"A way out…"
Hearing what Fang Han said, Prince Yi's heart was also moved. Actually, among the many princes, he could not be considered outstanding. Being eager to present a birthday gift to Immortal Venerable Linglong this time was exactly to curry favor with the Linglong Blessed Land. If he could marry a female cultivator from the Linglong Blessed Land as his princess consort, his status would soar dramatically.
However, he also didn't dare to blatantly offend the Taiyi Sect.
Now Fang Han was actually saying that the birthday gift to be presented to Immortal Venerable Linglong was the Golden Core of the Taiyi Sect's Zhao Weiyi. While this matter would certainly bring great joy to Immortal Venerable Linglong, it would offend the Taiyi Sect severely.
But Immortal Venerable Linglong was famously protective of her own. No one could touch those she protected. If presenting the Golden Core could gain her protection, then there would be no calamities at all for a lifetime.
"Presenting the Golden Core means you can completely rely on the great backer that is Immortal Venerable Linglong. But you must offend the Taiyi Sect; risks co-exist. However, with your current influence, Prince, it truly is too weak. Even if I assist you, it's impossible to seize the grand position. Wealth and honor are sought from within danger. This time, I am giving you a chance, Prince. The choice is yours. In any case, I am definitely going to the Linglong Blessed Land to give the Golden Core to Immortal Venerable Linglong for her birthday."
Fang Han put away the Golden Core.
He did not intend to refine this Golden Core of Song Weiyi's. Firstly, he knew all the divine abilities inside it; there was nothing rare about it. Secondly, he couldn't refine it right now; even after cultivating his Golden Core, he still had to refine the Nine Ghosts Primordial Spirit. Thirdly, presenting the Golden Core to Immortal Venerable Linglong would gain him another massive backer. Immortal Venerable Linglong would surely give benefits exceeding that of a Golden Core. This was a highly profitable trade.
Maximizing the benefits of his own items had always been Fang Han's consistent method of calculation.
"Let me consider this matter for a bit. Let's talk about another matter," Prince Yi thought for a moment, finding it hard to make a decision at once. "Seven days from now, we princes are going to an ancient ruin for an expedition. I wonder if Dao friend can lend me a helping hand?"
"I know about this matter. Is it the ancient ruin opened by your royal elders that Prince Sa mentioned? I wonder what kind of place it is? Are there any dangers?" Fang Han knew that the royal family of the Great Xuan Empire had massive energy. Unlike ordinary secular dynasties, they could afford to offend even experts of the Divine Ability Mystic Realm.
Even under the jurisdiction of the Taiyi Sect, the royal family of the Great Xuan Empire had autonomy. Though, of course, they had to offer boundless medicinal pills and magical treasures as tribute to the Taiyi Sect every year.
"It is located on an extraterrestrial star. Our royal elders found an ancient teleportation array in an ancient battlefield deep underground. They then used a lot of vital energy to trigger the power of the ancient teleportation array. As a result, it opened a space-time gate leading to a bizarre extraterrestrial star, from which powerful treasure auras transmit. However, there are also many formidable demonic beasts, heavenly demons, and bizarre secrets. The royal elders letting us princes go to explore this time also carries the meaning of a test and a trial."
"Oh?" Fang Han thought internally, "Then it's a place similar to the Land of Five Elements."
Actually, across the entire Xuanhuang Great World, there were many ancient ruins and ancient teleportation arrays. The Return to Ruin was a special example. Naturally, the main temple in the Savage God Temple that led to the Land of Five Elements was also an ancient teleportation array. Discovering any of these places could yield massive benefits.
"This is a good opportunity to enhance strength. But my strength is shallow, and I wouldn't gain any benefits. Originally, I planned to go with Xiaoyue Zhenren and the others, but now that I have your assistance, Fang Han, I can travel light."
"Will Hua Tiandu escort that Prince Feng along?" Fang Han asked.
"It's possible."
"Since that is the case, I will take a trip with you." Fang Han decided. Originally, he wanted to rush back to the Qunxing Sect to deliver the letter, but thinking about it, escorting Prince Yi into the ancient ruin first might not be a bad thing. Who knows, he might be able to find some treasure. Right now, he was completely clean and empty-handed.
"Good!" Prince Yi slapped the table and stood up. "I have already sent people to secretly monitor all movements in Prince Feng's mansion. If there is news of Hua Tiandu, I will notify you."
Fang Han nodded and went to rest his eyes and gather his spirit.
The following days passed without incident. Every day, he silently circulated his vital energy, accumulated his spirit, and simultaneously poured vital energy into that Kunpeng Giant Egg. Because the day for it to evolve into the Great Devouring Demonic Array was not far off.
Once the Great Devouring Technique was cultivated, not only could he learn from Meng Shaobai's endless enhancement and absorption of power, but he would also take it a step further.
Seven or eight days flashed by. Fang Han rested and built up his strength. Rather than refining a single Nascent Soul Pill, he stored massive Immortal World vital energy within many of his meridians and acupoints, slowly nourishing and gathering it with his essence blood.
He was just waiting to build up enough qi and blood to charge for the Golden Core again and succeed in one strike.
"Yan! With you and I cooperating now, can Hua Tiandu actually recognize me or not?"
"He absolutely cannot recognize you. I consumed one million three hundred thousand catties of Nine Yang Holy Water. Although I couldn't evolve the Bridge of Helplessness, it stimulated many demonic arts for hiding auras and transforming physical shapes. The demonic path is inherently secretive and ever-changing. Hua Tiandu is not in the Longevity Mystic Realm; he won't be able to tell. Come, change, change, change! Hahaha, the Yellow Spring Diagram has an array method called the Reincarnation Technique, which specifically changes appearances, demeanors, and physical shapes. The meaning is that once you undergo this transformation, it is exactly as if you have reincarnated. A myriad of changes!"
Suddenly, the Yellow Spring Diagram transformed into a demonic robe. However, it was not yellow, but emerald green, and draped over Fang Han's body. Instantly, Fang Han's entire aura changed drastically; it seemed he had turned into a frail scholar.
At the same time, his facial features contorted and underwent a change, carrying a bit of secular literati aura.
His entire person completely shed his former self; no matter who it was, they would not be able to recognize him.
"Back then, when the Yellow Spring Great Emperor established the path of reincarnation, he wandered the mortal world for hundreds of years. He changed into various shapes; a scholar, an old farmer, a peddler, an official, a general… the myriad living beings. No one could see through it, and I gained quite a bit of experience. Now that you just do a bit of dressing up, you can completely conceal it. I'll give you a name, let's call it… Mmm, just call it the Life-Taking Scholar. This was a nickname the Yellow Spring Great Emperor used when he played in the mortal world back in the day."
"Life-Taking Scholar? Will that not be recognized by some old antiquities?"
"It was a nickname for playing in the mortal world. The cultivation world doesn't know about it."
"That's good. What about Baby Xingyun? Should he put on a disguise too?"
"Disguise my foot. He should obediently hide in the Sun, Moon, and Five Stars Bracelet to sleep and not come out. That is the correct path."
Just as the disguise was complete, Prince Yi hurried in. As soon as he saw Fang Han's image, "You…" He couldn't believe this was Fang Han; he thought someone else had run in.
"Prince Yi, starting today, I am the Life-Taking Scholar, a rogue cultivator who appears righteous yet not righteous, evil yet not evil." As Fang Han spoke, the Avici Demonic Energy spun twice in his throat, and actually, even his voice had changed. There was not a trace of his original voice quality. It was truly transformed until nothing remained.
"This Reincarnation Technique is indeed marvelous. The functions of the Yellow Spring Diagram are truly unbelievably wondrous!" Fang Han felt his own changes, secretly joyful in his heart.
The Reincarnation Technique was actually an art of physical transformation and concealment.
Indeed, this kind of transformation was equivalent to reincarnating anew. Everything from the past ceased to exist. This concealing art of transformation was simply terrifying.
"Good, good, good. With this concealment, truly no one will be able to tell." Prince Yi knew this was Fang Han, feeling both surprised and glad. "Today is the day our royal children gather, and we have to head to the ancient ruins underground. We need to set off together."
"No problem, let's make a move."
…
At the very center of Xuanhuang City was a vast open square. Tall and majestic ornamental columns towered in the center of the square. At this time, rays of brilliance kept descending from the sky; they were all royal children of the Great Xuan Empire. Those wearing yellow robes were princes of direct lineage, and there were also some wearing coiling dragon belts around their waists; those were some distant royal relatives and clan children.
The royal family of the Great Xuan Empire were almost entirely cultivators! Moreover, there were individuals among them with unfathomable cultivation, simply comparable to a great sect of the immortal Dao.
This also guaranteed that they had sufficiently tyrannical strength to rule an immense territory with tens of billions of people. An empire with a population of tens of billions; what kind of concept was that?
"Thirteenth Brother, I heard that recently Twenty-Fourth Brother recruited an expert, who crippled the Azure Yang Patriarch under Eighteenth Brother's command in a single move. I wonder if it's true?" Standing out the most among the numerous royal children was someone whose appearance was near thirty; young yet steady, dignified yet genial, with an otherworldly aura. This was the "Fourth Prince, Prince Yi", the one with the highest cultivation in the royal family of the Great Xuan Empire.
Several princes gathered around him like a myriad of stars surrounding the moon.
"It is indeed true. This person attacked like lightning; he seemed to be a giant within the demonic path. In a single move, he crippled the Azure Yang Patriarch. Even though the Golden Core that the Azure Yang Patriarch refined was not powerful, it was still a Golden Core after all. He didn't even have time to self-detonate. I don't know what kind of demonic path divine ability this person cultivates."
A prince beside the Fourth Prince, Prince Yi, spoke up. This prince was extremely fierce and robust, with a tiger's head and swallow's jaw, bright piercing eyes, and slightly curved lips that revealed a character daring to fight and kill, yet deep and calculated. Moreover, his aura was complete and perfect; he was actually a prince who had refined the Golden Core as well.
This prince was the Thirteenth Prince, "Prince Zhan".
"Oh? A divine ability that prevents even a Golden Core expert from self-detonating; there don't seem to be many in this world. Can we find any clues from it?" A glimmer of bright light flashed in the eyes of Prince Yi, the Fourth Prince.
"He's here. Twenty-Fourth Brother is here." The Thirteenth Prince, "Prince Zhan", nudged the Fourth Prince.
"Let's go! Let's go up and take a look." As he spoke, the Fourth Prince, "Prince Yi's" body automatically drifted upwards, slowly floating into the air.
"The Fourth Prince is here. He is profound and inscrutable, the most formidable among the numerous princes. We have to be a bit careful." Seeing the Fourth Prince fly over, Prince Yi felt a bit of trembling in his mind and spirit, seemingly somewhat fearful of this Fourth Prince.
"No harm. This person is indeed somewhat difficult to deal with." Fang Han also saw him. He secretly sized up the Fourth Prince, "Prince Yi", flying over and found that this person's aura felt like a book that could never be completely understood, rich in content. His cultivation was actually something even he couldn't see through. Of course, he would know if they exchanged blows.
"I heard that Twenty-Fourth Brother had recruited an expert. I presume this is the one."
The Fourth Prince stopped in mid-air, watching Fang Han approach, and suddenly spoke.
"I am the Life-Taking Scholar. I have long looked forward to meeting the Fourth Prince, Prince Yi." Fang Han swished, flicking open a jade fan, and fanned himself with casual composure. This fan was not a treasure; he had temporarily taken it from the princely mansion to match the dress of a scholar's identity.
Seeing Fang Han's appearance, a trace of almost imperceptible doubt flashed across the Fourth Prince, Prince Yi, as if his own guess had been incorrect.