Chapter 166: The Shadow of a Dead Fire
A few days later.
Northern Plains.
Near the place where Gu Immortal Chang Fan had died, the wind was cold and dry. The ground was uneven, with old battle scars still faintly remaining. From time to time, Gu Immortals appeared nearby, righteous and demonic alike. Some stayed for a short while. Some used investigative killer moves. Some tried to sense traces of Immortal Gu aura in the air.
Most left disappointed.
Chang Fan's immortal aperture had already formed a blessed land, but entering it was not easy. Dong Fang Chang Fan's arrangements had hidden many things, and after his death, the area became even more chaotic. Too many forces had come. Too many traces had been disturbed.
But far away from those scattered Northern Plains Gu Immortals, a group of Central Continent immortals remained hidden.
They had concealed themselves using Black Heaven Temple's immortal killer move, defending day and night. Their figures were covered, their auras were hidden, and even their divine senses were carefully restrained.
Fairy Ling Mei looked toward the distance and frowned.
"The target has still not appeared."
Beside her, Fairy Ao Xue remained silent. Her expression was cold, but her eyes revealed faint impatience.
They had waited for several days.
They had come to Northern Plains for the truth behind Eighty-Eight True Yang Building's collapse. They had followed clues, pursued suspects, and investigated Dong Fang Chang Fan's arrangements. But after so many twists, their true target still remained covered in fog.
Old Man Tian Long snorted softly.
"If the culprit was easy to catch, Feng Jiu Ge would not have gathered us here."
His tone was calm, but there was pride hidden within it. The ten great ancient sects of Central Continent had sent elites. Each of them was a rank seven Gu Immortal, and among rank seven, none of them were weak.
Even in Northern Plains, they were not people who could be ignored.
Chen Zhen Chi crossed his arms. His wings were folded behind him, but a faint sharpness could still be felt from his body.
"We have waited here long enough. Jade Pool blessed land has already been robbed. Snowy Mountain has moved. Fairy Li Shan disappeared after obtaining Miniscule Mountain. The longer we wait, the colder the clues become."
Old Oracle closed his eyes, his fingers moving faintly.
"I made a deduction earlier. The clues around Jade Pool blessed land are much heavier than the clues here."
Hong Chi Ming nodded slightly.
"Dong Fang tribe's foundation was not shallow. Even if Jade Pool blessed land has already been looted, the place should still hold traces. Especially after Dong Fang Chang Fan returned there."
Fairy Ling Mei said, "Then we should go there."
Old Man Tian Long frowned.
"You speak as if Jade Pool blessed land is an empty field. Northern Plains is not Central Continent. The demonic immortals there might not have left yet."
Chen Zhen Chi laughed coldly.
"Are we afraid of a few Northern Plains demonic immortals now?"
No one answered immediately.
If this question had been asked several days ago, someone would have replied with disdain.
But now, no one spoke too quickly.
The reason was simple.
Old Lord Can Yang had still not returned.
He had gone to Jade Pool blessed land with Dong Fang Chang Fan. He had been following Immortal Crane Sect's arrangements. He was not an ordinary rank seven. His life chasing fire was famous even in Central Continent. Among everyone here, there were not many who could say they were stronger than him.
Yet his messages had gone silent.
The divine senses in the hidden space became heavy.
At this moment, the concealment killer move rippled slightly.
A figure appeared.
He was an Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal. His expression was pale, and his aura was unstable. He had clearly rushed here with all his strength.
The moment he appeared, every gaze turned toward him.
Feng Jiu Ge, who had been standing quietly at the side, opened his eyes.
"What happened?"
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal cupped his fists.
His voice was low.
"Old Lord Can Yang is dead."
The hidden space fell silent.
Even the wind outside seemed to stop.
Fairy Ling Mei's expression changed.
Fairy Ao Xue's eyes narrowed.
Old Man Tian Long straightened his back.
Chen Zhen Chi's smile vanished.
Bu Fei Yan, who had not spoken much from the start, finally raised her head.
Old Oracle's fingers froze.
Dead.
For mortals, death was common.
For Gu Masters, death was also common.
But for a rank seven Gu Immortal like Old Lord Can Yang, death was not common at all.
The higher one's cultivation, the harder they were to kill. Gu Immortals had immortal apertures, movement killer moves, defensive methods, trump cards, and sect support. A rank seven expert with a famous immortal killer move could be defeated, could be forced to retreat, could be injured, but killing him was another matter.
Old Lord Can Yang had died in Northern Plains.
For a moment, the pride of Central Continent's elites was shaken.
Old Man Tian Long's voice became deep.
"How?"
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal took out an information path Gu.
"This is a reconstructed battle record. It was pieced together from battlefield traces, witness information, broken scene-recording Gu, and Immortal Crane Sect's own methods. It is not complete, but the core scene is clear."
He paused.
"Everyone should see it for yourselves."
The information path Gu flew into the air.
Light spread.
A hazy battlefield appeared before them.
The image was not stable. Some parts were blurred. Some parts shook violently. There were missing sections, broken sounds, and distorted immortal auras. But to Gu Immortals, this was enough.
Jade Pool blessed land appeared in the record.
Mountains were broken. Pools were overturned. Forests were torn apart. Formations flickered in ruins. Demonic Gu Immortals were scattered across the battlefield, some fighting, some retreating, some still trying to snatch resources under the chaos.
Then Dong Fang Chang Fan appeared.
His face twisted suddenly. A suppressed elder will had erupted within him. His expression became hysterical, and his body rushed toward a direction with obvious killing intent.
The record shifted.
In that direction, Fang Yuan was stealing resources.
The Central Continent immortals watched silently.
Old Oracle muttered, "So that is the immortal zombie."
No one interrupted him.
Dong Fang Chang Fan rushed toward Fang Yuan, and Old Lord Can Yang moved to reunite with him. Life chasing fire flickered around his body, bright and dangerous.
At this moment, another figure stepped forward.
The image was blurred, but they could still see him.
He wore armor. His body was tall and oppressive. His aura was strength path, but it did not feel crude. Instead, it was heavy, controlled, and prepared.
Behind him, golden shadows spread.
One clone appeared.
Then ten.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
In the blink of an eye, around three hundred tyrannical armored clones filled the battlefield.
The Central Continent Gu Immortals' expressions changed.
The record shook violently.
The three hundred clones moved at once.
Their movements were not chaotic. They were not simple puppets. They advanced, shifted, surrounded, and pressured Old Lord Can Yang from different angles.
Then they attacked.
A wave of strength path force erupted.
The first reaction from the Central Continent immortals was disbelief.
Fairy Ling Mei blurted out, "Immortal killer moves?"
Old Man Tian Long's face darkened.
"Three hundred clones using immortal killer moves?"
Even Chen Zhen Chi's eyes widened.
For a moment, no one spoke further.
Because if this was true, then the meaning was too terrifying.
Three hundred clones.
Three hundred immortal killer moves.
Even among rank eight Gu Immortals, such a method would be shocking.
The image continued.
Old Lord Can Yang was forced back. Life chasing fire surged, striking at the mysterious strength path Gu Immortal, but the man did not retreat. Some of his clones were burned. Some collapsed. Some continued pressing forward even as their bodies broke apart.
Old Lord Can Yang was being driven away from Dong Fang Chang Fan.
Step by step.
Layer by layer.
The pressure was not sudden. It was controlled.
Feng Jiu Ge watched without blinking.
His expression was calm, but his eyes had become sharper.
"No," he said suddenly.
Everyone turned to him.
Feng Jiu Ge continued, "The three hundred frontal clones are not all using immortal killer moves. Most of them are using mortal killer moves, but they are supported by an immortal method. The true immortal killer move aura has not erupted yet."
The others focused again.
After Feng Jiu Ge pointed it out, they noticed the difference.
The three hundred clones' attacks were powerful, but not at true immortal killer move level individually. Their terror came from number, coordination, and the immortal foundation behind the clone method.
But before the Central Continent immortals could breathe in relief, the record changed.
Old Lord Can Yang had been forced toward another part of the battlefield.
There, a flock of giant eagles was flying.
Most of them were mortal-level beasts.
Only one silver crown eagle had desolate beast aura.
Old Lord Can Yang clearly noticed them, but he did not treat them as the main threat. At his level, mortal beast groups were only obstacles. Even a desolate beast was not enough to decide the battle.
Then the eagles' feathers moved.
From within the thick feathers of the giant eagles, armored figures emerged.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Dozens.
Nearly a hundred tyrannical armored clones revealed themselves at the same time.
The Central Continent immortals felt their hearts tighten.
These hidden clones were different.
Immortal killer move auras erupted from them.
One hundred auras rose together.
Tyrannical.
Violent.
Direct.
Like a hundred falling mountains.
Old Lord Can Yang finally reacted. Defensive methods appeared around him. Life chasing fire surged madly. His body tried to move, but from the front, the three hundred clones and the mysterious Gu Immortal pressed him with strength path force.
From behind, the hidden clones unleashed their attacks.
The record became white.
The entire image shook.
A terrifying explosion swallowed everything.
Even though this was only a reconstructed record, the Central Continent immortals could almost feel the destructive pressure from that moment. Space cracked. Earth overturned. Pools rose into the sky. Mountains split. The scene-recording Gu fragments shattered at this point, leaving only chaotic light and broken sound.
Then the image stabilized slightly.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
The silver crown eagle dove into the explosion's remains.
A few breaths later, it flew out toward a spatial crack.
On its back, the mysterious strength path Gu Immortal held something sealed in layers of immortal methods.
Old Lord Can Yang's body was gone.
His immortal aperture had not landed to form a blessed land.
It had been seized.
The record ended.
The hidden space was silent.
No one mocked Northern Plains anymore.
No one mentioned trifling demonic immortals.
No one complained about waiting.
After a long while, Fairy Ao Xue said softly, "Could any of us survive that?"
No one answered immediately.
Old Man Tian Long's expression was ugly.
Chen Zhen Chi's wings shifted slightly.
Bu Fei Yan's gaze flickered.
These people were rank seven experts from Central Continent's ten great ancient sects. They had pride, inheritance, methods, and confidence.
But they also had judgment.
If they were placed in Old Lord Can Yang's position, forced into a trap, suppressed from the front, and struck from behind by nearly a hundred immortal killer moves, most of them would die.
Perhaps some could escape if they noticed the trap earlier.
Perhaps some could survive with special trump cards.
Perhaps Feng Jiu Ge could force his way out.
But those were only possibilities.
Old Lord Can Yang had not been weak.
He had still died.
Fairy Ling Mei's voice was dry.
"This is approaching the might of a rank eight attack."
Old Oracle shook his head slowly.
"No. It is not a pure rank eight killer move. It is accumulation. The attack itself is made from many separate killer moves stacked together. But in that instant, the destructive result is indeed close."
Hong Chi Ming said, "The method reminds me of Heavenly Lord Bai Zu."
The moment this name appeared, several immortals' eyes changed.
Heavenly Lord Bai Zu was a rank eight Gu Immortal of Northern Plains. His clone method was famous. He could create clones that moved independently and used methods of their own. Among Northern Plains experts, he was one of the most troublesome.
Chen Zhen Chi stared at the frozen end of the record.
"Heavenly Lord Bai Zu uses clones, but he does not casually send out hundreds of clones to unleash immortal killer moves."
"Because the cost would be absurd," Old Oracle said.
"Cost?" Fairy Ling Mei looked at him.
Old Oracle's expression was solemn.
"Every immortal killer move needs Gu worms, immortal essence, and a stable structure. If these are one-time-use methods attached to the clones, the cost is even more frightening. Whoever arranged this attack did not care about cost. He used wealth to crush Old Lord Can Yang to death."
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal's expression became even worse.
"Can Yang died under money?"
No one laughed.
That sentence sounded absurd, but it was close to the truth.
The mysterious strength path Gu Immortal had not defeated Old Lord Can Yang through a long duel. He had used timing, positioning, clones, eagle concealment, and an insane number of prepared immortal attacks.
It was not a battle.
It was an execution trap.
Fairy Ao Xue suddenly said, "What cultivation does this person have?"
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal hesitated.
"According to the aura traces left in Jade Pool blessed land… rank six."
The hidden space became silent again.
This silence was even heavier than before.
Rank six.
A rank six Gu Immortal had killed Old Lord Can Yang.
Even if he used preparation, even if he used wealth, even if he used one-time-use immortal killer moves, the result remained unchanged.
A rank six had killed a famous rank seven expert from Central Continent.
Old Man Tian Long's face twitched.
"A rank six should not have this foundation."
Chen Zhen Chi said coldly, "Unless he is not ordinary."
"Of course he is not ordinary," Fairy Ling Mei replied. "A normal rank six would not even dare stand before Can Yang."
Feng Jiu Ge had not spoken for some time.
He raised his hand slightly.
The battle record restarted.
This time, he did not watch Old Lord Can Yang.
He watched the surrounding Gu Immortals.
Fang Yuan.
Hei Lou Lan.
Fairy Li Shan.
Ju Go.
The demonic immortals.
The record was broken, but certain reactions could still be seen.
When the mysterious strength path Gu Immortal attacked, most demonic immortals were shocked. Their bodies retreated. Their defensive killer moves activated instinctively. Even those who had been fighting Dong Fang Chang Fan shifted away from the clone army.
But Fairy Li Shan's reaction was different.
She was shocked too.
But not in the same way.
Her shock was not the shock of seeing a stranger reveal power.
It was the shock of realizing someone familiar had hidden something even deeper.
Hei Lou Lan's reaction was similar, though harsher and more guarded.
Fang Yuan's reaction was also different.
His eyes were fixed on the clones.
Not only fear.
Not only shock.
There was analysis.
There was recognition.
Feng Jiu Ge waved his hand, freezing the image.
His finger pointed toward Fairy Li Shan.
"She knows him."
Old Oracle's brows moved.
"You are certain?"
Feng Jiu Ge said calmly, "Look at her defenses."
The record shifted backward.
At the start of the battle, Fairy Li Shan had fought near Old Lord Can Yang. She was cautious toward the other demonic Gu Immortals. She kept distance from Dong Fang Chang Fan. She guarded against stray attacks.
But when the mysterious strength path Gu Immortal moved, she did not defend against him the same way.
This was subtle.
In a chaotic battlefield, many would miss it.
But Feng Jiu Ge did not.
"She either trusts him, or they have an alliance," Feng Jiu Ge said.
Fairy Ling Mei looked at Fairy Li Shan's frozen image.
"Fairy Li Shan again."
The name had appeared too many times.
She was connected to Snowy Mountain.
She was connected to Hei Lou Lan.
She was connected to the immortal zombie.
She had appeared around the Dong Fang Chang Fan battle.
She had obtained Miniscule Mountain.
Now, she seemed connected to the mysterious killer of Old Lord Can Yang.
Old Oracle closed his eyes and began a deduction.
After a moment, he opened them.
"The threads around Fairy Li Shan are indeed dense."
Chen Zhen Chi looked toward Feng Jiu Ge.
"What do you think?"
Feng Jiu Ge did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the frozen image of the mysterious strength path Gu Immortal.
"Strong strength path methods. Clone army. Eagle beasts. Unknown identity. Rank six cultivation. Enough wealth to use disposable immortal killer moves on a large scale."
His voice was even.
"In Northern Plains, battle strength creates reputation. Strong people become famous through fighting. Even those who hide themselves leave rumors behind. A person with this kind of killer move should not be unknown."
Old Man Tian Long nodded slowly.
"That is true. Northern Plains Gu Immortals fight too often. Even if someone wants to hide, a method like this cannot remain completely unknown."
"But before Jade Pool, who had heard of him?" Feng Jiu Ge asked.
No one answered.
Feng Jiu Ge continued, "This means he is either newly ascended, or he had hidden himself so deeply that no one noticed him until now."
Old Oracle's eyes flashed.
"Newly ascended…"
He understood what Feng Jiu Ge was implying.
The Eighty-Eight True Yang Building incident.
Imperial Court blessed land.
There had been ascensions.
After soul searches and investigation, Central Continent had already gathered some information.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng had ascended.
The immortal zombie had ascended.
And there was another person.
A mysterious mortal who had also ascended inside Imperial Court blessed land.
According to the information they gathered, this third ascender had drawn an especially violent calamity and tribulation. His ascension was abnormal. His traces were incomplete. His identity had remained unclear.
At that time, this clue had been important, but it was buried under too many other clues.
Now, Feng Jiu Ge had pulled it out again.
Fairy Ao Xue looked at the frozen image.
"You think he is the third ascender?"
Feng Jiu Ge said, "It is possible."
Chen Zhen Chi frowned.
"A newly ascended Gu Immortal, even with good aptitude, should not grow this fast."
"Unless he obtained a major inheritance," Feng Jiu Ge said.
The hidden space grew colder.
Old Man Tian Long's expression became serious.
"Giant Sun's inheritance?"
Feng Jiu Ge did not deny it.
"Eighty-Eight True Yang Building was Giant Sun Immortal Venerable's arrangement. If someone ascended inside Imperial Court blessed land during its collapse and obtained a major inheritance, then his sudden rise would have an explanation."
Fairy Ling Mei said, "But strength path, clones, eagles, disposable immortal killer moves… these do not look purely like Giant Sun's methods."
"An inheritance does not need to match every method," Feng Jiu Ge replied. "It can provide resources, Immortal Gu, immortal essence stones, secluded knowledge, or even opportunity. What matters is not whether every method belongs to Giant Sun. What matters is how a rank six gained the foundation to kill Can Yang."
No one refuted him.
Because this reasoning was too reasonable.
They did not know about Fang Ming's copy ability.
They did not know about his aperture's time flow.
They did not know about his tattoo immortal killer moves being developed through his own system.
They did not know how many trades and preparations he had made.
So from their perspective, Giant Sun inheritance was the best explanation.
The unknown rank six had been in Imperial Court blessed land.
Eighty-Eight True Yang Building collapsed.
A mysterious third ascender vanished.
Now, not long afterward, an unknown rank six with absurd wealth and terrifying methods appeared and killed Old Lord Can Yang.
The connection was too tempting to ignore.
Hong Chi Ming exhaled slowly.
"If this is true, then he is not only the killer of Old Lord Can Yang. He is also one of the greatest suspects in the collapse of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building."
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal clenched his fists.
"Then we must find him."
"How?" Bu Fei Yan finally spoke.
Her voice was soft, but it cut through the room.
Everyone looked at her.
She said calmly, "He rides eagles, uses clones, hides his identity, and has already escaped. He can kill Old Lord Can Yang and seal his aperture before anyone could stop him. If he chooses to hide, how do we find him?"
No one answered.
Bu Fei Yan's question was simple, but it struck the heart of the matter.
Feng Jiu Ge turned the record again.
This time, the image stopped on Fairy Li Shan.
"We do not start with him."
Fairy Ling Mei immediately understood.
"We start with Fairy Li Shan."
Feng Jiu Ge nodded.
"There are two lines before us. First, the immortal zombie who sold Water Pavilion-related Gu is one of the key suspects in Eighty-Eight True Yang Building's collapse. Fairy Li Shan is connected to him."
He paused.
"Second, the killer of Can Yang is very likely connected to the same incident. Fairy Li Shan's reaction shows she knows him, or at least knows more than the other demonic immortals."
Old Oracle added, "Both lines lead to Fairy Li Shan."
"Yes," Feng Jiu Ge said.
His tone was calm, but the decision inside it was already firm.
"Find Fairy Li Shan, and we may find the immortal zombie. Find Fairy Li Shan, and we may find the killer of Can Yang."
The Central Continent Gu Immortals exchanged glances.
Fairy Li Shan.
Snowy Mountain blessed land.
Old Ancestor Xue Hu.
The moment these words appeared together, pressure followed.
Old Man Tian Long said slowly, "Fairy Li Shan has returned to Snowy Mountain."
Fairy Ao Xue added, "And Old Ancestor Xue Hu is there."
This time, even Chen Zhen Chi did not speak carelessly.
Old Ancestor Xue Hu was rank eight.
Not just any rank eight.
According to Central Continent's intelligence, he was possibly the strongest rank eight expert in Northern Plains. Even in a region filled with battle maniacs, his battle strength stood at the peak.
Before Old Lord Can Yang died, some of them might still have been bold enough to speak loudly about sneaking into Snowy Mountain.
But now, things were different.
A famous rank seven from their side had already died.
Northern Plains no longer felt like a barbaric land full of crude fighters.
It felt dangerous.
Wild.
Unpredictable.
A place where even an unknown rank six could kill a Central Continent expert if given enough preparation.
Fairy Ling Mei said, "Entering Snowy Mountain is too dangerous."
Old Man Tian Long frowned, but he did not refute her this time.
Old Oracle said, "If Old Ancestor Xue Hu discovers us, retreat may not be easy."
The Immortal Crane Sect Gu Immortal said coldly, "Then Old Lord Can Yang's death goes unanswered?"
"No one said that," Chen Zhen Chi replied. "But charging into Snowy Mountain because of anger is foolish."
The atmosphere became tense.
Everyone understood the importance of the clue.
Everyone also understood the danger.
Feng Jiu Ge looked at them.
"We are not attacking Snowy Mountain."
The immortals quieted down.
Feng Jiu Ge continued, "We observe. We hide. We look for an opening. Fairy Li Shan has obtained Miniscule Mountain. Yao Huang has already moved toward Snowy Mountain to pressure Old Ancestor Xue Hu. When rank eights confront each other, even a stronghold like Snowy Mountain will have flaws."
Old Oracle's eyes brightened.
"You want to use the conflict between Yao Huang and Old Ancestor Xue Hu?"
"Not use," Feng Jiu Ge said calmly. "Wait for it."
Fairy Ao Xue understood.
"If Fairy Li Shan leaves, we capture her. If Snowy Mountain's defenses shift, we enter. If neither happens, we continue observing."
Feng Jiu Ge nodded.
"This is Northern Plains. We should not act as if we are in Central Continent. Here, force alone is not enough. Timing matters."
These words were calm, but no one felt mocked.
Because the battle record was still hanging in the air.
Old Lord Can Yang's death had already proved what timing could do.
A rank six had waited for the exact moment Dong Fang Chang Fan lost control, separated Old Lord Can Yang from his ally, forced him into a prepared position, and destroyed him with overwhelming cost.
That was timing.
That was preparation.
That was Northern Plains' current danger.
The Central Continent Gu Immortals slowly accepted Feng Jiu Ge's plan.
Their pride had not vanished.
But caution had entered their hearts.
Old Lord Can Yang's death had planted a seed of fear among them.
And fear, for Gu Immortals, was not always weakness.
Sometimes, it was survival.
Feng Jiu Ge waved his hand, and the battle record vanished.
Only the final image remained faintly in their minds.
A silver crown eagle flying out of smoke.
A rank six strength path Gu Immortal sealing a rank seven expert's aperture.
A dead fire.
Feng Jiu Ge turned toward the north.
"Prepare to move."
No one objected.
One by one, the Central Continent Gu Immortals concealed their traces again.
Their target had changed.
They had come to investigate Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
They had chased an immortal zombie.
They had watched Dong Fang Chang Fan's death.
Now, because of Old Lord Can Yang's fall, all their clues pointed toward one person.
Fairy Li Shan.
And behind her, two shadows stood.
One was the immortal zombie connected to Water Pavilion.
The other was the unknown strength path Gu Immortal who had killed a fire.