Chu Du's Weakness
Chu Du promises that once the transaction is complete he will return flying sword Immortal Gu and add compensation, though he means to keep it as leverage. Fang Yuan already expects the refusal. He calls Chu Du insincere, says they can forget the matter, and flies off on sword escape Immortal Gu, vanishing instantly. ch. 1062
Chu Du calls for him to wait and gives chase. He trails several li behind. Fang Yuan senses an immortal killer move on him, a rank seven strength path move faster in a straight line than sword escape Immortal Gu itself, and his heart sinks. He reasons Chu Du must have secretly gathered much of Reckless Savage’s true meaning training Gu Masters toward ascension. Sword escape alone can no longer answer it, so he switches to blood torrent, the two moves chaining smoothly since trimming blood torrent’s mortal Gu lowers its failure chance and speeds the cast. ch. 1062
Fang Yuan plans to stop and negotiate if Chu Du closes the distance. Twice over, Chu Du charges past him with incredible force before turning back, since body strength travel, like sword escape, only carries its user in a straight line. That flaw troubles Chu Du even worse, and Fang Yuan can shrug him off easily so long as he stays vigilant. He stops to negotiate, and Chu Du, convinced the flying sword Immortal Gu is swaying him, halts as well. ch. 1062
Chu Du names the move body strength travel, drawn from his immortal body’s strength path dao marks. It moves only forward, never turning or reversing. He admits using it in an unpracticed panic, calling it truly shameful. Asked who could force him to retreat, he answers sincerely: Northern Plains’ Gu Immortal world runs extremely deep, and his own renown is modest. Northern Plains definitely holds more than five rank eight Gu Immortals, and among rank sevens Fang Yuan is one of the few who unsettles him; he admits he does not even know his name. ch. 1062
Body strength travel, built for retreat, is the only one of Chu Du’s methods able to rival sword escape Immortal Gu, whose straight line speed compares to the similarly ranked qi escape Gu. Years of keeping a low profile to raise those Gu Masters have left him fighting rarely. Its true weakness is too many Gu worms, not lack of skill. He recalls first meeting Fang Yuan mid tribulation, when his own strike arrived too slow to catch him, and though Fang Yuan knows little about Chu Du, Chu Du has searched and learned less still. Fang Yuan’s aura strikes him as very strange, rank six when first seen and rank seven now, cultivating both blood path and sword path, two unrelated paths. ch. 1062
He also holds a method to draw out Reckless Savage’s true meaning, one Chu Du judges definitely requires wisdom path attainment and one he himself failed to obtain. Once Fang Yuan stops rather than flees, Chu Du’s heart pounds with excitement. Strength decides everything between Gu Immortals, so he begins treating him as an equal. ch. 1062
Fang Yuan says a transaction is not impossible, falls silent weighing it. Chu Du watches eagerly and promises his wealth will definitely satisfy him. Fang Yuan asks whether Chu Du attended the Northern Plains auction. Chu Du’s expression freezes and he asks in return whether Fang Yuan attended as well, which Fang Yuan admits, privately noting he had made use of him during it. ch. 1062
Asked what he wants, Fang Yuan says only that it is hard to say. Growing impatient, Chu Du urges him to speak and offers to obtain whatever it is, having already decided to get the method whatever the cost. When Fang Yuan admits he has not yet decided what to trade, Chu Du’s tone turns low as he asks whether he is only being toyed with. Fang Yuan explains that every Gu Immortal carries calamities and needs, and asks for time to weigh the best trade before he replies. Chu Du, his expression ugly, nods helplessly and agrees. ch. 1062
