Fang Han and the "Starborn Kid" had stayed inside the tower for a full month.
During that time, Fang Han thoroughly familiarized himself with every technique within the Five Emperors Demon Arts, mastering each spell, gesture, and hidden method. At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the Yellow-Springs Diagram—discovering functions he had never been able to use before.
In the past, the Diagram had been weak: it could store items, produce Holy Spring Water, and occasionally "Yan" could conjure a Corrupt-Immortal Formation—but that was good only for ambushes, never for a direct fight. Now, everything had changed. Once the Abyssal Gate opened, endless demonic force poured out. Every gesture released boundless malevolent qi; even a single breath exhaled waves of torment. A single swallow could seal space itself. Even the Blood Night King and Star-Zen, two formidable artifact-spirits, could not withstand it. Fang Han could only imagine how devastating the Gate would be in a true battle.
Though he had studied for over a month, he had unlocked only a fraction of the Gate's mysteries—but it was enough to help him use the Abyssal qi in real combat.
The Yellow-Springs Diagram, after undergoing his blood-refining ritual, now responded directly to his will. If he fought someone like Wan Luo now, he was confident he could crush him with ease—no prolonged struggle required.
Most of Fang Han's time, however, was spent using the World Tree to refine Immortal World essence into Nascent Infant Pills. Each day he produced over thirty-six thousand high-quality pills, stacking them in vast heaps inside the Diagram. It was enough to make his heart dance.
Especially now that he truly understood the value of pills.
In the Great Zenith Empire, pills could buy almost anything. They were the currency of cultivation, always in short supply.
In one month, Fang Han had accumulated over a million Nascent Infant Pills. If word got out, it would terrify the world—Taiyi Sect itself might come knocking.
But all one million pills were intended for the Starborn Kid to bring back to the Star Cluster Sect.
"At this rate," Fang Han thought to himself, "in two or three years I'll be the richest cultivator in the world. Those so-called prodigies—Meng Shaobai, Hua Tiandu—they're all paupers compared to what I'll become."
The World Tree, in ancient legends, pierced heaven and earth and connected to the Immortal Realm. What he held now wasn't even one billionth of the true Tree. He needed more fragments—many more.
"If one day I can produce a hundred thousand Nascent Infant Pills a day… a million a day… then I could truly dominate a region of the world."
His thoughts burned bright.
"Come on, Starborn—let's go to the Linglong Tower to fetch Fairy Lianyun. After that, we find Elder Gu Meng."
"Great! This is going to be fun!" Starborn giggled. "We're ambushing three Golden Core masters. Oh, by the way—the ones you described, two men and one woman… star-sand thunder, five-colored lotus sword aura… sounds like the numbers two, three, and four from the Forty Sea Bandits—the Immortal-Slayer, the Moon-Stinger, and the Star-Extinguisher. All Golden Core realm. All masters of stealth and assassination. They've never missed a target."
He recited it like a schoolboy repeating a memorized lesson. Clearly his parents had lectured him thoroughly before letting him leave home.
"So they're three of the Sea Bandits…" Fang Han's eyes narrowed with clarity.
Now that he knew the identities of the assassins, he felt even more confident about harvesting their Golden Cores.
"Let's go."
He wrapped Starborn in five-colored light and shot into the sky.
In Taibai City's Linglong Tower, Fairies Piaoyun and Lianyun sat together, examining two versions of the Nascent Infant Pill.
One was from Taiyi Sect—small, murky, with an indistinct infant face and weak internal qi.
The other, made by Fang Han, was much larger and pure as crystal—with a plump, breathing infant inside it, radiating waves of mighty essence.
Beside Fang Han's pill, Taiyi's version was practically counterfeit.
"Taiyi's pills aren't terrible," Fairy Lianyun whispered, "but compared to this… The one crafted by that 'Master Fang Leng' is four or five times stronger. When I brought it back to my sect, even the reclusive Grandmaster broke seclusion. He said these must have been refined using immortal qi washed through an extremely rare celestial treasure. They contain potent innate wood essence—perfect for marrow cleansing. With even average talent, taking one gives a ninety percent chance of entering the Divine Ability Realm."
She shook her head in awe.
"If we could obtain twenty million of these pills, then in three years our sect would produce a hundred new Divine Ability disciples."
Fairy Piaoyun sighed. "All the elders are determined to win Fang Leng over. But it seems he already knows the Starborn Kid somehow… That child is so tiny—how could he possibly have met Fang Leng?"
"And he said he'd visit us in a few days. It's been a month," Piaoyun frowned. "Maybe he got caught up refining that Brahma Luminous Boat?"
"Though that boat can never become a Dao-tier artifact," Lianyun murmured. "I don't know why he spent so much to buy it."
At that moment, the air outside rippled. Fang Han's disguised form appeared with the Starborn Kid at his side.
"Fairies Lianyun, Piaoyun—my apologies. I was delayed by training."
"It changes nothing between us," Lianyun said warmly. "Tell us your destination. We will escort you."
"The Barbarian God Temple," Fang Han said coldly.
Both immortals stiffened. The temple was a cursed land—anyone who entered, even Longevity experts, suffered misfortune afterward.
"I only need escort to the jungle's outer edge. Not inside. If assassins strike—protect me. That's all."
"That is easy enough," Lianyun agreed.
"Let's first visit the Heavenly Dao Pavilion," Fang Han said. "I need Elder Gu Meng as well."
They followed.
When Fang Han flew out from the Heavenly Dao Pavilion, he appeared to be alone. Starborn was gone, Lianyun gone, and even Elder Gu Meng—gone. As if negotiations had failed.
But a moment later, Gu Meng's voice echoed inside Fang Han's mind:
"Fellow Daoist Fang—must we hide so thoroughly?"
They had all concealed themselves inside treasure pouches, suppressing their presence completely. It was all part of Fang Han's plan.
"As long as you follow my instructions," Fang Han replied mentally. "If I eliminate these assassins, I'll give you double the Nascent Infant Pills I promised. You know the quality of my pills. And I will continue making deals with Heavenly Dao Pavilion every month."
"Excellent!" Gu Meng answered. "I shall protect your life. But understand—I will only block their attacks. I won't kill them for you."
"That's all I need."
Fang Han understood. Gu Meng didn't want trouble with the Sea Bandits. All Fang Han required was cover—everything else he would do himself.
A streak of five-colored light shot out of Taibai City, leaving the Great Zenith Empire behind and approaching the wild, sprawling Barbarian Jungle—millions of miles of wilderness filled with beasts, treasures, and ruins.
Deep within lay the legendary Barbarian God Temples—the remains of a colossal ancient empire, more powerful than any country of the present era.
Fang Han stopped outside the jungle, not entering. Danger whispered from ahead.
His ears twitched.
A clear, sweet flute melody drifted through the air.
A woman—in crimson—sat on the top of a primordial tree, playing lazily. Waiting for him.
The Immortal-Slayer Bandit.
She lowered her flute when she saw him.
"You bought the Brahma Luminous Boat at the auction," she said. "It's useless to you. Hand it over."
She extended her hand, lips curling.
"I'll let you live once. How about that?"