After sitting for a short while, the two Wan Gui Immortal Island disciples who had left hurried over: "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, the room you requested is ready, and those medicinal ingredients have been delivered inside. Please come with us."
"So fast? Wan Gui Immortal Island truly deserves to be one of the Ten Great Daoist Gates." Fang Han praised. Among the spiritual herbs he mentioned, several were extremely difficult to find, such as the Grand Yin Earth Dragon Earthworm and the Millennium Gold and Silver Pangolin. If he went to desolate mountains and wild ridges, the treacherous terrain of barbaric great marshes to gather them himself, it would probably take months of effort. Now, arriving here, it took merely the effort of a single sentence. With ten spirit artifacts and one human head, they were exchanged.
"I still have thirty-six flying swords and eight spirit artifact dharma robes. I wonder what I can exchange them for?" Fang Han calculated in his heart. He did not need these items, but for disciples in the Physical Body Realm, they were treasures among treasures. Disciples in the Physical Body Realm of a sect made up the majority after all.
Fang Han knew that a single flying sword and a single dharma robe could help a disciple get through the most difficult Physical Body Realm cultivation. Among the over four hundred thousand outer sect disciples of the Yuhua Sect, those who possessed flying swords and dharma robes were pitifully few. Even inner sect disciples could not guarantee a set per person. Presumably, Wan Gui Immortal Island was the same.
Wan Gui Immortal Island had opened a sea market with abundant resources. Fang Han could completely exchange the things he did not need for those he could use in his cultivation.
At present, Fang Han followed the two disciples towards the depths of the Black Turtle Pavilion while calculating how to make the exchange in his heart.
Little did he know, the two disciples spoke up, "Senior Brother, we wonder if you still have flying swords or spirit artifact dharma robes on you? Seeing you take out ten spirit artifact dharma robes at once, you are very wealthy. If you have them, our Wan Gui Immortal Island can exchange them with treasures you can use for your cultivation."
"Is that so? What treasures do you have?" Fang Han said.
"This, we cannot make the decision, but Senior Brother Hai is waiting for the two Senior Brothers in a secret chamber." The two disciples took several turns, leading Fang Han and the other two to a copper hall. Creak. The thick copper door of the copper hall was opened. Inside stood a man, standing as straight as a javelin. He naturally possessed a steady aura of prestige without anger. The magic power on his body was deeply hidden, clearly indicating he was an expert in the Mystic Realm of Divine Abilities.
"Greetings, two fellow Daoists from the Yuhua Sect. I am a true legacy disciple of Wan Gui Immortal Island, Hai Shan."
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Hai." Fang Han nodded and entered the copper hall. The door slowly closed, and it immediately became completely silent, as if it were an independent space.
This copper hall was about seven or eight hundred paces square. It was empty without any furnishings, only that many medicinal ingredients were temporarily placed in the middle, all contained in large crystal vats.
Especially among them were seven large crystal vats, each over the height of two people. In the middle of them, seven jellyfish were being kept. Each jellyfish emitted rich water vapor, and powerful spiritual energy was transmitted from the seven jellyfish, actually trying to confuse Fang Han and the others, creating illusions for them. Clearly, these seven jellyfish had "become monsters!"
These were the seven jellyfish Long Xuan requested. Each jellyfish was a rare alien species, lurking beneath a thousand zhang in the deep sea. To catch them would require an unknown amount of wasted time.
And the remaining large crystal vats contained the medicinal ingredients Fang Han needed, totaling several thousand catties.
"Fellow Daoist Fang Han, after killing the Absolute Life Island Master this time, you must have obtained quite a few benefits. Rumor has it that you also had some unpleasantness with the Taiyi Gate? Right now, several disciples of the Taiyi Gate are still in our Black Turtle Pavilion, waiting for you. It seems they intend to be unfavorable towards you. But please rest assured, they do not yet know that you are here by my side." Hai Shan smiled and suddenly said.
"Fellow Daoist Hai has well-informed news." Fang Han smiled without his eyes crinkling, "Just now, Fellow Daoist Hai wanted to make a transaction with me. I do indeed have some spirit artifacts on me. I wonder what things Fellow Daoist Hai has that can improve my cultivation level?" As he spoke, he cut directly to the main topic, without beating around the bush or wasting time.
"You are cultivating the Heavenly Wood Great Magic, one of the eight great divine abilities of the Yuhua Sect, right? I have a piece of divine wood here that can assist your cultivation. I found it once at sea. Take a look, what do you think?" As he spoke, Hai Shan beckoned with his hand, and a piece of wood flew into his hand.
This piece of wood was the size of a palm, twisted and turning, resembling a human figure. It looked somewhat like ginseng but had no root hairs. The wood quality bore a purplish-black color, like red sandalwood, but not quite. Seeing Hai Shan holding it in his hand, it was incomparably heavy.
Fang Han reached his hand out, and the moment he grabbed it, he immediately felt his body sink, almost crushing his body. In the end, he had to cycle his magic power to lift this piece of wood up. Such a small piece of wood was a full four to five thousand catties.
"What a strong body, what majestic magic power. To have such powerful magic power while cultivating at the True Qi Realm, it truly is an anomaly." Hai Shan's expression revealed a strange brilliance.
Fang Han, on the other hand, saw that this Hai Shan was also in the True Qi Realm, just like himself, but his magic power was not as majestic. His magic power was roughly equivalent to five hundred fierce horses. The attribute of his true qi was crimson. It was unknown what divine ability he was cultivating.
"What kind of wood is this? I have never seen it before. But I feel like I cannot absorb any wood spirit true qi from it." Fang Han felt that this piece of wood was incredibly condensed. No matter what, he could not sense the wood qi within it, could not absorb it, and could not cultivate with it.
Hearing Fang Han ask what kind of wood this was, some awkwardness appeared on Hai Shan's face, "This, I also do not know. But this object has undergone my repeated refinement; whether roasted by true fire or soaked in water, it cannot be refined. No flying sword can chop a single nick into it. Therefore, I conclude it is a rare treasure of heaven and earth. The Yuhua Sect's Heavenly Wood Great Magic is incredibly powerful, adept at absorbing myriad woods. So I am yielding this rare treasure to a person who best recognizes its worth."
"You also don't know what it is?" Fang Han opened his mouth slightly, thinking in his heart: "Then isn't it a useless object? You can't use it, so you exchange it to me, calling it a rare treasure of heaven and earth. Isn't this a joke?"
However, he did not say these words out loud, but anyone could see the expression on his face. He could not absorb any spiritual qi from this strange piece of wood; it was equivalent to a useless object.
"If Fellow Daoist can provide another thirty spirit artifacts, how about I yield this rare treasure of heaven and earth to you?" Hai Shan shrugged his shoulders and said.
"Thirty spirit artifacts!" Fang Han looked at Hai Shan with a gaze sizing up an idiot: "Brother Hai Shan, this magic treasure is simply too precious, I cannot endure it. You should just keep it for your own cultivation."
"If you don't have thirty, twenty will also do." Hai Shan seemed to know that this piece of wood was a bit strange but of little use. Fang Han clearly didn't want it, so he loosened his tone.
"This treasure is too precious. Not even my Heavenly Wood Great Magic can melt it. It must definitely be a jewel of heaven and earth. If one can comprehend the mysteries within, one could definitely reach the Longevity Mystic Realm. Fellow Daoist Hai, you had better give it to someone who recognizes its worth, perhaps you can exchange it for a dao artifact." Fang Han shook his head, the teasing expression overflowing in his words.
"Why does Brother Fang tease me? I just accepted over a dozen new disciples, and for the moment, I don't have flying swords and dharma robes of the spirit artifact level to bestow upon them. This sea is vast; if one cannot fly, it is simply impossible to move a single step. Even if they encounter fierce sea beasts, it is difficult to protect themselves. How about this, as long as Brother Fang can take out fifteen flying swords, I will give this piece of divine wood to you," Hai Shan shook his head slightly and said.
"Since that is the case, I will just do Fellow Daoist a favor. I killed the Absolute Life Island Master and happened to obtain some flying swords; I will give them to Fellow Daoist." Fang Han waved his hand, and fifteen streams of sword light flew out from his sleeve, turning into fifteen finger-long flying swords: "As for this divine wood, I won't take yours either. Just treat it as a personal gift from me to form a good karma. Under the whole world, everyone is a friend. If Brother Hai has difficulties, then they are my difficulties."
Fang Han immediately did a favor at no great cost to himself. He could not absorb wood qi from that divine wood, so it was indeed useless. It was better to make a friend.
"This piece of divine wood must be exchanged. If Brother Fang gives it away for free, I would rather not take it." Hai Shan hurriedly shook his head. Seeing Fang Han so generous, he was also somewhat moved.
"Since that is the case, then it is an exchange. Brother Hai, I will now borrow this place of yours to cultivate for a bit. What do you think?"
"Since Brother Fang is so righteous, what else is there for me to say? This copper hall is cast from Nine Fire Essence Copper. It was originally my place for sitting in meditation and practicing qi; it cannot be more secretive. Brother Fang may cultivate freely. I guarantee no one will disturb you." Hai Shan collected the fifteen flying swords, cupped his hands, and went out.
"Long Xuan, what kind of wood is this? Do you recognize it?" Fang Han asked.
Long Xuan took it into her hand, circulated her magic power, and found that it could not permeate inside. It was thousands of times harder than diamond: "I also don't know what it is. Perhaps it's an ancient fossil, but it doesn't have the slightest bit of spiritual qi, so it can't be used for cultivation. You are truly generous, giving out fifteen spirit artifact flying swords just like that. If handed over to the sect, you could receive quite a few medicinal pills."
"Forget it! That Hai Shan has use for them. Out at sea, forming a destiny will save a lot of trouble in the future." As he spoke, Fang Han threw this piece of divine wood into his sleeve and entered the Huangquan Map.
The sleeves of the dharma robe were very large, akin to a large pocket inside. So when Fang Han let the flying swords fly out just now, he was not suspected of having a dao artifact. Because those flying swords were only the size of a finger and very delicate, they could be placed inside the sleeve.
"Yan, what kind of wood is this? Take a look?" Fang Han knew Yan was extremely knowledgeable, perhaps knowing even more than some Supreme Headmasters.
"Hmm? This piece of wood is indeed somewhat strange. Let me look, let me think." Yan seemed unable to recognize this piece of wood either. He repeatedly used Huangquan Water, trying to permeate it, but this time he was disappointed. The Oblivion Water, which could permeate all things, still could not permeate this wood.
"I simply don't believe it! There is nothing in the world that Oblivion Water cannot permeate!" Yan appeared angry. Repeatedly finding no result, he rose up his true body, rotating around this piece of wood. The Oblivion Water boiled, turning into true qi, striking at it once again. At the same time, he even operated the Five Hells King Cauldron, sucking this piece of wood inside, desperately bombarding it with flames, water and fire attacking together!
"Fang Han, sacrifice your Wood Emperor True Qi! Refine it again! The Azure Emperor Wood Emperor Cultivation Method can dominate all wood-attribute matter between heaven and earth!"
Hearing this, Fang Han hurriedly injected his true qi inside.
Under the fierce impact of the Oblivion Water and the Wood Emperor True Qi, this strange piece of wood seemed to vibrate slightly, but it still did not emit any origin qi.
However, Yan seemed to have remembered something: "Aha, I know, I know! I know what this is! To think that the legends are true… Ahaha, ahaha!"
Fang Han had never seen Yan so happy before, his heart stirring: "What in the world is this?"
"This is Jianmu!"
"Jianmu?"
"Also known as the World Tree! Rumor has it that a very, very long time ago, a tree stood in the center of heaven and earth, called Jianmu, or the World Tree. This tree connected straight to the Immortal Realm! People could climb up this tree to get to the Immortal Realm. This tree communicated between humans and gods! But later, a Primeval Great Power chopped down this tree, severing the passageway between humans and immortals. But this is just a legend. At that time, the master's master's master's master of the Yellow Springs Great Emperor, eighteen generations of ancestors, were probably not even born yet. I don't know if it's true either. I dare say that even the current supreme beings of the Immortal Dao cannot verify this legend. But if my guess is correct, this should be a fragment of the World Tree! Because something that Huangquan Water cannot permeate, and wood that the Azure Emperor Wood Emperor Cultivation Method cannot refine, should be the World Tree!"
"To actually have such a thing? Then this fragment? What use does it have?" Fang Han said in pleasant surprise. He did not expect that this piece of wood really was a jewel of heaven and earth. The World Tree, a divine tree rumored to be able to grow into the Immortal Realm; such a legend was actually true. Not to mention anything else, just this name, such a grand legend, let him know that this tree was definitely a top-tier treasure.
"I also don't know. But if it truly is a fragment of the World Tree, then if you absorb the wood spirit qi within it, I'm afraid the Azure Emperor Wood Emperor Cultivation Method will be cultivated to an unprecedented realm. However, this is just a fragment; don't count on it to allow you to ascend to heaven in a single bound." Yan spoke with deep earnestness: "Moreover, right now we don't know how to absorb it. With our strength, it is impossible to refine this piece of wood."
"It seems I took the advantage. For a fragment like the World Tree to actually fall into Hai Shan's hands, it's no wonder others couldn't recognize it. Even someone as knowledgeable as you, Yan, didn't recognize it at first." Fang Han was not in a hurry, suddenly asking: "By the way, what does the Immortal Realm look like? Didn't you say your own dao cultivation was broken by an immortal? How powerful exactly is that legendary immortal?"
"The Immortal Realm is a special space-time. Only those in the Longevity Mystic Realm, cultivating to the absolute limit and comprehending the laws of the world, can break the barriers of heaven and earth to enter that mysterious space-time and obtain immortality. The Yellow Springs Great Emperor encountered an attack at the very last step. As for me, I didn't even see clearly what happened before I was broken by an immortal and fell to the ground to enter deep slumber. But I heard the Yellow Springs Great Emperor say that within the Immortal Realm, there is the Gate of Eternal Life. Whoever can find this gate and enter the Gate of Eternal Life can achieve eternal life. When heaven and earth decay, he will not decay; when the sun and moon fall, he will not fall. When the myriad heavens and realms are destroyed, he will not be destroyed." Yan said: "But these legends are too distant from us. They don't matter."
"That is true. Whether the legend is true or not is hard to say. Perhaps someone just made it up." Fang Han naturally wouldn't go thinking about such distant, illusory things.
"I had better first refine the Yama Golden Body to the realm of Ksitigarbha! Rolling origin qi. Magic power increasing once again!" Fang Han sat down cross-legged.