Longevity by Grinding Skills

Xu Yunfan didn't hesitate for a moment.

He transformed into a streak of Purple Gold Thunderbolt that tore through the void, no longer concealing his aura or his figure. The Three Great Main Gods had arrived, and above the firmament, True Monarch Qing Yuan watched like a hungry tiger. The battle frenzy that had blinded most of the Divine Spirits in the Divine War was beginning to fade.

Naturally, Xu Yunfan had to seize the moment, and he charged toward the chaotic heart of the battlefield.

There, a Middle-Rank God from the Light Pantheon, a Dawn Radiance, was locked in a life-or-death struggle with a Middle-Rank God from the Dark Pantheon, a Shadow Erosion Serpent. The light from their colliding Divine Power blotted out the sky for a hundred miles around.

"Celestial-Eroding Netherworld, Soul Capturing and Spirit Stealing."

Xu Yunfan splayed the fingers of his left hand, and countless writhing, twisting Heaven-Eroding Talismans surged like a black tide toward the Dawn Radiance, ignoring its protective Holy Light and striking directly at the core of its Divine Format.

Immediately, he formed a sword gesture with his right hand. The refined white flame of Wish Power from within the Divine Sky World Refining Cauldron soared up, instantly coalescing into a spear wreathed in Destruction Purple Gold Divine Thunder. It carried a destructive aura capable of annihilating a Divine Soul as it shot toward the vital point of the Shadow Erosion Serpent.

At the same time, the Divine Sky World Refining Cauldron above his head hummed and vibrated violently. The white flames of Wish Power at its mouth flared, resembling the maw of a Taotie, and began to madly devour the massive, chaotic torrent of Faith Desire Force that was scattering from the many gods who had died at his hand and were now completely dissipating from the battlefield.

"Insolent heretic!"

"Death to the blasphemer!"

Several Upper-Rank Gods from both the Light and Dark factions were instantly enraged. A brilliant, purifying Holy Light and an all-devouring Shadow Spear tore through space, striking at him from different directions in an instant.

Xu Yunfan neither dodged nor evaded. The Divine Sky Thunderbolt around him erupted, its frenzied Thunder Power transforming into countless Thunder Serpents that precisely struck the sides of the incoming attacks. This created a subtle deflection in their trajectories, and several torrents of Divine Power, each strong enough to severely wound a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, scraped past him by a hair's breadth.

To the current Xu Yunfan, however, it felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Just then, the Heaven-Eroding Talismans, like maggots clinging to bone, had completely wrapped themselves around the Dawn Radiance's Divine Format.

With a flash of dark light from the Star Spirit Banner, the Middle-Rank God's struggles froze. It was dragged, body and soul, into the world within the banner.

On the other side, the Purple Gold Thunder Spear accurately pierced the core of the Shadow Erosion Serpent's Divine Format. The violent Destruction Divine Thunder surged through its body, instantly annihilating its Divine Soul.

Another four wisps of pure Immortal Golden Nature were drawn out by the Cause and Effect Secret Technique, refined by the Divine Sky World Refining Cauldron, and instantly merged into Xu Yunfan's Dantian.

Xu Yunfan didn't pause, immediately refining all the accumulated Immortal Golden Nature. However, this process was incredibly wasteful; of the thirteen wisps he had in total, he could only successfully refine three in that instant.

True Monarch Qingyuan's appearance was far too ill-timed.

'But on second thought, True Monarch Qingyuan's appearance is perfectly timed.'

'I've reaped so many heads in this Divine War; the Main Gods of the three pantheons have most likely noticed something is wrong.'

'According to Delis, even in the last Divine War, thirty or forty Divine Spirit casualties was considered the absolute limit.'

'This time, over ten Upper-Rank Gods have died. It's already far exceeded the norm.'

'How could the Main Gods not have noticed the anomalies?'

'All Heaven Star Formation (81/365)'

'...'

From True Monarch Qingyuan's descent and Breaking the Boundary, to Xu Yunfan detonating the restrictions on Bosse and the other two, to resisting the pressure of the Main Gods and slaying two Middle-Rank Gods in succession—it all happened in a flash.

At that moment, Xu Yunfan glanced at the Three Great Main Gods, then fixed his gaze on True Monarch Qing Yuan.

'I'll have to be more careful from now on.'

"You don't have to worry."

Zhang Ziyang's words reached Xu Yunfan's ears.

"We are outsiders to Aitira. True Monarch Qing Yuan is the strongest among us, and thus the greatest threat to this world's Celestial Dao. The Divine Formats and authority of these gods are gifts from the heavens, so the vast majority of the three Main Gods' attention will subconsciously be drawn to him."

As he spoke, a trace of excitement entered Zhang Ziyang's voice.

"You still have a chance. True Monarch Qing Yuan hasn't made a move yet because he's locked down by the Three Great Main Gods. After all, they are three beings comparable to a True Monarch, and here, True Monarch Qing Yuan is just an outsider."

Xu Yunfan nodded but didn't reply with a spiritual transmission.

Zhang Ziyang was relying on his authority to transmit the message. Using a Divine Sense transmission under the nose of a True Monarch was no different from taking off your pants to fart—utterly pointless and conspicuous.

High in the firmament, True Monarch Qing Yuan did not act immediately.

He stood at the edge of the shattered world boundary, Immortal Palace Pure Qi swirling around him. He looked down with great interest at Xu Yunfan, who was reaping Divine Spirits below like a madman, a playful smirk even touching his lips.

'Without a Golden Core, no matter how monstrous a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator is, they are still just in the Foundation Establishment Realm.'

But Xu Yunfan always managed to give him a little scare.

Xu Yunfan's unrestrained outburst allowed him to clearly capture the unique fluctuation of the Taiyin Profound Mirror Dao Fruit that was faintly being drawn upon within Xu Yunfan's body.

What truly astonished him, however, was the unbelievably vast amount of Immortal Golden Nature within Xu Yunfan's Dantian Cave Heaven.

"Good! Very good!"

True Monarch Qing Yuan suppressed the shock in his heart and clapped his hands with a soft laugh. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly cut through the roar of the Divine War and the bellows of the Main Gods.

"Thirty-six? Ninety? No, ninety-five now? Tsk, tsk. Xu Yunfan, you junior... you've truly opened my eyes."

"A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, stealing such a profound immortal foundation in a World Heaven like this... no wonder you could hide from Senior Brother Pudu's perception."

"Such scheming, such ruthlessness... you are indeed worthy of being a disciple of my Primordial Sect. How exciting!"

His tone was that of a superior making a critique, as if he were admiring an interesting piece in his collection.

Again, he was Golden Core.

And no matter how strong, Foundation Establishment was still just Foundation Establishment.

His gaze swept over the three tangible wills of the Main Gods that were locked onto Xu Yunfan below, his expression a mask of undisguised contempt and indifference.

"Three false gods from a minor world, who possess authority but know nothing of the true essence of the Great Dao. Are they even worthy of coveting the prey I have my eye on?"

Before his words had even faded, he gave a casual flick of his sleeve.

HUM!

An invisible stream of Pure Qi, containing the profound principles of the universe and manipulating cause and effect, swept across the chaotic battlefield.

In the next instant, a scene unfolded that made Xu Yunfan's pupils shrink.

The will of the Main God of Light, Orion, which had been locked onto him, was forcibly diverted by an invisible power and sent crashing viciously into the nearby Dark Main God, Ymir. In turn, Ymir's will was redirected, slamming into the Lord of the Firmament.

'The Great Perfection Realm of the Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman... it can manipulate cause and effect and distort perception.'

The Realm of Great Perfection!

A tidal wave of shock crashed through Xu Yunfan's mind.

His own Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman, which he had cultivated to the Perfection Realm, could also distort a being's perception. However, it was mostly effective against those at his level or slightly stronger, required precise control, and consumed a great deal of his Heart and Spirit and Magical Power. Against a strong-willed opponent, he even needed a personal belonging of the target to enhance the Secret Technique's power.

Yet True Monarch Qing Yuan, with a seemingly casual flick, had effortlessly diverted the wills of three Main Gods, each comparable to a Golden Core True Monarch.

It was as if he were flicking three pieces on a chessboard.

This was the terrifying power of the Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman when cultivated to the true Great Perfection Realm and integrated into a Golden Core Dao Fruit.

Truthfully, a Secret Technique like the Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman, which involved cause and effect, was exceptionally difficult to practice. If not for the assistance of his Attribute Panel, it would have been impossible for Xu Yunfan to even reach the Perfection Realm.

'I can't believe True Monarch Qing Yuan has actually mastered this art.'