After returning from their meditative trancelike state, eleven Demonic Witches soared high in the sky. Six remained in place, while the remaining five descended to the edge of the cliff. These five Demonic Witches then led the majority of the Heavenly Venerables and Dao Realm cultivators back to Demon Witch Mountain, leaving only twelve ordinary Heavenly Venerables behind.
Among those returning was the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable. After all, the Sword Demon Witch Mountain he led was considered the weakest. Even the Holy Flame Heavenly Venerable had remained on the mountain this time, not accompanying him to Dao God Mountain.
Far from Dao God Mountain and the Dao God Continent, Han Yi returned to Demon Witch Mountain through the void at the edge of the vast continent.
The current Demon Witch Mountain was completely different from the one from over a decade ago. Now, it was a unified mountain led by the Twelve Demon Witches.
The reason for using "unified" instead of "merged" was because after combining the twelve Demon Witch Mountains, the mountain still maintained its form as a Divine Mountain. Overall, it appeared harmonious and cohesive, without any jarring or disjointed parts.
Of course, the territories of the Twelve Demon Witches hadn't truly merged. They remained distinctly separate, like the clear waters of the Jing and Wei rivers.
Moreover, the Supreme Treasure Demon Witch Mountain was divided into twelve regions, each representing one-twelfth of the Divine Mountain. These regions were shaped like fans, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.
Han Yi's cultivation grounds had not been compressed and remained roughly the same size as his original territory on Sword Demon Witch Mountain.
He had no objections to this arrangement.
As they descended upon Demon Witch Mountain, the Twelve Branches separated. In the end, the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable led twelve Dao Realm cultivators to land within the territory belonging to the Sword Demonwitch.
Instead of dismissing the group immediately, the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable patiently explained:
"This journey must have left you deeply perplexed. Let me clarify the situation."
"That Nine-Colored Light Sphere is the Dao God Sect's Sect-Guarding Supreme Treasure, known as the Boundary Heart."
"By harnessing the power of twelve Half-Step Transcendents and three thousand Heavenly Venerables, the Dao God Sect intends to use the Boundary Heart Deduction to find a safe path through the Dao Grave. This path is not about the survival of any individual or even the Dao God Sect itself, but the survival of the Nine Great Dao Domains—the entire Chaos Realm."
"The Supreme Treasure Realm Heart has another function: aiding in comprehending the Dao. However, its effect only works the first time a cultivator sees it. The higher one's cultivation realm, the greater the insight gained; the lower one's realm, the less insight gained. Once you withdraw from contemplation, its effect is lost."
"The Dao God Sect has invited numerous experts from the Nine Great Dao Domains to gather here to deduce methods for Crossing the Grave. They've also placed the Boundary Heart here, allowing all visiting cultivators to contemplate its mysteries."
"However, because the Boundary Heart has been used to deduce methods for Crossing the Grave, it has become tainted with the Dao Tomb's aura. This is why, at the final stage of your contemplation, you'll find the Dao Tomb's power seeping in."
"Next, the Half-Step Transcendents and Heavenly Venerables within the Sea of Clouds will be rotated. Our Demon Witch Mountain was the first to participate. Subsequently, even great powers like the Ancestor God Star, Primordial Demon Palace, Ancient Profound Dao Palace, Fate Dao Palace, and Purple Mountain will join."
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable explained. No sooner had he finished speaking than a cultivator in the Dao Harmonization Realm voiced a doubt. This was the fifth Mountain Lord of the Sword Demonwitch, Daoist Title Mangshu.
"Mountain Lord, the Dao God Sect has gone to such great lengths. Why haven't they contacted the Dao God? This Transcendent appeared in the Central Dao Domain several Chaos Epochs ago and might still exist. If the Dao God intervened, wouldn't this mere Dao Grave be easily dispelled?"
Dao Lord Mangshu's question echoed the doubts of the other Dao Lords present. As cultivators of the Dao Harmonization Realm, their perspectives were sufficiently lofty, and they well understood the immense power of Transcendents—beings so terrifying they could destroy a Dao Domain if they so desired.
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable shook his head slightly and didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered with a question of his own:
"How do you know the Dao God Sect hasn't already contacted the Dao God?"
This question stunned the twelve Dao Realm cultivators who had just returned. But they quickly realized the implications, and their expressions shifted.
The meaning behind his words was profound.
If the Dao God Sect had indeed contacted the Dao God but still invited Half-Step Transcendents and Heavenly Venerables to use the Supreme Treasure Realm Heart as a foundation for deducing a method to cross the Dao Grave, didn't that imply even the Transcendent Dao God was powerless against this grave?
Furthermore, could the very act of deducing a method to cross the Dao Grave have been inspired by the Dao God himself after the Dao God Sect made contact?
The crowd's thoughts churned, fear gripping their hearts as they pondered the implications.
The Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable didn't press the matter further. With a sweeping gesture, he declared, "That's enough. Demon Witch Mountain will remain here indefinitely. You should focus on your cultivation and strive to break through to the next realm as soon as possible."
As Han Yi descended the mountain from the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable's Great Hall, he meticulously reviewed the Venerable's words, realizing they aligned perfectly with his experiences at the Sea of Clouds.
What concerned him most was the mention of the Heavenly Venerables being replaced with a new group.
This meant he would eventually be able to return to the Primordial with Celestial Venerable Suizhu.
That was his primary concern.
Of course, the replacement of the three thousand Heavenly Venerables would likely take considerable time—centuries, perhaps even millennia. Han Yi was mentally prepared for this long wait.
Upon returning to the Demon Witch Mountain Cultivation Grounds, Han Yi finally dared to call up his Proficiency Panel and carefully examine the characters that had flashed by earlier:
Life Seed detected. Cannot be absorbed!
Life Seed detected. Cannot be seized!
Boundary Force detected. Cannot be absorbed!
Boundary Force detected. Cannot be seized!
Han Yi's gaze sharpened.
The panel displayed only two lines of text, repeating over and over: "Life Seed discovered" and "Boundary Force discovered."
He understood the discovery of Life Seeds. There were many types, such as Origins, Wisdom Seeds, and Source Crystals. Finding Life Seeds within the Dao God Sect wasn't surprising.
But the other term caught his attention.
Boundary Force.
He had encountered this term during the Mountain Lord Assessment on Demon Witch Mountain. After entering the second level of the Witch Tower and slaying the other Dao Realm entities set up as targets, a notification about Boundary Force had appeared.
However, since it was an illusion, the Boundary Force he ultimately obtained had been returned.
Moreover, Life Seeds were "absorbed," while Boundary Force was "seized." Han Yi pondered this repeatedly but couldn't grasp the true meaning behind the distinction.
At his level, he avoided speculation unless absolutely necessary. A single incorrect assumption, amplified by accumulated "quantity," could lead to disastrous consequences.
One wrong step leads to a series of mistakes; one correct step leads to a series of successes. This principle governed his approach.
Setting aside his doubts for the moment, Han Yi resumed his cultivation.
However, separated by three Dao Domains, Han Yi's Myriad Nether Tome couldn't connect to his Myriad Nether Incarnation in the Primordial Great World. Thus, he could only rely on himself for cultivation.
Even with the Proficiency Panel, cultivating alone was painfully slow.
After just three years, Han Yi couldn't resist leaving the Dao Field. During this time, he could barely feel any progress in his Dao Scripture cultivation—it was practically snail-paced. At this rate, it would take approximately 50,000 years to break through to the Dao Fruit Realm.
Originally, it should have taken only 5,000 years.
A tenfold increase in time was, to him, a complete waste of life.
If any other First Step of the Dao Realm cultivator knew Han Yi's thoughts, they would grind their teeth in envy. For them, breaking through from the Dao Realm to the Dao Fruit Realm was a distant dream. They would consider 5,000 years, let alone 50,000 or even 500,000 years, to be remarkably swift.
But for Han Yi, who had only cultivated for 8,000 years so far, even 5,000 years felt like an eternity. His sense of impending danger left him no time to wait 50,000 years. His departure from the Dao Field signaled a new idea he wanted to put into practice.
He didn't just leave the Dao Field; he departed directly from Demon Witch Mountain.
In recent years, Dao Realm cultivators and Mountain Lords of various factions on Demon Witch Mountain hadn't remained confined to the mountain. Instead, an increasing number had used the Escape Technique to flee to the Dao God Continent.
The Dao God Continent was the territory of the Dao God Sect. Here, Immortal Spirit Objects and Dao Veins emerged endlessly, and even Supreme Treasures were not uncommon.
Beyond Dao God Mountain, the continent was crisscrossed by territories controlled by various powers, some guarded by ordinary Dao Realm cultivators, others by Peak Heavenly Venerables.
After three days traversing the Endless Chaos Void, Han Yi set foot on the Dao God Continent for the first time.
He considered this his first visit because his previous arrival, escorted by the Sword Witch Heavenly Venerable, had only taken him to the summit of Dao God Mountain, where he had a fateful encounter with the Boundary Heart. In his view, that didn't truly count as setting foot on the Dao God Continent.
Alone like a solitary traveler, he journeyed across this vast land, so expansive that even Dao Realm cultivators considered it boundless.
Three days later, he halted before a valley. The day before, he had learned that this valley was occupied by a Robber Cultivator—a Dao Realm cultivator whose power intimidated all surrounding factions.
Han Yi employed his Formless Dao Technique to evade the mountain valley's Dao Formation and infiltrated its depths. Within a palace nestled deep in the valley, he encountered the Robber Cultivator—a middle-aged man with a sinister, hawk-like face.
Invisible strands of Karmic Fire coiled around his body, radiating an intangible crimson glow.
Han Yi frowned. "Karmic Fire... It seems this Robber Cultivator has slaughtered too many—beyond all reason. Such chaotic causality has bound this Karmic Fire to him."
In his past experiences, Han Yi had encountered numerous Dao Realm cultivators whose aura resonated with the Dao. This was his first encounter with a Dao Realm cultivator enveloped in Karmic Fire.
"Perfect. You'll serve as my first test subject."
With a shift in his thoughts, Han Yi stepped forward, unleashing his Traceless Dao Technique. In an instant, he materialized behind the Robber Cultivator and struck out with a palm strike.
In the split second it took for the strike to land, the Robber Cultivator sensed the sudden shift in aura behind him. Reacting swiftly, he lunged forward, his body flickering as it split into nine distinct figures, each darting away in different directions.
He knew that anyone capable of silently approaching and striking from behind must be a Dao Realm cultivator—and one far stronger than himself. His only option was to flee.
But behind him came a soft chuckle.
"Can you truly escape?"
Then came the aura of sweeping sword light.
Whoosh!
The Robber Cultivator's eight clones were instantly obliterated by the Sword Light. His True Form, face contorted with terror, prepared to activate his life-saving Dao Technique, only to see a massive palm already pressing down upon his skull.
The moment he thought this, he saw in his mind's eye an enormous ancient tome open, releasing a Nether aura that shook heaven and earth.
These strands of aura instantly trapped his Dao Soul. Before he could react, they penetrated deep into his soul, vanishing without a trace.
A majestic voice resonated in his ears:
"Kneel!"
As the voice echoed, the flickering spark of resistance in his heart was extinguished. His body knelt willingly, accompanied by a thunderous crash.
In that instant, he understood what had transpired. He had become a Myriad Nether Incarnation of the Soul Master. Yet, due to the overwhelming power of the Myriad Nether Tome, instead of resisting this transformation, he felt pride and complete submission to the Soul Master, surrendering both body and soul.
"I pay my respects to the Soul Master."
Han Yi sat above the Palace, waving his hand to signal the Robber Cultivator to rise.
This cultivator, who occupied Thousand Evils Valley, was known as Dao Ancestor Thousand Evils by the surrounding powers, both great and small. However, Han Yi suspected this wasn't his true Daoist Title.
"What is your Daoist Title?" Han Yi asked.
"This subordinate is Wan Shi," the Robber Cultivator replied respectfully.
Wan Shi, now fully devoted to Han Yi, would obey any command, even if it meant taking his own life. Naturally, he wouldn't withhold any information.
"Good. Next, I will impart a Dao Scripture to you. Set aside all other cultivation practices and focus solely on mastering this scripture."
"Furthermore, abandon this valley. After destroying it, seek a remote region for seclusion."
"Rest assured, as long as you remain on the Dao God Continent, I will find you."
Having spoken these words, Han Yi transmitted the Myriad Transformations Profound Truth Dao Scripture to Dao Ancestor Wan Shi.
Of course, this Dao Scripture wasn't the complete version, only the upper volume. Han Yi didn't want Dao Ancestor Wan Shi to truly cultivate this scripture; instead, he wanted to use Wan Shi as a "machine" to produce "Proficiency" to power his Proficiency Panel.
Moreover, he had set a Restriction using the Myriad Nether Tome. If anyone attempted to investigate the secrets of the Dao Scripture, it would cause Dao Ancestor Wan Shi to self-destruct and be destroyed.
After transmitting the Dao Scripture, Han Yi vanished from the Palace in a flash. In less than half a breath, he had left Thousand Evils Valley. A few breaths later, Dao Ancestor Wan Shi also departed, scattering Dao Fire as he left, turning the entire valley into a sea of flames.
The sea of flames burned everything in the valley, raging for over a century before finally subsiding. After this inferno, the infamous Thousand Evils Dao Ancestor, known far and wide for his wickedness, vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, Han Yi didn't linger. He continued his relentless search for targets, focusing primarily on solitary cultivators who had no significant connections to powerful cultivators or the protection of influential Heavenly Venerable sects.
In just ten short years, he traversed half of the Dao God Continent before returning to Demon Witch Mountain.
The number of Myriad Nether Incarnations Han Yi had "collected" wasn't particularly large—only three hundred and ninety. These Dao Realm cultivators were all at the First Step of the Dao Realm, without a single Dao Fruit Tier expert among them. Moreover, their very existence was so inconspicuous that even if they met with a fatal Cultivation Deviation during seclusion, few would notice their demise.
As a result, the sudden changes among these three hundred and ninety Dao Realm cultivators went completely unnoticed by any powerful experts.
Upon returning to Demon Witch Mountain, Han Yi discovered that the progress of the Dao Scripture had already reached 50/100. Crossing this threshold marked him as a "Senior" within the First Step of the Dao Realm, although this distinction wasn't officially recognized.
Furthermore, both the Myriad Nether Tome and the Proficiency Panel showed that within the next two years, the progress jumped from 50/100 to 51/100.
This revelation brought great joy to Han Yi. Based on this rate, he estimated that in a little over a century, the proficiency gained from these three hundred and ninety Dao Realm cultivators would allow him to advance the Dao Scripture's progress to 100/100. At that point, the Dao Fruit would finally solidify completely.