On the northern outskirts of the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, near Tiannan Immortal City, Ke Yao was fleeing for her life.
Her face showed no fear, her eyes burning with unwavering killing intent. Even in this deadly peril, her resolve remained unshaken.
Yet her condition was dire. Her once flowing hair, now hacked short with her own dagger, hung in disarray. Beneath her tattered magic robe, she wore a silver, form-fitting soft armor.
Blood stained her from head to toe—some her own, but mostly from those she had slain. It matted her hair, streaked her face, and dripped from her hands and neck.
Bang!
A fiery projectile hurtled toward her. Ke Yao barely managed to twist aside, raising her dagger defensively, before the explosion slammed into her. The force sent her flying more than ten meters into a towering tree, which shuddered, shedding a shower of leaves.
Pfft!
Ke Yao spat blood, her face paling. She gasped for air and lunged forward. In that instant, a black longsword sliced through the space where she had been leaning against the tree, severing the massive trunk cleanly.
Stumbling forward, she failed to fully evade the returning blade. The black longsword tore a deep gash into her arm, exposing bone. Blood gushed out with a wet hiss, staining the undergrowth crimson.
The Black Sword returned to the hand of a middle-aged cultivator. About thirty meters away, a burly man wielding a crimson longbow arrived as well.
But they weren't alone.
Ke Yao clutched her wounded arm, her gaze fixed on the space between the middle-aged cultivator and the burly man. A young man in his late twenties strode slowly forward.
The young man's face was grim, his eyes flashing with a predatory glint as he stared at Ke Yao.
"Ke Yao, hand over the Foundation Establishment Pill, and I'll spare your life. I can make that decision."
"Otherwise, I'll kill you and search for it myself. It'll just take a little more effort."
Ke Yao's eyes locked onto the young cultivator, Ao Hongyi, her gaze blazing with bone-deep hatred.
"Ao Hongyi, you're dreaming! Even if I die, you'll never get your hands on that pill."
With those words, Ke Yao fell silent. She began to retreat slowly, shifting her gaze from Ao Hongyi to the other two cultivators who had arrived: the middle-aged man with the Black Sword and the burly archer.
"Eighth Layer... Seventh Layer... What am I going to do?"
Despair threatened to engulf Ke Yao, but she resolved to fight to the end for any chance of survival, and to seek vengeance later. She carried the weight of over seventy Ke Family lives on her shoulders.
Father, Mother, Younger Sister, Elder Brother...
The images of their deaths haunted her even in sleep, repeatedly jolting her awake from nightmares.
A voice echoed endlessly in her dreams: Never forget... never forget... not even in death...
But...
The assassination she had meticulously planned had turned into a trap for herself, leading to this desperate moment.
She burned with hatred and resentment. She couldn't die yet!
In Ke Yao's eyes, the flames of vengeance blazed fiercely, her will to survive surging with unprecedented intensity.
At that instant...
The burly man drew his crimson longbow taut, instantly conjuring a fiery red arrow of mana.
Whoosh!
The arrow hurtled toward Ke Yao's former position, exploding in a burst of flame. But she had already thrown herself backward and rolled away.
"Hmph, a troublesome one."
"Don't kill her. Cripple her instead. I still need to pry the location of the Foundation Establishment Pill from her lips."
Ao Hongyi barked the order, a longsword already in his hand. He charged toward Ke Yao's retreating form.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged cultivator with the Black Sword pinched his fingers together, manipulating the blade to circle around from the flank, preparing a surprise attack from behind.
Just then, Ke Yao, who had been sent flying, suddenly lunged into a hidden mountain cave.
Bang!
The black sword followed swiftly, striking the cave's entrance and carving a gaping hole in its side. The already fragile cave instantly collapsed halfway.
Inside, Han Yi, deep in cultivation, watched the cave crumble and his expression darkened.
This was an innocent calamity.
He had just swept the surrounding five kilometers with his Divine Sense, detecting no immediate threats except for the four individuals who had stumbled upon his secluded cultivation and an elderly cultivator gradually approaching.
The four intruders were engaged in a deadly pursuit: two cultivators at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and one at the Eighth Layer were hunting down a female cultivator, also at the Seventh Layer.
Han Yi had no intention of interfering as long as the chase didn't affect his secluded cave.
He wasn't a saint driven by notions of justice. Moreover, superficial righteousness often masked deeper truths. In this case, with three cultivators pursuing one, Han Yi couldn't discern right from wrong. By staying out of it, he avoided entangling himself in their causality.
However...
The destruction of his cave was an entirely different matter.
The middle-aged cultivator, who had shattered the cave entrance with a single strike from his High-Grade Magic Artifact longsword, startled violently. He swiftly retracted his sword, holding it defensively before him, and teleported to Ao Hongyi's side.
"Young Master, there's an unfamiliar cultivator in seclusion here. Be careful."
The burly archer also retreated, positioning himself to protect the young cultivator from the other side. His thick fingers rested on the bowstring, ready to unleash an arrow at the slightest sign of danger.
Inside the cave, Ke Yao, who had rolled to safety, jolted in surprise as well. But her fear was tinged with a desperate hope for survival. A variable meant opportunity.
"Senior," she called out, her eyes locked on Han Yi, "I am Ke Yao of the Ke Family from Heavenly Azure Immortal City. My family possesses a Foundation Establishment Pill, which is why the Ao Clan is hunting me down. Please, help me escape, and I will gladly offer you the pill in gratitude."
Ke Yao spoke first, hoping this unexpected turn of events would work in her favor. She was even willing to dangle the allure of the Foundation Establishment Pill as leverage. Any Ninth-Layer Qi Refining cultivator would surely be tempted.
Outside the cave, Ao Hongyi stared intently at Han Yi, an unnaturally bright light flashing in his eyes before vanishing.
"Uncle Liu, Patriarch Chen," he said in a low voice, "this cultivator is using a spell similar to the Aura Concealment Technique to hide his true cultivation."
"However, my Yang Spirit Eyes can see something within his dantian—an object radiating a chillingly malevolent aura."
"This cultivator has been poisoned, and the toxin has infiltrated his dantian," Ao Hongyi whispered to the middle-aged cultivator and the burly archer.
"Hmph, no wonder he chose to seclude himself here," the middle-aged cultivator scoffed.
The three men exchanged a fleeting glance.
This cave lay on the outermost fringes of the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, where only Third-Tier or lower Demon Beasts roamed. What kind of cultivator would choose such a place for secluded cultivation?
Moreover, Ao Hongyi's Yang Spirit Eyes had clearly seen the poisoned state of the cultivator's dantian, further fueling their suspicions.
When Ke Yao mentioned the Foundation Establishment Pill, a hint of hidden murderous intent flickered in Ao Hongyi's eyes.
A cultivator secluding himself in a cave on the edge of the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, poisoned, aware of the Ke Family and Ao Clan's feud, and most importantly, knowing about the Foundation Establishment Pill...
Combining these factors, the three men exchanged a final look and instantly reached a silent decision.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the cave...
After emerging, Han Yi first surveyed his surroundings, then cast a deep, meaningful look at Ke Yao. Her words had deliberately tried to implicate him: naming herself as Ke Yao, identifying the Ao Clan as her pursuers, and referencing the Foundation Establishment Pill as the source of their families' enmity.
Her single sentence carried a wealth of information, and her hidden motives left Han Yi thoroughly displeased.
However, Han Yi wouldn't kill someone based on a single remark.
He shifted his gaze to the three cultivators thirty meters ahead. Though Ao Hongyi had spoken softly, Han Yi had heard him perfectly through his Divine Sense.
Still...
Han Yi was a man who judged by actions, not intentions. While Ao Hongyi's interruption annoyed him, he felt it was time to move on anyway. He could find another place to cultivate after reaching Tiannan Immortal City.
Without so much as a glance at his surroundings, he took a single, silent step and instantly appeared thirty meters away. As he prepared to take another step and depart,
Suddenly,
A weathered voice echoed from hundreds of meters above, ringing with authority.
"So, you think you can simply leave after learning of the Ao Clan's affairs?"
Before the voice had even faded, a figure riding a sword had already traversed the distance and descended swiftly.
Ke Yao, standing at the edge of the cave, looked up at the descending figure, her eyes filled with despair.
The three cultivators who had been preparing to attack, however, beamed with delight.
"It's the Third Elder!"
"With the Third Elder here, that man has no chance of escape!"
"It's Third Uncle! Now my Foundation Establishment Pill is secure!"
Han Yi, who had already flashed thirty meters away, watched the elderly cultivator descend on his sword, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
As the elderly cultivator descended, a bright, sunlight-like glint flashed in his eyes, followed by a look of sudden realization. "So, a Body Refiner... And one who's used unorthodox methods to temper his flesh, resulting in accumulated toxins within his body. Though his cultivation realm is comparable to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, the deep-seated toxicity in his Dantian forces him into periodic seclusion."
"Fellow Daoist, am I correct?" the elderly cultivator asked.
Han Yi remained expressionless, meeting the elderly cultivator's gaze. "And then?" he asked.
This was the first time he had spoken in public, and his first utterance in over a year.
"And then?" A cold glint flashed in the elderly cultivator's eyes. "There is no 'and then.'"
As soon as the words left his lips, a sword artifact materialized behind him, emitting a searing light as it streaked toward Han Yi.
The elderly cultivator had surmised that while his opponent practiced dual cultivation of spirit and body, his reliance on unorthodox methods had disrupted the balance between his spiritual and physical energies. Moreover, under the Ao Clan's Yang Spirit Pupil Technique, he could clearly see the accumulated toxins within the cultivator's Dantian.
Furthermore, this cultivator was unfamiliar—the elderly man had never seen him before, which suggested he was a Rogue Cultivator. Only such rogue practitioners, due to flawed cultivation techniques, would lose balance in their dual cultivation, struggle to eliminate residual toxins, and thus hide in the outer reaches of the Myriad Demon Mountain Range for secluded cultivation.
Since he was a Rogue Cultivator, there was no need for further discourse. A single sword strike would suffice, and might even yield some spoils.
To Han Yi, the old man's sword strike was slow—painfully slow.
Hmph!
The old man was merely at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and quite aged. He reminded Han Yi of the Foundation Establishment cultivator he had encountered outside Red Phoenix City when he had first broken through. Back then, fresh from his own breakthrough, Han Yi had already felt no fear. Now, such a foe posed even less of a threat.
With a light shift of his body, Han Yi effortlessly evaded the incoming sword artifact. His longsword soared from its sheath, darting forward with a flicker of motion that made it seem as if it had teleported before the elderly cultivator.
Then—
Swish!
A flash of sword light severed the old man's head, sending it soaring into the air.
But it didn't end there.
The same sword strike continued its arc, carving a dark green line through the air as it effortlessly slaughtered the three Ao Clan members, their faces still alight with triumph.
In less than a breath, the sword artifact returned to its sheath behind Han Yi.
Han Yi hadn't even used the Seven Stars Kunwu Sword, deeming his opponents unworthy. He had simply wielded the Green Ripple Sword.
Yet with his current cultivation and skills, even a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would fall before the Green Ripple Sword, let alone an aged Early Foundation Establishment cultivator accompanied by three Qi Refining disciples.
The elderly cultivator, the Ao Clan's patriarch, collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud. His grayish Divine Soul fled from the body, only to be incinerated by Han Yi's Divine Soul Five Decays Technique.
With a flick of his wrist, Han Yi summoned the four cultivators' storage pouches into his hand, deposited them into his storage ring, and glanced one last time at Ke Yao, whose face was a mask of shock, her pupils wildly dilated. Then he turned and strode away.
Though Ke Yao harbored her own designs, the terror of imminent death loomed large. Like a drowning person clutching at any straw, she would grasp at any chance of survival. Han Yi disliked her, but he wouldn't kill her for it.
"Senior! Senior! Please take me as your disciple!" Ke Yao, finally regaining her senses, dropped to her knees and began kowtowing violently, her forehead slamming against the ground with a dull thud.
Han Yi, already a hundred meters away, didn't break his stride.
It wasn't just that he disliked Ke Yao; he was already burdened with his own troubles and had no time to take on a disciple. He had only intervened to save her life because the Ao Clan's Foundation Establishment Elder had provoked him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered. Even after advancing to Foundation Establishment, his principles remained unchanged.
Several hundred meters away, Ke Yao abruptly raised her head, a bloody welt marring her forehead. But the mysterious cultivator had vanished. Her expression darkened as she considered giving chase, then hesitated and stopped.
The cultivator was immensely powerful, at least at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, possibly late-Foundation Establishment, or even a Golden Core True Person. It was only natural that such a being would ignore someone like Ke Yao.
Ke Yao feared that if she pressed too much, the cultivator might grow displeased and casually end her life.
After hesitating for half a minute, she gritted her teeth, turned, and fled deeper into the Myriad Demon Mountain Range.
Meanwhile, Han Yi emerged from the forest, used his Disguise Technique to alter his appearance, and soared away on his sword toward Tiannan Immortal City, a nearby settlement.
Tiannan Immortal City, located within the Great Qin Immortal Kingdom, was the largest and most powerful entity in the Jade Balance Realm, surpassing even the Holy Lands in influence. This was because the Great Qin Emperor was the realm's strongest cultivator, unmatched by any other.
Even when Han Yi was merely an Outer Sect Disciple of the Profound Pill Sect, he had known that the Great Qin Emperor stood as the pinnacle of the cultivation world.
The Jade Balance Realm was divided into Nine Provinces. Great Qian controlled two—Qian Prefecture and Shu Prefecture—while the dominant Great Qin Immortal Kingdom controlled four: Qin Province, Ji Province, Yang Province, and Yu Province.
Across the Myriad Demon Mountain Range from Great Qian's Jinyun Immortal City stood Tiannan Immortal City, located in Yu Province. Tiannan Immortal City was approximately twice the size of Jinyun Immortal City.
Han Yi moved swiftly, arriving at Tiannan Immortal City in less than a minute. He entered through the Immortal Ship Passage and landed inside.
Tiannan Immortal City bustled with cultivators, its activity surpassing even that of Jinyun Immortal City.
Suddenly, Han Yi spotted a familiar signboard:
Myriad Immortals Pavilion.
He had long known that Great Qian's Myriad Immortals Pavilion had expanded its business throughout the Jade Balance Realm. Yet he never expected to see its familiar sign so soon after entering Great Qin, right here in Tiannan Immortal City.
A moment's reflection clarified the situation. As a major trading hub, Tiannan Immortal City, like Jinyun Immortal City, hosted numerous merchant guilds. Just as Jinyun Immortal City had Great Qin's guilds, Tiannan Immortal City would naturally have those from Great Qian.
Han Yi didn't approach the Myriad Immortals Pavilion. To completely sever ties with his past identity and avoid any potential pursuit, he needed to distance himself entirely from his former Great Qian connections.
Instead, he headed toward another merchant guild located near the Myriad Immortals Pavilion. This guild occupied a pavilion that towered higher and appeared more magnificent than its neighbor.
Supreme Pavilion.
Legend had it that the Myriad Immortals Pavilion of Great Qian was established by one of its imperial sons to rival the Supreme Pavilion.
However, unlike the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, the Supreme Pavilion boasted a far more formidable and authoritative backing. Behind it stood the most powerful cultivator in the entire Jade Balance Realm—the Great Qin Emperor, rumored to be just a step away from immortality.
This unparalleled backing was precisely why the pavilion dared to call itself "Supreme."
The Supreme Pavilion comprised five floors. The first four catered to cultivators in the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul stages, respectively, while the fifth floor was reserved for private use.
The Profound Immortal Pavilion of the Profound Pill Sect drew inspiration from the Myriad Immortals Pavilion for its first three floors, but its fourth floor was modeled after the Supreme Pavilion.
Upon entering the Supreme Pavilion, Han Yi replenished his supply of spirit talismans, acquiring both a Three Spirits Immortal Fall Talisman and a Six Spirits Immortal-Slaying Talisman.
The Three Spirits Immortal Fall Talisman cost 270 high-grade spirit stones, while the Six Spirits Immortal-Slaying Talisman cost 690.
These two talismans alone drained Han Yi of 960 high-grade spirit stones.
Before departing Shu Capital, Han Yi had sold True Person Lu Jie's Silverfrost Sword at the Myriad Immortals Pavilion. Combined with his previous savings, he now had 920 high-grade spirit stones.
After advancing to the Late Foundation Establishment stage and being stationed in Qian Capital, Han Yi received a sect stipend of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, the same quality as other Foundation Establishment Elders. However, his annual allowance was significantly higher, totaling a full thousand stones.
For most Foundation Establishment cultivators, a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones would be a substantial fortune, enough to purchase a Top-Grade Magic Artifact. Moreover, accumulating over a decade could yield over ten thousand stones, potentially enough to acquire a Magic Treasure.
For ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, ten to twenty years represented only about one-tenth of their lifespan. Many Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators toiled relentlessly for decades, exhausting their savings, only to finally achieve their dream of owning a Magic Treasure.
Han Yi's situation was even more exceptional. The Sect Elders, believing he had a chance to break through to the Golden Core stage, granted him a one-time advance of ten years' worth of stipends—a lump sum of ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
However...
Even ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones proved insufficient for Han Yi's needs.
As Han Yi's strength grew and the enemies he faced became increasingly formidable, his need for Spirit Stones soared. This was especially evident in his current situation.
He paid 920 High-Grade Spirit Stones and 6,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for the two Spirit Talismans. Using a conversion rate of 3 Mid-Grade to 2 High-Grade, he converted the latter into 4,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones, bringing the total cost to 4,920 High-Grade Spirit Stones.
Next, he purchased an Immortal Boat called the Tiger Valiant Immortal Vessel. This Top-Grade Magic Artifact, similar in performance to the Human Immortal-grade Immortal Boats sold by the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, cost him 2,500 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
Before leaving, the shopkeeper of the Supreme Pavilion handed Han Yi an anonymous token that tracked his accumulated spending points.
"This is the Supreme Pavilion's points token," the shopkeeper explained. "This particular token identifies you as a Black Iron Customer of the Supreme Tower, a status reserved for cultivators who have spent at least 100 High-Grade Spirit Stones. Currently, this token holds 977 points, reflecting the 977 High-Grade Spirit Stones you've just spent. Once you reach 10,000 points, you'll be upgraded to Silver Customer status."
Han Yi understood immediately. This system was similar to the Myriad Immortals Token of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion.
"Black Iron, Silver... are there any tokens above Silver?" Han Yi asked curiously.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Yes, above Silver is the Gold Token. However, that token isn't based on points; it's based on cultivation level. Only Divine Transformation Great Powers are eligible to receive it."
Han Yi nodded in understanding.
Most cultivators who could afford one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones were in the Late Foundation Establishment stage or even Golden Core cultivators. Ten thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, on the other hand, met the standard for Nascent Soul cultivators.
In other words, Golden Core cultivators received Black Iron tokens, Nascent Soul cultivators received Silver tokens, and Divine Transformation Great Powers received Gold tokens.
The Supreme Pavilion certainly had high standards, starting with Golden Core status. No wonder, considering it was backed by the most powerful cultivators in the Jade Balance Realm.
Han Yi secured his purchases and turned to leave.
Moments later, he found an inn affiliated with the Supreme Tower, rented a Meditation Chamber, and settled into a cross-legged position.
Though far from home in unfamiliar territory, Han Yi felt no sense of melancholy. He knew he would return soon, and that time would not be long.