Chapter 450: Transcendence

"True Spirit..."

Fang Xing's gaze flickered—his soul had three layers: heart, will, spirit.

Divine sense and soul force were merely the outermost layer, with the most cultivation techniques and secrets focused there.

The power of will was the middle layer, elusive and intangible; cultivation methods and secrets related to will were exceedingly rare, even for Heavenly Demons and Heavenly Immortals to obtain.

The final layer, spirit, referred to the True Spirit!

The True Spirit was the most illusory; Fang Xing could strengthen his will through martial training, but as for cultivating the True Spirit or secrets tied to it, he had only just encountered one "True Spirit Talisman"!

"I crossed through the Gates of All Realms with my True Spirit... therefore, if the True Spirit Talisman's effect acts directly upon the True Spirit, it can certainly be taken with me!"

"With this talisman, after returning to the Main Universe, I'll have a trump card against that Dream Creator."

But what if the True Spirit Talisman had been tampered with?

Fang Xing was inside the Pangu Secret Realm, and Wu Lao was a being rivaling or even surpassing a Heavenly Demon!

He was already at their mercy—any tampering could happen at any moment.

"Besides... I still have my Golden Finger and the Great Sun Tathagata Spell... if anything's amiss, I'll surely notice..."

Fang Xing had made his decision and spoke: "I want the Pangu Wu Dian, the True Spirit Talisman, and the Age Mirror."

Considering he would eventually leave, taking inheritance treasures was clearly the most advantageous choice.

Moreover, the inheritance of the Pangu Wu Dian was clearly far superior to those available in the Dou Tian Palace!

If the True Spirit Talisman's effect could be taken along, it would be an even greater gain.

For the remaining item, Fang Xing chose a time-related artifact for enlightenment.

After all, regarding the Void, he could carefully sense the spatial origin while crossing the Gates of All Realms—far better than any enlightenment artifact.

As for Emperor Weapons?

Fang Xing had always coveted his Qinghua Master's legacy, but knew he couldn't take it—so he didn't want it.

"Hmm?"

Wu Lao was slightly surprised but said nothing.

A disciple's choice was their own freedom; he had no authority to alter it—it was a rule etched into his very being!

"Very well."

He gave a slight nod; six of the nine light screens vanished instantly. Of the three remaining, two disappeared, leaving only a silver talisman and a bronze ancient mirror.

"True Spirit Talisman, Age Mirror!"

Fang Xing reached out—upon touching the True Spirit Talisman, it vanished instantly, without him feeling a thing.

"The True Spirit Talisman has already begun its work, guarding your True Spirit... When you die completely, its effect will activate—though you certainly won't want to experience it..."

Wu Lao chuckled.

Fang Xing nodded and took the Age Mirror.

The bronze mirror was no larger than a palm, entirely bronze in hue, with slight rust marks along its edges.

He gazed into its surface and immediately saw reflected within—a formless, indescribable mass of "Origin of Time..."

"Excellent treasure."

Fang Xing nodded and casually stowed the Age Mirror.

"And the Pangu Wu Dian—this is the Master's most precious inheritance!"

Wu Lao's figure flashed forward, pressing one finger against Fang Xing's third eye.

Fang Xing froze, then instantly, a chaotic-colored ancient scripture surfaced in his mind.

Most of it was obscured by chaotic qi; now, he could only see a small portion.

"'Pangu Wu Dao' begins with 'Martial,' and is sustained by 'True Self Dao Principle...'"

"What? True Self Dao Principle?"

Fang Xing's heart surged like a storm, yet his face showed no change.

In the Main Universe, if one broke through the Ten Realms via Blue Star martial arts, one could enter the True Self Law!

"But that's only natural—any martial cultivator centers on the self, with an extremely strong sense of self... most suited to the True Self Law: with the fist of True Self, crush all illusions; beyond my martial Dao, nothing else exists..."

"Enough. You've taken what you needed. I hope one day you'll break through to Heavenly Demon, even Demon Emperor... and become the Master's formal disciple—or even his direct disciple."

Wu Lao nodded, pointing to a corner of the palace: "Swear by the Causality Stone not to reveal this place's secrets. Then I'll return you to the Dou Tian Palace, to await the Secret Realm's end..."

Fang Xing remained lost in the Pangu Wu Dao, his expression dazed, yet he still walked over and swore the Causality Dao Oath.

Then, a flash of light—and his form vanished...

"Another provisional disciple... when will the Master return?"

Wu Lao gazed at the spot where Fang Xing had disappeared, his expression deeply sentimental.

He was a strange lifeform created by the Master, with only one duty: maintain the Pangu Secret Realm's operation and select truly outstanding disciples.

"This one is decent enough... but still just average..."

"Even one provisional disciple from this opening of the Secret Realm is already a full harvest..."

Wu Lao's gaze grew deep, as if seeing the locations of other trialists.

Yet even "Qian Tian Zi" failed to stir even a flicker of interest in him.

That was normal.

In past dozens or hundreds of openings of the Pangu Secret Realm, if even one trialist reached the core area, it was already considered exceptional. "Sleep... wait for the next opening..."

Just as Wu Lao prepared to fall asleep, a voice suddenly echoed through the hall: "Little Wu..."

"That voice... the Master?"

Wu Lao's eyes filled with tears as he knelt prostrate: "One thousand three hundred and sixty-seven cycles... you've finally returned?"

"I discovered a very interesting little fellow, so I activated the Eternal Mark I left here..."

A deep voice resonated as the Pangu Wu Dao Stele thundered.

Then, a towering, godlike figure stepped down directly from the Dao Stele, his face still blurred.

"That stone dragon with the Candle Dragon bloodline?"

Wu Lao instantly understood: "This old servant was foolish—I never imagined the Master would be stirred by him. Clearly, he possesses some talent I failed to see..."

Fang Xing's previous twelve provisional disciples included several who broke through Chaos Realm, yet none had triggered the Pangu Wu's Eternal Mark to manifest—clearly, he possessed some extremely special "talent."

"The handiwork of a Transcendent... naturally beyond your perception."

Pangu Wu chuckled lightly.

"Transcendent?"

Wu Lao trembled: "It's the work of a Transcendent?"

"Indeed... I've traveled countless great realms and cosmic seas, seeking Transcendents—but never once met one..."

Pangu Wu sighed: "Only upon reaching the Eternal Realm did I realize we're all drowning in the sea of suffering—we're all fish in water, while Transcendents have already stepped ashore..."

"Then, Master, are you going to...?"

Wu Lao's eyes flickered.

"No... I dare not interfere with anyone a Transcendent takes interest in. Such a great being might, with a single thought, trap me in my own web."

"I've come only to take a look, and forge a good connection."

Wu Lao was stunned—his Master, the being who sought to shatter the Dao and force the Dao to acknowledge him, was... smiling bitterly?

Even, as if utterly disillusioned?

"Wu Lao may have a strange sense of humor, but he's still a decent man..."

Before the Dou Tian Palace.

Fang Xing reached out and touched the stone tablet: "Thirty-two Pangu Tokens can buy plenty of good things... wait, before the Secret Realm ends, I can still keep pushing."

His expression shifted—he flew into the Dou Tian Palace and ascended to the seventh level.

The seventh level of the Dou Tian Palace was a vast valley filled with birdsong and blossoms.

A female demon with emerald eyes and a serpent's tail flew out: "Green Slave greets the Young Master... though you're already the Master's provisional disciple, I won't hold back."

"Soul Sovereign... Life Dao Principle?"

Fang Xing drew a deep breath—he knew he faced a true opponent.

"Correct. I've delved deeply into the 'Life-Death Dao,' yet found Death Dao interferes with my Life Dao, preventing me from achieving perfection..."

Green Slave's face showed a trace of regret: "Fortunately, the Master is here—his Eternal power grants me eternal life within this realm, or I would have long since perished from old age..."

"The methods of an Eternal Realm cultivator are truly unfathomable."

Fang Xing sighed, pulling out the palm-sized bronze Age Mirror: "This place... seems to permit the use of treasures."

"Naturally," Green Slave smiled sweetly: "External tools are part of one's strength... though if you possess a one-time-use artifact capable of unleashing Heavenly Demon or even Demon Emperor power, even if you pass, Wu Lao won't recognize your success—nor grant any reward..."

"Hmm. These Secret Realms have strict rules and a Secret Realm Spirit as a correction mechanism—very flexible. Hard to exploit loopholes."

Fang Xing nodded, stowed the Age Mirror: "Then I'll begin."

Boom!

No sooner had he spoken than a vortex of temporal chaos swirled around him, and a vast temporal realm crashed down.

Instantly, his form teleported before the serpent woman and he struck out with a palm.

From her body, countless flowers, green leaves, and vines surged forth, brimming with supreme vitality.

Where Fang Xing's black hole power passed, even space-time was twisted, annihilated, and devoured...

But those green plants kept growing amid destruction, radiating a different kind of vitality.

"A master of the Life Dao has immense life force—hardest to kill... and I also wield the Death Dao..."

The serpent woman's body swelled instantly, rising to ten thousand zhang tall; in her hands, strands of pitch-black Daoic power coalesced into a spear.

Whizz!

She hurled the spear in her hand—even a sixth-layer black-armored man would be shattered alive by this strike.

Fang Xing extended his right index finger and tapped lightly.

His finger was pale and delicate... yet at its tip lay a black dot, twisting wildly and devouring everything around it, like a black hole.

Boom!

The Death Spear struck the black hole on his fingertip—and was instantly twisted, devoured... vanished without a trace.

A shadow flashed; Fang Xing stood before the serpent woman, his body lunging forward like a colossal arrow.

Rustle-rustle!

A verdant ocean descended, plunging him into a life-swamp where his peerless physique and immense strength vanished in an instant.

"You've only been beyond the Mortal Realm for a few years, yet you've reached the power of a Nascent Soul Overlord—remarkable indeed. But alas... among Nascent Soul Overlords, there are still strengths and weaknesses."

The serpent woman's green slave summoned a dark-green longsword, its hilt adorned with vines and flowers, and lightly thrust it toward Fang Xing.

(End of Chapter)