Chapter 696

Fairy Bai Qing tells Feng Jiu Ge that their daughter Feng Jin Huang, whose talent has suppressed every rival her age across the ten great ancient sects, has sat unconscious for three months. No method since has woken her. The search for a cure found only its cause: dream wings Immortal Gu, an unknown Gu that came to her unbidden at age three. Feng Jiu Ge assures her their daughter’s soul has entered a hidden region rather than dying, and that she will likely learn the Gu’s true use once she wakes. ^{ch. 696}

He is leaving for northern plains. Their family will depend on Bai Qing until his return, and he asks to be told the moment their daughter wakes. The ten great ancient sects had plotted for countless years over Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, working from information Fairy Mo Yao left behind. But Fang Yuan used memories from his past life to seize its fruit, destroying Imperial Court blessed land and collapsing the building. Spirit Affinity House led that plan and now answers for its failure both to the other nine sects and within its own ranks. As the sect’s strongest fighter, Feng Jiu Ge must investigate in person, and the elders have agreed. ^{ch. 696}

Bai Qing warns him to prioritize escape if anything goes wrong, since northern plains offers no backup. She tells him not to trust the other nine sects, whose people lost reputation to his old run of successive victories and who would be relieved to see Spirit Affinity House lose him. He promises to be careful. He then shows her a letter: Fang Yuan has accepted Feng Jin Huang’s challenge. Bai Qing recalls the earlier challenge letter she had Feng Jiu Ge send, which Fang Yuan left unanswered, and wonders at his motive now. ^{ch. 696}

Feng Jiu Ge says they investigated Fang Yuan after Feng Jin Huang’s loss and found a mysterious force backing him, strong enough that he dared seize Hu Immortal blessed land under all ten sects’ eyes. Immortal Crane Sect then claimed him as one of their own. That blocks the others from moving against him. Feng Jiu Ge calls it laughable that over a year has passed, since even True Yang Building has collapsed in that time, yet Immortal Crane Sect still has not taken the blessed land. Bai Qing answers that the sect has been stretched thin by the spirit rhino’s capture, the reincarnation battlefield, Great Heavenly Sword Sect’s push for independence, and the other nine sects’ quiet obstruction. ^{ch. 696}

Feng Jiu Ge adds that Immortal Crane Sect declared Fang Yuan a traitor the day before. Bai Qing reasons Fang Yuan is not truly one of their own. She judges he must have known the attack was coming, and answered the challenge to draw Spirit Affinity House’s support against Immortal Crane Sect. But the declaration now gives Immortal Crane Sect an upright reason to strike, and the other nine sects cannot interfere. Feng Jiu Ge explains that if Immortal Crane Sect fails, the nine sects will gain grounds to strike and none will let it keep the prize. ^{ch. 696}

Before leaving, he plans to lend his one’s own way Immortal Gu to Immortal Crane Sect. Bai Qing is surprised and asks why. He explains that if Fang Yuan wins, the ten sects will move together to split the blessed land, while if Immortal Crane Sect wins, the loan gives Spirit Affinity House a claim to advantage from Dang Hun Mountain as well. ^{ch. 696}

At Hu Immortal blessed land’s Dang Hun palace, Fang Yuan reads the report of the traitor declaration with a heavy feeling. It signals an attack will come soon. Cleanse soul Immortal Gu is still not fed, and using the immortal killer move myriad self now is extremely risky, since an unlucky attempt could cost him the Gu and his greatest trump card. He reads Immortal Crane Sect’s silence as a wait for his backing force to reveal itself, and expects the coming attack to be very powerful. His priorities become finding the white lotus giant silkworm Gu to feed cleanse soul Immortal Gu, accumulating funds, and preparing green grape immortal essence, since most Immortal Gu need essence to activate. He reflects that war comes down to money, and worries two consecutive battles will devastate finances that have only just recovered. ^{ch. 696}