Though the War God Whip shattered the Nine Yang Demon God's blue-scaled claw, the leftover demonic qi was still vicious. Any normal Divine Ability cultivator would have been torn apart before breaking through.
But Fang Han burst out wreathed in black wind and blazing sunfire, crashing through the storm like a falling star—raw, unstoppable, terrifying.
Even Jialan, seasoned and well-traveled, felt her breath catch. She recognized that black wind and those flames: secret arts of Taiyi Sect's "Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations," the Twelve Supreme Daoist Arts—techniques absolutely forbidden to outsiders. She could not fathom how Fang Han had learned them, let alone mastered them.
Then came something even more astonishing. Every sweep of Fang Han's arm sent out deep-black threads that sliced demonic qi into shreds.
The Grand Severing Art.
A high-tier demonic divine ability, feared by even celestials.
"Blood Sky!"
Seeing the swirling green demonic qi reform into countless fiendish ghosts lunging at him, Fang Han roared. A savage blood-red saber appeared in his hand—its blade crystalline as ruby, gleaming with a cold, murderous brilliance. The air itself turned red, like a sky of flowing crystal blood.
Chhk! Chhk! Chhk!
The fiendish ghosts split apart instantly as Fang Han carved a path forward and shot out of the chaos.
Fang Han now stood firmly in the Fifth Layer of Divine Abilities—Heaven–Human Realm, with command over the Heaven–Human Array. After more than ten years refining the Blood Sky Devil Saber within the Immortal Mansion, he had pushed it to near-perfection. Its power had multiplied many times over.
At this point, if he faced Taiyi Sect's Six Real Masters again, he could probably kill all six in a single strike—effortlessly.
Even against Golden Core elites like Zhao Xuanyi or Song Wuyi, Fang Han could now fight them evenly. With the thousand-year Golden Core left by the Fire Cloud Immortal refined into his body, and with twenty-eight Golden Core divine abilities under his command, his strength had soared beyond reason. He could even challenge certain Demon Commanders head-on.
Fang Qingxue watched him land, her expression unreadable—half-smile, half-shadow. Joy? Annoyance? No one could tell. After all, most people still believed she possessed the Yellow Springs Diagram. She had been forced to carry that blame for years, yet never received a single benefit from it.
Fang Han immediately offered a respectful smile.
"Senior Sister, your immortal destiny is profound. With the Undying Lightning Talisman at your command, ascension to the Longevity Realm is only a matter of time. As for me, I'm still a member of the Fang clan—supporting you is only natural. Besides, most of my gains were pure luck. While inside the mansion, I obtained the Fire Cloud Immortal's Golden Core. Using the Yellow Springs Diagram, I separated its essence and gained twenty-eight divine abilities. Techniques like the Black Sun Tempest and Great Sun Fire Calamity came from that Golden Core. With them, I'll soon challenge Hua Tiandu—so he can stop abusing his 'Number One True Disciple' title."
"What? The Fire Cloud Immortal's Golden Core?"
Jialan nearly staggered. She had spent the entire day being shocked; this one felt like too much.
"The Fire Cloud Immortal was one of the greatest Divine Ability masters of her era. Her Golden Core contained twenty-eight divine abilities—already close to the limits of perfection. My own Golden Core contains only fifteen. Its quality doesn't even compare. Fang Han, your fortune… it's monstrous."
"Fire Cloud Immortal's Golden Core… truly?"
Even Fang Qingxue's eyes flickered. She knew Fang Han was also declaring his stance—making it clear that he was no longer someone others could push around. And more importantly, he was promising to stand on her side.
"When we have time, I'll test your divine abilities myself," she said calmly. "But for now, the Nine Yang Demon God has descended. With your new strength, you can help."
"Of course. Senior Sister only needs to command—I'll act. And these twenty-eight divine ability secrets… naturally, I won't keep them to myself. You have supported me, and Senior Sister Jialan has also helped me. We will study them together. But first, I must present them to the Patriarch."
He could not hand over the Yellow Springs Diagram—but the divine ability methods within the Fire Cloud Immortal's Golden Core were fair offerings to the sect. Each one represented centuries of cultivation and insight from generations of masters.
"Oh? Study them together?"
Jialan's eyes gleamed. Twenty-eight divine ability methods were treasures beyond value. Even if mastery took decades or centuries, studying them side by side could yield countless insights.
Laughter—wild, booming—exploded across the sky.
"Hahaha! Feng Baiyu! I didn't expect your disciple to possess such outrageous destiny! The Yellow Springs Diagram, a thousand-year Golden Core, twenty-eight divine abilities—all feeding your Feather Gate's rise! Seems your sect will flourish again!"
As Fang Han, Jialan, and Fang Qingxue conversed, a towering figure appeared. A being over three meters tall, his entire body burning red like living flame—no one knew when he arrived at the gates of the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion.
And beside him, the Feather Gate Patriarch finally revealed his true form.
He looked like a gentle young noble—white-robed, long black hair falling loosely, scholarly and elegant, not at all like an ancient immortal overlord who had ruled for millennia.
"Th-that's our Patriarch?"
Jialan and the other female disciples stared with open mouths.
No one in the sect had ever seen his true appearance or known his real name.
Feng Baiyu.
"Nine Yang. You came today looking for a fight? We crossed hands many times three thousand years ago. You know well you are not my match," Feng Baiyu said softly.
"You've mastered the Vacuum Yin–Yang Dao to the point of reshaping matter itself. Impressive."
The Nine Yang Demon God sneered. "However… I did not come alone."
He raised a hand.
"Nine Yin, come greet the Patriarch of the Feather Gate."
The void tore apart.
A female demon god stepped out, treading the raging currents of spatial storms.
"Nine Yin Demon God! You—weren't you sealed by the Monster God?!"
Feng Baiyu's brows rose for the first time.
"Hahahahaha! Feng Baiyu, I merely helped her cultivate a certain dual-demonic technique. Now it is complete."
A robed figure stepped out behind her—the Sect Master of the Demon God Sect.
"Tell me, Feng Baiyu… with the three of us here today, do you think we can kill you?"