Nine hundred million.
A single Nirvana Pill had soared to a price that stunned the entire auction hall. Even Yujizi—the host from Nine-Cauldron Pavilion—momentarily froze. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent two hidden experts rushing toward the two competing VIP suites.
"The price is ridiculous," Prince Yi muttered, visibly trembling. "Objectively, this pill should top out around five to six hundred million. Pushing it this high… it's burning money—practically self-destruction."
"One billion."
Fang Han's cold laugh cut through the murmurs, and the entire hall fell silent.
One. Billion.
Even the Barbarian Emperor's famous supreme-grade artifacts—refined by a legendary emperor and sold to the Heavenly Dao Pavilion—only fetched around a billion pills total. A Nirvana Pill, though a fabled heavenly-grade treasure, was still not an immortal pill. Reaching a billion should have been impossible.
Hua Tiandu paused, brows knitting tightly. He hadn't expected anyone to raise the bid to such an absurd height. He could afford a billion, but the determination on the other side… If he continued pushing, the price might soar into terrifying territory.
Even with the inheritance of Panwu Immortal Venerable, he wasn't minting gold out of thin air. Years of cultivation and political maneuvering within Taiyi Sect had already burned through vast resources. For a single pill… it might not be worth it.
Of course, he didn't know the bidder was Fang Han. Had he known, he would have thrown everything into the bid without hesitation.
"Master Hua…" Prince Feng whispered. "If you insist on winning it, I can—"
"No need," Hua Tiandu cut him off. "If we continue, we're only giving Nine-Cauldron Pavilion a windfall. Your brother Prince Yi certainly has courage—calling a bid of a billion… that's the spending power of a Longevity Realm titan. You should keep an eye on him. Besides, there are better treasures later—especially the final item. They say it's an immortal pill."
The opening item starts the show.
The final item brings the climax.
"That's what I heard too," Wang Tianyi added. "Nine-Cauldron Pavilion's finale is rumored to be an immortal pill. Saving funds for that is the wisest path."
"An immortal pill… said to be suitable only for Longevity Realm beings." Hua Tiandu calmed, voice steady. "I'm curious to see it myself. After the auction, I'll visit Prince Yi and ask what he wants with a Nirvana Pill."
And so, Hua Tiandu stopped bidding.
The first treasure of the auction—the Nirvana Pill—was taken by Fang Han for the astronomical price of one billion.
A white-robed attendant with a white hood entered Fang Han's VIP suite, carrying the pill box with both hands.
"Prince Yi, this is the Nirvana Pill. Please provide one billion pills."
"Friend… I only have two hundred million on me. Together with your six hundred million, that's only eight hundred million…" Prince Yi whispered into Fang Han's mind. He clearly didn't want to hand over the rest.
"Prince Yi, I know you have four to five hundred million tucked away," Fang Han responded mentally, smiling coldly. "But I won't take it for free. You already know—I can refine Nascent Soul Pills. This isn't something we should make public."
Prince Yi grimaced. After a moment's struggle, he pulled out four more crystal cards. Combined with Fang Han's six, he handed all ten to the white-robed attendant.
The attendant inspected them carefully, then passed over the Nirvana Pill.
"Prince Yi, the final item of our auction is an immortal pill. If you're interested, please attend."
"Yes, yes, go on." Prince Yi waved him off, heart aching.
Fang Han immediately pocketed the Nirvana Pill.
"Prince Yi—we leave. Now."
"What? Leave? Aren't we staying for the immortal pill? Even if we can't afford it, seeing it is worthwhile. It's an immortal pill!"
"What's there to see? Even if we got it, you couldn't swallow it—it would only bring trouble. I can say with certainty that the immortal pill will go to Hua Tiandu. But he can't use it either. Sooner or later, I'll kill him and take it. There's no rush."
Fang Han's mental voice grew colder, sharper.
"With this Nirvana Pill, I have a high chance of breaking through to Golden Core. And once Hua Tiandu obtains the immortal pill, he will come probing around you. If he notices anything amiss, conflict will erupt—and right now, I can't kill him yet. After I reach Golden Core… he'll be begging for death and won't get it."
Prince Yi shuddered as Fang Han's will punched into his mind.
He thought carefully—Fang Han was right.
"Let's go!"
They slipped out of Nine-Cauldron Pavilion immediately, hurried back to the prince's mansion, and Fang Han asked for an isolated secret chamber.
It was deep underground, dozens of yards beneath the estate—walls forged of thick refined metal, etched with hidden breath-concealing sigils. Perfect for cultivating powerful divine abilities. Even massive disturbances would not leak out.
Here, Fang Han began preparing to break through—
to Golden Core.
Divine Ability Seventh Layer: the Golden Core Seed.
This breakthrough would be his step into the heavens themselves. With over fifty great divine abilities, once transformed into Golden Core, his body would reach an unimaginable level.
The more divine abilities one carried into the breakthrough…
the harder Golden Core was to refine—
but the stronger the transformation,
the longer the lifespan,
the greater the foundation.
Blue Ram Patriarch had thirteen divine abilities, but only seven were cultivated before forming his core. Thus, his longevity barely increased—only a few centuries.
Fang Qingxue had twenty-four at breakthrough. Her lifespan increased by thousands of years.
Most cultivators lived too short and cultivated too slow—they could only rush into Golden Core with a few abilities. Their path to Longevity was basically cut off.
Fang Han smirked to himself.
If I transform with fifty-five divine abilities… will I jump straight to nine thousand years of lifespan?
The thought was wild enough to amuse him.
He summoned Stargod Baby from the Sun-Moon Five-Star Bracelet. The tiny creature blinked groggily.
He had eaten a Divine Ability Fruit, countless yin-yang longevity pills, even endured Fang Qingxue's refinement with Undying Lightning—but still hadn't broken into the Heaven-Human Realm.
Fang Han flicked the Nirvana Pill.
"Starcloud Baby. I spent a billion on this pill. If you still can't break through to Heaven-Human Realm after eating it, I'll swallow you myself."
"Eat! Eat! Let me eat it first!" Stargod Baby grabbed the pill joyfully, wrapped it in starlight, and swallowed it in one gulp.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Flames burst from every pore of his body. Power surged through him, burning his flesh like a phoenix undergoing rebirth. Even the astral qi of his Future Star-Constellation Technique ignited—star-light swirling into a blazing cosmic vortex.
He began chanting:
"I was born drowsy and slow,
Dreaming a thousand years at a time—
But now I glimpse Heaven's mystery,
For I am the Future Starry-Sky Dharma King!"
A formation of spinning constellations appeared above his head—another beneath his feet. His astral qi finally condensed into a divine formation. He no longer looked like a lazy cosmic child—he radiated the faint majesty of a future cosmic sovereign.
Yan, watching nearby, slapped his paws in excitement.
"Future Starry-Sky Dharma King? Damn! That aura!"
Fang Han exhaled with relief.
"Finally. Heaven-Human Realm. That billion wasn't wasted. If you still hadn't broken through, I'd have strangled myself."
This breakthrough was crucial—Stargod Baby's rise impacted Fang Han's entire larger plan. Now he could return to his sect's Starscourt and dominate.
"Zhao Xuanyi… your Golden Core will finally be useful."
Fang Han summoned Zhao Xuanyi's Golden Core and shattered it with a punch. The core erupted into twenty-seven divine-ability formations, swirling chaotically. Fang Han stabilized them with bursts of qi, preventing their dispersal.
"Starcloud Baby—hurry up and devour them!"
Freshly ascended to the Heaven-Human Realm, Stargod Baby's five organs were undergoing monumental transformation. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and gulped down formation after formation—twenty-six in total.
Only one remained: the God-Sealing Formation.
Fang Han nodded. His life-seal talismans swirled out, wrapping around the formation, refining it. The formation broke into six streams of essence and flowed into his six internal organs.
The six God-Sealing Steles flew out, shrinking as Fang Han breathed mystical qi upon them.
"Six-Eyed God-Sealing Steles—merge with my six organs! Strengthen my body beyond its limits! Golden Core—condense! All or nothing!"
It was the decisive moment.