Chapter 151: Breaking Through to the Golden Body Realm

Fang Wang did not know how widely his reputation had spread, but ever since that battle, no sword cultivator dared to approach Azure Nether Island, and he knew he had succeeded.

The arrival of Fang Hanyuh, Qin Hong, and Qin Tang did not make Azure Nether Island lively, as all three needed a period of recuperation.

Fang Wang’s spiritual energy recovered very quickly, and while the three of them were still healing, he continued his cultivation.

Helping Fang Hanyuh was merely a minor matter; the most important thing was the upcoming trial of the Longevity Pavilion.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

On this day, Qin Hong and Qin Tang came to visit Fang Wang to express their gratitude for saving their lives and taking them in.

"Fang Hanyuh is a member of my clan. You saved him, and I saved you—it is only right. The two of you need not take it to heart," Fang Wang said with a soft smile.

The four of them sat around a wooden table while Zhao Zhen poured wine for them.

Although it was not the first time he had seen Zhao Zhen, every time Fang Hanyuh saw Zhao Zhen’s respectful demeanor, he felt somewhat awkward.

After all, this was the former Emperor of Great Qi.

Fang Wang asked, "I wonder what the two of you plan to do next?"

Qin Hong replied, "We were ordered by the Demon Lord to protect Fang Hanyuh until we bring him back to the Golden Firmament Sect. As for what comes next, it depends on what Fang Hanyuh intends to do."

The three of them looked at Fang Hanyuh, who pondered for a moment before saying, "I shall stay on the island for another five years, until I have fully mastered the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul, before leaving."

Hearing this, Qin Hong could not help but look at Fang Wang, who smiled and nodded, "In that case, the two of you may stay as well. My Azure Nether Island can certainly be considered a top-tier place for cultivation."

"More than just top-tier, this island must have been very expensive, right?" Qin Tang asked out of curiosity.

When Fang Wang revealed the price, Qin Tang gasped in astonishment, while Qin Hong felt it was rather cheap, guessing that the identity of the Yellow-Rank Sword Monarch had played a part.

Curious about Zhu Yan’s identity, Qin Hong inquired about it.

Fang Wang did not hide the truth. Upon learning that Zhu Yan, the seventh son of Emperor Zhu, had become Fang Wang’s mount, the father and daughter were deeply shocked. However, recalling Fang Wang’s extraordinary display of power, they quickly found it reasonable.

Fang Hanyuh looked at Fang Wang, filled with a deep sense of emotion.

No matter how vast the world was, Fang Wang always managed to utterly eclipse all other geniuses.

The four of them chatted for several hours before dispersing. Fang Wang treated it as a way to relax, and it felt quite pleasant.

In the time that followed, Fang Hanyuh gradually mastered the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul. A year later, he was finally able to wield the power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul smoothly and at will.

One night, Fang Hanyuh sat upon a cliff facing the ocean breeze, his mind communicating with the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul.

"You brat, stay away from that fellow!"

"He is far too dangerous. He is certainly not a mortal of this realm; he must be the reincarnation of an entity from the Upper Realm. Ten thousand years ago, when the Subduing Dragon Great Sage defied the will of the Upper Realm, an entity from the Upper Realm descended. I saw it with my own eyes. I never expected that such a being would still linger in the mortal world!"

Mentioning Fang Wang, the tone of the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul was filled with terror.

Fang Hanyuh found it amusing. He and Fang Wang had grown up together since childhood, and he knew Fang Wang’s background better than anyone.

However, as the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul grew more and more exaggerated in its descriptions, Fang Hanyuh suddenly began to waver.

Could Fang Wang truly be the reincarnation of an immortal deity from the Upper Realm?

He suddenly recalled something from his childhood: he had once heard elderly servants in the estate whisper that Fang Wang was the reincarnation of a monstrous entity, and on the day he was born, torrential rain had poured over Great Qi for a full seven days.

His expression turned peculiar, and he could not help glancing toward the brightly lit cluster of pavilions in the distance.

"Beings of the Upper Realm are all evil. They view all mortal life as mere ants, as playthings in the palms of their hands to be trampled upon at will. Furthermore, staying in the mortal world, they surely harbor their own hidden duties..."

The more the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul spoke, the more animated it became, until Fang Hanyuh grew annoyed by it.

He could accept the notion that Fang Wang was the reincarnation of an immortal or deity, but he would never believe that Fang Wang was a malevolent fiend who would slaughter the common people. After all, the fact that Zhao Qi was able to ascend the throne and improve the livelihoods of Great Qi's citizens was largely thanks to Fang Wang’s staunch support.

Were cultivators not also treating mortals as ants? Yet Fang Wang was far kinder and possessed vastly more compassion than the vast majority of cultivators.

Severing his connection with the Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Soul, Fang Hanyuh cast aside his distracting thoughts and began to cultivate.

...

The five-year period arrived, and Fang Wang had reached the ninth layer of the Crossing Void Realm.

On this day, Fang Hanyuh and the other two came to bid farewell.

Fang Wang watched them leave, and only after they departed the island did he reactivate the formation.

Over the past five years, sword cultivators had occasionally approached the vicinity of Azure Nether Island, but they only dared to observe from afar, and none dared to invade.

Qin Hong possessed the cultivation of the fourth layer of the Golden Body Realm, and Qin Tang was at the third layer of the Crossing Void Realm. Protected by this father-daughter pair, Fang Hanyuh should be able to return safely to the Golden Firmament Sect, especially since the gazes fixed upon them were no longer as numerous as before.

Fang Wang continued his cultivation, preparing to break through to the Golden Body Realm in one go and forge his sixth innate treasure spirit.

After that, he could await the arrival of the Longevity Pavilion's trial, using the waiting period to study sword techniques.

Zhu Yan was still practicing the Battle Combat True Scripture, and Little Zi was also cultivating. As the first batch of little demons had now matured, they began to take turns teaching the other demons to cultivate, and a clear hierarchy began to emerge among them.

Another year passed.

On the evening of this day, Fang Wang sensed something and immediately took out the Yellow-Rank Sword Monarch Token. He probed it with his divine sense and instantly heard a majestic voice:

"Ten years from now, the Longevity Pavilion will hold an internal trial. The location, rewards, and specific time of this trial can be viewed through the token."

An aged voice flowed along with Fang Wang’s divine sense directly into his mind.

It had finally arrived!

Although the timing differed slightly from what Zhou Xue had mentioned, the discrepancy was minor.

Fang Wang immediately used the Yellow-Rank Sword Monarch Token to search for the trial location and found it quickly. On the illusory map, the trial location was marked with an extremely bright purplish-red dot, shining more brilliantly than any other.

The moment his divine sense touched it, a vast amount of information flooded into his mind.

The trial had no specific rules; the Longevity Pavilion had discovered a secret realm and was allowing True Immortals, Weapon Monarchs, Envoys, and Longevity Pavilion disciples to enter and search for treasures. Mutual slaughter within the realm was not prohibited, but turning in excess tokens to the Longevity Pavilion could be exchanged for treasures.

Additionally, the Longevity Pavilion had announced various treasures available for exchange, all of which could only be acquired using resources obtained within the trial.

It was worth mentioning that although the Longevity Pavilion's internal trial was cruel, it was not mandatory; participation was entirely voluntary through registration.

Fang Wang had no interest in those treasures; his sole interest was in True Immortal Jiuyou.

This was the first time Zhou Xue had asked him for a favor, and he had already investigated—True Immortal Jiuyou truly possessed a notorious reputation. Eliminating this scoundrel would cause him no psychological burden whatsoever.

Before that, he needed to first attain the Golden Body Realm!

He only needed to reserve a few months of time for travel.

Putting down the Yellow-Rank Sword Monarch Token, Fang Wang resumed his cultivation.

After Fang Hanyuh and the others left, he began to cultivate without holding back, no longer fearing the leakage of the Heavenly Dao True Scripture's aura. Moreover, the demons on Azure Nether Island had already grown accustomed to his presence.

As Fang Wang harbored the intent to break through, his vast aura enveloped the entire island, causing even Zhu Yan to instinctively turn his head to look at him.

Fang Wang could not concern himself with that; he had to break through!

The Heavenly Dao True Scripture transcended the ordinary. Aided by it, Fang Wang simultaneously practiced the Profound Yang Divine Scripture. Everything progressed as naturally as a flowing stream meeting a channel, and he encountered not a single obstruction.

More than half a year passed.

Fang Wang finally ushered in the opportunity for a breakthrough, as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed madly into his body, tempering his physique.

A golden body was not merely a name; when one reached this realm of cultivation, the physical body truly underwent a transformation. In the previous realms, cultivators primarily enhanced their cultivation, divine sense, and soul, but such powerful spiritual energy required an equally powerful physical vessel to contain it—hence the creation of the Golden Body Realm.

Only by reaching the Golden Body Realm and transcending the mortal limits of the flesh could one pursue even higher realms of cultivation.

As Fang Wang began his breakthrough, he did not encounter a heavenly tribulation.

The Heavenly Dao True Scripture had earned him the recognition of heaven and earth, meaning that from then on, his cultivation would no longer be considered defying the heavens, and naturally, there was no tribulation to undergo.

For other cultivators, it was entirely different; the higher the realm, the more terrifying the lightning tribulation. Out at sea, the success rate of breaking through from the Crossing Void Realm to the Golden Body Realm was less than fifty percent, meaning that half of the cultivators attempting it would perish and have their souls scattered.

Zhu Yan arrived beside the spiritual eye lake. Feeling Fang Wang’s aura, he suddenly realized something, a look of utter disbelief appearing on his face.

"This flow of spiritual energy... Could it be that he is only just beginning his breakthrough to the Golden Body Realm?"

This guess seemed utterly absurd to Zhu Yan, yet when he recalled Fang Wang's age, he felt it was entirely possible.

In other words, Fang Wang had been able to possess the strength of the Mahayana Realm while still in the Crossing Void Realm?

Try as he might, racking his brain to the utmost, Zhu Yan could not find a single person whose combat talent could compare to Fang Wang's!

Fang Wang was completely unaware of what Zhu Yan was thinking, as he concentrated wholly on his breakthrough.

Several days later.

The vast aura enveloping Azure Nether Island vanished, and all the demons breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Wang had officially broken through to the Golden Body Realm. A white radiance flickered across his skin, and wisps of spiritual flames continuously overflowed. The strength of his physical body had undergone a tremendous leap, and at the same time, his spiritual energy grew even more formidable.

The entire breakthrough process had occurred without the slightest obstruction, showcasing the formidable power of the Heavenly Dao True Scripture as an exceptionally flawless auxiliary cultivation method.

Fang Wang continued to consolidate his cultivation. Although the heavenly pressure had dissipated, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred zhang centered around him still surged toward him fiercely, causing even Zhu Yan not to dare approach.

A month later.

The growth rate of Fang Wang's cultivation leveled off, and his foundation was thoroughly consolidated. He stood up and headed toward the Spirit-Forging Platform on the mountain.

After Qu Xunhun delivered the Heavenly Dao Spirit Stones, Zhu Yan and Zhao Zhen had helped construct a Spirit-Forging Platform.

Watching Fang Wang fly toward the Spirit-Forging Platform, Zhu Yan felt a sense of puzzlement.

He had originally assumed the Spirit-Forging Platform was prepared for future disciples; why was his master heading there immediately after breaking through?

A bold guess formed in his mind.

Under his watchful gaze, Fang Wang landed upon the Spirit-Forging Platform and began to sit in meditation.

At that moment, Zhu Yan was completely certain.

His master was about to forge a treasure spirit!

"Indeed, his talent can never be defined by a mere Heavenly Origin Treasure Spirit. If he possesses multiple Heavenly Origin Treasure Spirits, it would only make sense. He is truly an immortal in reincarnation."

Thinking thus, Zhu Yan quickly withdrew his gaze.

At this point, no matter how incredible Fang Wang's actions might be, he was ready to accept them.

What kind of treasure spirit should his sixth innate treasure spirit be?

Sitting upon the Spirit-Forging Platform, Fang Wang pondered silently in his heart.

His current innate treasure spirits were respectively the Heavenly Palace Halberd, the Heavenly Rainbow Sword, the Cosmos Fan, the Samsara Bell, and the Six-Harmine Desolate Seal. Although he rarely needed to use his innate treasure spirits most of the time, he still chose to perfect his strength as much as possible.

One day, he would inevitably encounter an opponent whom he would have to fight with all his might to defeat.