Fang Han slipped through the primeval jungle using Woodshift, moving faster and smoother than water down a mountain. The deeper he went, the clearer his senses became—the territory for the Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Art. Here, surrounded by endless vegetation, the technique felt like it had finally come home.
Suddenly, a strange pulse rippled through the forest—ancient, hushed, and powerful.
"I am the Azure Emperor. All wood shall answer my call."
He released a surge of Wood Sovereign qi, letting it seep into the ancient trees around him.
Instantly, faint thoughts echoed back to him from thousands of trees. Through their whispering consciousness, he saw it—countless abandoned temples rising from the jungle, each massive as a mountain. They stretched for miles upon miles, their presence exuding a divine pressure that rejected mortal irreverence.
Ruined city walls sprawled between them, eroded by ages yet somehow untouched by decay. Moss-covered stones still bore the weight of forgotten years.
This was the true power of the Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Art: with it, Fang Han could communicate with every tree in a forest. They told him everything—where rare herbs grew, where beasts wandered, where spirit ores lay buried.
And when he eventually stepped into the Longevity Realm, he could even awaken trees as living spirits, or supernaturally accelerate the growth of herb fields—turning one-year seedlings into thousand-year treasures with a breath of Wood Sovereign qi.
At the peak of the Longevity Realm, he would be able to simply shape his qi into any wood-element spiritual herb he wished—a single breath becoming a ten-thousand-year ginseng or immortal-grade lingzhi.
Despite its combat uses, the technique's greatest gift was still alchemy and cultivation of spirit plants.
High above, Ghost Emperor felt the aura of the ancient temples and froze.
"Not good… He's close to the Barbarian God Temples. If he enters that area, even I won't dare chase lightly. That place is a graveyard even for cultivators…"
The undead monarch rose from his Throne of Wailing Souls, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of thick, pitch-black blood.
Every drop held the shrieking of countless devils. As it drifted into the air—
Boom—boom—boom!
The blood ignited, swelling into dark clouds that spread across a hundred miles. A moment later, the clouds burst.
A downpour of black rain shot down like volleys of arrows—each drop faster than a flying sword.
The first raindrop hit a towering tree.
Ssssss—
The wood smoked, shriveled, and collapsed into black sludge.
Trees dissolved one after another, turning the forest into a nightmarish landscape of bubbling tar pits. Even Fang Han, hidden by Woodshift, was struck. His technique shattered instantly, forcing him back into view.
"What kind of demonic art is this?!"
Every drop burned like acid and crashed with the force of stampeding horses. Only the protective halo of the Five-Star Bracelet prevented his body from being melted to sludge. Even then, each impact made the starry barrier tremble violently.
The bracelet normally vaporized demonic energy, but these raindrops were stronger than swords—each one carrying corrosive power that refused to be extinguished.
Yan's voice echoed gravely from within his body.
"This is the Black Rain Immortal-Slaughtering Curse. It consumes the caster's life essence—sixty years per use. The Ghost Emperor wouldn't dare use it unless he was absolutely determined to kill us. He must obtain the Yellow Springs Diagram."
The black raindrops suddenly reversed direction, swirling upward into the air, congealing into a dark storm cloud that hovered over Fang Han like a divine punishment about to fall.
A massive hand emerged from the shadows—nine fingers, webbed with flesh, each burning with black flame. It blocked Fang Han's escape completely.
The Throne of Wailing Souls appeared again, floating behind Ghost Emperor.
Fang Han felt every ounce of killing intent lock onto him. He couldn't run. Couldn't hide.
Only wait.
"Let's see where you escape now."
Ghost Emperor's already pale face had become corpse-white. He had lived for thousands of years, feeding on blood, devouring souls, extending his life unnaturally—but even so, his lifespan was close to its end. If he didn't reach the Longevity Realm soon, his blood would rot and his spirit fade.
Yet he still burned sixty years of life for this one technique.
That alone proved how desperately he wanted the Yellow Springs Diagram.
But Fang Han didn't flinch.
"I'm not running. Ghost Emperor, you chase me this hard—aren't you afraid Yuhua Sect will tear you to pieces?" he said calmly.
"Hand over the Yellow Springs Diagram and I'll leave you a whole corpse. Refuse… and next year this time will be your memorial." Ghost Emperor's voice was icy, but his eyes flickered—calculating.
Fang Han sneered.
"You think you can kill me so easily? You may overpower me, but don't forget—the Abyssal Gate restrains your magic. I can fight you, even across five levels of cultivation. Others could crush me instantly—but you? I can still make this a battle."
He lifted a hand.
"And I carry a summoning talisman. One spark—and Yuhua's Sect Master appears instantly. Tell me, can you escape his palm?"
Ghost Emperor froze.
A lie—but an effective one.
Everyone in the world had heard what happened in the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion. Four Longevity-realm giants couldn't defeat Yuhua Sect's new master. No one wanted to gamble their life against a man who could tear space and kill elites at will.
More importantly, Ghost Emperor knew he couldn't kill Fang Han instantly—not with three Dao artifacts protecting him. He needed time, a prepared array, and a sealed environment to drain Fang Han dry.
"Damn… If not for that Abyssal Gate, I'd crush him with a flick," Ghost Emperor cursed inwardly.
He hesitated.
Then his tone shifted.
"Fang Han… why must we fight to the death? Give me some Forget-Love Water, and we can join forces. With the Yellow Springs Diagram, we open the Yellow Springs Vault together and share the treasures."
His eyes narrowed.
"You and Hua Tiandu have a blood feud. His power eclipses mine—many times over. Even with your artifacts, you cannot face him yet. But with the treasures in the vault… you might."
Fang Han smiled faintly.
"Oh? And how much Forget-Love Water do you want, Ghost Emperor?"