Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

Although the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun was difficult to refine, as soon as Fang Yang recovered, he would immediately mobilize the Carp Eagle phantom to refine it.

"Rise." The thought formed in Fang Yang’s mind.

The already tempestuous True Essence Sea immediately roiled anew, sending out layer upon layer of ripples.

The ripples grew in number and size, forming massive tides. One after another, they surged forward, helping the Carp Eagle phantom adhere to and refine the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun.

"ROAR—"

Under this pressure, the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun seemed to transform into a Black Kun Fish, resolutely confronting the phantom of the Carp Eagle.

The two clashed violently, and the great waves shattered against them as if crashing upon a reef, sending spray everywhere.

In the midst of this process, the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun released specks of black light, causing Fang Yang’s qi and blood to steadily grow.

When the surface of his True Essence Sea had fallen, leaving only thirty percent of its True Essence water in his aperture, Fang Yang stopped.

A night passed without a word.

The sky gradually brightened, clear and cloudless.

Fang Yang laughed brightly as his eyes snapped open. "The initial refinement was a success."

He could clearly sense it. His True Essence had become purer, and its recovery rate had accelerated.

And through these repeated clashes, the tempering of his Carp Eagle phantom had deepened even further.

A realization dawned on him. In ten days at most, the tempering of the Fire Eagle body would reach fifty percent.

In other words, at that time, he would become a Tier Three Advanced Cultivator!

Fang Yang let out a slow breath of turbid air. He grasped a Yuan Stone and began restoring his True Essence.

「Two hours later.」

Fang Yang slowly walked out of the tent.

When his cousin, Fang Min, saw him, the hairs on her arms stood on end.

Her pupils constricted as she said in slight astonishment, "Your qi and blood and strength have increased? I actually feel a bit threatened by you."

Second Uncle Fang was also rather astonished, and he gave Fang Yang a second look.

The Fang Yang before them was now like a strength-path Cultivator, his blood energy so abundant it was practically billowing like wolf smoke!

"I’ve made some progress, but it’s nothing much," Fang Yang said, his expression placid.

He was dressed in black and white Daoist robes, his posture erect and tall, making him an unforgettable sight.

Yet, as he stood there with one hand clasped behind his back, delivering this line with such nonchalance, Fang Min’s lip twitched. She had the sudden urge to punch him.

Not long after, Fang Yang and the others continued their journey, pressing onward.

This time, they had well and truly left the Black Moon Great Saint’s lands of inheritance.

「Elsewhere.」

As Cyan Aura watched Fang Yang’s departing figure, he instantly understood. Fang Yang had grown stronger again.

"Sigh..." Cyan Aura sighed heavily.

He knew that he was now far inferior to Fang Yang.

But then his older cousin, Qingkong, offered some encouragement. "There’s no need to be so pessimistic. If you work hard in the Thunder Saint Academy, it’s not impossible to catch up to Fang Yang.

Within the Thunder Saint Academy, while they don’t have a Sacred Material like the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun, they do have others, like the Thunder Flood Dragon’s Vertical Pupil and the Wings of the Golden Sun Wind Roc.

They even have a multitude of Great Sage Skills. All you have to do is work hard..."

Spurred on by his cousin’s encouragement, Cyan Aura’s flagging spirits were rekindled. He made up his mind: in the Thunder Saint Academy, he would pull ahead and surpass Fang Yang.

In an instant, his gaze became firm, and his body was as straight as a spear.

Seeing this, his cousin Qingkong’s lip twitched. ’You’ll grow in the Thunder Saint Academy, but so will Fang Yang,’ he thought. ’Ah, forget it. I’ll humor him for now. If any real trouble comes up, he can just go find the Old Ancestor.’

...

「The Thunder-Control Celestial Heaven-Reaching Pagoda.」

The Fang Clan’s settlement, a complex of palaces.

A pure-white Flying Boat slowly descended from the heavens.

Afterward, the figures of Fang Yang and the others walked out from inside the Flying Boat. As soon as Fang Yang appeared, Fang Xuan, Fang Duanhai, and the others immediately surrounded him.

"Brother, did you really defeat Cyan Aura with a single hand?"

"I heard that the Dao Seed Yuxuan was beaten so badly by the Dao Seed Qingkong that he knelt and begged for mercy. Is it true?"

"You’re incredible! I can’t believe you managed to snatch the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun from all those Dao Seed-level Great Cultivators..."

The disciples of the Fang Clan were all chattering excitedly.

They were extremely shocked by Fang Yang’s achievements.

Fang Yang glanced over them, seeing the looks of shock on all their faces. Even Uncle Haozhi was leaning in, intensely curious about what had transpired.

As for Fang Min and Second Uncle Fang, they were all but ignored.

"It wasn’t that dramatic," Fang Yang said calmly.

With a light wave of his Daoist robe’s sleeve, he summoned a gentle breeze that cleared away much of the stifling heat. But it could not dispel the fervent excitement in the hearts of the Fang Clan disciples.

The Fang Clan had been in decline for too long, far too long.

Now, Fang Yang’s act of snatching the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun from right under the noses of Dao Seeds like Qingkong, Yuxuan, and Jiang Venerable Sword—truly snatching food from the tiger’s mouth—had left them all deeply stirred.

It was as if they had become Fang Yang and accomplished such a great feat themselves.

When they heard the news, many of the Fang Clan disciples were grinning from ear to ear. Filled with pride, they had celebrated by drinking two extra bowls of Cyan Ant Wine!

"Alright, alright! If you have questions, just ask me," his cousin Fang Min said, silencing the crowd’s chatter.

As everyone watched, Fang Xuan stepped forward to verify the stories one by one.

"So, did Cyan Aura really lose to my brother?"

"He certainly did."

"And Yuxuan, the Dao Seed, was beaten by Qingkong until he knelt and begged for mercy?"

"Well, that part’s not true..."

Following Fang Min’s answers, one wave of gasps after another rose from the crowd.

Second Uncle Fang stood to one side, watching this scene with a smile on his face.

Then, he turned to look at Fang Yang, his eyes filled with immense satisfaction.

...

「The next morning was bright and pleasant.」

In the Cyan Lotus Palace, Fang Yang arrived for his arranged visit, seeking out Sen Hui.

At that very moment, Sen Wei happened to appear.

At Sen Hui’s invitation, Fang Yang now stood with her to witness the Silver Flower Fire Tree absorb the Black Moon Soul Spirit and complete its evolution.

With a great surge, the Silver Flower Fire Tree absorbed the Black Moon Soul Spirit, which took the form of a thirty-six-petaled black lotus.

Instantly, the Silver Flower Fire Tree began to shake violently. Its branches blazed as if wreathed in fire, giving birth to wisps of ethereal energy.

Even more wondrously, during its transformation, lotuses of flame bloomed and died. In the end, they evolved into a spectacular display of fireworks.

"So this is how the Silver Flower Fire Tree evolves... It’s just like watching fireworks bloom," Sen Hui murmured, gazing upward with shimmering eyes.

Fang Yang said softly, "It truly is. Incredibly beautiful."

Seeing them respond to each other in perfect accord, Sen Wei’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Not long after, Sen Wei left.

At this point, Sen Hui began to ask Fang Yang about his journey.

He told her everything, leaving out only his "Seek Fortune, Avoid Disaster" talent.

Sen Hui was utterly engrossed as she listened to the esoteric details, her expression shifting from regret to laughter.

Fang Yang gazed at her, a feeling of satisfaction gradually growing in his heart.

"Slave Array Convergence..."

Sen Hui looked up. "Ah Yang, how about I ask Chang Ruhui to teach you? He can design a suitable slave array for you. That way, things won’t be so difficult for you."

Chang Ruhui controlled a million wolf beasts and was a top-tier Master of the Slave Path. It was even rumored that he had touched upon the realm of a Grandmaster of the Slave Path.

The level of a Grandmaster was an attainment typically only possessed by Dao Seeds or Saints.

Only someone like Sen Hui could likely command such a formidable figure.

Fang Yang’s sharp brows rose slightly at her words.

But then, thinking about his own situation, he gave a decisive, faint smile and nodded. "Alright. I’ll be counting on you, then, Xiaohui."