Chapter 125: Breaking Through the Illusory Realm! [Seeking Votes]

After withstanding the first bolt of heavenly thunder, Fang Wang revealed a look of dissatisfaction.

Is that all?

It was nothing more than a mere irritation!

He hadn’t even exerted his full strength yet, nor had he activated the most powerful form of the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body.

Though displeased, the other disciples outside the formation of the Taiyuan Sect were trembling with fear. Had that bolt of thunder struck them instead, they likely wouldn’t have had time to react.

Chai Yi, Zhao Chuanqian, Yang Yuanzi, and others wore grave expressions—not out of fear of the tribulation itself, but in awe of Fang Wang’s power. This was an instinctive reaction, regardless of personal relationships.

With the first bolt of thunder, the thunder tribulation officially began. One bolt after another struck down upon Fang Wang.

Seated midair, he relied on the protective Divine Gang to shield himself from the heavenly thunder. The lightning vaporized upon contact with his body, unable to move him an inch. As more bolts descended, their intensity and ferocity only escalated, echoing throughout the Taiyuan Sect with deafening roars.

Outside the formation, the disciples whispered in amazement, but no matter how many voices rose, they were drowned out by the thunderclaps.

Little Zi, also outside the formation, watched with a swelling heart.

If one day it were to transform into a dragon, it too would have to endure such a tribulation, allowing heaven and earth to proclaim its metamorphosis!

The tribulation continued.

After a full incense stick’s time, the heavenly might entered another phase. The disciples maintaining the formation turned pale, sensing the formation might shatter at any moment.

Inside the formation, the once pristine white snow had long since melted, in stark contrast to the outside where it still resembled a different season. The falling snow outside had slowed considerably, and even the mist had thinned.

More and more disciples arrived to witness Fang Wang’s tribulation. This scene would be etched deeply in their hearts, unforgettable for a lifetime.

From that day forth, enduring the tribulation would become a measure by which Taiyuan Sect disciples judged great cultivators.

And this standard would only grow higher with the passage of time.

Fang Wang immersed himself in cultivation, reviewing the Dao method of the Profound Yang Nerve in his mind.

The Crossing Void Realm was a stage for refining the primordial spirit!

Reaching this realm not only drastically enhanced one’s cultivation but also allowed the primordial spirit to leave the body. Even if the cultivator’s physical body perished, the primordial spirit could survive.

It was important to understand that below the Crossing Void Realm, most cultivators lacked the means to prevent their primordial spirit from fleeing. Fang Wang was an anomaly; very few at the Concentration realm could surpass him.

With an out-of-body primordial spirit, he could even perceive wandering shadowy entities in the mortal realm. These entities were not just ghosts or evil spirits but numerous invisible beings belonging to the underworld.

As the thunder tribulation intensified, Fang Wang, in a state of insight, instinctively activated the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body. A domineering aura surged skyward, dispersing the thunderclouds above. The Taiyuan Sect’s grand formation trembled violently, on the verge of collapse.

“Someone, quickly!” an elder shouted angrily, veins bulging on his neck, his face contorted with rage.

Not only him, but the heads of various branches also called out to their disciples to join the formation, needing only to channel spiritual power into their bodies.

Within less than five breaths, over ten thousand disciples had joined the formation, stabilizing the light barrier swiftly.

All who entered the formation could feel the terrifying aura inside. Their faces changed drastically, their hearts stirred like a storm.

“What realm could our senior brother possibly be at? Such overwhelming aura—it defies the heavens!”

“Just the aura alone is so oppressive. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to face Brother Fang as an opponent...”

“Why don’t we just call him Sect Leader Fang... My heavens, even standing at the back, I feel like I won’t hold out much longer!”

“More people, quickly! This number is nowhere near enough!”

As more disciples called out in alarm, others hurried to join the formation. At first glance, it seemed as if the entire Taiyuan Sect was arrayed to suppress Fang Wang.

Fang Wang’s hands shifted through martial gestures, gradually forming balls of fire behind his head—manifestations of the Profound Yang True Fire. Wisps of scorching white flames emanated from his body, making him appear as if he were about to ascend to immortality at any moment.

He had entered a state of self-forgetfulness. He knew the thunder tribulation could no longer harm him; now, he needed only to focus on cultivating his primordial spirit.

The moment his primordial spirit detached from the body would mark his true breakthrough!

……

In the imperial city of Great Qi, once prosperous, smoke and dust now filled the air. Pavilions collapsed one after another, dust billowing. The cries of children and women, the shouts of men, echoed through every corner.

Numerous soldiers were conducting rescue efforts, while many unharmed citizens gazed skyward, their faces etched with despair and terror.

The thunderclouds above had been torn into countless fragments, faint traces of sword energy streaking across the sky. Within the imperial palace, a terrifying sword scar stretched from the south wall to the north wall—a testament to the dreadful battle that had just occurred.

High above, the Carefree Immortal gripped Xu Qiuming’s neck with his right hand, wearing a cruel smile. Xu Qiuming’s arms hung limply, his robe torn, his body covered in blood, blood even dripping from his toes.

Xu Qiuming was about to lose consciousness, but he still mustered the strength to raise his right hand, pointing two fingers toward Carefree Immortal’s chest, as if stabbing him with a sword.

“Your comprehension of the sword Dao is impressive enough to qualify you as a sacrifice, allowing you a few more days of life,” Carefree Immortal sneered. Then, he looked downward and suddenly vanished midair.

Less than ten breaths later, he reappeared high above, holding another person with his left hand—Zhao Qi, who had already fainted.

“Tell Fang Wang of the Taiyuan Sect that I will wait for him at Tian Ding Mountain in the Northern Territory. He has only one year. If he does not come within one year, not only will the Seven Dynasties Emperor perish, but I will also slaughter Great Qi, turning this land into a river of blood, with millions of corpses!” Carefree Immortal’s voice echoed over the imperial city. Then, carrying Zhao Qi and Xu Qiuming, he flew northward.

Inside a mansion in the imperial city, the Fang family had gathered. A young boy looked nervously at Fang Meng, asking, “Grandfather, will my brother go to battle?”

He was Fang Wang’s younger brother, Fang Xun.

Fang Meng’s face darkened as he replied solemnly, “He will go, and he will personally slay that traitor!”

Wails echoed from all directions, a grim reminder of the catastrophe’s severity. The Fang mansion was protected by cultivators using formations, but the common folk had no such protection and suffered greatly.

As a founding duke of the dynasty, Fang Meng was naturally heartbroken, but he was only mortal. Though he cultivated, he was powerless against Carefree Immortal. He lacked even the means to ascend to the heavens.

Silence fell over the Fang residence, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

In their hearts, a single thought took root:

Did Fang Wang truly stand a chance against the Carefree Immortal he had just faced?

Having witnessed Carefree Immortal’s power, they all believed he was a true immortal—yet unlike the immortals of legend, this one was cruel and merciless.

……

At Taiyuan Sect, the thunderclouds gradually dissipated.

The light barrier of the formation surrounding the main peak slowly faded. Tens of thousands of cultivators floated in the air, while weaker disciples had already descended onto various branch peaks, cultivating and catching their breath, their eyes inevitably drawn to the main peak.

Fang Wang sat in meditation above the main peak. The mountain summits all rose high, his golden-scaled white feathered robe fluttering in the wind. Golden dragon qi swirled around him, coupled with the ring of fireballs behind his head, making him resemble a true immortal descending to the mortal realm.

Both the sect’s elders and disciples remained deeply shaken.

When Fang Wang’s tribulation reached its critical moment, the heavenly might was terrifying beyond measure, forcing the Taiyuan Sect to mobilize over a hundred thousand disciples to supply spiritual power just to barely maintain the formation.

Had the thunder tribulation continued longer, they might have failed to endure, and even the Taiyuan Sect could have been razed to the ground.

The heavenly might was truly dreadful, making them feel as if they were battling the heavens themselves.

What stunned them most was Fang Wang’s performance.

Throughout, he remained unscathed—not a strand of hair disturbed—as if he were not the one enduring the tribulation.

The disciples looked at him with reverence; the elders gazed at him with hopeful expectation.

They all knew that once this tribulation ended, Taiyuan Sect would become the strongest cult in Great Qi—without question!

Not even the enigmatic and unfathomable Jin Xiao Sect could contend with Fang Wang.

Even Vice Sect Leader Chai Yi thought so.

She gazed at Fang Wang from afar, continually comparing him to the Demon Lord.

Suddenly, she lost confidence in the Demon Lord.

This young man was simply too powerful!

Chai Yi recalled when she first met Fang Wang—how many years had passed? Yet he had grown so strong...

At this moment,

Fang Wang was surveying the entire Taiyuan Sect—not with his physical eyes, but with his primordial spirit.

Standing in midair, he could even see his own body below.

An unprecedented, wondrous sensation surged through his heart. At this moment, he felt a sense of freedom, as if his body were a shackle.

But he quickly suppressed the thought. He must cultivate both soul and body; only by refining both could he truly tread the path to immortality.

Fang Wang saw numerous souls wandering within the Taiyuan Sect—souls of humans and demons alike. These souls were not ghosts but spirit bodies invisible even to cultivators at the Concentration realm. Though appearing in the mortal realm, they had actually fallen into the underworld, manifesting in the earthly plane.

Heaven and earth separated!

Fang Wang noticed a soul on the mid-slope of the main peak gazing at him.

It was Guang Qiu Xian!

Guang Qiu Xian stood before his grave, stroking his beard and smiling kindly, his eyes filled with comfort as he looked at Fang Wang.

Seeing him, Fang Wang suddenly felt a sense of relief in his heart.

What exactly he was relieved of, even he could not say.

Subsequently, Fang Wang returned to his physical body; his primordial spirit reentered, and he took control. A comforting sense of grounding washed over him, allowing him to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Though out-of-body, the primordial spirit’s state was free, it was also too ethereal, as if it could be pulled away by unknown forces at any moment.

Fang Wang stood and flew toward the Origin Abyss Hall, swiftly entering inside.

“All are forbidden to approach the Origin Abyss Hall. Do not disturb the Sect Leader as he consolidates his cultivation!” Zhao Chuanqian’s authoritative voice resounded throughout the Taiyuan Sect, breaking the silence and plunging the sect into a bustle, with all marveling at the recent tribulation.

Back inside the Origin Abyss Hall,

Fang Wang began meditation and cultivation, adjusting his spiritual power.

He had fully entered the Crossing Void Realm!

His spiritual power was also undergoing transformation!

His aura surged wildly, causing the Origin Abyss Hall to tremble.

Little Zi cautiously followed inside. Zhao Zhen floated out from the Soul Devouring Gourd, quietly murmuring, “With such an aura, it would be a tragedy for anyone to become the master’s enemy.”

He even believed Fang Wang to be invincible in the world.

Perhaps his cultivation was not the absolute pinnacle of the mortal realm, but that commanding, unrivaled aura was surely that of the world’s foremost!