"So this is the sapling of the World Tree… It truly steals from creation itself."
Even Fang Han—who had stared down countless wonders—was shaken. The fragment of the World Tree had grown into a living sapling before his eyes, its roots piercing into endless layers of the void, drinking in mysterious energies from realms he couldn't even name.
He sensed intricate formations forming naturally along its leaves, trunk, and roots—patterns beyond mortal craftsmanship, multiplying and expanding with every breath. This wasn't merely a miraculous plant; it was a naturally born artifact, a living treasure whose inner runes acted like organs, each one connecting heaven and earth.
The World Tree was like a cosmic spine, threading all realms together through its roots.
As wave upon wave of divine intention pulsed from the sapling, Fang Han finally understood just how terrifying the full-grown World Tree must have been in ancient times.
If it really grows to maturity… would it link directly to the Immortal Realm, just like in primordial legends? Could I climb the World Tree itself and walk into the Immortal Realm?
The thought dazzled him.
"Don't get any ideas," Yan's voice snapped through his mind. "This sapling would need eons to mature. Even if you reached the Longevity Realm, you wouldn't live long enough to witness it. And right now, it's far too weak. You must refine it into your lifebound artifact before it grows beyond your control."
Fang Han didn't hesitate. "You're right. Something like this—if left to grow freely—would outstrip even a Longevity master's ability to command. Better to bind it now."
He summoned his Wood Emperor True Qi and poured it into the sapling.
The tree responded instantly. Branches unfurled like arms, and in the center of the trunk, a vague imprint appeared— a human face, faint yet unmistakably resembling Fang Han himself.
His lifebound spirit imprint had taken root.
"Yes! My lifebound treasure is complete!"
A flood of connection washed through him—his spirit intertwined with the sapling, its roots stretching into the depths of space as if they were his own limbs. Traces of celestial energy trickled back to him with every pulse, nourishing both tree and master alike.
Because he cultivated the Wood Emperor art, refining this sapling was almost effortless—it was born from his own spiritual seed.
A wild laugh burst from Fang Han's chest.
"Hahaha! One who feeds on pure spirit never dies! I've reached the realm of the 'Spirit-Feeder'! From this moment on, I no longer need pills—I can draw celestial energy straight from the void!"
For cultivators, food came in the form of alchemical pills. For Longevity masters, their "food" was far above that—they reached into the higher heavens and drank in immortal essence directly.
Such a being was called a Spirit-Feeder.
A god that does not die.
Even training for a thousand years wouldn't have brought Fang Han to this realm—but with the World Tree, he had stepped into that divine threshold.
The tree naturally connected to the Immortal Realm, absorbing celestial energy. After filtering the fierce immortal qi through its vast internal runes, the sapling exhaled gentle, refined essence—perfect for Fang Han to absorb.
He would never again need pills. Never again need food or drink.
The celestial essence he drank now was ten times, a hundred times more potent than any pill mankind could produce.
Every time he cycled his True Qi for a single round, his power increased by the strength of a warhorse.
This speed of cultivation was monstrous—utterly beyond the realm of human possibility.
Having the World Tree was like cultivating inside a permanent small Immortal realm… but easier. Far easier.
Fang Han roared with exhilaration.
"With this, I can truly hope to surpass Hua Tiandu within ten years! Only now do I see a path forward!"
Without this miracle, even forming a Golden Core within ten years would have been difficult—surpassing the monstrous Hua Tiandu was simply impossible.
But now…
The sapling shrank into a streak of emerald light and flew into his brow, settling deep within his ancestral aperture. Its roots continued to stretch endlessly into the void, feeding him with every breath.
"My True Qi has perfected its force… and now I can finally begin comprehending Yin and Yang. I possess nearly fifty thousand warhorses of strength. As long as the World Tree survives, my power will never drain."
Some Longevity masters could be sealed for three thousand years without dying—some even ten thousand. They lived on immortal essence alone, endlessly restored.
Fang Han now had the same ability.
He had once possessed thirty thousand warhorse strength after forming his Qi Armor; now he had soared to nearly fifty thousand.
An outrageous number.
Ordinary Qi-Armor elites had between one and five thousand. Even masters of the level of the Dead Island Lord possessed barely two thousand.
Fang Han now surpassed them tenfold.
"Even someone like Yao Dian, boosted by that Frenzy Demon Pill, would die under my fist. I don't even need the Five Prison King Cauldron."
But if Fang Han had advanced monstrously, Yan's gains were even greater.
A surge of draconic might erupted from the Yellow Springs Diagram. When Fang Han focused his spirit, he saw Yan's body had swollen fivefold—its golden scales gleaming, whiskers long and regal, an undeniable kingly aura radiating from its form.
Yan laughed thunderously.
"Hahahaha! I've consumed all the Nine Yang Holy Water! I've fully recovered to the Heaven-Human Realm! The formations of the Yellow Springs Diagram are open to me again!"
It didn't hide its killing intent.
"Go, Fang Han! Let's tear that Seven-Leaf Demon Prince apart! He dared to try refining us. It's time we send him to hell!"
"Gladly."
Fang Han braced his palms and surged upward—blasting out of the Five Prison King Cauldron in a blaze of force.
"My Nine Yang Holy Water!"
The Seven-Leaf Demon Prince's howl was a mix of grief and madness.
"That was a gift from the Nine Yang Demon God! I needed it to forge my Heavenly Demon Core when I reached the Unified Realm! And now—now it's all gone! Not a drop left! Damn you! What kind of monsters are you?! I'll kill you! I'll refine you into holy water to make up for my loss!"
He had seen the roots appear—piercing the void, dipping directly into the basin that held his sacred water—and by the time he reacted, everything was gone.
Not a trace remained.
Consumed by the cauldron's captives.
Even in his worst nightmares, he would never have imagined his opponents possessed both the Yellow Springs Diagram and a World Tree fragment.
The loss was catastrophic. Without the Nine Yang Holy Water, he could never condense his Heavenly Demon Core—never ascend in a single leap.
Fang Han stepped out of the cauldron, aura blazing.
"You still think you'll kill me?"
A cold smile curved his lips.
"Today is your death day. Killing the son of a Demon God… I wonder how much my sect will reward me."