Chapter 404

Fang Yuan tells Tie Ruo Nan that the unfinished refinement has preserved enough immortal essence to kill them all. Ba Gui appears in tears and says killing them would cost too much essence, and the blessed land will completely collapse not long later. The crucial step remains, but the land spirit howls that the refinement has failed. Yan Jun calmly steps into the hall. Tie Ruo Nan says the land spirit will not completely obey Fang Yuan, who is not its master, and that with Yan Jun here the others are near. ^{ch. 404}

Fang Yuan smiles that hope remains and asks Ba Gui whether it still wants to refine second aperture Gu. As a mortal he cannot make a difference, he admits, and the refinement has failed, but only for now. After the land spirit dies he alone will know the recipe and hold the half-finished second aperture Gu, so it must protect him. Ba Gui agrees, for he is the only person meeting the blessed land’s requirements and a reborn Gu Immortal. The remaining essence, Fang Yuan answers, cannot completely root out all the enemies. ^{ch. 404}

Asked by Fang Yuan about the third section of the second chapter of The Legends of Ren Zu, the land spirit objects that two conditions are unfulfilled. The first is the light of glory of the immemorial era. Fang Yuan points to the top of the hall and says it is here. Since he stood up he has asked the land spirit to share its vision, so the situation outside is very clear and the talk only delays. His third use of Spring Autumn Cicada has taught him that rebirth brings a butterfly effect that can change some things completely, yet historical inertia gives accumulated conflicts a new trigger. ^{ch. 404}

Xiao Mang, impatient fighting Ying Ming, flies up and uses torrential light stream with rank four gather light Gu, rank five extreme light Gu and rank five river under the sun Gu. Tie Bai Qi tries to stop it, but the formation is complete and he reduces the impact a little. The light waterfall breaks the hall roof and flows toward Fang Yuan. The land spirit cries out that it is the light of glory of the immemorial era. ^{ch. 404}

Fang Yuan pours primeval essence into his rank four bone wings Gu and his rank five liquid metal Gu. Black wings coated in golden light spread from his back. Flying into the river of light, he is forced back, then activates golden aurora Gu and other movement Gu taken from the rank five Gu Masters he killed, and climbs against the flow out of the hall. As his primeval essence drains, he calls on the land spirit, Immortal Gu divine travel lands on his palm, and jade sky Gu becomes a hollow jade-green bamboo. ^{ch. 404}

Bai Ning Bing, sensing extremely deep meaning in Fang Yuan’s act, urges the others to disrupt it. The four old-timers use infinite search and lock, and fixed star Gu, an eight-sided diamond star fragment, shines on his left arm as four chains tear space around him. Divine travel Gu pierces his arm and swallows fixed star Gu, so the old-timers cough blood and the chains lose their target and are destroyed by the river of light. It then enters the hollow jade sky Gu and forms a cocoon. ^{ch. 404}

Xiao Mang, Yi Huo and Yi Chong stare stupefied at the sky, and Feng Tian Yu sees that Fang Yuan is refining Gu. This is Fang Yuan’s plan. By enslaving the killer ghost doctor he made the second aperture Gu refinement certain to fail, as its last step needed Feng Tian Yu’s help. After rebirth he never truly thought of refining it, and he deceived the land spirit to create this situation. This Gu is also an Immortal Gu whose recipe sits in the third section of the second chapter of The Legends of Ren Zu, the first classic of the Gu world. The book looks like a story but records ancient secrets and Gu, some described directly like wisdom Gu and strength Gu, some hidden and vague. ^{ch. 404}