Chapter 144: Star Desolate Hounds
Fang Yuan had been considering the matter of movement for some time.
Worldly Wave Trace Immortal Gu was useful, but it was water path. He was a strength path Gu Immortal, and his immortal zombie body belonged to strength path. When he used a water path Immortal Gu, the effect was naturally inferior to a true water path Gu Immortal using it.
If it were only speed, he could endure the waste.
But immortal essence was not something to squander casually.
True solid bat wings, in contrast, was only a mortal killer move, yet its value-to-cost ratio was higher. If he could gather enough desolate beast bat wings, his movement method would improve without depending too much on Worldly Wave Trace Immortal Gu.
The difficulty was that desolate beast bat wings were rare.
Treasure yellow heaven had endless goods, but it was not a place where one could obtain anything just because they wanted it. Desolate beast corpses did appear occasionally, but whether they were bats was another question. Waiting passively might take months or even years.
Fang Yuan was not a person who liked waiting when another path existed.
Thus, Starry Sky grotto-heaven appeared in his mind.
In his previous life, Starry Sky grotto-heaven had shattered and fallen across Central Continent as fragment worlds. He had sent subordinates to explore those fragments, gaining some understanding of the terrain and resources inside. Among the desolate beasts there was a star demon bat, exactly what he needed.
But this life was different.
Starry Sky grotto-heaven had not yet shattered. It remained whole, high in the sky, and its heavenly spirit might still be alive. The resources inside would be far richer than the future fragments, but the danger would also be much greater.
Fang Yuan did not intend to go alone.
Fairy Li Shan could not be invited. She was cooperating with Qin Bai Sheng for the upcoming Northern Plains auction, and the benefits there were too great for her to abandon.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng was also unavailable. He was with Shark Demon, involved in the exploration of Yu Lu blessed land. Even if he wanted to help his junior brother, he could not split himself into two.
Only Hei Lou Lan was free.
And in this life, there was also Fang Ming.
After receiving Fang Yuan's message, Fang Ming arrived at Hu Immortal blessed land through the arranged opening.
When he appeared, Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan were already waiting.
Little Hu Immortal stood beside Fang Yuan, blinking curiously at Fang Ming. Fang Ming's face was calm, but his aura was slightly deeper than before. Hei Lou Lan noticed this and narrowed her eyes faintly.
The last time she had seen Fang Ming for long, he had been arranging matters around Attitude Gu and food beast formations. Now, there was a subtle change in him. It was not an obvious increase in cultivation, but a quiet confidence, as if some part of his foundation had strengthened.
Fang Yuan did not ask.
He only said, "I found a place with desolate beasts. Among them may be a star demon bat. I need its wings."
Fang Yuan said, "The place is dangerous. It is still intact. The heavenly spirit may be alive. My information may not be completely reliable."
"Then the split?" Hei Lou Lan asked directly.
Fang Yuan answered, "Forty percent for me. Thirty percent for you. Thirty percent for Fang Ming."
Hei Lou Lan frowned slightly, but did not object.
Fang Yuan provided the location and Fixed Immortal Travel. Without him, they could not enter. Forty percent was reasonable.
Fang Ming nodded. "Acceptable."
His interest was not only in resources.
His enslavement path aperture had been opened, but it was still underdeveloped. It needed beasts, especially high-quality beasts, to form a proper foundation. Eagles alone were not enough. If Starry Sky grotto-heaven truly contained multiple desolate beasts, this trip could help him begin developing that second aperture.
As for Fang Yuan's goal, Fang Ming also understood.
Fang Yuan wanted star demon bat wings and perhaps living desolate beasts to trade with Lang Ya land spirit.
Their interests did not conflict completely.
After the agreement was set, Fang Yuan began preparing Fixed Immortal Travel.
Hei Lou Lan entered his immortal aperture first. Fang Ming did the same after a moment of thought. Fang Yuan's Fixed Immortal Travel could only carry him directly, but he could bring others hidden in his aperture.
Inside Fang Yuan's aperture, Fang Ming remained silent.
He did not probe.
He did not look around with obvious curiosity.
An immortal aperture was one of a Gu Immortal's greatest secrets. Even allies did not casually investigate. Fang Ming had many secrets of his own and understood this boundary well.
Outside, Fang Yuan activated Fixed Immortal Travel.
Jade-green light flashed.
Nothing happened.
Fang Yuan frowned slightly.
He tried again.
Again, the activation failed.
The scenery in his memory came from the future fragment world. The current Starry Sky grotto-heaven was still whole, and many locations had not yet changed into what he remembered. He switched to another image and tried again.
One attempt.
Two attempts.
Three attempts.
Immortal essence was consumed bead after bead.
Fang Yuan's expression did not change much, but his mind became more cautious.
Previous life memory was useful, but not absolute. Coming early meant the opportunities were greater, but it also meant the situation could differ from what he knew.
After more than ten attempts, Fixed Immortal Travel finally succeeded.
A flash of jade-green light swallowed him.
When the light vanished, Fang Yuan stood in a thick ancient forest.
Tall trees surrounded him. Their trunks were dark green, and their branches spread like giant arms. Mist drifted between them. The air was damp and strangely quiet. There were no beast cries, no insects, no birds.
Fang Yuan immediately activated defensive methods.
The entrance had succeeded.
He opened his immortal aperture, and Hei Lou Lan stepped out first. Fang Ming followed after her.
Hei Lou Lan looked around. "This is Starry Sky grotto-heaven?"
Fang Yuan raised his head.
Through the gaps between the leaves, the sky above was tranquil green. Six giant shadows of stars hung there like round moons: red, brown, yellow, blue, purple, and white.
"It is indeed," Fang Yuan said.
Fang Ming looked at the six star shadows silently.
The scenery was beautiful, but beauty inside a grotto-heaven was never harmless. This was the immortal aperture of a rank eight Gu Immortal. Even if the owner had died long ago, the remaining foundation could not be underestimated.
Fang Yuan said, "The star demon bat should be nearby. But first, we need to leave this forest."
The three moved forward.
At first, nothing seemed wrong. The trees were only tall, the fog only thick, and the ground only damp. But after several minutes, all three stopped almost at the same time.
Hei Lou Lan frowned. "We are going in circles."
Fang Yuan nodded. "The scenery repeats. There are no wild beasts either. This forest has a bewilderment effect."
Fang Ming raised his hand.
A small opening appeared in his immortal aperture, and several eagles flew out.
They were not all rank five. Fang Ming released them in layers: low-rank eagles first, then rank three, rank four, and finally two rank five eagles. Each group flew in a different direction. Some skimmed low between the trees. Some flew straight upward. Some spread out in arcs to form a living map.
Hei Lou Lan watched with interest.
Fang Yuan also observed silently.
Enslavement path methods were indeed convenient for scouting. If this forest were an ordinary maze, Fang Ming's eagles would quickly expose its structure.
But this forest was not ordinary.
The low-rank eagles flew out and soon circled back from impossible angles. One group that had flown east returned from the west. Another that had gone upward vanished into fog and appeared behind them. Even the rank five eagles, after forcefully piercing the thick canopy, descended from above only to land on a branch not far from where they had started.
Fang Ming's expression remained calm.
He sent several more commands. The eagles changed formation, marking tree trunks with claw marks, dropping feathers at fixed intervals, and flying in intersecting patterns. But the result remained the same.
The marks appeared in places they should not.
The feathers were scattered in loops.
One rank four eagle returned with confusion in its eyes, its will disturbed by the forest's effect.
Fang Ming recalled the eagles.
"This forest does not only obstruct direction. It interferes with the relation between position and perception. The eagles cannot break it."
Hei Lou Lan snorted softly.
"Then use a simpler method."
Her body surged with strength path aura. A giant strength path phantom formed around her, thick and powerful, like a huge armored figure standing among the ancient trees.
Fang Yuan stepped back, giving her room.
Fang Ming also moved aside.
Hei Lou Lan punched.
The fist smashed into an ancient tree. The thick trunk broke with a thunderous sound, splinters flying everywhere. She took another step and punched again. Then kicked. Then swept her arm sideways like a pillar.
Boom boom boom!
Ancient trees toppled one after another. The ground shook, roots burst from the soil, and the thick fog scattered under the forceful destruction. Hei Lou Lan did not try to understand the forest. She simply destroyed enough of it that its effect could no longer remain complete.
As more trees fell, the bewilderment weakened.
The fog thinned.
Fang Yuan flew upward and looked down.
The forest that had seemed endless was actually only around a hundred li wide. Beyond it were mountains, streams, and open fields where wild beasts moved.
Hei Lou Lan withdrew her strength path phantom slightly and looked at Fang Ming.
"Sometimes, brute force is also a method."
Fang Ming nodded calmly. "A useful one."
He did not mind that his eagles had failed. Methods had strengths and weaknesses. Enslavement path scouting was powerful, but this forest targeted perception and direction. Hei Lou Lan's direct destruction happened to be more effective.
Fang Yuan glanced at the toppled ancient trees. "These trees are unusual. We should take some."
Hei Lou Lan immediately agreed. Fang Ming also collected several trunks and roots into his aperture.
Even if they did not understand the tree species now, strange plants from a rank eight grotto-heaven had research and trading value. Fang Ming especially liked such things. His strength path aperture was already rich in villages, formations, and factories, while his enslavement path aperture needed special environments and resources. These trees might be useful later.
After collecting some, the three left the forest.
The world outside was far more alive.
Bird cries echoed from the distance. Strange insects crawled over luminous stones. Wild flowers swayed without wind. The green sky above remained calm, while the six giant star shadows looked down like silent eyes.
They had not moved far when a growl came from the mountain ahead.
A large desolate beast appeared.
Its body was like a huge hound, as large as a small hill. Glossy azure fur covered it, and star-shaped patterns glowed faintly along its head, back, limbs, and tail. Its eyes stared directly at Hei Lou Lan's giant strength path phantom, full of hostility.
Fang Yuan recognized it immediately.
"Star desolate hound."
Hei Lou Lan's eyes lit up slightly.
"A desolate beast already?"
Fang Ming also looked at the beast with interest.
Living desolate beasts were valuable. For Fang Yuan, they could be traded to Lang Ya land spirit. For Fang Ming, they were even more useful. His enslavement path aperture needed strong beasts. A star desolate hound was not an eagle, but enslavement path did not require all beasts to be of the same type at the beginning. A foundation could be built slowly.
However, they had agreed on shared benefits.
Hei Lou Lan stepped forward first. "Let me try."
Fang Yuan said, "If possible, capture it alive. I have use for living desolate beasts."
Fang Ming did not compete. "Go ahead."
Hei Lou Lan glanced at him, somewhat surprised that he gave way so easily.
Fang Ming only smiled faintly.
Since they had a profit agreement, there was no need to fight over the first beast. Moreover, he wanted to observe the desolate beasts of Starry Sky grotto-heaven. Letting Hei Lou Lan and Fang Yuan test it first was not a loss.
Hei Lou Lan charged.
The giant strength path phantom roared forward, its heavy steps shaking the mountainside. The star desolate hound also rushed down from above, its claws tearing through soil and stone. The two huge figures collided and rolled down the slope like collapsing hills.
Trees broke.
Rocks shattered.
Dust rose everywhere.
Fang Yuan flew above, bat wings spreading behind him. Starlight gathered in his monstrous claws, condensing into icy drill stardust. He watched the battle carefully, waiting for an opening.
Fang Ming stood farther away.
He did not intervene.
Hei Lou Lan's giant strength path phantom was powerful. Her attacks were direct and heavy, each punch capable of smashing boulders. But the star desolate hound was a true desolate beast. Its body was tyrannical, its vitality strong, and it possessed defensive wild Gu. Killing it would not be impossible. Capturing it alive was much harder.
The hound bit down at the giant phantom's shoulder. Hei Lou Lan forced its head aside and struck its chest. The hound rolled, then sprang back up, star patterns glowing on its fur.
Fang Yuan found an opening.
Eight lumps of icy stardust shot downward.
Bam bam bam!
The explosions struck the hound's eyes, mouth, and joints, interrupting its attack. Hei Lou Lan seized the chance and drove a knee into a vital area between the beast's rear legs.
The star desolate hound howled in pain.
Its body bounced and thrashed violently, smashing through nearby trees. Fang Yuan continued attacking from above, targeting weak points with crafty precision. The hound's defensive Gu flickered, but the icy drill stardust damaged them rapidly.
Hei Lou Lan grinned.
"Good. Continue suppressing it."
The two cooperated, one in front and one above. Gradually, the star desolate hound's movements became more chaotic. It was injured, enraged, and forced into a worse position.
Then, from the nearby mountain peaks, two more growls sounded.
Fang Yuan's gaze sharpened.
Hei Lou Lan turned her head.
Two female star desolate hounds appeared, charging down from different directions. Their bodies were slightly smaller than the first, but their speed was not inferior. Their eyes locked onto Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan with furious killing intent.
For a moment, the situation changed.
One injured desolate beast could still be handled.
Three desolate beasts were different.
Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan exchanged a glance. They made the same judgment at almost the same time.
"Run!"
Fang Yuan retreated first, wings flapping as he withdrew from the battlefield.
Hei Lou Lan also pulled back. Her giant strength path phantom turned and moved with heavy steps, avoiding being surrounded. Capturing a desolate beast alive was difficult enough. Facing three at once, especially in an unfamiliar rank eight grotto-heaven, was not worth the risk.
The two female hounds rushed toward them, but their first concern was clearly the injured male hound.
Fang Ming watched quietly as Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan retreated.
They had given up the attempt.
According to the agreement, shared effort brought shared profit. But if they abandoned the prey, then what happened next was different.
Fang Ming stepped forward.
Hei Lou Lan noticed and frowned. "Fang Ming?"
Fang Yuan also looked back.
Fang Ming did not answer.
His hand rose.
Immortal killer move — Tyrannical Lift.
The injured male star desolate hound, still struggling to stand, suddenly rose from the ground. Its four limbs kicked wildly. Its massive body floated upward as if lifted by an invisible giant.
The two female hounds froze for a breath, then roared in fury.
Fang Ming's second move arrived immediately.
Immortal killer move — Tyrannical Suction.
The injured male hound was pulled violently toward him. The beast struggled, star patterns flashing across its fur, but it was already wounded and unstable. Fang Ming opened his immortal aperture behind him.
The hound was dragged into the opening.
The aperture closed.
The two female hounds went completely mad.
They abandoned Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan at once and charged toward Fang Ming.
Fang Ming's expression remained unchanged.
Myriad Clones Immortal Gu activated.
In an instant, figures appeared around him one after another.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Each Fang Ming looked identical. Same face, same aura, same posture, same calm eyes. They scattered across the mountain slope, some retreating, some advancing, some leaping into the air, some circling behind the hounds.
The two female star desolate hounds hesitated.
Their beast instincts told them that the enemy was before them, but every figure seemed real enough to attack.
One hound pounced at a clone.
The clone dodged too late and was torn apart, dispersing into strength path traces.
The second hound swept its claws and destroyed three more.
But by then, the remaining clones had already spread out and surrounded them in layers.
Fang Yuan stopped in the distance.
His pupils shrank.
This move…
It was too familiar, and yet not the same.
Myriad Self?
No.
It was similar, but clearly different.
Fang Yuan had created Myriad Self by combining strength path and enslavement path, producing countless strength path phantoms that could fight as an army. But Fang Ming's move did not emphasize number. There were far fewer clones. Yet each clone's appearance was far closer to the main body.
Too close.
Even Fang Yuan, with his experience and sharp battle perception, could not immediately identify Fang Ming's real body among them.
This was not merely a copy.
This was a tactical variant with superior concealment.
Fang Yuan's mind moved rapidly.
With this move, Fang Ming could hide among his clones, retreat through them, launch immortal killer moves from unexpected angles, and make enemies waste attacks. The number was smaller than Myriad Self, but the utility was greater in certain battles.
Especially against opponents who relied on locking onto the real body.
Hei Lou Lan was shocked for a different reason.
She had fought the star desolate hound directly. She knew how strong it was. Killing one was within her ability if she used her true strength, but capturing it alive was much harder. When three appeared, she and Fang Yuan had chosen to retreat because the cost and danger were too high.
Yet Fang Ming stayed.
And he had already taken the injured male hound.
Now he faced the two female hounds alone.
No, not alone.
One hundred Fang Mings moved at once.
The clones did not attack wildly. They distracted, obstructed, and misled. Some rushed forward to draw claws. Some retreated just slowly enough to lure a hound aside. Some jumped into blind spots, forcing the beasts to turn their heads. Several clones activated mortal-level strength path methods, creating impacts that were not deadly but irritating.
The two female hounds were powerful, but they were beasts.
Their anger made them easier to guide.
A Fang Ming clone appeared behind the left hound. The beast turned and snapped at it.
At that instant, the real Fang Ming appeared beneath its side.
Immortal killer move — Tyrannical Grab.
Invisible force seized the hound's legs and throat at the same time.
The beast struggled violently. Star patterns on its fur brightened, and a wild Gu activated, releasing a burst of star light. Several clones shattered.
Fang Ming's real body vanished among the remaining figures.
Another Fang Ming appeared above the beast.
Immortal killer move — Tyrannical Push.
The hound crashed into the ground.
Tyrannical Suction followed, dragging its body toward the aperture opening that appeared behind a group of clones.
The female hound dug its claws into the soil, leaving deep trenches. Its mouth opened, releasing a starry howl that shook the mountain.
Fang Ming's clones swarmed forward.
They were not strong enough to suppress a desolate beast by themselves, but they blocked vision, interfered with movement, and consumed the beast's reactions.
The aperture opening widened.
With one final pull, the first female star desolate hound was dragged inside.
The second female hound roared.
Its companion's disappearance drove it into an even greater frenzy. It charged through the clones, destroying them one after another. For a moment, Fang Ming's hundred clones seemed to be collapsing rapidly.
Hei Lou Lan's eyes focused.
"Is he going to fail?"
Fang Yuan did not answer.
He was staring at the remaining clones.
There.
No.
There?
Even now, he could not be certain which was real.
The second hound pounced toward what seemed to be Fang Ming's main body. Its claws descended.
The figure shattered.
A clone.
At the same moment, the real Fang Ming appeared behind the hound's shoulder, expression calm.
Immortal killer move — Tyrannical Lift.
The hound's front half rose abruptly. Its hind legs lost balance.
Tyrannical Grab seized its neck and waist.
Tyrannical Push struck its side, rolling its massive body across the ground.
Before it could recover, several clones rushed forward and released tattooed mortal killer moves. The attacks were not enough to harm it greatly, but they disrupted the activation of its wild Gu.
Fang Ming stepped forward.
Tyrannical Suction.
The second female hound was dragged toward his aperture.
It struggled fiercely, but without support and surrounded by clones, its resistance became fragmented. Fang Ming timed his moves precisely, never giving it a stable chance to counterattack.
Finally, the aperture swallowed it.
The mountain slope became quiet.
Broken trees lay everywhere. Claw marks covered the ground. Crushed stone and scattered starlight filled the battlefield. A few remaining clones stood around Fang Ming before fading one by one.
Fang Ming lowered his hand.
Three star desolate hounds had been captured alive.
Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan returned slowly.
Hei Lou Lan looked at Fang Ming with a complicated expression.
She had always known Fang Ming was strong. His performance during her tribulation, his methods in Northern Plains, and his calmness in every transaction had already proved that. But knowing someone was strong and seeing him capture three desolate beasts alive were different things.
She could kill a desolate beast.
But capturing one alive was not the same.
Facing three, she had retreated.
Fang Ming had stayed.
And from beginning to end, he did not look desperate. It even seemed that if he had been given enough time, capturing all three from the start would not have been impossible.
Hei Lou Lan's pride was not fragile, but she still felt pressure.
This man's strength had grown again.
Fang Yuan's gaze was deeper.
He was not focused only on the captured hounds.
He was thinking about Myriad Clones.
Back then, Fang Ming had paid a heavy price to study Myriad Self in Hu Immortal blessed land. Fang Yuan had allowed it because the agreement was strict, the time was short, and Myriad Self was his own immortal killer move. Even if Fang Ming studied it, creating something useful from it should have required time, foundation, and inspiration.
But now, Fang Ming had done it.
Not only that, the result was extremely troublesome.
Fewer numbers than Myriad Self.
Greater concealment.
More tactical flexibility.
If Fang Ming hid among the clones and launched immortal killer moves from within them, enemies would have to constantly guess which figure was real. In a chaotic battlefield, that uncertainty could decide life and death.
Fang Yuan's expression remained calm, but his evaluation of Fang Ming rose again.
At this stage, Fang Yuan's battle strength was not far above Hei Lou Lan's. Both had powerful methods, but both still had limitations.
Fang Ming had just shown combat strength clearly above them.
And more importantly, he had shown a method that was not easy to counter without preparation.
Hei Lou Lan finally spoke.
"You could have acted earlier."
Fang Ming smiled faintly. "I could have, but watching you brawl with it was far more entertaining."
Hei Lou Lan understood he was just teasing her.
Fang Yuan understood Fang Ming wanted to assess their strength so he can plan his battle plan around there strength.
Fang Yuan understood that Fang Ming wanted to assess their strength so he could plan his battle strategy around it. That was the wisest thing to do. Fang Yuan also wanted to see Fang Ming's current strength; it had been a long time since he had last seen him make a move.
Fang Yuan said, "We should leave. The commotion may attract more beasts."
Fang Ming nodded.
Hei Lou Lan took one last look at the torn battlefield and suppressed the waves in her heart.
The three continued forward.
Above them, the six star shadows hung quietly in the green sky.