He Feng Yang and Fairy Cang Yu left.
The door of Hu Immortal blessed land closed behind them, and the white-gold light slowly faded from the sky. The tense atmosphere that had covered Dang Hun Mountain finally loosened.
The Blue Charm Lightning Shadow was still being suppressed elsewhere by Dang Hun Mountain's soul-shaking power, but it no longer mattered to the negotiation.
Immortal Crane Sect had agreed.
Fang Yuan would once again be acknowledged as connected to Immortal Crane Sect, holding the name of an elder and keeping Hu Immortal blessed land under his own control. In return, Immortal Crane Sect would receive a stable supply of guts Gu.
They had come to seize Dang Hun Mountain.
They left with a trade agreement.
For Immortal Crane Sect, this was not perfect. But compared to fighting several Gu Immortals, desolate beasts, and a blessed land prepared for defense, this result was acceptable.
After all, their goal from the start was guts Gu.
If guts Gu could now be transported with Airsac Gu, then there was no need to risk everything in one battle. Even if Immortal Crane Sect gathered more power later, even if they invited stronger elders, what then?
Fang Yuan could destroy Dang Hun Mountain.
He could damage Hu Immortal blessed land.
The prize itself could be ruined before they obtained it.
And if even one enemy Gu Immortal escaped, Immortal Crane Sect would gain a hidden threat for decades.
He Feng Yang was not foolish. Fairy Cang Yu was not foolish either. The agreement was not humiliation; it was the lowest-cost way to obtain the true benefit.
When the door fully vanished, Fairy Li Shan smiled.
"Fang Yuan, this time, you truly caused me to look at you differently. Without battle and without loss, you forced Immortal Crane Sect to change from seizure to trade. This is a true Gu Immortal victory."
Hei Lou Lan looked at Fang Yuan deeply.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng smiled with relief.
Fang Yuan laughed. "Senior exaggerates. This is not my victory alone."
He looked toward Hei Lou Lan and Fairy Li Shan.
"To refine Airsac Gu, I still need Hei Lou Lan's strength qi Gu. Without that, guts Gu cannot leave Dang Hun Mountain. The future trade with Immortal Crane Sect is something we complete together."
Fairy Li Shan's smile deepened.
She understood Fang Yuan's meaning.
Fang Yuan was not simply sharing profit out of generosity. He was tying their interests to Dang Hun Mountain itself.
If Hu Immortal blessed land was attacked again in the future, then defending it would no longer only be a matter of alliance obligation. It would also be defending their own profit.
That was much more reliable than empty friendship.
Fang Yuan said, "The profits will be divided as agreed. My side takes sixty percent. Your side takes forty percent."
Hei Lou Lan nodded. "Acceptable."
She had just become a Gu Immortal. Her blessed land needed resources, her cultivation needed immortal essence stones, and her path forward required constant expenditure.
She had pride, but pride could not replace resources.
Fairy Li Shan also nodded. "Then the next problem is soul supply."
Fang Yuan's gaze turned toward Dang Hun Mountain.
"To produce guts Gu, we need souls. A lot of souls."
"Northern Plains has no shortage of battlefields," Hei Lou Lan said. "Tribes move, beast groups fight, and conflicts happen constantly. We can collect souls there."
Fairy Li Shan added, "We can also purchase from Northern Plains Zombie Alliance. It will cost more than collecting them ourselves, but it saves time."
Fang Yuan nodded.
This matter could be arranged slowly.
At this moment, his gaze moved toward Fang Ming.
Fang Ming had been standing quietly at the side.
During the confrontation with Immortal Crane Sect, he had not taken the lead, had not exposed methods, and had not said unnecessary words. He had simply existed as one more Gu Immortal on Fang Yuan's side.
That was enough.
Fang Yuan said, "Fang Ming, since you came today, naturally I will not let you leave empty-handed."
Fang Ming looked at him.
Fang Yuan continued, "For guts Gu, I can give you the same price as Immortal Crane Sect."
"One immortal essence stone for one hundred and twenty guts Gu?" Fang Ming asked.
"That is right."
Fang Ming nodded. "Good."
The price was favorable.
More importantly, it was stable.
Fang Ming did not need to compete in treasure yellow heaven, nor did he need to send people into Hu Immortal blessed land repeatedly. Fang Yuan offering him the same price as Immortal Crane Sect was already giving him face and profit.
It was also another binding.
Hei Lou Lan and Fairy Li Shan were tied through profit shares.
Fang Ming was tied through supply.
The method was different, but the purpose was similar.
Fang Ming accepted it calmly.
However, this was not the main deal he wanted to discuss.
He looked at Fang Yuan and said, "There is another matter."
Fang Yuan's eyes moved slightly. "Speak."
"I want to buy your immortal killer move, Myriad Self."
The air became quiet.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng's expression shifted.
Hei Lou Lan narrowed her eyes.
Fairy Li Shan looked at Fang Ming with interest.
Fang Yuan's smile faded slightly.
Myriad Self.
This was not an ordinary immortal killer move.
It was one of Fang Yuan's core combat methods, combining strength path and enslavement path concepts. Fang Yuan had used it to create vast numbers of strength path phantoms and overwhelm enemies with numbers.
It was a killer move with great potential.
Fang Yuan looked at Fang Ming. "Why?"
Fang Ming answered calmly, "Because it is the first strength and enslavement path immortal killer move I have seen that truly satisfies me."
This was not false.
He continued, "I recently ascended with a second aperture in enslavement path. I also walk strength path. Myriad Self is not the exact move I want, but its concept is extremely valuable to me. If I can study it, I may avoid many wrong turns."
Fang Yuan said nothing.
Fang Ming continued, "I do not only want the written contents of the killer move. I want to borrow the Immortal Gu and mortal Gu used in it for a few days, so I can personally familiarize myself with the activation process under your guidance."
Fang Yuan's eyes became deeper.
Borrowing Gu was very different from selling information.
A killer move could be written down.
Its activation method could be explained.
But without personally handling the Gu worms, without sensing the rhythm of activation, without experiencing the pressure and coordination between Gu, understanding would remain shallow.
Fang Ming was asking for a true study opportunity.
Fang Yuan said slowly, "You want to imitate Myriad Self?"
"I want to walk beside its road for a short distance, then turn onto my own."
This sentence made Hei Lou Lan glance at him.
Fairy Li Shan smiled faintly.
Fang Yuan remained cautious.
"Myriad Self is not cheap."
"I know."
"If I sell you the move, lend you the required Gu, and personally guide you for seven days inside Hu Immortal blessed land, the price is five hundred immortal essence stones."
Fang Ming frowned.
"That price is too high."
Fang Yuan was unmoved. "This is not an ordinary killer move."
"Even top immortal killer moves rarely reach one hundred and fifty immortal essence stones," Fang Ming replied. "You are asking more than triple that."
"I am also lending Gu."
"I am studying inside your blessed land, under your supervision, for only seven days. I am not taking your Gu away."
"The value of Myriad Self is not in the number of days."
"The value also depends on whether I can use it. My path is different from yours. I am not buying a finished road; I am buying a reference."
Fang Yuan looked at Fang Ming.
Fang Ming looked back calmly.
The two did not raise their voices.
This was a transaction.
No friendship was needed.
Fang Yuan said, "Four hundred."
"Two hundred."
Hei Lou Lan snorted lightly.
Fairy Li Shan's smile widened slightly.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng shook his head inwardly. These two were both ruthless people. Even after forcing Immortal Crane Sect into agreement, they could immediately begin haggling over another deal.
Fang Yuan said, "Three hundred and fifty. I will not go lower."
"Three hundred," Fang Ming replied. "And I pay Fairy Li Shan separately for the pledge."
Fang Yuan paused.
Three hundred immortal essence stones was already an enormous price for an immortal killer move.
The additional value came from guidance and temporary Gu lending.
More importantly, Fang Ming would make a pledge.
Fang Yuan said, "You must swear not to reveal Myriad Self to anyone after learning it. You cannot sell it, teach it, or pass on its activation method in any form."
Fang Ming nodded. "Agreed."
Fairy Li Shan took out Mountain Pledge Gu.
The pledge was made carefully.
Fang Ming paid Fairy Li Shan five immortal essence stones for using the pledge method.
Then he paid Fang Yuan three hundred immortal essence stones.
The deal was complete.
Fang Yuan arranged a quiet cultivation chamber inside Hu Immortal blessed land.
For the next seven days, Fang Ming remained there.
On the surface, he was studying Myriad Self.
Fang Yuan explained the structure of the move, the coordination between strength path and enslavement path, the rhythm of activation, the method of producing strength phantoms, and the difficulties in maintaining command over large numbers.
Fang Ming listened seriously.
He did not pretend.
He truly studied.
Myriad Self was worthy of its reputation. Its concept was rough in some areas, but its direction was extraordinary. Fang Yuan had created a move that used strength path phantoms in a way similar to enslavement path armies. This was exactly why Fang Ming valued it.
But Fang Ming's real purpose was deeper.
In the cultivation chamber, when Fang Yuan was not present, Fang Ming activated his own method.
Virtual Refinement Copy.
He did not simply copy Myriad Self.
A killer move was not an Immortal Gu.
It was a structure, a combination, an idea formed from many Gu worms. What Fang Ming wanted was to condense the essence of this activation, then integrate it with his own foundation.
Strength path.
Enslavement path.
Clone creation.
Disguise.
Tattoo killer move storage.
Fang Ming had already obtained Familiar Face from Lang Ya land spirit. It was incomplete, lacking Attitude Gu, but its disguise concept was extremely profound. Even incomplete, it still carried the shadow of Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable's methods.
Myriad Self created strength phantoms.
But phantoms were still phantoms.
They were not truly identical.
Fang Ming wanted clones.
Not real bodies, but false bodies so similar that an enemy would struggle to distinguish them in battle.
He integrated the disguise concept from Familiar Face into the refinement.
The clone's face.
The clone's aura.
The clone's posture.
The clone's habits.
Then he added another layer.
Tattoo killer moves.
Each clone would carry one pre-arranged mortal killer move tattooed onto its hand. The clone itself would not have true independent Gu sets, but through this arrangement, each could unleash one prepared mortal killer move before dissipating or exhausting its structure.
It was a great improvement.
It was also a great burden.
The more complete the clone, the fewer could be produced.
The more disguise added, the greater the cost.
The more tattoo killer move structure embedded, the harder the Gu became to refine.
During the seven days, Fang Ming failed many times.
His mind burned with calculations.
Immortal essence was consumed.
Stored resources vanished one after another.
But he did not stop.
His living aperture produced immortal essence steadily. His food beast formations produced income every month. His markets were expanding. For Fang Ming, expenditure was painful, but not terrifying.
What he lacked was not ordinary profit.
What he needed was overwhelming force.
At the end of the sixth day, the refinement finally succeeded.
A new Immortal Gu floated before him.
Its body looked like a small translucent human figure with countless faint lines inside. Its face constantly shifted, sometimes resembling Fang Ming, sometimes becoming blank, sometimes splitting into many tiny shadows before merging again.
Myriad Clones Gu.
Fang Ming looked at it quietly.
The result was satisfactory.
Very satisfactory.
Myriad Self could create vast numbers of strength phantoms with each activation.
Myriad Clones Gu could not match that number.
Because each clone was much more complete.
Each clone resembled Fang Ming.
Each clone could be commanded like an enslavement path unit.
Each clone could fight.
Each clone carried one pre-arranged mortal killer move tattoo.
Each clone was harder to distinguish from the main body.
In exchange for all these improvements, the number was only around one tenth of what Fang Yuan's Myriad Self could produce from a comparable activation.
But Fang Ming did not mind.
Quantity was important.
Quality was also important.
Myriad Self was a killer move. It required many Gu worms to coordinate and had activation complexity.
Myriad Clones was one Immortal Gu.
One activation.
Flexible.
Fast.
And most importantly, it could become the core of future killer moves.
Fang Ming could imagine it already.
Myriad Clones Gu as the core.
Tyrannical Strength Gu as support.
Strong Lift Gu and Lift Gu to control the battlefield.
Specter Strength Gu and Inner Strength Qi Gu to modify clone force.
Unfathomable Will Gu to improve command stability.
This was only the beginning.
On the seventh day, Fang Ming returned all borrowed Gu to Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan inspected them carefully.
Nothing was missing.
Nothing was damaged.
Only then did his expression relax slightly.
He looked at Fang Ming. "Did you gain anything?"
Fang Ming answered after a short pause, "Yes."
Fang Yuan's gaze sharpened.
Fang Ming continued, "But Myriad Self is different from what I had in mind. I thought I could imitate its structure directly, but after studying it, I realized my road must start from its activation style rather than its final form."
This was a half-truth.
He already had Myriad Clones Gu.
But it was also true that creating a full killer move around Myriad Clones Gu would not be easy. That would require time, testing, and many adjustments.
Fang Yuan watched him for a moment.
Then he smiled faintly. "So you still need to return and contemplate?"
"Yes."
Fang Yuan did not pursue further.
The pledge had been made. Fang Ming could not reveal Myriad Self. As for what inspiration he gained, that was his own matter.
Before leaving, Fang Ming finalized another agreement with Fang Yuan.
Every month, he would purchase fifty immortal essence stones' worth of guts Gu from Fang Yuan at the agreed price.
One immortal essence stone for one hundred and twenty guts Gu.
That meant six thousand guts Gu each month.
Fang Yuan agreed.
This was a stable transaction.
Not as deep as the profit split with Hei Lou Lan and Fairy Li Shan, but enough to bind another thread between them.
After the deal was settled, Fang Ming left Hu Immortal blessed land.
Purple smoke gathered around him.
Two breaths later, he vanished from Dang Hun Mountain.
When he appeared again, he was on a remote island in Eastern Sea.
The sea wind blew across the rocks.
Waves struck the shore again and again.
Fang Ming looked around once, then placed his immortal aperture down carefully and entered it.
Inside his strength path blessed land, time flowed much faster.
He needed time.
Myriad Clones Gu had been created, but it was still only a Gu.
To turn it into true overwhelming force, he needed to build a killer move around it.
He needed to test clone control.
He needed to test tattoo killer moves.
He needed to see how Tyrannical Strength could support the clones.
Fang Ming stood in the open wilderness of his aperture and activated Myriad Clones Gu.
Immortal essence flowed.
Light flickered.
One figure appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Dozens of Fang Ming stood silently around him, each with the same face, the same posture, and the same calm gaze.
On their hands, faint tattoo patterns glowed.
Fang Ming looked at them.
Then he smiled.
Myriad Self belonged to Fang Yuan.
But this road was now his own.