Chapter 172: The Monster in the Fog
The fog of Lang Ya blessed land was not ordinary fog.
Fang Ming stood inside the cloud building and looked through the white mist outside. At first glance, it seemed no different from thick clouds, but when he quietly spread his investigation methods, he immediately felt the layers hidden within it. The fog twisted distance, weakened direction, and blurred perception. Even the sense of height and depth became unreliable after a few dozen steps. A Gu Immortal who rushed in without understanding the formation would not simply be unable to see clearly; his judgment of where he stood, where he had come from, and where he should go next would slowly become wrong.
The cloud building beneath his feet was only a mortal Gu House, but it was also one of the cores of the formation. This was the part that interested Fang Ming most. A mortal Gu House, under the support of the greater formation, was able to affect Gu Immortals. The idea itself was valuable. Mortal structures could become formation nodes. Formation nodes could support each other across distance. A wide battlefield could be made to mislead Gu Immortals without relying on one single immortal method. It was not enough to trap true monsters like Qin Bai Sheng forever, but it was enough to delay, mislead, and separate enemies. To Fang Ming, who was always thinking about how to turn foundations into battle strength, this formation was worth studying.
He did not reveal any of this.
When Lang Ya land spirit had explained the situation, Fang Ming only listened quietly. The twelve cloud buildings were formation cores. Several had already fallen. The remaining ones had to be protected. Fang Ming did not say the name of the formation, nor did he pretend to know more than he should. Knowing too much was not wisdom when others could not understand where that knowledge came from. Sometimes it was better to look like a useful hired helper than someone carrying secrets he should not have.
The cloud building assigned to him had no desolate beast defender.
That suited him.
Fang Ming opened his immortal aperture slightly, and a desolate eagle flew out silently. Its wings stretched in the fog, cutting through the mist as it circled above the cloud building. Its feathers were dark gray with faint metallic lines, and its talons flashed coldly whenever they passed through the white haze. It did not roar or release its full aura at once. Fang Ming only let it show enough power for an enemy to understand one thing: this cloud building was guarded, but not impossible to attack.
After releasing the eagle, Fang Ming vanished into the formation.
His body hid near the cloud building's side, while clones scattered through the nearby fog. Not too many. Around a hundred were enough. He did not intend to make this place look like the Jade Pool battlefield again. Clones and eagles had already been exposed before, so using them was acceptable, but he would not reveal Life Chasing Totem here. Shadow Sect was the enemy. The people invading this blessed land were not random Gu Immortals who could be killed and forgotten. If Shadow Sect gained information about his new methods now, then those methods would lose value at Yi Tian Mountain.
Fang Ming was not here to prove anything.
He was here to observe Lang Ya blessed land's depth, protect enough of the formation to keep the battle going, and see what Long Hair Ancestor's inheritance would reveal under pressure. If a chance appeared, he would take benefits. If danger grew too high, he would retreat. There was no need to die for Lang Ya's pride, and there was even less reason to expose hidden trump cards in front of Spectral Soul's arrangements.
The fog ahead shifted.
A Gu Immortal flew into view.
He was a thin man in a pale blue robe, with narrow eyes and a sharp nose. His sleeves fluttered even when there was no wind, and a faint stream of air circled around his body like an invisible blade. This was Han Yu Fei, a rank six Gu Immortal among the invaders. He was not famous like Qin Bai Sheng, Hei Cheng, or He Lang Zi. If placed in normal times, he would have been one of those ordinary rank six Gu Immortals who survived carefully, avoided major storms, and only dared to show strength when the risk was low.
But today was different.
Han Yu Fei had borrowed power.
Before entering Lang Ya blessed land, Qin Bai Sheng had lent him an Immortal Gu and several immortal killer moves. Han Yu Fei had not owned such methods before. The first time he activated them inside the fog, he felt as if his entire body had become lighter. His movement was sharper, his defense more stable, and his attacks carried true immortal might. Mortal methods could not compare. The gap was like holding a wooden knife one day and an immortal blade the next.
Because of this, his confidence had risen.
When Han Yu Fei saw the desolate eagle guarding the cloud building, his eyes narrowed at first, but soon a trace of excitement appeared. A cloud building was his mission target. Destroying it meant merit. But a living desolate eagle was also wealth. In treasure yellow heaven, such a beast could sell for a good price, especially if captured alive and kept in decent condition. If he destroyed the cloud building and captured the eagle, he would gain both public merit and private profit.
The thought appeared naturally.
Han Yu Fei did not think he was being foolish. The cloud building had only one desolate eagle guarding it. He had borrowed Immortal Gu. He had immortal killer moves. The formation restricted mortal Gu, but that restriction affected defenders too. If he suppressed the eagle quickly, captured it, then destroyed the cloud building, who could say he had delayed the mission? At most, he would take a little more time and earn much more.
He raised his hand.
Wind gathered around his palm and compressed into a pale spiral. The spiral did not look large, but the moment it flew out, the fog around it was drilled open. The desolate eagle folded its wings and dropped suddenly, avoiding the first attack, but Han Yu Fei's other sleeve swept sideways. A second immortal killer move followed immediately. Thin wind threads spread like a net, wrapping toward the eagle's wings.
The eagle cried out and twisted in midair. Its feathers clashed with the wind threads, producing sharp metallic sounds. It was not weak, but Han Yu Fei's borrowed methods were real. The threads did not cut deeply at once, but they restricted the eagle's movement and forced it closer to the cloud building. Han Yu Fei moved forward with a smile. His body turned into a blur, leaving afterimages in the fog as he pressed the eagle from multiple directions.
Inside the hidden formation corner, Fang Ming watched calmly.
Han Yu Fei's movements were much better than an ordinary rank six. His confidence was not empty. Shadow Sect had indeed prepared these people. Even a minor invader could receive borrowed Immortal Gu and immortal killer moves. This was why Fang Ming never judged enemies only by their public reputation. Shadow Sect's resources were vast, and lending tools to temporary pieces was nothing strange for them.
The desolate eagle was gradually pushed down.
A few wind threads wrapped around one of its wings. Han Yu Fei laughed softly, and another immortal killer move condensed in his hands. This one did not aim to kill. It formed a wide transparent ring that descended from above, clearly trying to restrain the eagle alive.
Fang Ming's eyes remained still.
Good.
Han Yu Fei had committed.
The next moment, two more desolate eagles rushed out from the fog.
One came from the left, its claws tearing apart the wind threads that bound the first eagle. The other descended from above, wings spread wide as its talons aimed straight at Han Yu Fei's head. Han Yu Fei's expression changed sharply. He had thought the eagle was the defender. He had not expected two more desolate beasts to be hidden so close.
He reacted quickly. The wind around him exploded, pushing his body backward as the eagle claws passed where his head had been a moment earlier. A layer of green wind armor appeared around him, blocking a feather blade from the first eagle. But before he could stabilize himself, the third eagle rushed from behind, forcing him to move again.
Three desolate eagles.
Han Yu Fei's confidence shook.
If it were one desolate beast, he could suppress it with borrowed Immortal Gu. If it were two, he could still try to kite and find an opening. But three desolate eagles surrounding him near a cloud building was dangerous. He was still rank six. Borrowed power did not change his foundation completely. If he stayed here and fought head-on, one mistake could tear his body apart.
He retreated.
Wind wrapped around his legs and carried him through the fog. He did not flee blindly. He used his immortal movement killer move to keep distance, throwing wind blades and binding threads behind him to delay the eagles. The three desolate eagles pursued, tearing through the fog with sharp cries. Their wings stirred up currents that made the surrounding mist surge like waves.
Han Yu Fei wanted to pull away from the cloud building, then look for a chance to break through the encirclement.
This was exactly what Fang Ming wanted.
As Han Yu Fei retreated past a broken cloud pillar, the fog ahead suddenly darkened.
A figure stood there.
Fang Ming.
Behind him, armored clones emerged one after another. They did not appear in a wild swarm, but in a prepared formation, each clone positioned at a slightly different angle. Their movements were synchronized, and their auras connected through mortal killer moves. The pressure was not as overwhelming as the immortal tattoo barrage used against Old Lord Can Yang, but it was still enough to make Han Yu Fei's scalp tighten.
Fang Ming raised one hand.
A strength path immortal killer move erupted.
At the same time, the hundred clones released mortal killer moves to supplement it. One mortal killer move alone was not much in a Gu Immortal battle, but a hundred coordinated mortal killer moves supporting an immortal attack could still change the force, direction, and timing of the blow. The fog shook. A heavy invisible pressure crashed forward like a wall.
Han Yu Fei tried to dodge, but the three desolate eagles were behind him.
He tried to block, but his wind armor had already been strained by the pursuit.
He tried to activate another immortal killer move, but Fang Ming's timing was too clean.
The strength path attack struck him from the front while the three eagles attacked from behind. Han Yu Fei's wind armor shattered. His body twisted under the impact, and before he could recover, one eagle claw pierced through his shoulder while another tore open his back. Fang Ming's second attack followed immediately. There was no pause, no taunt, and no chance to bargain.
Han Yu Fei died in the fog.
His immortal soul rushed out, moving much faster than an ordinary soul should. It flickered once, almost like a prepared method had activated, then shot into the depths of the mist.
Fang Ming saw it.
He did not chase.
He did not order his clones to stop it.
He did not try to capture it.
Han Yu Fei was connected to Shadow Sect. Shadow Sect came from Spectral Soul's arrangements. Fang Ming had defenses against soul path and wisdom path, but that did not mean he was willing to touch a soul modified by the greatest soul path existence. A gain that carried hidden poison was not a gain. It was a trap waiting to be triggered.
Fang Ming only sealed Han Yu Fei's immortal aperture.
That was enough.
Life Chasing Totem remained hidden.
A moment later, Lang Ya land spirit's voice reached him through the formation.
"You killed one of them?"
There was surprise in his voice, followed quickly by pleasure.
"Good! Very good!"
Fang Ming looked at the sealed immortal aperture in his hand and answered calmly, "The cloud building is still standing."
Lang Ya land spirit clearly became more satisfied. In this invasion, every defender who could truly kill an enemy was valuable. Fang Ming was not merely delaying. He had removed one of the attackers and kept the formation core intact.
Before Lang Ya could say more, another piece of news arrived.
Fang Yuan had killed Xue Song Zi.
For a brief moment, even Lang Ya land spirit seemed to forget his anger and anxiety. Two enemy Gu Immortals had died in a short time. One was killed by Fang Ming, the other by Fang Yuan. The situation was still dangerous, but this at least proved that the defenders were not helpless.
Then Lang Ya land spirit remembered something.
"What about the soul of the one you killed?"
"It escaped," Fang Ming replied.
"Escaped?" Lang Ya land spirit's mood immediately worsened. "Why did you let it escape? His soul could have given us information!"
Fang Ming's tone did not change. "My attainment in capturing souls is low. I do not usually handle immortal souls, and Han Yu Fei's soul was clearly modified. It moved faster than normal the moment it left the body. I could have tried to stop it, but I could not guarantee the result."
Lang Ya land spirit was dissatisfied, but he did not continue pressing. Xue Song Zi's soul had fallen into Fang Yuan's hands, and that soul could still be searched. Losing Han Yu Fei's soul was regrettable, but not enough to overturn the situation.
Far away in the fog, Qin Bai Sheng received the news.
Han Yu Fei had died.
Not long after, Xue Song Zi also died.
Qin Bai Sheng's expression did not change much, but the atmosphere around him became colder. Both Han Yu Fei and Xue Song Zi had borrowed Immortal Gu and immortal killer moves. In direct battle, neither should have died so quickly. The most likely explanation was simple. They had been baited, separated, and killed by ambush.
The cloud buildings were not defended only by beasts and weak Gu Immortals.
There were capable people hidden inside the formation.
Qin Bai Sheng did not waste words. He quickly adjusted his method. Several cloud buildings had already been destroyed, and with the information gathered so far, he had understood part of the formation's structure. Mortal killer moves were unreliable in this place, but with immortal methods supporting them, they could still be used to locate the remaining cloud buildings faster.
The fog shifted again.
Inside his cloud building, Fang Ming suddenly raised his head.
Through the formation's structure and his own hidden observation method, he saw a figure approaching from the fog. The person had not fully emerged yet, and from the other side, he likely had not noticed Fang Ming. But Fang Ming recognized him immediately.
Qin Bai Sheng.
There was no hesitation.
Fang Ming left.
He did not try to test the enemy. He did not attempt to delay him for a few breaths to satisfy Lang Ya land spirit. He did not pretend that defending this cloud building was worth gambling his life. Qin Bai Sheng was not merely a strong rank seven Gu Immortal. He was tied to Spectral Soul, Shadow Sect, soul path arrangements, and methods that Fang Ming had no desire to personally experience before Yi Tian Mountain.
Before Qin Bai Sheng could lock onto him, Fang Ming activated Teleport Gu.
The fog vanished.
Fang Ming appeared beside Lang Ya land spirit.
Lang Ya land spirit turned sharply. "Why are you here? Where is your cloud building?"
"The enemy who arrived there is too strong," Fang Ming said calmly. "I ran."
Lang Ya land spirit stared at him for a breath, then became furious. "You ran? I asked you to defend that place, not abandon it the moment someone appeared! Even if the enemy is strong, you could have stalled for time!"
Fang Ming shook his head. "Not against him."
Lang Ya land spirit's eyes narrowed. "You know him?"
"Qin Bai Sheng," Fang Ming said. "That man is a monster. I cannot fight him. I cannot even safely stall him."
Lang Ya land spirit looked at Fang Ming suspiciously, as if trying to judge whether he was telling the truth or avoiding responsibility. Fang Ming did not bother defending himself further. He had already said what needed to be said. If Lang Ya wanted to think he was cowardly, that was Lang Ya's problem. Fang Ming had not come here to die for a cloud building.
"Send me somewhere else if you still need me," Fang Ming said. "Anywhere away from that monster."
Lang Ya land spirit was still angry, but before he could answer, the pressure from the fog ahead suddenly changed.
The enemy was already closing in.
Lang Ya land spirit's expression twisted. He turned toward a variant human Gu Immortal standing nearby. "Old Mo, go first. Stall them for as long as possible."
The variant human Gu Immortal bowed slightly and flew out of the cloud building.
Fang Ming watched him leave.
He said nothing.
Fang Yuan was also there, his expression serious. He had already changed appearance and was still hiding his true identity from some people present, but Fang Ming knew who he was. Fang Yuan's gaze moved toward the fog, clearly understanding that the next exchange would decide whether Fang Ming's words were exaggeration or truth.
The variant human Gu Immortal had barely approached the enemy.
Golden light burst through the fog.
It was brilliant, sharp, and overwhelming. For a moment, the entire cloud building seemed to be submerged in gold. When the light faded, Qin Bai Sheng stood in the air.
In his hand was a head.
The variant human Gu Immortal's body fell from the sky.
Silence filled the cloud building.
Lang Ya land spirit's expression froze. Fang Yuan's pupils shrank. Mo Tan Sang looked as if someone had struck him in the chest. Even Hei Cheng, who stood behind Qin Bai Sheng in the distance, looked at Qin Bai Sheng with fear and disbelief.
Fang Ming's expression also changed.
But his shock was different.
He already knew Qin Bai Sheng was dangerous. He knew this man was tied to Spectral Soul, and a split soul of Spectral Soul having terrifying strength was not strange. What shocked Fang Ming was the speed. The variant human Gu Immortal had not been careless. He had gone out to stall, prepared to defend, and ready to retreat. Yet Qin Bai Sheng killed him in one move before he could do anything meaningful.
This was not an opponent Fang Ming could test casually.
This was exactly why he had run.
Lang Ya land spirit's anger toward Fang Ming vanished for a moment, replaced by panic.
Fang Yuan reacted quickly. "Retreat!"
Lang Ya land spirit did not argue this time. He grabbed Fang Yuan and Fang Ming, and the three disappeared from the cloud building.
When they reappeared, they were in another cloud building.
Mo Tan Sang was there. He turned around in surprise when he saw them appear so suddenly, but before he could ask anything, he noticed Lang Ya land spirit's expression. Then he looked at Fang Yuan and Fang Ming.
"What happened?"
Fang Yuan's voice was heavy. "The Gu Immortal sent out just now died. Qin Bai Sheng killed him in one move."
Mo Tan Sang's body shook.
For Inkman City and the variant human side, every Gu Immortal was precious. Losing one was already painful. Losing one in a single move, without even delaying the enemy, was worse than painful. It meant the difference in strength had reached a level where ordinary effort could no longer fill the gap.
Mo Tan Sang's face turned pale, but he forced himself to calm down quickly. He was not an ordinary person. He knew that grief had no use at this moment. His gaze shifted to Lang Ya land spirit.
"Lord Lang Ya, can you not use Refinement Cauldron early?"
Fang Ming's eyes moved slightly.
Refinement Cauldron.
Mo Tan Sang continued, his tone urgent, "If the rank eight Immortal Gu House Refinement Cauldron can forcibly refine the Immortal Gu of these enemies, then Qin Bai Sheng and the others will lose their main methods. If we wait longer, they may destroy more cloud buildings before it can take effect."
Fang Ming listened without interrupting, but his attention sharpened completely.
Rank eight Immortal Gu House.
Refinement Cauldron.
Forcibly refine enemy Immortal Gu.
This was exactly the kind of hidden foundation he had come to see.
Lang Ya blessed land's surface defenses were already impressive. Twelve cloud buildings, the fog formation, desolate beasts, land spirit teleportation, and Long Hair Ancestor's accumulation were enough to make ordinary super forces jealous. But Refinement Cauldron was on another level. A rank eight Immortal Gu House that could forcibly refine enemy Immortal Gu was not merely a weapon. It was battlefield control, refinement path dominance, and defensive inheritance fused into one structure.
In this battlefield, the invaders could not use mortal Gu freely. Their strength depended heavily on Immortal Gu and immortal killer moves. If Refinement Cauldron could refine away their Immortal Gu, then even strong Gu Immortals would be weakened drastically. A Gu Immortal without usable Immortal Gu inside a restricted battlefield was like a tiger losing its claws and teeth.
No wonder Lang Ya blessed land had been able to resist so many invasion waves.
No wonder Gu Immortals could be captured alive here.
The true foundation was not only the cloud buildings and desolate beasts. It was Long Hair Ancestor's hidden refinement path inheritance.
Fang Ming's thoughts moved quickly.
He did not think of stealing Refinement Cauldron. That was unrealistic. It was a rank eight Immortal Gu House inside Lang Ya blessed land, controlled by Lang Ya land spirit and tied deeply to Long Hair Ancestor's foundation. Even if Fang Ming had ten times his current strength, stealing it here would be dreaming.
But studying it was different.
To Fang Ming, Immortal Gu Houses were moving formations. They were formations that could defend, attack, move, store Gu worms, coordinate dao marks, and operate as complete battle systems. Refinement Cauldron was even more valuable because it was not a simple offensive Gu House. Its core concept touched forced refinement. If Fang Ming could understand even a fragment of that principle, he might create something useful.
A smaller formation that disturbed enemy Immortal Gu.
A temporary battlefield arrangement that interfered with Gu activation.
A totem inspired by forced refinement.
A weakened imitation made through Virtual Refinement and Counterfeit Copy.
Even one idea could matter.
His power had already reached the short-term ceiling of rank six. Every extra method that could increase his survival chance at Yi Tian Mountain was precious. If Refinement Cauldron's concept gave him even a small edge, then coming to Lang Ya blessed land today had already been worth it.
Lang Ya land spirit paced anxiously. "If I could use it now, would I still be standing here worrying? There is not enough time! Refinement Cauldron is powerful, but it cannot instantly refine their Gu the moment I think of it. They are attacking too fast. More cloud buildings are falling. There is not enough time!"
His panic was real.
Fang Ming watched him and understood.
Lang Ya blessed land had depth, but depth was not the same as complete control. Qin Bai Sheng's pressure had pushed Lang Ya land spirit into disorder. Hidden trump cards existed, but they needed time, structure, and conditions. Shadow Sect had clearly attacked fast precisely to prevent Lang Ya from calmly using his foundation.
Mo Tan Sang's expression became even worse. Fang Yuan remained silent, but his eyes showed thought. Fang Ming did not speak either.
The battle had become more dangerous.
But it had also become more valuable.
Qin Bai Sheng's strength proved that this invasion could not be treated as an ordinary attack. Lang Ya land spirit's panic proved that the blessed land was being pushed harder than expected. Yet because of that pressure, deeper things were finally being revealed. Refinement Cauldron alone was enough to make Fang Ming's trip worthwhile.
He could not get too close to Qin Bai Sheng.
But he could not withdraw too early either.
The closer Lang Ya blessed land came to danger, the more of Long Hair Ancestor's inheritance might surface. The closer Qin Bai Sheng came, the more likely Fang Ming was to lose control of the situation. He had to stay close enough to see the hidden cards, but far enough to avoid becoming one of the sacrifices that proved Qin Bai Sheng's strength.