Chapter 165: The Price of One Fire
Outside Jade Pool blessed land, the tyrannical armored clones were still blocking the entrance.
But blocking was not the same as sealing forever.
The demonic path Gu Immortals were not fools. Some attacked the clones directly. Some searched for weak points in the torn space. Some used special movement methods to slip through small gaps before they closed. Others waited for the clones to shift, then forced their way in with brute strength.
One by one, immortal auras entered Jade Pool blessed land.
The exclusive period was over.
Inside, Fang Ming received the change through the eagles still circling above.
His expression did not move.
This was expected.
No blockade could hold back all demonic Gu Immortals forever. His clones outside had already bought enough time. The best resource zones had been scouted. Several valuable pools had been stripped. A storage hall had been emptied. Desolate beasts had been captured. Formation pillars and resource cores had entered his aperture.
That was enough for the first bite.
Now came the second phase.
"Recall the eagles," Fang Ming ordered.
The eagle flock began returning from all directions.
Rank three and rank four eagles flew down from the sky. Rank five eagles crossed over pools and forests. The silver crown desolate eagle circled above them, gathering the scattered birds like a general gathering soldiers.
Most of the eagle group was still mortal-level.
In an empty blessed land, they were scouts.
In a chaotic battlefield full of Gu Immortals, they were bait.
Any demonic immortal with a little greed might try to capture them. Some might target the silver crown desolate eagle directly. Some might kill the weaker eagles just to cut off Fang Ming's eyes.
Fang Ming would not allow that.
Golden Specters Gu activated again.
Myriad Clones formed silently.
This time, they did not stand openly. Around a hundred tyrannical armored clones moved into the eagle flock. Some hid beneath the feathers of giant eagles. Some clung close to their bodies. Some concealed themselves near the silver crown eagle's wings.
Their auras were suppressed.
Their bodies were hidden.
To outsiders, they were only mortal eagles returning from scouting.
But each hidden clone carried the power of a single-use immortal tattoo killer move.
Tyrannical Crash.
If a Gu Immortal tried to seize the eagle flock, they would not be catching birds.
They would be pulling a blade into their own chest.
Fang Ming sent the final orders.
"Bian Si Xuan, stop dismantling large structures. Take only nearby sealed materials and regroup."
"Fen Meng, abandon the remaining fire tiger group. Bring the spring core and return."
"Huang Sha, preserve what you have. Do not start another full lake transfer."
"Qing Suo, collect the Gu nest roots and move back."
The replies came quickly.
Fang Ming's group changed rhythm at once.
Before, they had acted like harvesters cutting planned fields.
Now, they moved like raiders passing through a burning city.
If something valuable was on the way, take it.
If it needed time, abandon it.
If a beast could be captured quickly, capture it.
If it resisted too much, injure it and leave.
The goal was no longer clean collection.
The goal was speed.
Soon, other demonic Gu Immortals began appearing in the distance. Some saw emptied pools and broken formations, and their faces turned ugly. Some cursed loudly. Some followed the traces, trying to guess who had taken the resources first.
Then Fang Yuan's group entered.
Fang Yuan, Hei Lou Lan, Fairy Li Shan, and Ju Go flew into Jade Pool blessed land through a newly torn opening. Ju Go looked around and immediately saw signs of organized plundering.
Pools missing their cores.
Formation halls stripped of pillars.
Beast dens emptied but not destroyed.
Resource zones cut cleanly at the root.
This was not the work of ordinary demonic looters.
This was Fang Ming.
Ju Go said nothing.
Fang Yuan's gaze also moved slightly.
He saw the traces and understood at once that someone had entered earlier. Moreover, this person had not looted blindly. The most convenient and valuable parts were already missing.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
But he did not stop.
There were still resources left.
Fang Yuan rushed toward a nearby pool and began taking whatever could be taken.
Hei Lou Lan glanced at him, then at the distant traces left by Fang Ming's group. Her expression was complicated.
Fairy Li Shan said quietly, "Do not waste time. Dong Fang Chang Fan may return at any moment."
She was right.
A moment later, Jade Pool blessed land trembled.
The sky shook.
The earth hummed.
Countless mortal killer moves weakened at once. Gu formations that had been sluggish suddenly became sharper. Some pools emitted defensive light. Some desolate beasts roared as if awakened by an invisible command.
The owner had returned.
Dong Fang Chang Fan appeared in the sky with Old Lord Can Yang beside him.
Unfettered Scholar chased from behind, his expression cold and sharp.
Dong Fang Chang Fan's face was no longer calm.
He looked down at Jade Pool blessed land and saw the broken openings, the robbed pools, the scattered beasts, and the demonic Gu Immortals plundering his tribe's foundation.
His eyes became terrifyingly cold.
"You all deserve death."
Star thoughts surged around him like a blue storm.
The demonic Gu Immortals stopped looting almost at the same time.
They were greedy, but not stupid.
If Dong Fang Chang Fan lived, Jade Pool blessed land would not be theirs to take freely. If he died, everything inside would become ownerless meat.
Pi Shui Han attacked first.
Unfettered Scholar followed.
Other demonic immortals moved as well.
Fang Ming's group also joined the attack.
This was necessary.
They had entered first and taken the best first-wave benefits. If they continued looting openly now, the other demonic immortals might turn on them before attacking Dong Fang Chang Fan.
So Fang Ming acted like part of the alliance.
Fairy Bian Si Xuan attacked from the side with Heavy Lifting Gu, throwing broken formation stones like mountains.
Fairy Fen Meng released strength qi and struck at the weakened defensive lines.
Fairy Huang Sha and Fairy Qing Suo stayed behind the main attackers, using mortal killer moves carefully and avoiding overexposure.
Fang Ming himself stood in the air, using Tyrannical Push from time to time, neither too weak nor too overwhelming.
Not yet.
Dong Fang Chang Fan raised Miniscule Mountain.
A small green mountain floated above his palm.
Inside it, the miniman Gu Immortal acted. Rule path power spread outward.
Big to Small.
The incoming attacks shrank as they approached. Ice dragons became ice snakes. Giant hands became ordinary palms. Flowers of destruction withered before touching him.
Old Lord Can Yang stood nearby, his yellow-green flames flickering.
Life chasing fire moved like a poisonous spirit. Whenever an attacker pressured Dong Fang Chang Fan too heavily, the fire chased them, forcing them to retreat or defend.
The demonic immortals quickly felt the difficulty.
Dong Fang Chang Fan had Jade Pool blessed land's authority.
He had Miniscule Mountain.
He had Old Lord Can Yang.
Even after possession, even while unstable, he was still Dong Fang Chang Fan.
But instability was the key.
Fang Yuan was still looting.
While others fought, he swept through a pool at the edge of the battlefield and took a group of pale blue scripture koi. These fish had scales like written characters, and they carried wisdom path aura.
The moment the fish vanished, Dong Fang Chang Fan's body froze.
His face twisted.
Another voice erupted from his mouth.
"My scripture koi! I spent eighty years nurturing them! Thief! Thief!"
The voice was not Dong Fang Chang Fan's.
It belonged to one of the sacrificed Dong Fang tribe Gu Immortals.
Everyone noticed.
Fang Yuan laughed loudly. "See? This is a battle tactic! I am triggering the suppressed wills inside him!"
The surrounding demonic immortals nearly spat blood from anger.
But he was not wrong.
Dong Fang Chang Fan lost control for an instant.
His body rushed forward, directly toward Fang Yuan.
His eyes were hysterical.
"Return them!"
Fang Yuan's expression changed slightly, but he reacted instantly. Strength path giant hands formed and flew forward while his body retreated.
Dong Fang Chang Fan charged after him.
The battlefield split.
Old Lord Can Yang's expression changed.
"Dong Fang Chang Fan!"
He immediately moved to support him.
This was the moment Fang Ming had been waiting for.
Dong Fang Chang Fan had separated from Old Lord Can Yang.
Old Lord Can Yang wanted to reunite with him.
If the two joined again, Dong Fang Chang Fan would regain his previous advantage.
Fang Ming stepped forward.
Golden Specters Gu shone inside his aperture.
Myriad Clones erupted.
Ten.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Three hundred.
Tyrannical armored clones appeared around Fang Ming like a black tide. Their bodies were solid, their armor heavy, their eyes filled with basic awareness. They were not mindless shadows.
They rushed toward Old Lord Can Yang.
Old Lord Can Yang's gaze sharpened.
"Clones?"
He waved his sleeve, yellow-green flames spreading outward.
The first group of clones charged through the fire.
Some burned.
Some cracked.
But they did not retreat.
Then the clones raised their arms.
Mortal killer moves activated.
Tyrannical Push.
One mortal killer move was nothing to Old Lord Can Yang.
Ten were annoying.
A hundred became pressure.
Three hundred became a wall.
Invisible strength pushed from every direction. Fang Ming himself joined them, activating immortal-level Tyrannical Push. The combined force struck Old Lord Can Yang and forced him away from Dong Fang Chang Fan.
Old Lord Can Yang's expression finally changed.
These clones could use killer moves.
Not just fists.
Not just bodies.
Killer moves.
The surrounding Gu Immortals saw this and felt their hearts shake.
"What kind of clone method is this?"
"They can use killer moves?"
"Three hundred bodies, all attacking with coordination…"
Even Unfettered Scholar's eyes narrowed.
Fang Ming's pressure in this instant was not ordinary rank seven battle strength.
It was battlefield suppression.
Pure, direct, numerical suppression.
Old Lord Can Yang tried to break through.
Life chasing fire shot toward Fang Ming.
The yellow-green flame ignored distance strangely, locking onto life force. Fang Ming's expression tightened. Inside his aperture, vitality shook. Some mortal beasts screamed and died. Patches of grassland withered. Several prepared resource groups were damaged.
The fire was attacking his foundation.
Fang Ming endured it.
He did not retreat.
The loss hurt, but this was not a normal exchange.
He had come prepared to pay.
The 300 clones pressed harder.
Old Lord Can Yang was pushed farther and farther away from Dong Fang Chang Fan. At first, it was only dozens of steps. Then hundreds. Then an entire section of the battlefield opened between them.
Dong Fang Chang Fan was still rushing toward Fang Yuan, his mind disturbed by the elder will.
Fang Yuan retreated while defending, using strength path giant hands to block and delay.
The demonic immortals saw the chance and attacked Dong Fang Chang Fan more fiercely.
Fairy Li Shan also acted, using her methods to obstruct the battlefield and prevent Old Lord Can Yang from returning easily.
But Fang Ming was the one truly stopping him.
Old Lord Can Yang's face darkened.
"Move aside!"
Fire surged.
The clones crashed into it.
Fang Ming followed behind them.
Tyrannical Push pressed again.
Old Lord Can Yang retreated another distance.
In the distance, a flock of eagles crossed the sky.
Mortal eagles.
Rank three.
Rank four.
Some rank five.
Only the silver crown eagle had desolate beast aura.
Old Lord Can Yang noticed them, but did not care.
Mortal beasts were nothing.
Even if they attacked, they could not break his defenses. Compared to Fang Ming and the 300 clones in front of him, the eagle flock was meaningless.
That was what he thought.
The eagles passed behind him.
Then the feathers moved.
One armored clone appeared beneath a giant eagle's wing.
Then another.
Then ten.
Then dozens.
A hundred tyrannical armored clones revealed themselves from the eagle flock.
Immortal killer move auras erupted behind Old Lord Can Yang.
Old Lord Can Yang turned his head.
For the first time, fear flashed in his eyes.
A hundred clones raised their hands at the same time.
Single-use immortal tattoo killer move.
Tyrannical Crash.
At the front, Fang Ming and 300 clones used Tyrannical Push together.
The force did not aim to injure Old Lord Can Yang.
It aimed to hold him.
To push him.
To force him directly into the attack behind him.
Old Lord Can Yang roared.
Flames covered his body.
Defensive killer moves activated one after another. A fire robe appeared. A golden light shield unfolded. A layer of ash-colored armor formed over his skin. His aura erupted with all the depth of a famous rank seven expert.
But he had no room to dodge.
The hundred Tyrannical Crash attacks landed.
For an instant, the battlefield lost sound.
Then light erupted.
The explosion swallowed Old Lord Can Yang.
A terrifying shockwave burst outward. Pools were overturned. Mountains cracked. Forests bent flat. Defensive formations shattered like glass. Space at the edges of Jade Pool blessed land split open in thin black cracks.
Every Gu Immortal nearby stopped.
Even Dong Fang Chang Fan froze for a moment.
The smoke rose like a black-red mushroom, covering half the sky.
No one spoke.
No one believed a rank seven Gu Immortal could survive being struck directly by a hundred immortal killer moves.
Not one.
A hundred.
Stacked at the same moment.
At the center.
A cry rang out.
The silver crown desolate eagle dove into the smoke with Fang Ming on its back.
Several breaths passed.
Then the eagle shot out from the other side, flying toward one of the spatial cracks at the edge of Jade Pool blessed land.
On its back, Fang Ming stood with one hand pressed downward.
A sealed aperture shadow trembled beneath his palm.
He was preventing Old Lord Can Yang's immortal aperture from falling and forming a blessed land.
The meaning was clear.
Old Lord Can Yang had fallen.
The battlefield was silent.
Old Lord Can Yang was not an ordinary rank seven. He was a famous Central Continent Gu Immortal, a member of Immortal Crane Sect, powerful even among rank seven experts. His life chasing fire had forced Unfettered Scholar to retreat repeatedly.
But Fang Ming had killed him.
Through pressure, positioning, and clones hidden among the mortal eagles, an unprecedented hidden immortal killer move combination was prepared.
Through a killing plan prepared from the beginning.
The Eagle Sect Gu Immortals began retreating.
Fairy Bian Si Xuan, Fairy Fen Meng, Fairy Huang Sha, and Fairy Qing Suo moved under the protection of remaining Myriad Clones. No one stopped them.
No one dared.
Those clones had just shown two terrifying facts.
They could use mortal killer moves.
And some of them could carry immortal killer moves.
Who would rush forward and test whether more were hidden?
Hei Lou Lan stared at the smoke, speechless.
Fairy Li Shan's expression had changed completely.
They knew Fang Ming was young.
They knew he had not even passed his first hundred-year calamity.
Yet he had just slaughtered a rank seven Central Continent expert in front of everyone.
Fang Yuan was silent.
His eyes were fixed on the retreating clones.
Myriad Clones.
That move had used his Myriad Self as a template.
If Fang Ming's clones could develop to this degree, then Myriad Self also had a future beyond his current Giant Hand.
Clones that could use killer moves.
Clones that could carry prepared immortal attacks.
Clones that could be hidden, positioned, and detonated at the perfect moment.
The idea was terrifying.
But Fang Yuan quickly suppressed the thought.
The cost had to be enormous.
He estimated silently.
At least three hundred immortal essence stones.
Perhaps more.
He did not know he was still underestimating it.
Fang Ming had spent around five hundred immortal essence stones on the immortal tattoo clone barrage alone. The 300 clones using mortal killer moves had cost another fifty immortal essence stones.
Around five hundred and fifty immortal essence stones.
For one attack.
A single, overwhelming, wasteful, brutal attack.
But Fang Ming did not regret it.
On the silver crown eagle's back, Fang Ming held the sealed aperture shadow steady as the wind blew against his robes.
Old Lord Can Yang's body was gone.
His aperture was being sealed.
His soul would be searched.
Life chasing fire.
That was the true target.
Jade Pool blessed land was profit.
Old Lord Can Yang was research.
From the beginning, Fang Ming had not only come to rob a super force's home.
He had come to kill a fire.