Chapter 344: Infinite Nesting: The Lesser Destiny Art!

In this exchange of cultivation, Fang Yu acquired the branch of the number-one great Dao of the Eternal Life Realm—the Lesser Destiny Art—and reaped immense gains, yet he could not comprehend this branch of the Dao, and nearly forgot it entirely.

The Lesser Destiny Art possesses supreme power in the Eternal Life Realm; once understood, one can burn one's lifespan to obtain any Xu Yuan Qi needed, directly cultivating a Divine Ability to its Great Perfection.

Once a Divine Ability is cultivated to Great Perfection, one gains lifespan in return, allowing one to continue burning lifespan to further cultivate the acquired Divine Ability to Great Perfection, then break through the realm.

Burn lifespan to obtain a Divine Ability of Great Perfection.

Break through the realm, gain more lifespan, then burn even more lifespan.

This is the terrifying nature of the Lesser Destiny Art.

It enables a cultivator's cultivation base to increase through an infinite nesting mechanism—a terrifying, godlike cheat path, even surpassing the usual cheats of transmigrators.

It is well known that cultivating a Divine Ability requires a certain amount of Xu Yuan Qi; for instance, for Fang Yu to cultivate the Bai Di Jin Huang Slash, he must obtain immensely dense Geng Metal Qi.

To bring the Great Cutting Art to Great Perfection, he needed abundant spatial force, so he sold the Five Elemental Sacred Beasts, purchased magic treasures imbued with spatial force, worked tirelessly, spent vast sums of money, and finally brought the Great Cutting Art to Great Perfection.

As for the Great Killing Art he seized from Meng Shaobai, lacking sufficient killing force and killing Qi, it had not even reached Minor Perfection.

But if Fang Yu mastered the Lesser Destiny Art, he could burn his own lifespan to forcibly draw the various Xu Yuan Qi he needed from all corners of the void.

This is a force of absolute command over heaven and earth—the force of destiny.

All Xu Yuan Qi must obey whatever destiny demands.

On the Xuan Huang Great World, various Xu Yuan Qi are not abundant, but beyond it, in the myriad worlds and alternate dimensions, countless mysterious energies lie hidden; if Fang Yu masters the Lesser Destiny Art, he can summon these energies from the alternate dimensions to directly cultivate any Divine Ability to Great Perfection.

Unfortunately, although Fang Yu saw the Lesser Destiny Art, his mind held no trace of it—yet it appeared within his Wanjie Wang Tu.

To successfully cultivate the Lesser Destiny Art, one must gain the highest authority of the Eternal Life Realm—the reincarnated spirit of the Yongshengzhi Sect.

Fang Qingxue could wield this ability because her past life received the Yongshengzhi Sect's spirit's approval, allowing her to retain this power through countless reincarnations.

The spirit of the Yongshengzhi Sect, in this life, is Fang Han, a member of Fang's family.

"I wonder if telling Fang Han might unlock this authority—he's already reincarnated; he probably lacks sufficient authority to activate it."

Fang Yu pondered.

For the Lesser Destiny Art, merely obtaining it temporarily was already enough; whether he gained this godlike cultivation method was a bonus—if not, he wouldn't be discouraged.

"What, younger brother Yu? Have you gained some insight?"

Fang Qingxue's gaze turned toward him.

"I seem to understand, yet I can't quite see it—vague, hazy, profoundly mysterious."

Fang Yu nodded, then shook his head.

"I once acquired this strange sequence of musical notes during my travels—it was exceedingly mysterious. After much contemplation, I finally grasped some of its principles; since then, burning lifespan has allowed me to rapidly cultivate Divine Abilities, but the more powerful the ability, the more lifespan it consumes. This time, I lost several hundred years of lifespan—don't you dare copy me."

Seeing Fang Yu had not immediately comprehended the Lesser Destiny Art, Fang Qingxue's expression flickered subtly, yet she eventually smiled, a warmth in that smile.

"Don't copy me. If I don't break through to the Golden Core Realm soon, I'll die of old age in a few years."

Fang Qingxue spoke, flicking a finger—Void Divine Thunder appeared in the air, formed from the Great Perfection of the Great Cutting Art; above her head, a Five Emperor Canopy manifested.

With a casual motion, another killing thunder appeared in her palm—pitch black and terrifying.

The Great Five Elements Art, the Great Cutting Art, the Great Killing Art—all were cultivated to Great Perfection within a single night.

"..."

Fang Yu's face wore a helpless smile.

You've just displayed this godlike ability and tell me not to copy you?

I want to learn too, but the authority isn't unlocked.

"Still, thank you, younger brother Yu. Training with you has increased my strength by more than fivefold; after forming the Golden Core, I'll gain even more lifespan."

Fang Qingxue smiled.

"How long before you break through to the Golden Core Realm?"

Fang Yu asked, slightly curious.

"Definitely before I die of old age."

Fang Qingxue rose, full of vigor.

"There's also the Great Primordial Art—I'll refine it further once I break through to the Golden Core Realm; perhaps younger brother Yu can obtain the complete Great Primordial Art from me."

Fang Qingxue smiled.

"Then thank you, elder sister—but you must preserve some lifespan..."

Fang Yu's expression showed concern.

Fang Qingxue had already been a 6th Stage of Divine Abilities, Return to Oneness Realm cultivator with eight hundred years of lifespan; she received the Yin-Yang Wan Shou Pill, gaining six hundred more years, and had consumed the Tianji Elixir, the Lei Gu Sheli Dan, adding hundreds more—she should have had over a thousand years total.

But because she constantly used the Lesser Destiny Art to burn lifespan for cultivation, she now had only a few years left—this was dangerously unstable.

What if she didn't reach the Golden Core Realm within those years and died of old age?

"Younger brother Yu, I have confidence. Enough. We should depart and buy some elixirs."

Fang Qingxue smiled.

At that moment, a woman's voice came from outside the VIP chamber—it was Qiushui Xianzi, the ancient Golden Core powerhouse of the Exalted Linglong Sanctuary.

"Two fellow cultivators, it's time to depart for the Jiuding Xuan."

Her voice carried over.

"Alright."

The VIP chamber door opened, and Fang Yu and Fang Qingxue stepped out.

"Hmm?"

Qiushui Xianzi's gaze instantly fixed on Fang Qingxue, her heart swelling with profound astonishment.

In her perception, Fang Qingxue had merely passed one night, yet her cultivation base had grown immeasurably stronger than yesterday.

How was this possible?

What change could a cultivator undergo in a single night?

However, when Qiushui Fairy continued to look, she could no longer sense any aura on Fang Qingxue's body; she looked like an ordinary fairy.

"Fellow Daoist, let's go."

Fang Yu spoke.

Qiushui Fairy did not ask further, so she went with Fang Yu and Fang Qingxue out of the Exalted Linglong Pagoda and headed toward Jiuding Xuan.

After walking for not too long, the great gates of Jiuding Xuan appeared ahead.

It was nine palaces built like massive cauldrons, all forged from metal, with a fierce Geng Metal Qi shooting up into the nine heavens, and a great many cultivators coming and going here.

The moment Fang Yu's gaze swept over, he spotted at a glance several ancient Golden Core minor overlords, and even more powerful existences — such as those who had cultivated to the 8th Stage of Divine Abilities Wind and Fire Great Tribulation, the 9th Stage of Divine Abilities Heaven and Earth Dharma Aspect, and the 10th Stage of Divine Abilities Defying Heaven and Changing Fate.

By comparison, he, a cultivator at the 5th Stage of Divine Abilities, was not at all outstanding, and looked utterly ordinary here.

One could see that in Huangcheng, only ancient minor overlords of the Golden Core Realm held any status, while those below Golden Core had no status at all — this was different from the city he had reached last time.

The city he had gone to last time was close to the wild lands, a frontier region even within the Great Xuan Empire, but Huangcheng was one of the top five cities of the Great Xuan Empire, with an enormous number of cultivators coming and going; cultivators of the Divine Ability Secret Realm were everywhere, and Heavenly Man Realm cultivators were very common here.

"Two fellow Daoists, please."

Qiushui Fairy wore a smile on her face, inviting Fang Yu and Fang Qingxue over.

The moment she went over, several disciples of the Divine Ability Secret Realm from Jiuding Xuan immediately came up to greet her.

"Ah, so it's a senior from Exalted Linglong Blessed Land — please, please come in, we have already prepared a VIP room for you, senior."

These few disciples of the Divine Ability Secret Realm had only just stepped into the Divine Ability Secret Realm, at the 1st Stage of Divine Abilities Magical Power Realm — in the Yuhua Sect each would be a treasured darling, but here in Huangcheng, in Jiuding Xuan, they were actually used to greet guests.

This simply exceeded the imagination of the world.

At once, this displayed the formidable aspect of Jiuding Xuan.

Qiushui Fairy gave an "mm," and entered Jiuding Xuan together with Fang Yu and Fang Qingxue.

Qiushui Fairy's strength was at the Golden Core Realm, and she had her own VIP room here.