"It's Daoist Suxi from the True Saint Palace, at the peak of the External Dao. Her sword technique is legendary—said to have wounded a Harmonization with the Dao cultivator and forced them to flee."
"Exactly, it's her. But I heard the True Saint Palace's Heavenly Venerables have already led most of the palace's cultivators to the Central Dao Domain. A cultivator of Suxi's caliber should have gone with them. Why is she here?"
"Judging by her movements, she's looking for that previous cultivator. And it's not for a reunion—she's here for revenge."
"Fascinating."
Near the area where Han Yi had been, the External Dao cultivators speculated endlessly.
Meanwhile, scattered around the Transcendent Dao Trace in the deeper regions of the area were a dozen or so cultivators.
Viewed from above, the Transcendent Dao Trace formed the center, surrounded by concentric rings of cultivators, each ring representing a different cultivation realm. The outermost ring consisted of ordinary Dao Realm cultivators, as well as Great Unity Golden Immortal cultivators below the Dao Realm.
Within the ordinary Dao Realm ring lay the Dao Fruit Realm cultivators, and within them, the External Dao Realm cultivators. At the very core were the Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators.
Only a dozen or so Dao Harmonization Realm cultivators were present near the Transcendent Dao Trace. When Daoist Suxi appeared in their territory, two of them glanced outward. But after a brief hesitation, Daoist Suxi left, leaving the two cultivators with no choice but to stand down.
Within the innermost layers of the Dao Harmonization Realm lies the boundary of the Transcendent Dao Trace's core.
Only three cultivators exist here, divided into two groups.
To enter this realm requires not only proper credentials but, more importantly, immense power.
Here, one does not merely contemplate the Dao; they must confront the unique Dao Might emanating from the Dao Trace. Even a Harmonization with the Dao might struggle to withstand it, and attempting to resist it directly could backfire, causing Dao Injury.
Therefore, only Heavenly Venerables can reach the core's edge.
Legend has it that only Half-Step Transcendents possess the strength to enter the true core of the Dao Trace. Whether such Supreme Existences truly dwell within remains a mystery, even to the Heavenly Venerables stationed at the core's periphery.
At this moment, two Heavenly Venerables guard the core's edge, while the third is a gentle-faced woman.
Had Han Yi been present, he would have recognized her immediately: Dao Ancestor Houtu, whom he had sought to visit at the Fate Dao Palace on the Heaven's Mandate Continent.
When Daoist Suxi arrived, both Heavenly Venerables sensed something amiss. Their gazes pierced through the Chaos, settling on the crimson sword artifact carried on Suxi's back.
One of the Heavenly Venerables, expressionless, shifted his gaze back to the Dao Traces ahead. For millennia past, his posture had remained unchanged.
The other Heavenly Venerable, who carried Dao Ancestor Houtu, had a slight flicker in his eyes, as if lost in thought.
Behind this Heavenly Venerable, Dao Ancestor Houtu sat cross-legged in the Chaos, her eyes closed, clearly immersed in a profound state of enlightenment.
This Heavenly Venerable was none other than a Hall Master of the Fate Dao Palace.
He had heard the Palace Master mention that due to the Calamity of the Dao Tomb, the future had become blurred. Yet, with the Palace Master's profound insight, he could vaguely discern Houtu's presence looming in the distant, hazy future beside the Dao Palace.
This revelation had piqued the Palace Master's keen interest in Houtu.
The Hall Master's presence at the Transcendent Dao Trace was no coincidence, but a deliberate arrangement by the Palace Master. His purpose wasn't to comprehend the Dao Trace itself, but to observe Houtu.
Indeed, Houtu's chance encounter with this esteemed Hall Master near the Dao Trace was no accident; he had been waiting for her.
"Han Yi's progress is highly abnormal. When I first arrived, Houtu told me he had just entered the Dao Realm. Yet, decades ago, he arrived here already at the Dao Fruit Realm. Now, upon his return, he's even advanced to the External Dao."
"Could he be a reincarnation of some great figure?"
"Furthermore, to confront an External Daoist—no, to prepare for Han Yi, who should still be at the Dao Fruit stage—they actually deployed an Ancient Artifact. It's madness."
The Hall Master shook his head slightly, deeply perplexed by this development.
In the past, he could have easily divined the situation. But now, the Chaos Heavenly Secrets were obscured, and for the past millennium, this trend of being unable to foresee the future had become increasingly pronounced.
He had an unsettling feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could only attribute it to the Dao Grave, after all, this Chaos Realm had never encountered the Dao Grave before and had no prior experience with such matters.
Several decades ago, when Han Yi first approached the Dao Traces, the Hall Master had already sensed his presence. However, Houtu was in the midst of a profound enlightenment, so he hadn't disturbed her.
Now that Han Yi had departed, another External Daoist from the True Saint Palace had arrived in pursuit. This piqued the Hall Master's curiosity regarding Houtu's friend.
Suddenly, a realization struck him, and his brow furrowed.
"I seem to recall hearing of that Ancient Artifact. It's called the Great True Saint Sword."
"Its origins are no simple matter."
"Legend has it that the Great True Saint Sword is connected to the Great True Profound Sect, a major power in the Vast Heng Dao Domain. Though the sect hadn't yet reached the level of a Dao Domain Overlord, it was already among the most elite Heavenly Venerable-level forces. At the time, the Sect Leader was in seclusion, preparing to break through to the Half-Step Transcendent realm."
"It's a pity. For some unknown reason, this sect offended a mysterious Half-Step Transcendent and was wiped out. The entire Profound Sect was obliterated, its land crushed into Deep Space and shattered into countless fragments that scattered into Chaos."
"Only this enigmatic Holy Sword escaped from the ruins of its destruction."
"Later, the Palace Master of the True Saint Palace, Celestial Venerable Yuehua, obtained this Holy Sword. The sword proclaimed itself the Great True Saint Sword. Its immense power led to the rise of Celestial Venerable Yuehua and the establishment of the True Saint Palace."
"If Han Yi is caught by the True Saint Palace's External Dao pursuers, his death is certain."
This Heavenly Venerate-level Hall Master from the Fate Dao Palace pondered these thoughts for a moment before extinguishing them.
"No, before I left, the Palace Master instructed me only to bring Houtu to study the Dao Traces. There were no other instructions. This means it's best if I refrain from intervening."
With this resolve, the Hall Master focused solely on protecting Houtu, ignoring external affairs.
For the cultivators of the Fate Dao Palace, the belief was that destiny is preordained. One only needs to follow the Guidance of Fate and act accordingly.
This philosophy stood in stark contrast to that of the Imperial Heaven Dao Palace, which held that destiny is unpredictable and requires active interference, manipulation, and control to prevent deviation.
Meanwhile, after allowing Li San to return to the Primordial World on his own, Han Yi gripped the Myriad Journeys Token and used the Escape Technique to speed through the Chaos. This time, he traveled at nearly full speed. After only a few minutes, his eyes lit up as he spotted a massive Imperial Palace moving through the Chaos ahead of him.
No, "Imperial Palace" wasn't quite the right term. A "vast moving continent" would be more accurate.
Even Han Yi could see that this colossal moving continent was assembled from over a dozen Great Worlds.
Surrounding the continent was an enormous protective barrier. In the Chaos, even the slightest obstacle would be instantly annihilated into nothingness by the force of this barrier, capable of destroying even a Cave Heaven in a moment.
This was the true form of the Myriad Journeys Palace.
In reality, nearly all the territories of the Great Powers in the Nine Great Dao Domains were formed by transforming, unfolding, or partially unfolding Great Worlds, then piecing them together.
The most prominent example was the Dao God Sect, the strongest power in the Nine Great Dao Domains. The Dao God Continent, where the Dao God Sect resided, had been created in precisely this manner.
And the Heaven's Mandate Continent, which Han Yi had visited, was no exception.
Only special lands, such as the Ancestor God Star and Purple Mountain, existed outside this pattern.
As Han Yi gradually approached the Myriad Journeys Palace through the Chaos, his eyes lit up.
He had visited the palace once before, but that time he had been teleported directly onto one of its mobile branches scattered throughout the Chaos.
This time, he had sensed the palace's presence and approached it directly, giving him a completely different perspective.
The palace moved swiftly, its speed comparable to that of the External Dao Realm. As Han Yi drew near, the Myriad Journeys Token emitted a radiant light that enveloped him, gently pulling him closer. The protective barrier surrounding the palace cracked open, allowing him to enter.
Once inside the barrier, Han Yi no longer needed to use his own escape techniques; the Myriad Journeys Palace carried him forward.
It had been six thousand years since his last visit. Back then, he was just entering the Dao Realm, and his cultivation as a member of the Divine Race had only recently broken through to the Immeasurable Realm, placing him at a low-tier level. Now, he had reached the External Dao Realm, and his Divine Race cultivation had advanced to the High-Tier Immeasurable Realm.
It's not an exaggeration to say that times have changed.
Six thousand years ago, he had stayed here and was naturally familiar with the place. This time, he moved through the Imperial Palace with ease, like a seasoned traveler, and found his target: the Myriad Journeys Hall.
Back then, he hadn't come to the Myriad Journeys Hall but rather to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, because his immediate need had been to purchase a Myriad Journeys Token.
Now, however, he still had two uses left on his Myriad Journeys Token, so there was no urgent need to buy a new one. Moreover, he was well-equipped with weapons and didn't need to purchase any. His purpose for entering the Imperial Palace this time was to inquire about the whereabouts of the Celestial Venerable Suizhu.
This information could only be obtained at the Myriad Journeys Hall.
The Myriad Journeys Hall was one of the core locations within the Myriad Journeys Palace. Here, cultivators could receive personalized services tailored to their needs.
One could search for the whereabouts of a specific Dao Realm cultivator, commission a highly specialized Dao Artifact, or even hire high-level cultivators for protection.
In short, as long as the price was suitable—meaning a sufficient amount of Source Crystals—even hiring a Heavenly Venerable was possible at the Myriad Journeys Hall.
Moreover, the reputation of this place for genuine sincerity was rare throughout the entire Chaos.
Upon entering the Myriad Journeys Hall, Han Yi approached a shopkeeper, who was also at the External Dao Realm cultivation level.
As Han Yi gained more experience navigating the Chaos, he learned that finding a cultivator matching his cultivation realm was the first and crucial step in fulfilling his needs.
"What does Fellow Daoist require?" the External Dao Realm shopkeeper asked with a smile, as usual.
In the Chaos, cultivators at the External Dao Realm were considered local experts. Even within the Myriad Journeys Hall, only a few such experts were present at any given time.
Moreover, the needs of External Dao Realm cultivators were never simple. Many requests required approval from the Heavenly Venerable within the Imperial Palace before a decision could be made.
"I've heard that the Myriad Journeys Palace has a branch in every Dao Domain. I'm looking for a Heavenly Venerable who may have fallen into the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain. Does the Myriad Journeys Palace have any means to help me?"
The shopkeeper frowned at this unusual request.
The most unusual aspect of this request involved the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain.
Although the Myriad Journeys Palace existed in every Dao Domain, the Imperial Palace within the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain was not particularly powerful. Moreover, due to the domain's prevalence of Chaos Inorder, it was inherently fraught with complications.
After a moment's consideration, the Shopkeeper said:
"Fellow Daoist, you must be familiar with the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain and its conditions. Searching for an Immortal Dao Heavenly Venerable within that domain is no easy task."
Han Yi, rather than feeling disappointment, felt his eyes light up. The Outer Path Manager hadn't said it was impossible, only "no easy task."
The Outer Path Realm Manager continued:
"Fellow Daoist, you may leave your information here. Every century, this palace connects with the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain's Imperial Palace. If any leads are found, they will be recorded. If you remain at the palace during the connection, you will receive the information through your Myriad Journeys Token."
Han Yi wasn't surprised by the century-long interval. For a Great Power like the Myriad Journeys Palace, a connection every century wasn't considered infrequent, but rather a reasonable frequency.
"The Heavenly Venerable I seek is known by the Daoist Title 'Age Candle.' He originates from the Eastern Fuhang Realm, a Great World called Primordial. Over four thousand years ago, he departed with other Heavenly Venerables from the Central Dao Domain's Dao God Continent, returning to Volant Heng. During this journey, he passed through Chaotic Antiquity and encountered an ambush at the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum."
"After that, I lost track of this Heavenly Venerable."
"What I want is his current whereabouts, or any clues related to his location."
The Outer Path Manager took out a Jade Disc, inscribed Han Yi's request onto it, marked it with relevant information, and then put it away.
"Very well, Fellow Daoist. Your request has been recorded. Although this is merely an inquiry, it involves a Heavenly Venerable and spans across Dao Domains, including the special Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain. Therefore, the required fee is substantial."
"According to the Imperial Palace's rules, an initial payment of one hundred million Dao Crystals is required. If information is obtained and a conclusion reached, further evaluation may lead to additional charges."
Han Yi agreed. One hundred million Dao Crystals wasn't excessive for a Heavenly Venerable—equivalent to the price of a high-grade Dao Sword. However, this was merely seed money to initiate the investigation.
If the Myriad Journeys Palace truly relies on the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain's Imperial Palace to obtain relevant information, and dispatches investigators ranging from External Dao practitioners to Heavenly Venerables, the associated costs will be settled during Han Yi's second inquiry.
The Myriad Journeys Palace has its own internal standards for these fees, and Han Yi isn't concerned about being cheated.
"In other words, at the fastest, it will take two hundred years for me to obtain information about the Celestial Venerable Suizhu within the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain?" Han Yi confirmed again.
The Outer Path Manager nodded. "Correct."
"However, that's under ideal circumstances. Based on my experience, a century won't be enough to track down a Heavenly Venerable. At least a millennium will be needed to reach even preliminary conclusions."