The hibiscus-warmed bed curtains sheltered a single night of spring passion.
The sun had climbed high into the sky, and the storm had only just subsided.
By the time Fang Heng woke again, it was already sunset.
He reached toward the pillow beside him. No one was there, only a faint lingering fragrance.
Throwing back the blanket and seeing that a piece of the bedsheet had been cut away, the corners of Fang Heng's lips rose slightly.
Thinking back on how he had backstabbed Yun Menglan all night, he found it truly unforgettable.
The depths of it were too secluded to be told to outsiders.
Getting up, Fang Heng immediately felt his dantian swelling full.
It was as though something within it was about to burst out of his body.
He sat cross-legged and turned his inner sight inward.
Within his dantian stretched an endless expanse of azure mist.
This azure mist was the mana cultivated through the Everlasting Evergreen Scripture.
Within the azure mist were two unusual things.
Looking down, he saw a mass of black liquid beneath the mist, shaped like a snake.
Seven nails had been driven into the snake's body, pinning it so that it could not move.
This was the Ten Absolute Poisons, suppressed by the Seven Stars Life Extension Array.
It had already been more than a month since his last visit to Evergreen Temple for treatment.
In the past, the formation upon the Ten Absolute Poisons should have loosened by now.
However, after Fang Heng broke through and entered the Dao, the time for which the Seven Stars Life Extension Array could seal the Ten Absolute Poisons had also been extended.
Looking upward, he saw a mass of red clear qi within the azure mist, shaped like a phoenix, with faint phoenix cries lingering around it.
This phoenix-shaped mass of qi contained exceptionally pure spiritual energy.
It was the "culprit" behind the swelling in Fang Heng's dantian.
A dark glint flickered in Fang Heng's eyes. With a single glance, he recognized that this phoenix-shaped spiritual qi was Aunt Yun's virgin yin essence.
Even though Fang Heng had never cultivated any dual cultivation secret art, it was still an immense tonic for him.
He circulated the Everlasting Evergreen Scripture and refined the phoenix-shaped spiritual qi.
One cycle!
Two cycles!
Three cycles!
As the virgin yin essence was refined, Fang Heng's aura rose step by step, as if he were riding a rocket skyward.
The speed was so fast that it was nearly visible to the naked eye.
Late Feasting on Rosy Clouds!
Feasting on Rosy Clouds Perfection!
Boom—
A thunderous explosion rang out.
Like soundless thunder.
It erupted within Fang Heng's body.
Great sound was rarely heard; great form was formless.
It carried the profound resonance of bronze bells and sacred chimes.
It brought Fang Heng's mind above the clouds.
His entire body felt light and airy, so comfortable that he grew languid all over.
The Daoist School's second realm—Object Manipulation.
Relying on Yun Menglan's virgin yin essence, Fang Heng broke through three realms in succession and reached Object Manipulation in a single day.
Who knew how much time passed before Fang Heng opened his eyes again.
Two dazzling rays burst from his dark pupils, as though they would tear apart the deep night.
"No wonder both the Daoist School and the Buddhist School have paths of dual cultivation and harvesting."
"Harvesting from others is far faster than bitter cultivation alone."
Fang Heng sighed in emotion.
At the same time, he warned himself not to become addicted to the path of dual cultivation and ultimately sink into it.
Whether in the Daoist School or the Buddhist School, there were those unable to restrain their desires, who sank into dual cultivation and eventually became heretical and crooked.
Finishing his cultivation, Fang Heng's gaze shifted toward the panel.
Fate Master: Fang Heng Lifespan: 16/30 Realm: Object Manipulation (Daoist School's Second Realm) Fate Traits: Innate Immortal Seed (Gold), Wood-Thunder Body (Purple), Awakening of Insects Master (Red), Dragon Descendant (Red), Early Death (Gray) Luck: 20020 points
After advancing to the Object Manipulation Realm, Fang Heng's lifespan increased by another five years.
Besides that, the greatest gain from this seed-breeding process was twenty thousand points of luck.
It was enough for Fang Heng to obtain two golden fate traits.
There were also subtle changes on the panel compared to before.
Wood-Thunder Body+ Awakening of Insects Master+
The appearance of the "+" sign on both fate traits meant that he could use luck to raise their grades.
Of course, Fang Heng could also directly consume luck to condense a golden fate trait.
However, what kind of golden fate trait would appear would be entirely up to luck.
After hesitating for a moment.
Fang Heng made his decision.
He would raise Awakening of Insects Master and leave the Wood-Thunder Body untouched for now.
The Awakening of Insects Master fate trait could transfer the vitality of plants.
Although this ability had nothing to do with cultivation and possessed no combat power whatsoever.
In Fang Heng's view, however, it was extremely profound. Transferring the vitality of plants was something even mighty Daoist cultivators could not accomplish.
Therefore, Fang Heng felt that the Awakening of Insects Master fate trait held enormous potential to be unearthed.
As for the Wood-Thunder Body, it was naturally excellent as well.
Just using the Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method gave it three times the power of an ordinary cultivator's spells, which was downright terrifying.
If the Wood-Thunder Body advanced, it would most likely become some other kind of thunder body.
Though thunder bodies were rare, they came in many varieties.
The yin and yang and five elements alone accounted for ten types.
Wood-Thunder Body, Yi Wood Thunder Body, Bing Fire Thunder Body, Ding Fire Thunder Body...
These were all thunder bodies of the same tier.
Beyond those, there were Five Elements Thunder Bodies, Yin-Yang Thunder Bodies, Chaos Thunder Bodies, Taiyi Thunder Bodies...
Among all kinds of spirit bodies, thunder bodies were also among the most varied.
It was just that...
Fang Heng only possessed Evergreen Temple's Wood-Thunder Cultivation Method.
Even if he acquired a stronger thunder body, without any thunder arts to cultivate, it would still be nothing but empty delight.
Top-tier thunder art inheritances were not easy to obtain.
They were basically all in the hands of the two great Daoist courts, the Divine Firmament Sect and the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Fang Heng had no connection whatsoever to either the Divine Firmament Sect or the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Trying to obtain a thunder art inheritance from those two great Daoist courts was nearly impossible.
This was also why Fang Heng gave up on upgrading the Wood-Thunder Body fate trait.
"Awakening of Insects Master, upgrade!"
Fang Heng silently recited in his heart.
Within the Fate Map, the red star representing Awakening of Insects Master began to undergo a violent transformation.
Countless streams of luck poured into the red star, and in an instant, the entire star began to boil.
A thread of dazzling gold appeared at the very center of the red star.
Though faint, it brimmed with vitality and spread outward in every direction.
The entire transformation continued for several breaths.
As light like a supernova explosion illuminated the entire Fate Map.
The Awakening of Insects Master fate trait finally completed its upgrade.
Awakening of Insects Master → Azure Emperor Scion Azure Emperor Scion (Gold): The creator who commands all immortal roots beneath heaven, possessing the authority to enlighten plants and trees.
A torrent of information flooded into Fang Heng's mind.
Only after a long while did Fang Heng finally digest the information on the Azure Emperor Scion fate trait.
After seeing the Azure Emperor Scion fate trait's ability, Fang Heng sucked in a breath of cold air.
He had long expected the Awakening of Insects Master to possess boundless potential.
He had not expected that after advancing into the Azure Emperor Scion fate trait, the ability it granted would be so domineering.
Simply put, it could enlighten plants and trees.
Plants and trees lacked spirits and found it extraordinarily difficult to develop intelligence.
Forget comparing them to humans, the spirits of all things—even compared to aquatic creatures and the Demon Race, their chance of awakening intelligence was pitifully small.
Yet the Azure Emperor Scion fate trait commanded the ability to enlighten plants and trees.
This ability could almost stand shoulder to shoulder with a creator's.
As for its principle, it sounded simple, but putting it into practice was harder than climbing to heaven.
Humans possessed spirituality, and they constantly radiated it.
The saying that people nurture jade referred to human spirituality nourishing jade stones, allowing them to become spiritually aware.
Yet this scattered spirituality was nearly impossible to make use of.
At least, Fang Heng had never heard of any sect possessing a method like this.
Even Shennong Valley, the Daoist court famed throughout the land for cultivating plants and trees, possessed no such cultivation method.
The Azure Emperor Scion fate trait directly made use of that scattered spirituality, infusing it into plants and trees and hastening the maturation of their spirits, thereby enlightening them.
Fang Heng went out into the courtyard.
In the bitter depths of winter, proud against snow and frost, it bloomed alone.
Fang Heng placed his hand upon the plum tree's trunk, and immediately afterward, several lines of small text appeared before his eyes.
Target: Plum Tree Potential: Tier Three Enlightenment: One point per day; can be completed in three days
Before you continue