Han Yi was genuinely thrilled.
At present, the Seventh-Tier Green Ripple Sword was his most formidable technique.
Especially after burning through his reserve of ten thousand Life Seeds to withstand the Soul-Suppressing Brush, Han Yi was even more reliant on it. Without the support of Life Seeds and unable to use Ancient Divine Artifacts, the Green Ripple Sword became his sole lifeline.
The seven Qingping Sword Divisions should enhance the Seventh-Tier Green Ripple Sword's power slightly. Once assimilated, he would be able to face even a Senior Immortal Monarch in battle.
Unable to wait, Han Yi used his Immortal Sense to retrieve the seven frozen Sub-Swords, which had been sealed by Immortal Power.
As before, the Green Ripple Sword in his hand immediately began assimilating the Sub-Swords.
Moreover, now that the Green Ripple Sword had reached the Seventh-Rank Immortal Artifact level, assimilation no longer required dedicated time for digestion. He could use the sword while simultaneously assimilating the Sub-Swords, without disrupting his normal operations.
After storing the fully assimilated Green Ripple Sword, Han Yi turned to Yuan Shun. After a moment's thought, he revealed everything he had casually told Qin Yi about the Chaos Cataclysm.
Yuan Shun's expression turned grave. "Rumors of the Chaos Cataclysm aren't confined to the Great Luo Immortal Realm. Similar accounts exist in Kunlun, Eternal Life, and Penglai."
"Furthermore..."
"Junior Brother, have you looked into what's happened in the past two thousand years? Not only has Great Luo suffered numerous calamities, but even Kunlun, the strongest realm in the Nine Realms, has experienced significant events."
"However, any Immortal capable of intervening must at least be an Immortal Sovereign. We still fall short of that level."
"For now, there's no need to worry."
Yuan Shun remained calm, his composure unshaken. If the sky falls, the tall will hold it up, he thought.
He then added, "By the way, there's something else I need to tell you, Junior Brother. I've placed a Dao Beacon on Yuan Hong. In a critical moment, I can descend personally. As long as an Immortal Sovereign doesn't act directly, the Azure Shu Mountain Range will not be destroyed."
Han Yi's heart stirred. "Yuan Hong?"
Yuan Shun nodded. "Yuan Hong is an Immortal Puppet I unearthed from Kunlun Mountain. It's suspected to be from the Primordial Era, and after my modifications, the Dao Beacon can be triggered in times of crisis, allowing me to descend. With the measures I've already put in place, we need fear no one below the level of Immortal Sovereign."
"Kunlun Mountain!" Han Yi murmured.
In the Nine Primordial Realms, Kunlun Mountain was indisputably the most powerful force, thanks to its resident—the Grand Heavenly Venerable Hongjun, the strongest Heavenly Venerable in the Ancient Realm.
Beyond the Great Heavenly Venerable who presided over Kunlun Mountain, another Heavenly Venerable resided there, known by the Daoist Title Chonglou.
These two Heavenly Venerables radiated overwhelming pressure across the Primordial era, solidifying Kunlun Mountain's supreme position as the foremost power.
However...
Han Yi still remembered that he carried the Luck of the Interception Sect, which was connected to Kunlun Mountain. Or, more accurately, Kunlun Mountain was more likely an enemy than an ally.
He never expected Yuan Hong to be from Kunlun Mountain.
Sensing Han Yi's apprehension, Yuan Hong explained, "Junior Brother need not worry. Kunlun Mountain is vast, spanning several Immortal Domains. The Immortal Puppet I excavated has no connection to the Kunlun Immortal Court, so there will be no trouble."
Han Yi nodded in understanding, without explaining his concerns.
He kept the secret of the Interception Sect's Luck even from Yuan Shun, knowing that once revealed, Yuan Shun would inevitably be drawn into the conflict.
This was an ancient grudge between the Two Sects of the Intercepting Dao, dating back to the Primordial Era. It involved Heavenly Venerables and even Dao Ancestors; even a single misstep could result in their effortless annihilation.
Next, Yuan Shun recounted his experiences over the years, broadening Han Yi's horizons, especially his adventures in the Kunlun Immortal Realm and the Dark Realm, which were particularly thrilling.
After Yuan Shun finished, Han Yi shared his own experiences, but he omitted details and only briefly touched upon certain events.
Two hours later, Han Yi quietly departed the Fengtian Mountain Range, heading to the nearest Immortal City. There, he used a Transmission Formation to teleport directly to the Jade Lake Immortal Domain.
He had no intention of returning to Double Bright Immortal City; this had been his plan from the beginning.
After confronting the Black Realm Assassin, Han Yi terminated his journey at the Ten Thousand Merchants Immortal Assembly and returned to cultivation.
Although he had fallen into the Ninefold Void Prison due to Mountain Still Immortal Monarch's scheme, he managed to escape unscathed by burning his Life Seed. With Yuan Shun's assistance, he finally escaped the Void Prison and returned to the Immortal Realm.
Before returning to the Immortal Court, Han Yi planned to return to Jade Lake and cultivate at its depths for some time before returning.
Although the original text mentioned the Ancient God's hidden dangers and the inability to advance to the Void Extremity limit, Han Yi's Ancient God cultivation was still in the early stages of the Void Extremity, so there was no immediate cause for concern.
In addition, the Divine Power Crystals in the Divine Aperture World needed to be replenished periodically to meet the demands of his Ancient God cultivation and operation. The Primordial Fire Phoenix within the Divine Aperture World also required Divine Power Crystals for sustenance.
Ten years later.
Han Yi departed from Jade Lake, first returning to the Azure Shu Mountain Range. After confirming that the Profound Pill Sect was operating as usual, he teleported to the Immortal Court.
Upon arrival, he learned a shocking piece of news.
At the Origin Technique Arena, Daoist Yuan Shu, now an Immortal Sovereign, remained as before, holding ancient texts. However, the original three-story pavilion had transformed into a six-story structure.
From this subtle change, Han Yi realized that this small pavilion served as the heart of the Origin Technique Arena. Its expansion from three to six stories reflected the arena's enhanced power, which in turn stemmed from Yuan Shu's advancement from Immortal Monarch to Immortal Sovereign.
"Could the mysterious Immortal Sovereign outside Double Bright Immortal City really be the Polar Star Sword Venerable?" Han Yi asked, finding it hard to believe. He confirmed his suspicion once more.
He had met the Polar Star Sword Venerable before, during the Pure Yang Mountain Sword Debate Immortal Assembly, where the venerable one had demonstrated a sword formation for all the Sword Immortals present to admire and learn from.
Yet outside Double Bright Immortal City, the masked Immortal Sovereign had wielded a bamboo staff, showing no trace of a Sword Immortal's aura. From appearances alone, it was indeed difficult to imagine they were the same person.
Immortal Venerable Yuanshu placed the Ancient Texts before his knees and sighed softly.
"Yes, truly hidden in plain sight. Hidden in plain sight indeed."
"Who could have imagined that a pacifistic Immortal Sovereign, who spends his days studying sword techniques and rarely participates in Immortal Combat, is actually the Five-Star Star Lord responsible for countless slaughters in the Black Realm?"
"If he hadn't been forced to reveal his Eighth-Rank Immortal Sword in the end, I wouldn't have been certain of his identity."
Han Yi shuddered. If Yuanshu said this, it must be true.
"What happened after that?" Han Yi pressed.
Before returning to the Immortal Court, he had visited the Azure Shu Mountain Range but hadn't heard any news of an Immortal Sovereign's demise from ten years prior.
Yuanshu shook his head. "He escaped."
"Escaped?" Han Yi was stunned. When Yuanshu and Hongwu had attacked, their combined might had been overwhelming, their confidence palpable. To think their efforts had ultimately been as futile as trying to catch water in a bamboo basket—empty-handed.
Yuan Shu said irritably, "Do you think it's that easy to kill an Immortal Sovereign?"
"Every Immortal Sovereign possesses countless methods of self-preservation. Unless a Peak Immortal Sovereign intervenes, it's nearly impossible to slay ordinary or even Senior Immortal Sovereigns."
"It was already a feat to expose the Polaris Immortal Venerable."
"Moreover, the two Dao Ancestors of the Lingxiao Immortal Court have already pledged to personally handle the matter and purge their ranks. Isn't this a better outcome? We don't need to risk our lives."
Hearing this, Han Yi finally understood the unspoken implications behind Immortal Venerable Yuanshu's words.
When he and Hongwu had forced the Polaris Immortal Venerable to reveal his identity, they hadn't pressed for a fatal strike. Had the Polaris Immortal Venerable fought to the death, he could have easily held off both of them, or at the very least one of them, with ease.
For the two Immortal Sovereigns of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, this was unnecessary. By simply reporting the evidence to the Lingxiao Immortal Court, their higher-ups would handle the matter.
This was also the primary reason the news hadn't spread widely, as it would have severely damaged the reputation of the Immortal Courts.
The Dao Ancestors and Immortal Sovereigns of the Lingxiao Immortal Court despised the Polaris Immortal Venerable even more than other Immortal Sovereigns, and their resolve to slay him was far greater. After all, he was a deeply concealed traitor.
"Wait, what about the Candle Yin Demon Monarch?" Han Yi asked, still puzzled. "Hongwu had already obliterated him outright during that battle in the mountain forest."
According to what was said earlier, wouldn't it have been better to hand him over to Donghuang?
Yuan Shu replied, "This is different. First, Yin Zhu is merely a Demon Monarch. For an Immortal Sovereign, directly killing him wouldn't be inappropriate. Second, the Demon Race covers for their own. If we truly handed him over, given the Candle Dragon Immortal Venerable's power, there's a strong possibility he would protect Yin Zhu."
"Wouldn't it be better to just kill him outright and end the matter once and for all?"
"Besides, Age Candle and Donghuang already have considerable grievances between them. I wouldn't mind adding another."
Without giving Han Yi time to ask further questions, he continued:
"Han Yi, your strength is commendable. You already possess the power of an Immortal Monarch and can face even several Star Lords without fear. A typical Immortal Monarch can't hope to harm you."
"Moreover, you've recently performed a great service by exposing the deeply hidden Five-Star Star Lord, the Polar Star Sword Venerable."
"I could have applied for a Seventh-Rank Immortal Sword on your behalf, but seeing that you already possess a Seventh-Tier Immortal Sword, I refrained from acting presumptuously."
"In the end, it's up to you. Is there anything specific you desire?"
Han Yi's face lit up with joy. Yuan Shu's words meant he was prepared to reward him for his service.
And upon returning to the Immortal Court, his first act had been to pay his respects to Immortal Venerable Yuanshu. This was precisely what he had been anticipating.
"Yes."
Han Yi didn't mince words. At this level, requests were made more directly. He took a deep breath and said solemnly:
"I need authorization to access the corresponding floor of the Profound Repository Palace," Han Yi stated his request.
Yuan Shu didn't seem surprised. "I suspected as much," he replied, his gaze lingering thoughtfully. "You have a keen interest in the Immortal Realm's secrets, don't you?"
He continued, "However, some of the ancient secrets buried in this world are so profound that even Dao Ancestors and Heavenly Venerables wouldn't dare touch them. You must proceed with caution. Identify them clearly before you pursue them."
Yuan Shu had long known that Han Yi sought such authorization. When Han Yi first joined the Primal Art Dao Field, it was for the Profound Immortal Authorization. Later, Yuan Shu rewarded him with Golden Immortal Authorization during his Profound Immortal Realm.
Now, at the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm, Han Yi had even been granted Immortal Monarch Authorization—a privilege typically reserved for higher realms.
It was, as they say, "the early bird catching the worm."
Han Yi acknowledged this. He carried many secrets himself, with the deepest being the Panel—a tool linked to Eternal Wisdom, the Great Realm Lord. Any secret in the Immortal Realm paled in comparison to the knowledge it held.
"Additionally, I'm about to embark on the evolution of Yuan Shu's World Heaven, a process that will take approximately a thousand years."
"During this time, if you need assistance, seek out Golden Cry..."
"...No, wait. Even if Golden Cry emerges from seclusion as a fully-fledged Immortal Monarch, he might still struggle to resolve matters at your level."
"If you truly encounter trouble, seek out Hongwu."
"Hongwu has a favorable impression of you. If the matter doesn't exceed the capabilities of an Immortal Sovereign, he would likely help you."
Han Yi acknowledged this. He understood that evolving a Boundary Heaven was the path most Immortal Sovereigns chose.
The Immortal Spirit Realm, undergoing its transformation into a Boundary Heaven, had officially manifested within the Immortal Realm, becoming a true Boundary Heaven. Such a realm-within-a-realm allowed Immortal Sovereigns to deepen their understanding of Dao Principles.
Han Yi had heard of the boundless mysteries contained within.
After acknowledging this, he withdrew from the Origin Technique Arena and returned to the Immortal Pavilion.
Seven days later, he left the Immortal Pavilion and headed straight for the Profound Repository Palace. This was the time promised by Yuan Shu.
As expected.
Upon arriving at the Profound Repository Palace, he found that the invisible barrier blocking the stairs between the thirty-ninth and fortieth layers had vanished.
The Profound Repository Palace comprised ninety-nine layers. Immortal Monarchs could access layers forty through fifty-nine, a total of twenty layers—twice as many as those below the Immortal Monarch rank.
Han Yi began ascending the layers one by one, just as he had before.
As he climbed higher, the space on each layer shrank, holding fewer ancient texts, secret treasures, and Immortal scriptures. Yet each item, if revealed to the outside world, would spark fierce competition among Immortal Monarchs and drive Golden Immortals to madness.
In just three years, Han Yi had thoroughly examined all the secrets.
These secret introductions delved even deeper, covering reincarnation, the Primordial Era, the Primordial Era, the Eternal Realm, the Three Realms of Absolute Yin, and even the ancient grudges between the Two Sects of the Intercepting Dao. There were also profiles of all the Heavenly Venerables, Dao Ancestors, Immortal Sovereigns, and Immortal Monarchs across the Nine Realms.
Over these three years, Han Yi's understanding of the secrets within the Primordial Great World, particularly those concerning Immortal Monarchs and higher realms, had increased nearly tenfold.
Three years later, Han Yi stood before an ancient scripture on the fifty-seventh layer, lost in thought.
He had already cultivated the Great Unrestrained Cosmic Light Profound Scripture to the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. However, this Immortal Technique stopped at that level. While it was theoretically possible to push further using the Panel's brute force method, it would be exceedingly difficult and ultimately pointless.
Switching to a new cultivation method had become imperative.
The ancient scripture before Han Yi was the one he had meticulously selected after careful consideration.
The scripture was ancient and austere, its dark gray cover radiating a profound sense of historical weight. Standing before it, Han Yi felt the weight of countless ages bearing down on him.
Six large black characters were engraved on the cover:
Mi Luo Primordial Chaos True Scripture
Beside the scripture lay its description.
Han Yi had chosen this scripture for two reasons. First, its description claimed that it encompassed all phenomena, including the Mi Luo Primordial Chaos Sword Canon, which could lead to the cultivation of the Mi Luo Realm Heaven.
Second, and perhaps more compelling, was its price—exorbitantly expensive.
This Immortal Scripture required a staggering ten hundred million Immortal Marks.
Only truly exceptional Immortal Scriptures could be collected in the Profound Repository Palace, corresponding to the Immortal Monarch level.
Han Yi firmly believed that such an expensive ancient scripture must be of supreme quality.
Yet, despite his longing, he could only offer a bitter smile.
Ten hundred million Immortal Marks.
He knew that ordinary Immortal Monarchs typically possessed between one to three hundred million Immortal Marks. To reach ten hundred million, one would need to be a Peak Immortal Monarch, like Yuan Shu, who ranked among the top echelons of the Immortal Court.
Currently, Han Yi had only accumulated ninety million Immortal Marks, thanks to his previous conquest of the Void Tower. This was far short of the ten hundred million required.
However...
Though his Immortal Marks fell short, he had only reached the 2952nd floor of the Void Tower. After some mental calculations, he realized that reaching the 2985th floor would grant him the necessary ten hundred million Immortal Marks.
But from the 2980th floor onward, one would face Veteran Immortals.
For a Golden Immortal Realm cultivator to confront a Veteran Immortal... the difficulty was unimaginable.
"No, there's another way."
"If I cultivate the Sword Control Immortal Art to the Seventh-Tier, refine the Ancient God System to the peak of Void Extremity, and stop just short of the absolute limit, then cultivate other Immortal Arts to Sixth-Tier perfection—or even break through to Seventh-Tier—I would undoubtedly possess the strength to contend with a Veteran Immortal."