Reworked from the uploaded Chapter 115 draft with the corrected cost and income numbers.
Chapter 115: Food Path Foundation
Several days passed inside Lang Ya blessed land.
Fang Ming's injuries had not fully healed, but at least he no longer looked like he would collapse at any moment. The cracks across his body had closed, his breathing had steadied, and the chaotic immortal aura around him had gradually settled.
But he did not rest for long.
His immortal aperture had a time flow of thirty-eight times the outside world. One day outside was thirty-eight days inside. Every delay was not a small matter. A few careless days outside meant months lost within his aperture.
For a newly ascended Gu Immortal, time was both wealth and pressure.
The faster the aperture's time flowed, the faster resources could grow. But tribulations would also arrive sooner. If Fang Ming failed to build a foundation quickly, his excellent aperture would not be a blessing.
It would become a burden.
There was another reason he was in a hurry.
Fang Yuan.
Fang Ming knew very well that Fang Yuan would eventually find Lang Ya blessed land. With Fang Yuan's methods, he would not come empty-handed. He would lie, bargain, and use the identity of a Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable successor to gain benefits.
Lang Ya land spirit did not truly care whether the successor was Fang Ming or Fang Yuan.
The old agreement was to refine three Immortal Gu for Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable's successor.
One had already been refined.
Two chances remained.
Fang Ming had no intention of leaving them for Fang Yuan.
Thus, before his body had fully recovered, he brought out two recipes from the food path inheritance and placed them before Lang Ya land spirit.
Lang Ya land spirit's eyes lit up when he saw them.
"Food path recipes?"
His beard trembled slightly as he leaned closer. His expression changed from curiosity to surprise, then from surprise to delight.
"These are not ordinary food path recipes either. Interesting! Very interesting!"
Fang Ming sat nearby, his face still pale. "Can you refine them?"
Lang Ya land spirit immediately snorted.
"Can I refine them? Who do you think I am? I am Lang Ya land spirit! In all five regions, how many can compare with me in refinement path?"
Fang Ming smiled faintly.
Lang Ya land spirit liked hearing praise, but he liked showing skill even more.
"The first is Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu," Fang Ming said. "The second is Red Junglefowl Raising Gu."
Lang Ya land spirit stroked his beard as he read through the recipes again.
"These two Gu are not combat Gu. They are resource Gu. You want to build a food beast industry?"
"That is the plan."
"Hmph, good eyesight." Lang Ya land spirit nodded. "A newly ascended Gu Immortal who chases combat blindly is a fool. Immortal Gu need feeding. Blessed lands need resources. Without income, even powerful Gu Immortals become beggars sooner or later."
Fang Ming agreed.
He had just become immortal. He now possessed several Immortal Gu, and feeding them would become a continuous burden. Tyrannical Strength Immortal Gu, Unfathomable Will Immortal Gu, Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu, and the Gu he would refine in the future all required resources.
Power was never free.
Immortal Gu were sharp blades, but each blade had to be fed.
The food path inheritance had arrived at the perfect time.
Red Junglefowl were not rare beasts. They could be found in Northern Plains, and they could also be purchased through treasure yellow heaven. Ordinary Gu Immortals could raise them, but the profit was only average.
A Red Junglefowl usually laid around nine eggs a month. That was decent, but not enough to build a major foundation.
But Giant Sun's food path method changed everything.
With Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu, the eggs no longer needed to be incubated by the birds themselves. The formation would handle the entire process, saving time and allowing the Red Junglefowl to continue breeding.
With the full incubation formation, the egg output could rise from around nine per month to seventy or even eighty.
Nearly ten times the original rate.
Red Junglefowl Raising Gu then accelerated their raising process, fed them properly, strengthened their food path dao marks, and pushed them toward maturity faster.
The two Immortal Gu together were the core.
Mortal Gu could fill the remaining structure, but without these two Immortal Gu, the formation would only be a shadow of the true method.
Lang Ya land spirit began preparing the refinement.
Fang Ming watched from the side.
The refinement hall was vast, filled with formations, flame pools, metal pillars, spirit springs, and countless materials arranged with terrifying precision. Lang Ya land spirit moved through it naturally, as if the entire hall was an extension of his body.
One material after another flew into place.
Red feathers.
Food path dao mark stones.
Beast blood.
Eggshell essence.
Warmth-preserving jade.
Qi-thread grass.
Formation sand.
Each material entered the refinement at a precise moment. Some melted, some burned, some dissolved into mist, and some were crushed into powder before fusing into the Gu embryo.
Fang Ming did not blink.
Watching Lang Ya land spirit refine Gu was itself a rare opportunity.
But this time, he was not only watching.
When the refinement of Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu reached its most critical stage, Fang Ming silently activated Copy.
There was no aura.
No ripple.
No sign.
Even Lang Ya land spirit, who stood at the center of the refinement formation, noticed nothing.
That was the iron rule of Fang Ming's ability.
No one could sense it.
No one could discover it.
Only Fang Ming knew.
But after becoming a Gu Immortal, Fang Ming also understood something else clearly.
Copy was no longer free.
Mortal Gu could still be copied easily, but Immortal Gu were different. They were unique existences, fragments of the Great Dao condensed into living form. To reproduce something similar required a price.
Immortal essence stones.
A large amount of them.
The cost depended on the Gu's rank, quality, complexity, and how much Fang Ming altered the copied result.
This time, the change was small.
Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu became Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu. Both were food path Gu. Both targeted junglefowl-type food beasts. Red Junglefowl lived mainly in Northern Plains, while Green Junglefowl were more common in Eastern Sea. Their nature was similar enough that the adjustment did not require a complete reconstruction.
Even so, the price was not small.
Three hundred immortal essence stones.
Fang Ming felt the cost leave him, but his expression did not change.
Inside his immortal aperture, a new Gu embryo formed silently.
Its aura was similar to Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu, but not identical. The red warmth shifted into green vitality. The food path aura became lighter and more flexible, better suited to Green Junglefowl.
Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu.
A true Rank six Immortal Gu.
Not a weak counterfeit.
Not a broken imitation.
A different Gu born from the same foundation.
Fang Ming silently stored it away.
No one noticed.
Lang Ya land spirit continued refining the original Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu, completely unaware that Fang Ming had created another Immortal Gu in silence.
After the first refinement ended, Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu was born successfully.
Lang Ya land spirit laughed proudly, holding the newly refined Immortal Gu.
"Done! As expected of me!"
Fang Ming received it calmly.
"Next."
Lang Ya land spirit glared at him. "You brat, do you think refining Immortal Gu is like cooking porridge?"
Fang Ming coughed lightly. His injuries still had not fully healed, but his expression remained calm.
"Time waits for no one."
Lang Ya land spirit snorted, but he did not refuse.
The second refinement began.
Red Junglefowl Raising Gu was more complicated. Incubation Gu handled eggs and hatching, but Raising Gu affected the entire growth process of the food beast. Feeding, maturity, dao mark development, meat quality, feather quality, and food path accumulation all had to be considered.
If Incubation Gu was the beginning of the industry, then Raising Gu was what turned quantity into value.
Fang Ming watched carefully again.
This time, he used Counterfeit Copy.
Like before, nothing leaked.
No one noticed.
Counterfeit Copy was cheaper than true Copy, but it was still not free. Immortal Gu-level imitation required immortal essence stones, and the result would lose part of the original Gu's effect.
This time, the price was two hundred and forty immortal essence stones.
When Red Junglefowl Raising Gu neared completion, a weaker Gu formed silently in Fang Ming's possession.
Feed Chicken Gu.
It had lost one major effect.
Red Junglefowl Raising Gu could feed the junglefowl, increase their food path dao marks, and accelerate their growth.
Feed Chicken Gu could only feed them and increase their food path dao marks.
It could not make them mature faster.
Fang Ming was not disappointed.
This was already useful.
With Feed Chicken Gu, he could reduce feeding pressure and improve food path accumulation, even if growth speed still depended on the true Raising Gu and the formation.
Soon after, the second Immortal Gu refinement succeeded.
Red Junglefowl Raising Gu appeared.
Lang Ya land spirit looked smug as he handed it over.
"With this, the three refinements from the old covenant are finished."
Fang Ming received the Immortal Gu, his gaze calm.
"Then let us discuss a new covenant."
Lang Ya land spirit narrowed his eyes. "What kind?"
"Not an alliance. Not mutual protection. Not shelter."
Fang Ming looked at him calmly.
"A convenience covenant. In the future, if I obtain new Gu recipes or Gu worms and want refinement, I can come to you. I will pay the price normally."
Lang Ya land spirit stroked his beard.
"That is acceptable. I like new recipes. I also like payment."
Fang Ming continued, "Also, you may study my Gu from time to time. In return, I can study some of yours."
Lang Ya land spirit's eyes brightened, then immediately became cautious.
"You can study them, but only inside Lang Ya blessed land. You cannot take my Gu outside."
"Agreed."
Fang Ming agreed so quickly that Lang Ya land spirit looked at him suspiciously.
But Fang Ming's expression did not change.
He did not truly need to take the Gu away.
Access was enough.
Lang Ya land spirit thought for a moment, then laughed.
"Good! Good! This is the kind of relationship I like. No troublesome loyalty, no fake friendship, no stupid vows to die together. You bring Gu and recipes. I refine. I study yours. You study mine. Everyone benefits."
Fang Ming nodded.
"That is enough."
The covenant was made.
Light flashed between them as the agreement settled.
It was not a deep alliance.
It would not make Lang Ya land spirit risk his life for Fang Ming.
It would not make Fang Ming defend Lang Ya blessed land either.
But it gave Fang Ming something important.
A reason to return.
After the remaining Thieving Heaven refinements ended, Lang Ya land spirit would no longer owe him much. Without a continuing relationship, entering Lang Ya blessed land again would become difficult. But now, Fang Ming had a door.
A transactional door.
In the Gu world, that was often more reliable than friendship.
When everything was settled, Fang Ming finally left Lang Ya blessed land.
He did not stay to fully recover.
There was too much to do.
His immortal aperture needed resources. The food path formations needed to be built. Red Junglefowl and Green Junglefowl had to be purchased. Mortal Gu had to be arranged. Land had to be selected, divided, and prepared.
A fast aperture rewarded speed.
It also punished delay.
Space twisted.
Fang Ming appeared above a vast blue sea.
Eastern Sea.
The wind here was warm and wet, carrying the smell of salt and distant rain. It was nothing like Northern Plains' cold wind, nor like the burnt air of the collapsing Imperial Court blessed land.
Fang Ming flew for several miles.
The sea stretched endlessly beneath him, blue waves rising and falling under the bright sky. He avoided busy routes, avoided islands with clear traces of Gu Immortals, and avoided mortal settlements that might draw attention.
After some time, he found a remote island.
It was not large, but it was isolated. It had forests, beaches, a freshwater spring, and enough empty space to serve as a temporary landing point.
Fang Ming descended onto a cliff overlooking the sea.
Waves struck the rocks below.
He did not remain outside for long.
With a thought, the entrance to his immortal aperture opened.
Fang Ming stepped inside.
The world changed.
His immortal aperture spread before him, vast and newly born.
Eleven thousand square kilometers.
Thirty-eight times time flow.
The land was wide, the sky high, and everything still carried the fresh emptiness of a world waiting to be filled. It was powerful, but barren. A foundation without industries was only unused potential.
Fang Ming stood in the air, looking down at the land below.
Then he connected to treasure yellow heaven.
Transactions began immediately.
Immortal essence stones flowed out.
Nearly thirty immortal essence stones were spent in one breath.
Mortal Gu worms.
Formation materials.
Food path soil.
Warmth-preserving stones.
Incubation jade.
Feeding pool materials.
Dao mark stabilizing grass.
Qi-thread formations.
Beast pen components.
Red-feather nesting grass.
Green-feather water reeds.
And the first large batches of Red Junglefowl and Green Junglefowl.
One purchase after another entered his aperture.
Thirty thousand Red Junglefowl.
Twenty thousand Green Junglefowl.
Fang Ming had no intention of catching them one by one. That was work for mortals and beast-hunting teams. He was a Gu Immortal now. His time was more valuable than that.
The Red Junglefowl were placed in a warm, dry region of his aperture.
There, Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu became the core of the incubation formation, while Red Junglefowl Raising Gu became the core of the raising formation. Mortal Gu surrounded them layer by layer, forming breeding pens, incubation halls, feeding pools, growth areas, and dao mark nourishment zones.
The Green Junglefowl were placed in a region closer to water and vegetation.
Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu became the formation core there, with Feed Chicken Gu acting as support. This second system was weaker than the Red Junglefowl system because it lacked true growth acceleration, but it was still far beyond ordinary beast-raising methods.
Fang Ming watched the two regions activate.
Red formation light spread like warmth.
Green formation light spread like spring mist.
The junglefowl began settling in.
Under normal conditions, Red Junglefowl laid around nine eggs a month. With the food path inheritance formation, each pair could produce around seventy to eighty eggs in the same period. The incubation formation would handle the eggs immediately, freeing the birds to continue breeding. The raising formation would then push the young Red Junglefowl toward maturity rapidly.
Green Junglefowl were naturally smaller and carried fewer food path dao marks, but their egg-laying ability was better. With Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu and Feed Chicken Gu, their production was also impressive, though their growth speed could not match the Red Junglefowl system.
Fang Ming stood above the two newly formed resource regions, watching red and green flocks spread across his immortal aperture.
The direct cash cost was clear.
Three hundred immortal essence stones had been spent to copy Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu.
Two hundred and forty had been spent to counterfeit Feed Chicken Gu.
Nearly thirty had been spent on mortal Gu, formation materials, setup resources, and the first large batches of Red Junglefowl and Green Junglefowl.
Altogether, this first step had cost him around five hundred and seventy immortal essence stones.
But this was only the surface price.
The real value of the two food path formations was far greater.
Red Junglefowl Incubation Gu alone could be valued at five to seven thousand immortal essence stones. Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu was slightly lower, but still around five to six thousand. Red Junglefowl Raising Gu was worth around five thousand, while Feed Chicken Gu, despite being inferior, could still be valued near four thousand.
And that did not include the inheritance itself.
The food path recipes, formations, and management system Fang Ming obtained from Giant Sun's inheritance were worth around two thousand immortal essence stones even without the Immortal Gu.
In truth, Fang Ming had built two large-scale food path formations worth close to twenty thousand immortal essence stones.
He had only managed this because of three things.
First, Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable's covenant made Lang Ya land spirit refine two Immortal Gu for him without payment.
Second, Fang Ming's Copy ability created another Rank six Immortal Gu at a far lower price.
Third, Counterfeit Copy produced Feed Chicken Gu, inferior but still valuable enough to support a second formation.
This was not an ordinary food beast business.
This was a Rank nine inheritance, Lang Ya land spirit's refinement path, and Fang Ming's own ability working together.
Still, a valuable industry did not mean immediate wealth.
Production had costs.
Formation upkeep had costs.
Beast food had costs.
Mortal labor had costs.
Repairs, replacements, transaction fees, and long-term losses all had to be counted.
Once the systems stabilized, Fang Ming estimated that every forty days inside his immortal aperture, the two formations could bring him around three immortal essence stones of pure profit.
Forty days inside his aperture was only a little more than one day in the outside world.
In other words, once running smoothly, these two industries could bring him roughly three immortal essence stones of pure profit per outside day.
Around ninety immortal essence stones per outside month.
For a newly ascended Rank six Gu Immortal, this was already a good start.
But Fang Ming did not feel relaxed.
His Copy ability was powerful, but it was also a pit that swallowed immortal essence stones.
A true Copy of an Immortal Gu could easily cost hundreds of immortal essence stones. Counterfeit Copy was cheaper, but not by much. This month alone, Green Junglefowl Incubation Gu had cost him three hundred immortal essence stones, while Feed Chicken Gu had cost two hundred and forty.
Together, that was five hundred and forty.
His current industry could only bring him ninety per month.
Even before counting Gu feeding, cultivation materials, travel, information, and emergency reserves, he was still short by four hundred and fifty immortal essence stones every month.
If all other expenses were counted, the deficit was closer to five hundred.
This meant one thing.
The junglefowl business had only given him a foundation.
It had not freed him from poverty.
If Fang Ming wanted to use Copy and Counterfeit Copy every month without selling Gu or relying on inheritance gains, he needed to work harder.
He needed more industries.
More formations.
More production lines.
More buyers.
But production was not as simple as placing more beasts into the same formation. Each formation had a limit. If the number of junglefowl exceeded what the formation could manage, the quality of the beasts would fall. Dao mark accumulation would become uneven, disease would spread more easily, and the final product would no longer satisfy buyers.
Expansion had to be controlled.
And even if production increased, selling was another problem.
Business was not only about producing.
It was also about markets.
Without stable buyers, even the best food beasts would sit uselessly in his aperture.
Fang Ming looked across the red and green regions.
The first step was complete.
Now he needed channels.
He would deal with that soon.
For now, the junglefowl moved through the formations, red and green flocks spreading across the land like living resources.
For the first time since becoming immortal, Fang Ming's aperture no longer looked empty.
It had begun to produce.
Combat won battles.
Industry supported immortality.
And now, his first industry had taken root.