Days continued to flow inside Imperial Court blessed land.
The Sacred Palace was still lively on the surface. Gu Masters entered Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, came out injured, celebrated small gains, or cursed their poor luck.
But beneath that noise, the atmosphere had changed.
Fang Ming remained in seclusion most of the time.
No one found this strange anymore.
His movements had always been unpredictable. Sometimes he helped Hei Lou Lan clear rounds, sometimes he trained Ma Hong Yun, sometimes he disappeared without explanation.
Even if someone was curious, who would dare question the strongest Rank five expert in Sacred Palace?
Thus, Fang Ming's courtyard stayed quiet.
Behind sealed doors, he continued studying ascension.
Counterfeit Human Qi Gu floated before him like a misty pearl.
He studied it repeatedly.
Its function was simple.
Add human qi.
Only add.
The real Human Qi Immortal Gu could add and remove human qi, allowing the ascender to adjust mistakes during immortal ascension.
But this counterfeit version had no such forgiveness.
If human qi was lacking, it could help.
If human qi became excessive, it could not save him.
Fang Ming understood this deeply.
A useful tool.
A dangerous tool.
A tool that demanded precision.
Beside him, Steel Body Gu remained silent.
The Steel Body inheritance had opened another path for him. Body tempering, defensive methods, resource cultivation, and strength path development were all being digested slowly.
Fang Ming's goal was clear.
Ascension.
But not ordinary ascension.
He now carried the Great Strength True Martial Physique. His body was far stronger than before, his strength path dao marks were easier to guide, and his compatibility with strength path Gu had risen sharply.
But this power came with a price.
Four months.
That was the deadline.
If he could not ascend before then, his body would not endure.
While Fang Ming prepared, Fang Yuan also moved.
After stealing Hei Lou Lan's owner token, Fang Yuan fused it with his own authority. With Mo Yao's guidance and his knowledge from his previous life, he entered the true inheritance secluded domain.
Fang Ming had also entered that place before.
But the two chose different paths.
Fang Ming had seen temptation, copied what he could, and chosen the Steel Body Strength Path Inheritance before leaving.
Fang Yuan was different.
He was not satisfied with ordinary gains.
He aimed at the supreme treasures hidden in the deepest layers of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
Rank nine Wisdom Gu.
Giant Sun's luck path inheritance.
And the true control rights over Imperial Court blessed land and Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
These were not things mortals should casually touch.
But Fang Yuan had never been someone who feared danger when benefits were great enough.
With Mo Yao's help and Central Continent's future research in his memory, he found the hidden route.
He reached Frost Jade Peacock.
Imperial Court blessed land's land spirit.
The land spirit had been sealed by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable for countless years. Fang Yuan did not free it completely, but he weakened the seal enough for it to awaken slightly.
That was when the tremors began.
At first, they were faint.
A cup trembling on a table.
Dust falling from roof beams.
A slight ripple passing across quiet ponds.
Then they became more frequent.
Sometimes one tremor came every other day.
Sometimes three or four struck within a single day.
The Gu Masters inside Imperial Court blessed land grew uneasy.
"What is happening recently?"
"Is it Eighty-Eight True Yang Building again?"
"Why does even the ground feel unstable?"
Rumors spread.
Some said Giant Sun Immortal Venerable was angry.
Some said Eighty-Eight True Yang Building had been damaged.
Some said the blessed land itself was aging and collapsing.
No one knew the truth.
Hei Lou Lan's mood worsened day by day.
He had lost his owner token.
Eighty-Eight True Yang Building had become unstable.
Imperial Court blessed land itself now trembled without warning.
And worst of all, he still had not obtained the strength path Immortal Gu he needed.
His Great Strength True Martial Physique pressed on him like a blade hanging above his head.
Every delay was dangerous.
Every failure was unbearable.
Fang Ming watched all this from behind closed doors.
Each tremor confirmed one thing.
Fang Yuan had reached the land spirit.
The quiet stage was over.
From now on, every major movement could shake the foundation of the entire blessed land.
Fang Ming looked at Counterfeit Human Qi Gu, then at Steel Body Gu.
He had to prepare faster.
Fang Yuan was chasing control.
Hei Lou Lan was chasing survival.
And Fang Ming was racing against his own body.
Several more days passed.
Then another name began to spread through Sacred Palace.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng.
The old man had become quieter than before.
Once, he had been respected everywhere. His healing methods, his reputation, and his kind nature had made countless people admire him.
But now, his back seemed more bent.
His face was older.
His eyes carried exhaustion that could not be hidden.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng had entered Imperial Court blessed land searching for lifespan.
Lifespan Gu.
That was what he needed most.
But luck had not favored him.
He had gained no lifespan Gu.
No miracle.
No easy path.
And for a man near death, failure was heavier than any mountain.
Becoming a Gu Immortal did not normally increase lifespan.
If a person's lifespan ended at one hundred years, becoming immortal did not suddenly grant them centuries more. Lifespan was lifespan. Cultivation could give power, status, and resources, but not automatically more years.
However, Tai Bai Yun Sheng's inheritance was special.
Man as Before Gu.
If he ascended successfully and raised this Gu to Immortal Gu level, there was hope.
Not unlimited life.
Not true safety.
But a few more years.
For someone at the edge of death, a few more years were worth gambling everything.
Fang Ming heard the news and slowly opened his eyes.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng had reached his limit.
Despair would push him forward.
Immortal ascension was dangerous.
Breaking the aperture meant there was no retreat. Balancing heaven qi, earth qi, and human qi was like walking across a blade over an abyss. One mistake meant destruction.
But Tai Bai Yun Sheng had no better choice.
Fang Ming stood.
This was important.
He needed ascension experience.
Normal ascension experience.
He was not planning an ordinary ascension himself, but without seeing the normal process clearly, attempting ascension with a ten extreme physique would be even more reckless.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng would become his reference.
Fang Ming stored Counterfeit Human Qi Gu and Steel Body Gu carefully.
Outside, another tremor passed through Imperial Court blessed land.
The window frame shook.
The air felt heavy.
Fang Ming looked toward the direction of Sacred Palace.
Frost Jade Peacock was stirring.
Fang Yuan was digging deeper.
Hei Lou Lan was losing control.
And Tai Bai Yun Sheng was about to gamble his life.
Fang Ming's expression remained calm.
The next lesson was coming.
Immortal ascension.