Chapter 1174

Chu Du had given him methods to guard against the demonic sounds. He resolves to go regardless, since the conflict began with his own actions and he is deeply tied to it through his alliance with Chu Du and his part in the Iron Eagle strike. He teleports there by super Gu formation from Lang Ya blessed land, arriving more than ten days later with no trouble along the way. ^{ch. 1174}

Below, a huge circular cave spans hundreds of kilometers of yellow soil, its thick rainforest sounding with desolate beasts and red, featherless, pterosaur-like birds. Fang Yuan descends into the humid rainforest. Grey-furred monkeys chase each other through the trees. ^{ch. 1174}

A motionless vine strikes, swallowing dozens of monkeys: a desolate beast tree python, already full and unwilling to fight the monkey king their commotion draws. A demonic sound rings out. Fang Yuan uses Chu Du’s method at once, and it feels gone to him. Unshielded, the python and monkey king fight to the death instead, and the monkeys around them go mad too, attacking allies and mutilating themselves. Birds, ants and bees turn suicidal and attack Fang Yuan too, but he stays composed, since they are not hunting him in particular. ^{ch. 1174}

The demonic sound fades and the rainforest falls silent. It is littered with severed limbs and corpses whose blood nourishes the snapped trees back to rapid growth. The python’s coils had snapped the monkey king’s neck, but the monkey king tore its stomach open before dying, freeing the monkeys it had swallowed, already dead. The python itself regains a moment of clarity as the sound fades, before its own life leaves it. Fang Yuan stores both dead desolate beasts in his own immortal aperture. ^{ch. 1174}

A voice warns Fang Yuan not to waste his effort. Nothing here holds value, bird, beast, worm or plant, and their corpses cannot be sold in treasure yellow heaven, their dao marks completely chaotic. Startled, Fang Yuan cannot place the speaker, since his killer move three breaths future vision shows only events involving himself, and seeing is not hearing. He soon foresees a white-robed Gu Immortal about to appear behind him. Three breaths later the man appears, pale-faced with a black beard, wide sleeves and star-bright eyes, and introduces himself as Not Immortal, his rank seven aura unconcealed against Fang Yuan’s rank six. ^{ch. 1174}

Not Immortal explains he lives in Crazed Demon Cave. Fang Yuan greets him properly, explaining he came uninvited because Chu Du needs their help. The Gu worm Fang Yuan carries is the token he and his companions, the Three Crazed Demon Eccentrics, gave Chu Du. Not Immortal answers that the three have lived here for hundreds of years without troubling the outside world, and would welcome Chu Du joining them, but leaving the cave is absolutely impossible. ^{ch. 1174}

Not Immortal, out for a breather, leads him in. He warns the cave grows more dangerous each year and its routes keep shifting. Past the second layer’s burning rocks, they reach the third, its cloud bamboo breeding an endless white fog thick with fog Gu and beasts. In the fog Fang Yuan glimpses a silent city; Not Immortal names it Fog City, formed from gathered vengeful souls, not worth looking at. A soul strong enough to form it must be at least a Gu Immortal, and entering now would mean certain death. ^{ch. 1174}

Under Not Immortal’s lead Fang Yuan reaches the sixth layer without much danger, though even the eccentrics do not casually enter the bottom three. He takes him to Gu Immortal Pang Shan, who has the most dealings with Chu Du and first recommended him. They find him in a small valley, a huge figure dozens of meters tall using it as a seat, half lying down. Pang Shan wakes slowly. He says Chu Du wants reinforcements and that they had an agreement before. Immortal Gu and killer moves would be loaned to him to clear his alliance agreements, Pang Shan answers. ^{ch. 1174}