— — — — — —
"I did it."
"I really did it!" Fang Yuan's voice carried a rare trace of excitement. "I killed someone... and I didn't feel repulsed."
He paused, a sly smile forming on his face. "Of course, the reason for that is simple—I absorbed the memories stored in the A.I. Chip. Not just that, but the A.I. Chip is so powerful it can filter out the emotions tied to those memories, extracting only the useful parts without harming me. Emotions that could've weighed me down? Gone. Instead, they've become tools to help me."
Fang Yuan marveled at the A.I. Chip's capabilities. "What an incredible tool. No wonder Leylin Farlier became the ultimate winner in his world. Most of his success must've been thanks to this cheat. There's no doubt about it."
Then, his expression shifted slightly, as though rationalizing his actions. "And there's another reason. That woman deserved to die. She was so annoying, constantly scheming against me. Killing her was practically self-defense... yeah, self-defense."
Despite his confident words, Fang Yuan couldn't completely silence the faint discomfort creeping into his heart.
This was his first kill, after all. What reassured him, however, was the hatred he felt toward Tie Ruo Nan. He didn't even fully understand why he hated her—she simply existed to be despised, and that gave him just enough reason to justify it.
Shaking off the lingering unease, Fang Yuan refocused. "Now, it's time to refine my Immortal Gu."
He reached the location the A.I. Chip had suggested—an optimal spot calculated with precise parameters for refining the Gu.
— — —
The land spirit, Ba Gui, appeared beside Fang Yuan, its expression one of hopelessness. Yet, there was a glimmer of light—Fang Yuan had claimed to have a way to refine the Gu.
Despite his despair, Ba Gui decided to give him a chance. After all, in Ba Gui's eyes, Fang Yuan was a future Immortal. Maybe, just maybe, he truly had a solution.
"Ba Gui, do you still wish to refine the second aperture Gu?" Fang Yuan's voice was calm.
"You really have a way?" Ba Gui stammered, his voice tinged with a flicker of hope. "That's right—you're a reborn Gu Immortal. With your experience from your previous life, you must have foreseen this!"
Fang Yuan shook his head slightly. "The current me is just a mortal. Refining the second aperture Gu was never possible from the start." He paused, his gaze steady. "Ba Gui, I've failed you. But we still have hope."
Ba Gui's sobbing softened, replaced by cautious curiosity. "What... what do you mean?"
Fang Yuan's expression remained calm. "The half-finished second aperture Gu is still with me. If you follow my orders, I can escape safely, and I will succeed next time."
Ba Gui fell silent, the weight of Fang Yuan's words settling over him. "So there's no way to refine the Gu now..."
"Ba Gui, it was impossible from the beginning. Even if I managed to refine it successfully, it would've been destroyed by the invaders."
Fang Yuan's tone shifted slightly, becoming colder yet resolute. "I'm sorry, but this is the only way. I can escape with your help, and once I'm out, the first thing I'll do is refine the Gu in a safe place of my choosing."
Ba Gui looked at Fang Yuan, his doubt evident. "I... I don't trust you."
Fang Yuan smirked. "But you don't have another option, do you? You know I'm the only one who meets the requirements of this blessed land. As a reborn Gu Immortal, my chances are far higher than anyone else's. the next try could succeed."
The land spirit's voice softened, resignation creeping in. "Fine. I'll help you. Not for you, but for the chance to see the second aperture Gu refined someday."
Fang Yuan's lips curled into a faint smile. He had expected nothing less. "Good decision, Ba Gui. In the future, the second aperture Immortal Gu will shine brightly in this world—I promise you that."
"Now, it's time to begin the plan. I'll need your help."
Ba Gui nodded reluctantly, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want me to do?"
Fang Yuan chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Ba Gui, do you recall the third section of the second chapter of The Legends of Ren Zu?"
The land spirit froze, its mind racing to interpret Fang Yuan's words. "You mean thatImmortal Gu... No, that won't work," Ba Gui stammered. "There are still two unmet conditions. First, we need the Light of Glory from the Immemorial Era."
Fang Yuan's chuckle deepened, his eyes gleaming with cold triumph. He raised a hand, pointing toward the ceiling of the hall. "The light will come from there... any moment now."
Inwardly, Fang Yuan thought, 'With my orders to Chou Jiu to block all the Gu Masters outside until his death, no one will interfere with me anytime soon.'
A smirk spread across his face as he calculated his moves. 'The value of my first slave has been fully extracted.'
Using his A.I. Chip, Fang Yuan had formulated the perfect plan. With his knowledge of the plot and the stored memories in the A.I. Chip, he had ensured the highest possible chance of success. Yet, deep down, he knew the true reason this refinement had such a high probability of succeeding—Heaven's Will.
"Heaven's Will is like my sponsor right now," he mused. "It's helping me, shielding me from the Shadow Sect, and ensuring my progress... but only until I achieve its planned goal. After that, it'll abandon me. That's when I should face true death."
Ba Gui's gaze shifted to the ceiling, confusion etched on his face. "I don't see any Light of Gl—"
Suddenly—
A grand river of light crashed through the hall, shattering the roof as it poured directly onto the spot where Fang Yuan was waiting.
"The Light of Glory from the Immemorial Era!" the land spirit cried out in shock. "It's... it's really here!"
— — —
A 3-Second Flashback Outside the Main Hall
Xiao Mang was locked in an intense battle with Ying Ming, their fight spilling into the skies. As the clash reached a crescendo, Xiao Mang made his decision—he would unleash his killer move.
"Rank four, Gather Light Gu."
"Rank five, Extreme Light Gu."
"Rank five, River Under The Sun Gu."
"Killer move—Torrential Light Stream!"
A cascading river of blinding light erupted across the battlefield, flooding everything in sight.
The waves of radiance were ferocious, washing over the area in an overwhelming tide of pure white brilliance. The intensity was unbearable—onlookers instinctively shielded their eyes, unable to face the sheer power of the light.
The Torrential Light Stream was no ordinary move. It was a formidable light path killer move, recreating a fragment of the ancient Light of Glory.
— — —
Inside the Hall
Fang Yuan burst out laughing, his expression a mix of excitement and cold calculation. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Ba Gui," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "It's time. I'll go first."
With that, a pair of wings unfurled from his back, shimmering with a golden brilliance.
His body was encased in jade armor, a protective shield that extended even to his wings.
Each flap sent dazzling ripples of light cascading through the air, making him look like a radiant bird of legend.
He ascended, his wings slicing through the intense light as if they were made for it.
As Fang Yuan emerged from the hall, gasps of shock and awe rippled through the battlefield.
"What is that?"
"It's glowing like a sunlit eagle!"
"No, it's not an eagle—it's a person!"
"What... What is he doing?!"
For Fang Yuan, the world beyond the hall had dissolved into a vast, endless sea of whiteness.
The radiant light was blinding, all-consuming. His primeval essence drained rapidly, the strain of maintaining his defensive and movement Gu taking its toll.
But his determination remained unwavering.
"Now—Divine Travel Immortal Gu!"
As if responding to his call, the Divine Travel Immortal Gu materialized in his palm, shimmering with its own otherworldly glow. Ba Gui, the land spirit, had sent it directly to him.
Fang Yuan's lips curled into a wide grin. "Let's begin the refining my Fixed Immortal Travel Gu," he declared, his laughter echoing through the boundless light.
.
.
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