Chapter 1223

At Yi Tian Mountain’s remains, Wu An bows and leads Fang Yuan, known under the name Wu Yi Hai to almost everyone in Southern Border’s immortal world, to an entrance opening in the super Gu formation. Fang Yuan becomes Wu clan’s person-in-charge for the super dream realm. Wu An, only rank six, is his direct subordinate and must curry favor, having waited two days on a distant mountain to receive him. He fawns openly, sticking close and answering everything asked, which gives Fang Yuan a clear picture of the formation’s situation. Many Gu Immortals watch in secret. Ba Quan Feng tells Old Treeman Ba De, Southern Border’s strongest rank seven expert sent here to guard the dream realm, that Wu Yi Hai has just used Wu clan’s immortal killer move to shed his Eastern Sea status. Ba De only answers that they will observe for now and turns to leave, leaving Ba Quan Feng disappointed. ^{ch. 1223}

Since Wu Du Xiu’s death, Wu clan holds only one rank eight Gu Immortal, Wu Yong, and other clans, above all Ba clan, are watching for a chance to move. Ba Quan Feng, resentful of Wu clan’s old dominance, wants to suppress the newcomer to vent that grudge, but Ba De prefers to wait. Nobody yet knows Wu Yi Hai’s strength. Inside the formation, a space wrapping the entire super dream realm like a giant city splits into thirteen portions, one per righteous force. Wu clan’s portion is among the largest, rivaled only by Ba clan’s, with Tie clan and Shang clan holding less. Qiao clan is Wu clan’s most loyal ally. ^{ch. 1223}

Guided by Wu clan’s own information and Wu An, Fang Yuan reaches the core. There he meets a second Wu clan Gu Immortal, Wu Liao, who greets him with calm pride and no submission, apologizing only that he stayed at his post rather than come receive him. He is broad shouldered and thin waisted, brave and heroic in looks, needle bearded. His manner is sharply unlike Wu An’s fawning, though both hold the same rank six. Fang Yuan asks first to refine his two Immortal Gu, and it goes smoothly with Wu clan’s cooperation, leaving Wu Liao respecting the pace of the work. Fang Yuan chooses two Immortal Gu that root him inside the formation rather than better suited ones, so that Wu clan cannot easily move him elsewhere. ^{ch. 1223}

Over supper, Wu An serves eagerly despite Wu Liao’s open disdain for the fawning, and Fang Yuan questions both men at length, unwilling to trust Wu An’s word alone. By banquet’s end, Fang Yuan’s precise questions, hard for Wu Liao to answer, leave him with new confidence in Fang Yuan’s ability. Fang Yuan means to cultivate here in secret, and knows the demonic path acts freely while the righteous path lives by long settled custom, rules for dividing benefit. Using demonic methods here would delight his enemies and cost him his clan’s backing. Wu clan once led Southern Border outright but is resented by Ba clan, Shang clan and Tie clan, and Fang Yuan senses Ba clan as his coming rival. Qiao clan gives him a headache instead: his arrival broke the agreement he struck with them earlier, and he cannot judge their remaining support. ^{ch. 1223}

After the banquet Fang Yuan sends the two away and rests alone, and Wu An lingers wanting to speak but says nothing. For days afterward Fang Yuan keeps to his room, cultivating and refusing visits, until Gu Immortals watching him wonder whether Wu Yi Hai is really just a lone cultivator. Wu Liao is a little disappointed, hoping instead for a dominant superior. Wu An’s unease slowly turns to fear. Gu Immortals from other clans share that anxiety, since Wu clan once led several clans in the secret immortal opportunity business, which has had to stop with Wu Yi Hai in charge. The business could not be exposed: it would count as corruption, usable against everyone involved, Wu An included, who had obtained many benefits from it. Hoping to win Fang Yuan’s protection and salvage those profits, Wu An grits his teeth and decides to take a risk. ^{ch. 1223}