Chapter 623: The Original Awakens

"Hehe…"

Peach Red's face suddenly flushed with rosy blushes, thick layers of white powder caked on her skin.

In an instant, she seemed to have transformed from a living flesh-and-blood person into a paper doll's face.

"It appears to be an advanced application of paper-shadow art—Peach Red hasn't been turned into a paper puppet, but her fate isn't much better."

Fang Xing saw this scene, his heart neither sorrowful nor joyful.

He and Peach Red were merely acquaintances; all debts and grudges had already been settled.

Now seeing her like this, he could only say it was her own choice.

"Truly unimaginable—a mere slave from Paper Slave Valley a century ago, now risen to become a Yangshen True Lord, even refining the Origami Secret Art to such a degree…"

A faint voice emanated from Peach Red's face: "It was my failure as an elder. Had I recognized your fine talent earlier, I would have made you the sect's Sacred Disciple and nurtured you with all my heart… These small gifts, I offer them to you, how about that?"

She raised her hand, and a transparent orb floated from her palm, within which countless faces writhed and screamed in torment…

"The souls of all past overseers of Paper Slave Valley, except those who died in battle, are here."

"Blood Shadow Ancestor… don't bother with such trivial matters."

Fang Xing waved his hand, and behind him, a terrifying dragon shadow rose, exuding overwhelming dragon pressure.

"You're not mid-stage Yangshen—you're late-stage Yangshen?!"

The Blood Shadow Ancestor's voice grew shriller: "How is this possible?"

"Existence is reason enough… I've said this many times: I won't play your dangerous game."

Fang Xing smiled: "I don't want to hear any of your enticements. And if you provoke me, I'll join the Killing Sect outright—with my current strength, can your defenses still hold?"

When one's power reaches this level, one can overturn the table and threaten at will.

Fang Xing's words carried immense lethal weight.

When Peach Red regained consciousness, she found herself no longer in the Paper House Dimension, but back on Greenwood Ridge.

"What of our Ancestor?"

Peach Red looked at Fang Xing, hesitating.

"Her divine thought has already self-destroyed. You have two choices: return to Blood Shadow Sect to keep fighting, or stay in Nature Sect."

Fang Xing spoke calmly: "This is the final chance I give you, out of respect for our past acquaintance."

Peach Red stared at Fang Xing, stunned.

Had that boy, once nearly beaten to death by whips, truly grown into a great figure of the cultivation world?

Too bad, back then, she herself had been…

…

Time flowed swiftly like water.

After securing strategic peace and claiming full authority over Greenwood Ridge, Fang Xing began planting trees with full force.

A full-power legendary Druid's afforestation speed was terrifying.

Only a few years passed, and nearly no trace of human presence remained on Greenwood Ridge—it had all become a wild jungle.

Even some Nature Sect disciples complained of inconvenient living conditions; low-level disciples without protective arrays often woke to find snakes, monkeys, and large-antlered deer wandering everywhere… and insects everywhere.

Yet these complaints were forcibly suppressed by Fei Yong and Peach Red.

Yes, after much deliberation, Peach Red had chosen to remain in Nature Sect.

Returning to Blood Shadow Sect would mean a 90% chance of being used as cannon fodder.

The horrific death rate on the front lines had become a nightmare for all cultivators beyond the mortal realm.

In contrast, the Killing Sect seemed to relish it, growing stronger with every battle.

After all, whether enemy or ally, every death brought them divine grace and advancement.

One day.

"By my calculations, it's almost time for another upgrade…"

"Isn't it said that after becoming legendary, each level-up becomes harder?"

"But I've planted more and more trees—it's become a snowball effect… exponential growth, even closing the massive experience gap?"

Fang Xing's heart stirred, sensing another influx of natural experience.

He shuddered, glancing at his status bar:

【You have received a Natural Baptism. Druid level increased to 21!】

【You have gained a new talent—'Beyond Divine Sight'!】

【Beyond Divine Sight: Your fate is shrouded in a veil of destiny mist. Gods may see most of the world, but they cannot see you.】

"This talent… not bad…"

Before Fang Xing could rejoice, his expression suddenly changed.

He now felt as if he had become Greenwood Ridge itself, enduring countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters…

The four seasons turned, heaven's course remained constant.

Tiny emerald lights emerged from the evergreen trees, the air, the earth, the rivers—automatically converging toward him.

The emerald glow grew brighter, finally condensing into a single droplet-shaped jade crystal that fell onto his forehead.

It touched his skin lightly, then fully merged within.

"This is…"

Fang Xing felt his very life essence change, and looked at his status bar:

【You have gained one point of 'Natural Divinity'!】

【Your life essence has elevated—you have become a Divine Being. You may now receive worship and incense power… your lifespan has increased dramatically!】

【Detected: You possess the 'Ageless' talent. Your lifespan cap has been removed!】

"Divinity?"

"Indeed, as long as I persist in planting trees, everything comes."

Fang Xing's expression glowed with excitement.

He activated his secret technique, guiding the single point of natural divinity into his Yin Spirit. Divinity was the purest, most vast, and yang-bright force.

Within his late-stage Yin Spirit, the Golden Core seed of his spiritual power surfaced and merged with the emerald natural divinity.

In an instant, his soul was filled with life force, not a trace of yin left.

"One pure yang swallowed, my fate is mine, not heaven's."

"I… have achieved Yangshen."

"Indeed, this divinity's effect far surpasses the Pure Yang Pill—almost effortless breakthrough."

Fang Xing murmured, glancing at his status bar:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 115/∞】

【Class: Druid Level 21】

【Realm: Yangshen Early Stage】

Every single line is correct!

【Talents: Natural Affinity, Wild Shape, Plant Growth, Toxin Immunity, Youthful Vigor, Thorn Whip, Barkskin, Natural Healing, Tree Summoning, Tree Shepherd, Toughness, Combat Casting, Enlightenment, Regeneration, Ageless Body, Natural Summoning, Advanced Natural Healing, Nature's Wrath, Ageless, Beyond Divine Sight】

【Skills: Perfect Hands (Master 800/800), Origami Art (Master 800/800), Beast Taming (Master 800/800), Qi Concealment (Master 800/800), Mind Confusion (Master 800/800)】

…

"Indeed, my power has grown even stronger!"

Fang Xing's expression thrilled: "Removing the lifespan cap means infinite longevity—this is true agelessness…"

"Moreover, divinity enhances everything—even my Wild Shape: Dragon Form gains a massive boost with even a trace of divinity."

"Lastly, I've achieved Yangshen?"

"I've nearly reached the end of this world's ancient cultivation path…"

"Next, must I quietly accumulate worship and divinity… to ultimately surge toward Demigod?"

"After Demigod, seek godhood—become a true deity, ascend to the Heavenly Court?"

At this moment, the cultivation path of this world lay utterly clear before Fang Xing.

"No—this must be the strength of the Druid lineage. How could a non-transcendent path so easily condense natural divinity?"

"Had I not gained the Beyond Divine Sight talent, and had I been anywhere but beyond the mortal realm, I might have been detected the instant I became a Divine Being—then fortune or disaster would be uncertain…"

"So… was my rebirth in the beyond the original's plan all along?"

Thinking of the Original, Fang Xing suddenly felt a powerful sensation.

After his soul's advancement, especially after gaining a point of natural divinity, he finally sensed the Original's presence!

'Over a hundred years have passed… I'd almost forgotten I'm merely a fragment.'

Fang Xing sighed, his Yangshen spirit rising vast and mighty, using divinity as a bridge to sense the Original.

…

Far above the mortal realm, beyond infinite distance.

The Heavenly Court!

Called the Heavenly Court, but in truth, it resembled a boundless universe.

Countless divine realms, like stars or endless kingdoms, formed various planes, resting above the mortal world.

Within a divine realm filled with destructive divine power.

"Asta…"

The earth was dark and dim… as if traces of petitioners still lingered.

A hoarse voice echoed through the grand, ruined palace, its walls shattered and broken.

"The indestructible pure white sun has sunk…"

"The call that destroys all has arrived…"

"Ah… A Sita!"

"Sunk in truth and illusion… Eternal A Sita …"

"A Sita …"

At the very center of the palace, upon a throne half-collapsed.

A young man with a crew cut, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes, a clear look of confusion on his face: "A Sita? Who's that? Me?"

"Wait… I feel like I've slept for a long time. Was it my cultivation avatar that woke me?"

Fang Xing's true body's expression changed as he reached out his hand.

A broken, blackened horn fragment appeared before him.

"Xifan's transcendence legacy… I've already digested a small portion, so it's starting to decay?"

"My cultivation avatar did well. As long as I keep consuming it, once progress passes halfway, it'll snowball—only getting faster."

Through the Godhand attribute panel and the Gates of All Realms, he saw every detail of his avatar's experiences.

After all, he and his avatar shared the same consciousness—they were never truly separate.

In the instant he awoke from sleep, he understood everything.

"I… I was originally the God of Destruction and Ruin—A Sita?"

"That deadbeat who got knocked into slumber by the Zhou Shenchao pantheon?"

"No… no, that's not right!"

"I'm still me—I merely used the Gates of All Realms to usurp the original 'A Sita 's' fate, so to everyone in this world, even the true gods, I am A Sita …"

"This A Sita wasn't much among the gods, but he'd secretly hidden a 'God of Truth' avatar—clever of him…"

"But during a previous expedition, he encountered the War God of the Zhou Shenchao pantheon and was utterly shattered—his divine avatars destroyed, his divine power severely damaged…"

"Fortunately, gods grow stronger within their divine realms. A Sita wasn't stupid—he never once left his divine realm, barely surviving. But with his divine power crippled, he fell into slumber… and then I replaced him?"

(End of Chapter)