Chapter 1265

After the yaksha octopuses fall, more Earth Trench beasts attack in turn. Apes come first, then snakes, then a group of nightmare demonic colts. Fang Yuan reasons the beast groups probably belong to Northern Plains’ Zombie Alliance division, the yaksha octopuses likely to the rank seven immortal zombie Dragon Commander Ye Cha, that division surviving on Earth Trench while the others were besieged. He is greatly joyous at the colts, extremely common in his first life but extremely rare now, since their meat yields the dream path mortal Gu and even Immortal Gu he cannot refine efficiently on his own. His dragon form hunts them at extreme speed, but Shadow Sect has guarded against taking them alive, so only their corpses are his, still a huge harvest. ^{ch. 1265}

He goes on to kill further beast waves, then wrecks Dark Flow Giant City once its beasts run out. Ying Wu Xie’s group has already left. Sixth Hair stays behind as Shi Nu once did, weaker in cultivation but with a huge advantage, and fearlessly asks whether Fang Yuan dares kill him. Fang Yuan sees no point in killing him, choosing instead to let Sixth Hair fall into despair and suffering once Ying Wu Xie is dead, then flies off and leaves him beside the ruined city, ashen-faced. ^{ch. 1265}

Northern Plains is extremely huge. Snowy Mountain blessed land sits at its extreme northwest, and Omni-directional Travel cannot be used continuously. Ying Wu Xie is hurrying there when Fang Yuan catches the group again, and his lead soul into dream hits Fang Yuan once more. This dream proves unexpectedly deep, forcing him to break free with unravel dream at a minor cost. Ying Wu Xie laughs that he sacrificed those colts himself, dream path immortal materials not taken so easily, and warns that further pursuit will cost Fang Yuan his life even with the upper extreme heavenly eagle. Fang Yuan gives up the chase for now, since lead soul into dream truly is troublesome and every stage of it must be crossed in turn. ^{ch. 1265}

Inside that dream, dawn breaks over a fogbound Southern Border, and the young Fang Yuan sits beside Gu Master Big Beard’s deathbed. Big Beard thanks him for the medicinal herbs in an extremely weak voice. Fang Yuan sobs that his uncle will get better, but Big Beard shakes his head and tells the child not to cry. He recalls wanting to be a hero as a child, then a clan leader, then a clan elder, and after exile in middle age settling for raising his Gu worms alone. The world is too big, he says, and they are too small. ^{ch. 1265}

He wants now only to lie quietly and recall the past until death comes, and sends Fang Yuan away rather than be seen dying. As Fang Yuan reaches the door, Big Beard speaks once more, naming The Legends of Ren Zu and its miniman walking out of Ordinary Abyss. They are all minimen wanting the same, he says. Fang Yuan must continue on, continue persevering. Big Beard regrets that every one of his Gu was destroyed in the battle, leaving this advice as the only gift he can give. To minor characters, crying does no good, since no one hears them even if they shout, so they can only persevere alone, until they accomplish great feats and become extraordinary, or else embrace death. ^{ch. 1265}