Whether it was the true identity of the Ferocious, the inheritance of the Great World Lord of the Primordial Era, or Li Qiankun becoming the Ferocious's second master, these were all extremely significant secrets in the Primordial World.
Among them, the most significant was naturally the inheritance of the Great World Lord of the Primordial Era.
Han Yi's thoughts stirred. He realized that this inheritance should originally have been carried by the Ferocious and fallen into the Ferocious Realm. Yet, through a remarkable stroke of fortune, Li Qiankun had obtained it. This was no simple matter; there must be profound causality at play.
Furthermore...
No wonder Li Qiankun could manipulate the Dao Intent of the Ferocious Realm, moving freely within it. It turned out that by becoming the Ferocious's master, he had effectively become the master of the Ferocious Realm itself.
Suddenly, Han Yi felt another inner stir.
He recalled the Demonic Transformation he had witnessed Li Qiankun undergo ten thousand years ago in the Ferocious Realm. At the time, Li Qiankun's condition had been peculiar. If he were truly the Ferocious's master, even in a state of Demonic Transformation, the Ferocious should have intervened to aid him. With the power of a High-Ranked Celestial Venerable, it would have been effortless to restore Li Qiankun.
Yet, in reality, Li Qiankun only gradually recovered after Han Yi intervened.
This connected to Li Qiankun's earlier statement that he was the Ferocious's second master, but only "in name."
There was definitely something here that Han Yi hadn't fully grasped.
Han Yi digested the information, but he didn't rush to ask questions. He knew Li Qiankun would explain eventually.
As expected.
Seeing Han Yi quickly regain his composure, Li Qiankun continued his explanation:
"As you suspected, my status as Ferocious's Master is only nominal. In reality, my connection to him is minimal. He doesn't restrain me, and I have no control over him."
"Over the years, it was only through cultivating the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance that I gradually established my footing in the Ferocious Realm."
Han Yi suddenly understood.
He never would have imagined the true nature of Li Qiankun's relationship with Ferocious.
Before Li Qiankun ascended to the Dao Ancestor realm, he had serendipitously obtained the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance in the Ferocious Realm, becoming Ferocious's Master. However, Ferocious was a High-Ranked Celestial Venerable—how could such a being possibly serve as a mount for a cultivator who hadn't even reached the Dao Realm?
Yet, bound by the Inheritance's constraints, Ferocious couldn't simply kill Li Qiankun outright. Therefore, he chose to ignore him completely, only intervening when Celestial Venerable Chonglou pursued Li Qiankun into the Ferocious Realm and was subsequently driven away.
Ferocious's attack on Chonglou wasn't out of loyalty to Li Qiankun, but because his domain, the Primordial Inheritance Land, forbade the approach of other Heavenly Venerables.
After that, Li Qiankun underwent Demonic Transformation and wandered the Ferocious Realm. The Lord of the Ferocious Realm paid him no heed, neither interfering nor paying him much attention.
It wasn't until Li Qiankun advanced to the External Dao and obtained the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance, granting him the power to harness a sliver of the Ferocious Realm's might, that he earned a mere shred of recognition from the Ferocious.
But it remained only a shred. The distance to full acknowledgment of their relationship was vast, a distance that could only be bridged if Li Qiankun one day ascended to the rank of High-Ranked Celestial Venerable.
As these thoughts flowed through his mind, Han Yi had roughly pieced together the evolving dynamics between the two over time.
"Furthermore, the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance I obtained was only an extremely small fragment."
"Within this fragment, I discovered coordinates leading to other inheritances. A thousand years ago, I ventured alone to one such location, but ultimately returned empty-handed, barred from entry."
"Today, having encountered Fellow Daoist Han, who has also advanced to the External Dao and undoubtedly grown stronger, I believe that together, our combined strength can surely break through the restriction guarding the entrance to that inheritance site and enter within."
At this point, Li Qiankun's expression turned solemn.
"Therefore, I would like to invite Fellow Daoist Han to journey with me to those coordinates and investigate the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance."
Han Yi frowned.
He now understood that the Great Realm Lord of the Primordial World, known as "Ancient" or "Primordial," was a Half-Step Transcendent-level powerhouse.
This was no trivial matter for a Great World.
Within the Nine Great Dao Domains, any existence at the Half-Step Transcendent level was tacitly recognized as a Dao Domain Overlord-level power.
In other words, during the Primordial Era, the Primordial World was a genuine, peerless Great Power.
The inheritance of such a Half-Step Transcendent-level powerhouse was of paramount importance. Even other entities at this level would be deeply interested and would never let such an opportunity slip away.
Faced with such a monumental opportunity, Li Qiankun was actually inviting him to go together. Wasn't he worried that Han Yi might seize the opportunity for himself?
Or what if Han Yi spread the news and attracted Heavenly Venerables to snatch it?
Noticing Han Yi's frown, Li Qiankun seemed to understand his concerns. He smiled and explained:
"Fellow Daoist Han, rest assured."
"The Primordial Inheritance Land I intend to enter is highly unusual. I can sense that, in addition to the Primordial Inheritance, there are other legacies there that rival the Primordial in power."
"That place is quite special. Fellow Daoist Han will understand once he arrives."
"That's why I invited you along. I'm not worried about you seizing my opportunity."
Li Qiankun's words were vague, but Han Yi understood clearly.
The coordinates he had obtained led to an entrance that served as the gateway to numerous Inheritances. Even for an External Dao Realm cultivator like Li Qiankun, the entrance alone proved insurmountable, forcing him to retreat.
However, with Han Yi's assistance, their combined efforts could likely break through the entrance's Restriction and gain entry.
Once inside, Li Qiankun would seek the Inheritance of the Great World Lord of the Primordial Era, while Han Yi could explore other Inheritances within the mysterious realm. Their goals did not conflict.
Having grasped this, Han Yi nodded. "In that case, I accept Fellow Daoist Ying's invitation to explore this extraordinary land."
Seeing Han Yi's agreement, a faint smile finally appeared on Li Qiankun's face.
He had chosen Han Yi not merely because he was an External Dao Realm cultivator, but more importantly, because he valued Han Yi's character and the Causality between them.
After saving Han Yi for the first time, Li Qiankun had investigated him during a subsequent visit to the Great Luo Immortal Realm, confirming Han Yi's noble character.
This character was later confirmed during their second meeting, when Li Qiankun underwent Demonic Transformation.
Additionally, he had calculated their shared Causality, though vague, it was of the highest auspiciousness, devoid of any negative consequences. This was why, after encountering Han Yi, he immediately made his request.
Had Han Yi been any other Outer Dao Cultivator in the Primordial Great World, Li Qiankun wouldn't have even acknowledged him, let alone invited him to accompany him to the Primordial Inheritance Land—a place of utmost importance to his own cultivation.
Originally, Li Qiankun had planned to wait until he reached the Harmonization with the Dao stage before attempting to go there again. If that failed, he would have to wait until he entered the Heavenly Venerable Realm.
Although he was born on Buzhou Mountain, his ties there had long been severed due to Kunlun Mountain's interference. He couldn't rely on Buzhou Mountain at all. Over the years, whether it was securing Primordial Inheritances or his own cultivation opportunities, he had won them all through his own efforts.
Yet, in Han Yi, he placed immense trust—a trust that even Buzhou Mountain, with whom he had once shared affection, had never earned.
"If Fellow Daoist Han has no objections, let's depart immediately. What do you say?" Li Qiankun asked.
Han Yi had no objections. The Qingping Sword Division he had just claimed was the last Sub-Sword he could sense within his current strength in the Ferocious Realm, and he had also obtained the Dao Realm Sub-Sword from the central land of the Ferocious Realm.
This quest for Sub-Swords had far exceeded his expectations.
"I have no objections. Let's follow Fellow Daoist Qiankun's lead."
At Li Qiankun's word, he waved his hand, covering both himself and Han Yi with the Dao Intent that had been drawn from the Ferocious Realm. Then he soared upward, heading beyond the realm.
Within the Ferocious Realm, there were some Dao Realm-level Ferocious Beasts. Without the Dao resonance of the Ferocious Realm covering them, they would be attacked. Moreover, the Lord of the Ferocious Realm disapproved of outsiders flying through the realm's airspace. However, those covered with the realm's Dao resonance were tacitly considered allies and spared attack.
Han Yi didn't resist. While the ferocious energy enveloped him, he followed closely behind Li Qiankun, escaping the Ferocious Realm and soaring into the Void.
Li Qiankun moved with remarkable speed. Though he had only recently entered the External Dao, his speed alone had already reached the peak of the External Dao, surpassing only those who had achieved Harmonization with the Dao by a narrow margin.
Han Yi wasn't surprised by this. He knew the Dao Ancestor's capabilities far surpassed what was immediately apparent.
Years ago, he had witnessed Celestial Venerable Chonglou pursuing Li Qiankun. At the time, Li Qiankun had only reached the First Step of the Dao Realm. For a Heavenly Venerable to chase down someone at the Dao Realm's initial stage, yet still allow him to escape back to the Ferocious Realm—it was a feat Han Yi had never fully comprehended. Now, looking back, it seemed utterly astonishing.
Moreover, Li Qiankun's ability to evade interception by a High-Ranked Celestial Venerable while below the Dao Realm, then successfully enter the Primordial Inheritance Land of a Great World Lord from the Primordial Era and claim the inheritance—such heaven-defying capability even impressed Han Yi. He doubted he could have accomplished the same if placed in that situation.
Of course, Han Yi's current strength was formidable. He effortlessly matched the speed of the Peak External Dao, as if it required no effort at all.
He didn't use Divine Arts, relying solely on the Traceless Dao Technique. This Dao Technique, which he had significantly enhanced with a massive expenditure of Life Seeds during his escape from the Wisdom Realm, had been elevated to a High-Grade Dao Technique. Amplified by the Panel's power, its speed now faintly approached the Heavenly Venerable Realm.
Ahead, Li Qiankun noticed Han Yi's speed but wasn't surprised. He had already sensed Han Yi's formidable strength—a Legendary Cultivator no less capable than himself.
Li Qiankun could actually move even faster if he pushed himself to his absolute limit, but to avoid drawing too much attention, he maintained his speed at the Peak External Dao.
In this manner, the two of them, one leading, the other following, sliced through the void, reaching the World Barrier of the Primordial Great World. They crossed the barrier and entered the Chaos.
"It's actually within the Chaos?" Han Yi asked, puzzled. "I thought the Great Realm Lord's Inheritance would be somewhere within the Primordial Era, hidden in some corner of the Void Land."
Li Qiankun shook his head, revealing another surprising fact. "That's not the case. This Inheritance site is highly unusual. It's not within the Primordial Era, and strictly speaking, it's not even within the Chaotic Dao Domain. It's located precisely between the Vast Heng Dao Domain and the Ancestor God Dao Domain."
Han Yi let out a soft sound of surprise. "In the channel between two Dao Domains?"
Li Qiankun nodded. "Exactly. It's positioned within the channel between the two Dao Domains, but not near the edge. We need to go deeper."
Han Yi suddenly understood. No wonder Li Qiankun had repeatedly emphasized the uniqueness of this Inheritance site. It wasn't just the Inheritance itself that was special, but also the very location where it was situated.
His anticipation suddenly intensified.
After entering the Chaos, the two didn't use a Dao Boat but instead relied on their individual power to traverse the Chaos. They traveled from the southeast of the Eastern Realm all the way to the northeastern part of the Northern Realm, reaching the boundary between the Vast Heng Dao Domain and the Ancestor God Dao Domain.
The boundary between these two Dao Domains was exceptionally long and relatively stable. Because of this, no Great Power dared to block it and charge Dao Crystals for the passage of low-tier Immortals entering or exiting the Dao Realm.
Without hesitation, Li Qiankun uttered a single word: "Go!" and stepped across the Dao Domain boundary, entering the Dao Domain Channel—a realm devoid of Chaos and any physical matter.
Simultaneously, his voice echoed:
"The Chaos within the Nine Great Dao Domains is, in fact, a form of matter. This matter is of an exceptionally high grade, far surpassing the Immortal Spirit Qi, Void Energy, and even the World Origin of ordinary Great Worlds."
"There's no need to doubt this. Chaos is indeed a higher form of energy than the World Origin. However, its power is so diffuse that it pales in comparison to the concentrated essence of the Origin."
"For example, if a low-tier Heavenly Venerable were to spend an entire Epoch—approximately 120,000 years—devoted solely to compressing Chaos Power, the resulting small Chaos Stone would be equivalent in value to a single ordinary Source Crystal."
Han Yi's gaze sharpened at these words.
He was well-versed in the layers of the Dao Realm, but his understanding of the Heavenly Venerable realm had been limited to the notion that they were beings who could harness Chaos Power.
Of course, he was also aware of Chaos Stones. To cultivators of the Dao Realm, each Chaos Stone was considered a Chaos Treasure.
However, he had only just learned that Heavenly Venerables could condense Chaos Stones.
Han Yi didn't interrupt Li Qiankun, knowing that his explanations were essentially a crash course in advanced knowledge.
After all, Li Qiankun had inherited a portion of the Great World Lord of the Primordial Era's legacy, so his understanding was undoubtedly more comprehensive and profound than Han Yi's.
"Between Dao Domains, even Chaos itself ceases to exist. The space there contains no energy whatsoever. Any combat fought there would exhaust one's own power with no means of replenishment."
"Beyond the Dao Domains, in the Chaos-less space far removed from our own, there exist not empty voids, but rather Dao Lineages similar to those within our own Dao Domains."
"In fact, the Nine Great Dao Domains, when viewed macroscopically, form a single Dao Lineage. This overarching lineage has a collective name: the Chaos Realm."
"The Chaos Realm is formed by gathering chaos into a single realm, beyond which even chaos itself does not exist."
"The Chaos Realm, composed of the Nine Great Dao Domains—Central, Ancestor God, Primordial Demon, Heaven's Mandate, Ancient Nether, Volant Heng, Vast Cold, Chaotic Antiquity, and Burial Calamity—is named..."
"Dao Spirit!"
Hearing this, Han Yi couldn't contain himself. A tremor ran through him as he murmured, "Dao Spirit?"
Li Qiankun paused, his eyes betraying a flicker of curiosity. "Fellow Daoist Han, have you heard of the Dao Spirit before?"
Han Yi nodded.
He had encountered the term "Dao Spirit" only once, during his pursuit of the Ancient Vault Seal. He had entered a mysterious vortex of chaos and, within it, seen the characters "Dao Spirit" inscribed on a stone tablet in the ancient Chaos Script.
Only today did he finally learn their true meaning: they referred to the Dao Lineage encompassing the Nine Great Dao Domains.