“Thank you for showing mercy, Teach!”

  With those words, Xu Fang unexpectedly sat cross-legged, feeling the surge of mana within him as spiritual energy flowed in abundance.

  At this moment, he was about to break through!

  “Master, this…”

  Tianbo, standing behind the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld, could not help but speak up.

  However, the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld merely glanced at Xu Fang and gestured for Tianbo to remain silent. Tianbo had no choice but to suppress his doubts and quietly observe as Xu Fang prepared for his breakthrough!

  Unbeknownst to them, a figure flashed through the mind of the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld.

  Master Bodhi!

  In truth, when Xu Fang had ventured back to Mount Fangcun after his trials, Master Bodhi was already aware that Xu Fang had slain members of the Asura Clan.

  As his master, Master Bodhi would certainly not turn a blind eye to his prized disciple's exploits.

  After assisting Xu Fang in refining the Blood-Mourning Blade into the Ghost-Mourning Blade, Master Bodhi had come to the Blood Sea personally!

  This scene was witnessed by numerous Asura Clan members, though after a private conversation with the Ancestor, Master Bodhi had floated away.

  No one knew what had transpired between them!

  Only the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld could hear Master Bodhi's words echoing in his mind.

  “A change is coming in the Three Realms; this child shall be the catalyst!”

  As the leader of the Asura Sect, hidden within the Blood Sea, the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld would not resign himself to obscurity. He had long been searching for an opportunity to dominate the Three Realms!

  If it were merely Xu Fang alone, he would not have given it much thought.

  But Master Bodhi, he could trust!

  He could simply give Xu Fang an opportunity and see just how much chaos this child could stir up!

  Deep in thought, the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld watched as Xu Fang stood up, his cultivation having surged fiercely from the late Golden Immortal stage directly to the late Supreme Golden Immortal stage!

  Once the timing was right, he would surely break the shackles and ascend to the Great Luo Golden Immortal tier!

  “Thank you, senior, for showing mercy!”

  Xu Fang was well aware of the reason for his breakthrough. Although he did not understand why the Ancestor had not struck him down but instead aided him with the massive blood palm, he knew there was a deeper meaning behind it!

  Xu Fang had no desire to speculate on the reasons; he felt he lacked the qualifications to do so!

  “Indeed, you managed to break through four realms in a row!”

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  The Ancestor of the River of the Underworld chuckled lightly, and Xu Fang clasped his hands in gratitude: “I’m just fortunate; it’s merely luck.”

  “Hmm, your mindset is commendable. Master Bodhi has accepted a good disciple,” the Ancestor remarked, suddenly appearing beside Xu Fang and inspecting him closely. “I witnessed your pursuit of that bald thief, Ksitigarbha; it was quite satisfying… What do you think about joining my Blood Sea and practicing the Great Law of Blood?”

  “Ah?”

  Xu Fang was taken aback. The Ancestor's change of heart was too swift; it was as if he was improvising on a whim!

  However, Xu Fang had no intention of switching sects at the moment. He promptly cupped his hands and replied, “Senior, please forgive me; I already have a master and do not wish to seek another!”

  “Very well, let’s say that old man is fortunate.”

  The Ancestor of the River of the Underworld did not press the issue and instead said, “Since you dared to chase after that bald thief, Ksitigarbha, consider yourself a friend of the Blood Sea. All past grievances are forgotten. In the future, if you have the leisure, feel free to visit the Blood Sea.”

  The Ancestor’s warmth made Xu Fang feel a bit embarrassed: “Senior, you are too generous; I am humbled.”

  Xu Fang found it challenging to understand the Ancestor’s mindset, but since he was being treated with kindness, it could only be a good thing.

  After all, the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld was a quasi-saint, and challenging him would be beyond Xu Fang’s capability.

  The fact that the Ancestor was extending a friendly hand meant Xu Fang could only contemplate a few reasons for this change:

  First, he was Master Bodhi’s disciple, so the Ancestor was likely showing respect for his master.

  Second, Xu Fang had gained favor with the Asura Clan through the system’s quest.

  Third, as the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld suggested, he was impressed by Xu Fang’s pursuit of Ksitigarbha.

  Xu Fang dismissed the third reason almost immediately; thus, only the first two remained.

  Then, the Ancestor of the River of the Underworld generously offered Xu Fang another favor, recalling all the Asura Clan members sent to the mortal realm and personally escorting Xu Fang out of the Blood Sea!

  ……

  Back on Mount Fangcun.

  Xu Fang returned quietly.

  When he left, he had reached the late Golden Immortal stage, but upon returning, he had ascended to the late Supreme Golden Immortal stage!

  He had broken through four realms!

  Moreover, he had not experienced any tribulation thunder when achieving the Supreme Golden Immortal stage. This was likely due to his presence in the Blood Sea, allowing him to evade a lightning tribulation.

  After tidying up, Xu Fang immediately went to pay his respects to Master Bodhi.

  “Disciple pays respect to Master.”

  Xu Fang was filled with gratitude towards Master Bodhi.

  Had it not been for his master, he feared he would have long since perished!

  This quasi-saint powerhouse had guided him into the world of cultivation, and now, his safe return from the Blood Sea was largely due to Master Bodhi's assistance.

  Thus, Xu Fang held genuine respect for his master.

  “Hmm, not bad. After just one trip, you have already entered the Supreme Golden Immortal tier!”

  Clearly, Master Bodhi was aware that Xu Fang had ventured into the Blood Sea!

  Even so, he was impressed with Xu Fang's cultivation talent!

  In less than a century, he had progressed from an ordinary mortal to a Supreme Golden Immortal!

  Such talent was unmatched, even by the exceptionally gifted monkey!

  In this world, it seemed another powerful figure was on the rise!

  As his master, Master Bodhi naturally felt a sense of pride.

  ……

  At that moment, a somewhat aged voice suddenly echoed from outside Mount Fangcun.

  “I am Li Changgeng, here to pay respects to the Master and Xu Fang, the Celestial Immortal. I humbly request an audience!”

  Xu Fang slightly furrowed his brow at the sound.

  Li Changgeng, also known as the Gold Star of Venus, frequently served as an envoy between the celestial and mortal realms.

  Xu Fang was most familiar with him from the original Journey to the West, where this old man repeatedly sought out Sun Wukong in the heavens.

  “A celestial envoy has come; you should meet him. I shall not make an appearance,” Master Bodhi said lightly, and Xu Fang nodded before calling out, “Old Immortal, please come in and speak!”

  ……

  In fact, the Gold Star of Venus had already visited several times, but Xu Fang had been in seclusion, followed by his trips to the Netherworld and the Blood Sea, preventing their meeting.

  As he bore the Jade Emperor's decree, he could not return to report until he met Xu Fang. This was why the Gold Star of Venus had made several trips to Mount Fangcun.

  Given Master Bodhi's esteemed status, he naturally looked down upon meeting the Gold Star of Venus. Knowing the Gold Star's goal was Xu Fang, he simply let Xu Fang go to meet him, saving the old man the trouble of bothering his tranquility repeatedly.