— — — — — — — —
Hu Immortal Blessed Land
Fang Yuan sat deep in thought, his mind revolving around Fang Zheng and Heaven's Will.
Heaven's Will was hell-bent on destroying Spectral Soul Demon Venerable's grand plan, and Fang Yuan was the key to it all.
Sure, he was just a pawn in this heavenly game, but as an otherworldly demon, he was also the ultimate wildcard, the biggest variable Heaven's Will had to worry about.
Knowing this, Heaven's Will had placed a counter—Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng wasn't just his brother; he was Heaven's Will's chosen weapon, a carefully placed nemesis meant to stand against him.
Just like in the original timeline, Fang Zheng would eventually create a powerful killer move called Blood-Kin Heart Revenge, made possible with Heaven's Will's help.
This move was a twisted blend of Luck Path, Blood Path, and Human Path. It created a thick cloud of blood that would relentlessly track its target—even without a direct bloodline connection. Once marked, the target's luck would corrode, leaving them vulnerable to Heaven's Will's other attacks.
"If I kill Fang Zheng, Heaven's Will will suspect something's off," Fang Yuan thought, his gaze cold and calculating.
"It'll keep using me against Spectral Soul Demon Venerable, but it'll also make my life harder, constantly targeting me and testing me to ensure I didn't uncover the truth."
His eyes narrowed. "If I kept Fang Zheng here and killed him later, I'd look suspicious to my biggest backer right now."
Fang Yuan stood up, nodding to himself, satisfied with his decision to spare Fang Zheng for now. "I knew it was the right call," he thought, a sly smile forming on his lips.
"I didn't just stop there," he mused, his grin widening as he began talking loudly. "Now, after what I said to Fang Zheng, everything's going to change. I can use him to refine Blood Deity Immortal Gu in the future."
He let out a low, sinister chuckle. "Now that he knows his master wanted his body, he'll start doubting everything. And what I said about wanting to save him... those doubts will only grow."
"Just like any human, he'll want to believe that someone cares about him. And right now, I'm his only option."
A burst of laughter echoed through the blessed land. "Hahahaha! Everything's going just the way I planned."
Regaining his composure, Fang Yuan's face turned serious. "Now, the next step. I need to finalize my deal with Immortal Crane Sect to decide my next move. I can't stay trapped in this blessed land forever."
He began his preparations, his mind racing with schemes and strategies. "Hmph, Heaven's Will is completely hooked now."
"The reason I wasted so much energy on that trash Fang Zheng was to give the impression that I wanted to refine the Blood Deity Immortal Gu. This will at least guarantee that Heaven's Will won't take any action against me.
"I need its support until I obtain that Rank 9 Gu. Once I have it, I'll have plenty of chances to deal with Fang Zheng and ensure I have no weaknesses."
"Besides, maybe I'll really refine the Blood Deity Gu. After all, every Gu has its use, so why refuse it?"
"Now, all I have to do is wait for the reply of my brother and supporter He Feng Yang."
"If I had something like Patreon from my past life, he would be the first to support me, that's for sure."
— — —
Immortal Crane Sect
He Feng Yang sat in his study, carefully reading the letter Fang Yuan had sent from Hu Immortal Blessed Land, his eyes narrowing as he went through the contents.
First, Fang Yuan had promised to keep quiet about not being a disciple of the Immortal Crane Sect when he took Hu Blessed Land in exchange for some materials.
Secondly, Fang Yuan made it clear he wouldn't join the sect but wouldn't talk if others assumed he was one of them.
Third, he demanded additional compensation for having to deal with Fang Zheng, explaining that if the Land Spirit hadn't intervened, Fang Zheng would've killed him.
'Brother He Feng Yang, Since you're the reason he showed up, you owe me,' Fang Yuan had bluntly stated.
He Feng Yang was confused as he noticed Fang Yuan always put before his name 'bro'.
"...Why does he keep calling me his brother in the letter? How strange!"
He then continued reading the letter.
Finally, Fang Yuan's new trade offer was clear—Gu worms and materials in exchange for Rockmen. He wasn't selling gutstones but the Rockmen themselves.
He Feng Yang's face darkened.
"Not selling gutstones, but selling Rockmen instead? Just how many Guts Gu did he use to make them?" His heart sank at the thought.
Scanning the letter again, his eyes widened. "He wants Gu worms from different paths? Just Rank 3 and Rank 4?" A smirk crept onto his lips.
"This brat sure knows how to ask for a lot... but he didn't dare ask for Spring Egg Gu or Relic Gu. Just some Rank 3 and Rank 4 Gu worms... hehehe, he's really just a mortal. He has no idea what's truly valuable."
His mood lightened. "He probably thinks asking for Rank 5 Gu would be too much..."
"Good. I'll throw in some tips and two Spring Egg Gu."
"Maybe he'll realize he can't manage the blessed land and willingly hand it over... Besides, I don't want to inherit a damaged blessed land."
Feeling smug, He Feng Yang continued reading. Fang Yuan had requested a variety of Gu refinement materials, including rare ones like star stones, sun wood, lightning metal, ascension wine, and dark stones.
"He wants to refine Gu himself, huh? Interesting... but I won't give him everything at once. I'll keep him anxious and probe his intentions. For now, just a small amount of these rare materials should do."
He Feng Yang began writing his reply to the deal.
— — —
Leaning back in his chair, He Feng Yang's face grew serious. "This Fang Yuan... there's too little information about him."
"How did he get the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu? When did he refine the Divine Travel Immortal Gu? And more importantly, who's backing him?"
"Who gave him all these resources?"
His eyes grew cold. "We need to know but the five regions are vast, and even Immortal Crane Sect hasn't fully grasped Central Continent, let alone the other regions."
Ever since Fang Yuan took Hu Immortal's inheritance, the Immortal Crane Sect had been sending elders to the Southern Border to investigate.
"One way or another... we'll find out who's behind you, Fang Yuan."
With that, he sent his letter to Fang Yuan, a satisfied smile lingering on his face.
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