Fang Han had never expected such a twist.
Just as his Golden Core was about to form, the explosive surge of transforming qi shook the chamber—waking the Kunpeng Egg. The enormous, rune-etched shell shot into the air, the Devouring Formation carved into it blazing to life as it lunged forward and swallowed the qi he had painstakingly gathered.
The Great Devouring Art—one of the Supreme Demon Mysteries. Terrifying, exalted, and notoriously difficult to cultivate. Now that the formation had awakened, it was ripping away the very foundation Fang Han needed to form his core.
"You dare court death?"
Fury erupted through him. At the brink of becoming a Golden Core master—only to have it ruined by an egg? Unforgivable. He swept his hand, snatching the Kunpeng Egg out of the air. The phantom core above his head dissolved back into his personal talisman and returned to his mind.
Forming a Golden Core tolerated zero mistakes. This interruption, this devoured qi—there was no continuing today.
"Fortunately, it didn't damage my roots." Fang Han examined his talisman and body. "The lost qi will recover quickly. With the World Tree drawing celestial essence nonstop, I'll accumulate what I need soon enough and attempt the breakthrough again."
The World Tree's presence made restoring vast amounts of qi merely a matter of time.
Holding the Kunpeng Egg, he paused. It looked… fainter. More translucent.
No surprise. The qi generated during Golden Core metamorphosis was unimaginably dense. The egg had absorbed all of it. And because that qi held traces of Fang Han's life essence—his true essence—he now felt something strange.
A sense of blood-deep connection.
As if this egg… was something he himself had birthed.
Not unreasonable. His essence flowed through it now.
"So I might form a Golden Core with fifty-six divine abilities, not fifty-five?" he murmured. "If this egg truly evolves into a Great Devouring Formation, that'll become another ability within my life talisman. Better than Meng Shaobai's Kunpeng Soul Body."
Disappointment faded beneath rising anticipation.
If the Great Devouring Art emerged, it would be a full supreme power—not merely a great art like the Grand Cutting Technique. It would elevate his Golden Core to an extraordinary level.
"Forget it," Yan said. "Yes, you were interrupted, but it's only a matter of time before you succeed. And your gains weren't small—your physical body alone is now monstrous."
"That's true," Fang Han admitted. "But without forming a Golden Core, I can't refine the Nine Ghost Souls of the Ghost Emperor. To stand equal with Hua Tiandu… I need that. His cultivation is too far above mine."
The Nine Ghost Souls were terrifying demonic essences—power equal to the Tenth Realm, Heaven-Defying Fate Transformation. Only by refining them could he reach Hua Tiandu's level. No amount of raw abilities could replace that leap in realm.
"Even with a Golden Core, success wouldn't be guaranteed," Yan warned. "Maybe eighty percent at best. But if you integrate the Great Devouring Art into your talisman and then transform your core, you'll have a hundred percent certainty. The Great Devouring Art can raise your power without limit."
Fang Han nodded. "That's the safest path."
He left the sealed chamber with the Nebula Baby at his side. When he entered the study above, Prince Yi was sorting through encrypted documents. The moment he saw Fang Han, he asked eagerly, "Did you form your Golden Core?"
"Still a little short," Fang Han replied.
Disappointment flickered visibly across the prince's face—until he noticed the "giant infant" beside Fang Han.
This "infant" radiated the aura of the Heaven-and-Man Realm, his pressure stronger than even that of Qingyang Patriarch. The sensation was like facing a junior Golden Core powerhouse.
"This is the Young Sect Master of the Starry Gate—Nebula Baby," Fang Han said. "I used the Nirvana Pill to raise him to the Heaven-and-Man Realm. He refined Zhao Xuanyi's Golden Core and now commands twenty-seven divine abilities."
"Ah, that explains it." Prince Yi exhaled in relief. If Fang Han had taken the Nirvana Pill yet failed to form a Golden Core, then his future prospects would be questionable. But since he hadn't consumed it, everything made sense.
And the implications were vast. Nebula Baby's breakthrough meant he could reclaim the Starry Gate's leadership, bringing enormous benefit to Fang Han.
"You've been in seclusion two days," Prince Yi said. "In that time, the Nine Cauldrons Pavilion's auction ended. The final lot—a legendary celestial pill called the Genesis Creation Pellet—sparked a bidding frenzy. The price soared until Hua Tiandu bought it for thirty billion pills. Several mysterious Life-and-Death Realm giants bid as well but lost."
The scene, even imagined, was chaotic.
"The Genesis Creation Pellet is for breaking into the Immortal Body," Yan said. "Hua Tiandu bought it because once he reaches the Longevity Realm, he'll take it immediately and jump straight into the Immortal Body stage. He'll be nearly unbeatable in Yuhuamen—maybe even untouchable by Feng Baiyu."
Fang Han's voice echoed silently to Yan, "Of course I know. Hua Tiandu cultivates the Panwu Titan Art—it's incredibly hard to break into the Longevity Realm. But once he does, advancement is rapid. With this pellet, he'll instantly ascend to the second stage. Once he has an Immortal Body… his authority becomes absolute."
Prince Yi grimaced. "There's… worse news."
"What is it?"
"Word from the Six Dao Alliance: the Taishang Elder of the Supreme One Sect, Taihuangtian, has issued an edict. Hua Tiandu and Yan Shuiyi are now engaged. Once they both reach the Longevity Realm, they'll become Dao Partners officially."
"Yan Shuiyi?" Fang Han frowned. "She's ranked second on the Longevity Candidate List—above Hua Tiandu. Who exactly is she?"
"A terrifying woman," Prince Yi said solemnly. "A True Disciple of the Supreme One Sect with unfathomable cultivation. Rumor says even ancient giants of the Longevity Realm can't subdue her. But she vanished into seclusion three hundred years ago."
"And if she pairs with Hua Tiandu, their combined force will be overwhelming. Prince Feng's faction would swell massively."
Yan added, "Three hundred years ago, she fought a newly ascended Longevity elder of the Heaven-Annihilating Demon Sect—a man called Punisher Bloodless. He trapped her for three days and nights with a demonic formation—and couldn't defeat her. She tore the formation apart and destroyed several of his treasures. Her fame skyrocketed."
"Impressive," Yan muttered. "Even Longevity experts couldn't hold her."
Fang Han's expression grew cold.
"So Hua Tiandu went to the Supreme One Sect to get engaged. A fiancée. Yan Shuiyi. A Genesis Creation Pellet. All of it… will be mine. The woman. The pill. Everything."
Prince Yi shivered. Everything? Even the woman? Is he truly planning to steal Hua Tiandu's fiancée? She's near the level of an ancient giant! This man is insane… but if he aids me, that insanity is an advantage.
"Also, Fang Han…" Prince Yi hesitated. "To help you buy the Nirvana Pill, I spent four hundred million pills—money I'd saved for Princess Linglong's upcoming four-thousand-year birthday celebration. Now I can't afford an appropriate gift. You did say you could refine a Nascent Soul Pill, so…"
"You don't need to prepare anything," Fang Han interrupted. "For Linglong Immortal Venerable's birthday, I'll prepare the gift for both of us. Something unmatched. The kind of offering that will make her recognize our worth."
Prince Yi frowned. Empty words weren't enough.
With a flick, Fang Han produced a dazzling Golden Core—twenty-seven divine abilities swirling across its surface.
Song Wuyi's Golden Core.
"A Golden Core from a Supreme One Sect disciple," Fang Han said. "As a birthday gift—what do you think?"
Prince Yi's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Linglong Immortal Venerable is sworn enemies with the Supreme One Sect. If you present this to her… she will be delighted. But this core is priceless!"
"It's nothing," Fang Han said. "If we offer her this gift, she'll reward us handsomely. Perhaps even raise your cultivation forcefully to the Golden Core Realm. She is capable of that."
Prince Yi hesitated. "But this will enrage the Supreme One Sect. And the Dagan Empire sits within their territory."
"Then what?" Fang Han shot back. "They don't support you anyway. And if you fail to become emperor, you'll be purged sooner or later. I'm offering you a path—your best one. Lean on Linglong Immortal Venerable. She's the only tree tall enough to shield you."
As Fang Han spoke, his plan quietly expanded into something vast.