"Seventh Senior Brother, why not go and see for yourself?"
The true disciple standing beside him spoke urgently. "If Xingyun Baobao really reached the Fifth Layer of the Divine Ability Realm—Heaven–Human Realm—then his potential becomes a threat. And if someone from the Taiyi Sect is backing him, teaching him high-level spells… then in a few centuries, you may lose your chance to become the next Sect Master."
Another disciple said, "He's back already. We should confirm his level with our own eyes."
"Seventh Senior Brother," Zhou Hu cut in quickly, "Xingyun Baobao brought someone with him. An outsider."
"An outsider?" Seventh Senior Brother frowned. "Which sect? Is he strong? Someone from the Taiyi Sect?"
"No, not Taiyi. But strong or not—I couldn't see through him," Zhou Hu admitted. "It seemed he hasn't even formed a Golden Core yet. They're heading to the Taiji Star Palace."
"No Golden Core? Then he's trash." Seventh Senior Brother waved that off. "As for Xingyun Baobao… his surge in power is troublesome. But hitting you and stealing my followers? He's deliberately tearing our relationship apart. Fine—he's the son of the Sect Master. But I am the descendant of the Supreme Elder. I can't touch him personally…"
A cold smile crossed his face.
"But the outsider standing beside him? That one I can crush. A lesson must be given."
He rose to his feet—and at that moment…
A massive wave of spiritual force swept across the entire meteorite world.
Everyone froze.
"Fang Han of the Feathered Immortal Sect… Fang Han of the Feathered Immortal Sect…"
The name echoed in every ear.
"What terrifying power! Wait—Fang Han? That Fang Han?" someone gasped. "Xingyun Baobao brought him?!"
Seventh Senior Brother stopped dead.
Another disciple cried out, voice trembling, "Seventh Senior Brother! Fang Han is the one who slew the Ghost Emperor, destroyed the Star Pirates and Moon Assassins, and in the Five Elements Domain mastered the Five Emperor Demonic Divine Ability—on par with Taiyi's Doomsday Cataclysm! He has cultivated FIFTY-FIVE Divine Abilities! He even defeated Meng Shaobai—the Feathered Sect's prodigy! We cannot underestimate him!"
"Fang Han…"
Seventh Senior Brother's expression twisted.
"So that's the mountain Xingyun Baobao leaned against."
He sucked in a cold breath.
"This man killed Song Weiyi and Zhao Xuanyi—two elite Golden Core giants of the Taiyi Sect—inside the Five Elements Domain. Unrestrained, unstoppable. No one could touch him. You might not know this, but I do. This is no small matter. Move—we're gathering the other senior brothers."
"Where to?"
"To the others," Seventh Senior Brother said grimly. "This is a crisis. Fang Han's arrival will stir up a storm in our sect. If he's here to support Xingyun Baobao, then every true disciple is his enemy. Xingyun Baobao wants the Sect Master seat in a few centuries—we all do. None of us will let him take it."
He vanished into the void.
He knew he alone wasn't enough to deal with Fang Han. But the Starry Sect had countless top disciples. Surely someone could match him.
Fang Han's call had shaken the entire sect. Countless disciples rushed about in alarm. Even the mighty Taiji Star Palace responded—an astral bridge of starlight extended outward for a thousand miles, stopping directly before Fang Han.
A powerful, ancient voice echoed from its end:
"Fang Han, nephew, no need for ceremony. I have been expecting you."
That voice—deep, calm, immeasurable—belonged to a titan of the cultivation world, equal in stature to Feng Baiyu.
It was the Sect Master of the Starry Sect—
the Star Lord.
Hearing the warm address of "nephew," Fang Han felt tension ease from his chest. He stepped onto the bridge with Xingyun Baobao, and in a flash of flickering stars, they arrived within a vast cultivation chamber.
The chamber was empty—an endless void. Floating in its center sat a middle-aged man in star-embroidered robes, ancient and dignified, smiling calmly.
"Dad," Xingyun Baobao greeted lazily. That was enough to confirm his identity—Sect Master, ruler of one of the Ten Immortal Gates, a being of unimaginable power.
Fang Han bowed deeply.
"Junior greets the Star Lord."
He was bold, but not arrogant. Before ancient giants, even he tread with caution.
"You've come at Feng Baiyu's request, yes?" the Star Lord asked. "The message you carry—I already know its contents. Our two sects will unite to open the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion, seize its treasures, and strengthen both factions."
He accepted the letter Fang Han offered but didn't bother reading it—instead storing it in his sleeve.
"A joint expedition?" Fang Han frowned. "But what about the Taiyi Sect, and other factions? They'll surely try to take a share. Demons, devils, rogues—"
The Taiyuan Immortal Mansion was a treasure too great to remain uncontested.
The Star Lord chuckled.
"Feng Baiyu and I accounted for all that. We possess a decisive advantage. And that advantage… is you."
"Me?" Fang Han was genuinely confused.
"In the Immortal Mansion, a powerful senior was sealed away. During your eighteen years inside, he guided your cultivation. Without him, you would not have grown so quickly. Is that correct?"
Fang Han hesitated.
"…Yes, but—"
"How do I know?" The Star Lord smiled. "When Feng Baiyu opened the Mansion with the Heavenly Emperor Mirror, that senior transmitted his will to him. They struck a bargain. The Feathered Immortal Sect will help free him. In return, he has discovered the secrets of the three Xuanpin Gates of the Mansion. With Feng Baiyu's help, he can seize the central control hub. The entire Immortal Mansion will become ours."
He added calmly:
"And once successful, every treasure inside will be given to the Feathered Immortal Sect. A win-win cooperation. Trust is the only condition—and he trusts you."
Fang Han's voice remained steady.
"What is your joint plan?"
"The details require discussion with Feng Baiyu," the Star Lord said. "But the preliminary agreement is this: once successful, the senior will allow you to control one of the three Xuanpin Gates. All the pills, artifacts, scriptures, and treasures will be yours to distribute. You are, effectively, his disciple in name."
He smiled faintly.
"That is why Feng Baiyu protects you so fiercely. You killed Taiyi's Golden Core elites—and he still shields you. Compared to an Immortal Mansion full of ancient artifacts, what are a few Golden Core disciples? Even ancient giants can be sacrificed."
Fang Han laughed inwardly.
A bit of provocation there.
But he showed nothing on his face.
He nodded. "Naturally. But with my current strength, completing such a task is impossible. Without reaching the Longevity Realm, I'd be walking to my death. To handle such a mission, I must grow stronger—quickly. So… might the Star Lord offer some assistance? I spent ten billion pills on a Nirvana Pill for Xingyun Baobao. I'm nearly bankrupt."
The Star Lord chuckled.
"I hear you refine a million Nascent Soul Pills per month. Even I envy that wealth."
"But since you spent ten billion buying a Nirvana Pill for Baobao… I cannot appear stingy. You're on the verge of forming a Golden Core. What you lack is raw energy. But you also cultivate the Panwu Titan Divine Ability—powerful, but ridiculously difficult to advance. Each realm requires unimaginable energy."
He reached into his sleeve and produced a simple gourd.
It didn't look like a treasure. But when he shook it lightly, a pure, sacred force rippled out—neither mana nor Qi.
Fang Han's expression sharpened.
Inside…
Countless living beings prayed.
Their devotion condensed into a pure, luminous force.
Wish-power.
"Wish-power from all beings…" Fang Han murmured.
"Correct," the Star Lord said. "You saw it coming in—our sect shelters tens of millions of mortals. We feed them, clothe them. Their only duty is to pray. This gourd contains the accumulated devotion of eighty million people over ten years. Originally I planned to refine a Dao-tier artifact with it. But since you need it now—I'll give it to you."
He smiled.
"Is it equal in value to your Nirvana Pill?"
"It's more than enough." Fang Han accepted the gourd eagerly. "With this, I can unleash the Panwu Divine Ability again—expand my mind, open my third consciousness sea, even the fourth or fifth."
"Not enough!" Xingyun Baobao cut in. "Fang Han also gave me the Yin–Yang Longevity Pill, the Dragon God Pill, and helped me refine Zhao Xuanyi's Golden Core. That's priceless. And—he taught me the method for cultivating the Infinite Star Palace and the Infinite Star Tome."
"WHAT?!"
The Star Lord suddenly stiffened—
color draining from his face.