"Fang Han's strength must already exceed a million wild stallions charging at full force. He's stronger than the two of us now," the Blood-Night King muttered.
Star-Chan nodded, his voice uneasy. "We're Dao-tier artifacts—we're supposed to be the ones overflowing with power. No ordinary cultivator should be able to match our raw force. But he's only at the fifth realm, Heaven-Human stage, and he's already reached this level. If he reaches the Unification Stage and forms a Golden Core… how terrifying will he become?"
The two exchanged looks—equal parts awe and apprehension.
Even though the Blood-Night King was Fang Han's avatar and had to obey his will absolutely, he still possessed a shadow of his own consciousness. Feeling the tidal force surging inside Fang Han's body, force powerful enough to destroy him with a flick, he couldn't suppress a tremor.
A disturbing thought flashed through him:
What if Fang Han decides to feed me to Yan someday… just to make Yan stronger?
His core contained pure Yang power as well—complete with a small-scale Sun-Moon Five-Star formation—though not nearly as vast as the one inside the Five-Star Bracelet.
Star-Chan wrapped his arms around himself. "He now possesses fifty-five divine arts. Once he reaches the Unification Stage, the life-seal he forms will be strong enough to shatter us. Even a low-grade Dao artifact won't be able to withstand him. His seal might rival a mid-grade one."
The realization sent a shiver down his spine.
In the Starry Sky Sect, even some first-level Longevity Realm elders didn't possess fifty-five arts.
Ordinary cultivators managed about five.
Ten indicated outstanding talent.
Twenty was the mark of a prodigy.
Thirty required at least three thousand years of bitter cultivation.
Forty belonged to monsters who appeared once every ten thousand years.
Fifty…
Fifty belonged to legends.
Right now, Fang Han could only rely on the Blood-Night King for true destructive force. Arts like "Solar Cataclysm," "Black Sun Windstorm," "Linglong Heaven," or the "Five Emperor Devil Arts" couldn't compare.
But once he reached the sixth realm—Unification—all fifty-five arts would merge into one, condensed into a single terrifying life-seal.
With that seal, he could even contend with ninth-realm "Heaven-Earth Manifestation" experts. Golden Core cultivators would be nothing.
If he eventually condensed a Golden Core from it?
He could fight the Ghost Emperor's Nine-Ghost Souls head-on.
If he self-detonated that core, even Longevity giants would flee.
Fang Han exhaled. "This Golden Core was far easier to refine than the last one. Looks like I'm getting the hang of this. But after refining it, my second Sea of Consciousness is nearly full. Even if you gave me another Golden Core now, I couldn't absorb it—let alone something like the Nine-Ghost Souls."
Within his mind, both Seas of Consciousness pulsed to the brim. Even if he still had the Golden Core from the Moon-Thief, there was no way he could refine it now.
To gain more divine arts, he would either need to open a third Sea of Consciousness or break through to a higher realm.
The Panwu Titan Force allowed him to open infinite Seas in theory—folding layer upon layer of space—but each new Sea doubled the difficulty and danger. With no war aura or killing intent to fuel it, opening a third Sea now was impossible.
He clapped his hands lightly. "Time to sort the loot, then continue searching for the Five-Element Spiritual Roots. Refining the Star-Reaver's core didn't boost my combat power as much as I hoped. Only reaching Unification will."
He was painfully aware of his limits.
Against peak experts like the Ghost Emperor, Elder Gu Meng, or Meng Shaobai, a single divine art—no matter how powerful—would be instantly countered. His arts were strong, yes, but they were Golden Core–level techniques. Against eighth-realm "Wind-Fire Tribulation" experts, their power plummeted.
Against Wan Luo, he could still use things like "Solar Cataclysm." Against Meng Shaobai, they were useless unless Fang Han himself reached the Wind-Fire Tribulation realm and re-refined each art from scratch.
He understood this clearly.
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist. A dusty-gray longsword flew out, trapped in a cocoon of blood-light, writhing like a snake or ghost—but unable to escape no matter how it struggled.
The Ghost-Serpent Sword.
A top-grade treasure weapon, on par with the Blood-Soul Sword or the Gates of Rebirth. It had been the Ghost Emperor's personal blade—not a Dao artifact, but slippery, silent, and perfect for assassinations.
Fang Han grabbed the hilt. With a thought, the Yellow Springs Diagram released a surge of demonic qi, wrapping around the sword. The weapon's struggles weakened… then ceased entirely.
The Abyssal Qi of the Yellow Springs could injure even the Ghost Emperor himself—refining his sword was effortless.
A torrent of pure qi surged from Fang Han's mouth, pouring into the sword. It trembled with new life, then flew back into the Diagram.
At auction, this sword would rival the Bright-Brahma Ark in price.
But Fang Han wouldn't sell it. His future forces needed power.
Next, Fang Han gestured again. Xingchan dumped out all the Ghost Emperor's formation flags—nearly five hundred of them.
The components of the full Ten-Thousand Ghost Soul-Locking Array.
Each flag was exquisitely crafted; together, they formed a formation nearly impenetrable even by gods or demons.
Had Fang Han not possessed three Dao artifacts—and the Abyssal Gate that specifically countered the array—he would have died trapped inside forever.
"I'll refine these later. Transform the ghostly qi into spirit guardians to protect Reincarnation Peak. They'll be invaluable."
He stored them away.
Finally, he lifted the most fearsome object of all—
A massive severed hand.
Nine fingers.
Webbing between the joints.
A monstrous aura of pure annihilation.
The Heaven-Shrouding Devil Hand.
The Ghost Emperor's strongest treasure weapon.
Still technically a non-Dao artifact—but infused with a supreme divine art, the Heaven-Shrouding Devil Art. If it could ever evolve into a Dao artifact, it would instantly become mid-grade, possibly even high-grade—far beyond the Blood-Night King or the Five-Star Bracelet.
But evolution was nearly impossible. Even Feng Baiyu might struggle. It would take multiple Longevity experts sacrificing their blood and lifeforce.
Fang Han's spoils from killing the Ghost Emperor totaled three treasures:
Ghost-Serpent SwordFive hundred Ghost-Soul Formation FlagsThe Heaven-Shrouding Devil Hand
The Devil Hand was the greatest prize.
Everything else—including pills and lesser treasures—had been annihilated in the Golden Core explosion. Even the Ghost Emperor's Yin-Soul Throne had been obliterated without a trace.
Such was the drawback of detonation.
"Heaven-Shrouding Devil Hand… what a domineering name. I wonder what the full Heaven-Shrouding Devil Art looks like. Shame I don't have time to learn it. Plundering techniques like this is a weakness—but at least the Five Emperor Devil Arts are my own."
He blew three breaths of vital essence onto the Hand. It shrank, then merged into his True Qi, taking root within him.
Yan cackled. "Perfect! The Heaven-Shrouding Devil Art is meant to be refined with the Five Emperor Devil Arts. The Ghost Emperor didn't know them—so his refinement was incomplete. Fang Han, fuse the Devil Hand into your arm. Make it your own."
Fang Han extended his left arm. The Devil Hand shrank again, then pressed into his skin, sinking into bone and blood.
Instantly, his left arm felt like it contained infinite destructive force—an illusion, of course, but overpowering.
He remembered clearly how the Ghost Emperor's single swipe had turned mountains, forests, swamps, and countless creatures into drifting black ash.
Now that power was his.
And the Devil Hand didn't leak a single trace of aura—perfect for ambushes. One unexpected grab could crush an enemy or shatter their weapon.
Unfortunately, the Heaven-Shrouding Devil Art within the hand had fused completely with it. Fang Han couldn't extract it into his mind.
If he could… he'd have fifty-six arts.
He flexed his transformed hand. "With this trump card, when I return to the sect, I'll finally put Meng Shaobai in his place. Right now I can match him—but defeating him won't be easy. Once I reach Unification, though… a life-seal formed from fifty-five arts will beat him like a dog."
As he plotted, a small voice piped up:
"Big Brother Fang Han! Didn't the Moon-Thief and Star-Reaver each have treasure pouches? They should have tons of loot! If there's anything nice, I want some too!"
Xingyun Baby clapped eagerly.
Fang Han laughed. "Good point."
He reached into the Yellow Springs Diagram and pulled out two treasure pouches.