The Bai and Xiong clans were a bit annoyed that Fang Zheng had reached Rank 4. After all, this meant that Gu Yue Village had two big powerhouses while they had none.
Many in the Bai Clan had hoped that Bai Ning Bing would advance to Rank 4 soon enough, and while she was also on the cusp of advancing, none of them knew that she was actually a sleeper agent for Fang Yuan. So this would not have actually helped them much in the slightest.
The Bei Clan were also not very happy to have learned of this. It would mean attacking Fang Yuan would be even more difficult. And though they had marked the location of another primeval spring, they lacked the firepower of a Rank 5 Gu Master, and it would take them a while to carve a path there with all the beasts that surrounded the area.
With Fang Zheng now at Rank 4, Fang Yuan wanted to relinquish his position of clan head to Fang Zheng and call himself Supreme Elder instead.
He was unsure if this change in title would mean that he would lose his daily Human Path Dao Mark accumulation, but he would test that out later. For now, he gradually began withdrawing his own influence from the village, becoming almost as reclusive as a Gu Immortal. As Fang Zheng took over, he accepted his new role with gusto. He had always wanted to be acknowledged by the village. His dreams filled his head ever since he had regained a great-day aptitude. Fang Zheng did not need to be convinced to take the role of leader of the village whatsoever, because he had always greatly coveted it.
Fang Yuan knew that the position was just an elaborate trap, but to Fang Zheng, it was all that he had always wanted.
Fang Zheng's loyalty towards Fang Yuan was even stronger now because his brother had not abandoned him after he had reached rank five, but continued to nurture him.
Many people wondered how it was that Fang Zheng had managed to advance to Rank 4. There were many theories, but no conclusive ones. Naturally, they would assume that the hand of Fang Yuan was behind all of this. But if that were the case, there was nothing they could do about it!
The only one who knew for sure was Bai Ning Bing, who was noticeably rather annoyed. She said, "I see we've been helping your younger brother grow to Rank 4. You've also been using me to advance using Equality Gu. You'll have to help me in return."
"No, no, Bai Ning Bing," Fang Yuan said. "How have I been using you? I've only been making life easier for you by making it harder for the Northern Ice Soul Physique to re-emerge. And with the Yin Rotation Gu restraining your aptitude will not be able to show its full effect even now. So what have I stolen from you? You couldn't use those Dao Marks anyway."
"You've still been taking time away from me," she answered. She had ninety percent aptitude right now, which should have been more than enough to break through to Rank 4. However, with all this jumping around, no doubt her own cultivation had stalled.
"I want you to also help me advance to Rank Four, like you did with your younger brother."
"Sure, but first..." Fang Yuan said, trailing off.
Fang Yuan never did make good on his agreement to help her, but Bai Ning Bing hadn't expected Fang Yuan to cave that easily.
Bai Ning Bing knew that Fang Yuan was up to something. He often disappeared, even when he wasn't cultivating or doing anything else. She noticed some strange signs around where the Dollhouse was kept. It wasn't until she dug a bit deeper both literally and figuratively that she found a massive tunnel near where the Dollhouse was hidden, which seemed to go on and on forever.
"How did he make this?" she thought to herself, before she remembered the Hundred Li Earthwolf Spider Gu.
"Fang Yuan, where exactly are you digging to?" she asked him later on.
"Oh, it's a good thing you asked," Fang Yuan said, "because I was going to take you with me anyway. There's a certain place I decided would be a great spot for a vacation and for us to make sand castles."
Bing Bing snorted. There had to be something greater going on here. "If you're doing something like this, why use this and not the White Demon Mortal Snake?"
"Because we'll be taking the Dollhouse with us. We'll need it," Fang Yuan said. He was implying that there was something dangerous on the other side, which they might need the Dollhouse for.
What was that place in question for Fang Yuan?
It was the little test that Thieving Heaven had left for him. Although he had checked the location where he had been asked to go - it was a nameless mountain in a nameless cluster of mountains, filled with wildlife, but of no interest to mortals or Immortals, for that matter, something stood out to him.
Even during his previous life, he had not heard of anything significant going on there.
Which is why it sort of befuddled him that there would apparently be an immortal's grave there. It had taken them some time to dig out this tunnel. Fang Yuan was doing so because he was cautious. He could not let the Dollhouse be discovered.
At the same time, if there was something akin to an Immortal method there, his only hope of surviving would be using the dollhouse. Using it, Fang Yuan was relatively assured that they could escape and remain undetected by almost any kind of Immortal beast.
The project was completed soon, given the fact that it was not far from Bei Gu Mountain.
Coincidence? Perhaps not. Fang Yuan was not going to complain.
Both he and Bai Ning Bing traveled inside the dollhouse, while Fang Zheng and Qing Shu held down the fort back at the village for them.
Near the mountain, they emerged from the soil and began drifting along the ground. It was certainly an odd sight, but no one had the ability to watch every single inch of the entire world even if they were an Immortal. So long as no one was directly looking for them, they would not be spotted, as long as they didn't fly too high.
Along the way, they were spotted by a group of stone bison. These bison ate the earth and absorbed the minerals, which were located within it into their skin, making it as hard as stone. The stone bison were annoyed by them entering their territory, but their attacks did little more than shake the Dollhouse.
"It's supposed to be here," Fang Yuan muttered, directing the House Spirit to take them down a cave.
Eventually, they happened upon a section of the cave that seemed to be man-made rather than natural, and they followed it for over eight hours before emerging in a massive cavern.
Fang Yuan's eyes widened as he saw it. The fossilized remains of an Abyssal Earth Dragon Empero! This was without a doubt an Immemorial Desolate Beast, just like Thieving Heaven had said. Its remains had strangely crystallized rather than decomposing, but he was sure that if he could take some of the parts away, they could be sold for a massive amount in Yellow Treasure Heaven as refinement materials.
Bai Ning Bing noted it with curiosity, though she couldn't fully appreciate the extent of its existence.
"That's a very powerful beast, senior brother." the House Spirit said, bouncing around, "Are you sure it's safe here?
"Can we detect anything?" Fang Yuan asked, using the Dollhouse's detection methods. They found no trace of anything other than ordinary mortal beasts.
Fang Yuan frowned. The mystery seemed to deepen. The mere presence of the dragon here should have led to some changes around the mountain. One would naturally assume this might also be its habitat and that it would have laid eggs here. However, they found nothing of the sort.
As they drifted close to the head of the dragon, there was an obelisk. And as they drew closer to the obelisk, something in Fang Yuan's aperture vibrated, and he took out the painting that Thieving Heaven had stored the vial of Dragon Tears. The brush strokes were swirling as if eager to come to life.
"Alright, I think we can draw closer," he said. He had barely finished the sentence when something emerged from the pillar and passed through the window of the dollhouse as if it was made of nothing. It was a purple-pinkish blob, and Fang Yuan too late recognized it as a dream realm as it enveloped him.