Inside a room at the auction house, Han Yi maintained his usual impassive expression.
Before him, a shimmering screen on the wall displayed the ongoing auction, uninterrupted. Watching priceless treasures being sold one after another, he was truly broadening his horizons.
The saying "read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand li" applies equally to cultivation.
The three-day auction proceeded without breaks. Han Yi stayed for the entire duration, leaving only after the final gavel fell.
What surprised him most was the auction's climax: a fallen-grade Heavenly Venerable Ancient Artifact, its spirituality diminished to just thirty percent, rendering it a "half-step" Ancient Artifact.
This half-step artifact ultimately fetched an astronomical price of two hundred billion Dao Crystals, a sum that left Han Yi in awe.
Of course, the artifact wasn't suitable for him, and he already possessed the Yueguang Ancient Artifact. Thus, he spared it no further thought.
After the auction, Han Yi returned to his Immortal's Cave where he had been in seclusion. He retrieved the Jade Box, opened it, and swiftly absorbed its contents, converting them into Life Seed on his panel.
Three pale yellow prismatic crystals vanished in mere breaths of time.
Life Seed: 434,125 units
Seeing this number, Han Yi's heart swelled with joy.
Over 430,000 Life Seeds—this was the second-highest quantity he had ever obtained in his cultivation career. The highest had been the nearly 490,000 Life Seeds he acquired by scouring the Wisdom Realm and harvesting the nine major races associated with the Third Wisdom Vein. After sensing danger and leaving the Wisdom Realm, he had spent 360,000 Life Seeds to purchase the Dao Art of Tracelessness and upgrade it to a high-grade tier.
The current batch of Life Seeds consisted of 130,000 remaining from the Wisdom Realm, over 2,000 secretly absorbed from the auction house, and nearly 300,000 converted from three Source Crystals.
During his return journey from the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain to the Vast Heng Dao Domain, he had obtained and absorbed some Source Crystals. He had learned that, under normal circumstances in the Chaos, a single Source Crystal could be converted into approximately 100,000 Life Seeds.
Therefore, the Source Crystals auctioned by the Imperial Heaven Pavilion were of standard quality, without any defects.
In his Immortal's Cave, Han Yi gazed at the over 430,000 Life Seeds and took a deep breath. His gaze shifted to the Dao Scripture: Dao Fruit Chapter, which he had recently organized and comprehended on his Panel.
With a thought, the Life Seeds began to flicker and slowly decrease.
At that moment, countless insights flooded Han Yi's mind. A brilliant radiance erupted from his body, and the Dao resonance around him thickened, becoming almost tangible as it enveloped him.
Within the Immortal's Cave, Han Yi's aura grew stronger as he assimilated his insights. Over time, his aura became increasingly profound.
Time flowed by, its passage imperceptible.
At a certain point, Han Yi slowly opened his eyes. The surrounding Dao resonance gradually coalesced into him, merging with his body.
His eyes regained focus, and his gaze immediately returned to the Panel.
Life Seed: 0 units
He closed his eyes deeply, focusing his Dao Thought inward. Within his Dao Realm, the colossal Dao Tower—the physical manifestation of his Dao Fruit—now stood with only the top three layers remaining. The lower thirty layers had vanished.
No, they hadn't vanished; they had merged completely with the Dao Realm. In essence, a significant portion of the Dao Realm was now both the Dao Realm and the Dao Fruit. When the Dao Fruit fully integrates into the Dao Realm, it will give birth to a Heretical Dharma Manifestation. The form of this manifestation will be closely tied to the nature of the Dao Fruit, manifesting in a form that reflects its essence.
"Three more layers of the Dao Tower remain before complete fusion and advancement to the External Dao."
Han Yi wasn't disappointed; he had anticipated this outcome. With only 430,000 Life Seeds, it was impossible to fully perfect the Dao Scripture. After all, cultivating the Dao Realm was far more difficult than mastering a single Dao Technique. Even transforming the Traceless Dao Technique into a High-Rank Immeasurable had consumed 360,000 Life Seeds. Perfecting the Dao Scripture to reach the External Dao would undoubtedly require even more.
After spending some time stabilizing the gains from his Life Seed cultivation, he finally emerged from seclusion.
This period of seclusion hadn't lasted long—only twenty-one years. Of course, the Life Seeds were depleted in less than half an hour. The rest of the time was spent comprehending and assimilating his insights.
Upon emerging, Han Yi continued his efforts to gain entry into Imperial Water Dao City, never forgetting his primary purpose for journeying to the Heaven's Mandate Dao Domain: the Great Abyss Divine Blade.
Exchanging unnecessary treasures for thirty-two Dao Swords and purchasing three Source Crystals with his remaining resources had been an unexpected windfall.
After advancing his Cultivation Realm to near the External Dao Realm, he refocused his attention on the Great Abyss Divine Blade.
Using the Myriad Nether Tome, he had already transformed over a dozen Cultivators in Imperial Water Dao City into his Avatars. None of these Cultivators belonged to the Imperial Heaven Dao Palace.
Han Yi refrained from converting cultivators from the Imperial Heaven Dao Palace due to his deep consideration.
The Myriad Nether Tome was the supreme treasure of the Myriad Nether City, its power to transform cultivators into Myriad Nether Incarnations defying the natural order. After the city's destruction, it was highly likely that the Overlord-level powers of the Dao Domain had implemented safeguards against the tome.
This was especially true for Dao Realm cultivators who had joined these Overlord-level powers. Their Dao Souls would undoubtedly be branded with information on the sect's inheritance artifacts. Converting such cultivators into Myriad Nether Incarnations could trigger a reaction from these artifacts.
If his identity as the Myriad Nether Tome's successor were exposed, it would inevitably draw the full wrath of the Ancient Profound Dao Sect, another Overlord-level power in the Ancient Nether Dao Domain. This domain, millions of years ago, had been jointly dominated by both the Ancient Profound Dao Sect and the Myriad Nether City.
A pursuit by an Overlord-level Great Power would undoubtedly involve Heavenly Venerate-level beings. If they detected even a whiff of evidence, escape would be nearly impossible.
After careful deliberation, Han Yi chose not to convert Dao Realm cultivators from Overlord-level powers. Instead, he targeted ordinary sects.
After reviewing the memories of the dozen Dao Realm cultivators he had transformed, Han Yi shook his head in disappointment. Although he discovered several methods to enter the Imperial Heaven Dao Palace, they were all suitable only for low-tier Immortals, not for someone of his caliber.
He had considered using Formless Dao Techniques to disguise himself as a low-tier Immortal and infiltrate the palace through infiltration. However, if discovered, especially in the presence of a Heavenly Venerable, he would be walking straight into a trap with no escape.
Finding this approach too risky, he abandoned the idea after careful consideration.
After lingering in Imperial Water Dao City for several years without finding a suitable method, Han Yi reluctantly gave up. After vacating his Immortal's Cave, he prepared to leave the Dao Field, using an Escape Technique to depart from Heaven's Mandate Continent and return to Volant Heng.
Although he hadn't obtained the true form of the Great Abyss Divine Blade on this trip, his journey wasn't without gains.
Moreover, he now knew the location of the blade's true form. Once his strength had advanced further, he would return to claim it.
With that, he left the core area and began retracing his steps. However, after about an hour, he gradually slowed his pace, not because he sensed danger, but because ahead lay a massive Dao Formation enveloping a stretch of land. Within the formation, a brutal battle raged.
From a considerable distance away, Han Yi's eyes glinted with golden light. Illuminated by this radiance, three figures stood in triangular formation, trapping a cultivator in the center and unleashing long-range Dao Techniques.
The trapped cultivator roared furiously, deploying every means at his disposal, but as time passed, his strength gradually waned.
What caught Han Yi's attention was that among the four figures within the Dao Formation, three were not entirely unfamiliar. They were the very Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators who had once pursued him from the Imperial Heaven Pavilion, attempting to ambush him.
"It seems these three Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivators are serial offenders."
A cold smile twisted Han Yi's lips. Now that he'd encountered them, he didn't mind introducing some variables into their tribulation. If the opportunity presented itself, he might even slaughter some of them or convert them into Myriad Nether Avatars.
The thought was immediately put into action.
He used a Formless Dao Technique to conceal his aura completely, then drew the Taosi Divine Axe and vanished into the shadows. Moving with incredible speed, he closed the distance to the Dao Formation in less than three breaths.
This Dao Formation was of high quality, likely at the peak level. Even a typical Dao Harmonization Realm cultivator would struggle to break it quickly.
But such obstacles meant nothing to Han Yi. In an instant, he transformed into his thirty-meter Divine Race True Body. Gripping the Taosi Divine Axe, he swung it down with devastating force, striking the Dao Formation.
In an instant, with a sharp crack, the sturdy Dao Formation cracked, then shattered explosively.
This sudden turn of events caught the four figures within the formation completely off guard. The three Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivators, who had been surrounding their target, whipped around to stare at the breach in horror.
"Who's there?"
"Damn it, it's a member of the Chaos Divine Clan—a High-Rank Immeasurable one!"
"He broke through the formation with brute force! Such overwhelming power... This is bad."
Amidst the three Tribulation Cultivators, the besieged Dao Harmonization Cultivator felt his fading aura surge violently. He knew that this fleeting weakness in the formation was his only chance to escape.
With a furious roar, he flipped his hand, revealing a black Round Pearl. This was a damaged peak Dao Artifact, its power now reduced to a single use, which he had kept as his trump card.
And now, this was the moment to play that trump card.
Black light erupted from the pearl as he channeled its remaining power, unleashing it towards the Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivator who had struck the formation.
He could tell that the newly arrived Chaos Divine Clan member held a grudge against these three Tribulation Cultivators, which was why he had broken through the formation. The mysterious Chaos Divine Clan member would undoubtedly join the battle next. To escape, he had to flee in the opposite direction, avoiding the impending clash between the Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivators and the Divine Clan.
The face of the Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivator targeted by the Blacklight twisted as the sudden surge of power struck him with overwhelming force.
The three Tribulation Cultivators had surrounded the Dao Harmonization Cultivator without killing him, primarily because they anticipated he held powerful trump cards. Their strategy was to gradually exhaust him, reasoning that even if he unleashed his hidden resources, they could withstand the blast after prolonged attrition.
Meanwhile, the besieged cultivator, either through recklessness or failure to discern a viable escape window, lacked the initial resolve for a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.
This deadly standoff was as much a psychological battle as a physical one, and these three Dao Harmonization Realm Tribulation Cultivators were masters of such games.
Yet, just as victory seemed within their grasp, a variable emerged.
The Tribulation Cultivator farthest from Han Yi activated his protective Dao Techniques and deployed his Dao Unification Dharma Manifestation against the incoming Blacklight. Still, the force of the attack sent him flying backward.
A flicker of ecstatic hope surged across the pale face of the besieged Dao Harmonization cultivator, his eyes burning with the urgency and thrill of imminent escape.
But as he charged toward the breach, another Tribulation Cultivator, positioned in another direction, let out a cold snort and lunged forward, his High-Rank Dao Artifact crushing down with thunderous force.
Simultaneously, the third Tribulation Cultivator—the one closest to Han Yi—moved with seamless coordination to strike at the young man.
The three Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivators, who had been robbing cultivators for countless millennia, had experienced countless brutal battles. This allowed them to react instantly to any sudden variables through their seamless coordination.
We'll set aside the cultivator who had been blasted away. Of the remaining two cultivators, the one in the middle charged after the fleeing Dao Harmonization cultivator, while the one closer to Han Yi abruptly changed course and attacked him.
Even if Han Yi was formidable, they believed that with their combined strength, they could hold him off. Once the middle Dao Harmonization cultivator finished off their fleeing target, they could regroup and, even if they couldn't kill the Divine Race member, at least severely injure and drive him away.
If the third, blasted Tribulation Cultivator still had fighting power, joining the battle might even allow them to take down the Divine Race member. That Divine Artifact, capable of breaching Dao Formations, would undoubtedly fetch a substantial reward.
The Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivator who turned to attack Han Yi wielded a deep blue scepter. With a wave of the scepter, he pointed it at Han Yi, unleashing a wave of fluctuations that spread out to envelop him.
These fluctuations were the power of his cultivated high-grade Dao Technique, the Ten Thousand Shadows Binding Dao Technique.
In that instant, Han Yi, standing with his axe, sensed the Dao Technique affecting him. It felt as if countless shadowy figures had suddenly pressed down on his body, their combined strength so formidable that even other cultivators, even those at the Dao Harmonization Realm, would struggle to break free instantly.
Moments ago, the Dao cultivator trapped between the three had little chance of escape under the influence of this Dao Technique. It was only when Han Yi broke through the Dao Formation, causing the Dao Harmonization Cultivator's mind to waver, that the bizarre Dao Technique's flaw was exposed, allowing him to break free.
However, for Han Yi, who had already advanced to the High-Rank Immeasurable stage, this was no insurmountable challenge.
Divine power surged within him, resonating through his Divine Aperture Worlds. The divine sounds amplified, coalescing into his Supreme Divine Power. In an instant, this power erupted, shattering the restraints of the bizarre Dao Technique.
The moment he broke free, Han Yi vanished from his original position.
In that kshana, he seamlessly combined his High-Rank Immeasurable True Realm with the High-Grade Dao Art of Tracelessness. The resulting speed struck terror into the hearts of the Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators.
It was said that when these two escape techniques were combined in the Wisdom Realm, even Supreme-level beings struggled to pursue him. In terms of speed, Han Yi had already begun to tread the path of the Heavenly Venerable.
Such terrifying velocity, unleashed on a Dao Harmonization Realm battlefield, naturally required no further explanation for its impact.
The Dao Harmonization Tribulation Cultivator who had unleashed the Dao Technique felt his heart seize as Han Yi materialized over ten meters above him. Then, an axe descended.
With a flash of axe light, the Tribulation Cultivator's head soared high into the air.