Do I have to come in person to get you excited

In the Immortal Realm, there exists the Dao Ancestor, while in the Divine Realm, there is the Primordial Sovereign—different titles, yet the essence remains the same.

The Great Love Divine Sovereign, Hu Fangyuan, is one such Primordial Sovereign. Though his return from slumber left his original Dao Marks buried in history, his status remains unshaken. Given enough time, he would swiftly reclaim his peak strength!

As proof, despite having only recently awakened, he has already reforged two of his original Dao Marks, transcending the Great Luo realm and restoring himself to the Half-Step Primordial Sovereign level!

Chen Yi keenly sensed this development and immediately wanted to test just how "refined" this Half-Step Primordial Sovereign was—how would he compare to his own Five-Star clone?!

"Black Soil, are you really just sending an avatar to face me? That’s a bit disrespectful, don’t you think?"

"Do I really need to bring my true self here to get you excited?"

Hu Fangyuan: "..."

After a pause, his lips twitched slightly as he replied, "If you want a spar, just say so. It’s not like I’m afraid of you!"

"Deal!" Chen Yi wasted no time, summoning the Tribulation-Reaping Halberd. "Come on, let’s go!"

Hu Fangyuan’s avatar remained calm. "If you’re serious, then I’m not coming."

"The Immortal Realm is watching like hawks. Do you want me exposed?"

"Come on, I’ve already prepared the perfect spot. You’ll see when we get there!" Chen Yi refused to back down, grabbing the avatar’s arm and yanking him forward.

"Let’s go—inside!"

"Hey, wait—can’t you at least show some manners?! You’re seriously lacking in etiquette!!!"

Ignoring the protests, Chen Yi dragged him along while calling out to Ye Wuchen, "Old Ye, keep discussing things with Ambassador Xie Buruo. I’ll be back after sparring with their top dog!"

With that, he tore open a rift in space and pulled Hu Fangyuan’s avatar through.

It was clear—he really wanted to test the limits of his Five-Star clone!

After all, using an Immortal Emperor-possessed Great Luo as a benchmark had shattered the clone’s confidence.

Using an ordinary Great Luo as a reference, however, made the clone’s confidence skyrocket too much, making it hard to gauge its true strength.

But a Half-Step Primordial Sovereign like Hu Fangyuan—formerly equivalent to a Dao Ancestor—was the perfect middle ground. Slightly overpowered, but not excessively so; strong, but not overwhelmingly so. An ideal training partner!

If he could overpower Black Soil, it would prove that the Five-Star clone could stand unrivaled below the Dao Ancestor level. Anything beyond that would require a Six-Star upgrade!

"Tsk... Brother Wuchen, your friend here is quite the character!"

Xie Buruo watched the spatial rift slowly close, unable to help but suck in a cold breath.

"Ah, just his usual antics!" Ye Wuchen waved it off, uninterested in the details, and steered the conversation back on track. "Brother, take another look at the proposal—any revisions needed? If not, shall we sign?"

Xie Buruo didn’t hesitate. "No need for formalities! With you handling things, Brother Wuchen, I’m at ease!"

"Hahaha, then—to a successful partnership?" Ye Wuchen raised his glass with a smile.

"Hahaha, if the God of Wealth himself proposes a toast, how could I refuse?" Xie Buruo grinned brightly, clinking his cup lightly against the other’s.

"Hahaha, finally done! Let me show off a trick for everyone!" Ye Ancai, who had been sidelined the entire time, finally found his moment to shine and promptly launched into an impromptu performance.

Meanwhile...

Fang Fan, who had just returned home with a wealth of resources and been promoted on the spot to Acting Civil God of Wealth, barely had time to catch his breath before being summoned to the Illusory Star Pocket Realm.

"Little Fang, can the Myriad Stars Mystic Ring’s Infinite Realm withstand clashes at the Half-Step Dao Ancestor level?"

Fang Fan, who had just donned his crimson-and-gold God of Wealth robes, stiffened slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he replied earnestly, "Honored One, it should be possible. May I ask—are you planning to spar with a certain... discreet Half-Step Dao Ancestor?"

Fang Fan’s father was Fang Zheng, and when it came to reading between the lines and discerning intentions, he was no slouch. With just a few words, he had already pieced together his superior’s plan.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, impressed. "What makes you say that?"

Fang Fan smiled modestly. "If it were a conventional Half-Step Dao Ancestor, they would likely hail from the Immortal Realm. Given your capabilities, there’d be no need for secrecy. Only someone not from the Immortal Realm—perhaps even someone pursued by it—would require a secure meeting place."

"Of course, this is merely my humble opinion. If I’ve misjudged, please correct me. Only by understanding your needs can I properly communicate with the Mystic Ring to avoid disrupting your plans."

Chen Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Little Fang, you’ve learned well from your father, haven’t you? Truly, a worthy son of a worthy man!"

"Your insight is peerless, Honored One. I have indeed been deeply influenced by my father, striving to emulate his diligence in work and shoulder responsibilities to the best of my ability. Yet, I still fall short of his steadiness. Now, as Acting Civil God of Wealth, I feel the weight of my inexperience more than ever..."

"Enough, no need for lengthy explanations!" Chen Yi cut him off with a wave. "Your appointment as Acting Civil God of Wealth was the result of a democratic vote in the Immortal Court’s Joint Assembly. Don’t stress over it. Relax, consult your father more, and you’ll be fine."

"Right now, the priority is—can I borrow the Myriad Stars Mystic Ring?"

Before Fang Fan could respond, the ring’s artifact spirit stepped forward on its own.

"What must come will come. I just didn’t expect it so soon. Brother Fang Fan, don’t worry. I trust the Honored One won’t push me too hard!"

Though new to the Purple Tenuity Immortal Realm, the Mystic Ring’s spirit had grown fond of its atmosphere.

A place where all the world’s evils dared not raise their heads—save for the greatest evil—could only be governed by the greatest good.

Perhaps it had misjudged this Tribulation-Reaping Honored One before. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he seemed.

"What’s with the hesitation? It’s not like I said I’d leave Little Fang behind. Let’s all go!"

With those words, Chen Yi flicked his sleeve, sweeping Fang Fan and the Myriad Stars Mystic Ring into a teleportation channel in an instant.