Chapter 1344

Cornered by both clans and by a mastermind he cannot identify, Fang Yuan already senses Wu Ba Chong’s intention behind stepping back, and decides he can use it, resolving to give orders as though he already leads Wu clan. He does not want to be either clan’s chess piece. He orders Wu clan’s Gu Immortals to abandon their outlying resource points and regroup at Wu Yi Mountain behind their Immortal Gu Houses, a costly retreat that nonetheless satisfies Qiao Si Liu. When Qiao Si Liu urges leaving for Wu Yi Mountain, Fang Yuan refuses. He argues the road is too dangerous with the mastermind loose, and that as Wu Yong’s brother he is likely the next target. Qiao Si Liu, persuaded, concludes they would be safer waiting inside the super Gu formation until an Immortal Gu House can escort them. After the effort it costs him, Fang Yuan succeeds in convincing her. ^{ch. 1344}

Inside the purple blood river formation, over a dozen blood rivers pour out purple thoughts without pause, and Tie Mian Shen is nearly overwhelmed by phantom ones until Wu Yong’s wind disperses them and saves him. Neither voice transmission nor wisdom path thought communication works inside the formation, so Qiao Zhi Cai must shout to warn that the formation’s phantom path effects will not end unless the ruin bat corpses feeding the blood rivers are destroyed. Tie Mian Shen looks around and counts thirty to forty of them. Purple Mountain True Monarch stays hidden nearby, restricting Wu Yong, who has spare energy to protect Tie Mian Shen and Qiao Zhi Cai but whom it would be unwise to send against the corpses since the hidden rank eight would exploit the opening. Tie Mian Shen plans instead to clear the corpses together with Qiao Zhi Cai, hesitating over whether Wu Yong can be trusted to save them if the enemy attacks. ^{ch. 1344}

Wu Yong instead reveals a fourth Immortal Gu House, the Clear Jade Dripping Wind Tiny Bamboo Building his mother Wu Du Xiu built from two rank eight wind path Immortal Gu, hidden very deeply even from Wu clan’s own Gu Immortals. Its jade dew sweeps away the purple thoughts and blood tides, saving Qiao Zhi Cai and Tie Mian Shen, who fly in beside him. Both take shelter inside it. Wu clan already had three Immortal Gu Houses; this rank eight one, Wu Yong explains, is his mother’s construction. ^{ch. 1344}

Tie Mian Shen reflects that Wu Yong has concealed a fourth Immortal Gu House, giving Wu clan, with enough immortal essence, the strength of a second rank eight Gu Immortal. Wu Yong hid this deeply. Had he not been trapped in this formation, nobody would ever have learned he held it. The balance among Southern Border’s super clans held only as long as Wu Du Xiu lived, and her death is why the other clans moved together against Wu clan. Displaying the Immortal Gu House now would let Wu clan replace her and suppress Southern Border once again. ^{ch. 1344}