Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

Night fell.

Inside the commander’s tent of the White Feathered Eagle tribe.

The flaps of the tent were shut tight.

In the darkness, Fang Yang was not asleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

The cultivation of a Low Tier Cultivator was not yet so transcendent as to replace the need for sleep.

Ordinarily, Fang Yang would have been long asleep by this time, resting up for the next day’s tasks.

However, during his routine cultivation just now, he had felt the opportunity for a breakthrough.

’I’m just a hair’s breadth away. With one more push, I can definitely charge into Tier One Peak.’

’Coincidentally, I’ve also accumulated four minor merits from the White Feathered Eagle tribe. Worst case, I’ll just take a day off.’

A glint flashed through Fang Yang’s eyes.

He had never forgotten the purpose of the White Feathered Eagle tribe’s existence.

The tribe existed to support his cultivation; he couldn’t get his priorities backward.

Immediately, Fang Yang closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his Void Acupoint True Essence Sea, immersing itself in the Fire Eagle Illusion.

The completely full Void Acupoint True Essence Sea was a deep green, the color of Tier One High-Grade True Essence.

And within this deep green ocean of True Essence, the Fire Eagle Illusion was contracted into a ball, bobbing in the sea.

At this moment, the Fire Eagle Illusion’s eyes snapped open. Its wings spread wide, nearly solidifying completely.

’Absorb!’ With a thought from Fang Yang, the calm, deep green ocean began to ripple, forming waves that crashed endlessly against the Fire Eagle Illusion.

The waves grew larger and larger, like ten thousand torrents, battering it relentlessly.

Gradually, the surface of the True Essence Sea began to fall.

In response, the wings of the Fire Eagle Illusion progressed toward complete solidification.

99.1%...

99.2%...

99.3%... 100%!

When the Fire Eagle Illusion’s wings were fully solidified, inspiration struck Fang Yang. He decisively maneuvered the illusion to charge the white stone membrane.

"BOOM—"

The Fire Eagle Illusion, its wings now solid, brandished its fiery pinions like a pair of golden winged blades. With a light flourish, it shattered the surrounding stone membrane in a single blow. The barrier erupted like a volcano, unleashing a vast tide of ink-green True Essence.

The white stone membrane had become a white Crystal Membrane!

The color of his True Essence had changed from deep green to ink-green!

He had broken through to the Tier One Peak realm with incredible smoothness!

’Finally, Tier One Peak. This completely different level of power is truly intoxicating.’

’But to advance from Tier One Peak to Tier Two Elementary, I’ll need to continuously wash over the white Crystal Membrane—the Void Acupoint itself—to induce a transformation.’

’Next, I just need to wait for the Moonfire Thunder Flower to bloom and bear fruit. The thirty-day deadline is less than ten days away.’

’Once I refine the Moonfire Thunder Flower, which will have been upgraded to a Tier Five Spiritual Object, I can definitely complete my accumulation, charge directly to the Tier Two Elementary realm, and generate Silver True Essence!’

’If I use a Silver Relic Pill, I could even go straight from Tier Two Elementary to Tier Two Peak. But that would severely damage my aptitude, so I must be cautious. It’s best to just keep it in reserve for now.’

Fang Yang’s thoughts raced like lightning.

He opened his eyes, a smile on his face.

He was now extremely strong, enough to kill a White Feathered Eagle of the same tier with his bare hands.

The next moment, Fang Yang lightly slapped his storage pouch, and a war spear appeared in his hand.

"CRACKLE~"

The sound of an electric current quickly arose, far smoother and more effortless than before.

Clearly, with his realm’s advancement, Fang Yang could now more easily activate his lightning techniques and execute his attack arts.

...

「The next morning.」

At the Purple Gold Hall on Star Fall Mountain.

When the acolyte Mingxin reported that Fang Yang had broken through to the Tier One Peak realm, Sen Yue was somewhat surprised.

Sen Yue waved his purple-gold robes and said with a smile, "Fang Yang’s talent, while far from matching Wei’Er’s, is still quite decent. He has a chance of advancing to the Saint Realm. Mingxin, make another trip down the mountain and tell Fang Yang not to be in such a hurry to break through to the Tier Two realm..."

The acolyte Mingxin acknowledged the order and descended the mountain, still feeling a bit surprised.

To be honest, Mingxin knew Fang Yang was talented, but he hadn’t expected his talent to receive Lord Sen Yue’s affirmation.

Because of this, when Mingxin saw Fang Yang again, his attitude was much more respectful. He even shared some inside information about the grand army-wide competition.

Now, Mingxin was gone.

But in Fang Yang’s mind, he was repeatedly mulling over Sen Yue’s true intentions.

’...After unifying all the forces of the Changkong clan, Sen Yue will hold a grand army-wide competition for all realms, intending to foster unity and reduce animosity and hatred?’

’...If I perform exceptionally in this competition, Sen Yue will consider transferring me to the main command camp to cultivate me seriously?’

’...Cultivate me seriously? No, that’s not right. According to Sen Yue’s plan, no matter how strong or capable I become, I’ll ultimately have to submit to Sen Wei.’

’...My relationship to Sen Wei would be just like Lu Yao’s. So I’m being treated as Sen Wei’s glove, meant to do her dirty work and be her trusted subordinate.’

’...Sen Yue, he’s planning for the next Xuan-Yu War!’

A thunderous crash seemed to echo in Fang Yang’s mind as a bolt of lightning streaked through, instantly dispelling the fog of confusion.

It wasn’t actually hard to understand, as Sen Yue had made no effort to hide his intentions.

Sen Yue was confident that even if Fang Yang figured it out, he wouldn’t refuse.

Because Fang Yang had no right to refuse!

But right now, Fang Yang was staring at the "Seek Fortune, Avoid Misfortune" orb of light in his mind, his heart as calm as still water.

It’s every man for himself, each using their own Divine Techniques.

A Flying Eagle is easiest to tame when it is in an extremely weak and difficult situation.

He did not belong in that category!

...

A month had passed, but the grand army-wide competition had not yet begun, as Sen Yue had not completely subjugated the other ’Dao Seeds’.

Furthermore, if the Moonfire Thunder Flower were to bloom and bear fruit but not be harvested and refined in time, it would require continuous watering with Ten Thousand Jins Heavy Water, or else it would wither and lose its spiritual properties.

Under these circumstances, and based on the principle of not wasting Yuan Stones, Second Uncle Fang began to hone a personal killing move for Fang Yang, following the Carp Eagle Inheritance Jade Scroll.

A killing move was an absolute offensive technique. Once executed, it was either you die or I die.

It was a special skill that existed somewhere between Magic and Divine Techniques, born solely for slaughter!

"Celestial Eagle Cross Spear!"

Fang Yang’s eyes flashed as he brandished his spear.

With a shake of his hand, the spear’s shaft hummed, crackling with explosive and ferocious lightning and fire.

Immediately, his White Feathered Eagle was completely enveloped by the Fire Eagle Illusion, which appeared behind him as a nearly corporeal phantom, about a hundred feet tall.

And in his Void Acupoint True Essence Sea, the Fierce Flame Pill Cauldron was frantically devouring his True Essence at an incredible speed.

In the training ground, Fang Yang swung his spear down at a stone statue. A powerful, wild, and unrestrained light of lightning and fire blazed from the spear’s tip.

"BANG!" The stone statue instantly shattered into pieces.

This single strike had consumed half of Fang Yang’s True Essence, and its effect seemed outstanding.

But...

The expressions on both Fang Yang’s and Second Uncle Fang’s faces were grim.

Because it had failed again!

"Sigh, a White Feathered Eagle is not a true Fire Eagle, after all. It can’t fully bear the power of the Fire Eagle Illusion," Second Uncle Fang said with regret.

Fang Yang looked at his White Feathered Eagle cowering in the shadows nearby, momentarily speechless.

He didn’t blame the White Feathered Eagle for its weakness; that was simply its species’ limit.

The White Feathered Eagle was, in the end, just a Tier Two variant beast, a lesser subspecies of the Fire Eagle.

Although a fully grown White Feathered Eagle could match a Tier Three Fierce Beast, by that time, Fang Yang himself would have likely advanced to a much higher realm.

Gathering their composure, Fang Yang and Second Uncle Fang turned and left, leaving only the White Feathered Eagle in the shadows.

The White Feathered Eagle stared at Fang Yang’s departing back, its expression somewhat forlorn.

Though it was simple-minded, it still understood that if a Pet Beast couldn’t meet its master’s expectations, and the master didn’t even say a word about it, it basically meant the master was about to abandon it.

It didn’t want to be abandoned by Fang Yang.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Sen Yue’s army advanced relentlessly, finally clashing in a decisive battle with the army of the ’Dao Seed,’ Lin Shenghuang.

At that moment, Fang Yang, who was in the Jia-Seven Meritorious Service Camp selecting a mission, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Because in his mind, the orb of light representing his talent was materializing text:

[Chaos rises again, the world turns upside down. Calamity and peril fill the air; fortune and misfortune are unclear.]

[Mid-Upper Lot: Go to Yunling Swamp. Enter the swamp, do not act rashly, and wait for the right moment. You may obtain a Tier Three opportunity—the Dao. Auspicious.]

[Middle Lot: Remain at the rear of the army, helping those in need. No waves will be made. Nothing gained, nothing lost. Neutral.]

[Lowest Lot: Rush to the Snow Frost Mountain Range. You will be caught in the storm. Extremely dangerous and perilous. You will be trapped in a deadly place with a near-certain chance of death. Greatly Inauspicious!]

At this moment, a black mist roiled in the depths of Fang Yang’s eyes. His killing intent was as vast as a prison, his resolve firm and decisive.

Anyone who blocked his pursuit of the Path of Longevity must die!