RI

by Call me Ryder-0001

this book does not belong to me. im only posting it on this app to utilize the text to speech function.

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 251: The son's wrongdoings is the father's failure to teach!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Dead, he is truly dead!"

"What happened?"

"What the heck is happening here?"

Ou Fei's corpse was on the ground like a dead dog. How could it not attract attention?

In just a short period of time, the commotion here had become so big that it spread throughout the whole camp.

More and more people started gathering. Most of them cried out in surprise when they saw Ou Fei's corpse, as they would start inquiring about the events.

In moments, the scene was surrounded by layers of human walls; whisperings and discussions could be heard everywhere.

"Two people suddenly fought and one died immediately after. It's terrible!"

"He is the killer!" Someone cautiously pointed at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was holding his arms crossed at his chest and his head held high. He was standing indifferently at the same spot, and ignored the discussions in the surroundings as if they didn't exist.

"Hey, he is only a servant, how could he kill a Gu Master?" There were naturally people who were doubtful.

"He is not a servant, I personally saw him shooting out a white spear and also killing Ou Fei in one punch, it frightened the soul out of me!" A Gu Master who had seen the whole event, said.

"A white spear?!" Chen Xin's heart suddenly jumped when he heard this.

He had accidentally witnessed the death of Zhang Zhu and the image of Fang Yuan's spiral bone spear was deeply ingrained in his mind. Thus, when he heard this sensitive term 'white spear', he immediately linked both scenes.

"What is happening? What the hell happened here!?" Jia Long's displeased voice travelled over.

"Ah, it is the caravan leader and the vice leaders too." The crowd quickly made a way.

"Someone is dead!"

"Alright, someone was killed… eh, isn't this vice leader Ou's son?"

The vice leader who looked at this scene commented in a low voice.

Just after he finished speaking, a mournful scream resounded in everyone's ears.

"Ahh! My son! What happened to you, what happened to you?!" A figure rapidly ran to Ou Fei's corpse, then his movement slowed down all of a sudden.

This person was Ou Clan's Ou Yang Gong; he was short and thin, with an aquiline nose.

Ou Fei's face was completely smashed, his brains and blood mixed together to form a small puddle on the ground. It was clear his life force was already completely extinguished.

Ou Yang Gong fixed his eyes at his son's corpse, tears rolling down his face: "My son, you died such a terrible death. Who was it!? Who was the one that killed my son so viciously!? I am going to rip him into pieces!"

He was ballistic with anger and his scream was like the ravings of a madman.

Seemingly as a reply to his question, every gazes gathered on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan sneered and calmly said: "Of course it is me. Are you blind? I have been standing here for so long and you couldn't see me?"

Such an arrogant reply caused the crowd to immediately fall into a clamor.

Jia Long and other vice leaders also couldn't help frowning.

Fang Yuan's fearless appearance was causing them to hesitate. In particular, Fang Yuan's servant clothings made them unable to see the ins and outs of this situation, thus they cautiously chose to stay on the sidelines.

"You are the killer!" Ou Yang Gong stared intently at Fang Yuan with gaze as sharp as a knife, but despite being almost crazed with hatred, he didn't make a move.

Fang Yuan was slightly surprised.

His own son was lying dead in front of him, but this Ou Yang Gong was actually restraining his killing intent and didn't rush at him.

Actually, who among those who travelled outside to trade weren't observant? Ou Yang Gong had lived for so long and was habituated to life or death in his travels. He was an elder and being able to stand in such a high position in Ou Clan was a proof of his ability.

However, him not making a move didn't mean Fang Yuan wouldn't.

In all honesty, Ou Fei's appearance had made Fang Yuan extremely happy — he would make an example out of him as a warning to others, and his strong presence could then awe the crowd.

But just an Ou Fei wasn't enough for it. But what if he added in this Ou Yang Gong….

Hahaha, that would be perfect!

Fang Yuan's lips curled up into an evil smile as he thought of this: "Old man, you appeared just in time. Your son dared to be disrespectful to my clan's lady, the anger in my heart has yet to dissipate! Your son commited a crime because you didn't discipline him properly. You are the main cause of this, now pay with your life!"

After saying this, he ran forward and, in a blink of an eye, he was almost about to collide against Ou Yang Gong.

Ou Yang Gong's beard flew with rage.

What was this nonsense? What twisted reasoning was this!?

This guy was clearly the killer but was framing him as the main culprit!

He was no longer able to restrain his anger and fiercely struck back at Fang Yuan.

Bang , the two collided against each other.

There was a muffled sound and wind surged around them.

Fang Yuan continuously took five to six steps back before he was able to mitigate the impact. The light armor on him flashed weakly several times and then stabilized; in his aperture, canopy Gu had already become listless.

In contrast, Ou Yang Gong was sent flying like a puppet with its strings cut. He puffed out blood in mid-air, and could barely stand up when he fell on the ground, his face already pale as paper.

Anyone could see who was stronger!

"How could this be?"

"That ugly guy is clearly showing an aura of a rank two Gu Master!"

"Ou Yang Gong is disadvantaged, he is old and has become weak. In contrast, that guy is using his advantage to the fullest…"

The vice leaders quickly analyzed the situation.

"You are courting death!" Ou Yang Gong managed to recover after their initial confrontation, his anger flourished even more, wishing he could immediately rip Fang Yuan into pieces.

Just before, he hadn't expected Fang Yuan to make the first move and not having any information on Fang Yuan, under the urgency of the situation, he couldn't think properly and chose to meet Fang Yuan head on.

"Rascal, I will let you know the difference between rank two and rank three!" Ou Yang Gong roared in rage and charged at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was fearless as he maintained the canopy Gu; with a spiral bone spear in one hand, blood moon gu in another and jumping grass on his feet, he also rushed towards Ou Yang Gong.

The crowd quickly retreated, opening up a huge empty space.

Ou Yang Gong was at rank three initial stage, and Fang Yuan was at rank two upper stage; the difference between their cultivation bases was extremely far, with the separation of a small realm and a big realm on top of that.

However, Fang Yuan's situation was very unusual.

He possessed snow silver primeval essence borrowed from Bai Ning Bing and mostly used rank three Gu worms. His total fighting strength was even higher than Ou Yang Gong.

The two fought for five rounds, but Fang Yuan was still at the dominating end.

The crowd were aghast at this situation.

"Thi.. this.. what the hell is going on?"

"A rank three Gu Master is actually being pressured by a rank two Gu Master?!"

"This is ridiculous!"

The crowd couldn't believe this scene and many had even dazed expressions.

After several more rounds, Fang Yuan completely maintained the upper hand and was firmly suppressing Ou Yang Gong.

A small portion of the crowd realized something.

"This ugly guy is showing rank two aura, but his true cultivation is definitely above this!"

"Right, he must be using a Gu worm to conceal his aura. We didn't discover it when he was pretending to be a servant before."

"This guy is really vicious, he has been targeting Ou Yang Gong's vital parts. It doesn't seem to bode well for Ou Yang Gong."

Right now, Ou Yang Gong was having incessant grievances in his heart, he had thought he could easily beat Fang Yuan, but to think this guy was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing!

It was no wonder he took the initiative to attack and looked fearless; it was because his cultivation base was not inferior to him.

This guy really was too despicable and shameless!

After several more rounds, the result was clear for all to see, most of the crowd could see how terrible Ou Yang Gong's situation would be.

"Ou Yang Gong is sure to lose, he will be killed if this continues on!"

"Ou Yang Gong is weaker than the other guy and has been slowly losing since the start of the battle. He won't be able to avenge his son's death."

"This ugly guy is really powerful with such great strength and vicious methods, where in the world did this guy pop out from?"

"I know this guy, he is that servant who won against numerous bandit monkey kings in Fei Hou mountain!"

The crowd commented one after another; they were worried, curious, afraid and shocked.

"Both of you, please stop. There has to be some misunderstandings here!" Seeing Ou Yang Gong about to be killed by Fang Yuan, Jia Long – as the caravan leader – couldn't just sit back anymore, he quickly moved to the battlefield and interrupted the battle.

Right now, Ou Yang Gong was already soaked with sweat, his heart throbbed rapidly in fear of death and his face was deadly pale; hearing Jia Long's words, he immediately felt joyous and saw a light of hope.

He immediately got away from Fang Yuan and moved closer to Jia Long.

Fang Yuan quickly swept his eyes and realized he would not be able to reach Ou Yang Fei in time; he gave a loud laugh and his momentum stopped: "Brother Jia Long came in time, let's use the bone spear to kill him together!"

The moment these words came out, the whole crowd was stumped.

This ugly guy knew Leader Jia Long?

This was the first thought the crowd had.

Greeting in such an affectionate way, their relation looked pretty good.

This was the second thought the crowd had.

No, he might be intentionally saying this to mislead them.

This was the third thought the crowd had.

As the proverb goes, people involved in the situation are baffled while the spectators observe clearly . The spectators weren't battling, naturally they could think more clearly.

At this moment, Jia Long was feeling bewildered, because he had never even exchanged a word with Fang Yuan before.

Ou Yang Gong was even more bewildered, he couldn't come to a judgement as to what relation Jia Long and Fang Yuan had. He knew Fang Yuan could just be bluffing, but what if it was true?

If it were to be true, then he would be pincer attacked by Fang Yuan and Jia Long.

It was a matter concerning his own life, Ou Yang Gong naturally wouldn't dare to take the risk, thus he changed the direction and escaped towards southeast direction, away from Fang Yuan and Jia Long.

"Calm down." Jia Long immediately stopped to avoid arousing any suspicions.

Fang Yuan laughed loudly and chased.

Ou Yang Gong immediately realized he had fallen in Fang Yuan's trap, he was just about to speak up when suddenly someone charged out from the crowd – Bai Ning Bing attacked ruthlessly.

In that instant, three spiral bone spears shot out in a row.

"There was actually another person?!" Ou Yang Gong was horrified and subconsciously activated his defensive Gu without even turning around.

However, this Gu was like a spent arrow, it blocked two spiral bone spears, but the third bone spear directly pierced through Ou Yang Fei's head from the back and penetrated his front skull.

Ou Yang Gong died!

His death caused everyone to turn pale in fright, a huge uproar occurred among all those present.

This was a vice leader of the caravan, a rank three Gu Master!

Ou Yang Gong's death caused the caravan leader and vice leaders to turn pale, feeling a dense threat.

"Brazen lunatics!"

"They really dared to kill a vice leader!"

"Let's combine our strength and capture them!"

"Who dares to capture me?!" Bai Ning Bing threw away her straw hat; her silver hair floated in the air and her cold eyes swept through everyone as she fully released her snow silver primeval essence.

"Ahh, it is snow silver primeval essence!"

"She is actually a rank three peak stage Gu Master!"

In the caravan, only Jia Long was in rank three upper stage, rest of the leaders were either in initial stage or middle stage.

The group that were just about to make their moves, suddenly halted.

"Come if you want to die, hahaha." Fang Yuan stood side by side with Bai Ning Bing, and willed a thread of snow silver primeval essence from his aperture, playing with it in his hand.

Oh god! Another rank three peak stage!

The crowd trembled in fear, their momentum completely stopped.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing gazed at everyone with cold, indifferent eyes. The camp was silent, completely silent…

Chapter 252: The only thing that matters is strength

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Whoosh…

Mountain winds blew through the camp, enhancing the quietness of the camp even more.

The hundred over people formed a circle; inside the circle were two dead bodies and two standing people.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing's gaze slowly swept through everyone, many did not even dare to match their cold gaze.

At the end, Fang and Bai's gaze landed on Jia Long and other caravan leaders.

These people had charged out aggressively, but were immediately taken aback by the cultivation levels Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing revealed. Right now, they were in a situation where they could neither retreat nor advance.

With the loss of Ou Yang Gong and Ou Fei, the caravan now had eleven rank three, twenty-seven rank two and thirty-eight rank one Gu Masters.

Their combined strength was naturally greater than Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing by a lot.

However!

The caravan was only a temporary mix-match of different groups. These Gu Masters were from their respective clans and were normally engaged in scheming and guarding against each other. They would only cooperate if it was under a favorable situation.

They had their own interests and were not a united block; and had their own ways of doing things.

They were of different minds and would not be easy to lead.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing displayed rank three peak stage cultivation, no doubt they were two tough figures. No single clan could take them down alone, and even if they combined their strength, there would definitely be severe damage to the caravan.

Momentarily, Jia Long, Chen Shuang Jin and other leaders looked at Fang and Bai, before quietly sizing up each other. None of them wanted to be cannon fodder and benefit others instead.

Moreover, the current situation was one where the beast groups frequently attacked, everyone in the caravan were having trouble protecting themselves, let alone care about others.

External pressure and the worries in their heart made them hesitate.

The corner of Fang Yuan's lips curled up into an indistinct smile, their reactions were all within his expectations. Now, it is all up to her.

Although things had escalated quickly and he hadn't communicated with Shang Xin Ci, Fang Yuan believed she should be able to sense this opportunity with her intelligence.

Sure enough, the next moment, Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die walked out of the tent.

"Caravan leaders, these two are my Zhang Clan's hidden elders: Lord Hei Tu and Lord Bai Yun." Shang Xin Ci took this chance to introduce them.

Her voice wasn't loud, but she was the only one speaking among everyone present, thus everyone could clearly hear her.

The caravan leaders all had different expressions, whereas the crowd began to think over the two names – Hei Tu and Bai Yun.

Shang Xin Ci faintly smiled: "The two lords were on a secret clan mission and coincidentally entered this caravan on the way."

The caravan leaders looked at each other, all falling into silence.

Since they were hidden elders, even Zhang Clan's clan leader might not necessarily know of their existences. Moreover, the secret clan mission meant it was inappropriate to inquire about their motives.

Shang Xin Ci's two sentences blocked any questions they wanted to ask.

Of course, although these words were reasonable, it was only a one-sided statement by Shang Xin Ci.

The caravan leaders were all astute, each of them had made their own contemplations in their minds. Nobody was thoroughly convinced and suspicious ones were still suspicious.

But whether suspicious or believing, Fang and Bai's strength were already displayed before them, so there could only be one way to end this.

Thereupon…

"Hahahah, so it was like that. Everything was a misunderstanding!" Jia Long suddenly laughed, his face revealing a warm smile.

He cupped his hands towards Fang and Bai; and sincerely praised them: "I had never expected such great heroes to be hidden in our midst. This father and son from Ou Clan were indeed too unreasonable and their way of doing things were also questionable. I have already persuaded them many times before but a pity they didn't take it to heart. Their execution today can be said to be their just deserts."

These words had immediately concluded this matter.

The other vice leaders also responded at this moment, cupping their hands at Fang and bai while cursing Jia Long inwardly for being shameless.

"Zhang Clan is well known and is worthy of being one of the top clans of our Southern Border!"

"I am Lei Gong Cheng of Lei Clan, it is my good fortune to be able to meet both of you."

"It is our great fortune that both of you have exterminated evil for us!"

The vice leaders were all full of smiles as they said nonsense, twisting logic as they pleased.

The killers became the righteous representative while the Ou clan's father and son became evildoers. As for Ou clan's other Gu Masters, there were only three of them remaining, who cared about their unsightly expressions? In any case, Ou Yang Gong was dead, without a rank three Gu Master, who would dare to be bold? Who could stand up for them?

"You scoundrels, still not greeting the two lords!?" One of the vice leaders shouted while pretending to be displeased.

"We pay respects to Lord Hei Tu and Lord Bai Yun." Over twenty people immediately bowed and greeted Fang and Bai.

The whole camp was again sent into a clamor.

"The caravan has suffered heavy losses and is on the brink of crisis, it is our fortune to have met both of you. Please, I invite you into the tent to further discuss our situation." Jia Long walked closer and invited them sincerely.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing glanced at each other, before Fang Yuan walked towards Shang Xin Ci and consulted: "Xin Ci, what is your opinion?"

Seeing this scene, Jia Long immediately raised the status of Shang Xin Ci in his mind.

Shang Xin Ci slightly shook her head and spoke with a delicate tone: "I am tired, it is better for the caravan leaders to discuss together."

Fang Yuan inwardly praised her intelligence, this was just the time to take a step back to make an opportunity for greater advances later.

He nodded and said in agreement: "Our Zhang Clan's goods have all been donated, we have no interest towards these and will not interfere."

"This…" Jia Long hesitated and was about to persuade but Shang Xin Ci had already turned around.

Fang and Bai also left in an impressive way without giving any opportunity to Jia Long, leaving behind this crime scene for others to deal with.

"Alright, everyone get back to your work now. The camp still needs to be strengthened. It is a good thing two rank three peak stage Gu Masters appeared. And the Ou Clan's people, clean up these two corpses."

The only three remaining Gu Masters of the Ou Clan ran over. One rank two middle stage and two rank one Gu Masters; tears flowed down their faces as they held in their hatred, lowered their heads and carried the father and son's corpses.

The crowd slowly dispersed. The high-spirited caravan leaders couldn't maintain their composure any longer when they were back at the tent, their expressions fluctuating – as the hypocritical smiles disappeared from their faces – into solemness, bewilderment, indifference and worry.

Jia Long slowly sat down on the main seat and spoke with a gloomy voice: "The sudden appearance of two Gu Masters, what do you make of it?"

"Hmph, these are two lawless lunatics, publicly killing people!"

"That pitiful Ou Yang Gong, we were just here sitting with him a moment ago."

"I feel like these two's origins are highly suspicious!"

"What hidden elders, that is only that Zhang Clan girl's one-sided statement. From these two's behaviors, they are very likely to be demonic Gu Masters."

"That's right, occasions like demonic path's Gu Masters entering the caravan are common. I bet that Zhang Clan girl was threatened by them."

Jia Long nodded: "My thoughts are also about the same as yours. Zhang Clan's proud personality and their strengths are all known to us, how could there be any hidden elders? But, these two are vicious and also rank three peak stage…."

"Yes, this is troublesome."

"These two don't look to be old, but have already reached rank three peak stage. Such talent…."

"Hahaha, everything has merits and demerits. The way I see it, this is also good. Their strengths will greatly increase our power." A vice leader spoke.

"The crucial thing is how can we use them for our benefits? Just now, I took the initiative to invite them to discuss these matters and make them work for us, but it ended up in failure." Jia Long heaved a sigh.

"Hmph, not lending their strength? When the beast groups attack, who can do nothing? By then, it's not up to them." A vice leader spoke in a displeased tone.

"This matter needs to be considered properly. Demonic Gu Masters are arrogant and unyielding, trying to force them with only external pressure won't work, they need to be pressured from both inside and outside."

"Hmm? I am not sure what Brother Gong Sun is suggesting?"

"My suggestion is simple but I am afraid you might not like it; it is to give a portion of the goods to those two. They will naturally step forward to protect their goods when the time comes."

The camp fell into silence immediately.

Jia Long looked around before speaking: "This suggestion is good! Humans die for wealth and birds die for food ; without any clan's backing, demonic Gu Masters have an intense thirst towards cultivation resources. Moreover, you don't need to be worried about incurring losses, did you forget Ou Clan?"

The pondering gazes of the group immediately started brightening.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing's sudden appearance had made Zhang Clan into an influential force in the caravan, while Ou Clan was thrown by them into the weakest position.

Ou Clan's father and son were dead, the remaining two to three small fry in the Ou Clan group were nothing to worry about. The goods held by Ou Clan seemed quite substantial…

…

"Uncle… I have an important matter to inform you!" Chen Xin had constantly been paying attention to the tent, and once the discussion inside was over, he approached the Chen Clan's caravan leader Chen Shuang Jin.

Chen Shuang Jin grabbed his hand: "I know what you want to say. This is not the right place, let's go."

The two returned to their own tent and after confirming no one was eavesdropping, Chen Xin spoke: "Uncle, do you remember I reported to you about how Zhang Zhu was murdered?"

Chen Shuang Jin's face was grave as he nodded his head: "Zhang Zhu was killed by someone with bone spears. And today, that Hei Tu and Bai Yun also used bone spears!"

"That is it! Uncle, those two are harboring some unfathomable motives, are very ruthless. We need to make their crime known and combine our strength to kill off this danger early." Chen Xin was agitated.

Chen Shuang Jin slowly shook his head and sighed.

Chen Xin was puzzled: "Uncle, you don't approve?"

"It is not that I don't approve, but that it is not feasible."

"I saw with my own eyes, we have evidence. As long as we announce the matter about them killing Zhang Zhu, no one will tolerate these backstabbing traitors!"

"Hmph, evidence? There is witness testimony but what about material evidence?" Chen Shuang Jin scoffed, "Even if we have material evidence, what good it would do? My nephew, only evidence is of no use. The main thing is whether you have the strength! Just before, they killed the Ou Clan's father and son, you also saw that and others also saw it. We are all witnesses, but is it any use? We are all from different clans, but with us having different motives, how could we deal against these two foes?"

"Uncle, are we going to just ignore them? They are too dangerous, I can't even sleep properly. What if they find out that I know…" The more Chen Xin spoke, the more fearful he became.

"Hmph, you think too greatly of yourself. You think they don't know about you? Maybe they already know or maybe they already saw you but didn't make a move. Why is that? Because you are nothing to worry about! Chen Xin, stop being naive. In this cold world, the only thing that matters is strength!" Chen Shuang Jin heaved a deep sigh.

Chen Xin remained dazed at the spot; he clenched his fists, his uncle's words struck his young heart and he couldn't say anything for a long while.

Chapter 253: Only the dead are clean

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Dark clouds filled the sky bringing forth a heavy atmosphere and signs of heavy rain.

The caravan moved along the mountain path with a solemn atmosphere.

All the large black skin fat beetles in the caravan were dead; two winged snakes remained but in a crippled state; instead it was the baggage toads that survived mostly, all because they were small in size and moved pretty fast, easily hiding from the wild beasts' attacks. As for the ostriches, they were similar in size to the backpack toads, but they had a habit of burying their heads in the ground once they sensed any threats, so this caused their casualty to be the highest.

Shang Xin Ci was mixed in the crowd, her gaze somewhat complex as she looked at the dozen of baggage toads beside her.

The goods these baggage toads were carrying were all Zhang Clan's.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing didn't participate in the discussion, but the caravan leaders still sent large quantities of goods to her.

"All of this because of strength…" Shang Xin Ci sighed.

Previously, when Zhang Zhu was here, these caravan leaders showed an indifferent attitude; but now, they were polite to the extent that they even seemed to currying favor with her.

Moreover, when these Gu Masters and the servants looked at her now, their gazes carried reverence and fear.

"All these changes are due to them." Shang Xin Ci gave a complex gaze towards Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing who were not that far away.

On one hand, she received a feeling of security from Fang and Bai; while on the other hand, the kindhearted her felt fear from how they were able to easily kill people.

"Hahaha, it seems we have really frightened that girl." Bai Ning Bing was walking side by side with Fang Yuan and feeling Shang Xin Ci's gaze, she laughed softly.

Seven to eight days had passed since they killed Ou Clan's father and son.

This had affected the whole caravan, including Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die.

Xiao Die did not even dare to breath loudly in front of Fang and Bai, while Shang Xin Ci also didn't dare to match Fang Yuan's gaze anymore.

Such reactions were all within Fang Yuan's expectations.

This master and servant pair grew up in Zhang Clan since young, the righteous path ideology was ingrained into them. It was inevitable for them to be aware of the differences when Fang and Bai displayed their demonic nature. They would have to change their thought process to accept these two demonic path figures.

Fang Yuan wasn't worried.

They would have no choice but to accept and compromise when they face external pressure. After all, humans wanted to keep on living. After few beast group attacks, the estrangement in their hearts would gradually disappear.

"The problem now is him." Fang Yuan looked at Chen Xin.

This young Gu Master was the guy that fled together with Zhang Zhu. Fang Yuan had thought he was already smashed into meat paste by white feather flying elephant, but to think he was actually alive.

Gu Masters that possessed unusual Gu worms, even if their cultivations were not high, could not be looked down upon.

Fang Yuan had lost the earth hearing ear grass and had no other scouting methods, causing him to overlook Chen Xin. He also did not know how much the latter had found out. But regardless, he had countermeasures for everything.

He was cautious in nature and always considered failures first. At that time, he already had measures prepared if someone found out.

Thus, after he killed Zhang Zhu, he intentionally displayed formidable strength. If someone had really found out, they would thus be scared by Fang and Bai's vicious strength; and would keep themselves hidden.

Ou Clan's father and son ran themselves into the line of fire; had it not been for Ou Fei coming to find trouble, Fang Yuan would have looked for trouble himself or display his formidable methods during beast group attacks.

Naturally Fang Yuan had many methods to strike back even if he was exposed. The caravan leader Jia Long was one such chess piece.

He was Jia Fu's subordinate and Fang Yuan had received a token from Jia Fu back at Gu Yue village. As long as he showed the command token, he could obtain Jia Long's trust for several actions.

However, for every single plan, no matter how perfect it appeared, accidents could always occur when they were implemented.

Also known as: Man proposes but God disposes 1 .

Even if Fang Yuan had plentiful experience, was astute and had deep foresight, he also had the possibility to fail. But it was because of this, that life could be so brilliant and full of uncertainty.

Fang Yuan's first consideration was the worst outcome.

If his luck was extremely bad and someone saw him or he left behind ironclad evidence when he killed Zhang Zhu; and it led to Shang Xin Ci realizing the truth, she would feel deep hatred towards him; someone who bit the hands that fed him.

What to do then?

Simple, kill Shang Xin Ci.

She was only a mortal now and killing her was very simple. Shang Clan's clan leader also didn't know she was his own daughter; there would be no repercussions from Shang Clan if he killed her secretly.

Looking at the outcome now, Zhang Zhu was dead but Fang Yuan's luck wasn't the best as he left behind a trail. But it was also not the worst, at least Shang Xin Ci was still in the dark.

Fang Yuan was sure of this because Shang Xin Ci was still young and her emotions were completely exposed in his eyes.

"There is a crocodile-elephant 2 group ahead!"

"A crocodile-elephant group is charging towards us!"

"Be on guard, be on guard!"

An investigative Gu Master hurried towards the caravan from ahead, bringing bad news.

A disturbance occurred in the caravan before quickly turning calm.

"It is just crocodile-elephants, no need to panic."

"We don't have enough manpower to defend ourselves here."

"Correct. Everyone disperse, enter the rainforests!"

Gu Masters gave forth the most sensible command; people were already in a very strained state and were able to quickly disperse in all directions.

If they had encountered such situation before Fei Hou mountain, they might be worried about their goods and keep on hesitating. Now however, they firmly gave up the goods without taking another glance at them, concentrating on fleeing.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing directly charged straight into the rainforest while protecting Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die.

He was not surprised at the crocodile-elephant group's arrival because it was his plan.

Rumble…

The crocodile-elephant group stomped its way through, soon there were blood-curdling screams and sound of trees falling down.

Fang Yuan carefully led Shang Xin Ci and others through the rainforest, but there were too many crocodile-elephants; they still ran into one.

Crocodile-elephants were small in size, about the same size as yaks, which allowed them to be more agile. Their whole body were covered in scales like that of a crocodile with defense that far surpassed white feather flying elephants. Their tails that was similar to that of crocodiles, trailing along the ground.

"Ahh!" Xiao Die let out a scream upon the sight of this hill-like crocodile-elephant charging at them.

Shang Xin Ci was also pale.

"No need to worry." Fang Yuan indifferently said, before charging towards the crocodile-elephant.

One human and one elephant collided midway; their collision producing a loud sound.

Fang Yuan took two steps back, and the white light armor on his body flickered thrice. But that crocodile-elephant, its skull directly shattered and blood spurted out as it fell on the ground, pushed back by a dozen steps before colliding against the trunk of a large tree and stopped.

"Amazing!" Xiao Die's eyes were wide open with shock.

This was an ordinary crocodile-elephant and not a hundred beast king, while Fang Yuan possessed snow silver primeval essence along with the strength of two boars and a crocodile; handling it was naturally very easy.

However, Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die had never seen such fierce scene.

Zhang Zhu did not have great physical strength and was also a healing Gu Master, so he relied mainly on dodging and assisting during a battle.

Fang Yuan, however, met the attack head on, fighting without restraint; this naturally left a deep impression on the master and servant pair.

About two hours later, the crocodile-elephant group gradually left and the caravan group started walking out of the rainforest.

After the casualties were counted, they had only lost a Gu Master and a dozen servants; it was not a big loss.

The caravan set on their journey again after reorganising all the goods.

Several days later, they were out of Xiang Ya mountain region, and began their journey to Mu Bei mountain.

Within the next half a month, the caravan was attacked by black rock bears, iron crown deers and other beast groups.

And because Fang and Bai acted as inseparable bodyguards, Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die suffered no harm. This close contact all the time started to change the master and servant's attitude.

Shang Xin Ci started to get much closer to Fang Yuan, cheerfully talking with him and no longer evading his gaze. Xiao Die had completely changed into a worshipper of Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.

Worshipping the strong was the character of all living beings, because strength meant higher probability of survival.

Moreover, Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing were people with principles even though they were of demonic path. In the two girls' perspective, those two did not ask for anything nor took advantage of them, only returning a favor. This conduct was full of heroic aura, and even among righteous path, how many people had such character?

No matter how ugly Fang Yuan looked, in the master and servant's heart, he was much more likeable than the many hypocritical and crafty righteous path people.

Several days later, the caravan entered Mu Bei mountain region.

Zombies started appearing.

Mu Bei mountain hadn't always had the same name. Over hundred years ago, there was a large clan on this mountain.

A demonic Gu Master changed everything.

He used to be a servant of this clan. At the day of his wedding, his beautiful wife had been seized by a Gu Master of the clan and humiliated to death.

He buried this hatred deep into his heart and as luck would have it, he obtained the inheritance of 'Zombie King', a demonic head.

After enduring hardships for nearly hundred years, with rank five cultivation, he commanded an army of zombies and attacked the clan, slaughtering everyone. He did not spare their corpses, turning them into zombies.

After finishing all this, he erected a huge tombstone in the ruins of the clan.

On the tombstone, he carved his wife's name.

This event shook the whole Southern Border.

This mountain has been called Mu Bei mountain ever since then. Zombies roamed free on the mountain, killing wild beasts or passerbys, absorbing blood as their food. And the ptomaine on them would infect the corpses, producing new zombies.

Like this, there were endless amount of zombies on Mu Bei mountain.

To protect the safety of the trade route, clans organized zombie hunting squadrons every year to clean up these zombies.

But no matter how much they cleaned up, they could not kill all the zombies due to their endless numbers.

After all, the zombie hunting squadrons were limited in size, with so many mountains in Southern Border and dangers in the way, they had to make considerable expenditures for this long expedition. It was a situation where they had to invest a lot but gained less, and even then it was impossible to overturn Mu Bei mountain. As long as a zombie escaped, a zombie army would appear again after a short while. After failing several times even after large scale expeditions, the enthusiasm of the people started to disappear.

The caravan decided to camp at the base of Mu Bei mountain for the night.

The stars were shining brightly in the sky. Fang Yuan looked at the dark Mo Bei mountain, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.

"It is time, these people are no longer valuable. It is time to settle all these troubles."

Chen Xin must die, but just disposing of him alone could make the situation even more troublesome. How much did he know, who had he revealed to, and were there anyone else who had seen the murder? Fang Yuan didn't know any of this.

However, Fang Yuan had no intention to find out. Because in his plan, Chen Xin would die and others would also die.

Only the dead are clean

Chapter 254: Assault of the zombie army

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Ding Hao looked down at the caravan from the base of the mountain as he hid behind some bushes, licking his lips excitedly.

"According to the information in the cave, as long as I kill a thousand people and amass a zombie army, I can leave this place and go to Zhao Ze mountain to become a formal disciple of master!"

Ding Hao was originally a villager but was recruited to be a laborer by a passing caravan.

However, the caravan was attacked by a large number of zombies when they were passing through Mu Bei mountain. He was abandoned along with dozens of other servants, as cannon fodder.

While all the other servants died one after another, he ran deep into the mountain in panic. Just when he was driven into a corner, he discovered a cave; none of the zombies dared to approach this cave.

He entered this cave and discovered a demonic inheritance.

As it turns out, this was the hidden inheritance of that demonic Gu Master who killed the whole clan and erected the tombstone in the ruins.

This inheritance was deeply hidden and only mortals were allowed to inherit it.

Ding Hao awakened his aperture in this cave and began to cultivate, passing each test one by one.

He only had C grade aptitude originally, but with the use of a rare Gu in the cave, his aptitude upgraded to B grade.

He concentrated fully on cultivating, and after spending over eight years, he reached rank three realm which was the criteria to enter the final secret chamber.

The final secret chamber contained a stone slab which had an inscription left by that demonic Gu Master: I profess myself as the Second Zombie King. If a fated individual truly arrives here, if you so wish, you can go to Zhao Ze mountain to be my official disciple and follow me to roam the Southern Border.

As the final test, the Second Zombie King required the inheritor to kill thousand people and also raise a large zombie army. There were detailed standards to the test, such as how many white-hair zombies, black-hair zombies and green-hair zombies should be in the zombie army. However, if there was a blue-hair zombie, just one would suffice to meet the condition.

Ding Hao was an honest man and honest people usually had a strong point; they were steadfast.

He cultivated on Mu Bei mountain alone for over eight years. He had to endure the silence and loneliness, having only the zombies as his companions as he cultivated bit by bit to rank three.

He had been a servant who could only be a spectator to the world of Gu Masters, thus he did not understand many things.

During the time of his bewilderment, this inscription on the stone slab no doubt gave him a whole new direction and a goal to strive.

The fact that the Second Zombie King had also been a servant and their backgrounds were similar, resonated even more with Ding Hao's heart.

After reading the inscription, Ding Hao started killing people and amassing his zombie army.

Ding Hao soon realized these two missions actually complemented each other; he could use the corpses of the people he killed to obtain new zombies and the new zombies could thereby increase his strength to kill more people.

Mu Bei mountain was located by one of the three most important trade routes of Southern Border with caravans passing through it every month.

Ding Hao spent another three years of time to reach this point where he was close to accomplishing the mission.

The caravan at the base of this mountain would be his final stepping stone to success! And it was a perfect prey!

There were caravans of all sizes, some big and some small; Ding Hao could do nothing more than hide far away every time a large scale caravan passed by. He did not dare to attack the mid-scale caravan as well. Only against these small scale caravans, could Ding Hao make his move and secretly command the zombies to attack.

When his luck was good, these caravans would abandon some livestock or servants to flee; when his luck was bad and ran into some tough nuts, the zombies would be slaughtered and inflict great losses to him. At those times, he could only slowly amass more zombies again.

However, this caravan was smaller than even small scale caravans and seemed to have already suffered huge damage. It was like an old man struggling at death's door who could fall over with a light push.

Ding Hao had confidence he could deal with this caravan.

He even felt this was a gift sent by the heavens.

It was night time, dark clouds flitted past in the sky, hiding the moon.

The light was dim around the camp.

"Kill." Ding Hao's eyes suddenly brightened as he willed. The zombie army which was already arranged properly moved stealthily towards the camp from all directions.

"What sound is this?" A very vigilant investigative Gu Master positioned outside the camp seemed to have heard something.

"What is it?!" The few Gu Masters beside him were tensed.

The five Gu Masters motionlessly stared at the darkness ahead of them.

Although the moon was covered by the dark clouds, there was a huge bonfire burning in the camp.

The bonfire produced crackling sounds as the wind brushed past.

In the midst of the flickering flames, a zombie covered with white hair hopped into the investigative Gu Master's vision.

The few Gu Masters looked at each other before laughing out loud.

"Haha, a white-hair zombie."

"Tsk, getting worried over nothing, scared the hell out of me."

"Xiao San, go take care of this unlucky zombie…" The leader of this group of Gu Masters said indifferently.

White-hair zombies were very weak, weaker than even the common wild beasts.

"Yes, boss." A young Gu Master laughed and walked towards the zombie.

"Be careful of its corpse poison, it will be troublesome if you are infected as I do not have an antidote type Gu." The healing master in the group reminded.

"Understood, understood. Do you take me as a three-year-old child?" The young Gu Master impatiently waved his hand.

If he was really infected with corpse poison, he could ask other Gu Masters to heal him but it would cost half a primeval stone at minimum.

However, white-hair zombies attacked in a set pattern and was easy to dodge. The young Gu Master had already killed many of them since entering Mu Bei mountain.

"There is no need to worry about this thing as long as I pay attention to dodging… ugh!" The young Gu Master was mumbling to himself when he suddenly stopped on the spot, his voice stuck at his throat.

His pupils shrunk rapidly and his mouth opened wide; his face revealing an extremely frightened expression.

"What is it?" The four Gu Masters at the rear felt something amiss and immediately asked.

The young Gu Master came to his senses, his whole body shook as if it was electrocuted before he immediately turned around and began running.

"Quick, sound the alarm. There are zombies!" He screamed, his face filled with extreme fear.

"It is only a white-hair zombie, why are you freaking out… wha, what the fu-!"

The four Gu Masters all screamed.

There were a few hundred white-hair zombies hopping towards the camp. There were also the stronger black-hair zombies mixed within the horde.

Under the illumination of the bonfire, one could make out the overlapping figures in the darkness but no one knew how many zombies were pressing forward.

Clang Clang Clang…

In the quiet camp, the sound of the bells suddenly rang.

"There is a zombie group moving towards the camp!"

"They have surrounded the whole camp!"

"Quick, quick, everyone prepare to defend…"

Jia Long and some vice leaders climbed up a wooden wall and observed the situation, their expressions extremely grave.

"Damn it, which deity did this caravan offend, such incredibly bad luck!"

"I have been to Mu Bei mountain dozen of times but have never seen such a large scale zombie group…"

"There is no use in complaining. Since we can't change this situation, we have to fight with our lives on the line if we want to live!"

"We should combine our strength and defeat this zombie group!"

Everyone in the camp felt their morale increasing as they growled in anger. In contrast, the zombie army was completely silent, other than the constant sound of the jumping and landing.

The troop arrangement in the two sides formed a strange and clear contrast.

The battle unfolded completely.

Gu Masters relied on the defense of wooden walls and launched all kinds of long range attacks. All kinds of color flashed around the camp; icicles, fireballs, vines, rolling boulders and so on struck collided right into the vanguard of the zombies.

Large numbers of white-hair zombies fell; cut into pieces, burnt to ashes, froze into ice cubes or stone-rolled into meat paste.

"Kill, slaughter them all. Hahaha…" Ding Hao was observing all this from up the mountain with a cold smile on his face.

He was no longer the inexperienced guy he once was. These white-hair zombies were cannon fodder meant to waste the Gu Masters' primeval essence.

Sure enough, after some time, the Gu Masters' attacks became less frequent and weak.

"I am out of steam, I don't have much primeval essence left."

"I also need to recover my primeval essence!"

"Can anyone take my place? Damn it, why are these white-hair zombies not decreasing?"

There were too few Gu Masters in the caravan while the white-hair zombies seemed to be endless; finally, they were able to resist the pressure and reach the wooden wall.

Under the attack of the zombie group, these temporarily constructed crude wooden walls immediately let out dangerous creaking sounds.

"Damn it, block them, block them!"

"Call in the reserve forces."

Both sides entered a deadlock around the wooden wall. One side charged forward while the other side guarded this barrier. The huge losses to the white-hair zombies caused Ding Hao's heart to ache.

"It is your turn, my babies." With a thought in his mind, a batch of black-hair zombies charged forward from the rear and entered the battlefield.

White haired zombies were slow and could be harmed by sunlight, so they couldn't move around in daytime. If they fed on blood for years, they could evolve into black-hair zombies. Black-hair zombies were covered with black hair, their strength and defensive ability were stronger than the white-hair zombies, and their hopping speed was much faster. Although they still received damage from sunlight, they didn't fear it like the white-hair zombies.

Black-hair zombies had the strength of a hundred beast king!

Ding Hao sent over fifty black-hair zombies in this batch; all of them charging forward in a group. They looked for a gap in the camp's defensive wall and immediately destroyed a part of it like dried twigs.

Despite the camp sending more manpower to reinforce this gap, several black-hair zombies were still able to charge into the inner camp.

A black-hair zombie swept around its arms and sent a rank one Gu Master flying.

The Gu Master fell on the ground and was unable to stand up immediately. The black-hair zombie pounced at him.

"I am finished!" The Gu Master closed his eyes in despair but suddenly he heard a loud sound.

He opened his eyes; a strong figure was blocking in front of him, while that black-hair zombie collapsed far away.

"It is Lord Hei Tu of Zhang Clan!" The Gu Master's heart shook.

Grrr!

That black-hair zombie's chest had caved in from Fang Yuan's punch but it wasn't dead, instead it hopped up and charged towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was covered with a layer of white light armor. He slightly frowned and waited for it to come near him, then he grabbed its two arms and pulled them fiercely.

The black-hair zombie was immediately torn apart into two halves.

Foul blood that carried corpse poison splattered but was completely repelled by the white light armor.

Fang Yuan casually threw the two halves of the corpse. Even a myriad beast king level blue-hair zombie would die from such injuries.

"Thank you Lord Hei Tu for saving my life!" The rescued Gu Master was completely absorbed in Fang Yuan's momentum and said with a voice filled with joy and reverence.

Fang Yuan ignored him but directed his gaze towards the chaotic battlefield.

Chapter 255: Ding Hao, get out here!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

By now, the wooden walls were already mostly collapsed, as hordes of zombies charged into the camp and fought with the Gu Masters.

Upon seeing this, Fang Yuan was already certain this zombie army was manipulated by Ding Hao.

If it was an ordinary zombie group, they would all swarm in like bees or the black-hair zombies would attack after the white-hair zombies died. Where would there be battle tactics like shown here, someone was clearly controlling them from behind!

And no doubt, the one controlling these zombies was Ding Hao.

Fang Yuan remembered the Second Zombie King left behind an inheritance after exterminating the clan on Mu Bei mountain. The inheritor of this inheritance was Ding Hao. He later went on to become Second Zombie King's eldest disciple, and although he was of demonic path, he was very loyal. Later in the battle between Righteous and Demonic on Yi Tian mountain, he took the place of Second Zombie King of his own choice and died in the battle.

"I had thought of looking for you but to think you would deliver yourself to me, that saves me a lot of time."

Fang Yuan's plan had been to use this Ding Hao to eradicate the caravan and kill everyone. Although he had methods to attract the beast groups, it wasn't easy to control the size of it.

The caravan strength had already decreased to a very low level and if large amounts of beast groups were attracted, it would instead cause his own life to be in danger. It would be even more troublesome to protect Shang Xin Ci on top of that.

Under such circumstances, Ding Hao was the perfect chess piece.

"But where is this guy hiding?" Fire blazed all around. Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and observed his surroundings.

"He needs to be at a high ground if he wants to observe the battlefield and command the zombie army. Of course, he might have other Gu worms which could give him a bird's eye view of the camp. Regardless, the place he is hiding in should be convenient to escape…"

Fang Yuan lost the earth hearing ear grass and possessed no other investigative methods, thus he had to rely on speculations.

The battles were becoming more desperate; while hundreds of zombies were scattered all over the ground, there were also catastrophic losses to the Gu Masters. Under the endless flood of the zombies, the Gu Masters retreated bit by bit and soon reached the central area of the camp.

There, a bunker was made by piling up goods and some rank one Gu Masters were using many methods to reinforce it.

"There are too many zombies, the defense here will fall sooner or later."

"We need to break the siege!"

"Break the siege, how will we break through? There are dozens of black-hair zombies!"

"It would be better to reinforce our defense and wait for dawn. The zombies would receive a huge decrease in strength under the sunlight. We won't even need to make a move and they will retreat by themselves."

Arguments arose, and people were divided into two sides; one wanted to break through while the other wanted to defend their positions.

The two sides kept on arguing while the zombie horde was already pressing closer.

This temporarily formed caravan showed its biggest weakness right now; being unable to truly unite and lacking a strong figure to take control of the situation.

Fang Yuan had been observing the situation as a spectator; now, he suddenly stood up: "Stop shouting!"

The noisy scene quieted down almost instantly.

In everyone's eyes, he was a rank three peak stage Gu Master, one of the strongest experts in the caravan. Especially now at this critical life and death juncture, Fang Yuan had even more authority.

Fang Yuan swept his cold and sharp gaze at everyone. His ugly face, under the illumination of the fire, was menacing and ruthless.

"All those that wants to stay and defend are idiots! Why should we stay here if we can break through?" He fiercely scolded, giving off a strong impression.

The Gu Masters who were shouting about staying and defending showed indignant expressions but they didn't dare to retort; while the Gu Masters who insisted on breaking the siege were joyous.

"Lord Hei Tu is wise!"

"Lord Hei Tu, we will follow you."

"Right now, only Lord Hei Tu can save us from this desperate crisis!"

They continued to praise Fang Yuan to the high heavens, wanting to make him take charge of the dangerous assault.

However, Fang Yuan sneered and cursed: "Shut up! You bunch thinking of breaking through are even greater fools!"

"Ugh…" The Gu Masters that were praising Fang Yuan stiffened, their expressions fluctuating rapidly; while those who insisted on defending their positions showed ridicule and mocking expressions.

"Then, Sir Hei Tu, what do you suggest?" Jia Long's expression was dark as he spoke in a heavy voice with an unkind gaze.

"Hmph, be it defending the position or breaking through the siege, the situation needs to be investigated properly first. Do you know the scale of this zombie horde? What if there is a large group of them hiding in the darkness, wouldn't breaking through then be walking right into a trap? And if this is just all of them and you guys insist on defending your positions while you could clearly escape, the bloody odor would attract more zombies and you would just be sending yourselves to death." Fang Yuan spoke with such vigor that his saliva went flying out.

Nobody would show a good expression after being scolded harshly.

Chen Shuang Jin asked in a gloomy voice: "Then what good suggestion do you have?"

Fang Yuan opened his eyes wide in anger and pointed at Chen Shuang Jin: "You fools, your brain is filled with shit! I have spoken for so long and no one understands! Of course we are going to break through but first we are going to check our surroundings. Investigative Gu Masters, you need to work hard!"

Being pointed out by Fang Yuan and reprimanded, Chen Shuang Jin's expression turned ugly and a fire burned in his heart. However, he still vividly remembered that time when Fang Yuan killed Ou Clan father and son, so he could only suppress his anger.

Many became dissatisfied with Fang Yuan's aggressiveness; but at the same time, in this situation, such aggressiveness instead gave them a sense of indescribable security.

Soon, a group was organized to break through the siege under Fang Yuan's manipulation.

"Break through that direction." Fang Yuan said solemnly as he pointed towards southeast direction

"Yes, Lord Hei Tu!"

"Remember, scouting is the priority, protect yourselves and retreat if you can't continue." Fang Yuan smiled and patted the group leader's shoulder.

The group leader's heart immediately relaxed and Fang Yuan's image in his mind was no longer as repulsive as before.

The zombie horde reached the final defensive line and battles issued everywhere. Breaking the siege group charged forward three hundred steps before they were forced to retreat.

"Too terrifying, I discovered at least hundreds of zombies in the darkness at that side." The investigative Gu Master's heart was still fearful as he made the report.

Everyone turned slightly pale at these words.

"No problem, take a rest. Second group, break through that direction!" Fang Yuan commanded.

This group charged through four to five hundred steps before they had to retreat.

"There are too many zombies…" The investigative Gu Master was pale.

Fang Yuan let them rest, and said to the newly formed third group: "Go in that direction."

"But that side is a valley." The group leader was somewhat puzzled.

Slap.

Fang Yuan slapped the man: "If I say go, then go. Don't give me nonsense!"

The group leader was stunned by the slap, but he didn't dare to meet Fang Yuan's angry gaze so he turned around and led his group to the direction Fang Yuan pointed.

Fang Yuan had organized three breaking the siege groups, sending them out to probe the situation and finally rule out the possible areas.

"The only place remaining is that high slope now. If I am not wrong, Ding Hao is definitely hiding there." Fang Yuan sneered inwardly and continued to arrange breaking the siege groups.

"These people are really not giving up." Ding Hao's brows furrowed but soon relaxed, "Haha, you guys might have been able to break through if it was an ordinary zombie horde, but too bad for you, this zombie horde is being controlled by me…"

He mobilized the zombies in the darkness to constantly replenish any gaps. At the same time, he deployed massive forces towards several areas.

Several rounds later, the casualties in breaking the siege groups increased to a disastrous amount.

"This is enough, breaking through can't succeed, we can't make any more sacrifices in vain!"

"Sigh, looks like we can only defend our positions…."

"Everyone persevere, endure till the sun rises, these zombies would be weak as paper then."

"Stop your nonsense, success is in sight! I will personally lead this time. Bai Yun, you stand guard here." Fang Yuan cursed and aggressively insisted on breaking through.

Because of his aggressiveness, Gu Masters could only form another group.

Eight Gu Masters charged out with Fang Yuan in the lead; with enormous strength combined with snow silver primeval essence and Canopy Gu, he was able to easily force his way through the encirclement.

"Damn, that side is somewhat thin…" Ding Hao also couldn't prevent Fang Yuan from breaking through.

He hadn't thought Fang Yuan would choose this side to break through; this side was a dead end and he had continuously mobilized the zombies to other sides to fill up the gaps caused by the previous break through attempts, causing the zombies in this side to be the least in numbers.

"They really succeeded!"

"They broke through!"

The people in the camp were looking at this scene with wide eyes.

Although in the process, five Gu Masters died, Fang Yuan and the two other Gu Masters successfully broke through.

"We are saved, quick, let's break through that side!" Everyone was joyous in the camp.

"Don't even think about succeeding!" Ding Hao gritted his teeth and immediately mobilized zombies to fill the gap.

The camp was still in the process of organizing while white-hair zombies were already covering the area Fang Yuan broke through. There were also five black-hair zombies pouncing upon Fang Yuan's group.

The two Gu Masters were shell-shocked.

"Follow me!" Fang Yuan shouted and charged towards the direction where Ding Hao was hiding.

The two Gu Masters couldn't think properly because of their fear and subconsciously followed Fang Yuan.

"Hmph, choosing to run towards me, hahaha, it seems even heaven wants you dead…" Ding Hao's lips curled up as he looked proudly towards two zombies beside him.

These two zombies were huge, with green hair covering their body. They were green-hair zombies which was stronger than black-hair zombies and could show a power equivalent to that of a thousand beast king during night!

Ding Hao was only able to raise these two during his many years in the mountain.

"Go." He willed and these two green-hair zombies immediately charged out.

Eighty steps later, they met Fang Yuan's group.

Fang Yuan met one head-on; even though he had strength of two boars and a crocodile, they were evenly matched and both were sent back several steps from the collision.

The two remaining Gu Masters battled the other green-hair zombie, but they were being pressured and the situation already looked dangerous.

"Let me help." Fang Yuan activated jumping grass and lept towards the battle.

The two Gu Masters were exulted and were about to express their thanks, but without warning, two spiral bone spears shot towards them.

Psh Psh… two piercing sounds determined the two Gu Masters' deaths.

"Eh?" Ding Hao had been observing the battle and seeing this unexpected change raised a huge doubt in his mind.

This distraction caused the two green-hair zombies to slow down.

The next words Fang Yuan spoke caused even more shock to Ding Hao.

Only to hear him shout: "Ding Hao, get out here!"

Chapter 256: So you are eldest senior brother

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Ding Hao started to get dizzy as if a flashbang went off in his head.

Who is this guy? He discovered me and even knows my name! Impossible, I have been so careful all these years, never giving myself away. How could he discover me?

Waves rose in Ding Hao's heart and his thoughts became a whirlpool; the two green-hair zombies along with the black-hair zombies and white-hair zombies around the camp became still.

Everyone in the camp were stunned by this unexpected scene.

However, Ding Hao immediately came to his senses and reacted. The battle in the camp resumed.

Fang Yuan knew he had already half-succeeded upon seeing these two green-hair zombies remaining still. He shouted: "Ding Hao, you will regret if you don't come out…."

Ding Hao was hiding within some bushes, he gritted his teeth and asked while controlling the green-hair zombies to surround Fang Yuan: "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

Fang Yuan snorted: "Of course it was my master Second Zombie King who told me."

"Ah?" Ding Hao could not stop but let out a cry of surprise; 'master' and 'Second Zombie King', these words were like a boulder descending and creating a huge wave in his heart.

He stood up and walked out of the bushes, his two eyes staring tightly at Fang Yuan with shock and doubt.

"Who on earth are you?" Ding Hao anxiously asked.

Fang Yuan snorted and said in an overbearing tone: "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me? I am the Second Zombie King's eldest disciple, Hei Tu. Ding Hao, I will count to three, if you don't call back these two green-hair zombies by then, hehe…."

"You are eldest senior brother? Wait a second, how did lord benefactor know my name?" Ding Hao held suspicions towards this entire issue, but regardless, he still called back the two green-hair zombies to his side.

Fang Yuan's expression turned stiff as he scolded: "Who is your eldest senior brother? Master has yet to take you in as his disciple, how dare you pose off as one?"

Ding Hao had no way to retort back.

Fang Yuan tone softened: "Don't you talk to the stone slab all day, how could master not know your name?"

"Ahh!" Ding Hao uttered a cry of surprise.

All these years, he had lived alone with only the zombies as his companions. When he felt depressed and painful, he would go to the final cave and pour out his heart to the stone slab.

He had never expected Fang Yuan to expose his secrets with one remark.

"I… I thought… that was an ordinary stone slab…" Ding Hao stammered.

"Hmph, what level are you at, of course you cannot understand the profoundness of the stone slab. Master has vast powers, how would you be able to see through it?" Fang Yuan disdainfully sneered.

In actual fact, even if a rank nine Gu Master were to see the stone slab, they wouldn't be able to see the 'profoundness' of it. That was just a common stone slab. However, in Fang Yuan's previous life, Ding Hao himself had personally narrated it in his recollection of his struggles in life after he made a name for himself.

Ding Hao licked his dry lips, he was almost fully convinced but he still had some doubts.

He gave a deep bow towards Fang Yuan and cupped his hands: "Lord Hei Tu, since you are master's disciple, then please show me our unique characteristic, the zombie heart Gu."

Zombie heart Gu was a Gu specific to the zombie king's lineage. It resembled a heart, had seven holes and was stiff as stone. It was a rank three Gu, was cold to the touch and seemed to be made of bronze.

Zombie heart Gu could produce rank two running corpse Gu. It was similar to charred thunder potato mother Gu which could produce charred thunder potato Gu.

Rank two running corpse gu was also a consumable Gu and was used on corpses to form zombies.

However, it had an advantage over charred thunder potato Gu; the zombies it created could grow up and advance a stage. For instance, white-hair zombies could become black-hair zombies, black-hair zombies could become green-hair zombies and so on.

Fang Yuan possessed charred thunder potato mother Gu, but he had no zombie heart Gu.

However, he was not in the least nervous towards Ding Hao's request; he opened his mouth and boldly scolded: "Cut your crap, I am on a secret mission assigned by master, I had to disguise my identity to join the caravan, how could I carry zombie heart Gu with me? Zombie heart Gu feeds upon zombies, how could I get zombies in full view of everyone?"

"Ah, thi-this…" Ding Hao was stumped.

"What this, do you think I can't kill you?" Fang Yuan timely revealed his snow silver primeval essence.

Rank three peak stage cultivation was clearly 'revealed'; Ding Hao's pupils shrunk, he was only at rank three middle stage.

Fang Yuan immediately followed: "Although our lineage can control zombies and form an army of them, controlling zombies requires our concentration. If our soul is not strong, our mind will be weak, then our control over the zombie's quantity and quality will only be ordinary. Although you have two green-hair zombies, there will definitely be gaps when you defend yourself while controlling them; it will be very easy for me to kill you."

Ding Hao licked his dry lips and retreated a step back with some fear.

"However…" Fang Yuan immediately changed the topic, "Before I left, master told me about you and wanted me to check if you had the qualifications to enter his tutelage. To think you actually approached me with killing intent when I have not even starting looking for you, hmph."

"Ahh, th-this… eldest senior brother, it wasn't intentional." Ding Hao started panicking when he heard Fang Yuan was someone sent by Second Zombie King to inspect him.

"Who is your eldest senior brother? You have yet to receive master's approval. Hmph, you are still doubtful now?" Fang Yuan raised his brows.

Ding Hao quickly cupped his hands and said in a self-mocking tone: "Eldest senior brother, since you are clear on zombie heart Gu's food and our weakness, no matter how stupid I am, I recognise eldest senior brother's identity."

Fang Yuan kept a poker face and did not speak, only looking at the two green-hair zombies.

Ding Hao was stunned for a while before immediately realizing. With a shift of his mind, he sent the two green-hair zombies away.

Then he walked before Fang Yuan, bowed and said submissively: "Please forgive me eldest senior brother, I wanted to kill these people to collect enough zombies. I really hadn't expected eldest senior brother to be here. If I had known, I would have come down the mountain and welcomed you. I really yearn and am determined to follow master, heaven can testify my loyalty."

Fang Yuan relaxed his tone: "Hmph, master knows of your loyalty. Before I departed, master spoke of it and praised your loyalty when he asked me to inspect you on my journey. Even if you had not reached the standard, as long as there isn't a huge gap, it's no problem."

"So it was like that!" Ding Hao was overjoyed.

"However!" Fang Yuan's expression turned heavy and his tone cold, "You had the cheek to attack the caravan, wrecking my secret mission. Do you know how much effort I and your second senior sister had to waste to infiltrate this caravan?"

"Eldest senior brother, it really was not intentional…" Ding Hao was indignant, his excitement just before sank through the floor due to Fang Yuan's words, "Second senior sister is also in the caravan? I, I… I will call back the zombie horde!"

"What?" Fang Yuan was furious as he knocked his fingers on Ding Hao's head, "Is your brain made of glue? Can't you think? You moron, wouldn't they start doubting me if the zombies retreated for no rhyme or reason? Idiot!"

Ding Hao rubbed his aching head before quickly nodding and apologizing: "Yes, yes, eldest senior brother is right. Then eldest senior brother, I will do whatever you say!"

Fang Yuan pointed at Ding Hao: "You have already made a serious mistake, but considering it was not intentional, it can't be helped. Next, do as I say to make up for your mistakes!"

Ding Hao was like a grandson being admonished as he kept on nodding at Fang Yuan.

However, Fang Yuan didn't mention his demand immediately and instead asked: "Tell me the truth, how many white-hair, black-hair and green-hair zombies do you have? Also any blue-hair zombies?"

Ding Hao showed an ashamed expression: "I am stupid, I have been living at Mu Bei mountain for close to ten years but have yet to raise a single blue-hair zombie. As for green-hair zombies, I only have three of them; I left one inside the cave to stand guard and have brought the other two with me. I have over one hundred and twenty black-hair zombies and close to four thousand white-hair zombies."

Fang Yuan had expected him to not have any blue-hair zombies and was able to be at ease after confirming it.

He intentionally made a sound of surprise and spoke nonsense: "You are not that far from the target. Having three green-hair zombies is pretty good, and as for blue-hair zombies, even I have only two of them."

He was clear of Second Zombie King's requirement to take in disciples.

Second Zombie King had not just left behind one inheritance; he had taken in seven to eight disciples in Fang Yuan's previous life, Ding Hao was only one of them.

Later on, Second Zombie King joined Yi Tian mountain and was besieged by the righteous path. The disciples of Second Zombie King commanded great zombie armies and showed off their talents, causing the righteous path allied army to retreat at one point.

As Ding Hao listened to Fang Yuan, his heart was cleared of doubt. He looked at Fang Yuan with admiration: "Eldest senior brother, you are amazing, you have two blue-hair zombies. This junior brother is full of admiration!"

Fang Yuan patted Ding Hao's shoulder and showed an expression of 'feeling proud inwardly but intentionally suppressing it': "To raise a blue-hair zombie,if you say it is difficult, it is difficult; if you say it is easy, it is easy . I will explain it to you, you need to first find a rank four Gu Master's corpse then the rest is up to your luck. It depends on whether this corpse had used a Gu worm in his life to raise his strength. If he did, it will be at least a green-hair. If you use fresh blood to nurture it for a year or two, it will evolve into a blue-hair."

"I see." Ding Hao knew Fang Yuan spoke the truth after he combined it to his own experiences; he gratefully said, "Thank you eldest senior brother for your pointers!"

"Mm." Fang Yuan slightly nodded his head and carefully checked Ding Hao's expression, knowing the latter had complete trust in him now.

Ding Hao had originally been a servant and then secretly cultivated for close to ten years on Mu Bei mountain. His honest character made him easy to deceive.

In fact, even those who were very scheming would be moved by Fang Yuan's words and would at least believe most of it.

"No use in crying over spilled milk. Act with me and if your performance is good, I will give you a pass from my side." Fang Yuan said.

Ding Hao's eyes brightened and immediately replied: "Please speak elder senior brother, I will definitely do my best to accomplish it!"

Fang Yuan gave detailed instructions before charging back to the camp.

With Ding Hao's secret cooperation, Fang Yuan returned beside Shang Xin Ci without any mishaps.

Seeing an expert like Fang Yuan returning to their sides, everyone in the caravan was surprised, happy and in awe.

In their perspective, Fang Yuan could have already escaped but he fought his way back to them.

"I am burdening you, benefactor!" Shang Xin Ci felt ashamed and guilty.

"No matter. You are only one of the reasons, besides, Bai Yun is also here." Fang Yuan shook his hand and intentionally said this, making Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die feel even more moved.

Bai Ning Bing glanced at Fang Yuan with doubt; Fang Yuan vaguely winked at her, she immediately realized he was up to no good.

Chapter 257: A spear from behind

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

The zombie horde's attacks gradually slowed down and the situation came to a standstill.

Time passed minutes by minutes; occasionally, some Gu Masters heroically sacrificed themselves or zombies fell down.

Two hours later, Ding Hao followed Fang Yuan's instruction and steeply increased the attacks of the zombies, breaking the defensive line that was hanging by a thread.

There were only thirty or so people in the caravan now.

They had to break through! They were all of one mind on this as everyone of them could see that there was a chance at survival if they broke through, and if they insisted on defending their positions, their deaths were certain.

To break through would also be a desperate struggle. Layers upon layers of white-hair zombies had encircled them and there were also black-hair zombies obstructing them.

"Give up on these mortals, they will only slow down our speed!" Jia Long shouted.

Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die became pale.

"Don't worry, I am here." Fang Yuan defended them.

All the remaining mortals were ruthlessly abandoned, only the two of them remained.

Jia Long and other Gu Masters didn't dare to say anything since they had to rely on Fang and Bai's strength.

They were progressing shakily through the siege and just when it looked like they were about to break out, two green-hair zombies appeared.

"We will go back." Fang Yuan pulled Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die, and said in a soft voice.

Bai Ning Bing stopped, weren't they entering into the encirclement again by going back?

However, Fang Yuan was already retreating towards the back with Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die. Bai Ning Bing gritted her teeth as she looked at the empty field in front of her, but she still turned around and followed Fang Yuan.

The other Gu Masters fell into a chaotic battle against the two green-hair zombies.

Green-hair zombies were as strong as thousand beast king, and though there were many rank three Gu Masters, they were already exhausted.

As their battle with the green-hair zombies continued, the surrounding black and white-hair zombies closed in on them.

This instead caused the pressure on Fang and Bai to decrease greatly.

Fang Yuan retreated dozens of steps before he started breaking through again.

Numerous white-hair zombies were blocking their way, but Fang Yuan just plunged and dashed; the power he displayed was extremely high, white-hair zombies died everywhere he passed.

Bai Ning Bing was dumbstruck, was this Fang Yuan's true strength?

"Eh, these white-hair zombies are too weak…" She immediately found something amiss when she attacked.

The white-hair zombies that were blocking them were many times weaker than before. They had dazed expressions and didn't even attack properly, they were more like punching targets.

"Did Fang Yuan discover this weakness and is using it now? Strange, these white-hair zombies look the same, how in the world did he discover these weakness?" Bai Ning Bing was bothered and bewildered.

Fang Yuan, however, was hurling curses inwardly right now.

Before departing, he had reminded Ding Hao to make the zombies appear strong although actually weak, and make it realistic. So what horrible performance is this?

Ding Hao was sweating profusely.

He had never exerted so much concentration to control the zombie army.

He was extremely nervous, feeling that he had destroyed eldest senior brother's secret mission. Guilt and worry made him cooperate with Fang Yuan's act with all his efforts. It was okay when he didn't know Fang Yuan's identity, but now that he knew Fang Yuan was his eldest senior brother, how could he dare to truly attack him?

"Amazing!" Xiao Die exclaimed in surprise.

Shang Xin Ci's beautiful eyes also brightened.

Fang Yuan was moving unhindered, like an unmatched general maneuvering on the battlefield, giving off a feeling of invincibility!

Who does not love heroes?

Which girl did not dream of a prince riding a white horse, a hero saving the beauty?

Xiao Die did and so did Shang Xin Ci.

Right now, as the master and servant looked at Fang Yuan's wide back, there were ripples in their hearts.

Fang Yuan was ugly, but at this moment, this ugliness gave off a beautiful radiance to them. His bravery and spirit gave an indescribable sense of security to these two girls who were in this dangerous situation; they could not help but want to rely and depend on him.

"Such terrible acting, this coward!" Fang Yuan really wanted to kick Ding Hao to death. His thoughts moved rapidly and he could make out Ding Hao's mental state.

"It seems I have no choice…" Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, then he resolutely deactivated canopy Gu and charged towards an attacking white-hair zombie.

His flesh was torn open, Fang Yuan got injured.

"Good, this is how it should be!" Fang Yuan happily thought. This was the best chance to win Shang Xin Ci's trust, how could he let it go in vain?

"Damn it!" Bai Ning Bing cursed and immediately rushed towards Fang Yuan, abandoning Shang Xin Ci. Fang Yuan had the Yang Gu on him, that was the key to her reverting back to a man and it could absolutely not be lost.

"Oh my heavens!" Ding Hao's whole body shook when he saw Fang Yuan being injured. He was blaming himself; the worry and panic was clear on his face as he mumbled: "It wasn't intentional, it really wasn't intentional, eldest senior brother!"

"Ahh…." Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die both cried out.

Their hearts ached seeing Fang Yuan injured.

"What are you doing, go back and protect them!" Fang Yuan shouted in a soft voice when Bai Ning Bing approached him.

Bai Ning Bing's blue pupils widened, she immediately realized Fang Yuan had intentionally received the attack; this bastard!

"Don't go overboard." Bai Ning Bing's eyes twitched, she said these words and left.

With Ding Hao's control, the white-hair zombies made threatening gestures, but it was all show and little action.

Bai Ning Bing kicked a white-hair zombie flying and hurried back towards Shang Xin Ci.

"How is Hei Tu?" Shang Xin Ci grabbed Bai Ning Bing's arm and asked.

"He is okay." Bai Ning Bing's lips twitched.

"Why are you not switching with him, he is injured!" The gentle Shang Xin Ci's words carried a rarely seen grievance.

Bai Ning Bing's lips twitched, she couldn't tell that Fang Yuan intentionally received the attack, right? So, she casually made up a reason: "He has always been like this, he will never stop when he starts an assault, unless he falls."

Shang Xin Ci's beautiful eyes flickered and slightly reddened.

Xiao Die covered her mouth, her eyes were already moist.

There were ripples in the master and servant's hearts again as they looked at Fang Yuan. What kind of man was this! In this horde of zombies, he moved around without fear, constantly pressing forward. No doubt he was a hero, a sorrowful hero!

Seeing Fang Yuan injured, Ding Hao was shaking with fear and didn't dare to obstruct the path.

Fang Yuan charged ahead for some distance and led Shang Xin Ci and the group out of the zombie encirclement.

"That's it?" He smacked his lips with dissatisfaction and grudgingly looked at the only injury on his body. It was such a good opportunity to show off but he only received a single injury; the act was really lacking.

Despite only suffering a single injury, it already made Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die extremely worried.

"Hei Tu, are you okay? You are injured, the wound is so deep, all because of me!" Shang Xin Ci's eyes were becoming moist with tears.

"So much black blood is flowing out, Lord Hei Tu you have been poisoned." Xiao Die said with deep concern.

Fang Yuan puffed out his chest and said in a deep, fearless voice: "This is just a small injury, the corpse poison is somewhat troublesome but I can detoxify it with clearing heat Gu. You don't no need to worry. Hahaha…"

He started laughing.

The camp was in ruins, flames blazed everywhere. The remaining people in the caravan had set the camp aflame before leaving; it was to burn their bridges and also to have a source of lighting.

Fang Yuan and the group charged out of the zombie encirclement and reached the outer perimeter of the light from the fire.

The light shone on Fang Yuan's face, chest and his injury.

He laughed, his appearance was ugly but it gave a different kind of heroic charm to the two girls!

They had dreamt of dreams of hero saving the beauty, dreamt of handsome and unrestrained hero; truthfully, the image of Fang Yuan and their image of heroes were as different as day and night. However, strangely, the two girls felt this was the true hero! He was unrestrained, fearless and had unmatched heroic spirit!

Many years later, Shang Xin Ci would ask herself how Fang Yuan walked deep into her heart… every time, she would involuntarily think of this night….

Layers upon layers of zombies to his back, blazing flames shining upon his face, the burn scars on his face, his smile revealing his white teeth. His deep black pupils looked at herself, the normally cold and indifferent eyes – under the orange flames – revealed a hint of warmth.

"Save us!" The caravan group were deeply encircled by the zombie horde and started shouting for help when they saw the situation in Fang Yuan's side.

Fang Yuan's gaze flashed but he didn't speak. Shang Xin Ci had already grabbed his arm: "You are injured, don't go, let's leave. Do you remember what you said to me? Do only what you are able to."

A peace of mind as long as one does what he can.

Fang Yuan laughed and patted Shang Xin Ci's hand: "Don't worry, I am not going, there is no kindness or hatred between them and me. Let's go!"

However, it wasn't so appropriate to leave like this. What if someone knew he killed Zhang Zhu and under desperation, shouted it, what would Shang Xin Ci think then? In truth, his worries were unnecessary; Chen Xin and Chen Shuang Jin who knew about the matter had already died in battle.

Fang Yuan's eyes flashed with a bright light as he shouted loudly: "Continue to persevere, wait till I bring them to a safe place, then I will come help you!"

"Brother Hei Tu is righteous!"

"We hope Brother Hei Tu returns quickly!"

"Brother Hei Tu, if you save me, I will give you a huge amount of money!"

The caravan people shouted one after another.

Fang Yuan laughed bitterly and looked at the master and servant's puzzled gaze: "I am giving them some hope so that they might create a miracle. Sigh , I can only do this much."

Fang Yuan's image immediately rose to a much greater height in the two girls' hearts.

Fang Yuan and the group ran along the mountain passage.

Under the moonlight, the mountain passage looked like it was covered with snow.

As per their previous discussion, Ding Hao arranged a batch of zombies around here to block the path.

The four rushed to the arranged area, Fang Yuan signalled Bai Ning Bing with his eyes then stood at the spot: "You guys leave first, I will stop these zombies and hurry back to you."

The master and servant's steps immediately slowed down, but under Bai Ning Bing's persuasion, they continued to run along the path and soon left Fang Yuan's sight.

Fang Yuan laughed, he acted as if he was in a struggle with the zombies and finding an opportune timing, he activated jumping grass and jumped over the zombies, arriving beside Ding Hao.

The battle with the caravan was still ongoing. There were only three remaining in the caravan side, but what amazed Fang Yuan was a green-hair zombie had actually perished!

After asking Ding Hao, he realized a Gu Master had used a rare rank three detonation Gu.

"Eldest senior brother." Ding Hao immediately bowed, his face was pale and his forehead filled with sweat.

He had never tried splitting his thoughts to control the zombies with such intensity. The main thing was he had to act according to Fang Yuan's directions, making him more exhausted.

Previously he would just command the zombies to attack or retreat. How could he have commanded them to only make threatening gestures and attack empty air? And he still had to control these zombies to keep still when attacked by Fang Yuan.

"Eldest senior brother, how is your injury? It really wasn't intentional. I have a healing Gu here." Ding Hao started to explain hurriedly.

Fang Yuan patted his shoulder: "You are good, you have put in a lot of effort. No need to worry about my injury, I suffered it intentionally. Now, you just have to use more strength and eradicate these people!"

"Yes." Ding Hao immediately let out a breath of relief.

With his spirits raised, he started maneuvering countless zombies forward.

The surviving three knew their deaths were certain – one closed his eyes and sighed; another cried out Fang Yuan's name; and another was crying loudly.

Under the threat of death, their natural instincts were fully revealed.

The zombie horde submerged the three. Fang Yuan satisfiedly nodded: "Was there anyone who escaped?"

"No, absolutely none. I did what eldest senior brother instructed and arranged a large amount of zombies in the perimeter." Ding Hao quickly answered.

"Good, well done. Clean up the battlefield, remember to not leave behind any tracks."

"Yes, eldest senior brother."

Ding Hao had never exposed himself when he attacked the caravans which showed he had certain level of accomplishment in clearing the tracks. He cleaned up the battlefield with ease and disguised the traces as ordinary zombie horde attacking the caravan; Fang Yuan secretly nodded his head in approval.

However, although he was older than Fang Yuan, his experience couldn't compare to the veteran Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan pointed out some areas that were overlooked, causing Ding Hao to admire him. For instance, the primeval stones couldn't be entirely taken, they had to leave some behind, after all the zombies wouldn't collect them. Another point would be not all the corpses should be changed to zombies; the corpse poison could be deep or shallow and they didn't have a hundred percent chance to turn corpses into zombies.

"Eldest senior brother, please take these primeval stones." About five minutes later, Ding Hao sensibly offered the primeval stones he collected.

Fang Yuan glanced at it, there were approximately thirteen thousand primeval stones. He didn't hesitate to take it and put them in tusita flower.

"How are your gains?" Fang Yuan patted Ding Hao's shoulder and warmly asked.

Ding Hao's pale face let out an excited light: "The gains are huge this time. I obtained five complete bodies and they are all rank three Gu Masters. There are also dozen Gu Master corpses, they are all strength Gu Masters. I will get at least black-hair zombies once they are turned into zombies."

"Hahaha, you have obtained a good harvest. Raise these black-hair zombies properly and you will definitely have new green-hair zombies."

Ding Hao repeatedly nodded his head, his face filled with admiration: "This is the first time I have devoured a whole caravan. It is all thanks to eldest senior brother for attracting beast groups along the way and constantly reducing their forces. All these gains I made is because of eldest senior brother."

"You are not too shabby either, your commanding ability is quite good. But looking at your face, you have used your brain too much, your mind is haggard and your soul is wounded. You need to recuperate for a while. Taking good care of our soul is very important to our lineage. If our soul is not strong, our mind will be weak and commanding the zombies will be more difficult." Fang Yuan smiled, speaking gently.

"Thank you eldest senior brother for your concern!" Ding Hao had lived alone for close to ten years, this was the first time someone showed concern for him, so he couldn't help being moved.

This emotional spike immediately caused him to have an intense dizziness, his body shook and if not for Fang Yuan supporting him, he might have fallen head-first into the ground.

"I am ashamed! My cultivation is still not enough, I am feeling dizzy and my mind is not working properly." Ding Hao was able to barely stand up.

"There is no need to worry, return to the cave and rest properly. Although you will still feel headaches tomorrow, your mind will have mostly recovered and can smoothly command these zombies." Fang Yuan smiled.

"Yes. I have experienced this before when I tried to control too many zombies, I almost fainted on the spot, hahaha." Ding Hao laughed.

"Okay… I need to leave now, I give you my approval. Rest properly and wait for me to come back, I will bring you to pay respects to master. Right, where is your cave?"

"It is halfway up the mountain beside a dark pond. It is easy to find, that dark pond is very unique, it is shaped like a pentagram." Ding Hao was very happy and immediately answered, "Eldest senior brother, you really won't come visit my cave with me?"

"I can't, time is pressing, I need to hand over the secret mission to master. Not good, someone actually feigned death, there is still someone who escaped!"

"Where!" Ding Hao's mind shook and immediately turned around to look.

Pew!

Next instant, a bone spear pierced his skull.

Plop

Ding Hao collapsed on the ground, a thick spiral bone spear pierced through his skull; blood and brains slowly flowed out the spiral hole.

His eyes were wide open, a look of utter disbelief.

The smile on Fang Yuan's face disappeared, changing into an indifferent expression. He slowly bent down and grabbed Ding Hao's leg, dragging him towards the ruined camp.

The flames were still blazing. The zombies – having lost their master – started hopping aimlessly.

The corpses on the ground drew their attention, enticing them.

They hopped towards the corpses, biting and tearing them.

Fang Yuan dragged Ding Hao's corpse past the corpses strewn battlefield, sounds of zombies eating the corpses kept on reverberating in his ears.

He threw Ding Hao towards the blazing fire and quietly looked on as the corpse slowly changed to ash. The Gu worms on the corpse also mournfully wailed before gradually burning to death.

Once Shang Xin Ci was recognized by Shang clan leader, she would definitely be strictly investigated by the Shang clan. This battle was sure to be of utmost importance.

If Ding Hao was captured by them and interrogated, Fang Yuan could be in danger.

Despite Ding Hao being an honest person, easy to deceive and a very good chess piece, his worth could never match with Shang Xin Ci. And if there were risks, it was better to abandon them. This including giving up the Gu worms on his body. As long as Fang Yuan carried them on him, Second Zombie King could find him. Moreover, it was not convenient for Fang Yuan to feed zombie heart Gu and it might only leave behind traces which could be discovered in Shang Clan's investigation.

As for these zombies, they had turned back to being common zombie horde after losing their master. Once they finished eating these corpses, a part of them would stay here and another part would leave, wandering about Mu Bei mountain and searching for food.

Once they were done with this, the whole scene would become even more natural.

Only after Ding Hao's corpse was burned to ashes did Fang Yuan slowly leave.

The zombies were eating the corpses, these mindless things were of no threat now.

Chapter 258: Separation as planned

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

The crescent moon hangs high in the night sky, as moonlight flowed down like water.

Shang Xin Ci stood on a boulder and gazed far away, her face filled with worry: "Why has Brother Hei Tu still not returned?"

"Did something happen?" Xiao Die added.

"How could anything happen to him, don't worry." Bai Ning Bing leaned on a withered tree, wondering what Fang Yuan was up to again.

Minutes and minutes passed, as Shang Xin Ci's brows furrowed while her worry kept increasing.

Bai Ning Bing also started feeling something amiss, almost eight minutes had passed, did something really happen to Fang Yuan?

She didn't care about Fang Yuan's death, what she cared about was the Yang Gu on Fang Yuan.

Anxiety grew in her heart. Half of this was because of Fang Yuan's disappearance, the other half was because of her own helplessness. As Fang Yuan's cultivation continued to advance, she found it incredibly difficult to deal with him and get the Yang Gu. This meant that if Fang Yuan reneged on his promise, she had no way to deal with him.

Bai Ning Bing knew what kind of personality Fang Yuan had after travelling with him for so long. Fang Yuan's cultivation was nearing rank three; the promised time was coming and her heart was becoming increasingly fretful.

The three discussed and just when they decided to return to assist Fang Yuan, he appeared in their sights on the mountain passage.

Shang Xin Ci let out a breath of relief, but her heart pounded again when Fang Yuan walked in front of them: "Brother Hei Tu, you are injured again!"

Fang Yuan had intentionally made some more injuries on his body. He drew in a breath of cold air: "When you guys had just left, a green-hair zombie appeared. Fortunately, I ran quickly, we should leave immediately, it might still be chasing me."

The three naturally didn't dare to stay any longer when they heard that and hastened their journey that very night.

So far, Fang Yuan's objectives were achieved and he behaved appropriately along the way.

After crossing Mu Bei mountain, they arrived at Shuang Jiang mountain.

This mountain had two peaks separated by a deep ravine, the peaks were similar to each other and gave off a majestic aura.

The four no longer had the caravan's protection now, so it seemed to take a lot more effort when they moved through the mountain.

Fortunately, after crossing Shuang Jiang mountain, it was Xue Lei mountain.

Xue Lei mountain had Zhao Clan and could not be considered to be a wild area since there were human inhabitants on it.

The most dangerous part of the trade route was already over, so the danger had greatly decreased.

Fang and Bai were wanted by Bai Clan, so they didn't go to Zhao Clan. The four moved on relentlessly; after passing through Xue Lei mountain, they continued to cross Qian Ku mountain, Ju Ren mountain, Lu Zao mountain… crossing over six great mountains.

During this time, Fang Yuan's cultivation advanced from rank two middle stage to peak stage.

On the whole journey, they only stopped by some remote hamlets to replenish their supplies.

As they neared Shang Liang mountain, the mountain path became wider and there were more people moving through the path.

And finally, on this day, Shang Liang mountain finally appeared in their sights.

"Puff, that is Shang Liang mountain?" Shang Xin Ci put her hand on her forehead to shield her from the sunlight and looked at the horizon before letting out a breath of turbid air.

"Missy, we are almost there!" Xiao Die laughed happily, and excitedly shook Shang Xin Ci's arm.

Bai Ning Bing only looked and did not speak.

"We will go our separate ways when we arrive at Shang Liang mountain. Lady Zhang, I have paid your favor." Fang Yuan suddenly said.

"What?" Xiao Die gasped, not having expected Fang Yuan to say that, she stood on the spot at a loss.

Shang Xin Ci's expression changed, her eyelashes slightly trembled as she looked at Fang Yuan.

These days, while Fang Yuan remained silent, he had already become a pillar of support for her. Now that he is leaving, Shang Xin Ci immediately felt a sense of emptiness and loss.

"All things must come to an end." Fang Yuan heaved a long sigh.

"True…" Shang Xin Ci pursed up her lips, her breathing was becoming heavy. After being in contact with Fang Yuan all the time these days, she knew his character; he was a someone acts upon his decisions, a resolute man.

"Let's go, it isn't quite safe yet, we will part our ways when we reach the city gate." Fang Yuan started walking in front.

The atmosphere of the group had decreased to a freezing point, even the incessantly chattering Xiao Die was silent.

The closer they were to Shang clan city, the nearer their parting; Shang clan city unconsciously slowed down Shang Xin Ci's steps. Shang clan city was her destination for this trip and she should have been happy as she neared her target, but right now, she didn't want to reach Shang clan city.

However, the path was after all limited; they eventually arrived at the foot of Shang Liang mountain.

Shang clan city's huge gate was right in front of their eyes.

It was time to part ways.

Fang Yuan gazed deeply at Shang Xin Ci and nodded his head, only saying two words.

"Take care."

It was simply two words, but it made Shang Xin Ci's beautiful body tremble.

Fang Yuan turned around and left.

"Wait." Shang Xin Ci summoned her courage and suddenly spoke.

It was a sea of buzz and commotions around the city gate with people moving to and fro.

Shang Xin Ci's beautiful pupils gazed at Fang Yuan as the crowds moved rapidly around them.

"We will meet again some day. Benefactor, you might have repaid my favor in your heart, but you have saved me over and over again, this favor you have given to me is as deep as the sea and as heavy as the mountain. Benefactor, you said a drop received in need will be repaid with whole river. I will definitely repay you!" The young girl's tone was firm and revealed her resolute heart.

Fang Yuan smiled towards her, then turned around and left, gradually disappearing within the crowd.

Shang Xin Ci stood on the spot for a long while.

"Miss, they are really heartless, leaving just like that." Xiao Die walked over and held her hand.

"They do not want to implicate us, their demonic path identity cannot be exposed even on Shang Liang mountain." Shang Xin Ci's nature was kind, always thinking of people positively.

"Oh, it was like that!" Xiao Die realized.

"They might be demonic Gu Masters but they are good people. I have decided, I will make it big on Shang clan city. There is definitely a place for my talent. I might just be a mortal who can't cultivate, but I can hire Gu Masters to work for me. I will definitely repay their favor in future!"

"Yes! I believe in you Missy."

…

"Strange, you have protected Shang Xin Ci all the way, why are you intentionally parting ways now that we reached Shang Liang mountain? I have to remind you that there is a huge flow of people in Shang clan city and you don't have an investigative Gu; if you are just playing hard to get, make sure you don't lose track of her. If not, you will just be shooting yourself in the foot, it would really be a great joke."

Bai Ning Bing coldly reminded Fang Yuan from the side.

Fang Yuan ignored her, his gaze followed Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die till they walked through the city gate and only then did he retrieve his gaze.

As per his previous life's memories, Shang clan leader should detect his bloodline in Shang Xin Ci once she entered Shang clan city. However, for confirmation, the tyrannical Shang clan leader would round up all the people of the caravan, which Shang Xin Ci joined at that time, and keep them in house arrest as he interrogated and investigated them.

When the truth was cleared up and Shang Xin Ci's identity was confirmed, Shang clan leader generously compensated all the caravan members by twice the amount of their goods.

Shang Xin Ci directly jump from being a mortal girl to being Shang clan leader's beloved daughter. This event caused a sensation and became a popular conversation topic.

This is why Fang Yuan needed to part ways with Shang Xin Ci.

Fang Yuan had many Gu in his aperture which could never be exposed to others; especially the Spring Autumn Cicada. If he was investigated and his aperture searched, it would become a huge trouble.

If it was an ordinary clan, Fang Yuan would have no worries because the clan leaders who usually had the highest cultivation would only be at rank four stage in such clans. However, Shang clan leader had rank five cultivation and that wasn't even the highest cultivation here. There were supreme elders in the Shang clan possessing rank six cultivation; if they were to search Fang Yuan's aperture, the Spring Autumn Cicada would be discovered even if it hid deep within.

Saying his farewell had another advantage; he would appear to have no desire or need anything from Shang Xin Ci, this would deepen the impression of 'only repaying favor' in her heart. Later, when he meets Shang Xin Ci, he would definitely obtain her trust.

Actually, the quickest way to form an inseparable relation to Shang Xin Ci is through sexual relation.

Fang Yuan could sense Shang Xin Ci had good feelings towards him. If he took her chastity, the future Shang clan leader would fall deeply in love with him.

Fang Yuan might appear ugly, but the charisma he released already moved Shang Xin Ci's heart.

He knew Shang Xin Ci would not refuse him if he wanted it.

But this way absolutely could not be carried out!

If he did it, he would become Shang clan's son-in-law and would be bound to the chariot called Shang clan. Then Fang Yuan would no longer be able to do things his own way, his every movement would be watched by others, his hands and feet bound, even his cultivation would have to be purposely suppressed.

As his cultivation increased rapidly, it would expose bone flesh unity Gu which was sure to cause an upheaval and attract all kinds of attention. Fang Yuan understood how much bone flesh unity Gu was worth, even Shang clan could not keep it for themselves.

And if Spring Autumn Cicada was revealed on top of that, hehe, those reclusive rank six Gu Masters, even rank seven Gu Masters would jump out one after another. After reaching rank six, the Gu Master would experience a qualitative change in their strength, each of them able to contend against the strength of a whole clan.

Once he had sexual relations with Shang Xin Ci, after Shang Xin Ci confirmed his identity, even if she was Shang clan leader, they would all come looking for Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan was moreover a demonic Gu Master with unknown origins, it was unavoidable for him to be investigated and interrogated.

If he escaped, he would have to face Shang clan's pursuit and arrest warrant. This was a completely different concept from Bai Clan's arrest warrant.

Bai Clan was in dire straits and didn't have enough strength, but Shang Clan was one of the overlords of Southern Border.

Fang Yuan would only have one way out if that happened, that was to escape from the Southern Border.

…

Shang Yan Fei was sitting cross legged in the air, his whole body bathing in flames.

The flames were scarlet like blood and were burning silently in the dark void.

As the leader of Shang clan, he is occupied with clan affairs everyday and does not have much time to cultivate. Even so, with his domineering aptitude and comprehension, he was able to cultivate to rank five upper stage and was only a step away from peak stage.

Today's cultivation was about to end…

The scarlet flames slowly dispersed and shrunk, finally changing back to long crimson hair on Shang Yan Fei's head.

Without the illumination from fire, darkness spread, becoming the sole master of the area.

Suddenly! Shang Yan Fei opened his eyes, his pupils were dyed color of blood and his gaze shone like lightning as it pierced through the darkness.

"A new bloodline that originates from mine… how did this appear out of nowhere?"

Chapter 259: Reunion of Father and Daughter

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Shang Yan Fei's thoughts stirred and immediately disappeared from within the darkness.

When he reappeared, he was already at the outer area of Shang clan city.

All kinds of noise entered his ears. There were various stalls located on both sides of the street. The people in the surrounding only saw a flash of bloody flame, then a black robed, crimson haired handsome man appeared in their midst.

"Whoa, scared the soul out of me!"

"Who is this man? He actually dares to use his Gu in Shang clan city?"

Many people cast bewildered gazes, only few recognized Shang Yan Fei but they were not sure.

Shang Yan Fei ignored these gazes and followed the bloodline reaction; his sharp senses landed on Shang Xin Ci.

Two girls stopped in front of a stall.

"Missy, this hairpin is really beautiful!" Xiao Die picked up a jade hairpin from the stall and matched it with Shang Xin Ci's beautiful hair.

Shang Xin Ci forced out a smile, her mood had been down since parting with Fang Yuan.

Xiao Die was instead lively, fascinated by the flourishing scene in the city.

Suddenly, Shang Xin Ci felt something in her heart and turned around. Her gaze immediately landed on Shang Yan Fei.

The black robed, crimson haired Shang Yan Fei was very conspicuous in the crowd, like a crane in a flock of chickens.

However, what attracted Shang Xin Ci was not his appearance but rather a mysterious familial connection and calling from her bloodline.

Without any word being said, the moment Shang Xin Ci saw Shang Yan Fei, she knew this middle-aged man's identity.

He was her father!

Father… to Shang Xin Ci, this word was mysterious and distant, containing sorrow and sadness.

Since young, she had asked her mother countless times about her father, but her mother always remained silent. And now, she finally met her father.

"So this was the reason mother told me to go to Shang clan city before her death!" Realization dawned upon her and tears uncontrollably fell down her eyes.

The moment Shang Yan Fei saw Shang Xin Ci, he connected it to her mother and realized her identity.

Similar, they were really similar!

This child's gentle appearance was no different from hers!

Shang Yan Fei suddenly felt pain in his heart, he was vaguely able to see her again.

In that distant afternoon when spring rain was drizzling down, when willow trees were carefreely swaying beside the lotus pool; under a shabby hut, Shang clan's young master Shang Yan Fei met the young lady of Zhang Clan who was running from rain.

A meeting of a scholar and beauty. It was love at first sight, they poured their hearts out to each other and pledged to be married…

However, one could only be helpless in the affairs of the world. Power and beauty was just like fish and bear paw, who could have both?

The young Shang Yan Fei was someone with blazing fire in his heart, this fire was the natural ambition of men towards power and influence.

Ambition or love, duty or freedom, oppressing his enemies or his promise to the beauty; Shang Yan Fei chose the former in the end and abandoned the latter.

He later defeated his brothers and sisters, ascended to the position of Shang clan leader and sat on the glorious throne. He became a rank five Gu Master, married countless beauties and now had many sons and daughters. And because Zhang Clan and Shang Clan had been enemies for generations, he could no longer look for her.

One cannot control everything in the world.

Clan leader's identity became his symbol of success but also the shackles that binds him.

The king's every movement could bring about upheavals and was closely watched by everyone. As the clan leader of Shang clan, how could he let his love affair affect the clan?

All these years, he tried hard to convince himself and hide his guilt and worries deep within by using the reasons of righteousness and duty. He thought he had forgotten it all, but now when he saw Shang Xin Ci, those warm memories hidden deep within him instantly enveloped his soul like the sound of spring rain.

Right now, waves were surging in his heart!

The blood of kinship that is thicker than water had turned into a river; now, his guilt overflowed into this river and became a sea, instantly submerging him.

He took a light step and disappeared, reappearing in front of Shang Xin Ci the next moment.

Xiao Die gasped, the surrounding people all looked astonished and shocked.

But the two people involved did not sense anything.

"You… what is your name?" Shang Yan Fei opened his mouth with great effort, his voice carried a magnetic quality and was filled with strong warmth.

Shang Xin Ci did not reply.

Tears streamed down from her beautiful eyes.

She took a step back and tightly pursed her lips, she then firmly looked at Shang Yan Fei, her gaze carrying stubbornness…

It was this man who hurt her mother's heart.

It was this man who caused her to suffer discrimination and bullying since young.

It was this man who enchanted her mother, making her think about him even at death.

It was this man and yet he… he is… my father.

Her mood surged and raged, countless feelings mixed together to form a berserk whirlpool, threatening to swallow her mind.

She fainted.

"Missy!" Xiao Die who had been absorbed in Shang Yan Fei's aura, regained her senses and screamed.

However, Shang Yan Fei was a step faster and held Shang Xin Ci on his hands.

"Who dares to openly violate the city rules and use Gu, do you want to end up in prison?" A group of city guards sensed the abnormal change and came over, swearing.

"Ah, Lord clan leader!" Their expressions instantly changed the moment they saw Shang Yan Fei, and all of them kneeled down.

The whole street was in commotion.

"You… you are… Shang clan's…" Xiao Die stammered, and was speechless.

Shang Yan Fei grabbed Xiao Die's arm; a blood colored flame burst forth and the three disappeared.

…

"Line up in a queue, enter one by one. Everyone needs to pay ten primeval stones as the toll to enter the city. Once you enter the city, you are not allowed to misuse your Gu, the violators will be sent to prison for at least seven days!" The guards at the city gate shouted loudly.

There were many arrest warrants posted on the city walls. Some had already yellowed from age and was covered by other warrants, revealing only a corner of them; and some were completely new posted carelessly on the walls.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing moved with the queue and slowly neared the city gate. Sure enough, they saw an arrest warrant for them from Bai Clan.

"Bai Clan…" Fang Yuan inwardly snorted.

"Two sirs, please stop." The gate guards approached Fang and Bai.

The two were wearing common clothings and looked just like ordinary people. Bai Ning Bing lowered her straw hat further down.

"Here is twenty primeval stones." Fang Yuan was not nervous, he simply handed over a bag.

The guards confirmed the amount, and immediately let them pass.

Despite there being arrest warrants packed all over the city walls beside him which he could easily look at, he didn't give them a single glance from start to end.

These arrest warrants were nothing more than superficial show.

Shang clan prioritized profits, as long as one handed over primeval stones, they could enter the city. Everyday, numerous demonic Gu Masters passed under the eyes of these guards; both sides had reached a tacit mutual understanding.

Demonic Gu Masters would sell their loots in Shang clan city, and they would also need to replenish any lacking Gu worms; Shang clan city was the best option for them.

One could even say, one of the huge pillars for Shang clan city's development was the demonic Gu Masters.

Of course, the demonic Gu Masters couldn't enter the city too brazenly and aggressively. After all, Shang clan city represented righteous path and they would also need to consider some consequences of their actions.

A wide street appeared in front of the two after they walked through the city gates.

There were people moving to and fro on the street. Large tall trees were planted on both sides of the street and under its shade were all kinds of stalls; some sold food like sesame breads, soft bean curd, meat and vegetable dishes; while others sold jewellery and all kinds of other stuff.

The two walked past the stalls, then they saw buildings; tall bamboo buildings, mud buildings and white-grey tiled houses.

Shops, hotels, inns, smithies and so on appeared one after another.

"This brother, do you need a room? Our price is very cheap, just half a primeval stone for a night." A middle-aged woman approached Fang and Bai with a smile on her face.

Fang Yuan glared at her and left without saying a word.

His appearance was really terrifying and gave the middle-aged woman a great shock; she did not dare to bother him anymore, instead changing her target to Bai Ning Bing who was behind him.

"This brother, being away from home is not easy. Our inn is quite good, there will even be a pretty girl at night. It won't be cheap for you to visit the red-light street. Mortals like us who travel outside to sell goods are using our lives to earn money, yet spending our hard earned money on those places would not even cause a ripple. Our inn's girls are still the best, extremely cheap too! We have mature girls and even fresh, cute and adorable ones. What is your pick, brother?"

The middle-aged woman said in a soft voice, with a vague expression. She misunderstood Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing as mortals from their clothings.

A dark frown appeared on Bai Ning Bing's face.

"Get lost." She coldly snorted, her tone bone-chilling.

The middle-aged woman's face rapidly changed, her whole body stiffened as she remained stunned on the spot.

"So she was a female."

"Hahaha, Big Sister Zhang you made an error this time…"

The nearby workers who were of the same profession and were soliciting customers, roared with laughter and ridiculed the middle-aged woman.

Along the way, Bai Ning Bing had made great progress in disguising as a man, so even the experienced brokers made an error.

Four Seasons Restaurant.

One hour later, Fang Yuan stopped in front of a five storey tall building.

The building was made of white-black tiles, with vermillion gate and huge pillars. There was an aroma of wine and fragrance of dishes floating around the place. It was a famous restaurant in Shang clan city.

"Sirs, please come in." A smart waiter saw Fang and Bai, and quickly came out to invite them.

The two had walked for a long while and the journey had been tough, they were also hungry, so they stepped into the restaurant.

"Sirs, please take a seat here." The waiter showed the way.

Fang Yuan slightly frowned: "This hall is too noisy, we will go upstairs."

The waiter immediately revealed an awkward expression: "I won't keep it from sirs, we indeed have private rooms upstairs, but they are only opened to Gu Masters."

Fang Yuan snorted and revealed a portion of snow-silver primeval essence.

The waiter quickly bent down: "I had failed to recognize Mount Tai, please come upstairs!"

When they reached the stairs, the waiter stopped, a young and sweet looking girl walked over and spoke softly: "Lords, could I ask which floor you want to go? Four Seasons Restaurant has five floors, first floor hall is for mortals; second floor provides for rank one Gu Masters; third floor provides for rank two Gu Masters, there is a twenty percent discount for them; fourth floor provides for rank three Gu Masters and has fifty percent discount; fifth floor provides for rank four Gu Masters and the services are free of charge."

Fang Yuan laughed: "Fourth floor then."

The girl's expression immediately became a bit more respectful. She bowed in greeting: "Please demonstrate your primeval essence."

Chapter 260: Each with their own schemes

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Steamed lamb, braised duck, steamed eight treasure pork, glutinous rice stuffed duck, stir-fried carp, assorted stuffed intestines, spicy oil crispy roll, honey yam, sliced fresh peach, eight treasure ding, steamed bamboo shoots, ape lips, camel humps, antlers, bear paws, three fresh osmanthus soup, beeswax pork trotters, fresh sharks' fin soup…

A moment later, Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing sat at elegant seats on the fourth floor, as a spread of delicacies were presented before them, each possessing visual appeal, fragrant smell, and flavor.

Fang Yuan picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks, and casually ate a few mouthful, he first tried the steamed bamboo shoots, they tasted refreshing, raising one's concentration. He next took a piece of the fresh peach, its sweetness was perfection. Next he took the bear paw, it was plump and tender, just like the steamed lamb, tasting divine with just a bit of flavoring.

Bai Ning Bing drank a mouthful of the three fresh osmanthus soup, flavor spreading in her mouth as fragrance remained on her lips and teeth, causing her appetite to awaken.

"After spending so much time with you, this is the first time you are so generous." As she ate, she did not forget her sarcastic comments to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan laughed, not giving a reply, he knew Bai Ning Bing's suspicion and impatience.

He got closer to Shang Xin Ci, using all his effort to protect her laboriously. And yet at their destination, he purposely split away from them; this action was something Bai Ning Bing could not comprehend.

Fang Yuan was now rank two peak stage, only a step away from rank three. The agreement he set with Bai Ning Bing back then regarding rank three, was approaching its end too.

But Fang Yuan would definitely not keep his word! In his eyes, such a thing like integrity, was only a compromise made out of necessity, or a beautiful cover-up, like a convincing mask.

Fang Yuan knew this, so did Bai Ning Bing.

Thus, she was starting to feel hasty.

Because she had already sensed that Fang Yuan would break his word. Yet, there was nothing she could do to Fang Yuan, the Yang Gu was in his possession, her hands were tied.

Right now, without Bai clan's hunting, and without beast hordes, Fang and Bai ate at the same table, giving off a sense of amiability, but their relationship was extremely tense, if they progressed one more step, they would fall apart and turn against one another.

And this step, is Fang Yuan advancing to rank three.

Once he advances, he and Bai Ning Bing would no longer had any hopes of reconciling, the two would have to face each other directly.

How to deal with Bai Ning Bing?

Throughout the meal, Fang Yuan considered this.

His cultivation could not stay stagnant, one day, the conflict will escalate.

The situation now was very delicate.

Fang Yuan had the upper hand because he controlled the Yang Gu, but in fact, Bai Ning Bing also held Fang Yuan's handle.

She travelled along with Fang Yuan, experiencing Bai Gu mountain's inheritance herself, while also saw how Fang Yuan attracted all those beast hordes to attack the caravan.

She knew too much.

Compared to the potential threat Ding Hao was, Bai Ning Bing's threat towards Fang Yuan was far greater.

"If I finish off Bai Ning Bing, I will not have to worry about Shang Xin Ci, but because my cultivation is insufficient, I missed the best chance to kill off Bai Ning Bing during the caravan journey. Back then I needed her strength to ensure my survival. Moreover, with Shang Xin Ci nearby, I could not strike easily. This Bai Ning Bing had always been wary of me secretly, and she has the ice muscles jade bones to defend her, I cannot finish her in one hit. Furthermore, her battle instinct is outstanding, with her recently gained experience, she is even harder to deal with now…"

Fang Yuan considered all possibilities as his thoughts flowed, but at the same time Bai Ning Bing was also deeply considering her situation.

"Since leaving Qing Mao mountain, there's finally a time to rest and recover. I have to take back the Yang Gu and regain my male body! I have little chance of succeeding if I directly snatch it, unless I can kill Fang Yuan in an instant. But this scoundrel, even though he is rank two, his fighting strength is much greater than that, such a weirdo, with extremely experienced fighting techniques. Together with that scheming devious mind of his, capable of commiting all heinous crimes, no morals can restraint him, he is somebody who can truly commit any sin."

"Most importantly, I have not discovered his true trump card yet. But I have my advantages, his current cultivation is still dependant on me, and I know too many secrets, maybe I can use these things to force him to compromise. Using the poison vow Gu, and make an agreement with him that cannot be broken, other than that, I can use plunder Gu, seize Gu, petty thief Gu and others to steal the Yang Gu…"

Bai Ning Bing was not stupid, she had been observing along the way, and considering her options.

As the two ate on the same table, not even three steps away from each other, they looked like good friends, but were scheming against each other in their minds.

The disappearance of external pressure caused their internal conflicts to surface. In this relatively safe environment in Shang clan city, they had the time to consider such problems.

But the more they thought about it, the more troublesome they felt the other party was!

Fang Yuan did things without restraints, but Bai Ning Bing was just the same. In her ideology, as long as life is exciting, anything goes. Morals and principles? What are that?

They were very similar, looking at the world with disdain, and were strong willed individuals, with an extremely thirst for power, only trusting themselves.

From others' perspectives, they were accursed demons, scum that harmed society, their death would benefit the world.

But because they were so similar, the two could feel each other's danger.

The most difficult enemy to deal with, was often oneself.

Most importantly, they held each other's weaknesses. If they could not win in one strike, and allowed the other party to escape and recover, then both of them would go down in flames!

The two got a headache the more they thought about it.

"This Bai Ning Bing is not easy to deal with." Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, he had too little resources to manipulate.

"This Fang Yuan has almost no weaknesses…" Bai Ning Bing squinted, her eyes shining with cold light.

The two could not think of anything, thus looking up at the same time, staring at each other.

Their gaze met for an instant, before turning away.

The delicacy before them, although delicious, had barely any flavor to the two who were deep in thoughts.

Even though there was a fifty percent discount, Fang Yuan still paid fifteen primeval stones.

Shang clan city indeed, commodities were expensive here.

The two filled their stomachs, and left the restaurant.

On the streets, Fang Yuan heard people discussing.

"Do you know? At the southern gate, Shang clan leader appeared!"

"How is this possible?"

"It's true, he came and left like a flash, the entire street was thrown into chaos…'

"Bullshit! What kind of person is the Shang clan leader, why would he appear on the streets for no reason?"

Rumors spread as some claimed it was Shang Yan Fei, while others denied it.

Fang Yuan chose to enter from the eastern gate, while Shang Xin Ci came in from the south. By the time the rumors got to the eastern gate, the truth had already been distorted beyond recognition.

Bai Ning Bing heard this, and thought of it as just a passing rumor, not paying attention to it. Soon, people started a new conversation.

But to Fang Yuan, it was a clear indication of events.

He laughed secretly, it seems that Shang Xin Ci's situation did not exceed what he had expected from his memories.

Next, he would wait for the fruits to mature, and land on himself.

"Quickly look, its the flying blue whale, Yi clan's caravan is here!" Suddenly, someone pointed to the sky, shouting in shock.

At once, people on the streets stopped, and looked up in the sky.

A giant shadow engulfed everyone.

In the sky, a giant blue whale slowly emerged.

Well, compared to "flying", one might as well say they are "swimming".

Flying blue whale, was a huge beast capable of moving freely in the air.

They lived above the nine heavens of the eastern seas, having a peaceful and mild temperament. Often Gu Masters used the whale enslavement Gu to control them and used them in the caravan.

Flying blue whale was huge, like a small mountain, and the entire caravan hid within its body, as it flew in the sky. Compared to the caravan moving through the forests, the danger was much less and the speed was much faster.

But the flying blue whale consumed up to five hundred kilograms of food a day, only a large-sized clan could afford to feed them.

In the entire southern border, only Yi clan owned flying blue whales.

Yi clan is one of the overlords of the southern border, almost the same status as Shang clan, and had a close relationship with the forces in the eastern seas.

"What a grand sight." Bai Ning Bing sighed.

She thought about the former Bai clan village, this blue whale just had to land on Bai clan village, and the entire village would be in ruins.

The huge figure moved towards Shang Liang mountain, as the flying blue whale gradually landed on one of the mountain peak.

Fang Yuan could see from afar, it opened its huge mouth and a large number of black dots emerged from its mouth.

These dots were the Yi clan caravan members, but because of the distance, they could not be seen clearly.

"Yi clan caravan is here, the market is going to fluctuate again."

"I heard Yi clan brought a rank five Gu this time to auction on Shang Liang mountain."

"Yi clan and the eastern seas have a deep connection, they definitely brought many specialties from the eastern seas this time, there is value in purchasing them."

The topic quickly shifted to the Yi clan caravan.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing walked up the path together.

Gu Yue clan village was only a portion of Qing Mao mountain, but Shang clan city covered the entire Shang Liang mountain.

In the southern borders, even the number one clan Wu clan, did not have such a massive mountain city.

The entire Shang clan city had all sorts of buildings; bamboo buildings, dried mud houses, brick houses, shacks, treehouses, and even mushroom houses, caves, towers, castles, and much more.

These structures blended together, covering Shang Liang mountain in a beautiful garb with assorted colors.

As the trading hub of the entire southern border, Shang clan city occupied the most space among all forces.

But if one thinks this is all Shang clan city has to offer, then they cannot be more wrong.

This is only the outer city of Shang clan city.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing came to a huge cave.

"Would both guests like to enter the inner city? It will be a hundred primeval stones per person." The guarding Gu Master requested.

"Just entering requires a hundred?" Bai Ning Bing expressed her shock.

"The inner city has a smaller space, this is to prevent irrelevant people from entering, and also to maintain social order." The Gu Master replied respectfully.

Shang Liang mountain had been modelled by Shang clan for thousands of years, not only did they use up the surface of the mountain, but even deeper into the mountain's interior, they built an inner city.

Chapter 261: Shang Clan Inner City

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Fang Yuan paid two hundred primeval stones, and entered the inner city with Bai Ning Bing.

Inner city, although built in the mountain, had wide walking paths that could accommodate ten horse carts travelling in a line.

Once they entered, the crowds became much smaller, less than half of the outer city.

But Gu Masters became littered everywhere, rank ones were all over the place, rank two mixed in among them, and occasionally one or two rank threes.

There were few to no mortals, after all, a hundred primeval stones were needed to enter. Most Gu Master had servants to attend to them, but did not want to waste their money like this.

The illumination of the inner city was through a type of charcoal.

The charcoal stone could burn for a long time, and did not produce smoke. Every hundred steps, Fang and Bai would see a hole dug in the walls, as a bunch of charcoal stones burnt within.

Even though the charcoal stone did not emit much heat, with so many of them burning at once, it still caused the inner city's temperature to be higher than outside, and the air to be much dryer.

Unlike outer city, which had all sorts of buildings, being a complete mix, the buildings here were all of one structure, and looked the same, made through a heat-resistant red lava stone.

All sorts of paths extended out from the main street.

At the same time, every five hundred steps, a huge round pillar would appear.

There was a spiral stone stairs on the surface of the pillar, as it extended upwards, with railings along the stone stairs.

Through the stone pillars, people could go up one floor, or get to the street one floor lower.

The inner city was not flat, but was more spherical. From up to down, numerous paths and buildings existed, linking together and allowing one to travel anywhere they wanted easily.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing moved towards the deeper part of the mountain, this was still not their destination.

At a certain location, a sentry appeared.

The Gu Master at work had higher cultivation, as the security of the place was heightened.

"Do both of you have a token?" The guard stopped Fang and Bai.

Shang clan gave tokens of varied authority to people of different statuses.

"This is our first visit." Fang Yuan said.

Obviously, he had no such thing.

"In that case, it will be two hundred primeval stones per person." The guard said.

Fang Yuan paid the primeval stones, and the guard let them through.

The two arrived at the fourth inner city as a result.

Shang Liang mountain had been through a few thousand years of development by Shang clan, the entire mountain was remodelled by Shang clan, digging paths and constructing new buildings, classifying the place into regions.

Thus, the inner city was huge, from inner to outer, there was five regions.

The first inner city was called the central inner city, the political heart of Shang clan, and also their military base.

The second inner city was also known as the clan city, only Shang clansmen could stay here.

The third inner city had an elegant environment, with clean and fresh air, it was the high-class zone.

Fourth inner city was the middle-class zone. Fifth inner city was the low-class zone.

Any further and we get to the outer city, having high traffic flow, and all sorts of goods transportation. Compared to the inner city, it was much more chaotic.

This construction structure, was somewhat like a termite hill on Earth.

Termite hills were four to ten meters long, with the termites living within, in small interconnected tunnels, complex and exquisite.

Once the two entered the fourth inner city, they could feel more moisture in the air as the temperature dropped slightly.

Compared to fifth inner city, fourth inner city was a grade higher, not only was the entrance fee twice as high, it also had much better facilities.

Firstly, light was not provided by charcoal, but by a large number of a specific rank one grass Gu.

The name is — Moonlight crawling mountain tiger.

This was a type of vine, growing on the walls of both sides of the street, as it spread out, it could be seen everywhere.

The roots were deep blue, and the leaves were wide and large, emitting a small blue moonlight. Just one segment of the path had thousands of leaves, as the gentle blue light merged into one.

Because of the large numbers of leaves, the air is more humid and water vapor filled the air. Near the ground, there was mist from the condensed vapor.

The moonlight refracted in the mist, turning into an aurora. As one walked on the streets, they had a feeling of walking in a spiritual realm.

The buildings here were mostly full of carvings and decorations. Some residents created grass fields, and placed flower vats, while others made artificial mountains, and pavilions.

There was even less people on the streets here.

Rank two Gu Masters were now the common group, after all, two hundred primeval stones was a huge sum to rank one Gu Masters.

Most evidently, the streets were still noisy in fifth inner city, but here, it was much more quiet.

The two continued deeper, and got to the city gate.

"Without a token, to enter the third inner city, both of you would need to pay six hundred primeval stones." The guard's cultivation was already rank three.

Fang Yuan gave the primeval stones, and arrived at the third area.

This place was different from fourth inner city yet again.

All infrastructure were made using star stones.

This type of rock, was a widely used material in Gu refinement, able to emit starlight in the darkness.

The entire third inner city used star stones. Not only buildings, but even the walking paths were made of star stones.

At one glance, starlight filled the air as vision is clear, without any mist as obstruction.

The air was fresh and clear. Looking around, there were pavilions, red walls and green bricks, and even transplanted bamboo forests, famous trees, making an artificial mountain, with spring water flowing as well.

The streets had little people, quiet and serene, like a star palace.

"Truly rich and extravagant…" Bai Ning Bing slightly assessed, just the cost of the buildings she could see, was an astronomical figure.

As the most wealthy clan in the southern border, even Shang clan's leg hair was thicker than normal people's waists . Although an exaggeration, the rumors were not baseless.

Shang clan's wealth was like a mountain, in fact, the entire Shang clan city was a literal mountain. Shang clan mainly traded and that involved the entire southern border.

Shang clan's true wealth and asset, no one could make clear of it.

But Fang Yuan knew, just this third inner city's construction, could match with tens of Gu Yue clan's total wealth.

At this place, even rank two Gu Masters became rare.

Once in a while, they saw Gu Masters, but there were almost all rank three.

This was Fang Yuan's destination.

Any deeper, and it is the second inner city.

But to enter, it is no longer a problem of primeval stones, Shang clan city's token is required. And this token's authority has to reach a certain level.

"Tong Ou shop." Fang Yuan looked at the plaque before walking in.

This was a shop that sold Gu worms.

"Two esteemed guests, please enter." The attendant was a young girl, walking over and spoke in a soft volume.

Her aura was not concealed, showing off her rank one Gu Master cultivation.

Although Fang and Bai wore mortal clothing, one was ugly while the other was down and out, this Gu Master girl still showed a respectful attitude, displaying her superior service attitude.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing were brought into an elegant room.

This is a private room, with wooden tables and chairs, with sculptures and paintings hanging on the white walls. The brush strokes resembled dragons and phoenixes dancing as the strokes were written with precise strength.

Through the window lattice, the garden could be seen; green trees and red flowers along with the chirping of birds.

The Gu Master young girl brought over two cups of fragrant tea and left.

Just as she left, an elderly man entered.

"May I inquire if our two esteemed guests are here to buy or sell?" The elderly was a rank two Gu Master, smiling as he cupped his fists and asked.

"Both buying, and also selling." Fang Yuan raised his cup as he answered.

The elderly laughed, and two flashes of light flew out of his body, floating in front of Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.

It was two bookworms.

Bookworm was a rank one Gu worm, but was precious, as rare as the liquor worm.

Once one appears on the market, it would be sold instantly, there was often demand but no supply for it.

It was like a silkworm, although it had a head, body and stomach, three distinct parts, its body looked like a cocoon overall, round and cute.

Its body was white, but the surface had a layer of enamel, giving off an oily glow.

Holding it in one's hand, it was round and smooth, like a high grade porcelain vase.

The bookworm was a storage type Gu, similar to the tusita flower.

The difference was, tusita flower stored physical items, while bookworm stored knowledge and information. Even if it was destroyed, it would only explode into a flash of harmless white light.

"Please browse through." The elderly Gu Master said.

The two bookworms were refined by him, thus he could easily lend them to Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.

Fang and Bai both used a trace of snow silver primeval essence, and injected it into the bookworm.

The bookworms turned into a flash of white light, entering the two's forehead, in between their eyebrows.

Suddenly, Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing gained a wave of information in their heads.

The information was like content they memorised, deeply entrenched in their minds.

Bai Ning Bing bit her tongue secretly, Tong Ou shop sold almost tens of thousands of Gu worms! Gu worms of all kinds, causing one to get dizzy from observing the selection alone.

Among them, there was bookworm, liquor worm, all sorts of precious Gu worms, from low to high, rank one to five.

Of course, there was definitely no rank six Gu.

Each Gu worm had their specialized introduction to state their uses. There was even accurate prices, some were priced highly, while rare and precious Gu worms even had all sorts of token requirements.

This means, only Gu Masters with specific Shang clan tokens had the qualifications to buy these Gu worms.

Fang Yuan needed to purchase large numbers of Gu worms, after browsing through casually, he came back to reality and returned the bookworm to the elderly.

Although he had over ten thousand primeval stones now, to purchase all the Gu worms he needed, there was still some way to go.

Money was not the problem, because some of the Gu worms had token requirements.

"Esteemed guest, what are you interested in? If you purchase in bulk, we can give an appropriate discount." The elderly smiled and said.

Seeing Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing's snow silver primeval essence, his tone became even more respectful.

Fang Yuan waved his hand: "No rush, I have Gu worms to sell."

Saying so, he summoned a bone spear Gu.

The elderly was not surprised, there was many who came to Tong Ou shop to buy, but also many who came to sell.

He held the bone spear Gu, took a look, and showed a trace of surprise on his face.

He had never seen the bone spear Gu.

Of course he has not.

This was a special Gu worms made by Grey Bone Scholar, it had never entered the market.

"Please enlighten me, esteemed guest." The elderly showed a solemn expression as he cupped his fists.

Fang Yuan nodded, drinking some tea: "Of course. This is the bone spear Gu, a specific lineage of Gu worms. I'll lend it to you now, you'll know when you try it."

The elderly wielded it at once, remarking: "This Gu, although rank one, is not easy to raise. But its attack power is high and is rather unique, it is worth this price."

The elderly stretched out his palm, showing a number.

Chapter 262: Unable to sell

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Three hundred ten?

Seeing the amount shown by the elderly, Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows.

Liquor worm's price was five hundred eighty, bookworm was slightly higher, at six hundred. Black and white boar Gu were also six hundred, but all these Gu worms were rank one rare Gu, with little numbers, thus their price was steep.

Ordinary rank one Gu were around two hundred fifty primeval stones.

One time expenditure Gu like vitality grass were priced at fifty a piece.

Setting the bone spear Gu at three hundred ten was already quite good. This elderly working at Tong Ou shop did not suppress the price purposely.

But even so, Fang Yuan tried to raise the prices as much as he could.

Bargaining was already mastered by him to the limits in his previous life.

In just a few sentences, the elderly had no choice but to raise the price by ten primeval stones.

One bone spear Gu, three hundred and twenty primeval stones.

"Alright, we shall deal at this price." Fang Yuan waved his hand, and a wave of light flew out of his aperture.

Fifty-six bone spear Gu, floated in front of the elderly, causing him to jump from shock.

"So many…" He instantly regretted it. Each raised by ten primeval stones, this is nearly a six hundred primeval stone increment.

The truth is, Fang Yuan took almost two hundred bone spear Gu from Bai Gu mountain.

But as he traded along the way, without sufficient food, most of them had died already, only so little remain.

"Fifty-six Gu, that is seventeen thousand nine hundred and twenty (17920) primeval stones, I will ask the servants to bring over the primeval stones over now." The elderly kept the bone spear Gu into his aperture.

"No rush, look at this." Fang Yuan smiled, taking out a spiral bone spear Gu.

"This rank two Gu resembles the bone spear Gu…" The elderly showed astonishment on his face.

"Indeed, successfully refining the bone spear Gu will create this spiral bone spear Gu. It has a spiral force, thus its penetration ability is very strong." Fang Yuan explained at an appropriate timing.

The elderly tested, and verified what Fang Yuan had mentioned, giving a price of seven hundred eighty primeval stones.

After a few rounds of bargaining, Fang Yuan raised the price to eight hundred per Gu.

These spiral bone spear Gu were well kept by him, there were twenty in his aperture.

This way, he sold them all for sixteen thousand primeval stones.

"Now look at this Gu, seven thousand primeval stones." Fang Yuan gave a price, and took out the bone spike Gu, introducing once again.

The elderly held the bone spike Gu, but did not dare to test it, laughing bitterly: "This Gu is rank three, but it hurts both enemies and user. The pain of bone spikes penetrating the skin must hurt greatly. To use it, a healing Gu has to be used as well, this price is too high, I will consider six thousand five hundred, it is just the right price…"

"Let's not bargain anymore, I'll give in a little, six thousand seven hundred." Fang Yuan said.

After two rounds, the elderly found Fang Yuan extremely hard to deal with, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and gritted his teeth: "Deal."

"Then that is forty thousand six hundred and twenty (40620) primeval stones in total." Fang Yuan's eyeballs moved as he gave an accurate amount.

The elderly suddenly bowed, paying respects to Fang Yuan: "Esteemed guest, these Gu worms that you are selling, I have never seen them in my years of dealing in business. They are all interconnected, with a clear advancement path, they seem to be of one family tree. May I ask you, are these Gu from the same inheritance?"

Fang Yuan nodded: "Any intelligent person can tell, indeed, this was obtained through a lucky opportunity, and I inherited an inheritance, getting these Gu worms.

The elderly was joyful: "In that case, you must have the relevant Gu refinement recipe. Esteemed guest's luck truly is amazing, even an outsider would be envious, is it possible to sell these recipes together to my shop?"

Fang Yuan frowned.

Goods were expensive when rare, bone spear Gu, spiral bone spear Gu, bone spike Gu, not only he possessed them, Bai clan had them too. No issue if he sold them.

But the complete refinement recipe, he obtained it from the flesh sac secret room, there was only one in the world. Such a thing could not be easily sold.

"Anything that is below rank six, both Gu and recipes, can have a price. But, how much primeval stones can you offer?" Fang Yuan thought, and asked.

As long as the price is appropriate, this recipe could be sold.

He needed money.

After selling the bone spear Gu and others, the forty thousand primeval stones was insufficient for his plans.

The elderly raised two fingers: "Two hundred thousand!"

After selling so many Gu worms, he only got forty thousand. But the formless recipe, could gain him two hundred thousand.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The method to catching fish far surpasses the value of the fish itself.

Because the method implies a continuous source of fish.

To Tong Ou shop, with a recipe, it means they can produce bone spear Gu and the others themselves, endlessly.

That means a long term transaction item, only sold at a single place, thus the white bone recipe is definitely priced much more highly.

But Fang Yuan smirked: "Two hundred thousand. You dare report this price?"

The elderly's face turned red, this price was low indeed, he quickly said: "Three hundred thousand!"

Fang Yuan did not speak, but turned to leave.

The elderly gritted his teeth: "Five hundred thousand!"

"This price is finally looking bearable, I'll sell it for six hundred and eighty thousand." Fang Yuan sipped his tea.

The elderly's face was bitter: "Five hundred thousand is the limit of my authority. Esteemed guest, you sold so many bone spear Gu, we can hire a recipe master to reverse engineer your recipe. It is really not bad to sell it for five hundred thousand already."

Fang Yuan shook his head, his attitude firm: "The recipe in my hands is unique to this world, there is only one in the entire world! At least six hundred and fifty thousand, otherwise I will not sell it. Within this Shang clan city, I'm sure there are other shops, right?"

"You do not know this esteemed guest, Shang clan city has many shops, but most are under the control of my clan's young master. If you cannot sell it here, no other places would buy it either. If you do not sell the recipe, I'm afraid you won't be able to sell these Gu worms too." The elderly cupped his fist, his words being both firm and compromising, with a hint of threat.

"Oh? Then we'll see about that." Fang Yuan kept all these Gu worms, and left.

"Esteemed guests, I am sincerely advising you, please stay and sell it." The elderly gave his last attempt.

Fang Yuan did not pay him any attention, walking out of the room immediately. Bai Ning Bing could only follow closely behind.

"Esteemed guest, you will come here again." The elderly laughed coldly, sending the two off with his gaze.

After Fang and Bai left, the elderly came to the secret room, and activated his primeval essence, summoning a Gu.

This Gu turned into a flash of light and entered a bronze mirror.

Ripples appeared on the mirror surface, as a young man's face showed up.

"This subordinate greets young master." Seeing the young Gu Master, the elderly quickly kneeled on the floor.

"What business do you have?" This young man was one of the young masters of Shang clan, called Shang Ya Zi. He was only eighteen, at the peak of his life, but he was an alcoholic, causing his face to be skinny, and his skin to be pale, and giving off a dazed expression.

The elderly spoke about Fang Yuan's matter.

In Shang Ya Zi's eyes, a devious but excited light shone.

He shouted loudly: "Excellent. Heaven really leaves a path for the desperate. I was worrying about how to keep my young master position, and now heaven sends me this gift. I have to obtain this inheritance, with this deal, I would be able to pass the evaluation this year!"

"This subordinate will do his best, but I am only in charge of Tong Ou shop, as for the others…"

"I will arrange it, hmph, these two wants to sell Gu worms, they can only bow to me!" Shang Ya Zi snorted in disdain.

Ba Bao shop…

"Sorry guests, there are instructions from the higher-ups, if the two of you wants to sell Gu, you should go to Tong Ou shop."

Yuan Fang 1 building…

"So it is the two esteemed guests, if you sell the recipe, all can be discussed."

Bu Dao store…

"You two are esteemed guests, I am a businesswoman, why would I chase you away, but I am left with no choice either…"

After three shops, Fang Yuan did not manage to sell his Gu worms.

"Haha, to think you would have this day. The old man was not wrong, this is indeed their territory." Bai Ning Bing struck a blow to Fang Yuan relentlessly.

After several rejections, Fang Yuan's face was still calm: "Shang clan leader Shang Yan Fei has many children, but there is only one position for young clan leader, and ten young masters. Every year there would be an evaluation to choose the young clan leader, and remove the worst performing young master to make room for his other children."

A bright light flashed across Bai Ning Bing's brain: "So that's it, that means this Shang clan young master is either vying for the young clan leader position, or to defend his young master title. Otherwise, he would not create such a commotion."

Fang Yuan laughed as he clapped his hands together: "This is Shang clan's third inner city, no fighting is allowed. Even if Bai clan came here, they cannot do anything here. For the Shang clan young masters, their restrictions is even greater. With the impending evaluation, every movement from them will be strictly observed. We are in no hurry, let's find a place to sit down first."

At Shang clan, there is no worry about lack of food.

Let's just stall it out, and wait a few more days with these bone spear Gu, let's see who outlasts the other!

At the same time, in the first inner city.

"Did you investigate clearly?" Shang Yan Fei stood at the window, staring at the garden.

"This lady is indeed your flesh and blood, clan leader. Moreover, her soul is intact, her body had not been taken over by another person. I've already contacted Zhang clan, and clarified her identity. But there is something strange, she was part of a caravan heading towards Shang Liang mountain, but we cannot find anyone who travelled with her in the caravan." The external clan elder Wei Yang lowered his head and reported.

Shang Yan Fei listened quietly, sighing in his heart: "Oh heavens, thank you for giving me a chance to make amendments. I have already let down a girl, I cannot disappoint this daughter of mine anymore!"

…

Shang Xin Ci sat before the table, seeing the hot steam rise from her tea, her eyes were out of focus.

From Xiao Die's words, she knew of Shang Yan Fei's identity.

She did not expect her father to be the Shang clan leader, a man with immense authority, whose every action can impact the entire southern border!

Then why did he not find her mother?

Shang Xin Ci was intelligent after all, quickly understanding the reason why Shang Yan Fei abandoned her mother.

But even on her deathbed, her mother missed him greatly.

Shang Xin Ci felt pain in her heart, but also hatred, but mostly emptiness.

She did not know how to face this father who appeared all of a sudden.

But running away was impossible, outside the door there was knocking: " Ci Er2 , can I come in?"

Xiao Die instantly became nervous.

It was Shang Yan Fei.

Chapter 263: Meeting

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Shang Yan Fei showed a sincere smile as he walked into the house.

Xiao Die hurriedly paid respects, while Shang Xin Ci sat beside the table, motionless as she continued to stare at the same spot.

Shang Yan Fei also sat beside the table, speaking in an extremely gentle voice: "Ci Er, how do you feel now?"

Shang Xin Ci had good upbringing after all, she stood up, took a few steps back and bowed: "Lord Shang clan leader does not have to worry, I only fainted because my emotions were too intense, I have recovered now, I can hear and see well, there is no problem."

Shang Yan Fei quickly waved his hand: "Hehehe, as long as you are fine Ci Er, come sit, sit down and talk."

Shang Xin Ci only addressed him as Shang clan leader, purposely using such a distant term, it caused his heart to ache.

Shang Xin Ci sat down once again, as Xiao Die finally reacted and poured tea for Shang Yan Fei.

"Tell me, how were your past few years?" Shang Yan Fei looked at Shang Xin Ci gently.

"It was rather alright." Shang Xin Ci answered curtly, not wishing to converse deeply into it.

But Xiao Die started to grumble: "From young, Missy has been isolated by the clansmen. After Madam passed away, they got even harsher and wanted to snatch our family fortune. They are too evil, Sir, you have to help Missy!"

"Xiao Die, pour your tea." Shang Xin Ci rolled her eyes at Xiao Die.

Xiao Die instantly shut up, not speaking anymore.

Facing this, Shang Yan Fei did not get anxious, instead the pity and pain in his heart grew.

He laughed: "Right, how did you get here? Coming here from Zhang clan, it is a huge distance away."

"Sir, you almost failed to see Missy. We barely made it out alive in this journey. The entire caravan of a thousand was reduced to us four. Luckily we met Lord Hei Tu and Bai Yun and gained their assistance, if not…" Xiao Die could not control herself and blabbered.

"Xiao Die!" Shang Xin Ci glared at Xiao Die.

Xiao Die had to shut up once again.

Shang Yan Fei memorised the two names, "Hei Tu and Bai Yun", as he smiled: "From now on, you two will stay here. It is extremely safe, when you are bored you can take a walk in the garden, or go outside for shopping. You have just arrived here, and are not familiar with the estate yet, it is easy to get lost. I will send a servant over to you, she is familiar with the environment. I shall leave first, take a good rest for now."

Shang Yan Fei could tell Shang Xin Ci still needed time to adjust her mindset.

At this point, he needed to give her time and space to adapt.

"Master is such a good person, although he is the Shang clan leader, he is so amiable. Missy, he is your birth father after all…" Seeing Shang Yan Fei leave, Xiao Die urged.

"I know, I understood mother's intentions when I first saw him. Sigh , she instructed me to come to Shang Liang mountain before she died, yet not telling me the reason. That is because she was not certain if he would acknowledge me as his daughter… Although he has accepted me, I do not feel good about it. This is all too sudden…"

"Missy, no matter what, no matter where you go, I will stay by your side." Xiao Die stood before the table, grabbing Shang Xin Ci's hand and encouraging.

"Mm." Shang Xin Ci was moved and nodded, placing her palm on top of Xiao Die's.

"Of course, if Missy can stay here, that would be the best. You know, this is Shang clan! Oh god, glory and wealth are all within arm's reach. Zhang clan can't even hold a candle to Shang clan, Missy!" Xiao Die made a wry face as she said.

"Oh you." Shang Xin Ci laughing speechlessly, feeling helpless against Xiao Die.

Xiao Die snickered. As her laughter infected Shang Xin Ci, it resolved the remaining grudge in her heart.

Shang Yan Fei walked out of the room, and his smile vanished completely.

He wore a black robe and had blood colored hair; a handsome face with eyes shining with cold light, he habitually tightened his lips together, showing off his determined and decisive personality.

He is Shang Yan Fei, this generation's Shang clan leader!

He was cruel and ruthless. For the clan leader position, he forced two brothers and a sister to commit suicide.

He was resolute in killing, when he first got into power, a far away clan village thought that they were at a safe distance and attacked Shang clan's caravan. He ignored all objections and expended much resources, to murder every single person in that village. He murdered all those who surrendered, and their skulls piled into a mountain, in front of those elders who first objected his decision to retaliate.

He held an iron rule, since he got into power, he consolidated his political strength, and practised nepotism , suppressing his competition. Quickly adding over a dozen external clan elders, he used only three years to transform the entire Shang clan higher up into his personal voice.

He had great vision, and talent for business. During his years in power, Shang clan's caravan grew three times in size. Up to a hundred clans became Shang clan's subordinates, and formed into a great hidden force.

He appointed people based on merits, even for his own children. There was fifteen Shang clan young master positions originally, but after his rule, he reduced it to ten.

What's more rare, is his talent, having A grade aptitude, at the same time as he ruled the clan, his cultivation also rose as quickly, ahead of his peers, causing many to admire, hate and be jealous of him.

This is Shang Yan Fei, the man standing on top of the southern border's mortal realm.

"This subordinate greets lord clan leader." A young female Gu Master bowed and paid respects.

"Tian Lan, from today onwards, you will take care of Missy Ci Er to the best of your efforts." Shang Yan Fei said coldly.

"This subordinate understands." The young girl nodded.

"When you are near her, pay great attention, and find out some information. Missy Ci Er might not like to speak, but her servants speaks without thinking, she is your easiest break through point, I want you to find out how exactly did they manage to come to Shang Liang mountain."

"Yes, this subordinates understands."

"Mm, go now."

"This subordinate takes her leave."

Tian Lan was an orphan adopted by Shang Yan Fei, she was loyal and could be trusted to use. Her ability to perform was great too, in just three days, she completed her mission.

"Hei Tu Bai Yun? Demonic Gu Masters…" Shang Yan Fei rubbed his chin: "If this is real, I have to thank the two of them well. But to prevent other possibilities, I have to investigate them more clearly."

Thinking of this, Shang Yan Fei summoned Wei Yang: "Go find these two, one is called Hei Tu, the other Bai Yun, one male and one female, both demonic Gu Masters, their facial features are as such…"

…

In third inner city.

"It has already been three days, have those two stayed in Nan Qiu garden the entire time?"

"Yes young master, from that day on, they stayed deep within. The most they did was to come out and buy some milk. This subordinate thinks those milk are for feeding the Gu worms."

"Damn it…" Shang Ya Zi gritted his teeth, his gaze was like a dagger that wanted to cut those two people into pieces.

The assessment was impending, among the ten young masters, he was at last place, if he does not get any business done, he would definitely be eliminated.

Shang Yan Fei had many children, but there are only ten young master positions.

Comparing ordinary children and young masters, their treatment were a world apart from each other. Young masters gathered attention, and could control one of Shang clan's business, with unlimited glamor and fortune awaiting. Young clan leader was even more outstanding.

But if it were just ordinary children, then their treatment was no different than other clansmen.

Shang Ya Zi had already experienced the authority of a young master, asking him to go back to the ordinary lifestyle of the clansmen is akin to asking him to die!

Thus, he needed that inheritance.

Not just obtaining it, but also getting it at a low price.

Only when the price is low, will his profit be high.

But these two, Fang and Bai, were as stubborn as rocks, refusing to bow to him.

If this was the fourth or fifth inner city, he could use some extreme methods, and force them to submit. But now that they stayed in third inner city, Shang Ya Zi would not even dare to think of using force here.

"This cannot go on, they have time to waste, but I do not. It seems I have to go myself, hmph!"

Shang Ya Zi could not take it anymore, bringing his subordinates and arriving at Nan Qiu garden.

Nan Qiu garden was a residential area for esteemed guests to stay in.

In third inner city, there was no inns, only these small-sized gardens.

Staying here for a day requires thirty primeval stones, that is, three hundred for ten days, and nearly a thousand a month.

Nan Qiu garden's price was still cheap among third inner city estates. Some large-sized gardens require a hundred primeval stones a day. For some special grade gardens, you cannot stay with just primeval stones, you needed the Shang clan token.

In Shang clan city, every acre of land is as valuable as gold, especially in third inner city where commodity prices are sky high.

Shang Ya Zi brought his people over to visit, as Fang and Bai were playing chess beside the lotus pond.

Shang Ya Zi snorted, saying in a taunting tone: "You two sure have great interests, why didn't you go to other shops to ask these days?"

"What's there to ask. Those who want to buy, will find their way here, am I right?" Fang Yuan laughed lightly.

"You!" Shang Ya Zi flew into a rage, Fang Yuan's attitude was angering him.

He gritted his teeth, forcefully suppressing his emotions, raising his head and saying arrogantly: "I'm looking at the fact that you have it tough, I'll make it five hundred thousand, are you happy now?"

"Five hundred thousand primeval stones? No deal. At least six hundred fifty." Fang Yuan glanced at Shang Ya Zi before turning back to the chessboard.

Shang Ya Zi's eyes squinted into a thin line as he took a few steps towards Fang Yuan and threatened: "You two demonic Gu Masters, how dare you pretend! I've checked up on your backgrounds, you snatched this inheritance from Bai clan right? I heard you even killed Bai clan's two young masters? You had better take the chance now and sell it quickly. I'll tell you, these few days, a Tie clan group has already reached Shang Liang mountain, and are looking for your traces. What do you think will happen if I expose your information to them?"

"Oh? Go tell them then." Fang Yuan laughed heartily.

"You!" Shang Ya Zi pointed at Fang Yuan, unable to endure it anymore: "I'll tell you, five hundred thousand is my greatest sincerity, other than selling it to me, what other choices do you have? None! This is my terrority, you had better understand your circumstances."

At this time, a light descended from the sky, and turned into a Gu Master.

This Gu Master looked around, before bowing slightly, saying towards Fang and Bai: "Sir Hei Tu and Lady Bai Yun, I am Wei Yang, as with clan leader's orders, I am inviting both of you to the second inner city for a talk."

"Wh- what? Father wants to meet these two personally?!" Shang Ya Zi felt lightning strike him as his eyes stared widely, expressing his utter fear.

This is really bad!

Chapter 264: Absolutely terrible!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Shang Ya Zi turned pale with fright.

His action of suppressing the price was against the rules. He would receive severe punishment were it to be discovered.

This was an organization.

Once you were in a high position, you needed to comply with the rules. The rules of a system was to ensure the benefits of the higher ups; despite many of the organizations advertising they represented the benefits of the majority, it was, for the most part, just a joke.

So the higher your position is, the more you needed to comply with the rules.

On the contrary, there was more corruption in the low-mid level positions.

After you reached a higher position, individual benefits had already become inseparably linked with the benefits of the organization; often, the benefits the organization received would represent your own benefits.

Shang Ya Zi could only be said to be a temporary higher up, many paid attention to him as one of the young masters of Shang Clan, but his real authority came from his father; he was just like rootless weed.

This also signified his punishment would be more harsh when he violated the rules because many people were watching him.

"This is not possible, I have already carefully investigated before I came, I even spent a large amount of primeval stones to buy information on these two from Feng Yu Manor. These two are clearly demonic Gu Masters and are also listed as wanted, they are stray dogs, why would lord father invite them?"

Shang Ya Zi felt this situation was incredibly unbelievable.

It was like the case of a rich person making things difficult for two beggars, when suddenly an imperial edict comes declaring that the emperor wanted to see these two beggars!

Shang Ya Zi was pressuring Fang Yuan because they were lone forces; oppressing them and finishing this affair in secrecy should have been absolutely safe and no one would know.

Naturally, there was bound to be some risks but Shang Ya Zi could only take that risk to protect his position as a young master.

"How could they have any relation to father when they don't have any background? Damn it, has the world gone crazy? What do I do? If they disclose this matter, my young master position is finished! Should I kill them? No, this is just courting my own death. I don't have any chance of doing anything in this third inner city, especially now that they have received father's attention. The main thing is these two bastards, they are at rank three peak stage. How am I supposed to do anything in this situation?"

In a split second, thoughts processed like lightning in Shang Ya Zi's mind, trying to think of countermeasures.

His eyes kept on moving about, and sweat was already starting to seep out of his forehead.

He had played with fire this time!

"Damn it, what do I do, what else is there?!" He was roaring with worry in his mind.

"Shang clan leader wants to see us? What for?" Fang Yuan timely showed his doubt.

Bai Ning Bing was even more puzzled.

What is going on?

She suspected this was Fang Yuan's trick at first, and so glanced at Fang Yuan.

However, Fang Yuan also showed a puzzled expression which baffled her.

She couldn't help but think: I have been with him all the time, he shouldn't be able to conceal anything from me if he was up to something.

Moreover, what kind of person was Shang clan leader, he was high and above, standing at the peak of the mortals. No matter how proud Bai Ning Bing was, even she acknowledged Shang Yan Fei's authority and power.

"Then why do I feel something amiss, as if I neglected something?"

Wei Yang laughed: "Rest assured, if Shang clan wanted to harm you guys, why would we make it so complicated? This is a friendly invitation, lord clan leader is very interested in you two."

"It is our honor to be able to receive the clan leader's invitation. We will immediately go see him then." Fang Yuan threw the chess piece on his hand and stood up.

Shang Ya Zi felt even more worried and promptly said: "Six hundred fifty thousand primeval stones, let's complete the deal!"

Fang Yuan glanced at him and smiled: "Sorry, I don't intend to sell the secret recipe!"

Shang Ya Zi's face turned deathly pale, his mouth felt parched and his gaze towards Fang Yuan even contained some vague imploring: "I was anxious and behaved rudely, please don't take it to heart, esteemed guests. The price can be discussed, we can properly discuss it after you are back!"

Fang Yuan gave a shallow smile. He didn't reply.

Who would discuss with you? But temporarily stabilizing this man could prevent him from taking desperate actions and reduce some trouble.

As he thought of this, Fang Yuan nodded: "If young master is sincere, then I will look forward to it."

Shang Ya Zi's expression immediately relaxed and showed a grateful expression; it was like a person that was about to fall from a cliff suddenly found a tree to grab on to.

"Okay, I will wait for you." He promptly said.

"Esteemed guests, please." Wei Yang showed the way.

"Lead the way."

Following Wei Yang, Fang and Bai entered second inner city.

Bai Ning Bing had been anticipating the extravagant second inner city, but when she reached there, she was astonished and disappointed.

In the second inner city, buildings were made of stones and were very simple, even the fourth inner city was better than this.

But her expression soon turned grave as she realized the reason.

It is easy for the frugal to become extravagant, but very difficult for the extravagant to become frugal.

Shang clan's riches were as high as a mountain but they scrupulously abided by living in a simple way. This was not because they were miserly, but to maintain the vigor of the clan.

Wei Yang led Fang and Bai to a private residence.

"Esteemed guests, you can have some fruits while you wait. Lord clan leader has just recently come out of closed door cultivation and is handling some matters. He will come here soon. This is clan leader's private residence, please stay here and don't casually move outside. I will take my leave now."

There was no one else in the house, Fang and Bai were left alone after Wei Yang's departure.

The two waited for a whole six hours but did not see even a shadow. Wei Yang said they could eat fruits, but where were the fruits? Not even tea could be found!

During the first two hours, Fang Yuan calmly sat on a wide backed wooden chair.

During the next two hours, he could no longer sit calmly and started mumbling to himself, revealing his impatience.

By the sixth hour, he clearly revealed impatience and unease as he began to move to and fro in the house.

"Hmph, what the hell is this Shang clan leader doing? He wants us to wait for him, but where is he? He is too arrogant." Fang Yuan's tone was angry as he paced around.

"Can you just sit down? My eyes are getting dizzy. Why not just cultivate peacefully?" Bai Ning Bing slightly frowned, this was not like Fang Yuan's usual behavior.

"There is something fishy here, do you think it was really Shang clan leader who invited us?" Fang Yuan's brows were tightly knitted together.

"How would I know? I was going to ask you that!" Bai Ning Bing rolled her eyes and puzzledly said, "Did you do something wrong and offended Shang clan?"

Fang Yuan snorted: "You have been with me all the time and you still can't understand me? There is no one in this private residence, I am not able to be at ease here. Let's go out and take a look at the situation!"

Bai Ning Bing thought for a little while and stood up: "Alright."

Fang and Bai walked out of the house, the courtyard wasn't big and there was also nothing strange.

At the same time, in first inner city.

Inside a study, colorful smoke curled up and rose in front of Shang Yan Fei, showing the real time view of Fang and Bai.

"Wei Yang, what do you think of these two?" Shang Yan Fei asked his trusted aide.

Wei Yang mumbled: "The way I see it, these two are indeed demonic Gu Masters. From the information we collected, they are young but have rank three peak stage cultivation, their innate talents should be extraordinary. Among those two, Hei Tu is rather frank and is kind of rash; Bai Yun seems to have deep thoughts and should be very shrewd. Hei Tu, Bai Yun… these names should be fake."

"Mm, your analysis isn't bad. In that case, you will be in charge of interacting with them for these few days. Test their abilities and closely follow them." Shang Yan Fei finished speaking and put away the colorful smoke.

He was only worried about Shang Xin Ci and showed little interest towards Fang and Bai.

The small test just now gave him a basic understanding towards the temperament of these two. And combining it with the intelligence he received, he more or less had a general impression.

Not all demonic Gu Masters were demented people.

These two guys could be considered decent, and maybe it was because they were young, he could clearly sense their lofty character.

People who had principles were often lofty and unyielding.

First impression was important, Shang Yan Fei honestly felt Fang and Bai were quite good. But he was a prudent person, anyone who could sit stably at a position like his were all prudent.

He was waiting, waiting for the people he sent to investigate the truth to come back and confirm everything, then he could rest easy.

"Alright, handle this properly, you can leave now." Shang Yan Fei waved his hands, then he took out the top document from the tall pile of documents in the study.

He had only been in closed cultivation for half a month, and the work had piled up so much already.

…

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing made a round in the private residence, there really was no one else.

The two were hesitating whether to go out to check the situation when Wei Yang appeared before them.

"Two esteemed guests, lord clan leader is very busy with work and is not able to leave right now. We can only cancel this meeting." He looked like he was sincerely apologizing.

"What? We come and leave according to your whims?" Fang Yuan was indignant.

Bai Ning Bing was silent and expressionless.

Wei Yang smiled: "You two are our esteemed guests, why would Shang clan chase away their esteemed guests? Lord clan leader especially had asked me to attend to you as an apology. I have already arranged for a banquet in Shi Tian restaurant, please give me the honor of hosting."

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing glanced at each other, then Fang Yuan said: "Just in time, we are also hungry, let's go fill our stomachs first."

Shi Tian restaurant was one of the best restaurants in Shang clan city and occupied a great amount of space in the third inner city. The decorations were elegant, and its dishes sumptuous. Its chefs were specialized Gu Masters who used special Gu worms to help in cooking delicacies that couldn't be matched by ordinary methods.

A typical meal here would last over four hours and more; there were over a hundred type of dishes, each with their own characteristics. Their top quality wine also left a rich aftertaste.

Bai Ning Bing didn't eat much and kept on worrying about Shang clan leader's invitation. She tried to get answers from Wei Yang indirectly at the banquet, but Wei Yang was a cautious guy too and kept his mouth closed.

On the contrary, Fang Yuan ate with gusto, with oil marks around his mouth. He also drank heavily and began to kick up a racket, his resentment and indignance from just before seemed to have completely disappeared.

Wei Yang looked at Fang Yuan who was drinking directly from the wine jar and then looked at Bai Ning Bing who was only drinking water; he instantly felt Fang Yuan, this ugly guy, was much more adorable.

After the banquet was over, Wei Yang dropped the two off at Nan Qiu garden.

Wei Yang left his parting words: "Take a good rest tonight, I will come look for you tomorrow and take you sightseeing around the Shang clan city."

Chapter 265: Broadsword of Light vs Bone Spear

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

On the second day.

As expected, Wei Yang came to Nan Qiu garden and brought Fang and Bai to tour Shang clan city.

"Our Shang clan city is number one in the southern border in terms of size. Shang clan has operated here for thousands of years, transforming the entire Shang Liang mountain. Here, there are over ten thousand shops, and hundreds of thousands of people."

"Both of you have not eaten yet, I'll bring you to a famous breakfast shop, please follow me."

Fang and Bai followed Wei Yang, along the stone pillar and descended.

After three layers, they came to a shop, called Early Spring.

Thousand layer agate cake, crab roe bun, golden field pancake, snow porridge…

"Shang clan city, from inner to outer, has first, second, third, fourth, fifth and outer city. If they were classified even more clearly, there are many zones as well, food zone, gambling rocks zone, caretaking zone, red-light zone and others." Wei Yang introduced.

…

"This is the culinary zone, with many restaurants mostly owned by Gu Master chefs. The delicacies are endless."

…

"This is the caretaking zone, most Gu Masters have excessive Gu worms, so they place them here for caretaking. The price is determined by situations, but ordinarily, a rank one Gu costs eighty primeval stones a month.

…

"This is the Gu fighting zone, this place is solely for Gu fights, Gu Masters cannot interfere, and can only control their Gu. If you two have appropriate Gu worms, you can give it a try."

…

"This is the red-light zone, having the most number of brothels in the entire Shang clan city. Many Gu Masters come here to relax. You two have come here through the caravan, you must know the immense pressure during the journey. Here you can find women, men, and even Gu Masters. Are the two of you interested?"

…

As Wei Yang brought them around, Bai Ning Bing gained much insight to this world.

Shang clan city is bustling and flourishing, causing many to have lingering memories even after they leave.

A day's time is too short, while Shang clan city is too huge, even if the three used horse carriages to travel, they cannot even cover one percent of the entire city.

On the third day, Wei Yang came over again to attend to Fang and Bai.

"This is the substitute refinement zone. You are both Gu Masters, you naturally understand the difficulties in refining Gu. To us, what we fear most is encountering a strong-willed wild Gu worm during refinement, or a Gu that an expert had left behind. The higher the rank of the Gu, the harder it is to refine. Back in the day, Empress Wu Ji spent eleven years just to refine a rank five dragon strength Gu. Thus, substitute refinement is a necessity, and has always been in the market."

…

"This is the auction zone, every day there will be a small scale auction held here, every two weeks there will be a mid scale auction, and at the end of every month, there will be a large scale auction. Most items that appear on the auction are rare and coveted."

…

"This is the battle zone, with over eighty battle stages. This place is always the most popular! There are single battle stages, for Gu Masters to experiment and practise using their Gu worms. There are dual battle stages for Gu Masters to exchange pointers, and even multi-battle stages, to experience multiple enemies at once."

Just as Wei Yang had said, the battle stages were the most popular place in Shang clan city.

The place was chaotic and noisy, as human traffic stayed high, rank three Gu Masters could be seen everywhere.

"Big brother Wei, why are you here?" From among the crowd, a young man saw Wei Yang and immediately called out, walking briskly towards him.

This man was about twenty seven or eight years old, having a common face but gave off a strong aura.

"Little Xiao, I heard you fought your way into third inner city. Good job!" Wei Yang patted the young man's shoulders, encouraging.

"Yes, I recently advanced to rank three middle stage, and my fighting strength improved as well. Come to think of it, I have to thank you for all your guidance, or I would have never made it this far." The young man earnestly thanked.

"You have good talent lad, you could do it even without me, You are not thirty yet, but you have already reached rank three middle stage, that is much more impressive than me back then, haha." Wei Yang laughed and said.

The young man gave Wei Yang an admiring gaze: "Big brother Wei Yang, how can I compare to you. You were only rank three middle stage back then, and already dominated the third inner city. At twenty five, you got the attention of the lord clan leader and was recruited. Now, you are already a clan elder, just look at Shang clan, how many external clan elders are there in total?"

"As long as you work hard, you can do it too." Wei Yang encouraged the young man.

Soon after, he turned around, and explained to Fang and Bai: "The battle zone is one of the ways Shang clan recruit outside talents. Back then, I fought my way from the fifth inner city's battle zone all the way to third inner city, and stayed on the stage for eighteen consecutive rounds before being recruited by lord clan leader."

Back then, Shang Yan Fei was still not the clan leader.

After becoming his trusted aide, Wei Yang was also successfully promoted to an external clan elder after Shang Yan Fei got into power.

Bai Ning Bing suddenly realized.

No wonder the battle zone was so popular.

Shang clan's enterprise was huge, and they needed manpower in many areas. Just relying on their clansmen would be difficult to handle the entire situation. The many generations of Shang clan young masters would definitely recruit a number of demonic Gu Masters for their own use.

If the young master that supported these demonic Gu Masters became the clan leader, then the demonic Gu Masters under them would likely become an external clan elder, enjoying the treatment of a clan elder.

Gu Master's cultivation required lots of resources. Many demonic Gu Masters did not have a stable source of resources from their clans, and were often poor. Only by relying on a clan could they better survive.

Wei Yang was a successful example.

In Shang clan city's battle zone, there are large numbers of demonic Gu Masters. In order to join the Shang clan, and become part of the righteous path, to become someone like Wei Yang, they had to compete as they fought their way up to the top.

"Battle stage, this place is filled with memories, guests, would you like to have a spar with me?" Wei Yang suddenly suggested.

"Big brother Wei is going on the stage?" Little Xiao suddenly became excited, his eyes gleaming.

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing looked at each other.

"Alright, then let me experience it." Fang Yuan had expected Shang clan to probe into this, thus he went with the flow.

"Big brother Wei, you don't come here often, this place has been remodelled many times, let me lead the way." Little Xiao volunteered.

Wei Yang nodded: "Okay."

Little Xiao asked: "Brother Wei, what field do you want, forest, mountain, wilderness, or desert, lake?"

Wei Yang turned around, asking for Fang and Bai's opinion: "Let our two esteemed guests choose."

Some Gu Masters specialized in mountain battles, some specialized in desert battles, the battle environment was an important element in affecting battle results.

"We can choose different stages here? What fields do you have?" Bai Ning Bing asked curiously.

Little Xiao heard Wei Yang address Fang and Bai as esteemed guests, and did not dare to drag on, quickly explaining to them.

The battle stages in the third inner city had around tens of different environments, almost encompassing all kinds of terrain that one could possible be in.

After hearing so, Bai Ning Bing could not help but have an urge to try: "Then let's choose the flagstone stage."

Flagstone stage, the most common battle stage, without any wind, snow, rain or sand as natural elements.

The specialized black flagstone, covered over a hundred meters of land.

"Quickly look, it seems to be elder Wei Yang."

"It is elder Wei Yang, that's him."

"Although he has B grade aptitude, he was a successful story that left the battle stage, back then, I even competed with him."

…

Wei Yang seemed to be popular as his appearance on the battle stage attracted many people's attention.

But Wei Yang kept a low profile, using his clan elder authority to seal this battle stage, preventing outsiders from watching.

Only Little Xiao was left.

Wei Yang walked to the center of the stage: "According to normal rules, both sides of the competitors have to announce their cultivation, before assessing it fairly. But since we are just having a casual spar, we shall skip that. Please, have the first move."

What he meant was he wanted to challenge both Fang and Bai single handedly.

Little Xiao stood outside the stage, gripping his fist in excitement: "Big brother Wei won as the weaker side back then, using his rank three middle stage cultivation to dominate the stage, and guarding eighteen rounds of battle. Almost every fight was a classic, now that he is rank three peak stage, I have to observe this battle carefully!"

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing gave each other a look, before suddenly attacking, moving towards Wei Yang from the left and right respectively.

"Going for close combat?" Wei Yang stood at the center, not moving as his body glowed in a golden light, forming a battle armor, protecting his entire body.

Pew pew pew

Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing activated their spiral bone spear Gu as they charged towards Wei Yang.

Multiple bone spears spun as they penetrated the air, shooting towards Wei Yang.

"What Gu is this?" Wei Yang was confused in his mind, this was the first time he saw the bone spear Gu.

He did not dodge, intending to test out the power of the spiral bone spear Gu, and took three hits.

The light golden armor flickered, but managed to endure the hits.

"This Gu is not bad, having a spiral force and is good at penetrating defenses." Wei Yang did not fluster, utilizing his primeval essence and causing the light armor to regain its toughness.

"My turn!" He lightly shouted, grabbing the air with both hands, as two broadswords of light formed from this air, shining brilliantly.

"It appeared, big brother Wei's broadsword light Gu!" Little Xiao saw this, and spoke out in excitement.

Wei Yang grabbed the two broadswords, sweeping his gaze and choosing to charge at Fang Yuan.

"Broadsword light Gu and sword shadow Gu are known as the strongest attacking Gu among the rank three Gu worms…" Seeing Wei Yang approaching, Fang Yuan's eyes shone with a sharp flash.

Even though the broadsword light Gu was strong, he was not afraid.

Jumping grass.

Two spring-like grass appeared on his feet, as he stepped on the ground and after gathering energy, Fang Yuan's speed increased drastically.

Canopy Gu, flying bone shield.

Fang Yuan's body shone with a white armor, and three white bone shields surrounded his body, circling continuously around his front, left, back and right.

"Good timing." Wei Yang shouted, as he rushed to Fang Yuan, slamming both of his broadswords from above, intending to strike.

Fang Yuan did not dodge or avoid, raising his right fist and smashing right at it.

Wei Yang's eyes shone with surprise, not expecting Fang Yuan to fight so bravely.

Two broadswords of light slammed down, as the white bone shields automatically blocked it.

The broadswords cut the white bone shields into halves, before landing on the white armor of the canopy Gu, giving off a strong white light.

At the same time, Fang Yuan's fist his Wei Yang's stomach.

Although he did not break the light golden armor, the huge force sent Wei Yang flying.

Bai Ning Bing rushed up at the crucial moment, waving her hand as multiple spiral bone spear Gu shot towards Wei Yang.

The attack was ruthless and decisive, with the intention of sending Wei Yang to his grave.

"Ah, danger!" Seeing this, Little Xiao screamed out.

Chapter 266: My name is Fang Zheng

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Wei Yang was sent flying by Fang Yuan's fist, and before he stabilized himself, spiral bone spears came flying from above.

The spiral bone spears penetrated the air, shooting like lightning with a crisp sound.

At such a distance, Wei Yang could even see the spiral carvings on the bone spear tip.

"These spiral bone spear Gu, although strong and are able to penetrate defenses, are only rank two Gu worms, there is no threat in them." At that instant, Wei Yang's thoughts moved like lightning.

Bai Ning Bing's blue eyes were cold as ice, Wei Yang challenging both of them at the same time triggered the arrogance in her heart.

"Spiral bone spear can only restrict him, I don't have enough Gu, if I want to finish him, i'll need to use my fists and legs!"

She was a genius.

When Fang Yuan sent Wei Yang flying, although it was just one hit, it showed Bai Ning Bing his weakness.

Wei Yang had never received a permanent strength boost from any Gu worms, he only had the strength of a normal human.

This was a major weakness that could be exploited.

Bai Ning Bing took many steps ahead, following after the bone spears and raising her leg to kick harshly.

"Brother Wei…" Little Xiao who was watching the match saw this scene and started to worry.

If Wei Yang's movements were restricted by the bone spears, it would give Bai Ning Bing a chance to strike. At the same time, if Fang Yuan cornered him, Wei Yang would be in a disadvantage!

"Hehehe." At the final moment, Wei Yang laughed.

As the spiral bone spear was about to hit him, suddenly, his body shone in a white light, and he turned into a flash and vanished.

"He had this Gu indeed…" Fang Yuan squinted.

"What quick speed!" Bai Ning Bing's pupils shrunk, feeling astonished.

At the next second, the spiral bone spears pierced through the flagstone, stabbing into the ground.

Bai Ning Bing could not stop her momentum, with a 'bang', her leg crushed the flagstone. The spider web-like cracks enveloped the ground.

"Big brother Wei's rainbow light Gu! I thought he might not use it in time, but to think he was waiting for that moment to escape, causing his enemies to hit nothing. Superb, this is a strong blow against the enemy's psychology." Little Xiao could tell the intentions of his actions.

Seeing that they were about to gravely injure their enemy, an escape at the last moment would turn hope into disappointment, anyone would experience this change of emotion.

Rainbow light tore through the air, as the light dispersed, Wei Yang's body appeared again.

In the blink of an eye, he flew over fifty meters, more than half the battle stage, pulling great distance from Fang and Bai.

Seeing such speed, Bai Ning Bing's footsteps came to a halt.

With the rainbow light Gu, Wei Yang could come and go as he pleases, fighting whenever he wants to, at this point, it was impossible for him to lose.

Rainbow light Gu was a rank three Gu, capable of allowing a Gu Master to turn into light and escape, it was the fastest among the rank three movement Gu!

In contrast, Fang Yuan only had the jumping grass, while the other had no movement Gu. With Wei Yang's speed, they had no chance of hitting him.

In terms of movement, the rainbow light Gu gave Wei Yang a huge advantage, once this Gu was used, Fang and Bai could work together but still fall into a passive state.

"Guests, this is the rainbow light Gu, although it is rank three, its speed far surpasses many rank four Gu. The speed is so fast even the Gu Master cannot react in time, that is the first weakness. To use it, one has to use the lightning thoughts Gu or a flash of inspiration Gu, or others. Otherwise, by the time the Gu Master reacts, they would've flown too far and even crashed into a wall."

Wei Yang spoke, admitting the flaws of the rainbow light Gu.

"Its second weakness, is that it expends too much primeval essence. Among rank three Gu, this expenditure is already middle-high tier consumption. There is a third weakness, but I shall not mention it, you can guess for yourselves."

"Is that the fact that you cannot use a strength Gu to raise your physical strength?" Bai Ning Bing immediately answered.

This time, it was Wei Yang's turn to express shock.

He gave a look of amazement: "Miss Bai Yun really has great cognitive abilities, indeed, if a Gu Master uses a Gu worm to alter their body, and increase their strength, it will be difficult to utilize the rainbow light Gu. Their primeval essence expenditure will increase drastically, or worse, the light transformation might fail and the rainbow light Gu would be destroyed."

But to think, after Bai Ning Bing heard his praise, her expression turned cold as her gaze was like ice, staring at Wei Yang with killing intent: "Hey, let me warn you, do not call me Miss!"

"Eh?" Wei Yang's expression froze: What did I say wrong? Is it wrong to use the word 'Miss'? What a strange taboo.

Wei Yang thought in his heart, as he apologised: "I'm sorry for the offense, Lady Bai Yun…"

Veins popped on Bai Ning Bing's forehead, as she gritted her teeth: "Do not use that either!"

"Oh, then… Sir Bai Yun?" Wei Yang observed her expression as he carefully chose his vocabulary.

Bai Ning Bing's face finally returned to normal.

Wei Yang's lips curled into a smile, continuing: "Then two sirs, it is my turn to attack."

"Give me all you've got!" Fang Yuan patted his chest, screaming and scaring Bai Ning Bing who was right beside him.

"Sir Hei Tu is truly brave and admirable, then take my hit." Wei Yang praised, as he spoke, he turned into a white light and crashed towards Fang and Bai.

Facing such speed, Fang and Bai could not even blink before this rainbow went through the gap between them and arrived behind them.

The white light dispersed, and turned back into Wei Yang.

He held two broadswords, and slashed them towards Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing respectively.

Before this broadsword hit, Bai Ning Bing felt her skin tighten. She immediately knew that the ice muscles' protection could not endure this blade, and she quickly retreated.

Fang Yuan growled lightly, not dodging but activating the canopy Gu and flying bone shield Gu, sending his fist over.

The light broadsword first split the white bone shield into half.

Wei Yang turned into light and fled again.

Seeing his fist about to land on Wei Yang's chest, Fang Yuan was just an inch away before missing entirely.

The rainbow light flew away, and stopped far away.

The entire exchange of blows was done at lightning speed.

In less than a few seconds, Wei Yang had moved from a side of the battle stage to another, over a hundred meters long.

"Again!" Fang Yuan howled, battle intent burning in his eyes.

Wei Yang turned into light again, appearing before Fang and Bai in an instant.

Bai Ning Bing could not endure it head-on, she could only use the spiral bone spear but Wei Yang's speed was too fast, causing her bone spears to hit air.

Fang Yuan could only endure the hits passively, other than the first time, his fist never hit Wei Yang again.

At once, light flashed across the battle stage continuously, like a bouncing ball trapped in a box. Meanwhile, Fang and Bai could barely take the hits, having completely lost their momentum.

"Is this big brother Wei's true power? Too impressive…" Little Xiao observed the chaotic sight before him.

Wei Yang's speed was terrific, like a specter moving in the shadows.

After a few more minutes, he stopped his movements: "If both guests want to compete in terms of expenditure, and are trying to exploit the weakness of my rainbow light Gu which consumes massive amounts of primeval essence, I am afraid you are going to be disappointed. I have a light source Gu in my hand, it is an assistance type Gu whose only use is to allow a Gu Master's primeval essence expenditure to be halved when using a light type Gu."

"Damn it…" Bai Ning Bing clenched her teeth in anger.

Fang Yuan waved his hand about: "No more, I can't win. Brother Wei, we concede."

Wei Yang laughed heartily, cupping his fists: "It has been an honor."

Little Xiao seeing the battle ended, immediately came over, with excitement still lingering on his face: "Big brother Wei is truly impressive, but both sirs managing to endure so long is equally impressive. You may not know, but brother Wei has superior battle skills even though he is rank three peak stage. He is Lord Shang Yan Fei's third general, called the White Light Swordsman. If it was me, I would not even be able to exchange twenty blows with him."

"A loss is a loss, there is no big deal. Wei Yang, after I get my hands on suitable Gu worms, i will challenge you once again." Bai Ning Bing's expression was icy cold, from young, the arrogant her had never lost so badly, her mood was obviously terrible.

Little Xiao seeing Bai Ning Bing address Wei Yang by his name, showed displeasure on his face.

Fang Yuan stood at the side: "Brother Wei Yang held back already, I can feel it. Heh, after I buy some useful Gu, I will spar with you again. Although I lost this time, I am still indignant! Next time, please use your full strength, do not worry about the consequences."

"Hahaha, brother Hei Tu speaks his mind. It is my fault this time, next time I will definitely use my full ability." Wei Yang patted Fang Yuan's shoulder.

"That's the way. Brother Wei Yang, I accept my loss completely, let me treat you to some wine. Brother Xiao, you can come along too, and tell me about brother Wei's heroic tales. I can only beat him after learning all about him right." Fang Yuan laughed.

Little Xiao felt that this person, although ugly and lacked a ear, was very pleasant to look at.

Compared to that freak "Bai Yun', his temper was way better.

"Alright!" Little Xiao laughed: "Fighting made us closer, I know a restaurant, newly opened, cheap, and also serves good food. We cannot make our guests pay, let me treat tonight, I hope big brother Wei can come too!"

Fang Yuan stared: "How can we do that?"

"Little Xiao is a local, while you two are guests, let him treat." Wei Yang came in to advice.

Fang Yuan thought about it: "Okay, this time you will treat, but let me do it next time! I don't have money with me anyway, after I sell my recipe and get money, I will treat you two to a good meal. To speak the truth, after coming here, I have been shocked by the commodity prices."

His words were a little cheeky, and also admitted that he was poor, causing Wei Yang and Little Xiao to laugh, thinking that Fang Yuan was a clear and upright man.

Only Bai Ning Bing knew Fang Yuan's acting skills, seeing this, she was used to it already.

In the room, the three drank wine and spoke, announcing their names, pulling their relationships closer together.

Only Bai Ning Bing drank water, being alone and enjoying her peace.

Little Xiao was called Xiao Yan, twenty seven years old, specializing in fire type Gu worms. Recently his cultivation rose by a small realm, to rank three middle stage, thus finally breaking through the fourth inner city's battle zone and reaching third inner city.

"Hei Tu Bai Yun are just fake names, my real name is Gu Yue Fang Zheng, she is Bai Ning Bing." Fang Yuan pretended to be drunk and exposed some information.

They had the Bai clan arrest warrant, as long as Shang clan investigated, the matter could not be kept secret. Fang Yuan gave it away on purpose, to give off the impression of having a clear conscience.

Xiao Yan was a little moved.

He and Wei Yang were demonic Gu Masters, Fang Yuan telling them his "real name" , was an act of "true friendship".

"Surname Gu Yue…" Light flashed across Wei Yang's eyes, this was an important information. It seems that the mission given by the clan leader has been successfully completed.

Chapter 267: Greatly underestimated Fang Yuan's shamelessness

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Gu Yue Fang Zheng?" Listening to Wei Yang's report, Shang Yan Fei frowned slightly.

Gu Yue was a distinct surname, Shang Yan Fei searched through his memories and soon found it.

"Gu Yue Clan, one of the three clans of Qing Mao mountain, having hundreds of years of history. Qing Mao mountain…" Shang Yan Fei's gaze brightened as he recalled an intel he got over half a year ago.

Qing Mao mountain was mysteriously attacked and within a night, changed from a green and lively mountain to a deadly domain of ice and snow.

Even till now, the ice and snow on Qing Mao mountain had yet to completely melt. No one knew what happened at Qing Mao mountain, but from all kinds of traces found there, people knew there had been a huge battle between Gu Masters.

Now, Qing Mao mountain's destruction was classified as a mysterious event and was already spread all over the southern border. As to what caused this, opinions differed from people to people.

However, to certain people, the traces left on Qing Mao mountain made it obvious. The secret of the ten extreme physiques was more or less known to the higher ups of the Gu Master world.

The moment he got this intel, Shang Yan Fei had also immediately guessed this was brought upon by one of the ten extreme physiques, Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique.

"If that is the case, Gu Yue Fang Zheng's origins can be explained. The group sent to investigate the incident on Mu Bei mountain also sent a letter saying there was no suspicious point."

Shang Yan Fei drew up an approximate outline of the whole affairs in his mind.

"Now, there is only one doubt remaining. Why did they conceal their identities and hide in the caravan?"

Shang Yan Fei already had many conjectures, but it still needed to be investigated.

"Right, you sparred with them, how were their skills?" Shang Yan Fei asked.

Wei Yang's expression was solemn as he respectfully reported: "Geniuses! Given time, these two will definitely surpass me."

"Oh, you have such a high opinion of them?" Shang Yan Fei was slightly amazed.

We Yang nodded and continued: "They might be concealing their cultivation with some Gu worms, but being able to last so long in battle, they should at least be rank three. Considering their young age, these two should both have A grade aptitude."

Shang Yan Fei smiled: "But Wei Yang, A grade aptitude only represents talent and not everything. You, yourself, are the best proof of this. You have only B grade aptitude but have become one of my external elders. Furthermore, how many A grade talents have died in your hands over these years?"

In ordinary clans, A grade aptitude was an extraordinary matter.

However, to Shang Clan, they were rather common.

One reason was because it was a large clan and there were many clansmen. Another was because they recruited demonic Gu Masters, those demonic Gu Masters who distinguished themselves in battle arena definitely had extraordinary aptitudes. And the third reason was because Shang Clan's riches were as high as a mountain, they had the ability to purchase aptitude changing Gu worms.

"You praise me too much, lord clan leader." Wei Yang modestly said and continued, "I also understand this logic, thus I am even more sure these two are extraordinary."

"They have rich combat talents and have a sort of innate sense towards the battle situation, as if they were born to fight. They also did not have a complete set of Gu worms, but they were able to last for so long just with two to three Gu, it truly was amazing."

"As to their disposition, they were tough and were not discouraged when disadvantaged. When I exerted pressure on them, they were able to make a breakthrough and constantly adjust themselves, they also have tacit and great teamwork. As the battle continued, they were able to hold their ground even more stably, their improvement was extremely clear."

"Individually, the two have some differences. Gu Yue Fang Zheng is straightforward, charging forward with incomparable bravery and has a lofty disposition. As for that Bai Ning Bing, she is quick-witted with a sharp gaze and only moves when she is sure of it, she had been constantly trying to find my weakness during the battle. In particular, Gu Yue Fang Zheng admitted his loss calmly when I said I possessed a light source Gu, he is broad-minded and absolutely has a larger heart than any ordinary man."

"Lord clan leader, these two; one is a young tiger of the lands while the other is a dragon whelp of the seas . One Yang and one Yin, one domineering and another scheming; a perfect combination, the brilliance of twin stars, each enhancing the other's strength. If we can recruit them, it will be a huge asset to Shang Clan!"

Shang Yan Fei was moved.

Before, he did not put Fang and Bai in his eyes, now his interest was greatly aroused as he listened to Wei Yang.

"Wei Yang, you have followed me for many years, I trust in your foresight. But there is no need to undervalue yourself, they might not necessarily be able to top you even after they grow up. You are hindered by lacking aptitude, otherwise with your talent, you would be even more outstanding than now. There is no need to worry, if a reform Gu appear, I will definitely help you get it."

Reform Gu could raise a Gu Master's aptitude; it was extremely rare and expensive.

Wei Yang's eyes turned red with emotions: "I won't forget this kindness for as long as I live!"

"I, Shang Yan Fei, will never treat my loyal followers unfairly. Leave now, continue attending to them for a few days and see what they think about Shang Clan and whether we can recruit them or not."

"Yes, clan leader!"

…

In a blink of an eye, three days passed.

Nan Qiu garden.

In the lounge, Fang Yuan and Shang Ya Zi was sitting opposite each other.

Fang Yuan leisurely tasted the tea while Shang Ya Zi's expression looked rather unsightly.

"These few days, I have been sincerely coming to look for sir, but you have been raising your price again and again. First it was six hundred and fifty thousand, but you have raised it by tens of thousand every day and now sir actually wants eight hundred thousand! Is sir possibly playing with me to pass time?" Shang Ya Zi was feeling stifled and talked with clenched teeth.

If it was before, he would have already burst out in anger and smashed the tea cup on Fang Yuan's face.

But now, he could not do that.

Why?

Because this guy could directly complain to the clan leader!

I still don't know what relation they have with lord father! These days, Wei Yang has been accompanying them around the city. What kind of person was Wei Yang? He is known as the third general and is lord father's trusted aide! His actions don't usually represent himself, but rather lord father's will! But why is lord father giving such deferential treatment to these two guys that appeared out of nowhere?

Shang Ya Zi was bothered and bewildered.

Since that day, he had been crazily investigating the two.

But it was in vain.

He was merely a young master, his authority was limited to Shang clan city. He was far from having the huge capability of Shang Yan Fei.

The investigations bore no fruits, so he was forced to make guesses.

Why is lord father expressing his goodwill? Is it because of the inheritance in their hands? No, an inheritance might interest an ordinary clan, but not ours. Unless it is the inheritance of a rank six Gu Immortal, it would just be icing on the cake.

Or is it because they were talents? No way, there are so many loyal demonic Gu Masters in the battle stage, they would die to join Shang clan, and are extremely skilled in fighting. If father is not interested in those people, why would he want these two?

No matter how he thought about it, Shang Ya Zi could not think of an answer.

When these two guesses were rejected, a thought emerged in Shang Ya Zi's mind.

Are these two father's illegitimate child? Isn't Shang Tuo Hai, the current young clan leader, father's illegitimate child?

Shang Ya Zi pondered it again and felt that it couldn't be.

The implication of being father's bloodline is too great; when Shang Tuo Hai was discovered, he was firmly protected and safeguarded, unlike the these two.

Shang Ya Zi kept on agonizing over this but could not make progress.

And it was because of this, he was even more afraid of Fang and Bai. The most terrifying things were often the unknown.

Fang Yuan could tell this young master Shang Ya Zi was becoming more and more restless and impatient over these few days.

This was what he wanted to see.

This was also one of the reasons he was intentionally raising the prices every day.

If he directly raised six hundred and fifty thousand to eight hundred thousand, the negotiations would definitely collapse. But by raising the price by tens of thousands time and again, it would instead wear down Shang Ya Zi's resistance in his firm resolute heart.

The time was ripe.

Fang Yuan placed the teacup down and smiled: "Everything has their worth. This might only be a Gu Master's inheritance to others, but to you, esteemed young master, it is the final hope to protect your young master status."

"As such, the price should be a little higher, and as the evaluation date draws closer, the price for this inheritance will naturally keep on getting higher. Thus, I have been increasing the price every other day, isn't this something natural?"

"Hehe, if the price is lowered, how could it be worthy of your final hope? How could it be worthy of such an important position as Shang Clan's young master? After all, only Shang Clan young masters can compete for young clan leader's position."

Shang Ya Zi's eyes shook with anger.

This was blatant blackmailing, this guy was raising the price as he pleased!

How could he be so shameless?

Shang Ya Zi wished he could chop Fang Yuan into pieces. But he thought of the position of young master and was able to barely restrain himself: "You are really scheming. If I spend eight hundred thousand, it will be a complete loss and will instead lower my evaluation. Those elders in charge of evaluation are not stupid! Thus, I simply can't buy it at this price."

Fang Yuan had already expected this answer; the corner of his lips slightly curled up into a smile: "Therefore, I have a good solution. I will be openly selling it to you in six hundred and fifty thousand, but you will actually be giving me eight hundred thousand. You will maintain your young master's position and I will be getting a reasonable price, it is a complete win-win situation."

Shang Ya Zi's expression immediately changed and stared at Fang Yuan with wide eyes:"You want me to make a false account? This is impossible! If I am found out, no matter when, my young master's status will be revoked and moreover, I will receive a severe punishment."

Fang Yuan gave a frivolous look: "You can't say that. Who said anything about false account? I am only selling the secret recipe to you, and you feeling that I am an upright man, kindly gave me some primeval stones as a gift. There is simply no relation between the two!"

At that instance, Shang Ya Zi could only look at Fang Yuan, stupefied and speechless.

He had previously thought Fang Yuan was shameless, but now saw that he had greatly underestimated this guy's shamelessness!

Chapter 268: Sudden wealth

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Shang Ya Zi left worriedly.

Before he left, he told Fang Yuan, that this matter was important and he needed more time to consider it.

But, the fact that he was considering it meant that success was near.

Fang Yuan had seen through this person, knowing that the matter is as good as decided. In fact, he could even raise the prices again when the time comes.

Right now, he was hesitant, so Fang Yuan could not use prices to agitate him.

Once he is determined, hehe, then the prices will soar again, that is simply too easy.

Two days later, Shang Ya Zi carried a haggard expression as he visited Fang Yuan again.

"I agree, let's deal according to what you have requested!" He gritted his teeth, after showing a hesitant expression for a long time, he finally relented.

"Trust me, you will definitely remember this decision! Come, drink." Fang Yuan smiled lightly, pouring a glass of wine for Shang Ya Zi.

Shang Ya Zi raised his cup, drinking the wine in one mouthful.

"What sort of shitty wine is this!" After drinking it, he frowned and scolded.

"This is the cheapest rice wine. Lord young master, I have no money to purchase good wine." Fang Yuan laughed lightly.

"You will have it soon enough. Puff …" Shang Ya Zi breathed out heavily.

He had first thought about it, and as he concentrated on making a decision, it was a painful process. But now that he has decided, he felt relaxed.

"Alright, I have prepared the agreement, take a look." Fang Yuan brought over a proposal.

Shang Ya Zi glanced at it, and stared in anger, his eyes wide with rage as he slammed the table and screamed: "Nine hundred and fifty thousand? You raised the prices again! Last time, you said eight hundred thousand, but it has only been a few days and you raised it by a hundred and fifty thousand?! Do you think I'm made of gold? Scoundrel! You think my primeval stones fall from the sky?!"

Fang Yuan smiled lightly as he said calmly: "It has already been three days, of course the prices increased, you know it yourself."

Shang Ya Zi's forehead was popping with veins, as he jumped from his seat: "Do you think I am easy to bully? I do not have so much money! This tiny little inheritance, you want nine hundred and fifty? You are like a lion opening its huge mouth 1 !"

"Calm down, anger will harm your health, lord young master, this is not a tiny inheritance, it concerns your young master position. Think about it, every year, one young master will be eliminated. How many people are craving for this spot?" Fang Yuan said casually.

Once he heard the young master position, the furious Shang Ya Zi lost his rage.

Fang Yuan looked at his expression, knowing that nine hundred and fifty was over his limit, and relented: "Alright, alright, then how about nine hundred thousand primeval stones. I concede to you."

Shang Ya Zi slowly sat down.

He had only gotten into the young master position for a year, and had to deal with the evaluations, the actual amount of primeval stones he managed to pocket was only around four hundred thousand.

No doubt, after this transaction, his one year of savings will be depleted. The assets that he had managed to save would be gone.

But concerning the young master position, he had to relent.

He was solemn for a moment, before nodding: "Then nine hundred thousand it is, but I do not trust a paper agreement, we need to swear, let's use the poison vow Gu!"

Fang Yuan showed hesitation.

"Why, are you afraid? How would I know if you would not run away if we do not use the poison vow Gu? We have to do this, there is no way I'm giving in on this!" Shang Ya Zi's attitude was firm.

Fang Yuan had expected this to happen anyway.

"In that case, let me do it first." Fang Yuan stretched out his left hand.

Only then did Shang Ya Zi let out a smile, calling out the poison vow Gu.

Poison vow Gu is a purple red worm, only finger size and has a dangerous looking mouth; it was a rank three consumable Gu.

It flew to Fang Yuan's left index finger, and bit on it.

At once, a heart burning pain assaulted Fang Yuan's nerves.

Fang Yuan endured the pain as he started to read the details on the proposal. After he finished, the poison vow Gu nearly doubled in size, as it absorbed Fang Yuan's heart blood.

Soon after, the poison vow Gu flew to Shang Ya Zi's finger and started to suck blood.

Shang Ya Zi gripped the paper, and used a trembling voice to read the details, and the poison vow Gu doubled in size again.

His face turned pale from pain, as he clenched his teeth and drew in a deep breath: "This goddamn agreement, why is it so lengthy! Can't you write less words? Is there anything to add?"

Fang Yuan shook his head.

Shang Ya Zi's lips curled, revealing a smile. But his face was twisted, and his smile was a little hideous.

Bam.

The poison vow Gu stuffed with blood, suddenly exploded.

But no blood splattered but instead turned into numerous red light spots.

The light spots flew towards Fang Yuan and Shang Ya Zi, like rain falling into a pond, and fused into their bodies.

This shows that the poison vow Gu has taken effect.

If both sides read the details and it did not fulfill their true inner intentions, after the poison vow Gu explodes, it would turn into a puddle of stale blood. This situation, means that one side or both had violated the vow, causing it to fail.

Seeing this, Shang Ya Zi's smile became even deeper.

He looked at Fang Yuan: "Hehe, we have vowed already, if you change your mind in the future, or violate the agreement, you will turn into a puddle of blood and die."

Fang Yuan's expression remained the same, only saying: "Where are my primeval stones?"

Shang Ya Zi shrugged: "Don't worry, why would I violate the agreement, here!"

He tossed out a Gu.

This Gu was like a ball, as exquisite as a crystal, half transparent and palm-sized. There was a cloudy figure in the ball, as if it has sealed numerous clouds.

This white cloud figure looked like a hunchback old man carrying a walking stick.

The old man had long white hair, having an immortal feeling as the wrinkles on his face looked extremely realistic, and he was smiling sincerely.

This is the primeval elder Gu.

A Gu specifically used to store primeval stones.

As the saying goes, professionals have their domain of expertise , the primeval elder Gu is only a rank three, but it can seal up to a million primeval stones.

"There is eight hundred and seventy thousand primeval stones here, the remaining thirty thousand, I will pass them to you when I finish gathering them." Shang Ya Zi passed the primeval elder Gu to Fang Yuan with much reluctance.

Inside, six hundred thousand was the trade credit of Shang clan, the remaining two hundred and seventy was Shang Ya Zi's personal savings.

After Fang Yuan received it, he cooperated with Fang Yuan in refining it.

Primeval elder Gu changed owners, and change occurred within the clouds, the old man was originally looking at Shang Ya Zi, but now he started to smile towards Fang Yuan instead.

Fang Yuan moved the primeval elder Gu around, but no matter which direction he moved, the clouds would transform and the old man would smile towards Fang Yuan regardless.

Actually, this Gu is quite interesting.

If the primeval stones inside are little, the old man would frown and show a bitter expression. If the amount was just nice, the old man would be expressionless. And finally, the more the number of primeval stones towards the limit, the more the old man would smile.

Shang Ya Zi saw Fang Yuan manipulate the primeval elder Gu and knew he was clear on how the Gu worked.

He snorted: "This primeval elder Gu is quite valuable, I cannot give it to you for free. I bought this on the auction and it cost me six thousand six hundred primeval stones."

Fang Yuan nodded, rank three Gu were sold by thousands of primeval stones, and the primeval elder Gu was a rare one, it was definitely worth that amount.

He immediately took out primeval stones to give Shang Ya Zi.

Shang Ya Zi used an ordinary storage Gu and kept these primeval stones, feeling horrible on the inside.

These were originally his primeval stones!

"Nevermind, as long as I can keep my young master position, all is possible, i can earn my primeval stones back, and for this guy who extorted me, he will die a horrible death!"

Shang Ya Zi was not a big hearted person, Fang Yuan robbed him of all his fortune, and he even had to borrow around for the final thirty thousand.

White bone recipe was normally six hundred thousand, but Fang Yuan sold it for nine hundred.

Shang Ya Zi rubbed his nose, after suffering such a loss, he felt extreme hatred towards Fang Yuan.

"The final thirty thousand, I will pass it to you in three days. This matter is known by the two of us only, no third party is allowed to know. Not even your companion. Don't think of finding a loophole, it is useless." Shang Ya Zi got up and left, he could no longer stand being there.

Every extra second he looked at Fang Yuan's hideous face, the anger in his heart would accumulate a bit more.

"There are no loopholes in the agreement, you looked through didn't you?" Fang Yuan showed a plain expression.

Shang Ya Zi snorted, he was born of Shang clan, being influenced from young, and also having managed this shop for a year, there were no loopholes that could avoid his notice.

"I bet you wouldn't dare to break the agreement." He laughed in disdain, quickly leaving.

Fang Yuan did not take it to heart, he knew that Shang Ya Zi's current mood was very understandable.

As for the poison vow, he was not going to obey it.

Poison vow Gu's restriction is very strong, otherwise, no Gu Masters would use it.

No way of exposing it to a third party, that is absolute. Any curveballs were risking one's own life.

Like earlier, Fang Yuan passed six thousand six hundred primeval stones to Shang Ya Zi.

This was an extra action; he could have just deducted it from the thirty thousand primeval stones.

But no.

In the poison vow, they stated nine hundred thousand, thus Shang Ya Zi had to fork out nine hundred thousand primeval stones to Fang Yuan.

This was the cold hard rules.

Three days later, Shang Ya Zi gathered thirty thousand primeval stones, and handed it to Fang Yuan.

At the same time, Fang Yuan passed the recipe to him, of course, the most valuable bone flesh unity Gu was not sold.

Shang Ya Zi only knew of the bone spear Gu, spiral bone spear Gu etc, after looking at the recipe, he found many other recipes that uses the bone spear Gu as the base, and felt pleased by it, his mood turning better.

Fang Yuan then sold the bone spear Gu, spiral bone spear Gu as well as the bone spike Gu to him.

As with their original agreement, it was forty thousand six hundred and twenty primeval stones.

As a result, after this transaction, Fang Yuan's assets rose to nine hundred thirty four thousand and twenty primeval stones 2 . With his savings, the total is about nine hundred and forty five thousand 3 .

Fang Yuan placed most of his primeval stones into the primeval elder Gu. To prevent accidents, he also placed some on his body, and some into the tusita flower.

"In my previous life at this time, I was still slogging in the caravan, with only fifty to sixty primeval stones on me. But right now I am nearly a millionaire."

Fang Yuan compared this with his memories, and the advantages of his rebirth can be easily seen.

Of course, he took huge risks as well.

The larger the risk, the greater the benefits. There is no free lunch in this world. Effort might not reap reward, but to gain reward, one has to invest first.

In a flash, three days passed.

Shang clan's investigations ended, and Wei Yang brought Shang Yan Fei's invitation over: "Two esteemed guests, my lord clan leader has set up a clan banquet, specifically ordering me to invite both of you over."

"Clan banquet? The moment is finally here." Fang Yuan thought.

Chapter 269: Clan Banquet

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

A roomy courtyard was where Shang Yan Fei set up the clan banquet.

It was an outdoor feast, because within the mountain, there was no need to worry about storm or rain.

The courtyard was neither luxurious nor elegant, it was even rather old.

There were a dozen or so tables arranged in a circle in the courtyard, which was already looking crowded from that.

There were some fruits and snacks arranged on the tables and also labels indicating which seat belonged to who.

Three seats were already occupied.

"Big brother, do you know why lord father called us this time?" Shang Chao Feng asked vaguely while popping a red fruit into his mouth.

The eldest Shang Qiu Niu was sitting upright, his eyes closed as he rested. Hearing the question, he opened his eyes by a sliver and spoke in a deep voice: "Lord father has recently come out of closed cultivation, he is holding this clan banquet because he misses us, what's so strange about it?"

"Big brother might be right, but when has lord father ever held a casual banquet? Look, don't you think there are a few more seats today?" From the side, Shang Pu Lao interjected.

Shang Chao Feng snickered, and Shang Qiu Niu closed his eyes again.

Shang Pu Lao's gaze flickered, he was in charge of the red light zone and managed brothels of all sizes; he would be the fastest person to get any news. In truth, he had already heard some talks, he was just about to continue when suddenly his ears twitched: "Someone has arrived."

All three's gazes turned towards the gate.

Creak, the gate was pushed open and three people walked in.

Wei Yang was at the front followed by Fang and Bai.

Fang and Bai had already been here before; it was that private residence they had been called to before.

"This private residence is the place where lord clan leader, when he was a young master, was suppressed by the alliance of other young masters. Lord clan leader took a step back and abandoned the position of young master of his own accord, becoming an ordinary clansman. During that fallen period, he stayed here. Later when he became the clan leader, he maintained this place as a reminder to himself and later generations. The clan banquets are always held here."

Wei Yang opened the gate and introduced.

Immediately after, he saw the three people in the courtyard: "Oh, three young masters are already here."

Shang Qiu Niu, Shang Chao Feng and Shang Pu Lao stood up one after another and cupped their hands to Wei Yang: "Our greetings, Elder Wei Yang."

Wei Yang was one of the five great generals under Shang Yan Fei and a major figure in Shang clan. Every single young master competing for the position of young clan leader has to go through his evaluation.

"My greetings to all three young masters, these two are esteemed guests invited by lord clan leader." Wei Yang also cupped his hands in greeting, his expression calm. He was an elder, his status was higher than the young master positions and as an important figure in the clan, he would not fawn on these young masters.

"Sirs, please take a seat." Wei Yang led Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing to their seats.

The three young masters looked at each other, they could see bewilderment, surprise and curiosity in each other's eyes.

This was a clan banquet, why would any strangers be invited?

Who are these two? Their seats are actually closer to lord father's than ours!

Wei Yang also sat down and continued on with a smile: "Let me make the introductions. This is Shang Qiu Niu, lord clan leader's eldest son, he manages the caretaking zone. This is clan leader's fourth son Shang Chao Feng, he manages all the Gu fighting arenas in the city. This is Shang Pu Lao, he manages all the brothels in red light zone."

Shang Qiu Niu was robust and his voice was deep, one could tell he was a calm person from one look. He was the oldest, already nearing thirty.

Shang Chao Feng had a messy hair and high nose bridge. He was giving off a wild aura.

Shang Pu Lao looked the most delicate; a thin physique, white face, beautiful eyes and a loose bearing showing that he loitered around with women all year round.

"Qiu Niu greets both esteemed guests." Shang Qiu Niu took the lead to cup his hands as a greeting.

Wei Yang didn't introduce Fang and Bai, the three were smart and naturally wouldn't stupidly pursue it.

"The three young masters are too polite. I am Hei Tu and this is my companion Bai Yun." Fang Yuan introduced.

The names were clearly fake.

This made the three young masters more confused about Fang and Bai's origins. They could only laugh and go through the motion.

As the time for evening banquet came closer, more young masters appeared.

Shang Pi Xiu who managed rock gambling dens; Shang Suan Ni who managed restaurants and silk stores; Shang Fu Xi who managed auctions; Shang Bi Xi who managed substitute refinement zone; and Shang Ya Zi who Fang Yuan was already familiar with.

Wei Yang introduced them to Fang and Bai; all these young masters more or less revealed strange looks as they saw Fang and Bai.

They sat down as talks commenced with the increased number of people, the small courtyard gradually became lively.

Just before the banquet started, the gate suddenly opened and a young master hurriedly rushed in.

He was tall and thin, thick eyebrows and fierce gaze; he was young master Shang Bi An who was in charge of Shang clan city's city guards.

The city guards handled all sorts of disputes and contradictions, maintaining the law and order in the city, so it was the busiest.

After greeting Fang and Bai, Shang Bi An was just sitting down, when a blood colored flame flickered on the main seat as Shang Yan Fei appeared.

Shang Yan Fei was wearing a white robe with gold inlaid cuffs. Scarlet hair flew around wildly before resting on his waist; combined with his extremely handsome face, it formed into an aura and charisma that was unique to him.

"Your children greet lord father." The many young masters stood up one after another before half kneeling down on the ground and greeting Shang Yan Fei unitedly.

"Lord clan leader." Wei Yang stood up.

At the same time, Fang and Bai also stood up to greet him.

"Take your seats." Shang Yan Fei laid back against the wide backed chair and casually waved his hand.

Immediately, seven colored beautiful lights sprinkled down like rain.

The beautiful lights landed on the tables and turned into all kinds of fine dishes, their fragrance immediately spreading in the small courtyard.

Fang Yuan instantly recognized the Gu as gourmet food box Gu.

It was a rank five Gu, especially used to store delicacies and maintain their state.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan tried hard to make a living in the caravan, he had no one to rely on after the destruction of Gu Yue clan.

The sudden emergence of an alliance of demonic Gu Masters on Yi Tian mountain overstepped the bottomline of the righteous paths.

All great clans formed an alliance and besieged Yi Tian mountain.

One of the heads of the allied forces, Shang Yan Fei used this gourmet food box Gu to provide for the armies.

With just a wave of his sleeve, tens of thousands of soldiers were provided with gourmet food, becoming an enormous help in raising their morale.

Since then, gourmet food box Gu became a symbol of Shang Yan Fei and was a conversation topic for many people.

At that time, Fang Yuan was able to become a small boss of the lowest level with his advantages as a transmigrator; he joined a sub-branch of a caravan which was in charge of transporting supplies to the righteous path allied forces.

He had personally be able to see the grandeur of Shang Yan Fei using gourmet food box Gu. Dazzling seven colored lights filled the sky and shone down upon the world; it was a magnificent and grand atmosphere.

"Never expected that I would see this gourmet food box Gu years in advance and also become an esteemed guest of Shang clan!" Fang Yuan heaved a sigh inwardly.

There was clear difference between his previous life and this life, this was the enormous advantage of rebirth.

And this advantage was from Spring Autumn Cicada which was the accumulation and accomplishment of his previous life's struggles.

Shang Yan Fei spread the dishes and immediately addressed his sons: "We have two esteemed guests with us today, you all need to toast them. Qiu Niu, you are the eldest, set an example."

With Shang Yan Fei personally telling them, Shang clan young masters did not dare to act slowly even though they were bewildered.

Shang Qiu Niu immediately stood up and raised a wine glass, saying with his deep voice: "Qiu Niu toasts the two esteemed guests."

With that, he swigged down the glass of wine.

Fang Yuan also drank down a glass of wine while Bai Ning Bing still drank water.

Qiu Niu was the oldest among these young masters; he was almost thirty but his appearance looked quite mature as if he was forty.

By contrast, his father Shang Yan Fei looked like he was a youth in his twenties. The contrast between father and son was quite an interesting sight.

"I had a good talk with the two esteemed guests before. Esteemed guests, if you have time later, you could come to my zone to have fun, Gu battles are truly interesting." Shang Chao Feng also stood up.

Fang Yuan's lips curled up into a smile, he knew quite a bit about Shang Chao Feng though this was the first time they met.

This man was very aggressive about winning and was ruthless and cunning. In Fang Yuan's previous life, at one time, he had been the biggest hindrance to Shang Xin Ci's position as Shang clan young master.

"Fourth brother's Gu battles are too bloody, the best is still the delight of beauties singing and dancing for you." Shang Pu Lao retorted Shang Chao Feng before proposing a toast to Fang and Bai, his beautiful eyes flashing with light, "I wish to talk about romance and love with the two esteemed guests."

"If we have time, definitely." Fang Yuan said with a smile and chugged down the wine.

This banquet looked like those for celebrities in his eyes.

Most of these Shang clan young masters would have their own story that would spread throughout the southern border in future.

Shang Yan Fei had many children but these people here were able to distinguish themselves in such an intense competition, clearly showing their abilities that surpassed others. One could call them a giant among men or unpolished jade stones.

Moreover, they each had their own ways and styles of doing things; right now as they converged together in the same place, it was like a pearl shining off with light and darkness.

For the time being, there was not much to say about eldest son Shang Qiu Niu, second son Shang Ya Zi, fourth son Shang Chao Feng and eight son Shang Pu Lao.

Ninth son Shang Suan Ni had a lion-like mouth and broad nose. He seemed to be using some type of Gu, as every time he breathed, light yellow smoke came out from his nose and curled around him.

Tenth son Shang Bi Xi was short and stout, looked honest and did not seem to have anything remarkable about him. But Fang Yuan knew Shang Bi Xi was hiding enormous strength that was higher than his by several times.

Twelfth son Shang Bi An would have a marriage alliance with Tie Clan, and come to become southern border's second divine detective after Tie Xue Leng.

Thirteenth son Shang Fu Xi was very intelligent, his advice when the righteous path allied forces attacked Yi Tian mountain caused huge damage to demonic Gu Masters time and again.

And the twenty-first son Shang Pi Xiu, he was the youngest and was a late bloomer. Many years later, when Shang clan fell into ruins, he threw himself into the demonic path and became a devil whose evil reputation spread far and wide over the southern border.

"Father, I am sorry I am late." As the toasts continued, the courtyard gate was opened and a girl walked in.

She was Shang Chi Wen, sixteenth daughter of Shang Yan Fei and held control over battle arenas. She had a fair face and her two eyes shone with a smart gaze. She was a lively and charming person.

After everyone finished toasting the wine, Shang Yan Fei raised his wine cup and faced Fang and Bai: "Thank you for protecting Xin Ci all the way, that was the only reason I could gain a new daughter."

Once he said so, everyone present was stunned.

Chapter 270: Reward by Shang Yan Fei

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Daughter?"

The gang of young masters showed an astonished expression, looking towards one another.

Shang Ya Zi realized at once, patting his own forehead.

So this was it! This was why father met the two with courtesy!

The mysterious veil was lifted, and Shang Ya Zi looked towards Fang Yuan, great hatred hidden in his gaze.

He was no longer afraid.

Now that he knew the reason, after the evaluation when he regains his footing, he would slowly deal with those two scoundrels!

At once, the place fell into silence.

Shang Yan Fei smiled as he observed the people, giving them time to absorb the new information.

Fang Yuan "cooperatively" expressed shock, as he was a little stunned, and muttered with a suspicious gaze: "Don't tell me?"

"That's right." Shang Yan Fei looked towards him, nodding: "It is that Lady Zhang both of you escorted and protected in the caravan. She is my daughter, once she stepped into Shang clan city, I detected her bloodline and have already reunited with her."

"Zhang Xin Ci!" Bai Ning Bing immediately followed.

Shang Yan Fei laughed heartily: "Hehehe, she is no longer Zhang now, but Shang. Both of you saved the life of my precious daughter, you are the benefactor of my Shang clan, thus you deserve a toast from us."

Saying so, the door was opened by someone lightly.

The young female Gu Master Tian Lan wore a servant attire as she pushed the door open, returning to Shang Xin Ci's side.

"Missy…" Xiao Die looked at the courtyard full of people, and felt nervous.

"Let's go in." Shang Xin Ci breathed out calmly, under everyone's watchful gaze, walked into the courtyard.

Suddenly, her steps halted, showing surprise and joy on her face.

She saw Fang and Bai.

"It really is her!" Seeing Shang Xin Ci, Bai Ning Bing's pupils shrunk to pin-size as she was completely and utterly stunned!

In the entire courtyard, no one could understand the shock in her heart.

Bai Ning Bing's shock was not from Shang Xin Ci, but Fang Yuan instead.

She was an intelligent person, the moment she saw Shang Xin Ci, she understood at once, what Fang Yuan's true motive was!

Zhang Xin Ci is Shang Xin Ci, thus he protected her.

How did he know her identity? Was this all part of his scheme?!

At that moment, Bai Ning Bing's thoughts whirled as a storm brew in her heart.

"Brother Hei Tu, sister Bai Yun, why are you here?" Shang Xin Ci stared at Fang Yuan without blinking, her eyes shining brightly.

"Ci Er, father said I would give you a surprise, didn't I?" Shang Yan Fei laughed gently.

Shang Xin Ci bowed and paid respects: "Thank you father, this is the happiest day I've had since coming to Shang clan city."

After the initial chaos, she had already accepted Shang Yan Fei as her birth father.

No matter how much her father had let down her mother, he was still her family!

Even if Shang Xin Ci had grudge and hatred towards Shang Yan Fei, the kinship that tied them together could not be severed, especially for a kind lady like her.

Shang Yan Fei heard her call him father for the first time, and his lips curled up, showing a radiant smile.

Shang Xin Ci turned around again, showing anxiety, as she explained to Fang Yuan: "Brother Hei Tu, I was not intentionally lying to you. After mother passed away, she instructed me to come to Shang clan city. I only understood her efforts and the truth after meeting father."

The words were like lightning bolts striking Bai Ning Bing's heart.

Her blue eyes squinted into a line, as her heart was filled with surprise and confusion: Even Shang Xin Ci did not know her identity? Why? Why does Fang Yuan know everything?

Originally, Fang Yuan was shrouded in a mist in her heart, unable to observe him clearly.

But now, the mist thickened, and Fang Yuan became even more mysterious and unpredictable!

"So that's it, I was wondering why Shang clan was treating me so well. So this is the reason…" Fang Yuan sighed as he raised his head, then slowly shook his head, exclaiming: "To think, to think that you are Shang clan leader's daughter!"

"Brother Hei Tu, can you forgive me?" Shang Xin Ci gripped her hand, asking nervously.

Shang Yan Fei frowned lightly, seeing his daughter's attitude, he knew that she held him in high regard.

Fang Yuan laughed: "No matter, why would I blame you. The unknowing party is innocent, in fact, I have lied to you too."

"What?" Shang Xin Ci froze.

Fang Yuan rubbed his nose: "Hei Tu, Bai Yun are just fake names."

Shang Xin Ci smiled gently, lightly saying: "I guessed that long ago."

Fang Yuan hesitated deliberately, then gritted his teeth and cupped his fist: "I am ashamed, my real name is Gu Yue Fang Zheng, this is my companion Bai Ning Bing."

"Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Fang Zheng…" Shang Xin Ci repeated this name several times, memorising it to heart.

Shang Yan Fei's smiled also widened, he appreciated Fang Yuan's honesty.

The truth is, he had investigated long ago.

Although Gu Yue clan was wiped out, Shang clan had its ways to find out information from Jia clan.

Gu Yue village had this person called Gu Yue Fang Zheng, and this person had A grade aptitude, and was the young clan leader candidate.

At the same time, Bai Ning Bing was the Bai clan's young clan leader candidate.

The two were hailed as geniuses.

As for why they had to hide themselves and sneak into the caravan, this was easier to investigate.

Because of Bai Gu mountain's inheritance, Bai clan's two young masters died in their hands. At the same time, they took over half of the inheritance away.

Bai clan issued an arrest warrant which was the best proof.

"So that's why my heart was palpitating earlier." Shang Pu Lao laughed.

"This child congratulates lord father." Shang Bi Xi said.

"If you face any problems, tell big brother." Shang Qiu Niu looked at Shang Xin Ci and said.

"This is awesome, I have a new sister. This banquet was worth coming." Shang Chi Wen laughed.

…

The young masters recovered from their shock, and quickly showed their affection.

"This is a joyful occasion for us all, because you have all gotten a new blood related sister." Shang Yan Fei looked at his children, extremely clear of their mental state.

"Shang Xin Ci's appearance is no doubt a threat."

"From now on, there would be one more person vying for the young master position."

"Back then, wasn't Shang Tuo Hai father's illegitimate child? Right now he is the Shang clan young clan leader!"

"Actually there is no need to worry, Zhang clan is a subsidiary of Wu clan, and have enmity with Shang clan. Shang Xin Ci has no foundation here, she is easy to deal with."

The young masters showed a smiling face, but their hearts were weighing the situation.

The imperial family has no place for kinship.

The emperor's throne is crucial for the greatest benefits, not even kinship can complete.

Shang clan is the southern border overlord, whoever rises to the position of clan leader in the future would be one of the parties that had a say in the entire southern border. High and mighty, ascending to the peak of the mortal realm, the benefits were unbelievable.

Which generation of Shang clan leader did not undergo a ferocious battle, before they ascended to the position painstakingly?

Shang Yan Fei had gone through this before, so he was clear of the situation right now.

Thus, his heart went out to Shang Xin Ci even more.

Right now, by announcing her identity, although it was to protect her, it also threw her into this spiral of competition.

"Come, Ci Er, sit here." Shang Yan Fei patted the seat below him, saying.

"Yes." Shang Xin Ci replied, looking deeply at Fang Yuan as Fang Yuan nodded at her with a smile.

Shang Xin Ci walked over, sitting beside Shang Yan Fei.

Xiao Lan, Xiao Die, these two servants were close behind her.

Seeing this, everyone's expression was strange.

Since they were born, they had never seen father love one of his children to this extent.

Even his illegitimate son Shang Tuo Hai did not receive such treatment!

"Alright, all of you, take a seat." Shang Yan Fei waved his hand, looking towards Fang and Bai again.

He spoke: "Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Bai Ning Bing, the two of you saved my precious daughter, and escorted her here. Our family is deeply indebted to you, if you have any requests, you may say it now. As the Shang clan leader, I will do my best to satisfy your needs."

The young masters turned to look at Fang and Bai, with a look of envy.

This was the gratitude of Shang clan leader, a promise by the southern border overlord, his words were as heavy as a mountain!

But Fang Yuan shook his head: "Lord clan leader, the reason we protected Lady Shang Xin Ci is due to her previous kindness. Our debt has already been repaid, we do not owe each other anything."

As he said so, everyone showed a shocked expression.

Shang Fu Xi quickly reacted, squinting, praising the ingenuity of the answer.

Fang and Bai saved the Shang Yan Fei's daughter, he had to reward them handsomely. If he does not, how would outsiders look at Shang clan? If any Shang clan young master encountered danger in the future, who would help them?

Shang Xin Ci saw Fang Yuan rejecting the reward, and quickly got anxious, saying to Shang Yan Fei: "Father, during the caravan trip, brother Hei Tu lost much of his assets too."

Shang Yan Fei was a brilliant man, before Shang Xin Ci finished her words, he understood her intentions. This was to sought money for Fang and Bai.

He nodded: "Since both of you are Gu Masters, I shall gift a million primeval stones to express my thanks."

Hearing this, many young masters almost drooled.

Although they controlled much of Shang clan's assets, but it was under everyone's supervision and there was a yearly evaluation, they could hardly line their own pockets.

Shang Ya Zi had talent, but was too greedy, causing his business results to be in jeopardy.

Fang Yuan shook his head again: "To speak the truth, I had gone through a peril situation to snatch an inheritance. After selling the recipe, I no longer lack primeval stones."

"Oh, is that so." Shang Yan Fei looked at Shang Ya Zi with deep meaning.

Shang Ya Zi was so scared his heart nearly jumped out, his mouth went dry and cold sweat gathered on his forehead.

Regarding Shang Ya Zi's matter, how could Shang Yan Fei not know? Even if he faked the accounting, what happened could be easily guessed.

But Shang Ya Zi was still his own son, even if he violated the Shang clan rules, as long as it was not exposed, that counts as his skill too.

Being at this position, he had learnt long ago: Obeying the rules was not an ability, true ability lies in breaking the rules to gain benefits, yet not receiving punishment. Those with true capabilities demolish the old order, while establishing new rules and enjoying the benefits along the way.

Shang Yan Fei used this chance to remind Shang Ya Zi, before he gave another reward for them to consider.

Shang Xin Ci only heard half of it, before her eyes glowed intensely.

This was exactly what Fang and Bai needed the most!

Chapter 271: Purple Thorn Token (Two-in-one chapter)

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Shang Yan Fei saw Fang Yuan reject the primeval stones, and gave another solution: "You are now under Bai clan's arrest warrant, this is evidently a misunderstanding. I shall explain for you and remove this arrest warrant, what do you think?"

Fang and Bai were wanted, Shang Xin Ci knew this.

"Why didn't I think of it, to get rid of the arrest warrant for brother Hei Tu, this is undoubtedly what he needs the most." Shang Xin Ci supported this wholeheartedly.

Shang clan was the southern border overlord, while Bai clan was an ordinary clan village. Moreover, their spirit spring was running dry, the clan was gradually getting weaker. Shang Yan Fei's 'explanation' will definitely be accepted by Bai clan.

But Fang Yuan shook his head.

Although this was enticing, he had other plans in his heart.

If Shang clan cleared up the matter, it would cause him to be branded as one of them. This would be a great obstacle in his future plans of getting close to the demonic Gu Masters and joining Yi Tian mountain. Short terms benefits in exchange for long term harm.

This arrest warrant may seem troublesome, but it was no harm to Fang Yuan.

Which demonic lord did not have tens of arrest warrants on them? Fang Yuan had over a hundred in his previous life!

So what if the arrest warrants pile up?

The most ironic thing was, after he established the blood wing demonic sect in his previous life, and dominated a region, many clans took the initiative to remove the arrest warrant for him.

This was the truth of the world, eventually, only strength matters!

According to Fang Yuan's plans, he wanted to stay in Shang clan city for two to three years, during this period Bai clan had no way to arrest him.

After that, he would gather a set of Gu worms and gain a boost in strength, then he would have no fear towards Bai clan's arrest warrant.

In fact, Bai clan itself was in a dangerous situation, unable to fend for themselves, how could they bother about Fang and Bai!

Thus, Shang Yan Fei's reward, although it was important in Shang Xin Ci's eyes, it held zero value to Fang Yuan.

Thus, he shook his head: "Our conflict with Bai clan originated from an inheritance. Truthfully, we snatched their inheritance and killed the Bai clan young masters, but we have never regretted it. My injury is due to Bai clan, one day, I will find them for revenge. I am such a person, repay kindness with gratitude, and return grudges with revenge. A droplet received in need will be repaid with a whole spring, a spark of hatred will result in the burning of an entire forest!"

As he said so, Fang Yuan did not hide his overwhelming killing intent.

Immediately, many of the young masters had differing feelings.

"He has an extremely demonic nature…" Some were disgusted.

"A person exacting revenge on a clan, this person is truly naive." Some looked with disdain.

"Hehehe, being so honest in front of father, is this person a fool, or something with great courage?" Some were amused.

Shang clan was a righteous path overlord, but Fang Yuan declared his intentions for revenge in front of Shang Yan Fei.

His arrogance and confidence caused Shang Xin Ci to feel inwardly shocked, but not surprised. This was brother Hei Tu true nature, wasn't it?

Shang Yan Fei was also unfazed, in his opinion, Fang Yuan was very honest and straightforward. Wei Yang's evaluation was spot on. Such a person can be easily read, compared to the quiet Bai Ning Bing, he prefered Fang Yuan much more.

"There is no need for lord clan leader to intervene and remove the arrest warrant for us. I need this to encourage myself, to whip myself and continuously get stronger. Thank you Lord Shang Yan Fei for your kind intentions." Fang Yuan cupped his fists.

"In that case, tell me what reward you want. Don't talk about your debt being repaid, if my Shang clan wants to reward someone, they will be rewarded. This is our rules. Even if you throw the reward away, that is none of my business." Shang Yan Fei frowned, acting unhappy.

Immediately, the relaxed atmosphere in the courtyard became slightly more solemn.

The young masters became much more careful when they raised their glasses to drink.

This was the dominating aura of Shang clan leader, Shang Yan Fei, a rank five Gu Master.

I want to reward you, even if you do not want it, you have to take it! It is not a choice!

Fang Yuan looked around, and laughed: "But what if I really do not want it?"

Shang Yan Fei spoke calmly, but his gaze was determined: "That is not an option."

Many of the young masters saw this conflict and scolded Fang Yuan as an idiot secretly. He must be stupid, pushing away Shang clan leader's reward, many people would die for this opportunity. Some praised his overwhelming bravery.

Shang Xin Ci's hands were sweating, worrying for Fang Yuan.

Wei Yang laughed, soothing the atmosphere: "I thought about it, brother Fang Zheng was injured and disfigured. Why don't lord clan leader ask the doctor to restore his appearance?"

"Hmm, this is a good idea. Wei Yang, call Doctor Su Shou to come here." Shang Yan Fei nodded and said.

Fang Yuan was silent, as Wei Yang went away.

Soon, Wei Yang reported: "Doctor Su Shou has been invited here, please come with me brother Fang Zheng."

Fang Yuan paid no attention to his own appearance, but at this time he could no longer be pushy.

He looked at Bai Ning Bing: "Come along too, get a full body check up as well."

Bai Ning Bing snorted, she knew exactly what injuries she has. But then again, she knew Fang Yuan had other plans, thus she agreed.

The two left the courtyard and entered the house.

They were familiar with this house, because they had once waited here for Shang Yan Fei for six hours, and did not even get to meet him.

Doctor Su Shou was a slim woman, wearing a veil on her face and a white shirt and skirt. She was drinking tea at her seat.

She had a complex relationship with Shang Yan Fei; favor, grudge, love, hatred, all of them. She held a unique position in Shang clan city, she was a rank five healing Gu Master.

"A rare day where my mood is great today." She placed her cup down, looking at Fang Yuan: "You seek treatment? Go bathe first."

She then stretched out her finger, pointing at Bai Ning Bing: "Especially you young lady, what did you apply on your face, ugly and dirty, clean it before you come back."

Bai Ning Bing had concealed her looks on the entire journey, she continued to do so even in Shang clan city. Her face was smothered with cinnabar, pretending it was her birthmark. She even applied special black oil, and her hair covered her forehead, causing her to look unkempt.

Hearing this, Bai Ning Bing was surprised.

Fang Yuan had the same expression.

Wei Yang quickly explained: "This is Lord Doctor Su Shou's rule. Every patient has to shower and clean their bodies, use fragrance oil and change into a white robe. Otherwise, she will not treat them. But no worry, I have already prepared it in advance, the hot water is ready, please follow me."

The two entered the inner house, and there were indeed two wooden buckets inside.

Beside each bucket, there were two mortal servants standing, helping the guests to wash themselves.

Bai Ning Bing immediately frowned, saying unhappily: "Get out, I will wash myself."

"This…" Wei Yang was hesitant, these four were Doctor Su Shou's attendants. Doctor Su Shou was a clean freak, if the servants were chased away, she might not clean herself properly, resulting in her unable to get treatment.

"I'll keep mine, brother Wei, please go out first. Her loss if she cannot enjoy it." Fang Yuan laughed.

Wei Yang told them his worry, but Bai Ning Bing insisted. Wei Yang did not pursue it further, leaving the room and closing the door, after all, the healing target was Fang Yuan anyway.

Fang Yuan took off his clothing, throwing away his shirt and entering the wooden bucket.

The temperature of the water was just nice, as the two servants worked, one poured the fragrance oil as the other rubbed Fang Yuan's back, they moved in perfect harmony, obviously experienced.

Bai Ning Bing stood before the bucket, not moving as she hesitated.

Fang Yuan laid in the bucket relaxing, placing his arms at the corner of the bucket, saying lightly: "Bai Ning Bing, our identities have already been exposed, we have no need to hide in Shang clan city, do you really not dare to show your face to people?"

Bai Ning Bing immediately snorted.

Fang Yuan continued: "I called you over with good intentions. This Doctor Su Shou, I have long heard of her great fame, in the southern border, she, Roaming Doctor Jiu Zhi, Doctor Sheng Shou, and Doctor Sha Ren are the four great doctors. You can ask her later regarding the Yin Yang rotation Gu."

Yin Yang rotation Gu!

Bai Ning Bing's eyes squinted into a line, as they shone unsteadily.

This was Bai Ning Bing's greatest pain, and the method Fang Yuan used to control Bai Ning Bing. Saying it out loud like this, what was the reason? What schemes does he have now? What is his motive?

All sorts of suspicions arose in Bai Ning Bing's head.

The mental impact that Shang Xin Ci gave her was still lingering, causing Bai Ning Bing to still experience afterfear.

This Fang Yuan, was like an unknown abyss!

Even Shang Xin Ci did not know her identity, but he knew, otherwise he would not have approached her.

How did he do this?

Bai Ning Bing could not guess the Spring Autumn Cicada, that was a rank six Gu, and too far from her understanding. But she made another guess, that is, a predictive ability Gu.

"Fang Yuan must have a precognition type Gu, able to see scenes of the future. I thought he was familiar with Bai Gu mountain due to the experiences of past people, but now it seems it must be the effect of this Gu. The problem is, which predictive Gu does he own, and what rank is it?"

Undoubtedly, Bai Ning Bing's pressure at this moment was the greatest.

Even if she understood, that predictive Gu have their own severe weaknesses. Sometimes, the predicted future is either wrong or chaotic.

But now that she wanted to deal with Fang Yuan, she would be forced to think — Would this plan of mine be forewarned? If I use this method to deal with him, will he just make use of it instead?

Enemies that can predict the future were too terrifying.

In the inner house, hot steam rose.

Bai Ning Bing stood on the spot, but felt her hands and legs freezing.

In the steam, she could almost see Fang Yuan lying in the bucket, as the servants washed his body.

She could feel that Fang Yuan was staring at her, using his abyss-like dark eyes, those emotionless and deep eyes, quietly staring at her.

She could hear Fang Yuan screaming in her heart: What are you going to do? Bai Ning Bing! That's right, this is my trump card, a precognition Gu. You want to deal with me? Go ahead! I can see the future, you have no chance of winning…

But the truth was, Fang Yuan was already resting his eyes.

Whether Bai Ning Bing washed or not, it was part of his probing, killing two birds with one stone. He was testing both Bai Ning Bing and Shang Yan Fei.

The two servants were really experienced, when the water turned cold slightly, they immediately added hot water.

The room was not big, after placing two buckets, it was crowded. This portrayed the state Shang Yan Fei faced when he decided to give up the position of young master back in the day to become a commoner.

But this was normal.

Heroes often met despair. But that is not to say, the fate of heroes is full of calamities. But because, only despair and desperation can create heroes.

Shang Yan Fei could be called a hero, but he is more of a schemer, an ambitious person.

After an hour of washing, the servant stopped.

Fang Yuan wore the shirt they prepared, and walked out of the room, but Bai Ning Bing was still standing there, thoughts flowing in her head.

"Get out, I will wash myself." After Fang Yuan left, Bai Ning Bing chased the two servants away.

Fang Yuan smiled, the more Bai Ning Bing thought, the more pressure she faced. The more she thought, the more her willpower was sucked away.

Sometimes, strengths might not be strengths.

If Bai Ning Bing was a straightforward boor, so be it. But she was extremely intelligent, and the more intelligent she was, the more she thought, and the more she would find Fang Yuan unpredictable, and hard to win.

Bai Ning Bing could have felt nothing wrong with the bath, but Fang Yuan could tell that she had lowered her head to him from this insignificant matter.

Smart people were suspicious, from another angle, it was Bai Ning Bing who helped Fang Yuan subdue herself.

Back at the main room, Fang Yuan found Doctor Su Shou.

She did not waste time, stretching out her palm and placing it at Fang Yuan's shoulder.

A gush of pure white light burst forth like water and enveloped Fang Yuan's entire body.

A refreshing and cool feeling spread throughout Fang Yuan's body.

His burnt skin could be seen recovering rapidly, at the same time flesh started to grow at the right side of his head.

As time passed, the flesh grew and formed into shapes of ear, and cartilage.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, as the numbing feeling assaulted him like waves, continuously challenging his limits.

Quickly, new skin formed on his body, and from the pores that were burnt, new eyebrows grew.

In fifteen minutes time, his injuries healed, he not only regained his looks, but his right ear also grew out, matching with his left.

Doctor Su Shou pulled back her hand, commenting: "Now you look much better. Leave, and bring your companion along, hmph, she chased my servants away, how would I know if she had cleaned herself properly? Eh…"

At this time, the room door opened, and Bai Ning Bing walked out.

She wore a white robe, returning to her formal appearance, without any concealment, her blue eyes shone like the blue sky, with ice muscles and jade bones, her face was slightly red, and she carried with her the lingering steam from her bath. Even the woman Doctor Su Shou was moved by her divine appearance.

Doctor Su Shou's impression of Bai Ning Bing changed completely, as she said gently: "Little sister looks incredible, I almost got charmed by you."

This attitude was a hundred and eighty degree turn, Fang Yuan could not help but roll his eyes.

But he knew, this was Doctor Su Shou, pursuing all things beautiful in her life. Or using Earth's words, she had an appearance complex!

Bai Ning Bing shook her head: "I do not need healing, I just want to know about the Yin Yang rotation Gu."

"I will answer anything little sister wants to know." Doctor Su Shou gently said, then turned coldly at Fang Yuan: "As for you, why are you still here, go out!"

Completely different attitudes towards Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.

Fang Yuan rubbed his nose, having being chased out.

The moment he got out, he saw Wei Yang.

"Brother Fang Zheng?" Wei Yang look at him hesitantly.

Fang Yuan nodded, showing gratitude in his eyes: "Thank you brother for guarding here the entire time."

"Haha, to think you look so handsome!" Wei Yang raised his thumb as he praised.

Actually, Fang Yuan looked extremely plain and ordinary, he could only be considered middle-upper level in terms of looks. But his eyes were dark like the abyss, giving off an unquestionable aura.

Most importantly, he was way too ugly when he was injured, in contrast, he became much more 'handsome'.

But Wei Yang quickly laughed bitterly: "Little brother, since you call me brother, I shall lecture you. Why did you refuse clan leader's reward? I know you have your principles, but Shang clan has their rules, as they say, follow the customs of the place you are in, moreover, lord clan leader is not trying to harm you! This is a good thing."

"But if you continue insisting, the good thing will turn sour. A wise man submits to circumstances, I'm sure you do not want Lady Xin Ci to be stuck in the middle right?"

Fang Yuan frowned: "I accepted treatment because I was considering this point."

Wei Yang's smile became even more bitter: "Just this treatment alone is no reward. If Shang clan does not produce a proper reward, it will cause outsiders to laugh at us, and ruin Shang clan's reputation and image. In future, if Shang clan's young masters encounter trouble, who would help them? Thus, you must accept this reward no matter what."

Wei Yang spoke as he observed Fang Yuan's expression, seeing him frown even harder, he continued urging: "You, oh you, I don't know what to say. Something that people would die for, you are doing your best to refuse it. Little brother Fang Zheng, an arm cannot overpower a leg , if you really do not want it, you can accept it now, and after this is over, give it to Shang Xin Ci. Is that not a good solution?"

Fang Yuan thought about it, and said solemnly: "Hmm, this is a good idea. First, it does not violate my principles, second, it would not make life difficult for you. But brother Wei, what do I ask for?"

Wei Yang immediately replied: "Oh course it is a token!"

Fang Yuan laughed secretly, that was what he wanted to hear all along. He wanted to hear it from Shang Yan Fei, but Shang Yan Fei seemed to have wanted to recruit him, intentionally not mentioning it.

Now, he shall make use of Wei Yang.

"Token?" Fang Yuan showed a confused expression.

"You just got to Shang clan city, although you know there is a need for tokens, you do not know the importance of it. Trust brother Wei, a high class token is very important. Sometimes, even if you have money, it is useless without a token." Wei Yang advised wholeheartedly.

Fang Yuan nodded: "Although I don't get it, since brother Wei said so, I shall request for a token."

Wei Yang instantly felt strongly moved due to being trusted.

He patted Fang Yuan's shoulders, sighing: "Little brother, we hit it off so well, why would I cause you to lose out?"

Back at the courtyard, Fang Yuan immediately said to Shang Yan Fei: "I was rash, after hearing brother Wei Yang's advice, I realized a token was so important. I would like to ask for two tokens from lord clan leader."

Shang Yan Fei's eyes shone, he intentionally kept quiet because he had plans. But to think Wei Yang ruined it, this Wei Yang, he failed while trying to do good, not thinking further into this.

These two saved his birth daughter, the token given cannot be too low class.

Nevermind!

In Shang clan city, what does that little primeval stones they had amount to? In a year or two, it would be finished, even if they had the token, they would still need to rely on Shang clan.

Thinking so, Shang Yan Fei laughed heartily, waving his hand: "Alright, I shall give both of you a purple thorn token each, as my thanks to you."

Almost all the young masters gasped at this.

Even Wei Yang was taken aback.

Shang clan city had black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple — a total of nine tokens. Black stone token was the lowest, purple thorn token was the highest, it meant one was a VIP in Shang clan, the authority was almost half a clan elder!

Even Fang Yuan did not expect that Shang Yan Fei would give out a purple thorn token. He had planned to receive a green, turquoise or blue token, these three colors. He greatly underestimated Shang Yan Fei's magnanimity.

Shang Yan Fei took out a token immediately, it was made of cercis chinensis wood, palm sized, the front wrote the two words 'Shang Clan', while the back was a minimap of Shang Liang mountain.

But this was not the real purple thorn token.

Shang Yan Fei called out another Gu: "This is the special token Gu of Shang clan, it needs your blood."

The Gu worm was like a mosquito, flying to Fang Yuan's arm, taking a bit of blood, and returned to the surface of the token.

Splat.

With a crisp sound, the token Gu exploded, turning into a lump of blood and merging into the token.

The token seemed to have no changes, but when it got into Fang Yuan's hands, the surface started to glow with a purple light, like water and shadow.

Only now, did this become a real purple thorn token.

Even if outsiders got the token, it was useless. This could only be used by Fang Yuan.

This was also Shang clan's protective measure. Making it impossible for outsiders to impersonate. If they used Gu worms as the trust token, other Gu Masters might reverse engineer it and refine the Gu for themselves.

The genius part was, the purple thorn token was not a Gu worm, it only had the power of the token Gu remaining in it.

As time passed, the token Gu's power would decrease, and the purple thorn token would lose effect.

This was an advantage to Shang clan.

The depreciation of the token, would cause its usage to be sustained at a certain level.

If Fang Yuan's purple thorn token lost effect, he would have to return to Shang clan city and ask them to create a new one. This was a way Shang clan controlled their tokens.

Fang Yuan obtained the purple thorn token, and the young masters' gaze towards him changed completely.

Before, he was still just a demonic Gu Master, many looked down on him, felt disdain towards him, but now they held an equal attitude.

The purple thorn token could only be given out when the clan leader, or ten elders came to an agreement. There were only two hundred purple thorn tokens in the world now.

"Your companion?" Shang Yan Fei took out another token.

"Still with Doctor Su Shou, I will go rush her now." Wei Yang was about to get up, when Bai Ning Bing returned, in front of everyone.

Her expression was cold, and solemn. She had heard from Doctor Su Shou, that to return to her male body, she needed the corresponding Yang Gu.

Of course, there was no absolute. If she could get a rank six Gu immortal to help, there was a high chance of success.

Seeing her appearance, many young masters fell into a daze.

Chapter 272: New Alliance Agreements

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Bai Ning Bing's appearance caused the attention on Fang Yuan to divert.

The contrast was simply too great, causing everyone to focus on her.

Fang Yuan had an ordinary appearance, but when he first appeared, even Wei Yang praised him. Bai Ning Bing however, looked stunning, the contrast was much more evident.

Next, Bai Ning Bing also received the purple thorn token.

During the clan banquet, everyone interacted with each other, portraying a cohesive gathering on the outside, but secretly, there were storms brewing.

In large clans, young masters often fought openly and secretly. Because large clans had the resources for them to compete.

On the other hand, normal clans like Gu Yue clan village, Bai clan village, focused on nurturing one successor. It was not a problem of fertility, but because they wanted to avoid internal conflicts between young masters which could cause the clan to decline.

Fang Yuan displayed his forthright and hotblooded side, these young masters were influential people, nurturing a good relationship with them would greatly aid him in his stay on Shang Liang mountain for the next few years.

He clarified his past, as the former Gu Yue clan future clan leader, similar to Bai Ning Bing.

Immediately, he closed the distance he had with the other young masters.

Obviously, there were people who asked about the reason why Qing Mao mountain turned into an icy hell, but Fang Yuan did not explain it.

He only mentioned that the past was a nightmare, and showed a painful expression. He had the purple thorn token in his hand, so no one dared to force him.

A few young masters toasted Bai Ning Bing, but she did not bother responding to them, acting as she pleased.

If it was before, the young master would definitely be secretly angry, but now that she showed her true beauty, no one got angry about it.

They only felt that this woman was beautiful like a fairy, resembling a ice fairy, paired with her cold behavior, it fitted her image perfectly.

The clan banquet lasted for an hour before ending.

"Can I still call you brother Hei Tu?" As they parted, Shang Xin Ci stared at Fang Yuan with glimmering eyes.

"Whichever you like." Fang Yuan smiled warmly.

Shang Xin Ci blinked, saying softly: "Brother Hei Tu's injuries are healed, it is worth celebrating, but I feel like we are quite far apart. Brother Hei Tu has the purple thorn token now, you can freely leave and enter the second inner city, are you currently staying at Nan Qiu garden?"

Shang Xin Ci was very chatty, from deep in her heart, she felt that Fang Yuan was very close to her, thus she had many things to say.

In a foreign environment, people subconsciously found a sense of security from people they know.

Fang Yuan knew her mental state, initiating: "Yes I am staying at Nan Qiu garden, when you are free, you can come over to visit. Shang clan city is huge, we can go shopping together."

Shang Xin Ci's eyes glowed brightly, happily nodding.

Xiao Die was beside her, happily shouting: "It has been so boring stay at home these days!"

After Fang Yuan regained his looks, Xiao Die no longer found him so scary.

Soon after, Shang Yan Fei brought Shang Xin Ci away, being the first to leave the place.

The young masters lost the restrain on them, and started to show their true colors.

Many gave invitations to Fang and Bai; Fang Yuan did not reject them but promised to visit when he had time.

These were all empty promises.

When everyone started leaving, the two also went back to Nan Qiu garden.

"Are you happy now?" Bai Ning Bing went to Fang Yuan, laughing coldly.

"Happy about what?"

"Hmph, you know the answer, do you really want me to say it?" Being in Shang clan city, some things were not meant to be said, it would hurt both parties.

Fang Yuan smiled and did not respond.

Bai Ning Bing stared at Fang Yuan with a flickering gaze: "I have to admit, I underestimated you. Even though I want to chop you into pieces, I greatly admire your tactics."

She paused, then continued: "Let's not beat about the bush, under what conditions will you return the Yang Gu to me?"

"Hehe." Fang Yuan laughed lightly, Bai Ning Bing looking for him meant she had lost her bearings. Shang Xin Ci's matter had a great impact on her, this was no doubt a chance.

Since she wanted to lay their cards on the table, so be it.

Thus, Fang Yuan said: "We are both smart people, if you were in my spot, what would you do?"

Bai Ning Bing immediately gave a cold snort, her eyes closing into a line, as she shot daggers with her gaze: "Let me warn you, do not go overboard. Otherwise, I will disregard the consequences and act, let's see who loses out more then!"

Fang Yuan laughed: "You are right, I have been thinking these days, we each hold the other party's weakness. At this point, how can we struggle among ourselves and let a third party take advantage of our conflict?"

Bai Ning Bing was silent.

Fang Yuan continued: "How about this, assist me to rank five peak stage, and I'll return the Yang Gu to you."

"F*ck you!" The corner of Bai Ning Bing's lips twitched, immediately snickering: "You think I am an idiot like Shang Ya Zi? Rank five peak stage, I can't believe you have to face to say that!"

They agreed upon rank three earlier, but now it seems Fang Yuan was really going to go back on his words!

Although Bai Ning Bing was ready for it, seeing Fang Yuan's shameless smile, she felt anger rising in her.

"Bai Ning Bing, don't be ungrateful, I saved your life. If I did not use the Yin Gu, you would have perished on Qing Mao mountain long ago." Fang Yuan's expression turned cold.

Bai Ning Bing did not relent, immediately retorting: "Hmph, if I did not block first generation Gu Yue's hit for you, you would have died before me!"

"On Bai Gu mountain, if I did not…"

"That time you fell into the swamp, did I not save your life?"

…

The two bickered in the room, exchanging blows against each other until they both went silent.

Their relationship was a huge mess already. But one thing was sure, they relied on each other's strength to arrive at Shang Liang mountain. If not for their mutual assistance, they would not have lived until today.

The two fell into silence, as the atmosphere in the room became less tense.

"Next, what plans do you have?" A moment later, Bai Ning Bing broke the silence.

"Stay a few years in Shang clan city, now that we have the token and primeval stones, we can get ourselves a set of complementary Gu worms. You also fought against that Wei Yang, only when we have a set of Gu worms can we display our true power." Fang Yuan said.

Bai Ning Bing snorted: "At most, rank four peak stage. My contributions were high on Bai Gu mountain, you have to give me half of the primeval stones."

Fang Yuan nodded: "Okay, let's hi-five as a promise."

Bai Ning Bing's stared at him, furiously growling: "You think I am a fool, hi-five?! Use the poison vow Gu, poison vow, understand?!"

Fang Yuan nodded: "No problem, poison vow Gu it is."

Bai Ning Bing squinted, a dangerous feeling emerging in her heart. Fang Yuan's quick response caused her to feel that she had been scammed. She seemed to have fallen into Fang Yuan's trap again.

"But." Fang Yuan's words shifted.

"But what?" Bai Ning Bing was extremely vigilant.

Fang Yuan continued: "From now on, if we have any gains, it will be split 3:7. You 30%, and me 70%. If we have any Gu, I have choosing priority, I will use primeval stones to compensate you. This is my baseline, you must accept it."

Bai Ning Bing breathed out in relief, now this is Fang Yuan. If he did not have any terms, it would be too weird.

She had travelled with him for so long, he had never lost out in a deal!

This person was too devious, especially today, he caused Bai Ning Bing's vigilance to surge to an all-time high.

3:7, this was too much. Especially when Bai Ning Bing's cultivation was much higher than Fang Yuan.

But if Fang Yuan did not list an overbearing condition, Bai Ning Bing would have felt uneasy. She would think this person was scheming again. Thus, after Fang Yuan gave his terms, Bai Ning Bing felt at ease.

"So be it." Bai Ning Bing agreed immediately.

Gains or benefits, she did not care about them. Her only goal was Yang Gu.

After getting information from Doctor Su Shou, her final hope was crushed.

The two conversed for an entire night.

Bai Ning Bing looked at the agreement over ten times, finally concluding that Fang Yuan did not have any loopholes left to use.

Thus on the second day, their first job was to buy the poison vow Gu.

Poison vow Gu was a rank three Gu, with wide uses, almost every shop in third inner city sold it. One cost forty-five hundred primeval stones, and needed at least a yellow pear token.

But when Fang Yuan showed the purple thorn token, the shopkeeper immediately cut the price by fifteen hundred. Fang Yuan paid three thousand and obtained the poison vow Gu.

The nine tokens, held differing discount for different Gu.

"Let me refine it this time." Bai Ning Bing immediately took the poison vow Gu.

She was very careful, personally refining the poison vow Gu to prevent Fang Yuan from making sneaky moves.

This poison vow Gu had originally been refined by the shopkeeper already, with his assistance, Bai Ning Bing spent fifteen minutes to refine the Gu and kept it for her own use.

"Does this shop sell the primeval elder Gu?" Bai Ning Bing asked again.

Shopkeeper shook his head, respectfully explaining that the primeval elder Gu was a precious rank three Gu, it would only be sold in auctions. But the two had the purple thorn token, they could easily pre-order it before an auction as long as it isn't a large size one.

The auction zone in third inner city, Wei Yang had brought them there long ago. They easily got to the area, and spent sixty-seven hundred primeval stones to purchase the primeval elder Gu.

"We spent ten thousand just like that. We shall split the cost of the poison vow Gu, but the primeval elder Gu's cost will come from you." Fang Yuan reminded.

"Such small details, I'm not going to nitpick." Bai Ning Bing waved her hand, not interested in calculating. She had been used to spending casually, not caring about monetary fortune. In fact, she looked down on Fang Yuan's stingy behavior.

Afraid of dragging on, the two returned to Nan Qiu garden and used the poison vow Gu.

This way, a new agreement was established.

According to the agreement, Fang Yuan distributed half of the nine hundred thousand over primeval stones to Bai Ning Bing, placing it in her primeval elder Gu.

Fang Yuan lost half his fortune, but gained an alliance mate Bai Ning Bing. It was a worthwhile trade.

And Bai Ning Bing also saw hope in regaining the Yang Gu, the two were wary of one another, scheming against each other, it was difficult to get to this stage where both was satisfied.

"Next, can you finally help and aid me in reaching rank three?" Fang Yuan's expression was solemn.

Bai Ning Bing laughed smugly, seeing Fang Yuan's ugly expression, she felt extremely happy.

For the last few days, she had not helped Fang Yuan in cultivating. However, with the new agreement in place, it was another story all together.

"Sure, I'll help you advance to rank three today." She agreed immediately.

Chapter 273: Advance to Rank Three

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Swish swish swish…

In the aperture, the primeval sea ebbed and flowed. A gush of primeval essence crashed towards the aperture walls.

The waves were like snow, shining in a silver light, brilliant beyond comprehension, this was the snow silver primeval essence.

In the room, Bai Ning Bing's palms were stuck to Fang Yuan's back as the bone flesh unity Gu sent primeval essence continuously into Fang Yuan's aperture.

Once the primeval essence was converted by the bone flesh unity Gu and became Fang Yuan's, he could utilize them.

Fang Yuan used the endless amount of snow silver primeval essence and assaulted his aperture walls.

He was now rank two peak stage, his primeval essence was deep red, and his aperture walls were of a crystal form, transparent and shiny.

Initially, in order to breakthrough from rank one peak stage to rank two on Qing Mao mountain, he had to use primeval stones to help him, and after three to four days, he barely succeeded. It was an arduous process.

When he tried to breakthrough into rank three, because of his talent, he had to use the man-beast life burial Gu, an external force.

But now, it was completely different.

Not only because his aptitude had risen to A grade ninety percent, and no longer needed the man-beast life burial Gu, he even had the assistance of Bai Ning Bing.

Human encounters were really mysterious and unpredictable. Even Fang Yuan did not see this coming.

The tough crystal walls, under the impact of the snow silver primeval essence, started to develop cracks.

The cracks grew rapidly, expanding and spreading. A moment later, the entire wall was filled with cracks.

Crack crack…

The crystal wall shattered, and numerous crystal fragments fell into the primeval sea, causing waves to splash.

Soon after, these fragments turned into white spots, dispersing in the primeval sea.

A brand new white light wall, replaced the crystal wall.

At the same time, a trace of light silver primeval essence appeared from deep within the sea.

Light silver primeval essence, it was the symbol of rank three initial stage.

At this point, Fang Yuan finally broke through rank two peak stage, and achieved rank three.

Not mentioning rank six Gu immortal, rank three was already in the middle spectrum of strength. Be it righteous or demonic, they were a strong force.

"After leaving Qing Mao mountain, in less than a year, I regained my rank three cultivation. This speed, is over three times of when I was on Qing Mao mountain, and with my A grade aptitude, my future is bright." Fang Yuan clenched his fist, cheering in his heart.

Looking at the time, only six hours passed.

So fast.

If he used his own effort, he could breakthrough as well, but it would take twenty four hours at least.

Snow silver primeval essence, it truly was the most effective.

Checking his aperture once again.

The sea of bone spear Gu, spiral bone spear Gu had all been sold.

Over half of the deep red rank two peak stage primeval essence remained.

Bai Ning Bing's did not stop injecting her primeval essence.

A gush of snow silver primeval essence fell from the sky like a waterfall into the primeval sea, and after some turbulence, it sank to the bottom of the sea.

The higher the realm, the better the quality of the primeval essence. Red steel primeval essence and light silver primeval essence could only be pushed up by the snow silver primeval essence.

At the bottom of the primeval sea, a bone-like white and blue flower moved along with the sea currents.

It was the rank three heavenly essence treasure lotus. The "movable primeval spring", able to produce fifty primeval stones a day.

Beside the pure treasure lotus was the demonic blood skull Gu.

The blood colored skull had two eye sockets, glowing with a purple flame.

Near the blood skull Gu, there was a crystal ball, staying motionless.

Inside the crystal ball, there was a thick mist that formed into an old man that gave off an immortal aura.

The old man carried a walking cane, with a thick beard on his face, showing a calm expression.

It was the primeval elder Gu.

The old man was originally laughing and smiling, but after Fang Yuan took out half his primeval stones, his expression turned plain.

There was also another jade pendant-like beetle fossil, half transparent and jade green, it gave off cooling air.

It was the rank two clearing heat Gu, used for curing poison.

Close to them, there was also the charred thunder potato mother Gu and a rice bag Gu.

On the surface of the sea, four flavor liquor worm played with the waves. Its fat body shone with red, blue, green and yellow, symbolizing spicy, bitter, sour and sweet; four flavors in total.

In the air, there was the canopy Gu and Yang Gu, playing around the snow silver waterfall.

The canopy Gu was like a giant ladybug, its half round white shell having black spots. The Yang Gu however gave off a warm white light.

His most important vital Gu, was still asleep, drawing the water from the river of time, to recover its body.

Other than the Gu in his aperture, there was still the bone flesh unity Gu, as a bracelet on his arm, as it formed into a bracelet tattoo.

In his palm, there was the blood moon Gu.

On his tongue, there was the tusita flower tattoo.

On his left ear, the breath concealment Gu.

On his feet, the jumping grass Gu.

Flesh-bone Gu was Bai Ning Bing's, it had been returned to her. Originally, there was a plunder Gu that resembled a black beetle, Fang Yuan had used it to snatch the Gu worms in Bai Ning Bing's aperture, but it had died from lack of food during the caravan journey.

These were all the Gu Fang Yuan possessed. 1

"Heavenly essence treasure lotus has to be kept, but I do not have the recipe to continue refining it. I can still use it now, but when I reach rank four, its use will be negligible."

"Blood skull Gu is useless to me now, to nurture my descendants, there is too much trouble in terms of time and effort. Back then, first generation Gu Yue had no choice but to do it. I can change out this Gu, after all, it is one of the inheritance of the blood sea ancestor. I might be able to get a good Gu from the treasure realm. But treasure realm is the foundation of Shang clan, even if I had the purple thorn token… I have to plan this carefully."

"Spring Autumn Cicada, primeval elder Gu, and bone flesh unity Gu are definitely going to be kept, blood moon Gu is easy to raise but does not have enough attack and cannot be used as a set. Tusita flower should be changed too, there are better options available. I have to expose the breath concealment Gu, but jumping grass has to be removed. It was kept as emergency in the first place."

"Other than this, i have lots of strength Gu to buy, and also investigative, movement type Gu. Now that our situation is stable, and I have gained the trust of Shang clan, I can try to interact with the gambling den."

Fang Yuan considered his options.

The Gu on him were all gathered individually, they could not form into a set. And they did not even cover all grounds, severely affecting his battle strength.

At Shang clan city, they finally had time to develop themselves. He has to use this opportunity, and race against time, to get his Gu worm set in two to three years. Creating his own battle style, as well as trying to raise his cultivation as high as possible.

After that, the Three Kings Inheritance would start. Next would be the righteous demonic battle at Yi Tian mountain, one that affected the entire southern border. It was a grand event, where brave warriors reigned supreme. If one did not have enough strength, they would be cannon fodder. If he had the qualification to join, using Fang Yuan's rebirth advantage, he would be able to gain great benefits.

…

"This subordinate greets Lord clan leader!" In the study room, Wei Yang kneeled.

Shang Yan Fei stopped writing, looking up: "Wei Yang, there is only the two of us here, do not be restrained."

"Thank you for the seat, clan leader." Wei Yang sat at a nearby seat.

Shang Yan Fei laughed, as he recalled: "You, you are still so rigid. Remember when we first met, before you dominated the battle stage, back when I was still a Shang clan young master. So many years have passed already, it was all thanks to your assistance that I became clan leader."

"This subordinate does not dare to claim credit!" Wei Yang quickly stood up, cupping his fist: "I am but a boor, only able to assist in terms of fighting. Clan leader is both intelligent and strong, I am merely the icing on the cake."

"Hehehe. Although I am intelligent and strong, I am still one person. Only with all of you, can I establish a force strong enough to dominate. Two fists cannot rival four palms , a good leader needs his men, am I right?" Shang Yan Fei looked at Wei Yang with deep intentions.

Wei Yang immediately realized that Shang Yan Fei had a deeper meaning, but could not understand his meaning, only cupping his fists: "This subordinate is ashamed."

Shang Yan Fei changed the topic: "I had thought at first that Bai Ning Bing was a girl pretending to be a guy, after all, many clans carry a male leader mentality. But today, I heard from Doctor Su Shou, Bai Ning Bing asked her about the Yin Yang rotation Gu, it seems there is a hidden story behind this. But whether she is a guy or a girl, that is a small detail, it is no longer important. What is important, is whether she and that Fang Zheng would work for us Shang clan."

Wei Yang was enlightened: "This subordinate understands."

"Mm, as long as you understand, you may leave." Shang Yan Fei waved his hand.

"This subordinate takes his leave."

Seeing the study room's door close lightly, Shang Yan Fei leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes.

Fang and Bai were able to snatch the inheritance from Bai clan, and were able to escort Shang Xin Ci back, it showed that they had both brains and brawn.

They even had good aptitude, the report states they were rank three.

They were not even twenty yet, this truly was great talent!

Most importantly, they knew how to repay kindness, this showed they had proper character, it made people feel at ease.

And finally, they were not peasants, but were born as two clan's successor, they had the symbol of righteousness ingrained in them from birth.

Shang Yan Fei had been in power for so many years, and had seen many young talents, but very few moved his heart like these two.

But the reason Shang Yan Fei wanted to recruit them, was not for himself, but for Shang Xin Ci.

He opened his eyes, and turned into a pillar of flame, disappearing from the study room.

When he reappeared, he was at a huge walkway.

At the two sides of the walkway, there were tall stone pillars. The ground was paved with a type of white-silver colored brick. Shang Yan Fei stood beside the stone pillar, like an ant beside a pair of chopsticks.

He walked slowly in the empty walkway, only the echo of his walking could be heard.

After a while, he arrived at the end of the walkway.

A giant red door was in front of him.

The giant door was as tall as the walkway, over thirty meters tall. There was no handle on the door, instead there was the carving of a huge human face.

The face protruded out of the door, and was sound asleep. The details of the carving was simply perfection.

Shang Yan Fei came before the door, and stared at the red door, saying in an annoyed tone: "Living treasure door, stop pretending to be asleep, what's the point? You've done this too many times."

The face on the giant door immediately opened its eyes, staring at Shang Yan Fei, complaining: "Sigh, Little Fei Fei, you've grown up, you are not cute anymore!"

As it said so, it opened its huge mouth and a strong gust of wind blew, causing Shang Yan Fei's hair to dance in the wind. Its voice was like thunder, as the echo reverberated in the walkway.

Shang Yan Fei's eyes twitched: "Stop your nonsense, I am here to exchange for treasure."

Chapter 274: Living Treasure Door

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Exchange treasure?" The face on the huge door made funny faces towards the tiny Shang Yan Fei, teasing: "Little Fei Fei, are you going to take advantage of me again? I know we are old friends, but as the guardian of the treasure realm, I will not help you to steal from the inside. Although we are such old friends…"

"How many times have I said it, can you change the way you call me?" Black lines appeared on Shang Yan Fei's forehead.

"Then what do I call you? Little Yan Yan, Little Yan Fei or Little Yan Zi?"

Shang Yan Fei quickly waved his hand, helplessly saying: "Nevermind, nevermind, do whatever you want. Let's get back to business, I am really here for exchanging treasure."

"Ohhh…" The huge face dragged his words, evidently not satisfied yet: "Getting to business so soon, I wanted to talk more, this place is boring me to death."

Shang Yan Fei sighed: "I am very busy, living treasure door. You know I am the Shang clan leader, it is no longer like before."

"Sigh, nevermind, every generation of clan leaders are like that. I thought you would be different. I have no requirements this time, I just want somebody to complain to, the eons of waiting truly makes me empty and lonely…" Living treasure door sighed gloomily.

"You are a door, what loneliness can you have? Can't you just sleep? "Shang Yan Fei's head was full of black lines.

"Sleep? I can't fall asleep! You have no idea how hard it is to be alone…" Living treasure door started to blabber again.

"I am not here to listen to your grudges, let's talk about business, real business." Shang Yan Fei coughed.

"Oh, then let's do that." Living treasure door's face became solemn: "Sure if you want to exchange treasures, but I have a condition…"

It dragged its words again.

Shang Yan Fei had a bad feeling about this.

He raised his eyebrows: "What condition, don't tell me…?"

"Ah, looking at your expression, you've guessed it! That's right, that's right, I want you to dig my nose, dig my nose!" Living treasure door screamed excitedly.

Dig my nose…

Dig my…

Dig…

The loud voice continued to echo in the walkway.

Shang Yan Fei's forehead was popping with veins: "Scoundrel, you're trying this again?"

"My nose is really itchy, really itchy, I can't breathe properly. I have no hands, I cannot dig my nose myself like you humans, I am so pitiful. Ah… Little Fei Fei, my good friend, please help me, please dig my nose. As a reward, I will give you my treasured booger." Living treasure door sang out in a poetic tone.

"Hey, enough is enough!" Shang Yan Fei clenched his fists, screaming out after he could control himself no longer.

Living treasure door snorted, giving a 'what can you do to me' look.

Then it started to chant…

"Dig my nose!"

"Dig my nose!"

"Dig my nose!"

"Dig my nose or no treasure for you. Dig my nose and you are a good boy…"

The voice shook the air and caused the entire walkway to shake.

Shang Yan Fei lowered his head, supporting his forehead as the sounds of 'dig my nose' reverberated the walkway.

"Alright, alright, stop chanting, I'll do it okay?" Shang Yan Fei screamed out, completely helpless in his heart.

Even if he is a rank five Gu Master, the lord of Shang clan, against the living treasure door, there was nothing he could do.

After all, the treasure realm was left behind by Shang clan's ancestors, this was the work of a Gu immortal beyond rank five!

"Oh yay—!" Living treasure door cried out in triumph, then it urged: "Quickly, quickly, I can't wait anymore."

Shang Yan Fei's expression froze, as the corner of his eyes twitched, he stretched out his right hand.

On the palm of his right hand, there was a tiny tattoo in the shape of a palm, blood red in color.

He activated his primeval essence, and the blood tattoo flew out, turning into a giant bright red hand.

Rank five — Blood Handprint Gu!

Whoever is hit by this palm, be it birds, beasts, worms or fish, as long as they had blood flowing in them, they would turn into a puddle of blood. It had great strength and a threatening effect, Shang Yan Fei used it to dominate the southern border, establishing his fierce name.

But right now, he used the blood handprint to satisfy living treasure door's weird request…

Digging its nose.

The bright red palm, turned into a fist, then stretched out its index finger, and entered the living treasure door's nostrils.

Living treasure door hummed: "Yes, that's it!"

"Ahh… it feels so good…"

"Deeper, that's right, a little deeper!"

"More strength please, it feels better if you're rougher."

"Ohh… that was too good…"

"Little Fei Fei, your technique is superb."

"Ah… ah… ahhh… CHOO!" Living treasure door opened its mouth, sneezing loudly.

Numerous red, yellow, blue, and green "booger" were blown out.

If one looked properly, the red one was typhoon mountain pepper, a god-like extinct refinement aiding material. The yellow was worry soil, one of the ingredients used to refine a rank six Gu. The blue was ice heart, only at the center of a ten million year old ice mountain can one of these grow. The green was the grass skirt Gu, rank five without any defensive ability, but once a Gu Master uses it, it can give them a grass skirt that is able to absorb primeval energy from the air, replenishing the primeval essence in the aperture rapidly!

"Alright, my breathing is smooth again. These booger are your gift. I do not want to eat them again, that is too disgusting." Living treasure door sniffed after sneezing, feeling extremely satisfied.

Shang Yan Fei kept these items, before sighing: "Can we get to business now?"

"Of course, of course, what does Little Fei Fei want?" Living treasure door's mood was much better.

"I remember that there is still a rank five man triumphing heaven Gu, I want to exchange for it." Shang Yan Fei replied.

Living treasure door showed a curious gaze: "Man triumphing heaven Gu, it has the ability to defy heaven and change fate, forcefully awakening an aperture for those mortals without cultivating talent. This Gu is extremely precious, Little Fei Fei, although we have a close friendship, and you have dug my nose many times, the treasure realm's rules cannot be defied. If you want to exchange for this Gu, you will need to offer a Gu with even greater value to the treasure realm."

"Can you stop mentioning the digging of your nose?" Shang Yan Fei's veins were popping as he called out a Gu.

This Gu was like a baby's palm, tender and plump, while clear as crystal. There were red blood veins within the palm, causing the palm to emit a ghostly aura.

Living treasure door saw this Gu and exclaimed: "Eh, you are giving up the blood handprint Gu? Little Fei Fei, I remember this is one of your most useful Gu. Weren't you collecting the blood sea inheritance? Have you given up your aspiration from young?"

Shang Yan Fei sighed helplessly: "The total number of blood sea inheritances are almost uncountable, yet the true inheritances are hidden among them, the difficulty is simply too high. Even if I use the Shang clan to investigate, after all these years, I have only gotten two of them. I want the man triumphing heaven Gu, but my other precious Gu cannot be given up, I have to temporarily sacrifice the blood handprint Gu. Someday, I might come back to redeem it."

Shang Yan Fei's Gu worms were mostly from the blood sea inheritance, causing him to specialize in the bloodline path.

Because of this, when Shang Xin Ci entered Shang clan city, he could detect it immediately.

"Okay then, since you've made your decision." Living treasure door opened its mouth, and swallowed the blood handprint Gu."

Gulp.

With a loud sound, the blood handprint Gu entered the treasure realm.

Next, it regurgitated, and opened its mouth, throwing up one Gu.

This Gu was like a thousand year ginseng, with many roots and a yellow body. Its lustre was dim, as the upper part resembled a body, but the lower part diverged, like a pair of legs.

This was the man triumphing heaven Gu.

"Quickly refine it, once out of the treasure realm, in three breaths, this Gu will regain its wild nature. It will be too difficult to refine it then." Living treasure door urged.

Shang Yan Fei nodded, and activated his purple crystal primeval essence, instantly refining this man triumphing heaven Gu.

"Hehehe, with this Gu, I can awaken Ci Er's aperture! Now, I just need a few more Gu to raise her aptitude, and assist her to cultivate. Then, I can recruit Fang and Bai, to act as her wings. Ci Er, I will make sure you are happy, but in this world, strength is the prerequisite to all happiness!" Shang Yan Fei kept the man triumphing heaven Gu, as his emotions surged.

"I am leaving, living treasure door." He said to the door.

"Hey, hey, hey, so soon? Stay and talk to me, I am really bored to death." Living treasure door anxiously asked.

But the blood flames flickered, and Shang Yan Fei vanished.

"Ah, this scoundrel, he left me alone again. I am so pitiful, so bored, so tired…" Living treasure door's grumblings could be heard echoing in the walkway.

…

Another feast with fine wine and delicious food, as people interacted in a heated atmosphere.

"Brother Wei, brother Xiao Yan, come, another glass!" Fang Yuan stood up and shouted loudly as he raised his glass, while Bai Ning Bing watched emotionlessly as she ate her food.

Wei Yang, Xiao Yan raised their glasses at the same time, as the three glasses collided roughly, causing the wine to spill all over the table and dishes.

Back at the battle zone, Fang Yuan wanted to treat them to dinner, but Xiao Yan took the initiative to do so. This time, he kept his word, inviting these two to a feast at a huge restaurant.

"To think that brother Fang Zheng would be the one who saved Shang clan leader's precious daughter. Good people truly get rewarded . Purple thorn token, hehe, I am extremely envious." Xiao Yan was a cheerful and honest person, not hiding his envy at all.

He had lived in Shang clan city for many years, he knew what the purple thorn token entailed.

Wei Yang put down his glass: "What are the two of you going to do from now on?"

Fang Yuan then answered: "We plan to stay in Shang clan city for a while, and sell the useless Gu we have. Next, we will buy a set of complementary Gu worms."

"Excellent, that is the proper thing to do. If you did not have such plans, I would have reminded you to do so anyway." Wei Yang raised his thumb as he cheered in his heart, Fang and Bai staying here meant that there was a greater chance of recruiting them.

"If the both of you do not mind, you can tell us your plans. Big brother Wei is very knowledgeable, he can give you good advice. My fire Gu path was also recommended by big brother Wei." Xiao Yan said at the corner.

Chapter 275: Strength Path and Ice Path

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Nurture, use and refinement, those were the three aspects of a Gu Master's cultivation.

No matter which aspect, they were extremely profound, and each contained knowledge that was wide as the sea. Many people spent their entire lives without venturing fully into one of them.

"Please advise me brother Wei." At the feast, Fang Yuan cupped his fists.

"We hit it off so well, I shall not beat around the bush." Wei Yang cleared his throat, before officially teaching: "From the general aspect, Gu Masters are split into nine ranks, rank one to five are mortal, while six to nine are immortal. Among ten million Gu Masters, not even one might become an immortal. It is too tough to become one, even recognised geniuses may not reach it. But let's not talk about immortals, but focus on mortals."

"The five mortal ranks, rank one and two are beginners, and rank four to five are a high level fighting force. Rank three is in the middle, it is what connects the two. By this point, both of you are already full-fledged Gu Masters, rank three is the most important stage, because here, you will build upon your foundations, and choose the right direction to advance, it will definitely result in a better future for you."

"By rank three, a Gu Master's strength is already a force to be reckoned with. In many villages, rank three are clan elders. At this stage, the Gu Master has to determine the direction they want to go, and create a set of Gu worms along that line. If you want to be a support Gu Master, your Gu worms will be mainly storage type. If you want to be an investigative Gu Master, the core of your Gu worms will be investigative types. If you want a future in Gu refinement, you can choose to work on existing recipes to create your own new recipe. If someone likes to plot, they can collect thinking-assist type Gu worms, like the lightning thoughts Gu or the immortal showing the way Gu."

Wei Yang introduced again.

The so called direction refers to attack, defense, healing, storage, movement, and investigative, the six aspects.

Healing Gu Masters were known as doctors, having a grand status. Storage Gu Masters were support Gu masters, every force and clan needed them.

Wei Yang was a movement type Gu Master, his core Gu worm was the rainbow light Gu.

Of course, other than these six, there were other smaller branches.

Like a Gu Master specializing in substitute refinement, they had Gu worms that increased refinement speed or helped to weaken the Gu worm's will.

Or maybe those Gu Masters who specialized in catching Gu, they were good at finding and capturing wild Gu worms.

All in all, by rank three, Gu masters would have started to classify into their specific classes, and they become more specialized, becoming an expert in one domain.

Saying so, Wei Yang paused, then looked at Fang and Bai, asking: "Have both of you thought about your advancement direction?"

"Attack." Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing said at the same time with no hesitation.

The two were focused on attack, they had an inborn fighting nature, and could not be easily subdued.

Wei Yang nodded, not surprised at all, he had seen many people, and could guess their choices.

He continued: "Then next, you have to choose Gu worms, and form a set, a group of Gu worms that chains into one system."

Forming a set of Gu worms had many benefits.

Firstly, in terms of feeding, similar Gu worms had similar requirement for food, it was easier to collect, store and trade for these food.

Next, in terms of use, Gu worms could be used together and increase their ability or cover up their weaknesses. For example: Wei Yang's rainbow light Gu had great expenditure issues, but using the light source Gu, it reduced the weakness.

Lastly, in terms of refinement, placing similar Gu worms together to refine them into higher ranks, it not only saves money, but also has higher chances of success compared to refining an array of Gu worms.

"Both of you chose attack, then without doubt, an attack type Gu will have to be your core. Other Gu worms will have to support this core. Take for example Little Xiao, he chose the red fire Gu as his main attack method, then I advised him to use the duplicate Gu, to increase the number of his flames. I next chose the enlarge Gu, causing the flame to enlarge in size and become stronger. After that, I chose the fire source Gu, to reduce his primeval essence expenditure. Lastly, I chose the fire discharge Gu, as his movement type Gu." Wei Yang patted Xiao Yan's shoulders as he said.

Xiao Yan purposely showed a bitter expression: "Big brother Wei, you dug up all my secrets."

Wei Yang did not mind it: "Haha, your secrets are well known to everyone. Among the people in the battle stage now, who does not know what Gu you own?"

Wei Yang then turned to Fang Yuan: "It is no matter even if your Gu worms are exposed; as long as you pair it well, you can deal with all situations. Your core Gu worm is the foundation of the entire set. Have you thought of what attack type Gu worms you want to use as your core?"

Fang Yuan clenched his fist: "Before this, i have already used many Gu to raise my strength. Strength is my advantage, I want to continue on it, and crush my foes with overwhelming strength."

Bai Ning Bing said the name of a Gu: "Frost demon Gu."

Speaking of which, Bai Ning Bing had a rank three frost demon Gu in the past, it allowed the Gu Master to turn into the frost demon, Bai Ning Bing had a great compatibility with it.

But during the battle with Gu Yue Qing Shu, it was destroyed.

This caused Bai Ning Bing to still have lingering emotions towards the Gu.

Wei Yang heard this and frowned: "You want to go on the strength path and ice path… For ice path, the advantage lies in defense. Frost demon Gu, snow fairy Gu, ice crystal Gu, these are the three most famous transformation type Gu. Frost demon Gu and snow fairy Gu are for women, while ice crystal Gu is more suited for men."

"As for Fang Zheng's strength path…" Wei Yang shook his head: "I'm not trying to discourage you, but this would not work. The strength path is the most common route people choose, why is that? Because it is cheap and affordable, most of the Gu related to the strength path are cheap, but because of this, the Gu Masters do not stand out and are very ordinary."

"I'll tell you the truth, I tried the strength path in the past, but wasted a lot of primeval stones later to remove the increased strength in my body. Most demonic Gu Masters lack resources, and use the strength path as a stepping stone. But brother Fang Zheng, you have the purple thorn token and hundreds of thousands of primeval stones, you do not have to take this narrow path, the strength path makes it hard to succeed in life!"

Hearing Wei Yang's words, Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing looked at each other, nodding.

Wei Yang smiled, he did not waste his efforts.

Xiao Yan laughed too: "After hearing brother Wei's words, I have gained much insight as well."

"Brother Wei makes sense, but I still want to walk on the strength path." Fang Yuan cupped his fist.

"Yes, I have decided to give up on the frost demon Gu, and choose the ice crystal Gu!" Beside him, Bai Ning Bing also made her decision.

"Huh…" Wei Yang's smile froze on his face.

"Hey, hey, hey, did you listen to what he said at all." Xiao Yan shouted.

Bai Ning Bing smiled as determination shone across her eyes.

Precisely because the ice crystal Gu is suited for males, that is why I chose it, heh.

Fang Yuan rubbed his nose: "I am thankful to brother Wei for the advice, but I still like the strength path. Others might not achieve success out of it, but if I can, doesn't that show my superiority? Hahaha, challenges lie in difficulty, and there is only a sense of accomplishment if there is a challenge. I was hesitant before, but now that brother Wei has said it, I am definitely choosing this!"

Choosing the strength path was part of Fang Yuan's plans; it involves the three kings inheritance in a few years.

Of course, he cannot mention that to anyone.

"You two…" Xiao Yan stared in a daze, unsure of what to say.

"This… you have to reconsider, this is not a joke!" Wei Yang's expression was solemn, his tone was anxious, he did not expect his heartfelt advice to work in the opposite direction.

"No need to say anything else brother Wei, paths are made by men, my decision is final. Hahaha, let's continue drinking." Fang Yuan said, showing his determination, causing Wei Yang to swallow his words.

"Sigh…" Wei Yang lifted his glass helplessly, but swore in his heart, that he had to convince them otherwise.

Especially this Fang Zheng, he was truly messing around! Treating his future as a game, he should not do this. At this rate, it would put his superior aptitude to waste!

Wei Yang really could not stand it.

He had to quickly adjust Fang Zheng's mindset, this was a future star that the clan leader wanted to recruit.

After the banquet ended, and the nagging Wei Yang left together with Xiao Yan, Fang and Bai arrived at the Gu shop.

After showing their purple thorn token, Bai Ning Bing spent twenty-eight thousand primeval stones and bought the rank three ice crystal Gu.

Fang Yuan chose a rank two brown bear innate strength Gu, spending four thousand one hundred primeval stones.

"You really intend to make the ice crystal Gu your vital Gu?" Out of the shop, Fang Yuan frowned and asked.

Bai Ning Bing knew what he truly meant, she was rank three peak stage, if she advanced further, it would be rank four realm. She can totally purchase a rank four Gu worm in advance instead.

But Bai Ning Bing shook her head, her expression grim: "I do not intend to advance to rank four, just yesterday, I found that my aptitude rose by one percent again."

The northern dark ice soul physique was a curse coiling around Bai Ning Bing.

As she continued to cultivate, Bai Ning Bing's aptitude would eventually return to a hundred percent, regaining the ten extreme physique status.

Thus, she would rather give up on advancing.

Rank four yellow gold primeval essence had better quality than white silver primeval essence, it could nurture the aperture better and would cause Bai Ning Bing"s aptitude to recover more quickly.

Fang Yuan's steps halted: "Is that so, in that case, you can't live without the Yang Gu in my hands. Hehehe, maybe you can go to Feng Yu Manor and ask them. They specialize in selling information, they might have what you need."

"You are not going with me?" Bai Ning Bing stopped, looking at Fang Yuan.

"I am going to walk around the gambling den." Fang Yuan laughed.

"Alright."

Seeing Bai Ning Bing walk away, Fang Yuan's smile vanished.

He returned to the shop: "Shopkeeper, I forgot to buy some things earlier, do you have them?"

He gave a list.

Shopkeeper did not dare to make a purple thorn token owner wait, he quickly looked at the list and nodded: "Yes esteemed guest, we have them all."

"Good, prepare one portion for me, immediately!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

A moment later, he walked out of the backdoor of the shop, and went into another path, going to a lower level and arriving at the gambling den.

"Now then, let me see that sealed legendary Gu fossil." Moving according to his memories, Fang Yuan entered an extravagant gambling den.

Chapter 276: Stellar Stone

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

It was a black rock.

The size of a person's face, the black rock's surface glowed with bits of blue light.

At one glance, it resembled the stars shining in the night sky.

This was a stellar stone.

But different from the surrounding stellar stones, this one was cubic and looked like a brick.

But this rock, buried in a pile, was that legendary Gu that someone obtained. And that lucky person, from someone unknown, he became a famous strength path Gu Master all due to this Gu, causing everyone to look in envy.

Fang Yuan stood here, observing the surroundings, instantly understanding why no one cared about this rock.

This was an extravagant large sized gambling den, and had great business.

Although it was third inner city, there was human crowd around it.

Gambling rocks were classified into five categories; scrap, low, medium, high, and super grade.

At scrap grade, each rock was sold for over ten primeval stones. Low grade rocks were around a hundred primeval stones, medium grade were a thousand, high grade were ten thousand, and super grade were a few hundred thousand per piece.

And this stellar stone was of scrap grade.

Scrap grade gambling rocks were the ones most looked down on. Most were solid on the inside, even if there was a Gu, it was mostly dead carcasses.

Especially after the demonic Gu Master Wei Shen Jing's appearance, it caused the scrap grade rocks' market value to be severely affected.

Wei Shen Jing was skilled at creating counterfeit items, called the Counterfeit Master by people.

He had once sold large amounts of counterfeit scrap grade gambling rocks, causing almost all large clans to post his arrest warrant. In the southern border, he was hated by everybody.

This caused the scrap grade gambling rocks to become even more unpopular, but it was not completely ignored.

Sometimes, when Gu Masters were in the mood when they were shopping, they would engage in small gambles for fun. Buying a few scrap grade gambling rocks, just for entertainment. Other than that, professional gamblers also used them for practice.

After all, scrap grade gambling rocks were cheap, to some Gu Masters, there was no pain in losing the gamble.

But the problem was, this is third inner city.

Here, most Gu Masters were rank three.

Rank three was clan elder level, at this stage, most had their own assets. Even if they were practising, the would choose low grade rocks which had a much higher chance of winning.

Scrap grade rocks were an insult to them.

Despite so, in such a large gambling den, which was overflowing with people, there were certain Gu Masters who had their attention on these scrap rocks.

But still…

"Hehehe, how would they guess, that the stellar stone used to support a leg of this counter would hide a legendary Gu worm." Fang Yuan laughed in his heart.

Indeed, this stellar stone was used to fix a shaky counter, placed below one of its legs.

People moved about, but who would notice an ordinary counter out of tens of rows of counters at the scrap rock area.

These counters were filled with scrap grade rocks, one piled on top of another. They were so cheap it was like the rows of vegetables and fruits in a market back on Earth.

None of the Gu Masters who came here placed their sights on these scrap grade gambling rocks.

Thus, this stellar stone became unnoticed, and eventually gathered a layer of dust, causing it to be even more unappealing.

No one knew when this stellar stone started being used as counter support, but during this period, an uncountable number of people walked past it daily.

Until one day.

A down-and-out Gu Master, came here, and tripped at this counter.

To be honest, this Gu Master should be blamed for not looking at where he's going. The counter was an inanimate object, so many Gu Masters walked past it daily but no one had ever been tripped by it.

Like a lamp post, it stood straight on the street, being no obstacle to men, but some people tend to knock onto it for no reason. Can you blame the lamp post for that?

But no matter what world it is, reasons do not resolve arguments, only strength does.

A farmer raised a rooster, but it was so noisy the farmer could not get his nap. Feeling angered, the farmer slaughtered the rooster, there was seemingly nothing wrong with that.

No matter which world, the stronger person only had to relent a little to resolve conflicts. But the eventual settlement of the issue would often result in the stronger person not giving in, and the weaker person would pay a heavy price.

The Gu Master was tripped, even though he did not fall down, he was angry. He vented his anger on this piece of rock.

Since you dared to trip me, I will slice you open!

Thus, the Gu Master bought this rock, and dissected it in public.

And then, the legendary Gu appeared in this world.

It was a very dramatic incident, but precisely because it was so dramatic that people passed around the story in Fang Yuan's previous life.

And now, this incident has not happened yet.

This stellar stone, was still used as a counter support, quietly and silently awaiting its fate.

And Fang Yuan's feet, was only two inches from it.

"Dear customer, is this your first time here?" A clerk walked over seeing Fang Yuan's dazed expression, he was not aware Fang Yuan was looking at this rock with the corner of his eye.

Fang Yuan rubbed his nose, saying: "Yeah I guess." If he did not consider his previous life, this was the second time he was at a gambling den.

Newbie.

Easy to trick!

The clerk's smile became extremely bright: "Please come inside, to speak the truth, the rocks here are the cheapest, but nothing cheap is good. They have poor quality, and are of all shapes and sizes, what can you get out of them? Let me introduce for you, customer."

"Oh? Then talk." Fang Yuan's eyebrows raised as he followed the clerk into the gambling den.

"Customer, do you know how gambling rocks are formed?" The clerk walked ahead as he looked back and asked.

Before Fang Yuan replied, he answered already: "As the saying goes, Man is the spirit of all livings beings, Gu is the essence of heaven and earth . Man has great inspiration and thus are able to innovate. They have the highest intelligence, and can create many things, many new Gu worms that do not originate from nature. Gu is the essence of heaven and earth, they have little intelligence, but their tiny bodies contain the law fragments of the Great Dao."

"Heaven and earth always leaves a chance of survival, some Gu worms get gravely injured, or run out of food, they might go into hibernation. Through long periods of time, a rock layer would form around their bodies. The rock gets thicker, and thicker, until it gains substantial mass. As time passes, more and more layers form, until a fossil is created. These rocks wrap around the Gu worms, and due to the influence of the law fragments in the Gu worms, they become different from other rocks, and look very different compared to the surrounding soil. People find these fossils, and collect them, this is the truth of the gambling rock that you see before you."

Fang Yuan nodded, as he walked, he answered: "Hmm, I've heard of the story of the gambling rock before."

The deeper he went into the gambling den, the more Gu Masters he saw.

Many Gu Masters were picking rocks, or discussing quietly.

The gambling stage and empty spaces felt even more silent due to the soft discussions.

The clerk calmly said: "Since customer wants to gamble, you cannot be rash about it. We might be a gambling den, but we do not scam our customers. We have to let you gamble with a peace of mind, and be informed about your decisions. Here, we sell old man stones, pushing cart stones, stellar stones, cold ice stones. Each rock are split into five grades according to quality, and have different prices. It ranges from over a hundred thousand to a few primeval stones."

"Customer, the area you were at earlier was the cheapest scrap grade area, I did not recommend you to buy from there because the quality there is the worst, let's take the stellar stone for example."

"In the stellar stone, starlight type Gu are the most commonly seen. These Gu contain the law of the stars, thus, the fossil develops markings that resembles shining stars. Among star type Gu, the most commonly seen are the rank one star dart Gu, thus the fossil would become the shape of a dart. If it is the star arrow Gu, the fossil would be long and have a pointy tip and a spreading end. There is also the shooting star Gu, the fossil would be round but carries a tail. There is a very high chance of having a Gu within rocks of these shapes."

"Of course, other than the appearance, there are many other elements, like the number of shining stars, the more there are, the more likely there is a Gu within, and the higher rank it could be. Customer, what you are seeing now, are medium grade rocks. You will discover that better grade rocks are better. Of course, the price is steeper."

"Yes, that is indeed so." Fang Yuan casually remarked.

The clerk used a proud tone as he said: "Our shop has the most talented rock dissecting masters, they have at least twenty years of experience. There is a Master Duan, he specializes in using acid to dissect the rocks, having over fifty years of experience."

"I strongly advise you to dissect the rock in our shop after choosing your gambling rock. The rock dissecting master are professionals, and they have a set of Gu worms specially used to dissect rocks."

"The method of dissecting has to be appropriate, like for the stellar stone, magnetism should be used. For old man stone, acid should be used."

"If there is a Gu within the gambling rock, they are extremely weak. If a wrong method is used to excavate them, it can deal a fatal blow to them, it would be too late then."

"Customer, if you choose rocks from the high and super grade area, we can dissect the rock for you for free. If you choose from low or medium grade, you will have to pay yourself. For scrap grade, hehe, we do not advise you to waste money hiring a dissecting master. The cost of hiring him would greatly exceed the price of the rocks itself."

Back on Qing Mao mountain, when Jia clan caravan came, Fang Yuan once dissected the purple gold rock for himself.

But his method, was simply brute force.

Thankfully, the purple gold rock was softer, the mudskin toad had a strong life force, of course, it also had to do with Fang Yuan's great experience.

Rock dissecting cannot be done through brute force, it would easily murder the Gu worm inside.

If Fang Yuan wanted to dissect rocks, he would need to employ the rock dissecting masters in this shop.

After one round, Fang Yuan chose a few rocks at the low grade area. Old man stones, pushing cart stones, and stellar stones, a few of each.

The clerk was disappointed, after spending so much effort in speaking and encouraging, trying to convince Fang Yuan to buy a few high grade rocks, but how could Fang Yuan fall for this.

Getting this result after such a long time, the clerk spoke listlessly: "Dear customer, do you have a token? If it is a yellow pear token and above, there are discounts available. Please show me your token if you have one."

Soon after, his expression changed, as he opened his mouth wide, his eyes about to fall off.

"Purple thorn token? Oh my god!"

Chapter 277: Vigilance and Endurance

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

The purple thorn token was letting out a dreamy and illusionary light.

The clerk stared at this token closely, his expression sluggish as he was lost for words.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and respectfully said: "Esteemed guest, please forgive me for being blind! Please wait a moment, I will go call the shopkeeper."

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged white fatty who ran in flustering when he heard a purple thorn token holder appeared.

He immediately bowed deeply towards Fang Yuan: "Esteemed guest, your presence brings light to this little shop!"

Fang Yuan pointed at the rocks he chose and said indifferently: "I have chosen some rocks, I will have to trouble you guys to dissect them."

The shopkeeper was stupefied when he looked at the rocks, how could they all be low grades?

He could not help quickly glancing at the clerk with a reproachful gaze: 'Those with purple thorn tokens are all important characters, big clients, you actually let him choose these rocks?'

The clerk stood uneasily at the side, words stuck at his throat.

The shopkeeper bowed his head towards Fang Yuan: "Esteemed guest, you don't need to worry about dissecting the rocks. Purple thorn token holders can have rocks dissected free of charge in rock gambling zone. After calculating the discounts for these rocks, it comes down to six hundred and fifty primeval stones."

"I know the rock gambling rules, pay first before dissecting the rocks." Fang Yuan nodded and took out the primeval stones from primeval elder Gu.

The shopkeeper swifty received the primeval stones and turned towards the clerk: "Go and call Great Master Duan, Master Huang, Master Zhang, Master Zhao and Master Ma here quickly."

He then turned towards Fang Yuan: "Esteemed guest, rock dissection counter is inside, let's wait there."

The five old masters at dissecting rocks were resting at the small courtyard behind the rock gambling den. At their levels, they couldn't be bothered with dissecting normal gambling rocks. Those in charge of dissecting normal rocks were their disciples or some young Gu Masters.

The clerk ran all the way to the courtyard and explained the purpose of his visit.

"Oh, requesting all five of us to go?" The five old masters' gaze shone with radiance.

"Could it be someone bought those few super grade gambling rocks?" The old masters immediately felt their hands itching.

The clerk shook his head: "It is only some low grade gambling rocks."

The old masters expressions changed into an unhappy one.

Great Master Duan snorted coldly.

Asking them to dissect low grade gambling rocks was simply an insult and contempt towards their identities.

But the clerk immediately followed: "The person has a very high status and possesses the purple thorn token. So the shopkeeper intentionally asked me to call all five masters!"

"What, purple thorn token?"

"Are you sure?"

"Shang Clan has existed for thousands of years but the number of purple thorn tokens it has given out is mere a few hundred. And now, someone who holds a purple thorn token appears?"

"Quickly, what are you being dazed for?"

The five Gu Masters hurriedly ran out of the courtyard and walked up the platform.

On the work platform, the young rock dissecting masters got a little shock, and quickly greeted them.

The old masters waved their hands and made these juniors get down from the platform.

This scene quickly attracted the bystanders' attention and soon many gazes were casted here.

The curious nature of people aroused and they began discussing in whispered tones.

"What is going on here?"

"All five masters have appeared together, this is a rarely seen sight."

"Could it be someone bought a batch of super grade gambling rocks?"

Fang Yuan was accompanied by the shopkeeper and was already before the rock dissection counter with the crowd. However he did not go forward, and just gazed from afar to maintain a low profile. But the five old masters were astute and saw the shopkeeper following a young man like an attendant, how could they still not recognize Fang Yuan's identity?

However, Fang Yuan remained gazing from afar and did not walk towards the platform.

The five old masters thought: 'it seems this young master doesn't want to show off."

This was also normal.

Many people behaved the same before dissecting rocks because they would have no face if they lost the gamble!

"I have to do this properly and leave behind a deep impression in this esteemed guest, having a connection with someone of higher status would be great." The five old masters were all scheming in their mind and rubbing their hands, eager to try it out at that thought.

The rocks Fang Yuan chose was delivered by the clerk.

The spectators couldn't believe their eyes when they saw these rocks.

"What? These are only some low grade rocks!"

"I am not seeing it wrongly, right? These damaged rocks…"

"Making the old masters dissect low grade gambling rocks, this is simply an insult to them."

But what made them even more surprised and stare with their eyes wide open was the following scene.

The five old masters held these gambling rocks and placed them carefully on the stone platform. Their expressions were very serious as they did this, then they summoned their respective Gu worms and began dissecting the rocks.

Most of the five old masters were at rank two peak stage while great master Duan was the only one in rank three. For a moment, the appearance of different Gu worms stunned the crowd.

"What in the world is going on!"

"Could it be these rocks have a long history behind them and aren't as simple as they look?"

"I have never seen the five old masters look this cautious and serious."

…

On the platform, Gu worms flew about as the five old masters showed off their unique methods.

Great master Duan whose cultivation was the highest was known as a great expert in dissecting rocks in the rock gambling den. He specialised in using acid to dissect rocks. He took out a king-sized bowl then summoned a snake Gu which spurted out acidic liquid into the bowl.

He then carefully put a gambling rock into the acid.

Bubbles continuously formed and popped in the acid.

After quite a while, with his hands covered in a layer of light, he took out the gambling rock which had shrunk by half. He then placed it into another type of acid.

Master Zhang used magnetism to dissect the rocks. His palms faced each other and the gambling rock was put in between them; the gambling rock floated in air and bits of rocks was continually extracted by the power of magnetism.

As for other masters; one called out a frog Gu which used its tongue to lick the gambling rock. Another used fire to roast the rock, and another controlled a small whirlwind to cut down the gambling rock.

The group of young rock dissecting Gu Masters watched from behind the old masters with a stunned gaze.

Why was there a need for such a great fanfare for some low grade gambling rocks? It was simply using an ox-cleaver to carve a chicken or using a talented person for an insignificant task!

'Could it be the old masters have some hidden intent for doing doing this? It won't do, I need to observe it properly.'

The results, however, made everyone flabbergasted. After the dissection, these low grade gambling rocks didn't have anything impressive; it was either solid rock or hollow inside, there was not even a dead Gu.

"What the! I thought there was something special going on."

"So they were all ordinary low grade rocks."

"Why were these old masters in such a hurry for? They really wasted my time…"

The surrounding spectators were greatly disappointed and stormed out.

The shopkeeper's face paled as he heard these remarks. In the past, he would have been really happy if the gamblers didn't get any Gu worms from the gambling rocks they chose. But now, he really wished he could stuff in some Gu worms inside the rocks.

Purple thorn token holders could not be easily offended!

He cautiously looked at Fang Yuan thinking of something to say to comfort him.

However, Fang Yuan was smiling: "No matter, it seems my luck isn't good today, so I will stop now. I will come again another time."

The shopkeeper and the clerk respectfully accompanied Fang Yuan towards the door.

They were even thinking of accompanying him out to the streets, but were stopped by Fang Yuan.

Only after Fang Yuan's figure disappeared in the street, did the shopkeeper lift up his bent back. He turned towards the clerk and gave a strong knock on his head, scolding him for neglecting an esteemed guest!

The clerk rubbed his head in pain, but did not dare to say anything.

Fang Yuan's purpose in coming here today was only to probe.

Now, since he found his target, his visit today was already achieved. But he couldn't directly take the stellar stone out, he would have to take twists and turns.

Fang Yuan needed to dissect the stellar stone to get the Gu, but he didn't have any ways to dissect it by himself. Collecting a set of specialized rock dissecting Gu worms would be too much of a waste, thus he would have to let the old Gu Masters in the rock gambling den take care of it.

It would only lead to a commotion if the old Gu Masters dissected the rock in front of everybody. And requesting them to secretly dissect the rock by using purple thorn token was also not appropriate and would only create suspicions.

If Fang Yuan got a legendary Gu worm right off the start, it would mean his luck was way too good.

Fang Yuan had no doubts of the huge influence of Shang Clan. With the recent investigation on him Shang Yan Fei probably knew about Fang Yuan winning the mudskin toad in rock gambling in Jia Clan's caravan.

Winning a mudskin toad on his first gamble and a legendary Gu in his next; a smart man like Shang Yan Fei would definitely be suspicious.

The profits involved in rock gambling was huge; if Shang Yan Fei doubted Fang Yuan had some ways to check if the rocks had Gu worms in them or not, he was bound to be tempted and even make his move.

Fang Yuan had no such methods, but no matter what, some Gu worms on him could never be exposed.

Especially Spring Autumn Cicada.

And on Shang Liang mountain, Shang Yan Fei was not the main threat. The real main threat were the rank six Gu Masters.

Almost all the overlord level forces had rank six Gu Masters behind them.

When a Gu Master reached rank six, they would dwell in deep seclusion and rarely come out; one secluded cultivation could last for dozens of years. It was all because their strength would continue to experience a qualitative change and they had their own problems to take care of.

But it would all change if Spring Autumn Cicada was exposed; these rank six Gu Masters were bound to come charging in.

'A little impatience can spoil great plans.'

Fang Yuan was cautious by nature, how could he make such big mistakes in these small places?

He would put an end to all risks that could expose Spring Autumn Cicada, even if that meant there was a risk for the stellar stone to be discovered.

According to his previous life's memories, the probability of the legendary Gu being discovered was infinitesimally small. But even if it was discovered, Fang Yuan had already planned for it and it was better than attracting suspicions on himself and risk the exposure of Spring Autumn Cicada.

"Now, I will stroll around the rock gambling zone for few days and buys some gambling rocks to leave behind an impression on people."

Fang Yuan continued to scheme while walking back to Nan Qiu garden.

Bai Ning Bing was already back from Feng Yu Manor.

"I have been waiting for you." She took out the ice crystal Gu and gave to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan used the aura of Spring Autumn Cicada to refine it then threw it back to Bai Ning Bing.

Bai Ning Bing would help him in cultivation and he would help Bai Ning Bing in refining Gu; this was one of the terms in poison vow.

Bai Ning Bing took the ice crystal Gu and walked to a secret room to refine it.

Fang Yuan also walked to another secret room and began refining a Gu.

The name of the Gu — Eating one's words.

Chapter 278: What naivety!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Starlight shone on the secret room.

Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on his mat and started refining his Gu.

After he parted with Bai Ning Bing, he went to the shop again and bought all that he needed to refine the eating one's words Gu. Of course, to prevent his secret recipe from being exposed and hide his true intentions, he bought some unnecessary materials as well.

He willed, and summoned a Gu.

This Gu was round like a ball, fist sized and orange in color. The surface was wrinkled and thick, giving an unpleasant feeling at touch.

This was a rank one smelly fart Gu.

Its only use was to emit a foul odor and possessed no attacking power.

However, even though this Gu has little to no use on its own, it was a widely used refinement material.

Fang Yuan injected light silver primeval essence, causing the smelly fart Gu's body to expand and float in the air.

At the same time, he opened an urn in front of him.

At once, a rotten smell spread on the room.

In this urn, there was rotting swamp mud – black and gooey. This mud was also a widely used refinement material.

"Rice bag, go." Fang Yuan willed, and a seed flew out of his aperture.

The seed was planted into the mud, and as his primeval sea level fell, dark green vines grew out of the rotten mud.

The vines continued to extend and grow out of the urn; after around 60 centimeters, leaves started to grow on it.

These leaves were bucket shaped. They were small at first, but grew to the size of a bowl quickly.

Fang Yuan peeled the leaf from the top of these buckets, revealing the white delicious rice kernels within.

However, Fang Yuan did not take them out, but poured the rice grains into the rotting mud. He next lowered the smelly fart Gu, and multi-tasked, activating the rice bag grass and smelly fart Gu at the same time.

The smelly fart Gu glowed in an orange light, while the rice bag grass gave off a green light; the two fused together eventually.

The fusion light dimmed, as it went deep into the urn.

The urn vibrated intensely, before finally stopping as a new Gu flew out of it; yellow-brown in color, like a lump of mud, it gave off a slight stench just like faeces.

This was the defecate Gu.

It might look unappealing, but it could cause people to suffer from diarrhoea. Many doctors used it to heal illnesses and for detoxification; this gu was very valuable.

Fang Yuan was calm as always.

Gu existed in all forms and sizes. It could be the pure and holy heavenly essence treasure lotus, the poetic and mysterious Spring Autumn Cicada, the evil and bizarre blood skull Gu. Without a doubt, one that was disgusting in appearance, smell and touch, such as the defecate Gu or smelly fart Gu existed as well.

Refining the rank two defecate Gu was the first step.

Next, Fang Yuan took out the big strength Gu, bought from the shop as well. This could increase a Gu Master's strength for fifty breaths of time.

Fang Yuan fused the big strength Gu and defecate Gu, successfully refining the big strength defecate Gu.

Although the big strength defecate Gu was rank three, its purpose was the same as the defecate Gu, even looking similar but its effect was three times as strong.

This Gu, however, was much less popular than its rank two counterpart.

Gu worms were not necessarily better as they get higher in rank.

Rank three Gu worms consumed much more food than their lower counterparts, although the big strength defecate Gu was more effective, the same effect could be achieved if one used the defecate Gu multiple times. There were also cases of misdiagnosis, where the big strength defecate Gu was used inappropriately and resulted in a person dying from excessive diarrhoea.

Obtaining the big strength defecate Gu was the second step.

Next, Fang Yuan took out the lion roar Gu.

This Gu looked like a lion head, and once used, it summoned an image of a lion's head, the size of a stone mill, and unleash the mighty lion's roar. It was often used to send signals or scare away wild beasts. In battle, when used properly, it could cause the opposing Gu Master to lose their concentration.

Fang Yuan used both the lion roar Gu and big strength defecate Gu.

As a result, a weird scene appeared in the air; a lion head's image opened its mouth and started to eat the big strength defecate Gu.

But after eating a third of it, the lion roar Gu could not eat anymore, and the image was on the verge of collapsing.

Thereupon, Fang Yuan willed, and summoned a paper crane Gu, also bought from the shop.

This Gu was split into light blue, dark green, pink and several other colors; it was especially used to send letters.

The light blue color paper crane flew towards the lion roar Gu, and was swallowed by lion image.

Doing three things at once!

If outsiders saw this, they would scream out in shock.

It would be impressive if ordinary Gu Masters could do two things at once. But three, few could do it, this was a display of a Gu Master's extreme talent in refinement.

Many ordinary Gu Masters required the use of Gu worms to be able to multitask.

Fang Yuan used the lion roar Gu, big strength defecate Gu as well as the paper crane Gu using only his own mind.

But to him, this was not talent, rather it was an accumulated experience.

Any skills could be improved with practice. Fang Yuan spent five hundred years, slowly gaining experience, and trained for hundreds of years. From doing a single task at one time, it increased to two, then three, sometimes he could even do four things at once!

Of course, any more and he would need an assistance Gu worm.

After the lion head image swallowed the paper crane Gu, it no longer fizzled, but went back to original.

Fang Yuan continued to will it to eat the big strength defecate Gu.

After another one-third, the same thing happened, as the lion head image fizzled once again.

Fang Yuan was not flustered and calmly called out the second deep green paper crane Gu.

As with before, the lion head image started to become unstable again after it swallowed the entire big strength defecate Gu.

Fang Yuan then used the third pink paper crane Gu.

After swallowing it, the lion head image suddenly shrunk by more than half, and its white body started to glow in light blue, dark green, and pink. At the same time, the lion image started to chant: "Eat shit, eat shit…"

The voice echoed in the room, causing Fang Yuan's ears to buzz.

He was not afraid of the sound leaking, as it was a special secret room with reinforced walls, isolating any sounds.

He cheered in his heart, this Gu was finally completed!

This was the eating one's words Gu!

But this eating one's words Gu could only exist for ten breaths before it destroyed itself.

Fang Yuan did not dare to waste any time, calling the eating one's words Gu to his side.

As the light blue, deep green, and pink color lights shone on him, Fang Yuan's body started to produce a faint purple smoke.

"Eat shit, eat shit…"

The smoke trembled and moved about as the lion roared; in two breath's time, the smoke gathered into the images of two poison vow Gu.

Fang Yuan willed, and the lion head image opened its mouth, swallowing it. As it chewed, the poison vow Gu gave out an indignant cry, but it soon came to a stop.

The lion head image opened its mouth again, swallowing the other poison vow Gu. As it chewed, the poison vow Gu was completely eliminated, not a trace of purple smoke remained on Fang Yuan.

A few breaths later, the lion head image exploded into a three color rain in the air. The light rained down, causing the entire secret room to shine brilliantly.

Fang Yuan stood among the light raindrops, revealing a cold smile as his lips curled up.

Poison vow Gu?

Hehehe… hahaha…

Trying to restrict me with a poison vow Gu, how naive!

However, they could not be blamed. In his previous life, this eating one's words Gu only appeared two hundred years later.

It originated from a tribe leader in the west desert, only spreading around the world after another few decades. After ten more years, someone finally invented the black and white paper Gu replacing the poison vow Gu; it could not be broken by the eating one's words Gu.

The eating one's words Gu lost its effects, but in another few hundred years, the distorting black and white Gu appeared which was able to overrule the power of the black and white paper Gu.

Poison vow Gu, eating one's words Gu, black and white paper Gu, distorting black and white Gu, this was just a small segment of the struggle between agreements and breaking them. The struggle has been going on since the beginning of time and will continue into the future.

Fang Yuan possessed five hundred years of experience, it was as if he was ahead of the world by five hundred years! It was not hard to overrule the poison vow Gu.

Once the restraints were gone, Fang Yuan felt relaxed. Most importantly, he only removed his side of the vow, thus, Shang Ya Zi and Bai Ning Bing still had the restraints of the poison vow Gu on them.

This way, Fang Yuan held the complete advantage against these two people.

"Shang Ya Zi is narrow-minded, after I extorted him like this, he will definitely take revenge. But I have already planned for that, I shall let him play around for now. As for Bai Ning Bing, now that you are dancing in the palm of my hands, I will make good use of you in the short run, there is no need to fall out yet."

"These few days, after I gave away half my primeval stones, and bought many Gu, I spent over tens of thousands of primeval stones. Including the banquet treat, Nan Qiu garden's rental, the expenses at the gambling den, and the food for Gu worms, I have only four hundred and twenty thousand left."

If one did not have huge worries, they would worry about small things . Thinking about this, Fang Yuan frowned.

He wanted to assemble a set of Gu worms, he might seem wealthy now, but it was not enough.

Rank one Gu worms were around five hundred primeval stones. Rank two were five hundred to a thousand. Rank three ranged from a thousand to ten thousand.

For rank four, it ranged from ten thousand to a hundred thousand. For rank five, it could range from a hundred thousand to a million.

Rank six Gu has never been sold before.

These prices were only for ordinary Gu. Some rare Gu like liquor worm had the price of a rank two Gu although they were rank one.

The relic Gu was even more expensive. Green copper relic Gu was two thousand, red steel relic Gu was eight thousand, white silver relic Gu was fifty thousand, and the yellow gold relic Gu was close to three hundred thousand!

Fang Yuan had four hundred and twenty thousand now, he could not even afford two yellow gold relic Gu.

Relic Gu were natural Gu, they cannot be refined by Gu Masters. In many occasions, not even money could buy them.

"I want to stay here for two-three years, four hundred and twenty thousand won't even last me for a year. Gu Masters rely on resources to cultivate, the higher the rank, more the expenses. Next, I still have to spend a ton on the gambling den, I need to find a good way to earn money."

Shang clan city was bustling and competition was intense, but chances were everywhere.

As long as you had the ability, earning money was easy, but without ability, you will get eliminated.

This was another law of nature, filled with cruel competition.

Fang Yuan combined his previous life's experiences, and his understanding of this life, already having an idea on how to earn primeval stones.

That would be the battle stage.

Chapter 279: Attacking just like that?!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Wei Yang was distressed, he had been having a headache for the past few days.

Shang Yan Fei wanted to recruit Fang and Bai, but even after Wei Yang's probing, the two did not show a hint of interest in joining them.

This was normal.

They were youngsters. Hot-blooded and at the peak of their lives, having grand aspirations and did not want to be under anyone, always thinking that effort was the key to success in this world.

Naive, so very naive.

Wei Yang could understand, he went through this phase in his youth.

Thus, he did not directly recruit Fang and Bai.

Once he made it clear, and got rejected, there would be no way to salvage the situation. Wei Yang was a sly fox, he had already devised a plan to make the two slowly fall into his trap.

He did not think of anything scheming or devious. For something like recruiting talents, the important thing was willingness. If they were forced, it would ruin the entire result.

Especially after Wei Yang had interacted with these two for a few days, he knew they were not the type to give in.

Thus, Wei Yang decided to take it slow as he influenced them gradually, using a righteous method to achieve victory.

For this, he had great confidence.

"What does a Gu Master's cultivation rely on? Resources! It is easy for righteous Gu Masters, but for demonic Gu Masters… hehe."

Wei Yang was once a demonic Gu Master, fighting his way out of the battle stage.

He knew the hardships of being a demonic Gu Master.

Gu Master's cultivation could not steer away from primeval stones, Gu worms, and food to feed them. The higher the cultivation, the greater the need for them.

At the start, Gu Masters could still fulfill this need using their own abilities.

But later, they would find that the resources needed were too huge, and competition got more intense, sometimes they were even unable to procure food for themselves!

When Wei Yang was rank one, he stepped into the battle stage. From rank one to two, then to three, the stronger he got, the weaker he felt.

Like a scholar, the more he learned, the more ignorant he felt about himself. The stronger Wei Yang got, the more he knew how weak he was.

An individual was so weak, only by relying on others, and relying on a clan, could one survive better.

When he realized this, he accepted Shang Yan Fei's offer.

He had gone through this himself.

"When Fang and Bai learn how weak they are alone, Shang clan's recruitment will come to fulfilment. But before that, I cannot watch Fang Zheng step into the wrong path, this would expend his youth and effort, and put that great talent he has to waste!"

In Wei Yang's perspective, Fang Yuan choosing the strength path was a huge mistake.

The hot-bloodedness and ignorance of youth.

Strength path?

From Shang clan battle stage, among those demonic Gu Masters who managed to make it out, which one used strength to dominate? None!

Strength path is one for bottom feeders, it cannot help a Gu Master in succeeding.

Thinking of relying on the strength path to make it big in life? Fat chance!

Nonetheless, things did not advance as he wished.

These days, Wei Yang had approached Fang Yuan and advised him many times, but each time, he was rejected as Fang Yuan kept a firm attitude.

Wei Yang learnt just how stubborn Fang Yuan could be, after failing many times, he went back and considered it carefully, finally deciding on a new method of advising…

This day, he came again.

"Brother Wei, you are advising me to enter the battle stage, and participate in battles?" Fang Yuan showed a confused expression.

"Yes, I relied on the battle stage, cultivating step by step, I will definitely share my good experience with you." Wei Yang gave a sincere gaze.

Next, he lifted three fingers: "There are three benefits you can gain from entering the battle stage."

"Firstly, you can earn a fortune. Each battle that you participate in, as long as you win, you can gain primeval stones. The more viewers you get, the more the primeval stones you earn."

"Secondly, you can gain Gu worms. There is a rule in the battle stage, the winner can choose a Gu from the loser and take it from them."

"Thirdly, entering the battle stage can train your battle tactics. At the same time, it examines the strength and cooperativeness of your Gu worms. It would help you to make the relevant adjustments."

Fang Yuan heard Wei Yang's final sentence, and understood in his heart.

These days, Wei Yang had advised him to give up on the strength path, and change to another path. After failing, he decided to use an indirect method, using the battle stage to let Fang Yuan experience the weakness of the strength path, forcing him to give up on it.

"The cultivation of the strength path was decided after a long and thorough analysis, it has great benefits for my future, how could I change it? But, the battle stage is also part of my plans…"

Thinking so, Fang Yuan nodded, agreeing with Wei Yang.

Wei Yang was joyous: "Back when you fought with me, you only borrowed the use of the battle stage. Shang clan's battle stage has a refined system, if you want to participate, you will need to sign up for it. Follow me!"

Thus, the two came to fifth inner city's battle zone.

This was far more crowded than third inner city, as people moved about, all sorts of voices entered Fang Yuan's ears, and an intense atmosphere assaulted him.

"Did you hear? Li Hao won again, this is this thirteenth consecutive victory, before long, he would be able to rise to fourth inner city."

"He has rank three cultivation, it is certain that he will enter fourth inner city."

…

"Did you see Wang Da Han and Ma De Quan's battle? It was so exciting!"

"Wang Da Han lost to Ma De Quan, losing his most important raindrop Gu, he is nearly crippled."

…

"Zhao Da Xiong and Zhang Niu's battle is about to start, go see!"

"These two are both from the strength path, there is nothing nice to watch. We might as well go see the match between Qiao Da and Qiao Er, a battle between brothers."

…

Wei Yang purposely disguised himself, as he led the way for Fang Yuan, as he said: "You need to have thirty net victories in fifth inner city to advance to fourth inner city. There, you will need eighty net victories to advance to third inner city. What do I mean by net victory? For example, if you won ten battles, and lost two, you would have eight net victories."

"The battle stage is split into three levels, low level in fifth inner city, middle level in fourth inner city, and high level in third inner city. Little brother, you are a newbie at the battle stage, your wins and losses are both zero. According to the rules, you will have to start at fifth inner city."

"Don't be anxious yet, the way I look at it, you should be able to quickly rise to middle level. As for high level, it might take quite some effort, but it should still be quite fast. A year or two would do." Wei Yang patted Fang Yuan's shoulders and said.

He acknowledged Fang Yuan's battle talent, but the strength path only dominated the middle and lower levels, once he got to the high level battle stage, where experts roamed, the strength path's weakness would gradually show, being greatly suppressed by other paths.

Under Wei Yang's lead, the two came to a grand hall.

In the hall, there was a great number of Gu Masters requesting battles or checking battle details.

Some were here to participate, some were here to watch battles, and there were even some here to set up their betting business.

Wei Yang did not squeeze with them, but pushed open a small door.

There was a narrow walkway behind the door, and two Gu Masters guarded it.

One of the Gu Masters came forward, saying to Wei Yang and Fang Yuan: "This is a special reception, unauthorised people are not allowed to enter."

Wei Yang displayed his clan elder token, and the two quickly cupped their fists and gave way.

After crossing the tunnel, it was another hall, with four reception tables.

Three of the tables had guests already.

This place was much quieter than the grand hall.

Fang Yuan used Gu Yue Fang Zheng's name to sign up. After paying five hundred primeval stones, he obtained a vine information Gu.

This Gu was like a long vine, having many large jade green leaves.

It was a rank one Gu, storing some of Fang Yuan's information inside.

This Gu was not bought by Fang Yuan but rented to him by Shang clan city. Fang Yuan was in charge of feeding it, but he could not alter the information inside, only Shang clan could.

Of course, it was not hard to hack the rank one vine information Gu, but Shang clan had a backup copy of the information, and with everyone's watchful gaze, situations where the information was fake rarely happened.

"There are not many rules in the battle stage, there is a high degree of freedom. If you wish to battle, come here to sign up, Shang clan will assign you an opponent. They can be stronger or weaker than you, but you can also designate the opponent you want, although they will have to agree. Once a month, an individual has one chance to challenge another person, where they are not allowed to reject."

"Moreover, there is also a restriction in the number of battles in the battle stage. A person can only issue one challenge a day. Every ten days, you have to participate in at least one battle or we will remove one win from you. If your overall losses reach five, your qualification will be revoked. If you want to participate again, you will need to sign up again. Now, are you interested in taking part, and trying it out?" Wei Yang smiled.

Fang Yuan nodded.

This was the special reception, the efficiency of the receptionists was high, Fang Yuan was quickly assigned an opponent: "The time is 1:30pm, the location is at number five battle stage, the terrain is grassland."

There were only about seven minutes till the start of the battle.

Wei Yang brought Fang Yuan over to number five battle stage, his opponent was already waiting inside.

He was a young man, tall and skinny, an ordinary appearance and wore a green shirt.

Seeing Fang Yuan enter the stage, joy flashed across his eyes.

Looking at Fang Yuan, he was just a youngster, how high could his cultivation be?

Looking at himself, he had recently advanced to rank two middle stage, this was his first battle since coming out of closed cultivation, it was a good sign.

Fang Yuan entered the field, number five battle stage was a middle stage battlefield, more than twice as large as the previous flagstone stage they had fought in before.

The battlefield was covered in grass, Fang Yuan stepped on the ground with his boots, feeling the soft loamy soil underneath.

There were only two to three people watching, including the disguised Wei Yang.

Watching battles required primeval stones, Fang Yuan was a nobody. His opponent Tang Qing was slightly famous, but after his closed cultivation, the little attention he received previously vanished completely.

Clang!

The bells rang loudly, signifying the start of the battle.

"My name is Tang Qing." The young man was a gentleman, cupping his fists towards Fang Yuan.

Jumping grass.

Fang Yuan willed, stepping hard and bursting forth.

"What the f*ck, attacking like that?!" Tang Qing was taken aback, not expecting this youngster to be so shameless, sneak attacking in public.

He completely ignored the formalities!

Chapter 280: Sword Shadow Gu (Two chapters in one)

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

No sooner said than done!

Fang Yuan moved like lightning, pouncing on Tang Qing.

Pew!

A strong wind blew. Tang Qing only saw darkness in front of him, and before he was able to react, Fang Yuan's fist hit his chest.

At once, Tang Qing could feel an intense pain assaulting him, almost causing him to faint on the spot.

His ears could only hear the sound of winds brushing by, as his vision rolled back; he was sent flying by Fang Yuan's frontal assault.

When he landed, his head spun. He saw grass, then the railings of the battle stage, then his face rubbed against the dirt. As he flipped and rolled, the grass was uprooted by the friction, causing the black soil to be exposed.

His body was covered in grass and soil, the smell from the juices of the grass, the soil and fresh blood mixed together and entered his nose.

He laid on the ground, dazed. After rolling and tumbling for so long, he felt his entire body hurting.

But this feeling, was nothing compared to the intense pain on his chest!

He lowered his head to look at his chest, and breathed in cold air.

Only to see that the left side of his chest had caved in by two inches, his skin was torn and flesh was exposed, his pale rib cage could be seen, broken.

A stream of fresh blood poured out like a fountain.

Fang Yuan had great strength, and also attacked suddenly, causing Tang Qing to be severely injured.

Tang Qing stared with wide opened eyes, after the shock, hatred burst out of his heart like burning magma.

"This rascal, unscrupulous and shameless, attacking me by surprise! Causing me to be severely injured, I want to kill him, I want to tear him into pieces!"

"Go die!" Just at this moment, Tang Qing heard Fang Yuan's growls.

Fang Yuan took a few steps to arrive before Tang Qing, he raised his leg and stepped harshly at the area between Tang Qing's legs.

Tang Qing felt his vision blurring, and squinted. Fang Yuan activated the canopy Gu, and his body was covered by a white armor. Tang Qing's heart trembled.

A rank three Gu Master!

Fang Yuan had first used the breath concealment Gu, but now that he attacked, he could no longer conceal his rank three aura.

The truth directly sent Tang Qing's soul flying beyond the horizon. Such a young rank three Gu Master?!

He subconsciously activated his defense Gu, as a gust of green wind surrounded his body.

Fang Yuan had stored a lot of energy into this kick, it was supposed to smash Tang Qing's lower body part into paste. But because of the wind, the impact was greatly reduced.

"Ah!" Tang Qing opened his mouth, his face contorted as he screamed out in utter anguish.

Even with a defensive Gu, the damage he suffered was like a lightning strike, his body automatically bounced up as he sat on the ground, using both arms to shield his pants.

Fang Yuan's eyes shone with cold light, his left hand gathered into a fist and punched.

He used all his strength for this punch.

The force tore through the winds!

Bam!

A fist covered in white light landed heavily on Tang Qing's face.

Tang Qing's screams came to a stop, as he rapidly fell backwards, his head hitting against the ground.

Motionless, and not breathing.

A fatal blow!

His entire nose caved into his face, his eye bulged out as more than half of his eyeballs were outside the socket, and his skull was completely smashed.

Blood flowed down slowly, dying the soil and grass red.

Fang Yuan stood upright and looked down at the corpse, as the scene froze.

After a few breath's time, screams erupted from the surroundings.

"Dead… he died!"

"Someone was beaten to death!"

The two to three Gu Masters watching were tongue-tied. Even Wei Yang showed a peculiar expression.

Although there were many battles in the battle stage, there were few deaths.

Firstly, the battle stage allowed surrendering. Secondly, the Gu Master overlooking the battle can often stop the fatal attack in time. Thirdly, competitors tend to control themselves, after all, they were all trying to make a living in the battle stage, they would have to interact with one another quite often. Although they might argue over benefits, they would not try to take the other person's life.

There was two reasons why Fang Yuan could kill Tang Qing.

Firstly, he had just come out of cultivation, and his battle instincts were dull. If it was during a normal period, he would have used his defensive Gu from the start, not getting into such a state.

Secondly, Fang Yuan looked way too young, and used the breath concealment Gu to hide his cultivation, causing Tang Qing to relax. Before he could react, Fang Yuan launched a sneak attack, with the first blow severely injured Tang Qing, and his next two attacks were lightning fast, before the Gu Master taking care of the stage reacted, Tang Qing was already dead.

The Gu Master hosting the battle rapidly came over.

But when he saw Tang Qing's concaved face, and the brain matter and blood oozing out from the cracks of his skull, he gave up on trying to save him.

"Youngster, you were too much!" He stared at Fang Yuan, speaking with an unhappy tone.

Although the battle was short, he had observed the entire thing. Fang Yuan had control of the situation, he could have gone easy on Tang Qing and spared his life, but he did not.

Fang Yuan shrugged: "It is just a life, why are you freaking out. According to the battle stage rules, I killed him, so all his possessions are now mine, right?"

The battle stage host Gu Master snorted: "All his things are yours, but we have to take back the vine information Gu. Young man, I have to remind you, you do not respect life at all, that is a dangerous thought!"

"I am really sorry." Wei Yang walked over apologetically, then turned around: "This little brother of mine have been roaming outside, this is the first time he is participating in the battle stage."

The Gu Master did not recognise Wei Yang, showing disgust on his face: "Hmph, you demonic Gu Masters are all like this, such an aggressive nature and enjoy killing and slaughtering. Nevermind, I can't get through to you, pass me your vine information Gu."

Fang Yuan took out the vine information Gu, and the host Gu Master edited the information inside, and returned it to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan inspected the Gu, and his zero wins record had become one.

He next searched Tang Qing's corpse, obtaining four Gu. Three rank two and one rank one, they were ordinary Gu worms, the total value was around two thousand primeval stones.

Tang Qing died very abruptly, causing him to have no time to self-detonate his Gu worms.

And he had just come out of closed cultivation, there was only twenty to thirty primeval stones on him.

"Brother Fang Zheng, try to avoid killing in the future." After they left the battle stage, Wei Yang advised Fang Yuan.

"Even though there is no rules to prevent killing in the battle stage…" Wei Yang shook his head: "There is no need to fight to the death in every round. Although the battle zone might be huge, you are bound to encounter an opponent stronger than you eventually. We interact with each other more than you think, after all, we all live in Shang clan city. When it is possible to spare a life, one should show mercy."

Fang Yuan frowned slightly: "But if I let someone off, they might not let me off. I have encountered demonic Gu Masters in the past, attacking without a second word. If I do not strike, I will be assaulted. My experiences tell me to kill when I can, otherwise, I am breeding threats for myself, I cannot give my enemies a chance! Precisely because of this, I am able to live till today."

Wei Yang was caught speechless.

He suddenly thought, wasn't this Fang Yuan acting just like him in the past? Ruthless and savage, not trusting anyone, it all boils down to having no sense of security.

Demonic Gu Masters had little to no sense of security.

They were different from righteous Gu Masters who had their clans to rely on, clansmen to help them, safely getting resources, it gave them a sense of security and trust in each other.

Demonic Gu Masters were mostly lone cultivators, receiving no support from anyone, even primeval stones and food have to be acquired by themselves. Many times, they eat one meal without the next, unable to fend for themselves, how could they feel safe?

To ensure their survival, they could only take risks and attack people to loot them. Demonic Gu Masters were often alone, they did not dare to attack righteous groups, thus they can only lay their claws on other demonic Gu Masters.

Thus, it leads to a vicious cycle. Demonic Gu Masters do not trust each other, often attacking on sight.

They had no sense of security, thus their attacks were more ruthless.

Wei Yang converted from demonic to righteous, his rich life experience gave him a deep understanding of both factions, more than any ordinary person.

Why is it that the righteous faction flourished, and the demonic faction have to be suppressed?

It was due to this.

Fang Yuan's ruthless acts were completely understandable to Wei Yang. And because he understood, his heart went out to Fang Yuan.

"Although he is rank three cultivation, and has rich battle senses, he is still a kid. Sigh, looking at his attacks, I can tell how much hardship he has been through. Come to think of it, if he spared his opponent, wouldn't that be more strange?"

"He did not spare his opponent, just like other demonic Gu Masters who initially entered the battle stage. I was like that too, wasn't I? Nevermind, as time passes, he will slowly change. This change is gradual and subtle, I cannot forcefully influence him."

Thinking so, Wei Yang stopped his nagging, and changed topic to the battle earlier.

"Little brother Fang Zheng, you said earlier that you have used several Gu to modify your body, and increase your strength. Just how many did you use?"

"Since brother Wei is asking, I shall answer to the best of my ability. I used three, black and white boar Gu, crocodile strength Gu, and currently, the brown bear innate strength Gu that I just bought." Fang Yuan smiled lightly.

"Hehehe, black and white boar Gu gave you the strength of two boars, crocodile strength Gu gave you the strength of a crocodile. But brother, have you thought about it, if a boar charged at you, what injuries would you sustain?" Wei Yang spoke with an enlightening tone.

Fang Yuan knew Wei Yang's intentions, thus he cooperated, saying: "If he does not defend, how can a mortal body take the hit of a wild boar? His stomach will tear and it would be a gruesome sight."

Wei Yang's smile widened: "Then if you place that person's head in a crocodile's mouth, and the crocodile bites, what would happen?"

"The head would burst like a watermelon." Fang Yuan replied.

Wei Yang next asked: "You have the strength of two boars, one crocodile and your own strength. Your first punch however, only made a dent in his chest, and broke a few ribs. Your third punch landed on his face, but only cracked his skull, what does that say?"

But before Fang Yuan replied, he continued: "Punches and kicks can only unleash a portion of the strength in a person's body. Although you have two boars and one crocodile's strength, how many percent can you use? The greatest weakness of the strength path lies here! A person's strength is like a huge vat, filled with water, but when you battle, you can only use a portion of that water."

"Black and white boar Gu, crocodile strength Gu, brown bear innate strength Gu, these can permanently increase strength, but are expensive Gu. You invested so much money, yet only getting a portion of the results, sometimes not even ten percent. If you invest your money elsewhere, you can gain much greater effect."

"I see, brother Wei is saying all these to make me give up on the strength path." Fang Yuan smiled lightly, like he finally understood what was happening.

"I understand that logic, the human body has a different structure from wild beasts, we can hardly display their true strength. But using Gu also depends on being one with them, I've heard of many strength path Gu Masters who managed to unleash the beast phantom, displaying the full power of the Gu worm."

"Hehehe, there is such a thing indeed. When I was still in the battle stage, I met many strength path Gu Masters. As their proficiency in the Gu increases, sometimes, the beast phantom appears in battle and they can use the full strength of the Gu, it is very threatening. But you do not know, the number of times this happens is too few. Moreover, the attack method is very rigid, only when using a specific attack style can the beast phantom be summoned, it is easy to evade." Wei Yang continued to advise painstakingly.

Fang Yuan pondered for a moment, he had the exact thought, but that is also why he needed that legendary Gu.

What came out of his mouth was: "Brother Wei, I appreciate your concern, but the strength path is my choice, I want to see it till the end."

"Sigh, then go ahead with it." Wei Yang sighed, seeing Fang Yuan being so obstinate, he could not force him.

Thankfully, Fang Yuan had already joined the battle stage, Wei Yang thought: What happens next should change Fang Yuan's mind.

Fang Yuan had to stay in Shang clan city for a few more years, there was a lot of time left, Wei Yang was not anxious.

Soon, half a month passed.

In the gambling den, the shopkeeper bent his back, standing beside Fang Yuan, smiling.

"Brother Wei, want to pick a few rocks to play? We might get something good. I'll treat you to a few!" Fang Yuan smiled and said.

Wei Yang stood beside Fang Yuan, shaking his head: "Today is the day Tang Xiong forcefully challenges you, to think the Tang Qing you killed was his brother. Fang Zheng, you should be vigilant, in order to take revenge, Tang Xiong purposely fell from fourth inner city to fifth. He has a small fame, able to use the strength of three bears, he is coming with vengeance."

Although he said so, he was not worried, but instead, looking forward to it secretly.

These days, Fang Yuan won another match, thus this would be his third match.

Wei Yang was hoping this Tang Xiong would 'awaken' Fang Yuan, and cause him to abandon the strength path, changing to another style.

"I will deal with it when it comes, what is there to worry about. If brother Wei is not going to choose, I'm going to. I have already seen several good rocks." Fang Yuan's eyes glowed as he picked a few gambling rocks.

The shopkeeper instructed his clerks to carefully select the gambling rocks and bring them out.

"Eh?" Fang Yuan said, pointing to a leg of the counter: "This rock supporting the leg seems to be a stellar stone?"

The shopkeeper was stunned, but quickly replied: "Esteemed customer sure has amazing eyes. This rock was placed there a few years ago by me. The counter leg was damaged by a gambler's kicking, so I picked a squarish stellar stone and used it to fill in the gap."

Fang Yuan frowned: "Rocks are meant for gambling, how can you use it like that? You're truly burying the rock's potential! Today, for my last piece, I shall choose that."

"Yes, yes, yes, esteemed customer is right!" The shopkeeper nodded rapidly, but he felt indifferent in his heart.

The grade of the stellar stone was very important, arrow or shooting star shaped ones were the best. This rock was obviously a useless one, no one asked for it when it was on the counter, so the shopkeeper used it to balance the counter instead.

The clerks worked together, pulling out the stellar stone from the counter leg, then placing it together with the other rocks to send it for dissection.

At the dissection counter, a few young dissection masters were opening rocks for a middle aged Gu Master, moving delicately and slowly.

Wei Yang did not approve of Fang Yuan gambling rocks. Seeing him pick this rock, he shook his head secretly. Even if he was not a gambler, he knew the importance of grades. Fang Yuan's final rock was completely chosen at random, even he could not stand it. Fang Yuan had been spending the last few days at the gambling den, spending primeval stones, but did not get much rewards out of it.

Sometimes he got a few Gu, but they were rank one or two, or even corpses and carcasses.

In Wei Yang's heart, Fang Yuan was purely wasting his money, but he did not say anything against it. The less primeval stones Fang Yuan had, the more he needed to rely on Shang clan, that was something he wanted to see.

Fang Yuan was excited in his heart but kept a calm expression, staring at the dissection counter in anticipation.

These days, he had been roaming around the gambling dens, purposely choosing some bad rocks to leave an impression.

Although he had controlled himself, and only played small, the gambling rocks were like an endless abyss, in less than a month, he lost over a hundred thousand primeval stones.

But thinking about the legendary Gu he was about to receive, not only a hundred thousand, even five hundred thousand was worth it.

Although this legendary Gu was rank three, its effect was simply amazing, and it was nearly extinct.

Most likely, this was the last one in this world.

Wei Yang frowned: "Mind the time, you have to rush to the battle stage later, shopkeeper, can the dissection be faster?"

"Of course, of course." The shopkeeper recognised Wei Yang the external clan elder, and quickly nodded.

He ran to the dissection counter, waving his hand, saying to the young dissection masters: "Go, go, go."

He sent those dissection masters away, to one side.

"My rocks…" The middle aged Gu Master cried out.

Rock dissecting was a meticulous process, once they got interrupted, the young dissection masters flustered and caused a few of the rocks to be destroyed.

"Li Ran, stop screaming, we will return you your primeval stones." The shopkeeper shouted.

The middle aged Gu Master with a messy beard stared with wide opened eyes, saying indignantly: "What if there was a Gu inside?"

The shopkeeper laughed in disdain, waving his hand at the middle aged Gu Master: "Come on Li Ran, you have been gambling for so many years, you only choose low grade rocks, when have you ever gotten anything good? Stop making a din, or you will lose your compensation!"

" Spit , such a large shops bullying customers, you are looking down on me, one day, I will make it big in life!" The middle aged Gu Master muttered, his tone furious but did not continue making a din.

"Li Ran…" This name made Fang Yuan recall a certain memory.

He could not help but show a weird expression.

This Li Ran, was that person who obtained the legendary Gu. Of course, they might have the same name…

But no matter what, Li Ran's one chance at success was snatched by Fang Yuan.

The five old masters took the stage, starting to dissect the rocks.

The younger masters were speechless, these seniors were using all sorts of flashy methods. Many rocks were easy to dissect, only requiring little primeval essence, but they had to use their full force, and cause their primeval essence to be greatly expended, using many steps only to raise the success rate by a meagre percent.

More than ten rocks, including scrap grade, low grade and middle grade were quickly opened.

"There is a Gu, the sword shadow Gu!"

"Rank three sword shadow Gu, so rare…"

"A living Gu, it is definitely alive, congratulations esteemed customer."

The old masters cupped their fists at Fang Yuan, sighing in relief.

Fang Yuan had been gambling these few days, but did not get any rewards. It caused these old masters to feel uneasy.

The shopkeeper ran over, looking joyous: "Esteemed customer, you have earned a lot! The sword shadow Gu can be sold for thirty two thousand primeval stones, but you only spent eight thousand!"

The surrounding people were envious of Fang Yuan, and that Li Ran even pouted, saying sourly: "Hmph, you just got lucky."

"That's good brother, the sword shadow Gu is at the same level as my broadsword light Gu. I advise you not to sell it but use it yourself." Wei Yang congratulated.

"Hehehe, the light at the end of the tunnel, I said my luck was not so bad." Fang Yuan laughed: "Brother Wei, after today's match ends, I will treat you to a drink, let's celebrate."

Wei Yang nodded, not rejecting it. He did not know that although Fang Yuan was cheerful on the outside, his heart was in complete shock at the moment!

The sword shadow Gu was an accident, it was not his goal.

That stellar stone supporting the counter had no Gu inside after dissecting it, it was a useless rock!

How can this be?

Where is that legendary Gu?!

At once, Fang Yuan's mind was flashing with questions as his heart stirred.

Numerous suspicions popped up in his mind.

How can this happen?!

Wasn't the legendary Gu hidden in this stellar stone?

If it is not this stone, where can it be? Or maybe it was not this rock, or not this gambling den?

Or maybe the rumors were false? Where am I supposed to find that legendary Gu now?

Things had progressed way out of Fang Yuan's expectations. The Gu that he thought was easily obtainable had gone missing, and the sword shadow Gu he had obtained out of luck was not enough to recoup his losses these few days.

"If there is no legendary Gu, my efforts would have been in vain. Damn it, how can this happen? There might be an error in the rumors, but rumors travel far and wide, there has to be a basis for it. Especially when this detail was so specific, there was nothing that deviated from the rumors, but why is it…"

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth secretly.

Without this legendary Gu, his strength path cultivation would be gone like smoke.

"Do I really need to change my cultivation direction? But if I do that, the three kings inheritance would be greatly affected!"

The result of the rock dissection greatly affect Fang Yuan's plans. But he did not know what the problem was, or what went wrong.

The rumors had been shrouded in a deep mysterious fog.

"It is almost time, we should head to the battle stage." At this time, Wei Yang reminded.

Chapter 281: Bear Strength Phantom

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

When Fang Yuan stepped into the battle stage, all the random thoughts were cast out of his head.

He calmly sized up the opponent in front of him.

Tang Xiong.

He was eight feet tall, wide shoulders and a thick waist. Just his arms alone were as thick as Fang Yuan's thighs, as he stood on the stage without an upper garment or shoes.

His chest was filled with black chest hair, giving off a wild and formidable aura.

"Little scoundrel, you killed my little brother? Today, I shall send you to accompany him in the afterlife!" Tang Xiong looked at Fang Yuan with bloodshot eyes, the flames of hatred could be clearly seen.

The surrounding temperature was burning as if it was the torrid afternoon heat of July or August.

The ground was boiling hot; black and red mixed together to form the lava terrain.

This was a mid-scale battle stage. There were only few spectators about dozens, most of them came to watch how Tang Xiong took revenge.

As for Fang Yuan, he might have obtained two victories but it still wasn't enough for him to be famous.

"Tang brothers grew up relying on each other; now Tang Qing is dead and only Tang Xiong remains."

"Hehe, I am waiting to see how Tang Xiong tortures this kid to death."

"Eh, what is this kid's name?"

"I think he was called Gu Yue Fang Zheng, a no-name junior."

"This kid is too thoughtless, he actually dared to break the unsaid rules and kill his first two opponents."

"He should be a demonic Gu Master who had only recently entered the city…"

"Alas, the young do not know to conduct themselves. This day wouldn't have come if he had shown mercy."

The audience continued talking about the match, but no one was optimistic about Fang Yuan.

Wei Yang was in a disguise and was looking at the battle stage with a burning gaze. Tang Xiong also walked the strength path, he was a rank two peak stage expert but could unleash with the strength of three bears and even won his way through to fourth inner city. He was a strong opponent for the current Fang Yuan.

Ding!

A clear ring of the bell announced the start of the match.

Tang Xiong roared and charged straight at Fang Yuan like a wild bull.

The ground of this battle stage was made of dark red lava rocks. Fang Yuan could feel the scalding heat from the ground even though he was wearing boots. While Tang Xiong was barefooted, he did not pay any attention to the heat.

Tum tum tum.

Every time Tang Xiong's feet stepped on the ground, it produced a loud and deep sound. At the same time, his every step shattered the lava rocks and left a deep footprint in the ground.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a blade's edge!

He was at ease despite Tang Xiong's aggressive momentum; the corner of his lips curled up into a cold smile as he outrageously charged at Tang Xiong head-on.

"Has he gone crazy?"

"He dares to face Tang Xiong head-on?"

"He could have had a chance to survive if he prolonged the match, this is simply charging towards his doom."

The audience shook their heads as they looked at this scene.

Fang Yuan was young, his body was not even half as muscular as Tang Xiong's. The scene of him charging at Tang Xiong was like a lamb colliding with a big ox.

Bam!

The two fiercely collided against each other, the enormous strength sent both of them flying.

Tang Xiong was thrown back six steps, as a clearly shocked expression showed on his face. 'How could this kid have such huge great strength?'

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan was thrown back three steps, as the white light armor protecting his body shook.

The result of the collision amazed the audience.

Some had their jaws wide open and some repeatedly blinked their eyes, not having expected Fang Yuan to possess such strength.

"My strength is actually less than his? No wonder little brother died at his hands!" Tang Xiong's expression changed, and looked at Fang Yuan properly for the first time.

Fang Yuan shook his numb arm, his expression was still indifferent; this result wasn't beyond his expectation.

He possessed the strength of two boars and a crocodile, there was also some increase to his strength due to using brown bear innate strength Gu these days. And Tang Xiong, he only possessed the strength of two bears.

Grand bear Gu!

Tang Xiong roared, the muscles on his body expanded visibly and his body size grew by a fold; he temporarily gained the strength of a bear.

Bear palm Gu!

A ball of yellow light covered his palms and soles. After the light dispersed, his hands and feet increased in size by over three times; turning into thick and enormous bear palms.

Whooshh!

He jumped with ferocious strength, next, he waved his right palm smashing at Fang Yuan.

The strong wind produced from his motion sent Fang Yuan's clothes fluttering before the bear palm even hit him.

Fang Yuan was still calm, he clenched his left palm into a fist and struck directly at the bear palm.

Fist and palm struck, producing a muffled sound. It was a draw.

However, following immediately, Tang Xiong's arm swept horizontally and another palm also came smashing over.

Fang Yuan used offence against offence; bang bang bang, fists and palms struck each other multiple times, the wind was screaming from their attacks.

The audience revealed astonished expressions when they saw Fang Yuan equally matched as he attacked Tang Xiong head-on.

'This youngster has some skills to be able to duke it out with Tang Xiong!"

"What was his name again?"

"This is a tough nut, Tang Xiong is in trouble. Grand bear Gu has a time limit, and once the effect disappears, he will be disadvantaged."

However, right at this moment!

A fierce bear's roar resounded throughout the battle stage.

A phantom image of a black bear appeared behind Tang Xiong; it opened its bloody mouth and roared towards the skies.

Beast Phantom!

Tang Xiong got lucky and was able to unleash the beast phantom.

The smack that should have been extremely normal, now had the strength of a bear!

Fang Yuan could not dodge in time and hurriedly put up his arms to stiffly block it.

Boom.

With a huge bang, he was sent flying, the white light armor on his body flickered rapidly before dimming.

His arms were numb and would not be usable for some time.

He did his best to maintain his balance in midair; he twisted his waist and landed on the ground on his feet.

The moment he landed, he activated the canopy Gu; the white light armor appeared once more, but this time it looked weak and transparent, its defense had decreased by a lot.

"That is a bear strength phantom, Tang Xiong has flared up!"

"Bear strength specializes in smacking, it is normal for the bear strength phantom to appear since Tang Xiong has already attacked so many times."

"The situation was still in deadlock, but with the bear strength phantom, that kid's momentum is destroyed. Tang Xiong holds the upper hand now."

"According to the previous statistics, Tang Xiong can use the bear strength phantom five times on average in every fight. If that kid has no way to deal with it, he will definitely be defeated."

Outside the battle stage, the audience kept on making a commotion with their comments.

The appearance of a bear strength phantom meant the true battle was starting, and it roused the audience's passion.

"I have the strength of two boars and a crocodile; boar strength is good at charging attacks and crocodile strength is good at bite attacks, but I have yet to acquire the bear strength. I can't bring out the beast phantom by using my fists or palms, moreover the canopy Gu is not good at defending against close combat attacks, and will likely be destroyed by one or two more attacks from the bear strength phantom."

Fang Yuan's thoughts flashed through and he decided to change his battle tactics.

Jumping grass.

He willed, and a spring like grass soon grew out from his soles then pierced through his boots.

Just as Tang Xiong was charging at him, Fang Yuan stamped on the ground and leapt far away like a frog.

At the same time, his left palm swiped at Tang Xiong's direction.

A scarlet colored moonblade immediately shot out of his palms and struck Tang Xiong; the defensive light on his body flickered for a while.

Blood moon Gu might not have high offensive power, but it was a rank three Gu after all.

Tang Xiong was distracted for a moment before he pounced upon Fang Yuan again.

Fang Yuan used the same trick again, throwing scarlet moonblades from afar; he had changed his battle tactics and didn't engage Tang Xiong in close combat.

Tang Xiong had no choice but to use his movement Gu and chase after Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan kept on attacking and retreating. It was not that Tang Xiong didn't have long range attacking methods, but they were many times weaker than his close combat power and simply could not threaten Fang Yuan.

Tang Xiong growled repeatedly in anger, and tried to provoke Fang Yuan by cursing at him; the audience also made booing noises since they wanted to see intense close combat.

However, how could Fang Yuan be so easily provoked?

He did not have a complete set of Gu worms and had yet to make close combat his forte. Even the long range attacks were forcefully improvised by him.

Time passed by, both their primeval essences continually fell.

Fang Yuan's advantage became clearer; he possessed light silver primeval essence of rank three initial stage, while Tang Xiong only had B grade aptitude and red steel primeval essence.

Despite the strength path Gu Masters' advantage in consuming very little primeval essence, they could not last forever.

By the time Fang Yuan's blood moon Gu made five to six wounds on Tang Xiong's body, the latter had no choice but to admit defeat since his healing Gu was not very good and blood kept on flowing out of the wounds.

"Just wait, one day, I will smack you into minced meat!" Tang Xiong covered his wounds and walked out of the stage.

He came with the aggressiveness of the devil but was leaving with a pale face, his steps light and weak.

"To think fourth inner city's Tang Xiong was defeated!"

"What is that Gu? It could form blood red moonblades and blood kept on flowing out of the wounds it inflicted, I have never seen such a Gu before."

"This kid is not one to trifle with, he will advance to fourth inner city's battle stage before long."

Winner takes it all; most of the audience focused on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan received his third victory, and according to the rules, he took that grand bear Gu from Tang Xiong.

This was the most valuable Gu in Tang Xiong's possession. With this Gu gone, Tang Xion only possessed the strength of two bears, his battle strength decreased by thirty percent and there was no need to worry about him now.

However, Fang Yuan was not happy.

The legendary Gu was not in the stellar stone used as a leg support, then where was it?

Was there another piece of stone used as a leg support?

However, when Fang Yuan went back to the gambling den, the foot of that counter was already restored.

Maybe, it was not that gambling den?

Fang Yuan inwardly shook at the thought; stellar stone used to support counter in the rock gambling zone, only this gambling den fulfilled this condition.

"Without the legendary Gu, I won't have any advantage in walking on the strength path. Strength path had prevailed since ancient times, but now it is just a shadow of its previous glory. If I want to walk on the strength path without the legendary Gu, at the very least I will need an ancient strength path inheritance. Unfortunately, I only have memories of three ancient strength path inheritance, of which one is at Eastern Seas and another at Central Continent."

"The third one is at Southern Border, but has already been occupied and exploited by Wu Clan for several years now. Now that I recall it, even Empress Wu Ji of Wu Clan walked the strength path. And because of this ancient inheritance, the Wu Clan was able to sit on the throne of Southern Border's number one force."

Of course, this throne was only referring to the mortal realm. Rank six Gu immortals were at a level that crossed the ordinary and could not be calculated in this.

Fang Yuan continued to secretly investigate the next seven to eight days without any results.

"Sigh, only one clue remains now, I can only give up if that doesn't work." Fang Yuan thought, he was not someone who would waste time on an unsolvable problem.

This final clue was Li Ran — the protagonist who obtained the legendary Gu in Fang Yuan's previous life.

Chapter 282: A flash of inspiration Gu

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Although Fang Yuan had the purple thorn token, he did not dare to investigate this openly.

But in his memory, Li Ran also participated in the battle stage. After obtaining the legendary Gu, he won his way up and swept the battle stage.

This made it easier.

Fang Yuan still had the once per month enforced challenge unused, thus, he came to the secret reception area using it.

There were three people who were named Li Ran among the ones who had signed up.

Two males and one female.

Eliminating the female since Li Ran was a male in the rumors.

The remaining two, one was an old man around sixty years old, slightly famous. With rank three cultivation, he had gone up to third inner city's battle stage a few years ago, but his body was getting worse as the years went, falling back to fourth inner city eventually. This was obviously not the Li Ran Fang Yuan wanted to find either, since Li Ran in his memories had a tough life.

The other is a middle aged man, over fifty years old. With rank two cultivation, he had arrived in Shang clan city for around ten years, but had remained at the fifth inner city battle stage. He loved gambling, and lived a difficult life. He had married and bore children in Shang clan city, but the couple did not get along and separated.

Fang Yuan secretly investigated, and found that this person was the one he saw at the gambling den.

Tailing him for several days, Fang Yuan found that this Li Ran lived from day to day, sometimes, after eating today, he could not afford food the next day.

But this did not mean he had no capabilities.

He relied on the primeval stones he earned in fifth inner city battle stage to survive.

Fang Yuan investigated his battle records, he won more than he lost.

According to logic, he should not be living such a life. But this person loved to eat, gamble and visit prostitutes, he spent his money without restraint. In order to gamble, he would even use all the primeval stones he has, such that for the next half a month, he would have to borrow money from people, and eat the cheapest food possible to survive.

Similarly, in order to have a feast, he would go to the highest grade restaurant, and spend most of the money he had. He even ate without paying, and still owed several restaurants money now.

"This person must be the owner of the legendary Gu in my previous life. But he could not control his desires, thus even with the legendary Gu, what could he do? No wonder he was like a shooting star, going missing soon after his fame." Fang Yuan shook his head secretly.

"He obtained the legendary Gu in my previous life, would he get it again now? It is not possible for me to continue tailing him for long. The day where he finds the legendary Gu is nearing. Am I truly not fated to receive this Gu?" Fang Yuan frowned.

These days, Fang Yuan spent a lot of time and effort in tailing Li Ran. If he spent this time on cultivating, he might achieve greater success.

Most importantly, Fang Yuan had no confidence of whether he would gain anything from doing this.

And if he continued, he might get found out. Thankfully, Wei Yang was a busy man, only coming over to watch when Fang Yuan had a battle, if not, Fang Yuan would not have the opportunity to tail Li Ran.

If Wei Yang found him doing this, how would Fang Yuan explain himself?

The greatest suspicion now was, why was the legendary Gu not inside the stellar stone, this did not match with the rumors!

Fang Yuan could not understand, this was too unimaginable! All the elements were present, but the Gu was nowhere to be found.

It could just be Fang Yuan's overwhelmingly suspicious nature, but he found this Li Ran very strange. He could not pinpoint what the strangeness was, but it was a feeling, an instinct. It was such a baseless feeling that even Fang Yuan could not be sure of it.

LIke this, after another twenty over days, Fang Yuan fell into deep perplexity. That strange feeling became stronger, but Fang Yuan did not know where it originated.

Li Ran's actions had nothing amiss.

He lived in Shang clan city for nearly ten years, if there was anything wrong with him, outsiders would've known already.

"I am too entrenched into this, and have thought about this too much. At this time, I need an outsider's opinion to inspire myself." Fang Yuan was clear of his situation.

But he only trusted himself, although he made a poison vow with Bai Ning Bing, Fang Yuan did not trust Bai Ning Bing one bit. He only used her to cultivate, since the bone flesh unity Gu was much better than the liquor worm.

Without anyone to help, Fang Yuan could only rely on himself. And he had gotten used to relying on himself, and liked it too.

Thus, he came to the shop: "Shopkeeper, do you have a flash of inspiration Gu?"

Fang Yuan had asked a few shops, they did not have it. Finally, a shop had it, but it was priced at twenty nine thousand primeval stones.

A flash of inspiration Gu, a rank three consumable Gu, gone after one use. Who would spend so much primeval stones to buy this?

But the truth is, many people did.

These people were recipe masters who specialized in creating Gu refinement recipes.

When they got into a bottleneck, and were a step from success, they would choose to use this Gu. Once this Gu was used, it would give them that spark of inspiration that would allow them to successfully create the new recipe.

A recipe's worth is far greater than twenty nine thousand primeval stones.

Thus, a flash of inspiration Gu was a Gu with a lot of demand, if Fang Yuan did not have the purple thorn token, the shop would never sell it to him.

A similar Gu to the a flash of inspiration Gu is the cactus pointer.

But the latter was a Tie clan specialty grass Gu, it was not sold in the market.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, buying this a flash of inspiration Gu.

This Gu was like a blue jewel tadpole, small and agile, swimming about and waving its tail.

Fang Yuan activated his primeval essence, and this Gu entered his brain, turning into a white spiritual light, and like lightning, tore across the layers of mystery in Fang Yuan's head.

Fang Yuan's eyes shone with brilliance, finally realizing what the strange feeling was.

"That's right, although this Li Ran's life is a mess, without any control over himself, there exists a pattern among this mess. He goes to the restaurant once every three days, goes to the gambling den twice every seven days, and the brothel once every five days. And every ten days, he would go to a restaurant named 'Fu Tai Xiang He'.

From the messy report, under the influence of the a flash of inspiration Gu, the pattern within was revealed .

This was the strange part.

If a person was truly unrestrained and did not think of what to do, his life would be a complete mess, how could it have such a perfect rhythm?

Three days later, in Fu Tai Xiang He restaurant.

"Clerk, the bill." Li Ran looked away from the window, calling loudly.

"Coming, lord Li Ran, five and a half primeval stones please."

"This is six, no need for change." Li Ran tossed out six primeval stones.

"Thank you lord, take care!"

Dun dun dun…

Li Ran walked down the stairs, and as he walked out of the restaurant, he turned into an alley and gradually vanished under the shadow.

Downstairs, Fang Yuan observed silently, before calling the shop assistant, pointing at Li Ran's seat: "The view here is horrible, I want to sit there instead."

According to his understanding, every time Li Ran came here, he would sit at the window seat, that was indeed strange.

"No problem!" The shop assistant laughed: "It is a man's interest to peek at beauties."

"What?" Fang Yuan's eyebrows raised.

"Hmm, isn't esteemed customer trying to see Qin Yan brothel's number one star, Lady An Yu? Hehe, that seat can directly look into her room, if you're lucky, you can even see her body. That Li Ran earlier, he always sits here to look at her. He always makes me reserve the seat for half a primeval stones." The shop assistant said with a lecherous expression.

"Oh is that so?" Fang Yuan replied curtly, sitting at Li Ran's seat.

Through the window, he could indeed see into the brothel.

Qin Yan brothel had eight storeys, the number one lady An Yu was a rank two Gu Master, having a room at the top floor. She had a great body, and her Gu Master identity could invoke men's conquering desires, rumors say it takes almost ten thousand primeval stones to have her for a night.

With Li Ran's fortune, he could not afford this, but was he really here to peek at Lady An Yu?

Looking at the way he left the brothel, he was not such a man.

Fang Yuan looked outside, there were many restaurants around Qin Yan brothel, why did he choose this one?

If he had a Gu worm to improve his vision, then maybe, but Fang Yuan knew he did not have such a Gu.

At this distance, even if Lady An Yu was there, he would only see a blur image.

"Eh? This is…" Fang Yuan's gaze concentrated on a tofu shop opposite the street.

A pair of mother and son were packing up their stall, ready to go home.

Fang Yuan recognised them, they were Li Ran's wife and son!

"Don't tell me, his real motive was to look at them?" Fang Yuan could not help but think.

He closed his eyes, and the map of the street appeared in his head.

There were better places to peek at Lady An Yu, but to observe this mother and son pair, this was the only spot!

"If he really wanted to look at them, why does he have to do it sneakily? According to my findings, he abandoned them years ago, is he feeling guilty? Strange… if he was guilty, and wanted to show concern for them, he could appear in front of them personally, why does he have to be secretive."

"No, it could be that he was too ashamed to face them. But if he was, why would he not turn over a new leaf? This is really weird, he seems to be a mess, and cannot restrain himself, but his life is actually an orderly mess. This evidently shows he has good control over himself."

Fang Yuan's eyes were eerie as possibilities flashed across his mind.

He chewed on the food, but could not taste them at all.

He felt himself nearing the truth, like a blind man in a room getting close to the door.

All the clues and suspicions flew around in his head like a tornado.

Such a thinking speed, caused his eating action to be greatly slowed.

He slowly put down the chopsticks, raising his wine glass, the wine inside glimmering as it emitted a strong fragrance.

Suddenly, Fang Yuan's black pupils expanded!

The wine glass was raised halfway, and his arm stayed in midair, not moving like a statue.

In his mind, a bolt of lightning struck and exploded.

"So that's why… I finally understand!"

He screamed excitedly in his heart, as a great brilliance flashed across his eyes like lightning.

The mystery involving his last life and current life had finally been solved, all the suspicions were lifted and Fang Yuan found the answer he wanted!

At the same time, he 'found' the legendary Gu he lost!

Chapter 283: Got it

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Wu Ran, if we ask you to sacrifice your future for the clan, are you willing to do it?"

"I am willing!"

…

"Wu Ran, if we ask you to sacrifice your reputation for the clan, are you willing to do it?"

"I am willing!"

…

"Wu Ran, if we ask you to sacrifice your life for the clan, are you willing to do it?"

"I am willing!"

…

"I was right about you, Wu Ran. From your grandfather, father, and then you, you were all loyal Wu clan subjects! Now, the clan has a mission for you, this mission would need you to sacrifice your future, your reputation, and maybe even your life."

"Lord clan leader, I am willing to do it for the clan!"

…

In the darkness, Wu Ran opened his eyes.

" Huff …" He breathed out slowly, sitting up from his bed, muttering: "I dreamed again."

This dream was not fake, but originated from the deepest part of his memory.

'Li Ran' is his fake name, his real name is 'Wu Ran'.

The surname Wu, bore great significance in southern border. It represented the number one overlord in the southern border, Wu clan!

Eleven years ago, Wu clan leader Empress Wu Ji gave an audience to Wu Ran, and assigned him a secret mission —

Making his way into Shang clan's higher up level!

For this, he changed his name, and roamed the wilderness for three years before settling in Shang clan city.

He laid low for eight whole years.

"It has been eight years, an entire eight years. Wu clan's clansmen have mostly forgotten me by now huh? Wu Ran is dead, in this world, only Li Ran remains."

Li Ran sighed in his heart.

He had been lurking for too long. So long that he almost forgot his own name.

Here, he wore a mask, living for eight years, pretending to be a libertine, an ordinary Gu Master of the lowest social level. Even to his beloved wife, he did not say a thing.

During this period, he only left once every half a year to contact Wu clan. It had always been a one-sided contact, hiding all traces to the limit.

Until a year ago, the agent informed him that the clan was going to use him. His excitement then could not be expressed in words!

"After eight years, they have finally activated it, everything will be different now!" Li Ran exclaimed. He willed, and a Gu appeared from his storage.

This fossil was cube shaped, like a brick shining with star light on its surface.

This was a stellar stone.

If Fang Yuan was here, he would find that this rock was very similar to the rock used as a leg support in the gambling den.

Li Ran caressed this fossil gently, frowning slightly.

As a spy, he spent ten years lurking in the city, creating a perfect background for himself. It would definitely gain Shang clan's trust.

But trust is not enough, he needed ability that surpasses the ordinary man, so that he can dominate the battle stage. Only then would Shang clan recruit him, and make him into an external clan elder like Wei Yang, thus gaining authority in Shang clan.

This 'ability' had to appear naturally, and it cannot be too abrupt.

Thus, Wu clan leader Empress Wu Ji chose a Gu worm for him personally.

This was a Gu that possessed a legendary tale.

Obtained from an ancient strength path inheritance, it is an almost extinct Gu in the current world, it was extremely rare!

With this Gu, Li Ran can emerge from his slumber and dominate the battle stage.

As to the method of 'obtaining' this Gu, to avoid suspicion, Wu clan had made preparations.

That is, gambling rocks.

Luck is unpredictable, and an ancient Gu being sealed within a fossil was completely normal.

The demonic Gu Master Wei Shen Jing was a subordinate of Empress Wu Ji. Creating a fake scrap grade fossil was as easy as pie, no one would be able to discern it.

Li Ran spent some effort too.

To make sure people believed this was a fossil from the gambling den, and not his own, he chose a gambling rock that was used as leg support in the gambling den.

This rock was there for many years, people walked about and never noticed it.

Li Ran had communicated with Wu clan, asking Wei Shen Jing to create a similar stellar stone.

Later in his plan, he would swap this rock with the stellar stone in his hand without anyone noticing. He was a Gu Master, after observing for half a year, he knew when was the perfect time to swap the stones without anyone realizing.

When he finally opens the stellar stone, the entire gambling den would testify for him, that it was completely due to luck.

After he obtains this Gu, he would turn over a new leaf, and start the story of a prodigal son. He would rise up, find his wife and child, and become an external clan elder of Shang clan. He would complete his mission, and bring his wife and child back to Wu clan, where they belong.

Thinking of his wife and son, Li Ran felt extremely guilty.

He loved his wife deeply, she is so kind, so strong willed.

At the same time, as a father, he would love to give everything good in this world to his son.

He was only making use of her at the start, but as time went on, their relationship deepened, and he could not stop loving her. After their son was born, his love for them only grew. But eventually, because of his mission and secret identity, he had to temporarily leave them.

"You must hate me now, I've disappointed you too much. But it is alright, soon, soon. I have been deployed, I can bring you happiness!"

Li Ran gripped his fists, his eyes shining with determination.

Tomorrow, he would go to the battle stage, and engage in a battle. The day after, he would bring this stellar stone to the gambling den, and perform his life changing show.

"I had planned to use that stone as a cover, but life is hard to predict, someone actually chose it. Heh, that idiot, choosing a scrap grade stellar stone. But… tomorrow, I will have to be an idiot too."

Li Ran laughed, keeping the stellar stone back into his storage Gu.

Although there was some changes to his plans, it was still fine. He had planned for such a small accident anyway.

He laid down once more, and soon, fell into deep sleep.

This time, he did not have any dreams.

On the second day, he felt great, energetic and full of hope.

He felt that he was like a tourist walking in a dark cavern. After a long journey, he finally saw the light ahead, the exit of the cavern!

Eight years of enduring, everything would become so wonderful!

Everything would definitely become perfect!

With such a belief, he arrived at the battle stage.

He had gotten information of the opponent this time, a rank two peak stage Gu Master often seen in fifth inner city's battle stage, he was a familiar face.

Even the weakest Gu Master, if they can roam in the battle stage without giving up, they have the ability to hold their own.

Li Ran did not look down on his opponent, the Gu Li Ran currently had were quite weak and not considered high quality. He had to conceal himself as well, unable to fight fiercely, thus, this battle could go either way.

Indeed, as they fought, it was as Li Ran predicted.

From probing to fighting, the two were evenly matched, at a stalemate.

The battlefield was ravaged, and the few spectators gasped at the scene.

Suddenly, Li Ran's eyes shone brightly.

A chance!

He found a weak point of his opponent, and was about to attack.

Suddenly, his heart hurt, and his body stiffened; the counter attack from his opponent sent him flying.

Li Ran was heavily injured, groaning in pain. His body flew more than ten steps back, until he stopped himself.

A trace of blood fell from his mouth.

However, the severity of his injuries was on par with the shock and fear in his heart right now!

"My flowerbud Gu, my flowerbud Gu! How did it lose connection with me? The stellar stone is inside it!"

At the same time, at Li Ran's residence.

The bed was flipped over, showing a secret compartment.

Fang Yuan stood beside it, holding a flowerbud Gu in his hand.

This Gu was rank two, used to store items. It was shaped like a flower, light blue in color but was crystal in material, shining clearly under sunlight.

Although it was Li Ran's Gu, with the Spring Autumn Cicada's aura, Fang Yuan instantly refined it.

Fang Yuan's mind went into the Gu, and saw many things inside. A large sack of rice, some daily necessities, a poor quality block of compressed tea, thirty to forty primeval stones and a few fossils.

"This is it!" Fang Yuan's heart trembled, as he activated his primeval essence, and a black light flew out of the flowerbud Gu.

The black light landed in Fang Yuan's palm, turning into a stellar stone.

It looked extremely ugly, squarish and resembled a brick, almost the same as the leg support rock.

The moment the stellar stone appeared, the entire world seemed to have went silent.

Fang Yuan's pupils expanded.

Thump thump… thump thump…

His heartbeat accelerated, he could clearly hear it.

Including this shabby house and the people walking outside, the surroundings faded away; only Fang Yuan and the stellar stone were left.

He held the heavy stellar stone, and he could feel the cold surface of the rock.

Fang Yuan stared at it passionately, at the same time, his lips curled up as he smiled.

His smile widened, until he opened his mouth and laughed silently!

The legendary Gu, is finally in my hands!

He screamed in his heart: "Just as I guessed, this Li Ran is a spy from another clan! When I was at Qing Mao mountain, I used the gambling rock to conceal my liquor worm, he is doing the same thing. No wonder the stellar stone was empty, my previous life's rumor was all part of his act."

"Today, he is going to the battle stage to fight. Whether he concealed his strength or not, according to his previous records, the opponent is around the same level as him, it would be a tough fight. The legendary Gu's stellar stone is so important, it will be tough to fight if he brings it around. With his vigilant nature, he would not hide the stellar stone in the storage Gu and bring it around."

Because if he lost the battle, his opponent would get to take one of his Gu worms.

He knew there was a legendary Gu within the stellar stone, if his opponent took his storage Gu, he would lose the stellar stone!

Chapter 284: One, Two, Five

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"I admit defeat!" Li Ran suddenly half kneeled on the ground, shouting loudly.

His opponent stopped charging forward, holding back his attack as he did not want to drive Li Ran into a corner. There was no benefits in doing that for both parties.

Li Ran spit out a mouthful of blood, standing up shakingly.

In order to quickly leave the battlefield, he purposely took a few hits from his opponent.

The hosting Gu Master walked in front, announcing the results of the battle.

Li Ran was extremely anxious, after taking back the vine information Gu, he quickly left the battle stage after pretending to be dejected.

He half-heartedly bandaged his injuries before rushing back to his house.

"God damn it, how can this happen? What in the world happened, why did I lose connection with flowerbud Gu?"

Li Ran's heart was engulfed by a dark cloud.

The flowerbud Gu was a Gu he had refined, the moment Fang Yuan refined it, he could sense it.

"Only two possibilities exist for such a situation. One is that the flowerbud Gu was destroyed, the second is that someone else refined it! Was I discovered? No, maybe the situation isn't as bad as I imagine, a burglar could've entered my house. F*ck, I have lived in Shang clan city for eight years, I know almost all the thieves there are, why would someone want to steal from that house of mine!"

Li Ran walked quickly, the stellar stone was extremely important, even with his calm nature, he could not help but feel anxious.

He was regretting.

He should've hid the flowerbud Gu at a safer location, and not place it in the secret compartment under his bed.

But the truth is, that was not his fault.

He had gone undercover, to conceal himself, he did not have any friends, and for the last few years, he had not contacted his wife or child. He often went to brothels, gambling dens, restaurants, those areas were full of people and he could not hide anything there.

He could hide it at a pawn shop, but placing so much attention on a scrap grade fossil was too peculiar. When Shang clan investigates in the future,that would create huge suspicion.

In Shang clan city, all sorts of people existed, there were many thief Gu Masters. But to forcefully take over the flowerbud Gu, a rank three Gu is required. The problem is, why would any rank three Gu Master want to steal from a run down place like his?

Li Ran had lurked for eight years, so long that he almost forgot his past. When he hid the flowerbud Gu, he was very confident but now his confidence turned into regret and self blame.

"Hopefully, the situation can still be salvaged!"

He returned to his home feeling uncertainty, the door was closed.

He opened it, and saw the place was in a mess.

"It was a thief!" He suddenly had a thought.

Encountering a thief was not scary, as long as his identity was not exposed, all could be salvaged.

"That's right!" Li Ran consoled himself: "Every time I contacted Wu clan, it was a one-sided transmission. There are no evidence on me, and that legendary Gu is inside the stellar stone. If it is not opened, who would know the value of it? As long as I find the thief, with my eight years of experience in this city…"

As he thought about it, he calmed his emotions, and stopped panicking.

"Should I report the case? Using the guards' ability to arrest the thief? No, I should be polite before resorting to brute force, it is best if I can get back the stellar stone peacefully. The city guards can't be trusted too, they would not spend effort for a small fry like me. Maybe I should hire a Tie clan Gu Master?"

"Eh? This is…" At this point, he concentrated, and found a Gu after flipping over his bed.

Heart sound Gu!

This Gu was rank two, green and black in color, around the size of a baby's thumb. It was shaped like a conch shell, one end was large while the other end was tiny, and had a spiral appearance.

"Heart sound Gu comes in pairs, it can allow two Gu Masters to speak internally within a hundred steps. Don't tell me… the thief left this behind specially for me?!"

Li Ran's eyes shone with hesitation, but he gritted his teeth and placed the heart sound Gu into his ear, like a earplug.

"Who are you?" Li Ran injected primeval essence, and activated the heart sound Gu, concentrating his mind and asked.

"That question is not important. The important thing is, Li Ran is a fake name right? Hehehe." Soon after, Fang Yuan's voice appeared in Li Ran's head.

That instant, Li Ran's pupils shrunk as he looked like he was struck by lightning, stunned on the spot.

"Not good, he found out my identity!" Li Ran was horror stricken.

The situation had become the worst!

But he was after all, a spy for eight years, even with this turn of events, he calmed his mind and spoke to Fang Yuan: "Fake name? What fake name, what do you mean?"

He said as he carefully tiptoed, walking around in the shabby house.

He next leaned on the wall, looking at the street outside the window.

"The heart sound Gu has an effective range, only a hundred steps away at most, he must be near me." He rapidly thought of a solution.

To use the heart sound Gu, one has to concentrate in order to speak, ordinary thinking would not be transmitted.

But Fang Yuan was well aware of his mental state, lightly laughing: "Don't bother acting Li Ran. I am not your enemy, as long as you cooperate, to express my sincerity, we can meet up."

"Meet up?" Li Ran was shocked.

Next, Fang Yuan's voice rang in his head: "Now, walk out of your room and turn left around the door."

"Why should I listen to you?" Li Ran called out in his mind.

Fang Yuan laughed: "Don't try to test how much I know, it is beyond your imagination. I will count to five, consider well."

"One." Fang Yuan counted.

Li Ran rapidly thought about the situation.

Even though the flowerbud Gu was in the thief's hands, they had no evidence that he was a Wu clan spy.

He had lurked for eight years, how could there be evidence?

"Two." Fang Yuan spoke casually.

If at this time, he listened to Fang Yuan, and gets spotted by others, that would be concrete proof that he was a spy.

But if he did not listen, what happens to the stellar stone?

"Five." Fang Yuan continued to count.

Li Ran's mind was thrown into chaos, as he scolded: "God damn, can you even count properly?!"

"Hehehe, it seems you have come to a decision." Fang Yuan laughed.

Li Ran breathed deeply, his fists clenched tightly, as he gritted his teeth and left the house.

He walked out of the door, and arrived at a busy street. Next, he turned left.

About fifty steps later, Fang Yuan's voice rang out again: "Turn right, at the third cross junction, turn left."

"He can see my movements, he has to be beside me, but who?" Li Ran had sharp vision, like an eagle sweeping the crowd.

"I would advise you not to look around, that is not your usual behavior. Hehe, after eight years, you want it all to go down the drain?" Fang Yuan quickly said.

"Damn it…" Li Ran gritted his teeth till they squeaked, Fang Yuan's threat made him lower his head as he looked ahead.

Following Fang Yuan's instructions, he turned and walked around in circles, until Fang Yuan told him to stop.

"Turn around." Fang Yuan quickly followed: "In your vision, there should be a restaurant, go to the third storey, I will be waiting there."

Li Ran looked, and his heart jumped.

This restaurant, was the one he often came to, Fu Tai Xiang He restaurant.

"Don't tell me…" He had a bad feeling in his heart. The thief held so much information about him, it felt like he was stripped bare naked in the winter snow plains.

He entered the restaurant.

The familiar shop assistant looked at him, enthusiastically calling out: "Lord Li Ran, you are here, please come upstairs!"

Li Ran's grim face smiled slightly as he carried his utmost vigilance and ascended the ladder.

Halfway through, before the second floor.

"Wait." Fang Yuan suddenly said.

Li Ran stopped his movement, asking: "What?"

"Go downstairs, and out of the door." Fang Yuan instructed.

Li Ran snorted, having no choice but to leave.

The shop assistant looked at him, feeling confused, quickly asking: "What is the matter lord, are you not eating anymore?"

Li Ran waved his hand, asking him to leave, as he walked out of the restaurant.

"Opposite you, there is a shop selling baked pancakes, go buy a few." Fang Yuan continued.

Li Ran's eyes twitched, but he followed the instructions, buying a few pancakes.

"Okay, now return to the third floor of the restaurant." Fang Yuan said again.

Li Ran's forehead was popping with veins as he held the pancake and returned to the restaurant.

The shop assistant saw him entering again, looking at him weirdly: "Lord Li Ran, if you want to buy pancakes, just call me, I can buy it for you."

"Scram." Li Ran shouted, scaring the shop assistant as he shuddered and stopped talking.

He got to the third floor, and stopped after the ladder.

"Continue, take two to three steps and turn left, you will see me." Fang Yuan instructed.

Li Ran followed the instructions, as he walked around a pillar, and finally saw Fang Yuan, sitting at his usual spot.

Next, he saw Fang Yuan stretch out his hand, inviting him to the seat. At the same time, he heard in his mind: "Please take a seat."

Li Ran did not speak, quietly sitting before Fang Yuan, then staring at him without blinking.

The truth is, Fang Yuan's youthful appearance gave him a huge shock.

When they conversed, Fang Yuan held him tightly by the collar, he subconsciously pictured the image of Fang Yuan as an unscrupulous middle aged man, or an elderly wearing a hat, hiding his face in the darkness.

But the truth was completely the opposite.

The voice from the heart sound Gu would always be tuned, it cannot ascertain age, but could easily determine the gender.

If he did not see it with his own eyes, Li Ran would never have thought the mysterious man was so young!

Fifth inner city's street lights passed the windows and shone on Fang Yuan's face. Although he had a plain look, his eyes were as black as ink, like an abyss, deep and mysterious.

Li Ran memorised Fang Yuan's face deep in his heart.

Although this was the first time they met, he could swear, he would never forget Fang Yuan's appearance in this life.

Because it was due to this young man that all his plans were foiled, and in such a helpless way!

Chapter 285: All-out effort Gu

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

On the dinner table, dishes and wine produced amazing fragrance.

At the surrounding tables, some people were playing drinking games, some recited poems, others were playing around, it was a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Fang Yuan and Li Ran sat opposite each other, they looked very peaceful, but they were secretly sizing each other up. It was the calm before the storm. Li Ran had deep killing intent in his heart, and although Fang Yuan looked relaxed, he was also wary of Li Ran.

"Who exactly are you?" Li Ran asked using the heart sound Gu.

"I said before, that is not important. Pass the pancake to me." The first half was spoken internally, while the second sentence was using his mouth.

Li Ran was stunned, before pushing the paper bag towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan opened the bag, taking out a pancake and biting, nodding: "Now this is the flavor I wanted, I'm so sorry for the trouble."

Next, he used the heart sound Gu: "Do you know, I tailed you for several days below this restaurant, I got hungry and bought a pancake, and found it really delicious, want to try?"

Li Ran had no mood to try the pancake.

He snorted in his heart, asking: "Aren't you afraid I'll poison it?"

But on the surface, he smiled and said: "It is no big deal, no trouble at all. Don't forget we have a great relationship."

"Hehehe." Fang Yuan laughed out loud, staring at Li Ran with deep meaning, transmitting in his mind: "You think I don't know what Gu you have?"

Li Ran smiled more brightly, but his heart sank.

"He is trying to remind me! That's right, the enemy is hiding in the shadows while I am out there, I did not even sense him tailing me these few days. He should've known all about me already. If I fight him now, there is a low chance of success, thus he used this pancake to warn me!"

Fang Yuan saw Li Ran keeping silent, his eyes shifting around, and knew the warning got through, thus he took out the stellar stone.

Li Ran's gaze was attracted, but the stone was quickly taken away.

The next moment, Fang Yuan's voice rang in his mind: "Stop pretending, I know the all-out effort Gu is inside this."

"WHAT?!" Li Ran's heart shook like he had been struck by lightning.

Even if he was a good actor, his expression changed showing fluster and fear.

He had been hoping the secret of the stellar stone would not be exposed. After all, it came form Wei Shen Jing, there were no flaws, but to think the matter had worsened to this extent, the other party knew the all-out effort Gu was sealed inside!

"Wait, the matter regarding the all-out effort Gu, only a few people know about it. Even I only knew about it soon after receiving it, how did he find out?"

"The matter is complex now… I am confident there are no loopholes on my end, thus this should've been exposed on the clan side! Wu clan can send a spy like me here, Shang clan can also send theirs over. The few large clans in the southern border, they infiltrate each other, and there are spies everywhere, they should be clear of each other's matters."

"If not, how could he know about the all-out effort Gu? That's right, I was so vigilant, how could I make a mistake and let him get a hold on me, or even suspect me? To think my home clan has been infiltrated to this extent, it is truly scary!"

"But maybe that isn't the case, in this world, there are too many special Gu worms…"

Fang Yuan left Li Ran ample time to think.

He was a smart person, the more he thought, the more suspicious he would get. Subconsciously, he would imagine Fang Yuan to be stronger, more mysterious, and scarier. That would make him feel inferior during the discussion.

Fang Yuan played with the stellar stone, after a while, when the time was almost ripe, he continued transmitting his voice: "I want the all-out effort Gu."

Li Ran was stunned, not understanding Fang Yuan's deeper meaning.

"But I know, if I take this Gu, I would face the wrath and revenge of your clan. Thus, I need your cooperation." Fang Yuan's gaze was eerie.

To be able to plot against Shang clan, they had to be an equally large clan. If Fang Yuan took the all-out effort Gu by force, he would be enemies with this clan.

This stellar stone was like bait on a hook. If Fang Yuan wanted to eat this bait, he needed to avoid getting stuck on the hook.

Li Ran revealed a mocking smile: "You want me to cooperate with you, what a joke, on what basis?"

"Based on the fact that I do not want to be enemies with you. Even if I have the purple thorn token, I do not want to be enemies with you, because like you, I have people I want to protect." Fang Yuan said in his mind to Li Ran, as he looked out of the window.

At the same time, he said with his mouth: "I heard that shop sells great tofu."

Li Ran squinted, his eyes showing a ferocious gaze, screaming in his mind: "Are you threatening me?!"

Fang Yuan shook his head, in his eyes, there were clouds drifting, as he showed a complex emotion on his face. Li Ran instantly caught his emotion, there were sadness, pain, helplessness, and fondness.

"Are you not clear of your situation?" Fang Yuan said in his mind: "People like us, squeezed between two strong forces, living on the edge everyday, hiding our emotions in the depths of our hearts, and could die anytime. Since we chose this path, we can only continue walking on it. It is all for the clan, we have no regrets. But some people, they are innocent, why should they be implicated into our business, and bear the risks for us?"

Li Ran's heart stirred, staring at Fang Yuan in disbelief: "You… are a spy too?"

Fang Yuan laughed helplessly, in a bitter tone: "What do you think?"

Li Ran saw this smile, and his eyes watered, as he stared tightly at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan's expression did not have a tint of unnaturalness, as he turned to look outside the window.

Li Ran knew he was looking at his own wife and children.

Fang Yuan's gaze was so gentle, so dazed, as if he was recalling certain memories.

Li Ran did not think he was acting, because this youngster was too young, how could he fake such true emotions? Even at his age, Li Ran could not act to this level.

This was his true emotions!

Unknowingly, a sense of acceptance towards Fang Yuan grew in his heart.

As people in similar situations, they did not need a deep relationship to understand each other.

Fang Yuan blinked, looking back at Li Ran, and said: "Li Ran, you have lurked in Shang clan city for eight years. If your identity is exposed, your mission would fail. Your failure may cause you to lose your life, but more importantly, the clan would suffer a loss, and you would let down their expectations."

Li Ran clenched his fists.

Fang Yuan's words pulled the strings in his heart.

He was loyal to the clan, almost religiously. Otherwise, the clan would not have chosen him to be the spy.

Fang Yuan said again: "If you fail, your wife would lose her husband. Your son is only five now, he would lose his father. If your identity is exposed, there is a high chance of them dying because of you. You only have one step left to succeed, the position of clan elder is your goal, am I right? But do you think that is the end? No, you will continue lurking, as long as Shang clan existed, the clan would need your spying."

Li Ran gritted his teeth.

Fang Yuan's words hit the nail on the head.

All these things, did he not consider them? He only dared to think about them for a moment before stopping. The more he thought about it, the more pressure he felt, the future was really too long, it would cause him to lose the courage to continue!

"Thus, you need alliance mates, brother Li Ran." Fang Yuan continued speaking: "You will not betray your clan, I won't either. You have people you want to protect, so do I. We can cooperate, we need external force to ensure our family's safety. We have to live in order to make contributions to our clans. And the Shang clan is our mutual goal."

'Of course, this cooperation is only in private. If our clans want to wage war, you will be the first person I will eliminate." After pausing briefly, Fang Yuan added.

Li Ran snorted coldly, Fang Yuan's truthful declaration only made his words more trustworthy.

To him, loyalty to the clan is the top priority, next is his family, and then his own life.

Fang Yuan's suggestion catered to his three needs.

"But can this person be trusted? We are from different forces, cooperation between spies is wishful thinking! Maybe… it is because he is young, and coupled with his intellect and courage, he thought of this method? If I was this young, I'm afraid… I may do the same… or not."

The more Li Ran thought about it, the more he felt Fang Yuan's sincerity.

Most importantly, he had no other way out! He was completely exposed before Fang Yuan.

If Fang Yuan exposed him, his mission would fail, his ten years of hard work would go up in flames, how could he accept this?

Human nature is complex, they have this thing called fluke mentality.

Li Ran was like someone who was driven to a cliff, with his enemies approaching, he could only jump down. Even if he did not know what was below the cliff, he would still pray that there is a water body below, or maybe he would be saved by some tree branches while descending.

He fell into deep silence for a long time.

After a few minutes, he used the heart sound Gu: "How can I believe you?"

Fang Yuan smiled, taking out a poison vow Gu.

…

Three days later, Fang Yuan opened the all-out effort Gu in the gambling den, causing the entire district to go into chaos.

"Did you hear? Someone opened an all-out effort Gu in Lan Chao gambling den!"

"Is that really the all-out effort Gu? It is a near extinct ancient Gu, able to summon the beast phantom a hundred percent of the time!"

"You guys only knew now? Hehe, I know more than you. This extremely lucky person is called Gu Yue Fang Zheng. I don't know why, but he has a purple thorn token. The all-out effort Gu was not supposed to be his, but was chosen by a Gu Master called Li Ran, but he knocked into Gu Yue Fang Zheng who decided to find problems with him, taking away three fossils from him as compensation. That all-out effort Gu was within those fossils."

"Oh dear, he really is unlucky, the all-out effort Gu should've been his!"

"This is fate…"

"Lan Chao gambling den, no, I have to go take a look!"

At once, rumors spread all over Shang clan city.

Chapter 286: A Small Test Run

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"This is the all-out effort Gu?"

In the secret room, Wei Yang held this Gu in his hand as he exclaimed, strange light shining in his eyes.

All-out effort Gu, it was shaped like a rhinoceros beetle.

Now, it was sitting quietly in Wei Yang's palm, its body was almost the size of Wei Yang's palm, and was quite heavy.

It was oval in shape, and had a strong armor exoskeleton. There was a strong horn on its head, looking heavy and powerful.

It had three pairs of legs, all strong and thick. Its body was dark brown, and glistened with a metallic surface. People only needed one glance to know it was not ordinary.

"That's right, this is the rank three all-out effort Gu. Once used, it would summon a beast phantom, able to move according to my will." Fang Yuan was sitting on a cushion opposite Wei Yang, as he explained.

Wei Yang breathed in deeply, handing the all-out effort Gu back to Fang Yuan.

"At this timing, is it fate? Brother Fang Zheng, are you truly bent on the strength path?" He gave his last attempt.

Fang Yuan nodded, not speaking, but his determined expression said everything.

Wei Yang sighed again.

If previously, he was confident of changing Fang Yuan's mind, at this moment, after obtaining the all-out effort Gu, he knew that Fang Yuan's decision was final, there was no hope in changing it.

"Fate is really mystical, obtaining the all-out effort Gu would greatly help you on the strength path. The all-out effort Gu is undoubtedly the core Gu worm in assembling your set. If you are so determined, I shall say no more. But I have one final thing to remind you, just treat it as my nagging."

Fang Yuan became serious: "Not at all, please give me your advice!"

"Although you have the all-out effort Gu, times are different now. If this all-out effort Gu is your core, you have to ensure its safety. It is only a rank three Gu now, if you want to refine it into rank four or rank five in the future, there is too much danger in refining it if it is not your vital Gu. If the all-out effort Gu is destroyed in the process of refinement, your entire set would collapse without the core. Thus, my first advice to you is to convert it into your vital Gu. Shang clan can help you to achieve this."

"To make a set, just one core is not enough, you need several important support Gu. Regarding this, you need to choose carefully, and think ahead. If your choice is wrong, it will not allow you to display the full value of all-out effort Gu. Sigh, actually, during ancient times, when strength path flourished, there were much more Gu worms that complemented the all-out effort Gu. Now, most of them are extinct, if you want to assemble a Gu set, you cannot use ancient methods, but can only explore this yourself."

"I have another extremely important matter that you have to take note of. Although you have the all-out effort Gu, you have no corresponding refinement recipe. But thankfully, most of the recipes from the Olden Antiquity Era were passed down. There should be some in certain recipe masters' hands, you have to collect them. If not…"

Saying so, Wei Yang hesitated.

"You can try your luck in exploring ancient strength path inheritances. Wu clan found such an inheritance several years ago, if you can find one, your future would be set. I really want to see the strength path flourish in your hands!"

After saying these things, Wei Yang took his leave.

Fang Yuan sent him off, and watched Wei Yang turn into light and fly away.

Fang Yuan stood at the door of the secret room, his gaze concentrating.

The advice Wei Yang gave, he had considered all of them long ago, and had plans already.

He already had a copy of the all-out effort Gu's recipe, obviously from Li Ran.

Wu clan provided Li Ran the all-out effort Gu, they naturally gave him the recipe.

But this recipe only allowed the rank three all-out effort Gu to reach rank four. Any higher, Fang Yuan needed to find out himself.

But in this aspect, Fang Yuan was only rank three initial stage now, in the short run, he had no worries about the rank five refinement recipe.

As for what Gu to choose, in order to complement the all-out effort Gu, and become support for the core, Fang Yuan had his plans.

He had always been the type to walk one step and plan ten ahead, he was extremely confident.

"The strength path Gu set, should use the all-out effort Gu as the core, self-reliance Gu and bitter strength Gu as the support. With a few other Gu worms accompanying, this set of Gu worms can be considered initial success. But to reach greater success, I have to rely on the three kings inheritance."

Spending two to three years in Shang clan city, assembling a set of Gu and reach initial success stage.

When the three kings inheritance activates, he will use the advantages of rebirth and add in useful Gu worms to cause his Gu set to reach greater success stage.

This was Fang Yuan's plans for the near future.

"This plan has to be executed perfectly. Because after the three kings inheritance, it would be the righteous demonic battle at Yi Tian mountain, if my battle strength is not high enough then, I would not be able to gather enough benefits for myself. Time, is really tight…"

As for the third, his vital Gu.

Fang Yuan's vital Gu is Spring Autumn Cicada, this cannot be changed.

Then the refinement of the all-out effort Gu would be much more difficult. Since there is a risk to the Gu, the refinement would need to be done extremely carefully.

If Fang Yuan was unlucky, and caused the all-out effort Gu to die during refinement, his set of Gu worms would lose their foundation, like a human without a soul.

If that happens, the outcome would be disastrous, almost equivalent to Fang Yuan's strength path cultivation being crippled.

But, there were ways to ensure the all-out effort Gu survives during refinement even if it was not his vital Gu.

Wei Yang did not know because he was a frog in a well.

Fang Yuan knew three methods.

First method was to head to the "Land of Bu Bai". This was the Bu Bai inheritance, far away in central continent, the sacred land for refinement masters.

Secondly, he could use the undefeated hundred battles Gu, when refining Gu, it could ensure a hundred percent success rate.

The third was also a Gu, called "green mountain remains". 'As long as the green mountain remains, one need not worry about firewood.' Only by keeping something vital is there a chance for a comeback. Using this Gu, it can protect the core Gu, even if refinement fails and the other Gu are destroyed, the all-out effort Gu will still remain.

The land of Bu Bai was too far away, it was impossible to get there. Undefeated hundred battles Gu, an extremely rare rank five Gu even during ancient times, right now it was extinct. "Green mountain remains" was in the hands of several refinement masters, this was a rank four Gu, it was difficult to obtain but there was at least some hope.

"There is one undefeated hundred battles Gu in the three kings inheritance. If I can get it, the all-out effort Gu's advancement to rank four would be ensured. Next, I can only think of other ways… now, it is time to replace everything."

Fang Yuan had a careful nature, before he obtained the all-out effort Gu, even though he had hundreds of thousands of primeval stones, he did not spend them.

Now that it is in his hands, he finally decided to act.

He did not need to leave Nan Qiu garden, instead going to the study room and taking out a large number of invitations.

Ever since he 'gambled' and won the all-out effort Gu, rumors flew about in Shang clan city, and everyone were acting like cats who saw fish , swarming at Fang Yuan's place.

Fang Yuan had the purple thorn token, and attended Shang Yan Fei's clan banquet before, he had a unique identity and no one dared to force him.

They had sent all sorts of invitations, but Fang Yuan stayed in his house for several days, not meeting a single guest.

Now, Fang Yuan took out the invitations, and saw that a portion were from recipe masters, hoping to meet Fang Yuan and become acquaintances, so that they can borrow the all-out effort Gu for research. A Gu from the Antiquity Era would be great help towards their recipe creation.

Another portion were established Gu Masters, holding all sorts of titles, they either wished to spar with Fang Yuan or wanted to exchange Gu worms with him.

But mostly, the invitations came from all the famous shops, and all the large clan's Gu Masters, hoping to purchase the all-out effort Gu.

Fang Yuan chose a small portion of them, and instructed his servants to send a message to them.

Not long after, a group of Gu Masters came running.

Fang Yuan met them at the reception hall: "I am not selling the all-out effort Gu, I am meeting everyone here today for other trading purposes."

This caused everyone to be disappointed, but some did not give up, only after Fang Yuan's firm attitude did they give up.

Three hours later, a few business were settled, and everyone left.

Two days later, the Gu worms arrived.

Fang Yuan's battle strength surged, but he paid a huge price.

Gu worms were seriously too expensive, he spent several hundred thousand primeval stones for them. The old man made of clouds in the primeval elder Gu was already hunching his back as he showed a painful and worried expression, in an extremely pitiful state.

Another day later, Fang Yuan stepped into the battle stage.

At once, everyone went wild.

Outside the battle stage, people were crowding to the point where there was no walking space.

His opponent was none other than Li Ran.

He stared at Fang Yuan, his expression twisted and his eyes burned with fire, as he screamed: "Gu Yue Fang Zheng, you stole my opportunity, that is extremely despicable! Today, I will take back what belongs to me."

"Hmph, who told you to knock into me? I asked for compensation but you refused to pay primeval stones. Those stones covered your debt, you were willing as well." Fang Yuan laughed coldly as he answered.

The viewers outside started to discuss among themselves as they became extremely noisy.

Fang Yuan and Li Ran's conversation testified the truth behind the rumors these days.

"Ahhh!" Li Ran grabbed his hair, screaming to the sky: "Fang Zheng, you tyrant, I was forced by you! I only knocked into you by accident, but you refused to let me go. Today, I will seek justice for myself!"

Saying so, Li Ran pounced at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan snorted coldly, seeing him get close, he willed.

Vertical crash Gu.

Howl!

The winds blew as he took a step, and his body charged forward by fifty steps.

Li Ran felt his vision blur as Fang Yuan had already charged up to him.

All-out effort Gu.

Fang Yuan willed, and light burst forth, forming the phantom image of a wild boar charging in mid air behind him.

The wild boar was black and had sharp tusks, showing a fierce expression as the winds blew!

"Not good!" Li Ran screamed, dodging.

Fang Yuan charged right past him, although Li Ran was not hit head on, his arm was scratched.

Next, with a 'crack', his forearm bone broke, and the defensive light on Li Ran's body vanished, as he fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"Just one hit!"

"Was that the all-out effort Gu?"

"That Li Ran is too weak, he is definitely not Fang Zheng's match!"

Outside, the spectators exclaimed, expressing their shock.

Chapter 287: Reputation Gu

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Fang Yuan charged for fifty steps before he stopped. He turned around, facing Li Ran, about to launch his second attack.

But Li Ran had already raised his hand, shouting loudly: "Wait, no more, I admit defeat!"

Once he said so, the surroundings went quiet, before exploding.

"What, no more?"

"We spent primeval stones to come here and see the all-out effort Gu."

"You coward, are you even a man, stand up and fight!"

Everyone shouted furiously.

Many people were angry and breathed roughly, feeling that their primeval stones were wasted, starting to grumble and scold. But a portion of the people understood Li Ran.

"There's no way to win, it is wise to concede."

"That hit earlier showed their difference. If they continue, Li Ran's life would be in danger.

"This Li Ran is a veteran in the battle stage. With his rich experience, I am not surprised he did that."

Clank.

A loud ring from the bell, and this match was over.

The spectators started to leave the stage, as Fang Yuan took his leave as well.

"Fang Zheng, wait first." Li Ran suddenly called, stopping him.

Fang Yuan frowned, turning around and looking at him: "What do you want?"

Everyone's footsteps halted.

"Fang Zheng, you are indebted to me, but now you hurt and injured me, this is repaying kindness with vengeance, you have to compensate me!" Li Ran shouted.

These words were shameless, he wanted to challenge Fang Zheng without knowing their difference, now that he got injured, how could he say his opponent was "repaying kindness with vengeance".

Many people heard this and snorted, feeling disdain towards Li Ran.

Challenging Fang Yuan forcefully, that was because he could not take it lying down, many people understood his emotions. But after losing, he still continued to pester Fang Yuan, that was going overboard.

Fang Yuan shook his head, turning to leave: "Your brain was damaged by my attack too?"

Many people jeered and laughed.

But Li Ran struggled to get up, shouting at Fang Yuan: "Fang Zheng, I know your personality! You distinguish kindness and hatred clearly, the acclaimed 'a droplet received in need will be repaid with a whole spring, a spark of hatred will result in the burning of an entire forest!' Shang Xin Ci showed you a little kindness and you risked your life to protect her, escorting her to Shang clan city. Shang clan leader wanted to reward you but you rejected all of them, saying that your kindness had been repaid. The Shang clan leader even had to force you to accept the purple thorn token!'

"Fang Zheng, to be honest, I have done you a favor. If I did not choose that stellar stone, would you be able to get that all-out effort Gu? No! Hehe, nevermind if it is another person, but I know you, I understand you. Although you are oppressive and tyrannical, you have to repay kindness or you will be unable to sleep. Isn't that so? Think about it, you owe me a favor, can you sleep tonight?"

"Heh, that is because you have never seen Fang Yuan's true colors!" Among the crowd, Bai Ning Bing heard Li Ran's words and snorted coldly.

Fang Yuan obtaining the all-out effort Gu had made her curious.

After all, Fang Yuan was her rival.

Suddenly, Fang Yuan stopped in his steps.

As everyone watched, he turned around and faced Li Ran, with a serious expression.

"If you put it like that, it seems I owe you a favor. But firstly, it was because you offended me, and second, I cannot give the all-out effort Gu away. What do you want me to do?"

Fang Yuan's words made everyone who was leaving stop their steps and observe their conversation again.

Bai Ning Bing gasped in her heart, feeling shocked.

"Although the all-out effort Gu is rank three, it originated from the Olden Antiquity Era, it is considered unique now, its true value cannot be estimated. Give me a hundred thousand primeval stones, and your favor will be considered repaid!" Li Ran thought about it and said.

"Is this Li Ran stupid?"

"He dares to ask for such a ridiculous sum, such stupidity, sigh…"

"Making such a request, he is so shameless!"

Everyone shook their heads, feeling disappointed at Li Ran's shamelessness.

Fang Yuan thought about it, shaking his head.

"A hundred thousand primeval stones is insufficient, I'll give you two hundred thousand, that would put me at ease." Saying so, he waved his hand and summoned the primeval elder Gu, pouring all the primeval stones out.

On the floor of the battle stage, a mountain of primeval stones appeared.

"This is eighty thousand, that's all I have now. I'll give you the rest when I have money!"

"What?!" Fang Yuan's words sent everyone into shock.

"He actually gave it? And… and even raised it to two hundred thousand!" Everyone was tongue-tied.

"Did I see wrongly?! Although this Li Ran did not obtain the all-out effort Gu, getting so much primeval stones as compensation is almost as good." Everyone blinked, seeing those primeval stones, they almost drooled.

"This Fang Zheng is really…" Many people saw Fang Yuan leave and felt weird in their hearts, not sure of what to say.

Although they did not manage to see the power of the all-out effort Gu, hearing Li Ran and Fang Yuan's conversation made the trip worth it.

News about this battle quickly circulated, and spread around Shang clan city.

The fact that Fang Yuan had a purple thorn token also circulated, resulting in people who had ill intentions to vanish without a trace.

Many people started to be envious of Li Ran, while others also felt doubt towards Fang Yuan's promise of two hundred thousand primeval stones.

But no matter what, Fang Yuan's 'distinguish kindness and hatred' reputation also became well-known.

Back at Nan Qiu garden.

"Do you really intend to give that Li Ran two hundred thousand primeval stones?" Bai Ning Bing asked suspiciously.

This was not Fang Yuan's style at all.

"Of course." Fang Yuan replied curtly. He was obviously not going to tell Bai Ning Bing that this was his secret agreement with Li Ran. Li Ran would act with Fang Yuan, and tell him the refinement recipe, while Fang Yuan compensates him two hundred thousand primeval stones.

Bai Ning Bing was solemn for a while, not believing him, then laughing coldly: "Two hundred thousand just for a reputation, is it worth it?"

Fang Yuan snickered: "Have you never heard the story of reputation Gu?"

Bai Ning Bing's gaze was hesitant: "What are you trying to say?"

"Reputation is a bridge, one that allows people to cross through the abyss. Reputation is a travel token, more important and precious than the purple thorn token, it allows one to move about with ease. Two hundred thousand cannot even buy the purple thorn token, yet i spent that amount to obtain this reputation. This is the best trade in the world. Hahaha." Fang Yuan laughed.

Bai Ning Bing snorted, but thinking that he had a precognitive Gu, she chose to believe him for now.

Regarding the reputation Gu's story, it originated from the legends of Ren Zu…

One time, Verdant Great Sun got very drunk, when he woke up, his head hurt and he forgot all that happened when he was drunk. He did not know why he was trapped on a lone hill, one which was surrounded by a bottomless abyss.

The abyss was filled with spiral winds, pale green color, this was the 'usual wind'. The winds blew dust into the air, those were the dark yellow color 'mortal dust'.

Verdant Great Sun's heart sank, because he recognised that this was the ordinary abyss. No living being had ever managed to fly past it. He was trapped on this lone hill, unable to get out; he would die of starvation eventually.

Thankfully, there was a forest on the lone hill. Verdant Great Sun was hungry, and came into this forest to find fruits to eat. But this forest was very strange, the black soil was like a swamp, smelling extremely pungent. The trees had no leaves, and the branches looked like strange claws. But when the wind blew, there was the sound of leaves moving in the wind.

Verdant Great Sun could not find food, and fell into despair, knowing he was going to die soon.

A few days later, he was so hungry he could not move, leaning on the tree trunk as he laid on the ground.

He eventually fell unconscious.

In his slumber, he could hear many voices talking.

"Hey look, this person finally passed out."

"Mm, as I expected, he's finished."

"Actually, it is possible to leave the ordinary abyss, you just need the reputation Gu."

"Reputation Gu is at the center of the forest, hidden under a rock. Too bad he doesn't know, hahaha…"

"Sshhh, speak softer, it will be bad if he hears us."

"It's okay, it's okay, he has fainted already, before long, the black soil will bury him, and turn him into nutrients for us trees."

Hearing this, Verdant Great Sun jolted awake.

It turns out this forest is Xi Yu forest, what he had thought was leaves brushing in the wind turned out to be the whispers of the trees.

After hearing the information, Verdant Great Sun walked to the center of the forest, lifted the rock, and obtained the reputation Gu.

Reputation Gu was like a chrysanthemum, its petals were golden yellow, emitting a fragrance.

Reputation Gu said to Verdant Great Sun: "Young man, thank you for lifting the rock, and saving me. To repay you, I have decided to help you get across this ordinary abyss."

Reputation Gu told Verdant Great Sun the method to use it.

Verdant Great Sun was overjoyed, arriving at ordinary abyss, and placed the reputation Gu in his mouth, shouting as loud as he could…

The strange thing was, no matter how loud he shouted, there was no sound, but the vibrations in the air caused the ordinary abyss to shake, as the commotion got bigger, it was like an earthquake. The air was even filled with a brilliant fragrance.

Verdant Great Sun did not feel anything weird, as he had known from the reputation Gu: Reputation itself has no voice, but it can spread wide and create tremors.

As he shouted, a golden bridge appeared in midair, but the bridge's length was limited, there was still a long distance to the other side.

Verdant Great Sun was too hungry, too tired, after trying several times, the effect continue to diminish, and his chance for salvation seemed dim.

Reputation Gu sighed: "Sigh, you have not eaten anything in a while, even though you have a breath left in your stomach, it is too little. From your diaphragm, it has to go through your stomach, chest, throat, and finally your mouth, the journey is too long, we have to reduce it, here, place me between your two buttcheeks.

Verdant Great Sun did as instructed.

Reputation Gu landed near his private part, and turned into a chrysanthemum cave.

"Okay, you can start shouting again." Reputation Gu said.

Verdant Great Sun forced that last breath of his, out of this hole, out of his body.

Prrrrrrrrt—

In his daze, Verdant Great Sun heard a loud sound. The air was filled with an unimaginable stench, but that golden bridge became majestic and large, stretching over a thousand miles, reaching the other side.

A shitty reputation compared to good reputation, is always easier to obtain and maintain.

Verdant Great Sun quickly crossed the bridge, leaving the ordinary abyss and reaching the other side, saving his own life.

Chapter 288: The Crux of Strength Path Cultivation

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Eight days later.

Nan Qiu garden.

At the small square, the ground paved with starry stones shone under the starlight.

Fang Yuan stood in the square with his hands folded, legs slightly open and his eyes closed. His breathing was deep and long.

In front of him were a dozen stone pillars.

Every stone pillars were twenty feet thick, and were dark and rigid. The stone pillars were spaced apart so that it almost covered the small square.

Whish…

Fang Yuan let out a breath of turbid air and suddenly opened his eyes.

At that very moment, a ray of lightning seemed to flash through the void!

Dash!

He took large steps forward and in a few steps reached a stone pillar.

His steps stopped, he bent his waist before swinging his arms vigorously and punching at the pillar.

Bang.

With a dull thud, the stone pillar shook, stone fragments flew about and a spherical dent appeared on the pillar.

Again.

Fang Yuan held his breath then used his fists and palms to attack in turns. Not only that, he also used kicks, flying kicks, elbow strikes, knee strikes, shoulder bash… every part of his body became sharp, strong weapons.

Bang bang bang….

The dull sounds continued along with the stone pillar's continuous shaking and the stone fragments scattering in the air.

Fang Yuan attacked like a storm and gale in one breath, his attacks continuous and endless.

Within seconds, the stone pillar was reduced to half, like a small tree in a storm.

Crack.

Fang Yuan whipped his leg horizontally as a clear sound echoed; the stone pillar that was already hanging by a thread could not endure it anymore and broke into two, falling into the ground.

Fang Yuan relaxedly retracted his leg, his breath was only slightly affected and droplets of sweat seeped out of his forehead.

He looked at the ground.

The appearance of the two broken parts of the stone pillar were changed beyond recognition; their surfaces were filled with dents, results of Fang Yuan's punches and kicks.

"Indeed, it is difficult to bring out the beast strength phantom without using all-out effort Gu, and with just normal attacks."

Ha!

He shouted and in two large strides, he reached the nearest stone pillar.

His right palm smacked heavily towards the stone pillar.

Growl!

A brown bear phantom image suddenly appeared in mid air behind Fang Yuan. It was quite plump, and its mouth was filled with dense white sharp fangs. At the same time as Fang Yuan, it raised its right palm and smacked, the movement strikingly similar to Fang Yuan's.

In that instant, Fang Yuan felt a sudden surge of strength in his right palm!

BOOM.

A huge sound thundered at the impact of Fang Yuan's smack on the stone pillar.

The stone pillar, which needed two people to wrap around it, immediately broke by the smack, producing a loud sound as it collapsed and formed a small pit on the floor.

The countershock immediately struck Fang Yuan and shocked his right palm into numbness.

Fang Yuan had been using brown bear innate strength Gu since he bought it and now he mastered it, increasing his strength by the strength of a bear.

"I needed to hit the stone pillar dozens of times before I could break it. But after using the all-out effort Gu, I broke it in just one smack…"

Fang Yuan clearly perceived the difference.

All-out effort Gu was a support type Gu and not an attack type. But once used, it could produce a devastating blow!

Fang Yuan's battle strength before and after getting it was like the difference between night and day.

Using a support Gu as the core was quite rare. Most of the Gu Masters used support Gu in their Gu set, as an assistance to the core Gu.

For instance, Wei Yang used rainbow light Gu, a movement Gu, as the core; the offensive broadsword light Gu as one of the main support and light source Gu as another support. As a support, light source Gu could only decrease the primeval essence expenditure of light type Gu worms.

However, the all-out effort Gu was completely capable of filling the core position even as a support Gu. Just from this, one could tell how precious it was.

"But… canopy Gu might have impressive defense but it is too rigid. If I change it to golden shield Gu, there should be a clear difference in results." Fang Yuan pondered.

During the punching and kicking test just now, he used canopy Gu, otherwise his hands and legs would certainly be destroyed.

The effect of force is mutual.

Although Fang Yuan's bones were iron bones, his skin, flesh, tendons and blood were all normal. Without the use of canopy Gu, the smack attack just before would have mangled up his flesh and muscles, although his bones would be fine.

However, golden shield Gu was temporarily not available.

Fang Yuan also did not have money right now.

At the start, he had over nine hundred thousand primeval stones, but Bai Ning Bing took half of it. Then, he spent a lot strolling around the rock gambling dens for all-out effort Gu. The expenditure for basic needs along with feeding his Gu worms were rather high especially in Shang Clan's third inner city. Next, he used a lot of primeval stones to change his Gu line-up; eight days ago at battle stage, he gave eighty thousand primeval stones to Li Ran in front of everyone.

Now, Fang Yuan not only had no money, he was also in debt. Because, according to the poison vow contract, he still needed to give a hundred and twenty thousand primeval stones to Li Ran.

Fang Yuan knew this was a necessary investment.

Reputation was second, the important thing was to stabilize Li Ran by showing an attitude of sincere cooperation, despite him already using eating one's words Gu to disperse the poison vow Gu on him several days ago.

Li Ran was an unexpected gain for Fang Yuan. There would be traces left behind if he killed Li Ran which would attract Shang Clan's doubts and ruin his plans, so he did not do it.

To Fang Yuan, Li Ran was a chess piece which was not easy to use but had its own use. Someday in future, he might be able to obtain the rank five refinement recipe for all-out effort Gu from Wu Clan through Li Ran.

Right now, the most important thing was to stabilize Wu Clan through Li Ran.

Three days earlier, Li Ran used the emergency contact method to contact the emissary. He expressed that Fang Yuan could be used well. Like this, the chance of Wu Clan taking revenge was small.

Fang Yuan possessed purple thorn token which meant Shang Clan was paying attention to him. Fang Yuan was also a rank three Gu Master and his battle strength increased sharply with the all-out effort Gu. If Wu Clan really wanted to retaliate, they would have to send rank three or rank four Gu Masters. Mobilizing these elder level strengths would smash apart the tacit understanding of secret battles between high-tiered clans.

The benefit of saving Li Ran was evident here.

"Again." Fang Yuan swept away his unorganized thoughts and gave a low shout.

He lowered his body, held his arms and with a shift of his mind, five percent of his light silver primeval essence poured into vertical crash Gu.

Vertical crash!

The Gu's mystical ability immediately and uncontrollably sent his legs rushing forward.

Bang bang bang!

He dashed forward dozen of steps in a perfectly straight line, continuously knocking down three stone pillars. When he reached the fourth stone pillar, the pillar shook continuously but did not fall down in the end.

This was the result of Fang Yuan not using all-out effort Gu.

Vertical crash Gu was a movement Gu Fang Yuan bought, its ability was to break through by force.

If there were no obstacles, the straight charging momentum could last for fifty steps before it stopped. If there were obstacles, the momentum would last for less than fifty steps.

This Gu was more suitable for Fang Yuan compared to jumping grass.

Jumping grass's jumping ability came from the Gu worm's strength, while vertical crash Gu's strength came from Fang Yuan's body.

As Fang Yuan becomes stronger, the vertical crash Gu's forceful break through ability would also increase. In the battle with Li Ran, Fang Yuan had used vertical crash Gu in combination with boar phantom; the combination was perfect and inflicted heavy injuries to Li Ran!

Horizontal charge!

Fang Yuan activated a Gu, his whole body immediately charged horizontally like a tyrannical crab, smashing the stone pillars.

This was horizontal charge Gu and was similar to vertical crash Gu, except it charged horizontally.

Fang Yuan had sold jumping grass and bought horizontal charge Gu and vertical crash Gu as his movement Gu.

These two Gu allow the Gu Master to exert force while moving and were extremely suitable for strength path Gu Masters. The movement itself became a means of attack.

"When I reach rank four, I can then fuse these two Gu into charging crash Gu and continue using them."

This was a long term investment which also indirectly saved money.

Next, Fang Yuan alternatively used these two Gu and crashed here and there on the small square, like a wild bull.

This time, he multi-tasked.

Not only did he use horizontal charge Gu or vertical crash Gu alternatively, he also simultaneously used all-out effort Gu.

The stone pillars were sent flying before collapsing fiercely on the ground and producing dull thuds now and then.

"Using boar strength phantom can send five stone pillars flying and knock down eight. Using bear strength phantom can send seven pillars flying and knock down five. Using crocodile strength phantom can send three stone pillars flying and knock down four."

Fang Yuan carefully experienced these subtle differences.

It was clear that boar was suitable for charging and the longer the distance of the charge, better the result. Brown bear possessed formidable strength at first before becoming weaker later. As for the crocodile, it was clearly not suitable method for charging attack.

"Right now, all-out effort Gu can only activate the phantom of one Gu. I can't use boar strength phantom and bear strength phantom at the same time. That is to say, my strength of two boars is somewhat wasteful. If it was changed to some other beast strength, they could strengthen other aspects of attacking."

"Now I have strength of two boars, strength of a bear and strength of a crocodile; this has reached the limit of what my body can bear. It is time to use steel tendon Gu."

Fang Yuan had already bought steel tendon Gu.

Steel tendon and iron bones perfectly complemented each other.

But steel tendon Gu was different from iron bone Gu. The latter was an expendable type Gu while the former needed to be continuously used for a period of time before it could bring qualitative change to Fang Yuan's tendons, turning them into steel tendons.

Fang Yuan called for a servant to clean up the messed up square and returned to his secret room.

He did not want to waste even a second and began using steel tendon Gu to reform his body.

Three days later, fifth inner city's battle stage.

A blue shirt burly man stood in front of Fang Yuan, his breathing was rough and his heart still had lingering fear.

"I only crossed five to six moves with this kid and suffered heavy injuries. The all-out effort Gu really can't be stopped… every move can bring out a beast phantom. Truly terrifying!"

This blue shirt burly man stared tightly at Fang Yuan, barely raising his spirits.

"I can't lose! As long as I defeat him, I can get all-out effort Gu as per the battle stage's rules. With this Gu, I can also cultivate strength path!"

As the blue shirt burly man thought of this, he gave a fierce growl and pounced upon Fang Yuan.

Water prison Gu!

He opened his mouth wide and spit out a blue ball of water. The water ball rapidly expanded and trapped Fang Yuan inside it.

Fang Yuan coldly snorted and casually punched inside the water.

Boar strength phantom!

The water ball shook thrice before becoming deformed but did not collapse.

"It is no use. To deal with you, I purposely took a high interest loan and bought this rank three water prison Gu." The blue shirt burly man proudly laughed.

Fang Yuan's gaze turned cold and without any panic, punched again.

Bear strength phantom!

The water ball fiercely shook, deforming intensely and almost collapsed, but still returned to its original state in the end.

"Beast strength is hard, the flow of water is soft. Use softness to subdue hardness, you can't break it." The blue shirt burly man took a deep breath and relaxed his mind.

But right at this time.

Fang Yuan raised his leg and kicked to the side. Crocodile strength phantom!

Crocodile strength was different from boar and brown bear; it was an amphibious creature and was very adept at the water element.

Bang!

The water prison was smashed into pieces.

"What?!" The blue shirt burly man was pale with fright.

Vertical crash Gu!

Thump.

The blue shirt burly man was sent flying by Fang Yuan, blood spurted out of his mouth in large amounts and he only landed on the ground after flying for twenty full steps.

He struggled violently to get up, but he fell down again before he could stand even a little.

There were no movements anymore.

He was dead.

Chapter 289: Can't stop me

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Even Wang Han lost and died in the battle stage."

"This lad is too ruthless, he does not know how to show mercy!"

"The all-out effort Gu is strong indeed…"

Outside the stage, spectators discussed.

Fang Yuan kicked and destroyed the water prison, charging over and killing the blue shirt man from the impact, causing the battle to end.

The blue shirt man's chest was completely caved in, as his white ribs were exposed, soon, blood dyed the battle stage's field red.

The hosting Gu Master walked onto the stage and declared Fang Yuan's victory.

The blue shirt man's corpse was left lying there, no one was dealing it with at the moment.

From the hosting Gu Master, Fang Yuan took back the vine information Gu, and looked into the Gu, he had seventeen victories now, with zero losses.

After all, this was the fifth inner city battle stage, it was mostly made up of rank two Gu Masters, Fang Yuan had the cultivation advantage plus the all-out effort Gu, after his first few matches, in the subsequent battles, he only took a few moves to win.

These victories earned him a large number of primeval stones.

Winning in the battle stage, you not only get your opponent's Gu worms, you can also receive primeval stones as a reward from the battle stage.

The more the spectators, the more primeval stones you earn.

"Li Ran, this is fifty thousand primeval stones, I'm passing this to you in public in case you try to defame me in the future." Under everyone's watchful gaze, Fang Yuan took out a bag of primeval stones.

Li Ran walked out from the crowd, receiving the primeval stones with a smiling face as numerous envious people watched.

"Fang Zheng, you truly kept your word. First, you passed me eighty thousand, and now fifty thousand, a total of a hundred and thirty thousand primeval stones already." He cupped his fists, saying that as he left.

The crowd went wild.

"This Fang Zheng, first he gave eighty thousand, next fifty thousand, where did he get all those stones?" Some did not understand.

"It is not strange, during these two weeks, he got consecutive victories in the battle stage, the fame of the all-out effort Gu attracted many spectators. Every match earns him thousands of primeval stones. After a few battles, he would have several tens of thousands." Someone replied in a sour tone.

"Not just that, this lad is ruthless, killing his opponent almost every match. Very few people can survive a match with him, thus he can get around two to three Gu worms per battle. After selling them, that is another sum of primeval stones." Someone snorted, revealing Fang Yuan's brutal acts.

"This Fang Zheng is too much, he is advancing by stepping on our corpses." Someone was furious.

Someone sighed: "We are all demonic Gu Masters, why is there a need to kill each other? Sigh…"

Someone exclaimed: "But to speak the truth, this Fang Zheng has his merits. Actually passing Li Ran two hundred thousand primeval stones as promised. To speak the truth, if I was in that position…"

Once he said so, the crowd became silent.

But someone quickly retorted: "He hasn't finished paying the two hundred thousand primeval stones. We can talk again after he pays the full sum."

Looking at fang Yuan leaving, someone laughed coldly among the crowd: "His good days are coming to an end. In five days' time, it would be the date where Li Hao forcefully challenges him."

"Li Hao? Didn't he ascend to fourth inner city already?"

"Just a little bit to go, hmph, I can't wait to watch this battle!"

"Hehe, this lad is too arrogant, let Li Hao teach him a lesson."

Swish swish swish…

In the aperture, primeval essence ebbed and flowed, waves appearing on surface of the light silver primeval sea.

Steel tendon Gu swam in the sea, absorbing primeval essence as it emitted a black light.

It was shaped like an earthworm, but had a black body and the surface was not as soft as an earthworm, instead, there was an oily and shiny exoskeleton.

It emitted an eerie light, penetrating the aperture and shining on every part of Fang Yuan's body.

Under the influence of the eerie light, Fang Yuan's muscles and tendons were covered in an oily dark color, causing them to become more firm and strong.

After half a day, Fang Yuan stopped using the steel tendon Gu.

He had sweated a lot, his breathing was rough, and his head felt slightly dizzy.

The feeling of using the steel tendon Gu was not comfortable, it gave a sort of numb, painful and itchy feeling, invading his nerves, it put the endurance of the Gu Master to test.

An ordinary Gu Master, when using the steel tendon Gu, it would take half a year to complete.

But in Fang Yuan's plans, he condensed the time to a month.

This means, the amount of time Fang Yuan uses on the steel tendon Gu a day is six times of an ordinary person, it was a strict test of his willpower and endurance.

"I have to treasure every minute and second, to cultivate! Increasing my strength as fast as possible!"

"I need primeval stones, the battle stage is the best way to earn. But if I lose a match, I would lose the all-out effort Gu. I might be able to use the purple thorn token to stop them, but I would have to pay a huge price in other aspects!"

"I cannot lose at all! I am like a battle horse charging rapidly now, as my battle strength rises. But if I lose one match, it would be game over. My rapid growth would experience a huge setback."

"Shang clan city is merely a starting point, how can I fall here? In this life, I have to become a Gu Immortal, I have to breakthrough to rank seven, eight, and nine. I want to ascend to the peak, and see the view that I did not manage to in my previous life. Legend says that beyond rank nine, it is the supreme realm of immortality! It is easy to have a long life, but to be an immortal, no one has ever managed to do it."

"The highest point for a lifeform is to reach immortality, their greatest desire is immortality. What is the point of wealth, it is merely a hoarding addiction. What men and women, it is just primal instincts. What reputation, it is just bullshit people spew about you, carrying the stench of depravity."

"Wealth, beauty, reputation, status, people who pursue all these are short-sighted. Back on Earth, there was no choice, as everyone was going to die eventually, thus they can only pursue these or life would be meaningless. But in this world, where primeval essence is rich, why would we not pursue immortality given the possibility?"

"For the sake of immortality, wealth, beauty, reputation, status, I can make use of all of them, and I can also discard them as easily! For immortality, fear cannot stop me, I will charge forward relentlessly! For immortality, laziness will not stop me, I will never slack even for a moment! For immortality, pain cannot stop me, gods and demons cannot stop me, even heaven and earth cannot stop me!"

As he affirmed his belief, Fang Yuan's black eerie eyes seemed to burn with a scarlet red demonic blaze.

After his rest was over, he activated the steel tendon Gu again without hesitation.

The dark eerie light shone on his body, even penetrating his skin.

In the silent secret room, his expression was extremely cold, like a statue made of steel, giving off the feeling of an everlasting toughness.

What numbness, pain or itching, they were merely tiny ripples in his heart.

Others might not be able to stand it, but that does not mean Fang Yuan cannot!

If stubbornness is demonic, then Fang Yuan is a demon among demons.

No matter how many times he dies, it would not influence his resolve! No matter what setbacks he faces, they would only be firewood that allows the demonic ambitions in his heart to burn even more brightly.

…

Bam!

The loud sound reverberated in the battle stage.

Rocks and soil flew, as a blast of air swept the battlefield, although his opponent escaped the fatal blow, he was still pushed away by the air current and retreated over ten steps.

The dust cloud dispersed, and the culprit behind this attack revealed its true form.

This was a giant toad!

It was larger than a mammoth, having two eyes as large as stone mills. Its body was grey and had a huge stomach and strong limbs. There was green moss on its skin, and even some tiny rocks on the surface.

What gathered the most attention, was its back.

Its back was extremely swollen, like it was carrying a small hill!

This hill was the real deal, completely made of mountain rocks, about ten and a half feet high. It had many layers and folds, like it was shaved by swords and axes. Grass and weed grew on the mountain rocks, and there were even two or three trees.

This was the rank three Gu, named mountain back toad. It was heavy and cumbersome, its signature move was to leap up, and crash down like a mountain.

Earlier, it had displayed this move, and caused an earthquake to strike the battle stage, many spectators lost their balance and many things toppled.

"This attack is too strong, really too strong!"

"What a grand sight, even a spectator would feel his heart thumping."

"The mountain back toad is like a castle, attack and defense all in one. The only weakness is a lack of speed, but its owner perfectly covered up this weakness!"

Everyone discussed as they looked at this mountain back toad, but quickly shifted their gaze to a Gu Master.

This Gu Master wore a flowery robe, was thin, and had a delicate appearance.

Although he was a man, he had makeup and powder on his face, as he stood at one end of the battle stage, playing with his long fingernails.

His name is Li Hao, rank three cultivation with a rich combat experience. He was especially proficient in dealing with strength path Gu Masters.

"Just you alone, you want to compete with me? Hehe, admit defeat, don't waste my time." Li Hao stared at his fingernails, not even giving his opponent a glance.

"Scoundrel, looking down on me! Take this!" His opponent was also someone commonly seen in the battle stage, being humiliated in public like this, his face contorted with anger as he gritted his teeth and pounced on Li Hao.

Li Hao looked at him silently. As the opponent rapidly approached, Li Hao laughed coldly: "You have not learnt your lesson, was it not enough? Then, I'll let you experience it again."

Position swap Gu!

Li Hao's gaze gave off a strange light as he looked at his mountain back toad.

In a breath's time, he vanished on the spot, appearing at the mountain back toad's location.

At the same time, the mountain back toad appeared at his former location.

Using the position swap Gu, he swapped places with the mountain back Gu.

His opponent was rushing towards Li Hao, but in a split second, the mountain back toad appeared before him.

Bam!

Mountain back toad jumped, and like a flying mountain, it sent the opponent flying.

The battle ended just as expected!

"Mountain back toad with position swap Gu, such a battle strategy is unbeatable."

"That's right, the position swap Gu can not only change the mountain back toad's location, it can also swap with the opponent. This completely eliminates the mountain back toad's weakness of low movement speed."

"After this battle, Li Hao has twenty-nine net victories. Just one more, and he can rise to fourth inner city."

"Hurry and leave, no one can stop him here anymore."

"Who is his final opponent? Eh, it is that super lucky guy who got the legendary Gu."

Chapter 290: Fang Yuan vs Li Hao (1)

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

Fang Yuan had another battle scheduled.

"Your opponent today has quite the background." Wei Yang walked towards Fang Yuan, instructing him to be careful.

Fang Yuan nodded.

He had never fought without adequate preparations, after being in an alliance with Li Ran, he obtained a lot of valuable information about the battle stage participants.

Li Ran was a spy, undercover for eight years, his job was to gather information anyway. His understanding of the battle stage surpasses even Wei Yang.

"Li Hao was also once a strength cultivator, rising to fourth inner city. He once had a glorious past, but encountered a bottleneck. In terms of strength cultivators, they were strong at the start, but start to show weakness in the middle stage, stuck there with no way to progress further. Li Hao was greatly traumatised, giving up on the strength path and changing to a support style."

"Well, it was due to him finally getting lucky, choosing a good rock in the gambling den and obtaining the rare position swap Gu. With his rich experience, he immediately sold all the Gu he had and purchased a mountain back toad in the auction house."

"Next, he relied on the cooperation between these two Gu and won all the matches he participated in. Relying on the Gu and primeval stones he won, he slowly accumulated his assets and gathered a new set of Gu worms. He is forcefully challenging you because he wants that all-out effort Gu, you have to be careful."

Wei Yang said, as he patted Fang Yuan's shoulders and blended into the crowd.

Fang Yuan looked deeply at Wei Yang, as he walked onto the arena.

Whenever there was an important battle, Wei Yang would come and watch. Fang Yuan understood he was mere to act as mental support for Fang Yuan. One reason was because Shang clan wanted to recruit him, but more likely…

It was because he treated Fang Yuan as a real brother!

Relationships between people is this weird.

Some people interact for tens of years without getting closer. Some people just talk once and become close friends.

Fang Yuan understood Wei Yang's emotions. He could see his former shadow in Fang Yuan. This strong sense of acknowledgement, as well as Fang Yuan's candid nature, made him treat Fang Yuan as a close friend.

"Wei Yang…" Fang Yuan thought, as he walked to the center of the arena.

The terrain of this arena is a large sized swamp. Black rotten mud, giving off a putrid smell, and there were even puddles everywhere.

Li Hao had not arrived yet.

Outside the battle stage, large number of spectators were gathered.

This was the most people Fang Yuan had seen at any of his battles. Standing on the arena, he looked around to see people all around him.

Everyone conversed at the same time, causing the entire battle stage to be full of noise and chattering.

"This Fang Zheng is in trouble today!"

"He had been so arrogant these days, he should be taught a lesson."

"Youngsters think too highly of themselves, he really thinks one all-out effort Gu makes him invincible!"

"Li Hao is here." Someone shouted.

The crowd went silent, before going wild again, their voices bursting through the roof.

At the entrance, Li Hao appeared.

"Lord Li Hao, we're all counting on you!"

"May you win your thirtieth match and advance to fourth inner city."

Among the crowd, many people shouted, some screamed.

Compared to Fang Yuan, they thought more highly of Li Hao. When Fang Yuan first came, he was extremely arrogant, killing many opponents, ruthless and cruel. He had the purple thorn token, causing everyone to be jealous of his good luck.

In contrast, Li Hao was a veteran in the battle stage. He had first walked on the strength path, then fell from fourth inner city. He had risen from the lowest part of his life, signifying the spirit of 'never give up' in the battle stage, it would ignite everyone's passion.

Li Hao carried a light smile as he walked onto the stage.

He was thin, wearing a flowery robe and makeup, as he walked casually towards Fang Yuan.

But around sixty steps away, he stopped, not advancing further.

Fang Yuan, in his previous few fights, used the vertical crash Gu to assault his opponents, sending them flying, easily winning in one strike. Li Hao was a veteran in the battle stage, he obviously made preparations for that.

The vertical crash Gu's effective range was fifty steps, he was safe at the sixtieth border.

"Strength cultivator, hehe…" He gave Fang Yuan a sweeping glance, filled with disdain: "Young man, unfortunately, your consecutive victory ends here. Do you know, looking at you now, it is just like me in the past. There is no future in the strength path, so what if you have the all-out effort Gu? Thank me, after I defeat you today, you will know it is for your own good, letting you understand the insufficiency of the strength path."

He started lecturing Fang Yuan with his status as a senior.

"You sure talk a lot, can you shut up?" Fang Yuan folded his arms, with a plain expression.

"You…" Li Hao's face flushed with fury, as his laughter was filled with animosity: "Hehehe, young man, you do not respect your elders, you are bound to suffer."

At this time, with the sound of the bell, the hosting Gu Master announced the start of the battle.

Vertical crash Gu!

Fang Yuan took a big stride, charging forward.

Pew!

The soil under his feet danced like waves, splashing high up on his left and right.

"Wow, what a grand sight." Li Hao laughed lightly.

He knew very clearly the vertical crash Gu could only charge fifty steps ahead. Every time it is used, there is a cooldown period of five breaths.

He was sixty steps away, it might seem dangerous, but he was completely safe.

This terrain was advantage to him. A muddy terrain was unlike a rough and flat surface, it was not suited for charging type attacks.

As expected, Fang Yuan charged forty-five steps and stopped.

But soon after, Fang Yuan turned his body to one side, facing Li Hao with his side view.

Horizontal charge Gu!

The soil and mud were split apart as the phantom image of a wild boar appeared, with a charging action, its speed raised sharply, wild and tough. In the blink of an eye, Fang Yuan reached Li Hao.

If he was hit, he would definitely vomit blood and break a few bones.

Li Hao went pale, at the crucial moment, he activated his vital Gu.

Position swap!

In an instant, he swapped with Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was facing Li Hao as he charged, but now, Li Hao was behind him as he charged ahead, getting further away from Li Hao.

"I was careless!" In just this moment, Li Hao's forehead was pouring with sweat.

He did not think that Fang Yuan would be much of a threat to him. After knowing Fang Yuan had the vertical crash Gu and horizontal charge Gu, he did not think much about it, but that almost caused him to be severely injured.

At the crucial moment, his years of experience saved him.

Compared to defending, why not dodge.

One position swap, and Fang Yuan missed.

No matter how great your strength, as long as you hit air, you cannot cause damage, it is pointless.

"This lad has the all-out effort Gu, every move of his strikes hard. I sold my strength Gu and got rid of the beast strength in my body, I cannot compete with him head on."

Li Hao calmed his nerves, and retreated.

He used his movement Gu, his body turning light as the wind, floating backwards, rapidly pulling distance from Fang Yuan.

At the same time, he raised his finger and pointed at the sky, as a green light shot out from his aperture, towards the sky.

It was a jade green light, stopping in mid air, then exploded.

Under the glaring light, the body of the mountain back toad showed itself, descending.

There was a black shadow on the ground, engulfing Fang Yuan, and got larger over time.

Five breaths had long passed, Fang Yuan looked at Li Hao, and activated the vertical crash Gu, charging over.

He raised his speed rapidly, quickly getting out of the shadow's range.

THe moment he got out, the mountain back toad landed.

Bam!

A loud bang, and the entire battle stage trembled, as black mud and soil flew into the air like tidal waves.

The waves splashed to the edge of the arena, causing the spectators to dodge instinctively, but a huge dark red shield protected them.

The battle stage obviously had defensive Gu to protect the audiences.

"It appeared, Lord Li Hao's mountain back toad!" Seeing this, someone screamed in excitement.

"Even if Fang Zheng charges at Li Hao, it is pointless. Li hao only needs to use the position swap Gu, and easily change position with the mountain back toad… hehehe."

But Fang Yuan did not charge at Li Hao.

He stopped in his tracks.

The black mud splashed on him like a wave, but were repelled by the canopy Gu's white armor.

Horizontal charge Gu.

After the waves subsided, he tilted his body away from the mountain back toad, and charged horizontally towards it.

Howl!

The roar of a bear was heard, as a brown bear phantom appeared, howling at the sky, giving off its wild aura.

Bam!

Fang Yuan slammed on the mountain back toad's body, causing the toad to sway.

But that was it.

The mountain back toad's unique hill was made of mountain rocks that have great density. It was one of the heaviest rank three Gu.

Once its four legs stood on the ground, it was like an unmovable mountain, causing everyone to gasp at its firmness.

But Fang Yuan did not care, he raised both arms and smashed on it like a hammer.

Howl!

Above his head, the phantoms of boar, brown bear, and crocodile appeared one after another.

His punches tore through the winds as he attacked without restraint. Hitting on the mountain back toad, thunderous sounds went off like firecrackers.

Such a fierce attack sent the spectators into deep fear, as cold sweat ran down their back.

"If I was the target, I would not have a complete corpse by now!"

"The all-out effort Gu is too strong, really too strong."

"But Fang Zheng's brain is fried, not attacking Li Hao but instead, punching that mountain."

…

The defense of the mountain back toad was impressive, even with Fang Yuan's ferocious attacks, it did not move, causing people to feel helpless against it.

But Fang Yuan had a cold expression, the more he attacked, the fiercer it got, like this toad had a great feud with him.

Li Hao's expression changed.

No matter how tough the mountain back toad was, it had its limits, it could not endure this rain of punches anymore.

Gua gua gua…

The mountain back toad started shouting, as the pain was exceeding its limits.

"This cannot go on!" Li Hao's heart jumped, as he willed and rode on the mountain back toad.

Mountain back toad started to counter attack, stepping on the mud and charging at Fang Yuan.

With its weight, if Fang Yuan took this head on, he would definitely be sent flying.

Horizontal charge Gu.

His eyes shone brightly, moving away at the last moment, dodging the mountain back toad's attack.

Getting around the toad's body, and hitting again!

Chapter 291: Fang Yuan vs Li Hao (2)

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Roar!

The beast phantom appeared with a flash and gave a loud roar; the mountain back toad croaked in pain and suddenly slammed towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan snorted and dodged.

Mountain back toad carried a small hill on its back; it was very heavy and had a slow speed, so Fang Yuan could easily dodge it.

Horizontal charge Gu and vertical crash Gu were used in succession; mountain back toad repeatedly tried to attack Fang Yuan but could not even touch his clothes.

The audience was watching the match with stupefied expressions.

The mountain back toad was a lofty and immovable image in everyone's minds, but right now, it was crying out from Fang Yuan's attacks.

"This kid is actually so violent!" Li Hao was starting to get worried. He gritted his teeth and prompted the mountain back toad to jump.

"You brat, I am going to smash you into minced meat!" Li Hao cracked a sneer; his mind full of killing intent.

However, mountain back toad's shadow was not over Fang Yuan.

Instead, it was over Li Hao.

Mountain back toad's enormous body began to fall down and smash heavily on Li Hao.

Most of the audience were so stupefied that they could not react in time. Only Wei Yang and a few others' eyes shone as they realized Li Hao's battle tactic.

Just using mountain back toad to smash Fang Yuan was likely to fail easily.

Fang Yuan possessed horizontal charge Gu and vertical crash Gu; he could completely dodge the attack.

However, the mountain back toad was landing on Li Hao and Li Hao could use position swap Gu to change his position with Fang Yuan. As long as he grasped the proper timing, he could prevent Fang Yuan from reacting in time and be crushed by the mountain back toad.

With a weight like that of mountain back toad, even if Fang Yuan was not squashed to death, he would absolutely suffer heavy injuries.

However, the moment mountain back toad jumped in the air, Fang Yuan immediately charged towards Li Hao!

By using horizontal charge Gu and vertical crash Gu, he soon reached Li Hao.

"Accursed brat, he actually saw through my plan!" Li Hao was very annoyed right now.

There was still some distance between Fang Yuan and him now, but if he used position swap Gu now, Fang Yuan would have enough time to dodge mountain back toad's attack.

But if he did not use it now and Fang Yuan stuck close to him, even if he used position swap Gu to change positions, it would be too late to escape and he would be crushed to death along with Fang Yuan by the mountain back toad.

Helplessly, Li Hao activated position swap Gu and changed position with Fang Yuan.

Bam!

The mountain back toad landed on the ground, Fang Yuan, as expected, used horizontal charge to dodge.

He was always paying attention to the cooldown period of horizontal charge Gu and vertical crash Gu. There were three breaths of time interval between them. Taking into account the time taken to charge fifty steps, he would always have a movement Gu to use.

These small details often determined success or failure.

Fang Yuan accumulated a rich combat experience in his previous life, allowing him to have no flaws.

He again charged towards mountain back toad, punching and kicking with an all-out offensive. Beast phantoms also appeared one after another, making his attacks extremely fierce.

Stones flew about, mountain back toad got into a dangerous situation again and began croaking.

The audiences who were hooting before fell silent.

Many watched this scene, startled and their jaws opened wide.

All-out effort Gu became so powerful and tyrannical in Fang Yuan's hands, even mountain back toad could only turn into a punching bag and fall into a vulnerable position!

One side was like wildfire, extremely intense; but at Li Hao's side, it was quiet and still.

Li Hao had never expected Fang Yuan to persevere in attacking the mountain back toad so relentlessly.

His previous opponents had all ignored mountain back toad and tried attacking Li Hao. If Li Hao was defeated, there was no need to worry about mountain back toad.

This was the strategy that smart people used!

But Fang Yuan apparently chose the most stupid target to attack.

He concentrated all his strength on mountain back toad and paid no heed to Li Hao.

Li Hao was given the cold-shoulder, he felt like he had become a spectator who was not related to the situation; the situation was truly embarrassing!

Beast phantoms continually flashed and converged in the air. Fang Yuan moved around mountain back toad and attacked fiercely.

Mountain back toad's enormous and mighty physique now looked so clumsy.

"Not good, mountain back toad is coughing out blood!" Li Hao who was watching the scene from afar felt his body go cold.

Position swap Gu!

Strange lights flashed in his eyes as he captured Fang Yuan's image.

The next instant, Fang Yuan's field of view had changed greatly, he was moved far away by Li Hao in a split second.

In contrast, Li Hao took Fang Yuan's position and was standing beside mountain back toad.

He placed his palms on mountain back toad and started healing it.

He was inwardly startled by the injuries on mountain back toad.

He had fought so many matches on the battle stage, but had never seen such serious injuries.

"Am I going to lose this match? Losing to such a young junior? No, impossible!" The intense premonition of defeat rose for the first time in Li Hao's heart.

Fang Yuan sneered and charged again.

How could he allow Li Hao to heal mountain back toad so openly in front of his eyes?

Seeing Fang Yuan charging over, Li Hao gritted his teeth, but he could only give up on healing and retreated back.

He waited till Fang Yuan had charged in front of mountain back toad before using position swap Gu.

Like this, he was again standing beside mountain back toad and Fang Yuan was far away.

But Fang Yuan was not worried and still charged over.

Li Hao's healing was repeatedly disrupted while Fang Yuan's attacks also had no effect.

Despite this, Fang Yuan still kept on charging over without giving up.

Several repeated attempts later, it was Li Hao instead who stopped healing; his complexion mixed.

The audience could not make any sense of this.

But there were still some smart people.

"Fang Zheng's repeated attacks appear to be useless but actually Li Hao's primeval essence was greatly consumed."

"That's right. Although position swap Gu is mystical, it has its flaws and huge primeval essence consumption is one."

"The further the distance and stronger the target, the more primeval essence Li Hao needs to expend to activate position swap Gu."

"Fang Zheng possesses the strength of two boars, a crocodile and a bear; the primeval essence consumption of Li Hao to use position swap Gu is definitely a lot. Moreover, he still wanted to heal mountain back toad, even a rank three's primeval essence can't support such intense usage."

Li Hao also realized this and thus stopped his healing attempt.

He did not have much primeval essence left now.

If it were his previous opponents, he could still continue with his rank three white silver primeval essence. But his opponent now, Fang Yuan was also a rank three Gu master and had already established superiority in terms of primeval essence.

Looking at Fang Yuan charging over again, Li Hao hesitated but had no choice but to go ahead.

Fang Yuan clenched his fists and immediately abandoned the mountain back toad, attacking towards Li Hao.

Bang bang bang.

His fists broke the air, the momentum and fierceness they contained were incomparable, like tides striking the cliff.

Several moves later, Li Hao could not endure it anymore!

Although he had other Gu, his true core was the mountain back toad and position swap Gu.

In order to decrease the primeval essence consumption of position swap Gu, he had completely removed the beast phantoms hidden in his body.

Fang Yuan's offensive was extremely fierce like the howling storm, making Li Hao have difficulty breathing.

Li Hao relied on his previous foundation of a strength cultivator to forcefully withstand few moves before he had no choice but use position swap Gu to change places with mountain back toad.

Fang Yuan did not pursue Li Hao but began attacking mountain back toad.

Phantoms of boar, brown bear and crocodile flashed one after another.

Rocks flew about and mountain back toad spurted out large mouthful of blood, counterattacking in a frenzy.

But Fang Yuan used horizontal charge and vertical crash Gu alternatively; as such, mountain back toad's counterattacks looked really clumsy.

"How could it be like this…."

"Even Lord Li Hao had to fight personally and share the burden with mountain back toad."

"Fang Zheng's attacks are terrifyingly fierce, suppressing both Li Hao and mountain back toad."

The match's progress was beyond most of the audience's expectation. Every since Li Hao abandoned strength path and changed into support path, they had never seen him fall into such a predicament.

Li Hao's battle tactics were pretty good. The combination of position swap Gu and mountain back toad was brilliant.

Even Fang Yuan could not crack this battle tactic.

However…

He did not need to crack it!

He had never thought of cracking it, just swinging his arms, and continuing his all-out strategy. No matter who appears in front of me, I will beat them!

This seems like a foolish move, but actually concealed great wisdom in it.

Savagery and tyrannical momentum was unleashed like this.

"This is a good method." Some people's eyes brightened, "If I were to fight Li Hao in the future, I need to be like Fang Zheng; disregarding everything else and attacking mountain back toad."

As soon as these words came out, the person's words was denied and mocked by others beside him.

"Nonsense! You want to imitate him, is your brain okay? Fang Zheng can do this because he is a strength cultivator and his primeval essence expenditure is low. You are a fire path cultivator, you attacking mountain back toad is exactly what Li Hao would want to see."

Without primeval essence, a Gu Master's battle strength was sure to fall sharply and would be almost equal to a mortal.

In a battle, the side with higher primeval essence was often dominant. And as the gap between primeval essence quantity increased, this dominance increased further.

The Gu Master who thought of imitating Fang Yuan heard this and immediately choked with no way to retort.

Someone patted his head and said as if he had comprehended something: "I suddenly see that strength cultivators have their advantages."

"That's right." Someone sitting nearby immediately replied, "Strength cultivators' attacks draws the strength of their bodies, thus strength Gu Masters have a common advantage in that they have little primeval essence consumption."

"Every cultivation path has its own advantage and disadvantage. Strength path being renowned back in the Antiquity Era was not without reasons."

Everyone looked at the stage again.

Li Hao and mountain back toad were retreating step by step under Fang Yuan's fierce attacks.

All-out effort Gu's primeval essence consumption was very small.

And Fang Yuan's true attacking power came from his several beast phantoms.

But these beast phantoms by themselves did not expend any primeval essence!

This was the most absurd part!

If it were other Gu Masters in Fang Yuan's place, they would have been tired after dozens of rounds, but Fang Yuan's attacks became fiercer the longer he continued.

His momentum continually rose, his fists carried with it the sound of the wind and were extremely tyrannical; the sound they produced were like the roars of ferocious tigers or the growls of giant bears!

From Fang Yuan's performance, the crowd could see the grand and proud demeanour of strength path cultivators from the ancient times!

His heartbeat pulsed rapidly and his blood raced; Fang Yuan felt more pleasant the more he fought.

Since rebirth, he had been extremely cautious in his actions which accumulated suppressed feelings in his heart, and now as he punched and kicked fanatically, those feelings were all let out.

The gloominess in his heart was swept clean.

No doubt, obtaining all-out effort Gu was a turning point in Fang Yuan's life.

Before this, he had to rush about busily, always in danger, not even able to fill his stomach properly. Encountering even a slightly larger problem would require him to think and ponder extensively.

But after obtaining all-out effort Gu, he finally had the qualification to be proud and could use his fists to resolve many things.

Like now, he did not need to crack Li Hao's brilliant battle tactic and could just use his fists to sweep across.

Demons was cunning but they were even more tyrannical!

Sweeping the heaven and earth, engulfing the mountains and rivers, blood splashing the world, absolute strength prevails over all schemes!

You are fierce; I am fiercer than you. You are unreasonable; I am more unreasonable than you!

Demon! Demon! Demon!

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Fang Yuan fought to his heart's content, his emotions surging intensely inside him; finally, he could bear it no longer and the emotions poured out like a torrent.

"Because hardships strengthen resolve, the strong-minded will not be lured by worldly affairs. Today I step on grass; later I shall step on mountains and rivers!"

From today, I will walk on the path of supremacy!

Sweep the earth and laugh at the world.

Tread the green mountains; step on the blue seas; bind the blue dragon; assault the sky!

Bath in difficulties and sharpen the demonic soul; lift the flag and sing in triumph; defy heaven, defy fate, defy the universe!

Bam!

A punch ruthlessly struck the mountain back toad, the small hill on its back collapsed, blood flowed out of its body as it was beaten to death by Fang Yuan!

Horizontal charge, vertical crash!

Li Hao was sent flying for dozen of steps before he fell down on the ground.

Plop, he fell on the mud, no longer moving.

The black mud mixed with dark red blood contaminated his flowery robe.

He paid with his life for his contempt.

The battle ended abruptly. Fang Yuan proudly stood on the spot; his masculine, ferocious aura pervaded the scene.

His declaration still echoed in the battle stage.

Other than that, it was a scene of silence, no one spoke!

Chapter 292: Law Fragment, Traces of Great Dao

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

In the secret room, Fang Yuan sat on the cushion, his eyes shut tightly.

Light silver primeval essence continued to pour into the self-reliance Gu.

Self-reliance Gu was diving in the primeval sea in Fang Yuan's aperture.

It was shaped like a cockroach, a dark-brown colored flat body. There were feelers on its head, and wings on its back.

This was the rank three healing Gu that Fang Yuan purchased for a huge amount of primeval stones.

Self-reliance Gu could be said to be the best Gu for strength cultivating Gu Masters.

The greater the physical strength of the Gu Master, the better the effect of the self-reliance Gu's healing. In contrast, the weaker the Gu Master, the weaker the healing effect.

Self-reliance, relying on oneself, it meant obtaining the ability to regenerate and heal using one's own strength.

Fang Yuan had the strength of two boars, one bear and a crocodile, now that he used the self-reliance Gu, the healing effect was on par with the flesh-bone Gu. This was not its limit yet, when Fang Yuan gains new strength from more Gu, its effect would surpass the flesh-bone Gu, continually improving.

But the self-reliance Gu has its weaknesses.

It could not heal others, only the Gu Master himself.

This greatly limited its use.

Moreover, it was expensive, as a rare Gu, it costs forty-five thousand primeval stones! Even more expensive than the sword shadow Gu. Thus, although there were many strength path Gu Masters, few could afford it.

Different from ancient times, strength path Gu Masters now were of the lowest social class, holding jobs that involve physical work. There were many low rank ones, few high rank ones, and even less outstanding ones. Barely any stood at the peak, in the entire southern border, only Empress Wu Ji was a successful story. But even she relied on the ancient strength path inheritance to do so.

This was an era where strength path declined.

Now, Fang Yuan was using the self-reliance Gu to recover his injuries.

In the battle with Li Hao, he had gotten injured.

The biggest culprit was not Li Hao, not the mountain back toad, but Fang Yuan himself.

As he attacked with such a ferocious force, and for such a long time, it caused his muscles and tendons to be overworked, and some of them tore, even the canopy Gu was in bad shape, needing time to recover.

Thankfully, he had used the iron bones Gu before, thus there was no problems with his bones. If not, even his bones would have broke.

Normally, when people exerted too much strength, they would pull a muscle. If a cannon is fired too many times, it would be easy to jam up.

Any kind of strength needed a foundation to contain it. On this aspect, strength path Gu Masters follow the same rule.

Fang Yuan had the canopy Gu and iron bones, but his strength was too great, unleashing such a flurry of attacks, even his muscles could not take it, there was great stress on his organs, blood etc.

After this battle, there were lots of hidden injuries in his body.

Even his sweat had blood traces.

"Since I started using the self-reliance Gu to heal, this is the tenth hour already. Mostly because of the steel tendon Gu, it is making my healing difficult." Fang Yuan had an understanding of his situation.

Before this, he had been using the steel tendon Gu to transform and train his body. It caused the tendons in his muscles to gain a layer of black color, shining with a metallic glow, becoming tougher.

Right now, his tendons were either pulled or torn, to reconnect and heal them, it would be much harder than an ordinary person's muscles and tendons.

Why is that so?

Ordinary people might not know why, only treating this as a natural phenomenon. But Fang Yuan knew clearly, he had been a Gu Immortal after all, he knew these involved the natural laws of heaven and earth.

Man is the spirit of all beings, Gu is the essence of heaven and earth.

Whether the Gu worm's body is large or small, it would contain a law fragment of the Great Dao.

Steel tendon Gu's effect is to reinforce the tendons in the Gu Master's body until they are tough as steel. This caused Fang Yuan's tendons to contain the corresponding power of the natural law, the traces of Great Dao.

For the self-reliance Gu to heal, it not only has to recover the body's tendons, but also has to overcome and overwrite this layer of natural law.

But thankfully, this law did not clash with the healing law. Otherwise, not only would Fang Yuan not be healed, he would be damaged instead.

Similarly, the brown bear innate strength Gu, black and white boar Gu, and crocodile strength Gu were the same.

They contained the Great Dao law fragments regarding "physical strength", when their strength lurk in Fang Yuan's body, they form into beast phantoms and conceal themselves. Only after he unleashes their true power could they be seen by the naked eye.

The so called beast phantom, its essence was the Dao mark of "physical strength"— a trace of Great Dao in heaven and earth.

Take the poison vow Gu as another example.

It contained the law of restriction, it stays in a Gu Master's body to restrict them.

This Dao mark is normally not seen, but under the effect of the eating one's words Gu, it will be forced to appear, and then exterminated.

The law contained in the eating one's words Gu were opposite of the poison vow Gu. But the former was slightly stronger, thus it could overwrite the other.

Or taking it further, why did the rainbow light Gu, position swap Gu, require Gu Masters to be free of strength modifications?

It was the same reason.

The law of strength would interfere with the law of light and the law of space. If the Dao mark of strength is too strong, it would cause the two Gu to fail when utilized.

"Gu Masters use Gu, but the truth is that they use the Great Dao law fragments within the Gu. Gu is the carrier of the fragment, a tool of heaven and earth. When Gu Masters refine Gu, they are fusing laws, and forming laws. Nurturing Gu, using Gu and refining Gu… Gu cultivation is not a small Dao, but a true Great Dao. In cultivating, Gu Masters learn about nature, and learn about heaven and earth. This is why the hope for immortality, and becoming an everlasting existence still remain."

Fang Yuan was clear in his heart.

…

"Because hardships strengthen resolve, the strong-minded will not be lured by worldly affairs. Today I step on grass; later I shall step on mountains and rivers!"

In the study room, Shang Yan Fei muttered, thinking about the poem Fang Yuan recited, showing interest on his face.

"Because of difficulties, one gain aspirations and resolve. The allure of the mortal world cannot restrict one's heart. What grand aspirations! Especially that last line, are you treating my Shang clan as grass?"

"Lord clan leader, the way I see it, Fang Zheng was referring to his opponent Li Hao, being too weak for him." Wei Yang cupped his fists and said.

Shang Yan Fei shook his head: "It is fine, I am not so narrow minded. But it is a pity I missed a good show. Although I did not see it personally, I can imagine the scene of Fang Zheng unleashing his ability, striking with a grand aura."

Shang Yan Fei stood at a high point, he had a broad vision, and naturally was broad minded. Towards Fang Yuan's aspirations, he could understand, and appreciate it.

Reminded by Shang Yan Fei, Wei Yang recalled the scene of the battle, and exclaimed: "That is indeed so. The battlefield back then, Fang Zheng was extremely ferocious, stunning the spectators, everyone was dominated by his aura and no one said a word!"

Shang Yan Fei got up from his seat, strolling slowly to the window: "Armies are easily built, but generals are hard to come by. A pity this general is too arrogant, not even placing Shang clan in his eyes. But, he had gone through tough times, managed to survive, and gained much from it, as his cultivation rose rapidly. This caused his nature to develop in that direction."

"Lord clan leader's analysis is spot on. Young men would definitely have such ambitions, being lawless and fearless." Wei Yang lowered his head, adding on.

Shang Yan Fei looked outside the window, squinting.

Fang Yuan equated Shang clan city to grass, this was an overwhelming aspiration, he was definitely someone with great ambition. But Shang Yan Fei himself did not mind that.

He was a man standing at the peak, on the top of the whole southern border, he could definitely accept people with ambitions. Furthermore, Shang clan city would not truly become grass just because someone said so.

What he minded was the first sentence.

Because hardships strengthen resolve, the strong-minded will not be lured by worldly affairs…

In this world, there were lots of people with great ambitions but no ability, while people with aspirations and talent were few, one in a million. Those who not only had talent and aspirations, but also a firm will, were almost non-existent!

Aspiration and talent were not scary, but if they had an indomitable will and determination, that would cause worry.

Such a person, in history, he would either be called a hero, a villain, or a conqueror.

Such people, can change history, and create history!

Such a person, how would he submit to others? How would he allow himself to be used by Shang clan? If he could not be used, and this person walks the demonic path, he would definitely leave his mark in this world, causing storms and disasters in his life. This was not something the righteous path wants to see…

Thinking so, Shang Yan Fei suddenly said: "I heard, Fang Zheng snatched Li Ran's opportunity, thus he compensated him two hundred thousand primeval stones to repay the favor. How much does he still owe?"

Wei Yang replied: "He already paid a hundred and thirty thousand, only seventy thousand remain. But it should be repaid soon."

Hearing this, Shang Yan Fei's worry eased.

He nodded: "That's true. Someone with ambition would not mind the small details, so what if it is two hundred thousand primeval stones. Hehehe."

Thinking of how Fang Yuan saved Shang Xin Ci, Shang Yan Fei laughed.

He was really interesting, doing things with his own principles, repaying kindness and taking revenge for hatred. But he does not have righteous morals nor any restraints, such a nature was dangerous, but there was still hope of recruiting and controlling him.

Right now he was at the peak of his fame, there was little hope of recruiting him, they had to wait.

After he faces hardship from reality, they will use kindness to move him, and recruit him under Shang Xin Ci's wing. With such a helper, Shang Yan Fei would feel assured about her safety.

"Nevermind, Fang Zheng, let me see how far you can go…" Shang Yan Fei thought in his heart.

He had a sharp foresight, entirely clear of the situation.

After Fang Yuan killed Li Hao, the entire battle zone went into a commotion.

The power of the all-out effort Gu was seen by everyone.

Many started to realize Fang Yuan was a tough opponent. But on the other hand, it made many experts start to notice and desire the all-out effort Gu.

Fang Yuan would have a peaceful time for a while, but soon, those days will end.

According to his nature, he would definitely suffer extensively. At that time, he would know how weak he truly was.

Using the battle stage, he would be suppressed and polished.

As Shang Yan Fei predicted, Fang Yuan's days got easier, as he won without a fight in his subsequent matches.

Who was Li Hao?

He was the number one strongest in fifth inner city battle stage, someone about to rise to fourth inner city.

Even he died by Fang Yuan's iron fist, who could stop him?

But a forceful challenge cannot be cancelled, those demonic Gu Masters thinking of taking advantage of the situation were forced to enter the arena.

At the start, some minded their reputation and tried to spar with Fang Yuan.

But Fang Yuan heavily injured several people, and after he killed one person, they did not dare to think highly of themselves anymore, once the battle started, they surrendered.

Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one victories…

Fang Yuan went onto the stage no longer to battle, but just to collect primeval stones.

It could be said to be the easiest time of his life.

And during this period, a group of pursuing Bai clan Gu Masters arrived at the foot of Shang clan city.

Chapter 293: Heaven is blind

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"We've finally reached Shang clan city." Staring at the mountain of buildings, Bai Feng sighed.

He was a Bai clan elder, when he was young, he roamed the southern border, and had once came to Shang clan city. But this time round, he was already old, the buildings were all unfamiliar to him, and even his goal was to arrest the two demonic Gu Masters.

"Do you guys think those two demonic scoundrels really chose this direction?" Bai Lian sounded worried.

"It should be this direction. We split into a few groups at the place where the footless bird landed, but the other directions were all dead ends. Only this path left behind traces." Tie Dao Ku said.

He was uncertain in his heart.

Although Tie clan was the number one investigator in the southern border, he was an attacking type Gu Master. Moreover, the southern border had many forests and mountains, complex terrain that made it easy to hide oneself and difficult to trace them.

"Maybe the two of them died long ago along the way, becoming food for wild beasts." Someone said optimistically.

There was a huge possibility in this, they had found many traces of skeletons along the way, and all the remains of the caravan assaulted by beast hordes.

"I do hope they are alive!" Bai Zhan Lie gritted his teeth, his grandfather was killed by Fang and Bai, he wanted to kill them with his own hands, taking revenge for that intense hatred in his heart.

"Alright, let's enter the city first. If there are no discoveries, we shall spend some primeval stones to send a letter to clan leader, and see what orders she has for us." Bai Feng took the first step.

The few of them arrived at the city gate looking like travellers on a long journey.

Coincidentally, this gate was the one Fang and Bai had once gone through.

"To enter the city, each person has to pay ten primeval stones." The city guard stopped them from entering.

Bai Feng took out a yellow pear token, waving it.

The guard looked at it, and after inspecting it, said: "Yellow pear token can exempt three people from the fees."

Bai Feng's group of six handed in thirty primeval stones.

"This brother, did you see the two of them entering the city?" Bai Zhan Lie pointed at an arrest warrant on the wall, asking.

This was the arrest warrant for Fang and Bai.

But the surface of this arrest warrant had been covered by another new arrest warrant, almost half of the surface was covered.

This was common.

Once in a while, new arrest warrants would appear.

The city guard's expression changed, howling at Bai Zhan Lie: "What are you saying? A city gate with me guarding, how can there be a demonic Gu Master entering? Do you think I am blind? This is slander, you are slandering a righteous young man from Shang clan!"

Bai Zhan Lie's expression froze.

Clan elder Bai Feng quickly apologised, in Shang clan city, even if he was a Bai clan elder, he had to lower his head.

The city guard saw Bai Feng's rank three cultivation, and did not dare to pursue the matter, only muttering under his breath.

Only until Tie Dao Ku showed an unhappy expression, and displayed his identity: "Enough, shut up. Do you think my Tie clan is unclear of what your Shang clan is like?"

The city guard stopped speaking.

After facing this initial display of authority, Bai clan entered the outer city grimly.

"Let's get some food, we are all tired after these few days of travelling. We need to rest, it will not affect our mission. I know a good restaurant in fifth inner city, it is at the battle zone, I had participated in it back in the day, and reached fourth inner city." Bai Feng recommended.

This suggestion was well received.

The gang arrived at fifth inner city, at the battle zone. Bai Zhan Lie, Bai Lian and the other juniors were instantly awed by the atmosphere of the battle zone.

As they walked, they could hear the people's excited conversations.

"Tan Jing finally took revenge, and defeated Shi Nan Sheng. Shi Nan Sheng vowed to take revenge, their grudge is growing."

"Sang Kong controls the virus cloud moth, his battle strength has risen again, he can almost dominate the fifth inner city."

"Dominate? Hehe, he will have to wait until Gu Yue Fang Zheng ascends to fourth inner city."

…

"Gu Yue Fang Zheng!"

Bai clan's gang stared with wide opened eyes, like they were struck by lightning. They quickly stopped, and stared at the talking passerby.

They scared the shit out of him.

After three minutes.

On the battle stage, Fang Yuan walked up to the stage. His opponent was a middle aged man, tall and burly, thick waist and shoulder, with a long moustache on his face, looking extremely fierce and aggressive.

Ding!

The bell rang and the battle officially started.

"I admit defeat!" The middle aged man shouted at the first second. He was swift and direct, causing the audience to feel unsatisfied.

"Again?"

"Aren't you embarrassed, admitting defeat before fighting."

"Embarrassment is better than dying, in the entire fifth inner city now, who dares to fight against Fang Zheng? The all-out effort Gu is too powerful!"

The crowd was noisy as usual.

The battle ended as soon as it started.

The hosting Gu Master took both their vine information Gu and edited the information inside before returning it to them.

The middle aged man turned to leave, admitting defeat was a humiliation, but circumstances forced him to, after all Fang Yuan was cruel and ruthless, he never spares his opponents. He did not dare to fight just to save his reputation.

Fang Yuan did not leave immediately, but took out forty thousand primeval stones and handed them to Li Ran.

This caused everyone to go into discussions again.

"Another forty thousand, he really gave it!"

"Although this Gu Yue Fang Zheng is ruthless, he keeps his word. Two hundred thousand, he has repaid most of it already. Only thirty thousand remain."

"Li Ran used these primeval stones to purchase Gu worms, he is starting to display his strength in the battle zone. I am so envious."

"Repaying kindness and taking revenge for hatred. From this aspect, I truly respect Gu Yue Fang Zheng."

"With this win, he is at twenty-nine net wins. Just one last match, and he would be in fourth inner city."

"The faster the better, how dares to challenge him? Even Li Hao died by his hands…"

…

"Gu Yue Fang Zheng, after all these hardships, we've finally found you!" Among the crowd, Bai Zhan Lie gritted his teeth, as his face contorted with anger.

His companions also showed an ugly expression.

They had chased after him for so long, suffering along the journey. In the end, they found that the person they wanted to arrest had been living luxuriously in Shang clan city, making a name for himself.

Before this, they had continuously guessed if he had died under the beast hordes, digested into faeces and defecated.

The scene now, was a huge contrast to their expectations.

Not only did Fang Yuan not have problems, he was living well, even changing his Gu worms and raising his battle strength and cultivation.

What were they supposed to feel!

"Oh heaven is blind, how can such a vile scoundrel live so well?" Bai Feng raised his head and cried out.

"His luck is too good, saving the illegitimate daughter of Shang clan leader and receiving the purple thorn token! In Shang clan city, we can do nothing to him, he is protected by Shang clan!" Bai Lian gritted her teeth, she had learnt much from the passerby.

The enemy who killed the two young masters were right before them, but there was nothing they could do to him.

"Not only him, even that Bai Ning Bing received the purple thorn token. Now, she has also joined the battle stage, and has good battle records." A companion beside her sighed.

"What world is this, evil people live well while good people die. Sigh!"

"Actually, it is not like we have no way to deal with them. They could join the battle stage, so can we." Tie Dao Ku spoke with a low voice, his gaze sharp as daggers.

He had heard from Bai clan leader that Fang Yuan had the charred thunder potato mother Gu.

Right now, he could confirmed that Fang and Bai were the ones who killed his young master!

But arresting them was impossible now, so why not just kill them! That way, young master's revenge can be taken, and Tie Dao Ku can return to Tie clan.

"That's right! This is a good idea." Bai Feng's eyes shone, as his spirits were lifted.

Using the rules of the battle stage, even if Fang Yuan had the purple thorn token, he could not be protected. Even if they could not kill him, taking away his all-out effort Gu would halt his growth.

The truth is, his growth speed was too scary, it struck fear in them. He cannot be allowed to grow anymore!

"Wait, where is Bai Zhan Lie?" Bai Lian suddenly asked.

…

Fang Yuan walked out of the battle stage, as numerous people gave way to him.

Numerous gazes landed on him, there were fear and respect, indifference and animosity.

"Although I killed many Gu Masters, my reputation is not bad. Every time I give Li Ran primeval stones, it is a performance that improves my reputation. Out of the two hundred thousand, only thirty thousand remain."

Fang Yuan walked as he considered his options.

After battling Li Hao, he earned three Gu worms, but did not gain the mountain back toad or the position swap Gu.

He beat the mountain back toad to death, and the position swap Gu is Li Hao's vital Gu, it perished after Li Hao died.

But that battle had many spectators, Fang Yuan earned over six thousand primeval stones.

This month, his consecutive victories earned him enough to return forty thousand to Li Ran and still save a small sum of primeval stones for himself.

Because of his actions, and Li Ran's response, Wu clan did not do anything to Fang Yuan for now.

This earned him precious time for development.

"I have twenty-nine victories now, just one more and I'd be in fourth inner city. The pressure there is much higher, with experts everywhere, but wins also give me much more reward. After using the steel tendon Gu, I can increase the number of my beast phantoms already, but…"

To increase the number of beast phantoms, it is a long process, there will only be effect after two to three months.

After getting to fourth inner city, Fang Yuan's pressure would be greater, he needed more strength to deal with the situation.

"A large size auction will be held soon, and there is an instant success Gu up for bidding. If I can get it, I would be able to obtain new beast phantoms overnight, but my primeval stones are too few, I don't even have the qualification to participate in the auction…"

Money is always insufficient when one needs to use it!

Just as Fang Yuan was considering who to borrow from, a young man appeared and blocked his path.

"Gu Yue Fang Zheng, do you recognise me?!" Bai Zhan Lie screamed.

"Zhan Lie!"

"Zhan Lie, don't be rash."

Bai clan and gang arrived, forming a semi circle around Fang Yuan.

A stand-off!

Chapter 294: Crimes have to be punished!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Fang Yuan slightly furrowed his eyebrows and lightly glanced at the group.

He had some impression of Bai Zhan Lie; the number one genius from Bai clan's younger generation, they had even drank together at one time.

Bai Lian was even more familiar, she had accompanied him for some time, using honey trap on him. Unfortunately, how could beauty shake Fang Yuan's heart? The result was that Fang Yuan played her at her own game.

Others such as Bai Feng, Tie Dao Ku and so on, Fang Yuan did not recognize them.

Even so, Fang Yuan knew this group of people's origins and motives.

This was the victim's family coming to visit.

"Justice has long arms, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, you slaughtered my Bai clan's two young clan leaders, you will not escape justice even if you escape to Shang clan city!" Bai Feng shouted.

"Fang Zheng, the trap you buried killed my Tie clan's young master and clansmen. This hatred is absolutely irreconcilable, I, Tie Dao Ku, will take your head!" Tie Dao Ku's expression was flared up as he pointed at Fang Yuan's nose and roared.

The disturbance here immediately attracted the attention of nearby passerbys. To go where the crowds were, it was human nature; more people began to pay attention.

"Oh, you are a Tie clansman? Strange! How could I have no idea what you are talking about if I killed your clansmen?" Fang Yuan sneered.

"Stop denying it! You have the charred thunder potato mother Gu, you dug the pitfalls with extremely sinister intentions. My Tie clan group stepped into your pitfall, the explosions blew up even their corpses. We have been chasing your all the way, who could it be besides you?" Tie Dao Ku's eyes seemed to be almost shooting out flames, wishing he could immediately cut Fang Yuan into pieces.

"Hehehe." Fang Yuan was dazed for a moment before he started laughing, "So it was like that, it seems I did the right thing by digging those pitfalls. Thank you for telling me this good news and making me happy."

"You!" Tie Dao Ku opened his eyes wide, he was seething with anger, "You admitted it! You actually admitted it! Good, very good, Fang Zheng, you are dead meat. You dared to kill my Tie clan's young master, you have made an enemy out of Tie clan!"

"So what?" Fang Yuan shrugged his shoulders and sarcastically said, "Laughable, I dug those pitfalls to deal with the grass skirt monkeys. But you guys stepped on them, this can only be blamed on your Tie clansmen for not having eyes. Moreover, what crimes did I commit for you guys to tail after me? Courting your own death, hehehe, it is good that they died, it is fabulous that they died…"

The surrounding people were dumbstruck.

"He provoked a Tie clansman so directly?"

"Has Fang Zheng gone crazy? Tie clan is also one of the lords of southern border and isn't any weaker than Shang clan."

"Tie clan has captured demonic Gu Masters from everywhere and its famous demon suppression tower is the nemesis of the demonic path. Fang Zheng actually killed a young master of this clan!"

"He has the purple thorn token and knows he is safe! As long as he stays in Shang clan city, he would be a distinguished guest of Shang clan. Even if Tie clan leader came, Lord Shang Yan Fei would need to protect him. If he didn't protect Fang Zheng and the news spread out, it would signify that Shang clan is afraid of Tie clan. Hehe…"

The discussion of the surrounding people calmed down Tie Dao Ku who was burning in anger.

Fang Yuan possessed a purple thorn token and his cultivation was now rank three; dealing with him was not as easy as before.

"Hmph, Fang Zheng, don't think you are safe by hiding here. You want to rely on the battle stage to become Shang clan's external elder? In your dreams! I will tell you, as long as I Bai Feng am here, you will never be able to dominate the battle stage!" Elder Bai Feng said in a gloomy tone.

Tie Dao Ku followed immediately: "Fang Zheng, I will deal with you in the battle stage. There is no escape for you, the huge crime you have commited must receive severe punishment!"

"Oh, you guys want to stop me in the battle stage?" Fang Yuan's eyes flashed with a trace of cold light.

He was not afraid of these people, even though Bai Feng, Tie Dao Ku, Bai Zhan Lie and Bai Lian were all rank three Gu Masters.

If they were going to deal with him through the battle stage, they could not display their superiority in numbers.

"It is just that my current situation…."

Fang Yuan mumbled inwardly then suddenly chuckled and said to Bai Feng: "Your Bai clan obtained Bai Gu inheritance but are still not satisfied and want to deal with me? Without me, how could you have obtained the inheritance? Hmph, it seems you don't want to know the whereabouts of your two young clan leaders."

The Bai clansmen immediately revealed astonished expressions.

From Fang Yuan's tone, it seemed the two young clan leaders were not dead…

"Fang Zheng, what do you mean?" Bai Feng immediately asked in bewilderment.

"Fang Zheng, don't try to deceive us with lies. We have searched almost everywhere in Bai Gu inheritance ground but haven't found even a trace of the two young clan leaders." Bai Lian coldly shouted.

"It was me who found the Bai Gu inheritance, does Bai clan think it has more understanding of the place than me? Ridiculous!"

Fang Yuan disdainfully scoffed and continued: "Why would I retreat while carrying those two burdens? Can't you think with your brains? Deceive you? Hmph, I am not even afraid of Tie clan, why would I fear your puny Bai clan?"

"Fang Zheng, if the two young clan leaders are still alive then this will just be a misunderstanding, our Bai clan… is not an unreasonable clan." Bai Feng picked his words carefully to coax Fang Yuan into revealing the whereabouts of the two young clan leaders.

"You want to know? Hehe, fine. It just so happens that I am starving, how about you treat me to a meal? Let's go to third inner city's most famous Shi Zi restaurant." Fang Yuan indifferently said.

Bai clansmen looked at each other.

The whereabouts of the two young clan leaders was extremely important since it affected the future of Bai clan.

Despite Bai clan having extreme hatred towards Fang Yuan, elder Bai Feng gritted his teeth and nodded: "Alright, let's go there!"

Shi Zi restaurant was not just a simple restaurant, but was a luxurious brothel.

This restaurant introduced women from foreign lands like Northern Plains, Eastern Seas and Western Desert; the women were all enchanting, with plump butt and large breasts. Another speciality of this restaurant was their lion meatball and was served on a human.

Lion's meat, tiger's meat and all kinds of precious ingredients were made into meatballs and displayed on top of a beautiful woman in between her breasts.

The name lion meatball held deep meanings. It was not only to eat the food, but also to 'eat human'.

The reason why Fang Yuan wanted to visit this place was not because he was interested in lion meatball, but because this restaurant had a strong background and contained many secret private rooms. Many Shang clansmen would often choose a private room for their private affairs, concealing their names and had no worries about news leaking.

Fang Yuan chose a secret room and sat along with everyone.

A feast was laid before them, the aroma of the dishes assailed their nostrils. However, they did not order the signature dish, lion meatball.

"Say it, where are our two young clan leaders?" Bai Feng impatiently asked the moment he sat down.

"Before I tell you, I would like to ask this Tie clan Gu Master to stay outside for a moment." Fang Yuan gazed at Tie Dao Ku.

"Why?" Tie Dao Ku's gaze was sharp as knife, as he ruthlessly cut off Fang Yuan. A bad feeling emerged in his mind.

"Because this is a private affair between me and Bai clan!" Fang Yuan's tone was unyielding, "Besides me, everyone else should be Bai clansmen, otherwise I guarantee I won't say a word!"

Bai Feng hesitated, the matter concerned the two young clan leaders, he had to be careful about it, thus he looked at Tie Dao Ku.

Tie Dao Ku snorted and annoyedly left the secret room, closing the door shut.

The sound produced in the secret room was isolated from the outside.

"Say it, where are the two young clan leaders, don't even think of deceiving us! This is Shang clan city, there are many Gu worms that can verify your words." Bai Feng sternly asked.

Fang Yuan lifted a wine cup and sipped at it: "Whereabouts? Of course, they are both dead, you guys are really naive! Since I made an enemy out of your Bai clan, I will naturally eliminate all threats!"

"What!"

"You dared to toy with us?

"Fang Zheng, you are courting death!"

The Bai clansmen stood up furiously, their flaming anger pressed on towards Fang Yuan.

They were full fury but could not take any actions.

This was not Bai clan's territory, Fang Yuan possessed a purple thorn token and also had impressive strength. They would definitely have to pay a catastrophic price to kill Fang Yuan. Most importantly, if they killed him like this, it was making an enemy out of Shang clan!

Your Bai clan killed my Shang clan's esteemed guest in Shang clan city, hehe.

Bai clan was now facing the crisis of their spirit spring drying up, they were in a precarious situation. Now, after obtaining the Bai Gu inheritance, many forces were eyeing it covetously, if they provoked a titan like Shang clan on top of that, the consequences would be too dire to imagine!

Fang Yuan calmly sat on his seat, he raised his eyes and looked at everyone, then indifferently said:

"I actually admire you guys. Your Bai clan's spirit spring is drying up and are in deep trouble, yet you guys still have the mood for leisure and came chasing after me. Hehe, you are really amazing."

These words were like a bolt of lightning which fiercely struck their hearts, causing tides to surge in elder Bai Feng's heart.

He was horrified as he blurted out: "This… how do you know this?!"

This information was sealed off by Bai clan's higher ups, even Bai Zhan Lie and Bai Lian did not know it. But Fang Yuan laid bare the secret with one sentence, how could it not frighten Bai Feng?

"Of course it was from your noble clan's two young clan leaders. Before I killed them, they knelt and begged for forgiveness, trying to use this information to obtain my trust and exchange for their lives." Fang Yuan talked nonsense, anyway, dead men tell no tales.

"Impossible! This information is only confined to clan leader and few elders. The two young clan leaders are young and ignorant, how could we let them know this?!" Bai Feng immediately retorted.

Fang Yuan curled his lips: "Maybe they heard it when they were playing around? After all, their mother is your clan leader. These are just minor details."

"Lord clan elder, is what he said about the spirit spring drying up true?"

"How could this be, if the clan's spirit spring dries up…"

Bai Lian, Bai Zhan Lie and others questioned one after another, their expressions worried and frightened.

Spirit spring was the foundation of a clan, there was no need to mention its importance. If the clan lost the spirit spring, no matter how strong it was, it would only be rootless weed.

Bai Feng immediately came back to his senses by their questions and inwardly knew he had messed up.

Maybe Fang Yuan was only guessing, the two young clan leaders were young, their credibility were not high.

Bai Feng felt immense regret and wished he could give himself a tight slap. He was impatient and could not hide secrets. Otherwise, when he was young, he would not have been driven out of the clan by his father to force him to mold his character.

These years, he had cultivated some shrewdness but in the end, a leopard cannot change its spots.

But honestly, he could not be blamed. Spirit spring was too important, Bai Feng was carrying this burden in his heart. The pressure was accumulating like a volcano and burst out due to Fang Yuan's one sentence.

Chapter 295: Actually, I was a victim too

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Bai Feng's expression was gloomy and his gaze kept on flashing. He was thinking of denying this but Fang Yuan saw through his plan.

"Don't even try to cover it, it's no use. As the spirit spring continues to dry up, the primeval stones produced will also decrease sharply. Bai clan has been concealing it well, you have either used your remaining stock in the storage or traded to fill up this gap. But this will definitely leave traces, as long as someone carefully investigates it, they will find out." Fang Yuan was calm and comfortable.

Bai Feng tightly clenched his fists, glaring at Fang Yuan like he wanted to swallow him alive.

Looking at the appearance of this elder, even a stupid person would realize the truth.

"Our clan's spirit spring is drying?" Bai Lian was dazed, leaning on her chair listlessly.

Bai Zhan Lie bit his lips, going silent.

The others also did not speak, they were astonished and terrified. The atmosphere in the secret room turned extremely oppressive.

"Hehehe." Fang Yuan chuckled, "Your Bai clan is really in danger. Even a stronger clan will collapse if their spirit spring dries up and they don't find a new spirit spring. Now, you have obtained Bai Gu inheritance, the forces around you are all coveting it; tell me, what will happen if I spread this secret information?"

"No!" Bai Lian lost color in her face and immediately interjected.

The others also thought of the seriousness of the matter and their expressions turned grave.

Now, Bai clan had obtained Bai Gu inheritance, their strength rose due to the benefits gained from Fang Yuan's discovery. The few neighbouring large clans were staring at them covetously, but also held their guard.

If the news of the spirit spring drying up was exposed, Bai clan would lose their deterrence and become a paper tiger; the surrounding forces were sure to make their move!

Those forces would never want to see Bai clan survive this ordeal and because of the Bai Gu inheritance, rise in power and suppress them.

Hence, this information had to be guarded!

Bai clan's gang were startled awake by Fang Yuan, gaining some understanding of the situation. Bai Zhan Lie and others fixed their gazes at Fang Yuan, their eyes shining even more fiercely and emitted killing intent.

"Want to kill me?" Fang Yuan sneered and shook his finger, "Since I am meeting with you alone, I have naturally made thorough preparations. In truth, if you hadn't come to find me, I would have gone to find you."

These were not senseless words. The Bai clansmen had no choice but to restrain their killing intent and retract the ominous glint in their eyes.

"Alright, let's get down to business now." The corner of Fang Yuan's lips slightly curled up as he adjusted his sitting posture.

He pointed his hands down and said: "Take a seat and let's discuss it."

"Discuss what, what's there to talk about with you? Hmph!" Bai Feng's expression was gloomy, but despite saying so, he still sat down.

The remaining clansmen hesitated for a while before sitting down.

The tense situation immediately eased a little.

"Of course we are going to discuss the fees to keep me silent. Was it easy for me to lead you here? Wasting my time and energy, you should compensate me! Primeval stones, I want primeval stones. Give me three million primeval stones and I can promise you I won't reveal this information."

The Bai clansmen immediately stood up again when they heard Fang Yuan.

"You dare to threaten us!"

"You killed our two young clan leaders, and dare to demand primeval stones?!"

"Fang Zheng, don't go too far. At worst, I will stake my old life and take you down with me!"

The group roared and growled in anger.

"Hahaha." Fang Yuan threw his head back and laughed. He then stood up and a cold light blossomed in his dark eyes as he looked at the group.

"That's right, I am threatening you! You don't agree? Then I will simply leak this information. What did you say, you want to die together with me? Hmph, even if I die, this information will be leaked to the world. At that time, you will become the sinners of the clan; because you didn't agree to my request, your clan will be besieged by the surrounding forces!"

"You, you, you…" Elder Bai Feng was angered to his limit as he speechlessly pointed at Fang Yuan.

The other clansmen also glared at Fang Yuan with furious eyes while gritting their teeth, but no one moved.

"You what?" Fang Yuan sneered at Bai Feng, his tone full of disdain, "What can you do to me? Kill me? I have a purple thorn token, do you dare to try it? I know you are all courageous, not afraid of death. But your clan is the most important. If your family and friends die, it will be all because of you!"

The Bai clansmen clenched their fists, standing stunned on the spot.

"Ahh—!" Bai Zhan Lie suddenly raised his head and shouted, he then lifted his fist and smashed it down.

Due to his furious punch, the whole banquet table was smashed and the dishes crashed to the ground.

He felt deep hatred!

His grandfather Bai Zhan Wen had died because of Fang and Bai. This hatred was irreconcilable!

Because of this, he joined the pursuit group, constantly running about, now that he finally found the killer…

The enemy was clearly in front of him, but he could not do anything! Fang Yuan was clearly within his reach, but he could not exact revenge!

Not only could he not exact revenge, he still had to endure Fang Yuan's threat.

His chest burned with anger, an anger that threatened to burn the sky and was already burning his heart. But he could not move, he did not dare to imagine the consequences if he moved. His life was a minor thing, but the whole clan might face a calamity because of him!

"No need to get angry. Actually, in this whole event, I was also a victim." Fang Yuan's tone relaxed and said with a sigh.

"Just think of it, Bai Gu inheritance was originally mine, but your Bai clan stole it from me. Your Bai clan chased after me and Bai Ning Bing, we were forced to kill Bai Hua and Bai Sheng to make it easier to escape. Later, I suffered serious injuries and landed on Zi You mountain, having close encounter with death all along the way. Do you think it was easy for me?"

"Your Bai clan's power is huge and I can't afford to offend it. I could only curl up in Shang clan city, but you still won't let me go. Tell me, what should I do? I am not someone who is unreasonable, three million primeval stones, that is the lowest I will go. I am very sincere, I have told this secret to only a few people and haven't spread it outside. I also intentionally sent the Tie clansman outside in consideration for your Bai clan."

Fang Yuan's expression was very sincere.

"Three million primeval stones, you are demanding an exorbitant price!"

"Fang Zheng, let's be fair, how did our Bai clan treat you! We treated you nicely with food and accomodation, but what came out of it? You repaid our kindness with enmity!"

"Our clan's two young clan leaders died in your hands, elder Bai Zhan Wen also died because of you. Many of our expert clansmen also died or got seriously handicapped while protecting you on your travels around Bai Gu mountain!"

The Bai clan's group all had different expressions; some were extremely angry, some were sneering and some were crying, but they all had a similarity — their deep hatred towards Fang Yuan!

Fang Yuan's expression changed, he gave a cold smile: "It seems you are still not aware of the situation, I tried to give you face, but you don't want it? Very well."

Fang Yuan stood up and turned to leave.

Bai clansmen immediately fell into panic.

"Wait, wait a moment." Bai Feng was desperate as he sidestepped and blocked Fang Yuan.

"I will tell you honestly, I am going to go sell this information now. I believe Shang clan's Feng Yu Manor will give a good price for it. Can you guess how much they are going to pay me?" Fang Yuan smiled sinisterly.

"Fang Zheng, don't go too far!" Bai Zhan Lie roared and quickly walked towards Fang Yuan and stared at him dead on.

Fang Yuan nonchalantly said: "You want to attack me? You want to put your clan in danger?"

Bai Zhan Lie's inner fire was stumped, as he stood stunned.

Slap!

Fang Yuan took this chance and slapped. He was very strong and with just a little strength, he sent the energetic Bai Zhan Lie retreating five to six steps.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Bai clansmen immediately flared up and surrounded Fang Yuan.

"Do you all want to become the sinners of your clan?" Fang Yuan snorted, his words were like ice, dousing the Bai clansmen's surging anger.

"You unappreciative scum." Fang Yuan pointed at Bai Zhan Lie, "If I don't teach you a lesson, do you really think you are the Heavenly Emperor?"

Fang Yuan showed no restraint in berating Bai Zhan Lie in front of the Bai clansmen.

He next looked at everyone: "You are all idiots! If I wanted Bai clan to face a calamity, it just takes one sentence from me! A wise man succumbs to circumstances , you still can't see the situation clearly? Make a move if you want. Come, even if I die, having your Bai clan accompany me in death won't be so bad."

Fang Yuan was completely surrounded, but his attitude was still unbridled.

Instead it was Bai clansmen, who were bigger in numbers, that had to give in while gritting their teeth and clenching their fists.

Bai Zhan Lie held his swollen face, his eyes bloodshot. This humiliation almost caused the anger in his his heart to burst up to the nine heavens. The veins in his forehead bulged out as he tried his best to maintain the final sliver of reason left in his mind.

The clan was their weak spot; Fang Yuan targeted this and also showed an attitude that was unafraid of death, causing Bai clan fall into a hopeless situation where they could only tolerate Fang Yuan.

"I will give you thirty breaths of time to consider." Fang Yuan continued.

The group of Bai clansmen immediately fell into a struggle.

They did not want to lower their heads to Fang Yuan, this murderer. However, if they did not lower their heads, their clan would be in danger.

They were at a loss and all of them looked towards elder Bai Feng.

Bai Feng's clenched fists slowly loosened before he again clenched them and unclenched after a while.

This continued again and again, showing the struggle in his heart.

Thirty breaths of time passed by, but Fang Yuan looked like he had forgotten it.

Bai Feng was impatient, but he only opened his mouth after five minutes, breaking the silence.

"Three million… is too much. We can't agree to this. Moreover, we don't have that much money on us!" His voice was hoarse like a guy who was about to die of thirst in desert.

He listlessly loosened his hands, having no more strength to clench them again.

For the clan, he had no choice but to give priority to the overall situation. Despite wishing he could cut Fang Yuan into pieces, he chose to lower his head for the moment.

The other Bai clansmen also felt their hearts relieved after hearing his words. Their killing intent towards Fang Yuan sank into the shadows, becoming thicker and deeper.

Fang Yuan laughed: "The three million does not need to be paid in full, just take it slowly, for now hand over five hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand? Why would we carry so many primeval stones with us?!" Bai Feng refuted.

Fang Yuan's brows raised: "You can borrow from loan sharks, pawn your belongings or even sell Gu worms… no matter what you do, I need five hundred thousand primeval stones within a day. Moreover, I do not want to see any of Bai clan's people staying in Shang clan city!"

Chapter 296: Auction

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"What are they doing inside, it has already been over an hour…" Outside the secret room, Tie Dao Ku was standing with his arms crossed, the doubt in his heart increasing with time.

The secret room isolated sound but it was not firm. In the case where a fight broke out, he would be able to immediately sense it.

The problem, however, was that it had been calm and quiet since the start, making Tie Dao Ku unable to figure it out.

Creak.

Just as he was thinking this, the door opened from the inside.

"Brother Dao Ku, please come inside, we have finished our talk." A Gu Master of Bai clan informed.

Tie Dao Ku entered the secret room, the first thing he saw was the table smashed by Bai Zhan Lie and all kinds of dishes scattered on the ground.

Tie Dao Ku could not help but raise his brows.

Clearly, this feast could not be enjoyed anymore. Even if it could, the Bai clansmen present there did not have any appetite.

Their faces were ashen and their expressions sluggish as if they had suffered heavy injuries.

Only Fang Yuan's complexion was normal and even looked healthier than normal.

Just now, he had reached an agreement with the Bai clansmen and everything was settled by using poison vow Gu on the spot.

"What happened?" Tie Dao Ku was bewildered.

"I will leave first, take care." Fang Yuan left these words and walked out of the secret room.

"Fang Zheng, just wait for me at the battle stage!" Tie Dao Ku growled.

Fang Yuan ignored him and walked away, disappearing from everyone's sights.

"What exactly happened here?" Tie Dao Ku was very puzzled. How could talking for a while make all these Bai clansmen's expression change, he could not feel any flames of hatred in them.

"Sigh…." Bai Feng heaved a deep sigh.

He raised his head and looked at Tie Dao Ku, his gaze complex: "Brother Tie, something happened and it is not convenient for me to speak of it. We are withdrawing, we cannot go against Fang and Bai anymore."

"What?" Tie Dao Ku cried out involuntarily, revealing an incredulous expression.

"Our Bai clan has little assets, we cannot afford to take risks. Take care!" Bai Feng stood up and walked straight out of the secret room.

"You don't have to be worried, he is relying on Shang clan, but isn't my Tie clan also one of the lords of the southern border?" Tie Dao Ku hurriedly tried to persuade them. To deal against Fang and Bai, it was better with more people. If Bai clan left, he would be all alone!

However, how could he know the situation behind this?

His persuasion was of no use, Bai clan was bent on leaving and he was not able to stop them anymore.

Looking at the image of the Bai clansmen leaving, Tie Dao Ku's expression turned extremely cold and mumbled to himself: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting; Fang Zheng, you made a good move! But don't think I, Tie Dao Ku, will give up just like this. Hmph!"

His will was firm, others might have given up, but he still chose to persist.

He decided to register his name at the battle zone right away. He would hunt Fang Yuan in the battle stage!

"Sir, please stop." A waiter ran over and politely stopped Tie Dao Ku with a smile on his face: "You haven't paid the bill."

"…what?"

…

"Five hundred thousand primeval stones, how can we prepare such a large sum of money within a day?" Walking on the spacious street, Bai Lian voiced out her worries.

"With my identity as an elder of Bai clan, I can go to the loan sharks to borrow three hundred thousand. As for the remaining two hundred thousand… I will have to pawn small tornado." Bai Feng understood the situation.

The other Bai clansmen were moved.

Bai Zhan Lie cried out: "Lord Elder, small tornado Gu is your core Gu, are you really going to pawn it?"

Bai Feng let out a bitter smile.

"Even with elder pawning small tornado Gu, it won't be enough to get two hundred thousand. Add in my lotus cloth Gu." Bai Lian pursed her lips.

With this, the remaining Bai clansmen also understood.

"Pawn my fountain thoughts Gu as well."

"My little wind drill Gu as well."

"I will contribute my three forked bone spear…"

Bai Feng slowly nodded: "You all have the spirit of sacrificing for the clan, there is no worry that Bai clan won't flourish. Today's disgrace will be paid a thousand times over in future. But now, we still need to think of the clan. I decided on this, so I will take all the responsibility for this matter once we return to the clan."

"Lord Elder!" The group was stunned.

They could not take their revenge and had to instead sign a disgraceful and unfair treaty. Although it was the best choice, there would definitely be heavy pressure and criticism when they returned to the clan.

Political struggles existed everywhere.

However, Bai Feng was going to bear the responsibility for the whole affair, no doubt he was protecting the political prospects of Bai Lian, Bai Zhan Lie and the others.

Bai Feng revealed an affectionate smile and sighed: "No need to say anything, I am already old, the clan's future lies on your shoulder. How could we gain anything without giving and sacrificing? It is because of countless people sacrificing and enduring humiliation, that the clan is able to thrive, and preserve the smile of our family members."

"Yes!" Bai Lian, Bai Zhan Lie and others nodded, realization dawned on their minds.

Their ashen expressions gradually disappeared and were replaced with a gaze that was glowing brighter and brighter.

…

Three days later, in a large scale auction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at a frost breath Gu. Rank three Gu worm, able to breathe out cold air which has the effect of inflicting frostbites and slowing your opponents. Frost breath Gu's biggest advantage is that every activation only consumes five percent of light snow primeval essence. The starting bid is twenty-three thousand primeval stones!" On a round platform, the hosting Gu Master was speaking through sound amplify Gu.

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Twenty-eight thousand."

"Thirty thousand!"

After a round of intense bidding, the frost breath Gu was sold for thirty eight thousand primeval stones.

Fang Yuan calmly looked down at the circular stage from his seat.

He was sitting in a private room at the auction; others could not see him. This was the benefit of having a purple thorn token.

In small scale auctions, he could use the purple thorn token to buy auctioned goods in advance. He was not able to do that for the large scale auctions.

"Please take a look, this is a flame heart Gu. Its shape is like a miniature volcano. After refining it, it resides in the heart of the Gu Master. As everyone knows, its ability is to strengthen fire type Gu worm's attacks. Rank three flame heart Gu, starting bid of thirty thousand primeval stones!" The hosting Gu Master shouted loudly from the platform.

He had just finished speaking, when someone immediately made a bid: "Thirty-five thousand!"

The first bid immediately raised the bid by five thousand primeval stones, showing a clear assertiveness.

But this could not stop interested parties.

"Thirty-six thousand!"

"Thirty-eight thousand."

"Forty thousand…"

The price finally stopped at forty-two thousand.

"Looks like these people are quite rational. This is a reasonable price…" Fang Yuan watched this from the private room, evaluating the situation.

Shang clan city frequently traded, this type of large scale auctions were held at fixed intervals. The Gu Masters living in Shang clan city were all used to it and were smart when bidding in auctions.

No one was foolish.

Of course, there were occasional extravagant participants.

Fang Yuan had observed for a long while, today's auction did not seem to have such a person.

This was his luck and also others' luck.

If there had been such a person, Fang Yuan would have to start bidding and empty out these people's capital early. This type of battle of wits and contest of force was child's play to Fang Yuan.

All the Gu showed in the large scale auctions were rare and precious. All of them were rank three or above, there was almost none below rank three.

Besides the Gu worms, there were also rare Gu food, rare Gu refinement materials, Gu refinement recipe, information about some inheritances, perfect looking gambling rocks; there were also female slaves, male slaves, captured beast kings and so on.

Frost breath Gu and flame heart Gu were sold for about thirty to forty thousand; this price could only be considered to be low compared to other auction goods.

Soon, Fang Yuan saw a rank four grass tree army Gu being sold for two hundred and fifty thousand primeval stones.

Grass tree army Gu could turn every plant and tree within a certain range of the Gu Master into an offensive method. In the terrains of Southern Border, it was an absolute killing weapon.

Ordinary rank four Gu could cost up to a hundred thousand primeval stones. Grass tree army Gu's price already reached the price of an ordinary rank five Gu.

Fang Yuan carried five hundred thousand on him right now, but at this auction, it really was not much and could only buy two grass tree army Gu.

Instant success Gu was a rank four rare Gu.

After a bidding competition, Fang Yuan successfully bought it with over one hundred and eighty thousand primeval stones.

Next, he spent a total of eighty-three thousand primeval stones to buy a white silver relic Gu and a golden shield Gu.

He did not make any bids after that.

Primeval stones could not be spent recklessly and should be spent in useful areas. Currently, all-out effort Gu was his core, he also had self-reliance Gu. He lacked a bitter strength Gu; this Gu was not cheap, moreover it was extremely rare, rarely seen even at Shang clan city.

Why?

Because the fusion success rate was extremely low, so there were only a small number of people who used it.

Gu worm's transactions also depended on the supply and demand of the market. With low demand and high production costs, the supply would naturally be low.

"If I can't buy bitter strength Gu, then I can only try refining it myself. It is just that its success rate really causes a headache."

"I got the white silver relic Gu, but there is no hurry to use it. If I was cultivating alone, it would be better if I used it earlier, but now that I have Bai Ning Bing to rely on. I will leave the white silver relic Gu to use for later."

"I have used over two hundred and seventy thousand primeval stones today, now just over two hundred and twenty thousand remains. I will accumulate them for the super sized auction held every two years in Shang clan city."

"Li Ran told me that Bai clan's group has indeed left Shang clan city. Although I extorted three million out of them, I can't underestimate this clan. Suffering in silence with the mentality of sacrificing, no wonder they rose to power abruptly in my previous life. Right now, they are using the excuse of exploring Bai Gu inheritance to recklessly search for the spirit spring in Bai Gu mountain. The progress is a lot faster than in my previous life, I have no choice but to be vigilant against them."

"Bai clan has already chased me to here, would Tie clan be far off? Tie clan, demon suppression tower… as for that Tie Dao Ku, he is of no worry for the moment."

Just as Fang Yuan was making future plans, at the entrance of Shi Zi restaurant.

Eighteen foreign girls stood in two rows, laughing and chatting with each other.

They wore revealing clothes and the fragrance of their makeup filled the air. They had plump breasts and looked sultry.

They had no need to solicit customers, just standing there was the best signboard, attracting countless male Gu Masters to loiter around and enter.

With a grim face, Tie Dao Ku was standing at the side with several other Gu Masters, guarding the entrance.

Humiliating!

The shame in his heart had reached its limits.

To think that Shi Zi restaurant's banquet was so expensive, without any money to pay for it, he could only work to write off his debt.

"Look at what a grand Tie clan's Gu Master has fallen to, I am actually forced to do this type of thing! The restaurant has background and doesn't care that I am a Tie clansman. Sigh! I hope no one sees me, absolutely no acquaintances…" Tie Dao Ku prayed desperately.

"Eh! Isn't this brother Tie Dao Ku? What are you doing here?" A voice arrived.

Tie Dao Ku was immediately stunned.

A familiar person…

Familiar…

Person…

"Aaaah! Fang Zheng, just wait!" Veins bulged out of Tie Dao Ku's forehead as he roared furiously in his heart.

Chapter 297: Instant Success Gu

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"Yin cloud Gu."

In the secret room, Fang Yuan sat on the cushion, muttering as he pointed his finger forward.

Suddenly, a Gu came out of his aperture like a flash of light.

The moment it appeared, it lightly exploded, turning into a dark black cloud.

This cloud sank quickly, as it circulated within itself, in the blink of an eye, it landed on the ground, and placed Fang Yuan above the cloud layer.

Fang Yuan sat on the black cloud, it was softer than the cushion, but slightly colder.

He was not surprised, stretching out his index finger and pointing to the air.

"Yang cloud Gu."

A white light tore through the air as it exploded into pure white mist.

Once the white cloud appeared, it wanted to rise, but sensed the black cloud below Fang Yuan.

The two cloud layers had a formless attraction to each other, as the black and white clouds continued to roll internally, looking after one another.

One was below Fang Yuan, while the other was above his head.

The gloomy cloud was like ink, while the bright cloud was like foam, as the two converged, lightning appeared.

Traces of blue lightning quickly flashed between these two clouds.

Initially, there was one or two traces, but they soon multiplied, growing in numbers, in a few breath's time, they formed into a field of lightning.

Fang Yuan had already activated the canopy Gu, his body covered in a white armor.

At the same time, he activated the all-out effort Gu as he casually stretched out his arm, and a wild boar phantom appeared behind him, becoming a giant boar image in the air.

Crack crack.

Once the boar phantom appeared, the lightning bolts acted like sharks attracted to blood , shooting towards it.

In an instant, the boar phantom was forcefully suppressed, shrinking to the size of a stone mill. Lightning circulated in its body, like deep blue chains that trapped it.

The rest of the lightning hit Fang Yuan's body, but was blocked by the white armor.

Fang Yuan recalled the all-out effort Gu, but this boar phantom did not vanish, like a caged bird, trapped firmly.

Under the constant attack of the lightning cage, the boar phantom started to show signs of disappearing.

Lightning, combining destruction and purification into one. After a thunderstorm, new life grows. The power of lightning specialized in destruction, and contained the destruction law fragment.

At this point, Fang Yuan was using the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu to gather lightning and remove one of his wild boar strength.

It had been three days since that auction.

Although the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu was rank three, it was an ordinary Gu bought in the shop. Other than this, he also bought some material, and after failing once, he refined the eating one's words Gu and removed the poison vow Gu on him.

Fang Yuan had once used the black and white boar Gu on Qing Mao mountain, to gain the strength of two boars.

The rank three all-out effort Gu can only summon one beast phantom at a time. After it reaches rank four, there are stronger beast phantoms available. Thus, the strength of two boars would be redundant and repetitive.

Now that Fang Yuan had excess money, he decided to optimize his body.

To get rid of this boar phantom, it would take some time, at least nineteen days. The cooperation of the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu to summon lightning was the most common and cheap method.

Beast phantoms are the law fragments lurking in a person's body. To get rid of them, it would take some effort.

Fang Yuan carefully used the Yin cloud Gu and Yang cloud Gu, as both clouds moved rapidly, like two thick carpets filling the entire secret room.

One white cloud covered the ceiling. One black cloud covered the floor.

In the middle, lightning struck, bolts of blue lightning connected the two clouds and trapped the boar phantom as it slowly disintegrated.

A soft 'crack crack' sound, different from loud thunder, could be heard continuously.

To get rid of this boar phantom, it would take a while, but now Fang Yuan called out another Gu.

This Gu was like a dragonfly, three pairs of wings, palm size. It had four colors that shone brilliantly: jade green, sapphire blue, gold and bright red.

This was the instant success Gu, its body containing the Dao mark of time. As the name suggests, it can speed up the flow of time, it was a rank four consumable Gu.

Fang Yuan split his mind into three, controlling the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu, activating his primeval essence, and injecting them into the instant success Gu.

His primeval sea level fell drastically, eighty, seventy, sixty percent…

Instant success Gu was a rank four Gu, with his rank three initial stage cultivation, it was tough for Fang Yuan to activate it.

When his light silver primeval essence fell to thirty percent, Fang Yuan halted his primeval essence usage, and the heavenly essence treasure lotus slowly opened up, as natural essence gushed out from it, instantly infected by Fang Yuan's aura and becoming his light silver primeval essence.

His primeval sea level started to rise, forty, fifty, sixty percent…

Rinse and repeat, after his primeval sea level fell and rose several times, the instant success Gu was finally full, and once activated, it gave off a dazzling light show.

This colorful display of lights shone on the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu and the beast phantom, dying the secret room with a rainbow color.

The boar phantom's disintegration accelerated.

Originally, the speed of disintegration was almost unnoticeable by the naked eye. But now, like a snowball rolling down a mountain, the speed increased drastically.

After more than ten breaths' time, the wild boar phantom was completely destroyed.

After confirming it, Fang Yuan quickly stopped using the instant success Gu, and kept his Yin Yang dual cloud Gu.

He could return the Yin Yang dual cloud Gu back to the shop, with the purple thorn token, as long as it is within three days, Fang Yuan can return the Gu and get back the same amount he paid. It was safer than borrowing a Gu from people, and he would not make any loss.

If he borrowed a Gu, the initiative is in their hands, with just a thought, they can take back the Gu in an instant, there would be nothing Fang Yuan could do.

As for the instant success Gu.

After the lights were dimmed as much as possible, its three pair of wings only had two left, and its entire body was slowly vanishing.

Once this Gu was used, it could not be stopped, the lights will continue to shine and accelerate time accordingly. Fang Yuan reducing the light intensity would only prolong its remaining time.

"Again."

Fang Yuan made use of his remaining time, next, he activated the galloping horse strength Gu.

This Gu was rank three, able to modify a Gu Master's body and form a horse strength phantom for him.

Under the influence of the galloping horse strength Gu, Fang Yuan's body felt numb as the fragment of the strength law started to reside in his body.

This process would last two to three months normally, it was time consuming.

But now, Fang Yuan still had the instant success Gu.

He breathed in deeply, releasing the restraints on the instant success Gu, and a dazzling light shone on him immediately.

The numb feeling intensified at once, the two to three months of torture assaulted him, turning into a painful numb feeling.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, after five minutes, his body was drenched in sweat.

But the horse strength phantom had successfully taken root in his body. After removing the strength of a boar, he added the strength of a horse!

The instant success Gu's light dimmed again, it had lost another wing in this process, it only had one pair of wings plus another half a piece.

But Fang Yuan paid a much greater price.

Instant success Gu had a great drawback, that is, in this short period, he lost three months of lifespan!

"Again!"

Fang Yuan wiped away his sweat, ignoring the intense pain in his body and used the Gu again.

He had to make the best of his time, while the instant success Gu was still around, he had to make the best out of it.

Green bull labor Gu!

The dazzling light shone on his body again.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyebrows squeezing tightly, as his pain was even greater than earlier, like giant waves crashing on the shore.

It was five minutes again, but this time, it was much harder to endure.

Finally, through Fang Yuan's determination, he endured through this period. His body gained the strength of a bull!

The instant success Gu now, had two wings left, both tattered and torn. Its entire dragonfly body was turning translucent, like a hologram floating in the air.

Fang Yuan felt an intense headache, his ears were buzzing and his heart was beating quickly.

"Barely any time left…"

He breathed in deeply, forcing himself to focus, as he activated the stone turtle strength Gu.

But this time, the process only lasted half the time before the lights dimmed, and vanished, as the instant success Gu's time was used up.

The secret room fell into complete darkness after the lights vanished.

The primeval sea was left with less than thirty percent of primeval essence, but under the help of the heavenly essence treasure lotus, it started to rise slowly.

Heavenly essence treasure lotus was a rank three Gu, it was a very strong assistance to the recovering of Fang Yuan's primeval essence.

Fang Yuan breathed out deeply, feeling fatigue assault him, almost draining his entire body.

Although he was seated on the cushion, his body was swaying, and he had difficulties sitting.

Activating this instant success took half a year's lifespan from him. It was a heavy price, but he managed to remove the boar phantom, and gain the strength of a bull, horse, and half a turtle!

Thankfully, he was still young, he had enough lifespan to spare.

Fang Yuan's battle strength rose sharply!

A day later, on the battle stage, Fang Yuan had his thirtieth match.

Ding.

The bell announced the start of the battle.

"I admit defeat!"

His opponent shouted, ending the battle.

Thus, Fang Yuan obtained his thirtieth victory. In fifth inner city, he had thirty consecutive battles, thirty net wins, and rose to fourth inner city!

No one was surprised by this result.

The Gu Masters in fifth inner city battle stage saw him leave and sighed in relief.

…

"I will return this sum of money to you!" Tie Dao Ku said with a serious expression, his attitude extremely firm.

"Just a small matter, don't mind it. Brother Tie, what plans do you have now?" His friend smiled.

Tie Dao Ku showed a determined expression: "Gu Yue Fang Zheng is my target, I will not stop until I arrest him. I am going to participate in the Shang clan battle stage!"

After saying bye to his friend, Tie Dao Ku came to the battle zone alone, but heard a nightmare.

"What, Fang Zheng went to fourth inner city? Damn it!"

Tie Dao Ku clenched his fist, indignant: "Fang Zheng, do you think you can escape? Hmph, if you went to fourth inner city, so will I. Not mentioning third inner city, but do you think fifth inner city can stop me? I have to hurry, I shall have my first match today!"

"I refined the ice crystal Gu as my vital Gu. Coupled with the vitality Gu to prevent the backlash from the energy of the ice crystal, this way, my core is completed. For close range, I have ice edge Gu, and for long range, should I use snowball Gu or icicle Gu?" Bai Ning Bing thought along the way as she walked to the battle stage.

"Eh? It's you!" Tie Dao Ku saw Bai Ning Bing walk onto the stage, and was stunned before cheering: "Great! Heaven has eyes, for me to encounter you on the first match!"

Bai Ning Bing heard this, and raised her beautiful jewel-like blue eyes, and spoke in her usual cold tone: "Who are you?"

Chapter 298: Bai Ning Bing vs Tie Dao Ku

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

Honestly speaking, Bai Ning Bing did not know who Tie Dao Ku was.

When Fang and Bai left Qing Mao mountain, Tie Dao Ku and gang were constantly lagging behind them. Even during Bai Gu mountain inheritance, the eventual battle did not involve Tie Dao Ku, nor did Fang and Bai meet him.

Only until a while ago, when Tie Dao Ku and Bai clan came to Shang clan city, did he see Fang Yuan in person for the first time.

But after that, Fang Yuan lured them to Shi Zi restaurant, and after a conversation, Bai clan took out all they had and ran away after giving him five hundred thousand, leaving Tie Dao Ku behind, arrested by Shi Zi restaurant and forced to be a guard outside the door.

Bai Ning Bing did not know of his existence.

But Tie Dao Ku recognised Bai Ning Bing.

From the Bai clan arrest warrant, he had already engraved their appearances deep into his heart.

Now that he saw Bai Ning Bing, he was exhilarated.

Heaven is kind to me, heaven has eyes, giving me a chance to take revenge so quickly!

But after his exhilaration, came intense rage.

Bai Ning Bing's 'who are you' triggered the rage, hatred, humiliation, grievance in Tie Dao Ku, pouring out of a volcano like molten lava!

You murderer, killing my young master, causing me to nearly die, and caused me to be forced into being a guard for a brothel, causing me to be seen by a friend, and losing my reputation.

These were all caused by you, you culprit, And you, you don't know who I am!

"Ahhhh!" Tie Dao Ku screamed in fury, his neck turning red from shouting, as intense killing intent burst out of his body.

Ding!

The battle started, and Tie Dao Ku did not hesitate, charging towards Bai Ning Bing.

Feeling her enemy's intense killing intent, Bai Ning Bing squinted as she snorted coldly, rushing towards him as well.

The two got closer rapidly, almost instantly appearing before each other.

Iron hand Gu! Hand blade Gu!

At once, Tie Dao Ku's hands became iron, and the edges of his palms became sharp blades.

Ice edge Gu!

Bai Ning Bing placed her palms together, and split them apart, instantly forming a blade of pure ice.

Clang!

A crisp sound, and the iron hand blade collided with the frosty iceblade.

The two crossed swords, and as they travelled five to six steps, Bai Ning Bing twisted her waist and flicked her wrist; three icicles flew towards Tie Dao Ku's back.

Tie Dao Ku growled, forcefully turning around his body and swinging his palms around, smashing the icicles into bits, then ferociously charging towards Bai Ning Bing again.

Bai Ning Bing's gaze became serious.

After that short exchange, she had understood that this was a fierce opponent.

"Very good, I can use him to assess the quality of my Gu set." Bai Ning Bing's battle intent rose.

She was not a monster like Fang Yuan, without such a massive pool of experience, she could only trial and error on her own. Entering the battle stage, one was to earn primeval stones, and two was to develop her own unique set of Gu worms.

Swift shadow Gu!

At this time, Tie Dao Ku's speed increased, leaving a trace of shadows behind him like a tail.

His acceleration allowed him to reach Bai Ning Bing in a moment.

"So fast!" Bai Ning Bing's pupils shrunk.

Tie Dao Ku had already stretched out both arms, raising them high above his head, then splitting down, like an axe, chopping towards Bai Ning Bing.

Even before he hit his target, the wind already blew Bai Ning Bing's silver hair into the air, as her face felt a chill.

The arms were like two sharp blades expanding in Bai Ning Bing's vision.

Tie Dao Ku first used iron hand Gu, then used the hand blade Gu to cause the edges of his palm to become sharp as a blade.

Not only this, the two sides of his forearm also became dull blades.

Tie Dao Ku's attack was strong and heavy, with unparalleled sharpness, even a huge rock could be broken, not to mention a fragile human body.

Even with her ice muscles jade bones, Bai Ning Bing did not dare to take it head on, forced to dodge.

Bai Ning Bing retreated as she guarded with her iceblade.

Tie Dao Ku rotated his arms, like a moving windmill, sending his hand blades slashing towards her.

Clang clang clang…

Iceblade and hand blade collided and continuously gave off a loud noise.

Bai Ning Bing created another iceblade, dual wielding, as she retreated and blocked Tie Dao Ku's furious assault.

Ice edge Gu was the advancement of the rank two iceblade Gu, it had a tougher body and sharper edge.

But Tie Dao Ku also used rank three Gu, using the combination of iron hand Gu and hand blade Gu, with the hand blade Gu was the core of his entire Gu set.

At once, ice shards flew into the air, as the iceblade was filled with cracks.

Tie Dao Ku whipped up a steel blade tornado, he was older and more experienced than Bai Ning Bing, with his anger unleashed, he attacked without rest, forcing Bai Ning Bing to retreat over a hundred steps.

Tie Dao Ku was picked by the Tie clan young master and acted as his right hand man, he had to have some outstanding ability.

If that Tie clan young master became the clan leader in the future, Tie Dao Ku would be like Wei Yang, promoted to an elder in the clan!

Bai Ning Bing was fiercely suppressed, she was bound to lose if this continued. There were numerous cuts on her body as blood poured out.

"This cannot go on… frost breath Gu!" Bai Ning Bing activated her primeval essence, injecting them into her tongue.

There was a six sided ice flower symbol on her tongue, it was the insignia of the frost breath Gu.

Her cheeks puffed up as she exhaled a breath of icy wind.

The light blue icy wind engulfed Tie Dao Ku, causing his arms and half his chest to have a layer of frost.

Coldness assaulted him, as Tie Dao Ku shivered, like he was doused with a bucket of icy water in the hot summer weather, causing his attacks to slow down.

Bai Ning Bing quickly jumped back, pulling distance from Tie Dao Ku.

Tie Dao Ku still wanted to get closer to her, but why would Bai Ning Bing give him the opportunity?

Icicle Gu!

Snowball Gu!

Many icicles and snowballs formed, shooting towards Tie Dao Ku, attacking him like a torrent, as Tie Dao Ku's assault was forcefully terminated.

Bai Ning Bing breathed out in relief, Tie Dao Ku's momentum was broken, as she finally caught her breath.

"This person is obviously bad at long range and specializes in close range. But how could I lose in sword technique? Ice crystal Gu!"

Bai Ning Bing was arrogant and proud, her silver hair fluttered as a fierce light shot out of her jewel-like blue eyes.

The cuts earlier had already stopped bleeding, this was the effect of the ice muscles to stop bleeding.

Ice crystal Gu was Bai Ning Bing's vital Gu, once activated, the sound of water freezing could be heard all over Bai Ning Bing's body.

Her flesh and blood vanished, converted into a diamond-like crystal form.

At a glance, she was like an ice sculpture, her expression disappeared, her cold appearance became even more emotionless. Her eyes stopped blinking and on the surface of her eyes, there was a thick layer of transparent frost.

Her body grew slightly, her height increasing by two to three inches, and her entire aura had a dominating coldness.

Tie Dao Ku's ferocious attacks earlier gave her no time to activate the ice crystal Gu, but now she finally could.

When Gu Masters use Gu, they would have to multitask.

Be it battles or refinement, this was so. Even the strong Fang Yuan could only do three things at once with no error, he could not split his mind into four for a long time, otherwise mistakes would occur.

Earlier, Bai Ning Bing had placed all her attention on Tie Dao Ku's attacks, she concentrated extensively and could not think of anything else. If she activated her ice crystal Gu during that period, she would definitely be distracted and expose a weakness. If Tie Dao Ku made use of it, the consequences would be severe.

Making any changes would require attention, in contrast, doing the same thing only needed one thought.

"It is my turn now."

She lightly shouted, taking huge steps and carried a cool killing intent, charging at Tie Dao Ku.

Clang clang clang…

The two collided and unleashed their attacks.

Fighting offense with offense!

Bai Ning Bing held her iceblades and waved them around, as Tie Dao Ku used his arms as blades, more agile and flexible.

In a few breath's time, they had unleashed over a hundred attacks, the white iceblade and the black steel hand blade, struck lightning fast, almost turning into a blur black and white silhouette.

The surrounding spectators were not many, seeing this, they breathed in deeply and were shocked.

Evenly matched!

Bai Ning Bing had turned into ice crystal, her body was made of hard ice, when Tie Dao Ku hit her, he could only make a small scar on the ice.

In contrast, Tie Dao Ku had a very outstanding defensive Gu, causing him to turn into a black iron man, when the iceblades hit him, they create slashing marks.

But gradually, Tie Dao Ku felt increasing pressure.

Bai Ning Bing had stop defending, and concentrated on attacking, thus, her attacks became increasingly sharper.

"This person is improving so much amidst battle. She had such outstanding battle talent, she is using me as a practice dummy to refine her sword technique!" Tie Dao Ku was stunned in his heart, he could feel Bai Ning Bing's attacks, becoming more refined and precise under pressure, as their force increased.

His inner thoughts caused his movements to slow, and finally, Bai Ning Bing found her chance to strike.

"A chance!" Bai Ning Bing's eyes shone brilliantly, as her right hand slashed towards Tie Dao Ku's brain.

Tie Dao Ku could not dodge in time, thus had to defend against it. He was very confident of his defense, every close range Gu Master would not have weak defenses, as long as his eyes stayed intact, there was no issue.

But at this time, Bai Ning Bing activated a Gu in her aperture.

Ice explosion Gu!

Bam!

The iceblade in Bai Ning Bing's right hand exploded intensely.

This change caught Tie Dao Ku off guard, as the force of the explosion tore through his defenses.

He subconsciously closed his eyes, as an intense pain assaulted him.

"Oh no, it's a trap!" Tie Dao Ku's heart sank, he had a rich battle experience, meticulous and courageous, encountering this, he did not fluster but quickly used the swift shadow Gu to move backwards.

Bai Ning Bing did not let go of such an opportunity, also activating her movement Gu and chased after him, hacking and slashing.

Tie Dao Ku could hear her movements, with his experience and keen senses, he blocked most of Bai Ning Bing's attacks.

But Bai Ning Bing held the upper hand, at this moment, there was little hope of Tie Dao Ku turning this around.

As he retreated, he barely opened his eyes, finding his left eye blind and his right heavily injured, as his vision was dyed red.

"I admit defeat!" He screamed his throat out.

"The battle has been decided, both sides stop now!" The hosting Gu Master quickly announced.

Bai Ning Bing laughed coldly, attacking more urgently.

But suddenly, a huge invisible force pulled her and Tie Dao Ku apart. In Shang clan city battle stage, there were obviously defensive measures.

As long as the hosting Gu Master reacted in time and acts, there will hardly be any killings on purpose.

"Hmph!" Bai Ning Bing showed displeasure, she felt this force holding onto her, not allowing her to move.

She had to stop.

Tie Dao Ku breathed roughly, removing his defense and quickly healing himself.

He also had a healing Gu, but it could not heal his left eye, he could only stabilize his right eye's condition and try to preserve it.

"This scoundrel is truly shameless, I got tricked by her and almost died. Damn it! Too hateful!" Tie Dao Ku still had some afterfear mixed with rage and hatred.

Chapter 299: Shut up, you fat pig!

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"This match is over. I have consumed seventy percent of my primeval essence, only twenty percent is left…" After obtaining victory, Bai Ning Bing left the battle stage.

She summarized her battle learnings while walking.

She would summarize every match she fought. The battle with Tie Dao Ku today, although she felt a pity that she was not able to kill him, her gains were quite great.

"The battle just now was intense but it lasted only a brief period. However, it expended a lot of my primeval essence, come to think about it I have A grade aptitude primeval essence recovery speed. During an intense battle, my set of Gu worms clearly has high primeval essence consumption issues."

Many Gu Masters faced difficulties in this aspect when they organized their Gu worms.

Who did not like powerful Gu worms? But often, those Gu worms with higher efficacy had higher consumption rates of primeval essence.

Of course there were Gu worms who were powerful and consumed less primeval essence. But they were all rare Gu worms and were very expensive.

Bai Ning Bing had extra money on hand, but it was not a lot. She was smart and after quickly realizing her situation, she started saving money.

Before, she would spend money like water and had no clear concept of the value of primeval stones. That was because the clan spent all their efforts in cultivating her.

Now, she was in charge of her own money during in this period of time, her awareness had a significant transformation.

While Fang Yuan was growing, Bai Ning Bing too was improving rapidly in all aspects.

"It would be good if I had Fang Yuan's heavenly essence treasure lotus. At least in rank three stage, there would be no need to worry about primeval essence expenditure." Bai Ning Bing thought of this, inevitably having a feeling of jealousy.

Fang Yuan walked the strength path. Strength path Gu consumed the least primeval essence and with his ninety percent A grade aptitude, he had an abundant source of primeval essence. Heavenly essence treasure lotus could not display its true value in his hands, it was simply casting pearls before a swine!

"What if I buy heavenly essence treasure lotus from Fang Yuan?"

Bai Ning Bing shook her head, quickly throwing away this impractical thought from her mind.

She understood too well what kind of person Fang Yuan was.

She had never seen him suffer a loss, if someday she was able to take heavenly essence treasure lotus from his hands, then it would definitely be after she pays a heavy price.

"Without the help of the heavenly essence treasure lotus, I can only reduce the Gu worms on me."

After carefully thinking it, Bai Ning Bing decided to give up on snowball Gu.

Snowball Gu was a high tier Gu in rank three and she had planned to use it as a long range attacking method.

However, this Gu expended quite a bit of primeval essence.

It was still okay if she only used it one time. But how could she only send out one snowball in the midst of intense battle?

Five to six snowballs after, her primeval essence consumption would amount to a lot.

"I will give up snowball Gu and keep icicle Gu. Icicle Gu might only be rank two, but it can also restrict the opponent. It would be a threat if I use it with ice explosion Gu."

Ice explosion Gu was a rank three Gu which could detonate ice and form an instantaneous destructive power.

The larger, older, and colder the ice, the greater the power of the explosion.

She was able to establish her dominance in the battle against Tie Dao Ku because of this ice explosion Gu.

Of course, if the ice explosion spread towards Bai Ning Bing, she would also receive injuries. But if she turned her body into ice crystal, the severeness of injuries would fall to a low level.

Thinking of the splendid battle just before, Bai Ning Bing licked her lips in excitement.

A normal ice path Gu Master pursued defensive or trapping abilities. Only those like fire path Gu Masters or thunder path Gu Masters focused on explosive strength.

However, Bai Ning Bing did the very opposite. The inspiration for it was the ice explosion Gu and she had not expected the results to be so good, beyond her original estimation.

"Ice explosion Gu is brilliant and very effective in battle, I will continue to make full use of it later." Bai Ning Bing inwardly planned.

She used to advocate a direct and straightforward fighting style; fierce and swift, slashing everything with her ice wind. However, she was influenced after being in contact with Fang Yuan all the time, and now was interested in making treacherous moves.

She was interested in everything splendid in this world.

"Ice crystal Gu, Ice edge Gu, Icicle Gu, Ice explosion Gu…can this set defeat Fang Yuan?"

Bai Ning Bing considered this, considering Fang Yuan as her number one imaginary enemy.

"Fang Yuan walks the strength path, he has all-out effort Gu and is much more domineering in close combat than that guy just before. With my current methods, it won't be easy to win against him. Unless I can regain my killer move."

Bai Ning Bing's killer move was her self created ice blade storm. She had created this using revolving Gu paired with whirlwind Gu and ice blade Gu, forming the icy tornado.

But now Bai Ning Bing's vision had widened, this move was already old fashioned. Ice blade storm could bully rank two, but would be substandard in rank three realm.

These days, she had been thinking of ways to improve and polish her killer move, but was not able to get any ideas.

She suddenly thought of something and her pace quickened: "Oh right, today is Fang Yuan's first battle after advancing to fourth inner city. It shouldn't be too late if I go see now!"

…

"Kill, kill him!"

"Zhu Ba, finish this kid quick!"

"The way I see it, Zhu Ba doesn't even need to make a move and this Fang Zheng kid won't be able to bear it."

"Hehe, this kid is in trouble. He ran into Zhu Ba who happens to subdue his strength path on his first match!"

The battle stage was lively and full of people.

"Fang Yuan's match has attracted many spectators. Well, the battle zone doesn't have any restriction regarding the spectator's cultivation. As long as the Gu Master has money, he can come watch." Bai Ning Bing arrived to the battle stage and looked around her before concentrating towards the stage.

This was a mid-scale battle stage and the terrain was ordinary stone tiled floor.

Fang Yuan and a heavily built Gu Master were fighting fiercely. According to the spectators' comments, Fang Yuan's opponent should be that Zhu Ba.

Zhu Ba was huge, almost three meters tall. His whole body was full of fats, making his head and limbs look smaller. He was like a enlarged version of the Earth's sumo wrestlers.

In this world, whether it was a Gu Master or a mortal, their height normally did not cross two meters. Zhu Ba's height was clearly the result of using some Gu worm.

This was quite normal in fact.

Many flying type Gu Masters would make their bones hollow to reduce the weight. Some earth burrowing Gu Masters would use bone shrinking Gu to turn into a dwarf; like this, their energy consumption would be much lower when drilling a tunnel.

Bai Ning Bing did not have much knowledge about Zhu Ba, but from the continuous comments of the spectators around her, he understood Zhu Ba's methods.

Zhu Ba was a defensive Gu Master.

The fats in his body provided him with a strong defense.

Fang Yuan moved around Zhu Ba, punching and kicking him. When Zhu Ba received the strikes, the fat on his body shook like water ripples and dispersed the force of the attacks onto all parts of his body. Then with the use of a Gu, this force was gathered together and through a counter-shock method, it was returned back to Fang Yuan.

According to sources, Zhu Ba received his Gu from a demonic inheritance. It was uncertain because he had never exposed the amount of Gu he had and their names.

However, his method of fighting made people helpless, particularly effective against strength path Gu Masters.

"Fang Zheng, take a rest, it is no use. I can send eighty percent of the force of your attacks back at you through counter-shock. Punches and kicks do nothing to me, instead you will be injured. Have you still not realized it?" Zhu Ba spoke in a low muffled voice.

He directly sat on the battle stage, letting Fang Yuan attack him, giving an immovable presence.

Boar phantom, brown bear phantom and crocodile phantom constantly flashed above Fang Yuan. It was the reappearance of the scene when he viciously beat the mountain back toad, but Zhu Ba was indifferent.

No matter how much strength you used, the other did not even glance at you, who would not be discouraged by such a situation?

However, Fang Yuan persevered and continued to move and attack Zhu Ba without saying a word.

It had been like this since the match started and by now, fifteen minutes had passed.

"Puff!" Fang Yuan let out a breath of turbid air and suddenly took back a step, stopping his attacks.

Blood seeped out from the corners of his lips; the counter-shock force from Zhu Ba jolted his organs, inflicting internal injuries on him.

He had iron bones, steel tendons, canopy Gu and there was also golden shield Gu, but this shock passed through all his defense and attacked his internal organs.

His internal organs were not strengthened at all, even though he was healing them with self-reliance Gu, the injuries were getting heavier.

Fang Yuan stopped his offensive, the counter shock force also dissipated. Several breaths later, his internal organs were completely healed.

The offensive resumed!

He took a strong step and began his attacks; his fists smashed like a meteor, bringing with it the sound of the wind. The fats in Zhu Ba shook once again, creating ripples and sending it back.

"Fang Zheng, you have a healing Gu, but so do I. You are suffering eighty percent of the attack, while I only receive twenty percent of the damage. Your consumption is more than mine, it is better to just admit defeat." Zhu Ba continued to persuade.

Fang Yuan only attacked, without replying.

When blood started seeping out again, he stopped the offensive and used self-reliance Gu to recover.

Although he eliminated the strength of a boar, he added in bull strength, horse strength and half a turtle strength; self-reliance Gu's effect had surpassed flesh-bone.

This state continued to persist and the spectators were starting to get bored, some even yawned.

"Too boring…"

"I really wonder why Fang Zheng is putting in so much effort."

"Today, Zhu Ba also looks somewhat abnormal, why hasn't he attacked?"

"Hasn't this been his style all along? First defend and waste his opponent's primeval essence and fighting spirit, then make his move, beating down his opponent."

"The problem lies here, Fang Zheng has too much energy, he has been attacking for so long with no results but he doesn't look the least bit discouraged. He is a strength cultivator, so his primeval essence consumption is also small. When will this stalemate end?"

"You guys can't see what is going on? Zhu Ba is playing with the newbie."

These words immediately caused the surrounding people to laugh.

To these Gu Masters who hung out in the battle zone all year round, Fang Yuan was indeed a very inexperienced newbie.

"Fang Zheng, there is no meaning in continuing this. I have no interest in your all-out effort Gu, I don't want to bully a newbie as a senior. It will be better for you to retreat, I promise I won't choose your Gu worms." Zhu Ba chuckled.

He had received Fang Yuan's attacks which contained the boar's collision force, the crocodile's biting force and the brown bear's smacking force, but he was still able to laugh.

"What kind of strength is this!"

"Indeed worthy of being rank eight in fourth inner city."

"His strength is the real deal."

The audiences were truly moved.

"Shut up, you fat pig!" Fang Yuan suddenly shouted.

The battle stage went silent.

Chapter 300: Fang Yuan vs Zhu Ba (1)

Translator: ChibiGeneral Editor: ChibiGeneral

"He… he actually dared to scold senior Zhu Ba?"

"This newbie is too arrogant."

"Lord Zhu Ba, teach him a lesson, let him know the depths of heaven and earth!"

After the short silence, the audience flared up.

"Young man, you should learn humility. I tried to persuade you with good intentions; nevermind if you don't listen to it, but you still cursed me. How can a person behave like this? In the end, you will run into walls everywhere and no one will help you." Zhu Ba sighed.

Fang Yuan laughed loudly: "Are you concerned about me, or are you just afraid to attack? More likely, you can only passively defend my attacks. Your ability to send counter-shock force to injure me while defending is really amazing but how many Gu are you controlling to maintain such a defense? At least three? Can't concentrate enough to attack while defending? I have already seen through your tricks, do you think I am like those idiot spectators?!"

As he spoke, the spectators got furious and started shouting.

"What nonsense is this!"

"He dares to call us idiots, my insight is much wiser than yours."

"This kid is overflowing with arrogance. Senior Zhu Ba, he is treating your kindness as dirt, please quickly teach him a lesson."

Zhu Ba's expression changed and said in a grave tone: "Young man, since you are so ignorant, I will teach you a lesson to teach you reality. This is a good thing for you."

He then moved.

This movement was not a small action!

His whole body curled into an enormous meatball and rolled towards Fang Yuan.

At the same time a pale black blade aura wrapped around the enormous ball.

As the enormous ball rolled, stone slabs split open and stone fragments flew. The crushing attack fused with the sharp blade aura, further increased in might making people feel the urge to dodge.

"It appeared, Lord Zhu Ba's killing move — rolling blade meat!" The Gu Master spectators shouted with excitement.

Bai Ning Bing's gaze concentrated: "A movement type rolling meat Gu with blade aura Gu? A normal person would not be able to unleash such power but Zhu Ba's enormous body can amplify his attacking strength!"

"Couldn't endure it anymore?" Facing Zhu Bai's violent offense, Fang Yuan was not afraid but pleased instead, his lips outlining a trace of madness.

Vertical crash Gu!

Boar phantom!

Abruptly, he charged straight towards the giant ball!

"Has this kid gone mad?"

"Facing this attack head-on, does he not want his life?!"

"Someone is going to die!"

The audience were stunned.

The two sides collided; meat ball's charge immediately slowed down while Fang Yuan was sent flying before falling heavily on the ground.

"Look, this is what happens when you overestimate yourself."

"Eh? This kid didn't die!"

Fang Yuan wiped off the bloodstains on the corner of his lips and jumped up.

The giant ball charged towards Fang Yuan again. Fang Yuan gave a loud laugh before charging again.

Thump.

A dull thud and Fang Yuan was sent flying again.

Thud!

Sent flying once more.

Thud!

Sent flying yet again!

"This match is already set. Fang Zheng might have all-out effort Gu, but he unfortunately met an opponent who counters him." Someone commented, gloating in Fang Yuan's misfortune.

"It is difficult to overcome Zhu Ba's killer move. As his rolling speed increased, his striking force also became stronger. Actually, Fang Zheng's method was correct, to stop Zhu Ba's momentum immediately. But the way he chose to do it was too forceful." Another spectator sighed and shook their head.

"I have never seen such a stupid guy. Choosing to ram into Zhu Ba like this, most of the strength is returned back to him as counter-shock." Another spectator scoffed.

"This kid shouldn't be able to get up anymore. Eh? He actually got up!"

Fang Yuan was sent flying again and again, but also stood up each time.

His injuries were not light, but self-reliance Gu gave him potent sustainability.

"Still so stubborn, then die!" Zhu Ba let out an angry roar and fiercely rammed at Fang Yuan.

Vertical crash Gu!

Fang Yuan did not change his battle tactic. Boar phantom flashed above his head.

The two sides collided like meteors.

However, this time, Fang Yuan was not sent flying, instead his fist wedged deeply into the meatball. Rather it was the meatball that shook violently, as blade aura moved rampantly and slashed Fang Yuan like a dark waterfall.

Fang Yuan was ruthlessly sent flying, as the blade aura was completely expended.

Canopy Gu suffered heavy damage, the white light armor flickered weakly before dissipating completely.

Fang Yuan's whole body was bathed in blood, deep and long injuries on all parts of his body as if he had been hacked by countless sharp knives. He was not like Bai Ning Bing with the defense of her ice muscles, but still the tendons in his body were mostly intact and there was also no damage to his bones.

Self-reliance Gu!

Fang Yuan activated it and his blood loss immediately came to a stop, new flesh grew and the wounds began healing. However, the recovery of his tendons were slightly slower.

Bai Ning Bing's eyes flashed as she analyzed inwardly: "Without the canopy Gu, it would be difficult for Fang Yuan to win this battle by just relying on self-reliance Gu's recovery… eh?"

Right at this time, golden rays of light flashed around Fang Yuan.

The light condensed and formed into a light armor: Golden Shield Gu!

"This kid has quite a few defensive Gu!"

"First it was canopy Gu and now it is golden shield Gu; both are great defensive rank three Gu. This kid is rich!"

Golden shield Gu could not be used at the same time as canopy Gu; it was always stored inside Fang Yuan and now it showed itself for the first time.

Bai Ning Bing was slightly dazed before coming back to her senses. She had gotten many new Gu worms, Fang Yuan certainly would also do the same. To Fang Yuan, golden shield Gu was slightly better than canopy Gu since it was more suitable for his strength path methods.

"Even if you have golden shield Gu, the result remains the same." Zhu Ba's deep voice came from within the meatball.

The meatball charged towards Fang Yuan, sending him flying again.

"How many times do I have to say it till you understand? You can't defeat me, you will only bring disgrace upon yourself if you continue." Zhu Ba sighed.

"Enough, how long are you going to keep acting?" Fang Yuan stood up and wiped the bloodstains on his lips. Others felt no hope for him, but he saw victory waving at him!

It was time.

Fang Yuan lowered his eyes, covering his pupils which were flashing with a sharp light.

Charge!

He again charged head-on.

"Ungrateful kid, then I shall show it to you the true difference between us." Zhu Ba rolled towards him.

Horizontal charge Gu.

Fang Yuan suddenly charged horizontally and evaded.

Vertical crash Gu.

After charging fifty steps, he quickly turned his direction and charged.

Howl!

In the moments before collision, he activated all-out effort Gu; a brown bear phantom flashed.

Under this attack, the meatball's skin and flesh folded over and over like the waves in river and sent the counter-shock back towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was sent back several steps before he charged forward again.

He unleashed violent attacks while constantly moving around the meatball, all his punches and kicks were targeted at different areas. This greatly raised the difficulty for Zhu Ba to defend.

Right now, Fang Yuan's attacks were fiercer than ever before!

Zhu Ba controlled his Gu worms frantically till he was no longer able to cope with it. The meatball trembled crazily but this time, it was not able to return even a bit of the force as counter-shock.

Howl!

Zhu Ba was extremely furious, he cancelled his meatball form and turned back to his human form. Blade aura formed again and flew towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was overjoyed at this; the more Gu Zhu Ba used, more difficult it would be for him to control all of them.

Zhu Ba's mind was already in a mess!

The opponents he faced before would admit defeat after being struck several times. Even those persevering ones lost their fighting spirit after experiencing Zhu Ba's rolling attack.

But unfortunately, he met Fang Yuan.

There were many types of men in this world. Some loved their family and some had high ambitions.

Among them, there was a type of man: After he has a clear goal and ambition, he cannot be stopped even if the whole world turned against him!

Fang Yuan was such a man!

No one could stop him, not to mention just merely this Zhu Ba.

Horse phantom!

Vertical crash Gu!

His speed increased suddenly, rapidly charging fifty steps. Horse strength increased his speed by thirty percent more than boar strength.

Horse hooves hit the floor and sped forward!

Zhu Ba did not expect Fang Yuan to still have this trump card and due to being caught unprepared, his blade aura hit the air behind Fang Yuan.

As for Fang Yuan, he was already right before Zhu Ba.

There were no words. Just…

One punch!

This punch was incomparably powerful, exploding even the air around it, the heavy recoil from the punch destroyed the stone tiles under Fang Yuan's feet into countless shards and even shook the whole stage.

Zhu Ba's fats trembled violently to disperse the force of the punch around his body before attempting to return eighty percent of the force back to Fang Yuan.

However, Fang Yuan immediately followed with another punch.

Zhu Ba's physique was huge and was poor at agility. The punch ruthless hit his body.

"I… I… counter-shock!" Zhu Ba opened his eyes wide as he did his best to manipulate several Gu in his body.

However, he had just used all his concentration to manipulate blade aura Gu, and now he was activating other Gu at the same time; it might be okay if he was at peak condition, but right now his mind was in disarray and his mental state had already weakened due to manipulating all the Gu for such a long time.

A flaw appeared.

The fats on Zhu Ba's body that was shaking like water ripples stopped.

His defense crumbled!

He was still dispersing the force of Fang Yuan's previous force and so had to stiffly endure this punch.

An intense pain assaulted him, causing his head to spin. The dispersing process of the force of Fang Yuan's punch was broken. Eighty percent of the force exploded in all parts of his body.

Backlash!

In that instant, Zhu Ba's heart suddenly stopped due to the intense pain!

Fang Yuan's fierce gaze flashed, he had been waiting for this moment for so long and he finally created it forcefully.

Grabbing the opportunity, and strike!

Punches were thrown out like the wind. Bear phantom, boar phantom, crocodile phantom and horse phantom flashed in turns in mid-air.

Wind whistled, beast phantoms roared, golden armor covered Fang Yuan's whole body as his punches exploded out with unrivalled fierceness.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, the 'giant' Zhu Ba was beaten into retreating and howling in pain by the 'dwarf' Fang Yuan.

However, Zhu Ba's extremely obese body forced him to become a punching bag.

Fang Yuan's vigor rose continually, his unyielding ferocity birthed a feeling in all the spectators that this person could not be stopped.

The intense pain surged like a tsunami and struck Zhu Ba head-on, almost drowning his consciousness.

His thoughts were in a mess and he found it even more difficult to activate his Gu to increase his defense.

Fang Yuan firmly held the upper hand and Zhu Ba was already starting to show the white part of his eyes.

"How can this be? Just now, it was clearly…"

"Was Fang Zheng right about him?"

The audience were in an uproar, the shocking swap of their predicament stupefied them.