Chapter 658

Fang Yuan steps out of the wisdom light halo, his deduction successful but its result leaving him gloomy. Sealing Spring Autumn Cicada will require over six thousand mortal Gu, nearly half of them rank five, with about two thousand rare and eight hundred ancient Gu worms, an estimated twenty-three immortal essence stones he does not have. Spring Autumn Cicada’s recovery is accelerating, and his first aperture, kept alive only as a dead aperture since he became a zombie, has over two months before even a dead aperture fails. Its destruction would not kill him, but it would greatly reduce his future cultivation potential, an immeasurable loss. Selling Immortal Gu recipes is the only fast way to raise the sum. ^{ch. 658}

Back at Dang Hun palace, Fang Yuan asks Tai Bai Yun Sheng about Lang Ya land spirit. Despite constant watching, the land spirit’s divine sense, usually very active in treasure yellow heaven as Lang Ya Old Immortal, has not appeared at all. Fang Yuan suspects trouble. In his previous life Lang Ya blessed land suffered a total of seven waves of attack, and he wonders whether the third has already begun and now occupies the land spirit, though the world’s huge changes since his return leave the timing uncertain. ^{ch. 658}

Tai Bai Yun Sheng chatters about treasure yellow heaven’s startling prices before Fang Yuan hands him Immortal Crane Sect’s second letter, harsher than the first and demanding surrender. Fang Yuan calls Immortal Crane Sect one of central continent’s ten great ancient sects, its foundation rooted at Fei He mountain across hundreds of thousands of years. Tai Bai Yun Sheng warns it will be very difficult to protect Hu Immortal blessed land from such a colossus, and privately considers retreat. Fang Yuan shares the thought. Dang Hun mountain’s extremely huge benefits are what other super forces would definitely want, and as long as hope remains beside them he would absolutely not give up easily, treating retreat as only a last resort. He points out that Immortal Crane Sect, too, faces huge impacts from newer sects rising in central continent and has not expanded in years. ^{ch. 658}

Tai Bai Yun Sheng swears to stand by him regardless of danger. Fang Yuan answers that he would definitely retreat if the situation grew truly hopeless, but the fix is an alliance with another great force. He has already written to Spirit Affinity House using a rank five letter sending green bird Gu. He refused Feng Jin Huang’s challenge and has been detaining the letter Gu ever since. Because she had not yet reached rank five then, its owner is very likely Feng Jiu Ge, or perhaps his wife Fairy Bai Qing. With no reply yet, the two agree to wait seven more days before sending another letter. ^{ch. 658}

Hu Immortal blessed land remains caught between an approaching enemy and thin resources, with Lang Ya land spirit and Spirit Affinity House, its two keys, both silent. He cannot start selling recipes either, lacking the capital, and sets the plan aside. Fang Yuan scoffs at his own luck, blaming Spring Autumn Cicada. He asks Mo Yao, a refinement path grandmaster residing in his body who very likely knows matching Immortal Gu remnant recipes, but she gives no answer, and lacking wisdom path methods he cannot compel her. Amid this, Hei Lou Lan suddenly arrives at Dang Hun mountain by Fixed Immortal Travel, since Fang Yuan’s lost stargate Gu leaves him unable to return to northern plains alone. She knows the place only because he had once sent her a will of it. ^{ch. 658}

Fang Yuan notes she has come half a month before their agreed deadline. Hei Lou Lan says gravely that the situation has changed, then catches her worry and claims with a cold smile that arriving early was only to keep him off guard, in case he had set traps of his own. Fang Yuan laughs it off, saying that after the battle of northern plains they are already tied together, but her earlier conditions remain insufficient for complete cooperation. ^{ch. 658}