"Who are you?" Han Yi's voice was cold and devoid of emotion.
The female cultivator suppressed her resentment and lowered her head. "This junior is Mu Yao, a cultivator from the Qinghe Mu Clan."
Han Yi frowned. Qinghe Mu Clan... That's likely a term used by cultivation families in Shu Capital. He remembered visiting Qinghe Ward while searching for the Fu Clan.
"Tell me, what were those Black Shadow monsters from earlier?"
Mu Yao paused, then looked up at Han Yi with a puzzled expression. "Senior, you don't know?"
"Hmph, if I knew, why would I be asking you?" Han Yi scoffed, his voice growing colder. The aura of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator emanated from him, causing Mu Yao's face to pale.
"Senior, please forgive me!" she stammered. "Those Black Shadow monsters are Void Beasts—spiritual objects transformed after being consumed by the Void Domain."
"Void Beasts? Void Domain?" Han Yi's mind buzzed with confusion.
Noticing his bewilderment, Mu Yao quickly explained. The Mirage Immortal Realm, where Han Yi now stood, was a world spiraling towards ruin, its final destination being the Void Domain. The Void Domain wasn't merely a single world but a bizarre and chaotic realm spanning multiple dimensions.
Within the Void Domain, time and space exist in a state of utter chaos, constantly twisting, inverting, and shifting.
This proximity to the Void Domain's influence causes the Mirage Immortal Realm's temporal flow to diverge drastically from that of the real world. While years, or even decades, might pass within the Mirage Immortal Realm, only three breaths would elapse in the Jade Balance Realm.
This discrepancy gave rise to the term "Illusionary Realm."
The "Black Mist Space" is more accurately called a Void Domain Infestation Zone. These zones appear randomly throughout the Mirage Immortal Realm, effectively transforming portions of it into extensions of the Void Domain. Within these zones, Void Beasts roam, intangible to non-spiritual objects within the Illusionary Realm. This spectral quality further contributes to the realm's illusory name.
However...
Attacking a Void Beast creates a momentary convergence between the two realms.
This alerts all Void Beasts within the Infestation Zone and exposes the attacker to their predation. If the attacker is killed, their physical body, divine soul, methods, magic treasures, and all spiritual objects from their storage pouch will plunge into the Void Domain. There, through some mysterious process, they undergo strange transformations and become new Void Beasts.
When a Void Beast is slain, it drops the spiritual object from which it originally transformed.
However, regardless of the circumstances, the emergence of a Void Domain Infestation Zone initiates a connection between that area and the Void Domain. Even if the zone temporarily dissipates, it will quickly attract more powerful Void Beasts, leading to the formation of an even larger infestation.
In other words, this place is no longer safe.
Han Yi raised an eyebrow, sensing that the female cultivator before him was concealing crucial information and that her intentions were far from simple. However, he was neither a heretical nor a demonic cultivator and wouldn't resort to murder or the Soul Search Technique.
Noticing Han Yi's contemplation, Mu Yao's gaze flickered slightly as she offered further guidance.
"Senior, there are actually two ways to obtain spiritual objects in the Mirage Immortal Realm. One is by slaying Void Beasts, and the other is by exploring the world and finding them in hidden locations."
"The first method—slaying Void Beasts—is extremely dangerous. Generally, a Void Beast's strength is comparable to that of the cultivators in the region where it appears. However, their overwhelming numbers—dozens, hundreds, or even thousands swarming at once—make survival nearly impossible for cultivators besieged by such hordes."
"The second approach is much safer. The Mirage Immortal Realm was originally a Cultivation World, home to Great Cultivation Sects and Clans. If one could infiltrate the hidden chambers of these powerful organizations, Spirit Stones, Magic Artifacts, Magic Treasures, and even heaven-defying Immortal Arts could be obtained."
"This junior belongs to a branch family of the Mu Clan. Not long ago, by sheer chance, I acquired a cultivator's journal. Its author was a cultivator who entered the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm a century ago. He discovered a hidden chamber belonging to a Great Sect, scouted it out, and confirmed it was safe. However, before he could retrieve the many spiritual objects within, he was teleported away, a regret that haunted him for the rest of his life."
"I've since burned the journal, but its contents—including the map—are etched in my memory. I can guide you there, Senior."
Mu Yao lowered her head, a fleeting glint of icy resolve flashing in her unseen eyes.
What baffled her was Han Yi's prolonged silence.
"Senior?"
She cautiously raised her head, only to find the space before her utterly empty. The Foundation Establishment expert who had stood there moments before had vanished like a phantom, leaving her bewildered.
"I..."
Meanwhile, Han Yi left the courtyard where he had temporarily taken refuge and continued down the street.
Although he suspected Mu Yao was concealing crucial information, he chose not to press the issue. Besides, the appearance of a Void Beast in the courtyard meant it was no longer safe, so he decided to leave and find a more secluded place for cultivation.
Better to focus on cultivation than hunting Void Beasts, he thought.
As for what Mu Yao had said...
While this world might be rich in spiritual objects, the dangers surrounding them were undoubtedly formidable.
Just as he had done in the Myriad Stars Sea, Han Yi had no desire to overextend himself. He knew his limits: his current strength was sufficient to handle Foundation Establishment cultivators, but against a Golden Core expert, his only option would be to flee.
If he wandered carelessly and stumbled upon the Golden Core Hall Master from the Fragrant Teachings who had previously hunted him, he would be walking straight into the wolf's den.
However, if he could reach Late Foundation Establishment, Han Yi was confident he could at least escape with his life if he encountered that cultivator again.
That was it.
Even at Late Foundation Establishment, he lacked the confidence to defy a Golden Core expert.
Strictly speaking, Foundation Establishment was the first true realm of the Immortal Path, the foundational stage from which it derived its name.
Golden Core cultivators, on the other hand, had condensed a Golden Core within their Spirit Sea. With the birth of a Golden Core Spirit Sea, they had taken control of their destiny, unshackled from fate's grasp. This marked the pivotal step from mortal to Immortal.
Thus, Foundation Establishment cultivators could only fly using magical instruments, while Golden Core cultivators, empowered by the Golden Core within their Spirit Sea, had broken free from gravity and could soar through the skies and burrow beneath the earth.
Advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core was far more arduous than progressing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.
Han Yi harbored no illusions about defeating a Golden Core cultivator while still at the Foundation Establishment stage. Such a feat would be possible only if he reached the peak of Foundation Establishment or even the Half-Step Golden Core realm.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Han Yi came to a sudden halt.
Not far ahead, a massive black curtain abruptly materialized. To his horror, he recognized it as the Black Mist Space he had recently traversed—the Void Domain Infestation Zone.
Without hesitation, Han Yi turned and fled. Only after putting a safe distance between himself and the infested area did he slow down, searching for a secure location to resume his cultivation.
But then...
Suddenly, he froze, his brow furrowing. He raised his right hand and noticed a small, black mark had appeared on the back of his palm, seemingly out of nowhere.
No larger than a fingernail, the mark resembled an irregular snowflake, except that it was jet-black—the exact color of the Void Beasts.
"When did this happen?" Han Yi's heart skipped a beat.
Han Yi was certain the mark hadn't been on the back of his hand before entering the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm. He remembered encountering Li Yuanyi and experiencing the descent of a Strange Entity. After returning to Shu Capital, he had thoroughly examined his body as a precaution, and the mark wasn't there then.
It couldn't have appeared during his escape from the Golden Core cultivator either. He had been constantly fleeing, giving his pursuer no opportunity to cast spells on him.
The only possible explanation was that it had manifested after entering the Mirage Immortal Realm, particularly after killing those Black Shadow monsters—the Void Beasts—in the Void Domain Infestation Zone.
Han Yi cautiously probed the black mark on his right hand with his Divine Soul, only to discover that it didn't exist—or rather, it was undetectable by Divine Sense, visible only to the naked eye.
Startled, Han Yi's expression grew even more solemn. He covered his right hand with his left, channeling Mana to investigate the mark's true nature.
The instant his Mana surged into the mark, the surrounding environment underwent a sudden shift in light and shadow. Han Yi felt himself falling—falling endlessly. The sensation of falling seemed stretched out, as if time itself had distorted, yet in his consciousness, it felt like an instantaneous drop.
The jarring temporal discontinuity left Han Yi feeling deeply uncomfortable, even though he had reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
Whoosh!
The sensation of falling vanished, and the light and shadows stabilized.
Han Yi jolted awake, startled.
He found himself in an unfamiliar place—or rather, not entirely unfamiliar, but vastly different from where he had been before.
Within a hundred meters, the landscape remained identical to what he remembered before the fall. But beyond that distance, the surroundings seemed forcibly grafted onto the environment, creating a jarring discontinuity.
It was as if a hundred-meter radius of the Mirage Immortal Realm, centered on him, had been ripped away and forcibly inserted into this new world.
Beyond this perimeter lay an abandoned palace, roughly the size of the Azure Dragon Palace atop Azure Dragon Peak within the Profound Pill Sect.
Han Yi vigilantly scanned his surroundings. In addition to the palace ahead, he spotted several more palaces and sprawling pavilions scattered between several hundred and a thousand meters to his left, right, and rear. Judging by these dilapidated structures, this place had once been a thriving sect—or at least, a sect of considerable stature.
Looking down at his arm, Han Yi noticed that the irregular snowflake-shaped black mark had expanded noticeably.
If this mark only appeared after I killed a Void Beast...
"Moreover, the area within a hundred meters of me has expanded as I fell into this world, as evidenced by the mark on my arm."
"Combining this with what the female cultivator Mu Yao said earlier, could it be that I've actually fallen into the Void Domain?"
Thoughts swirled in Han Yi's mind, but his limited understanding of the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm prevented him from piecing together the truth. Reluctantly abandoning the attempt, he gripped his Seven Stars Kunwu Sword and cautiously moved sideways.
He didn't head toward the grand palace that seemed to hold greater significance. Instead, he approached a relatively shorter tower off to the side.
The hundred-meter journey took Han Yi three minutes to traverse. Each step was taken with extreme caution, lest he trigger some hidden formation art or restriction.
To his relief, he reached the tower's entrance without incident.
Looking up, Han Yi noticed a plaque hanging askew above the doorway, only two-thirds intact. The two characters on it read "Hidden Texts." He surmised that this must be a scripture pavilion, library tower, or something similar.
Such a place might contain cultivation techniques or clues, Han Yi thought with a surge of excitement. He pushed open the door and entered, only to find the tower's interior reduced to rubble. Not a single spell could be found—only broken stones, shattered tiles, and not even a single bookshelf remained.
In a corner, Han Yi discovered a corpse, or rather, a skeleton. A dagger was plunged into the skull, piercing the center of the forehead.
Han Yi frowned and turned to leave, but something caught his eye. He swept the skeleton aside with his Divine Sense, revealing a jade slip beneath it.
It was an Image-Recording Jade Butterfly.
After a moment's hesitation, Han Yi channeled his mana into the slip, activating it.
Hum!
A holographic figure materialized.
The figure appeared to be in a cramped space, likely a bookshelf-lined room. The recording angle wasn't ideal; the light was dim and the image occasionally shook.
"My name is Du Rufeng. I am 59 sui, an Inner Sect Elder of the Pure Truth Sword Sect, with a cultivation at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement."
"The Pure Truth Sword Sect is doomed. This world is about to fall into the Void Domain. The Sect Leader, along with the Supreme Elders, Personal Disciples, and many Elders, are preparing to flee to the Heaven's Origin Sect, leaving this doomed world behind."
"But whether they can escape remains to be seen."
!
Shush! The image blurred momentarily, froze, then resumed shaking, focusing on a slightly haggard face.
"They've all left... so quickly."
"Ah... but I don't want to go."
"I was born into the Pure Truth Sword Sect and spent decades here. Even with my limited aptitude, reaching the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement was my limit. Still, I have no regrets. Even in death, I want to die here."
"To avoid being dragged into the Ninth Layer Void Domain, I'll take my own life within the hour. Only a Divine Soul that fades naturally can escape the Void Domain's pull."
"Truthfully, I don't know why I'm leaving this Image-Recording Jade Butterfly behind. Perhaps it's just lingering resentment."
"But who knows? No one will ever find this Jade Butterfly anyway. Let it be my final trace in this world."
With a flash, the light and shadow vanished.
Crack.
A fissure appeared on the Image-Recording Jade Butterfly, and it shattered instantly. The power of time had completely destroyed it.
Han Yi frowned.
The recorded message contained little useful information, but one detail caught his attention.
"The Ninth Layer Void Domain?"
"So the Void Domain actually has nine layers. Is this region I've fallen into the first layer, or a deeper stratum?"
Worry gnawed at Han Yi. The Ninth Layer Void Domain sounded exceptionally perilous.
Han Yi suddenly realized another, even more pressing concern.
If he fell deeper into the Void Domain and became lost within its depths, would he ever be able to return to the Jade Balance Realm?
He recalled Senior Brother Zhou Su's words at the Profound Immortal Pill Shop: that ninety percent of cultivators who entered the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm never returned. Could this high failure rate be due to cultivators falling into deeper layers of the Void Domain and becoming trapped?
Perhaps even falling into the first layer, as he had, made returning to the Jade Balance Realm impossible?
The thought sent a chill down Han Yi's spine. If that were true, he was in serious trouble.
If he wasn't mistaken, the black mark on the back of his hand was likely the culprit behind his fall. He must never again stimulate the mark with his Mana.
Han Yi emerged from the tower and cautiously surveyed the surrounding towers and palaces, but found nothing of value. All the spiritual objects had long since vanished, leaving only mundane items behind.
He hesitated, unsure whether to expand his search further or remain here for the time being.
After a moment, he decided to stay put temporarily.
However, just as he was about to find a suitable pavilion to set up the Seven Stars Profound Origin Formation, a wisp of red light suddenly burst forth from his chest, piercing through his robes.
Han Yi was momentarily stunned. He immediately retrieved the black token that led to the mysterious realm, using his left hand.
A faint red light flickered across the token's surface, as if probing its surroundings. Han Yi dared not touch it with his right hand, fearing that the dark mark there might prematurely activate the token.
But then...
Hum.
Three breaths after the token was revealed, its red glow suddenly intensified, enveloping Han Yi completely—including his right hand.
Startled, Han Yi forcibly suppressed his panic and refused to throw the token away. This token had activated the mists around Mirage Immortal Mountain, essentially saving his life. At this critical moment, Han Yi chose to trust it.
As the red light surged, the dark mark on Han Yi's right hand reacted violently, expanding further.
With each expansion of the mark, the environment around him began to flicker wildly, light and shadows distorting erratically. The familiar sensation of falling returned.
The falling sensation vanished abruptly, and Han Yi felt a sudden, heavy pressure pressing down on his entire body.
He looked up and found himself standing before a pitch-black Immortal's Cave.
The cave entrance was half-open. Sensing the presence of an Outlander, a chaotic and malevolent aura began to stir within.
Before Han Yi could react...
Buzz.
The red light hadn't yet faded when the black mark on the back of Han Yi's hand expanded again, and the sensation of falling returned.
After another dizzying plunge, a metallic taste rose in Han Yi's throat, his chest churning violently. He fought down the nausea, keeping his gaze fixed forward.
This time, he found himself before a wooden cabin, black rain still pouring from the sky.
The toxic rain hissed as it struck his magic robe, causing it to smoke and flicker with a crimson glow. The rain was so poisonous that it was even corroding his robe.
But Han Yi had no time to dwell on this. The cabin door creaked open, and a withered, heavily wrinkled hand reached out, slowly pushing it ajar.
Han Yi's eyes locked onto the hand. His heart pounded uncontrollably, as if gripped by an invisible fist.
The next moment...
The sensation of falling returned.
Before Han Yi could even catch his breath, he was plunged into an even more bizarre scene:
A colossal eyeball, so large it filled his entire field of vision, stared intently at him.
Han Yi's face paled.
This time, the transition was even quicker.
Whoosh.
The sensation of falling returned.
Each descent was faster, each impact more violent.
Terror gripped Han Yi's heart.
He had only just learned that the Void Domain might have nine layers. Was this Token determined to drag him all the way down to the Ninth Layer?
A bizarre Immortal's Cave, withered arms, colossal eyes, writhing sands, a churning Blood Sea, a desolate Demon Mountain...
Again and again, Han Yi's body remained utterly immobile. Even with his unwavering Dao Heart, his mind teetered on the brink of collapse.
Starting from the second layer of the Void Domain, each descent plunged him into an even more terrifying environment.
The black mark on the back of Han Yi's hand had now spread to cover its entirety.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the sensation of falling vanished completely. Han Yi could no longer feel his physical body; it was as if it had ceased to exist. No, even his Divine Soul seemed to have shed its usual form.
Yet he sensed something ahead, beckoning him forward.
It was a black pearl.
The moment the thought "This is a black pearl" formed in Han Yi's mind...
Buzz!
A terrifying force yanked him violently upward. The sudden acceleration caused both his Physical Body and Divine Soul to convulse violently.
He was severely injured—utterly devastated.
Not just his body, but his Divine Soul as well.
This, too, was just a fleeting thought.
The interval was impossibly short, less than a hundred millionth of a kshana.
Before Han Yi could even draw a breath or open his eyes, a wave of boundless pain flooded his senses, searing through both his Physical Body and Divine Soul.
The moment this soul-shattering agony struck, he plunged into unconsciousness.