"You dare use trickery against me? To shatter my Heavenly Lion? Fine then — heaven or earth, no one will save you! I'll capture you alive, strip you of your divine abilities, and hang you for eighty-one days under the blade, pierced through flesh and bone! Let all the cultivation sects see what becomes of those who cross the Taiyi Sect — then I'll deliver your broken bodies back to Yuhua Gate myself!"
Yao Dian's furious roar shook the heavens.
Had the Five Prisons King Cauldron truly struck his body, even mountains would have been reduced to rubble. But though his lion manifestation had been destroyed, Yao Dian's power was immense. In this moment of crisis, his strength surged forth — milky white Gang Qi roiled from his body like the roar of a furious lion, meeting the cauldron's crushing force head-on.
It was his Heavenly Lion True Gang, fierce and unyielding, exuding the authority of a king of beasts.
"Taiyi Light Splitter!"
With a shout, his flying sword returned, splitting into countless beams that interwove like the threads of a spider's web. The dazzling sword-net fell upon the cauldron, releasing a sharp metallic screech as it sought to slice the treasure apart.
Inside the cauldron, Fang Han's voice came steady and cold: "Witch, you control the Five Fires Thunder Array. Long Xuan and I will activate the Spatial Shift Formation. We must escape now — Yao Dian alone is already this dangerous. If the other two true disciples join in, we're doomed."
The Demoness nodded grimly. She knew if captured by the Taiyi Sect, she'd face instant execution. Pouring her mana into the Five Fires Thunder Array, she triggered another barrage of blazing orbs.
At the same time, Fang Han and Long Xuan channeled their energy into the Spatial Shift Formation — an ancient teleportation array designed to propel cauldrons and flying furnaces through the skies at sonic speed. The stronger the cultivator's power, the faster the flight.
Wooo—!
With their combined mana, the cauldron roared to life, shaking violently as it broke through Yao Dian's sword net in an explosion of flame and thunder. The next instant, it vanished from the battlefield, streaking into the distance.
Because Yao Dian had arrogantly ordered everyone else to stand back, no one expected this sudden escape. The cauldron's velocity was incredible — triple or quadruple the speed of sound. It tore through the air, leaving a blazing white contrail that stretched behind it like the fiery tail of a phoenix.
Such speed normally belonged only to masters of the Heaven-Man Realm, yet Fang Han had achieved it using the cauldron's array.
By the time Yao Dian regained his senses, the cauldron was already gone. His Qi, still wounded by the corrosive water earlier, made pursuit impossible. He swallowed his fury and began to steady his breath.
"Senior brother! That brat escaped fast! Should we pursue?" The two other true disciples, Xia You and Yu Fen, flew over, alarmed to see Yao Dian injured.
Yao Dian wiped the blood from his mouth. "No. If we chase them, it will seem like Taiyi Sect is hunting Yuhua disciples over a treasure — that could spark sect wars. I didn't expect they'd refine the cauldron so quickly… This isn't over. They won't keep it for long."
His cold smile returned.
"Where do we go now?" one asked.
"To the Wangui Sea Market. They killed the Lord of Death Island, so they'll go there to claim the bounty. We'll wait for them — seize them before the crowd, and let all see their humiliation. But remember — that Fang Han wields something that corrodes divine energy. If we meet him again, strike to kill before he can use it."
"Understood!"
The group of Taiyi disciples turned into streaks of light and sped toward the Wangui Sea Market.
Meanwhile, the great cauldron hurtled across the ocean, splitting the sea in its wake. The air pressure carved a deep trench in the waves, sending towering tsunamis across dozens of miles. Fortunately, they were far from shore — otherwise countless fishing boats would have been capsized.
Gradually, the cauldron's speed slowed. It descended onto the sea's surface with a deep thoom before sinking beneath the waves.
"The Spatial Shift Array really drains energy," Fang Han panted, seated cross-legged inside. "Half my mana's gone already. If we're chased again, we might not make it."
He exhaled slowly, letting his spirit rest and his essence recover.
"They won't come," Long Xuan said. "Taiyi Sect would never risk their reputation hunting us across the open sea. Too many rogue cultivators here — word would spread fast."
Now she had a moment to truly look around the cauldron's interior.
The inner chamber was vast and resplendent, filled with golden carvings and jade engravings. Nine layered partitions — each an ornate screen of spirit-gold and precious stone — divided the interior into smaller sanctums. Every screen bore intricate etchings: fire, wind, swords, thunderclouds, dragons, demons devouring men… scenes from both immortal and demonic lore.
It was a fusion of celestial and infernal imagery — yin and yang in perfect tension.
Fang Han, too, took in the scene. The cauldron's inner space was as large as a noble hall, and through the translucent walls, they could see the ocean outside — fish darting past as the vessel sank deeper, yet not a single drop of water breached the chamber.
Even the crushing pressure of the deep sea could not touch them. The walls were made from some mysterious material — transparent from within, but opaque from without.
"What now?" the Demoness asked. "If Taiyi catches us, they'll execute us without trial."
"They'll wait for us at Wangui Market," Fang Han said. "Since we killed the Lord of Death Island, they'll expect us there for the reward. We'll rest, restore our power, then head for Gui Xu Island."
Long Xuan frowned. "That's unwise. You've spent all your spirit crystals. If we fight again, we'll run dry. And Gui Xu is far more dangerous. I say we do go to Wangui Market first — I need materials to refine pills and strengthen my Qi. Once I condense True Qi, my power will double, and together we'll stand a much better chance."
Fang Han blinked. "You're about to condense True Qi already? So soon?"
"After taking the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill and cultivating the Myriad Waters Divine Art, my progress soared. This cauldron's energy resonates with it perfectly. If I can find the Seven Sacred Jellyfish — the Sunflower, Azure Lightning, Violet Cloud, Sea God, Golden, Silver, and Star Jellyfish — and fuse their essence into my mana within this cauldron, my True Qi will form instantly."
Her eyes gleamed with yearning as she gazed at the cauldron's golden walls. "Ah… Myriad Waters Divine Art — when will I truly master you? If only I could find one of the world's holy waters to merge with my body, my power would skyrocket overnight."
Fang Han asked casually, "And what holy water would that be?"
"The greatest of them all," Long Xuan whispered. "The Water of Forgetfulness."