A mysterious summons, as if from the depths of the boundless Sea of Fire, reached out to him.
This was the last thing Han Yijue had expected.
His heart jolted with sudden alarm.
Among the ten Primordial Celestial Venerables, only Celestial Venerable Suizhu had a close relationship with him. The others, even if not outright hostile, remained distant strangers.
Given this, the only one who could sense him and summon him in this situation was most likely Celestial Venerable Suizhu, which filled him with great alarm.
Yet within this Sea of Fire, apart from the aura of the Path Extinguisher, he sensed only the Fire Attribute of a Heavenly Venerable, which was diametrically opposed to Celestial Venerable Suizhu.
This contradiction left Han Yi deeply conflicted.
After a long pause, he finally let out a heavy sigh. Even if this Sea of Fire had some connection to Celestial Venerable Suizhu, his current strength, even bolstered by the Immeasurable Divine Armor, would barely allow him to penetrate it before being consumed.
As if sensing his resolve crumbling, the summoning presence within the Sea of Fire grew increasingly urgent. This urgency reverberated in Han Yi's mind, relentlessly urging him to enter, no matter the cost.
Standing at the edge of the Sea of Fire, Han Yi frowned deeply.
As the summoning thought intensified, Han Yi suddenly sensed something amiss. Instinctively, he retreated, leading the Three-Eyed Alien back several kilometers.
The summoning thought abruptly ceased, just as Han Yi thought it had been abandoned.
Then, from the depths of the Sea of Fire, something surged forth and began to escape towards his location.
Han Yi's expression shifted, but he remained calm. He might not qualify to enter the ruins of the fallen Heavenly Venerable, but if something emerged from within, he was still capable of fighting.
After a few breaths, his expression turned peculiar. A shadowy figure had indeed emerged from the depths, hovering at the edge of the Sea of Fire.
Moreover, the summoning thought grew even stronger, emanating from this figure at the fire's edge.
Han Yi approached the Sea of Fire again, staring at the figure. His expression changed several times.
For the figure was not a person or a spirit, but an egg—a golden, oval-shaped egg about a meter long.
Now, the egg's summoning thought became unusually clear and urgent, urging Han Yi to take it away.
As he drew closer, Han Yi sensed a strangely familiar aura emanating from the egg.
The aura emanating from the egg was deeply puzzling. It shouldn't be here, yet after sensing it multiple times, Han Yi realized he wasn't mistaken, leaving him utterly astonished.
"The aura of the Primordial Fire Phoenix, Eastern Emperor Buer?"
"This..."
"How is this possible?!"
Indeed, a faint trace of the Primordial Fire Phoenix's aura lingered on the egg. This phoenix, also known as Eastern Emperor Buer, had undergone Nirvana and been reborn as the Primordial Fire Phoenix. Han Yi had even harbored it within his Inner World for a time. Later, when Buer ascended to become the Demon Monarch, he left Han Yi with an Abyssal Divine Phoenix Feather to settle their karmic debts.
During this expedition in the Primordial Great World, Han Yi hadn't encountered Eastern Emperor Buer among the Heavenly Venerables or those in the Dao Realm.
No.
Han Yi suddenly realized that his absence didn't prove Buer wasn't involved. The most likely explanation was that Eastern Emperor Taiyi had brought Buer along. After Taiyi's demise, Buer had spent a century here undergoing Nirvana.
Though Han Yi wasn't close to Eastern Emperor Taiyi, he had spent considerable time with Buer. In a twist of fate, he had even unwittingly formed an Imperial Beast Contract with one of Buer's Demon Bodies—the Primordial Fire Phoenix itself.
Therefore, Eastern Emperor Buer was naturally familiar with his own aura.
As Han Yi's thoughts shifted, he began to piece together the sequence of events, forming hypotheses about the situation. Though some doubts remained, he decided to set them aside for further investigation later.
Suddenly, an aura surged towards him from a distance, unmistakably that of the Path Extinguisher. The sensation sent a prickling unease down his spine, confirming that this presence was at least at the External Dao Realm.
Simultaneously, the Golden Egg at the edge of the Sea of Fire began to tremble violently. The summoning will that had been calling out to him surged with frenzied urgency, its pull as irresistible as a tidal wave.
In that fleeting moment, Han Yi's body transformed into a hundred-zhang colossus, clad in Immeasurable Divine Armor. Even his arms were sheathed in layers of thick golden armor.
He abruptly reached out, sweeping his hand forward to snatch the Golden Egg from the edge of the Sea of Fire. The moment he moved, a destructive force erupted from the boundless sea of flames, slamming into his armored arm as if determined to prevent the Golden Egg from being removed.
Han Yi's eyes snapped open, and with a thunderous roar, he unleashed terrifying divine power, wrenching the Golden Egg free.
In that instant, he understood why the egg hadn't emerged from the depths to escape into the surrounding Chaos, but remained suspended at the edge of the Sea of Fire. It wasn't that it couldn't, but that it was trapped here, just like the sea of flames itself.
After Han Yi dragged the Golden Egg out of the Sea of Fire, it fell silent, as if the earlier cries had exhausted its energy.
Han Yi stored it within a Divine Aperture World. The egg was too mysterious to risk placing in the Dao Realm, so suppressing it within a Divine Aperture World was the most suitable solution.
With a flick of his wrist, he shook off the flames and the outermost layer of flesh from his hand and arm.
Though his arm now dripped with blood, appearing terrifying, the injuries were superficial, not even warranting a frown.
He turned to face the approaching figure, a towering, ten-zhang-tall being shrouded in darkness, faceless, with hands that resembled massive, razor-sharp scythes.
Having roamed the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain for years, Han Yi recognized this as a member of the Foreign Race, the Black Scythe Clan. Moreover, the aura emanating from this Black Scythe Clan member was unmistakably that of the External Dao Realm.
"There's no time to flee."
"In that case, let's fight."
Han Yi assessed the situation and made his decision in an instant.
With a piercing whistle, he grasped his right hand and summoned the Taosi Divine Axe. His Divine Armor rustled as he swung the axe down with a thunderous roar.
Divine power surged, merging with the axe's glow as it roared toward the Black Scythe Clan Heretic.
But with a single flick of his hand, the Heretic seemed to slice through space itself. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he folded Han Yi's divine power attack into a confined space, rendering it immobile.
The Black Scythe Clan Heretic advanced, casually piercing the folded space. The Divine Power Space exploded like a burst balloon, its force dispersing in all directions and instantly weakening.
Boom!
This minimal damage had no effect whatsoever on the External Dao Realm Heretic.
Han Yi's expression turned grave.
Strictly speaking, this was his first direct confrontation with an External Dao Realm opponent.
However, he had already gained considerable understanding of the External Dao Realm's power. At this realm, the Dao Fruit and Dao Realm merge to form a Heretical Dharma Manifestation.
The Heretical Dharma Manifestation is the External Dao Realm's most formidable method, theoretically unrivaled. After all, this manifestation condenses the power of the entire Dao Realm and Dao Fruit into a single entity, its strength self-evident.
Even after Harmonization with the Dao, before forming the prototype of a Heavenly Venerable Dharma Image, the External Dao's power constitutes at least seventy percent of a normal cultivator's strength. Only powerful races like the Chaos Divine Clan, who cultivate their physical bodies, lack the distinction between External and Inner Dao. Instead, they achieve unity of body and soul, breaking through the Dao with sheer force to ultimately cultivate a Divine Venerate Dharma Aspect.
At the edge of the Sea of Fire, Han Yi let out a sharp cry, raising his axe to strike again. Simultaneously, with a wave of his hand, Dao Swords materialized like weaving threads, piercing through the air. Amplified by the Void Sword Realm, their power surged to new heights.
Swish!
The Burial of Evil Dao Sword clashed with the black scythe, sending Han Yi flying back. Yet, it finally halted the Black Scythe Clan Heretic in his tracks.
The remaining five Dao Swords, including the cracked No Return Dao Sword, relentlessly pummeled the Black Scythe Clan members. Though their attacks kept the enemies at bay, they couldn't inflict any significant damage.
However...
The Black Scythe Clan Heretic's expression turned solemn. He realized Han Yi was no ordinary opponent, not someone from the Dao Fruit Realm who could be casually crushed.
His scythe-like arm began emitting a black glow. As the swirling Blacklight surged, he slashed forward with brutal force.
Boom!
The Pure Profound Dao Sword trembled, emitting a faint Profound glow. But in an instant, the scythe's Blacklight shattered it. With a flash, the sword snapped in two. A low, mournful cry echoed before dissipating into nothingness.
Han Yi, still rotating the Taosi, remained calm, undisturbed by the Broken Sword.
Heretical Dharma Manifestations originate from a cultivator's will and can be shaped at will, possessing no fixed form. They can manifest as a sword, a spear, a pair of eyes, or even an arm.
Han Yi could see that the Black Scythe Clan cultivator's scythe-like arms were his Heretical Dharma Manifestations.
With a subtle shift in his thoughts, the five Dao Swords ceased their advance and returned to him.
These Dao Swords, even the Burial of Evil, were only mid-grade. Against a Heretical Dharma Manifestation, they risked being destroyed on impact.
Against the Dao Fruit Realm, these swords could prove effective, but against the External Dao, their limitations became painfully apparent.
Realizing this weakness, Han Yi retracted all the Dao Swords.
Holding the Taosi in hand, he charged toward the Black Scythe Clan cultivator.
Ahead, the cultivator, wielding the scythe that emitted the Blacklight—his Heretical Dharma Manifestation—continued his assault on Han Yi.
He had been ordered by the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum's higher-ups to guard this Sea of Fire. Within this fiery expanse, a Heavenly Venerable had perished, their remains transforming into this sea of flames. The flames still harbored secrets, and sensing recent disturbances, he had investigated and discovered Han Yi retrieving an object from the flames.
Therefore, he had to keep Han Yi here.
He raised his black scythe, which glowed with Blacklight, and clashed with Han Yi as he lunged forward like lightning.
The surrounding space trembled violently from the force of their collision, leaving fissures that rapidly mended under the influence of the Great Dao of Chaos.
The impact sent Han Yi flying backward several kilometers, while the Black Scythe Clan Heretic merely staggered a few steps.
To the Heretic's fury, Han Yi didn't charge back. Instead, he harnessed the momentum to accelerate his escape.
The Black Scythe Clan Heretic roared and gave chase.
Meanwhile, Han Yi's strategy was clear: his objective in the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum had been achieved, so his next step was to escape. There was no need to entangle with this External Dao here.
If he attracted other External Daos or even Path Extinguishers from the Immortal Mausoleum, he wouldn't be able to escape at all.
After exchanging a few blows and confirming that the Black Scythe Outlaw's strength was roughly equal to his own, he abandoned any further concern and fled swiftly.
Thus.
The chase continued. Soon, the Black Scythe Outlaw unleashed the Annihilation Dao Secret Art, dramatically increasing his speed and closing the gap to Han Yi. After several clashes, Han Yi's Divine Blood splattered as he used the momentum of a strike to widen the distance between them again.
The Black Scythe Clan roared in fury and resumed the pursuit.
What surprised Han Yi was that this chase lasted for a full decade, stretching far beyond the Immortal Mausoleum into the Chaotic Void. Only by activating a manifested Chaos Relic was he finally able to shake off his pursuer.
Han Yi then continued toward the Primordial Demon Dao Domain, but he didn't push his speed to its maximum, maintaining a normal Dao Realm pace. He was waiting for his Dao Realm Avatar.
During this decade-long pursuit, he had been forced far from the Sea of Fire left by the Heavenly Venerable's fall. He hadn't been able to retrieve the Dao Realm Avatars he had deployed in the area. Moreover, these Dao Realm entities were utterly incapable of even momentarily delaying a clearly targeted Dao Realm opponent, so Han Yi hadn't even bothered to order them to engage.
Another decade passed.
In the southwestern region of the Immortal Mausoleum, near the Chaos of Reverse Origin Mountain—one of the top powers in the Chaotic Antiquity—Han Yi moved through the Chaos, employing the Formless Method to conceal his aura.
Moments later, a Chaos Evil God pursued him from behind. This Dao Realm-level Chaos Evil God was his final scattered avatar.
Over the past decade, this avatar had risked everything, even unleashing Secret Arts, to gradually catch up and be absorbed back into his body.
Naturally, both he and his various avatars encountered ambushes during their journey. Han Yi, relying on his formidable strength comparable to the External Dao Realm, slaughtered all attackers. His Ten Thousand Nether Incarnations, however, weren't so fortunate. Over the past twenty years, their number had dwindled from around seven hundred to less than five hundred.
This chaos in the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain was evident.
After absorbing his final avatar, his speed began to increase, eventually reaching a velocity comparable to the peak of the Dao Fruit Realm. This was achieved through the Traceless Dao Technique, though far from his maximum speed. His true peak velocity came from combining the Traceless Technique with the True Realm, a speed that already reached the Outlaw-level.
Traveling southwest, he crossed Reverse Origin Mountain and entered the territory of the Blazing Flame Holy Land.
In the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain, the Blazing Flame Holy Land, Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum, and Reverse Origin Mountain were among the eight peak Great Powers.
However, Reverse Origin Mountain had no Half-Step Transcendent-level experts. It was established by a Peak Heavenly Venerable-level Inverter of the Dao.
As Han Yi passed through Reverse Origin Mountain, he altered his aura to mimic that of an Inverter of the Dao, making his presence inconspicuous.
Upon entering the territory of the Blazing Flame Holy Land, his aura transformed again, adopting the aura of a Sacrificial Daoist, as the Blazing Flame Holy Land was founded by such practitioners.
Ten years later, he encountered the massive Dao Boat, the Grave-Crossing Dao Vessel, so vast that its boundaries were invisible even to his keen eyes.
He maintained a respectful distance, circling the periphery without succumbing to curiosity and approaching closer.
During this time, nothing unusual occurred.
Speaking of which, when the Inverters of the Dao departed the Primordial Great World years ago, many Immortal Sovereigns followed suit, including the Qingxuan Immortal Venerable.
At the time, Han Yi's cultivation realm was still low, merely that of an ordinary low-tier Immortal, far from being acquainted with such Immortal Sovereigns. Thus, as he passed by now, he had no intention of seeking out any "old acquaintances."
Time flew by.