Life Spring Realm

Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven.

On this day, the sun set in the west.

Inside the thatched cottage, Fang Yang was bathed in a shimmering spiritual light. The glow was most intense at his Bitter Sea, three inches below the navel, resembling a red sun just beginning to rise.

Compared to when it was first opened, his Bitter Sea was now vastly different. It had expanded to the size of a walnut, and divine power surged within, no longer possessing its former deathly stillness.

The Bitter Sea was like an active volcano, filled with an aura of suppressed intensity that could erupt at any moment.

Fang Yang immersed his mind within, clutching a Pure Source to absorb its essence while circulating the Lesser Brightness Scripture, striving to step into the next realm.

Having recently consumed Divine Spring water infused with a Bodhi Leaf, he had long since gained a thorough understanding of the Lesser Brightness Scripture.

In the cultivation of the Sea of Bitterness Realm, the first secret realm of the human body, only two problems limited his speed.

First, his mortal body was inferior to special constitutions; even with a Pure Source in hand, his efficiency in refining the essence of heaven and earth was far from fast.

Second, cultivation in the Other Shore Realm required overcoming the calamity of being lost, and Fang Yang lacked the confidence to successfully complete the nine transformations of the Other Shore.

Setting these two issues aside, his cultivation speed was shocking—a rate of progress never before seen within the confines of the Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven.

A soft sound echoed in his ears.

The suppressed aura within the Bitter Sea dissipated, replaced by a roaring, magnificent Divine Spring gushing forth from the newly opened Eye of the Life Spring.

Once a cultivator reaches this realm, they possess certain supernatural abilities, such as stepping on the void and the power of flight.

Fang Yang felt a sudden impulse and utilized the profound techniques within the Lesser Brightness Scripture. The divine power erupting from the Eye of the Life Spring within his Bitter Sea surged, transforming into a brilliant divine rainbow that lifted him from the thatched cottage to soar through the sky.

"This is the Life Spring Realm!"

Fang Yang hovered five meters above the ground, feeling the divine power and restless blood within his body.

During this period, he had refined most of his resources, including the Nine-Orifice Golden Pill and Essence Pills, causing his physical body to undergo a complete transformation, making him far stronger than other cultivators at the same level.

Even though Fang Yang had only just opened his Life Spring, he could rival—or even defeat—cultivators who had been immersed in this realm for a long time.

Furthermore...

Fang Yang took out the Replica of the Supreme Emperor Sword. Its blade no longer held a dazzling luster, appearing like an ordinary long sword.

Under his diligent efforts over these past days, he had finally refined a sliver of this powerful weapon, allowing him to unleash a fraction of its might.

"With the sword in hand, I can destroy my enemies."

Fang Yang's thoughts drifted.

Elder Han must already be aware of his existence.

During Han Feiyu's previous attempt to probe him, Fang Yang had intervened, which would undoubtedly provoke the other party's hostility.

Since that was the case, Elder Han was his enemy.

Then, it was time to test whether actively provoking an enemy and killing them could yield Fate Points.

Fang Yang took out the Snake Talisman, held it in his palm, and his figure vanished from the spot.

Unlike the disciples of the Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven who started with only a thatched cottage and had to build or excavate their own if they wanted more comfortable, private quarters, the elders of the Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven could choose any location where the essence of heaven and earth was most concentrated to establish their cave dwellings. These dwellings were inscribed with various Dao patterns, providing both defensive and soundproofing effects.

On this day, Elder Han was in a towering rage:

"Trash!"

"All of you are trash!"

"The Sacred Fruit! It is my final hope; even if I die, I must get my hands on it!"

Elder Han's decaying body left him with nothing but a desperate desire to cling to life.

As an elder of the Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven with superb alchemy skills, he had extensive connections, and those he associated with were all of the elder class.

Even though the sect leader of the Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven was aware of his attempt to use Han Feiyu to probe the others, he had received no substantial punishment, only a strict order not to lay a hand on the two Immortal Seeds.

"Ye Fan... Fang Yang!"

Elder Han gritted his teeth.

If possible, he wanted to stuff all three of these lucky individuals who had consumed the Sacred Fruit into his alchemy furnace to refine a divine pill that could seize the fortune of heaven and earth.

As a cultivator in the Divine Bridge Realm, he had lived for over a hundred years, and his blood and energy had long since decayed to the extreme.

Even though he had fully comprehended his cultivation technique and was confident in breaking through to the Other Shore Realm, he was held back by his decaying physical body and could not make the breakthrough.

The Soul-Returning Pill was Elder Han's last hope.

Ye Fan was his primary target.

If one Ye Fan was not enough, even if it meant the entire Han family being implicated by him, Elder Han would find a way to stuff both Immortal Seeds into his alchemy furnace.

Between life and death, there is great terror!

"Come in."

Suddenly, the restrictions on the cave dwelling were triggered. Elder Han opened the door, having already sensed that it was Han Feiyu who had arrived.

Han Feiyu walked in with his head bowed, shedding his usual arrogance for a display of extreme humility, appearing every bit the polite junior.

"Great-uncle, Ye Fan has been in seclusion and hasn't emerged, but I've gathered intelligence that he intends to head to the Primal Ruins for training in the near future."

"Good! Well done!"

Elder Han's voice sounded like an old ghost crawling out of hell, raspy and filled with excitement.

"This Green Wood Pill will help you increase your cultivation. Seize the time to practice. Fang Yang is a man of immense talent; you should take him as your goal in the future, but remember not to provoke any more conflicts."

"If possible, try to ease relations and befriend him."

"His path is destined to lead to the Yao Guang Sacred Land, where he will shine with boundless brilliance. He is not on the same level as us cultivators trapped in a corner of the Yan Kingdom."

Facing Elder Han's instructions, Han Feiyu nodded in agreement, remaining respectful as he reached out to take the Green Wood Pill from his great-uncle.

As for what he was truly thinking in his heart, no one could know.

Speaking the language of men to men, and the language of ghosts to ghosts.

This was a skill that a mature family descendant ought to possess.

Shing!

The sound of a sword hummed abruptly, startling both Elder Han and Han Feiyu.

"Who drew that sword?"

Han Feiyu turned his head to the left, only to see several dragon-shaped sword auras receding until they vanished deep into the stone wall of the cave dwelling.

Hm?

Why is the direction wrong?

The next moment, Han Feiyu's consciousness dissipated, his head tumbled to the ground, and a spray of hot blood erupted, splashing onto the stone floor.

The treatment Elder Han received was starkly different from his grandnephew.

Not only was his head severed, but all four of his limbs were also hacked off by the sword auras, and a blade of energy rampaged through his chest, churning his internal organs into paste.

[Enemy Elder Han killed, Fate Points +300]

[Enemy Han Feiyu killed, Fate Points +10]

Fang Yang, hidden in the corner, was stunned.

Gaining Fate Points was a good thing, and a total of 310 points was not a small amount; it was enough for three single draws.

But after these two cultivators were killed, the Fate Points they contributed were actually less than that of Liu Yunzhi and his group of mortals.

Without overthinking it, he began to loot the treasures on their bodies.

Killing and looting were inseparable.

Although Fang Yang possessed a Pure Source, he understood the principle of being frugal and would not waste a single bit of resources.