The blue-scaled snake thrashed in the air.
Fang Yuan held its tail with all his concentration. His eyes were bloodshot, his face was pale, and veins stood out on his forehead. If the snake escaped, the refinement would fail.
Fang Ming sat beside him, his palms pressing down on the outer flow of blue smoke and yellow light.
He did not touch the core.
He could not touch it.
This was Fang Yuan's refinement. His essence blood had already entered the process. If Fang Ming interfered too deeply, the entire structure would reject him.
But the escaping path could be narrowed.
The blue snake twisted, trying to slip through the gap created by the sudden lifespan force. Fang Ming's Steady Refiner talent was pushed to its limit. He sensed the flow, judged its direction, and forced the surrounding refinement aura to close around it.
"Now." Fang Ming said.
Fang Yuan's eyes flashed.
He pulled.
The blue snake gave one last violent struggle before finally coiling back into the cloud.
The bronze cauldron stopped shaking.
The cloud calmed.
The blood field appeared again, but the red wheat had turned blue-green, full of spring vitality.
Three hundred years as spring.
Ba Gui let out a deep breath.
Fang Yuan did not relax. "Next."
Before Ba Gui could move, its expression changed.
"Long Qing Tian's poison has worsened."
An image appeared in the air.
In a damaged region of the blessed land, Long Qing Tian's corpse lay on the ground. The land and sky around him had already turned deep green. Two careless Gu Masters approached the corpse, but before they could touch it, their bodies dissolved into green light.
Jade Sky Gu poison.
The poison had rotted through one of the blessed land's weak points.
Boom!
The bronze hall shook.
A second loophole opened.
Ba Gui's aura weakened again. "The collapse is faster now."
Fang Yuan's voice was cold. "Then we refine faster."
Ba Gui brought out the five hundred years lifespan Gu.
It looked like a young dragon, thick with ancient vitality.
Fang Yuan threw it into the cloud.
The cloud erupted again.
This time, it was not slippery like a snake. It had become forceful and wild, like a flood dragon trying to break open the sky.
Fang Yuan held the core.
Fang Ming sealed the outer flow.
Neither spoke.
The cloud roared silently, swelling and shrinking again and again. Several times, it almost broke apart. Several times, Fang Ming pressed the unstable edge back before the collapse could spread.
At last, the cloud settled.
The blood field changed.
The spring crops became golden wheat, heavy and ripe, like an autumn harvest.
Five hundred years as autumn.
The cloud shrank rapidly, condensing into a Gu shaped like a golden peanut shell. Scarlet blood markings covered its surface.
Fang Yuan looked at it with burning eyes.
This was no longer the earlier false Gu that could only survive for seven days. This one could exist for forty years.
But it was still false.
To turn false into real, the final force was needed.
Divine Travel Gu.
At this moment, outside the fog, the situation had already become fierce.
Mo Wu Tian had gathered demonic Gu Masters. Hu Mei Er, Li Xian, Li Qiang, and many others stood under his pressure and temptation. The rumor of a deceased Gu Immortal's treasure had spread like wildfire.
On the righteous path side, Xiao Mang also turned his attention toward the fog.
The bronze hall was hidden inside.
The true treasure was there.
Xiao Mang's body shone with piercing white light.
Extreme Light Gu.
My Will Gu.
Bright Spear Gu.
Killer move — My Glorious Spear.
A spear of white light formed and shot toward the fog.
Boom!
The fog tore open.
The hill shook.
Thousands of dogs were vaporized. A crater opened in the dog formation, and the bronze hall was exposed for a moment.
The battlefield fell silent for a breath.
Then greed exploded.
The dog army was enormous. Tens of thousands of dogs covered the hill in layers. Dog kings sat within the formation, and the five great mountain dogs guarded the inner ring.
But behind them was the bronze hall.
The immortal treasure was real.
Inside the hall, Fang Ming stood up.
Fang Yuan glanced at him.
Fang Ming said: "You continue. If they enter, refinement stability will not matter."
Fang Yuan's gaze was deep. "You are going out?"
"Bai Ning Bing cannot hold Rank five pressure alone."
Fang Ming turned and left.
From this moment, he stopped assisting the refinement.
Outside was more urgent.
If the defense collapsed, Fang Yuan would fail no matter how close the Gu was to completion.
Fang Ming walked out of the bronze hall and entered the battlefield.
The air smelled of blood, burnt fur, and shattered stone.
Bai Ning Bing was controlling the dog army with a cold expression, but her face was already pale. Her command was rough. The army had numbers, but the assault was too large.
Righteous and demonic Gu Masters attacked from two sides.
Mo Wu Tian and Xiao Mang did not openly admit cooperation, but both understood the same thing: break through first, fight over the treasure later.
The tide surged.
Fang Ming activated Tyrannical Dash Gu.
Boom!
His figure crossed the battlefield and struck the edge of the crater created by Xiao Mang's attack. A group of Gu Masters tried to rush through, but Fang Ming smashed into their front line and sent them flying back.
He did not chase.
He stood at the gap until steel armor dogs filled it again.
This was how he fought now.
Not to win.
To delay.
He did not use Blood Handprint Gu.
He did not use Blood Robe Gu.
He did not reveal blood path.
He used Tyrannical Dash Gu, Mountain Shell Gu, Eclipse Moonlight Gu, and White Lotus Healing Gu when injuries accumulated.
Even this was enough.
A Rank five peak Gu Master who moved like a battering ram, healed his wounds, and refused to overextend was extremely troublesome.
Whenever a gap formed, Fang Ming appeared.
Whenever strong Rank four Gu Masters tried to exploit Bai Ning Bing's delayed command, Fang Ming forced them back.
When Yi Huo's flames opened a path, Fang Ming endured the edge of the heat with Mountain Shell Gu and bought enough time for the dog formation to close.
When Li Xian tried to slip forward under concealment, Fang Ming released Thousand Mile Smoke Gu, disrupting the path and forcing him to retreat.
But the battlefield was too large.
There were too many enemies.
Mo Wu Tian's purple eyes shone. An unseen soul-path influence spread through the crowd, making greed burn hotter and fear grow thinner.
Fang Ming felt the change.
These people were not merely greedy.
Their greed was being sharpened.
Mo Wu Tian had turned human desire into a blade.
Soon, Mo Wu Tian found Bai Ning Bing's position.
"Heh."
His body turned into purple demonic fog and rushed toward her.
Bai Ning Bing's expression changed.
"Ba Huang!"
The huge dog emperor leaped forward like a hill collapsing. Its roar shook the battlefield, and it blocked Mo Wu Tian's path.
At almost the same time, Xiao Mang advanced from another side.
Bai Ning Bing gritted her teeth.
"Ying Ming!"
The second dog emperor moved, clouds forming under its feet as it flew toward Xiao Mang.
The two dog emperors blocked the two Rank five experts.
But Fang Ming knew this was temporary.
Dog emperors could contend with Rank five strength.
They could not contend with Rank five schemes forever.
He kept moving between pressure points, healing his wounds whenever needed. His face remained calm, but his body was accumulating strain. Tyrannical Dash Gu was strong, but repeated use burdened the body heavily.
White Lotus Healing Gu repaired injuries.
It did not erase fatigue.
Still, Fang Ming did not retreat.
He had to look reliable.
If Fang Yuan failed and Spring Autumn Cicada activated, Fang Ming wanted Fang Yuan to remember one thing: Fang Ming had been outside, risking himself, buying time.
Not standing near Divine Travel Gu.
Not watching the Immortal Gu with greed.
Not revealing his true goal.
A useful ally was less suspicious than a silent thief.
Inside the bronze hall, Fang Yuan faced the final dangerous transformation.
Divine Travel Gu appeared in the air.
It was like a yellow gem, hollow inside, with purple smoke constantly changing shape.
Ba Gui's voice was weak. "This is the final qualitative change."
Fang Yuan's eyes were red.
"Begin."
The golden peanut shell collided with Divine Travel Gu.
Thunder seemed to explode inside the hall.
Fang Yuan spat blood, but his gaze did not move.
"Divine opportunity is unlimited, travel through the lands…"
He poured all his strength into activation.
Divine Travel Gu was an Immortal Gu. A mortal could not activate it easily.
But Ba Gui used its last strength.
The remaining immortal essence moved.
Divine Travel Gu trembled, then broke apart into countless specks of light, entering the golden peanut shell.
The qualitative change began.
Outside, Fang Ming suddenly felt something vanish.
The fog lost a layer of intelligence.
The dog formation lost invisible support.
The blessed land's pressure weakened to almost nothing.
Ba Gui was gone.
In the bronze hall, the huge tortoise's body faded.
Its old eyes were filled with relief.
"The old master's wish…"
Its voice disappeared.
Ba Gui died.
From this moment on, there was no land spirit.
No suppression.
No teleportation.
No hidden map.
No divine consciousness helping Bai Ning Bing see through the fog.
Only Gu Masters, Gu worms, and time remained.
Fang Ming's expression became more cautious.
The battlefield immediately worsened.
Bai Ning Bing's command slowed. The dog army still had numbers, but without Ba Gui's help, the burden pressed fully on her soul.
At this exact moment, something changed near the bronze hall.
Fang Ming sensed the dog formation move strangely.
It was not merely breaking.
It was opening.
His gaze sharpened.
Bai Ning Bing.
Before he could move, several Tie clan methods activated around the hall.
Iron Cabinet Gu.
Qi Flow Gu.
The space near the bronze hall became sealed.
Tie clan's four old-timers appeared at four directions, forming a trap.
Fang Ming's heart sank.
So it was not collapse.
It was betrayal.
He activated Tyrannical Dash Gu and rushed toward the hall.
Bang!
His body collided with an invisible barrier. The sealed space shook, but did not break.
Fang Ming landed heavily, blood rising in his throat.
White Lotus Healing Gu activated quietly.
He did not use blood path.
Not yet.
Inside the bronze hall, Fang Yuan was at the final Third Watch Gu step.
He could not move.
He could not defend.
The hall doors burst open.
Tie Ruo Nan stepped in.
Her gaze was filled with hatred and satisfaction.
"Fang Yuan, today is the day I take your head."
Golden needles shot forward.
Fang Yuan's expression changed.
"Bai Ning Bing!"
Cold wind swept through the hall.
An ice wall rose, blocking the golden needles.
Bai Ning Bing appeared at the entrance, covered in injuries. His body was bloodied, his silver hair scorched in places, and one arm had turned purple from poison.
Fang Yuan shouted: "Block her! I only need a little time!"
Bai Ning Bing gritted his teeth. "Then refine faster!"
The two fought.
Tie Ruo Nan's offense was fierce. Bai Ning Bing was already heavily injured and soon fell into disadvantage.
Outside, Fang Ming continued striking the sealed space.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each Tyrannical Dash shook the barrier, but the four old-timers maintained it with grim expressions.
At the same time, an old man appeared near the hall entrance outside.
His hair was white, and a third eye shone on his forehead.
Tie Bai Qi.
Rank five enslavement path Gu Master.
Under his command, the dog army's movements changed. It was no longer Bai Ning Bing's crude defense. It became orderly, sharp, and efficient.
Fang Ming saw it immediately.
Tie Bai Qi had taken over the dog beasts.
A true enslavement path expert had entered the board.
For a brief moment, Fang Ming thought of the Rank five Slavery Gu hidden in his possession.
Then he suppressed the thought.
Not now.
Using it now would expose too much, and the battlefield was too chaotic.
Inside the hall, Bai Ning Bing suddenly laughed softly.
The temperature plunged.
Ice spread across the bronze floor.
Fang Yuan's expression shifted.
Bai Ning Bing's body rose into the air, turning crystalline. The entire hall began freezing, just like the scene on Qing Mao Mountain years ago.
Northern Dark Ice Soul physique self-destruction.
Or so it seemed.
Fang Yuan had no time to think.
If the ice spread further, the refinement would fail.
He used Yang Gu.
Yang Gu flew out and entered Bai Ning Bing's body.
The ice stopped spreading.
At that moment, Bai Ning Bing's body changed.
The female form disappeared.
His male body returned.
Fang Yuan completed the final refinement at almost the same time.
The light condensed.
Second Aperture Gu was born.
Success.
For a breath, Fang Yuan's heart surged with joy.
Then an ice blade pierced through his back and out his chest.
Fang Yuan's pupils shrank.
Behind him, Bai Ning Bing held the ice blade with an expressionless face.
Tie Ruo Nan slowly walked forward and took the newly refined Second Aperture Gu.
"Fang Yuan." she said, voice cold with hatred. "You fell into the trap."
The bronze hall became deathly silent.
Outside, Fang Ming stopped attacking the barrier.
He could not see everything inside, but he felt the timing.
The refinement had succeeded.
Then something had gone wrong.
His expression darkened.
Bai Ning Bing had not merely failed to hold the defense.
He had opened the way.
Inside, Fang Yuan coughed blood, but he did not despair.
Tie Ruo Nan and Bai Ning Bing did not kill him immediately because they still wanted the Immortal Gu's effect and the recipe.
So he spoke.
He stalled.
Outside, the battlefield changed again.
Xiao Mang rose into the sky.
The hole in the blessed land revealed the outside world's sunlight. He gathered light in his hands, forming a huge brilliant sphere.
Extreme Light Gu.
Gather Light Gu.
River Under the Sun Gu.
Killer move — Torrential Light Stream.
A river of light poured down from the sky.
The purple barrier around the bronze hall shattered.
Tie clan's four old-timers vomited blood and were thrown back.
The light crashed into the bronze hall, tearing open the sealed situation.
Fang Ming's eyes flashed.
Now.
Inside the hall, Fang Yuan seized the chance.
Warp Gu activated.
His body vanished.
The backlash struck instantly. Space twisted his flesh, making blood surge backward and his organs churn.
A moment later, Fang Yuan appeared outside the hall and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Second Aperture Gu remained in Tie Ruo Nan's hands.
But Fang Yuan had refined it.
He still held control.
Around him, Gu Masters quickly noticed his appearance.
"Little beast king!"
"He came out of the bronze hall!"
"He must have treasure!"
Voices rose from every direction.
Dogs also turned under Tie Bai Qi's control.
Righteous Gu Masters, demonic Gu Masters, and dog beasts all began moving toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed coldly.
The battle had not ended.
It had only changed form.
Not far away, Fang Ming stood amid the chaos, wounds closing under White Lotus Healing Gu.