"The Soul-Suppressing Brush's authority has been stolen!"
"Who is it?"
The voice was so immense that the entire space trembled, causing Han Yi Xin's face to pale with fear.
He immediately realized:
"It's the Void Prison Immortal Sovereign."
"Run!"
In that split second, he formed a rough hypothesis.
The Void Prison Immortal Sovereign's two statements revealed that Mountain Still Immortal Monarch had stolen the Soul-Suppressing Brush's authority, hiding right under the Immortal Sovereign's nose and evading his detection.
Moments earlier, Han Yi had been overwhelmed by the Soul-Suppressing Brush, causing his Life Seed to spontaneously burn and alert the Void Prison Immortal Sovereign. This led to his discovery of the brush's compromised authority.
Stealing the Void Prison's authority within the Lord of the Void Prison's domain meant that even if Han Yi hadn't done it himself, he would still be implicated. Capture meant certain death.
In that fleeting moment, he tore through space, but the deathly aura behind him rapidly materialized, coalescing into a clone. If an Immortal Sovereign clone descended, Han Yi would have no chance of escape.
He turned, preparing to strike with his sword.
But at that instant, a figure suddenly materialized before him, and a voice echoed directly in his mind:
"Han Yi, it's me, Yuan Shun."
The moment the thought arose, Han Yi suppressed the urge to swing his sword. Suddenly, a figure appeared before him. With a gentle push forward, the entire space trembled, as if he had been instantly recognized as its master.
Nearby, the rapidly coalescing avatar of the Immortal Sovereign froze and then disintegrated.
Yuan Shun turned, made a sweeping gesture, and tore open a spatial rift, stepping through it first.
"Go!"
Han Yi hesitated momentarily, but with a swift change of heart, he followed, using the Escape Technique.
The torn space instantly sealed itself, leaving no trace of the rift.
One breath later, the entire space began to tremble violently.
Where the Void Prison avatar had disintegrated, the space split open again, and a Daoist emerged.
The Daoist first examined the sealed spatial rift, reaching out to probe it, but found no trace of its existence. He then turned to survey his surroundings, making a sweeping motion with his hand.
But all that remained was the surging aura of death; no images or sounds materialized.
The space's time had been disrupted. As the Lord of the Void Prison, he could no longer replay the previous scene.
This left two possibilities.
First, the attacker was stronger than him, at least in the Dao Ancestor Realm. But a Dao Ancestor would never flee, as such an act would tarnish their dignity.
The second possibility was that the perpetrator possessed the Void Prison Authority, just like him. However, there could only be one Lord of the Void Prison, and that was him. He had managed the Void Prison for a hundred thousand years; it couldn't possibly be a fake.
Within this second possibility, there was another scenario: someone possessed a Fragment of Reincarnation, specifically one that had scattered after the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor's fall. These fragments could indeed activate the Soul-Suppressing Brush.
Between these two possibilities, the most likely scenario was that someone had obtained a Fragment of Reincarnation and used the Soul-Suppressing Brush to kill someone within the Eighth Layer of the Void Prison.
"How audacious."
"But who exactly obtained the Fragment of Reincarnation and used the Soul-Suppressing Brush here?"
"The aura of the fallen Immortal is faint, suggesting they were likely an Immortal Monarch. To kill an Immortal Monarch, one would need to borrow the Soul-Suppressing Brush. This person couldn't possibly be an Immortal Sovereign, let alone a Dao Ancestor."
"This only makes it stranger."
The Void Prison Immortal Sovereign lingered, exhaustively employing every method at his disposal, yet failed to uncover even a shred of evidence.
"If someone could steal the Soul-Suppressing Brush's authorization, this won't be the only time."
"Next time, you won't escape."
Meanwhile, Han Yi followed Yuan Shun as they tore through space, instantly arriving in the deepest layers of Spatial Turbulence.
The surrounding space was bizarre and surreal, with eerie lights constantly shifting and an overwhelming pressure that would crush any low-level cultivator or even a True Immortal upon arrival. Even Profound Immortals could only protect themselves and move with difficulty, while only Golden Immortals, with their perfected Triple Immortal Power, could freely traverse this realm.
For Han Yi and Yuan Shun, however, the spatial pressure posed no challenge; they moved through this layer as easily as walking on flat ground.
After ten breaths of time, Yuan Shun tore through space again, returning to the Immortal Realm.
Han Yi looked around and realized they had arrived in an unfamiliar mountain forest.
"This is the Clear Spirit Immortal Domain, within the Fengtian Mountain Range," Yuan Shun explained. "I've been cultivating here for a hundred years."
He used an Escape Technique to vanish into the forest, stopping atop an Immortal Mountain.
Han Yi followed closely, landing beside him.
Looking around, he saw nothing unusual and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother, since you've been back for a hundred years, why haven't you returned to the Profound Pill Sect? Why remain here?"
Many years ago, after Yuan Shun's return, he and Han Yi had become Fellow Disciples.
"Junior Brother Han, there's something you don't know. Let me explain it slowly to you."
With a wave of his hand, Yuan Shun summoned an Imperial Palace and placed it atop the Immortal Mountain. The palace was substantial, complete with all necessary facilities.
He sat within the palace's lofty pavilion, gazing out over the Sea of Clouds.
Han Yi took a seat beside him.
The scene felt strangely familiar.
Two thousand years ago, when Han Yi was still in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, Yuan Shun had stood by the edge of Azure Dragon Cliff, Han Yi at his side, gazing at the Sea of Clouds that filled the sky above the Profound Pill Mountain Range.
The scenery was the same, the people were the same, but time had passed like the ebb and flow of the sea, bringing about a complete transformation.
"Deep beneath the Fengtian Mountain Range lies a lost Fragment of Reincarnation, left behind after the fall of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor."
These words sent a shiver through Han Yi.
Anything involving the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor, or the Great Cycle's first battle, was never simple.
"By the way, Junior Brother Han, retrieve the body of the Immortal Monarch you just slew. I'll extract the Fragment of Reincarnation from his body."
Han Yi didn't refuse. In this world, Yuan Shun was one of the few people he could trust completely.
With a wave of his hand, Yuan Shun retrieved Mountain Still Immortal Monarch's corpse.
He gently tapped the corpse's forehead, and an irregularly shaped transparent crystal emerged.
Han Yi recognized it immediately: this was the very same object Mountain Still Immortal Monarch had pressed into his forehead when activating the Soul-Suppressing Brush.
Until now, Han Yi had no knowledge of this crystal. Only through Yuan Shun's explanation did he learn that it was a Fragment of Reincarnation.
After extracting the Fragment of Reincarnation, Yuan Shun held it before him and calmly stated:
"This Immortal Monarch used the Fragment of Reincarnation incorrectly."
"The Fragment of Reincarnation is not meant to be wielded like an Immortal Artifact. The proper method is to merge it with one's Immortal Soul, making it an integral part of one's being. That is the true way to utilize it."
With a thought, Yuan Shun pressed the Fragment of Reincarnation against his forehead, allowing it to penetrate into his Immortal Spirit Realm and merge with his Immortal Soul.
As Han Yi observed this, he sensed the aura emanating from Yuan Shun's Immortal Sense. It confirmed one thing beyond a doubt:
Yuan Shun's Cultivation Realm. Immortal Monarch.
After more than a millennium of separation, Yuan Shun had transcended from True Immortal to Immortal Monarch.
It was simply unbelievable.
Han Yi knew that his own advancement to the Peak Golden Immortal realm, aided by his Panel and multiple Life Seeds, had pushed him to this pinnacle. Yet Yuan Shun had surpassed him.
However, Han Yi felt no jealousy. He deeply understood that Yuan Shun must have endured unimaginable hardships to ascend to Immortal Monarch in such a short time.
He recalled Yuan Hong's return, announcing that Yuan Shun had already become a Golden Immortal and ventured into the Dark Realm of the Three Realms of Absolute Yin to seek the Fragment of Reincarnation.
Among the Three Yin Realms, the Ferocious Realm was considered the least dangerous. The Dark Realm Yuan Shun had entered was far more perilous.
Han Yi confirmed, "Senior Brother, you've already ascended to Grand Unity Immortal Monarch?"
Yuan Shun nodded. "By fortune, after a millennium in the Dark Realm, I finally found that Fragment of Reincarnation. After merging it, I naturally ascended to Immortal Monarch."
He looked at Han Yi. "Junior Brother, you're no less remarkable. To slay an Immortal Monarch as a Golden Immortal... I wouldn't have possessed such prowess at your cultivation realm."
Han Yi chuckled. "Fortune, fortune."
The two exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.
Their laughter stirred the Sea of Clouds and Immortal Mist, causing countless beasts in the Fengtian Mountain Range to tremble.
After a long moment, they finally stopped.
"In the blink of an eye, two thousand years have passed," Yuan Shun declared, his voice ringing with conviction. "The future Great Luo Immortal Realm will surely have a place for my fellow disciples and me."
Han Yi nodded solemnly.
"By the way," he asked, "how did you know I was in the Void Prison, Senior Brother?"
Yuan Shun shook his head. "It wasn't that I knew you were there. I was hidden within the Void Prison myself and witnessed you slaying the Immortal Monarch."
Han Yi's eyes flickered as deeper thoughts stirred within him.
"Did you go to the Void Prison to seek a Fragment of Reincarnation, or was your target the Void Prison Immortal Sovereign?"
Yuan Shun nodded. "The Void Prison Immortal Sovereign is the Lord of the Void Prison. The Nine Layers of the Void Prison contain no Fragments of Reincarnation whatsoever. Naturally, my presence there was to target the Void Prison Immortal Sovereign."
"However, even if I possessed more Fragments of Reincarnation, the difference in our Cultivation Realms means I'm no match for him within the Void Prison."
"Once I retrieve the Fragment of Reincarnation beneath the Fengtian Mountain Range, I'll leave Great Luo and travel to the Wicked Demon World to seek new Fragments of Reincarnation."
After laying out his plan, Yuan Shun fixed Han Yi with a deep gaze.
"Junior Brother," he said, "while I'm away, the Profound Pill Sect is in your capable hands."
"I've returned several times within the past century and observed that you're quite skilled at managing the Sect, no less capable than I am."
Han Yi shook his head without speaking.
In truth, he hadn't directly managed the Sect, as most of his time was devoted to cultivation.
His approach to the Profound Pill Sect was more hands-off, focusing only on broad directions. Occasionally, he would experiment with ideas, refining the essence and discarding the dross.
Yuan Shun steered the conversation back on track. "Junior Brother Han, do you understand the Mystery of Reincarnation?"
Han Yi frowned. He had encountered some theories about reincarnation at the Profound Repository Palace, but these ancient records were incomplete and likely inaccurate. Moreover, any knowledge accessible to Golden Immortals would be the most superficial and foundational.
He shared what he had learned from the Profound Repository Palace.
Yuan Shun nodded, then shook his head. "It's correct, but too superficial. It's not enough."
"Listen carefully, Junior Brother."
"The true secret of reincarnation involves the 'Position'."
As Yuan Shun uttered the word "Position," his expression turned unprecedentedly solemn.
Han Yi looked utterly perplexed, having never heard this term before. Knowing Yuan Shun would explain, he remained silent.
After a pause, Yuan Shun continued:
"The so-called Position refers to entities that, from the very birth of the Great World, were imbued with special meaning, holding a unique status and power."
"As far as I understand, the entire Primordial Great World only has two major Positions. One of them is the Lord of the Great World, also known as the Great Realm Lord."
"However, towards the end of the Primordial Era, the Great World Lord of the Primordial Era mysteriously vanished, presumably perishing. This Position has not reappeared from the Primordial Era through the Primordial Era, and into the Nine Realms Era."
"The second is the Reincarnation Position."
"If the Primordial Position represents the front of the Primordial Great World—its holder being the Great Realm Lord of the Primordial Era—then the Reincarnation Position represents its back."
"And its holder is the Great Celestial Venerable of Reincarnation."
"Of course, the Reincarnation Position I'm referring to here is the complete version, not the fragmented one."
"The external manifestation of the Reincarnation Position is Reincarnation itself."
"This Reincarnation is a condensation of the Primordial Supreme Dao Principles. To put it plainly, the Fragment of Reincarnation I just infused into your Immortal Soul is one of its forms."
"Towards the end of the Primordial Era, when the Primordial Great World shattered, Reincarnation was destroyed, the Great Celestial Venerable of Reincarnation perished, and the Reincarnation Position itself fragmented into countless Fragments of Reincarnation."
"To this day, if a second Great Celestial Venerable of Reincarnation were to emerge in the Primordial World, the first step would be to gather all the Fragments of Reincarnation."
"The second step would be to reunite the Nine Realms, merging the Void Prisons into one, and restoring the Reincarnation Realm."
"Only by residing within the Reincarnation Realm, possessing the complete Reincarnation Position, can one truly become a Great Celestial Venerable of Reincarnation."
As Yuan Shun spoke, his eyes lit up with fervent anticipation, as if gazing into a future he was determined to shape. For this was the path he had chosen, though he was still at its very beginning. Yet with a clear goal came boundless motivation.
"I've been probing the Ninefold Void Prison of the Great Luo Immortal Realm precisely because, once I obtain the remaining Fragments of Reincarnation and ascend to the Immortal Sovereign level, I will return to conquer the Void Prisons and claim the position of Lord of the Void Prison."
"And I'm confident that with the Fragments of Reincarnation I've gathered, upon entering the Void Prisons, I will immediately ascend to the realm of Reincarnation Dao Ancestor," Yuan Shun declared solemnly.
These words were his manifesto, a declaration of intent that would guide his struggles for millennia to come, whether it be thousands, tens of thousands, or countless eons.
Han Yi was stunned by Yuan Shun's words.
While he was still contemplating the Seventh Stage of Sword Control, Yuan Shun was already planning to become a Dao Ancestor.
The sheer scale of Yuan Shun's ambition left Han Yi shaken.
"I need to intensify my cultivation," Han Yi thought to himself. "First, I'll aim for the Seventh Stage of Sword Control, then strive to become an Immortal Monarch."
After speaking, Yuan Shun seemed to remember something. He pulled out a Cosmic Immortal Ring and handed it to Han Yi.
"I almost forgot. During my millennium in the Dark Realm, I obtained seven Qingping Sub-Swords."
"Seeing that your sword has also advanced to the Seventh-Tier, fusion should allow it to progress even further."
Hearing this, Han Yi's face lit up with joy. He accepted the Immortal Ring and glanced inside. As expected, it contained seven Qingping Sub-Swords, sealed and frozen by Immortal Power.