Chapter 161

「I... I now possess the ability that only cultivators of the Longevity Secret Realm have—the ability of a qi-eater, making deities immortal? 」

In the Return to the Void passage, after Yan was dazed, a pair of large eyeballs bulged out, staring at the countless threads extending from his body into unknown spacetime, constantly sizing them up, he let out a trembling low roar.

The numerous threads on his body were exactly the same as those on Chen Zheng's body—there were also nine hundred and ninety-nine of them, each like a hollow void conduit, currently drawing pure yang energy from unknown spacetime fissures, endlessly.

Too unbelievable!

Chen Zheng merely pointed a single finger, infusing an obscure and hard-to-understand "Ji" character into his glabella, and thus he obtained this ability countless cultivators dream of.

It completely overturned his cognition!

It also made him feel ever more reverent toward Chen Zheng.

Yan secretly made up his mind: from now on he must fiercely fawn over Chen Zheng, cling to his thick thigh, and never let go, even if beaten to death.

If he does the fawning well, his future achievements might surpass the Yellow Springs Great Emperor.

Even asking Chen Zheng to help resurrect the Yellow Springs Great Emperor is not impossible.

"Senior Brother Chen treats me too well, actually bestowing such a terrifying ability upon me! Compared to the ability Senior Brother Chen granted me, my World Tree sapling is nothing— not even a pile of dog dung by the roadside!"

Like Yan, Fang Han looked at the numerous threads on his body and also felt Chen Zheng's methods were beyond belief.

And gratitude toward Chen Zheng.

And ecstatic joy.

He was so ecstatic he almost threw the feces in his hand— oh no, he almost flung the World Tree sapling away.

With this ability granted by Chen Zheng, his cultivation will progress to the extreme; even 'a thousand miles a day' is insufficient to describe it.

Fang Han estimated that, according to the amount drawn by those threads on his body, in just one day he could gather pure yang energy equivalent to tens of millions, even up to a hundred million Baiyang Pills— what need is there for a World Tree sapling?

A hundred million a day!

This is equivalent to a cultivator at the Second Layer of the Longevity Undying Body realm serving Fang Han as a slave, constantly drawing pure yang energy and pouring it all into him.

If this continues, for Fang Han to advance to the Longevity Secret Realm in a short time would not be difficult at all.

Moreover!

Now, having only drawn for a short while, Fang Han feels his realm loosening, about to break through to the Fifth Layer of Divine Ability immediately.

He can't even suppress it.

Boom—

Fang Han's body emitted a violent roaring sound, like countless Xuanhuang fierce horses trampling and charging into battle.

That was his body's Wood Emperor's Vigorous Qi surging wildly, boiling, and gradually condensing into a grand formation.

He advanced to the Fifth Layer of Divine Ability, the Heaven-Human Realm, thereafter enjoying a lifespan of eight hundred years, earning the title of True Person.

"Junior Brother Fang, your foundation is mighty; upon breakthrough you reach the strength of 200,000 Xuanhuang fierce horses, several times that of peers at the same realm— not bad, not bad." Chen Zheng saw through Fang Han's internal state and gave a slight nod.

"My meager magical power, how could it compare to Senior Brother Chen?" Fang Han slowly finished his work, face humble, bowed to Chen Zheng: "Thanks to Senior Brother Chen granting me the realm of the qi-eater, deities do not die, I was able to advance; otherwise I wouldn't know how long I'd be stuck in the Yin-Yang Realm."

"Yes yes yes, Xiao Long also wants to thank Senior Brother Chen for the gift; without Senior Brother Chen there would be no me! Senior Brother Chen, you are my reborn parents!"

Yan saw Fang Han bowing to Chen Zheng, and hurriedly bowed as well, his dragon eyes full of fawning, his whole body prostrated at Chen Zheng's feet, rubbing his head against Chen Zheng's leg and wagging his tail nonstop.

Fang Han saw this scene and was dumbfounded.

Yan's true form as a flood dragon was once a supreme Dao artifact, its own strength also very great, equivalent to a realm several layers beyond Longevity, and he knows much.

Therefore, when Yan speaks with him, he intentionally or unintentionally reveals arrogance, posing as one who points out the land, and constantly brags to him about how mighty he was in the past, following the Yellow Springs Great Emperor to conquer the world, opposing the Taiyi Sect, roaming the myriad realms, and having slain immortals in the upper celestial realm.

Fang Han heard Yan's bragging stories; although he sometimes thought Yan was offbeat, he also felt Yan was extremely formidable, giving off an inscrutable aura.

But now, Yan has not the slightest trace of that inscrutable demeanor; he is completely just a lapdog.

Fang Han can almost be certain that, if Chen Zheng agrees, Yan would on the spot call Chen Zheng 'dad'.

This is too much fawning, with not a shred of integrity.

"No, I can't let this guy Yan steal the spotlight." Fang Han thought more and more it was bad; he hurriedly shouted at Chen Zheng: "Senior Brother Chen, I also want to thank you; upon returning to the Feather Ascension Sect, I will immediately submit a petition to Feng Baiyu, urging him to abdicate in favor of virtue, so that you may become the supreme sect leader."

Chen Zheng hearing this felt somewhat helpless; he kicked the Yan who was rubbing against his leg away, kicking him onto Fang Han's body, where he merged into the Flood Dragon Subduing Yellow Springs Diagram.

Only then did he wave his hand at Fang Han, saying: "No need for this; I am no longer a person of the Feather Ascension Sect..."

He told Fang Han about the conflict after his last return to the Feather Ascension Sect with Ruyizi, Wang Daoling, etc., how Wu Mingkong wanted to test him, and ultimately how he broke with the Feather Ascension Sect.

"There's such a thing?" Fang Han was startled, indignant: "Wu Mingkong actually treats Senior Brother like that? I too want to leave the Feather Ascension Sect, and in the future will exterminate them completely!"

Chen Zheng waved his hand: "No need to go that far; you can simply remain in the Feather Ascension Sect."

He reached out and grasped; a dark gold token condensed in his hand, he waved it toward Fang Han, saying: "I'm leaving; you go train on your own. If there is any disturbance in the Feather Ascension Sect in the future, use this token to send word to me."

Having said that, he vanished from the spot.

Above the vast ocean, on a white cloud.

Chen Zheng waved his hand, and the smoke-water suppressed within the Ten Directions Five Elements Pagoda was released.

As soon as this woman appeared, before she could even observe her surroundings, she heard Chen Zheng command her: "Take me to the Fangtooth Islands to find Fan Qingying."

"How do you know?" Smoke-Water Yi expressed surprise and uncertainty.

How could Chen Zheng know those two names, Fan Qingying and the Fangtooth Islands?

And moreover assume she knows Fan Qingying, knows where the Fangtooth Islands are, and have her lead the way?

You must know that for years, the Forty Great Thieves have burned, killed, and plundered at sea, infamous.

But outsiders only know that the chief of the Forty Great Thieves is Qitian Dao, ranked first on the Longevity Candidates list, and they do not know Fan Qingying's real name.

They don't even know whether that person is male or female.

The Fangtooth Islands are Fan Qingying's lair, extremely concealed; besides her, hardly any outsider knows of it.

Even the vast majority of members of the Forty Great Thieves only know that the Fangtooth Islands are in the Great Northern Ocean, but not the exact location.

Otherwise, the news would have leaked long ago, and Fan Qingying would not be alive today, having already been exterminated by the strong of all sects.

Seeing Smoke-Water Yi not answer, Chen Zheng furrowed his brow, cold-faced, saying: "I told you to lead the way—didn't you hear? Do you want me to first beat you up badly, then search your soul?"

He clenched his hand, and a magical long whip of mana coalesced in his grasp, thick and sturdy, its tail studded with upright barbs.

"No… I don't want to, I'll lead the way."

Yan Shuiyi stared at the long whip in Chen Zheng's hand, its barbs glinting with a chilling light, her complexion paling slightly; she instinctively tightened her legs and muttered under her breath that Chen Zheng was a pervert who didn't cherish beauty, a pervert, and that no matter how strong he was, he would never find a Dao companion, destined to be lonely forever.

Yet the situation outweighed her, and she had no recourse but to obediently accept her fate, determine direction over the sea, and fly toward the location of the Fang Tooth Archipelago with Chen Zheng.

As for what will become of Fan Qingying after she brings Chen Zheng to the Fang Tooth Archipelago—whether she'll be subdued into a dog or slain outright—she no longer cares.

Fan Qingying, may you pray for your own blessings.

"If you keep flying like this, how long will it last?"

Chen Zheng thought Yan Shuiyi's speed too slow, stepped forward, activated the True Demon Illusion Divine Path, enveloping her as they traversed the void, leaping over the ocean, each instant covering millions of li.

"How can you be this fast!" Yan Shuiyi cried out, her voice breaking, feeling her vision blur and her thoughts unable to keep up with Chen Zheng's speed, as if teleporting.

At this speed, even a Second‑tier Immortal wielding the legendary Great Relocation Technique would fall far short.

Only a cultivator who has reached the Third‑tier Immortal, tearing space to rush, might match Chen Zheng's pace.

The Sevenfold Divine Skill is comparable to a Third‑tier Immortal's speed—truly terrifying.

Now that she's in his grasp, she may never have a chance to escape.

"Whether I'm fast or not, do you want to try it yourself?" Chen Zheng glared at Yan Shuiyi, making her blush; she bit her lip and lowered her head.

Meanwhile, as they spoke, they had already covered over 200 million li across the sea sky.

"Mas—Master, the Fang Tooth Archipelago is ahead," Yan Shuiyi suddenly pointed toward the distance.

Chen Zheng followed Yan Shuiyi's pointing finger.

In the far horizon, massive peaks rose from the sea, piercing the clouds, as if linking sea and sky.

The numerous peaks resembled fangs, densely packed, forming three thousand islands, each exuding an extremely fierce murderous aura that seemed to devour heaven and earth, also shrouding the islands so outsiders could not see what lay on them.

Yan Shuiyi seemed to have fully resigned, assuming the role of a dog, and said, "Master, those islands aren't ordinary isles or reefs; they are the teeth of the Ancient Taotie, which Fan Qingying somehow acquired, three thousand teeth in total, forming this Fang Tooth Archipelago."

"Hmm, indeed they are the teeth of the Ancient Taotie," Chen Zheng nodded slightly.

The Ancient Taotie is a delectable divine beast that roams among the stars, devouring whatever it encounters, more ferocious than the Kunpeng, and even the Ancient Giants of the Immortal Secret Realm fear it greatly.

As the saying goes, to eat well you need good teeth first; the Ancient Taotie's teeth are excellent, serving as premium material for forging Dao artifacts.

Chen Zheng planned to pocket them later, bring them back to the Land of Five Elements, and give them to Jia Lan and the others to make mountains.

Yan Shuiyi turned to Chen Zheng and whispered, "Master, this Fang Tooth Archipelago has been arranged by Fan Qingying into a Taotie Grand Formation; anyone who attempts to breach it will be devoured, even the Ancient Giants cannot resist. Moreover, I once saw an Ancient Giant of Mount Di Shi beside Fan Qingying, named Hentian Daoist, who is extremely powerful. To be safe, shall we first hide, have me send a message to Fan Qingying to emerge from the archipelago to meet us, then you ambush and suppress her in one strike, after which we can together deal with that Hentian Daoist?"

Chen Zheng, hearing this, turned his head and stared at her with a strange gaze.

Where's the promised close confidante?

How did we become plastic sisters?

"What's wrong, Master?"

Seeing Chen Zheng looking at her silently, Yan Shuiyi touched her own face—does she have a flower on her cheek?

"Nothing."

Chen Zheng's gaze shifted from her face back to the distant Fang Tooth Archipelago, casually saying, "No need to go through all that trouble."

As he spoke, a long arm shot forward, extending continuously, and in an instant transformed into a sky‑covering giant palm that pressed down over a region of ten thousand li, striking the Fang Tooth Archipelago like a thunderclap from the heavens.

Boom!

Sensing a powerful foe, the Fang Tooth Archipelago's three thousand islands trembled, resonating with each other, erupting a thick, mercury‑like black fog that boiled like seething water, forming a massive Taotie—terrifying and ferocious, devouring heaven and earth, its roar shaking mountains and seas, its gaping maw lunging toward Chen Zheng's grasped palm, intent on swallowing his hand whole.

Yet before it could reach the giant palm, it was crushed into nothingness by the cascade of star‑river‑like magical energy falling between the palm's fingers.

With a booming crack, the giant palm clamped down; five finger‑like pillars descended into the sea, raising countless massive waves, and with a firm squeeze it seized all three thousand islands of the Fang Tooth Archipelago, pulling them out of the water alive.

"Enemy attack!"

"Run quickly!"

"Ah…"

The murderous aura shielding the Fang Tooth Archipelago, upon contacting the five giant fingers, burst apart, revealing the scenery inside the islands.

The islands turned out to be a hidden realm, dotted with palaces everywhere, clear mountains and pure waters, birdsong and fragrant blossoms, white apes offering fruit—a paradise beyond description.

The grand halls housed countless cultivators, as well as myriad divine lords and god‑king‑level divine races, numbering in the tens of thousands, each either panicked or hysterically roaring, unleashing divine skills as they burst from collapsing palaces, all trying to fly off the islands that Chen Zheng held in his palm.

Yet all was in vain; the giant palm quivered slightly, turning all those cultivators and divine beings into blood mist.

Not a single one left.

"Where are Fan Qingying and her people?"

Chen Zheng scanned the three thousand massive‑tooth islands on the giant palm, his brows slightly raising.

He did not see Fan Qingying or Hentian Divine Emperor on them.

Could she have gone out?

He retracted the giant palm, folding the numerous Fang Tooth islands into a chaotic space, and ordered Yan Shuiyi beside him, "Now send a message to Fan Qingying, ask where she is."

"Oh!"

Yan Shuiyi, startled by Chen Zheng's ferocity, recovered, quickly took out a five‑colored jade talisman and activated an inquisitive divine thought into it.

But after a while, no responsive divine thought emerged from the five‑colored jade talisman.

"Sister Fan Qingying, I've come to find you?" Yan Shuiyi again poured divine thought into the talisman.

Seeing the talisman still unresponsive, Yan Shuiyi hesitated, "Master, I can't reach her."

"Can't reach her?" Chen Zheng stroked his chin, pondering briefly, "Could she have gone there?"

(End of chapter)