When Han Yi awoke, his entire body still throbbed with excruciating pain, and his Divine Soul felt heavy and sluggish. After struggling for a moment, he managed to pry open his eyes, though he could only move his eyeballs.
He realized he was lying flat on his back, staring straight up at the vast sky above.
Taking a deep breath, Han Yi attempted to circulate the Mana within his body. The searing pain instantly intensified, forcing him to stop.
After a moment, he tried again, this time without attempting to mobilize his Mana. Instead, he focused on sensing the condition of his body.
This is disastrous. Utterly devastating.
He couldn't even sense his Spirit Sea.
The severity of his injuries was horrifying. Since joining the Profound Pill Sect and advancing to the Qi Refining First Layer, he had never experienced anything like this.
Yet Han Yi refused to give up. After a full half-hour, he finally managed to coax a single wisp of Mana into motion. Using this tiny spark, he began stimulating his body. Waves of excruciating pain washed over him, drenching him in sweat and leaving him soaked to the bone.
Another hour passed before Han Yi's body regained a sliver of mobility. With great effort, he turned his head and surveyed his surroundings. A mixture of relief and a renewed sense of urgency washed over him.
Han Yi breathed a sigh of relief as he turned his head and saw a familiar landscape. It was the place where he had stopped before plummeting into the first layer of the Void Domain, the very spot where he had first noticed the black mark on the back of his hand.
From this vantage point, it seemed he had returned to the Mirage Immortal Realm, hence his relief.
Yet a sense of urgency lingered. In this illusionary realm, danger came not only from Void Beasts but also from other cultivators who had entered this world. If anyone discovered his current weakened state, he would undoubtedly become a target for plunder.
With this thought, Han Yi ceased his physical recovery and focused his consciousness on his Sea of Consciousness Space.
Suddenly, his heart trembled violently.
There, at the highest reaches of his Sea of Consciousness Space, hovering at the edge of the swirling gray-white Qi, was a black pearl, steadily devouring the ethereal energy.
He recognized this pearl instantly. It was the last thing he had sensed as he plunged into the deepest depths of the Void Domain.
What exactly is this black pearl?
How did it end up in my Sea of Consciousness Space?
As a wave of shock washed over Han Yi, two questions inevitably arose in his mind.
He suspected that the token from the mysterious Land, which had plunged him into the Void Domain, had done so precisely for the sake of this black pearl.
From within his Sea of Consciousness, it seemed the token's purpose had been fulfilled.
However...
Both Han Yi's physical body and Divine Soul were severely injured. He couldn't even attempt to investigate this black pearl that had suddenly appeared in his Sea of Consciousness Space.
The Sea of Consciousness Space, the dwelling place of the Divine Soul, was one of a cultivator's most crucial and core foundations. Han Yi would never lightly allow such a bizarre entity to linger there.
As for how to remove the black pearl, he would have to wait until he had fully recovered before considering it.
Apart from the black pearl at the very top, devouring the gray-white Qi,
at the very center of his Sea of Consciousness Space now stood the Soul Tower. Unlike its usual solid form, this tower was in a state of disarray, its structure fragmented and unstable.
This was only because the Soul Tower was currently enhanced. If Han Yi were to revert to his ordinary Divine Soul state, it would instantly dissipate. Reassembling it would be easy, but it would inevitably scatter again immediately afterward.
This phenomenon only occurs when the Divine Soul has sustained severe damage.
Han Yi focused his consciousness on the Soul Tower, beginning his cultivation of the Ninefold Soul Tower. At the edges of his Sea of Consciousness Space, wisps of grayish-white Qi gradually descended, guided by the Soul Tower, like a sudden enlightenment pouring down upon it. The uppermost Heavens of the tower remained illusory, while the lowermost First and Second Heavens had already solidified.
An hour later, Han Yi's Divine Soul could manifest in its true form without dissipating.
Opening his eyes, Han Yi reached into his Storage Ring only to find that his Heavenly Net Pills and Soul Pills had been completely exhausted after his near-fatal encounter with Li Yuanyi and the Strange Entity that had possessed him.
"My mistake," Han Yi muttered to himself. "I must stockpile more healing pills in the future."
In truth, he hadn't anticipated this situation. After being severely wounded by the Strange Entity possessing Li Yuanyi, he had planned to purchase an Immortal Boat, Spirit Pills, and Spirit Talismans from the Myriad Immortals Pavilion on the Eighth Immortal Ring upon returning to Shu Capital. However, halfway there, he was ambushed by a Golden Core cultivator and barely escaped with his life, eventually fleeing to Mirage Immortal Mountain.
Unexpectedly, Han Yi encountered that same bizarre and inexplicable phenomenon again.
In an instant, his body and Divine Soul teetered on the brink of collapse. To say he was hanging by a thread would be no exaggeration.
After a moment, Han Yi's body regained a sliver of strength. Trembling, he managed to prop himself up and lean against the wall.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Senior?"
"Senior, you're injured. Do you require assistance?"
Han Yi struggled to lift his head and saw Mu Yao slowly approaching from thirty meters away. An inexplicable light shone on her face, betraying hesitation, excitement, ruthlessness, and resolve.
"I noticed you couldn't even open your Storage Ring earlier. Would you like me to help?"
Concealed within Mu Yao's sleeve was a Magic Artifact: a golden needle twenty centimeters long and one centimeter thick. The front half of the needle gleamed with a black, venomous sheen, coated in a potent poison capable of paralyzing even a Foundation Establishment cultivator, leaving them utterly at her mercy.
Han Yi's expression remained calm.
He didn't know if his opponent had been lurking nearby for a while. If they had appeared the moment he was pulled back into the Mirage Immortal Realm, he would have been utterly helpless and certain to die.
But now that they had revealed themselves, they were practically courting death.
Han Yi gazed at them calmly, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow. If they turned and left now, he had no intention of pursuing them. But if they took another step forward, they would be signing their own death warrant.
Mu Yao, however, was not one to give up easily.
In truth, Han Yi had miscalculated. Mu Yao hadn't been nearby for long; she had only arrived fifteen minutes earlier. She had witnessed Han Yi struggling to prop himself against the wall, his face slick with cold sweat, clearly suffering from severe injuries.
She vividly remembered how, before her eyes, Han Yi had slaughtered over a hundred Void Beasts and claimed over a hundred spiritual objects—any single one of which would be a priceless treasure to her.
Moreover, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the sword artifacts in his possession were at least Top-Grade Magic Artifacts, possibly even Magic Treasures.
If she could seize them for herself, securing the resources needed to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage would no longer be a problem.
The temptation proved too strong to resist.
After only a brief hesitation, she stepped forward.
Her plan was simple: first, she would probe his defenses, then use Tu Du's Magic Artifact to immobilize Han Yi completely, exacerbating his injuries. Next, she would seize his Storage Pouch, Magic Artifacts, and Magic Treasures, and finally lure a Void Beast to devour him.
This way, she wouldn't have to worry about a Foundation Establishment cultivator's Divine Soul attempting Body Seizure, nor fear Han Yi escaping to Qinghe Ward to seek revenge.
As she closed within ten meters of Han Yi, a murderous glint surged in her eyes, and she lunged forward.
But all she saw were his calm eyes. Reflected in their depths, a crimson magic sword materialized before him. With a silent arc through the air, the blade severed her head before she could even register the thought, "I'm dead."
Thwack.
This time, blood splattered all over Han Yi; he couldn't dodge it.
That single strike was the only sword he could currently summon. In its aftermath, his Divine Soul throbbed painfully, barely maintaining its cohesion.
Less than fifteen minutes later, black mist began to coalesce around him. Han Yi's expression darkened as he hastily retrieved the Fire Mist Sword he had used to kill Mu Yao, the Seven Stars Kunwu Sword scattered on the ground, and the black token.
Then, struggling to his feet, he slowly shuffled toward the nearest collapsed tower, found a cellar, and hid inside.
Taking a deep breath, Han Yi lowered his head and inadvertently noticed that the black mark on the back of his right hand had vanished.
This led him to conclude that the mark had likely appeared when he killed the Void Beast. For now, he decided to call it the Void Domain Mark.
With this, he formulated his most plausible theory:
Anyone who killed a Void Beast and acquired the Void Domain Mark would gradually descend into the Void Domain. The first layer remained relatively safe, but the second layer grew perilous, and each subsequent layer became increasingly dangerous.
Han Yi had no way of knowing how many layers he had previously descended, as he had been reduced to a mere awareness of his own existence, devoid of thoughts or consciousness. How could he possibly know which layer he had reached?
Now that the Void Domain Mark had disappeared, Han Yi suspected it had something to do with the black token.
Regardless, this was good news for him. It meant that as long as he avoided killing Void Beasts and refrained from reconsolidating the Void Domain Mark, he wouldn't fall further into the Void Domain.
With this thought, Han Yi took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and began cultivating. He focused all his attention on his Sea of Consciousness Space, guiding its grayish-white energy to continuously heal his Divine Soul's injuries.
After an unknown amount of time, Han Yi opened his eyes, feeling refreshed. His Divine Soul had recovered by thirty percent. A thought crossed his mind, and he realized a month had passed. During this time, his physical body had mostly regained its mobility, but his internal condition remained dire: his Mana was scarce, and his Spirit Sea was blocked.
Han Yi stood up and peered out of the cellar's exit. He saw the outside world completely enveloped in black mist, with occasional Black Shadows darting past. He didn't leave immediately but sat back down, carefully took out Spirit Stones, and resumed cultivating cautiously, wary of making any loud noises.
Three months later, Han Yi opened his eyes again. This time, his Mana had only recovered by ten percent.
The injuries to Han Yi's physical body were severe, and his Spirit Sea was critically damaged. Fresh wounds compounded old ones, remnants of his fierce battle with the Malevolent Entity that had possessed Li Yuanyi. His Spirit Sea had yet to fully recover from that ordeal.
Helpless, Han Yi had no choice but to continue cultivating.
Two and a half years later, his Divine Soul had fully recovered, and his Spirit Sea's injuries were ninety percent healed.
After a brief clean-up, Han Yi emerged from the cellar, cautiously avoiding the Void Beasts. This time, he dared not kill another one. He couldn't risk triggering another Void Domain Mark, plummeting into the abyss, having his body torn apart, and his Divine Soul shattered. It had taken him three full years to recover from his previous injuries, and his Spirit Sea still bore lingering scars.
This harrowing experience, the first of its kind since his transmigration, had left an indelible shadow etched into his heart. Han Yi never wanted to endure such a horror again.
Leaving the cellar, Han Yi flickered away, reappearing several hundred meters away at the site where he had killed Mu Yao. To his dismay, the ground was spotless, devoid of even a bloodstain. The corpse, Magic Artifacts, and Storage Pouch had all vanished without a trace.
Han Yi's heart sank.
They must have been devoured by Void Beasts or dragged into the Void Domain.
Han Yi looked up at the sky, where Void Beasts patrolled the surroundings within the Void Domain Infestation Zone, which had expanded beyond the horizon.
However, this wasn't his immediate concern.
Han Yi ceased his attack and swiftly retreated, finally reaching the edge of the Void Domain Infestation Zone after a full hour.
Undeterred by the thick, eerie black mist, Han Yi immediately conjured an eight-layered Windfire Shield. Bracing himself behind the barrier, he charged straight into the darkness.
Whoosh!
Upon contact, the black mist surged and swirled as if possessed of sentience, coalescing to block Han Yi's escape.
The Void Beasts patrolling nearby were instantly alerted. Like sharks scenting blood, they wheeled around and lunged toward him.
Han Yi's expression remained calm as he accelerated further.
Boom!
Just before the nearest Void Beast could reach him, Han Yi finally burst through the black mist, his shield battered and scarred. To his dismay, only a single layer remained intact, a testament to the mist's bizarre destructive power.
He knew that his eight-layered Windfire Shield should withstand attacks from even Late Foundation Establishment cultivators. Only Peak Foundation Establishment experts or Half-Step Golden Core cultivators could potentially shatter it.
It was easy to imagine that any cultivator below the Golden Core stage caught within the Void Domain Infestation Zone would meet their end.
For Golden Core cultivators, even stronger Infestation Zones would form around them, spawning more formidable Void Beasts.
Entering an Infestation Zone, killing a Void Beast, and falling into the Void Domain meant certain death, as they would inevitably become lost within its depths.
Even attempting to flee without killing a Void Beast would alert the creature, leaving the cultivator with a grim choice: be devoured or slay it. Either way, it was essentially a dead end.
Only those with extraordinary luck, managing to avoid being engulfed by an Infestation Zone, could escape with their lives.
Such was the dire predicament.
No wonder less than ten percent of cultivators ever made it out of the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm alive.
Furthermore, Han Yi had no way of knowing whether hiding within an Infestation Zone, as he had done earlier—neither killing Void Beasts nor attempting to escape—would eventually return him to the real world once the Illusionary Realm concluded.
But he dared not gamble.
Now, as he emerged from the Infestation Zone's boundary, the black mist behind him surged violently, rapidly coiling toward him as if determined to drag him back into its domain.
Naturally, Han Yi had no intention of letting that happen. He flew low to the ground on his sword, fleeing swiftly.
Even after fleeing ten kilometers, Han Yi could still see the ever-expanding Void Domain Infestation Zone behind him.
This world will eventually be completely engulfed by the Infestation Zones, plunging it entirely into the Void Domain, the thought flashed through his mind.
He looked around and saw that it wasn't just the Infestation Zone he had just escaped. Black mist loomed elsewhere as well, forming one Infestation Zone after another, like spreading natural calamities dragging the world toward its doom.
Han Yi swiftly chose a new direction and sped away, passing through ruins of crumbled buildings and shattered walls along the way.
He found a secluded spot far from any Void Domain Infestation Zones, located an intact Meditation Chamber, set up the Seven Stars Profound Origin Formation, and began cultivating.
Half a month later, a Void Domain Infestation Zone once again enveloped Han Yi's location. This time, having learned from experience, he quickly escaped and found another new refuge.
And so it went.
Han Yi continued to cultivate while constantly evading the newly emerging Infestation Zones. As time passed, he drifted farther and farther from his original starting point.
Three times, six times, nine times...
Han Yi had lost count of how many times it had happened.
Time flew by, and four years had already passed.
Three years ago, Han Yi's cultivation realm had reached the peak of the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage.
However, he dared not attempt a breakthrough in this place, fearing that it might attract some unpredictable and bizarre entity, with unforeseen consequences.
Having reached the pinnacle of the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, Han Yi abandoned pushing his realm further and instead focused on honing his skills: the Wind Wall Technique, Fire Shield Technique, Ninefold Soul Tower, Li Fire Sword Manual, Change Hexagram Art...
Buzz!
Suddenly, in his seventh year trapped within the Mirage Immortal Illusionary Realm, while practicing the Wind Wall Technique, his surroundings rapidly transformed as if he had teleported. The light and shadows shifted dramatically, and he found himself back on Mirage Immortal Mountain.
Han Yi froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy, only to darken immediately afterward.
He was overjoyed to have escaped the illusionary realm, but his expression turned grim as he remembered the life-or-death situation he had been in seven years prior, when he had first arrived at Mirage Immortal Mountain and been relentlessly pursued.
Instinctively, Han Yi bolted forward.
No pursuers materialized behind him.
Not daring to let his guard down, Han Yi quickly used the Disguise Technique to alter his appearance and aura. He soared into the sky on his sword, fleeing the area.
Two hours later, Han Yi entered the Myriad Immortals Pavilion. Shangguan Yun's face lit up with a sincere and genuinely heartwarming smile.
"Fellow Daoist, did you forget to purchase something earlier?" Shangguan Yun led Han Yi to an Elegant Chamber on the second floor of the pavilion.
These private chambers offered one-on-one service and were reserved exclusively for high-potential clients. In Shangguan Yun's eyes, Han Yi was undoubtedly a major client, regardless of whether he had potential or not.
Han Yi felt a pang of nostalgia. His last visit had been over seven years ago. Yet, in Shangguan Yun's perception, only two months had passed. She assumed he was simply returning to restock supplies he had overlooked, completely unaware that during those seven years, Han Yi had narrowly escaped death three times: from Li Yuanyi's assassination attempt, the Golden Core Pursuit, and his fall into the Void Domain.
For an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, merely hearing about such ordeals would send shivers down their spine, let alone experiencing them firsthand.
Inside the Elegant Chamber, Shangguan Yun served Immortal Tea. By coincidence, it was the same "Immortal's Drunkenness" tea that Zhou Su had previously offered Han Yi.
After a moment of silence, Han Yi retrieved the magic sword he had obtained from the Golden Core cultivator.
"Manager Shangguan, could you please appraise this Magic Treasure?"
During his previous visit to the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, Han Yi had sold the Golden Light Shuttle. This time, one of his primary goals was to dispose of this troublesome Magic Treasure.
Shangguan Yun's face lit up at the mention of a Magic Treasure. She picked up the sword artifact and carefully examined the two characters inscribed on its silver blade. Her expression shifted slightly.
"Silver Frost Sword?"
Han Yi maintained a calm demeanor, though he had already noticed the characters on the sword. However, he had no idea where the Silver Frost Sword originated from.
Seeing Han Yi's composure, Shangguan Yun refocused her attention on the sword, scrutinizing it closely. After a thorough assessment, she found nothing amiss. The sword was not a fake but a genuine Magic Treasure.
"Impressive. This is indeed the Silver Frost Sword of the Southern Dipper Divine Palace."
Shangguan Yun set the sword down and looked at Han Yi. When he heard the words "Southern Dipper Divine Palace," his heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure as if he had known all along.
"Fellow Daoist, where did you obtain this sword?" Shangguan Yun blurted out, immediately realizing her mistake.
"Does the Myriad Immortals Pavilion ask about the origins of Magic Treasures they purchase?"
Han Yi raised an eyebrow, and in that instant, a profound killing intent radiated invisibly from him. This intent, honed through countless battles and near-death experiences, was a palpable force.
Though it vanished as quickly as it appeared, never truly targeting Shangguan Yun, her face paled instantly, and her heart pounded wildly. Even with her Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, she felt as if she had been plunged into a terrifying maelstrom of slaughter, barely managing to maintain her composure.
The seemingly refined and gentle cultivator before her was, in truth, an utterly terrifying God of Slaughter.
Worse still, the sword artifact resting on the table was none other than the Silver Frost Sword, a Magic Treasure belonging to Daoist Lujie, a Golden Core True Person from the Southern Dipper Divine Palace.
Shangguan Yun wasn't naive enough to believe that True Person Lu Jie had simply lost his personal sword and that this cultivator had coincidentally found it.
He had killed Daoist Lujie.
This almost undeniable truth left her momentarily speechless with shock.
"Manager Shangguan, is there a problem?" Han Yi raised an eyebrow again.
Shangguan Yun swiftly regained her composure. Looking at Han Yi, she carefully replied, "N-no, no problem at all."