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In this world, after a Gu Master successfully ascends and becomes a Gu Immortal, a small, separate world composed of dao marks—known as a Blessed Land—forms inside their immortal aperture.
This Blessed Land typically doesn't occupy any space in the outside world, yet it provides abundant internal space. Its size or grade corresponds to the Gu Master's accumulations prior to ascension, and the primeval essence within it is often dozens of times thicker and denser than that found outside.
The flow of time inside a Blessed Land is usually much faster than in the outside world. For example, if the time ratio in a Blessed Land is 1:30, one day outside equals 30 days inside.
If a Gu Immortal dies while their personal Blessed Land is active, the Blessed Land "falls" onto the spot where the Gu Immortal's corpse is located—much like being placed down.
The Blessed Land, along with all its resources and contained Gu, remains at that location and typically undergoes calamities and tribulations. However, it will cease producing immortal essence beads, leaving behind only any beads that went unused by the Gu Immortal.
Under certain conditions, the Blessed Land can give rise to a new master in the form of a Land Spirit. For a Land Spirit to form, three conditions must be met:
Deep Foundation: The Blessed Land must have a sufficiently deep foundation.
Unfulfilled Obsession: There must be one or more unfulfilled obsessions of the Gu Immortal prior to death.
Residual Soul/Will: When dying, the Gu Immortal must leave behind some of their soul and/or will to carry that obsession.
If these conditions are fulfilled, the Heavenly Power of the Blessed Land and the lingering obsessions of the Gu Immortal combine to form a Land Spirit.
Although not human, a Land Spirit is akin to a Gu Immortal in existence. It can appear as a human, plant, beast, or even an inanimate object. To a Land Spirit, the Blessed Land is like its body—if it's damaged or parts are severed, the Land Spirit feels the loss as if it were a limb, often expressing sadness or regret, even to the point of crying.
...
A Land Spirit carries the memories of its "former life," yet its personality can either closely mirror or diverge significantly from the Gu Immortal it originated from.
In some cases, a Land Spirit might even develop dual personas with distinct emotions and behaviors. However, all Land Spirits share certain traits:
They harbor an obsession that must be fulfilled to inherit the Blessed Land. Some obsessions may be easily resolved by mortals, while others remain virtually impossible—even for high-ranking Gu Immortals.
They are inherently incapable of lying. This doesn't mean they can't withhold information or keep a secret; it simply means they only state what they believe to be true.
Their thought processes are rigid and highly biased. As a result, any request made to a masterless Land Spirit that contradicts its beliefs will continue to be ignored as long as it remains without a master.
They generally possess lower intelligence compared to their living counterparts, making them more susceptible to manipulation or scheming.
Toward their master, however, they are fiercely loyal—revering them, striving to please them without holding back any secrets, and feeling deep sorrow if misfortune befalls their master.
Fang Yuan managed to get the Land Spirit to acknowledge him as her master because the condition was simple: the first to reach the mountain would become the master. It was originally designed as a test for mortals, but Fang Yuan cheated by using his Immortal Gu, instantly appearing at the peak of Hu Immortal Blessed Land's mountain.
Little Hu was the Land Spirit of this Blessed Land, and since Fang Yuan reached the top first, she had no choice but to recognize him as her master. Land Spirits are bound by their very nature to obey their master completely—they never betray, just as they are incapable of lying.
— — —
After Little Hu expelled everyone and closed the blessed land, Fang Yuan knew he was safe. He leaned back, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and started checking himself.
"A.I., scan me," Fang Yuan ordered the A.I. chip, already knowing what to expect.
[Beep! The scan began.]
His body felt like it had been hit by a mountain—exhaustion anchoring him down, every muscle screaming.
Despite making all the necessary preparations, refining an Immortal Gu with a mortal body was no joke. If it were that easy, Gu Immortals wouldn't suffer severe backlashes when things went wrong—best case, injuries; worst case, death.
[Beep! Scan complete. Fang Yuan, status: soul injured.]
"Tch, thought so," Fang Yuan muttered. "The foundation of my soul's too weak and got injured. But thankfully, this is Dang Hun Mountain..."
A slight smile crept onto his face. He called out softly, "Land Spirit."
"Master?" Hu Immortal Land Spirit appeared, head bowed, her face flushed as she shyly stared at her feet.
Before Fang Yuan could even issue an order, the refinement inside him concluded. A faint glow formed, and the Divine Travel Immortal Gu emerged, floating gently in front of him.
Fang Yuan chuckled darkly. "Hahaha, perfect! Natural refinement at its best. I've squeezed out all the benefits from this that I possibly could."
"This'll give me a huge boost moving forward and open up new ways to plan my next moves. But for now..."
His laughter faded as he composed himself. "I'll count my gains after healing my soul."
"Little Hu, teleport me to the nearest gutstone."
"Yes, Master." Hu Immortal nodded obediently but hesitated, then shyly added, "Um... Master, do you not like clothes? Wearing something might energize you... and, um, make you feel happier."
Fang Yuan: "..."
With an annoyed sigh, he pulled out a White robe from his storage Gu, slipping into it. "Damn it, I swear I'll start using a Clothing Gu from today."
Moments later, he was teleported to the peak of Dang Hun Mountain.
"Master, there's a gutstone here," Hu Immortal pointed beneath her feet.
Gutstones were unique to Dang Hun Mountain. Crack one open, and you'd find a Guts Gu inside—a one-time consumable Gu tied to the soul path. Guts Gu could strengthen the soul foundation and embed soul path dao marks into the user's body or immortal aperture. They were commonly used to heal soul injuries or reinforce the soul.
But, of course, there were limits. The soul couldn't be strengthened endlessly with Guts Gu. After a certain point, you'd need to refine the soul itself to keep benefiting.
Fang Yuan wasted no time. He walked over, squatted down, and smashed the gutstone with his bare hand.
The stone shattered, releasing an eerie grey light as the Guts Gu flew into his body. Instantly, his mind felt clearer, but the mental drain and physical exhaustion still clung to him like a shadow.
"Little Hu, make sure no one enters the blessed land while I'm resting."
"Yes, Master! Little Hu will do her best to carry out her mission!" she replied cheerfully.
"I'll also teleport Master to a comfortable bed now."
Lying down on the massive bed, Fang Yuan finally allowed himself to relax. A wave of relief washed over him as his thoughts drifted.
"I'm sure my brother He Feng Yang will do his best to protect me. Such a good brother..."
A faint smile played on his lips.
"Sigh... too bad I don't plan to join his sect."
With that final thought, Fang Yuan closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
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