Chapter 1002: Third Level of the Radiant Divine Eyes

Fang Chen had two choices. He could either stop the advancement into the third level of the Radiant Divine Eyes forcibly or continue to persevere.

If he chose the first option, the 14,000 mid-grade spirit stones he had paid would go to waste. But if he chose the second option, he'd put himself at the risk of his body exploding, killing him.

Fang Chen sensed the limits of his physical endurance and judged he could hold out for another half an hour. He made his decision accordingly.

If the advancement wasn't complete after half an hour, he would give up.

It was not worth giving up his physical body over it.

Time ticked by.

By now, Fang Chen's body had swelled to double its size, like a fully inflated balloon. The raging and violent spiritual energy rampaged through his body as blood seeped from his pores. His skin was flushed a deep red.

Fang Chen sighed softly. "Fine..."

He was ready to interrupt the promotion when the spiritual energy in his body started to converge on his eyes.

In an instant, the load on his physical body was relieved. With spiritual energy pouring into his eyes, he felt as though he had entered another state. Not only were his eyes not swollen, but he also felt a burst of coolness.

In less than ten minutes, Fang Chen returned to normal. All the blood no longer seeped out from his pores while spiritual energy still poured into him.

Half a year later.

The spiritual phenomenon had long since faded. Fang Chen didn't feel any changes in his physical body; his cultivation was still at the same level as before taking the elixirs. It was as if all that energy had merely used his body as a conduit.

Naturally, the biggest change was to his eyes.

They still looked grayish-white, just like before. But now, at the mere stir of a thought, Fang Chen could sense an immense reservoir of spiritual power hidden within them.

Fang Chen's thoughts flickered, and he casually executed several Dao techniques.

None of the techniques used the spiritual power within his body—they all drew from his eyes. His pupils seemed to have become two dantians, and the energy they contained exceeded that contained in his body by a thousand times.

"A Soul Splitting Realm cultivator might not have this amount of spiritual energy. Even a Fusion Realm cultivator might not compare. Could it be that the spiritual power in my eyes is already comparable to that of a Dao Union Realm cultivator?"

As he thought about it, Fang Chen continued to make a few hand gestures. Torrents of spiritual energy surged forth, transforming under his command into various ferocious beasts.

All of them were giant creatures like Azure Dragons, Phoenixes, and Qilins, tens of thousands of feet long.

With another gesture, those beasts turned into endless flying swords, hanging upside down in the air. Looking up, one couldn't see the end of this sea of swords. The sheer number of swords blotted out the sky.

After experimenting for a day and a night, Fang Chen was sure he had indeed reached the third level of the Radiant Divine Eyes. Although his cultivation level had not increased, his combat power improved significantly.

The density of a cultivator's spiritual energy was a very important factor when it came to learning how much spiritual energy one could absorb from the world.

After reaching the third level of the Radiant Divine Eyes, Fang Chen's spiritual energy didn't change. However, the amount that could be contained in his eyes far surpassed his own.

Regardless, this meant he had a lot more spiritual energy at his disposal. Now, he had thousands of times more spiritual energy than he used to have.

Naturally, this meant that all his techniques had received a boost as well.

"The third level of the Radiant Divine Eyes seems to have remodeled my eyes. I wonder if the fourth level will do the same," Fang Chen mused.

***

Several days later, Long Ruo had finished taking over the Sun Battle Sword Palace and brought Fang Chen back to the Long Family.

"You seem a bit different," Long Ruo said, looking at Fang Chen.

"Oh? How so?" Fang Chen asked thoughtfully.

Long Ruo stared at him for a while, but she still couldn't quite pinpoint what was different about Fang Chen.

After all, Fang Chen never hid his cultivation level, so she had always been able to see that he was at the late-stage Enlightenment Realm.

Long Ruo frowned. "Your cultivation level is the same, but it feels like... you're much stronger than that. It doesn't feel like you are a Soul Splitting Realm or the Fusion Realm either. It's more like... you are in the Dao Union Realm, just like me."

Fang Chen thought,

So it's really the Dao Union Realm....

Long Ruo's feeling was not an illusion. She could obviously sense the spiritual energy contained in his eyes.

This upgrade of the Radiant Divine Eyes to the third level didn't change his cultivation level, but the energy his eyes contained already reached the level of someone in the Dao Union Realm.

He suspected that if he really managed to reach the fourth level, he might possess power equivalent to an Immortal King, or even a Loose Immortal.

Long Ruo smiled. "I heard from Fu Donghai that you bought some spiritual materials at the Multi Treasure Trading Company? Is it related to this?"

"Maybe, I refined a pill myself," Fang Chen replied casually.

Long Ruo nodded. If Fang Chen had refined and taken a pill recently, it wouldn't be strange for his cultivation to fluctuate, giving her the feeling that he was stronger than before.

Long Ruo chuckled. "I didn't know you could also refine pills. I thought you sword cultivators spent all your time practicing with swords."

At that moment, their Immortal Boat rocked violently, as if they had collided with something.

Long Ruo's expression darkened.

Fu Donghai and other sword cultivators rushed to her side, staring ahead with solemn expressions.

The Immortal Boat didn't hit a flying creature, but a person. That person merely raised his hand lightly, forcing the Immortal Boat to a complete stop.

Long Ruo glared at the newcomer whose cultivation level was unfathomable. "This is the Long Family's Immortal Boat! Who dares to be so presumptuous as to block my way?"

If her feeling was correct, the person blocking them was most likely in the Ascension Realm. But such experts feared the four major families. They wouldn't willingly provoke them. Why would he block their way for no reason?

Fu Donghai's expression sank as he whispered, "Young Lady, if there is danger later, you should leave first; we will stay behind."

Long Ruo had a clear judgment of the situation. "If he's targeting the Long Family, then I won't be able to leave. You guys need to run and send a message. Don't get wiped out."

An Ascension Realm Immortal King was present. Even if she had a lot of trump cards, she wouldn't be able to leave unless the other party willed it.

The only question was—what kind of Ascension Realm cultivator would disregard their life and make a move against a direct descendant of the Long Family?

In Qiufeng, there was no grievance that the major families couldn't avenge!

The Immortal King pointed at Fang Chen. "I have no intention of blocking your way, someone of the Long Family. He is the one I am after."

Long Ruo frowned in response. "This is a sword cultivator of my family. What do you want with him?"

Zhao Mingxuan stepped out from the void. Following closely were Sun Gu, Nangong Yuancheng, and over three hundred sword cultivators!

Zhao Mingxuan said, "Of course, it is to capture and teach him how a sword cultivator should know their place."

All of them stared at the Immortal Boat with icy gazes. It seemed like they would draw their swords and strike at them at any moment now.

Long Ruo's eyebrows knitted slightly. "So it's you?"

She let out a breath of relief and said, "He is one of my men. You can think you capture him without my permission?"

Fu Donghai glanced at Fang Chen, and everything clicked. That day at the Multi Treasure Merchant Guild, Fang Chen had to have thoroughly offended the trio, leading to this confrontation.

"Long Ruo, I don't need your permission today," Zhao Mingxuan said with a smile. "These sword cultivators are under my father—a Loose Immortal's command."

He sneered. "If you don't want to suffer, hand him over. You can go on your way, and this will have nothing to do with you."

Long Ruo's voice turned cold. "Aren't you afraid of offending the Long Family?"

"Offending the Long Family? Over a mere sword cultivator?" Zhao Mingxuan shook his head and smiled. "Your family couldn't be bothered. As for you, Long Ruo, you have no say in your family."

Long Ruo's expression darkened.

He was right. The Long Family would not wage war with a Second Transformation Loose Immortal over a sword cultivator.