Chapter 18: Chapter 18 — The Many Worlds

Chapter 18 — The Many Worlds

Dragon-Form Flying Tiger Steps!

Seizing the opportunity, Fang Han continued digesting the scattered medicinal power of the Nine-Aperture Golden Core. His body stood poised—part dragon, part tiger—treading the ground and roaming across the courtyard. He was practicing the Dragon-Form Flying Tiger Steps he had just learned.

Of Yuhua Sect’s three foundational martial arts, Fang Han had already mastered Pine-Crane Longevity Fist, while Flying Spirit Supple Bone Body was a movement technique that trained the entire body to become “soft as boneless silk.”

As for Dragon-Form Flying Tiger Steps, it was an extraordinarily profound footwork technique—no less mysterious than the Seven-Star Treading Steps from Seven-Star Fist.

Now, Fang Han fused the medicinal power of the Nine-Aperture Golden Core with these two sect techniques, validating them against each other while integrating his real combat experience against the Divine Strength Puppet, as well as the many techniques he had observed during the assessment.

The gains were immense—absolutely immense.

“Tiger Pounces, Dragon Roams!”

With a long roar, he unleashed the movement art. In his mind appeared the visions of a green dragon and a white tiger, roaming the abyss together. His body moved like a swimming dragon, his qi surged like a ferocious tiger. Energy flowed throughout his body, and his internal organs beat with a powerful, real rhythm.

Dragon inhales!
Tiger devours!
Dragon refines!
Tiger surges!

As he moved, his mind drifted into a hazy, self-forgetting state. His internal organs seemed to shrink—smaller and smaller—condensing and refining into compact masses.

Internally, they became solid as iron.

Phu!

Suddenly, qi surged upward. Fang Han felt thick phlegm stuck in his throat, like bellows jammed and uncomfortable. He coughed forcefully and spat out a large mouthful of thick, blood-tinged phlegm.

Once expelled, his entire body felt refreshed.

With his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, sweet fluids instantly welled up, filling his mouth like divine nectar. As he moved slightly, the nectar flowed continuously, circulating through his body like a gentle breeze, cleansing his internal systems.

At this level, one could extend lifespan—internal organs would no longer fall ill.

“So this is the Internal Fortification Realm. The manual says that once the internal organs are strengthened, divine fluids naturally form in the mouth, impurities vanish from the viscera. My constitution has advanced another step—I’ve reached it! The Seventh Layer of the Physical Body Realm: Internal Fortification! ”

After carefully sensing his condition, Fang Han immediately understood—he had advanced again.

“The Nine-Aperture Golden Core in my heart seems much smaller now. Its medicinal power is nearly exhausted. Perhaps after advancing one more realm, it will fully disperse into my body. After that… I’ll have to rely purely on my own cultivation.”

He licked his lips thoughtfully.

Then he opened another jade manual—Yuhua Sect Rules.

“These rules only restrain the weak. For true disciples like Fang Qingxue, rules are meaningless. Laws have always bound the weak and been trampled by the strong. I won’t read this yet—let me see the book introducing the world.”

With that, Fang Han set the rulebook aside and opened another jade manual titled “The Many Worlds.”

Among the five jade manuals distributed, three were martial arts, one was sect rules, and the last—The Many Worlds—contained just three simple characters, yet radiated boundless vastness.

Upon opening it, shifting lights and images appeared. Rows upon rows of contents filled his vision.

The Ten Immortal Dao Sects

The Seven Demonic Lineages

The Five Yao Sects

Unorthodox and Side Paths

The Underground Abyss

The Starry Expanse Beyond the Domain

The Endless Seas

Ancient Secrets

Rare Treasures

The World’s Dynasties

Void Grotto-Heavens

There were over a thousand sections. The sheer scope left Fang Han dizzy.

He steadied himself and opened the preface.

“The world is vast. Even those who enter the Longevity Realm cannot glimpse one ten-thousandth of it. I merely record what I have seen and heard, compiling _The Many Worlds_—required reading for Yuhua Sect disciples, to understand heaven and earth and broaden their horizons.”

From the opening lines, Fang Han knew this book was written by the Sect Master of Yuhua, engraved and distributed for all disciples.

It detailed immortal, demonic, and yao sects; powerful figures; magical treasures; side cultivators; dynasties; oceans; deserts; underground demons; legendary void realms; mysterious spatial worlds; even the enigmatic starry heavens—along with countless herbs and treasures.

Everything was included.

To read it fully would take three to five years at least.

At last, Fang Han understood what the Divine Strength Puppet’s origin—the Subterranean Demonkin—truly was. Beneath the earth lay countless abyssal rifts and chasms, lightless realms where all manner of demons and even humanoid races thrived.

Subterranean Demonkin were such races, occasionally surfacing to plunder and massacre—nightmares for many dynasties.

“Let me see the Ten Immortal Dao Sects.”

He opened that section, revealing ten names:

Taiyi Sect

Yuhua Sect

Stellar Sect

Heaven-Connecting Sword Sect

Pill-Cauldron Sword Sect

Sun-Moon Sword School

One-Origin Sect

Myriad Return Immortal Island

Linglong Blessed Land

Crystal Cavern-Heaven

These were the recognized Ten Immortal Sects.

Spread across the world’s eight directions, their disciples were countless. For example, Crystal Cavern-Heaven existed as a fully independent half-void realm. Its sect master, Crystal Master, was among the most mysterious Longevity Realm experts.

Linglong Blessed Land, meanwhile, accepted only female disciples.

Fang Han paid little attention to the other nine sects. His focus remained on Yuhua Sect—the place where he lived. Understanding its internal power structure could directly determine his future.

Knock. Knock knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,”
Fang Han said, rising.

The door opened. A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl stepped inside, sword at her waist, a luminous pearl adorning her hairpin. She was delicate and radiant, her Yuhua Sect robes enhancing her purity—like a lotus untouched by dust.

It was Princess Hongyi, whom Fang Han had met during the assessment.

“Hmm? Fang Han—your cultivation has advanced?”
Her sharp eyes instantly noticed the change in his aura.

“I was stuck at the Qi Breathing Realm for a long time. Today’s battle helped me break through,”
Fang Han replied. “By the way—where are you staying?”

“We’re both outer disciples now. Same status. You can just call me Hongyi,”
she said. “I live in Pure Immortal Court, where female disciples stay. By the way, it’s evening—aren’t you going to Jade Dining Hall? The sect will soon assign missions. We’ll likely train together.”

She seemed to be inviting him along.

“Alright. I’m curious about Yuhua Sect’s food as well,”
Fang Han nodded.

“The food here is all immortal cuisine—even the imperial palace can’t compare. It’s prepared by a Dao Artifact called the Five-Qi Immortal Cauldron in Yuhua Heavenly Palace. It’s the finest medicinal cuisine, extremely nourishing.”

“A single cauldron can feed hundreds of thousands?”
Fang Han asked in disbelief.

“Of course. It’s a Dao Artifact—an enlightened treasure. The cauldron spans dozens of mu and condenses true solar fire. Even an ordinary chicken cooked inside becomes as nourishing as ginseng black chicken.”

Hongyi spoke with admiration.

“How do you know so much?”
Fang Han asked.

“My mother was once a Yuhua Sect disciple. She was later murdered. I entered the sect to cultivate Divine Abilities and avenge her.”

Her voice was calm.

“Debts must be repaid. Blood demands blood,”
Fang Han nodded. “Now that we’ve entered the Immortal Dao, we will cultivate Divine Abilities.”

“If only we could become inner disciples sooner. The three inner-disciple arts—Chaos Void Breathing Technique, Primordial Star Spirit Art, and Heaven-Earth Righteous Qi—those are true cultivation methods that unlock Divine Ability potential. The foundational techniques we have now are only the basics. One cannot cultivate Divine Abilities with them alone.”

She shook her head.

“Chaos Void Breathing… Primordial Star Spirit… Heaven-Earth Righteous Qi…”
Fang Han repeated quietly.

“Competition among outer disciples is fierce. Missions will come soon. We must rely on one another to advance and gain better treatment. Ah—Jade Dining Hall is here.”

They crossed the city streets and arrived before a vast palace complex.

Above it were three characters:

Jade Dining Hall.

This was where hundreds of thousands of outer and inner disciples ate. Its scale rivaled two or three imperial palaces combined.

Inside were three to four hundred thousand seats. Disciples moved everywhere—talking, eating, forming groups, discussing cultivation and sect missions.

“How magnificent… How overwhelming.”

Fang Han gazed at the scene, his heart shaken once more.

This… Is the Immortal Dao.