Han Yi unleashed his divine power, straining to pry out the Profound Black Dao Stele. Though the time was brief, the commotion he caused was unmistakable in the dim, mist-shrouded ruins.
Every presence in the vicinity was drawn to him.
Among them were the weakest, including Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns. These bold adventurers had ventured into the ruins precisely to gamble for treasure, undeterred by danger. If the opportunity arose, they wouldn't hesitate to seize even a Dao Realm artifact.
The remainder were all Dao Realm cultivators, mostly at the First Step of the Dao Realm. Deep within the ruins, two Dao Fruit Realm cultivators sensed the disturbance and surged toward the surface.
The strongest among them was an External Dao entity who had entered the ruins a moment after Han Yi. This elder hailed from the Emperor Profound Sect on the Emperor Profound Continent, and as such, considered the ruins' treasures rightfully theirs, being practically at their doorstep. Though they couldn't prevent other cultivators from exploring the continent, they would inevitably seize any treasures that came to light. Now that the opportunity presented itself, this Outer Sect Elder naturally moved to "claim" the prize.
Han Yi sensed over twenty auras closing in on him, but he remained calm. Clutching the Dao Stele, he prepared to store it within his Divine Aperture World.
Just as he activated his Dao Thought to retrieve the stele, he realized it couldn't be absorbed.
Inwardly startled, he grew even more wary of the stele. Having reached the Dao Fruit Realm, the only objects that couldn't be assimilated into his body were unrefined Heavenly Venerable Ancient Artifacts or equally mysterious treasures of equivalent status.
This stele, it seemed, must be one such extraordinary treasure.
Han Yi had no intention of giving up. Anything that came within his grasp, no matter how difficult, he would persist in claiming. Moreover, given the stele's extraordinary nature, even if he couldn't understand it now, he might gain insight in the future when he grew stronger.
He lowered his head to examine the Dao Stele in his hands, taking in its full appearance for the first time.
Standing about six zhang tall, it was roughly one zhang wide and half a zhang thick. Its surface was a profound black, with some inscriptions worn smooth by time, others blurred and illegible. Yet the four characters at the very top remained strikingly clear:
Profound Xuan Dao Stele.
This must be the name of the stele, Han Yi realized.
"Fellow Daoist, I am Liu Zong of the Ancient Lotus Dao Sect. The object you hold was placed here by our sect. Please return it."
"The leader of our sect is the Ancient Lotus Heavenly Venerable. If you steal our sect's property, no matter where you flee, the Heavenly Venerable will personally intervene to annihilate you."
"Please do not bring ruin upon yourself."
To one side, a Dao Fruit Realm cultivator swiftly approached, arriving even before the Outer Sect Elder from the Emperor Profound Sect who had retreated halfway back into the depths.
Han Yi turned to look, narrowing his eyes slightly. The cultivator's face betrayed unmistakable excitement.
The words from the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator filled Han Yi with a sudden sense of disgust.
His gaze shifted to the Outer Sect Elder who had fled halfway back into the depths, his eyes narrowing further.
With a roar, he hoisted the Profound Xuan Dao Stele onto his shoulder.
Since the stele couldn't be absorbed into his body and was impossibly heavy, he'd have to carry it himself. Might as well treat it like a weapon; its hardness alone, judging by what he'd seen so far, was at least comparable to a powerful Dao Artifact.
As Han Yi prepared to leave, the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator from the Ancient Lotus Dao Sect, his eyes flashing with killing intent, unleashed a silver net. The densely woven net emitted binding power; anyone caught within would be immobilized, helpless to escape.
This mid-stage Immeasurable Dao Artifact served as the cultivator's core Dao tool.
The net descended toward Han Yi's escape path, but with a flicker of his Phantom Shadow, Han Yi evaded the trap and continued his retreat.
Thinking Han Yi was fleeing in fear, the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator roared and abruptly expanded the net, increasing its coverage by several times and ensnaring Han Yi once more.
But Han Yi whirled around, let out a battle cry, and swung the Profound Black Dao Stele like a club, sweeping it horizontally at the descending net.
On one side was the silver net, pulsing with dense Dao resonance and surging Dao Power. On the other was the Profound Black Dao Stele, swung like a cudgel, seemingly devoid of any aura, as if it were an ordinary object from the mortal realm.
Yet the outcome left the surrounding cultivators gaping in shock.
Boom!
The Profound Black Dao Stele smashed a gaping hole through the silver net, severing its threads and shattering its encircling momentum.
Han Yi didn't stop there. He continued to swing the Dao Stele, smashing it down onto the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator. However, despite wielding this Rare Treasure, its influence slowed him significantly compared to his full speed.
Liu Zong, the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator from the Ancient Lotus Dao Sect, had already fled in terror when the silver net Dao Artifact was shattered. The net, far from its simple appearance, was a powerful Dao Artifact capable of capturing even a Small World.
Yet this Dao Fruit Realm cultivator before him was mad, his divine power overwhelming, and he clearly feared neither the Ancient Lotus Dao Sect nor its Heavenly Venerable protector. He must have come from elsewhere in the Chaos, not the Emperor Profound Continent.
For cultivators like Liu Zong, even invoking the Emperor Profound Sect would be futile, let alone the far weaker Ancient Lotus Dao Sect.
Therefore, revealing his status to make the opponent hesitate and abandon the treasure was impossible. Moreover, from the force of that single strike, Liu Zong could tell the opponent had cultivated techniques of the Chaos Divine Clan, resulting in a terrifyingly powerful Divine Body.
Meanwhile, after Han Yi had frightened off the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator who had tried to intimidate him with his status, he didn't pursue the fleeing cultivator. Instead, he held the Profound Xuan Dao Stele and turned to face the External Dao cultivator, who had already closed the distance behind him.
Even if he hadn't been delayed earlier, the weight of the Dao Stele would have slowed him down significantly compared to the External Dao Realm cultivator. Escape was impossible. To protect the stele, a confrontation was inevitable.
Han Yi had anticipated this and wasn't surprised.
A figure suddenly appeared several miles away, clad in gray robes with a jade-like complexion and eyes as cold as ice.
"I am Zhuang Ruyi, Seventh Elder of the Emperor Profound Sect. Fellow Daoist, relinquish the Dao Stele, and I will allow you to depart unharmed."
The elder's gaze fixed on Han Yi, his voice devoid of emotion. Though he didn't speak with imperious authority, his demeanor was undeniably condescending.
Facing the External Dao cultivator, Han Yi dared not be arrogant. He braced his hands against the shoulders of the stele, carefully lowering it to the ground in a vertical position.
Boom!
Cracks radiated outward from the point where the stele struck the ground, spiderwebbing across the earth in intricate fissures.
"The Dao Stele is here, take it!" Han Yi's words were unusually terse.
The meaning was crystal clear: the prize was right here, and only those with the strength to claim it were welcome. Those without the mettle had no place here—get lost. His attitude made it abundantly clear that he feared the Emperor Profound Sect not at all.
Zhuang Ruyi, the Seventh Elder of the Emperor Profound Sect, his face turned cold. His icy eyes emitted an aura so frigid it could freeze a Divine Soul. This was no idle threat; if his gaze had fallen upon a low-tier Immortal at that moment, the Immortal's soul would have been "frozen to death" by that single glance.
He had deigned to speak to Han Yi because, despite the distance, he had felt the overwhelming might of Han Yi's earlier strike, even though it hadn't been directed at him.
The Dao Fruit Realm cultivator before him was no ordinary member of that realm.
Had Han Yi shown some tact, Zhuang Ruyi might have let him leave unscathed.
But Han Yi's words were utterly ruthless, making his hostility plain.
Therefore, Zhuang Ruyi spoke no further. Instead, he summoned a black brush from the Dao Realm. This was no Heretical Dharma Manifestation, but a high-grade Dao Artifact he used daily.
In his estimation, a high-grade Dao Artifact was more than sufficient to crush a Dao Fruit Realm cultivator; there was no need to deploy a Heretical Dharma Manifestation.
He held a black brush and made a gentle flick. Black ink flowed from the brush, each drop like a weighty Cave Heaven World, radiating a murderous aura as it crashed toward Han Yi.
Han Yi, standing not far ahead, showed no fear. Instead of raising the Dao Stele again, he drew the Taosi Divine Axe.
Against a Dao Fruit Realm opponent, he could rely on the Dao Stele to "bully" his way through. But facing an External Dao Realm cultivator required his full attention and dedication. He hadn't refined the Dao Stele, so its actual combat potential was limited.
Moreover, even if he left the Dao Stele in place, no one in this surrounding Dao Realm could possibly take it away. He felt no concern about that.
Gripping the Taosi, Han Yi swung it fiercely. In less than a ten-thousandth of a kshana, hundreds of axe glares flashed out, intertwining into a dense, black divine light. The first five forms of the Six Forms of the Gluttonous Sacrifice erupted simultaneously.
The ink-like Cave Heaven Worlds cascading down from the brush collided with the divine light condensed by the Six Forms of the Gluttonous Sacrifice, exploding violently and transforming the Chaos Space into a pitch-black world.
Simultaneously, Han Yi's body erupted in golden light as the Immeasurable True Realm and Traceless Dao Technique combined, pushing his speed to its absolute peak.
It had been forty years since he escaped the pursuit of the External Dao-level Path Extinguisher near the Sea of Fire at the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum. During this time, Han Yi had devoted all his Dao Realm Avatars to cultivating the Divine Canon, advancing it to a level approaching the Mid-Stage Immeasurable.
In other words, he had significantly advanced his Immeasurable Realm cultivation over these decades. If he were to encounter the same External Dao-level Path Extinguisher from the Sea of Fire again, he would no longer be so passive.
Zhuang Ruyi, holding his black brush, his expression shifted.
"A Boundless Realm Divine Artifact, a Chaos Divine Clan—and an Innate Divine Race at that. It seems the opponent has crossed domains from the Ancestor God Dao Domain."
"Hmph. Even a Chaos Divine Clan must bow their head upon entering the territory of the Emperor Profound Sect."
With his brush, Zhuang Ruyi began inscribing ancient runes in the void. These runes, harmonizing with his Dao Artifact, unleashed formidable sealing power. However, as the ancient talismans advanced, they gradually disintegrated under the relentless bombardment of the Gluttonous Sacrifice Divine Art.
Zhuang Ruyi's expression darkened further.
Although he possessed a Heretical Dharma Manifestation, unleashing it elevated this conflict to a life-and-death struggle. He wasn't concerned about escalating the situation, but he worried that his opponent might have even more formidable methods. Any damage to his Heretical Dharma Manifestation would have catastrophic consequences.
Moreover, the Dao Stele had yet to reveal any divine mysteries. Although the Chaos Divine Clan stirred considerable commotion when they extracted the stele, this didn't prove it was a truly astonishing rare treasure. Whether it was worth risking his life for remained uncertain.
Despite his reservations, he couldn't accept defeat so easily. After a moment's consideration, he decided to unleash a powerful attack. If his opponent could withstand it, he would acknowledge their combat prowess and status, and abandon further pursuit.
With this resolve, he retracted his large brush. From his cold, glittering eyes, two streaks of azure Dao Light shot forth. Instead of lunging directly at Han Yi, they coiled like two spiritually agile dragons, adopting a constricting posture as they descended upon him.
Meanwhile, Han Yi had shattered the ink world of the black brush using the Six Forms of the Gluttonous Sacrifice. Now, he saw the cold, flashing lights from the External Dao Realm cultivator's eyes streaking toward him, and his expression turned grim.
Based on his experience and discernment, Han Yi recognized the two azure beams as attacks from the External Dao Realm cultivator's Heretical Dharma Manifestation. However, since they weren't the manifestation's True Form, their destructive power paled in comparison to what the full entity could unleash.
Moreover, Han Yi couldn't discern the exact nature of the Heretical Dharma Manifestation.
This detail, however, was irrelevant.
As the azure light bore down on him, his eyes blazed with Golden Light, and divine power erupted from his body. Raising his Divine Axe, he unleashed a torrent of even more formidable divine light in a frenzied barrage.
Though each beam of his divine light was qualitatively weaker than the azure beams, their sheer quantity vastly outnumbered them.
Where the two forces collided, heaven-shaking, earth-shattering vibrations erupted. The surrounding Dao Realm observers were forced back by the overwhelming shockwaves, including another Dao Fruit Realm expert.
This Dao Fruit Realm cultivator, a Steward from the Emperor Profound Sect, watched the surging destructive Dao power with a face etched in shock.
"That Dao Fruit cultivator can actually hold his own against Elder Zhuang? They're evenly matched! This is terrifying!"
"Most likely, it's because he cultivates both the Path of Annihilation and the Immeasurable Divine Power of the Chaos Divine Clan."
"It's a pity that dual cultivation is so difficult. It requires too much time and effort to break through, and is not a path most can follow."
After a few breaths, the waves of destruction gradually subsided. Zhuang Ruyi's aura unexpectedly turned and retreated deeper into the ruins, abandoning further combat.
Meanwhile, the thirty-meter-tall Divine Race cultivator, radiating golden divine power, sheathed his massive Divine Axe. He hoisted the Profound Black Dao Stele, which had been embedded in the ground, onto his shoulder and vanished towards the exit of the ruins.
The Emperor Profound Sect's Dao Fruit Realm cultivator didn't pursue them. Even the Sect's Outer Sect Elder couldn't hope to subdue such an opponent, so chasing after them would be futile.
He did notice several faint figures trailing the Divine Race cultivator. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Rare treasures stir the heart. Alas, those who claim it may live to regret using it."
Withdrawing his gaze, he restrained his Dao Thought and continued deeper into the ruins.
His thoughts mirrored Zhuang Ruyi's. The Dao Stele's true nature wasn't apparent from its appearance, and risking a life-and-death battle might not be worth it. Moreover, since the opponent's combat power didn't stem from the External Dao, there was no need to push too hard.