After seeing Xu Xingzhi off.
Fang Heng returned to his study and drank a bowl of sobering soup.
He took a section of finger bone from his storage pouch.
This finger bone was the only thing left behind by the Horse-Faced man after Five Thunders Striking the Top.
The fact that this finger bone alone could withstand the power of Five Thunders Striking the Top showed that it was no ordinary object.
After he dripped a drop of blood essence onto it, the jade-white finger bone instantly absorbed it.
Once he sensed a faint, almost imperceptible connection, Fang Heng began refining the finger bone.
A quarter of an hour later.
Fang Heng finally understood the origin of this finger bone.
It was the finger bone of a great Ghost Dao cultivator from ancient times.
Recorded within the finger bone was that great Ghost Dao cultivator's inheritance—the "Five Ghosts Spirit Communication Scripture."
The Five Ghosts Spirit Communication Scripture used five ghosts as its foundation to perform all manner of secret arts.
The secret art the Horse-Faced man had used at the end, Five Ghosts United as One, Reaching Heaven and Earth, was one recorded in the "Five Ghosts Spirit Communication Scripture."
There were also sinister secret arts such as the Five Ghosts Transportation Art, Five Ghosts Soul Devouring Great Law, and Five Ghosts Body Protection Charm.
Beyond the secret arts, there were formations like the Five Ghosts Yin Fiend Array, as well as inheritances for refining magical treasures such as the Five Ghosts Soul Capturing Bell.
In short, this was an exceptionally comprehensive Ghost Dao inheritance.
In the hands of an evil cultivator, it would be worth a fortune.
Yet what Fang Heng valued most was not the dazzling array of secret arts within the inheritance.
Rather, it was the fact that this cultivation method could also allow ghostly beings to cultivate.
The foundation of the Five Ghosts Spirit Communication Scripture was five ghostly beings.
The stronger the ghostly beings were, the greater the power of the secret arts performed afterward would naturally be.
Besides their realm, the types of ghostly beings would also affect their power.
The Horse-Faced man had controlled the most ordinary kind of yin soul ghosts.
If the five ghosts possessed the five elements, then when the five ghosts became one, the five elements could merge into one, granting boundless power.
If the five ghosts were refined from the souls of five people born in yin years, yin months, yin days, and yin hours.
Then one could also unleash an unparalleled divine ability capable of shaking heaven and making ghosts weep—the Divine Light of Severed Hatred and Absolute Yin.
Of course, this Ghost Dao inheritance possessed every single flaw common to other Ghost Dao inheritances.
The stronger the ghostly beings one controlled, the greater the possibility of backlash.
Even after tens of thousands of years of inheritance, the Ghost Controller lineage had been unable to avoid this drawback.
Fang Heng, however, did not care about backlash at all.
His Soul Reaper Envoy fate could perfectly command ghostly beings, so he did not need to worry about backlash.
The only issue was that he could control too few ghostly beings.
Three ghostly beings were not enough to cultivate the Five Ghosts Spirit Communication Scripture.
"If I upgrade my Soul Reaper Envoy fate, I should be able to control five ghostly beings at once." Fang Heng stroked his chin and muttered.
Luck!
Sigh—
Why was there never enough luck to use?
Fang Heng looked forward even more to his transaction with Rabbit Face.
The chessboard and one hundred and fifty chess pieces in Rabbit Face's possession contained enough luck for him to upgrade several purple fates.
Over the next few days.
Fang Heng wrote military treatises while setting up the framework of the Ministry of Agriculture.
After five days, the Ministry of Agriculture was officially established.
The disciples of Evergreen Temple also arrived at the princely residence under the lead of Second Senior Sister.
Seeing that Second Senior Sister was still as slovenly as ever, with her signature bird's nest of hair standing out like a crane among chickens in the crowd.
Fang Heng could not hold it in any longer.
"Second Senior Sister, are you really planning to report to the office dressed like that?"
"Is there a problem?"
Xiao Luoyu wore a blank, adorably foolish expression, as though she had not noticed in the slightest what was wrong with her attire.
Fang Heng gave Yun Menglan a look and said calmly.
"Menglan, trouble yourself with changing Second Senior Sister into a different outfit."
"Little Junior Brother, there's no need. I think this is quite good..."
Before Xiao Luoyu could finish voicing her objection, Fang Heng snorted coldly.
"Second Senior Sister, if you refuse to follow my command."
"Then my promise to invest in the pill furnace project will no longer count."
The moment she heard that Fang Heng intended to take back the money, Xiao Luoyu was immediately like someone whose throat had been seized, whose vital weakness had been gripped.
Without saying a word, she obediently followed Yun Menglan to change her clothes.
Fang Heng could not help looking forward to what kind of peerless beauty Second Senior Sister would become after properly dressing herself up.
After all, even with a bird's nest perched on her head, Second Senior Sister was still a beauty who could leave people astonished.
Half an hour later.
Xiao Luoyu emerged wearing a white long dress. A cloud-patterned sash at her waist outlined her graceful curves.
Though she was not like Shen Qiushui, slender enough to be grasped in one hand and delicate as a willow in the wind.
Her astonishing waist-to-hip ratio was like a magnet that drew men's gazes.
Her hairstyle had changed as well, no longer the bird's nest it had been before.
Her hair was gathered into a neat, smooth bun, with a string of tassels hanging behind it, gently swaying with Xiao Luoyu's steps.
At that moment, Fang Heng had only one assessment in his heart.
She truly was a great beauty!
Xiao Luoyu seemed somewhat embarrassed.
She always felt that the long dress she wore was too seductive.
She was still more accustomed to wearing Daoist robes.
"Second Senior Sister, let's go to the office."
Fang Heng brought the group from Evergreen Temple to the Imperial Household Department.
Eunuch Su had been waiting for a long time with a middle-aged scholar.
"Your Highness, this is the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Agriculture personally appointed by His Majesty."
"Jian Bingyang, Lord Jian."
"This humble official pays respects to Your Highness."
Jian Bingyang was quite courteous, without the slightest hint of arrogance, and respectfully bowed to Fang Heng.
After hearing Jian Bingyang's introduction, Fang Heng immediately understood.
This Jian Bingyang was a spy Emperor Yuanchu had planted at his side.
As expected of an emperor's art of rule!
Even beside a son who posed no threat at all, he still had to place spies to watch him.
Fang Heng did not mind. He had long been prepared for this.
"Lord Jian, I will have to rely on your guidance from now on. Let us serve the imperial command together and not disappoint His Majesty's grace."
"Your Highness is right. This humble official will certainly assist Your Highness well and cultivate Sacred Emperor Rice."
After the two exchanged pleasantries, they began discussing business.
"Eunuch Su, has Father Emperor issued any decree on where the Sacred Emperor Rice is to be planted?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, His Majesty has already arranged the location."
"What location?"
"Daishan Secret Realm."
Hmm?
It was actually in the same secret realm as my fief?
Did Father Emperor do this deliberately, or was it unintentional?
Fang Heng remained composed and calm, his expression placid without the slightest visible change in emotion.
"Your Highness, everyone, please follow this servant to the Daishan Secret Realm."
As he spoke, Eunuch Su led Fang Heng and the others deep into the Imperial Household Department.
Over the years, the Great Qian imperial family had razed countless mountains and destroyed countless temples, obtaining hundreds of secret realms.
The entrances to those secret realms had all been relocated deep into the Imperial Household Department by imperial experts and placed under unified management.
The Imperial Household Department was laid with restriction formations.
Without a pass token, even taking a single step would be difficult.
Before long, Fang Heng's party arrived before a temple.
Eunuch Su smiled as he introduced it to everyone.
"This temple was originally the shrine of the Lord of Yellow Springs."
"The previous dynasty razed the mountains and destroyed the temples, exterminating the lingering remnants within this secret realm."
"After two dynasties of development, its population has exceeded thirty million. It is no inferior to the lower-ranked commanderies among the Seventy-Two Commandery."
Upon hearing this, Fang Heng raised a brow.
"Lord of Yellow Springs? Which lineage's Outer Realm Evil God is that?"
"The evil god worshipped by the Ghost Gate Lineage!"
"However, the Ghost Gate Lineage had already been wiped out during the previous dynasty."
"The present City of Life and Death is the final trace left behind by the Ghost Gate Lineage."
So the City of Life and Death had such origins.
This was the first time Fang Heng had heard of it.
Eunuch Su opened the Ancient Eerie Temple, and a great silver path appeared before everyone.
Once they stepped onto the silver path, the scenery before their eyes changed.
They arrived within the secret realm.
Before you continue