Gazing at the leaden-gray sky, the hesitation on Yuan Fang's face vanished, replaced by a look of sheer determination.
Cold rain poured down, freezing into ice the moment it hit the ground, before instantly transforming into a swirling blizzard that draped the Northern Ice Plain in a vast, hazy silver-white.
Standing in the wind and snow, Fang Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted—he sensed the human qi emanating from Yuan Fang's body, which was as vast and boundless as a great ocean, as deep and immense as a sea of stars, and as towering as an eternal giant standing between heaven and earth!
The thickness of this human qi was truly unprecedented and would likely never be seen again!
Such terrifying human qi did not come from nowhere. It originated from Yuan Fang's legendary life that spanned several worlds: he had walked out of Earth, come from an ancient Eastern nation, stepped through the gates of the Seven Mysteries Sect, and wandered through the flower seas of Yellow Maple Valley; he had once soared through the sea of stars and navigated the intrigues of the Immortal Realm.
He was Yuan Fang—once the Yuan Fang of Huaxia, once the Yuan Fang of the Immortal Realm, and now the Yuan Fang of the Gu World.
He had been a Mortal, toiling for a few pieces of silver and struggling in the mire of life; he had also been a Cultivator, tempering himself in secluded meditation and achieving immortal glory on the line between life and death.
Walking this path, which of the world's hardships had he not tasted? But life is like a game of chess; once a move is made, there are no regrets. Since he had reached this point, he could only take it one step at a time!
At that moment, above the leaden-gray sky, calamity clouds surged and gathered as a wild wind suddenly howled!
"Immortal Path Killer Move — Soul Drawing Into Dream!"
Yuan Fang gave a low shout, and before his voice could fade, he fell into a deep sleep.
This Soul Drawing Into Dream was a Dream Path Immortal Rank Killer Move. Anyone who had read the original work would certainly not find it unfamiliar. In the current Gu World, the use of this move was akin to a dimensional strike.
The specific function of Soul Drawing Into Dream was to drag the target into a woven dreamscape. However, this Killer Move had only locked onto Yuan Fang alone.
Seeing this, Fang Yuan was about to take the sleeping Yuan Fang and flee far away, but unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred in the sky as another disaster crashed down!
"Immortal Path Killer Move — Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
With a thunderous roar, the massive silhouette of a Pegasus suddenly emerged in the sky, shining like a brilliant constellation amidst the clouds. In the next instant, a fist phantom carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth came crashing down!
Fang Yuan's pupils shrank. Without time to think, he held Yuan Fang and retreated like a bolt of lightning!
This Pegasus Meteor Fist was a Strength Path Killer Move created by a certain Otherworldly Demon during the Medieval Mad Transformation period of the Gu World, and it was already at the Rank Seven level. Once this move was activated, the user would be clad in shining golden armor and transform into a Saint Seiya.
Facing such a Killer Move, how could Fang Yuan dare to meet it head-on? He immediately used his strongest movement Killer Move and borrowed Fang Zheng's Gu worms to activate the Transformation Path Killer Move, 'Desolate Beast Flying Bear Transformation.'
His body suddenly expanded, transforming into a Desolate Beast Flying Bear.
Relying on his exquisite life-saving skills, Fang Yuan narrowly dodged countless lethal fist phantoms, yet he was still struck by the aftershocks of two punches, shattering his bones and leaving him heavily injured.
Just as his blood and qi were surging, a heaven-shaking hiss echoed from the depths of the calamity clouds, and an Ancient Sword Flood Dragon lunged out!
"It's actually an Ancient Desolate Beast! Rank Seven battle strength!"
Fang Yuan's heart sank, feeling as if his entire body's blood and qi were about to stagnate. After continuously activating Killer Moves, he was at the end of his rope. What alarmed him even more was a message he had just received—if either he or Yuan Fang died, the other's Soul would immediately Fly Away and Spirit Scatter!
Things had come to this; he could only bite the bullet and fight to the death!
Meanwhile, Heaven's Will, ignorant of Yuan Fang's past, could only cast him into Fang Yuan's dreamscape.
The night on Qing Mao Mountain was deep. Wind and rain swept through the forest of qing mao bamboo, yet Gu Yue Village was still brightly lit by thousands of households. On this very night, the Fang branch gave birth to a pair of male infants; the elder brother was named Fang Yuan, and the younger brother was named Fang Zheng.
Fang Yuan was precocious; he could speak at three months, walk at four, and compose poetry by the age of five. His transcriptions of 'song of liangzhou' and 'bring in the wine' once took the entire Gu Yue Village by storm.
However, at the Aperture Opening Ceremony, he was tested to have C-grade Aptitude, while his consistently unremarkable younger brother, Fang Zheng, actually possessed A-grade Aptitude.
Born as twins, the younger brother was like a reclining dragon ascending to heaven, while the older brother was like a fledgling phoenix falling to the ground.
Ostracized by his brother, Fang Yuan left his hometown and wandered through hardships, eventually ending up in the Eastern Sea. To feed the Gu worms on his body and to survive, he could only risk going into the sea to dig for black oil to earn a living.
At this moment, Yuan Fang was to retrace this perilous path of digging black oil within Fang Yuan's dream. According to Fang Yuan's memories, during this particular excavation, he would be stuck fast by the black oil and nearly lose his life.
Looking at the younger version of himself in the memory, Yuan Fang couldn't help but sigh. His gaze pierced through the physical shell to look at Fang Yuan's aperture. At this time, Fang Yuan had B-grade aptitude and Rank Three cultivation. His silver-white Purple Mansion primeval sea was turbulent, with several Gu worms quietly sleeping within:
Water Breath Gu (Rank Two Water Path Gu worm, allows one to breathe underwater)
Bronze Fork Gu (Rank Two Metal Path Gu worm, condenses a two-pronged bronze fork, an offensive type Gu)
Water Shield Gu (Rank Two Water Path Gu worm, can condense a water shield for defense, but it is currently on its last breath)
vitality leaf (Rank One Wood Path Gu worm, a one-time healing Gu. Fang Yuan had gritted his teeth to buy it weeks ago and had been reluctant to use it—he had been severely swindled by an Eastern Sea merchant to get it)
Additionally, two Gu worm corpses that had long since starved to death lay in the aperture.
Looking at the miserable scene before him, Yuan Fang was speechless and helpless. But to keep the remaining Gu worms alive, he had to brave that deadly path of digging for black oil once more.
He firmly believed that with Fang Yuan's five hundred years of memories, he would definitely succeed this time.
Leaving aside Yuan Fang's perilous oil-digging journey, let's look at Fang Yuan in reality.
By now, he had taken Yuan Fang into his immortal aperture and was fleeing frantically across the Northern Ice Plain. In the sky, Pegasus Meteor Fist, Heart-Shocking Demonic Sound, Ancient Sword Flood Dragon, Phantom Rotation, Hundred Thousand Volts, and Million Volts fell incessantly like raindrops.
Fang Yuan was covered in blood and riddled with wounds. Every breath brought the agony of near-death, as if he were repeatedly jumping back and forth before the Door of Life and Death.
Even with his usual composure, he couldn't help but feel his mental defenses crumbling in the face of this tribulation-like Immortal Ascension.
He was almost certain that he might not survive this terrifying Heavenly Tribulation.
But so what?
The path of retreat was cut off; waiting for death was worse than rising in resistance. However, this resistance was by no means a blind charge fueled by hot-bloodedness—doing something while knowing it's impossible is merely a stupidity called 'passion.'
Fang Yuan had already devised a plan in his heart:
The best way was to stall, to wait. Once the timing was right, he would immediately use Fixed Immortal Travel to escape.
The price of this choice would merely be a slight reduction in the foundation of Yuan Fang's immortal aperture, but to save two lives, this deal was, in his view, a guaranteed profit.
Just then, the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon suddenly spat out dragon breath, and Fang Yuan's thigh was instantly blasted into a bloody mess!
Gritting his teeth, he drove the white bone war chariot in a desperate dash across the ice plain, while simultaneously activating the Giant Sword Talisman and Ice Drill Talisman beside him to strike fiercely at the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon's vitals.
The Heart-Shocking Demonic Sound was like a maggot on a bone, constantly vibrating in his Sea of Consciousness, causing Fang Yuan's vision to dizzy and white foam to leak from the corners of his mouth.
This Killer Move was particularly damaging to those with vigorous blood and qi. Because of this, he didn't dare to activate the Desolate Beast Flying Bear Transformation and could only endure it in his human form.
The threat of the Pegasus Meteor Fist had been resolved—Fang Yuan had Gu Worm 03 sacrifice itself in a suicide explosion; the Hundred Thousand Volts also dissipated with the annihilation of Gu Worm 002.
At this moment, only the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon, Million Volts, Phantom Rotation, and Heart-Shocking Demonic Sound remained in the calamity cloud, still relentlessly entangling him.
Fang Yuan's situation had reached the peak of danger.
Meanwhile, in the dream, Yuan Fang was carefully digging for black oil. Finally, he dug out a large clump of greasy, foul-smelling black oil, which he exchanged for a heavy pile of primeval stones.
Just as he was preparing to use these stones to buy food for the Water Shield Gu, a merman Loose Cultivator blocked his path.
"Hand over all the primeval stones on you! I might spare your life!"
How could Yuan Fang hand over the primeval stones he had risked his life for? Without hesitation, he activated the Bronze Fork Gu, and a sharp, two-pronged bronze fork instantly condensed in his hand as he stabbed fiercely at the merman Loose Cultivator.
"Rank Three Steel Bristle Gu!"
In the next instant, the merman Loose Cultivator's hair grew wildly, covering his body like steel needles and easily blocking the bronze fork's attack. With a wicked smile, he slashed with his right hand, and a golden blade spun towards Yuan Fang.
"Water Shield Gu!"
Yuan Fang shouted, unleashing his final defense. The Water Shield Gu transformed into a translucent curtain of water, barely blocking the incoming golden blade.
A moment later, the golden blade shattered piece by piece, and the water shield disintegrated as well—the Water Shield Gu, which had long been starved to the brink of death, finally breathed its last.
The moment the water shield broke, Yuan Fang's vision went dark, and his consciousness fell into an endless void. He knew he had lost.
His soul, which had reached ten-thousand-man soul level after soul strengthening, suddenly plummeted to nine-thousand-man soul. When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him had reverted to the moment he was confronting the merman Loose Cultivator.
It turned out that in the previous battle, he had already been killed.
Time and again, Yuan Fang fought to the death with the merman Loose Cultivator.
Sometimes he jumped into the water to maneuver, sometimes he took risks for a desperate surprise attack, but each time he suffered a bitter defeat. During the fourth encounter, he even proactively handed over the primeval stones to beg for mercy, but the Cultivator only gave a wicked smile:
"Able to bend and stretch, enduring humiliation for a greater goal, such deep scheming... thinking about it is terrifying. This boy must not be left alive! Golden Blade Gu!"
The golden blade appeared again, and Yuan Fang was decapitated.
After several cycles of Reincarnation, Yuan Fang finally figured out his opponent's background:
This merman Loose Cultivator was a Rank Three high stage Metal Path Gu Master, possessing the Rank Three Steel Bristle Gu and Golden Wound Gu, as well as the Rank Two Golden Blade Gu and Flying Dagger Gu—it was that Flying Dagger Gu that had nearly taken his life in the first encounter.
By the sixth battle to the death, Yuan Fang had reached the brink of victory, but due to the slippery water stains on the ground, his foot slipped, and his efforts were wasted.
With the experience from the sixth time, Yuan Fang was confident that in the seventh great battle, he would definitely be able to slay this scoundrel and escape this damned dreamscape.
The battle in reality had turned for the absolute worst.
The white bone war chariot was completely destroyed, three Giant Sword Talismans were broken, and five Ice Drill Talismans were consumed.
Not long ago, Fang Yuan had summoned Fang Zheng to help, but Fang Zheng's combat experience was too shallow; he couldn't last more than a few rounds before being heavily injured and forced to retreat back into the immortal aperture to recover.
He even released a generation of divine statues, but they were dispersed by a single strike of 'Million Volts,' proving completely useless. At this moment, only one thought remained in Fang Yuan's mind:
He only hoped Yuan Fang would wake up soon so he could immediately activate Fixed Immortal Travel and flee.
That Ancient Sword Flood Dragon was the most troublesome threat.
It possessed Rank Seven battle strength and an incredibly tough Physical Body. Its dragon breath could tear through the ice plain, and its speed was unimaginably fast.
Fang Yuan had already narrowly escaped death several times, relying on Fang Zheng and Clone 01's desperate rescues to barely keep his life.
The only good news was that the intensity of the disaster finally stopped rising. The two Killer Moves, Heart-Shocking Demonic Sound and Phantom Rotation, had already dissipated on their own as their time limits expired.
Now, in the calamity cloud, only the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon and 'Million Volts' remained. The latter, though a Rank Seven Killer Move, was no longer a concern; the true hidden danger was still this Ancient Sword Flood Dragon.
Just then, the calamity clouds suddenly dispersed, and the 'Million Volts' instantly vanished.
Fang Yuan immediately understood—Yuan Fang had finally succeeded in slaying that merman Loose Cultivator and had awakened from the dream!
Seeing Yuan Fang wake up, Fang Yuan even felt a sense of relief. While clumsily dodging the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon's pursuit, he activated Fixed Immortal Travel without hesitation.
Three breaths later, a flash of green light appeared, and Fang Yuan, carrying Yuan Fang, completely vanished from the Northern Ice Plain.
Leaving behind only the Ancient Sword Flood Dragon to roar in helpless rage, spitting a blast of scorching dragon breath at the empty ice plain, shattering the ice layers into pieces.
(Stone Man and Snowmen: ***)
Central Continent, Tian Ti Mountain, Fox Immortal Blessed Land, the peak of Soul Searching Mountain, Kick-Phoenix Cliff.
This cliff was exactly where Giant Sun Immortal Venerable had kicked the Bird-watching Immortal Venerable Feng Jin Huang back in the day.
At this very moment, with a flash of green light, a burly naked man appeared out of thin air. On his shoulders, which were as rugged as mountain ridges, a jade-green butterfly was flapping its wings, shimmering with radiant colors and looking exquisite beyond compare.
Only when his feet touched the soil of the Fox Immortal Blessed Land did Fang Yuan finally breathe a sigh of relief—he knew he had finally escaped.
He then took out the Gu Yue Clan, the damaged mortal gu house, and Yuan Fang. He saw Yuan Fang sitting cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by multicolored air currents, seemingly refining a Gu.
Fang Yuan was greatly surprised: Yuan Fang had no extra earth qi on him, so where did the immortal gu for him to refine come from?
When he saw the multicolored air currents clearly, Fang Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted. He was all too familiar with this aura, but this scene was truly too abnormal.
Yuan Fang was actually using human qi to refine a Gu!
The appearance of that Gu worm became increasingly clear:
It had hands and feet, eyes and a nose, and black hair hanging down to its waist. It looked exactly like Yuan Fang—with a face like jade, fair skin, and thick eyebrows. It was small and exquisite, clearly a miniature version of Yuan Fang.
In the next moment, white light burst forth, and the immortal gu was refined! The majestic aura of rank six instantly swept across the area.
Fang Yuan gazed intently, and the answer was already in his heart.
self gu.