Years ago, Han Yi and Golden Resonance Daoist ventured into the Northern Region Void, seeking an Immortal Opportunity within the Immortal Fortress Cluster related to the Ancient Vault Dao Ladder. On their return journey to the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, they were ambushed by Black Realm Heavenly Fiend assassins and a Star Lord. It was then that Dongming Immortal Monarch intervened, forcing the Black-Robed Star Lord to flee.
This incident left Han Yi indebted to Dongming Immortal Monarch.
His current visit to the Northern Region Void was at Dongming Immortal Monarch's invitation, specifically to repay this debt.
With his current cultivation, even a Peak Immortal Monarch might struggle to slay him.
Two centuries had passed since he left the Emperor's Fall Heavenly Pool.
During these two centuries of cultivation, he had comprehended over ten thousand Laws, surpassing the minimum threshold for an Immortal Monarch by reaching 12,765 Laws.
Ten years ago, he began cultivating the Mi Luo Primordial Chaos True Scripture. By mastering its foundational principles, he could transform the Immortal Spirit Realm into the Grand Unity Realm, thereby achieving the Grand Unity Immortal Monarch realm.
For an ordinary Peak Golden Immortal, this step was exceedingly difficult, often trapping them for a lifetime. But for Han Yi, relying on his Panel, steady perseverance and relentless dedication would inevitably lead to success.
Over the past decade, he had sensed the realm's constraints beginning to loosen, needing only a final breakthrough. Yet this final sliver of resistance could delay his progress for eons. Prepared for this prolonged struggle, he remained steadfast and resolute.
In truth, the primary reason Han Yi could so quickly sense the Immortal Monarch Realm's loosening was because he had cultivated the Sword Control Immortal Art to the Seventh-Tier. A Seventh-Tier Immortal Art inherently propelled and supported his Grand Unity Realm, effectively dragging one foot of him into the Immortal Monarch Realm. This was precisely why mastering the Seventh Stage of Sword Control had been so arduous.
Now, everything had naturally fallen into place.
When Fellow Daoist Dongming invited him, Han Yi didn't hesitate to leave Azure Shu and journey to the Northern Region Void. Partly, his confidence in his strength had surged; partly, after so long in secluded cultivation, he needed to emerge and move about, perhaps sensing a breakthrough to the Immortal Monarch Realm.
At that moment, Han Yi strode through the Void in the Northern Region of the Great Luo Immortal Realm. He felt a twinge of regret about the Cosmic Light Thought Realm Immortal Art, which had stagnated at the peak of Sixth-Tier. If it could break through to Seventh-Tier, it would undoubtedly propel his strength to new heights.
To date, he had only one Seventh-Tier Immortal Art: Sword Flight. This was his primary combat technique, the one to which he had devoted the most time, Life Seeds, and mental energy.
It was easy to imagine how difficult it was for a Golden Immortal to master a Seventh-Tier Immortal Art.
After about an hour, Han Yi arrived at the Immortal Fortress Cluster, a place he had visited once before. As he approached, Dongming Immortal Monarch personally emerged from the cluster to greet him.
"Fellow Daoist Han!" Dongming Immortal Monarch called out first, his expression solemn. Instead of the usual deference shown to a Golden Immortal, he treated Han Yi as an equal, as if facing another Immortal Monarch of his own caliber.
Inside, he was deeply shaken. He never imagined that the casual favor he had asked from a Golden Immortal years ago would lead to such astonishing achievements in just a few centuries. Han Yi's progress far surpassed his wildest expectations, leaving him astonished.
Dongming Immortal Monarch was an ordinary Immortal Monarch. While his seniority and strength placed him in the upper-middle tier among his peers, he dared not underestimate or neglect Han Yi—a rising star who could effortlessly slay ordinary Immortal Monarchs with a single sword strike. Despite being a Golden Immortal, Han Yi's prowess already rivaled that of a Peak Immortal Monarch.
Amidst his shock, a pang of regret surfaced. He regretted using that favor for this matter instead of saving it for later, when Han Yi might ascend to Immortal Monarch, Immortal Sovereign, or even higher realms. The favor's value would have been far greater then.
Yet Dongming was not one to dwell on past decisions. Having already extended the invitation and with Han Yi now before him, regret served no purpose.
He swiftly dismissed the regretful thought.
Meanwhile, Han Yi, walking through the void and gradually approaching, returned the greeting:
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Dongming!"
Dongming Immortal Monarch observed Han Yi standing before him, his eyes flickering with deepening astonishment. He sensed that Han Yi was different from a Golden Immortal; his aura far surpassed that of a Peak Golden Immortal, yet he showed no signs of being an Immortal Monarch—a most peculiar phenomenon.
This suggested that Han Yi was likely poised on the threshold of breakthrough. Given time, he would undoubtedly gain full insight into the path of the Immortal Monarch, master the essence of Grand Unity, and ascend to the Immortal Monarch Realm.
With this realization, Dongming Immortal Monarch explained:
"I invited Fellow Daoist Han here because the situation arose suddenly. If we don't act now, the exit will seal shut, making further investigation difficult."
Han Yi raised an eyebrow but didn't press for details, waiting for a full explanation.
As expected, Dongming Immortal Monarch then transmitted the reason for the invitation through Immortal Sense. In that moment, Han Yi understood the entire sequence of events.
Upon grasping the situation, Han Yi was inwardly shaken:
"So it's the Abyssal Demon Nest."
Through the Immortal Sense, Dongming Immortal Monarch explained that thirty years ago, in the Northern Region Void, north of Penglai, he had discovered an Abyssal Demon Nest.
Over the past thirty years, he had attempted to investigate the Demon Nest multiple times, but each attempt had been thwarted at the outermost layers, preventing him from even reaching the central regions. His gains had been minimal.
Unwilling to accept this setback, he changed his approach and resolved to find a partner for the investigation. He considered several Immortal Monarchs, but after careful comparison, he ultimately chose Han Yi, whom he had only met once.
This decision wasn't because Han Yi owed him a favor.
His research had confirmed that Han Yi was deeply devoted to loyalty and camaraderie. Both Li Zhengyang of the Immortal Ease Pavilion and Golden Resonance Daoist had attested to this. This was certainly a key factor in his decision.
However, the primary reason he chose Han Yi was because Han Yi wasn't an Immortal Monarch, but a Golden Immortal who possessed combat strength comparable to that of an Immortal Monarch.
His objective on this journey was to obtain an artifact suitable for Immortal Monarch cultivation. If he had chosen another Immortal Monarch, disputes could easily arise. With Han Yi, such complications were avoided.
Using a favor to secure Han Yi's assistance was the safest, most reliable, and most advantageous course of action.
Of course, during their recent meeting, Dongming Immortal Monarch had sensed Han Yi's overwhelming power, which gave him a moment of regret. However, he carefully concealed this hesitation from his Immortal Sense.
The Abyssal Demon Nest is quite straightforward.
The Wisdom Clan has nine major subordinate races, with the Abyssal Demon Clan ranked first. Han Yi had the fortune to encounter them a few times in the past. These Abyssal Demons are massive in stature and possess extraordinary strength.
A unique characteristic of the Abyssal Demon Clan is that their cultivation sites are no ordinary places. They require specific locations to be transformed into suitable grounds for their cultivation.
These transformed locations, within the Great Luo Immortal Realm, are known as Abyssal Demon Nests.
An Abyssal Demon Nest is similar to an Immortal's Cave, where immortals cultivate.
However, unlike ordinary Immortal's Caves, Abyssal Demon Nests contain a special treasure called Abyssal Demon Crystals. It is these crystals that enable the transformation of space into a suitable environment for the Abyssal Demon Clan's cultivation.
The essence of Abyssal Demon Crystals lies in their being crystallizations of the Dao Principles of the Abyssal Great World. They are highly beneficial for the cultivation of Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns.
Once immortals reach the Immortal Monarch realm, they have comprehended tens of thousands of Laws. Their Law Immortal Body, Immortal Soul, and Immortal Power all achieve perfection. Their subsequent cultivation focuses on Dao Principles—the fundamental rules governing the Great Dao, far more profound than ordinary Laws.
Only by forging a Boundary Heaven with Dao Principles can it gradually stabilize and evolve into a world, or even a Great World.
The Abyssal Demon Crystal is the crystallization of the Dao Principles of the Abyssal World. For Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns, it serves a similar purpose as Spirit Stones do for cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage, making it one of their most core cultivation resources.
After hearing Dongming Immortal Monarch's explanation, Han Yi suddenly understood. No wonder he had repeatedly attempted to enter the Abyssal Demon Nest—it contained Demonic Crystals crucial to his cultivation.
Having failed repeatedly, he even resorted to using personal connections to invite Han Yi for assistance.
Moreover, since Han Yi wasn't an Immortal Monarch, his need for Abyssal Demon Crystals wasn't as urgent as other Immortal Monarchs', which allowed them to avoid potential conflicts on this venture.
"Abyssal Demon Crystal," Han Yi murmured.
"Exactly. According to my investigations, the Demon Nest should still contain a substantial number of Abyssal Demon Crystals. If we can breach its defenses and thoroughly search it, our gains will be far greater," Dongming Immortal Monarch said gravely.
Even at the Immortal Monarch and Immortal Sovereign realms, where one could establish a ten-thousand-year Dao Field and become its Lord within the Immortal Realm, these great figures still faced profound cultivation challenges. In fact, these challenges intensified because their needs transcended mere Spirit Stones or Immortal Stones. Instead, they required rare treasures that could aid in comprehending Dao Principles.
The Abyssal Demon Crystal is a treasure that can aid in comprehending the Dao Principles, so it's no wonder Fellow Daoist Dongming was tempted by it.
"I've encountered some difficulties at the outskirts of the Demon Nest," Dongming Immortal Monarch explained. "I've failed to breach its defenses several times. If Fellow Daoist Han assists me, our chances of breaking through will greatly increase. Once we enter the Demon Nest, if you can find a Demonic Crystal, it would be a fortunate opportunity."
This was true. For Han Yi, assisting in breaking through the Demon Nest would be repaying a debt, while subsequently finding a Demonic Crystal within, relying solely on his own strength, would indeed be a fortunate opportunity.
Han Yi did not refuse and agreed to the proposal.
Seeing this, Dongming Immortal Monarch inwardly sighed in relief.
He was merely an ordinary Immortal Monarch, albeit one of the higher-tier among his peers. While he could startle a One-Star Lord of the Black Realm with his strength, he couldn't decisively defeat them in a single strike.
Han Yi, however, had possessed the power to slay ordinary Immortal Monarchs in the Emperor's Fall Heavenly Pool two hundred years ago. By now, he had likely advanced further, possibly even reaching the combat prowess of a Veteran Immortal Monarch.
This was another reason Dongming Immortal Monarch had chosen Han Yi: his formidable strength.
Instead of returning to the Immortal Fortress Cluster, Dongming Immortal Monarch took Han Yi straight to their destination: the Abyssal Demon Nest.
Three days later.
Dongming Immortal Monarch halted in the Void, his expression grave.
Han Yi stood beside him, his eyes shimmering with crimson-gold light. This crimson-gold radiance differed from the version he had possessed two centuries ago.
Two hundred years prior, Han Yi's Golden Pupils of the Dao of Fate had been a Divine Art of the "Knowing Destiny" tier.
Over the past two centuries, most of his Divine Arts had undergone a tier upgrade, evolving from "Knowing Destiny" to "Fortune Cultivation." This eye technique had followed suit.
The current Ancient God's Eye Technique was called the Heavenly Fortune Divine Eyes. It was ten times stronger than the Golden Pupils of the Dao of Fate and possessed the heaven-defying ability to trace the roots of Causality and alter one's Luck.
Under the power of the Heavenly Fortune Divine Eyes, a deeply concealed spatial fold became visible in the Void ahead. At first glance, it appeared as a dense, overlapping mass of space. Within its depths, dark Abyssal Demonic Qi surged.
Even an ordinary Golden Immortal would never discover this anomaly. Even if Han Yi himself passed through this area, despite possessing the Heavenly Fortune Divine Eyes, he would likely overlook this spatial distortion, mistaking it for a mere fluctuation in the Void, unless he deliberately examined it.
The location of this spatial distortion, equidistant from Great Luo and Penglai, was already a place few could reach. No wonder the Demon Nest remained undiscovered even after the Wisdom Realm's withdrawal.
As far as Han Yi knew, after the Wisdom Realm withdrew from the Void near the Great Luo Immortal Realm, the major Immortal Courts had dispatched powerful Immortals to patrol the surrounding Void. Their mission was to excavate any remnants left behind by the Wisdom Realm or eradicate them completely.
However, the region Dongming Immortal Monarch had brought them to was too far away, beyond the scope of those investigations.
Noticing the subtle change in Han Yi's expression, Dongming Immortal Monarch realized he had detected the anomaly in the space. He explained, "I stumbled upon this peculiar space by chance, and within it, I discovered a deeply hidden Demon Nest."
"Beyond the Abyssal Demon Nest lie nine Demon Puppets, each equivalent to an Immortal Monarch in power. While I wouldn't fear confronting them one by one, their coordinated assault and instantaneous recovery render them difficult to destroy completely."
"After several attempts, I discovered through special means that these nine Demon Puppets are interconnected. Only by destroying all of them simultaneously can they be utterly annihilated. Otherwise, even if eight are slain, the remaining one will restore the others."
"Moreover, the Demon Puppets draw energy from the Demon Nest. As long as the nest remains intact, the puppets will continue to regenerate."
"Therefore, Fellow Daoist Han's assistance is crucial. Together, we can finally destroy them," Dongming Immortal Monarch explained solemnly.
He had touched upon this in the Immortal Sense he had previously transmitted to Han Yi, but now, expressing it personally, his sincerity rang clear.
"Demon Puppets!" Han Yi thought. "Nine, each equivalent to an ordinary Immortal Monarch."
He understood what Demon Puppets were. Though the Dao Principles differed across Great Worlds, leading to varied cultivation paths, the Hundred Arts remained largely universal. Among them, the art of Puppetry was a shared path.
In the Primordial Great World, there were Spirit Puppets and Immortal Puppets. In the Great Eternal Wisdom World, similar Puppets existed. After the Abyssal Demon Clan submitted to the Wisdom Clan, they mastered Puppetry techniques and created Demon Puppets to guard their Demon Nest.
The Profound Repository Palace contains records about the Demon Nest and its Demon Puppets, accessible to Golden Immortals. Han Yi, now granted Immortal Monarch-level authority, knows as much about this matter as the Dongming Immortal Monarch himself.
"Since that's the case, let's venture inside and see what it's like."
"Let me witness firsthand what makes this Abyssal Demon Nest so formidable."
A crimson-gold light flickered in Han Yi's eyes as he gripped Qingping, the azure sword, and strode forward into the rippled space ahead.
Just as the Dongming Immortal Monarch and Han Yi arrived at the void surrounding the Abyssal Demon Nest,
in the Penglai Immortal Realm, within the Fayuan Sect's territory, a deeply hidden Cave Heaven revealed itself. A gaunt Daoist emerged from seclusion, his eyes opening.
"The aura of the Azure Yama Blade."
"It has finally reappeared."