Prince Yi steadied himself, forcing calm into his voice as he stepped forward.
"Fourth Brother, it's been a while. You and Thirteenth Brother entered the ancient ruins together, without any bodyguards? You must be very confident in your cultivation. If only I'd reached the Golden Core realm, I might be as carefree as you."
"Confidence is one thing," Prince Yi said lightly, "but Twenty-Fourth Brother has a formidable protector—the Deadly Scholar. With such a man at his side, he'll surely return from the ruins with treasures beyond price." His gaze lingered on Fang Han, trying to read something—anything—beneath the man's calm expression.
But Fang Han's disguise, born from the Reincarnation Spell fueled by the Yellow Springs Diagram, was flawless. It wasn't just a mask—it was a rebirth. No one could see through it.
Thirteenth Prince—known throughout the empire as War Prince—studied Fang Han with growing intensity.
"A mere cultivator who hasn't even reached the seventh realm dares claim he defeated the Green Ram Patriarch? I never believed that nonsense. Let me see what kind of treasure you're hiding. Come, Deadly Scholar—let's spar."
The words had barely fallen when War Prince vanished.
A heartbeat later, a massive fist filled Fang Han's pupils—larger than a mountain peak, crashing toward his skull.
The War Prince lived up to his title. He attacked the moment he desired to, without hesitation, without fear of consequence. And why should he hesitate? In the imperial capital, no one dared harm him. But he could freely test others.
Besides, his talent was unparalleled among the princes—enough to rival the Golden Core elites of the Taiyi Sect. Green Ram Patriarch was nothing compared to him.
His fist carried his signature technique—Cloudbreaker Strike—faster than lightning, rolling like thunder, enveloping Fang Han from all directions.
Crack!
His punch landed squarely on Fang Han's head—
But the head simply vanished.
"Not good!"
War Prince's instincts screamed danger. He spun and retreated, but too late.
Behind him, a voice sounded—not through air, but directly inside his mind:
"Your speed is far too slow. Between the rise and fall of your fist, I had a hundred ways to kill you. Consider this a lesson—don't lash out randomly. One day, you'll offend someone you shouldn't, and die without a grave."
"Courting death!"
War Prince's body compressed, divine power exploding outward as he unleashed several major techniques at once, his figure flickering like a meteor scattering sparks.
"Ancient Ape Hundredfold Shifting!"
But how could he outrun Fang Han?
With the Six-Seals God-Suppressing Monument fused into his body, Fang Han's speed had surpassed even that of lesser Dao artifacts. To him, War Prince's movements were as slow and predictable as a child's.
In the moment War Prince attempted to shift forms, Fang Han was already behind him. His hand reached out—space collapsed inward—and the prince froze, imprisoned by the crushing gravity.
War Prince watched in horror as Fang Han's hand descended toward his skull, ready to tear open his heavenly gate and rip out his Golden Core.
He tried to force out his core, but Fang Han's grip sealed off the path. The core couldn't rise.
"Thirteenth Brother, be careful!" Prince Yi's voice snapped across the air.
A blade-shaped sigil burst from his brow, streaking forward with impossible speed, striking toward Fang Han's back.
"A sword of pure spirit? Similar to the Mindpiercing Sword?"
Fang Han casually lifted a hand. Without drawing on any true power, he simply caught the sigil between his fingers. It thrashed wildly, unable to escape.
With his other hand, he tightened his grip—and lifted War Prince into the air like a caught animal.
The terrifying Thirteenth Prince, the one who rivaled Golden Core prodigies, hung helplessly in Fang Han's grasp.
"Ten Thousand Immortals Formless Blades!"
Prince Yi's calm demeanor vanished. His expression darkened.
The air tore open.
Tens of thousands of distortions rippled into existence—each one a blade of pure law, invisible and formless. Without warning, they coalesced into a killing formation.
An array of ten thousand swords.
Not illusions.
Not spiritual interpretations.
Actual celestial blades.
The legendary Formless Immortals Sword Array—a treasure of the ancient Formless Sword Sect, where each disciple forged an invisible flying sword that could appear from nothingness.
Even Fang Han's own Yan Yue Sword Array paled in comparison.
In combat, ten thousand swords > one king.
The air screamed as the formation closed.
"Impressive," Fang Han murmured. "Truly worthy of a royal prince."
Before the killing formation could descend, he simply—vanished.
And reappeared outside the array, calmly placing War Prince back on the ground.
He had no desire to reveal his true strength. Escaping the formation without breaking it was the simplest solution.
The distortions rippled once—and vanished without a trace.
Prince Yi's expression hardened.
War Prince regained his footing, breathing deeply, but refusing to show fear.
"So. You are strong," War Prince said, his tone steady. "Strong enough that I can respect you."
In his mind, though, he whispered to Prince Yi:
"Shame we still couldn't determine his cultivation. Fourth Brother… what do we do? Twenty-Fourth Brother has found a terrifying ally. He may seize all the advantage in the ruins."
Prince Yi's mental response was cool:
"Perhaps. But this man may also be our opportunity. The strongest contender in the ruins won't be Twenty-Fourth Brother—it will be Big Brother Feng Prince. He managed to invite Hua Tiandu himself. With such forces mobilized… we can use this stranger to counterbalance them."
Before they could continue, a tidal wave of pressure swept across the land.
"The Eldest Prince is here," Prince Yi murmured. "We should greet him."
From the horizon came two figures.
One was a tall man draped in gold and crimson—Feng Prince, the imperial heir.
The other was a young man in plain blue robes, moving with the calm of a god descending to earth.
Hua Tiandu.
His presence sent the sky trembling.
Princes took flight from their own peaks—some nervous, some eager to curry favor, others cold and calculating.
Prince Yi moved first.
"Master Hua, it's an honor." He bowed. "Rumor has it you are half a step from the Longevity Mysteries, about to ascend as one of the undying. I also heard you acquired a Life-Creation Pill ten days ago. Allow me to offer early congratulations—and a gift prepared in advance."
"You flatter me," Hua Tiandu said with a serene smile. "Ascending to the Longevity Mysteries is only a matter of time, but perhaps it's still a little early for gifts. Today, I'm merely answering Feng Prince's invitation, to protect him while he explores the ancient ruins."
"I see," Prince Yi replied, smiling faintly. "In that case, allow me to introduce Twenty-Fourth Brother, Prince Yi—and the mysterious powerhouse he recruited. Perhaps… a worthy rival for you, Master Hua."
Hua Tiandu turned.
His gaze locked onto Fang Han.
Fang Han immediately felt a burning pressure, as though Hua Tiandu's sight could peel back his skin, read his bones, unravel every thought in his mind.
He snorted softly—and met the gaze head-on.
"Hua Tiandu is powerful," Fang Han thought. "But even he can't see through my reincarnation disguise."
Still—better to create a little misdirection.
He stirred the faintest wisp of Song Weiyi's Golden Core aura, letting it seep through him.
If anyone knew he cultivated fifty-five divine abilities, they would expect his Golden Core—if he had formed one—to be monstrous beyond measure.
Let Hua Tiandu draw his own conclusions.