Chapter 468: Doomsday Hourglass

Forbidden weapons cannot harm Fang Xing!

This means Fang Xing's individual combat power has exceeded the entire Blue Star Federation's limits.

Under these circumstances, any action is laughable.

"I move to promote Councilor Fang Xing to Federation Elder."

Finally, Zhi Oers spoke.

Federation Elder!

This is the most prestigious position in the Federation, unlike the magistrates, who rotate—it is a lifelong post.

Its meaning is simple—Eleventh Realm practitioner!

Or rather, only those who once broke through to the Eleventh Realm were eligible to become Federation Elders.

Of course, now we must add Fang Xing.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

…

None of the Nine Magistrates opposed or abstained; the proposal passed immediately.

"Good… next, we'll ask Omniscient Brain to upgrade Fang Xing Elder's access rights to Federation maximum…"

"Let's discuss the next agenda item: Fang Xing Elder's inspection of the Federation's Highest Scientific Research Institute…"

Zhi Oers swiftly entered official mode…

…

Though he said he'd enter seclusion, Fang Xing had returned rarely, so he decided to take a walk.

Fortunately, he can now teleport—faster than boarding a private starship and cutting through wormholes.

After receiving the reply from the Supreme Council, he instantly shifted his thoughts and vanished.

In a nebulous starfield, the cosmic background was empty, save for one pure white planet.

Its gravity and mass were nearly at the threshold of qualitative transformation into a neutron star.

"Arrived—Federation's Highest Scientific Research Institute…"

A flash in the void, and Fang Xing appeared outside the planet, immediately sensing dozens of weapons locking onto him.

Then… the mechanical voice of Omniscient Brain sounded:

【Identity confirmed: Fang Xing Elder. Access granted… Welcome to the Federation's Highest Scientific Research Institute!】

Instantly, all weapons returned to stillness.

In truth, even if they all fired at once, Fang Xing would remain utterly unfazed.

A ship streaked toward him as light, revealing an elderly man in a white lab coat—his age indeterminate, bald, eyes filled with thirst for truth, staring at Fang Xing with a hint of greed.

"Respected Elder Fang Xing, I am the institute's director—Shi Qingquan. Welcome, Elder, to guide our work."

Shi Qingquan's eyes gleamed.

Fang Xing knew such research fanatics had surely heard rumors and wanted to run a physical on him.

But he had no interest—he looked at Shi Qingquan and said directly: "I have a childhood friend named Liu Wei… he's here, right?"

"Yes, Liu…"

Shi Qingquan consulted his AI, then carefully replied: "Researcher Liu is an exceptional talent—we're preparing to promote him significantly!"

Fang Xing shook his head; with his access rights, he knew Liu Wei had been suffering lately.

Especially after his methods grew extreme, and his sensitive status led to discovery—he nearly ended up in prison.

But with me here, none of that matters.

"Our Federation is a free Federation. Liu Wei is a legitimate citizen. If one day he wishes to leave the institute, remember: freedom of movement."

Fang Xing said.

"Of course, of course…"

Shi Qingquan broke into a cold sweat and quickly agreed.

"Hmm… take me to the Forbidden Weapon Factory, then to the 'Doomsday Hourglass'…"

Of all things here, this was what Fang Xing found most intriguing.

He followed Shi Qingquan into a spatial bubble, and the world instantly transformed.

When he reappeared, he stood in another cosmic void.

In this void, only one neutron star underwent a strange transformation project.

The number of Federation Forbidden Weapons has always been a mystery.

Fang Xing knew only that the founding headmaster possessed one.

And here, at the Highest Scientific Institute, another was under construction.

"This is the Forbidden Weapon—DE-31!"

"It simultaneously serves multiple cutting-edge research tasks…"

"Simply put, it can be called a 'Neutron Star Combat Automaton,' while also exploring the possibility of a Twelfth Realm mech…"

Shi Qingquan explained as simply as possible.

"Neutron Star Mech?"

Fang Xing nodded; indeed, most paths eventually converged.

This Forbidden Weapon, if built conventionally, would be a Neutron Star Combat Automaton.

Moreover, it retained interfaces for future Eleventh Realm mech masters to upgrade it—maximizing resource utilization.

"Excellent… excellent…"

Fang Xing came here not only to see this Neutron Star Mech, but for a more vital purpose: "Take me to the Doomsday Hourglass…"

"Yes."

At the mention of it, Shi Qingquan's expression grew heavier.

After security checks stricter than those for viewing Forbidden Weapons, they entered a pure white laboratory. Through the glass window, Fang Xing saw nothing inside but an hourglass.

Inside the hourglass flowed crimson sand, descending at a slow, uneven pace.

Even the sand's flow rate varied—sometimes fast, sometimes slow, wildly irregular, impossible to estimate.

"The Doomsday Hourglass is a model designed after confirming the Creator's existence—through demonic rituals and scientific prediction—to monitor the Dream Gods and roughly determine the Creator's awakening time…"

Shi Qingquan said: "The flow rate of the crimson sand changes with events in the real universe… Of course, few can influence this rate—but Elder, your collapse of the Chaos Flame absolutely pushed our Doomsday Clock forward by a tick… According to the Hourglass's calculations, the sand's descent speed has increased since then."

"Rough estimate?"

Fang Xing asked, expression unchanged.

"Ten years!"

Shi Qingquan gritted his teeth: "Within ten years, the Creator has a high probability of awakening… At that time, humanity of the Blue Star Federation will face its final judgment."

"Ten years?"

Fang Xing nodded: "I understand."

…

"Ten years…"

Qianyuan Immortal Realm.

Hanhai, Death God Island.

Fang Xing's immortal avatar had finally returned here.

He murmured, staring at his hands: "Ordinary Completion of the Spirit Transformation Realm—yet combat power at Ninth Realm limit. Void Refinement is only Tenth Realm. Body Union is Eleventh Realm. Great Ascension Ancestor is Twelfth Realm. Even in the Spirit Realm, there may be no Thirteenth Realm True Immortal beings, right?"

"But my breakthrough was still useful."

After obtaining the Panwu Scripture, Fang Xing confirmed his earlier plan—balancing essence, qi, and spirit, resonating the three dantians to break through the Tenth Realm of Martial Arts—was viable.

Moreover, such a breakthrough might not merely be Tenth Realm Martial Arts—it could trigger a leap.

"Essence, qi, spirit… Essence is the lower dantian, the physical body—already at Tenth Realm. Qi is the source power from the Star Palace Scroll—I'm at Ninth Realm planetary level, close to Tenth.

"Spirit is the upper dantian—the Solar Deity Grid…"

"When I break through Void Refinement, and my main body breaks through, my avatar will return instantly. With the Tenth Realm power of all four systems, I will absolutely break through the Tenth Realm of Martial Arts!"

…

As he pondered, several beams of light shot in—led by Qiong Xianzi, master of Piaomiao Immortal Palace, followed by Tai Bai Sword Immortal, Fire Dragon True Lord, and others.

"We pay homage to the Island Master."

They bowed respectfully, faces almost feverish.

After all, uniting the entire Immortal Realm by oneself—no cultivator in history had achieved such a feat.

Not to mention, this Sword Grandmaster had a senior who could crush a Realm-Transcending Void Refinement cultivator to death.

"I plan to enter seclusion for a few years to break through Void Refinement."

Fang Xing spoke, as if stating the obvious.

In truth, it was indeed inevitable.

Void Refinement now was simply a matter of breaking through whenever he wished.

"Once I reach Void Refinement, I will ascend. When that happens, the affairs of this mortal realm will be left to you."

Fang Xing casually assigned duties.

Qiong Xianzi and the others were both eager and uneasy.

Naturally, they hoped that with the resources of the entire realm, someone among them might achieve Spirit Transformation Grandmaster—or even Void Refinement and ascend.

What caused unease was the loss of the supreme strongman who had suppressed them—no one knew if Death Island could still maintain its unified rule.

Fang Xing's attitude toward this? He didn't care.

After all, his unification of the cultivation world was merely to plunder resources and fuel his own growth.

Now that his goal was achieved, he didn't care what became of the incidental byproducts of the process.

"Alright, you may leave."

Fang Xing waved his hand, radiating an aura of cosmic indifference.

Under such circumstances, even Immortal Qiong dared not speak, departing with heavy thoughts to alert Piaomiao Immortal Palace to prepare in advance.

……

"Ten years…"

Only the cultivation avatar sighed softly, left behind.

"Within ten years, I must break through the Star Palace Scroll, then the cultivation avatar… With all these conditions, forge the strongest martial foundation."

Indeed, according to the Pan Wu Da Dian, Fang Xing's current Ten Realms of Martial Dao are still merely a foundational stage.

Fang Xing himself could not refute this.

"If the Creator were in full strength, I would most likely be unable to defeat Him…"

"But my understanding surpasses His. The Pan Wu Da Dian contains many esoteric arts—among them, one specifically targets this scenario…"

"When the Creator is in poor condition, once I break through the Ten Realms of Martial Dao, He will be drawn into a Dao struggle with me…"

"And only after entering the True Self Principle can I better wield the esoteric arts within the Pan Wu Da Dian…"

"With foreknowledge against ignorance, there is at least some chance."

"Of course, the worst case is that I gamble too much and still change nothing—only to die, with my true spirit reincarnating… Huh? My original body was already fake to begin with; dying wouldn't matter… Perfect—I'll let my true spirit reincarnate, whether into Great Xia or Qingyuan Great Realm, both far vaster than the Main Universe, offering far greater possibilities and hope!"

"If all else fails… I'll wait until I achieve eternity—or even transcendence—then come back to seek revenge on this Creator!"

The cultivation avatar of Fang Xing gazed into the dark, finally falling silent…

(End of Chapter)