Fang Han never expected to run into Hua Tiandu here—much less see him surrounded like a blazing sun by a cluster of Taiyi Sect's Golden Core prodigies. Even with Fang Han's greatly improved cultivation, this was absolutely not the time to meet that man.
"This is the greatest city in the world," Yan murmured in his mind. "Endless treasures, even ancient scripture relics can be bought here if you have enough elixirs. Running into Hana Tiandu isn't surprising. He needs Nirvana Pills to push his cultivation further. He's already at the tenth stage of Divine Ability—Defying Fate. With Nirvana Pills, his chance of stepping into the Longevity Realm is very high."
"I know," Fang Han replied, voice cold. "But even my illusion arts might not hide me from him. If he sees through me, we'll have a disaster on our hands. Let him enjoy his moment. Once I form my Golden Core, then I'll settle accounts."
He turned away, suppressing every trace of energy and presence, slipping into the deeper part of the vast hall.
The main pavilion of the Nine Cauldrons Pavilion was like a separate dimension—spacious as a city, packed with cultivators coming and going. Even Fang Han found himself dazzled. If not for Hua Tiandu's overwhelming aura, he wouldn't have noticed him at all.
With Hua Tiandu and his entourage led away to view higher-grade treasures, Fang Han moved in the opposite direction.
"Yes, I could declare my identity and enjoy the same treatment," Fang Han mused, "but that would bring far too much trouble."
Yan chuckled. "Afraid of getting exposed? With the Yellow Springs Diagram altering your aura and the Abyssal Demon Qi masking your origin, Hua Tiandu can't see through you. The ones who might pose a problem are Longevity Realm experts. But if I absorb more pure yang essence—Nine Yang Holy Water, especially—I can unlock the 'Bridge of No Return.' Once that second array awakens, even Longevity Realm cultivators won't see your true identity. Even Fang Qingxue's Immortal Thunder Sigil won't be able to suppress me. At that point, I'll be her equal."
That caught Fang Han's interest. "So the Diagram holds multiple arrays?"
"Millions," Yan said proudly. "But only three central formations matter: the Gate of Abaddon, Bridge of No Return, and Wheel of Reincarnation. Unlock all three, and I regain my full power. Gods and demons will fall before me. Even the Human Emperor's Pen and Heavenly Emperor's Mirror—now reduced to peak Dao-tier artifacts—won't threaten me."
Fang Han laughed softly. "Then I'll need to buy you some pure-yang artifacts."
Yan drooled. "Or better—why not convince the Stars Sect's leader to let me eat that Five-Elements Sun-Moon Bracelet?"
The artifact spirit inside the bracelet shuddered violently at that suggestion, and the Star Cloud baby immediately started giggling. "Relax. Yan is joking!"
While they bantered, a gentle voice called out beside Fang Han.
"Daoist friend, are you satisfied with the flying swords here? This set is a sword array—thirty-six high-grade spirit swords called Silver Serpents. Comes with a formation diagram. Set it up and it'll automatically draw moonlight essence and activate to kill enemies."
Fang Han turned. Without realizing it, he had walked into a Sword Pavilion.
Rows upon rows of swords filled the hall—an ocean of blades, many organized into full arrays. Some sets had dozens of swords; others had hundreds.
One set stopped Fang Han in his tracks—three thousand six hundred flying swords, each a lower-grade treasure, all refined as a single array. The accompanying formation diagram let them move as one. The killing power… nearly on par with Fang Han's own Moon-Splitting Sword Array.
"Truly worthy of one of the world's top three merchant guilds," Fang Han thought, impressed. "Three thousand six hundred swords forged into a single formation… I've never even heard of such a thing."
The sword boy noticed his gaze and brightened. "Interested in that set, Daoist friend? The Thousand-Shade Black Sand Sword Array—a treasure of our pavilion. But the price is steep… eighty million elixirs."
He clearly assumed Fang Han couldn't afford it—strength or not, few could casually produce eighty million pills.
Yan snorted. "Three thousand six hundred swords is nothing. The Sun-Moon Sword Sect's mountain-guarding formation has 810,000 swords. One activation can kill a Longevity Realm cultivator. Of course, it takes sixty years of accumulated sun-moon essence to use it once."
"Eight hundred… ten thousand?" Fang Han's heart shook. His eagerness spiked. Even if he couldn't personally control something so large, gifting such treasure to allies would be invaluable.
Yan continued leisurely, "The Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect uses 1.08 million swords. The Dust-Mote Sword Array of the Dan Cauldron Sword Sect has 640,000 swords. All can slaughter Longevity experts. Even your own Yuhua Sect once had the Great Freedom Sword Array—540,000 swords—but such formations drain the sect's foundation. They can only be used rarely—once in sixty to a hundred years."
Fang Han glanced around. "These aren't what I'm looking for. The real treasures will be at the auction in three days. Better I find some treasure-grade furnaces for Hongyi Princess and Crane Fairy. They'll need them to stabilize their peaks."
Just as he was preparing to leave, a commanding voice rang out:
"I'll take the Thousand-Shade Black Sand Sword Array. All eighty million."
Fang Han turned.
A man in imperial robes stepped into the Sword Pavilion, jade crown gleaming. His entourage—all Divine Ability Realm experts—followed like a personal army.
"A prince of the Great Xuan Empire?" Fang Han guessed immediately.
The sword boy nearly tripped over himself bowing. "Yí Prince! We expected you. This set was reserved—just as you requested. A gift, perhaps?"
"Indeed. In half a year, the Exquisite Immortal—Mistress of the Exquisite Blessed Land—celebrates her four-thousandth birthday. I'll give this to a few of her female disciples. It will please them."
The sword boy laughed sycophantically. "If Your Highness forms ties with the Exquisite Blessed Land, it will greatly help your bid for the throne."
Four thousandth birthday? Half a year from now? Fang Han filed the information away. Something about this prince courting the Exquisite Blessed Land felt… off. The Great Xuan Empire was under Taiyi Sect's control. Wouldn't this spark conflict?
As he turned to leave, the prince suddenly addressed him.
"Daoist friend—you were browsing flying swords as well?"
"I was," Fang Han replied calmly. "But none suited me."
"Good swords won't show up on the shelves," the prince said casually. "They'll appear at the auction in three days. But without VIP access, you won't get a good seat. Why not join me? Your cultivation is respectable. I wouldn't mind offering you a place."
So this prince gathered talent wherever he went. A man with ambition—dangerous ambition.
Fang Han's eyes narrowed slightly.
The invitation had… possibilities.