"Hmph! Fang Han has truly reached the sky in a single bound now. He actually holds a high position and great authority within the Ascension Sect, possessing boundless divine abilities and magical power. I'm afraid it won't be very easy for us to kill him."
"What are you afraid of? We have also cultivated to the Divine Ability Realm now. Once the Mountain and River Ranking tournament is over, we will become true inheritance disciples. At the very least, our status will be on equal footing with his, Fang Han. He won't be able to do anything to us either. We just need to look for opportunities as much as possible to kill him!"
"Haha, to think that after we took Daoist Huan Zhen as our master, he actually gave each of us a Seven-Return Fire God Pill to cleanse our marrow and temper our bodies, open our muscles and bones, and also imparted boundless great dharmas to us. To actually be able to make us step into the Divine Ability Realm, this was something we didn't even dare to imagine."
"Yes, to think that one day we could also step into the Divine Ability Realm. Do you think that if we return to the Great Li Dynasty now, even the Emperor would come to greet us?"
"Of course he would. We are now people among immortals too, possessing divine abilities!"
"However, having taken that Daoist Huan Zhen as our master, will it hinder us from becoming true inheritance disciples of the Ascension Sect?"
"It won't. Huan Zhen has already smoothed things over with Hua Tiandu. We are all proper Ascension Sect disciples now. Huan Zhen said that as long as we report the latest movements of the Ascension Sect to him at any time, he will provide us with a steady stream of medicinal pills and dharma treasures. In short, with the support of this Daoist, we can thrive within the Ascension Sect. Becoming immortals and ancestors in the future will be out of the question."
"Hmph! That Fang Han still wants to support some Princess Hongyi to get the Yin-Yang Ten Thousand Life Pill. This pill belongs to us. Let our targeting of Hongyi begin with the Mountain and River Ranking tournament."
In a corner, three people sat together, communicating with their minds. These three people were actually Fang Man, Fang Rui, and Fang Lie. They were three arrogant slave stewards of the Fang family in the past, whose cultivation used to be around the third or fourth level of the Physical Body Realm. Now, their bodies actually contained massive power, but it was hidden internally and obscurely. Ordinary experts couldn't tell. Their gaze occasionally swept across Fang Han, filled with maliciousness and ruthlessness, like venomous snakes.
"Three things who don't know life from death. Having sought refuge with the God Clan and gained some benefits, you mistakenly think you can be arrogant. You won't live for long." Fang Han didn't look at these three, but he felt all of their gazes. He simply sneered coldly in his heart. He was the one who understood the cause of the matter the best. I'm afraid even Hua Tiandu didn't know about the appearance of the God Clan, but he knew it clearly.
Only the "God Clan" possessed such great power to miraculously transform three arrogant slaves with terribly poor aptitude into the Divine Ability Realm within a single year. Other than that, despite Fang Han possessing so many resources and medicinal pills, it would still be impossible.
However, he didn't put these three arrogant slaves in his eyes. His only worry was the God Clan experts behind them. Anyone capable of elevating them to the Divine Ability Realm within a year definitely had a cultivation realm much higher than his own.
"I wonder how I can find God Clan experts? My World Tree is the nemesis of the God Clan. After the corpses of the God Clan are absorbed, they can be refined into medicinal pills even better than Nascent Soul Pills. Back when I broke through to the fifth level of the Divine Ability Realm, the Heaven and Human Realm, inside the Taiyuan Immortal Abode, I relied entirely on the God Power released after the God Clan corpses inside were absorbed by the World Tree! That was how I broke through in one fell swoop! If I can kill another God Clan member, Baby Nebula might be able to rely on the God Power to break through to the fifth level of the Divine Ability Realm, the Heaven and Human Realm."
At this very moment, Fang Han suddenly discovered an astonishing wealth placed before him.
That was the God Clan!
The corpses of the God Clan were much more powerful and much more precious than those of Heavenly Demons. No one could absorb and refine "God Power"; even experts of the Longevity Secret Realm found it difficult. But Fang Han could, because he had the filtration of the World Tree.
The ancient World Tree was the nemesis of the God Clan.
That was why the immemorial mighty figures of the God Clan chopped down the World Tree.
Right now, although Fang Han had the World Tree absorbing Immortal Realm essence energy every day to refine medicinal pills, yielding over thirty-six thousand Nascent Soul Pills daily, he had to give one million pills to each of the three great sword sect elders, and Fang Qingxue also needed one million pills. Apart from his own daily consumption for cultivation, he also had to instill Immortal Realm essence energy into the "Kunpeng Giant Egg," waiting to see when this egg would turn into a "Great Devouring Demonic Array."
Calculating it this way, his resources were truly becoming increasingly stretched.
Without finding new "sources of wealth," it was truly hard to sustain.
In an instant, hundreds of "schemes and machinations" brewed in his heart, and a hint of a smile gradually appeared on his face. Ever since he cultivated the "Panwu Great Power Divine Ability," his wisdom had become increasingly flexible and adept at handling changes.
"Clang!"
The final chime of the bell vanished into the air. This signified that the Ascension Sect's Mountain and River Ranking tournament had officially begun. Instantly, on the platform beneath that Mountain and River Ranking list, an array of dazzling medicinal pills and dharma treasures appeared, surging with waves of powerful spiritual energy. The auspicious light and rosy clouds even made Fang Han's eyes waver for a moment.
"It seems the Ascension Sect has invested great capital to motivate the disciples this time. There are actually fully over a hundred spirit treasures, and five Yin-Yang Ten Thousand Life Pills have been brought out!"
Not to mention Fang Han, someone who had seen grand scenes, being momentarily shocked, the other disciples also let out gasps of amazement.
Because aside from the over a hundred spirit treasures, there were also various spirit artifacts—superb, high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade—numbering as many as several thousands. Various dharma artifacts and spirit talismans numbered over tens of thousands.
For the first time, Fang Han felt the generous strokes of a great sect.
Especially the prize for the first place on the Mountain and River Ranking; it was actually a complete set of high-grade spirit treasures! Twenty-four gleaming small golden spears, with an array diagram underneath. The array diagram depicted men in tall hats and strange attire, each holding a golden spear, executing various fierce killing moves. There was "Lifting Fire to Scorch the Heavens," or "Azure Dragon Emerging from the Sea," or "Iron Chain Blocking the River"… Every spear stance was murderous. The piercing spear force seeped right out of the painting, capable of stabbing a person through their heart.
"This set of Great Extinction Spear King Array is formed by twenty-four high-grade spirit treasure Great Extinction Spears, along with an array diagram. It possesses infinite power. It was a treasure obtained by the Heavenly Punishment Elder when he explored an ancient run underground a thousand years ago. It has been stored in our Ascension Sect's treasury all along. Taking it out this time as a reward to motivate the disciples, everyone must cultivate diligently."
An elder on the viewing platform spoke.
"I want this set of dharma treasures too, it's truly too enviable. A great array is completely comparable to a superb spirit treasure!" Several spectating true inheritance disciples also had their eyes light up, but unfortunately, it wouldn't be their turn.
Even for an expert at the fifth level of the Divine Ability Realm, the Heaven and Human Realm, obtaining such a great array was not easy at all.
That "Perfected Person Profound Iron" at the sixth level of the Divine Ability Realm, his most formidable dharma treasures—the Profound Iron Battle Armor and the Profound Iron Sword—did not have as much power as this Great Extinction Spear King Array.
"Now I announce, the Mountain and River Ranking tournament begins now!"
Rumble!
In the Mountain and River Courtyard, which could fully accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, thousands of arenas simultaneously began their contests. Many inner sect disciples displayed their skills.
Just as the Mountain and River Ranking started, outside the mountains of the Ascension Sect, on a hidden peak, several black-clothed men sat cross-legged. These black-clothed men were exceptionally conspicuous amidst the vast white snow, but they were not the least bit afraid of being discovered because their auras were restrained like stones.
"Huan Zhen, you expended so much effort to forcibly elevate those three trashes to the Divine Ability Realm and arranged for those three trashes to become true inheritance disciples of the Ascension Sect. Was it really worth it?"
A black-clothed man said to Divine Lord "Huan Zhen."
"Huan Ling, this time I received instructions from above. Our clan has gathered eighty billion warriors this time, preparing to conquer the Xuanhuang Great World in one fell swoop. We will destroy the immortal and demonic paths and all the various races. As long as we conquer the Xuanhuang Great World, we will have a foothold, and we can use this as a base to thereby conquer richer worlds in the deeper layers of the universe! The Xuanhuang Great World is the most central location of the universe. Through this nexus, we can reach more worlds. This is a most crucial strategic location." Divine Lord Huan Zhen said: "And this time above, using profound arts to calculate, if we are to take down this strategic location of the Xuanhuang Great World, the most crucial element is the Ascension Sect. The Ascension Sect in the future will obstruct the advancing steps of our clan's warriors. That is why I spared no cost to elevate three trashes to the Divine Ability Realm and even bestowed them some dharma treasures. It's to gain a firm footing within the Ascension Sect! To notify us of some information. And to borrow their hands to stir up trouble."
"Since it is the result calculated by the higher-ups, then we must definitely lay down the chess pieces. It is best to secretly execute plots to make the Ascension Sect torn apart."
Another mysterious black-clothed man said viciously.
"I have already inquired and found out. Currently, several true inheritance disciples in the Ascension Sect with extremely high achievements are at odds. There are many opportunities for us to exploit among them."
"However, relying entirely on those three trashes, I'm afraid it won't be secure."
"Rest assured. These three trashes are just my minor chess pieces. The higher-ups have also laid down a monumental chess piece within the Ascension Sect. When the time comes and this chess piece moves, the Ascension Sect will fall into a state of ruin!"
"So formidable? Which chess piece did the higher-ups lay down? The Ascension Sect has a profound foundation, especially those few reclusive Supreme Elders, old undying monsters. Their magical power is exceedingly high. Right now, they are fully preparing to welcome the baptism of the immemorial myriad heavens Immortal Realm divine thunder from within the Immortal Realm. This hurdle is very difficult to pass, but the Ascension Sect actually found the reincarnation of the ancient Electric Mother! And she became their true inheritance disciple. Just in case those old fellows rely on the Electric Mother's reincarnation to endure the immemorial myriad heavens Immortal Realm divine thunder, our clan's attack will also suffer immense obstruction. And the Ascension Sect could, in a single leap, surpass the Taiyi Sect and become number one."
"Which chess piece? I don't know either. This chess piece is the most crucial one arranged by the higher-ups. We do not have the qualifications to know. But at the final juncture, this chess piece will assist us."
"So the higher-ups already had arrangements long ago. Presumably, inside the Taiyi Sect, as well as among the various major sects of the immortal path, chess pieces have been planted."
"Of course, there is a chess piece in the Taiyi Sect. Right now, among the ten immortal path sects, only Linglong Blessed Land does not have a chess piece yet."
"Alright, this is not our concern. Let's first watch to see if those three trashes can obtain the prizes of the Mountain and River Ranking…"