Ascension Pill.
The moment of success transformed the surrounding space into a modest palace. Countless talismans hung throughout the palace, each emitting faint yet palpable waves of spirit and Immortal Might.
Simultaneously, a message appeared in his mind:
Talisman Crafting!
Han Yi frowned. He had learned Talisman Crafting before, but his skills were far from profound. However, with his current cultivation realm and Immortal Power to support him, he believed Talisman Crafting shouldn't be a problem.
This time, the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder required Han Yi to create a First-Tier Immortal Talisman.
Having learned from past mistakes, Han Yi refrained from rashly starting the crafting process. Instead, he simulated the talisman using his Immortal Power.
He soon discovered that simulating with Immortal Power also increased the proficiency of the corresponding skill in his Proficiency Panel. For instance, his Talisman Crafting Art rapidly advanced as he simulated the talisman with his Immortal Power.
Han Yi never imagined that the Talisman Crafting Art, which he had obsessively cultivated as a low-level cultivator solely to make money, would now improve through the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder.
This process took longer than before, three months in total, to elevate his Talisman Crafting Art to the First-Tier Immortal Art level. Only then did Han Yi begin crafting the Immortal Talisman.
After three failures, he finally completed the Heaven-Sea Horizon Immortal Talisman. When activated, this talisman conjures an Illusionary Realm, trapping the user within endless ocean and boundless sky. No matter how long one flies, the same barren landscape endures, driving the trapped mad with despair.
Space flickered, and Han Yi found himself in the Beast Courtyard.
This time, instead of immediately attempting to clear the level, he paused to ponder.
Whether through Pill Refinement or Talisman Crafting, both were methods to enhance one's strength. Yet, the Immortal Pills and Immortal Talismans he had refined in the previous two trials had vanished without a trace, never reaching his hands.
Recalling that the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor was fervent in exploring the Chaos and possessed an immense collection of treasures, Han Yi surmised that the Ancestor must be exceptionally skilled in self-preservation.
He speculated that the trials he had faced were actually illusionary realms, cast by some supreme treasure.
However, he still harbored doubts.
So many Immortals had attempted the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder. If anyone had truly discovered that the trials were illusionary realms, they would have revealed it. This silence suggested that while speculation abounded, no definitive answer had been found—not even by Immortal Sovereigns.
Han Yi sighed. No shortcuts, then. If there were, other Immortals would have already reached the summit. There'd be no chance for me.
The Beast Taming Art of this trial was completely foreign to him. Yet, having mastered one method, he found all others came easily. Drawing upon his Profound Immortal power, he elevated the Beast Taming Art to the Fifth-Rank in just fifteen minutes, now just a step away from Immortal-grade mastery.
He then began to simulate the Beast Taming Art using Immortal Power. It took five full months of relentless practice before he finally achieved Immortal-grade proficiency.
However, he didn't immediately complete the mission. Instead, he calmed down, realizing that at this rate, he wouldn't make it in time. With only twenty years left, he might not even be able to clear ten levels. If that happened, he would fail to reach the first level, missing out on the Ancient Vault Dao Realm entirely.
As he pondered, he suddenly noticed something new on the panel, his eyes widening.
Below the Beast Taming Art, a new line had appeared:
Ancient Vault Seal (Refinement Progress: 0/100)
Han Yi was puzzled.
"Ancient Vault Seal?"
"What is this?"
He couldn't recall ever seeing this line before, nor did he know what the Ancient Vault Seal was.
His pupils contracted sharply.
The Ancient Vault Seal had only appeared after he entered the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder. It wasn't present during Pill Refinement or Talisman Crafting, but emerged when he advanced the Beast Taming Art to Immortal-grade.
This proved that the Ancient Vault Seal was connected to the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder.
Perhaps, as he had just speculated, the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder, including the secrets of the Ancient Vault Realm Heaven, originated from the Ancient Vault Seal. It might even be the seal itself that triggered the creation of the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder.
With this thought, Han Yi's gaze shifted to the Ancient Vault Seal entry on the panel. He stared intently, recalling how he had done the same when the Life Seed first appeared, which had revealed its detailed information, including its definition.
As he focused, the panel responded as expected, though not with text. Instead, a series of flickering images unfolded before him.
In the Chaos, a fragmented Ancient Seal floated. One corner was missing, and its face bore a mysterious, intricate rune. Through the vision, Han Yi realized this was no ordinary rune, but a Chaos character imbued with extraordinary power:
Vault.
The scene shifted to an Immortal Monarch with an immortal-like demeanor approaching the Ancient Seal, capturing it with ecstatic fervor. He devoted day and night to its study.
The vision continued, showing the Immortal Monarch harnessing a portion of the seal's Inheritance. He advanced rapidly, breaking through to become a Dao Ancestor and adopting the Daoist Title "Ancient Vault."
The images accelerated, but Han Yi still gleaned the general information:
The Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor had obtained an incomplete Inheritance from the seal. Upon reaching the Dao Ancestor realm, his progress stalled. This compelled him to frequently employ the Escape Technique into the Chaos, searching the vicinity where he had discovered the fragmented seal for the missing corner.
If he could find the missing fragment of the Ancient Seal and restore it, he would obtain a complete inheritance—the inheritance of a Heavenly Venerable.
But after countless years of searching, he still hadn't found the missing fragment of the Ancient Vault Seal.
During one of his expeditions into the Chaos to search for the missing fragment, he was drawn into a conflict among Heavenly Venerables. Severely injured, he fled back, and before his death, he left his inheritance, hoping to use the Ancient Vault Seal to suppress the Ancient Vault Daoist Temple and preserve his Dao lineage.
However, a great battle destroyed the Daoist Temple.
Moreover, although the Ancient Vault Dao had obtained the inheritance of the Ancient Vault Seal, it was incomplete, preventing them from truly refining the seal.
The Ancient Vault Seal had developed spirituality. After the death of the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor, it manifested as the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder and the Ancient Vault Realm Heaven. These were, in fact, the true inheritance left by the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor for the Ancient Vault Daoist Temple.
Strictly speaking, there was no actual Ancient Vault Realm Heaven. The Boundary Heaven they climbed into was, in reality, the supreme treasure space of the Ancient Vault Seal.
This is why climbing the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder involved various trials. These trials were designed to temper the disciples, encompassing the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation and combat techniques, similar in function to the Void Realm but far more diverse.
Ten years after its manifestation, the Ancient Vault Seal broke free from the final restraints of the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor, escaped into the Void, and vanished without a trace.
Over a hundred thousand years later, the seal reappeared in the northern Void of the Immortal Realm, where it was immediately immobilized by the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor.
What Golden Resonance Daoist didn't realize was that the massive Thunder Dao Principles had restrained not the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder, but the Ancient Vault Seal itself.
The vision faded, and Han Yi snapped out of his trance, taking a deep breath.
What an incredibly powerful Ancient Vault Seal.
An incomplete Inheritance was enough to support the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor's attainment of the Dao. If it were complete, it would undoubtedly be a supreme treasure of the Heavenly Venerable.
This Ancient Vault Seal must have once belonged to a Heavenly Venerable. During the brutal battles in the Chaos, this supreme treasure, the Ancient Seal, was shattered and scattered across the primordial void.
My previous practices—Pill Refinement, Talisman Crafting, and Beast Taming—all took place within the Ancient Vault Seal, creating an indirect connection between us. By leveraging the Proficiency Panel, I deepened this connection until the seal finally manifested.
However, even with my current connection to it, I've barely managed to manifest the Ancient Vault Seal's existence. My actual refinement progress is still at 0.
With this realization, Han Yi took another deep breath.
Though he hadn't technically begun to refine the Ancient Vault Seal, the information it revealed already thrilled him.
This was a Chaos Supreme Treasure, a terrifying weapon far surpassing even Dao Artifacts.
To date, the only Chaos Supreme Treasure he could confirm was the Green Ripple Sword, the companion blade of the Tongtian Sword Sovereign. Undoubtedly surpassing Dao Artifacts, the Green Ripple Sword had already split into countless Sub-Swords, making it nearly impossible to recover its peak form.
Apart from that was the Great Abyss Divine Blade, the sword of the Abyssal Heavenly Venerable. It was highly likely also a Chaos Supreme Treasure, but Taiyuan's condition was abnormal, rendering it temporarily powerless.
If he could refine the Ancient Vault Seal, he would finally possess a Chaos Supreme Treasure that truly belonged to him.
Moreover, this treasure was incomplete. If he could find the fragment lost in the Chaos and restore it to its full glory, it would become one of the most formidable weapons among all treasures.
Han Yi gradually calmed down. While Chaos Supreme Treasures were extraordinary, refining and controlling one with his current cultivation realm and cultivation was nothing but a fool's dream, a wild fantasy.
This treasure was no Green Ripple Sword or Great Abyss Divine Blade. If Han Yi dared to offend it, even a wisp of its aura would crush him, grinding him down until he was dead beyond resurrection.
Just because he couldn't succeed now didn't mean he wouldn't be able to in the future.
His initial impulse to abandon the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder vanished. Instead, he continued to advance through the trials. As he had anticipated, the higher the level he reached, the greater his progress in refining the treasure.
For such a supreme treasure, twenty-odd years was a trivial sacrifice for Han Yi.
Setting aside all distractions, Han Yi focused on advancing through the trials: Beast Taming, Artifact Refinement, Immortal Plants, Formation Arts, the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation, and finally combat techniques.
Before learning about the Ancient Vault Seal, he had been puzzled by the ladder's structure, which seemed unreasonable. After all, human strength is finite, and even immortals cannot master all hundred arts. Such trials seemed to be deliberately cruel, set up solely to torment.
Only after understanding the connection between the Ancient Vault Seal and the Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor did he realize the original design. The Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor had intended the Dao Ladder to have separate tracks: one for Pill Refinement, where each level focused on refining pills with increasing difficulty; another for Artifact Refinement, and so on. This way, cultivators could specialize in a single art of immortal cultivation and achieve true mastery.
After the death of Ancient Vault Dao Ancestor, to prevent the seal from being controlled, the Ancient Vault Seal, though unable to retract the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder, scrambled its internal mechanisms. Each level became unique, ensuring that no one could reach the summit and claim the seal itself.
Twenty-six years later, Han Yi reached the twelfth level. At the tenth level, he entered the Ancient Vault Realm Heaven—the first layer of the Ancient Vault Seal—and obtained a First-Tier Immortal Artifact.
This artifact held little value in his eyes, but upon ascending to the first layer, the Proficiency Panel finally showed progress, jumping from 0 to 1.
Though the progress was minimal, it held immense significance for Han Yi. It meant he had finally established a tangible connection with this Chaos Supreme Treasure.
Once his cultivation realm reached the necessary level, he could follow this thread of connection, guided by the Panel, to rediscover the Ancient Vault Seal.
For other immortals who had climbed to the first layer or even higher, such a possibility was impossible. But Han Yi, blessed with the Panel, had been granted this extraordinary destiny.
In the twelfth level, Han Yi was halfway through when he suddenly felt the entire world tremble, and he was abruptly expelled.
When he returned to the Void, he found countless immortals surrounding the illusory Dao Ladder, which was still trembling violently.
"The Dao Ladder is using an Escape Technique!"
"How could it happen so quickly? I'd only reached the seventh level and hadn't even entered the first layer! Curse this Immortal Artifact!"
"Even the Dao Ancestor couldn't stabilize the Dao Ladder? How high is its tier?"
Listening to the murmurs of the True Immortals around him, Han Yi suddenly looked up at a specific point on the massive thunder above. There, a young man in gray-white Immortal Robes had appeared.
"Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor!" Han Yi realized.
As the young man materialized, the immortals' eyes filled with reverence, and they chanted in unison, "We pay homage to the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor."
Han Yi joined them.
Above the thunder, the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor nodded slightly and made a gentle gesture. Countless massive thunder chains instantly unbound, shrank, and coalesced into his hand before vanishing.
The Ancient Vault Dao Ladder, still trembling violently, then vanished from its place. Even Han Yi couldn't discern which direction it had fled.
In the boundless void.
The Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor's gaze remained calm, showing no apparent emotion at the Dao Ladder's departure. With a gentle step, he vanished into the void, disappearing without a trace.
After the Dao Ancestor's departure, the immortals dispersed. Some returned to guard the Immortal Fortress, others went back to the Immortal Court, and some took missions to distant realms.
Golden Resonance Daoist led Han Yi back along the path they had come.
"Twelve trials. Not bad," Golden Resonance Daoist said, his expression serene as he asked about Han Yi's progress. "I only reached the fifteenth trial myself."
"It's a pity each trial covers different knowledge. Given more time, I'm certain I could have reached the second layer and discovered other surprises."
Han Yi sensed a fierce competitive spirit in Golden Resonance Daoist's tone. He wanted to smile inwardly, but maintained a solemn expression.
"This Dao Ladder is too unreasonable. Are they trying to cultivate all-purpose immortals? This clearly isn't the correct path."
Golden Resonance Daoist nodded. "Indeed."
"However, even the Dao Ancestor could only stabilize the structure for thirty-six years. Its layers are exceptionally high, suggesting there must be a deeper purpose behind this design."
"Even Immortal Venerable Daoling only reached the Seventh Layer. It's understandable that we've only reached the First Layer."
After speaking, Golden Resonance Daoist's competitive tone softened considerably. He turned to ask:
"By the way, since you've reached the limit of the Profound Immortal stage, you should focus on refining your Immortal Power and strive to undergo the Golden Immortal Tribulation. Becoming a Golden Immortal will not only elevate your strength but also free you from the Black Realm's threats."
Golden Resonance Daoist was also aware of the incident from over three hundred years ago, when Han Yi had been ambushed by three Heavenly Fiend Killers from the Black Realm during the Sword Competition at Pure Yang Mountain.
Han Yi nodded. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist."
He then declared, "Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, I will undoubtedly become a Golden Immortal within two hundred years."
Han Yi possessed a Proficiency Panel, and his Immortal Power was already rapidly approaching the perfection of the third stage. His statement of two hundred years was a cautious estimate; under normal circumstances, he should be able to trigger the Golden Immortal Tribulation and achieve Golden Immortal status within a century.
He wouldn't make such a declaration in front of other Golden Immortals, but Golden Resonance Daoist was a close confidant, not an outsider, so there was no impropriety in sharing this.
"Good. Two hundred years isn't long. I look forward to witnessing your ascension to Golden Immortal."
As Golden Resonance Daoist finished speaking, he suddenly halted. Before him, ripples spread across the Void.
He sneered, "How vexing! Someone dares to obstruct me upon their arrival."