Fang Han never trusted oaths.
Words were wind; only power was real.
That was why he used the Abyssal Devil Qi to clamp down on the Black Nether King's dark primordial spirit. If this man showed even a sliver of disloyalty in the future, Fang Han would kill him instantly. When he had subdued the Great Asura Witch earlier, he'd also relied on the Forgetting Talisman to lock her down.
But the Black Nether King's strength far exceeded hers. A Forgetting Talisman wouldn't hold him. Only a talisman forged from Abyssal Devil Qi could truly restrain someone of his level.
Seeing the Black Nether King allow the devil qi to sink into his primordial spirit without resistance, Fang Han gave a small, satisfied nod. If the man had fought back, Fang Han would have killed him on the spot—no hesitation, no mercy. Better to kill a threat now than raise a tiger for future disaster.
Subduing the Black Nether King wasn't just an immediate strategic advantage.
Fang Han had long-term plans.
With time, he intended to establish a power of his own—eventually to reclaim the Yellow Springs Sect, or even reform it under his leadership. If he became Sect Master of the Feather Gate, he would bring the Yellow Springs Sect back into the righteous Dao. And if that failed? He would found his own sect, become a Demon Emperor—cultivating both immortality and demonic power, walking a path no one before him dared tread.
The Black Nether King knew the current structure of the Yellow Springs Sect better than anyone. Having him as a subordinate was immensely valuable.
"Good. I've already embedded the Abyssal Devil Qi into your dark primordial spirit," Fang Han said calmly. "It won't interfere with your cultivation—actually, it'll help you comprehend the essence of demonic Dao. But if you ever betray me…" he let the words hang, "you know my methods. I've already killed two Golden Core masters of the Taiyi Sect—Zhao Xuanyi and Song Weiyi. Your cultivation might be higher, but killing you would be no harder than crushing an insect. Stay loyal, and one day I might remove the devil qi."
He flicked a pill from his sleeve.
"This is a Dragon God Pill. I took it from the Dragon Palace vault. It'll restore your vitality and extend your lifespan by centuries. Take it. Yiqin Prince—you as well."
There had been nine of these pills inside the jade gourd. Nebula Child had taken one earlier. Now Fang Han tossed one to each of them, then swallowed one himself and began refining its power.
The Dragon God Pill was a Heaven-grade medicine—not on the level of the Nirvana Pill, but still equal to Nine-Aperture Golden Pills, Yin-Yang Longevity Pills, and Thunder Bone Relics. It strengthened the foundation, replenished vitality, remodeled the muscles, and extended life.
One pill granted five hundred years of lifespan.
And after reading the Heavenly Dragon Codex, Fang Han also knew the pill had a remarkable side effect: when activated, its power formed a layer of dragon scales across the skin, granting immense physical defense—impervious to flame, flood, and even most enchanted blades.
As the pill melted inside him, Fang Han felt a ferocious, ancient power surge through his blood—wild and primordial, neither human nor beast. Channeling it to his skin, he watched dense dragon scales ripple across his body, his strength increasing by several degrees.
"A fine pill," he said. "Though for me, it's more decoration than necessity. With the Heaven-Covering Demonic Art, the Demon Hand, the Sealing Monument, and the Divine-Sealing Constitution fused within me, my body is already absurdly strong. Still, extra dragon power never hurts."
He suppressed the power. The scales faded.
His qi surged.
For a moment, he even felt the urge to condense his Golden Core right then and there.
But he stopped himself.
The timing wasn't right.
He needed more accumulation.
Fifty-six divine abilities would merge into this core. The Great Devouring Art alone was notoriously volatile. A single mistake, and all his progress could collapse into failure.
And most importantly—he had just subdued the Black Nether King. Fang Han wasn't about to risk forming his Golden Core with such an unstable factor nearby.
One finger of his was worth ten thousand lives. He would never gamble with his own future.
Meanwhile, the Yiqin Prince was a different story. After swallowing the Dragon God Pill, his blood boiled, dragon power roared through him, and sweat poured down like rain. The vast medicinal energy surged into his mind, and his cultivation soared.
"He's going to form his Life Talisman," Fang Han realized. "Of course. I gave him the Azure Ram Patriarch's golden core. He split its divine abilities and refined them. A Dragon God Pill was all he needed to trigger the breakthrough."
Fang Han breathed out, a stream of five-colored essence flowing into the prince's mind.
The skies above the prince parted.
A brilliant Life Talisman condensed—holding twenty-two divine abilities.
In the cultivation world, that was an excellent foundation.
Not because the prince was inherently gifted, but because the Azure Ram Patriarch's golden core had contained thirteen divine powers. The prince himself had cultivated nine. Together, they made twenty-two.
"Many thanks, Fang Han! Without your five-element essence, I would've needed years to gather enough spiritual energy to break into the Sixth Realm!"
"You don't need to thank me," Fang Han replied. "Your advancement benefits me too. But you must push toward your Golden Core. Only then can you compete among the princes. Otherwise, you'll always remain at the bottom. Remember—the Fourth Prince has already reached the Ninth Layer, Heaven and Earth Manifestation."
"Naturally," the prince said. "I've decided. I'll bring Song Weiyi's golden core as a tribute to Linglong Immortal Venerable. I'll ask her to help me forge my Golden Core."
Fang Han turned.
"What do you think, Black Nether King?"
The king, sitting cross-legged, was rapidly refining the Dragon God Pill. His pale face had regained its color, though his missing arm remained absent. The pill's power could not regrow limbs—that would require a powerful demonic arm, grafted with Bone-Setting Pills and long cultivation.
"Thank you for the pill, Sect Master. I've recovered most of my vitality. But my primordial spirit was wounded by Hua Tiandu's Panwu Divine Sword. I… hope you might grant me some Forgetting Water to cleanse it."
To the Yellow Springs Sect, Forgetting Water was irresistible—like a starving man craving a feast.
"You've pledged to me. I won't withhold it."
Fang Han waved a hand.
A surge of Yellow Springs Holy Water shot into the king's body.
Instantly, the Black Nether King's primordial spirit shimmered. The violent demonic qi within him faded, transforming into a purer, deeper darkness—one that tasted like the original darkness of creation.
"Excellent. You've begun transforming demon into Dao—returning to the source. With this cleansing, you'll advance faster than ever." Fang Han nodded. "Now tell me—what is the current state of the Yellow Springs Sect? When I unify it, your contributions will be remembered."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
With so many benefits granted in succession, the Black Nether King's resentment over his severed arm had completely vanished.
"The Yellow Springs Sect is divided into ten factions—collectively called the Ten Halls. They splintered from the Ten Great Elder Councils three thousand years ago. Each hall is led by one or more elders at the Longevity Realm.
"I was the personal disciple of the Yuluo Hall Master, Baling Ming. The Ghost Emperor was the deputy hall master of the Ghost Hall.
"The Ten Halls are:
Yuluo, Senluo, Mingluo, Yinluo, Moluo, Duluo, Poluo, Guiluo, Tuluo, and finally—Yanluo Hall.
"Yanluo Hall was originally ruled by Lord Yan—the spirit of the Yellow Springs Diagram. After his death, the nine other halls each tried to take control of it, fighting endlessly… until a new prodigy appeared two thousand years ago.
"That prodigy is Su Xiuyi.
"He joined the sect two thousand years ago. Within three hundred years, he reached the Longevity Realm. Then he shut himself away and hasn't emerged for seventeen hundred years. He is widely considered the strongest master of our entire sect.
"My master, Baling Ming—who has already achieved Undying Body—warned me never to provoke Yanluo Hall."
Fang Han's brows rose.
"He reached the Longevity Realm in only three hundred years… then secluded himself for nearly two thousand? That level of talent… outrageous. I thought no one after the Yellow Springs Emperor could reach that height—especially without Forgetting Water. Did he have some other miraculous encounter?"
"He did. He isn't primarily cultivating our Yellow Springs arts. His most fearsome treasure is a book he wrote himself—called the Book of Life and Death. A top-grade Dao artifact… possibly nearing the power of an Immortal Artifact."
Fang Han's heart gave a small jolt.
"A book… governing life and death? Could it be… the Earth Emperor's Book?"
A dangerous idea flashed through his mind.