Chapter 994

A sinking myriad eyes clear bull head draws Fang Yuan’s attention on Falling Heavenly River. He pulls up the head alone; an immemorial desolate beast can rival rank eight Gu Immortals. Like a small hill, it is very heavy; its horns, though sword light cut them to half, remain a rank eight material of metal and earth path dao marks. Its skin carries water path dao marks; body skin would also carry light path marks, useful for investigative Immortal Gu. Its eyes, most valuable, are full of dark path dao marks, with wild mortal Gu of mostly rank five trapped inside. Blind themselves, the bull truly sees through tattoos on its skin. Lifeforms here skew water path, with few of fire path. ^{ch. 994}

Fang Yuan loots quickly. Most pieces are ancient desolate beast or plant matter, but a few reach immemorial desolate grade, rank eight material of immense value. His nineteenth such find stuns him: a life and death kun-peng, a gill-less grey fish the size of a boat marked with feather-shaped dao marks. ^{ch. 994}

This law path immemorial desolate beast lives as a fish for eight thousand years, then as a bird for another eight, before dying for real. This one seems close to that change, probably over seven thousand years old. Its corpse is well preserved but for its cut fish head. Its life and death dao marks, a rule path type very rare across the world, make it probably his biggest gain of the trip. ^{ch. 994}

Immemorial and ancient desolate beasts, and especially plants, outlive short-lived humans. Ku Mu Mountain, really a million-year-old old earth wood tree, dwarfs even Primordial Origin Immortal Venerable’s twenty five thousand years and Red Lotus Demon Venerable’s three thousand, barely a fraction of its span. ^{ch. 994}

The river froths as beasts and plants fight over the remains. Too weak to join them, Fang Yuan can only scavenge what surfaces, sometimes earning a heavy sum from floating corpses. His gains shrink as risk grows, and he suspects, though unsure, that the prophecy’s second verse points to Bo Qing’s zombie body. ^{ch. 994}

Star Constellation Immortal Venerable’s song replays in his mind. As it fades, a second wave of information arrives: Sword Immortal Bo Qing’s body holds Mo Yao’s remnant soul. Fang Yuan resolves to risk it, since Bo Qing’s sword path Immortal Gu would rival part of an Immortal Gu House even if he could not display their full power. ^{ch. 994}

He leaves that stretch at once for a distant spot. Almost all the fierce beasts have gathered where the materials are, so he can dive deep very safely, gathering snow soil, unchanging water and qilin ice on the way. ^{ch. 994}

At the location the information named, Fang Yuan draws out Mo Yao’s fake will. It is indignant at first but quickly overpowered. This fake will once caused him to topple Eighty-Eight True Yang Building. ^{ch. 994}

Captured, the fake will dissipates slowly, releasing an intense aura that summons a burst of sword qi, gentle only toward him. Sword Immortal Bo Qing’s immortal zombie body slowly appears in the light. Its eyes stay shut, so Mo Yao’s remnant soul inside is still only half conscious, feeling a familiar aura and drawn early by his methods. ^{ch. 994}

Sword light lets Fang Yuan approach no closer than three steps. Any nearer would break the cover of his weakened, tortured fake will, his only method for luring Gu out. Bo Qing’s long-dead body has no immortal aperture left; but for the sword light shielding him, Fang Yuan could take him bodily. ^{ch. 994}

Following the information, his method quickly works. He lures out a swan-egg shaped, ice-cold Immortal Gu, its aura marking it rank seven. Bo Qing, among history’s strongest beneath the venerables, was not invincible but could still easily dominate and suppress the whole of Central Continent. None of his Immortal Gu was below rank seven, his core sword path Gu certainly rank eight. ^{ch. 994}

He wraps the Gu in Mo Yao’s aura and seals it completely with wisdom path methods, a fragile, deceptive seal tricking its consciousness into feeling still owned. He stores it untouched in his aperture. He repeats the method on Bo Qing, drawing out a second Immortal Gu. ^{ch. 994}