Chapter 493

Fang Yuan memorizes the names behind the interference, Diao Sou, Great Immortal Ju Shi and Dian Huang Tianmu among them, and recognizes several as figures who assaulted Lang Ya blessed land in his previous life. Most come from northern plains, but others reach in from southern borders, eastern sea, western desert and central continent, and Fang Yuan concludes that a genuinely large hidden organization lies behind Old Man Yan Shi, though what Yan Shi’s own role within it might be remains a question Fang Yuan never answered even in his previous life. ^{ch. 493}

He notes that the group held back rather than press their advantage once his own recipes let him route around the shortage, unwilling to draw attention to themselves. He reasons that refining the rank six Fixed Immortal Travel Gu openly, as a young, low-aptitude vagabond from a destroyed clan, is what first caught Old Man Yan Shi’s notice, since no one of his stated background should have been able to learn of Hu Immortal blessed land or refine an Immortal Gu at all, and onlookers investigating him will conclude he is a proxy for some hidden expert or organization rather than press him directly before they know more. He expects the standoff to hold only until his enemies learn the truth or lose patience. If Immortal Crane Sect ever attacks Hu Immortal blessed land, his best option would be to self-detonate it so that neither side gains Dang Hun Mountain, though that would leave him hunted by everyone afterward, with no blessed land left to shelter in, which is why he is building the Chang Shan Yin identity as a way out. ^{ch. 493}

He resolves to cultivate quickly toward reclaiming Gu Immortal rank before that danger arrives. His immortal essence stones start at twenty eight, gained from selling Immortal Gu recipes. Some purchases, especially the bulk wolf buy, drop them to four. ^{ch. 493}

Three things decide an enslavement path Gu Master’s strength: the size of the beast group, the enslavement Gu worms carried, and the depth of the Gu Master’s own soul. His wolf group now ranks second rate on northern plains’ mortal plane, behind only Ma Zun, Jiang Bao Ya and Yang Po Ying, while his enslavement Gu worms, all inherited from Chang Shan Yin, sit at rank four and still need to reach rank five for the coming battle. He spends further on Gu recipes, refinement materials and the rank five wolf soul Gu he needs, eighteen items in total, taking his stones down to three. He buys the green copper, red steel, white silver and yellow gold relic Gu next, and a body modification Gu worm besides, leaving only two stones in reserve for emergencies. ^{ch. 493}

Over two days cultivating on Dang Hun Mountain, the last intact guts Gu on the dying mountain crumbles into rotten mud, but the strengthening already gathered still carries his soul to the thousand man soul level Chang Shan Yin himself once held. Using the white silver relic Gu in Dang Hun palace, his second aperture reaches rank three peak stage with snow silver primeval essence, alongside his first aperture’s rank five peak stage crystal purple primeval essence. He means to use the yellow gold relic Gu next, aiming for rank four peak stage, and notes that the second aperture also gives him the chance to choose a second vital Gu. ^{ch. 493}