Over nine years, Han Yi had advanced from an ordinary Golden Immortal to a Senior Golden Immortal. While the amount of Immortal Power within him hadn't changed significantly, his comprehension of Immortal Dao Laws had grown exponentially.
A True Immortal cultivates their Immortal Body and Immortal Soul, a Profound Immortal cultivates Triple Immortal Power, and those in the Golden Immortal Realm comprehend Laws.
Comprehending Laws is measured by two factors: the number of Laws and the depth of understanding.
In terms of quantity, the most common Laws are the Five Elements Laws. Beyond these, there are High-Tier Laws and a multitude of subsidiary Laws of varying tiers.
High-Tier Laws include the Laws of Time, Space, Life, and Destruction. Subsidiary Laws are numerous; for example, within the Water Law, there are derived Laws such as Drowning Water and Heavy Water Law.
In truth, Han Yi had already comprehended a significant number of Laws before this.
Among them:
The Four Origins Dao Technique and Sword Technique had essentially allowed him to comprehend the Five Elements Laws.
The Mind Realm Immortal Technique and Cosmic Light Immortal Art encompassed the Laws of Time and Space.
The Eighth Form of the Sword Manual, Total Annihilation, involved the Law of Destruction.
The Embryonic Transformation Divine Power touched upon the Law of Life.
What he lacked was the derivation and comprehension of subsidiary Laws branching from these main Laws.
Over these nine years, the total number of Laws he had comprehended had surpassed five thousand.
The Immortal Realm's laws are infinite, but comprehending ten thousand of them is sufficient to transform the Immortal Spirit Realm and lay the foundation for a true Boundary Heaven.
In other words, ten thousand laws are the minimum threshold to become an Immortal Monarch.
Han Yi still needed to comprehend over five thousand more laws to reach this threshold. However, once he understood nine thousand laws, he would have reached the realm of a Peak Golden Immortal.
If he continued to accumulate Life Seeds, he believed he could achieve the Peak Golden Immortal realm within thirty years.
For other Immortals, breaking through to the Senior Golden Immortal realm would require a significant period of stabilization, but Han Yi needed none. Life Seeds are the very origin, the primal energy of all existence. By cultivating with Life Seeds, his foundation was more solid than ever before.
Therefore, he decided to seize the momentum and elevate his cultivation realm to Peak Golden Immortal before considering his next steps.
Moreover, reaching Peak Golden Immortal would multiply his strength several to tens of times compared to ordinary Golden Immortals. At that point, he was confident he could face an Immortal Monarch in battle.
If he could advance his Sword Control Immortal Art to the Seventh-Tier or obtain a sword heart to upgrade the Green Ripple Sword to a Seventh-Rank Immortal Sword, he was certain he could, like Qin Yi, obliterate an ordinary Immortal Monarch with a single sword strike.
This was his plan.
However...
Just as Han Yi was about to resume his cultivation, he checked the information on his token out of habit.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. A message within the token brought him immense joy.
Immortal Monarch.
Golden Resonance Daoist has broken through to the Immortal Monarch realm.
He sprang to his feet, abandoning his cultivation practice. Rushing out of the Immortal Pavilion, he hurried toward the palace where Golden Resonance Daoist had been in seclusion.
As fellow members of the Original Art Dao Seat, Han Yi's Immortal Pavilion was close to Golden Resonance Daoist's. It took only a few breaths to reach the palace.
Upon arrival, Han Yi noticed the tip of a sword piercing through the palace roof, radiating a golden sword glow.
"It's the Handleless Giant Sword," Han Yi thought, his heart pounding.
He had visited this palace several times before and seen the golden, handleless giant sword in its center. The sword's tip touched the palace ceiling, while its hilt rested on the floor.
Initially, Han Yi had assumed it was merely decorative. But during his last visit, he sensed a change in Golden Resonance Daoist's aura, realizing the sword was crucial to his path to becoming an Immortal Monarch.
Now, seeing the sword tip piercing through the palace roof, he realized the entire sword must have risen, implying its hilt had likely been reconnected.
Han Yi gazed at the tightly sealed palace. Golden Resonance Daoist's aura within was now completely beyond the Golden Immortal realm, having reached the Immortal Monarch realm.
Although it would take a long time to stabilize, there was no doubt that Golden Resonance Daoist had achieved the Immortal Monarch realm—a fact as undeniable as a nail driven into a plank.
Of course.
Han Yi understood that for a Golden Immortal to ascend to Immortal Monarch and stabilize their cultivation, the key lay in manifesting a Boundary Heaven. This process was neither swift nor short; it could be described as lengthy and arduous.
Zhenxiao, who had broken through to Immortal Monarch even earlier than Golden Resonance Daoist, had been in seclusion for centuries without emerging. This demonstrated the unique nature of the Immortal Monarch realm.
Outside Golden Resonance Daoist's Palace, a thick layer of Dao Principles radiated the aura of Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor. Clearly, this was a protective Dao Formation set up by the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor to prevent any disturbances during Golden Resonance Daoist's breakthrough and stabilization.
After observing for a moment, Han Yi departed, now relieved that Golden Resonance Daoist had ascended to Immortal Monarch.
However.
Now that he possessed a Life Seed, it would be at least a century before Golden Resonance Daoist stabilized his cultivation and emerged from seclusion. By then, Han Yi would undoubtedly have advanced to Peak Golden Immortal, possessing combat power comparable to that of an Immortal Monarch.
As he left Golden Resonance Palace, Han Yi recalled something and checked the information on his Token. He discovered that over the past few centuries, the Sui Zhu Immortal Court had produced seventeen Immortal Monarchs, including Zhenxiao, in addition to Golden Resonance Daoist.
The other Immortal Courts were similar, giving birth to numerous Immortal Monarchs—more than had emerged in the past tens of thousands of years.
Han Yi had two theories about this. The first was that the Immortal Combat and chaos had spurred the emergence of Immortal Monarchs. In the past tens of thousands of years, though the Wisdom Clan posed a threat, the overall situation had been relatively stable, and conflicts between Immortal Monarchs were rare and not the norm.
But in the past few centuries, the Immortal Realm had experienced the Inverted Dao Descent, the Great Luo Division, the Dao Sacrifice Blaze, the Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, the Great One's Ascension, and the Evil God's Descent. Most Peak Golden Immortals had endured countless brutal battles. Those who survived, after a period of reflection, had a greater chance of finding their path to Immortal Monarch.
Though the proportion was tiny, the sheer number of Peak Golden Immortals in the Immortal Realm was vast. This was why Immortal Monarchs were now being born in a concentrated explosion.
Han Yi's second theory was that the Primordial Great World, sensing calamity approaching, had fragmented its Luck to screen and catalyze more Immortal Monarchs, thereby strengthening the Primordial's power.
Everything has a spirit, Han Yi guessed. The Primordial Great World likely possessed a World Spirit that had sensed the turmoil within the Primordial over the past few centuries. To confront this turmoil and the impending Great Calamity, it had fragmented its Luck, causing more Immortal Monarchs to surge forth within the realm.
"Grand Unity Immortal Monarch!" Han Yi murmured, his heart brimming with fighting spirit. In the near future, he was certain he would also reach this realm.
After leaving Golden Resonance Palace, Han Yi didn't immediately return to the Immortal Pavilion for secluded cultivation. Instead, he visited the Golden Immortal Pavilion to inquire about recent events in the Immortal Realm. He learned that the past decade had been relatively peaceful, with no major upheavals.
However, ten years ago, the Chaos Evil God deep within Emperor's Fall Heavenly Pool had suddenly gone berserk, spawning countless Evil God Spawns. These spawned entities slaughtered over seventy percent of the Immortals present in the pool, causing a minor shockwave throughout the Immortal Realm. Since then, fewer Immortals had ventured to hunt Evil Immortals, and the Immortal Court had reclassified the mission from mandatory to optional.
Hearing this, Han Yi felt a stirring within him. He had been planning to return to the depths of Emperor's Fall Heavenly Pool after increasing his strength to absorb another Life Seed. But based on the information from the Golden Immortal Pavilion, his next attempt to obtain a Life Seed would be significantly more difficult.
Still, there was no need to rush. He currently possessed over ninety thousand Life Seeds, enough to support his cultivation until he reached the combat strength of an Immortal Monarch.
After leaving the Golden Immortal Pavilion, Han Yi used an Escape Technique to reach Nine Rivers Plaza, where he teleported to the Primal Art Dao Field. Exiting the Dao Field, he flew toward the Azure Shu Mountain Range.
He periodically checked on the Profound Pill Sect's status.
But this time, halfway to the Azure Shu Mountains, he suddenly sensed a violent fluctuation in the surrounding space—a phenomenon he had experienced before as a Demigod, when Dai Zhe had teleported him from Immortal Market Palace to the Giant Deer Mountain Range. This time, however, the intensity of the spatial distortion far exceeded anything he had encountered as a Demigod.
The words "Seventh-Tier Immortal Teleportation Formation" flashed through Han Yi's mind, followed by the name of an organization.
"The Black Realm?"
In a split second, he ignited his divine power, intending to draw his Yueguang Divine Spear. But the spatial distortion occurred too rapidly, nearing its conclusion.
"Too late."
Golden light erupted from Han Yi's body as his Supreme Ancient Immortal Divine Body blossomed, simultaneously empowered by the Four Origins Dao Technique.
At the same time, he ceased burning his divine power. Instead of drawing the Yueguang Divine Spear, he channeled his Life Seed into it.
For him, while Life Seeds were plentiful, they couldn't be directly converted into combat power. Only by infusing them into Ancient Divine Artifacts could their full potential be unleashed.
Before the shimmering spatial distortion could dissipate, Han Yi, disregarding all consequences, swung the Divine Spear with devastating force.
Whoosh!
Boom!!
Cracking sounds erupted as space shattered, everything returned to primordial chaos, and turbulent currents surged.
Han Yi seized the opportunity to violently retreat backward. Golden light trembled around him as he held the golden Divine Spear, as if carrying a Great World. Divine power coursed through his arms, emitting a terrifying, awe-inspiring force.
"Hmph, I anticipated this move long ago."
A cold, familiar voice rang out.
As Han Yi retreated explosively, the source of that familiar voice flashed through his mind—the Black Realm Star Lord he had encountered in the Endless Void.
Han Yi's heart sank. It was indeed the Black Realm.
Moreover, being teleported to this specific location by the Black Realm's ambush squad was highly unfavorable.
Before Han Yi could ponder further, another voice boomed like thunder:
"What's with all the chatter? Just kill him."
The voice was unfamiliar, but the aura of its owner was explosively intense, radiating a scorching demonic energy that made Han Yi's heart tremble.
"Not one Star Lord, but two."
"Two Immortal Monarchs."
Han Yi was greatly alarmed.
In the next moment, the distorted space returned to normal, and Han Yi clearly saw the appearances of the two Immortal Monarchs several kilometers away.
One was the Black Star Lord he had encountered in the Endless Void, clad in black robes and wearing a mask, his aura unmistakably that of an Immortal Monarch.
The other, however, caused Han Yi's pupils to constrict violently. Though it was their first meeting, Han Yi recognized the face instantly.
"Great Sage Demonic Ape."
In that instant, Han Yi understood the full situation.
Whether the Great Sage Demonic Ape was a Black Realm Star Lord or not was irrelevant. What mattered was that he was likely far from the Primal Art Dao Field, possibly even outside the Sui Zhu Immortal Court.
Facing him were two Immortal Monarch-level experts.
Ten years ago, Han Yi would have been resigned to a desperate, all-or-nothing battle. But now, the situation was different.
Having advanced to the Senior Golden Immortal realm, his Law Comprehension had skyrocketed, increasing his strength by nearly tenfold compared to before.
Moreover, with ninety thousand Life Seeds, even if he couldn't defeat them outright, he could always burn his Life Seeds to unleash a supremely powerful Yueguang strike, or escape.
Having identified his enemies and assessed the situation, Han Yi found himself strangely calm.
He released his grip, and the Yueguang Divine Spear plummeted downward, transforming into its true form—a colossal spear over thirty thousand meters long that crushed the mountain beneath it.
Simultaneously, his body began to swell, transforming into a true body of an Ancient God a hundred thousand meters tall. This was the first time he had manifested his true body since achieving the Void Extreme Ancient God realm.
At the same time, the Heavenly Demon Halberd Fragment and the Green Ripple Sword hovered before Han Yi.
Before him, the Great Sage Demonic Ape roared and swung his staff downward.
To him, Han Yi's killing of Yuan Jingtian had stripped him of all dignity. Only crushing him with a single blow could sate his fury.
As for Han Yi's displayed Ancient God true body, though massive in size, it didn't necessarily mean it possessed great power. If it could withstand a single strike from his staff, then it could speak again.
As the Great Sage Demonic Ape's staff descended, the Profound Black Demonic Qi erupted, displacing tens of thousands of cubic meters of air. A terrifying, overwhelming force pressed down from above.
Below, Han Yi, manifesting his True Body of an Ancient God in the Void Extremity Realm, let out a wild roar and unleashed a punch.
Divine power burned fiercely, his fury surging skyward.
This was Divine Wrath.
Boom!
Infinite destruction tore through space, unleashing a tempest.
The Great Sage Demonic Ape felt a massive force surge through him. His staff was sent flying, and his Demon Body staggered backward several steps.
Han Yi, who had thrown the punch, fared even worse. The demonic aura slammed into his fist, reducing his fingers to splintered bone, his flesh torn and mangled. His entire arm shattered, covered in countless wounds, golden Divine Blood streaming and splattering.
His body was hurled like a cannonball, smashing through mountains and Immortal Peaks for dozens of miles, leaving a Heaven-Shaking chasm in the earth.
"Impossible!" A voice like thunder boomed, filled with shock and disbelief.
It was the voice of the Great Sage Demonic Ape.
Nearby, the Black Star Lord, standing in the void, his pupils constricted, disbelief written across his face.
He looked at Han Yi, who had risen again several tens of miles away, feeling a sense of absurdity.
It had been just over a hundred years since he had ambushed Han Yi in the Endless Void. Back then, Han Yi was a Peak Profound Immortal, barely able to activate the Ancient Divine Artifact's power to block his attack. The cost of that strike left Han Yi severely injured and combat-ineffective.
If the Age Candle, Dongming Immortal Monarch, hadn't intervened at the last moment, Han Yi would have died by his hand.
So, he had set this trap, teleporting Han Yi here and deceiving him into using the Ancient Divine Artifact's power, thereby neutralizing Han Yi's only means of threatening an Immortal Monarch.
Yet, a hundred years later, Han Yi, now a Senior Golden Immortal, had managed to withstand the Great Sage Demonic Ape's attack using Ancient God Power.
This strike, fueled by the Great Sage Demonic Ape's hatred, was even stronger than the one he had unleashed a century ago.
Moreover, he realized that Han Yi had already used the Ancient Divine Artifact's power earlier, yet still managed to unleash his True Body of an Ancient God to block the Demonic Ape's attack.
Han Yi had already reached the combat strength of an Immortal Monarch.