Chapter 973

A spring dream fruit tree lives without a body of its own inside dreams, needing a real ancient tree as its foundation and the dreams of nearby villagers to nourish it. This one is hosted by a fire date tree several thousand years old, no longer producing dates, resistant to heat and lava, letting it outlast the eruptions that destroyed nearby villages. Old man Chen now means to cut it down as his son’s wedding-house girder. Fang Yuan, invisible and unnoticed, learns by chance why this tree was felled in his previous life. Cutting the date tree would destroy the fruit tree too, and he lacks the dream path method to move it. Mo Yao seems to have sensed the tree’s nature but left it alone, perhaps from limited knowledge. ^{ch. 973}

Fang Yuan plants two wills in the minds of Chen and his son. The son, suddenly moved, begs his father to spare the tree, and Chen agrees to use a different tree instead. Fang Yuan sets a Gu formation to protect the spring dream fruit tree and must still refine the dream path mortal Gu needed to pick its fruit. ^{ch. 973}

Recalling his previous life, Fang Yuan notes its course led through helping Tai Bai Yun Sheng, defending Lang Ya blessed land, and invading Yu Lu blessed land in Eastern Sea. There, Blazing Heaven Demoness, having just defeated the immemorial desolate beast one finger flow shark, forcibly recruited him. That course ran on through his part in killing Hei Cheng, a new agreement forced on him by Blazing Heaven Demoness and her allies, and the battle of Yi Tian Mountain. His main objective this life remains the same: owning Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage, which would let him suppress the Great Strength True Martial immortal zombie for huge gains. That early-take plan has already failed. One failure will not shake his resolve, and with Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage still unappeared he can only wait. ^{ch. 973}

His original plan had been to take the House, suppress the zombie, then turn on Hei Lou Lan, Fairy Li Shan and Blazing Heaven Demoness once their alliance expired. That is no longer possible. Without the House he is clearly weaker than Hei Lou Lan’s side, and no scheme succeeds without strength; she is formidable, as her killing of her own father and her disguised entry into Hei tribe showed. He judges it a huge likelihood that Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage will appear on the same schedule as last time. That would force him back into the Southern Border Gu Immortals’ gambling contest at Yi Tian Mountain, facing Southern Border, Shadow Sect and Heavenly Court in extremely huge danger. But there are no gains without risk, and the huge benefits at stake have already resolved him to take it. ^{ch. 973}

With the tree’s protection ensured, Fang Yuan sets that matter aside and changes his plans. He resolves to ally with Hei Lou Lan again, since he now needs the strength of allies, above all Blazing Heaven Demoness, whose rank eight cultivation would matter greatly. Blazing Heaven Demoness will definitely target him for holding self strength Immortal Gu. Even were he to revive, rank six to rank seven would take three hundred years of blessed land time he does not have. Turning enemies into allies is the priority, so he compromises. ^{ch. 973}

Fang Yuan returns to Hu Immortal blessed land, where, unlike his previous life, Hei Lou Lan has not yet left. He finds her frowning over an information Gu’s news: Central Continent’s ten great ancient sects have ambushed Song Zi Xing. Fang Yuan confirms he already knows. Hei Lou Lan regrets missing a prime opportunity, since killing Song Zi Xing during the chaos might have won them Star Form blessed land. ^{ch. 973}

Fang Yuan privately judges her formidable. She already holds attitude Gu but has told no one, not even her aunt Fairy Li Shan. He keeps a parallel secret of his own, having hidden his possession of Star Form blessed land from her, a secret only Blazing Heaven Demoness’s interference exposed in his previous life. Because the two are so alike, he both values her and is wary of her, and would be rid of her quickly if he could. Destiny instead forces him to deepen their partnership if he wants Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage, so he takes out self strength Immortal Gu and holds it out to her. ^{ch. 973}