"An Ancient God? Huh, it's not just a Primordial Realm Ancient God."
"A Supreme Truth Realm Ancient God?"
The black-robed figure approaching with a soft huh of surprise, his voice tinged with confusion. Driven by this confusion, he quickened his pace, a murderous aura spreading out from him like a tide.
Under the weight of this murderous intent, Han Yi's heart lurched violently.
A sudden, unprecedented surge of crisis erupted within him, so violent that it shook him to his core.
Danger.
Fatal danger.
His instincts screamed in terror at the murderous intent closing in.
There was no time to think. Before he could fully manifest his True Body of an Ancient God—having only transformed to over sixty thousand zhang—he roared and raised his hand in a grasping motion. A golden Divine Spear materialized in his palm, its length surpassing even his colossal form.
Divine power began burning within him. Countless Divine Power Crystals from his Divine Aperture Worlds ignited simultaneously, surging into the golden spear as a torrent of scorching divine power.
The Divine Spear trembled violently, emitting a crimson-gold radiance that flooded outward for ten thousand zhang.
The Black Realm Star Lord, now within hundreds of miles, suddenly saw a heaven-shaking divine radiance in his eyes and exclaimed, "An Ancient Divine Artifact!"
"A perfectly intact Ancient Divine Artifact!"
As the cry echoed, Han Yi, a hundred miles ahead, had just transformed his body into 91,333 zhang, his current complete True Body of an Ancient God.
Then, a golden radiance erupted from his body, the result of his boiling divine power surging out through his pores.
Next, with a thunderous shout, he hefted the Yueguang Divine Spear, preparing to strike forward.
Indeed, he was using this Ancient Divine Artifact as a club. Since he was only at the Supreme Truth Realm, he could only coax this artifact into working with him. Even then, he could only unleash one ten-thousandth of its true power.
But this was his only means of threatening an Immortal Monarch-level Immortal.
In this life-or-death moment, he could only rely on it.
As he swung the Divine Spear, the Black Realm Star Lord, who had just closed the distance to a million miles, suddenly halted. The divine radiance in his eyes shifted, and an overwhelming sense of peril surged within him.
Could a mere Profound Immortal truly pose a threat to him?
He had initially assumed this mission would be a breeze. After all, the target was only a Profound Immortal. The organization's decision to send him on this task seemed like overkill. Moreover, nine Heavenly Fiend Killers had already attempted to take him down, and only if they failed would he be called upon.
This irritated him.
However, the fee offered was simply too tempting. In the Black Realm, money talks. Given sufficient compensation, even a Realm Lord would personally handle a job.
In truth, he had observed Han Yi's entire display earlier. This Profound Immortal was undeniably formidable. At the peak of his Profound Immortal stage, he rivaled a Peak Golden Immortal. Even among all the Golden Immortals in the Immortal Realm, few could match his prowess. Such innate talent and skill frightened even him. No wonder the Old Demonic Ape had been willing to invest so heavily.
With his own strength, he could see that the numerous Heavenly Fiend Golden Immortals present stood no chance against Han Yi. If the fight continued, they would be picked off one by one, which would be a loss for the Black Realm as well. That's why he had to intervene.
But the moment he approached, Han Yi unleashed a technique he had never displayed before.
According to the information gathered by the Black Realm, Han Yi was merely a Primordial Realm Ancient God, wielding a Sixth-Rank Immortal Sword. He wasn't a Supreme Truth Realm Ancient God, nor did he possess any Ancient Divine Artifacts. Moreover, even the Sixth-Rank Immortal Sword didn't match the descriptions they had obtained.
This came as a great surprise to him.
Now, witnessing this Profound Immortal, a Supreme Truth Realm Ancient God, wielding an Ancient Divine Artifact, filled him with a sense of imminent danger—a sensation unprecedented in his past experiences.
He cautiously halted, flicking his sleeve as if the entire Void were being swallowed by its folds.
Yet Han Yi, steadfastly anchored by the Yueguang Divine Spear, remained immovable.
Suddenly, the golden radiance on the surface of the Yueguang Divine Spear surged.
Han Yi felt his hands involuntarily drawn forward, compelled to strike.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming gravitational force erupted from the Divine Spear, draining his body of all divine power.
Then, the Ancient Divine Artifact turned its focus to his Divine Aperture World, devouring nearly ninety percent of the stored Divine Power Crystals within.
Just as Han Yi thought it was over, something utterly unexpected occurred.
The suction force emanating from the Yueguang Ancient Divine Artifact didn't subside. Instead, it began draining nearly all the Immortal Power from Han Yi's body.
Then, a tremor ran through his Demon Sea. A massive surge of Demonic Power from the Wild Desolate Heartstone within it was drawn out and surged into the Divine Spear.
In the blink of an eye, Han Yi flashed with confusion, but he had no time to ponder why the Ancient Divine Artifact was absorbing Immortal Power and Demonic Power. By now, having simultaneously absorbed divine power, Immortal Power, and Demonic Power, the artifact violently smashed forward.
This strike felt not like Han Yi was wielding the artifact, but as if the artifact itself, having sensed an affront, had absorbed the three distinct energies from his body and struck forward of its own volition.
Han Yi was merely providing the fulcrum.
The Black Realm Star Lord, whose sleeve had just swept past the artifact, felt his eyes tremble. Before his sleeve had brushed past, he had sensed danger, but it hadn't been particularly strong. Now, however, the danger surged violently, as if some mysterious entity were awakening within the Ancient Divine Artifact before him.
He immediately realized: the Ancient Divine Artifact was awakening.
This was no longer a clash between Han Yi and him, but an attack by the awakened Ancient Divine Artifact itself.
But how was this possible?
How could a Profound Immortal possibly revive an Ancient Divine Artifact?
Even completely draining a Profound Immortal's power wouldn't be enough to revive an Ancient Divine Artifact.
Yet, there it was, the revived Yueguang Divine Spear plummeting toward him.
Realizing this, the Black Realm Star Lord dared not underestimate the threat. He tossed out a transparent pearl, which vanished instantly, releasing a dense fog that spread rapidly through the void. In less than a kshana, the fog had reached Han Yi.
But the Yueguang Divine Spear struck with devastating force, causing the fog to explode violently.
The void trembled, and a cracking sound echoed.
A gasp of shock rang out.
"Damn it, my Mirage Dragon Profound Pearl!"
"How could it be so strong?"
"Hmph, boy, just wait for death."
The shattered fog rapidly condensed back into a transparent pearl, now marred by three deep cracks. The largest fissure nearly split the pearl in two.
The Black-Robed Star Lord seized the bead and vanished into the void using his Escape Technique. In an instant, he disappeared without a trace, deliberately erasing any evidence of his presence.
"He escaped?"
"Hmph!"
A deep voice and a cold snort echoed from the void.
A Daoist strode forward, his robes billowing with each step.
He surveyed the scene, then casually flicked strands of Immortal Power, piercing through the three Heavenly Fiend Golden Immortals who hadn't been affected by Han Yi's spear strike and hadn't fled far, reducing them to nothingness.
His gaze then swept over Golden Resonance Daoist, who stood in the distance, his face contorted with shock. The Daoist's solemn expression flickered with surprise as his gaze settled on Han Yi, whose condition was too gruesome to behold.
"A Supreme Truth Realm Ancient God?"
"How rare! It's been tens of thousands of years since a Supreme Truth Realm Ancient God last appeared in the Immortal Realm."
"And he wields an Ancient Divine Artifact! What immense luck!"
"To draw the Black Realm Star Lord into action... Truly worthy of being the first on the Profound Ranking. Even I am astonished by this display of power."
Meanwhile, Han Yi sat meditating in the void, having been stripped of his divine power and reduced to his mortal form. He violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face pale, yet at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been saved.
That last strike had drained every last drop of divine power from his body. The Divine Aperture World had been plundered of ninety percent of its Divine Power Crystals, pushing him to his absolute limit. He couldn't have mustered a second strike with the Yueguang Divine Spear.
He had even prepared to call upon the Great Abyss Divine Blade in the Immortal Spirit Realm for aid.
Yet, in a twist of fate, the Black Realm Star Lord, after being struck by the Ancient Divine Artifact and damaging the Mirage Dragon Profound Pearl, had turned and fled.
Before he could ponder this, a second Immortal Monarch appeared before him.
Han Yi only relaxed when he recognized him.
Though this Immortal Monarch wasn't particularly famous—far from being ranked among the top ten Immortal Monarchs of the Age Candle, merely an ordinary one—his methods were no less effective. He was the Immortal Monarch stationed at the Far North Void Immortal Fortress Cluster by the Age Candle Immortal Court. His Daoist Title was Dongming.
Han Yi now understood why the Black Realm Star Lord had fled. It wasn't because the Mirage Dragon Profound Pearl had been damaged, nor because of the Yueguang Ancient Divine Artifact. It was because Dongming Immortal Monarch had appeared. Had he not fled then, escape would have become impossible.
With a thought, Han Yi drew upon the remaining Divine Power Crystals in his Divine Aperture World, pulling the Yueguang Divine Spear, which had been lying dormant in the void, back into his Divine Aperture World.
Forcing the Divine Power Crystal to retrieve the Yueguang Ancient Divine Artifact aggravated Han Yi's injuries, causing his face to grow even paler and blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth. Yet Han Yi paid no heed.
Before the Immortal Monarch, Han Yi retracted the Yueguang Divine Spear, a gesture declaring its ownership. Even an Immortal Monarch had no right to seize it; any attempt to do so would be considered a declaration of enmity.
Dongming Immortal Monarch cast a deep, lingering glance at Han Yi before turning to leave. His voice drifted back through the void:
"Han Yi, you owe me a favor."
Meditating in the Void, Han Yi struggled to his feet and cupped his hands toward the Immortal Monarch's retreating figure. "Han Yi is deeply grateful for your timely rescue, Dongming Immortal Monarch. This debt will be repaid in the future."
An Immortal Monarch's favor was neither easily nor pleasantly repaid. Yet, the Immortal Monarch had genuinely intervened to drive away the Black Realm Star Lord, making this debt inevitable.
Moreover, Han Yi wasn't troubled by the difficulty of repaying the debt. Owning a favor created a connection between them. If he ever needed assistance in the future, he could seek help from this Immortal Monarch.
One day, when he reached the Immortal Monarch realm himself, repaying this debt might become trivial and easily settled.
Han Yi collapsed back down, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
Turning to look behind him, he weakly addressed Golden Resonance Daoist, who stood in the void:
"Fellow Daoist, pull me out of here."
In the distance, Golden Resonance Daoist, who had been trapped by three Heavenly Fiend Killers since the Black Realm Star Lord's appearance, was stunned by the rapidly changing situation.
When the Heavenly Fiend Killers holding him heard the Black Realm Star Lord's voice, they retreated far away like the other four Heavenly Fiend Killers, forming a flanking formation.
Although freed, Golden Resonance Daoist's face paled. He knew that the Black Realm Star Lord's attack far surpassed his ability to withstand it, and even Han Yi couldn't block it.
He had gone into seclusion multiple times, but had never found the path to becoming an Immortal Monarch, not even a hint. This only deepened his understanding that although the threshold between Golden Immortal and Immortal Monarch seemed narrow, the gap between them was unimaginably vast.
An Immortal Monarch was a high-ranking member of the Immortal Court, capable of establishing a Dao Field that could endure for countless millennia—a stark contrast to a Golden Immortal.
His expression drastically changed as he resolved to make a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble. But before he could charge forward, Han Yi began his transformation.
Golden Immortal Golden Cry knew that Han Yi possessed the cultivation of a Primordial Realm Ancient God. In the Immortal Realm, such information wasn't difficult for major factions to obtain if they sought it.
However, the terrifying True Body Han Yi now revealed far surpassed what Golden Resonance Daoist understood about a Primordial Realm Ancient God. It had reached the next level—a realm where information was scarce. With his cultivation and access rights, he only knew the name, nothing more.
Supreme Truth.
The Great Truth Ancient God.
Yet despite the Ancient God Supreme Truth's immense power, he could never be a match for an Immortal Monarch.
As this thought crossed Golden Resonance Daoist's mind, Han Yi had already drawn the Ancient Divine Artifact, which radiated a terrifying aura.
This sight caused Golden Resonance Daoist's previous thoughts to shift once more.
He had seen Ancient Divine Artifacts before, but those were all damaged and far inferior to the golden giant spear in Han Yi's hand.
What happened next left him shaken to the core.
Han Yi slammed the spear down, nearly shattering the Black Realm Star Lord's Seventh-Tier Profound Pearl Immortal Artifact and forcing him back.
That Profound Pearl was undoubtedly a Seventh-Tier Immortal Artifact.
Yet Han Yi had damaged a Seventh-Tier Immortal Artifact and repelled an Immortal Monarch right before his eyes.
A Profound Immortal shaking an Immortal Monarch?
Who would believe such a thing?
But having witnessed it himself, Golden Immortal Golden Cry had no choice but to accept the truth.
Before he could recover from the shock, Dongming Immortal Monarch appeared, startling the Black Realm Star Lord away. With a flick of his Immortal Power, he obliterated the slowest fleeing Heavenly Fiend Golden Immortals.
After uttering a single word, he turned and left.
Hearing Han Yi's weak words, Golden Resonance Daoist snapped back to reality and hurried forward, quickly administering an Immortal Pill.
Han Yi wasn't actually without Immortal Pills. He had previously spent a substantial amount of Immortal Marks to stock up on Immortal Pills, Immortal Talismans, and disposable Sixth-Rank Immortal Artifacts.
However, against an Immortal Monarch, Sixth-Rank Immortal Talismans and disposable Sixth-Rank Immortal Artifacts were utterly useless, so Han Yi didn't even bother to use them.
His near-depletion of Immortal Power, divine power, and even Demonic Power made it difficult for him to even open the Immortal Spirit Realm or the Cosmic Immortal Tribulation.
Of course, if he pushed himself to his limits, he could still manage, but it would inflict even greater damage on his body.
This injury was severe; it would take dozens, perhaps even hundreds of years to fully heal.
Han Yi understood this clearly.
Yet, to have survived an attack by an Immortal Monarch was a tremendous stroke of luck. No Immortal would believe it if he told them.
After Han Yi consumed an Immortal Pill, Golden Resonance Daoist transported him into the Immortal Spirit Realm and hurried toward the Immortal Realm.
Several Heavenly Fiend Killers had escaped from the Black Realm, and a Black Realm Star Lord was still lurking. Only by reaching the Age Candle would they truly be safe.
Come to think of it, this Immortal Combat hadn't even scratched Golden Immortal Golden Cry. He'd merely been trapped within an Immortal Formation, and once freed, he'd be instantly teleported back.
As the Immortal Formation dissipated, he witnessed a series of astonishing scenes unfolding before him.
While rushing along, an undeniable truth suddenly struck him—one he almost couldn't believe, yet was undeniable:
Han Yi was stronger than him.