Fang Ming looked at Hei Lou Lan's message for a while before replying.
"You contacted me earlier than I expected."
The answer came after a short silence.
"My preparations changed."
Fang Ming was sitting inside his immortal aperture. Around him, mortal Gu worms were still arranged in several incomplete formations, remnants of his previous strength path killer move tests. Tyrannical Strength Immortal Gu floated quietly in front of him, while Strong Lift Immortal Gu remained sealed nearby.
He had been refining the activation rhythm of Tyrannical Repulse when Hei Lou Lan's message arrived.
Now, the killer move could wait.
Hei Lou Lan's ascension could not be treated lightly.
He had lent her Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu. If she succeeded, that investment would return with interest. If she failed, the Gu might be destroyed, lost, or fall into another person's hands.
Helping her was not kindness.
It was protecting what he had already placed on the table.
Fang Ming sent another message. "Speak."
This time, Hei Lou Lan's reply was longer.
"Northern Plains is no longer suitable for delay. After the collapse of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, the super forces have not stopped searching. Wisdom path deductions have already pointed toward outsiders being involved. Dong Fang Chang Fan is dead, but the things he arranged before death are still affecting Northern Plains. Those connected to Imperial Court blessed land are being watched carefully."
Fang Ming's gaze remained calm.
This was within expectation.
The collapse of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building was not a small matter. It was not merely the destruction of an Immortal Gu House. It tore through the pride, benefits, and arrangements of Northern Plains' Huang Jin bloodline forces. Even if they could not find the true culprit immediately, they would not stop searching.
Hei Lou Lan continued, "Hei Cheng's attention will increase if I delay longer. Once he senses that my ascension preparations are complete, he may act first."
Fang Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.
Hei Cheng.
The name was not unfamiliar to him.
In the original flow of events, Hei Lou Lan's hatred toward Hei Cheng had been one of the deepest forces driving her. Fang Ming knew the broad truth already, but he had never exposed that knowledge.
Soon, Hei Lou Lan sent the reason herself.
"My mother was harmed by him. Hei Cheng used the yin-yang life extension method to steal her lifespan. She trusted him, and he took everything from her. Now, I have the Great Strength True Martial Physique. If I ascend, my foundation will be strong. If he can use me before that, the benefit to him will be even greater."
The words were brief, but the hatred within them was not hidden.
Fang Ming could almost imagine her expression as she sent the message. Hei Lou Lan was not someone who liked exposing wounds. If she spoke of this, it was not because she wanted pity.
She was explaining the situation.
She was telling him why the timing had changed.
Fang Ming replied, "So your ascension must happen before Hei Cheng finishes tightening the net."
"Yes."
The response came quickly.
Then another message followed.
"I am not preparing alone. Fairy Li Shan is supporting me. She is my little aunt."
Fang Ming's expression did not change.
He already knew.
But Hei Lou Lan did not know that he knew.
To outsiders, this relationship was hidden. Revealing Fairy Li Shan's support was not a small matter. It meant Hei Lou Lan was showing sincerity, not merely asking him to take risks while she concealed everything.
Fang Ming allowed a brief pause before replying.
"Fairy Li Shan of Snowy Mountain?"
"Yes. She has Mountain Pledge Immortal Gu. If formal assurance is needed later, she can help establish an oath."
Fang Ming looked at the message and gave a faint nod.
Mountain Pledge Gu.
In Northern Plains, this Gu carried great weight. As long as the pledged mountain remained, the oath could not be violated. Fang Ming did not reject the idea, but he did not immediately accept it either. Their current relationship did not require a forced oath yet.
He had invested first.
Hei Lou Lan had now revealed part of her foundation.
That was enough for this stage.
Fang Ming replied, "There is no need for an oath now. Your success is already tied to my interest."
This time, Hei Lou Lan was silent for a while.
When her next message came, the tone was still direct, but it carried a rare seriousness.
"I know. You lent me Steel Body Strength Immortal Gu. I will not pretend that this favor is small. If I succeed in ascension, I will repay you. Within my ability, I will help you once in the future."
Fang Ming looked at those words quietly.
A future favor from Hei Lou Lan after immortal ascension was not light.
Especially if she retained the Great Strength True Martial Physique foundation.
Fang Ming did not ask her to specify more. Some debts were more valuable when left broad.
He replied, "Remember what you said."
"I will."
The conversation paused.
Then Hei Lou Lan sent another message.
"I have Fixed Immortal Travel Gu at the moment. When the time comes, I can come to you and bring you to the ascension location."
Fang Ming's eyes sharpened slightly.
Fixed Immortal Travel.
Fang Yuan's Gu.
Using it would be convenient, but convenience was not the same as safety. Fang Ming did not want his movement tied to Fang Yuan's arrangements, nor did he want to appear through a method connected to Fang Yuan unless there was no other choice.
He replied without hesitation.
"No."
Hei Lou Lan's answer came quickly. "Why?"
"I have my own method to arrive. Do not involve Fang Yuan's Fixed Immortal Travel in my movement."
There was a longer silence this time.
Hei Lou Lan did not press him.
She was sharp enough to understand that Fang Ming had secrets, just as she had secrets. Their cooperation did not require everything to be exposed.
Finally, she replied, "Then when the location is decided, I will inform you."
Fang Ming's gaze moved toward Steel Body Strength Gu's absence in his aperture.
That Gu was still with her.
After a moment, he replied, "I will come personally when the time comes."
Hei Lou Lan did not answer immediately.
Perhaps she had expected advice.
Perhaps she had expected conditions.
But Fang Ming directly saying he would appear personally carried more weight than either.
His next message followed soon after.
"Until then, do not waste Steel Body Strength Gu. Save it for the most dangerous stage. Great Strength True Martial Physique ascension will not be ordinary. The calamities will stack violently, and outside interference will be more dangerous than the calamity itself."
Hei Lou Lan answered, "I understand."
"No. You do not fully understand yet."
Fang Ming's words were blunt.
"The first danger is qi balance. Heaven qi, earth qi, and human qi will surge far beyond ordinary ascension. If human qi is insufficient, you will be crushed. If it is excessive, you will lose control. Any method that adds human qi must be used carefully. Do not use it early simply because you are afraid."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The second danger is timing. Your physique will attract violent reaction during ascension. Defensive methods used too early will be wasted. Methods used too late will not save you. Steel Body Strength Gu should be kept until the stage where your body begins to bear the greatest pressure."
Another message.
"The third danger is people."
This time, Hei Lou Lan responded almost instantly. "Hei Cheng."
"Not only him," Fang Ming replied. "Anyone who knows you are ascending may interfere. Some will want to kill you. Some will want to control you. Some will want to wait until you succeed and then seize the result. Your location matters more than ordinary Gu Masters. Concealment is part of preparation."
Hei Lou Lan did not answer for some time.
Fang Ming was not surprised.
This was not ordinary advice. He had survived a ten extreme physique immortal ascension himself, and his situation had been even more chaotic because it overlapped with Fang Yuan's ascension and the collapse of Imperial Court blessed land.
He understood how quickly preparation could become meaningless once heaven and earth began reacting.
Hei Lou Lan eventually replied, "Fairy Li Shan will help conceal the process."
"Good. Use her for information and concealment. Do not let her become exposed too early. If a Rank 7 information path Gu Immortal openly moves for you, the attention on you will only increase."
"I know."
"Also, do not choose a place only because it is hidden. It must endure the disturbance. Ten extreme physique ascension can damage the surroundings heavily. If the place collapses midway, concealment becomes a coffin."
This time, Hei Lou Lan replied with only one word.
"Continue."
Fang Ming gave her several more points.
He told her to prepare backup movement methods, but not to rely on movement during the core qi balancing stage. He warned her not to underestimate desolate beasts attracted by the disturbance. He told her that if multiple calamities appeared, she should not try to destroy all of them immediately. Some calamities could be redirected, delayed, or used to block enemies.
The final point was the simplest.
"Do not seek a perfect ascension. Seek survival first. The aperture can be developed later. If you die trying to gain a flawless foundation, everything ends."
Hei Lou Lan read this and did not reply for a long while.
When her message finally came, it was shorter than before.
"You speak from experience."
Fang Ming looked at the words.
The scenes of his own ascension flashed through his mind.
Sky fire.
Lava rain.
Earthquakes.
Desolate beasts.
Formless hands.
Giant Sun's will collapsing into madness.
Fang Yuan standing in the center of chaos while Fang Ming used that chaos as cover.
He replied calmly, "Yes."
Hei Lou Lan did not ask further.
That was good.
Some things did not need to be spoken.
After a while, she sent one final message.
"When the location is confirmed, I will contact you again."
Fang Ming replied, "Do not contact too often. Every connection is a trace."
"I understand."
The treasure yellow heaven contact dimmed.
The conversation ended.
Fang Ming sat silently for a while.
The mortal Gu formations around him were still waiting. Tyrannical Strength Immortal Gu hovered quietly, its aura heavy and restrained. Strong Lift Gu remained sealed at the side. Outside this quiet cultivation area, the junglefowl regions continued operating, producing wealth that was already being pulled in several directions.
Eastern Sea merchants were pressing him.
Contracts were waiting for delivery.
His immortal essence stones were limited.
His strength path killer moves were powerful, but still flawed.
Now Hei Lou Lan's ascension had moved forward as well.
Fang Ming closed his eyes briefly.
Then he opened them.
This was no longer only an investment on paper.
Soon, he would have to appear personally.
If Hei Lou Lan succeeded, he would gain a future ally with the Great Strength True Martial Physique, a favor owed, and the return of Steel Body Strength Gu.
If she failed, he would lose much more than one Gu.
Fang Ming raised his hand, and the surrounding mortal Gu began moving again.
The activation sequence for Tyrannical Repulse restarted.
He had to reduce the gap.
Before Hei Lou Lan ascended, before the Eastern Sea price war fully opened, before his contracts pressed down to their final deadlines, he needed more strength.
The pieces were moving faster.
So he had to become faster as well.