Third tier?!
He could even see the potential of plants.
Seeing the panel, Fang Heng's eyes flickered.
A third-tier spirit tree was equivalent to a human cultivator of the third realm.
Hmm...
How should he put it...
It was not that Fang Heng looked down on it; he simply felt that an opportunity like enlightening plants should be reserved for plants with greater ambition.
Fang Heng walked through the garden and tested every single plant.
Target: Purple Bamboo Potential: Third tier Enlightenment: One point per day; can be completed in three days ... Target: Welcoming Pine Potential: Fourth tier Enlightenment: One point per day; can be completed in five days ...
After making a full circuit, Fang Heng revealed a disappointed expression.
The plants in the rear courtyard were all ordinary varieties, without any rare immortal roots.
Their enlightenment potential was either third tier or fourth tier.
This disappointed Fang Heng greatly.
As far as he knew, the imperial family possessed a divine tree that had awakened its intelligence, named the Endless Divine Wood.
This divine tree had been brought out of a secret realm by the Founding Emperor of Great Qian.
Its origins were extraordinary. After cultivating for ten thousand years, it had become a twelfth-tier immortal root, equivalent to a human powerhouse of the twelfth realm.
It could be said that the Endless Divine Wood was one of the foundations of Great Qian's imperial family.
Even Daoist School cultivators, renowned for their long lifespans, only lived around three thousand years at the twelfth realm.
As for martial arts powerhouses, living past five hundred was already considered a ripe old age.
The Buddhist School fell somewhere between the two.
Yet the imperial family's Endless Divine Wood had lived for at least ten thousand years, with no signs of decline.
Perhaps even if the Great Qian Dynasty perished one day, the Endless Divine Wood would still be brimming with life.
Furthermore, every sixty years, the Endless Divine Wood bore Li Fire Immortal Fruit, which could temper one's blood and qi.
For martial cultivators, it was a rare heavenly treasure.
A Martial Artist at the seventh Dragon-Elephant Realm could consume a single Li Fire Immortal Fruit and advance directly to the eighth realm.
Whenever Li Fire Immortal Fruit appeared, it would always trigger a fierce battle between dragons and tigers.
"If I obtained a Li Fire Immortal Fruit, could I enlighten it?"
"Besides the Endless Divine Wood, I can also purchase spirit trees with extraordinary origins."
Fang Heng stroked his chin and muttered softly.
In any case, these scraps in the rear courtyard did not catch his eye.
Returning to his room, Fang Heng began condensing his second golden Fate Pattern.
The condensation of Fate Patterns was random.
He did not know what Fate Pattern he would obtain this time.
Fang Heng pondered inwardly.
Then, he spent ten thousand points of fortune to condense a golden Fate Pattern.
The Fate Map trembled slightly.
A vast current of air gathered from every direction.
It surged toward the center and condensed into one.
Immediately afterward, amid those currents of air—
A dazzling streak of gold suddenly burst forth.
The golden radiance grew ever brighter, as though it would illuminate the entire night.
A moment later.
A brilliant blazing sun hung in the sky, shining over the entire Fate Map.
This Blazing Sun stood shoulder to shoulder with the other two Blazing Suns, forming the wondrous sight of three suns hanging in the sky.
Innate Sword Bone (Gold): A peerless genius born to cultivate sword arts. Any sword technique can be grasped at a glance in your hands, and your advancement in the Sword Dao will encounter no bottlenecks.
After reading the description of the Innate Sword Bone, Fang Heng's eyes flashed.
As expected of a golden Fate Pattern—it was another supreme cultivation talent.
He could easily master any sword technique, and would not encounter any bottlenecks.
"One of Evergreen Temple's Four Absolutes is swordsmanship. In a few days, I can visit Evergreen Temple and seek Master's guidance in sword arts."
Fang Heng nodded slightly and spoke calmly.
The last time Daoist Xuanqing had taught him lightning arts, he had said upon leaving that he would return next month to teach him other methods.
Now, a month had already passed, yet Daoist Xuanqing had not appeared.
"I wonder whether Master forgot, or whether something else has entangled him and kept him from getting away," Fang Heng muttered.
Evergreen Temple.
In the back mountain, sword light flashed.
Daoist Xuanqing and his senior brother, Evergreen Master, were engaged in a sword duel.
Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, its radiance lighting the cold night.
Clang!
Countless streaks of Sword Qi slashed out from Daoist Xuanqing's sword.
This Sword Qi seemed to possess spirituality.
Like swimming fish, it darted through the void.
Vaguely, it seemed to form a world of Sword Qi.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother. Your swordsmanship has improved."
"You have finally touched the threshold of Sword Intent Domain Transformation."
"Within ten years, you will surely cross it completely."
Evergreen Master stroked his beard, his face full of delight as he congratulated him.
During this period, Daoist Xuanqing had constantly pestered him to practice swordsmanship.
Over the past month or so, he had gained immensely and had already touched the threshold of Sword Intent Domain Transformation.
It was truly cause for celebration.
Yet Daoist Xuanqing showed no joy at all. Instead, his face remained clouded with worry, and he let out a sigh.
"Alas—"
"Why are you like this again, Junior Brother?"
Evergreen Master was puzzled.
For cultivators at their level, making progress in just over a month already counted as a small stroke of fortune.
"Senior Brother, you don't understand!"
"My little disciple's talent is simply too monstrous."
"I'm afraid I can't teach him."
"After teaching him a few times, his swordsmanship realm will surpass mine, his master's."
"Heaven and earth have been turned upside down—what am I supposed to do?"
Whenever he thought of Fang Heng's downright abnormal talent, Daoist Xuanqing's face filled with worry.
His disciple's talent was too monstrous. The pressure on him as a master was mountain-sized.
Hearing this, Evergreen Master burst into laughter.
"Junior Brother, if you feel you can't teach him, I can take over for you."
"Get lost!"
"He's my precious disciple!"
"Don't even think about coveting him!"
Daoist Xuanqing rolled his eyes and directly rejected his senior brother's "kind offer."
Ministry of Rites.
Tao Shoucheng, the Minister of Rites, two vice ministers, and the various officials of the Ministry of Rites were discussing Fang Heng's title and fief.
The first matter they discussed was the location of his fief.
This was because a Prince of a Commandery's title followed the location of his fief.
For example, if his fief was in Guangling, then he would be the Prince of Guangling Commandery.
If it was in Hedong, then he would be the Prince of Hedong Commandery.
Yet the location of the fief was not easy to choose.
Generally speaking, princes backed by one of the Ten Great Dao Courts would have their fiefs granted in rich and fertile lands, at the heart of the Seventy-Two Commandery.
For princes like Fang Heng, who had no Ten Great Dao Courts behind them, their fiefs would be much worse, usually near the borderlands.
But Fang Heng had presented Sacred Emperor Rice, delighting the emperor greatly.
The people of the Ministry of Rites were not fools. They could all see that Emperor Yuanchu was in an excellent mood and would certainly reward Fang Heng generously.
If the fief they chose was too poor, they would surely be blamed for it.
After discussing the matter for two days, the Ministry of Rites still had not reached a conclusion.
Just then, Eunuch Su arrived at the Ministry of Rites office.
"By His Majesty's verbal decree."
"Your servants receive the decree."
The Minister of Rites and the gathered officials all knelt.
"The Ninth Prince has been loyal and diligent in service to the state, possessing both talent and virtue. His fief is hereby granted to the east of the Daishan Secret Realm."
After hearing Emperor Yuanchu's decree, the Minister of Rites and the others revealed stunned expressions before they even had time to thank him for the decree.
A fief within the Imperial Secret Realm?
Was this... suppression?
For a moment, Tao Shoucheng could not make heads or tails of it.
Had His Majesty not clearly been delighted? Why, after only two days, was he suppressing the Ninth Prince again?
A fief within the Imperial Secret Realm... this would likely leave the Ninth Prince disheartened.
"Everyone, receive the decree," Eunuch Su urged.
"Your servants receive the decree!"
After everyone received the decree, Eunuch Su cleared his throat and spoke blandly.
"Minister Tao, granting the fief within the Daishan Secret Realm was requested from His Majesty by Consort Ning."
With Eunuch Su's hint, Tao Shoucheng immediately understood.
So it had been the Ninth Prince himself who requested it.
That made sense.
After leaving the Ministry of Rites office, the young eunuch behind him was rather confused.
"Godfather, why did you take the initiative to remind Minister Tao and the others?"
"You don't understand!"
"The Ninth Prince is now foremost in the Emperor's heart. Granting his fief within the Imperial Secret Realm—if we do not explain it clearly, this one fears Minister Tao may misunderstand."
"When delivering decrees to the Ninth Prince's Manor in the future, do not put on airs."
"Is the Ninth Prince truly so favored?" The young eunuch was quite astonished.
"Far more than merely favored!"
"He's soaring straight into the heavens!"
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