The Wood Emperor True Qi in Fang Han's body had begun crystallizing long ago—back when he fought the Ten-Thousand Water Gu Demons. It had been on the verge of refining itself into Daoist Astral Qi, but the Water Gu Heavenly Demon's dying counterattack, that terrifying Great Severing Technique, shattered his qi and damaged his foundation. From then on, his breakthrough had been delayed.
Even so, because he'd been nurturing the fragment of the World Tree, his Wood Emperor True Qi had absorbed some of that primordial aura. It had grown subtle, refined, endlessly adaptive—able to split his focus a hundred ways at once. This had laid a foundation far more solid than anything ordinary cultivation could have given him.
If not for the World Tree fragment slowing him, Fang Han could have forged Astral Qi much earlier—but his base would've been shallow. He might've been stuck in the Astral Qi Realm for decades, maybe half a lifetime, and even then his Astral Qi would never have reached true power.
Now, although his advancement had been delayed, his foundation had become terrifyingly deep. And after consuming a Saint's Relic, his spiritual power had surged to a level that ordinary disciples of the Immortal Dao could never hope to match. Even a master in the Longevity Secret Realm would find it difficult to obtain the essence of a Golden Core expert—unless they killed one and stripped the source directly.
A cultivator's power was their lifeblood. The stronger the lifeblood, the stronger the soul.
Under the pressure of the Seven-Leaf Demon Lord, after countless cycles of refining and nurturing, Fang Han's qi finally reached the moment of transformation: true qi turning into astral qi—a leap in essence itself.
Astral Qi was purer, fiercer, deadlier. When true qi ascended to Astral Qi, the mind also elevated, and the spiritual force surged. The leap was as vast as the difference between a second-rank official and a first-rank one—authority that could crush lives. Cultivation realms worked much the same.
Right now, Fang Han had the strength of tens of thousands of galloping warhorses, yet even with tens of thousands of demons, a supreme treasure, and three Heavenly Lions, he was still beaten senseless by the Seven-Leaf Demon Lord—because they were separated by four entire realms.
Crack. Snap. Crackle…
Inside his mind, his true qi condensed into crystalline blocks, then melted, turning into threads of shimmering Daoist Astral Qi—liquid, marked with countless wood-grain patterns, like the rings of an ancient tree melting down. Fang Han felt his body undergoing metamorphosis, and joy surged through him.
"You're breaking through now? Refining qi into astral and stepping into the Primordial Astral Realm?" Yan's voice rang out in shock.
Fang Han's aura was like a colossal tree, rising through storm and sky, breaking its cocoon like a butterfly.
The Green Emperor Wood Emperor Technique was already a supreme supernatural art. Every breakthrough unleashed terrifying potential.
Now that Fang Han stepped into the Astral Qi Realm, his power multiplied many times.
"Heaven and Earth Astral, gather into my body—earth nourishing wood, two elements as one!"
With a roar, his true qi circulated ten times faster. Every last trace of true qi began transforming into Astral Qi.
As the Astral Qi condensed, his blood and qi fused with it. His Yama Golden Body shifted again, becoming supple, elastic. Fang Han twisted his neck—rotating a full three hundred and sixty degrees. His arm stretched and bent to reach any point on his body. Even his jaw could bite places no normal human could dream of.
His bones were as soft as cotton one moment—and the next, infused with Astral Qi, they became as hard as ancient cold iron. Hard and soft—both at his command.
Meanwhile, torrents of blood-essence surged upward. Vitality turned to spirit, spirit to law power, resonating with the rising Astral Qi.
He even sensed tiny golden particles within his flesh—too small for mortal sight—rising into his sea of consciousness, transforming into pure magical force.
"So the Nine-Aperture Golden Pill still had medicinal power left… Truly a celestial-grade elixir! A treasure left by the Yellow Springs Emperor!"
Boom. Boom. Boom!
In his head, explosions like firecrackers rang out as hidden apertures burst open. Potentials long dormant awakened as Astral Qi washed through him. From every pore, streams of Astral Wind sprayed out like flying blades, slicing at the cauldron with sounds like volleys of sharp arrows.
With a single breath, he could unleash blasts stronger than elite crossbows.
Even a Heaven–Human Realm expert would be stunned by such power.
If anyone in Yuhua Sect discovered his current cultivation, they would immediately push him into the Little Immortal World to absorb pure yang immortal qi. His potential was simply too great.
Boom!
Under immense pressure, all remaining true qi finished its transformation—becoming pure Wood Emperor Astral Qi!
His strength soared again. What had been twelve thousand warhorses' force now surged past thirty thousand—more than double. This was the benefit of an unshakable foundation.
Even a peak Heaven–Human Realm expert might not surpass him in raw power alone.
His injuries from the Seven-Leaf Demon Lord vanished as his body transformed—restored to full strength, brimming with vitality.
"Hahahaha! Heaven hasn't abandoned me after all!" Fang Han roared with wild exhilaration. "Without your pressure, breaking through could've taken me months! Truly—thank you, Seven-Leaf Demon Lord! But now? You won't be trapping me so easily!"
His Astral Qi burst outward and surged into several formations inside the King's Cauldron. One in particular—the Might of the Demon God Formation—responded violently. As it activated, thick black mist surged from the cauldron, forming the shape of a colossal demon god. Its heart was the house-sized King's Cauldron itself.
The demon god towered like a small mountain.
It roared, raised its massive hand—
—and struck down.
Pop!
The formation the Seven-Leaf Demon Lord had laid—the Golden Serpent Battle Array—shattered instantly.