"Heaven and Earth Wood Monarch—Suppress!"
With a flick of his left hand, a massive emerald-green tree materialized in midair and came crashing down.
Boom! Rocks shattered, soil erupted like boiling waves, as if a colossal earthworm was burrowing beneath the surface. The ground caved in with a thunderous crack, leaving behind a pit several men deep—like a freshly dug well.
Fang Han had just tested the might of the Wood Monarch True Qi, condensing it into a solid beam of force and striking the earth.
The result was astonishing. Before cultivating true qi, even when he poured all his mana into a strike, he could barely dent the ground a few feet deep. But now, with the power of Wood Monarch True Qi, that condensed green force struck with overwhelming might. Even an armored Asura would be reduced to a pile of crushed flesh.
So this was the true strength of True Qi.
"My mana has now completely transformed into Wood Monarch True Qi—the power is incredible, more than five times stronger than before!" Fang Han thought, his pulse racing. "Before, I could lift a hundred fiery stallions with one hand. Now, I could subdue five hundred—no, six hundred!"
Fivefold increase in strength. Just from the transformation of mana into true qi.
Then what would happen at the third level of the Divine Ability Realm—the True Gang Stage, where true qi condensed into gang energy?
Fang Han was both thrilled and awed. The higher one ascended, the harder it became to advance, yet each step multiplied one's power to inhuman levels.
Yan's voice echoed within him, calm and dismissive. "What's there to be so surprised about? You're cultivating the Azure Emperor's Wood Monarch Art, one of the supreme wood-element techniques of antiquity. Your true qi will naturally be far denser than ordinary cultivators'. And don't forget—the Heavenly Wood Divine Needle within your true qi was a spiritual treasure in itself. It had the power of a hundred horses. Merging it into your body—well, a fivefold increase is perfectly reasonable."
Suddenly, Fang Han's gaze sharpened. "Someone's coming."
He quickly drew the Wood Monarch True Qi back into his body and looked up.
A figure drifted down the purple bamboo grove—Long Xuan. She stood gracefully upon a bamboo leaf, her yellow robe fluttering, body weightless, swaying with the breeze like a butterfly—an image of ethereal elegance.
Only divine power could allow such a feat; a mortal body could never balance upon bamboo leaves.
"Fang Han," Long Xuan said warmly, smiling, "congratulations. To step into the second level of the Divine Ability Realm and cultivate true qi in just three months—it's unbelievable. Most people take thirty to fifty years to reach this point. Even among our Yuhua Sect's elite disciples, surrounded by guidance and resources, it usually takes at least eight to ten years."
Fang Han clasped his hands modestly. "Just a stroke of luck. But congratulations to you as well—breaking into the Divine Ability Realm is no small feat. Truly an ascent to heaven in one step."
"I owe it all to you," Long Xuan said sincerely. "Without your generosity—giving me the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill—I'd never have made it this far. It granted me sixty additional cycles of lifespan—six hundred more years to cultivate. Now I even have a chance at immortality."
Fang Han smiled faintly. "Glad it was of use."
Speaking of pills reminded him suddenly—"Ah! I was supposed to refine the Wood Spirit Pills for the sect! I've delayed three months already. If someone reports me, I'll be punished." He frowned slightly. His stores were empty—no Blood Pills, no Biluo Great Pills.
During his three months of closed-door cultivation, the relentless cycle of transformation and resistance against "woodification" had devoured vast amounts of energy and nourishment. He had consumed several times his usual amount of pills—and now, nothing remained.
"I need to hunt some Asura or White-Haired Corpse Kings soon," he muttered. "Refine more Blood Pills. Otherwise, my progress will stall."
Long Xuan smiled lightly. "You needn't worry about the Wood Spirit Pills. Senior Sister Jialan already took care of that. She refined twelve hundred pills and sent them to the sect's alchemy hall through Princess Hongyi. Your yearly contribution has been fulfilled."
"What? Truly? Then I owe Senior Sister Jialan a great debt." Fang Han exhaled in relief. Refining pills for personal use was fine—but fulfilling sect quotas was tedious and time-consuming.
Once again, he was reminded how valuable Jialan's goodwill was. That Yin-Yang Pill he'd given her had definitely not gone to waste.
Long Xuan continued, "That's not all. Since you've become a true disciple, the Heavenly Works Hall built a mountain and palace for you—your own peak. It's waiting for you to name it. Since you've been in seclusion, I sent a few reliable outer disciples to maintain it, and with Jialan's help, planted spirit herbs there. By now, it should be flourishing."
"Oh? My mountain is ready?" Fang Han's eyes brightened. "Then let's take a look."
"Good idea. My Dragon Maiden Peak isn't far—only a hundred miles away. We'll be neighbors." Long Xuan smiled. "Also, Princess Hongyi has joined the Jialan Society and receives Jialan's personal guidance. Even your Spirit Crane has been enlightened by her, advancing greatly in cultivation."
"Senior Sister Jialan truly treats me well," Fang Han said as he rose, soaring into the sky alongside Long Xuan. They flew over endless mountain ranges until, after several hundred miles, a towering peak came into view—majestic, blade-sharp against the clouds.
Upon it stood five glittering palaces—golden rooftops, soaring pavilions, elegant terraces, all newly built and radiant under the sun.
"Marvelous," Fang Han murmured. "In the mortal world, this would take hundreds of thousands of laborers decades to complete. But in the Immortal Sect, it's done in mere months."
Long Xuan laughed. "The sect deployed several Titan Demons to build it overnight. The hardest part was raising the mountain itself—but with the combined power of the Heaven Works elders, that was no trouble."
As they landed before the grandest palace, a group of disciples rushed forward to greet them.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Long! Greetings, Senior Brother Fang!"
Outer and inner disciples alike bowed deeply, eyes filled with admiration. True disciples were figures of immense prestige—being acknowledged or guided by one could change a cultivator's life.
Fang Han instinctively reached for some gifts—but realized, with mild embarrassment, that his stores were empty. No pills, no weapons, not even a spare treasure. He had a few crystal stones, but nothing suitable to give away.
Sensing his discomfort, Long Xuan smiled gracefully and waved her hand. A small pouch opened, and a single Essence Pill flew into each disciple's palm. Their eyes lit up with gratitude, bowing again before retreating.
"This peak of yours," Long Xuan said, turning to Fang Han as they entered the central palace hall, "what name will you give it?"
Fang Han stood silently for a long moment, then spoke, voice low and resolute.
"Nine years from now, I'll face Hua Tiandu in battle. If I can't defeat him, everything I've done will turn to dust. Though we're worlds apart now—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Fortune changes hands. Today he stands above me… but nine years from now, I'll reclaim my honor. This mountain shall be called Reincarnation Peak."
Long Xuan looked at him with admiration. "Your courage is unmatched, Fang Han. But… I heard Hua Tiandu has recently summoned Fang Qingwei to his Tiandu Peak…"