"Thank you, Senior Brother Hua!" Fang Qingwei accepted the Ruyi Celestial Gourd, pricking her finger to drip blood onto it. Instantly, she felt a surge of immense power flow from within, and joy lit her face—though beneath that smile, her teeth clenched tightly.
Fang Han, you dog. You'll learn what it means to bow before your master.
"You're planning to take that gourd to deal with Fang Han, aren't you?" Hua Tiandu's calm voice cut through her thoughts. He paused for a moment, his tone becoming measured. "Fang Han harbors many secrets. Now that he has entered the Spirit Transformation Realm, you are no match for him yet. Focus on your cultivation. Once you reach that realm, you'll have your chance. I've left within the gourd enough elixirs to sustain your cultivation for a year. Go now."
"Senior Brother truly possesses the bearing of a leader—someone capable of revitalizing our Yuhua Sect and standing equal to Taiyi Gate. Only your divine power and iron will can guide our sect to glory." Fang Qingwei knew precisely what to say.
"Hahaha…" Hua Tiandu's laughter rolled like thunder. With a sweep of his sleeve, a wave of divine power enveloped Fang Qingwei, sending her gently away from Tiandu Peak.
Holding the Ruyi Celestial Gourd, Fang Qingwei's heart surged with ambition.
With this treasure, my strength has increased a hundredfold! The Young Lord of the Sleepless Isle will soon depart with his father to explore the Returning Void. His father is a Spirit Transformation expert… If I join their expedition and seize an ancient elixir or a Pure Yang artifact, I could ascend to the Spirit Transformation Realm myself. Fang Han, you'll regret ever crossing me!
As she thought this, golden mist blossomed from the gourd, perfumed with a faint sandalwood fragrance. Within that golden smoke, musical notes flickered like living light, each vibration echoing with purifying divine sound. Tiny, thumb-sized golden warriors danced within the mist, their armor gleaming with celestial brilliance.
The golden mist wrapped around Fang Qingwei, lifting her into the sky like a blazing sunbeam. It split the clouds above, its might far surpassing the gourd's previous demonic form—this was now true celestial power.
Ruyi Golden Smoke!
Indeed, Hua Tiandu had spoken truthfully. The once demonic Seven Fiends Gourd had been reborn into a sacred weapon of far greater power and purity.
Morning dawned bright over Reincarnation Peak. Birds chirped amid peach and crabapple blossoms, their wings scattering petals into the air. The first rays of sunlight spilled over the horizon, bathing everything in the gold of early spring.
Fang Han sat cross-legged at the cliff's edge, absorbing the morning's essence. His Azure Emperor's Wood Sovereign Art thrived in springtime; every breath he took harmonized with the world's vitality. The warmth of life flowed through his limbs, and with every cycle of Wood Sovereign True Qi, he felt stronger—closer to the heart of creation itself.
"Fang Han, shall we leave?"
A soft voice interrupted his meditation. Long Xuan descended from the sky, landing lightly on the moss-covered rocks. The cliff was perilous—sheer and slick with mist—but to one of her cultivation, it was as steady as solid ground.
"Alright." Fang Han rose to his feet. "Fang Xiaolin, are you ready?"
The demoness opened her eyes, dark light flashing within them. "A journey to the Returning Void is worthwhile. I've long wanted to harvest demon cores from the beasts there to refine my strength."
Another expert of the Spirit Transformation Realm—Long Xuan's eyes flickered with surprise. Even she felt a hint of unease.
"This is a slave I subdued in the underworld," Fang Han explained. "She was once a Great Ashura. The law crystal I possess was obtained from our battle."
"A Great Ashura?" Long Xuan frowned. "That's a titled noble among the subterranean demon clans. Be careful—if their elders find out, they may seek vengeance. Capturing one of their kind is like seizing a True Disciple of our Yuhua Sect. It's no small matter."
"If the demons dare come for me, I'll kill them too," Fang Han said, his tone calm but sharp as steel. Though his words were fierce, he knew better than to underestimate such threats.
"Let's go. The sea lies far from here—we shouldn't waste time."
Fang Han's body ignited with emerald light. True Qi surged, forming a living armor around him. It flared and contracted like a second skin, and then—boom!—he shot into the sky, streaking forward like a green comet.
Long Xuan and the demoness followed swiftly.
Having attained True Qi, Fang Han's flight was faster and steadier than ever. The Wood Sovereign Art included methods of air propulsion and vibration control, reducing drag and enhancing speed.
Flight itself was an art among cultivators. Some grew ethereal wings of energy to glide; others used jets of force from their backs or feet to propel themselves. Some even rode their flying swords, fusing weapon and body into one motion. Fang Han now mastered his own: a sleek, streamlined form that sliced through the air effortlessly.
The mountains and rivers below blurred into streaks of color. Wind howled in his ears, and exhilaration filled his heart.
Before mastering True Qi, he could fly faster than most, but not for long—his mana would scatter under air friction. Now, his condensed True Qi held his form steady, cutting through the sky like a living blade.
"I've heard that once one reaches the Astral Qi Realm, flight surpasses the speed of sound," he murmured to himself. "And when one attains the Heaven-Man Unity Stage, the friction alone ignites flames around the body—a living meteor blazing through the heavens."
After half an hour, they had flown over two thousand miles. Fang Han felt the drain on his energy and descended onto a mountaintop to meditate and recover.
He could have used his Law Crystal to replenish energy instantly—but that would be a waste. Such treasures weren't meant for simple travel.
After a short rest, Long Xuan and Fang Xiaolin landed beside him, both slightly breathless.
"Fang Han," Long Xuan advised, "don't fly at full speed all the time. Keep some strength in reserve. If you run into demonic cultivators and they find you exhausted, you'll be easy prey. And always use concealment talismans—don't let your aura shine like a beacon. Outside our sect, the world is far less forgiving."
"I understand. I got carried away just now," Fang Han admitted.
They resumed their journey with greater caution—alternating flight and rest, conserving energy as they went.
Two days and nights later, the air around them grew thick with mist. The scent of salt and brine filled their lungs, and the sound of distant waves rolled like thunder.
"The ocean!" Long Xuan's eyes lit up. Water vapor coiled toward her as her body instinctively drew it in. The Ten Thousand Waters Divine Art she cultivated resonated perfectly here—each breath refined her mana, each droplet strengthened her essence.
This technique was one of Yuhua Sect's Eight Supreme Divine Arts:
Purple Lightning Yin Thunder BladeHeaven-Frost Mysterious Chill ForceAzure Flame Sevenfold LightHeavenly Wood Immortal EssenceGrand Freedom Golden Sword QiTen Thousand Waters Divine ArtMountain Refining Astral ForceNine Palaces Divine Form Technique
Each, if mastered, could make its wielder peerless under heaven.
Before them stretched an endless sea—vast, boundless, and heavy with secrets. Waves rolled to the horizon, where sky and water merged in a blur of light.
"We've traveled nearly three days," Long Xuan sighed softly. "Senior Sister Jialan could have reached this place in half an hour."
The spring wind swept through her hair as she gazed upon the glittering expanse.
"The sea is dangerous," Fang Han cautioned. "Once we enter, we might exhaust our mana before finding an island to rest on. You must have a vessel or artifact for long travel?"
"Of course." Long Xuan smiled faintly. "Did you think I'd come unprepared? I possess a Cloudlight Vessel, crafted by Senior Sister Jialan from condensed rainbow vapors. When unfurled, it forms a sleek energy ship that can sail the skies or the sea. But we'll travel quietly—this ocean hides countless rogue sects and solitary masters. Crossing them would be… inconvenient."
Fang Han nodded. Ahead lay the vast unknown of the Returning Void—a place of peril and promise, where fate itself might be tested.