Beneath the azure sky, a vast expanse of clear blue stretched endlessly.
An Immortal Boat, its glazed hull shimmering with celestial light, sailed through the heavens at astonishing speed. Its exceptional craftsmanship and superior quality were immediately apparent, suggesting that the cultivators aboard were formidable indeed. Even the most audacious Robber Cultivator wouldn't dare pursue such a vessel.
The journey passed without incident.
Onboard the Immortal Boat, Han Yi sat silently by the railing, gazing down at the majestic mountain ranges and ethereal Immortal Cities that blurred past below. His expression remained impassive, but his mind churned with conflicting thoughts.
Joining the Heaven's Will Sect is absolutely impossible. Not in this lifetime. Especially becoming Daoist Tianxin's disciple—that's beyond unthinkable.
His two predecessors had met tragic ends, each more wretched and unhinged than the last. Han Yi had no intention of becoming the third.
Yet he knew refusal was futile, having discerned this truth from True Monarch Heavenly Heart's expression.
Thus, Han Yi ceased resisting and fell silent.
He had already devised a plan: regardless of where the Immortal Boat landed, he would seize the first opportunity to escape. If flight proved impossible, his act of defiance would serve as a clear declaration of his unwavering stance to Daoist Tianxin: he would never yield.
He wasn't foolish enough to draw his sword against a True Monarch.
For now, this was all he could do.
I wonder if Senior Brother Li Wenbin and the other Senior Brothers, along with the Inner Sect disciples, managed to escape, Han Yi thought with concern. He shook his head; he could barely take care of himself, let alone worry about others.
Next, Han Yi focused entirely on his own recovery.
Although the Heavenly Net Pill and Soul Pill had mostly healed his physical wounds, his Divine Soul was far from recovered. For an ordinary Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator suffering such severe damage to their Divine Soul, it would take at least a year to recuperate.
This injury to his Divine Soul was far worse than the one he had sustained in Red Phoenix City during his confrontation with Yu Ming of the Heavenly Soul Sect.
Even with the Ninefold Soul Tower, Han Yi estimated it would take over a month to fully replenish his Divine Soul by absorbing the grayish-white energy from his Sea of Consciousness.
Fortunately, his Spirit Sea hadn't been shattered, merely depleted. His Mana had been exhausted in the fierce battle, but it would only take about two weeks to fully recover.
These were the grievous wounds he had sustained in this life-or-death battle: severe injuries to both his physical body and Divine Soul.
As for his Magic Artifacts, he was left with only one: a Broken Sword, a Spirit Sword that had fallen from the Magic Treasure Grade—the Blacklight Sword.
A dark green longsword, a top-grade magic artifact: the Green Ripple Sword.
A magic treasure: the Golden Light Shuttle.
Besides these three, Han Yi possessed no other magic artifacts.
Apart from magic artifacts, he had spirit stones—and a great many of them.
Before breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had over four thousand mid-grade spirit stones. However, during his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Stage and his year spent at the Blood Sea, he had used over a thousand mid-grade spirit stones, leaving him with around three thousand.
The sect compensated the fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators assigned to the Blood Sea Garrison with three thousand mid-grade spirit stones each, granting Han Yi his share.
Furthermore, outside Red Phoenix City, he had killed Mo Wen and obtained his Blood Blade and storage pouch. While the pouch contained no magic artifacts, it held a significant number of spirit stones: six thousand mid-grade spirit stones and two high-grade spirit stones.
Adding the high-grade spirit stone he had previously acquired from the Halberd-Wielding Youth's storage pouch, Han Yi now possessed a total of three high-grade spirit stones, twelve thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and approximately one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.
According to market prices in the cultivation world, top-grade magic artifacts ranged from one thousand to ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones. With this vast wealth, Han Yi could easily afford even the most elite top-grade magic artifacts.
Magic Treasures were typically traded for High-Grade Spirit Stones, requiring at least a hundred stones for a single purchase—a sum far beyond Han Yi's current means.
However, Han Yi's existing Magic Artifacts were sufficient for his needs, so he had no need to acquire new ones.
Aboard the Immortal Boat, Dao Lord Heavenly Heart sat cross-legged at the bow, while Han Yi occupied the stern. Unfazed by the Dao Lord's presence, Han Yi focused solely on recovering from his injuries.
After an unknown passage of time, Han Yi opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and light. His Spirit Sea brimmed with Mana, and delicate strands of energy permeated the Sea of Consciousness Space, stabilizing his Divine Soul to its original state.
A quick calculation revealed that forty-seven days had passed.
During this time, both Han Yi's physical body and Divine Soul had fully recovered to their pre-battle condition, and had even made slight improvements.
As he glanced toward the front of the Immortal Boat, he caught Daoist Tianxin looking back at him.
"Your recovery speed is astonishing," Daoist Tianxin remarked. "Even your Divine Soul shows no lingering injuries. The Divine Soul Secret Technique you cultivate must be top-tier—even my Master struggles to comprehend its depths."
"No wonder the Profound Pill Sect attained Nascent Soul Sect status. They clearly possess genuine foundational methods."
"Excellent. Now that you've recovered, we've arrived."
Daoist Tianxin turned to face forward. Following his gaze, Han Yi's pupils constricted, and a look of shock spread across his face.
Twenty miles ahead, an Immortal City materialized—a city more immense, magnificent, and colossal than even the Myriad Stars Sea.
No, the term "city" hardly did justice to this majestic architectural marvel. Its sheer scale transcended the concept of a single Immortal City; it was more akin to a vast agglomeration of countless such metropolises.
An unbroken expanse of Immortal Manors, palaces rising and falling like ocean waves, and a dense network of buildings filled the horizon, resembling an ancient Immortal Court descended upon the mortal realm.
For the first time, shock registered on Han Yi's face.
Aboard the Immortal Boat, Daoist Tianxin gazed at the sprawling Immortal City, his expression complex for the first time, and let out a long sigh.
"This is the master of this cultivation world—the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom."
"An Immortal Kingdom... that is the path of the Human Emperor. Since ancient times, the Jade Balance Realm has seen at least a hundred such kingdoms rise and fall, yet only three have ever unified the realm. The Emperor Monarchs of those three kingdoms all walked the path of the Human Emperor, and two of them succeeded."
"It's a proven path to immortality. Alas, this old Daoist has grown too accustomed to freedom. I lack both the temperament and the strength to tread such a path."
The complexity on Daoist Tianxin's face vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Human Emperor?"
"Immortal Path?"
Han Yi's heart stirred. "True Monarch," he asked, "what is a Human Emperor, and what is the Immortal Path?"
With a Nascent Soul True Monarch by his side, Han Yi naturally asked any questions that came to mind. Until now, True Monarch Heavenly Heart had always answered willingly.
But to his surprise, this time the True Monarch simply shook his head.
"You're not qualified to know these things until you reach the Nascent Soul stage. Premature knowledge could easily damage your Dao Heart during your Golden Core and Nascent Soul breakthroughs, ultimately harming you."
Han Yi nodded. If even a True Monarch said so, there must be a reason. He didn't suspect the True Monarch was deliberately withholding information.
Since the True Monarch had his reasons for not answering, Han Yi didn't press the matter. Still, he made a mental note of those two terms.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
He still possessed the black token inscribed with the characters "Sui" and "Zhu" on opposite sides—a mysterious key obtained from the Luo Clan that led to a hidden Immortal Manor. After completing the trial within, a voice from the Immortal Manor had announced that he was now eligible to embark on the Immortal Path.
Could this "Immortal Path" mentioned by the Immortal Manor be the same "Immortal Path" that Daoist Tianxin had spoken of?
Han Yi pondered this question, but lacking the strength to investigate further, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Moreover, an instinct told him not to show the black token to Daoist Tianxin. It was a gut feeling he couldn't quite explain, a subtle guidance from the unknown.
The moment a cultivator embarks on the path of cultivation, they develop an intuition. The stronger the cultivator, the more accurate their intuition becomes.
Han Yi stopped dwelling on the Immortal Path and turned his gaze toward the magnificent Great Qian Immortal Capital. His heart surged with an emotion even more intense than when he first witnessed the grandeur of the Great Wall in his previous life.
The Great Qian Immortal Capital, more vast and majestic than any Holy Land, sprawled across an entire mountain range.
The mountains' original name had long been forgotten. Since Great Qian established its Immortal Capital here, the range had been renamed the Great Qian Mountains.
Within the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, the Great Qian Mountains ranked third in prominence, surpassed only by the Jade Capital Mountain Range and the Crimson Cloud Mountain Range.
From Han Yi's Immortal Boat, the mountains rose in tiered layers. Near the summit, he could barely make out an Immortal Palace that seemed to pierce the heavens.
An endless stream of Immortal Spirit Qi emanated from the palace. Staring at it for too long made his eyes sting, forcing him to avert his gaze.
"The Great Qian Emperor truly possesses remarkable vision," Daoist Tianxin marveled. "To forcibly elevate the Eighth-Tier Spirit Vein beneath the Great Qian Mountains to Half-Step Ninth-Tier—what a grand undertaking!"
Standing behind him, Han Yi absorbed this new knowledge.
Moments later, as the Immortal Boat drew closer, the oppressive aura emanating from the Immortal Capital became almost tangible.
"Great Qian Immortal Capital—halt!"
A clear shout echoed through the void, growing louder as it approached with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen cultivators materialized, clad in resplendent pale-gold armor. They stood proudly in the void, their combined aura coalescing into a formidable presence. At their head was a man with thick eyebrows and prominent ears, radiating authority. His aura surpassed even that of Yuan Changtian, whom Han Yi had previously encountered, yet he remained firmly within the Foundation Establishment Stage.
All twelve were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with their leader at the peak of the stage, just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Golden Core realm. However, the battle formation formed by their interconnected auras gave Han Yi the impression that, once activated, they could withstand even Golden Core cultivators from a higher cultivation realm.
Terrifying. Awe-inspiring.
Han Yi's heart tightened.
"So they're cultivators from the Ministry of Rites."
"This old Daoist is Daoist Tianxin of the Heaven's Will Sect, here to attend the Great Qian Emperor Monarch's two-thousandth birthday celebration," True Monarch Heavenly Heart announced.
He halted his Immortal Boat mid-air. A gilded invitation card floated from his hand, landing in the palm of the thick-browed cultivator.
"So it's True Monarch Heavenly Heart," the Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator said, his eyebrows twitching slightly as he scrutinized the invitation. Clearly, the name commanded respect, not merely because the man was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but primarily because he hailed from the Heaven's Will Sect and was none other than the infamous Daoist Tianxin.
"Who is this?" the cultivator asked, turning to look at Han Yi.
"This humble one is Han Yi," Han Yi replied, bowing respectfully.
!
"This is my newly accepted disciple," True Monarch Heavenly Heart said, stroking his white beard with satisfaction as he formally introduced Han Yi to the assembled cultivators.
"Disciple..." The Great Qian cultivator raised an eyebrow, a sudden realization causing his expression to shift subtly. His grip on the gilded invitation card tightened.
"During the Emperor Monarch's birthday celebrations, True Monarch Heavenly Heart, please strictly adhere to the Great Qian Immortal Law," the stern cultivator with thick eyebrows and large ears said, addressing both True Monarch Heavenly Heart and Han Yi.
True Monarch Heavenly Heart nodded in acknowledgment.
"Rest assured, Old Daoist here has always been a stickler for the rules. Having visited the Immortal Capital many times, I know exactly what to do. As for my disciple, he possesses a calm and steady temperament. Even without my guidance, he would behave with utmost propriety."
Daoist Tianxin's words made the stern cultivator's brow twitch violently.
"Very well, True Monarch, please proceed!"
"However, remember that Immortal Boats are prohibited within the Immortal Capital's boundaries. Moreover, flying is forbidden within the Seventh Layer Immortal Court. We trust True Monarch Heavenly Heart understands."
The stern cultivator stepped aside, gesturing forward with both hands.
Daoist Tianxin didn't object. He knew the Immortal Capital's regulations well—this was his third visit. He stowed his Immortal Boat and led Han Yi forward on foot.
As Han Yi passed the group of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, he nodded politely, maintaining proper decorum. They returned the greeting in kind.
Only after Daoist Tianxin and Han Yi had flown into the Immortal Capital did the dozen or so cultivators hovering in mid-air reveal their unease.
"Senior Brother Chen, what should we do? Old Thief Tianxin has entered the Immortal Capital. Should we assign someone to monitor them?" one cultivator asked anxiously.
Senior Brother Chen, a burly man with thick eyebrows and large ears, hesitated before shaking his head. "No. Old Thief Tianxin is a True Monarch. Assigning someone to spy on him would make Great Qian look petty. If the Department Head found out, we'd surely be punished."
"However, we must alert all Senior Brothers currently guarding the Immortal Capital to keep a close watch on Tianxin's movements."
"Besides, Tianxin himself isn't the real concern. It's his disciple we need to worry about."
"You've all reviewed Tianxin's records. You know the earth-shattering, absurd things his first two disciples did, right?"
"This third one, Han Yi, appears perfectly proper and unremarkable, but that's exactly how all Heaven's Will Sect cultivators are—especially Tianxin's previous disciples."
"But who knows when he might suddenly go mad and disrupt the Emperor Monarch's birthday celebration? That would be a grave offense."
"Very well, Chen Lu and An Yi, you two shall proceed to the Ministry of Rites and report this matter to the Department Head. Let him decide how to handle it."
The two men bowed and departed.
Han Yi was unaware that the moment he stepped into the Great Qian Immortal Capital, he had already been flagged as a person of interest by the Ministry of Rites, one of the Six Ministries of the Great Qian government.
"Great Qian has six ministries, and the Ministry of Rites is one of them. These cultivators are its officers, dedicated to safeguarding the security of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom. I know the Department Head of the Ministry of Rites personally, but he's not someone you want to cross. It's best to avoid him if possible."
Daoist Tianxin's expression darkened slightly, as if recalling some unpleasant past experience.
Standing beside him, Han Yi felt a chill run down his spine. Whatever Daoist Tianxin considered troublesome was certainly no trivial matter.
His greatest desire now was to find an opportunity to slip away after entering the Immortal Capital, find an Immortal Dao Merchant Guild, rent an Immortal Boat, and return to Shu Prefecture and the Profound Pill Sect.
Yet Han Yi couldn't shake an ominous premonition: his path to escape wouldn't be so easy.
As they flew deeper into the Immortal Capital, Daoist Tianxin's explanations gradually gave Han Yi a basic understanding of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom.
The Great Qian Immortal Capital was vast, but could broadly be divided into the Outer Immortal Capital and the Ninefold Immortal Court.
The Outer Immortal Capital stretched from the location where they had encountered the Ministry of Rites cultivator. Within its boundaries lived not only cultivators but also mortals who served them, merchant guilds, ordinary sects established within the capital, rogue cultivators, and members of various Great Qian sects.
In short, the Outer Immortal Capital was expansive and teeming with cultivators. As long as one abided by the capital's laws and paid the Spirit Stone rent, entry was permitted.
Beyond the Outer Immortal Capital lay the true heart of the Great Qian Immortal Capital: the Ninefold Immortal Court.
The Immortal Court was the exclusive domain of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom's elite cultivators.
It housed the Three Dukes, Seven Marquises, Three Chief Ministers, Six Ministries, Demon Extermination Guard, Demon Slaughter Army, Imperial Observatory, Robber Apprehension Bureau, and Great Qian Prefecture.
The Ninth Layer Immortal Court formed the outermost ring, with the Eighth, Seventh, and successive layers extending inward until reaching the First Layer—the Immortal Palace atop the Great Qian Mountains, a celestial edifice that seemed to touch the heavens.
From the Seventh Layer Immortal Court onward, a strict decree forbade anyone below the Great Power realm from aerial flight, a mark of respect for the Great Qian Emperor.
"Don't worry, my disciple," Daoist Tianxin reassured Han Yi. "We are the Heaven's Will Sect, one of the foremost Nascent Soul sects in the realm. Our status is among the highest."
"Great Qian has arranged for the cultivators from Shu Prefecture to reside in the Eternal Joy Garden."
After landing outside the Ninety-Seventh Layer Immortal Court, Daoist Tianxin led Han Yi straight toward the Fourth Layer Immortal Court, where the Eternal Joy Garden was located.
Throughout the journey, Han Yi considered slipping away, but with Daoist Tianxin by his side, he knew it was impossible. Instead, he chose to admire the exotic sights and customs of this foreign land as they traveled.
The splendor of the Immortal Kingdom was utterly different from what he had seen in the sect. Han Yi marveled at how these two distinct systems—sect and kingdom—could coexist within the Cultivation World. This coexistence, he surmised, likely stemmed from the "Human Emperor" and "Immortal Path" that Daoist Tianxin had mentioned earlier.
Along the way, Han Yi witnessed ordinary mortal life—bustling markets, drunken cultivators, gang brawls, and True Persons expounding on the Dao. Whether mortal or cultivator, all lived in remarkable harmony under the rule of the Great Qian Law.
Just as Han Yi followed Daoist Tianxin into the Seventh Layer Immortal Court, en route to the Eternal Joy Garden in the Fourth Layer, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Old Thief Tianxin! How dare you set foot in the Immortal Kingdom again? Aren't you afraid the Duke Protector of the Kingdom will tear you limb from limb?"
The voice dripped with mockery. Han Yi turned toward it and saw seven or eight cultivators descending from the sky, landing before them.
Han Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. He recognized one of them.
It was the cultivator he had encountered in the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven, the one who had defeated him twice. However, at the time, Han Yi had only possessed his Grand Void Body, so his deaths hadn't been real. Moreover, he had only recently reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement and lacked a Top-Grade Magic Artifact.
Xie Jingshan of the Spirit Battle Sect.
Now, Xie Jingshan stood behind the other cultivators, his gaze meeting Han Yi's. His eyes also narrowed slightly, clearly recognizing him.
"Well, well, if it isn't Old Thief Earth Spirit," one of the cultivators sneered.
"The matter with the Duke Protector of the Kingdom was merely a misunderstanding," Daoist Tianxin replied nonchalantly, his eyes darting about. "It was a consensual affair, so how can you blame this old Daoist? Old Thief Earth Spirit, you can spew nonsense, but you shouldn't twist the truth."
"Old Thief Tianxin, do you dare say that to the Duke Protector of the Kingdom's face?" the cultivator taunted. "I bet you wouldn't."
"Oh, Old Thief, you've even brought a Foundation Establishment junior along? Could this be your new disciple?" The cultivator, clearly a Nascent Soul True Monarch, noticed Han Yi and shifted his tone, asking uncertainly.
"Well asked," Daoist Heavenly Heart replied proudly, stroking his white beard as he introduced Han Yi to the group. "Indeed. Come, Han Yi, let me introduce you."
"This is True Monarch Earth Spirit of the Spirit Battle Sect. I call him Old Thief Earth Spirit, but naturally, you should show him proper respect."
Han Yi's heart pounded wildly as he cursed inwardly. This direct introduction had put him in a bind. If he refused, he would offend Daoist Tianxin and cause him to lose face. If he didn't, he would tacitly admit to being a Heaven's Will Sect cultivator and Daoist Tianxin's disciple.
Neither option served his interests. His best hope was for everyone to ignore him, but that was now impossible.
Forcing a smile, Han Yi's mind raced through countless thoughts in that instant. Finally, he bowed respectfully to the cultivator from the Spirit Battle Sect.
"Greetings, Earth Spirit True Monarch," Han Yi said, bowing respectfully.
He didn't refute Daoist Tianxin's words, which others interpreted as an indirect admission of his identity.
In Han Yi's mind, Daoist Tianxin had essentially saved his life. If not for the Daoist's intervention, Han Yi, severely injured and on the brink of death, would have faced certain death if pursued.
As for the unwanted identity of a Heaven's Will Sect disciple and Daoist Tianxin's apprentice, Han Yi reasoned that once he escaped, none of it would matter. Even if Daoist Tianxin tracked him back to the Profound Pill Sect, would he dare drag Han Yi back to the Heaven's Will Sect by force?
Han Yi's strategy was simple: stall until he could escape, and then everything would reset to zero.
"Old Thief Earth Spirit!" Daoist Tianxin roared, "My third disciple is already unrivaled among his peers. He will undoubtedly overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, attain True Monarch status, and might even have a chance to become a Dao Lord!"
Daoist Tianxin laughed heartily, beaming with satisfaction.
Behind him, Han Yi cursed inwardly. Are you trying to get me killed faster by drawing all this hatred onto me?!