The Magical Beast Mountain Range, Stone Sculpture Valley.
A Level Nine Magical Beast Core, or something of equivalent value. Linley pondered this to himself.
Back in Mist Valley, the battle between the Spined Iron-Back Dragon and the Purple-Striped Black Bear had let Linley reap some benefits. The most precious among them was the Saint-level Magical Beast Core of the Purple-Striped Black Bear. As for the Spined Iron-Back Dragon's Level Nine Core, he had accidentally swallowed it. Otherwise, he could have used it to exchange for the battle-axe Slaughter.
Should he use the Saint-level Magical Beast Core to exchange for the battle-axe Slaughter?
The thought had barely occurred to him before Linley dismissed it. If his father found out that he had traded a Saint-level Magical Beast Core for the battle-axe Slaughter, he would surely be angry.
A Saint-level Magical Beast Core was priceless. Although the battle-axe Slaughter was the Baruch Clan's heirloom, its true value was only around a million gold coins. Fang Yun had used a Level Nine Magical Beast Core worth five million gold coins to buy the battle-axe Slaughter, greatly increasing its price.
Of course, deep down, Linley also had an unconscious thought: although Sainthood seemed impossibly distant, reaching Level Nine was not actually that difficult for him. Becoming a powerful mage might take a long time, but if he activated his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, all he had to do was keep cultivating the Dragonblood Secret Manual. Once he reached Level Seven in human form, he would possess the strength of an early-stage Level Nine warrior after transforming.
Once he became a Level Nine warrior, he and Beibei would be able to kill a Level Nine Magical Beast. He could then use its core to exchange for the battle-axe Slaughter.
"Linley, your sculpture..."
At that moment, Doehring Cowart reminded him from beside him.
Linley's sculpture, Dream Awakening, was absolutely of a master's caliber. Even at auction, it would easily fetch five million gold coins.
Besides, Fang Yun had wanted to buy Dream Awakening from the very beginning.
Hearing Doehring Cowart's reminder, Linley came back to himself. "Mr. Fang Yun, would it be possible to exchange my sculpture, Dream Awakening, for the battle-axe Slaughter? If it isn't enough, I'll think of another way."
Dream Awakening was his first masterpiece, and it also held memories of the past. But in terms of importance, Linley felt it couldn't compare to the battle-axe Slaughter.
Hearing Linley's words, Fang Yun smiled. "Of course."
Linley let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mr. Fang Yun."
Fang Yun waved a hand casually. "I told you, as long as the value is right, we can make the exchange. And your sculpture really is quite good."
"Still, it's not as good as yours, sir."
Linley smiled wryly.
Although he was already considered a master sculptor, he felt Fang Yun's skill was far beyond his own.
"Enough about that."
Fang Yun smiled, then looked at Doehring Cowart. "I had you appear because there are some things I want to tell you."
In the original story, Doehring Cowart had never been able to come back to life. That was one of the novel's great regrets. So Fang Yun intended to change that.
Besides saving Doehring Cowart at the very last moment, there was another way: he could guide him and help him understand the rules of godhood. If Doehring Cowart could become a god, there would be no regret.
Of course, Doehring Cowart hadn't managed to become a god five thousand years ago. Now, with only his soul remaining, comprehending the Laws and becoming a god would likely be even harder. Still, it was the only way for Doehring Cowart to truly be reborn.
"Please, go ahead, sir."
Doehring Cowart was also a little surprised. He hadn't expected Fang Yun to have something to tell him.
Linley and the others also looked at Fang Yun curiously.
Fang Yun came right out with it. "Five thousand years ago, you had already reached the peak of the Saint-level, right?"
Doehring Cowart nodded, looking somewhat proud. "That's right. I was at the second level of the Saint-level peak."
At the second level of the Saint-level peak, one had already gained a fairly deep understanding of the Mysteries. Across the entire Yulan Continent, he would have been an exceptionally powerful expert at the peak.
Even the current pope of the Radiant Church was only at that level.
Linley and the Doham brothers were utterly confused. The Saint-level had different levels? They knew that some Saint-level experts were stronger than others, but they hadn't known that the Saint-level was divided into distinct tiers.
"Boss, isn't the Saint-level just one realm?"
Beibei's voice rang out in Linley's mind.
"Maybe there are early and late stages, too," Linley guessed.
He wasn't sure, but since Saint-level experts varied in strength, it made sense that there would be such distinctions.
Fang Yun nodded. "Since you'd already reached the second level of the Saint-level peak, do you know how to go from the Saint-level to godhood?"
Doehring Cowart fell silent. Although he was at the second level of the Saint-level peak, he had found his way through cultivation by trial and error. How did one become a god? He didn't know. Perhaps the reason would only become clear in the final step before godhood.
Or perhaps most Saint-level experts didn't know how to become gods.
That was why so many Saint-level experts sought out gods as their teachers. A teacher might not be able to guide their cultivation directly, but a few pointers in the right direction were enough to help them avoid many detours.
Seeing Doehring Cowart fall silent, Fang Yun didn't press him. He simply explained, "Beginning to comprehend the Laws' Mysteries is the realm of the Saint-level peak. Once you've comprehended one Mystery to its limit, you've reached the Saint-level limit."
"Comprehending one Mystery to its limit means reaching the Saint-level limit..."
Doehring Cowart silently nodded. Although he hadn't known how to become a god, his path of cultivation hadn't been wrong.
"Could it be... that fully comprehending one Mystery is enough to become a god?"
Doehring Cowart seemed to realize something. The Saint-level limit meant comprehending one Mystery to its utmost. Wouldn't fully comprehending that Mystery mean becoming a god?
Fang Yun smiled and nodded. "That's right. Once you fully comprehend one Mystery, you can become a god."
Doehring Cowart was filled with emotion. Although he could no longer cultivate, learning the path to godhood now still made up for one small regret.
Linley and the Doham brothers silently committed Fang Yun's words to memory. They hadn't even reached the Saint-level, so they didn't know what these so-called Mysteries were. The powerful people they had encountered were either warriors who cultivated battle qi or mages who practiced magic. They had never heard of cultivating the Mysteries.
But even if they didn't understand, this kind of secret knowledge would surely be useful to remember.
Suddenly, Doehring Cowart's brow furrowed slightly. He looked at Fang Yun, his tone uncertain. "Mr. Fang Yun, do you mean that becoming a god only requires comprehending one Mystery?"
At that moment, Doehring Cowart seemed to feel his heart beating again.
Seeing Doehring Cowart's expression, Fang Yun knew he had guessed the truth. After all, anyone who could become a Saint-level expert was no fool. They were all geniuses.
Fang Yun's expression remained casual as he smiled. "That's right. You only need to comprehend one Mystery."
Linley and the Doham brothers couldn't quite follow their conversation.
Doehring Cowart's voice grew a little excited. "There aren't any other requirements?"
"None."
Fang Yun smiled at Doehring Cowart.
Hearing this, Doehring Cowart formally bowed to Fang Yun. "I will never forget your great kindness, sir."
He didn't know whether he could become a god, or whether he could escape the Coiling Dragon Ring and be reborn if he did. But Fang Yun's words had undoubtedly pointed him toward a new path.
Becoming a god only required comprehending one Mystery. That meant that even without a body, as long as he still had his soul, he had a chance to become a god.
His soul could still sense the Mysteries of the Earth.
For the past five thousand years, for one reason or another, he had practically wasted his time. If he hadn't learned this, he might have continued wasting it in the future.
But now that he knew his soul still had a chance to become a god, Doehring Cowart felt a renewed spark of passion. As someone who had reached the Saint-level peak, Doehring Cowart naturally had the heart of a powerful expert. Even if he remained only a soul, a god-level soul would surely be stronger than a Saint-level soul.
Seeing how formal Doehring Cowart was, Linley and the others fell silent.
Linley especially could clearly sense Doehring Cowart's excitement. In the past, he had always been able to communicate with Grandpa Doehring, but Grandpa Doehring had seemed like a detached, otherworldly presence, as if little could affect him. It had made him feel unreal. But now, although Grandpa Doehring was still the same as before, this "intense" change in emotion made him seem much more real.
In truth, Doehring Cowart had once given up on the hope of being reborn. He had come to think of himself as the Coiling Dragon Ring's spirit. Aside from teaching Linley, he had almost no other goals.
Now, Fang Yun's words had opened the door to cultivation for Doehring Cowart once more. He had found new hope, and that naturally changed things.
Before, he had only taught Linley to become stronger. Now, he would grow stronger alongside Linley.
"There's no need to thank me yet."
Fang Yun spoke casually. "I only told you some basic facts. Whether you can do it is up to you."
Fang Yun couldn't guarantee whether Doehring Cowart could become a god or change his fate. After all, becoming a god in a Material Plane was incredibly difficult.
If Doehring Cowart still hadn't become a god by the time he fell, then Fang Yun would have no choice but to save him.
That day, Linley left Stone Sculpture Valley.
Since he had decided to exchange Dream Awakening for the battle-axe Slaughter, Linley didn't hesitate. He went straight back to Fenlai City.
Fenlai City, Green Leaf Road.
Inside a manor.
Linley sat at a table with Yale and said, "Big Bro Yale, does this sculpture, Dream Awakening, need to be delivered to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"
"Delivered to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"
Yale had thought Linley was looking for him because of the battle-axe Slaughter. It turned out this was about Dream Awakening.
Linley nodded, then explained, "Big Bro Yale, I've found out where the battle-axe Slaughter is. But to get it, I have to trade Dream Awakening for it."
Hearing this, Yale furrowed his brow. "Trade it for Dream Awakening?"
Then Yale looked at Linley and said, "Third Bro, this sculpture of yours is a masterpiece, and it's your first one. It would be a shame to just give it away. How much gold would it take to trade for the battle-axe Slaughter? I'll figure something out."
Linley felt a warmth in his heart, then smiled and explained, "Keeping this sculpture won't do me any good. It's best to use it to trade for the battle-axe Slaughter."
As he spoke, Linley told Yale about what had happened in Stone Sculpture Valley. Of course, he didn't mention that Fang Yun had reached godhood.
"So it was Mr. Fang Yun!"
Yale grew a little excited. He had to know that Fang Yun was someone he had always admired.
In particular, the tale of Fang Yun single-handedly suppressing the Dark Alliance had spread throughout the continent. In Yale's eyes, that was what a true powerhouse was like.
"Third Bro, you have to let me deliver the sculpture this time!"
Yale said excitedly to Linley.
Seeing Yale like that, Linley could only smile helplessly. "All right."
Yale had never been willing to train in the Magical Beast Mountain Range before. He thought it was dangerous and didn't want to risk his life when he hadn't enjoyed himself enough yet.
But now that he had the chance to meet Mr. Fang Yun, he no longer cared whether the Magical Beast Mountain Range was dangerous.
Yale hurried off to arrange for people to go with him. Linley quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Once he had the battle-axe Slaughter, he could finally give his father an answer.
Even now, he couldn't forget what his father had told him.
"Linley, once this matter is settled, you'll begin your hard training."
Doehring Cowart appeared and said, "You'd better buy enough supplies in advance."
Ever since learning about the path to godhood from Fang Yun, he had once again begun earnestly comprehending the Mysteries of the Earth. However, he was restricted by the Coiling Dragon Ring. He could only slowly absorb the Earth Elements around him with his soul power in order to comprehend the Mysteries, and his progress was not fast.
He also lacked the ability to apply what he learned in different ways, leaving him with very limited means of understanding the Mysteries.
So if he wanted to truly make progress, he would have to train hard as well. Once Linley had arranged everything, he would head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train.
And this time, he might have to train for a very long time.
"I understand, Grandpa Doehring. Once I deliver the battle-axe Slaughter to Wushan Town, I'll begin my hard training."
Linley's heart was also filled with determination.
Especially when he thought of Fang Yun, who had advanced from the Saint-level to godhood, his heart burned with excitement.
The Magical Beast Mountain Range, Stone Sculpture Valley.
Fang Yun sat cross-legged at the highest point of the mountaintop, quietly feeling the wind blow.
Wind Elements were the foundation of the Wind Laws. Although they were considered a lower Mystery, they were no less important than the other Mysteries.
Moreover, as his understanding of the Wind Laws deepened, a thought gradually took shape in his mind. If he wanted to make the fusion of Mysteries easier, the Mysteries of Wind Elements might be the breakthrough point.
Although he still couldn't be certain how the Mysteries of Wind Elements affected the other Mysteries, Fang Yun was becoming increasingly sure that Wind Elements might be the point of compatibility for fusing the Mysteries as a whole.
In particular, the five Mysteries of Wind Elements, Wind Space, Dimension, Mysteries of Speed, and Mysteries of Slowness. Because of his earlier sculpting, Fang Yun had gained some superficial understanding of all five.
Now that he understood Wind Elements a little better, fusing these five Mysteries would be somewhat easier for him in the future.
"The lord is just sitting there, but I feel like he's turning into the wind. It's so strange..."
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Doham watched Fang Yun cultivate on the summit, unable to hide his awe.
"The lord hasn't moved at all?"
Hearing Doham's words, Dohar froze for a moment and asked.
The brothers exchanged a glance, then dared not watch Fang Yun cultivate any longer. Just looking at a god-level expert cultivating had affected them. It was terrifying.
Before long, Fang Yun finished cultivating and opened his eyes. He couldn't help sighing. "It looks like fully fusing the Mysteries will take quite a long time."
Although Bayer's talent made cultivation much easier for Fang Yun than it was for most people, fusing the Mysteries was still no simple matter.
No wonder the gods in the Divine Plane could spend decades or even centuries in seclusion at a time.
The Divine Plane.
Fang Yun was tempted.
The concentration of elemental energy in the Divine Plane far surpassed that of the Material Planes, so cultivating there would naturally be much faster.
Perhaps he should reach the Mid-level God realm as soon as possible, then head to the Divine Plane.
Only with the strength of a Mid-level God would he have a measure of safety in the Divine Plane.
"Doham."
Fang Yun appeared in the valley.
"My lord."
The Doham brothers ran over.
With a casual motion, Fang Yun took out the battle-axe Slaughter and said, "Wait here for Linley. Once he delivers the sculpture, give him the battle-axe Slaughter."
Although Linley was the protagonist of the original story, nobody knew what might change now that Fang Yun had truly entered this world. Fang Yun didn't need to keep an eye on Linley all the time.
"Yes."
The Doham brothers answered respectfully.
Ever since learning that Fang Yun had become a god, the brothers had been even more in awe of him. After all, not one of their ancestors had ever become a god.
"Good. Keep training and reach the Saint-level as soon as you can."
Fang Yun spoke directly.
Fang Yun had high hopes for the Tiger-striped Warriors. He even hoped that the two of them would become gods and, in the future, perhaps get a chance to go to the Four Divine Beasts Clan and awaken their Innate Divine Ability.
The White Tiger's Innate Divine Ability was said to be the strongest among the Four Divine Beasts. Naturally, Fang Yun wanted to see it for himself.
"By the way, Dohar, secretly follow Linley for the next few years. If Doehring Cowart ever gets into danger, save him."
Fang Yun suddenly remembered something and gave the order.
Dohar's strength was no weaker than Doham's, and his bloodline was even purer than Doham's. In human form, he had reached the peak of Level Eight. After transforming, he would have the strength of a peak Level Nine warrior. No one below the Saint-level could defeat him.
With him there, Doehring Cowart could be saved.
Besides, as long as Dohar showed up, the Radiant Church would surely think twice before acting.
"Yes!"
Dohar didn't know why Fang Yun had arranged this, but he answered seriously. This was the first time Fang Yun had given him a task.
Then Fang Yun spread his divine sense and easily found Prequet.
"Prequet, go to the Rhine Empire and protect the Kawent Institute."
Fang Yun sent the message directly.
Prequet was shocked to receive Fang Yun's message, but he didn't dare disobey. He acknowledged the order and immediately flew toward the Rhine Empire.
Fang Yun nodded to himself. Although Prequet was only a peak Saint-level tyrannosaurus rex, his intelligence was no less than a human's.
With him heading to the Rhine Empire, the Kawent Institute would have enough time to develop.
After making all the arrangements, Fang Yun flew straight into the sky, stopping only when he neared the edge of the plane.
Powerful winds howled here almost constantly. Even Saint-level experts would probably struggle to stay for long.
"Here will do."
Fang Yun nodded in satisfaction, then sat cross-legged in midair and began cultivating in peace.
This was the year 9998 of the Yulan Calendar.
Before you continue