Although the Fairy of the Li River was dead, he could sense that some kind of fire source still remained inside her.
He was in no hurry to force it out. Instead, he summoned his Life-Bound Blood Sword.
A powerful cultivator like the Fairy of the Li River made the finest nourishment.
The Blood Sword greedily absorbed her blood and baleful energy, while Fang Ling raised his hand to absorb her Life Origin.
Before long, the voluptuous beauty's body had become a skeleton.
Above the bones floated a golden seed the size of a fingernail.
This golden seed was the fire source he had sensed.
With a beckoning gesture, he drew the golden fire seed into his palm.
Before he could examine it closely, the golden fire seed suddenly sank into his palm and burrowed into his body.
A scorching sensation erupted instantly. He felt as though he was about to burn to death.
His blood boiled-not figuratively, but literally, bubbling like boiling water.
The feeling of his body being consumed by fire shattered even his composure, twisting his face into a savage grimace.
Fortunately, the agony did not last long and soon subsided.
The golden fire seed took root in his dantian, sprouting two leaves.
The miraculous flame seedling released a stream of information, communicating with his Divine Soul.
Fang Ling finally learned its origins. It was actually a seed of the Fusang Divine Tree!
Everyone knew of the Fusang Divine Tree, the ancient divine tree that had given birth to the Golden Crow Clan.
The Golden Crow Clan was a supreme lineage of the Demon Race possessing the emperor bloodline, and the golden crow flame was said to burn all things.
There was no need to explain how heaven-defying a divine tree capable of giving birth to such a clan must have been.
Unfortunately, the Fusang Divine Tree had withered not long after giving birth to the Golden Crow Clan.
Ever since, no one had heard of another Fusang Divine Tree growing anywhere in the world.
Fang Ling had never expected to be fortunate enough to obtain its seed, much less have it take root and sprout inside his own dantian.
He turned his hand over and conjured a flame in his palm.
The golden flame in his hand was now even more powerful than it had been in the Fairy of the Li River's hands.
Its searing heat seemed capable of melting space itself.
While the Fusang seed had been inside the Fairy of the Li River, it had never taken root or sprouted, remaining in its seed form.
Thus, she had only been able to wield the fire seed's power, whereas Fang Ling now wielded the flames of the Fusang sapling. The two could hardly be compared.
This Fairy of the Li River must have been quite a prominent figure to possess a Fusang seed.
But I shouldn't use this flame lightly. If anyone from the Golden Crow Clan discovers it, they'll mobilize their entire clan to seize it.
The Golden Crow Clan had endured since ancient times without dying out. He had read records of it in the miscellaneous books in the Thatched Study.
However, the Golden Crow Clan lived in the Central Divine Domain, countless miles from the Southern Dipper Domain, so he had little reason to worry for now.
After obtaining the Fusang sapling, Fang Ling found himself far less interested in the far end of Windstone Gorge.
No matter how precious the treasure in Windstone Gorge might be, it surely could not compare with the Fusang sapling.
Still, no one ever complained about having too many treasures. He quietly drew a steadying breath and continued deeper into the gorge.
He traveled through Windstone Gorge for another quarter of an hour.
Yet he covered little ground during that time.
The deeper he went, the stronger the black astral wind became. Even his body was beginning to struggle against it.
Now, every moment brought the pain of sharp blades scraping his bones, while his skin continually cycled between regeneration and destruction.
If I keep going, even this body of mine probably won't hold out.
Perhaps I'll have to return another time to get to the bottom of this...
Weighing his options, Fang Ling decided to withdraw from Windstone Gorge and return to explore it once his body had grown stronger.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a sudden glint of light flashed toward him, stinging his eyes.
After searching for a while, he discovered some unusual crystals on the opposite rock wall.
The dazzling light had reflected off one of those crystals.
Enduring the bone-scraping astral wind, he advanced a little farther and reached the rock wall.
"That's right! These should be the legendary wind spirit stones!" Fang Ling exclaimed in delight.
He immediately flew up and used the Mysterious Gold Heaven-Piercing Spear to chisel the wind spirit stones out of the wall.
These wind spirit stones had not been embedded in the rock wall by human hands. They were rarities born from being tempered by astral winds over countless years.
The spirit stones commonly found in the cultivation world came in only three grades: high, medium, and low. Even top-grade spirit stones were exceedingly rare.
All the top-grade spirit stones circulating in the world today were remnants of ancient times.
Above top-grade spirit stones, there was an even rarer variety: elemental spirit stones.
The conditions required to produce elemental spirit stones were even more demanding. Only prolonged exposure to elemental power gave them a chance to form.
The wind spirit stones on this rock wall, for instance, had formed under the influence of the black astral wind.
But there were not many. From the entire rock wall, he extracted only eight standard-sized spirit stones.
These elemental spirit stones were of little use to him, since he did not practice any wind-element cultivation arts or divine abilities.
But to those who did, they were worth a fortune. Refining them could greatly increase their cultivation and the power of their divine abilities.
After putting the wind spirit stones away, he looked deeper into the gorge, but still could not see its end.
Without hesitation, he turned and retraced his steps.
While he had been exploring the Six Harmonies Sect's forbidden grounds, Mister Mo and the others had nearly finished sweeping through the sect.
Tiger Venerable and the others who had gone to its branch strongholds had also succeeded without any mishaps.
They had now not only seized all the Six Harmonies Sect's existing supplies, but also taken control of its various shops, medicinal fields, spirit mines, and other money trees.
After absorbing the Six Harmonies Sect's forces, the Heavenly Net Church had undoubtedly become the Southern Sun Kingdom's foremost sect once again, in a single stroke.
This battle shook the entire Southern Sun Kingdom. For a time, tales of Fang Ling filled the air.
A few days later, Fang Ling returned to the Black Mountain headquarters with Mister Mo and the others.
The Heavenly Net Church's hundred and twenty thousand disciples also gathered there.
Fang Ling distributed all the cultivation resources acquired from the Six Harmonies Sect among them.
The hundred and twenty thousand disciples, along with Mister Mo and the other pillars of the church, all received substantial benefits.
They had already held Fang Ling in great awe. This further generosity won their hearts all the more.
Before the Heavenly Net Church's altar, Fang Ling discussed the details of their advance into Blood Marsh with Mister Mo and the others.
Through Mister Mo, Fang Ling had already learned that the Heavenly Mystic Hall was the hidden hand behind this conflict.
Thus, their first task upon entering Blood Marsh would be to destroy this second-rate local power.
"In my humble opinion, we should not relocate the entire church just yet," Mister Mo said.
"Our church already has numerous holdings in the Southern Sun Kingdom. Now that we have absorbed the Six Harmonies Sect, we need time to stabilize and manage them."
"Once the situation in the Southern Sun Kingdom settles, this place will become our rear base as we expand into Blood Marsh, supplying a steady stream of resources and talent."
"Only with that foundation can we throw ourselves into our endeavors in Blood Marsh without restraint."
"For now, it would be best to assemble the church's elite. Around eight hundred should suffice."
"Taking around eight hundred people into Blood Marsh won't attract too much attention, and will make it easier to act."
"You make a good point, Mister Mo." Fang Ling nodded. "Mister Mo, I'll leave selecting those eight hundred people to you. Prepare them to head south with me."
"But before we leave, I believe there is someone I need to meet."
"You wish to meet Emperor Shao, Church Leader?" Mister Mo asked.
"Exactly!" Fang Ling intended to visit the imperial palace and give the ruler of the Southern Sun Kingdom a warning, lest she cause trouble there later.
"Emperor Shao ascended the throne at a young age. Though she is a woman, she is highly capable," Mister Mo said.
"Under her guidance over the years, the Nanyang imperial family has shown signs of a resurgence."
"As a result, Emperor Shao is rather proud, and I fear she may clash with you."
"Though your strength is certainly sufficient to kill her, you absolutely must not do so!"
"The Southern Sun Kingdom may be small, but it is subordinate to the Great Qian Dynasty."
"As the empress of Nanyang, she is effectively a member of the Great Qian Dynasty as well."
"To lay a hand on her would be to slap the Great Qian Dynasty in the face."
"The Great Qian Dynasty is a first-rate power in the Southern Dipper Domain, with experts as numerous as clouds."
"Even with your extraordinary background, they might not be deterred."
"Even if you have nothing to fear, the church's fortunes, which have only just begun to improve, could plummet a thousand fathoms."
Fang Ling laughed at his words.
"You worry too much, Mister Mo. I have always treated people kindly. Why would I kill someone at the slightest provocation?"
"Rest assured, I won't come to blows with Emperor Shao."
Everyone present inwardly muttered at his words.
They thought their church leader probably lacked a clear understanding of himself.
"I don't know the way to the imperial palace. Enchantment Envoy, come with me!" Fang Ling said, looking at Yun Shuiqing.
Yun Shuiqing immediately rose. "As you command!"
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