After departing from Sui Zhu Mountain, the Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns dispersed in all directions.
Han Yi had intended to approach Golden Resonance Daoist to inquire about the situation, but he noticed that the moment they left Sui Zhu, Golden Resonance Daoist headed straight for his Dao Field without looking back.
Han Yi didn't pursue him, remaining suspended in the air, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"What could have happened to make Golden Resonance Daoist act like this?"
His eyes flickered as a troubling thought surfaced: could Golden Resonance Daoist have been subjected to a Body Seizure, explaining the abrupt change in his demeanor?
Upon further reflection, however, he realized that if the true Golden Resonance Daoist had been seized, the usurper would likely act more cautiously, striving to conceal any changes from the other immortals, especially those with whom he was familiar.
His gaze sharpened. Instead of leaving immediately, he slowly began to fly toward Golden Cry Daoist Temple.
Han Yi believed that while the warning from the Dao was of immense importance, it wasn't the most pressing matter and could be set aside for now. The visible shift in Golden Resonance Daoist's attitude, however, demanded his attention.
Ever since Han Yi ascended to True Immortal, Golden Resonance Daoist had shown him considerable care. He couldn't simply ignore this.
The Golden Cry Daoist Temple was established over seven hundred years ago, located northwest of Age Candle Mountain. It was a considerable distance from Heavenly Kui Mountain to the northeast and also a significant journey from Sui Zhu Mountain.
In less than half an incense stick's time, Han Yi arrived before the Golden Cry Daoist Temple. He had deliberately slowed his pace, with a specific purpose in mind.
Throughout his journey to the temple, Han Yi made no attempt to conceal his aura. Golden Resonance Daoist, who had already arrived at the temple, would have undoubtedly sensed Han Yi's approach.
By slowing down, Han Yi was giving Golden Resonance Daoist time to prepare himself.
As expected.
When Han Yi arrived at the temple, Golden Resonance Daoist, who had already entered, stepped back out to face the approaching Han Yi.
Initially, his expression was cold and distant, as if deeply resistant to Han Yi's arrival. But in the next moment, like ice melting under the sun, his demeanor softened, struggling free from his initial frostiness to settle into a helpless resignation.
Watching this transformation, Han Yi had a sudden intuition: it was as if two distinct personalities were vying for dominance within Golden Resonance Daoist's body.
Having shed his initial coldness, Golden Resonance Daoist forced a wry smile. "As I suspected, you've discovered me."
Seeing the shift in Golden Resonance Daoist's expression, Han Yi finally felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Judging by the situation, Han Yi surmised that Golden Resonance Daoist's change in attitude wasn't due to a personal decision, but rather some other underlying cause.
In that fleeting moment, Han Yi deduced from the two distinct expressions and personalities he had observed in Golden Resonance Daoist that the most likely cause was an issue with his cultivation.
This was not uncommon in the Immortal Realm. Due to the unique nature of certain cultivation techniques, practitioners could experience shifts in temperament, even radical transformations, after practicing them.
Compared to the possibility of Golden Resonance Daoist being possessed, this explanation was far more palatable to Han Yi.
"Speak, Senior Brother Jinming," Han Yi pressed, his gaze piercing as he stared at Golden Resonance Daoist, his stance clearly conveying his willingness to intervene if needed.
Golden Resonance Daoist pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly. He turned and walked toward the Golden Cry Daoist Temple.
"Come in," he said. "It would be impolite to leave you waiting outside after so long."
At the Golden Cry Daoist Temple, ten thousand feet above the ground on the precipice of Jinming Cliff, Golden Resonance Daoist retrieved a precious Immortal Brew he had been hoarding for thousands of years, and shared it with Han Yi.
"This is a top-grade Sixth-Tier Immortal Brew from Immortal Drunken Peak. Immortal Monarch Ever-Drunk gifted it to me when I established this Dao Field. I only received this small bottle, and I've been reluctant to open it all these years."
"You're lucky," Han Yi remarked.
Golden Resonance Daoist took a small sip, looking somewhat unsatisfied.
Across from him, Han Yi downed his entire half-bottle of Immortal Brew in one gulp, causing Golden Resonance Daoist to wince in pain.
A surge of heat erupted within Han Yi's body, as if a scorching spring had suddenly burst forth, flooding through his entire being. His Immortal Body, Immortal Power, Immortal Soul, and Immortal Spirit Realm all underwent profound transformations.
Han Yi's face flushed crimson, his eyes shining brightly.
"What a fine wine!"
"Immortal Monarch Ever-Drunk's private reserve. I'll have to find time to visit and request some."
Han Yi hadn't considered this before, but that single sip had changed his mind.
Immortal Monarch Ever-Drunk was an ordinary Immortal Monarch of the Age Candle, his strength unremarkable. However, his skill in winemaking was exceptional, earning him renown even in the Great Luo Immortal Realm.
Han Yi set down his cup and looked at Golden Resonance Daoist, cutting straight to the point:
"Senior Brother Jinming, what's going on?"
Han Yi's demeanor was calm, but this was his second question in quick succession, and Golden Resonance Daoist sensed his unwavering determination.
Setting down his own cup, Golden Resonance Daoist spoke solemnly:
"Junior Brother Han, you've visited my former Cultivation Palace at the Origin Technique Arena. You must remember the handleless golden giant sword that supported the palace."
Han Yi nodded. In fact, his joining the Primal Art Dao Field had been Golden Resonance Daoist's decision.
When he first ascended to True Immortal, he joined the Primal Art Dao Field to obtain Profound Immortal authority. Led by Profound Immortal Qingyan, he went to pay his respects to Golden Resonance Daoist.
In that Palace, Golden Resonance Daoist stood before a handleless giant sword. The massive blade pierced straight through the hall, from floor to ceiling, fused with the roof.
At the time, he was deeply curious about this peculiar giant sword, but his cultivation realm was too low to perceive its mysteries.
Later, after reaching Golden Immortal, he re-examined the giant sword he had seen before and discovered that this extraordinary blade was closely tied to Golden Resonance Daoist's path to becoming an Immortal Monarch.
Now, hearing Golden Resonance Daoist's words, Han Yi realized that his current predicament was somehow connected to that very sword.
Noticing Han Yi's thoughtful expression, Golden Resonance Daoist continued:
"That sword is actually not from the Great Luo realm, but from the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect in the Penglai Immortal Realm."
"After obtaining it, I swore a Heavenly Dao Oath that, upon ascending to Immortal Monarch, I must visit the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect to resolve its karmic debts."
Hearing this, Han Yi's eyes lit up with understanding.
The "he" Golden Resonance Daoist referred to was none other than the handleless giant sword itself.
The Myriad Spirits Dao Sect, mentioned by Golden Resonance Daoist, was one of the Four Great Dao Sects of the Penglai Immortal Realm.
This Dao Sect practiced a peculiar method of cultivation, forming its own distinct school. They believed in the spiritual essence of all things, cultivating through spirits, and advancing alongside them.
In the hands of the Immortals from the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect, whether it was blades, swords, halberds, techniques, formations, pills, beasts, or even plants, flowers, trees, and wood—all possessed spirits. By cultivating with these spirits, their efforts were doubled.
Han Yi had only encountered information about this Dao Sect's cultivation methods through classic texts in the Profound Repository Palace, finding them quite astonishing.
In truth, he had never met an Immortal from this sect.
Yet unexpectedly...
Golden Resonance Daoist's ascension to Immortal Monarch had been facilitated by this very method, leaving him indebted in Causality. After his ascension, he was bound by a deadline to return and settle this debt.
Seeing that Han Yi had largely digested this information, Golden Resonance Daoist continued:
"It was precisely that sword that allowed me to successfully ascend to Immortal Monarch."
"However, only after my ascension did I discover that its inheritance was far from simple."
"Or rather, this inheritance was incomplete."
"This incompleteness led to problems in my cultivation."
At this point, Golden Resonance Daoist pointed to his head.
"To be more precise, it's my personality that's the problem."
Having said this, Golden Resonance Daoist's expression shifted again, the helplessness replaced by cold detachment. His aura suddenly erupted, but to Han Yi, standing mere inches away, the Immortal Monarch's aura held no threat.
With a casual flick of his hand, Han Yi effortlessly suppressed the aura.
Across from him, Golden Resonance Daoist's expression shifted once more, returning to normal.
He took a deep breath and declared solemnly:
"As Junior Brother Han can see..."
"This personality is also me. I cannot completely expel it, nor can I suppress it."
"I sought audience with the Dao Ancestor. Though he could intervene, it would neither eradicate the problem nor prevent my Cultivation Realm from collapsing."
"The only solution is to fulfill my promise and travel to the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect in the Penglai Immortal Realm to obtain the complete Inheritance and rectify this personality."
"My time is running out."
"I have three hundred years left. Within that time, I must reach the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect. Otherwise, this new personality will gain the upper hand, and even the Inheritance will be insufficient to reverse it."
"Furthermore, I have a premonition that if I were to go to the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect alone, the omens of death would be unusually strong, leaving little chance of survival."
"This is my personal matter, and I don't wish for outsiders to interfere."
With these words, Golden Resonance Daoist fell silent again.
The Myriad Spirits Dao Sect, one of the Four Great Dao Sects of the Penglai Immortal Realm, was a formidable power on par with the Sui Zhu Immortal Court. Golden Resonance Daoist couldn't risk involving Han Yi in a conflict with such a major Dao Sect.
Therefore, even after Han Yi successfully endured the Grand Unity Immortal Tribulation and ascended to Immortal Monarch, Golden Resonance Daoist avoided him.
However, when the Myriad Tribulations Dao Ancestor ordered the convening of the Sui Zhu Seat Conference, Golden Resonance Daoist had no choice but to attend. During that gathering, his altered persona was exposed by Han Yi, who subsequently confronted him.
Facing Han Yi, the latter showed no signs of burden, instead breaking into a smile.
"Penglai Immortal Realm, what a coincidence."
"Senior Brother, there's something you don't know. I have a conflict with Black Yama, a dark force operating within the Purple Sun Dao Sect's territory. I was planning to advance to Immortal Monarch and find a suitable time to deal with this dark force anyway."
"This trip presents a perfect opportunity to travel together."
"Why wait for another day when today is perfect? Shall we depart immediately?" Han Yi's eyes gleamed, looking at Golden Resonance Daoist with eager anticipation.
Dealing with Black Yama had always been part of Han Yi's plan. While his individual strength was insufficient, he had a powerful ally in the Penglai Immortal Realm: the Qiankun Dao Ancestor.
By leveraging the Qiankun Dao Ancestor's power, it might be possible to uproot Black Yama completely.
Even without the Dao Ancestor's assistance, Han Yi's own strength was sufficient to severely cripple Black Yama, leaving him no time to cause trouble. He could always finish him off after ascending to Immortal Sovereign.
When Golden Resonance Daoist heard Han Yi's words, his eyes flickered with understanding. He asked about Han Yi's grievances against Black Yama, and Han Yi provided a brief summary. Based on what he knew about the Penglai Immortal Realm, Golden Resonance Daoist concluded that Han Yi wasn't lying.
"No need to rush," Golden Resonance Daoist said. "We should depart in three days. I have some matters to arrange."
"Moreover, the Heavenly Dao warning hasn't been resolved. If we rush to the Penglai Immortal Realm and something happens along the way, we won't be able to return to Great Luo immediately to protect our sect and Dao Fields."
"Junior Brother Han, you also need to prepare accordingly."
Han Yi found Golden Resonance Daoist's reasoning sound. The Heavenly Dao warning had just occurred, and if he left immediately, the Profound Pill Sect might not withstand a calamity if one truly struck.
However, he couldn't remain indefinitely at the sect either.
Moreover, if a great calamity were to descend upon the world, an Immortal Monarch like him would likely only be able to protect himself, or perhaps not even that.
The Dao of Heaven was unfathomable, far beyond the control of any single individual.
"Very well. We'll depart in three days for the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect in the Penglai Immortal Realm."
Han Yi stood up, bid farewell to Golden Resonance Daoist, and turned to leave.
Golden Resonance Daoist watched Han Yi's retreating figure, his thoughts swirling. They coalesced into a resonant voice that echoed into Han Yi's mind:
"Thank you, Junior Brother Han!"
Han Yi didn't respond verbally, merely waving his hand in acknowledgment.
Golden Resonance Daoist had been his mentor, and accompanying him to Penglai served two main purposes: first, to obtain the complete inheritance from the Myriad Spirits Dao Sect, and second, to investigate Black Yama within the territory of the Purple Sun Dao Sect.
If the calamity foretold by the Heavenly Dao warning were to occur, they would adjust their plans and objectives accordingly.
After leaving Golden Cry Daoist Temple, Han Yi returned to Heavenly Kui Mountain, the territory assigned to him. Though he hadn't yet established a Dao Seat there, Li Zhengyang's efforts had transformed it into a semblance of an Immortal Realm, complete with Immortal towers, pavilions, shimmering lakes, and verdant mountains.
Han Yi summoned Li Zhengyang and informed him of the Heavenly Dao warning.
Though shocked, Li Zhengyang wasn't overly concerned. After all, "the sky will fall on the shoulders of the tall." While his rapid accumulation of resources had propelled him to the rank of a Veteran Profound Immortal, he still lagged far behind Han Yi's level. Matters of the Immortal Realm were far beyond his scope of consideration.
After arranging the Dao Field, Han Yi quietly departed from the Immortal Court. This time, he left without fanfare, slipping away unnoticed.
He hurried northwest to the Emperor Yang Mountain Range. Upon reaching its outskirts, he slowed, hovering in mid-air, and gazed at the grand Immortal traces within the mountains—the site of the Dao Field assigned to him by the Sui Zhu Immortal Court. Seeing the bustling construction, his expression softened with satisfaction.
During his seclusion, he had instructed Li Zhengyang to send the Sect Establishment Token to Azure Shu Mountain. Upon receiving it, Yuan Hong and Lian Tingxi had traversed numerous Immortal Domains to reach the Emperor Yang Mountain Range and establish an Immortal Sect.
The Profound Pill Sect operated under Han Yi's Dao Field's authority. Backed by the Sect Establishment Token and the protection of several Golden Immortals from the Primal Art Dao Field, the existing Immortal Sects within the Emperor Yang Mountain Range had no choice but to relocate.
After entering the mountains, Han Yi concealed his presence and found Yuan Hong and Lian Tingxi, making final arrangements.
Two hours later, Han Yi left the Immortal Court again, traveling to the Jade Lake Immortal Domain to replenish his divine power before returning. His entire outing lasted less than a day, drawing no attention.
Two days after his return...