"Primordial, Chaos!"
Inside the Immortal Pavilion, Han Yi murmured, pondering these two words over and over.
Taiyuan had spoken only a few words before falling silent, and Han Yi didn't press for further explanation.
Han Yi immediately grasped Taiyuan's meaning. Over the past millennium, especially through the information he'd gathered while working in Brilliant Flame Immortal City—including Qin Yi's warning about the Chaos Cataclysm—he'd developed numerous associations.
When choosing between a problem in the Primordial era or Chaos, Han Yi leaned towards Chaos. And any issue with Chaos would be connected to the Great Calamity known as the Dao Grave.
Only if Chaos was compromised could the Wayless One, the Sacrificial Daoists, and the Inverters of the Dao escape into the Primordial Great World—whether to flee or seek a way to survive the calamity, the Primordial Great World would temporarily serve as a shelter.
A moment later, Han Yi suppressed his complex thoughts. Whether it was the Primordial era or Chaos, both were far beyond his reach. Even as a Golden Immortal, he couldn't even escape the Chaos, let alone confront a calamity sweeping through it and destroying countless great existences.
However, deeply concerned about the situation of the Omniscient Immortal City and the endless territory around it, which was being tainted by malevolent entities, he didn't immediately enter deep seclusion.
Three days later, Han Yi, who was cultivating within the Immortal Pavilion, was suddenly startled. He stepped out of the pavilion, activated his Escape Technique, and soared tens of thousands of meters into the air, gazing southeastward.
That direction led to the Omniscient Immortal City.
At that moment, a malevolent aura erupted from that direction, reaching its peak intensity. It was so potent that it could be sensed across multiple Immortal Domains.
It wasn't just Han Yi. Every Golden Immortal and higher-level being in the Immortal Court was startled, looking in the same direction with mixed alarm and confusion.
Most Golden Immortals were unaware of the Chaos Evil God within the Omniscient Immortal City, their faces filled with bewilderment.
As they stood puzzled, another aura suddenly appeared from the direction of the malevolent eruption. This aura was no stranger to the Immortal Court.
"It's the aura of the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor."
"Exactly, it's definitely the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor."
"Why would the Dao Ancestor go to the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain? And that other malevolent aura—could it be the Mountain Lord of Evil Mountain?"
"No, that's not right. Although the Mountain Lord of Evil Mountain is an Evil Immortal, his malevolence is bizarre and twisted. This aura, however, is chaotic and disorderly—a malevolent chaos. They're different."
As the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor's aura manifested, Han Yi immediately reacted, drawing in a sharp breath.
For a Dao Ancestor to intervene, the Chaos Evil God in Omniscient Immortal City must be at least Immortal Sovereign level, and not one that ordinary Immortal Sovereigns could handle. It might even be a Dao Ancestor-level entity, necessitating the intervention of Myriad Tribulations himself.
Moreover, it's highly likely that Age Candle Dao Ancestor was also lurking in the shadows, just in case.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, two auras beyond the Immortal Domains underwent sudden changes.
Myriad Tribulations' aura suddenly intensified, while the malevolent aura began to grow faint. After colliding, Myriad Tribulations' aura weakened, while the malevolent aura vanished into the Void within three breaths.
Then, Myriad Tribulations' aura also retreated, becoming imperceptible.
"It's over."
"Judging by this, Myriad Tribulations must have driven away the Chaos Evil God."
"As I suspected, Omniscient Immortal City indeed harbored a Chaos Evil God, and it was its True Form."
"The only reason we could escape from Omniscient Immortal City was because Taiyuan issued a warning, allowing the Heaven-Devouring Evil God Mark to counteract the Evil God's consciousness. Otherwise, even using the Yueguang Ancient Divine Artifact might not have sufficed."
Suddenly, Han Yi frowned, recalling his uneventful escape from Omniscient Immortal City three days prior. If that Evil God had been an Immortal Sovereign or even a Dao Ancestor, he would never have escaped so easily.
In that moment, a thought struck him:
"Perhaps my escape three days ago was connected to the Heaven-Devouring Mark on my arm. The Evil God lurking within the Omniscient Immortal City might have feared the Heaven-Devouring aura, or perhaps made too many assumptions, allowing me to leave."
"Calamity and fortune are intertwined."
He refocused his attention on the perception he had just experienced.
"Did the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor fail to kill the Chaos Evil God, or did he fear the consequences of doing so?"
"If the Chaos Evil God was merely driven away, will it return?"
Setting aside these thoughts, he returned to the Immortal Pavilion.
The next day, Han Yi went to the Origin Technique Arena, intending to pay his respects to Immortal Monarch Yuanshu. However, he discovered that the Immortal Monarch was not at the Immortal Court, and the entire Origin Technique Arena had been taken away with him.
The last time Immortal Monarch Yuanshu took the Origin Technique Arena was to slay the Black Realm Star Lord. That single strike resulted in the beheading of four Star Lord-level Immortal Monarchs, shocking the entire Great Luo.
This time, considering Immortal Monarch Yuanshu had taken the Origin Technique Arena again, combined with his recent reports and Myriad Tribulations' appearance in the Omniscient Immortal City the previous day, Han Yi surmised that Immortal Monarch Yuanshu had likely also gone to the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain.
In other words...
Before the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor made his appearance, several Immortal Monarchs, and possibly even Immortal Sovereigns, had likely visited the Omniscient Immortal City. It's possible that they dealt with the Chaos Evil God before the Dao Ancestor intervened to drive it away.
Han Yi returned to the Golden Immortal Pavilion in the Heavenly Candle Hall, seeking information about the Omniscient Immortal City. Soon, it wasn't just him; numerous Golden Immortals within the Immortal Court began inquiring about the city. Some even left the court to investigate the Omniscient Immortal City firsthand.
The steward on duty at the Golden Immortal Pavilion was Ruyi Golden Immortal, a familiar face Han Yi had met several times before. After his inquiries, she provided him with the available information.
Intelligence about the Omniscient Immortal City was scarce. Only a few days had passed since the Chaos Cataclysm erupted in that region, and the information trickling in consisted of mere fragments, with no reliable reports from within the city itself.
"Fellow Daoist Han, the location where the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor appeared yesterday is likely the Omniscient Immortal City in the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain. The Immortal Court initially believed the area to be contaminated by Evil Mountain, but it now seems far more complex than that. Otherwise, the Dao Ancestor wouldn't have intervened."
"Several Fellow Daoists are setting out today to investigate. If you uncover any information, bring it back to the Golden Immortal Pavilion. After assessment, it can be exchanged for Immortal Marks."
Han Yi shook his head slightly, declining outright.
His last visit to Omniscient Immortal City had ended with a final strike that undoubtedly damaged the descending Evil Will. This had cemented their enmity. If any remnants of the Evil God's Will remained in that region, venturing there would be like a wolf entering a tiger's den—walking straight into a trap.
While a cultivator should not fear danger, a wise man avoids standing beneath a crumbling wall. He couldn't possibly risk such peril knowing the danger.
Ruyi Golden Immortal hadn't expected Han Yi to refuse. Slightly taken aback, she didn't press him, but murmured:
"This time, the Dao Ancestor's intervention will be a major event."
"If my combat abilities weren't lacking, I'd want to go and test my mettle as well."
She sighed wistfully.
After a moment, finding no further useful information, Han Yi left the Golden Immortal Pavilion and headed for the Immortal Ease Pavilion within the Immortal Market Palace.
The next day, news arrived from the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain: the region centered around Omniscient Immortal City had been sealed by a massive, mysterious Immortal Formation, impenetrable even to Golden Immortals. The Golden Immortals circled the perimeter, then reluctantly retreated.
It was clear this Formation Arts barrier had been erected by the Age Candle's higher echelons. Even if not personally by the Dao Ancestor, it might have been by an Immortal Sovereign. They dared not force an entry.
Three months later, Immortal Monarch Yuanshu returned and summoned Han Yi. Leaving the Immortal Market Palace, Han Yi hurried to the Origin Technique Arena.
Within the Origin Technique Arena...
Immortal Monarch Yuanshu looked exhausted, his aura slightly unstable. "Immortal Monarch, are you injured?" Han Yi asked, startled.
Yuanshu sighed softly. "I was careless."
"That Chaos Evil God's cultivation realm is strange, its attacks unpredictable. If Immortal Venerable Daoling hadn't intervened, I would have been severely injured."
"In the end, it was Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor who finally suppressed the Chaos Evil God."
Yuanshu turned to Han Yi. "Han Yi, it was fortunate you relayed the information in time. Otherwise, if the Chaos Evil God had taken root in the Heavenly Knowledge Immortal Domain, it would have been a catastrophe."
"Even worse, if we hadn't known it was the Chaos Evil God beforehand, my rash approach could have led to my enslavement, becoming its puppet."
Yuanshu's lingering fear struck terror into Han Yi's heart, his face paling.
It seemed Han Yi had underestimated the danger posed by the Chaos Evil God.
Immediately, Immortal Monarch Yuanshu briefly recounted the events of three months prior to Han Yi.
Three months ago, Han Yi had reported the Chaos Evil God's presence in Omniscient Immortal City. Though Yuanshu had been inwardly grave, he hadn't raised his guard to the highest level. After all, despite having achieved the Immortal Monarch realm years ago and reaching the minimum threshold required to enter the Chaos, he rarely ventured there.
This was a common situation among Immortal Monarchs in the Immortal Realm.
Although Immortal Monarchs are the lowest realm capable of entering the Chaos, if they encounter other entities within it, they become the weakest and most vulnerable, their fate beyond their control.
Therefore, most Immortal Monarchs will never venture into the Chaos unless absolutely necessary.
Even during the Great Luo's Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, the Immortal Monarchs remained within massive Immortal Fortresses for protection, while only Immortal Sovereigns ventured into the Chaos and accompanied the expedition to the Wisdom Realm.
Thus, Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's understanding of the Chaos's dangers was limited to information from the Profound Repository Palace, not personal experience, leaving him less vigilant.
However, after reporting to Immortal Venerable Daoling and Immortal Venerable Wan Chuan, the two Immortal Sovereigns took the matter seriously and promptly reported it to the Dao Ancestor.
Then, led by the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor, a team consisting of Immortal Venerable Daoling, Immortal Venerable Wan Chuan, and seven Immortal Monarchs, including Immortal Monarch Yuanshu, rushed to the Omniscient Immortal City the very next day.
First, the Immortal Monarchs attacked, with the Immortal Sovereigns overseeing the formations. Finally, the Immortal Sovereigns themselves took action, and the Dao Ancestor revealed his might, ultimately destroying the Omniscient Immortal City and forcing the Chaos Evil God lurking there to flee into the Void.
Although the Chaos Evil God's True Form was driven away, the malevolent energies unleashed during the battle proved difficult to eradicate. The two Immortal Sovereigns and seven Immortal Monarchs remained, spending three full months purging all traces of the malevolent entities from the contaminated realm.
After purging the Malevolent Entities, the sealed realm was finally reopened, its Formation Arts deactivated. The Immortal Sovereigns and Immortal Monarchs of the Immortal Court could then return to their court.
This was the sequence of events that unfolded in and around Omniscient Immortal City.
Though Immortal Monarch Yuanshu spoke with calm detachment, Han Yi could imagine that the battle within Omniscient Immortal City must have been anything but ordinary.
Suddenly, Han Yi furrowed his brow. "Immortal Monarch," he asked, "did the Immortals who remained in Omniscient Immortal City return safely?"
When the Malevolent Entity outbreak first occurred, due to the Primal Art Dao Field's proximity, its Golden Immortals and other Immortals were the first to investigate Omniscient Immortal City. After discovering the Evil God's descent, Han Yi hadn't been able to notify the others and rushed back to the Immortal Court to report to the Immortal Monarch.
Following this, the Age Candle's high-ranking members launched a campaign to suppress the Evil God within Omniscient Immortal City. At the time, many Immortals from the Primal Art Dao Field were still stationed there.
Immortal Monarch Yuanshu nodded. "You needn't worry about that. Before the operation began, I had already evacuated all Immortals from the Dao Field. They suffered no harm."
Hearing this, Han Yi breathed a slight sigh of relief, but another question arose. "What about Evil Mountain?"
A cold glint flashed in Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's eyes. "During this Chaos Evil God's descent, the Dao Ancestor suspects Evil Mountain's involvement."
"Perhaps it was the Mountain Lord of Evil Mountain who introduced the Chaos Evil God to the Great Luo Immortal Realm."
"However, that Mountain Lord is deeply concealed. Even the Great Luo Dao Ancestor himself couldn't apprehend him."
At this point, Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's eyes suddenly overflowed with killing intent.
"The Black Realm, Evil Mountain, and Soul Tower."
"The reason these three major organizations are so difficult to eradicate is because their founders likely all originated from Chaos, or obtained inheritances related to Chaos. This allowed them to escape the constraints of the Great Luo Dao Ancestor, making them untraceable even to him."
"Otherwise, they would have been annihilated long ago."
Han Yi's heart stirred.
He had long harbored this suspicion, especially regarding the Black Realm and Soul Tower. Having been hunted by the Black Realm and investigated the Transformation God of the Myriad Nether Immortal Venerable, he had gained a deep understanding of these two organizations.
The Realm Lord of the Black Realm was likely from Chaos, possessing the Dao Ancestor cultivation realm. As for the Tower Master of Soul Tower, the Myriad Nether Immortal Venerable, he had likely obtained the Myriad Nether Tome inheritance, granting him countless Nether bodies that could never be eradicated.
Now, having come into contact with Evil Mountain and heard confirmation from Immortal Monarch Yuanshu, Han Yi realized that the Mountain Lord of Evil Mountain was also from Chaos.
Therefore, that deeply concealed Mountain Lord of Evil Mountain was most likely a Chaos Evil God.
And the recent appearance of the Chaos Evil God in Omniscient Immortal City must have some connection to that Mountain Lord.
Han Yi realized that in just a few centuries, his connections to these three great dark organizations had suddenly deepened, though not in a good way, but as an enemy.
After inquiring about the Omniscient Immortal City, Han Yi suddenly recalled that during his investigation of the Myriad Nether Incarnation, he hadn't mentioned using his Proficiency Panel to brute-force his way through the Soul Scripture. Instead, he had said he was at a temporary impasse.
Immortal Monarch Yuanshu showed no disappointment. Instead, he encouraged Han Yi, "When you have time, you can continue investigating the Myriad Nether Incarnation, but don't waste all your time on it. Even after years of investigation by the major Immortal Courts, they haven't found an effective approach. How could you, a Golden Immortal who has only recently encountered this avatar, succeed where they have failed?"
A trace of concern appeared on Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's face. "With the Evil God's descent, I fear more upheaval in the Immortal Realm. Han Yi, your combat strength is formidable, but you are still far from becoming an Immortal Monarch. For now, focus on cultivating your cultivation to the peak of the Golden Immortal realm before considering further plans."
Han Yi deeply appreciated Immortal Monarch Yuanshu's encouragement. After thanking him, he bid farewell and left the Origin Technique Arena, then departed the Immortal Court and returned to the Azure Shu Mountain Range.
However, he didn't linger in the mountain range. Instead, he went straight to the Jade Lake Immortal Domain, entered the Divine Power World, and began cultivating the Ancient God Divine Canon.
He had already reached the peak of the Supreme Truth Realm and was close to breaking through to the Void Extremity Realm.
His investigation of the Myriad Nether Incarnation had yielded no results, his cultivation of the Myriad Nether Tome had stalled, and the contamination from Evil Mountain and the Chaos Evil God had been temporarily contained. It was time to enhance his strength and cultivation.
Moreover...