"There's only a single sliver of hope in the Longevity Realm. Everyone wants to seize it. This time, Exquisite Immortal Venerable has gifted three supreme divine arts—Zuma Ancient God Qi, Grand Salvation Zen Light, and the Sumeru Mountain King Fist. They refine body and mind alike. As long as someone at our level—tenfold Divine Ability—obtains one, they can practically step into the Longevity Realm immediately and shatter their limits! With such an opportunity on the table, who wouldn't fight for it? What room is there for courtesy?"
Facing Fang Han's warning, Wan Lianshan answered flatly, "The cultivation path is a single-plank bridge crossed by ten thousand contenders. Show mercy, and you get crushed."
"Wan Lianshan is right," added Jiao Fei of the Heaven-Through Sword Sect, ranked fifth on the Longevity Candidates List. "Fang Han, your power is formidable, but your realm is too low. If these three supreme arts fall into your hands, how could any of us accept that?"
"Well then," Fang Han replied with a razor-thin smile, "allow me to sample your sword techniques."
Before the tension could spike further, a matriarch-level elder beside Exquisite Immortal Venerable raised her voice. Her words rolled like thunder, silencing the crowd. Above the golden Sumeru platform, the divine radiance solidified into a colossal arena three thousand feet across, floating in the air like a monumental stage for war.
Exquisite Immortal Venerable lifted her hand. Three talismans shot upward.
The first was ancient black, like the carapace of some prehistoric beast—unyielding, indestructible. Zuma Ancient God Qi. Even a tenth-level Divine Ability expert would need centuries to cultivate such a technique from scratch. But in her hands, a year or two was enough.
The second talisman shimmered with Buddhist light. Inside it sat a golden Buddha chanting, its voice stirring pure devotion in every listener. This was the coveted Grand Salvation Zen Light, the very technique Fang Han dreamed of acquiring—one that would supercharge the Five-Element Earth Sigil, Six-Syllable Mantra, and exponentially amplify the might of the Eightfold Pagoda.
The last talisman bore an ancient "mountain" glyph—unadorned, radiant, and heavy enough to crush demons beneath heaven. The Sumeru Mountain King Fist.
Each of the three arts was an overwhelming power boost. Together, they were a miracle.
"For my four-thousandth birthday," said Exquisite Immortal Venerable with serene amusement, "I have little entertainment to offer. So I've prepared this arena. Let the young elites of both Immortal and Demon Dao test themselves. The prize is these three supreme divine arts. Only Divine Ability juniors may participate. As for Longevity-Realm giants—please, leave this play to the young."
She smiled faintly. "Let us enjoy the spectacle."
Her words had barely settled when Wan Lianshan—freshly empowered by the Xuantian Nine Transformations bestowed moments ago—strode onto the arena. His sword flashed free, singing like a dragon.
"Who will face me? Let's add some excitement to the honored Venerable's birthday!"
Among the Divine Ability experts present, many notable figures—Fan Qingying, Yan Shuoyi, Hua Tiandu—had not come. Wan Lianshan had an open field.
And he was eager. With his new divine art, he believed he could even rival Hua Tiandu. His confidence burned like fire.
If he truly swept the field and took all three supreme arts, he might very well reach the first layer of the Longevity Realm—Myriad-Life Stage—within a year or two.
But his aura was so overbearing that everyone hesitated to challenge him. Even Fang Han preferred to observe first, quietly calculating the risks of triggering the Wind-Fire Cataclysm sealed within his golden core.
Then Wan Lianshan pointed his sword at him.
"Fang Han—why don't you fight me? I want to see whether you can stand beside monsters like Yan Shuoyi, Hua Tiandu, or Fan Qingying."
Fang Han rose without hesitation, landing on the arena in a blink. Hundreds of experts stared at him from the Sumeru Golden Mountain.
He couldn't help but admire Exquisite Immortal Venerable's cunning arrangements. Her balance of favors and spectacle was flawless.
"Wan Lianshan, if you truly want to fight me, then listen well." Fang Han's voice cut like a blade. "On my way here, Yan Shuoyi and Fan Qingying ambushed me. I broke through their encirclement alone. What do you think? With your strength, could you withstand Yan Shuoyi's Sea-God Pearl? Or the Chaos-Thunder Sword of Fan Qingying?"
The arena gasped.
"What? You fought both of them?" Wan Lianshan froze. "If you're that strong, why not return to kill Hua Tiandu now? You and he have that ten-year life-and-death pact. This is the perfect time to end him."
"Hmph. I have my reasons." Fang Han's eyes narrowed. "Several giants shield him. The ten-year mark hasn't arrived. But hear me—whether Hua Tiandu reaches Longevity or not, even if he attains the first level, as long as I use ten percent of my power… I can crush him like an ant."
He meant it. Once he advanced to tenth-level Divine Ability and absorbed the Sun-Moon Wheels into the Eightfold Pagoda, he could contend with even the enigmatic Ruyi Zi. When the ten years were up, Hua Tiandu's fate was sealed.
Wan Lianshan snorted. "You're boasting. Yan Shuoyi and Fan Qingying together could kill a Longevity giant. Do you think you've reached that level? Even if you have, I must test you. It's not as if I haven't crossed blades with ancient giants myself."
His battle-spirit roared. This was the opportunity of a lifetime—fighting Fang Han with no threat of death.
Fang Han's eyes thinned. So he didn't take the bait. Fine—hard force it is.
His Wind-Fire Cataclysm was sealed, leaving him only thirty percent of his true strength. But he couldn't afford to lose. The three supreme arts were worth everything.
He flicked a finger.
A streak of blazing flame shot out—Red Emperor Fire Sovereign Qi.
Like a flaming serpent, it tore through the air, igniting the surrounding wind and seeping into Wan Lianshan's protective aura, burning along his meridians.
Wan Lianshan erupted into flames.
But he spat a surge of blue water—dense as mercury, immeasurably heavy. Primordial Heavy Water. A single drop could crush a man to pulp. He wrapped it around himself, extinguishing the flames, then sent a tidal wave crashing toward Fang Han, compressing inward to crush him like a shrinking ocean sphere.
"If that's all you have, Fang Han," Wan Lianshan laughed, "you can step down."
But in the next instant—
Fang Han vanished.
A blade of crystalline gold qi appeared behind Wan Lianshan.
The strike fell.
White Emperor Gold-Sovereign Slash.
Sharper than any dao-artifact, faster than thought.
He had used the Red Emperor flame to provoke a water-response, then slipped out via Black Emperor Water Emperor movement, transitioning instantly into the Gold Emperor killing strike.
The Five Elements—in perfect sequence.
A flawless kill-line.