Chapter 341

Tian Ti mountain is the number one mountain in central continent, also called the land of inheritances and the mountain of sages. It rises over three thousand kilometers and holds the tombs and inheritances of many Gu Masters who failed to become immortal. Legend calls its stairway of giant square rocks a bridge between heaven and earth. Crowds come yearly to claim and leave inheritances, but this year a Hu Immortal blessed land opens there. It draws Gu Immortals, who ally to lock the mountain and set up a contest among the juniors of their sects. ^{ch. 341}

At the foot of the mountain, Fang Zheng stands ringed by ten thousand cranes while Wei Wu Shang, losing, pants in tattered clothes. Wei Wu Shang cannot lose, with Heaven’s Envy Sect behind him and Fairy Bi Xia watching. He activates a Gu he has always hidden, even at the sect examination, and a colorless breeze rises around him. Lord Sky Crane names it injury wind Gu, gentle to look at yet extremely terrifying, and Fang Zheng gives up attacking completely to defend. The wind sends countless ironbeak flying cranes crashing down. ^{ch. 341}

Wei Wu Shang stops once his aperture is nearly dry. He admits he lost, reckoning that Fang Zheng, who commanded the cranes from the start, has spent less essence. Every Gu Master from rank one to rank five is bound by primeval essence, and only a Gu Immortal has it without end. Fang Zheng offers to call the spar a draw, claiming his own essence is almost exhausted too. Wei Wu Shang sees the claim is a lie that offers him a way out, and he accepts the draw openly. Through secret transmission he vows to repay the leniency, refuses to concede Fairy Bi Xia, and promises to spar again after training harder. He warns that four more of her admirers will surely come after Fang Zheng: Heaven River Chen Da Jiang, Rising Purple Lightning Gu Ting, Nine Death Sorrowful Wind Tang Ru Qi and Tigress Zhao Shu Ye. ^{ch. 341}

Three days later Gu Ting leads Ancient Soul Sect disciples to Tian Ti mountain, and on learning of the matter between Fairy Bi Xia and Fang Zheng he sends a challenge. Fang Zheng avoids the fight. Gu Ting visits his cave daily for seven days to provoke him, and Immortal Crane Sect disciples who go out to answer are defeated. On the eighth day, with Ancient Soul Sect’s momentum risen greatly, a crowd blocks the cave entrance and curses Fang Zheng, then Immortal Crane Sect. Fang Zheng walks out helplessly, since a disciple who fails to uphold his master’s prestige would be impeached and punished at Fei He mountain. Lord Sky Crane urges him to defeat Gu Ting and improve his reputation, and Fang Zheng agrees to fight. ^{ch. 341}

At the same time, far away at San Cha mountain in the southern border, another battle ends. Fang Yuan stands proud over Fei Li, a rank four middle stage strength path Gu Master, who kneels bloodied with a broken right arm and fractured legs, begging Lord Fang Zheng for mercy. Fang Yuan tells him to hand over his expend strength Gu first, and Fei Li hesitates, then gives up his vital Gu. He suffers a heavy backlash and spurts huge mouthfuls of blood. The expend strength Gu is also his core Gu, doubling the stamina his enemies spend on any movement. Fang Yuan accepts the Gu but declares it not enough to exchange for Fei Li’s life. ^{ch. 341}

Fei Li shouts that it is his most precious Gu, and Fang Yuan’s beast phantoms turn him into minced meat. Fang Yuan sneers, calling the corpse a pauper, and the spectators avoid his gaze. He tells them to relay to Sky Tiger Xue San Si that both are strength path Gu Masters and he will visit her in three days to exchange pointers. An uproar follows, because Fang Yuan killed Tyrant Heng Mei a few days earlier and now means to challenge her. ^{ch. 341}