"Is someone drowning?" Fang Han quickly plunged into the water and pulled the person out.

"No breath left, this is a floating corpse." After rescuing the person, Fang Han's heart suddenly tightened. The sight was indeed a bit shocking. The individual was completely lifeless, his body bloated from being submerged, with a long, charred wound.

"Was this person struck by lightning?" Fang Han wondered, recalling tales of villagers struck by lightning, left with similar burns and an acrid smell.

The corpse was dressed in a resplendent dark gold suit. The fabric repelled water like a lotus leaf, feeling soft and smooth to the touch. Despite his experience in the Fang family, Fang Han had never encountered such a material.

"What to do? Should I report it to the authorities? A life is no trivial matter!" Fang Han was about to leave the body to report to the officials when he hesitated. "This person is dressed in the attire of nobility; how did he end up here? If I get involved, there might be complications. Better to bury him quietly and avoid trouble. The less fuss, the better."

Having decided, Fang Han dragged the body, looking for a place to bury it.

Clang!

A box that resembled gold but was not, and seemed like iron but was not, fell from the body's arms. The palm-sized box, resembling an inkstone, was incredibly heavy.

At the same time, an ancient scroll painting also fell.

Hmm?

Fang Han picked up the gold-iron box and unrolled the ancient scroll. The background was pitch black, with a faint silhouette of a Jiao dragon lurking within, as if the painting was a window to an unknown space.

"This painting is a treasure; it's not waterlogged while ordinary paper would be instantly soaked." Although Fang Han didn't recognize the painting, he deduced it was precious.

He then held the gold-iron box, noticing a small golden lock.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he picked up a stone and struck it hard. Crack, the golden lock broke.

"This is real gold. One tael of gold is worth ten taels of official silver, and this lock is about four or five taels. But it's the property of the deceased. Should I take it? As they say, 'A gentleman loves money and takes it in a proper way.'" Fang Han pondered: "Puh, I'm just a servant, what's with being a gentleman? What kind of identity do I have, what kind of actions should I take? Isn't there a saying, 'Not in the position, not in the government'? Take it."

Fang Han pocketed the gold.

After collecting the gold, he opened the box with a click, revealing its contents.

Inside was a thumb-sized dark gold pill with nine holes, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. Fang Han smelled it and immediately felt refreshed, as if all his fatigue had dissipated.

The nine holes seemed like human orifices, with an air flow that constantly inhaled and exhaled, breathing. It appeared to contain a unique vitality.

"This pill is a thousand times more wondrous than the best Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng pills in the Fang family." Fang Han had seen the family members take these health pills, which were all refined and exquisite, but they couldn't compare to the nine-hole pill; it was a world apart.

"I've heard of miraculous pills rumored to dredge muscles and bones, regulate viscera, clear blood stasis, and invigorate the spirit. One pill could save much hard work of exercising and compensate for one's vitality. Could this golden pill be such a drug? Just smelling it made me feel refreshed."

Fang Han held the nine-hole golden pill as if it were a diamond, contemplating whether to swallow it all at once.

But after much thought, he didn't take it. Medicine should not be taken indiscriminately.

Those Fang family members took health medicine daily, on time, in a fixed amount, and with careful consideration.

Fang Han was no fool; he knew that even a miraculous pill, if not taken properly, could do more harm than good.

"This gentleman, I found your body, I will bury you and let you rest in peace, and these two things are my reward, and we are even."

Fang Han put the nine-hole golden pill back into the box and spoke to the dead body.

As he spoke, he dragged the body with his hands and feet.

To his surprise, the body suddenly sat up, "The divine secret realm is indeed extraordinary! The Yu Hua Sect is worthy of being one of the top ten immortal sects in the world! Fang Qingxue, you are worthy of being an outstanding disciple among them, it seems that there is another strong person in the world. It just depends on whether you can seek the secret of longevity by the way of divine power! The divine secret realm, after a hundred years, will eventually die. Stepping into the realm of longevity is the real detachment."

"Fraudulent corpse! No, the rumor says that zombies won't talk, and zombies won't come out in broad daylight." Fang Han was shocked when the body suddenly sat up and even talked to himself.

"Did you save me?" The "corpse" heard the noise, turned around, saw Fang Han, and asked with a serious look.

"I didn't expect you to be alive." Fang Han calmed down and said calmly.

"I didn't expect you to be so calm," the resurrected man observed, his eyes cold and his tone otherworldly. He seemed to be gauging Fang Han's reaction, ready to react at the slightest sign of betrayal. "Considering your attire, you're a servant, aren't you? Typically, servants would report my presence to the authorities for a reward. You must be aware that informing the officials could net you a thousand taels of silver."

"The less trouble, the better," Fang Han replied calmly. "A reward would only attract unwanted attention, which is never good. I've already taken two treasures from you, but since you're alive, I'll return them."

Fang Han produced the Nine Orifices Golden Pill and the Jiao Fu Huangquan Map, items he had secreted away. As a servant in the Fang household, he had learned to read people's expressions and words to avoid incurring the master's wrath, which could lead to an untimely demise.

The man before him was clearly no ordinary individual, likely capable of ending his life with a mere flick of the wrist.

"Making a fortune quietly is indeed the true way," the man agreed. "Which household do you serve?"

"I am a servant of the Fang family in Longyuan Province," Fang Han replied, his lips dry with apprehension.

"A servant of the Fang family, are you?" Bai Haichen's expression darkened momentarily before he relaxed, scanning the surroundings. "I suspect you're not one to be content with servitude. That's why you're here, secretly practicing martial arts. The footprints on the ground suggest the Fang family's method of cultivating strength. You must have learned it in secret. A servant learning martial arts breaks a taboo; it seems you're a restless one."

"This man is formidable," Fang Han thought to himself, feeling exposed under Bai Haichen's scrutiny. "Restlessness is good, restlessness is good," Bai Haichen mused. "The Fang family's divine secret realm practitioner, Fang Qingxue..."

A sneer crossed Bai Haichen's charred face, making his cold smile appear particularly menacing.

"You, a servant with no wealth or power, seeking to excel through martial arts is an impossibility. Cultivating the body requires vast sums of silver for bodily adjustments. But since you've crossed paths with me, consider it your fortune! I will offer you the chance to rise, provided you promise to do a few things for me," Bai Haichen's voice lowered.

"How will you give me this opportunity?" Fang Han inquired cautiously.

"This Nine Orifices Golden Pill possesses incredible power. It can help you rebirth, eliminate your body's frailty, and lay a foundation that none can match. I will also teach you superior martial arts, and you will advance swiftly. Whether you can enter the divine secret realm depends on your fate," Bai Haichen sat up, his posture rigid for a moment.

"The divine secret realm? You can help me cultivate to the divine secret realm!" Fang Han was astounded.

"You've heard of the divine secret realm? It seems you've gleaned much through stealth," Bai Haichen looked at Fang Han with renewed interest.

"I've learned through stealth and know there are ten levels of physical cultivation, with the tenth being divine transformation. When the body reaches its peak, the brain, supported by a robust physique, will produce magical powers, and with these, one can cultivate various divine abilities," Fang Han recited what he had heard from the giant spirit hand, Fang Tong.

"Impressive, the human brain is the most mysterious organ, and no martial cultivation can reach it. It is the source of divine power," Bai Haichen said. "What I want from you is simple: first, acknowledge me as your master, and then, after you've cultivated successfully, the first is to find opportunities to join the Yu Hua Sect within the Fang family and learn the 'Yu Hua Fei Sheng Jing', and the second is to kill Fang Qingxue!"

"Yu Hua Sect, Miss Fang Qingxue of the Fang family!"

Fang Han was shocked again. He knew the Fang family's ancestors were disciples of the Yu Hua Sect immortals, who had conquered the world alongside the great ancestor a century ago. And Miss Fang Qingxue of the Fang family, studying in the Yu Hua Sect, was cultivating the path of immortals.

"But joining the Yu Hua Sect doesn't seem to be the path to true excellence. 'Do princes and ministers have a certain status?' If I want to truly excel, I should be able to control the universe, flatten the world, and be an emperor or above."

Fang Han boldly spoke these audacious words, knowing that the more astonishing his words were in front of someone as remarkable as Bai Haichen, the more he could gain the other's favor.

"Is that all you aspire to? You are still a mortal after all," Bai Haichen sneered. "The true path to excellence is to cultivate the longevity secret realm beyond the divine secret realm, to be the head of one of the ten major sects of the immortal path! Control a sect and shake the world! Receive tributes from all nations."

Bai Haichen seemed to see through Fang Han's thoughts: "Although the Great Separation Dynasty has a vast territory with billions of people, in the eyes of the ten major sects of the immortal path, it is but a plaything. If the Great Demon Emperor of the Demon Path, the Great Emperor of Nature, is displeased with the Great Separation Dynasty, he can extinguish it a hundred times over. The disciples of the ten major sects of the immortal path control the Bo Yue Dynasty, the Great Respect Dynasty, the Great Start Dynasty, and dozens of others, each no less significant than the Great Separation Dynasty."

"So many dynasties exist in the world! What kind of person is the Great Emperor of Nature, who dares to call himself an emperor?"

Fang Han was completely astounded.

He served as a servant in the Fang family, and his vision was not limited, but he also knew that all under heaven is the king's land, thinking that the whole world is the Great Separation Dynasty. He was unaware that there were so many dynasties in the world! How vast is the whole world?

"The world is vast, the sky is vast, and the void is vast. The size of the world is as big as one's heart! I must broaden your horizons. The Great Emperor of Nature is the Great Demon Emperor of the Demon Path, standing with the ten major sects of the immortal path, with a life span of ten thousand years. The emperor of the Great Separation Dynasty is called 'Ten Thousand Years Old,' but can he truly live ten thousand years? And the Great Emperor of Nature can live ten thousand years! Whichever disciple of the ten major sects of the immortal path visits the Great Separation Dynasty, those princes and nobles must treat them as distinguished guests, for fear of being insufficiently hospitable. This time, Fang Qingxue has cultivated to the divine secret realm, and I'm afraid she will be immediately made a princess by the Great Separation Dynasty, trying to win her over. The Jiao Fu Huangquan Map I obtained is also a magical treasure left by the Great Demon Emperor of the Yellow Spring after he became an immortal on Huangquan Mountain, with boundless power." Bai Haichen looked at Fang Han's eyes as if looking at a naive fool: "If you step into the divine secret realm, you can truly touch these things, and you will step into the world of the immortal path. If you do not step into the divine secret realm, you will be in the dynasty for a lifetime, and you will be a kowtowing insect. It's a pity, but I had the hope to step into the divine secret realm, but I failed. Well, these are all things to broaden your horizons, you really want to touch these things, you still have to rely on the Fang family, and then enter the Yu Hua Sect. Well, you worship now! I don't have much time left."