Chapter 441: Pangu

After exiting the core region of the Peach Valley Secret Realm, Fang Xing sensed a ripple in the void and without hesitation seized Baiyuan Wu Qi, instantly teleporting to near Taoyuan Fortress.

"This… we made it out?"

Wu Qi's face was filled with relief, as if he had barely escaped death.

"Yes… we made it out…"

Fang Xing sighed.

"If I unleashed my willpower fully, could I catch Shi Qing off guard and kill her?"

"No—she's an Imperial Daughter; her chance of becoming a Heavenly Demon is high. She must have even more refined survival techniques… killing her is unlikely, and would only provoke a devastating counterattack."

"Besides, even if I did kill her, I'd face the furious revenge of the Azure Emperor's Palace…"

"Better to just escape. After all, I've already achieved my goal. Had I not already transformed my Qi into Immortal-grade, I wouldn't have escaped so easily…"

"I've already contacted Wuji Mountain to send someone to escort us away."

At this moment, Wu Qi connected to the Grand Void Secret Realm and said: "We've really shattered the heavens this time…"

The two demons arrived at Taoyuan Fortress and climbed to the city wall, waiting in silence.

Not long after, the sky suddenly rippled.

Whoosh!

The primordial energies of heaven and earth erupted, transforming into earth, fire, wind, and water.

Amidst the chaos, a colossal monkey with fur blazing with fire walked forward.

Its body blocked out the sun and moon, as if it were the very center and essence of this world!

"This…"

Fang Xing stared in surprise at Wu Qi beside him: "Wu Brother, you're incredible—you actually summoned the Great Sage Hun Tian to come rescue us?"

"No… not me…"

Wu Qi's mouth hung open as he muttered: "I only requested a Heavenly Immortal-class 'Grand Void Vessel' for extraction… why did the Ancestor come himself?"

"You two brats did well."

The Great Sage Hun Tian's furry hand reached out, snatching Fang Xing and Wu Qi into his grasp, his voice like thunder: "I just emerged from seclusion and heard the news—came along to pick you up."

"Ancestor…"

Wu Qi immediately bowed: "Your humble disciple… is overwhelmed with gratitude."

"Heh, no need for such formality. You killed those Wu Xie brothers—I'm delighted. And that Heavenly Wolf Emperor? The most shameless coward—he loves hiding and ambushing juniors."

The Great Sage Hun Tian turned toward another direction and barked: "Isn't that right?"

In the moonlight, a colossal wolf appeared, visibly fearful of the Great Sage Hun Tian, retreating step by step.

Wu Qi drew a deep breath, realizing he had once again danced on the edge of death.

If the Great Sage Hun Tian hadn't come personally to extract them, he would have been dead!

…

Baihou Mountain.

Amidst the vast wilderness, countless monkey demons climbed, played, and wrestled.

Boom!

As the earth trembled, a towering figure arrived atop Baihou Mountain.

"Thank you, Great Sage Hun Tian, for saving my life."

Fang Xing bowed quickly in gratitude.

"Wu Qi, you may leave."

The Great Sage Hun Tian sat cross-legged, giving a casual order.

"Yes, Ancestor!"

Wu Qi dared not question, retreating immediately.

On the vast peak, only Fang Xing remained, facing the colossal, sky-piercing figure of the monkey.

"Do you know… I only had slight ties with Qing Hua. My recommendation of you as a Core Member already repaid that debt."

The Great Sage Hun Tian said: "But during the last Core Assessment, I found your strength impressive—and your journey through the Peach Valley Secret Realm has truly impressed me."

Fang Xing listened quietly, his expression calm.

Life is like this—no kindness comes without reason.

Was he now lucky to still have value, reduced to a mere pawn?

"What task does the Great Sage require of me? Black Dragon will spare no effort," Fang Xing pledged.

"Hah…"

The Great Sage Hun Tian laughed: "I like your straightforwardness. Have you heard of the 'Pangu Secret Realm'?"

Fang Xing linked his consciousness to the Grand Void Secret Realm and immediately retrieved some information.

"This secret realm is extremely dangerous. The next opening is in fifty-three years… and Wuji Mountain has only three slots?"

From these few lines, he understood the Pangu Secret Realm was no ordinary place.

Even Core Members knew almost nothing—clearly, its secrecy level was extremely high.

"The Pangu Secret Realm permits only Mortal Realm Ninth Layer cultivators to enter, but within, one may break through to the Nascent Soul stage…"

The Great Sage Hun Tian said: "This realm holds many benefits—historically, more than one Imperial Weapon has emerged from it…"

Fang Xing fell silent.

He had just witnessed the Moon Blade Bow, an Imperial Weapon, and his pride in his body cultivation had been humbled.

"Moreover… based on prior records, those with talent in body cultivation stand a greater chance of gaining benefits within the Pangu Secret Realm…"

The Great Sage Hun Tian smiled: "Qiong Bai is out. When the next realm opens, you must eliminate Yun Futu or Ao Xin—and enter the Pangu Secret Realm."

"What exactly does the Great Sage require?" Fang Xing asked.

"I want many things—you'd best bring back an Imperial Weapon. But… the odds are slim."

The Great Sage Hun Tian said: "But the 'Chaos Wine' within the Pangu Secret Realm is unparalleled. If you're inclined, bring me a few jars."

"Understood."

Fang Xing accepted immediately.

As for Chaos Wine—he'd never heard of it, but that didn't matter.

He could always ask later.

"If you survive the Pangu Secret Realm, your chance of ascending to Heavenly Demon will greatly increase."

The Great Sage Hun Tian said: "You're walking… the most difficult path—the Dao of Time, correct?"

"Yes."

Fang Xing admitted without hesitation.

With the Great Sage Hun Tian's authority, he likely knew exactly when Fang Xing had purchased the "Cun Guang Yin" scripture.

"The Dao of Time is abstruse and arduous. Compared to other Daos, its final step is even harder. Take 'Shi Guang'—he was the perfect example. Had he chosen another Dao, he'd surely have attained the Heavenly Immortal rank, even the hope of merging with the Dao. Instead, he wasted his entire life stuck at the Nascent Soul Overlord stage, while many weaker cultivators later ascended to Heavenly Demon or Heavenly Immortal, gaining infinite lifespan."

The Great Sage Hun Tian said: "Are you certain… you still wish to walk this path?"

… Fang Xing responded with silence.

He had already assimilated the Zhulong blood—his Black Dragon body was best suited for the Dao of Time!

As for the later difficulty of fully comprehending it?

With his Attribute Panel, he feared no bottleneck.

"Good. Every cultivator must first possess self-confidence! If you changed your path because I merely spoke a word, you'd never have the hope of becoming a Heavenly Demon!"

The Great Sage Hun Tian grinned: "I once studied the Dao of Time myself—though I didn't go deep, only reaching the Fourth Level. Now, I'll demonstrate a technique for you. Pay close attention—learn what Time Stasis truly means."

In the next instant,

the Great Sage Hun Tian lightly flicked a furry finger.

Instantly, Fang Xing could barely sense the flow of time itself had "frozen."

He looked up at the sky and realized it was now night.

"How long was I frozen in time?"

He widened his eyes—he felt nothing.

"Seven days and seven nights."

The Great Sage Hun Tian ahead had vanished; only a towering, upright monkey stood before him: "Your master has prepared a cave for you. You may cultivate here on Baihou Mountain. In our sect, any item purchased from the Grand Void Illusion will arrive within three days at most."

"Thank you."

Fang Xing followed obediently, entering a cave and immediately entering seclusion to fully digest the vague insight he had gained.

At his stage, his Qi was already Immortal-grade—there was no further room for growth.

His body was the same.

Only his understanding of the Dao needed rapid advancement to Mastery of the Dao of Time, so he could break through to Nascent Soul directly within the Pangu Secret Realm—otherwise, trouble would be immense.

The gap between Mortal Realm and Nascent Soul was a chasm.

Simply put, if Fu Shan had broken through to Nascent Soul before fighting Fang Xing, he might have held his own—or at least escaped!

A major realm breakthrough brings comprehensive enhancement.

…

While Fang Xing was in seclusion, he did not know he had already become famous in Wuji Mountain and the Azure Emperor's Palace.

"What… killed three demon royal princes?"

In the Grand Void Illusion, Huo Lingzi—now demoted to a regular member—received this shocking news.

"Not only that... it's said to have clashed with the Empress Daughter of the Azure Emperor's Palace, and neither side emerged victorious."

Opposite Huo Lingzi stood the woman in the green dress.

Her expression was equally grave: "The Black Dragon's power now likely rivals Qiong Bai's. Neither Yun Futu nor Ao Xin could match it. We've seen many core members surge forward, but never one this fierce... Hehe, you once defeated the Black Dragon. Though you later lost, it was still a honorable defeat."

Hearing this, Huo Lingzi couldn't help but smile bitterly, feeling his past resentment and scheming had made him look like an idiot.

"So... does that mean the Black Dragon has already become a being on par with Qiong Bai?"

On the core peak, Yun Futu, clad in white robes, conversed face-to-face with a white jade dragon.

"Indeed... who could have imagined the Black Dragon would rise so fast? It was only ranked seventy-seventh back then... Now it seems to have hidden countless tricks—its bloodline must be some ancient dragon lineage we can't fathom..."

The white jade dragon spoke in a melodious female voice.

"Cough... cough..."

Yun Futu cleared his throat, aware of the demon race's reverence for bloodline, fearing the conversation might turn to something unsavory like breeding—he quickly changed the subject: "Now that the Black Dragon has emerged, it's clearly preparing for the next Pangu Secret Realm... The Pangu Secret Realm favors physical strength, giving your demon race a significant advantage."

Qiong Bai and Ao Xin were both demon race members; only Yun Futu represented the human faction of Wu Jie Mountain.

Thinking of it now, he felt a pang of melancholy—and even danger.

In fifty-three years, the Black Dragon will challenge for three slots. Who will yield?

Wu Jie Mountain doesn't care about equality or face—it must ensure at least one of the three slots goes to a human.

It's always the capable who rise, the incapable who fall!

If he loses, he'll have no chance at the Pangu Secret Realm—and among the current top three, he is the most vulnerable of all!

(End of Chapter)