In truth, this fiery red feather was far from an ordinary feather; it merely represented its outward form. Its true essence stemmed from the Ninth Incarnation of Eastern Emperor Buer, a Demon Body that had absorbed divine power, the Abyssal Demon Crystal, and the entire Demon Nest, transforming into an Immortal Monarch. This essence encapsulated the crystallized insights from that transformative process.
This essence had the potential to aid any Peak Golden Immortal in ascending to Immortal Monarch, let alone Han Yi, who had already reached the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm, standing just half a step away from Immortal Monarch.
Therefore, Han Yi surmised that absorbing this feather would undoubtedly propel him into the Immortal Monarch realm, saving him countless years of arduous cultivation. This was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity for him.
Of course, the Void was perilous. His current position, equidistant from Penglai and Great Luo, coupled with the recent destruction of the Demon Nest and the presence of the Black Yama King of Mount Tai, made this location far from safe. He naturally wouldn't absorb the feather on the spot but planned to return to the Immortal Court before attempting the breakthrough.
As for facing the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation, he would need to find a secure location with the protection of Immortal Court Immortal Sovereigns. Ideally, Immortal Monarch Yuanshu would personally safeguard the process.
A thought flashed through Han Yi's mind as he turned to face Dongming Immortal Monarch. The Immortal Monarch had been waiting for Han Yi, and upon meeting his gaze, clasped his hands in greeting.
"Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist Han," he said. "With the Demon Nest matter resolved, do you have other business to attend to, or would you care to accompany me back to the Immortal Court?"
Han Yi didn't hesitate. "Let's return together. It'll be safer with a companion along the way."
Dongming Immortal Monarch led the way, chuckling. "Fellow Daoist Han, your strength far surpasses mine. 'Companion' is hardly the right word. It's more accurate to say that I'll be safer traveling with you."
His tone shifted. "Judging by your power, Fellow Daoist Han, you're but a half-step away from the Immortal Monarch Realm. This return journey will undoubtedly lead to your breakthrough. Let me offer my congratulations in advance for achieving Grand Unity, manifesting your Immortal Spirit, and establishing your eternal Dao Field."
"Thank you for your well-wishes!" Han Yi replied.
Dongming Immortal Monarch's congratulations were sincere. The profound aura emanating from the fiery red feather given to Han Yi by Eastern Emperor Buer had astonished even him. Had he used it himself, his strength would have surged dramatically. But for Han Yi, absorbing it would remove all obstacles to his breakthrough, propelling him to soaring heights.
Han Yi smiled. "May your auspicious words prove true!"
Two thousand years of waiting, and the Grand Unity Immortal Monarch Realm was within reach. It would be disingenuous to claim he wasn't stirred.
As Han Yi and Dongming Immortal Monarch hurried toward the Age Candle, a powerful aura erupted from the Cave Heaven in the Fayuan Sect's territory, the same place King Taishan had previously fled. This aura was that of a Peak Immortal Monarch.
Immediately following this aura, another surged forth, filling the entire Cave Heaven. All low-level cultivators, even True Immortals, Profound Immortals, and Golden Immortals, were filled with dread and unease.
These two auras belonged to the Hall Masters of two of the Ten Halls of Black Yama, the core Cave Heaven of this domain.
The first aura, in particular, belonged to King Guang, the Cave Heaven's Lord and second strongest figure within Black Yama, possessing the power of a Peak Immortal Monarch.
"What's happening? Why are the auras of two Hall Masters so agitated and filled with such intense fury?"
"Even King Guang has emerged from seclusion. This must be serious."
"Could the Fayuan Sect have surrounded the Cave Heaven?"
"Impossible. If they had, they would have attacked long ago. Why wait until now?"
"Watch out. This might be the prelude to a major move."
Within the Cave Heaven, Immortals discussed the matter. These Immortals had voluntarily joined Black Yama, their Inheritances stemming from one of the sect's various lineages. Though they might not feel a strong sense of belonging, their Inheritances had bound them inseparably to Black Yama.
What struck them as peculiar was that the auras of the two Immortal Monarchs manifested for only a few breaths before swiftly retracting, with no further incidents occurring.
Just as they believed the matter was settled, news spread downward:
"King Taishan has fallen in the outer realm."
This news sent countless Immortals of Black Yama into a state of fear and trembling. After all, this was no ordinary Immortal, but an Immortal Monarch. Moreover, his demise had been utterly silent, leaving him unaware of how he met his end.
If this had occurred within the Cave Heaven, it would imply that an Immortal Monarch-level entity had infiltrated their sanctuary—an implication they understood all too well.
Instantly, a sense of insecurity gripped the entire Cave Heaven.
However, King Guang subsequently took action. He swept through the Cave Heaven, confirming the absence of any threats and demonstrating that King Taishan's disappearance and demise had not occurred within their sanctuary. This finally quelled the rising panic.
Within the Great Hall at the peak of the Cave Heaven:
King Guang's gaze was cold and menacing. Facing him was King Songdi, the Third Hall Lord, who had just hurried to the scene.
Black Yama had two core Cave Heavens. One was directly managed by the Lord of Black Yama, the Fifth Hall Lord, King Yama. The other was overseen by the First Hall Lord, King Guang.
Within King Guang's Cave Heaven, three additional Hall Masters maintained permanent residences: King Songdi of the Third Hall, King Taishan of the Seventh Hall, and King Pingdeng of the Ninth Hall.
King Pingdeng was away on business, while King Songdi and King Taishan remained in the Cave Heaven.
In truth, he didn't know when King Taishan had left, as his departure had been completely silent. King Guang couldn't possibly monitor the entire Cave Heaven at all times.
Therefore, it wasn't until he discovered that King Taishan's Life Soul, left in the core of the Cave Heaven, had vanished that he was seized by terror. His aura trembled as he immediately swept the entire Cave Heaven with his Immortal Sense. If someone had infiltrated the Cave Heaven and slain King Taishan, he needed to swiftly identify the enemy to prevent the entire Cave Heaven from being destroyed.
However, what slightly eased his anxiety was that his Immortal Sense revealed no abnormalities, not even the slightest trace of King Taishan. This led him to conclude that King Taishan hadn't secretly perished within the Cave Heaven, but rather outside of it.
"Could it be the Fayuan Sect?" King Pingdeng, an elderly man with a weathered appearance and a raspy voice, voiced his suspicion.
The enmity between Black Yama and the Fayuan Sect spanned across Great Cycles, enduring for over a hundred thousand years. In this region, only an Immortal Monarch from the Fayuan Sect was likely capable of killing King Taishan.
King Guang shook his head slightly. "It's too early to draw conclusions."
"I've already activated our spies within the Fayuan Sect to investigate if any Immortal Monarch has recently left the sect. If they did kill King Taishan, they'll undoubtedly publicize it widely, and we'll learn of it soon enough."
King Pingdeng fell silent. The sudden and inexplicable demise of King Taishan, so swift and without a trace, left him deeply unsettled.
Han Yi remained unaware of the events unfolding within the Fayuan Sect's territory, specifically within the core Cave Heaven of Black Yama.
At that moment, he was traveling through the Void with Dongming Immortal Monarch.
Since Dongming Immortal Monarch was accompanying them back to the Immortal Court this time, they bypassed the Immortal Fortress Cluster, significantly shortening their journey. In just two days, they reached Great Luo and returned to the Age Candle.
Upon arrival, Dongming Immortal Monarch bid farewell and departed immediately. Han Yi, meanwhile, retreated to the Immortal Pavilion to enter secluded cultivation.
This seclusion, though expected to be brief, was of critical importance. To safeguard himself, he surrounded his area with the Seventh-Tier Green Ripple Sword, complemented by several Sixth-Rank Immortal Swords, forming a Sword Realm.
Even an Immortal Monarch would struggle to breach this defense, provided they weren't a Peak Immortal Monarch. The Sword Realm, anchored by the Seventh-Tier Green Ripple Sword, could withstand such an attack for at least a short time.
Inside the Immortal Pavilion, Han Yi retrieved the fiery red feather and began to probe it with his Immortal Sense.
According to Eastern Emperor Buer, this was the Abyssal Divine Phoenix Feather. While the name was self-explanatory and of little interest to Han Yi, what truly mattered was the feather's function.
As Han Yi's Immortal Sense touched the feather, it floated gently towards him. He made no attempt to dodge. The feather pierced his forehead and vanished. Simultaneously, his Immortal Soul shook violently as waves of profound comprehension flooded into him.
He seemed to transform into a Nether Tiger, ferocious and rampant in the Demon Territory, all laws beneath his feet, merging into Nether Force, Wind and Thunder coalescing, radiating boundless majesty.
The vision shifted, and he became a Celestial Ghost, empowered by the Ghost Dao's laws and Dark Energy, his combat prowess surpassing all...
Just like that.
Han Yi seemed to embody one Demon Immortal after another, until finally becoming the Primordial Fire Phoenix he knew best, devouring all things and transforming them into sustenance, ascending to the Grand Unity.
Though the Monster Dao differed from the Immortal Path, their foundational comprehension of laws remained shared and universal.
This Abyssal Divine Phoenix Feather, though left behind by the Primordial Fire Phoenix before its transformation, contained not just the phoenix's insights, but the accumulated wisdom of all nine of its past incarnations.
This was why Eastern Emperor Buer was certain Han Yi could use it to break through to the Immortal Monarch realm.
The insights contained within were truly vast, akin to a sudden enlightenment in the world of mortal martial arts—a mere scrap of such wisdom could elevate even the most mediocre talent into a peerless master.
An indeterminate amount of time passed.
Han Yi slowly opened his eyes, the effects of the Divine Feather now fully assimilated into his Immortal Soul. Within it, insights churned and overflowed continuously.
!
This overflow caused his aura to become unstable, as if the slightest exertion would trigger the Grand Unity Immortal Tribulation.
He had reached his limit; Tribulation Crossing was imminent.
His face lit up with joy, but he quickly regained his composure. The more critical the moment, the calmer one must remain. This had always been his guiding principle.
Next, he prepared to seek out Immortal Venerable Hongwu to request his protection, hoping to successfully cross the tribulation.
Immortal Venerable Yuanshu was still constructing his Boundary Heaven and had not yet emerged from seclusion. Before entering seclusion, Yuanshu had instructed Han Yi to seek Immortal Venerable Hongwu's assistance in urgent matters.
However, as Han Yi retracted the Sword Realm and Green Ripple Sword and stepped out of the Immortal Pavilion, he saw a Daoist meditating in the void, surrounded by swirling tribulation qi, radiating profound solemnity. The Daoist was looking directly at him.
"You've reached your limit. Excellent, excellent."
"I've found a suitable location for your Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation. Will you accept my arrangements?"
Recognizing the Daoist's appearance and hearing his words, Han Yi shuddered with reverence. He bowed deeply, his face filled with genuine respect.
"Greetings, Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor."
"Han Yi submits to the Dao Ancestor's guidance!"
The Daoist before him was none other than Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor, whom Han Yi had glimpsed from afar during his visit to the Void Immortal Fortress Cluster.
Moreover, Han Yi surmised that during the Great Expedition to the Wisdom Realm, he had encountered Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor before the World Barrier. The Dao Ancestor had saved him, allowing him to survive. This created a tremendous debt of Causality that Han Yi, due to his current weakness, couldn't repay immediately. However, he knew he would have to settle this debt once he grew stronger.
Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor's expression was calm and steady, exuding the same indomitable aura as the Dao Shadow that had loomed over the Myriad Tribulations World.
He turned and began walking, and Han Yi quickly followed.
Sensing Han Yi's confusion, the Dao Ancestor explained:
"During your Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation, Yuan Shu should have been your Dao Protector. However, his Boundary Heaven remains incomplete, preventing him from leaving seclusion. The other Immortal Sovereigns are also occupied with urgent matters."
"Moreover, your accumulated power is immense, and the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation is no simple task. Even I, constructing a temporary Myriad Tribulation Heaven, cannot withstand it. Therefore, we must proceed to the Voidlands to descend the Immortal Monarch Tribulation."
"Exactly because of this, Fellow Daoist instructed me to come and protect your Dao."
Han Yi's heart jolted with surprise upon hearing this.
The "Fellow Daoist" Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor referred to could only be one person: the Lord of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor.
Han Yi had never met Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor in person, but he revered him deeply. After all, he had grown to his current stature under the Age Candle's protective wings.
He felt immense gratitude toward Sui Zhu.
Now, as he prepared to undergo the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation, Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor had personally arranged for Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor to stand guard. This was an immense honor for Han Yi, and his heart swelled with overwhelming emotion.
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor!" Han Yi called out, stopping to bow deeply toward the center of the Age Candle. Only then did he catch up to Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor, who had slowed his pace.
Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor felt a surge of satisfaction at Han Yi's respectful gesture.
After emerging from centuries of seclusion in the Myriad Tribulations World and joining the Expedition to the Wisdom Realm bound for the Great Eternal Wisdom World, Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor had been instructed by Sui Zhu Dao Ancestor to keep a close eye on Han Yi, who was then at the peak of the True Immortal realm.
At the time, he had been skeptical. After all, even for a True Immortal as exceptionally talented as Han Yi, the distance to the Dao Ancestor Realm was vast, and he seemed unlikely to influence any grand schemes.
Yet, when Han Yi faced danger before the World Barrier, Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor remembered his duty and rescued him.
Of course, if any ordinary Immortal Court True Immortal had been in danger, he would have acted similarly, rather than abandoning them.
Later...
He learned that Han Yixian, through dual cultivation of the Dao and God, had achieved a remarkable breakthrough, advancing through several major cultivation realms within just over a thousand years to reach the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.
Moreover, Han Yi's performance in the Void Mirror had drawn his particular attention.
Then, he received a command from the Dao Ancestor to serve as Dao Protector for Han Yi, aiding him through the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation.
Now, his attitude towards Han Yi had completely changed. He no longer treated him as a mere Golden Immortal, or even an Immortal Monarch, but as a future Immortal Sovereign, or even a future Dao Ancestor.
Behind him, Han Yi's voice rang out:
"May I ask, Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor, did you save me at the Primordial Boundary Wall?"
Seeing the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor nod in affirmation, Han Yi's long-standing doubt was finally resolved.
He bowed respectfully and said, "Han Yi offers his deepest gratitude to the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor!"
Han Yi deliberately avoided mentioning the concept of "debt of gratitude" or "causality." At his current peak Golden Immortal stage, even after passing the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation, he would still only be an ordinary Immortal Monarch. Even with increased combat power, he couldn't possibly ascend to the Immortal Venerable Realm. To a Dao Ancestor, he was truly insignificant, making any discussion of such debts inappropriate.
However, his words of gratitude subtly implied this point: that when he eventually ascended to the Immortal Venerable or even Dao Ancestor realm, he would certainly repay this debt of gratitude if given the opportunity.
Ahead, Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor walked with a calm, steady gait. A fleeting look of satisfaction flickered across his face.
Moments later, he halted and declared solemnly, "This is the place where you will undergo the Great Unity Immortal Monarch Tribulation."
Han Yi steadied himself, his gaze tinged with confusion. Their current position lay at the edge of Great Luo, near the northeastern void.