Chapter 481: A Sigh Through a Thousand Autumns of Rise and Fall

On Starcloud Peak, Fang Yu observed the seven mysterious mental spaces within his mind, parallel and independent, operating without interference, revealing the boundless power of the Great Origin Art.

At this stage, his magic power could uproot mountains or tear the earth apart—though still far from plucking stars from the sky.

That would require reaching the Longevity Secret Realm.

Only by breaking through to the Longevity Secret Realm would his magic power surpass the limit of one hundred million and surge wildly.

Each realm's magic power undergoes different transformations, reaching an unimaginable scale; at the Longevity Secret Realm, one hundred million strength represents a law of heaven and earth.

"Yi" is the character for "person," beside which is the character "Yi," resembling a dragon.

One person, one dragon, side by side—that is "yi."

Ancient Daoist texts state that the strength of a fully grown primordial celestial dragon is one hundred million, representing a profound and unfathomable transformation.

Above "yi" is "zhao." "Zhao" means omen, sign, and also fortune. When strength transforms into the "zhao" realm, one gains the power to alter fortune.

This realm can only be reached by those of the deepest cultivation within the Longevity Secret Realm.

At this moment, Fang Yu heard voices from outside.

"Senior Brother of Qunxing Sect, Second Senior Brother… Seventh Senior Brother, Xing Mie Xie, Cang Wei, Yu Tianhua… Wu Zixu… come to visit Brother Fang Yu."

"They arrived so quickly."

Fang Yu had just completed the incomplete Great Origin Art when the seven true disciples of Qunxing Sect arrived.

Fang Yu's spiritual sense looked outward and saw seven cultivators arrive outside Starcloud Peak: six men and one woman.

Fang Yu was not surprised by this—he and Starcloud Baby had clearly come to support Starcloud Baby, so the true disciples of Qunxing Sect with ambitions for the position of Sect Leader would naturally feel a grave threat and come to investigate.

Qunxing Sect is one of the Ten Immortal Sects, with more true disciples than Yuhua Sect, including some unfathomably powerful individuals.

The weakest among those who came was Wu Zixu, ranked seventh, a thousand-year Golden Core minor titan; sixth was a woman, also a thousand-year Golden Core minor titan, named Hua Wumei, a formidable figure who had roamed the Dao Cultivation World for many years.

Her reputation surpassed that of most of the Six True Persons of Liantaiyi Sect, rivaling even the "Yi"-ranked Golden Core titans of Liantaiyi Sect, such as "Zhao Xuanyi," "Song Weiyi," "Zhou Chuyi," "Wang Yangyi," and "Li Shouyi."

Beyond these two Golden Core experts, a man in his thirties with a perfect physique held a fly-whisk; its material was unknown, but its powerful spirit revealed it to be a Dao Artifact.

Yes, this fly-whisk was a Dao Artifact—a rare one in heaven and earth.

Even many Golden Core minor titans of Liantaiyi Sect lacked Dao Artifacts; neither the Demon Marshal nor the Ghost Emperor possessed one—yet this man did.

He was the third senior brother of Qunxing Sect, Yu Tianhua.

This man was famed throughout the Dao Cultivation World, having gained countless rare opportunities and cultivated to the 9th Stage of Divine Abilities, the Realm of Heavenly Manifestation. His fly-whisk, called "Gu Yun," was an ancient treasure left by primordial cultivators, which he obtained during his travels and since then had earned him great renown in both Immortal and Demon sects, slaying many demonic masters.

Yet despite acquiring a lower-grade Dao Artifact and countless opportunities, he was still not Qunxing Sect's senior brother—only its third.

Beside Yu Tianhua sat a middle-aged Daoist, seated atop a cloud shaped like a lotus, his head crowned with white lotuses and golden lamps forming a canopy that made him resemble a celestial immortal sovereign.

He was the cultivator of Qunxing Sect who had reached the 10th Stage of Divine Abilities, the Realm of Defying Heaven and Rewriting Fate—the sect's top expert, Senior Brother Xing Mie Xie, one step away from the Longevity Secret Realm.

Senior Brother Xing Mie Xie's status in Qunxing Sect was equivalent to Hua Tian's in Yuhua Sect. But now, with Yuhua Sect in turmoil and extraordinary geniuses like Fang Yu, Fang Qingxue, and Fang Han emerging to vie for the position of Sect Leader, Hua Tian's position was unstable; yet Senior Brother Xing Mie Xie's authority in Qunxing Sect remained rock-solid.

The fact that he arrived with his six junior brothers and sisters revealed much.

This pressure stemmed from Fang Yu's arrival.

Fang Yu was a rising star in the Dao Cultivation World; originally, Qunxing Sect's true disciples had never heard of him—but before the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion, Fang Yu became instantly famous, defeating Liantaiyi Sect's Six True Persons and their Golden Core experts, news known to nearly all young elites of Immortal and Demon sects. Soon after, those with interest learned that before defeating Liantaiyi's Golden Core experts, Fang Yu had already defeated Nan Wan Luo, one of Yuhua Sect's Five True Disciples, while still in the Heavenly Man Realm.

At that time, Fang Yu was merely at the 5th Stage of Divine Abilities, the Heavenly Man Realm.

Defeating Wan Luo, a Golden Core expert of Liantaiyi Sect, while only at the 5th Stage of Divine Abilities—now, what level had Fang Yu reached? True disciples of Qunxing Sect at the 7th or 8th Stage of Divine Abilities would have to weigh their chances carefully, and even Senior Brother Xing Mie Xie, the top disciple, would have to meet him personally.

Thus, as the seven waited, Fang Yu's figure truly appeared in the void.

This time, he immediately unleashed his True Talisman.

The seven true disciples of Qunxing Sect saw a terrifying, boundless talisman suddenly appear in the void.

No one could describe the power of this talisman—it seemed as if an ancient immortal had cast his divine decree into the mortal world, or as if an ancient emperor had descended his meticulously written Scripture of the Emperor, or as if the infinite mysteries of heaven and earth had coalesced into this Great Dao True Word Talisman, where immense power and countless Divine Abilities manifested, and no one could withstand its pressure.

This was Fang Yu's True Talisman, forged through relentless cultivation and containing ninety-nine Divine Abilities, first revealed within the Shanmen of Qunxing Sect.

Hu hu, hu hu…

Vast magic power, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times stronger than the Nine Heavens' Gang Wind, appeared and pushed Wu Zixu, Hua Wumei, Yu Tianhua, and others back inch by inch; no matter how much magic power they exerted, they could not stabilize their bodies.

Then, as the talisman stirred slightly, an egg-shaped domain appeared around Fang Yu, endless power flowing within, ready to erupt with terrifying force at any moment.

The seven disciples of Qunxing Sect all changed expression!

"What? How is this possible? How many Divine Abilities? Fifty-six, seventy-eight, ninety-nine? You've cultivated ninety-nine Divine Abilities?"

Wu Zixu, seventh senior brother of Qunxing Sect and a Golden Core cultivator, wore an expression of utter disbelief—he nearly thought he had misseen.

"Ninety-nine Divine Abilities? Ninety-nine? How could you cultivate ninety-nine Divine Abilities in such a short time within the Heavenly Man Realm? This True Talisman forged from so many Divine Abilities is terrifying—my own Golden Core bears only twenty-three Divine Abilities; I feel even if I detonated my Golden Core, it could not shatter your True Talisman!"

Hua Wumei, sixth senior sister of Qunxing Sect, could hardly believe her eyes, her entire body trembling in midair.

She considered herself a prodigy: entering the path of cultivation at twenty, reaching the Divine Ability Secret Realm by forty, and spending three hundred and sixty years refining her cultivation in the Heavenly Man Realm and Return to Oneness Realm, successfully cultivating only eighteen Divine Abilities—yet she had received countless opportunities and rare blessings.

Three hundred and sixty years to cultivate eighteen Divine Abilities—how fast was that? Far surpassing ninety-nine cultivators at her level!

One Divine Ability averaged twenty years—undoubtedly a speed beyond all others.

After entering the Golden Core Realm with eighteen Divine Abilities, she spent more time cultivating five more, now totaling twenty-three—placing her among the top in the Golden Core Realm, a true standout.

Yet Fang Yu of Yuhua Sect had cultivated ninety-nine Divine Abilities while only at the 6th Stage of Divine Abilities, Return to Oneness Realm!

If each Divine Ability took ten or five years to cultivate, ninety-nine would require a thousand or five hundred years—but Fang Yu had clearly not cultivated for so long in the Dao Cultivation World.

He had only entered the cultivation world a few years ago.

This defied all cultivation norms.

Even Senior Brother Xing Mie Xie, Qunxing Sect's top true disciple, showed astonishment and shock; he drew a deep breath, then his expression calmed.

"Fang Yu, you are indeed formidable. But since you have come to my Qunxing Sect and openly drawn Starcloud Baby into the path of contention for the position of Sect Leader, I must challenge you properly. Let us make a pact: if you defeat me, I will retire and become an Elder of Qunxing Sect; but if you lose, you will not interfere in our sect's internal affairs—and I shall use your brother Fang Han's Huang Quan Holy Water."

Xing Mie Xie stepped forward, as if understanding why Fang Yu could cultivate ninety-nine Divine Abilities—he had a junior brother named Fang Han, who had received the divine decree of the Huangquanmo Sect's Huang Quan Emperor, meaning he possessed the Huang Quan Holy Water; Xing Mie Xie knew a little of its effects.

"If Brother Yu wants to wager, I will certainly support him."

At this moment, Fang Han appeared, standing beside Fang Yu.

"Thank you, younger brother."

Fang Yu nodded, his gaze also turning to Xing Mie Xie. "I came here this time with the intention of exchanging insights. If that's the case, then let's make a wager."

"In that case, fellow junior brothers and sisters, please step aside. Though you all wish to test him, he has cultivated ninety-nine divine abilities into his primordial talisman—you cannot defeat him. But I need his pressure to help me break through to the Longevity Secret Realm!"

Xing Mie Xie suddenly let out a loud laugh and ordered the other true disciples to fall back.

The other disciples—Yu Yu Tianhua, Wu Wu Zixu, Hua Wumei, and others—exchanged glances and silently withdrew.

With Xing Mie Xie speaking thus, they could not possibly interfere. Moreover, his words carried not a trace of falsehood.

Although on the Yellow Great World's Longevity Candidate List, their senior brother ranked seventh, while Yuhua Sect's Hua Tiandu ranked third, their senior brother's speed in breaking through to the Longevity Secret Realm might not be weaker than Hua Tiandu's.

In any case, they were all separated by only that one layer.

Whoever breaks through first will become a primordial giant.

Compared to him, Xing Mie Xie found it easier to break through to the Longevity Secret Realm, for he had not cultivated the Panwu Great Strength Divine Ability, so breaking through the realm was not overly difficult. But Hua Tiandu had cultivated the Panwu Great Strength Divine Ability, and each stage he broke through consumed far greater energy than others. Yet if Hua Tiandu attained the Longevity Secret Realm, his achievement would surpass Xing Mie Xie's.

"Since you wish to treat me as a stone on your path to Longevity, then let us test each other. But this is merely a sparring match—point and stop, without harming the friendship between Qunxing Sect and Yuhua Sect."

Fang Yu smiled.