On Qing Mao Mountain, only three people remained alive: Lord Sky Crane, Bai Ning Bing, and Fang Yuan, who had spared them. Fang Yuan glanced at Lord Sky Crane, who looked at him with fear, then took the Blood Skull Gu from his aperture and held it in his hand.
Lord Sky Crane's eyes sparkled with greed as he looked at the Gu.
"Do you want it?" Fang Yuan asked.
Lord Sky Crane nodded, but inside, he remained cautious of Fang Yuan. Anyone who could reach Rank 5 before the age of 30 was considered a genius, often possessing rare and powerful Gu to outmatch their peers. And here stood a boy not yet 18, already a Rank 5 Upper Stage Gu Master.
If he revealed this to others, they would likely think he was joking. How could he explain that this young man had achieved what took him 70 years—the status of genius within their sect?
This was why he stayed alert around Fang Yuan. A genius was believed to be blessed by heaven, capable of extraordinary feats and turning the tide of any battle. Even though Lord Sky Crane himself was a Rank 5 Peak Stage Gu Master, he was wary and had been defeated by Fang Yuan, who was technically a rank below him as a Rank 5 Upper Stage Gu Master.
Fang Yuan looked at Lord Sky Crane, nodded, and asked, "What's in it for me?"
Lord Sky Crane was momentarily stunned. Then it hit him—why would someone like Fang Yuan, who had already reached Rank 5 before turning 18, need a Gu Worm that enhances talent? He suspected that Fang Yuan must possess either an extreme A-grade talent or perhaps even one of the legendary Ten Extreme Physiques. But even then, how could someone advance so quickly? He recalled that even the most gifted genius he'd known took around 30 years to reach Rank 5.
Still, he couldn't question it openly. Based on what First Gen Gu Yue had said earlier, this boy was a descendant of his old brother and had managed to fool the entire clan.
After a moment of thought, Lord Sky Crane said, "You've likely been cultivating here in this remote mountain and don't know much about the world beyond."
"I come from the Central Continent. There are countless powerful sects and prodigies—"
Fang Yuan interrupted him, "What can you offer me in exchange?"
Lord Sky Crane frowned, then retrieved several Rank 5 Gu Worms from his aperture and displayed them.
"These are mine. We can trade Gu Worm for Gu Worm," he offered.
Fang Yuan smirked internally. Among the collection, he spotted a Rank 5 Enslavement Gu and other similar ones. Yet, he shook his head and returned the Blood Skull Gu to his aperture.
Flustered, Lord Sky Crane quickly said, "You can choose two."
Still, Fang Yuan declined.
"Take all of them!" Lord Sky Crane pleaded, sweating.
Fang Yuan replied coolly, "Nothing you have is worth my time."
Then, after a short pause and a glance at Bai Ning Bing—who stood in shock, mouth agape—Fang Yuan continued, "You said you're from the Central Continent, filled with powerful sects?"
Lord Sky Crane, uneasy, nodded.
Pointing at Bai Ning Bing, Fang Yuan said, "He has the Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique."
"I'll sell him to you. As for the price... I'll collect it later."
"What?!" Bai Ning Bing shouted in disbelief, but Fang Yuan gave him no chance to resist. He struck the back of his neck, knocking him out cold.
Lord Sky Crane stared, dumbfounded, lips twitching. He opened his mouth to protest, but Fang Yuan cut in, "If you don't want to buy him, fine. Someone else will. I'll just have to kill you then."
Lord Sky Crane clenched his teeth and cursed silently.
Shameless. Absolutely shameless.
Finally, Lord Sky Crane muttered, "Blood Skull Gu—"
"I'll sell it to you when I come back for my payment," Fang Yuan interrupted again. "Now, where are you from?"
After a deep breath, Lord Sky Crane answered, "Immortal Crane Sect."
"Good." Fang Yuan activated his wings and soared into the sky.
"Central Continent. Immortal Crane Sect. I'll remember that," he said before vanishing into the clouds.
Left behind, Lord Sky Crane clenched his fists in frustration. But as he looked at the unconscious Bai Ning Bing, some of that anger faded. After all, the Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique was one of the Ten Extreme Physiques—mentioned even in the legends of Ren Zu.