The next day, at the Ninth Prince's Manor.
Fang Heng washed up and changed clothes under Yun Menglan's care.
Just as he was about to enjoy breakfast, a streak of azure light descended into the manor.
The azure glow dispersed, revealing Daoist Xuanqing.
"Master, why are you here?"
Fang Heng exclaimed in surprise.
Before he could receive an answer, Daoist Xuanqing strode over in three quick steps and complained.
"Disciple, you hid this from your master too well."
"When did you perfect the Life-Nourishing Art?"
Fang Heng had long prepared an explanation for Daoist Xuanqing's question.
"Only a few days ago. I somehow muddled my way into it."
"At first, this disciple didn't even know the Life-Nourishing Art had reached major completion!"
"Only after breaking through and entering the Dao did I realize that the Life-Nourishing Art had condensed a Post-natal Immortal Root."
After hearing Fang Heng's explanation, Daoist Xuanqing did not doubt him.
After all, throughout the ages, only the founding patriarch had cultivated the Life-Nourishing Art to perfection.
As for the precise circumstances, Daoist Xuanqing could only make inferences from the sidelines.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Beaming with delight, Daoist Xuanqing said "good" three times in a row before taking out a jade disk.
"This is a Spirit-Testing Disk, specially used to test the quality of Immortal Roots."
"Disciple, place your hand on the Spirit-Testing Disk."
Fang Heng placed his right hand on the Spirit-Testing Disk, and it quickly reacted.
A phantom of a divine tree that held up the heavens and stood upon the earth emerged.
At the sight of the divine tree phantom, the storm clouds shifted within Daoist Xuanqing's placid eyes, and two piercing rays of light burst forth.
"Immortal Root manifestation."
"Top-tier aptitude, not inferior to any spirit body or Dao body."
Daoist Xuanqing was overjoyed. The gaze he directed at Fang Heng became increasingly pleased and gentle.
When he had accepted this disciple back then, it had merely been inconvenient to refuse Consort Ning's request.
Who would have thought that he would pick up such an enormous bargain?
Daoist School Immortal Roots could be divided by grade into inferior Immortal Roots, middle-grade Immortal Roots, and superior Immortal Roots.
Above superior Immortal Roots came Immortal Root manifestation, where they condensed into specific forms.
The aptitude of an Immortal Root manifestation was not inferior to any spirit body, sacred body, immortal body, or Dao body.
It was a rare and most supreme cultivation foundation, scarcely seen in the world.
Most importantly, Fang Heng's Immortal Root took the form of a divine tree.
Although Daoist Xuanqing could not identify which divine tree from myth and legend it was.
There was no doubt that it was naturally suited to cultivating Evergreen Temple's Everlasting Evergreen Scripture.
"Master, do you know what kind of divine tree my manifested Immortal Root is?" Fang Heng asked.
Though he had a suspicion in his heart that his Immortal Root was very likely the legendary Jianmu.
He had no proof. It was only a guess.
Daoist Xuanqing was a great figure of the Daoist School and might have another insight.
"This tree..." Daoist Xuanqing pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Your master does not recognize it either."
"Later, I will help you search through the ancient texts left behind by the patriarch."
"When the patriarch traveled the world in those days, he recorded more than ten thousand types of manifested Immortal Roots. Perhaps we may find something."
Immediately afterward, Daoist Xuanqing changed the subject.
"Disciple, since you have already broken through and entered the Dao, it is time for you to cultivate the methods of our Evergreen Temple."
"Our Evergreen Temple has Four Supremes. Do you know which four they are?"
Fang Heng had entered Evergreen Temple more than ten years ago. Though he had been unable to cultivate, he had long heard of the Four Supremes.
Seeing that Daoist Xuanqing wished to keep him in suspense, he simply played along with his master.
"This disciple does not know. I ask Master for guidance."
"Our Evergreen Temple's Four Supremes are: lightning arts first, sword arts second, alchemy arts third, and the Indestructible Method fourth."
"These four supreme inheritances are the foundation upon which our Evergreen Temple was established."
"Today, I shall teach you one of the Four Supremes: the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method."
"Jia Wood is thunder. Thunder is the beginning of yang energy. Jia Wood is first and belongs to yang, thus it takes thunder as its image."
"Therefore, the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method is thunder of pure yang."
"It specializes in restraining all demons, monsters, ghosts, and specters."
"Disciple, this Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method possesses immense power. Even among the Ten Great Dao Courts, it is a first-rate lightning art inheritance."
Fearing that Fang Heng would look down on the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method, Daoist Xuanqing gave it a thorough round of praise before teaching it.
Of course, Daoist Xuanqing's boasting was not wrong.
The Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method truly was one of Great Qian's top lightning arts.
The Divine Firmament Sect, renowned for its lightning arts among the Ten Great Dao Courts, had once exchanged blows with Evergreen Temple's founding patriarch and lavished the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method with praise.
Fang Heng led Daoist Xuanqing to the training grounds in the rear courtyard.
Daoist Xuanqing stood with his hands behind his back, his sleeves stirring in the breeze, every bit the appearance of a reclusive master beyond the mortal world.
"Disciple, watch closely. Your master will demonstrate the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method once for you."
As his words fell, Daoist Xuanqing's ten fingers moved in succession, like butterflies flitting through flowers, forming an intricate hand seal.
Sizzle—
Sizzle—
Sizzle—
Arcs of azure lightning danced over Daoist Xuanqing's fingertips.
Each electric arc seemed to contain the power of utmost firmness and purest yang.
It could scatter every demon and monster, yin spirit and Killing Intent.
"Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning!"
"Go!"
Daoist Xuanqing flicked his fingertip.
The azure lightning transformed into a sphere of crackling electricity and shot straight toward the vault of heaven.
It pierced the clouds, a long rainbow running through the sun.
Only when it reached the nine heavens did it explode with a thunderous roar.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The entire sky above the Ninth Prince's Manor was enveloped in lightning.
The spectacle was vast and mighty, like the end of days.
Yet Daoist Xuanqing's control was extraordinarily exquisite, far beyond the ordinary.
The Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning's range of effect was limited solely to the Ninth Prince's Manor.
It did not exceed it by even an inch.
Watching the lightning rage across the sky, Fang Heng felt longing rise within him.
Worthy of being one of Great Qian's finest lightning arts.
Its reputation was indeed well deserved.
"Disciple, what do you think?"
"Master is mighty!"
"Hahaha—listen carefully now. Your master will teach you the incantation for the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method."
"Jia Wood is thunder..."
A quarter of an hour later.
Daoist Xuanqing had told Fang Heng every incantation of the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method.
He also included his own insights from cultivating the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method for Fang Heng to comprehend.
At this moment, the wondrous aspects of the Innate Immortal Seed and Wood-Thunder Body destinies revealed themselves.
The Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method was one of Evergreen Temple's Four Supremes.
In Fang Heng's hands, he grasped it with remarkable speed.
In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Fang Heng had learned it.
"Master, I have already mastered it."
As he spoke, Fang Heng formed a hand seal, and lightning serpents slithered over his fingertips.
Seeing Fang Heng cast the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning so quickly, Daoist Xuanqing was first stunned. Then his brows knit slightly.
He instructed him earnestly.
"Disciple, do not underestimate this lightning art."
"The Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning is not so easily cultivated."
"When your master first began cultivating it, I too believed I had mastered it."
"Only after Master's guidance did I learn that the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning I cultivated had only the form, not the spirit."
"In terms of power, it was scarcely stronger than a fart."
"Disciple, I will suppress my cultivation to the middle stage of Feasting on Rosy Clouds. Use the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning on me."
With a sweep of Daoist Xuanqing's right hand, the hem of his robe billowed behind him.
His expression was calm and unruffled, carrying the bearing of a true master.
"Master... this... I am afraid of hurting you."
Seeing Daoist Xuanqing ask him to use the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning against him while suppressing his cultivation, Fang Heng began to hesitate inwardly.
"Hahaha—"
"Disciple, rest assured."
"What you do not know is that twenty years ago, your master cultivated the foremost of our temple's Four Supremes, the Indestructible Method, to the realm of major completion."
"Among those of the same realm, across all of Great Qian, only a handful could injure your master."
Daoist Xuanqing threw back his head and laughed. There was even a trace of old age stirring with youthful fervor in his spirit.
Martial arts and spells could be divided into four realms: minor completion, major completion, flawless, and perfection.
An Indestructible Method at major completion could be ranked among the best throughout Evergreen Temple's ten-thousand-year history.
This disciple Fang Heng possessed exceedingly high talent and would inevitably be arrogant and aim too high.
Today, he would use this sparring opportunity to deliver Fang Heng a resounding blow and teach him not to look down upon the heroes of the world.
Seeing this, Fang Heng no longer stood on ceremony. He drew a deep breath, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning!"
He raised both hands, his ten fingers moving in succession as an intricate hand seal formed in an instant.
The rich, pure mana cultivated from the Everlasting Evergreen Scripture flowed through Fang Heng's meridians.
Like an army of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses, yet obedient to its commander's command, it all converged upon the spell seal.
This time, Fang Heng did not hold back in the slightest.
He exerted every ounce of strength, raising the power of the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning to its utmost limit.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
More than a dozen lightning serpents darted and writhed through the air, roaring.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
It was as though thunder had erupted.
A bolt of azure lightning suddenly exploded into being.
Like heavenly punishment descending from the nine heavens, it boomed through the air.
With a speed too swift to cover one's ears, it crashed down upon his head.
Daoist Xuanqing was like an old monk in meditation, circulating the Indestructible Method, forgetting both self and others.
Let alone the Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning before him—even if it were true lightning of heavenly punishment, he would not fear it in the slightest.
Rumble—
The Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning descended from above.
It struck down in a single piercing blow.
"The flawless realm?!"
"My disciple's talent is truly extraordinary!"
"He only watched it once, and he directly reached flawless..."
"Wait... it is not the flawless realm..."
"How could it be perfection?!"
Before you continue