Chapter 550

Two days later, a high mountain peak comes into view, deep blue and shaped like a lone vulture. Fang Yuan is startled with joy, recognizing it from Gu Immortal Lord Tian Ku’s past-life description as Xing Jiu peak, where the vulture’s gaze marks the sacred palace, and judges his direction correct. Immortal Court blessed land holds a lofty and holy place in the hearts of northern plains people, a spiritual symbol and a cradle that nurtured many of the region’s Gu Immortals in past Imperial Court contests. When central continent invaded northern plains, this strategically significant site was struck first. Lacking preparation, Immortal Court blessed land was breached by an alliance of central continent Gu Immortals, and the sacred palace was ruthlessly destroyed into ruin. Eighty-Eight True Yang Building was destroyed along with it. Lord Tian Ku was one of the Gu Immortals in that surprise attack against Immortal Court blessed land, and Fang Yuan models his current plan on the central continent’s methods. ^{ch. 550}

As Fang Yuan is about to cross Xing Jiu peak with his wolf group, he pauses, spotting many Gu Masters gathered at the summit, some familiar to him. He decides not to hurry on and descends to the peak instead. Pan Ping greets him as Lord Wolf King, and Zhu Zai, one of the twin demons invited by Tai Bai Yun Sheng, calls him Brother Shan Yin. ^{ch. 550}

The gathered Gu Masters’ hearts shiver at the Wolf King’s arrival, and Pan Ping and Zhu Zai step forward from among them. This Imperial Court contest has brought Pan Ping wealth and made his name, and at rank four peak stage, his battle strength with sole blade Gu can match some rank five Gu Masters. Zhu Zai is a strength path rank five Gu Master and a close combat expert, which makes him especially wary of sole blade Gu. He was separated from Gao Yang on entering Imperial Court and argued with Pan Ping on the way to the sacred palace. The rest of the Gu Masters kneel and greet the Wolf King in turn. ^{ch. 550}

In Ma tribe army, Fang Yuan’s prestige has risen to its highest point. He is recognized as the top figure of his generation. His standing suppresses even Hei Lou Lan and Ye Lui Sang, who holds a fire path Immortal Gu. Only Chang Shan Yin’s lack of Huang Jin bloodline, and Hei Lou Lan’s position as alliance leader, keep some from calling to replace the alliance leader with him. ^{ch. 550}

Fang Yuan tells them to rise and asks what inheritance brought them together here. Someone first discovered an inheritance on Xing Jiu peak but lacked the strength to claim it, and calling in help cost several lives. More Gu Masters were invited, including Pan Ping and Zhu Zai, and the two competed for their own benefit until the search stalled in a standoff. Fang Yuan’s arrival breaks the deadlock, and Pan Ping and Zhu Zai now explain the matter to him directly. ^{ch. 550}

Pan Ping explains that the inheritance opens every seven days in a burst of starlight through a starlight door. It lasts only a short time, and insect groups guard it against entry. Zhu Zai says little time remains before it opens again and asks Fang Yuan to uphold justice for the assembled Gu Masters. Pan Ping privately thinks Zhu Zai’s reputation as a famous demonic path expert looks laughable next to such flattery. Pan Ping also hopes to reach Wolf King’s own level someday, but hides his pride and bows in outward respect, since a demonic path Gu Master knows when to submit. ^{ch. 550}

Fang Yuan agrees at once and takes charge. As time passes, starlight gradually fills the summit, and when it soars up a small door opens within it. Large numbers of insect groups of every color rush out like a tide, many of them wild Gu, hovering near the door rather than attacking anyone. Fang Yuan judges this insect test not difficult, one the assembled Gu Masters could clear even without him. ^{ch. 550}

But Pan Ping and Zhu Zai’s rivalry has split the group’s support, and with no one conceding, Fang Yuan takes the opening it creates. He orders everyone to follow his arrangement, since insect groups are often harder to handle than beast groups, so as to keep losses down. Everyone agrees. Under his command they attack in segments, drawing the insects away and exterminating them. After a dozen or so breaths, most of the insects have been drawn off, opening a wide gap in the line. ^{ch. 550}

Pan Ping praises the tactic, since exterminating the insects mattered less than opening a passage, and Zhu Zai agrees that having Wolf King lead them is their good fortune. Fang Yuan’s next words shock them both: he tells them to hold the insects back while he alone goes inside. He rushes for the starlight door at once with his wolf group. Zhu Zai pales, not having expected such open selfishness from him, and Pan Ping’s eyes widen with anger at the unfairness. ^{ch. 550}

Fang Yuan first sends an azure wolf to scout inside. Finding no danger, he rides an azure wolf king through the door. He leaves a large azure wolf line guarding the entrance to protect his way back. The onlookers grumble that the Wolf King has acted shamelessly, snatching an inheritance they found first and leaving them shut out, though none dare voice it openly. A rank three Gu Master urges Pan Ping to charge in as well, and Pan Ping kicks him away, refusing angrily. ^{ch. 550}

Facing a blockade of two myriad wolf kings, dozens of thousand wolf kings, over three hundred of the hundred wolf kings, and over two hundred guarding the air, Pan Ping cannot force his way through. Pan Ping mocks Zhu Zai, asking if this is the result of his appeal for Wolf King to uphold justice. Zhu Zai sees through him at once, privately judging Pan Ping’s plan to entice him into breaking the wolf line together as naive, since even one ordinary night wolf left behind would be enough to stop him. Pan Ping snorts and swallows the words he was about to say. ^{ch. 550}

Fang Yuan arrives at a courtyard beyond the starlight door, built entirely of blue metal in a strange, abstract shape unlike any of the five regions’ styles. He pushes the gate open and enters a space draped in thin light cotton, mysterious, quiet, and grand. Moving cautiously at first, he finds no traps or mechanisms after a full search. The courtyard has six rooms, and Fang Yuan explores every one. ^{ch. 550}

He receives the whole inheritance left behind by the courtyard’s master and learns that, over a hundred years earlier, this was the residence of northern plains’ great poet Du Min Jun. Du Min Jun was a rank five Gu Master who traveled alone and never married, known to people as Vagrant Lone Star. He was the Poet Immortal of northern plains, whose verses mostly turned on the starry sky, his longing for home, and his powerless struggle against fate. He was proud and noble, keeping apart from mortal affairs, and though pursued throughout his life by many women, and even some men, he rejected them all without mercy. Future generations praise him as immersed in his own world, his mind fixed on the starry sky though his body stayed in northern plains, not a northern plains man but a poet, a Poet Immortal cast down to the mortal world from the stars. Fang Yuan learns Du Min Jun chose to end his life here, and sighs. Unable to endure the melancholy in his heart, Du Min Jun built his final home on Xing Jiu peak and took his own life there, leaving behind countless poems for later generations. ^{ch. 550}

Du Min Jun’s inheritance proves outstanding. First is emotion poetry Gu, a wisdom path Gu used to store emotions, alongside painting idea Gu, and it is extremely rare and expensive. The inheritance also holds large numbers of star path Gu worms of every type, effectively all the star path Gu found in northern plains. Fang Yuan is amazed, and wonders whether Du Min Jun had some fortuitous encounter to gather such a complete collection. He then realizes Du Min Jun innovated an entire set of star Gu recipes of his own. ^{ch. 550}

Fang Yuan flips through the recipes and recognizes just how talented Du Min Jun was. Du Min Jun founded a new set of five Gu keyed to star path power, from rank one, a bit of star Gu, to rank two, brilliance of two stars Gu. The set continues through rank three, three stars in the sky Gu, rank four, four stars cube Gu, and rank five, five stars aligned Gu. This Gu set targets star path Gu specifically and can raise its effects by a huge degree, working as a non-mainstream version of an amplify effect Gu. It succeeds far more often, and its materials are extremely common. If this recipe set spread, Fang Yuan judges it would sharply raise star path Gu’s popularity and influence every Gu Master path to some degree. ^{ch. 550}