Chapter 827

In the south, a few rockmen hibernate underground in tunnels where blood poison kerria bloomed and died, which will yield bloodstone ore after tens of years. The underground cave hiding wisdom Gu is restored with Landscape as Before, while the weakened zhi forest, needing no cure, has a chance of becoming a blood zhi forest. The narrower northern part becomes a breeding ground for regretful spiders. ^{ch. 827}

Dang Hun mountain holds Dong Fang Chang Fan’s soul and dozens of Dong Fang tribesmen locked in Dang Hun palace. Its storerooms hold airsac Gu among other stocks of immortal materials. Fang Yuan’s three large resource points, the eerie fire dragon pythons, regretful spiders and dragonfish, are now established rather than stored, able to grow and sell for profit, though none is ready yet. The stored airsac Gu cannot be sold quickly, since Immortal Crane Sect still watches Hu Immortal blessed land, so Fang Yuan plans to sell slowly for steadier, lower-risk gains. ^{ch. 827}

Two days after its restoration, Tai Bai Yun Sheng bids Fang Yuan farewell, having saved him half a month of extra work and lent immortal essence stones for the renovation’s early costs. He is now the wealthiest of the four Snowy Mountain Alliance signers. His return also let him place his blessed land in Northern Plains ahead of its own earthly calamity, which Fang Yuan will help him face. ^{ch. 827}

Tai Bai Yun Sheng leaves the blessed land. Hei Lou Lan stays behind. Fang Yuan soon leaves too, heading for Central Continent, since the Refinement Path Convention is about to begin. ^{ch. 827}

At Immortal Crane Sect’s Fei He mountain, Gu Yue Fang Zheng lies motionless in a secret room, pale as if in a coma, a Gu worm on his chest. A faint light flashes, and a Gu Immortal appears in the room. It is He Feng Yang, greeted at once by the spirit incubating flea carrying Lord Sky Crane’s soul. ^{ch. 827}

Lord Sky Crane begs He Feng Yang to heal and wake Fang Zheng. He Feng Yang had wanted Sky Crane to revive instead by possessing Fang Zheng’s body, fearing Fang Zheng, too young for the sacrifice, might resent the sect. Sky Crane refuses, seeing himself in Fang Zheng, whom he could not bear to displace. Recognizing his own past in Sky Crane’s plight, since Lord Tiger Demon once saved him from a like hopeless choice over the nine palace crane, Little Jiu, He Feng Yang relents. He agrees to heal Fang Zheng as repayment for Sky Crane’s years of service, though he warns future help will not come free. ^{ch. 827}

He Feng Yang waves his sleeve past Fang Zheng’s face and vanishes. Moments later, Fang Zheng’s soul steadies, and he wakes from his coma. Fang Zheng grows frightened, remembering the blood pool and vines that grew over him while he looked into Hu Immortal blessed land. He screams and lurches backward, strikes his head on the stone wall, and falls unconscious again. ^{ch. 827}

Three days later, Immortal Crane Sect announces Fang Zheng’s awakening, and he reappears before the disciples. In morning class, the sect leader publicly names him an elder. Every disciple, past rivals like Sun Yuan Hua included, now bows to him. To help capture Hu Immortal blessed land, Immortal Crane Sect’s Gu Immortals had forcibly raised his cultivation to rank five, a level no longer suiting a disciple. ^{ch. 827}

Lord Sky Crane stays with him. The sect leader occasionally checks on him, an elder’s benefits running tens of times greater than a disciple’s. Lord Sky Crane faintly sees the intent: the sect sacrificed Fang Zheng to help capture Hu Immortal blessed land, and now showers him with status to win back his loyalty. Too young to sense this, Fang Zheng holds no grudge and feels only a deeper belonging. He still avoids that terrifying memory, but some nights he dreams of the blood pool and wakes in a cold sweat. ^{ch. 827}