Fang Hao wandered in the inner area of the Hundred Flowers Mountain Range for another ten days, and the harvest was significant. Relying on the keenness of his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes, he found several auxiliary medicinal herbs for forming golden core, and they were of quite good age. The ’medicine garden’ in the Chaos Grotto-Heaven was also gradually becoming lush; although it was still far from maturity, looking at that vibrant patch of green made him feel at ease.

He estimated the time; there were about five months left before the Tianyan Secret Realm opened. He planned to explore deeper to see if he could find any other Opportunity, and then head back to enter seclusion to attempt the Golden Core Stage.

That day, just after he had picked a three-hundred-year-old ’jade marrow ganoderma’ from a hidden valley, he was in a good mood and intended to find a place to regulate his breathing. Just as he flew to a relatively open clearing in the forest and before he had even landed, his heart jumped violently. A strong sense of crisis, like ice water being poured over his head, made the hair on his entire body stand up!

Without thinking, he instantly activated his Divine Spirit Steps, twisting his body at an incredible angle in mid-air, and retreated violently to the side and rear!

Almost at the same time he dodged, a crimson, searingly hot blade of flame grazed his clothing and struck the spot where he had just been hovering!

Boom!

The ground was split into a charred deep trench, and the soil and rocks were melted by the high temperature, emitting acrid smoke!

’Your reaction is not slow!’ A cold voice came from the shadows of the forest.

Fang Hao landed, stabilized his figure, and looked forward with a grim expression. He saw an old man in crimson Taoist robes with a gloomy face slowly walking out from behind a large tree, his eyes locking onto him like a venomous snake. It was none other than the Golden Core Alchemist who had formed a grudge with him at the auction—True Person Chiyang!

’Damn it! This old dog really did come after me!’ Fang Hao cursed inwardly, raising his spiritual energy to the maximum, alert to the extreme. He hadn’t expected the other party to be so persistent, to actually chase him into the inner area and even find him!

’Kid, you made me search hard!’ True Person Chiyang said with a fake smile, approaching step by step. He released his Spiritual Pressure of the Early Golden Core Stage without reservation, pressing down on Fang Hao like a mountain. ’Hand over the blazing sun flower and your storage ring, and I can leave you with an intact corpse!’

He didn’t take Fang Hao seriously at all. A Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, even with some ability, was nothing but a weakling in front of a Golden Core Cultivator! What he was wary of was that Fang Hao might have life-saving escape talismans, so he attacked with a sneak attack, wanting to end the battle quickly!

’Senior, why must you kill me all? The highest bidder wins at the auction; could it be that you don’t even value the rules of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion?’ Fang Hao spoke to stall for time while rapidly observing the surrounding environment, his brain racing to think of a countermeasure.

Fighting head-on was definitely out of the question; the gap was too large. Run? The other party was a Golden Core Cultivator, faster than him, and certainly prepared. His only chance of survival was to use this forest area to maneuver and find an Opportunity to counterattack, or... use the golden puppet again! But that was his last trump card; unless absolutely necessary, it must not be exposed!

’Rules? Hmph! Here, I am the rules!’ True Person Chiyang couldn’t be bothered with nonsense. Fearing that delays would lead to complications, he rubbed his hands together, and a crimson fireball instantly condensed. Carrying a terrifying high temperature, it whistled towards Fang Hao! Its speed was extremely fast!

’Five Elements Spirit Shield!’ Fang Hao shouted, his hands forming seals. The five-colored luster of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth flowed, instantly condensing into a thick five-colored light shield in front of him!

Boom!

The fireball slammed into the light shield, emitting a deafening explosion! Flames splattered, and the light shield shook violently, its color dimming by more than half, but it finally blocked this attack! Fang Hao was shaken, his blood surging, and he retreated several steps.

’Oh? You have some tricks!’ True Person Chiyang was slightly surprised. His ’True Fire of Chiyang’ was quite powerful; ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s defensive Spells couldn’t block it. This kid was indeed not simple!

But he didn’t stop, flicking his fingers repeatedly, and seven or eight smaller fireballs shot towards Fang Hao like a chain of cannonballs! They covered all of Fang Hao’s evasion routes!

’Dividing Light Sword Shadow!’ Fang Hao drew his yitian sword. The sword light split, instantly transforming into dozens of sharp Sword Qi, facing the fireballs!

Bang, bang, bang...!

The Sword Qi and fireballs collided and annihilated each other in the air, with continuous explosions! Fang Hao pushed his Divine Spirit Steps to the limit. Under the cover of the Sword Qi, his figure shuttled through the forest like a ghost, dodging the leaking fireballs. Wherever he passed, trees were ignited, and charred pits were blasted into the ground!

’Let’s see how long you can hide!’ True Person Chiyang snorted coldly, his body moving as fast as lightning. He charged directly at Fang Hao and slapped out with his palm! The palm wind was scorching, carrying high temperatures capable of melting metal! He didn’t want to waste any more time!

’Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!’ Sensing the fatal threat, Fang Hao stepped to the side, his figure instantly shifting several feet away, narrowly avoiding the palm wind! At the same time, he struck back with his sword, ’Starfall Sword Art — Meteor Stab!’ A cold star stabbed directly at True Person Chiyang’s ribs!

’Petty trick!’ True Person Chiyang didn’t dodge or evade, his protective spiritual light flashing! Ding! The sword tip stabbed the spiritual light, making a crisp sound, but couldn’t advance an inch! The Golden Core Stage’s protective spiritual light was too thick!

’Star Shattering Finger!’ Fang Hao took the Opportunity to point with his left hand, and the condensed finger wind sneak-attacked the opponent’s Dantian vital point!

True Person Chiyang frowned. He seemed to feel that this finger posed a threat, so he flicked his sleeves, and a soft force dissipated the finger wind. ’You have quite a few tricks, kid! But this is the end!’

He formed seals with both hands, and flames rose around his body, the temperature rising sharply! ’Domain of Chiyang!’ A pale red flame light shield expanded from him as the center, enveloping Fang Hao inside! Inside the light shield, the temperature was terrifyingly high, the air distorted, and Fang Hao felt his spiritual energy circulation become sluggish, with a burning pain on his skin!

’Not good! It’s a Domain suppression!’ Fang Hao’s expression changed drastically! A Golden Core Cultivator’s Domain had a strong inhibitory effect on lower-level Cultivators!

’Die! Chiyang Heaven-Burning Palm!’ True Person Chiyang grinned hideously. The flame energy within the Domain gathered, forming a huge flame palm that covered the sky and sun, slapping down towards the restricted Fang Hao! The power of this palm was several times stronger than before!

There was no avoiding it! No blocking it!

At the brink of life and death! A flash of madness crossed Fang Hao’s eyes! He suddenly sacrificed the empty clarity mirror, the mirror light shining on the giant flame palm, attempting to distort the spatial trajectory. At the same time, his hands moved as fast as phantoms, shooting several Formation Flags he had already gripped in his hands towards specific positions on the ground!

’Want to rely on a Formation? Too late!’ True Person Chiyang sneered. The giant palm paused slightly, but still pressed down!

But in this instant of delay, the simple’Small Five Elements Inversion Formation’ that Fang Hao had set up was already formed! Although hasty and not very powerful, it successfully interfered with the stable fire-type energy within the Domain!

The light of the giant palm appeared slightly chaotic!

’Now!’ Fang Hao roared, pouring all his spiritual energy into the yitian sword. Man and sword became one, unleashing his strongest attack! ’Starfall Sword Art — Meteor Strike!’ His whole body turned into a brilliant meteor, not heading towards the giant palm, but... shooting towards the edge of the Domain that was fluctuating due to the Formation’s interference!

He wanted to break the Domain!

Boom!!!

The sword light collided violently with the Domain barrier! Light exploded! The Domain shook violently! Fang Hao spat out blood, the yitian sword let out a mournful cry, and cracks appeared on the blade! But his desperate attack finally tore a tiny crack in that barrier!

’Trying to run?!’ True Person Chiyang was both shocked and angry. Having his Domain forcibly torn open by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was simply a great humiliation! He immediately channeled his spiritual energy to repair the crack while controlling the flame giant palm to turn and slap towards Fang Hao!

Just at this moment, when old strength was exhausted, new strength had not yet been born, and his mind was attracted by the crack! The killer move Fang Hao had been hiding finally erupted!

His left hand, which had been hanging down, formed a sword finger. A wisp of Chaos Qi quietly flowed at his fingertip, silently pointing towards True Person Chiyang’s heart from behind! Chaos Star Shattering Finger! This was his trump card; the Star Shattering Finger infused with a wisp of Chaos Qi had doubled power, specifically designed to break Protective Aura!

True Person Chiyang’s entire attention was on repairing the Domain and controlling the giant palm. He never expected that Fang Hao could launch such a strange and tricky attack in such a desperate situation! By the time he sensed the faint yet fatal energy behind him, it was already too late!

Puchi!

The finger force condensed with Chaos Qi, like a red-hot needle piercing into butter, easily pierced through his hastily condensed protective spiritual light and fiercely pointed at his heart vital point!

’Urgh—!’ True Person Chiyang’s body shook violently, his face full of unbelievable horror! He felt a destructive force instantly invade his body, crazily destroying his Meridians and Dantian! Even his Golden Core had cracks!

’You...!’ He turned his head violently, staring fixedly at Fang Hao, wanting to say something, but spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with visceral fragments! His aura instantly withered!

The flame giant palm and the Domain also collapsed instantly because their master was injured!

Opportunity! Fang Hao endured the severe injury and the exhaustion of spiritual energy, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. He picked up the broken half of the sword from the ground, used his last strength to pounce forward, and slashed True Person Chiyang’s throat with one sword!

True Person Chiyang widened his eyes, covering his bleeding neck, and fell to the ground slowly, dying with unresolved grievances. Until his death, he didn’t understand how he could have fallen into the hands of a Foundation Establishment junior.

Confirming that the other party was completely dead, Fang Hao collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. His whole body was soaked in cold sweat and blood, and he felt as if his body had been hollowed out. It was truly dangerous just now! If any part had gone wrong, he would have been the one dead! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

After resting for a while, he struggled to get up and quickly cleaned up the battlefield. He collected True Person Chiyang’s storage ring and Magic Treasure, set fire to the corpse, reducing it to ashes, and then barely managed to set up a concealment Formation to cover up the traces of the battle. Then, not daring to stay for a moment, he dragged his heavily injured body and stumbled towards the deeper part of the mountain range.

He had to find a safe place to heal as soon as possible! The commotion of killing a Golden Core Cultivator was not small; if other experts were attracted, he would be dead!

This battle, although a miserable victory, also allowed Fang Hao to truly realize the terror of a Golden Core Cultivator and his own shortcomings. Forming a Golden Core was imminent!