This place was essentially a miniature Mortal Realm. It contained continent after continent, where cultivators ceaselessly trained, slaughtered one another, and fought over resources. Everything was no different from the Mortal Realm—ascending layer by layer, then ascending further into broader worlds.
Yet those broader worlds were still internal worlds. Everything unfolded according to Heavenly God Hao Han's grand design, step by step advancing toward the peak. At the same time, this place also resembled the Outer God Domain, with world after world stacked upon one another.
Heavenly God Hao Han rarely intervened personally, completely allowing them to develop on their own. Occasionally, he would send down some inheritances for them to discover and excavate.
He was like a creator god, letting them climb upward step by step. It was practically the creation of an entirely new world system, allowing them to exist within rules he himself had established.
Yi Tianyun immediately understood Heavenly God Hao Han's true objective—to cultivate a massive group of powerful experts who belonged solely to him! Especially from the very beginning, these people cultivated the martial arts he bestowed, following his rules from start to finish.
This meant that, in the future, they could inherit his legacy perfectly, without the slightest sense of rejection.
From this, it was evident that Hao Han Divine Sect could be said to have no people, because anyone below the Heavenly Venerable level was essentially useless. In a Fourth-Grade God Domain, such individuals couldn't stir up much trouble.
Yet it could also be said to have many people. So many cultivators had the potential to become disciples, each with a chance to break through to Heavenly Venerable. But if they failed to break through, then failure was failure—no amount of words could change that.
That was why Heavenly Venerable Jian Si and the others only acknowledged five true fellow disciples. According to the rules, those cultivators technically resided within Hao Han Divine Sect, yet they had no idea they were part of it. Thus, in the end, there were only five people.
"Your master has some matters to attend to," Heavenly God Hao Han said, before vanishing into the void, his destination unknown.
The other two senior brothers likewise departed on their own, leaving Heavenly Venerable Jian Si to accompany Yi Tianyun on a tour.
Watching Heavenly God Hao Han's departing figure, Yi Tianyun felt a trace of emotion.
"To be as patient as Master… there probably aren't many like him," Yi Tianyun shook his head. From simulating Mortal Realm factions to simulating God Domain worlds, everything was astonishingly realistic.
The world before them was exactly like the Mortal Realm, completely lacking the energy of a Fourth-Grade God Domain. As such, phenomena like God Domain baptisms would never occur. This meant cultivation had to begin from the Body Tempering Stage and the like, and the time required for refinement would be immense.
"Yes. Almost no one would do things the way Master does—starting entirely from zero. The difficulty and time required are simply too great. Other factions would never choose such a path," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si explained. "Master's patience is extraordinary. He enjoys watching growth forged little by little, and more importantly, cultivating disciples according to his own rhythm—disciples best suited to inheriting his legacy."
"Although we are also disciples, there are still areas where we fall short of Master's standards."
Yi Tianyun couldn't help but shake his head. There was no denying that Heavenly God Hao Han's patience was terrifying. If he intervened frequently, that would be one thing—but allowing them to grow freely, no one knew how long it would take.
If it were Yi Tianyun, he wouldn't do things this way. He would rather manage things directly and cultivate talent efficiently to rapidly enhance overall strength.
"No one knows how long it would take to nurture a single Heavenly Venerable like this… Even with martial arts left behind, the difficulty is still enormous," Yi Tianyun sighed. If outstanding geniuses were selected and cultivated intensively, who knew how many powerful experts could be produced?
He knew that Heavenly God Hao Han's teaching ability was certainly not lacking. Producing Heavenly Venerables wouldn't be difficult for him.
"It truly is difficult. After so many years, only one Heavenly Venerable emerged—that alone tells you how hard it is," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si said with a bitter smile. "Fortunately, Master isn't limited to this place. He also recruits geniuses from other God Domains. Still, he has invested an absurd amount of effort here—to the point of fanaticism."
"He even cultivated a Heavenly Venerable… Could it be that Heavenly Venerable…?" Yi Tianyun froze, immediately thinking of the senior sister he had yet to meet.
"That's right—our Second Senior Sister, ranked below Senior Brother Litian. Only after passing layer upon layer of selection was she chosen," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si said solemnly. "Senior Sister is incredibly strong. She has perfectly inherited Master's legacy and possesses astonishing attainments in this regard."
"Compared to Heavenly Venerable Litian, Second Senior Sister is even stronger by a margin!"
Following the rule of seniority—whoever joined earlier ranked higher—even if her cultivation surpassed Heavenly Venerable Litian, she would still address him as senior brother.
"Mm. Someone who can perfectly inherit Master's legacy—how could she be weak?" Yi Tianyun nodded deeply. Heavenly God Hao Han would certainly have taught her without reservation, forging an exceptionally perfect disciple.
"Exactly. Second Senior Sister is monstrously talented. She has already reached the mid-stage of the Upper Heavenly Venerable realm—almost an all-rounder…" Heavenly Venerable Jian Si shuddered slightly. "Overall, she's excellent. It's just that she's very strict, never smiles, and speaking with her feels oppressive—almost like facing Master himself."
"That exaggerated?" Yi Tianyun looked Heavenly Venerable Jian Si up and down. It seemed he was genuinely intimidated by his senior sister.
"Not exaggerated at all. Senior Sister stays here—you'll meet her soon," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si said gravely. "It's probably because she was constantly influenced by Master, so she became so similar to him."
Yi Tianyun pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "Could it be that Master fell out with the Cultivation Heaven God Domain because he wanted to create the world he envisioned? When ideals clash, situations like that often arise."
"That's probably it. I don't know the details either," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si replied. "Their ideals must have been incompatible. Otherwise, why would Master leave such a powerful God Domain? The Cultivation Heaven God Domain ranks among the top five Fourth-Grade God Domains. Countless Heavenly Venerables fight desperately just to become elders there, yet Master abandoned an elder position outright. That alone shows how serious the issue was."
"So that's how it is…" Yi Tianyun nodded. It aligned with his speculation. "What Master wants is more likely powerful experts who rise up from ordinary origins…"
"Heh, worthy of our Junior Brother—you understood it immediately," Heavenly Venerable Jian Si laughed. "Indeed, selecting geniuses for cultivation can usually yield decent results. But Master refuses to do that. He lets them rise step by step, showing little favoritism whether their talent is poor or exceptional."
"Even Senior Sister's talent wasn't particularly outstanding, yet she still became an Upper Heavenly Venerable. Isn't that unbelievable? The Cultivation Heaven God Domain only accepts peerless, heaven-defying geniuses—anyone less than a supreme prodigy is rejected outright. Master, on the other hand, chooses disciples with perseverance and diligence. Completely different ideals!"
Yi Tianyun nodded again. From the Heavenly Venerable Dao itself, it was clear that Heavenly God Hao Han valued perseverance above all else, rather than absolute, monstrous talent.