The first batch of genius battle disciples quickly concluded their matches.
These were all battles at the Golden Immortal level. Every one of them was ruthless in their methods, striving for guaranteed victory and unwilling to drag things out for too long. Therefore, the outcomes were decided very quickly. Some sect disciples even unleashed a barrage of killing moves as soon as they stepped up, resulting in a life-or-death conclusion in an instant.
A tragic and fierce aura soared into the sky.
Fang Han watched with clicking tongue in admiration.
Among the Golden Immortal disciples of the various major sects, there were actually peerless experts. The strength of some Golden Immortal disciples could actually slay Ancestor Immortals or even meet Origin Immortals head-on, just like himself in the past.
"Reporting! Eldest Senior Brother! In this genius battle, a total of fifty-six of our disciples participated. Not a single one died. We slew a total of thirteen disciples from hostile sects, such as the Five Mountains Divine Sect, the Ouyang family… and so on. All disciples achieved complete victory and received generous rewards."
After exactly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, all the disciples returned, and surprisingly, none had perished.
Many disciples had received Fang Han's empowerment. The True Art of Ten Thousand Things Transforming into Dragons allowed them to practically strike dead their enemies in a single move, turning them into true dragon essence to further augment their own power.
Fang Han saw with his own eyes that after a disciple killed a disciple of the Five Mountains Divine Sect, completely absorbing their true core energy and transforming it into a true dragon, countless runes circulated within the void of that combat divine kingdom. Then, rewards from the Heavenly Court descended: a large gourd of king-grade immortal pills, an article containing comprehensions of the Heavenly Dao, a powerful set of peerless-grade immortal artifacts, and over a hundred first-grade spirit veins.
The rewards this time were absolutely generous.
The Heavenly Court had invested heavily.
Every victorious disciple cheered and leaped with joy.
If all disciples were invincible in their battles, the amount of benefits a sect could obtain after a genius battle was unimaginable. Fang Han knew that as the battles progressed to the end, the Heavenly Court's rewards would become increasingly generous, even to the point of bestowing king-grade spirit veins.
Pills, magical artifacts, secret manuals of Heavenly Dao comprehension, and spirit veins—these were essential items for cultivation. They were also necessities for a sect to develop and expand.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… Fang Han took stock of all the disciples' gains, nodding inwardly. Looking up, he saw many disciples from various sects flying back and landing within their respective sects. Following that, the auras of pills and healing spells rose and fell continuously.
Some disciples, although they had defeated their opponents, suffered heavy injuries. Upon flying back, they had to be healed as quickly as possible so they could fight again.
Within the Yuhua Sect, there were also over ten disciples bathed in blood, their true core energy scattered and their laws shattered.
However, with a raise of his hand, Fang Han injected streams of Heaven-Mending True Core Energy into them. All their injuries completely recovered, and they became brimming with vitality.
"Having such a figure is truly our sect's great fortune," Sun Shihua murmured as he watched all this, his heart filled with utmost reverence.
The main purpose of the emperors who came with the various sects this time was to protect the sect disciples, empower their supernatural powers, and simultaneously heal their injuries.
Fang Han's current healing capability far surpassed the combined efforts of several powerhouses of Longevity Matching Heaven and Earth.
The eighteen vats of Sage Buddha Fat obtained from the Heavenly Zen Buddha Emperor's treasury had all been converted into Heaven-Mending Crystal Mist. Its incredibly strong restorative ability could practically bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on white bones.
Before long, the first round of all the battles came to a close. Fang Han swept his gaze across the Heaven and Earth Arena; the sight of blood dripping everywhere was startling. Just in this first round of combat, at least a thousand Golden Immortal disciples had died.
However, all of this was merely an appetizer.
The truly cruel battles were yet to come.
The genius battles of the Golden Immortal disciples did not display the true strength of a sect. The upcoming battles involving the Sons, and even some true experts like Feng Yuan, Martial Hegemon, Smart Fist, the Sons of Chaos, the Sons of Slaughter, the Heavenly Court Divine Prison law-enforcing disciples, and some peerless geniuses cultivated by the Eternal Heavenly Lord, would reveal true cruelty.
"Sun Shihua, record the information of those genius Golden Immortal disciples from the major sects. When I find an opportunity, I will poach them one by one to become people of our Yuhua Sect." Fang Han suddenly raised his hand.
"What?"
Sun Shihua and several formidable Sons were taken aback. "Eldest Senior Brother, do you mean?"
"Exactly. This Heavenly Court genius battle has provided me with the perfect opportunity. I have discovered many genius disciples who will be very useful for the expansion of our sect. After the genius battle ends, we will employ every possible means to make them join our Yuhua Sect." With a sweep of his large sleeve, streams of phantoms appeared and landed in the hands of high-ranking members like Sun Shihua. "These are roughly the auras of some of the genius Golden Immortal disciples just now. Go and make the arrangements."
"Senior Brother is wise!"
Sun Shihua and some other Sons revealed looks of admiration.
A Son who had reached Half-Sage cultivation asked, "Eldest Senior Brother, some genius disciples are highly valued by their sects and most likely won't defect to us. What should we do then?"
"That is nothing; we simply use conspiracies and schemes to frame them and force them to leave their sects," Fang Han said coldly. "Extraordinary people use extraordinary means. Right now, our Yuhua Sect's strength is greatly depleted after the purging of the Hua family, and we require talent. I am setting the rules now: for those geniuses, first try to rope them in by enticing them with heavy riches and magical artifacts; second, frame them so they are expelled from their sects and come under our command; third, if that fails and they belong to hostile sects, eliminate them secretly."
Fang Han's voice was resonant, like clanging metal striking the ground. A chill rose in the hearts of many disciples, followed by their blood boiling with excitement.
"In the past, when the Feather Emperor was the sect master, he was far too weak due to his scruples about the Hua family. Now, Senior Brother Feng Yuan is different; taking drastic measures right from the start, baring sharp claws and fangs. This is truly an excellent time for our Yuhua Sect. Besides, with the backing of a Heavenly Lord, who should we fear?"
Son Dao Xu nodded, agreeing with Fang Han's words.
He had now also cultivated to the "Half-Sage" level, and the power within his body was no less than that of a true Sage. Fang Han had refined a Sage of the Hua family into a talisman and struck it into his body, and after receiving Fang Han's empowerment to impart Daoist techniques and enduring the tempering of the Heavenly Vein in the "Wuhua Hall," his unified Daoist techniques were exquisitely peerless. Right now, he was itching for action, wanting to achieve good results in the genius battle.
One must know that in this genius battle, winning a single match could yield numerous rewards of magical artifacts, pills, and spirit veins. It was simply too tempting, making everyone strive forward courageously.
During this planning phase, the impassioned sound of war drums echoed from the sky once more. The second round had begun, and the brilliant lights on the seats of many Sons started flashing.
Even the brilliant lights on the thrones of experts like Xu Muyun, Son Dao Xu, and Sun Shihua flashed, as flowing runes revealed all the information about their opponents.
"My opponent is an expert from the Heavenly Domain Palace, whose cultivation has also reached 'Half-Sage'. This is a tough battle." After seeing her opponent's information, Xu Muyun thought secretly and transmitted her voice to Fang Han.
"No matter. I have thoroughly condensed your divine physique, and your ice muscles and jade bones have reached major completion. Quietly cultivate my True Art of Ten Thousand Things Transforming into Dragons. As long as you activate the talisman formed by the Hua family's Sage, you can completely slay your opponent." Fang Han smiled coldly. "I refuse to believe the opponent also has a Sage talisman in their body. Which sect is willing to pull out a Sage as a sacrifice?"
Within Xu Muyun's body, there was also a talisman refined from a Hua family Sage, capable of erupting with the power of a Sage at critical moments.
No sect would sacrifice their internal Sages to fulfill their disciples for a genius battle. Even the demonic paths would find it impossible, but the Yuhua Sect had this advantage because Fang Han had purged the Hua family.
Presently, several experts within the Yuhua Sect had practically taken talismans refined from Sages into their bodies, gaining an immense advantage. Unless they encountered some supreme experts with tremendous karmic luck who had even obtained king-grade immortal artifacts, they would not fall into danger. However, Fang Han's deduction abilities were practically unparalleled in the world; if they encountered such people, he would definitely compel the disciples to forfeit.
Just as Fang Han was speaking, the throne he sat upon suddenly flashed as well, revealing a line of text: "Heavenly Court Divine Prison Law-Enforcing Son, Chen Zhendong."
Just these few simple words, without much information at all.
Fang Han glanced at the location of the Heavenly Court Divine Prison law-enforcing disciples and noticed that it had long been shrouded by a cloud of mist, blurring any features into obscurity.
He smiled faintly, and with a single step, he walked into the "Heaven and Earth Arena."
The "Heaven and Earth Arena" seemed to sense his aura; a divine light swept over his body and transported him into a crystal-like kingdom.
This was the profound mystery of the Heavenly Court's restrictive arrays.
This was also Fang Han's first time stepping into the "Heaven and Earth Arena." Sensing the lingering auras of fallen ancient demon gods within, his mind instantly fell into a state of deep contemplation, a state of roaming together with the Great Dao.
The Lesser Destiny Technique leaped fiercely as the images of the past from within the entire "Heaven and Earth Arena" manifested. Instantaneously, a scene appeared before his eyes: a massive, peerless Immortal King towered above the Heavenly Court, watching a clash between Heavenly Lords within the Heaven and Earth Arena.
Among them were Heavenly Lords wielding sacred-grade immortal artifacts, battling until the sky fractured. Then followed clashes between peerless emperors resulting in mutual demise. Waves of ancient battle auras transmitted from the depths of the Heaven and Earth Arena.
Countless memories surged forward like a tide. A myriad of thoughts crossed Fang Han's mind. His internal Book of the Era revolved, absorbing these informative images of battles entirely. Immediately, the two chapters of civilization history, "Civilization of War" and "Civilization of Martial Arts," expanded inch by inch, greatly elevating the essence of Fang Han's martial arts.
He felt that he was only one step away, just a tiny bit, from truly reaching the realm of an Emperor Paragon Immortal.
"Worthy of being Feng Yuan, the man who makes our Heavenly Court Divine Prison disciples gnash their teeth. To actually be distracted in the Heaven and Earth Arena, are you not afraid I will slay you?"
Suddenly, a voice transmitted past Fang Han's ear and into his mind.
Fang Han's thoughts returned to normal, and he saw a man standing before him, clad in black clothes that fluttered loudly, holding a precious saber in both arms. The facial features of the man were handsome, pleasing the eye no matter how long one looked, and a pair of eyes incredibly profound, emitting profoundly deep and abstruse light. This man was exceptionally arrogant; upon seeing Feng Yuan, he gave a contemptuous smile: "However, you met me today. All your past halos will shatter and return to darkness."