The Penglai Immortal Realm lacks an Immortal Court system. Instead, it is governed by the Four Great Dao Sects, beneath which lie countless Immortal Sects, divided into nine tiers.
The Purple Sun Dao Sect is one of these Four Great Dao Sects. Within its domain lies a Ninth-Tier Immortal Sect called the Fayuan Sect.
Han Yi underwent his Profound Immortal Tribulation in the Miao Lei Domain, within the Fayuan Sect's territory. During this trial, a coincidental misunderstanding led him to obtain the Azure Yama Blade inheritance.
This inheritance originated from a dark organization within the Fayuan Sect's territory, the Black Yama.
Later, in the void east of Penglai, Han Yi encountered the Lord of North Mang Mountain, who had once been an Azure Yama Ghost. After his death, his Divine Soul was enslaved by the Black Yama, becoming a bizarre rune hung on a wall.
Out of gratitude for the Lord of North Mang Mountain's kindness in imparting the core principles of the North Mang Immortal Scripture, Han Yi felt indebted. He promised that when the time was right, he would choose a Cultivator to inherit the Lord of North Mang Mountain's legacy.
As Dongming Immortal Monarch led Han Yi to the fringes of the Abyssal Demon Nest, a realm of folded space, within the Penglai Immortal Realm, in a mysterious Cave Heaven located within the territory of the Fayuan Sect, a gaunt figure opened his eyes in one of Black Yama's two core strongholds.
Had any Immortal Monarch of the Fayuan Sect been present, they would have recognized this gaunt figure as one of Black Yama's ten Hall Masters—the Seventh Hall Master, King Taishan.
Black Yama, a nefarious underground faction that had operated within the Fayuan Sect's territory for tens of thousands of years without being eradicated, was structured into ten halls.
These ten halls were: First Hall—King Guang, Second Hall—King Chujiang, Third Hall—King Songdi, Fourth Hall—King Wuguan, Fifth Hall—King Yama, Sixth Hall—King Biancheng, Seventh Hall—King Taishan, Eighth Hall—King Dushi, Ninth Hall—King Pingdeng, and Tenth Hall—King Zhuanlun.
The ruler of these ten halls was the Fifth Hall Master, King Yama, who also bore the title Black Yama. It was from this title that the entire organization derived its name.
According to legend, only an Immortal Sovereign—one of the highest echelons of power—could have rebuilt Black Yama after repeated attempts by the Fayuan Sect to annihilate it. Even if the other nine hall masters were eliminated, given enough time, new ones could be appointed, allowing the ten halls to be reconstituted.
Within the Black Yama's domain lie countless Immortal Monarch-level Inheritances, and the Azure Yama Blade is one of them, specifically belonging to King Taishan's First Hall.
Hundreds of years ago, the Immortal overseeing the Azure Yama Blade discovered the Lord of North Mang Mountain's Immortal Soul dissipating. Alarmed, he immediately reported this to King Taishan.
King Taishan, however, harbored deep reservations about the Great Luo Immortal Realm. His past dangerous experiences there, combined with the numerous upheavals that had occurred over the centuries, meant that even an Immortal Monarch like himself could find it difficult to escape if something went wrong.
He understood well why the Great Luo Immortal Realm was plagued by calamities. In the Nine Primordial Realms, Great Luo occupied the southeast position, and the World Barrier of the Primordial Great World was weakest in the southeast. Even beings below the Heavenly Venerable level could freely pass through this weak point, while other areas remained impenetrable even to Heavenly Venerables.
Over countless millennia, the fragmentation of the Primordial era had left a breach in the southeast portion of the World Barrier.
Moreover, the direction of the Great Eternal Wisdom World coincided with the southeast position of the Primordial era.
This is why Great Luo attracts Chaos Visitors so easily, leading to frequent disasters.
Although the Lord of North Mang Mountain's Immortal Soul had dissipated and the Azure Yama Blade had fallen into the hands of outsiders, the Hall Master of Mount Tai Palace had no immediate plans to enter the Great Luo Immortal Realm. This realm, plagued by constant calamities, was too unstable. He intended to wait until Great Luo stabilized before retrieving the Azure Yama Blade.
After all, over 20,000 years remained until the End of the Epoch Calamity. Even the most powerful Chaos Visitors would eventually subside. Even if a Profound Immortal were given several millennia to grow, at best they might ascend to Golden Immortal status—still well within his grasp.
As for the Lord of North Mang Mountain's death, the Hall Master could only attribute it to the man's own desire to die, seizing the opportunity to commit suicide.
The boundary between life and death harbored great terror.
Those who became Azure Yama Ghosts, branded with the mark, though stripped of their freedom, still clung to the hope of reclaiming their place in the Immortal Realm. The Lord of North Mang Mountain's act of self-destruction required tremendous resolve.
This time, upon sensing the aura of the Azure Yama Blade, the Lord of Mount Tai Palace appeared in the Void near the Penglai Immortal Realm. Without hesitation, he decided to act personally, determined to retrieve the blade and capture that cunning Profound Immortal Divine Soul, enslaving it.
The Lord of Mount Tai Palace departed the core Cave Heaven of Black Yama and soared into the Void.
Han Yi remained unaware that merely approaching the Penglai Immortal Realm had drawn the attention of an Immortal Monarch. The Azure Yama Blade, which he had carelessly discarded in one of his Divine Aperture Worlds, was now nearly forgotten.
This eerie blade, refined through a gruesome and twisted process that epitomized the vile path, was utterly unsuitable for Han Yi's cultivation. He had simply abandoned it within one of his Divine Aperture Worlds.
Coincidentally, an Innate Divine Spirit within that world had discovered the Azure Yama Blade, claimed it as its own, and prepared to re-refine the Malevolent Entity using divine power.
Unaware of these developments, Han Yi had long surpassed the First Yuan in terms of Divine Apertures. Their sheer number now far exceeded his imagination. Many Spirit Treasures and Immortal Artifacts he had acquired in the past had been casually tossed into his Divine Aperture Worlds, left to the Innate Divine Spirits to develop as they pleased.
This multi-dimensional development of Divine Aperture Worlds was an inevitable path, one that Han Yi followed in the footsteps of the Primordial and even the Primordial Ancient Gods of cultivation.
As he entered this folded space, his figure became imperceptible. Behind him, Dongming Immortal Monarch was suddenly struck with alarm. At that moment, if he hadn't seen Han Yi with his own eyes, he would have been completely unable to sense his presence at all.
What kind of heaven-defying Immortal Technique is this, capable of concealing one's aura and erasing all traces?
Judging by how Han Yi vanished his aura, it seemed to be the Heavenly Gang Immortal Art known as Fetal Transformation Disguise.
However.
Fetal Transformation Disguise is at most a Sixth-Tier technique. Even if cultivated to its peak, it could potentially go unnoticed if one wasn't careful. But with Han Yi right before him, and yet still able to conceal his aura so completely, Dongming Immortal Monarch knew from his experience that this couldn't possibly be just a Sixth-Tier technique.
Then.
Could this be another Seventh-Tier Immortal Technique developed by Han Yi?
Dongming Immortal Monarch was unaware that although Han Yi's Fetal Transformation Disguise was only Sixth-Tier, the game-changing effects of his Panel made it comparable to a typical Seventh-Tier Immortal Technique, making it difficult for ordinary Immortal Monarchs to detect.
Before inviting Han Yi, Dongming Immortal Monarch had naturally investigated his background, learning that Han Yi possessed a heaven-defying Seventh-Tier Immortal Technique capable of slaying ordinary Immortal Monarchs. This was the primary reason he had invited Han Yi to break through his seclusion.
While Heavenly Gang Immortal Arts can only reach Sixth-Tier, when an Immortal ascends to Immortal Monarch and forges their own path, they can evolve these arts into their own Seventh-Tier Immortal Techniques.
Such Seventh-Tier techniques, though derived from Heavenly Gang Immortal Arts, take on diverse forms when finalized. They are generally simpler than other Seventh-Tier techniques, thanks to the foundational structure provided by the Heavenly Gang arts.
Immortal Monarch Dongming could only speculate that Han Yi had evolved the Fetal Transformation Disguise into a Seventh-Tier Immortal Art.
This revelation left him even more astonished.
Normally, Golden Immortals could not comprehend Seventh-Tier Immortal Arts. Only by advancing to Immortal Monarch could one, through vast amounts of time and effort, grasp Seventh-Tier or higher arts. This was a fundamental limitation of cultivation realms.
Yet Han Yi, who walked ahead, had repeatedly broken these constraints. Dongming now regretted not saving this favor for the future, when Han Yi would ascend to Immortal Sovereign. The influence of such a debt would then far surpass its value now.
But what was done was done. Regret was useless.
Suppressing his emotions, he followed Han Yi.
Ahead,
after descending through over a dozen layers of chaotic space, Han Yi stopped.
Before him lay a pitch-black void, impenetrable even to his Heavenly Fortune Divine Eyes. This was the entrance to the Abyssal Demon Nest.
"Beyond this space lies the outer perimeter of the Demon Nest, guarded by nine Immortal Monarch-level Demon Puppets."
"Only by simultaneously slaying all nine Demon Puppets can we enter the true Demon Nest."
"I was stopped here before."
True Immortal Dongming explained.
Han Yi nodded, holding the Green Ripple Sword. With a swift slash, the space before him split apart like a curtain, revealing a darker realm beneath.
Stepping into the gloom, he saw nine colossal black stone sculptures looming. Each towered over a kilometer high, their forms twisted into monstrous beasts, eerie gods, and grotesque demons.
As Han Yi appeared, dark, murky qi began to seethe around the statues. He recognized it immediately: Abyssal Qi. The stone sentinels rapidly animated, transforming into nine massive, bizarre creatures—the Demon Puppets.
Activated with a deafening roar, they lunged at Han Yi.
Han Yi's eyes glinted as he surveyed the nine puppets. Just as Dongming Immortal Monarch said, he thought. These puppets possess the power of Immortal Monarchs, but only ordinary ones, far from the might of a Veteran Immortal.
Two centuries ago, Han Yi could have effortlessly slain ordinary Immortal Monarchs. Though he hadn't yet reached that rank himself, he was now merely half a step away.
The panel, which had displayed information about the Mi Luo Primordial Chaos True Scripture for centuries, showed:
Mi Luo Primordial Chaos True Scripture: Immortal Monarch Manual (0/100)
Although the progress remained at 0, its mere presence confirmed that Han Yi stood between the Golden Immortal and Immortal Monarch realms, leaning infinitely toward the latter. A single point of progress—from 0 to 1—would suffice for him to truly become an Immortal Monarch.
Therefore...
!
To him, ordinary Immortal Monarchs were practically disposable. Even Senior Immortal Monarchs were no match for him in a fight, with victory or defeat depending on the circumstances. Against Peak Immortal Monarchs, he could guarantee his own survival.
Of course, if he faced Immortal Court-level Extreme Immortal Monarchs like Immortal Monarch Yuanshu or Immortal Monarch Yuansui, the outcome was uncertain. Whether he could escape would depend on the situation.
However, such Extreme Immortal Monarchs numbered only a dozen or so across the entire Great Luo Immortal Realm. The probability of encountering them was negligible, so Han Yi wouldn't let the fear of interception deter him from venturing out.
At that moment...
Nine kilometer-tall Demon Puppets surged forward in unison.
Behind Han Yi, Dongming Immortal Monarch roared and struck first, unleashing a Seventh-Rank Immortal Artifact: a silver ruler just one meter long. As he swung it down, the ruler erupted in dazzling silver light, its radiance overwhelming the three Demon Puppets.
This was his all-out attack. He had tested it multiple times and found it effective against three puppets simultaneously, but no more. The remaining six puppets remained untouched, and by the time he could launch a second strike, the three slain puppets would recover.
This was why he had stopped here. Ultimately, his strength alone was insufficient, forcing him to invite Han Yi for assistance.
"Attack!" Dongming Immortal Monarch bellowed.
Han Yi, positioned slightly ahead, remained calm, his expression as tranquil as if he were facing ordinary Golden Immortals. With a gentle flick of his sword, he unleashed a single streak of sword light.
The sword light was unimpressive, even appearing weak to Dongming Immortal Monarch. Yet, the instant his gaze locked onto it, every hair on his body stood on end. A terror so profound it shook his immortal soul surged through him, crushing his mental defenses like dry weeds.
I'm going to die.
If he had faced this sword directly, there was no doubt he would have died.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, the Sword Light—radiating a deathly aura that even he could sense—gentle swiveled and sliced through the Dark Space.
Before this Sword Light, space and time seemed to fracture. The nine Demon Puppets stood motionless, as if frozen in place, allowing the light to pierce through them.
Indeed.
Not six, but nine.
Even under the pressure of his Silver Ruler, the three remaining Demon Puppets hadn't yet perished. Yet the Sword Light had already sliced through the three encased in silver light and pierced through the remaining six.
Then, with a subtle flicker, the Sword Light continued its descent into the Dark Space.
The next moment.
Space and time returned to normal.
The nine Demon Puppets, their movements seemingly frozen, trembled violently. They dissolved into dark demonic energy, which scattered across the land before it could coalesce into new forms.
Then.
The vast silver light of the Silver Ruler descended, grinding the scattered demonic energy into dust, annihilating it completely.
Dongming Immortal Monarch sheathed his ruler and turned to Han Yi, who had casually annihilated the nine Demon Puppets with a single sword strike. He took a deep breath, his gaze now holding a completely different light than before.
Though he had anticipated Han Yi's strength—knowing that even six, or even nine, Demon Puppets would pose no threat—he had never imagined Han Yi could obliterate all nine puppets with such effortless ease, in the blink of an eye.
That Sword Light, if faced directly, would undoubtedly lead to one's demise, with no chance of survival.
It was overwhelmingly powerful, far surpassing his own strength.
Such combat prowess transcended that of an ordinary Immortal Monarch; it was undoubtedly that of a Senior Immortal Monarch.
Two hundred years—just two hundred years—and the opponent's strength had become far more terrifying than the rumors suggested.
True Immortal Dongming suddenly recalled that Han Yi had only been cultivating for a little over two thousand years.
Two hundred years might have been a minor seclusion period for himself, yielding minimal gains.
But for Han Yi, it was different. This span represented one-tenth of his entire cultivation career, and significant progress during that time was to be expected.
With this realization, he took another deep breath, deciding he couldn't measure this world-shaking Heaven's Chosen by his own standards.
Ahead, Han Yi, who had just annihilated nine Demon Puppets with a single sword strike, looked calmly into the deeper layers of space. The Sword Light, after slaughtering the puppets, had retained enough power to probe downward, confirming there were no immediate dangers below.
He began his descent, emitting a subdued dark golden light. Instead of radiating outward, the light remained intensely focused, coalescing around him as a defensive barrier against any unforeseen threats.
"Let's go!"
Behind him, Immortal Monarch Dongming followed closely, his eyes gleaming with excitement.