The Vast Heng Dao Domain stretched from the western border to the eastern realm, a vast and distant expanse. For ordinary Dao Realm cultivators, traversing such chaotic distances would require decades, even centuries, of continuous travel.
Several decades ago, Han Yi had taken three years to journey from the Eastern Realm, where the Transcendent Dao Trace resided, to the western border. This was despite traveling through the Boundless Dao Realm at a speed that reached the Harmonization with the Dao level.
This time, returning from the Heaven's Mandate Continent, Han Yi immediately established connections with numerous Myriad Nether Avatars upon reentering the Vast Heng Dao Domain. After receiving Proficiency, he seized the opportunity to enter seclusion within the Dao Boat, using his Life Seed as fuel in an attempt to break through.
Had Li San been piloting the Dao Boat, it wouldn't have been slow. But to facilitate his breakthrough, Han Yi reassigned Li San to provide Proficiency. The Dao Boat, set on a fixed course and propelled by Dao Crystals, now operated at a speed barely reaching the Dao Fruit Realm level.
The journey from the western border to the eastern realm took the Dao Boat a full nine years.
During these nine years, the mysterious Dao Boat wasn't unnoticed. Though Chaos is vast and boundless, it is also the natural hunting ground for Robber Cultivators. Slaughter and combat remain its unchanging mainstays.
Sensing the aura of the Dao Boat, the Robber Cultivators in the Chaos sensed the aura from afar and wisely avoided it, wary of provoking such a formidable presence.
The overwhelming aura emanating from the vessel extinguished any desire they might have had to intercept it. Its profound depth stirred inexplicable dread in their hearts.
Most Robber Cultivators in the Chaos knew when to pick their battles. Their survival depended on bullying the weak while fearing the strong. Those who lacked discernment and dared to attack External Dao Realm or even Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators at the mere First Step of the Dao Realm had long since been crushed.
Thus, for nine years, the Dao Boat's journey through the Chaos proceeded smoothly.
After nine years, as the Dao Boat approached the Eastern Realm, the pervasive Dao Might it radiated gradually subsided. With his mission complete, Li San resumed control of the vessel, restoring it to the speed of the External Dao Realm as it headed toward the Transcendent Dao Trace.
Indeed, the direction Han Yi had set for the Dao Boat was the Transcendent Dao Trace.
In the present Primordial World, Han Yi had largely completed his preparations. Below the Heavenly Venerable level, none could pose a threat to the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, while those above that level would be difficult to contend with even if he himself intervened.
Nearly a hundred Myriad Nether Avatars remained scattered across the Great Luo Realm, serving as his eyes and ears. Even without returning, he could maintain full surveillance over the realm's affairs.
After accidentally discovering the presence of Tomb Beasts within the core of the Dao Grave, Han Yi felt an urgent need to enhance his strength.
In the Eastern Realm, the key to his advancement remained the Transcendent Dao Trace.
Inside the Dao Boat, Han Yi opened his eyes, his gaze serene. The aura surrounding him, which had been turbulent, gradually settled into calmness.
When his aura reached its lowest point of agitation, it suddenly transformed. A smooth, flawless aura began to emerge, not particularly strong but fundamentally different from his previous Dao Fruit Realm aura.
This was the aura of the External Dao Realm.
By harnessing over a hundred Dao Realm-level Myriad Nether Incarnations, consuming nearly a hundred thousand Life Seeds, and undergoing nine years of seclusion, aided by the collective deductive power of his Avatars, he had finally crossed the threshold into the External Dao.
"The Dao Realm and Dao Fruit have merged. I've finally advanced to the External Dao."
"Advancing from the Dao Fruit to the External Dao required over a hundred thousand Life Seeds and thousands of years. During this time, over a hundred External Dao cultivators contributed their proficiency. It was truly... arduous."
Han Yi stood up. Though he spoke of the difficulty, the joy in his eyes was unmistakable, betraying his inner excitement.
This was the External Dao Realm. To put it in perspective, Dao Ancestor Xuanzang had been trapped in the Dao Fruit Realm for a million years. Even his exceptional talent would have been considered remarkable in the ancient Great Luo Immortal Realm.
Han Yi, in just over three thousand years, had progressed from his initial Dao Entry to breaking through to the External Dao. This heaven-defying speed was rarely surpassed even among Overlord-level powers in the Dao Domain, making his achievement truly unparalleled.
"First, I'll head to the vicinity of the Transcendent Dao Trace to gain deeper insights. Once I reach a bottleneck, I'll move on to other tasks," Han Yi planned inwardly.
Before entering the Heaven's Mandate Dao Domain, he had exhausted his resources creating the Dao Fruit Chapter within the Transcendent Dao Trace. Now that he had broken through to the External Dao Realm, revisiting the Transcendent Dao Trace would undoubtedly grant him new insights, rapidly replenishing his resources and saving time.
As for what he needed to accomplish after replenishing his resources, he already had a clear plan.
The first, and most crucial, task was to find the Celestial Venerable Suizhu.
He hadn't forgotten that the Celestial Venerable Suizhu had disappeared from the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain nearly four thousand years ago. Although Suizhu himself had vanished, his Dao aura remained in the Immortal Court, proving he was still alive.
He might be trapped somewhere, recovering from injuries, or even occupied with some more important matter, temporarily unable to return to the Age Candle.
Regardless, Han Yi couldn't afford to ignore these matters. Once he had solidified his strength in the External Dao Realm, reaching a point where he was undoubtedly invincible among all beneath the Heavenly Venerable rank, he would set out to investigate the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain.
If his investigation proved fruitless, he had a backup plan: to pay a price and enlist the help of a Great Power for further inquiries, such as the Myriad Journeys Palace, whose tentacles stretched across all Nine Great Dao Domains.
The second matter concerned the Eastern Sovereign Demon Court. The Golden Giant Egg in his Divine Aperture World resonated with the court. Previously, Han Yi had been too weak to investigate, fearing that the fallen Eastern Emperor Taiyi might have left hidden traps within the court.
Now, with his strength bolstered by both the External Dao Realm and the High-Tier Immeasurable Realm, he was confident he could withstand even a Heavenly Venerable for a short time. This newfound confidence spurred him to finally investigate.
In terms of importance, the first matter clearly took precedence. However, in terms of certainty, the second matter was more promising, as its location was fixed.
All of this, however, depended on his continued comprehension near the Transcendent Dao Trace, where he needed to solidify his foundations before acting.
The Dao Boat traveled swiftly. After another half-month, it successfully returned to the Transcendent Dao Trace.
Han Yi stowed the Dao Boat and, with Li San in tow, used the Escape Technique to vanish deep into the Dao Traces, returning to his original position. His sudden appearance sent shockwaves through the nearby Outer Path cultivators.
For this time, Han Yi's cultivation had visibly advanced to the External Dao Realm. His aura had just crossed the critical threshold, clearly indicating a recent breakthrough.
"That guy's back, and he's broken through so quickly!"
"It hasn't even been a century! I remember his aura was only at the mid-Dao Fruit stage last time. How could he have reached the External Dao in mere decades?"
"Impossible! This can't be! Could he have been concealing his true cultivation realm all along?"
"Terrifying! It took me two Chaos Epochs to break through from the mid-Dao Fruit stage to the External Dao, and this guy did it in decades? What kind of Heaven-Defying Cultivator from some great power is he? Could he be from the Dao God Sect?"
"Even if not the Dao God Sect, he must be from an Overlord-level power, or at least a Heavenly Venerate-level one."
"Don't provoke this man."
Near the Transcendent Dao Trace, within the realm of the External Dao cultivators, those who sensed Han Yi's aura from afar were all inwardly shaken, regarding him as a figure not to be provoked.
Moreover...
Han Yi had effortlessly blocked External Dao attacks even in the Dao Fruit Realm, proving his ability to fight beyond his cultivation realm. Now that he had advanced to the External Dao, his combat strength had undoubtedly increased, possibly even approaching the Harmonization with the Dao level.
Unfazed by the attention of other External Dao cultivators, Han Yi didn't continue forward this time but remained within the External Dao Realm's domain. After sending Li San to nearby areas for cultivation, Han Yi resumed his contemplation of the Transcendent Dao Trace.
It was a remarkable phenomenon: cultivators in different cultivation realms perceived the Transcendent Dao Trace differently. When Han Yi was in the Dao Fruit Realm, he saw it as a nine-colored Radiant Haze, containing an extremely mysterious Dao resonance.
Now, having advanced to the External Dao, he saw something different. This time, he not only saw the Radiant Haze but also continuous, fluctuating phenomena within it.
He witnessed indistinct cultivators traversing Chaos, their movements causing tremors that shook the Myriad Cultivation Realms. He saw ancient Giant Demons wandering mysterious lands, encountering calamities. He saw young warriors wielding swords across vast lands, slaying demons and driving away evil...
Each phenomenon manifested as blurred outlines, appearing ethereal and not a true recreation of reality. After being witnessed, they vanished in an instant, leaving the cultivator with only a vague memory of having seen something mysterious, without any clear recollection of what it was.
This forgetting was one of the inherent properties of the Transcendent Dao Trace.
Han Yi was no exception. However, each phenomenon he witnessed stirred inner ripples within him, granting him different insights. Over time, these insights would be engraved in his heart, transforming into a profound foundation for his cultivation.
Of course...
!
For ordinary cultivators, the insights gained near the Transcendent Dao Trace gradually faded with time. Eventually, they might only gain one insight every few years, decades, or even centuries. Even so, this was far superior to cultivating alone in an Immortal's Cave, which is why the Transcendent Dao Trace in the Eastern Fuhang Realm attracted countless cultivators.
In hidden depths of the Dao Traces, beyond the reach of ordinary sight, many Heavenly Venerables lurked. This place had clearly become a Holy Land for cultivation.
Having just broken through to the External Dao, Han Yi was in a special state, as if he had just parted the mist to glimpse the External Dao. As a result, he gained profound insights from the Dao Traces.
For ten years, Han Yi remained in this extraordinary state, gradually fading away as he returned to normal. His insights from the Transcendent Dao Trace diminished over time.
At the External Dao Realm, the Transcendent Dao Trace still had an effect, but its influence had significantly weakened compared to before.
After all, with his hundreds of Myriad Nether Avatars and Proficiency Panel, his cultivation advancement far surpassed that of ordinary External Dao cultivators.
Soon, Han Yi rose and led Li San away from this region, heading back to the Primordial World.
However, halfway there, he paused and retrieved a Golden Token from his robes. The token emitted a steady, rhythmic glow.
This was the Myriad Journeys Token he had acquired from a shopkeeper at the Myriad Journeys Palace during his earlier journey with Dao Ancestor Houtu.
"The Myriad Journeys Token... The Myriad Journeys Palace of the Vast Constant Dao Realm is nearby. Perfect timing."
Han Yi's eyes flickered. His primary plan had been to locate the Celestial Venerable Suizhu, and within this scheme was an excellent strategy: leveraging the resources of a Great Power spanning multiple Dao Domains to investigate the Heavenly Venerable's whereabouts.
Among all options, the Myriad Journeys Palace seemed the most suitable to Han Yi.
He had originally planned to return to the Primordial World, first to handle the Golden Giant Egg related to the fallen Heavenly Venerable, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, within the Divine Aperture World. Only after that would he travel to the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain, either directly or through the Myriad Journeys Palace, to investigate the Heavenly Venerable's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, he now found himself unexpectedly close to the Myriad Journeys Palace, causing the Myriad Journeys Token to react.
He instructed Li San, "Return to the Primordial World and oversee the Great Wild Dao Palace, commanding the Five Factions."
"I have other matters to attend to first," Han Yi added.
Li San acquiesced respectfully and immediately set off back to the Primordial World.
Han Yi then activated the Myriad Journeys Token, adjusted his direction, and vanished using an Escape Technique towards the indicated location.
Meanwhile, beyond the Transcendent Dao Trace, shortly after Han Yi's departure, a female cultivator dressed in a plain white robe, carrying a deep crimson longsword on her back, materialized at the spot where Han Yi had stood.
The moment she arrived, the faces of the surrounding Outer Path cultivators paled, and they quietly distanced themselves from her.
"We're a step behind. The aura vanished recently, so the target shouldn't have gotten far. We should be able to intercept them quickly."
A hoarse voice resonated from the deep crimson longsword carried on the back of the plain-robed female cultivator.
The cultivator frowned. "Something's off. The lingering aura here is that of the External Dao."
"When the Great Palace Master entrusted me with this aura, she mentioned the target was only at the First Step of the Dao Realm, not even the Dao Fruit Realm. It's been less than four thousand years—how could they have advanced from the First Step to the Third Step of the Dao Realm, reaching the same External Dao Realm as me?"
"Could someone have tampered with this aura?" The cultivator's dark eyebrows furrowed, her mind filled with doubt.
Although the three Palace Masters of the True Saint Palace had accepted the Dao God Sect's invitation to bring the palace's main body to the Dao God Continent, they had left numerous hidden measures in the Eastern Fuhang Realm.
This plain-robed female cultivator was Daoist Suxi, from the lineage of the Great Palace Master and one of the most formidable External Dao Realm cultivators. Four thousand years ago, she had been entrusted by the Great Palace Master, Celestial Venerable Yuehua, to return to the Eastern Fuhang Realm to slay an ordinary Dao Realm cultivator.
Though it seemed like overkill to send an External Dao cultivator to kill an ordinary Dao Realm cultivator, Daoist Suxi accepted the task without hesitation.
Only after accepting did he learn that killing this Dao Realm cultivator wouldn't be simple, as he was under the protection of a Heavenly Venerable.
To counter this Heavenly Venerable, Celestial Venerable Yuehua entrusted him with a token. This token would allow him to retrieve the Great True Saint Sword from the True Saint Palace in the Eastern Fuhang Realm.
The Great True Saint Sword was Celestial Venerable Yuehua's early weapon, and it predates both her and the True Saint Palace. The "True Saint" in "True Saint Palace" is derived from the "True Saint" in "Great True Saint Sword."
The reason it's called the True Saint Palace, not the Great True Saint Palace, is because the Great True Saint Sword is entangled in a powerful Heavenly Venerable's Causality. Due to this Causality, Celestial Venerable Yuehua entrusted the Sage Sword to the True Saint Palace years ago, leaving it unused. She even refrained from bringing this powerful Ancient Artifact with her when she led her team to the Dao God Continent.
Though Daoist Suxi wondered why the target's Cultivation Realm had advanced, he didn't dwell on it. He quickly turned and pursued Han Yi in the direction he had fled.