Chapter 974

Self strength Immortal Gu was originally Hei Lou Lan’s, well suited to her Great Strength True Martial Physique and strength path cultivation. Refined by her mother Su Xian Er as a memento, it became the price Fang Yuan took for saving her from a dream realm after her tribulation failed. She has been extremely unwilling to give it up. She restrains the urge to seize it back, since a Gu worm is very hard to take by force and its owner can destroy it with a thought, and she deeply understands the art of compromise: their alliance profits them both. ^{ch. 974}

When Fang Yuan suddenly holds the Gu out as if returning it, Hei Lou Lan cannot hide her desire for a moment, but quickly steadies into wary suspicion. Fang Yuan tells her not to be nervous, saying the Gu suits him too but matters more to her. He then says he wants to trade it for her attitude Gu. Hei Lou Lan’s body shakes with shock, since acquiring attitude Gu has been an extremely secret matter, hidden even from her aunt Fairy Li Shan, and killing intent surges in her. ^{ch. 974}

Fang Yuan steps back instead, his harmless smile enough to make her feel safer, and feigns surprise that she truly possesses the legendary attitude Gu. Furious, she accuses him of tricking her into confirming it, but he claims innocence and invokes his master, Purple Mountain True Monarch, a fabricated backstory that deceived even Blazing Heaven Demoness in his previous life. Her killing intent falls away at the name, since in her view a master of such vast and unfathomable power gives Fang Yuan backing she could not safely attack. She refuses the trade outright. A rank eight Gu recorded in The Legends of Ren Zu and usable by anyone with a thinking mind, she says, outclasses his rank six self strength Immortal Gu. ^{ch. 974}

Fang Yuan’s expression turns dangerous. He reminds her this is his territory, Hu Immortal blessed land. Hei Lou Lan laughs it off, citing their standing agreement against attacks between allies, and says she is not afraid of death, ready to destroy her Gu worms before dying. Fang Yuan recognizes the tactic as the fearless stance towards death he used on Blazing Heaven Demoness in his previous life, and, having to give way, laughs it off as only a joke. He then offers to also give up contesting Star Form blessed land, but she refuses even that: attitude Gu’s requirements are very minimal, needing no immortal essence and only mental energy, a peerless treasure she will absolutely never give up. ^{ch. 974}

Fang Yuan proposes a smaller trade instead. He offers self strength Immortal Gu for her slavery Immortal Gu, which she obtained in the final moments inside Imperial Court blessed land, after deceiving Giant Sun’s will. Hei Lou Lan is tempted and calls a rank six for rank six trade feasible, though she notes slavery Gu can only be used once. He admits some loss and adds a further condition: he wants to borrow attitude Gu as well, for a time. Hei Lou Lan falls silent, refusing to lend it so she can gauge how much it matters to him. ^{ch. 974}

Fang Yuan turns to leave, then stops and asks to borrow attitude Gu for three years; Hei Lou Lan refuses even three days. He plays his trump card, asking if she no longer wants revenge, since she has a chance to kill Hei Cheng. Killing her own father is Hei Lou Lan’s greatest obsession. The obsession runs so deep it has affected her cultivation and left a permanent scar in her mind. In his previous life she did kill Hei Cheng, recovered self strength Immortal Gu, dispelled that scar and found her own self, so her strength path phantoms afterward took her own appearance instead of a brawny man’s. ^{ch. 974}