A guttural roar tore from Wan Luo's throat the moment his Mad Demon Life-Shortening Pill was snatched away. The sound was almost bestial—rage mixed with despair. His Golden Core spun wildly, like a maddened tiger thrashing before its final downfall.
Fang Han's cold chuckle followed him like a shadow. He surged forward again, divine abilities igniting one after another.
He was going to break Wan Luo's Golden Core—crippling his cultivation, crushing his arrogance, and establishing his own unshakable place within Yuhua Sect.
"Stop!"
Ling Xiao saw the blood-colored blade-light Fang Han unleashed toward Wan Luo's Golden Core and instantly realized what Fang Han intended: to crack the core itself.
Even a supreme treasure could not destroy a Golden Core—but a Dao-artifact could.
If the Golden Core were shattered, Wan Luo would need decades—possibly a century—to recover. In cultivation, time was everything. Losing a hundred years was losing a lifetime. Even reaching longevity after such a setback would be nearly impossible.
If Wan Luo had swallowed the Mad Demon Pill earlier, he would have lost a century of lifespan but gained the Five Emperors Demon Arts. A good trade. But now—he had lost the fight and was about to lose his Core. A complete tragedy.
Ling Xiao thrust out a strand of protective qi, attempting to intercept the blade of blood.
But Kalan arrived just as quickly, releasing her own wave of blue energy.
"What's this, Ling Xiao? Planning to fight two against one?"
Boom!
While they clashed, Fang Han's blood-light descended unimpeded.
Wan Luo's Golden Core—smooth, luminous, containing dozens of divine abilities—was struck directly. Audible cracks spiderwebbed across its flawless surface.
Wan Luo crashed onto the Execution Platform, coughing mouthfuls of inky black blood.
Fang Han withdrew his blade-light, standing tall above the fallen genius.
"Well, Wan Luo—how does it feel? You lost. I won. The victor becomes the king, the loser the footnote. If you insist on continuing, I'll accompany you—but your life's cultivation will be destroyed. Think about it. You clawed your way to the Golden Core Realm, yet now you're one strike away from dying like dust. Worth it?"
His voice boomed across the platform.
The voice of a victor.
Every true disciple heard it.
"Senior Brother Wan Luo… actually lost?"
"How is that possible? He was so confident!"
"His trump card was the Mad Demon Life-Shortening Pill from the Taiyi Sect. Once consumed, the pill ignites destructive astral energy, burning one's essence into unstoppable strength. But Fang Han was too cunning—he stole it before Wan Luo could take it."
"Yes. If he had swallowed it, Fang Han wouldn't stand a chance. A Golden Core expert's full potential is terrifying."
"Wan Luo lost unfairly."
"Unfair? No. Not at all. Fang Han may be only at the Heaven-Human Realm, but he has countless treasures and techniques. To fight a Golden Core evenly—of course he was bound to win eventually. And now he'll get the Five-Element Spirit Root, the Titan Force Divine Art, the Taibai Star Stone, and the Myriad-Layered Water Crystal. His progress will skyrocket."
"Look at this—besides Hua Tiandu, no one in the sect can compete with him anymore."
"Not necessarily. Meng Shaobai hasn't returned yet. That'll be a clash."
"Well… at least the sect is about to get interesting."
"Why aren't you thinking about making friends with Fang Han? He can refine Nascent Infant Pills. If he supplies them to us… our cultivation speed could multiply tenfold! Otherwise, we grow old and die as mortals do. No divine ability can stop aging."
"True. Even disciples with ten layers of divine ability have died of old age before breaking into the Longevity Realm…"
But Fang Han ignored the chatter. His gaze stayed locked on Wan Luo.
Even injured, Wan Luo remained dangerous—like a wounded viper. A desperate strike could still kill.
Wan Luo spat blood, voice hoarse and bitter.
"Fang Han… fine. I lost today. But the green mountains stand, the rivers flow. In ten years, I'll return the humiliation tenfold. You wait. We will fight again on this Execution Platform!"
"So be it," Fang Han replied coolly. "But in ten years, I doubt you'll recover. Anyway—you admit defeat. That means the wager goes to me: the Titan Force Divine Art, the Myriad-Layered Water Crystal, and the Taibai Star Stone. The rules of the Execution Platform are absolute."
Wan Luo laughed darkly.
"I'll find you within ten years. Don't worry. You won't live to enjoy your spoils. Hua Tiandu has gone to the Taiyi Sect to borrow an Immortal Artifact. With it, he'll break into the Longevity Realm. When that happens, you'll be erased. You've won now, but once you hear this… I doubt you'll feel joy."
He swept his gaze over the disciples, then flew off toward Wan Luo Peak.
"Humph." Ling Xiao shot Kalan one last glare before leaving as well.
Fang Han sneered.
"Break into the Longevity Realm with an Immortal Artifact? If that were possible, the entire Taiyi Sect would be filled with immortals already. Let me tell you something—Yuhua Sect also has an Immortal Artifact. Our sect master used it to break open the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion and rescue me."
Strictly speaking, the Heavenly Emperor Mirror was once an Immortal Artifact and now a top-grade Dao-artifact. But Fang Han wanted to stabilize morale and kindle pride within the sect.
As for Hua Tiandu stepping into the Longevity Realm by borrowing an Immortal Artifact?
Wishful thinking. In the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion, Fang Han had conversed for more than a decade with the mysterious spirit inside. He understood deeply: the Longevity Realm was terrifyingly difficult to reach.
Many peak divine-ability experts tore heaven apart trying to ascend—only to die of old age.
As he expected, the moment he mentioned the Immortal Artifact, the disciples erupted.
"Yuhua Sect has an Immortal Artifact?"
"Then we can truly stand against the Taiyi Sect!"
"With this foundation, we won't be bullied at the Immortal Gathering again!"
"Exactly! Hua Tiandu's restrictions won't bind us anymore. With Fang Han rising, the balance shifts!"
Fang Han didn't waste time. With a single sweep of his hand, the Titan Force Divine Art scroll, the Myriad-Layered Water Crystal, and the Taibai Star Stone flew into his grip.
His divine sense pierced the scroll. Waves of ancient diagrams, mantras, and cultivation techniques poured into his mind, nearly splitting his consciousness apart.
"Yes. This is the true Titan Force Divine Art. Wan Luo didn't dare use fakes."
"If he cheated on the Execution Platform, he'd be expelled or worse. And if he had won, he would've gotten the Five Emperors Demon Arts from us."
Fang Han and Yan both agreed.
"Let's return. With the Taibai Star Stone and the Water Crystal, I'll perfect the Golden Emperor Slash and the Black Emperor Water Fist. Once I get the Five-Element Spirit Root, all Five Emperors Arts will be complete!"
His mood soared.
Defeating Wan Luo had cemented his place among the strongest of the sect.
East Ling Xiao.
South Wan Luo.
West Kalan.
North Yaoguang.
Central Hua Tiandu.
And now—Fang Han of Reincarnation Peak.
Before leaving, he addressed the disciples with a warm, magnanimous bow.
"Brothers, I possess some skill in refining Nascent Infant Pills. If you ever lack cultivation resources, come to Reincarnation Peak. I won't be stingy. Most of my pills will also be entrusted to Senior Sister Kalan and Senior Sister Qingxue—ask them and you'll be helped. I'll be entering seclusion now. Farewell."
He transformed into a streak of blazing light and returned to Reincarnation Peak.
As soon as he arrived, he activated his full cultivation and pressed a finger onto the Taibai Star Stone.
The stone exploded with pure, razor-sharp metallic qi—like a storm of a million flying swords piercing everything. The alchemy room floor split into deep ravines.
The Taibai Star Stone was the condensed metal core of an outer-world star—far rarer than innate blood jade. Countless aeons of gravitational compression had drawn metallic essence inward, forming a dense, lethal crystallization of pure gold energy.
Its brilliance alone could blind a mortal instantly.
Even a Divine Transformation expert staring too long would bleed from the eyes.
That was why few dared refine it.
Metal-based divine abilities couldn't withstand such ferocity; forcing it into one's body would tear it apart.
But for Fang Han, practicing the Golden Emperor Slash, it was perfect.
The denser the metal essence,
the sharper his blade would become.