Chapter 653 - 445: Lie Down

Fang Qingyuan stood rooted to the ground like a post. As for Hao Shi, he had clearly achieved his goal. The Sword Ring Storm he had unleashed successfully forced back the beasts that were besieging him.

At this moment, Hao Shi stood in the breach above the damaged Grand Palace Hall. The moonlight illuminated his dark, golden-hued skin, making him appear all the more unearthly.

The other people and the Bear Beasts all hovered in mid-air, their divine senses locked onto Hao Shi. If he made any move to flee, another chaotic battle would erupt.

But Hao Shi didn’t take this opportunity to escape. Instead, he stared fixedly at Fang Qingyuan, the blood at the corner of his mouth still unwiped—a result of Fang Qingyuan’s recent barrage of Godslaying Needles, fired when the situation had turned critical.

Anyone who wasn’t a veteran Nascent Soul had to give Fang Qingyuan’s Godslaying Needle the respect it was due.

Intimidated by Hao Shi’s powerful aura, Chunyu Hua, who was beside Fang Qingyuan, couldn’t help but quietly shuffle a few steps away.

Hao Shi paid his former master no mind at all. Right now, his eyes were only on Fang Qingyuan.

This was because among all the Cultivators and beasts present, only Fang Qingyuan could pose a fatal threat to him, and he was the only one Hao Shi couldn’t figure out.

Commander Xu’s realm was insufficient; he relied on various external enhancements and was no cause for concern.

Qing Ji’s strength was formidable, but she hadn’t revealed her true power—not during the last battle between Chunyu Hua and Fang Qingyuan, nor this time. As long as he didn’t provoke her, she was not an issue.

As for the four Golden Core Bear Beasts, only their leader was difficult to handle. But he had killed beasts of that level before; if they were to fight one-on-one, she would undoubtedly be the one to die today.

Chunyu Hua was unlikely to make a move. Hao Shi knew his personality; Chunyu Hua was unwilling to act without foolproof preparations, even though those "foolproof" plans had been proven worthless half a year ago.

That left only Fang Qingyuan. Remembering Fang Qingyuan’s elusive and immensely powerful Divine Techniques, Hao Shi knew the time had come to fight for his life.

’Whether I live or die will depend on whether I can see through that Divine Technique of his.’

At this thought, Hao Shi raised his index finger, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and gently drew a vertical line on his glabella.

’Nine Netherworld Fire Refining Divine Eye, Yin-Yang Convergence Awakens Ghost Eyes.

Five Elements Chaos Illuminating Ignorance, Insight into the Netherworld and Shattering Illusion Heart!’

Four lines of Taoist Secret Language resounded in Hao Shi’s mind. As his finger drew the line, an exceptionally eerie, blood-red sigil appeared on his glabella, resembling a demonic eye on the verge of opening.

At that moment, the demonic eye sigil on Hao Shi’s forehead was a vivid red, as if about to drip blood. Light flowed within it, as though a true specter had opened its eye.

"Bring out whatever other tricks you have, Fang Qingyuan!"

Staring at the eerie, demonic eye, Fang Qingyuan’s eyelid twitched. ’This faction hidden within the Beast Taming Sect really is a nest of villains, isn’t it?’

"All of you, stand down. Let me handle this myself."

Fang Qingyuan spoke in a clear voice, signaling for the others to stop. The six Golden Core-level combatants hadn’t been able to take down Hao Shi after all this time. If they continued to charge, they would only interfere with the Divine Technique he was about to use.

Fang Qingyuan hadn’t come away with nothing from his battle with Chunyu Hua six months ago. He had become acutely aware of his lack of offensive methods and his insufficient foundation, and he had been thinking about how to make himself more powerful.

There are many ways to increase one’s combat strength, but they all boil down to reinforcing strengths and shoring up weaknesses. The latter, however, is a time-consuming process. Whether it was the *Transformation of the Six Desires Celestial Demon* or the *True Scripture of the Mirage Dragon’s Illusory Sword*, neither could be cultivated to any meaningful result in just six months.

Therefore, Fang Qingyuan chose to enhance his existing strengths, which led to the technique he was about to unleash.

’You’re not the only one who can transform. I can too, you know.’

And so, from the head Jade Couch where Chunyu Hua had been, Fang Qingyuan stepped into the void. With each word, he took a step; with each step, he ascended toward the heavens:

"The Cyan Dragon rises in the East, brimming with vitality! The White Tiger crouches in the West, revealing its sharp might! The Vermilion Bird soars in the South, shattering all falsehood! The Black Tortoise lies in the North, guarding the eight desolations!"

ROAR! A dragon’s cry echoed from before Fang Qingyuan as the Cyan Dragon Dharma Aspect materialized from the void. It coiled and ascended, and a wave of unceasing life force surged into Fang Qingyuan’s body. His skin took on a faint, jade-green fluorescence, and the immense vitality swelled in an instant, like a great tide. The surge of his qi and blood pushed the nearby Chunyu Hua back several more steps.

Immediately after, the White Tiger Dharma Aspect, radiating boundless, murderous ferocity, descended upon Fang Qingyuan’s limbs. Then, to the south, flames blazed as the Vermilion Bird Dharma Aspect underwent nirvana and rebirth within them. A dazzling, crimson phoenix circled around Fang Qingyuan, infusing his heart meridian with scorching Fire Element energy.

The heart connects to the eyes. At this moment, a light that could see through all things flickered in Fang Qingyuan’s eyes, similar to Jinbao’s Pupil Technique. This meant that most Illusion Techniques or concealment methods used by those below the Nascent Soul Realm would be useless before him.

Finally, the Black Tortoise Dharma Aspect manifested in its form of a conjoined tortoise and serpent. It wrapped around Fang Qingyuan, guarding his chest and back, forming an incredibly solid shield of a deep blue that was almost black. This Black Tortoise, with its turtle shell and serpent tail, was as heavy as a mountain and as still as the abyss. A profound and mysterious aura emanated from its swirling black qi as it slowly rose, bringing with it a power of endless tranquility and resilience.

At this moment, the powers of the four Dharma Aspects were like rivers flowing into the sea, all converging upon Fang Qingyuan. He savored the feeling as, under the shocked gazes of everyone present, he began to recite the second stanza: