Sun Ming Lu

In Fang Yuan’s previous life, Sun Ming Lu fought Central Continent Gu Immortals, set up a Gu formation that held them back, and died when that formation was broken. After his death someone wrote Biography of Sun Ming Lu, which records Xue Hu’s seven invitations clearly. Fang Yuan contrasts Sun Ming Lu’s famous twelve-layer work with ruins under purple sand that he judges hold at least thirty layers. ^{ch. 937}

Lady Wan Shou refuses a long rest while refining Gu, saying the refinement path Gu formation was created by Sun Ming Lu mimicking Regret Pool. It has several Regret Pool functions but can last only a day, so half a day of rest is her limit before she must use the rest of the time. ^{ch. 1169}

Hair Mistress tells Central Continent Gu Immortals that Old Ancestor Xue Hu invited Sun Ming Lu to arrange a super Gu formation in Snowy Mountain blessed land. With the snowy peak lords as formation cores, it links to Reverse Flow River. Invaders must charge peak by peak. Peak lords receive amplification so rank six can display rank seven strength, while charging Gu Immortals are suppressed. The formation isolates inside from outside, blocks connection to treasure yellow heaven, lets only Old Ancestor Xue Hu contact the peak lords, and keeps peak lords from talking to each other. Hair Mistress also guesses peak lords can only defend from their main halls and cannot leave their peaks. ^{ch. 1250}

Zhao Lian Yun names the arrangement fate reversing sacrificial refinement formation. Sun Ming Lu set it up with over ten Immortal Gu; its power comes from irrigating the water of Reverse Flow River. Even without rank eight Immortal Gu, the formation uses that secluded domain so fully that a rank eight Gu Immortal would be trapped. Fifteen snowy peaks are formation cores. Invaders are sent to peaks matching their rank. Core Gu Immortals are amplified: rank six can have rank seven might, and rank seven gains a huge boost short of rank eight. The formation also imitates Regret Pool and has time path abilities. Gu Immortals who die inside are treated as sacrifices that help Lady Wan Shou refine Ma Hong Yun, and deaths become fuel for refining fortune rivalling heaven Gu. Central Continent speakers call Sun Ming Lu Northern Plains’ publicly recognized number one formation path grandmaster, unyielding and valuing friendship, said not to associate with the demonic path, yet judge the wicked refinement formation as proof he is not a good person. Sun Ming Lu used Reverse Flow River’s plentiful dao marks to build the formation, and the arrangement also stops higher ranked Gu Immortals from hunting lower ranked ones inside it. ^{ch. 1252}

South Desolation Immortal had already ordered Black Extremity to move while Longevity Heaven’s Eight Extremities still controlled Calamity Luck Altar against Five Elements Grandmaster; Black Extremity and Flood Extremity left that siege as two rank seven Gu Immortals. ^{ch. 1267} At a sub formation about a thousand li from Snowy Mountain, Black Extremity tells Flood Extremity he was tasked earlier to act as Sun Ming Lu, get near Lady Wan Shou, and create the fate reversing sacrificial refinement formation that used Reverse Flow River. Old Ancestor Xue Hu could not see the backdoor because he is not proficient in formation path. Activating the sub formation can break the Snowy Mountain main formation and draw Reverse Flow River there, sweeping everyone within about ten thousand li. Black Extremity calls himself a rank seven Gu Immortal and says they are only part of Lord South Desolation’s arrangements. ^{ch. 1270}

Inside Reverse Flow River, Old Ancestor Xue Hu names Sun Ming Lu as the formation’s creator and concludes he is a member of Longevity Heaven. Black Extremity manipulates the fate reversing refinement sub formation from its center and directs Reverse Flow River’s flow while Flood Extremity guards outside. ^{ch. 1275} At the river bank, Black Extremity greets Old Ancestor Xue Hu as one of Longevity Heaven’s Eight Extremities, Black Extremity, and says Sun Ming Lu is simply a name he uses when traveling in Northern Plains. ^{ch. 1280} Narration later groups him as Black Extremity Sun Ming Lu who schemed against Old Ancestor Xue Hu. ^{ch. 1948} Hei Lou Lan’s recollection restates that among the Eight Extremities, Black Extremity is Sun Ming Lu and cultivates formation path. ^{ch. 2112} A roster names Black Extremity Sun Ming Lu among Longevity Heaven’s Eight Extremities. ^{ch. 2182}

Black Extremity explains that falling into Reverse Flow River stops even rank eight experts from using Gu worms. Attacks from outside the river reverse and reflect. Both the sub and main fate reversing sacrificial refinement formations still influence the river, so when the main formation collapses he can arrange who leads the current, placing Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun at the front for Longevity Heaven to capture. Travel in the river has nothing to do with cultivation level or strength. ^{ch. 1270} He later tells Flood Extremity this is not true control: he dug a river channel and lets Reverse Flow River move in it, so they can influence its direction. When they collect the river, the sub formation will be destroyed. ^{ch. 1276} He expects the fate reversing refinement sub formation to fail under the river’s might and cannot repair it once activated unless the whole formation stops. Every ten percent of destruction reduces their influence by ten percent, so the rear current returns to normal and washes people and things away behind. He also states that Perseverance Immortal Gu has existed, that Genesis Lotus Immortal Venerable refined it, entered the Door of Life and Death, brought Reverse Flow River into the world, and was its first owner, though he does not know how the river later reached Old Ancestor Xue Hu. ^{ch. 1277} He later says creating the sub and main fate reversing refinement formation with Reverse Flow River used up several years of his time. ^{ch. 1288}

Narration places Black Extremity among Longevity Heaven’s Eight Extremities, skilled in formation path, with talent that once cheated Old Ancestor Xue Hu by disguising as Sun Ming Lu. ^{ch. 1728} During the fight over Heavenly Court’s formations, Black Extremity Sun Ming Lu admires Chi Qu You for outperforming him and comprehending formation profundities faster, then urges Yao Huang to follow Chi Qu You’s arrangements and assist Southern Border allies. ^{ch. 1729} With Chi Qu You and Fang Yuan he helps set up a five regional formation inside an enemy formation. Fang Yuan’s formation path attainment is grandmaster, lower than Chi Qu You’s and Black Extremity’s, yet Fang Yuan still places Immortal Gu fluidly from setup experience. ^{ch. 1732}