"Wake up, wake up quickly, Senior Sister! What's wrong with you? Wake up quickly."
Seeing that Fang Qingxue had been speaking perfectly fine, with her vitality gradually strengthening, only to suddenly say she was tired and then fall into a deep slumber with even her breathing severed, Fang Han instantly panicked. He called out repeatedly, but it was all to no avail.
Fang Qingxue's smile was frozen and her complexion looked lifelike, but there was not the slightest aura of life or soul.
Even with Fang Han's level of cultivation, he could not detect any signs of life. In his intuition, Fang Qingxue was already dead. With her life gone, only a beautiful empty shell remained.
Under such circumstances, no matter how strong Fang Han's state of mind was, he could not help but feel entirely lost and panicked.
"Fang Han, Fang Qingxue's soul is merely slumbering. It is not true death. Anyone struck by the Great Reincarnation Technique will have their soul exiled into the depths of endless worlds to undergo reincarnation, eventually losing their sense of self and vanishing completely. However, Fang Qingxue's Minor Destiny Technique stands above reincarnation. Her soul will only be exiled, not lost. As long as you comprehend the mysteries of the Minor Destiny Technique, you will be able to awaken her soul, fully restoring her power and making her even stronger. At that time, due to the might of the Seven Lives Profound Gate Pills, she might even step into the Longevity Mystic Realm."
Yan emerged from beside Fang Han.
It was familiar with the Great Reincarnation Technique, so it had the most authority to speak on the matter.
"My state of mind was in chaos." Fang Han shook his head, steadied himself, and remained silent for a while. Tending to his emotions, he instantly recovered an unprecedented calmness. Looking at Fang Qingxue's body, he grabbed with both hands, and a large cluster of green leaves flew out from his glabella. They wrapped around her and sent her into the deepest center of the Eight部 Pagoda.
Fang Han was using the leaves of the World Tree to wrap Fang Qingxue, utilizing the miraculous nature of the World Tree to nourish her body.
"Lu Lanpo, Dragon Daoist, Wood Daoist, Dharma Lord Jidu, you four giants must pray for Senior Sister every day. Entwine her with willpower and try your utmost to awaken her soul. I hope this can be of some help."
"As for myself, I will now cultivate with all my might, hoping to elevate my realm and thoroughly refine the Dragon Wood Star Core. Once I advance a realm, I will focus entirely on comprehending the Minor Destiny Technique."
"We cannot stay here, but we also cannot return to the Five Elements Land right now. Su Xiuyi is terrifying, and I fear he might have some ambushes laid out. I will just find a remote planet here and hide myself. I must cultivate! To the apex! Compared to true experts, I am still far, far away from being enough!"
While giving orders, Fang Han flew madly, and in an instant, he vanished without a trace.
After flying for about half a day, he found a desolate and remote planet. The surface of this planet was covered entirely in weathered rocks, with no water, plants, or animals; it was a dead silence. If nothing unexpected happened, this planet would completely disintegrate within a thousand years, turning into meteorites scattered across space.
This planet was not very large either, roughly equivalent in size to two or three empires in the Xuanhuang Great World.
Fang Han delved into the interior of this planet. Deep within its core, he condensed into a single mass. Relying on the cover of this dead, silent planet, he cultivated his profound arts.
"Dragon Wood Star Core! Devour!"
Deep inside this already dead star, Fang Han made the proper arrangements and executed his Great Devouring Technique, swallowing the fiery red Dragon Wood Star Core at the top of the Eight部 Pagoda in one gulp.
Er! Gurgle, gurgle gurgle!
With this swallow, every pore on Fang Han's body actively sprayed out red light. His entire person became seemingly transparent, as if a toad had swallowed a piece of red-hot magma. His whole body was burning. Although the Dragon Wood Star Core was a good item, ordinary people fundamentally could not refine it.
Even with Fang Han's current half-Undying Body and the power of ninety-three divine abilities, he could not refine it.
However, at this precise moment, Fang Han was dead set on rapidly elevating his cultivation. Therefore, disregarding everything, he forcibly refined the Dragon Wood Star Core. Moreover, he borrowed the berserk power of the Dragon Wood Star Core to quench his physical body and soul all over again.
He was not in a rush to cultivate the Minor Destiny Technique first. Instead, he intended to cultivate his natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol to the apex first, evolving three thousand arms and three thousand eyes before doing anything else.
"Only when my natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol evolves three thousand arms and three thousand eyes, representing the respective understandings of the Buddhist and Demonic paths regarding the Three Thousand Great Daos, will I be able to thoroughly breakthrough the ninth stage of the Divine Ability Mystic Realm and reach the tenth stage, the Heaven Defying Fate Altering realm. According to rumors, cultivating to the tenth stage of the Divine Ability Realm, the Heaven Defying Fate Altering realm, grants a deeper understanding of life and destiny. Perhaps, with the elevation of my realm, I will be able to comprehend the profundities of the Minor Destiny Technique."
Fang Han was clear in his heart that the Minor Destiny Technique was too profound; he fundamentally could not comprehend or cultivate it right now.
Only by reaching the tenth stage of the Divine Ability Realm, Heaven Defying Fate Altering, and gaining a deeper understanding of destiny and his own life, might he have a chance to figure it out.
"Dharma Lord Jidu, Dragon Daoist, Wood Daoist, Lu Lanpo, assist me with all your strength! Help me refine the Dragon Wood Star Core!" Seeing that he was about to be unable to hold on, Fang Han could only borrow the power of the four eternal giants.
Under Fang Han's command, the four eternal giants struck simultaneously, blasting their natal heaven and earth Dharma Idols into the Dragon Wood Star Core to decompose the vital essence within it.
"Buzz…"
The Dragon Wood Star Core trembled, and numerous cracks appeared on its surface. The purest power, carrying the universe's most profound life force within the core of a star, integrated into Fang Han's natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol.
Fang Han's natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol expanded once again, and its form changed once more. Streaks of piercing light shot out in all directions, and Fang Han's entire being turned into an existence that was half black and half gold.
Half black, representing the Demonic path; half gold, representing the Buddhist path.
Two hours passed.
Four hours passed.
One day, two days, three days… Time slowly slipped by. The Dragon Wood Star Core was constantly melting and dissolving, but the size of this star core did not shrink.
The power of a star core was simply too strong; it was fundamentally impossible to refine it in a short period of time.
Of course, absorbing even a tiny bit of vital essence from the Dragon Wood Star Core would yield immense benefits. This was equivalent to extracting the most vital essence of the sun and the moon. A blazing sun was precisely the gradual evolution of something akin to the Dragon Wood Star Core.
It was not until a full fifteen days later that Fang Han's natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol suddenly sprouted numerous arms in unison, like bamboo shoots springing up after a spring rain.
Every single arm glittered with golden light, yet the skin was delicate, like tender flesh. Each palm was incomparably round and smooth, and the lines on the palms revealed a wheel-like pattern, perfectly complete and unceasing.
And in the center of every single palm, an eyeball manifested. This eyeball was a pure white color, deathly, ghastly white, so white it made one's hair stand on end, so white it made one want to vomit in disgust.
The arms continued to grow.
Fang Han remained entirely unmoving.
On the thirtieth day, the final arm actually thrust out right from the very top of the head of the natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol. This was the three-thousandth arm.
This arm was several times larger than all the other arms. Thick sinews coiled around it, and each thick sinew was like a primeval Heavenly Dragon, aggressively baring fangs and brandishing claws. The palm of this arm was even more perfectly complete, with golden nails that unexpectedly spilt forth a milky-white sacred light, while faintly, many Sanskrit chants could be heard transmitting out.
However, in the exact center of the palm of this giant arm, there was also an eyeball. This eyeball was actually somewhat similar to the "Eye of the End of Dharma," flickering with demonic light, surprisingly emitting blood-drenched light waves. The moment anyone saw this eyeball, the inner demons deep within their heart would be thoroughly enticed out.
The natal heaven and earth Dharma Idol of three thousand eyes and three thousand arms was finally successfully condensed!
In the exact instant this palm was condensed, Fang Han abruptly felt his spirit become clearer than ever before. A rush of will communicated with heaven and earth, piercing through space and time.
Heaven was no longer heaven.
Earth was no longer earth.
Fang Han clearly felt his own lifespan.
Nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine years, zero nine months, and the ninth day.
With every passing instant, Fang Han clearly felt that the lifespan in his body flowed away into the endless void for the duration of that instant.
Lifespan, every hour and every moment, was decreasing.
He clearly "saw" his own life!
"In this world, the time of existence is life. In this world, the quality of existence is fate. Life is determined by man, fate is determined by heaven. Man follows heaven, heaven makes sport of man. Circulating endlessly, retribution is unfailing."
A clear thought surged up from the depths of Fang Han's soul.
He knew that at this very moment, he had finally broken through the realm, reaching the tenth stage of the Divine Ability Realm, the Heaven Defying Fate Altering realm.
The tenth stage of the Divine Ability Realm did not herald any flashy changes, nor did it grant any earth-shattering divine abilities. It was simply gaining a fundamental understanding of one's own life and the fate of heaven and earth.
Out of the unseen world, Fang Han felt the gate of a mysterious world manifest above his head.
Behind this mysterious world were hidden endless, boundless mysteries, as well as endless, boundless treasures. As long as he opened the gate to this mysterious world, countless treasures would fall down and be possessed by him. As long as he opened this mysterious gate, benefits more numerous than the stars in the sky would descend and be possessed by him.
"Is this the gate to the Immortal Realm? The Gate of the Immortal Realm that I know! By opening the Gate of the Immortal Realm, I will be able to obtain the endless Great Dao laws. Endless Immortal Realm vital essence. My entire body will undergo earth-turning, heaven-shaking changes, and I will become an eternal giant." Fang Han knew that the portal appearing in his consciousness was the Gate of the Immortal Realm.
He exerted all his strength, and a surge of his will bombarded against the Gate of the Immortal Realm.
However, this Gate of the Immortal Realm did not budge in the slightest.
"It seems I still have some distance to go before reaching the Longevity Mystic Realm. If I consume the Seven Lives Profound Gate Pills and the Longevity Fruit now, I have an eighty percent chance of cultivating to the Longevity Mystic Realm. But in order to save Senior Sister, what does this little bit matter? I am willing to offer up my entire lifespan." Fang Han closed his eyes, feeling the benefits brought by the tenth stage of the Divine Ability Realm, Heaven Defying Fate Altering.
The benefits were unquestionable.
Within his mind, the nine seas of consciousness expanded once again.
His head and the flesh and blood of his physical body became even more compact, sturdy, and solid. Especially his consciousness and divine intent—with a slight probe, they could actually permeate into numerous parallel dimensions, sensing waves of vital essence that he generally could not perceive.
His perception of the vital essence of heaven and earth was ten times clearer than before.
More importantly, that segment of syllables and scriptures of the Minor Destiny Technique kept echoing back and forth in his mind. He actually managed to comprehend some of it.