Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

High above, Fang Yang pursued Liu Manlou on his mount, dragging his spear behind him.

Vortexes of orange-yellow flame erupted around Fang Yang as orbs of violet lightning bloomed.

Then, with a turn of his wrist, he raised his spear. Like an peerless warrior, he brought it down to annihilate Liu Manlou!

With every gesture, Fang Yang unleashed a terrifying might, forcing Liu Manlou to fall back again and again.

WHUMMM...

The lightning and fire intertwined in perfect harmony, making the very air tremble.

Fang Yang’s spear thrust was simple, yet anything but ordinary.

Because as the spearpoint advanced, it bloomed with a brilliant light. Within it, a Fire Eagle spread its wings and a thunder carp dove to the depths.

This was the True Meaning of the Carp Eagle!

The attack was impossibly fast, leaving no room for retreat.

A chill shot up Liu Manlou’s spine and into his brain, leaving him utterly terrified.

In a flash, Liu Manlou’s left hand formed a seal for a Technique as crimson essence blood trickled from his mouth and nose.

An even more brilliant Cyan Aura flared to life on his arms, resonating with immense power.

BOOM—

The weapons clashed violently once more.

But this time, the crimson spear sent the other weapon flying, then plunged downward, piercing through heavy armor and drawing an unceasing flow of blood.

Just as the single strike was about to pierce Liu Manlou’s chest and extinguish his life force, a glint appeared in the eyes of the great, dark-blue horse beneath him, and it scrambled backward as if possessed.

Defeated.

Liu Manlou was defeated.

He had even come within a hair’s breadth of being killed by Fang Yang.

Liu Manlou was now completely limp on his horse’s back. A bloody figure, barely breathing, he was a truly pathetic sight.

This result left the onlookers utterly dumbfounded.

Everyone knew Fang Yang had the advantage and would defeat Liu Manlou.

But no one had ever imagined he would win in such a decisive, overwhelming fashion.

It seemed Fang Yang had truly touched upon the domain of a young Great Saint.

As a result, the morale on Fang Yang’s side surged dramatically.

In contrast, the morale on Liu Manlou’s side was utterly crushed.

Fang Yang saw this but did not press the pursuit of Liu Manlou.

He raised his spear, aimed it forward, and sounded the call for a counterattack.

"Capture Liu Manlou alive! The reward is a fief of one thousand households!"

RUMBLE—

The thunder of hooves rose, shaking the earth and moving the mountains.

The soldiers swept toward the enemy line like a surging flood.

The packs of Slave Beasts under the command of their Cultivator masters were especially frenzied.

When they were still several hundred paces apart, the armies attacked almost in unison.

Instantly, the sky was filled with a chaotic barrage of arrows, Wind Blades, Fireballs, water cannons, and more.

What followed was true close-quarters combat.

Blades clashed and blood flew, turning the battlefield into a gory, chaotic melee.

’What a waste,’ Fang Yang thought from his position in the rear. ’If a Blood Dao Cultivator were here, they’d be absolutely ecstatic.’

...

The war for control of the Leran Grassland had finally come to a close.

The final result was a total victory for Fang Yang’s army.

The outcome was decisively settled when Fang Yang unleashed the three thousand elite soldiers of the White Feathered Eagle Tribe.

These three thousand soldiers were the elite of Fang Yang’s forces.

If necessary, Fang Yang could use these three thousand elites as a foundation to quickly convert the legion Sen Yue had left behind into his own force.

But there was no need for that.

This was, after all, a transcendent world where individual martial might reigned supreme.

Even with techniques to condense the soul of an army from a battle formation, it would be difficult for Fang Yang to defeat an enemy from a higher major realm.

As news of this battle spread throughout the surrounding areas, it caused considerable waves.

"Fang Yang’s progress is just too astonishing."

In Zhang Ye’s residence, his cousin Zhang Le was left speechless. "He only transformed into a Carp Eagle Spirit Body a month or two ago, right? He’s already firmly established in the domain of a young Saint and is even touching upon the domain of a young Great Saint?"

Zhang Ye did not reprimand his cousin for the dramatic outburst.

Instead, Zhang Ye countered, "Then in your opinion, what level of strength should Fang Yang have reached by now?"

His cousin, Zhang Le, opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words, merely staring blankly at Zhang Ye.

The implication was that, at best, he believed Fang Yang’s rate of progress should have mirrored Zhang Ye’s.

After all, they were all young men of the Changkong Clan, possessing inherited techniques, access to abundant resources, and their own fortuitous encounters.

Most importantly, none of them had a living Saint for an ancestor!

And yet, Fang Yang had somehow left everyone else in the dust, and was even threatening to catch up to Sen Wei!

Such an accomplishment was simply too staggering.

"Fang Yang..." Zhang Ye murmured, lost in silent thought.

...

News of Fang Yang’s decisive defeat of Liu Manlou continued to spread, his fame reaching even beyond the armies of the Changkong Clan.

"With no true heroes in this age, even a worthless punk can make a name for himself! It’s infuriating, utterly infuriating!" fumed adversaries like Third Uncle Liu, deeply frustrated.

"Finally, some good news," Dongfang Moran breathed a sigh of relief.

If even Fang Yang had been unable to hold the line, the young prodigies within Sen Yue’s army would have been in for a very rough time.

"Fang Yang? I didn’t expect him to still be holding so firmly to the title of number one. If so, he can definitely gather a portion of the masses’ fortune... ’Is a reputation gained by deceiving the world still a reputation?’" Ji Juyun mused thoughtfully.

Even the four Pavilion Elders of the Profound Mysterious Study—the Elders of Flower, Bird, Fish, and Insect—had heard of this matter.

「Profound Mysterious Study」

The ethereal fragrance of tea filled the air.

A Memory Stone sat on a table, projecting scenes from the war for the Leran Grassland—specifically, the battle between Fang Yang and Liu Manlou.

The four Pavilion Elders watched the display of Fang Yang’s divine might, their expressions varied.

Fast. Too fast. Unbelievably fast!

Fang Yang’s rise to power was simply too fast. It was astonishing.

It was just as they’d said before: like a fish in the great sea or a bird in the vast sky, he was completely unrestrained.

Even men as worldly and experienced as them could sense how profound and mysterious Fang Yang was.

A brief silence fell over the room as they processed the impact of what Fang Yang had accomplished.

Cunning and strategy were one thing; true strength was another entirely.

All that could be said was that Fang Yang’s performance had forcefully shattered the image the Pavilion Elders held of him as a mere vassal of Sen Hui.

"If only the path of the Great Sun Golden Crow hadn’t been shattered," Elder Chong said, breaking the silence. "How wonderful that would be. Then Xiaohui could have continued on the path of the Fusang Divine Tree."

"The world itself is in upheaval. What can you and I possibly do about it?" Elder Yu shook his head with a sigh.

Elder Hua didn’t join the conversation, instead setting the final tone. "Merit will be rewarded. We can grant Fang Yang control over the remaining tribes of the Leran Grassland, giving him the power of life and death."

In the end, none of them mentioned suppressing Fang Yang again.

There was no need. There was truly no need.

Just let Fang Yang fly free. When he finds his path forward blocked, when he weathers a great storm, he will naturally remember the virtues of the Sen family.

...

The sky was clear and the sun was bright.

Peace had returned to the Leran Grassland, and it was revitalized, showing signs of vigorous life everywhere.

The White Feathered Eagle Tribe, the core of Fang Yang’s forces, was especially lively.

Even the surrounding nine unranked tribes and five Bronze Tribes sent representatives to offer tribute and pay their respects.

They paid homage to the White Feathered Eagle Tribe, and even more so, to Fang Yang himself!

As for Fang Yang, he was currently taking a leisurely stroll with the Small Frost Horse, his expression relaxed.

"Hff?" The Small Frost Horse, hooves planted on the grass, suddenly let out an inquisitive snort.

It had spotted an electric python basking motionless under the blazing sun, looking just like a long, enormous cyan rope.

"The python is still alive, don’t worry," Fang Yang said with a smile, his eyes crinkling.

But the Small Frost Horse was still uneasy. It set off at a run, its hooves seeming to generate wind as it swiftly crossed the field to stand before the electric python.

Sensing its presence, the python slowly opened its sinister, ice-cold vertical purple pupils.

In a flash, faint cyan sparks crackled through the air.

One look from the python was all it took for the Small Frost Horse’s courage to evaporate.

As if its very Soul had been frightened away, it scrambled to turn and flee, galloping back toward Fang Yang with all its might.

Seeing this, the python slowly closed its eyes and went back to basking lazily in the sun.

"Hff?"

Huddled tightly behind Fang Yang’s legs, the Small Frost Horse peeked its head out again, spying on the python.

When the Small Frost Horse saw that the python seemed to have fallen asleep again, it once more began to creep toward it, taking soft, slow steps.

Sensing the movement, the python opened its cold, vertical pupils again and stared straight at the Small Frost Horse.

Instantly, the Small Frost Horse was spooked again and galloped frantically back to Fang Yang.

"So timid, yet so curious..."

Fang Yang bent down and scooped up the Small Frost Horse. "Come on, let’s go find the White Feathered Eagle."