Han Yi heard Ao Zhuang's words, his heart filled with confusion.
"What does he mean by 'extremely likely to be the true Ashen Ruins'?" he wondered. "Are there fake ruins?"
Ao Zhuang's heart stirred. The Dao Ancestor's question revealed that he was not native to this Chaos Territory, but had come from elsewhere, unfamiliar with the Emperor Profound Continent. Despite this, considering the vast gap in their cultivation realms, Ao Zhuang maintained respectful composure as he explained, "Reporting to the Dao Ancestor."
"According to the Heaven Profound Pavilion's records, since the beginning of the current Chaos Epoch, seventeen ruins resembling Ashen Mountain have appeared near the Emperor Profound Continent. All of these are medium to large-scale ruins."
"However, to date, only one ruin, confirmed by the Emperor Profound Sect 300,000 years ago, has been verified as the true Ashen Mountain ruin. The others, though contemporaneous with Ashen Mountain, lack any genuine Ashen Mountain inheritance."
"This newly emerged ruin, though only the outer restrictions have been broken, shows strong indications through the traces that it is likely the true Ashen Ruins. The probability is extremely high."
"This conclusion is not mine alone, but that of Daoist Lu Ze, an Elder of the Emperor Profound Sect. His words carry great credibility."
Han Yi nodded, but he didn't fully trust Ao Zhuang's words. He turned to Suxin and asked, "Did you obtain a Rare Treasure from the Ashen Ruins?"
Suxin's heart trembled, though she showed no reluctance on her face. Without hesitation, she retrieved an object from her Great Luo Realm and respectfully presented it.
"Report to the Dao Ancestor, this is the Rare Treasure I obtained from the outskirts of the Ashen Ruins. Please examine it."
With a slight wave of his hand, the object floated to Han Yi and settled in his palm. He lowered his gaze to examine it.
It was an ancient Dao hairpin, only half a foot long, with a faint Dao resonance flowing through it.
Han Yi could tell that the hairpin had once been a Dao Artifact. However, due to the passage of time, its spirituality had faded, and its Dao resonance had weakened, causing it to fall in rank. Still, it remained more powerful than ordinary Ninth-Tier Immortal Artifacts, placing it within the category of a Half-Step Dao Artifact.
Yet he couldn't discern the connection between this hairpin and Ashen Mountain. This might be due to his limited understanding of the mountain.
With a slight lift of his hand, Han Yi returned the Dao hairpin to Suxin. To him, the hairpin was nearly useless, and as he wasn't a Robber Cultivator, he disdained such opportunistic acts.
Suxin was stunned, instinctively taking the Dao hairpin.
Immediately, she received the chaotic Star Chart from both Ao Zhuang and Suxin. After comparing them, she found they were largely identical, both detailing the Emperor Profound Continent and the newly discovered Ashen Ruins. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the pair.
Ao Zhuang's face lit up with joy.
Ever since Han Yi's appearance, he had been filled with anxiety. In the Chaos, where an Immortal Sovereign is intercepted by someone in the Dao Realm, survival is nearly impossible, let alone escape. The Chaos is a lawless land, much like how he had pursued Suxin without concern for the Dao Ancestor she might have behind her.
Yet after intercepting them, Han Yi merely asked a few questions and didn't even take the rare treasure Suxin had obtained from the ruins. This was utterly unexpected.
He now understood that Han Yi was likely a Dao Ancestor of the Righteous Path, an exceedingly rare entity.
Knowing he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity—he had just been chasing Suxin, and if this Dao Ancestor changed his mind and wiped him out with a wave of his hand, he would have no means to resist—Ao Zhuang respectfully bowed in gratitude. Gripping his long spear tightly, he fled back the way he came without looking back.
Meanwhile, after bowing respectfully, Suxin also vanished in another direction using her Escape Technique.
For her, emotions had surged from despair to resentment, and then from resentment to ecstasy, all within the span of a few minutes—a rollercoaster of feelings in a fleeting moment.
After dismissing both individuals, Han Yi remained standing, lost in thought.
Ao Zhuang had just explained the details of the Emperor Profound Continent. Han Yi now understood that this vast land, built by the Emperor Profound Sect, was unimaginably massive, equivalent to dozens of Great Worlds.
The Emperor Profound Sect was one of the ten Great Powers in the Primordial Demon Dao Domain, ranked tenth. Yet within its ranks were two Peak Heavenly Venerables, twelve other Heavenly Venerable-level experts, and hundreds of Dao Realm cultivators.
As the dominant force in this Chaos Territory, the Emperor Profound Sect did not prohibit Outer Sects from entering its continent. Han Yi realized this system was similar to the Dao God Continent, though in terms of both power and size, the Emperor Profound Continent was less than one percent of the Dao God Continent.
According to the Chaos Star Map, his current position was already not far from the Emperor Profound Continent.
Although the Chaos is a boundless void, lacking any inherent direction, the peak forces of the Dao Domain have forcibly divided it into directions and created Chaos Star Maps.
The higher the quality of the Chaos Star Map, the greater its value, and some may even be closely guarded secrets of the peak forces. These maps mark the locations of nearby minor forces and sects, as well as hidden bases and secrets crucial to the sects.
When it comes to obtaining a Chaos Star Map from a Dao Ancestor, neither Ao Zhuang nor Suxin resorted to underhanded tactics.
Previously, Han Yi had traversed nearly half of the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain and obtained a Chaos Star Map from a Chaos Evil God, revealing the boundary location leading to the Primordial Demon Dao Domain.
After entering the Primordial Demon Dao Domain, he had planned to find a local power and acquire a Chaos Star Map for this region, orient himself, and then head toward the Ancestor God Dao Domain.
However...
Upon learning of the emergence of the Ashen Ruins, he didn't immediately use his Escape Technique to reach the boundary of the Ancestor God Dao Domain. Instead, he headed straight for the location of the Ashen Ruins.
He hadn't known about the ruins' emergence before, but now that they had appeared, he definitely had to investigate. If an opportunity arose, he would seize it and compete for it.
Escaping death from the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum and returning to the Primordial Great World was much like his journey years ago from the Jade Balance Realm in the Big Dipper Domain to other Great Worlds—both were quests to find his way "home." However, this time, it would undoubtedly take several centuries.
He decided to view this long journey as a grand tour of the Chaos, an opportunity to broaden his horizons.
Three days later, a hazy gray region appeared before Han Yi. In the boundless Chaos, this distinct area stood out, its vastness so immense that even his perception couldn't reach its edges, despite scanning along its borders.
Beyond this region, countless cultivators were gathered—some investigating, others entering, and some fleeing. Among them were Grand Unity Immortal Monarchs who had just reached the threshold of venturing into the Chaos, Immortal Venerable Ao Zhuang-like figures, and the most numerous—Dao Realm cultivators.
Han Yi extended his perception briefly before withdrawing. Prolonged investigation could easily provoke conflict, especially with peers or those of higher standing.
His gaze settled on the hazy gray region before him. This was the Ashen Ruins, as Ao Zhuang had described.
The ruins blocked perception of the Dao Realm; any sense extended into them would be severed and unable to retract.
After a moment's consideration, Han Yi approached the gray, hazy area. Golden light flickered around him as the Immeasurable Divine Armor enveloped his body. Then, he stepped into the gray haze. To him, the Four Origins Dao Technique, though perfected, was merely an Acquired-level technique. Its defensive capabilities could no longer keep pace with his strength and cultivation realm. The only defense truly commensurate with his power was the Divine Art from the Divine Canon—the Immeasurable Divine Armor.
The space before him shifted, and he found himself in a gray world, as if veiled behind a layer of gray mist. Han Yi attempted to extend his perception, only to discover it suppressed by over a hundredfold, its range drastically reduced.
He remained calm, having anticipated this.
His Divine Eyes flared, scanning the area ahead. He realized he stood in ruins, surrounded by more ruins—clearly the aftermath of a great battle. In the distance, as far as his suppressed perception could reach, stretched a continuous mountain range. Vague, towering palaces—some collapsed, others dilapidated—stood atop the peaks.
Immortal Sovereigns and figures from the Dao Realm flickered in and out of the surroundings, their movements punctuated by occasional brutal clashes.
Han Yi remained unmoved. As long as they didn't provoke him, he had no interest in acknowledging their presence.
He strode toward the mountain range, each step covering vast distances. In mere moments, he arrived at its peak. Instead of looking at the palaces dotting the mountains, he gazed beyond them into the deeper recesses of the ruins.
A gray mist permeated the air, darkness thickening as his gaze penetrated deeper. Endless mountain ranges stretched out, layer upon layer, boundless and infinite. Some mountains radiated potent Dao resonance, their aura so dangerous it made even Han Yi pause. Others exuded a thick aura of death, their destructive energy lingering, making survival impossible. Most, however, were endless ruins, their spirituality eroded by time, reduced to ordinary realms.
Just then, he turned to look at the entrance he had used earlier. An External Dao Realm being had entered the ruins, scanned the area, met Han Yi's gaze, and, showing no reaction, continued deeper into the ruins.
Han Yi averted his gaze. The other cultivator, likely recognizing him as merely a Dao Fruit and thus not a threat, had ignored him.
He turned to survey the crumbling palaces stretching behind him. These structures, located at the outskirts of the ruins, had been thoroughly explored countless times by cultivators from the Emperor Profound Continent. Every spiritual object and anything of apparent value had long been stripped away.
Han Yi's lingering here wasn't for spirit treasures. He wanted to first assess the situation within the ruins before venturing deeper.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he stopped before a stone stele. The text, written in the ancient Chaos Script, radiated an aura of antiquity. Though faded and partially worn smooth, Han Yi could still deduce the general meaning.
Profound Xuan Dao Stele
Dao Child Rankings
Gu Lie Feng, Harmony Realm, Battle Record: 187 wins, 9 losses
Fifth Mountain, Harmonization with the Dao, Battle Record: 113 wins, 10 losses
Judging by the inscription, this must be a ranking of the Sect's disciples. Those inscribed on the tablet are called Dao Children, and their cultivation realms are all at the Immortal Venerable Realm. Their battle records, however, must have been calculated through some special method.
As for why it's called "Double Profound," the inscription itself offers no explanation.
Han Yi focused his Dao Thought on the stone tablet, sensing nothing unusual. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that this tablet was far from ordinary. He flicked his finger, sending a beam of Spirit Light to strike the surface. The light scattered the dust, but left the tablet itself completely unscathed.
"Hmm?"
Now Han Yi's eyes narrowed. Even a Ninth-Tier Immortal Artifact would be damaged by such a casual flick of Spirit Light, yet this stone tablet remained perfectly intact.
After a moment's thought, he followed up with a powerful palm strike, the force of his wind slicing like a blade. The strike left only a fleeting scratch on the tablet, which vanished almost instantly, leaving no trace.
Han Yi's curiosity intensified.
That palm strike would have been a serious threat even to someone at the First Step of the Dao Realm. A direct hit would have caused severe injury.
Yet this stone tablet remained completely unharmed.
He retracted his initial thought. The blurred inscriptions on the stone tablet weren't due to age and loss of spirituality, but rather because they had been damaged by the aftereffects of some attack, leaving it in its current state.
Moreover,
the fact that the stone tablet remained here wasn't because only he was curious about it. Other Immortal Sovereigns and Dao Realm cultivators must also be intrigued, yet they hadn't taken it away. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they couldn't.
With this realization,
golden light erupted from his right hand as he gripped the edge of the stone tablet, preparing to pry it out. Yet the tablet remained immovable, completely unresponsive to his strength.
"Hmm, could there be a great secret hidden beneath this stone tablet?"
Han Yi's curiosity intensified. He knew that the strength of his single hand could lift even a Small World, let alone a mere stone tablet.
He extended his left hand, gripping both sides of the tablet. Golden divine power flowed through his arms, and fragmented golden light shimmered faintly in his palms.
Then, with a thunderous shout, he began exerting force, not in his usual manner, but with all his might.
Whoosh.
Divine power surged within him like a colossal tidal wave, its surging force crashing against the shores of his being.
As the power erupted, his body began to rise, segment by segment.
At this moment, measured solely by power, Han Yi had surpassed even ordinary practitioners of the External Dao Realm, and even those of the Dao Harmonization Realm. After all, the Chaos Divine Clan followed the path of attaining the Dao through sheer power.
The Profound Black Stone Tablet, which had stood here for countless years, began to slowly rise under his grip.
Han Yi had initially assumed that beneath the stone tablet lay some heaven-shaking secret. After all, he couldn't fathom how a single tablet could be so impossibly heavy.
But what he discovered shocked him: beneath the tablet was nothing but empty space. Yet the stone tablet in his hands, which weighed as much as several worlds, remained unchanged.
"Good heavens," Han Yi exclaimed inwardly. He knew he had found a treasure beyond measure. He never would have imagined that such a priceless artifact could be hidden in the outermost reaches of this vast ruin.
The immense effort he exerted to extract the stone tablet caused a considerable commotion. His body, now towering thirty meters tall, radiated divine light—the unmistakable power of the Divine Race, impossible to conceal.