Chapter 664

With the agreement settled, Fang Yuan breathes out in relief, since the deal is his surest way to break free of his current difficulties. He leaves Rising Azure Cloud in Lang Ya blessed land as collateral. He already prefers Worldly Wave Trace, which suits water path Gu Immortals and grows stronger near rivers, lakes or the sea, since Rising Azure Cloud’s strength lies only in speed of ascent and descent. ^{ch. 664}

That night, Fang Yuan returns alone to Hu Immortal blessed land. Tai Bai Yun Sheng stays behind in Lang Ya blessed land. Well satisfied with the trip, Fang Yuan judges it a small investment for a huge return, and counts his gains. ^{ch. 664}

First, the return of Fixed Immortal Travel is a welcome surprise. It lets him cross the barriers between regions and scheme across all five using his rebirth’s advantage. Fixed Immortal Travel is only a rank six movement Immortal Gu, yet it gives him more advantage than Rising Azure Cloud and Worldly Wave Trace combined. ^{ch. 664}

Second, the Snowy Mountain Alliance now ties him to Fairy Li Shan and to Hei Lou Lan. Hei Lou Lan carries the Great Strength True Martial Physique, one of the ten extremes, and her battle strength will turn terrifying once she advances to immortal. Fairy Li Shan holds the Mountain Pledge Immortal Gu, which lets her broker trust, since an alliance sealed on it cannot be broken. Fang Yuan allies for strength and for the news her connections bring. ^{ch. 664}

Third, he now holds the identities of four Immortal Gu seized destroying the formless fists: Cleanse Soul, Rising Azure Cloud, Woman’s Heart, and Connect Luck. Rising Azure Cloud is worth least, already spent as collateral. Woman’s Heart, the poison path Gu combining refinement and nurturing, ranks slightly above it. Above both sits Cleanse Soul, which refines the soul far better than his wolf soul Gu, and as the core Gu of myriad self raises his battle strength from below ordinary rank six to first rate rank six. ^{ch. 664}

Last and greatest is Connect Luck, whose value even surpasses Cleanse Soul, since its importance to him is unique. Spring Autumn Cicada, his first vital Gu, caused his rise but also strains his aperture and constantly lowers his luck, problems severe enough to have brought him near death more than once. Connect Luck can resolve that flaw. Holding only one luck path Immortal Gu, Fang Yuan cannot link to mountains or desolate beasts, so he plans to link his luck to people his previous life marks for fortune, gaining always since his own luck stays abysmal. The plan sharpens his sense of what Fixed Immortal Travel is worth. ^{ch. 664}

His final gain is the three Immortal Gu remnant recipes brought back from Lang Ya blessed land, each at least ninety percent complete and one at ninety nine. After resting, Fang Yuan goes to his underground cave. Deducing a recipe demands more than mortal Gu wills can supply, so he activates delight in water and mountain Gu and starts with the easier ninety nine percent recipe. ^{ch. 664}

In Lang Ya blessed land, Tai Bai Yun Sheng asks land spirit and the Inkman King what they think of his restoration work. The Inkman King marvels at the restored cloud soil, having expected little. Land spirit is impressed too, asking how someone so young managed it, and Tai Bai Yun Sheng laughs bitterly at being called young. He shows them landscape as before Immortal Gu and explains it. The Inkman King praises it loudly, since it could restore terrain and river flow and greatly reduce future disaster damage, calling its value immense. Land spirit, who has heard of this Gu as once owned by Immortal Jiu Hui, an heir to a Spectral Soul Demon Venerable true inheritance and holder of Man as Before besides, offers five immortal essence stones to research it. Tai Bai Yun Sheng declines, unwilling to risk his personal secret in someone else’s hands. ^{ch. 664}

Disappointed, land spirit still pays the three stones owed for the restoration. Tai Bai Yun Sheng refuses those too, telling him to give them to Fang Yuan along with his own payment when he returns with a completed recipe. Stunned, land spirit bursts out laughing, unable to believe the rascal can succeed, and reminds him these recipes, especially the ninety nine percent one, have defeated even his own main body for years. ^{ch. 664}