Chapter 522

Zhao Lian Yun is delighted that Fei Cai has become servant leader, a definitely crucial post through which low rank Gu Masters learn about the higher-ups. She warns him that his situation is now more precarious, with many people likely to target him. She is too short to pat his shoulder until he squats. She tells him to recruit new subordinates, since the old servants have been sent away, and to learn the young tribe leader’s habits from those servants, who fear revenge and will talk. Privately she, not a native of this world, expects that pleasing Ma Ying Jie will keep Fei Cai’s position definitely stable. ^{ch. 522}

At Cao Fu, Hei tribe camp, Fang Yuan checks the resources in the supply camp, attended by the female Gu Master in charge. Since Dong Fang tribe’s reparations came in and surrendered tribes joined the alliance, the resources open to exchange for battle merits have grown more than tenfold. Days earlier, Hei Lou Lan held another alliance meeting and had the newly joined tribe leaders swear the poison vow. Shadow Sword Expert and others who joined Hei tribe army cannot shake Fang Yuan’s place as second only to Hei Lou Lan. Others surely resent his standing, but none dares to reprimand him in public. ^{ch. 522}

Fang Yuan finds a rank four self-reliance Gu that he has greatly desired. His rank three copy from Southern Border was suppressed to rank two in Northern Plains, and without the recipe he cannot advance it, so he must take this one. He passes over a rank four charging crash Gu, having already refined the rank three vertical charge and horizontal crash Gu into one. ^{ch. 522}

What attracts him most is refine essence spirit Gu, a healing Gu far above other soul healing Gu, which converts a Gu Master’s flesh essence into energy that heals the soul. Dong Fang Yu Liang has one, a huge support to his wisdom path deductions. It suits Fang Yuan because commanding beast groups exhausts his soul while his body stays strong, and it can bridge his enslavement and strength paths. He takes the Gu together with its recipe, which rumor says Gu Immortal Dong Fang Chang Fan created to cultivate wisdom path. ^{ch. 522}

The Imperial Court competition every ten years weeds out the weak and also assists interaction between large forces. The way of Gu began with Ren Zu, its first Gu Master, in the Immemorial Antiquity era, and four eras followed down to Late Antiquity. Giant Sun, one of the invincible venerables, set up the huge arena because large forces hoard their findings, and its reparations kept the Huang Jin family overlord of Northern Plains. Fang Yuan knows from his previous life that in total power Central Continent is strongest, followed by Northern Plains. In the battle of the five regions, Northern Plains alone fought back and invaded Central Continent. Giant Sun’s setup made Northern Plains the acclaimed strongest of the five regions in fighting strength. Fang Yuan judges it too narrow, since Giant Sun cared only for his bloodline. ^{ch. 522}

Fang Yuan then finds over a dozen amplify effect Gu on the list. It is a rule path Gu that amplifies a chosen Gu worm in proportion to its rank, at the cost of higher primeval essence expenditure. It is very popular because it works in any path, including both his enslavement and strength paths. Hei tribe holds one rank five, one rank four, three rank three, and the rest rank two. He chooses the rank five, which boosts a Gu worm’s effectiveness by five times. ^{ch. 522}

The female Gu Master carefully reminds him that his battle merits might not be enough. Fang Yuan tells her to credit another five hundred thousand. She is shocked and says he still owes around three hundred thousand of the previous five hundred thousand, which the rules make him pay first. Fang Yuan replies that rules made by men can be altered, raises the sum to eight hundred thousand, and says he will explain to Hei Lou Lan personally. He demands the goods. ^{ch. 522}