Chapter 701

Eight desolate beasts close in around He Feng Yang and Fairy Cang Yu. Fang Yuan borrowed them through Lang Ya land spirit’s rank seven beast enslavement Gu, which can subdue even desolate beasts and ancient desolate beasts, and Cang Yu’s investigative methods confirm every one is real. An ice spike divine ape to the east nearly matches Dang Hun Mountain’s bulk, its eyes tinted frost blue but not fully so. Full frost blue eyes would mark it the ancient desolate beast icefall divine ape, with roughly the battle strength of a rank seven Gu Immortal. A phoenix feather lava crocodile, a golden sand dark stallion, a swamp crab king of the swamps, and a circling iron crown eagle ring the other directions; a bat faced earth chief desolate beast sprays corrosive parasitic fluid from dozens of fleshy whips. A peach wolf, no larger than a puppy, seems harmless, yet marks the one direction He Feng Yang refuses to break through. South of them all, an azure dragon vine, a plant rather than a beast, grows fiercely defensive and regenerative once rooted, and can fly like a dragon if it pulls free. ^{ch. 701}

He Feng Yang judges Fang Yuan and his three masked companions the true threat, since desolate beasts almost never use killer moves while Gu Immortals do. Hei Lou Lan wears a black bear mask, Fairy Li Shan a blue bird mask, and Tai Bai Yun Sheng a deer mask, each cloaked in a light that blocks investigation. Only Fang Yuan shows his true face. He Feng Yang demands to know who they all are. Fang Yuan turns the question back, asking the two guests to introduce themselves first. ^{ch. 701}

Only then do He Feng Yang and Cang Yu see their mistake: they had expected at most a single Gu Immortal’s strength and had demanded surrender without naming themselves. Humbled, they comply. He Feng Yang names himself a rank six enslavement path Gu Immortal of Immortal Crane Sect, and Cang Yu a rank six water path Gu Immortal of the same sect. Fang Yuan answers only with his own name, welcomes them as guests, and deliberately leaves his three companions unnamed before asking their purpose. He Feng Yang privately curses that the answer is obvious, though he says nothing aloud. Cang Yu instead answers that they will fight to the end if he wishes, blood and all. ^{ch. 701}

Fang Yuan admires her boldness and guesses they came for Dang Hun Mountain’s guts Gu. He Feng Yang admits it: the scheme he spent over a year preparing to seize the blessed land has already failed. He privately hopes that Fang Yuan’s talking, rather than striking, still leaves room to escape. Fang Yuan claps and offers to sell guts Gu on the spot. A rank three Gu worm flies from his hand into He Feng Yang’s. ^{ch. 701}

Ladybug shaped and the size of a large bowl, it has a tiny head dwarfed by a round translucent stomach, which holds another Gu worm inside. Storage Gu built to hold other Gu are extremely common, Earth Treasury Flower among them, but He Feng Yang guesses this one holds guts Gu and Fang Yuan confirms it. Guts Gu was believed unable to leave Dang Hun Mountain without dissipating, the reason Fang Yuan had refused to trade it and the reason the ten great sects wanted the mountain itself. This Gu proves guts Gu can be carried out after all. Asked its name, Fang Yuan admits he had not thought of one and calls it Airsac Gu on the spot. ^{ch. 701}

He Feng Yang falls silent, remembering that Immortal Crane Sect’s own higher ups had tried and failed at this before. The mysterious force behind Fang Yuan has now succeeded where the sect could not. His hands shiver slightly as he weighs the profit guts Gu could bring if sold across treasure yellow heaven, Hai Shi blessed land, Central Continent, Southern Border, and Northern Plains alike. He wonders whether Fang Yuan, having not attacked, means to deal with Immortal Crane Sect instead. Fang Yuan asks what they think of arranging the transaction. He Feng Yang’s heart wavers. ^{ch. 701}