Educate well
Fang Yuan judges that refining this set of star Gu would open the stargate to Hu Immortal blessed land far more efficiently, even though he is not a star path Gu Master. He has already invested heavily in nurturing starlight firefly Gu there and feeding them air bubble fish, yet expenditure still outpaces production, and opening the stargate uses large numbers of them at a slow rate of growth. In Northern Plains he could draw on natural starlight for one side of the gate, but Imperial Court blessed land has none in its sky, so the gate costs him even more of the Gu there. The new recipe would let one starlight firefly Gu match the effect of several, several times cutting his expenditure. Fang Yuan reads a portion of Poet Immortal Du Min Jun’s wisdom into the recipe’s unusual, almost mathematical reasoning, then gathers everything of value from the rooms before leaving. Du Min Jun was a righteous path Gu Master. His inheritance held only one trial and was not difficult. ch. 551
When Fang Yuan returns to the mountain peak, the worm group that had troubled everyone has dispersed. Pan Ping greets him as Lord Chang Shan Yin with an ominous look, since Fang Yuan as Wolf King has taken the best of the gains and now owes the rest a share. Zhu Zai calls him a tiger gaining wings, saying nothing of splitting the spoils. Fang Yuan tells them Du Min Jun’s inheritance still holds many good things they may take, then flies off on the azure myriad wolf king. Pan Ping shouts after him that they restrained the worm group for his sake and are owed compensation under the rules. ch. 551
Fang Yuan, floating, asks half-smiling what compensation Pan Ping wants. Pan Ping says he cannot decide without first seeing the inheritance, so he can evaluate it. Fang Yuan answers by willing the azure wolf group to surround Pan Ping from ground and sky, and Pan Ping draws his scimitar, demanding to know what he is doing. The wolves charge, and although Pan Ping is rank four peak stage with a complete, high quality Gu set won in recent battles, they are not ordinary: each is at least a hundred beast king carrying large numbers of wild Gu. After killing several wolves, Pan Ping cannot hold on, bleeding profusely as he protests that they are of the same army and accuses Fang Yuan of trying to kill him. ch. 551
The watching Gu Masters are uneasy at Fang Yuan’s overbearing manner but say nothing, cowed by his strength. Zhu Zai urges calm, since Pan Ping is Hei Lou Lan’s beloved general said to already belong to Hei tribe, and Zhu Zai fears for himself if Pan Ping dies, since he too hopes to join Hei tribe. Fang Yuan says he is not angry, even as he drives the wolves to attack more fiercely, secretly startling Zhu Zai with his ruthlessness. Pan Ping activates sole blade Gu but can only defend, unable to break free. Zhu Zai begs again, warning that Pan Ping is about to die, and Fang Yuan finally stops, saying he must teach a disrespectful junior a lesson. The wolves pull back without lifting the encirclement, and Pan Ping collapses, bloodied and staring at Fang Yuan with hatred. Fang Yuan asks if the lesson was not severe enough, and Zhu Zai forces Pan Ping to apologize; Pan Ping apologizes through gritted teeth while silently vowing revenge. ch. 551
He was normally vigilant and low profile, but pride surged in him after the Imperial Court contest, especially since he was killed by three heads six arms in the battle against Liu tribe, then revived by Tai Bai Yun Sheng using man as before Gu. The revival left him feeling blessed by the heavens. He internally rages that he only trails Fang Yuan because Fang Yuan started cultivating earlier, and vows to surpass him and repay the humiliation. Fang Yuan has no idea what Pan Ping is thinking, and does not care. He privately reasons that killing Pan Ping now would not draw punishment from Hei Lou Lan, but it would be a demonic act clashing with his identity and would not serve his future plans. He decides to spare Pan Ping for now, since Pan Ping’s sole blade Gu still interests him. ch. 551
Fang Yuan tells Pan Ping that since he has admitted his fault, he must now pay compensation for the fifteen wolves lost teaching him. Pan Ping accepts in fury. Fang Yuan extorts his Gu recipes and several Gu worms, ones critical enough to his set that his strength falls by at least two levels. ch. 551
Having had his fun, Fang Yuan tells everyone there are still good, unique things inside for them to take, then departs into the sky. The others are relieved, thinking Fang Yuan righteous for taking the bulk since he did the most, and Pan Ping merely small hearted. Once Fang Yuan and the wolves vanish, everyone moves toward the starlight door, and by seniority Zhu Zai and Pan Ping enter first. They find only Du Min Jun’s original poems in a small courtyard, since Fang Yuan had already swept away every Gu worm and recipe. Zhu Zai laughs bitterly over the poems, calling them unique treasures. Pan Ping, hoping to recoup his losses, is left disappointed, and vomits blood as he faints from anger. ch. 551
Several days later, Fang Yuan, riding the azure myriad wolf king, judges the sacred palace must be close. His gaze fixes on a stretch of ground where the terrain looks strangely familiar. ch. 551
