Although Demon Witch Mountain had slowed its pace, it was only relative to its full speed. At its current velocity, as it traversed the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel built by the Blazing Flame Holy Land, it moved at a speed comparable to ordinary cultivators in the Dao Realm.
This process continued for nearly half an hour. From his vantage point, separated by a stretch of chaotic void, Han Yi observed the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel. He could see its form but failed to grasp its true nature. Even as the vessel vanished from sight, he remained unable to discern its purpose. He knew this was due to his own low cultivation realm and insufficient strength.
It's important to understand that the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel was constructed by the Blazing Flame Holy Land specifically for crossing the Dao Grave. Its true master was the Lord of the Holy Land, a Half-Step Transcendent-level existence.
Han Yi's distance from such an existence was truly vast. His inability to comprehend it was entirely normal, so he felt no regret or dissatisfaction.
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable slowly withdrew his gaze, his eyes deep with contemplation, layers of profound thought swirling like the evolution of infinite worlds. He dismissed the Mountain Lords and descended to the Great Hall atop the mountain. Soon after, Demon Witch Mountain gradually accelerated, eventually regaining its original full speed.
Returning to his Dao Field halfway up the mountain, Han Yi resumed his cultivation.
Without further incident, Demon Witch Mountain smoothly crossed the boundaries of two Dao Domains, entering the Central Dao Domain.
The Central Dao Domain is the foremost of the Nine Great Dao Domains. Legend has it that in ancient times, a powerful entity called the Central Dao Palace once reigned here, giving its name to the domain.
For reasons unknown, this great power was eventually buried by the flow of time. Later, the Dao God Sect rose to become the overlord of the Central Dao Domain, yet it never renamed the domain after itself.
Thus, despite the Dao God Sect being widely acknowledged as the strongest power among the Nine Great Dao Domains, no domain bears its name—a stark contrast to realms like the Ancestor God Dao Domain, the Primordial Demon Dao Domain, the Heaven's Mandate Dao Domain, and the Ancient Nether Dao Domain.
The Central Dao Domain is the largest of the Nine Great Dao Domains. Even after entering this domain, Demon Witch Mountain spent seven years traversing vast distances before finally reaching the Dao God Sect.
The Dao God Sect's domain isn't defined by mountains or a single world, but by a vast continent suspended within Chaos. This landmass is known as the Dao God Continent.
With Han Yi's perception and vision, he couldn't discern the continent's boundaries. However, he discovered in Demon Witch Mountain's classic texts that the Dao God Continent was assembled from 129,600 individual world-lands.
This number perfectly aligns with the One Origin Art, a technique said to contain countless hidden mysteries, though the classic texts provide no explicit details.
Strictly speaking, the true domain of the Dao God Sect lies at the heart of the Dao God Continent, occupying roughly half of the landmass. The remaining peripheral territories are vassal states under the sect's influence.
Upon reaching the Dao God Continent, Demon Witch Mountain didn't head directly toward the Dao God Sect. Instead, it circled the continent, veering sideways.
After three days, it gradually slowed. When it finally came to a halt, four equally colossal Divine Mountains loomed before it.
These four mountains were all branches of Demon Witch Mountain. The tallest among them was the Demon Witch Main Mountain, home to the sect's strongest Half-Step Transcendent-level existence.
The other three were similarly massive, comparable in size to the Sword Demonwitch, which Han Yi inhabited.
As Sword Demonwitch settled, auras of Heavenly Venerables and Dao Realm cultivators radiated from the other four mountains.
What shocked Han Yi was the sheer number of Heavenly Venerable auras. The least among them numbered five, while the Demon Witch Main Mountain emitted a staggering twelve.
The Sword Demon Witch Mountain carried only two auras of Heavenly Venerable, and one of them, the aura of the Holy Flame Heavenly Venerable, was that of a newly ascended Heavenly Venerable, making it seem out of place.
Thoughts flashed through Han Yi's mind, but he refrained from wild speculation.
Having reached this point, he felt less wary and allowed himself to relax.
The Demon Witch Mountains numbered nine, and with the arrival of this fifth mountain, the combined auras of Heavenly Venerable totaled over thirty, far surpassing those of the Primordial Great World. As a Mountain Lord here, although his rank was relatively low, his safety was assured.
Half a month later, the sixth mountain arrived. Six months after that, the seventh. Three years later, the eighth. And finally, nine years later, the ninth and last mountain—the Demon Witch Main Mountain—finally arrived at this gathering place.
As the nine mountains converged, Han Yi was informed that he could accompany the Heavenly Venerables to the Dao God Sect.
For a Sword Demon Witch, this honor of participation was not granted to every Mountain Lord. Only nine were chosen by the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable, and Han Yi was among them.
Jiang Xiying brought this news, her eyes brimming with barely contained envy.
"The Dao God Sect! It's the strongest sect in the Nine Great Dao Domains."
"Fellow Daoist Han, the Mountain Lord has chosen you because he values your potential. You must perform exceptionally well this time."
"Once you enter the Dao God Sect, Heavenly Venerables will be everywhere. You'll need to be careful."
Han Yi listened attentively to Jiang Xiying's earnest advice and nodded in agreement.
The next day, Han Yi set out for the Dao God Sect with the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable. Accompanying them were forty-five other Heavenly Venerables from Demon Witch Mountain, along with a hundred Dao Realm cultivators. Most of these cultivators were at the Harmonization with the Dao, External Dao, or Dao Fruit Tier stages. Only three had reached the First Step of the Dao Realm, and Han Yi was among them.
Hidden beneath the combined auras of the Heavenly Venerables, Han Yi didn't need to use Formless Dao Techniques to conceal his presence. He simply suppressed his aura to its limit, as did the other Dao Realm cultivators, including those at the Harmony Dao-level.
Moreover, he wasn't relying on his own power to travel. Instead, he was enveloped within the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable's aura as they moved forward. Above them, the Chaos Void stretched like an eternal Abyss, while below, the landscape of the Dao God Continent blurred into a dizzying blur, the scenery shifting so rapidly that light itself seemed tangled, creating an otherworldly, surreal effect.
Han Yi knew that the disorienting sensation was caused by his movement exceeding the limits of his understanding.
In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the surrounding space stabilized, and the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable's aura withdrew from him.
Han Yi found himself at the foot of a colossal mountain. With his keen vision, he couldn't even see the ends of its sides or summit.
Judging by the slope's gradual changes, he surmised it was indeed a massive peak.
Halfway up the nearest colossal mountain, palaces stretched in tiered bands, circling and ascending in an endless spiral.
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable pointed ahead and explained:
"This is the true location of the Dao God Sect: Dao God Mountain."
"Dao God Mountain is several times larger than the Nine Mountains Unified, the true Demon Witch Mountain."
"This mountain is divided into nine rings, with the first ring at the summit. What you see closest to us now is the ninth ring."
"Powerful barrier formations separate each ring. The Mountain Lord is already at the first ring, and we must wait for his summons to ascend there."
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable paused, then swiftly raised his head and exclaimed, "He's here."
Standing behind him, Han Yi followed his gaze upward and saw a rift open in the sky. A black arm emerged from it, sweeping downward.
In that moment, an overwhelming sense of dread surged through his heart.
The feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, and he found himself standing at the edge of a sea of clouds.
Beside him stood numerous cultivators from Demon Witch Mountain, including several Dao Realm experts and even Heavenly Venerables.
Only the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable and ten other Demonic Witches remained aloft, bowing toward the horizon. "Greetings, Mountain Lord," they intoned.
Hearing this, the multitude of Heavenly Venerables, Dao Harmonization Realm experts, External Dao cultivators, Dao Fruit cultivators, and those at the First Step of the Dao Realm, all present at the edge of the sea of clouds, bowed in unison.
"Greetings, Mountain Lord."
Han Yi was among them. Though he couldn't see the Lord of Demonic Witch Mountain, he followed the crowd in bowing. As he slowly raised his head to gaze across the sea of clouds, his pupils constricted sharply.
Within the sea of clouds, an immense Formation Art emitted an aura of profound mystery. Within this Formation, countless Daoists sat meditating in the void, each occupying their own territory.
These figures were divided into two layers.
The upper layer contained only twelve figures, but each was blurred and indistinct. If one averted their gaze, the image of these figures rapidly faded, leaving no memory of even their vague outlines.
Han Yi's heart trembled violently as a title flashed through his mind: Half-Step Transcendent.
Even the most elite Heavenly Venerables, like the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable, couldn't make Han Yi unable to even look at them directly. Only a Half-Step Transcendent could possess such divine majesty.
His gaze shifted downward to the lower level, and this time he saw clearly. Among the figures down there were several he recognized.
They were none other than several Heavenly Venerables from the Primordial Great World.
!
Han Yi had once witnessed these Heavenly Venerables emerge from the Primordial Great World outside the Halo Passage, when Mountain Lord Wangxi had arrived from Chaos. Among them were the Great Primordial Heavenly Venerable and Daoist Hongjun.
Now, the Lord of Kunlun Mountain, the Great Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and Daoist Hongjun were all present within the Sea of Clouds Formation Arts.
In addition, Han Yi also saw the Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
His gaze moved to rest on a white-bearded elder, and his expression grew slightly excited.
"Heavenly Venerable!"
After a moment, as if sensing his gaze, the white-bearded elder turned to look at Han Yi. He nodded approvingly before returning his focus to the center of the Great Formation.
This white-bearded elder was none other than the Lord of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court in the Great Luo Immortal Realm, the Celestial Venerable Suizhu.
Han Yi scanned the lower level and roughly estimated that there were around three thousand figures. In other words, within this Sea of Clouds, there were three thousand Heavenly Venerables.
His gaze then settled on the middle of the cloud sea, where a Nine-Colored Light Sphere hung. From both the upper and lower layers, beams of light of various hues connected to the sphere: twelve from the upper layer and three thousand from the lower.
At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind:
"The Boundary Heart Deduction contains infinite mysteries. Quickly grasp as much as you can; your understanding depends entirely on your personal fortune."
This voice wasn't the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable's. Han Yi surmised it must be the Lord of Demonic Witch Mountain, one of the twelve figures in the upper layer of the cloud sea.
He guessed that the Boundary Heart Deduction must be the Nine-Colored Light Sphere itself.
He didn't need to sit cross-legged. His floating gaze returned to the middle of the cloud sea, focusing on the massive Nine-Colored Light Sphere connected to over three thousand beams of light.
This time, he didn't just scan the scene; he subtly extended his perception.
In that instant, his vision blurred, as if he were immersed in an endless sea of dazzling light, each beam radiating with unparalleled brilliance.
Instinctively, he reached out and "caught" one of these beams. As the light flowed past his fingertips like water, the mysteries of "Fire" were reflected into his heart.
These mysteries differed from the comprehension of Dao Principles or the enlightenment of the Great Dao. They seemed more ethereal, yet their power and depth were undeniably greater.
Within moments, profound light began to shine in his eyes.
He reached out again, this time grasping a streak of light that had swirled before him. This time, he perceived a different profound mystery.
In this manner, Han Yi began to gather the luminous strands in this peculiar space, comprehending their mysteries.
He had completely forgotten that he wasn't in his true form, but rather within a special comprehension space created by the Nine-Colored Light Sphere.
Time flew by, and at a certain moment...
Han Yi suddenly jolted awake. A force of infinite destruction had shattered the strange space around him, reducing the swirling mysteries of light surrounding his body to dust.
From this destructive force, he sensed the aura of the Dao Tomb Ripples.
In an instant, he returned to reality. Before him stretched the vast Sea of Clouds, within which over three thousand figures remained meditating in the void. The Nine-Colored Light Sphere still hung in the air.
But when Han Yi looked at the light sphere this time, the previous miraculous scene did not reappear.
He glanced around and noticed that some Dao Realm existences had opened their eyes, their expressions filled with regret. Among them, the External Dao Realm and Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators, as well as the Heavenly Venerables, remained with their eyes closed.
The eleven Demonic Witches standing in the air also kept their eyes shut.
As he continued to observe, some Dao Fruit Tier and even External Dao-level cultivators gradually opened their eyes, their gazes still lingering with traces of profound light.
This scene already gave Han Yi a clue as to what had happened.
This opportunity to comprehend the Nine-Colored Light Sphere was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for everyone, with those at lower cultivation realms having less time to do so.
The light sphere itself was the result of deductions spanning millennia, involving twelve Half-Step Transcendents and three thousand Heavenly Venerables. Their goal was to deduce methods to counter the Dao Grave, or even directly deduce a Supreme Treasure capable of confronting it.
Its name was Boundary Heart, hence this deduction process was called the Boundary Heart Deduction.
As for other matters, such as why it was called Boundary Heart, or how exactly the deduction process worked, Han Yi couldn't fathom them.
Near the Sea of Clouds, his cultivation realm was at its weakest, so his inability to understand was understandable.
Just then, he noticed a faint, pale red light flash by.
This light resembled the notifications that appeared on his Panel back in the Witch Tower when it detected anomalies. But this time, the Panel didn't fully manifest; only a single character flashed by too quickly for Han Yi to clearly see.
The sensation reminded Han Yi of the term "sneaky."
Moreover, being deep within the core of the Dao God Sect, with twelve Half-Step Transcendents ahead and possibly even stronger hidden observers lurking, Han Yi didn't dare recklessly open his Proficiency Panel.
Though he desperately wanted to know what was happening with the Panel, he ultimately restrained himself.
The more critical the moment, the calmer one must remain.
Time passed slowly. Han Yi calculated that every nine breaths, a pale red character would flash by.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn...