Green jade light flashed in the darkness.
Fang Yuan appeared inside a damp underground cavern.
The air was wet and cold. Jagged rocks hung from above like fangs, while faint water droplets fell into hidden pools, creating soft echoes in the spacious darkness.
Fang Yuan looked around and nodded.
"We are here."
His immortal aperture opened.
Hei Lou Lan stepped out first. Fang Ming followed after her, his expression calm as he glanced at the surrounding stone walls.
Hei Lou Lan frowned. "Where is this?"
"Earth Abyss," Fang Yuan replied.
Hei Lou Lan's gaze sharpened.
Earth Abyss.
She naturally knew this name.
It was located in the far west of Central Continent, an enormous underground world filled with countless layers, caves, underground lakes, and hidden ecosystems. Ancient Soul Sect, one of the ten great ancient sects, had controlled this region for thousands of years and treated Earth Abyss as their own domain.
"You brought us to Ancient Soul Sect's territory?" Hei Lou Lan asked.
Fang Yuan walked forward. "Earth Abyss has dense earth qi. It is suitable for letting Star Lord Wan Xiang's blessed land take root quickly."
Hei Lou Lan followed him. "Ancient Soul Sect will not ignore a blessed land appearing in their backyard."
"Their backyard only reaches so far." Fang Yuan's tone was indifferent. "The deeper layers are not truly under their control."
Hei Lou Lan's eyes narrowed. "Ancient Soul Sect has explored around thirty-six layers. Are you saying there is more?"
Fang Yuan smiled. "Ancient Soul Sect being unable to find it does not mean it does not exist."
He did not explain further.
Hei Lou Lan snorted lightly, but did not continue asking.
Fang Ming walked behind them silently.
His gaze swept across the moist stones, the dark cracks, and the faint traces of underground life. He said nothing, but his evaluation of Fang Yuan rose again.
Starry Sky grotto-heaven, the eighth star hall, Star Lord Wan Xiang's aperture, Earth Abyss's deeper layers.
Fang Yuan's direct combat strength was not at the peak among them right now, especially after losing true solid bat wings and with Myriad Self restricted. But every step of this journey had shown something far more troublesome.
He knew where to go.
He knew when to act.
He knew what to abandon.
And he always had a next location prepared.
Fang Ming had future knowledge himself, but precisely because of that, he understood how abnormal Fang Yuan looked from the outside.
No ordinary Gu Immortal should know so much.
Of course, Fang Ming would not ask.
Fang Yuan had secrets.
So did he.
The three descended through Earth Abyss.
The upper layers still had Gu Masters from Ancient Soul Sect moving about. Some hunted underground beasts, some harvested strange moss, and some mined ores under the protection of formations.
To mortals, this place was dangerous and mysterious.
To Gu Immortals, the upper layers were only a passage.
The three concealed their auras and passed silently.
As they went deeper, mortal Gu Masters became fewer. The environment grew darker, wetter, and more oppressive. Underground rivers roared through unseen tunnels. Huge fungi glowed faintly in the distance. From time to time, beast roars echoed through the stone layers.
By the thirtieth layer, there were almost no mortal traces left.
By the thirty-fifth layer, the danger had risen greatly.
In the distance, an Ancient Soul Sect rank six Gu Immortal was fleeing miserably, chased by an ancient desolate beast and several desolate beasts. The battle caused stone pillars to collapse and underground mist to surge.
Fang Yuan did not interfere.
Hei Lou Lan did not interfere.
Fang Ming naturally would not interfere.
That Gu Immortal's misfortune became their cover. While the beasts and Ancient Soul Sect Gu Immortal caused a disturbance, the three slipped deeper and reached the thirty-sixth layer.
Fang Yuan stopped at a muddy section of ground.
He inspected it for a moment, then began setting Gu formations.
Mortal Gu flew out one after another, embedding themselves into the rocks and soil. Thin layers of light spread out, covering the surroundings and isolating sound and vibration.
Hei Lou Lan looked down. "Here?"
Fang Yuan nodded. "This is one of the thinnest points between layers."
Hei Lou Lan glanced at him. "You even know this?"
Fang Yuan ignored her tone. "Attack here. Use strength path methods. Quickly."
Hei Lou Lan transformed into a strength path phantom giant and punched down.
Boom!
The muddy ground trembled. Soil and stone exploded upward, but the Gu formations contained the disturbance, preventing it from spreading far.
Fang Ming stood nearby, guarding the surroundings. Occasionally, when the concealment formation shook, he used small methods to stabilize the edges.
He did not replace Hei Lou Lan.
This was Fang Yuan's route, Fang Yuan's arrangement, and Hei Lou Lan's strength path breakthrough.
The crater deepened rapidly.
After repeated strikes, the muddy ground finally collapsed.
A dark hole appeared.
The three entered the thirty-seventh layer.
Behind them, the hole began closing under the effect of Fang Yuan's Gu formations.
Hei Lou Lan exhaled lightly. "That layer was nearly ten thousand feet thick."
Fang Yuan said, "This was already the thinnest point."
Hei Lou Lan looked at him but did not ask again.
The thirty-seventh layer was completely wild. No Ancient Soul Sect Gu Masters appeared here. The air was heavy, and the surrounding darkness seemed alive. Strange plants grew from the stone walls, and faint beast auras drifted from far away.
The group continued downward.
The seal on Star Lord Wan Xiang's aperture was reaching its limit.
Fang Yuan calculated silently as they moved.
Finally, they arrived near the fortieth layer.
Hei Lou Lan took out Star Lord Wan Xiang's corpse.
The body was still horrifyingly damaged, but the temporary seal held for a few more breaths.
Then the seal broke.
Starlight erupted from the corpse.
The dark underground space was instantly illuminated. Bright star radiance spread outward, while the surrounding earth qi surged like dust clouds gathering from all directions.
The ground trembled.
Far above them, weaker parts of Earth Abyss began to shake.
Countless mortal Gu Masters and underground creatures panicked. Rocks fell. Caverns collapsed. Some fled. Some were buried. Some died without ever knowing that a rank six blessed land was taking root deep below them.
Fang Yuan watched expressionlessly.
Hei Lou Lan also remained calm.
Fang Ming's gaze was indifferent.
In the Gu Immortal world, the movement of one opportunity could crush countless lives beneath it. This was not kindness or cruelty. It was simply the natural result of power.
After several minutes, the starlight stabilized.
A square gate made of star radiance appeared in the air.
Above it, four words shone clearly.
Star Form Blessed Land.
Fang Yuan stepped forward and opened the entrance.
The three entered.
The world changed.
Inside Star Form blessed land, the sky was dark like late night, but countless stars shone overhead. Their light poured down gently, making the ground visible without daylight.
The terrain was shaped like a huge basin. At the center, the land rose slightly, while continuous mountain ranges circled the edges like a natural wall.
Fang Yuan looked down.
The ground beneath them was covered in star fragment grass.
Huge patches of it stretched into the distance, growing directly from black soil. The grass shimmered with tiny points of starlight, healthier and denser than the star fragment grass Fang Yuan had planted in Hu Immortal blessed land.
Hei Lou Lan looked upward.
Several giant fish flew through the night sky like whales swimming through water. Their scales were blue, and bony fins extended from their backs like spines.
Spinefin star dragonfish.
Fang Ming's eyes moved slightly.
A mature star path ecology.
Star fragment grass, star dragonfish, star path terrain, stable resource foundation.
This was not a newly formed empty blessed land. This was Star Lord Wan Xiang's life accumulation.
It did not match Fang Ming's main paths perfectly, but that did not mean it lacked value. A mature blessed land with a working resource system was upper tier among rank six lone cultivators.
Income, foundation, resources, trading channels — these things were not limited to path compatibility.
There were also signs of battle.
Some star fragment grass had been burned. Parts of the mountains had holes and scars. The three spinefin star dragonfish carried injuries.
A childish voice suddenly sounded.
"If not for Song Zi Xing injuring my main body, how could my grand main body, Star Lord Wan Xiang, have died in the eighth star hall?"
A small boy appeared in front of them.
His body was fair like carved jade. He wore pinkish-blue clothes wrapped around his chest and stomach, and his cheeks puffed in anger. His small arms and legs looked tender, but his aura was unmistakably that of a land spirit.
Star Form Child.
Fang Yuan smiled. "Land spirit, do you still remember me?"
The boy looked at him cautiously.
Fang Yuan continued, "I once bought star fragment grass and the killer move Spring Star Rain from your main body."
Star Form Child's gaze flickered.
He looked Fang Yuan up and down, and his expression softened slightly.
"So it was you. I have some impression."
Fang Yuan said directly, "A land spirit alone cannot manage an entire blessed land forever. You need a Gu Immortal's help. Are you willing to seek refuge with one of us?"
Hei Lou Lan's gaze became focused.
Fang Ming also looked at Star Form Child.
The land spirit's expression became serious.
"To protect this foundation, I do need help." He clenched his small fists. "But I have a condition."
"Speak," Fang Yuan said.
Star Form Child's face filled with anger. "My main body died because of Song Zi Xing! If he had not severely injured my main body, my main body would not have been forced to reveal his secret and enter Starry Sky grotto-heaven with Shi Lei."
His eyes reddened with hatred.
"If you want to become the master of Star Form blessed land, bring me Song Zi Xing's head!"
The air became quiet.
Hei Lou Lan's expression changed.
"Song Zi Xing…"
Even though she was not from Central Continent, she had heard this name.
A rank seven blood path demonic expert.
A former disciple of Myriad Dragon Dock who betrayed his sect after obtaining a Blood Sea inheritance. Myriad Dragon Dock had sent multiple Gu Immortals after him, including rank seven experts, but suffered heavy losses. Since then, Song Zi Xing had roamed Central Continent freely.
His battle strength was publicly considered comparable to Shi Lei, though below Feng Jiu Ge.
This was not a simple condition.
Fang Ming's eyes became deeper.
Song Zi Xing's head.
Even killing a rank six Gu Immortal was not guaranteed. Fang Ming had killed several, but those victories had all come from special circumstances: ambush, misjudgment, market conflict, mass clone pressure, enemies unwilling to flee at the beginning.
If a rank six Gu Immortal fully focused on escaping from the start, killing them was already troublesome.
Song Zi Xing was rank seven.
Blood path.
Famous for battle.
Trying to kill him head-on without an opportunity would be reckless.
But Fang Ming did not dismiss the condition.
Opportunities could be created.
And sometimes, fate placed enemies where they could not easily run.
Fang Yuan's expression remained unchanged. "I will try."
Star Form Child nodded quickly. "You must hurry. Star Form blessed land's earthly calamity is coming soon. If the blessed land is destroyed, it will be useless even if you bring me his head later."
Fang Yuan's eyes shone. "If that is the case, we can help you resist the earthly calamity first."
"No." Star Form Child shook his head immediately. "I will not allow external Gu Immortals to remain in Star Form blessed land for more than seven minutes. People's hearts are hard to read. Only my master can help me pass tribulations."
He puffed his cheeks. "If necessary, I will use treasure yellow heaven to spread the condition and attract more people to kill Song Zi Xing. But I will not expose this location. Only someone who fulfills my condition can become master."
The rejection was firm.
Fang Yuan did not force the matter.
Hei Lou Lan looked at Fang Yuan.
Fang Ming also understood.
They could not occupy Star Form blessed land now. The land spirit's obsession was clear, and the seven-minute rule prevented them from looting freely.
Star Form Child waved his small hand. "You should leave. Remember, do not reveal this place."
The world shifted.
The three were sent out of Star Form blessed land.
Behind them, the starry entrance vanished completely, leaving only dark stone and dense earth qi.
The blessed land had hidden itself.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then Fang Yuan used Fixed Immortal Travel again.
Green jade light flashed.
The three returned to Hu Immortal blessed land.
Little Hu Immortal appeared almost immediately, but when Hei Lou Lan began taking out the loot, her attention was instantly captured.
One corpse after another appeared.
Blazing divine stallion.
Flying bear.
Star demon bat.
Chestnut yak.
Golden pangolin.
Vanishing shadow leopard.
Other desolate beast materials and corpses.
A nearly dead yellow jade lion.
The massive corpse of the astral wind flying heavenly boar.
Several hundred kilograms of diamond soil.
Mysterious trees taken from the maze forest.
And the extra resources Fang Ming had collected, along with the three living star desolate hounds already suppressed in Fang Ming's aperture.
The value was enormous.
Hei Lou Lan looked at the pile and exhaled slowly. "This trip was terrifying, but the profit…"
She did not finish the sentence.
There was no need.
Fang Yuan began calculating.
"The original collected corpses, ancient desolate beast corpse, yellow jade lion, diamond soil, and other resources are roughly seven hundred and ninety immortal essence stones in total. Fang Ming's captured star desolate hounds and additional resources add another five hundred and fifty."
Hei Lou Lan's gaze flickered.
Fang Yuan concluded, "Total value: one thousand three hundred and forty immortal essence stones."
Even Fang Ming took the number seriously.
His businesses now produced a great amount, especially with Ironclad totems, but this was still a major windfall. More importantly, much of it was not just stones. It was rare material, living desolate beasts, and ancient desolate beast flesh.
Fang Yuan continued, "According to the agreement, I take forty percent. Hei Lou Lan and Fang Ming each take thirty percent."
He paused.
"That means my share is five hundred and thirty-six. Each of you receives four hundred and two."
Fang Ming said calmly, "I want the three star desolate hounds."
Hei Lou Lan glanced at him.
The three hounds were living desolate beasts. Their value was higher than ordinary corpses, especially because they could reproduce if raised properly.
Fang Yuan said, "Together, they are valued at four hundred and fifty immortal essence stones."
Fang Ming nodded. "Then I will pay the forty-eight stone difference."
He took out immortal essence stones directly.
The accounting became clear.
Fang Ming would keep the three star desolate hounds. Their value exceeded his share, so he compensated the pool. The remaining loot and the forty-eight stones would be divided so Fang Yuan and Hei Lou Lan received their proper portions.
Hei Lou Lan accepted the arrangement.
She had no interest in raising star desolate hounds herself. Her aperture needed development, but living desolate beasts required food, space, and management. Fang Ming had an enslavement path aperture and obvious use for them.
Fang Yuan also accepted.
The division continued.
The yellow jade lion was counted toward Fang Yuan's side. He had personally acted to preserve its life, and it was useful for future trades with Lang Ya land spirit.
The astral wind flying heavenly boar corpse was split by value rather than physically cut apart immediately. Some materials would be assigned later. The star demon bat wings naturally drew Fang Yuan's attention, but their damaged state reduced their practical value.
Hei Lou Lan looked at the pile of loot, then sighed. "It is a pity about the walking meat tree."
Fang Ming's gaze shifted slightly.
The walking meat tree.
An ancient desolate plant of strength path, from black heaven. To Fang Yuan, Hei Lou Lan, and Fang Ming, all three of whom had strength path foundations or needs, it had tremendous value.
Fang Ming also felt regret.
That fragment alone might have been worth more than the astral wind flying heavenly boar corpse, and its dao marks could have helped future strength path refinement.
But regret was only regret.
At that time, Shi Lei and Seven Star Child immortal zombie were fighting above them. The zombie dragon had just appeared. Star Constellation's dream trap was unknown. Star Form blessed land was within reach.
Taking the walking meat tree fragment would have risked everything.
Fang Yuan said plainly, "Star Form blessed land was more important."
Hei Lou Lan did not refute him.
Fang Ming also agreed inwardly.
A rare strength path plant was valuable.
A mature blessed land was a foundation.
After the loot was divided, the atmosphere shifted to the remaining issue.
Star Form blessed land.
Hei Lou Lan looked at Fang Yuan. "How do we handle it?"
Fang Yuan said, "The land spirit has already given the condition. Whoever brings Song Zi Xing's head first obtains Star Form blessed land. The rest accept the result. No malicious interference."
Hei Lou Lan considered it and nodded.
Fang Ming said, "I agree."
Fang Yuan glanced at him.
"You intend to compete?"
Fang Ming smiled faintly. "Of course."
Hei Lou Lan looked slightly surprised.
Fang Ming continued calmly, "Star Form blessed land has a mature system. Its income may not match my current main businesses, and star path is not my core path, but a developed blessed land is still an upper-tier foundation among rank six lone cultivators. I have no reason to give up."
Fang Yuan's eyes were dark and unreadable.
Fang Ming did not care.
He would not rush to challenge Song Zi Xing recklessly. But if an opportunity appeared, he would take it seriously.
Killing rank seven Gu Immortals was not a matter of shouting ambition. Even killing rank six Gu Immortals could fail if the opponent abandoned everything and fled. Song Zi Xing was famous, blood path, ruthless, and experienced.
This competition would depend on opportunity, preparation, and timing.
Hei Lou Lan said slowly, "Then the rule is settled. Whoever fulfills the condition first gains Star Form blessed land. The others cannot interfere maliciously."
Fang Yuan nodded.
Fang Ming also nodded.