damantine Sword Qi nor mastered the true art of "Instant Kill." In truth, his five elemental powers were still incomplete, and although he had stepped into the Heaven-Human Realm, it was only the initial stage.
Xuan-Iron Realman, on the other hand, stood at the very peak of the Sixth Divine Ability—Unity Realm.
The gulf between their realms was immense.
But Fang Han possessed one overwhelming advantage: sheer mana. His strength roared like five hundred thousand rampaging stallions, while Xuan-Iron Realman had only one hundred and fifty thousand—barely a third.
A newly advanced Heaven-Human cultivator typically commanded the force of ten thousand stallions. As their five elements harmonized and their divine abilities accumulated, this could rise to thirty thousand, fifty thousand, or more.
But stepping into the Unity Realm changed everything. All divine abilities fused into a single glyph—spirit transformed, mana surged. This jump alone allowed a cultivator to reach a hundred thousand stallions of power, even more at the peak.
As for the Golden Core realm, the difference was terrifying. Yan, Xia You, and Yu Fen had swallowed the life-burning Mad Demon Pill, multiplying their power tenfold, unleashed every artifact they possessed—yet the Demon Marshal annihilated them with a single finger technique, the Great Collapse Art, shattering every treasure and snuffing out their lives like dying candles.
That was the scale of disparity.
A Strike Through a Mirage
Crack!
Xuan-Iron Realman's Instant Kill blade technique struck Fang Han squarely. Instant Kill relied on speed so absolute that the target had no time to summon artifacts or activate protective Qi—death in the same heartbeat the strike landed.
From someone at the peak of the Unity Realm, this attack was far deadlier than Stone Dragonzi's attempt—ten times more so. Even a Golden Core cultivator could be ambushed by such a technique if they were careless.
"Got him!"
Many masters witnessing the clash saw Xuan-Iron's flying sword carve into Fang Han, tearing through light, aura, and protective Qi, splitting even his physical body—
—but the body exploded into mist.
Rippling vapors rose like a shifting mirage—ocean waves, sky, clouds, islands—nothing real.
"Mirage Sea Qi Art!"
It was not Fang Han's true body, only sea-mirage energy.
His true presence—breath, heartbeat, mana fluctuations—vanished completely.
This was one of the divine abilities contained within Fire Cloud Fairy's Golden Core: Mirage Sea Qi Art, one among twenty-eight extraordinary abilities she had forged over her lifetime.
The Phantom Swarm
Fang Han's ethereal voice drifted across the execution platform.
"Tsk, tsk… you think you alone can match me? I don't even need the Blood-Sky Magic Blade to take you."
Phantoms flickered across the platform—hundreds, thousands of silhouettes gliding like ghosts. Everyone felt Fang Han closing in on them specifically; none could tell reality from illusion.
This was yet another divine ability—True-Form Phantom Technique—condensing the forces of light and shadow. Fire Cloud Fairy had spent sixty years mastering it.
A single shake of the body created a thousand shadows. Against Instant Kill, which required a precise target, this technique was the perfect counter.
Every divine ability had its counter. The more abilities one mastered, the more unstoppable they became.
Xuan-Iron Realman Responds
"Hcold Radiance over Iron Armor!"
Xuan-Iron Realman remained calm despite the eerie illusion. A burst of chilling light erupted from his black iron armor—the Xuan-Iron Battle Armor, an ancient, upper-grade treasure famed for its defense.
Cold steel aura swept across the platform, shredding countless phantoms.
His eyes suddenly gleamed with the shifting pattern of a nine-palace grid.
The Nine-Palace True-Form Sight.
This Yuhua Sect technique could pierce all illusions, akin to the profound spatial mystery of the "Exquisite Grand Luo Heaven." Though weaker in scope, it was enough to expose illusions at the Divine Ability stage.
Coordinating sight and armor, Xuan-Iron immediately locked onto Fang Han's location. He flicked his hand, unleashing another treasure—an ebony shuttle streaking forth with piercing howls. Its tail erupted with cascading green sparks, each spark crackling with violent destructive power.
"Sky-Sound Phosphor Shuttle?!"
Even Wan Luo, Ling Xiao, and Jialan widened their eyes. This was no ordinary artifact—it was an absolute-grade treasure, the kind even Golden Core experts possessed only sparingly.
The sparks extinguished dozens of phantoms instantly.
Fang Han Counters
"Exquisite Grand Luo Heaven!"
Ninety-nine luminous grids manifested around Fang Han, sealing the Sky-Sound Phosphor Shuttle in a spatial prison. He followed with a blazing sphere spiraling into the form of a dragon.
"Polar light, celestial true-fiend, yin and yang in upheaval—destroy corruption!
Dragon-Form True-Fiend Wave!"
A divine ability of immense force—bright as aurora, violent enough to level a mountain.
Crack!
Xuan-Iron Realman never expected Fang Han to imprison his hidden trump card. He tried to recall it, but the dragon-light struck before he could react, slamming into his Xuan-Iron Armor.
The armor's glow shattered.
"Nine-Palace True-Form!"
He roared, projecting a radiant nine-palace sigil to block the dragon-wave. Light rained across the sky like falling auroras.
Fang Han was genuinely surprised. He had planned to end the fight here, yet Xuan-Iron survived through sheer resilience.
Divine Abilities Collide
"Taiyi Thunder Break!"
Fang Han struck again. Fire clouds mixed with lightning formed a massive lid of thunder that crashed down upon Xuan-Iron, shaking heaven and earth, scattering clouds, and rippling the air like shattered glass.
Xuan-Iron roared back:
"Metal of the Five Elements! Form of Sun and Moon! Freedom in the Void—break!"
Sword-light burst from his body, merging with the Great Treasury Heavenly Dragon Sword, forming a blazing torrent of force. He broke through the thunder—but blood spurted from his mouth.
The Sky-Sound Phosphor Shuttle tore free of Exquisite Grand Luo Heaven—
—but Fang Han was already moving.
A sphere of dark wind and blazing radiance formed in his palms.
Black Sun Wind Disaster.
Great Sun Fire Disaster.
Two of the Twelve Supreme Celestial Arts.
Wind and fire roared forth.
The Phosphor Shuttle was crushed instantly.
The ensuing firestorm slammed into Xuan-Iron Realman.
"Great Sun Fire Disaster!"
Recognition flashed in his eyes. This was a calamity-level technique of the Taiyi Sect—capable of burning all things.
"Together—strike!"
Elder Wu Li shouted, releasing surging torrents of water. Four other true disciples followed, unleashing the Yuhua Sect's Ten-Thousand-Waters Divine Art, hoping to drown the fire.
Their five elemental divine arts clashed fiercely with Fang Han's calamity flame.
Steam exploded across the execution platform. Heavy water—denser than mercury—flooded the field, yet could not overcome the Great Sun Fire Disaster.
Even Xuan-Iron Realman joined them, adding his own Ten-Thousand-Waters Qi.
Water and flame clashed in the sky, divine powers roaring, winds howling.
The watching true disciples were stunned.
Fang Han was one man, facing five Heaven-Human experts—without even using the Blood-Sky Magic Blade.
Wan Luo and Ling Xiao exchanged a dark, grim look.
"We underestimated him. His five elements aren't even complete, and he's already like this. If he completes the Five-Emperor Devil Arts… he'll be unstoppable."