Four thousand years ago, when a dozen or so Heavenly Venerables from the Central Dao Domain returned to the Primordial Great World, they passed through the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain and were ambushed by the most powerful force there, the Chaotic Ancient Immortal Mausoleum.
In that world-shaking battle, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, whose path to becoming a Heavenly Venerable was incomplete, perished. Meanwhile, Grand Heavenly Venerable Hongjun, the most powerful figure in the Primordial World, fought the revived Lord of the Immortal Mausoleum—a Half-Step Transcendent-level supreme being—and subsequently vanished, never to return to the Primordial Great World.
During this vast battle that engulfed vast expanses of Chaos, Celestial Venerable Suizhu also disappeared.
At the time, Han Yi happened to be accompanying Celestial Venerable Suizhu. After narrowly escaping with his life, he returned to the fringes of the colossal battlefield, intending to investigate Suizhu's whereabouts. By chance, he discovered a terrifying Sea of Fire.
As he fled the inferno, a golden Giant Egg within the Sea of Fire broke free from its fiery bonds and followed Han Yi. Within the egg, Han Yi sensed the unmistakable aura of Eastern Emperor Buer.
After all, he had once been Buer's master, and Buer had served as his Imperial Beast. Though their master-servant bond had been severed, they were both intimately familiar with each other's auras.
In the midst of the crisis, Han Yi didn't dwell on it and simply carried the golden giant egg with him.
Over three thousand years ago, when he left the Primordial World and passed through the Eastern Sovereign Territory, the golden giant egg had vibrated, pointing directly towards the Eastern Sovereign Ancestral Court. Now, having returned, Han Yi finally fulfilled the mysterious egg's wish by coming to the Eastern Sovereign Ancestral Court.
The giant egg was pulsating, pointing in a certain direction, but Han Yi didn't immediately follow its guidance. Instead, he began to investigate the Ancestral Court according to his own plan.
The Ancestral Court was vast, no smaller than the Sui Zhu Immortal Court. Layered mountain ranges stretched across the land, emanating boundless demonic energy, and beneath the earth lay hidden the ancient secrets of the Demon Race.
Han Yi had little interest in these secrets and only gained a general understanding without delving deeper.
After half a day, he approached a Divine Mountain, which just happened to be in the direction the golden giant egg had indicated.
This Divine Mountain was the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
This Ten Thousand Demon Mountain was not the same as the one in the Jade Balance Realm. It was the origin of all demons, the primordial land where the Demon Race first arose in the Primordial Great World.
The Eastern Emperor Taiyi had ascended to Venerable status within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. This place held both the secrets of his ascension and the arrangements he had made after becoming Venerable.
Han Yi focused his full attention, but to his surprise, as he approached the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, he discovered it was enveloped in a golden glow. This radiant aura radiated an intense heat, reminiscent of the Sea of Fire he had encountered in the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain during Taiyi's fall.
He attempted to pierce through this golden glow with his Limitless Divine Pupil, but at that moment, a golden light suddenly emerged from the Giant Egg within his Divine Aperture World. The light detached from the egg and hovered in the air.
Simultaneously, a surge of information flooded Han Yi's mind. He instantly understood that the Giant Egg intended to use this light to open the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
Han Yi frowned, pondering for a moment. Instead of relying on his own power, he hesitantly collected the golden light from his Divine Aperture World and placed it beyond the realm. Then, he slowly pressed it against the golden glow surrounding the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
Instantly...
The two lights merged, and just like the golden glow of the Giant Egg served as a key, a breach opened in the protective aura of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
Han Yi raised his guard, channeling his Immeasurable Divine Power into a Divine Armor. He was confident that even the Celestial Venerable Taiyi himself couldn't slay him in a kshana while clad in this armor.
Passing through the golden light, he truly entered Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, the very core of the Demon Ancestral Court.
Ten Thousand Demon Mountain stood at approximately 100,000 zhang tall, not exceptionally high by celestial standards. Yet as Han Yi gazed upon this mountain of demonic origin, he sensed a dense, swirling golden radiance enveloping its peak and permeating its depths.
Through his Limitless Divine Pupil, Han Yi discerned this as the Demon Race's Qi Luck Power.
He ascended the mountain steadily, reaching the summit without encountering any unusual obstacles, which only deepened his suspicion.
Upon reaching the peak, he found only a few scattered palaces, neither grand nor distinct from ordinary Immortal dwellings.
Within the Divine Aperture World, the golden giant egg's vibrations had reached their peak.
Han Yi ceased restraining it and allowed the egg to emerge naturally, placing it atop Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
Instantly, the golden giant egg drifted toward the central palace. Han Yi followed closely, sensing that the Heavenly Venerable opportunity he sought might manifest through this egg.
As the egg approached the palace, the massive gates creaked open, and it floated inside without hindrance. This left Han Yi puzzled.
If his assumptions were correct, this should be the Celestial Venerable Taiyi's cultivation realm, and he doubted such a place would lack a guardian spirit.
For example, the Sui Zhu Immortal Court is actually protected by the Spirit of the Age Candle. Whenever an anomaly occurs, this spirit, powerful enough to approach the Dao Realm, immediately issues a warning, alerting the Dao Ancestor overseeing the court.
Han Yi hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed the giant egg into the palace.
Within the palace, a golden giant egg hung suspended in mid-air. Then, multiple golden beams of light radiated from the palace's surroundings, converging on the egg. Suddenly, the eggshell cracked with a crack, shattering into nothingness. Within the shattered shell, the golden light intensified, and a frail figure slowly opened its eyes and stretched its limbs.
Han Yi focused his gaze, his eyes flickering with recognition.
The figure that had "hatched" from the golden giant egg was merely a child of about three years old. Moreover, the child's aura bore an astonishing 80% resemblance to that of Eastern Emperor Buer.
What startled Han Yi was the adoring gaze the three-year-old child directed at him, like a newborn looking at its parents.
The scene felt strangely familiar. A thought flashed through his mind, and he realized it mirrored the moment he accepted Eastern Emperor Buer as his Imperial Beast.
Under Han Yi's slightly bewildered gaze, the three-year-old child began to visibly age at a rapid pace, growing from five years old to seven, then eleven...
In less than ten breaths, a graceful, upright young woman emerged, reborn through the Divine Fire.
Her gaze toward Han Yi no longer held the innocent adoration of a three-year-old child, but rather a hint of confusion, as if her mind contained newly acquired memories yet to be fully processed.
Simultaneously, the radiance emanating from the palace reached its zenith, and the aura of the young woman, bearing the unmistakable presence of the Eastern Emperor Buer, also surged to its peak.
This aura sent a jolt through Han Yi's heart. It signified a peak of Harmonization with the Dao, surpassing even his own cultivation realm on the Immortal Path.
At that moment, an artifact the size of a fingernail slowly emerged from the center of the young woman's forehead and began to grow larger.
Han Yi's expression shifted subtly. The artifact emerging from her was none other than the bronze Donghuang Bell.
Though he had never seen it before, he recognized it instantly—the supreme treasure of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, the Donghuang Bell. Instead of ringing or expanding further, the bell stabilized at about nine meters in height and slowly descended.
Then, an ethereal figure stepped out from within the Donghuang Bell.
As Han Yi clearly saw the figure emerge, he tensed as if facing a formidable enemy. The figure was none other than Eastern Emperor Taiyi himself.
Of course, the phenomenon confirming Eastern Emperor Taiyi's demise had been verified. This meant the Heavenly Venerable had indeed perished, and at most, only a fragment of his soul remained here, wielding the Myriad Nether Tome. Han Yi wasn't worried about Body Seizure.
His wariness stemmed from the unexpected turn of events. Given that this was once a Heavenly Venerable and the Lord of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, if he were to trigger any hidden defenses of the mountain, Han Yi could still escape, but it would require considerable effort.
The Eastern Emperor Taiyi who emerged from the Donghuang Bell immediately turned his gaze toward the young woman, who bore a striking seven-tenths resemblance to Eastern Emperor Buer. A hint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
Then, he looked at Han Yi. Instead of hostility, he performed a profound bow.
"My sincere thanks, Little Friend Han."
Han Yi maintained his guard, keeping the Immeasurable Divine Armor activated and the Taosi Divine Axe gripped tightly. This wasn't due to unfounded suspicion, but necessary caution.
Yet, the sight of a Heavenly Venerable—albeit a fallen one—bowing to him still sent a jolt of astonishment through his heart.
He returned the gesture. "I do not know. I humbly request Senior's guidance."
Donghuang and Age Candle had once been great adversaries, but this did not mean Han Yi needed to treat the Eastern Sovereign's powerful figures with hostility.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi nodded but didn't immediately answer Han Yi's question. Instead, he pointed lightly, and the golden-wrapped Eastern Emperor Buer slowly descended.
At that moment, Eastern Emperor Buer seemed reborn. Having finally assimilated the memories and understood the full context, she looked at Eastern Emperor Taiyi with sorrowful eyes.
"Greetings, Heavenly Venerable."
Eastern Emperor Taiyi nodded, then turned to Han Yi. As if reading his thoughts, he said slowly:
"Little Friend Han should know that Buer is one of the Dao Children of the Primordial Great World."
Han Yi nodded. He had learned of Eastern Emperor Buer's identity after she left with him.
In the Primordial Great World, there were nine Dao Children, born from the collective qi luck of heaven and earth. They were powerful cultivators created by the Dao for the Dao Grave.
In the Sui Zhu Immortal Court, Yu Guang Dao Ancestor was also one of these Dao Children.
"Buer was born to inherit the qi luck of the Demon Race in the Primordial World. Possessing the Nine Great Demon Bodies, her ascension to Demon Ancestor is inevitable."
"Thousands of years ago, I fell into the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain. At my impending demise, I used the Source Tracing Demon Art to transform Buer of the Demon Realm into the Primordial Chaos Origin State. I then concealed the Donghuang Bell and a fragment of my soul within it."
"My downfall was inevitable, and the Primordial Demon Clan needed a new Heavenly Venerable—one who would be a true Heavenly Venerable, free from imperfections."
"Little Friend Han brought Buer to Donghuang, shortening a process that would have otherwise taken countless millennia."
"That is why I must thank you, Little Friend Han."
After Eastern Emperor Taiyi's explanation, Han Yi's brow furrowed deeply, but it quickly smoothed out.
This wasn't entirely a sacrifice for Donghuang; instead, it secured him a future ally in the form of a Heavenly Venerable.
Seeing that Han Yi understood the implications, Eastern Emperor Taiyi offered no further explanation and slowly dissipated.
Meanwhile, Eastern Emperor Buer experienced a sudden flash of inspiration and began meditating in the Great Hall. Below, within Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, and above, in the mountain's airspace, golden light began to stream continuously into his body.
This golden light was the very Qi Luck Power of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain that Han Yi had previously witnessed with his Limitless Divine Pupil.
This Qi Luck Power had accumulated over countless millennia since the birth of the myriad races. Transformed by the Celestial Venerable Taiyi, it was now suitable for absorption by those sharing his origin.
After a moment of silence, Han Yi flickered and vanished from Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. The radiant aura surrounding the peak parted automatically, creating a passage for his departure.
Standing outside Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, Han Yi sighed. The true rewards of this journey lay not in the present, but in the future.
The entire process was straightforward: before his death, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi had sealed a portion of his Inheritance and power into Eastern Emperor Buer. Through a Heaven-Defying Demon Art, Buer was then returned to a state of primordial chaos—the Golden Giant Egg.
Normally, after a period of incubation, the Giant Egg would hatch, giving birth to Eastern Emperor Buer. He would then rely on his own strength to return to the Vast Heng Dao Domain, to the Eastern Sovereign Ancestral Court within Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. There, by absorbing the Qi Luck Power of the Demon Race, he would ascend to the rank of Heavenly Venerable.
This was the path Eastern Emperor Taiyi had planned for Eastern Emperor Buer.
Of course, whether Buer would survive the journey was beyond his control.
After all, the Sea of Fire where Taiyi perished lay within the Chaotic Antiquity Dao Domain, a realm where Heavenly Secrets were in disarray. A casual strike from a powerful Chaotic Heavenly Venerable there could easily destroy all his meticulous arrangements.
What greatly excited Eastern Emperor Taiyi was that, in the mysterious workings of fate, a karmic bond existed between Eastern Emperor Buer and Han Yi. This very karmic connection led Han Yi to encounter the Sea of Fire, return to the Primordial Era with the Golden Giant Egg, enter the Ancestral Court, and ultimately reach Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.
Upon arriving at Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, bolstered by the Demon Race's collective luck, Eastern Emperor Buer rapidly advanced through stages that would have otherwise taken tens of thousands of years, reaching the peak of Harmonization with the Dao in a remarkably short time.
Moreover, this progress directly activated Eastern Emperor Taiyi's contingency plan, allowing Buer to absorb the Demon Race's luck. This luck, refined by Celestial Venerable Taiyi, possessed extraordinary potency, truly embodying the path to becoming a Demon Clan Heavenly Venerable.
Once Eastern Emperor Buer fully absorbs the Demon Race's luck, he will ascend to the rank of Heavenly Venerable. Unlike Eastern Emperor Taiyi, whose Great Dao was flawed, Buer will become a true Heavenly Venerable.
This was the sequence of events Han Yi discerned.
Throughout this process, the Demon Race essentially borrowed Han Yi's power to revive their path to a Heavenly Venerable. Han Yi himself gained no immediate benefit, only deepening the karmic bond between himself and Eastern Emperor Buer. However, once Buer ascends to the rank of Heavenly Venerable, Han Yi could then harness this immense power.
"Enough. Once Eastern Emperor Buer ascends to the rank of Heavenly Venerable, he can provide protection for the Age Candle. Even if a Heavenly Venerable from Purgatory Island or Void Demon Palace intervenes, we'll have a force of comparable magnitude to counter them."