In the hazy space, a towering Divine Mountain stood at the edge of the ruins, its peak vanishing into the clouds.
Han Yi stood at its base.
The Divine Mountain was colossal, as if propping up the heavens. Han Yi roughly estimated its cross-sectional area to be far larger than that of the Sui Zhu Immortal Court.
Whether considering the mountain's sheer size, his fleeting glimpse into the ruins' depths during his previous visit, or the Profound Xuan Dao Stele, all signs pointed to this being no ordinary ruin.
Han Yi found himself agreeing with Ao Zhuang's theory: this ruin was likely the true Ashen Ruins—a fragment of Ashen Mountain that had shattered during its destruction. This fragment had sunk into the depths of Chaos, remaining hidden for countless years before resurfacing again.
He took out a gray fragment, one he had obtained from the Myriad Dynasties Dao Ancestor. Dao Ancestor Xuanzang had authenticated it as a fragment from the Ash Tower, an ancient artifact that formed part of the Ash Set.
Yet no matter how Han Yi stimulated it, the gray fragment remained unresponsive, completely devoid of spirituality. He fastened it to his waist and gazed up at the Divine Mountain.
From his vantage point, he could only see one face of the mountain; the other side was completely obscured.
Numerous figures moved across the mountain—some ascending, some descending, others attempting to circumvent it. Among them were groups engaged in pursuit, combat, and surveillance.
Palaces and Immortal's Caves dotted the slopes of the Divine Mountain, but their spiritual resonance was weak. Even if they once held treasures, they had likely been plundered clean by previous explorers.
Drawing on his experience with the Profound Xuan Dao Stele, Han Yi didn't dismiss the Divine Mountain. He began climbing and searching.
Unfortunately, his fortune didn't hold. He only found a few deeply hidden items—Immortal Artifacts and fragmented blades, their spirituality nearly drained. He casually tossed them into his Divine Aperture World.
After a thorough search, he realized the purpose of this Divine Mountain. In ancient times, it had served as a dwelling for cultivators, providing them with Immortal's Caves and Cultivation Palaces. Cultivators typically carried their Supreme Treasures with them at all times.
As for Spirit Plants and Immortal Herbs, they had either transformed and escaped over the vast expanse of time, or withered here. Moreover, the ruins had fallen into a deeper layer of space, effectively sealed off and deprived of Immortal Spirit Qi. This meant no ancient Spirit Plants or Immortal Items remained.
Han Yi circled half the Divine Mountain, gazing into the deeper recesses of the ruins. The hazy space was difficult to probe even with his Dao Thought, revealing only faint glimpses of shadowy figures and scattered palace towers.
He manifested the aura of the Dao Fruit Realm, intercepting a Cultivator at the First Step of the Dao Realm. From him, he learned about the events that had unfolded in the Ruins over the past few decades.
The Ruins had been discovered nearly sixty years ago. When they first appeared, a Heavenly Venerable from the Emperor Profound Sect ventured deep into their depths, but no news of his whereabouts had surfaced since then.
Twenty years ago, two more Heavenly Venerables ventured into the depths of the Ruins, never to emerge.
This made the observing Heavenly Venerables even more cautious.
Of course, Dao Realm cultivators continued to explore the vast Ruins in a steady stream. Among them, there were at least seven known Harmony Dao Dao Lords, including an Elder from the Emperor Profound Sect and cultivators from other sects. The number of Outer Dao practitioners was even greater.
The Dao Realm cultivator also heard a widely circulated rumor: in the deepest recesses of the Ruins, where the core secrets lay hidden, there existed a Mist Formation. Three Heavenly Venerables who had ventured into the core had become trapped within it.
This was only a rumor, as the Dao Realm cultivator had never ventured inside himself. In the core of the Ruins, time and space were severely distorted and inverted. Even Outer Dao practitioners had to approach with caution, while only Heavenly Venerables could easily traverse such distortions.
Furthermore, as Han Yi had anticipated, an increasing number of Dao Realm cultivators were claiming that this Ruins was the true Ashen Ruins. Even the Heaven Profound Pavilion had dispatched experts to investigate, but no further news had emerged.
The Heaven Profound Pavilion was a major power on the Emperor Profound Continent, led by a Tower Master who was a Heavenly Venerable expert in Destiny and Divination. However, the pavilion hadn't specified whether the Tower Master himself had been dispatched, or if it was External Dao or Dao Harmonization Realm experts.
Lastly, recent rumors spoke of an External Dao Realm cultivator discovering fragments of a massive cauldron deep within the Ruins. The fragments, accounting for roughly one-third of the entire cauldron, included one of its legs. The gray fragments were suspected to be pieces of the Ashes Cauldron from the Ash Set.
This discovery ignited fierce conflicts among numerous External Dao and Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators. The final battle spread into the Chaos, resulting in death or injury for many. In the end, only a mysterious Dao Harmonization Realm expert emerged victorious, claiming the fragment and departing triumphantly.
After digesting this information, Han Yi released the first Dao Realm cultivator. After waiting a moment, he intercepted a second Dao Realm cultivator and questioned him again. Through further verification and supplementation, he confirmed that he hadn't been deceived. While the details differed slightly, all the rumors revolved around the mysterious Ash Set and the intense competition surrounding its acquisition.
For the Ashen Ruins, the most alluring treasure was the Ash Set. After all, this set contained nine Heavenly Venerable Ancient Artifacts, each at the pinnacle of their power.
Han Yi eliminated the second Dao Realm cultivator and then retreated deeper into the ruins. Along the way, he stopped to investigate every ruin he encountered, but none proved as fortunate as the Profound Xuan Dao Stele, yielding little of value.
Half a month later, he hovered above a mountain range. Before him stretched an endless sea of mist, its boundaries vanishing into the distance.
According to information gathered from several Dao Realm cultivators, this mist was the legendary Mist Formation that had trapped the Heavenly Venerable. Many believed it concealed the true Ashen Legacy and the Ash Set.
He extended his Dao Thought into the mist, but as expected, it vanished into the abyssal depths without a trace, leaving no response.
At this point, Han Yi decided to abandon his exploration.
If this Mist Formation could trap a Heavenly Venerable, he knew he would never escape if he ventured inside.
"This is as far as I go," he thought to himself.
Before entering the ruins, he had approached this quest with the mindset: If I find it, excellent; if not, no regrets.
Moreover, obtaining the mysterious Profound Xuan Dao Stele at the very beginning was already a tremendous stroke of fortune. He didn't dare to expect a constant stream of such opportunities; if that were the case, he would begin to suspect something was amiss.
Narrowing his eyes, Han Yi gazed deeply into the Mist. Then, he prepared to activate his Escape Technique and withdraw.
But at that moment, the fragment of the Ash Tower, which he had tucked at his waist, suddenly began to tremble faintly. The vibration was so subtle that an ordinary person, whether relying on sight or touch, would never have detected it.
Yet to Han Yi's perception, the tremor was unmistakably clear.
Surprised, he pulled the fragment from his waist and examined it closely in his hand.
The fragment remained gray, devoid of any trace of spirituality or Dao resonance. When he probed it with his Dao Thought, he found nothing unusual. Yet the vibration persisted, pulsing at a consistent rhythm.
However, the tremor lasted for only three breaths before stopping, leaving Han Yi bewildered.
After another three breaths, the vibration resumed, only to cease again after three breaths. This pattern repeated...
Han Yi observed the fragment for a full three minutes, and the rhythm remained consistent.
"Could this be some kind of signal?" he wondered.
He flew toward the Mist, and after a moment, stood at its edge, once again observing the Ash Tower fragment. This time, the fragment's vibrations followed a pattern: trembling for four breaths, pausing for two, then trembling again for four breaths, and pausing once more. Han Yi repeated this test in other directions, but after enough time passed for an incense stick to burn, he returned to the Mist's edge.
After simple tests, he concluded that the source causing the Ash Tower fragment to vibrate must be within the Mist, or more precisely, within the Mist Formation. Moreover, it was likely not far.
Now he was torn. He had originally been reluctant to enter the Mist due to its unpredictable dangers. But with this new development—being just a step away from the source of the fragment's vibrations—he couldn't bear to pass up the risk.
As he hesitated, an Outer Dao Cultivator landed near him at the Mist's edge. The Outer Dao Cultivator glanced at Han Yi, dismissing him as merely a Dao Fruit cultivator. After briefly examining the Mist's edge, the Outer Dao Cultivator resolutely stepped into the Mist and vanished.
Witnessing this change, Han Yi finally made up his mind and stepped into the Mist.
Had the fragments remained unchanged, he wouldn't have taken the risk. But now that they had shifted, it provided a direction for exploration. Even if dangers lurked within the Mist, it was worth investigating.
Moreover, he possessed numerous methods of self-defense.
After deciding to enter, he calmed his thoughts. Divine power surged within him, coalescing into a protective Divine Armor. Then, he took a step forward.
Clang!
The previously tranquil surroundings erupted with a deafening clamor of bells and chimes, resonating through the air.
!
Instinctively, Han Yi raised the Taosi Divine Axe before him.
In an instant, the Mist dissipated, revealing that he was suspended high above the clouds. Surrounding him were hundreds of figures standing in the air, their auras varying in strength—some faint, others overwhelmingly powerful.
The strongest auras surpassed even the explosive energy unleashed by the Celestial Venerable Suizhu when he detonated the Sui Zhu Ancient Seal. These were unmistakably the auras of Heavenly Venerables—and not just one, but a multitude of them, representing the Martial Dao.
Among the weaker auras were those belonging to even Grand Unity Immortal Monarchs and Great Luo Immortal Venerables.
Apart from these, most were at the Dao Realm stage, with the majority at the First Step of the Dao Realm. There were also Dao Fruits, External Dao practitioners, and even Harmony Dao Dao Lords.
What startled Han Yi most was the chaotic state of the Immortal Monarchs and Immortal Sovereigns around him, their thoughts swirling like they were on the verge of Dao Heart collapse.
"Fake! It's all fake! This entire world is an illusion! Confusion, illusion, shatter!" A mad Immortal Sovereign roared, brandishing a Ninth-Tier blade as he charged upward.
Han Yi looked up, his pupils constricting.
A beam of Spirit Light descended from above. The Immortal Sovereign, whose Dao Heart had shattered and who had been charging upward, exploded under its radiance, scattering like fireworks. His remains and the blade pierced through the clouds below and plummeted earthward.
"Hmph, fool."
A deep, cold snort echoed from a nearby Dao Fruit Realm cultivator.
Han Yi's heart lurched with fear, but he maintained his composure, observing the scene. His eyebrows arched slightly as he gazed upward. The vast expanse of sky stretched endlessly, its horizon a uniform gray. Not a single figure could be seen—no trace of the entity that had struck the fatal blow.
Glancing around, Han Yi noticed that the Immortal Sovereigns, whose faces had previously undergone dramatic changes and whose Dao Hearts had been unstable, now turned inward to suppress their inner demons and stabilize their Dao Hearts upon witnessing the fallen Immortal Sovereign.
At that moment, Han Yi spotted an External Dao Realm cultivator nearby, his expression shifting rapidly. This was the very same External Dao cultivator who had stepped into the Mist ahead of Han Yi moments earlier.
Suddenly, a Dao Fruit Realm cultivator approached Han Yi, maintaining a safe distance, and sent him a concealed Dao Thought:
"Fellow Daoist, your face is unfamiliar. You must have just entered, correct?"
"Indeed, I just entered the Mist. What guidance do you offer, Fellow Daoist?" Han Yi asked, his heart stirring.
"Quick, tell me: are the two Supreme Elders of the Emperor Profound Sect planning to break through this Reincarnation World?"
"Reincarnation World?" Han Yi's heart skipped a beat, a sense of unease creeping in. "I hadn't heard of any such plans by the Emperor Profound Sect's Supreme Elders before entering."
The Emperor Profound Sect possessed two Peak Heavenly Venerables, both of whom were revered within the sect as Supreme Elders.
Hearing Han Yi's words, the Dao Fruit Realm cultivator who had approached him looked somewhat disappointed. He pressed, "Then what is the current consensus outside regarding this Mist?"
Instead of answering directly, Han Yi countered, "I do have quite a bit of intelligence. But before we get to that, Fellow Daoist, could you first explain the situation here? What exactly is this Reincarnation World?"
The Dao Fruit Realm cultivator sighed deeply and began recounting his experiences after entering the Mist. His tone was somber, as if he had lost all hope and was now pinning his hopes on a Peak Heavenly Venerable from the outside world breaking the Mist and allowing his escape.
"As the outside world speculated, this is indeed the true ruins of Ashen Mountain."
"This Mist is also the core of the ruins, and within it lies the core inheritance of Ashen Mountain."
"However, these inheritances are not just unattainable illusions—like the moon in the water or flowers in a mirror—they are fatal poisons, talismans of doom."
"We're all intruders, outsiders, not true Ashen Mountain cultivators. The Inheritance Assessment set for outsiders is the Reincarnation World, but even passing its trials is futile."
"Every half-hour, the assessment begins. At that time, each of us will be thrown into a Reincarnation World—a fragment of time intercepted from Ashen Mountain's past great battles."
"The most crucial point is this: whether you complete the mission given by the Reincarnation World, survive without completing the mission, or even explore the entire world, you will always return here in the end."
"There has never been an exception."
"I've been here for twenty-seven years, experiencing countless Reincarnation Worlds. But no matter what I do, it's always futile."
"The earliest arrival was a Harmony Dao Dao Lord who entered when the Ruins first appeared. He experienced far more Reincarnation Worlds than I have, but like me, no matter what he did, he always returned here."
"Even the five Heavenly Venerables who entered this place were no exception."