"Youngster Tie Aotian greets Lord Divine Investigator and this esteemed elder. Does Lord Divine Investigator have any instructions?" Tie Aotian took a deep breath, then bowed respectfully, speaking in a humble tone.
Tie Xueleng nodded, a slight smile on his face. He turned to Liu Chen beside him and introduced, "This is Lord Liu Chen. Thanks to his rescue this time, otherwise, I'm afraid I would have met with disaster."
Upon hearing this, Tie Aotian quickly bowed to Liu Chen again, gratefully saying, "Thank you, Lord Liu Chen, for saving Lord Divine Investigator. My Tie Family will certainly repay this kindness."
Liu Chen smiled and waved his hand, humbly indicating that it was merely a small effort.
Although Liu Chen's true age was still under twenty, due to the effects of the Three Watches Gu on him, his outward appearance was already that of a robust man in his thirties. Not to mention that all the people of the Gu Yue Clan were dead; even if they weren't, no one would be able to recognize him.
His only drawback now was that his body still retained a Bloodline originating from the same source as Fang Yuan. This Bloodline was not an issue now, but at the Gu Immortal stage, it could easily be sensed, or even used to track or attack him.
However, this drawback was not yet apparent.
Tie Xueleng then asked, "Have you seen Ruo Nan?" A hint of urgency was in his voice.
Tie Aotian hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Lord Divine Investigator, Younger Sister Ruo Nan's condition was not good, so I have already sent people to escort her back to Tie Family City."
"Then I can rest assured!" Tie Xueleng's voice revealed a sense of relief. His tightly strung nerves finally relaxed a little at this moment, as if a heavy stone had fallen from his heart.
"Tie Aotian, that unlucky fellow who was blown up by the Scorching Thunder Potato Gu!" Liu Chen suddenly realized, Tie Aotian's figure instantly appearing in his mind. Thinking of his tragic encounter, Liu Chen couldn't help but feel pity, but more than that, he felt this person was truly too unlucky.
"The treasure chest on him? Let's forget about it, I don't want to get involved with all that bad luck." Liu Chen shook his head, completely uninterested in the silver treasure chest on Tie Aotian.
Liu Chen looked up ahead; Qing Mao Mountain was already within reach. With a thought, the hidden reconnaissance Gu worms, as if receiving a command, flew out from various corners and gathered around him.
Among these Gu worms was the Shadow Recording Sound Retaining Gu, which recorded the entire battle scene. This Gu worm was like a small camera, capturing every detail of the battle.
However, Liu Chen would not let this Gu worm faithfully record all the footage. He subtly manipulated it, erasing the scenes of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing fighting desperately from the Shadow Recording Sound Retaining Gu's record, retaining only the fierce battle between Gu Yue Yi Dai and Celestial Crane Elder.
This way, when the Tie Family saw this footage, their attention would be completely drawn to the fierce battle between Gu Yue Yi Dai and Celestial Crane Elder, overlooking the existence of Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing. Thus, Liu Chen could successfully shift the spearhead of the Blood Sea True Inheritance to the Immortal Crane Sect, letting them bear all of it.
"Brother Liu, these Gu worms..." Tie Xueleng focused his gaze, a wave of surprise rising in his heart. He was not unfamiliar with these Gu worms, recognizing their origin and purpose at a glance.
Now his cultivation had fallen to Four-Turn, while Liu Chen was a dignified Fifth Rank Gu Master, their statuses naturally incomparable. He naturally wouldn't demand it forcefully, hence his indirect approach.
Therefore, when Tie Xueleng asked, his tone was quite respectful, not daring to show any neglect.
In this Gu World, everything was based on strength.
Seeing this, Liu Chen's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a faint smile. He seemed quite satisfied with Tie Xueleng's attitude and said softly, "Brother Tie is too polite. As for this Gu worm, I can give it to you. However, I also need to keep a copy, for future needs."
With that, Liu Chen casually handed the Gu worm to Tie Xueleng, as if it were not something precious.
Tie Xueleng quickly thanked him, "Brother Liu is so generous, my Tie Family will certainly not betray Brother Liu's trust!"
He was not pretentious, directly reaching out to take the Gu worm, then quickly refined it and stored it in his Aperture.
"No need to be so polite? Lord Divine Investigator Tie's reputation is far-reaching, and I am naturally willing to be friends with the Tie Family. What is a mere Gu worm? When I came out this time, I thought there would be few Gu Masters in the Southern Border, but I didn't expect to meet three Fifth Rank Gu Masters all at once. This truly makes me feel a bit ashamed!" Liu Chen waved his hand with a smile, seemingly a little embarrassed by Tie Xueleng's politeness.
Seeing this, Tie Xueleng's good impression of Liu Chen grew a few more points, and he quickly said, "Brother Liu's righteousness, I, Tie Xueleng, will never forget. Today, thanks to Brother Liu's help, not only was my life saved, but I was also gifted such a precious Gu worm. This great kindness, Tie Xueleng will certainly remember."
With that, Tie Xueleng looked at Tie Aotian beside him and instructed, "Aotian, quickly go to Qing Mao Mountain and search again to see if there are any survivors. If you can find Gu Yue Yi Dai's body, be sure to bring it back to the Tie Family. Brother Liu and I will return to Tie Family City first. After you return, we will discuss the follow-up matters together."
Tie Aotian acknowledged, turned, and led the Tie Family's Gu Master team galloping towards Qing Mao Mountain, his figure quickly disappearing into the forest.
"Let's go, Brother Liu." Tie Xueleng said immediately.
The two also directly accelerated towards Tie Family City, Mount Myriad Miles, advancing rapidly... Meanwhile, after a series of hardships, Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing finally successfully escaped from the Red Dragon River. They stood panting on a beach, feeling the soft sand under their feet and the sea breeze blowing.
As expected, Fang Yuan's cultivation had fallen to Rank 1. However, unlike the original plot, he now possessed a complete set of powerful Gu worms. These Gu worms included various functions such as attack, movement, defense, and healing, their luxuriousness far exceeding the original setting, all thanks to the angel investor "Flower Wine Ascetic".
If it weren't for his cultivation falling to Rank 1, Fang Yuan would have been fully capable of abandoning Bai Ningbing and acting alone. After all, this set of Gu worms gave him a considerable advantage.
Just then, Bai Ningbing suddenly spoke, her voice cold and revealing a hint of urgency: "Fang Yuan, where are we going next? Quickly give me the Yang Gu!" Clearly, her desire for the Yang Gu had reached an impatient level.
However, Bai Ningbing also knew very well in her heart that if she couldn't forcefully snatch it, she would probably have already acted.
After all, transforming from a pure man into a big-chested beautiful girl was truly an unacceptable fact for a prodigy like her.