Fang Han paused mid-stride, studying the red-clad, veiled woman blocking his way. Her veil was nothing but a single thin layer of silk—anyone with decent eyesight should've been able to see straight through it. Yet even when he focused his vision to its limit, all he saw was a vague shimmer.
Which meant only one thing: the veil was a treasure-tool of no small grade.
Still, Fang Han held no malice toward the people of Linglong Paradise. If anything, he owed them quite a debt—after all, the twenty-eight great divine abilities he now wielded had all been bestowed by the Fire Cloud Fairy of Linglong Paradise. And Linglong Paradise was the first righteous sect openly opposing the Taiyi Gate, fearless and formidable, with its legendary founder—the Linglong Immortal Sovereign—being someone Fang Han sincerely wished he could meet.
But… there were complications.
After all, he had killed the Lord of Evernight Isle, whose wife was a true disciple of Linglong Paradise. Trouble lurked in that connection.
Take it all together, and the wisest course was to keep one's distance.
At least for now.
But he wasn't using his real identity anyway. No need to worry.
"What is it?" Fang Han asked coolly, deliberately keeping his tone icy, keeping people far away.
"Inferior disciple Piaoyun of Linglong Paradise greets the dao-friend," the veiled woman said, giving her name as she spoke. Her gaze flicked over him from head to toe, as if searching for something hidden. "I have a few questions. I know you're urgently seeking five-element essence to complete the Five Element Divine Abilities and break through your current bottleneck. I may be able to help."
"Ask, then." Fang Han licked his lips without expression.
"Not here." Piaoyun gestured lightly. "If dao-friend will follow."
Her body turned into a streak of red light, rising into the sky. Fang Han leapt after her without hesitation, turning into a stream of clear azure light that caught up in moments.
They flew across the dream-like sprawl of Taibai City. After a short flight, the red light dropped toward a magnificent, thirty-six-story pagoda. Three golden words gleamed on its facade:
Linglong Tower.
Fang Han followed her in. He wasn't worried—Taibai City forbade killing and assassination, and Linglong Paradise wasn't the sort of sect to do something so underhanded.
Inside, golden jade tiles covered the floors, luxurious carpets spread everywhere, and even spiritual artifacts hung on certain walls. From the tower's heights, one could overlook half the sights of Taibai City. An indulgence of comfort and power.
"This Linglong Tower is our sect's property in the Great Xuan Empire," Piaoyun said, taking her seat and motioning for Fang Han to do the same. "Would dao-friend be interested in establishing such an estate here as well?"
"Let's skip the pleasantries," Fang Han said. "Speak directly."
"Very well." Piaoyun leaned slightly forward. "That piece of nameless divine wood—what exactly is it? Its uniqueness is undeniable, but not worth spending three million spirit pills and so many Yuan Infant Pills to acquire. And you are not a disciple of Taiyi Gate. How did you obtain such a vast quantity of Yuan Infant Pills?"
"You're prying into my secrets a bit boldly," Fang Han replied with a dry smile. "As for the divine wood, I truly don't know its origin. But I cultivate wood-element arts. I saw it, thought it useful, and bought it. Perhaps refining it will let me push my technique further."
Piaoyun let out a faint, self-mocking laugh. "It seems dao-friend indeed has no intention of speaking truthfully. A pity—had you spoken honestly, I might've gifted you something in return."
She flicked her hand. A flash of yellow cloud swept across the room, depositing a Mountain Spirit Pearl before him.
Fang Han didn't even look at it. "A fine treasure, capable of bringing any earth-element divine art to perfection. But what I want is Nine Heavens Breath-Earth Crystal."
Piaoyun froze for half a heartbeat. "You have quite the appetite. Nine Heavens Breath-Earth Crystal is a rare earth-element treasure—no one would part with it for less than ten million pills. More, if you want a clean transaction."
Then, as if recalculating, she added:
"Dao-friend intends to use Yuan Infant Pills, I suppose? I know the Heaven's Way Pavilion offers you over one hundred thousand White Sun Pills for each thousand Yuan Infant Pills. If you can provide one hundred thousand Yuan Infant Pills at once, I can take them all—at twice the rate."
Twice.
Fang Han's heart moved.
The market rate was one hundred White Sun Pills for one Yuan Infant Pill. But in reality, even if you brought a million White Sun Pills, you'd be lucky to exchange for ten thousand Yuan Infant Pills—because Yuan Infant Pills were too scarce.
One hundred thousand or a million pills was something only the three great merchant alliances could manage.
And now Linglong Paradise was offering twice the price—
A sign of desperation.
"Such massive acquisition of Yuan Infant Pills… Did Linglong Paradise also receive news?" Fang Han immediately thought of the God Race.
Their coming had forced every major power to hastily strengthen itself. And the fastest way? Pills. Endless pills.
If Yuhua Gate could feed every disciple Yuan Infant Pills daily, then within a few years, divine-ability cultivators would spring up like bamboo shoots after rain. Even Heavenly Human experts would advance rapidly under such nourishment.
For himself—he absorbed celestial essence daily equal to five hundred Yuan Infant Pills.
"Twice the price is generous," he said. "All right. Ten days from now, I'll bring you three hundred thousand Yuan Infant Pills. Let's see if you can handle them."
Three hundred thousand.
Piaoyun's eyes went wide above her veil.
"You… you can produce three hundred thousand in ten days? Even a grand elder of Taiyi Gate couldn't produce that quantity in one breath!"
Fang Han clapped his hands lightly. "You'll see in ten days."
"Then where will dao-friend stay in the meantime?" Piaoyun asked.
"I'm wandering Taibai City. In ten days, I'll return with the pills. Prepare the White Sun Pills accordingly."
"Of course."
Fang Han's body dissolved into green light and vanished.
Once he was gone, Piaoyun turned to the shadows behind her. A woman in green stepped out—each step radiating regal pressure, golden light faint around her heavenly gate. A cultivator of Seventh Layer—Golden Core Perfection.
"Senior Sister Lianyun," Piaoyun asked quietly, "is it possible he really has three hundred thousand Yuan Infant Pills?"
Lianyun frowned slightly. "His cultivation is only the Heavenly Human Realm, but his mana is unfathomable, and he carries treasures beyond our understanding. If he truly can produce that much, we should absolutely befriend him. Linglong Paradise urgently needs Yuan Infant Pills. The Sect Master is currently in the Endless Void, comprehending the Great Luo Heavenly Dao. She sensed an impending catastrophe descending on our world. She ordered us to raise our strength at any cost."
She paused, then sighed.
"It's a pity Fire Cloud Senior Sister was trapped in Taiyuan Immortal Mansion a decade ago and perished. With her talent, she might have reached the Longevity stage by now."
"Senior Sister… if he really brings three hundred thousand pills, we must prepare the full sixty million White Sun Pills."
"We will. Linglong Paradise is no minor sect—we can produce that much. But any transaction of that magnitude must be reported to the elders. More importantly—we must find a way to recruit this mysterious man."
Meanwhile, Fang Han drifted through Taibai City in disguise. The place was too vast to fully explore even with his divine abilities. After ensuring no one tailed him, he used the Sea Mirage Technique to shift into a different appearance and checked into a modest inn.
Before cultivating, he also tried to track the three golden-core assassins again—still no trace. No matter; Yan and the Blood Night King would remain vigilant.
This session of seclusion was to deepen his bond with the World Tree.
At his brow, the sapling appeared half-illusory, half-solid. Its roots burrowed into both his seas of consciousness, linking every divine ability to its growing network of roots. Compared to earlier, the World Tree had grown a hundredfold—lush, vibrant, constantly drawing celestial essence and converting it into Yuan Infant Pills within the Yellow Springs Diagram.
"Man and Tree as one…"
Fang Han focused inward, letting his spirit merge with the sapling—leaf by leaf, root by root.
Suddenly, a tremor passed through his mind.
Through the roots—through the invisible tendrils of power reaching into the infinite void—his spirit surged outward.
The World Tree could draw essence from the Immortal Realm.
Which meant…
Along its roots, his spirit might also reach toward the Immortal Realm.
If he could sense the Immortal Realm—if he could pierce through fate and open the hidden gate to that higher world—he might touch the realm of those who "feed on qi and never die," the exclusive domain of Longevity experts.
And through the First Divine Tree, he might gain a shortcut.
Legend said that in ancient times, even mortals could climb the World Tree to reach the Immortal Realm.
The thought made his heart hammer wildly.
Would he… truly be able to sense the Immortal Realm itself?