"You—how are you here?" Bai Ning Bing stared in shock at Fang Yuan, who was lying on the ground, casually catching his breath.
He was certain the Gu Immortals of the Immortal Crane Sect—and the other great sects—were watching the Blessed Land closely. No outsider should've been able to enter during the inheritance test.
Fang Yuan looked up at Bai Ning Bing's now more mature figure and smirked."What now?" he said lazily. "Did you miss me?"
Bai Ning Bing gritted his teeth and launched a punch at the relaxed figure.
But Fang Yuan swiftly dodged, sprang to his feet, and countered with a sudden kick. Bai Ning Bing failed to react in time and was sent crashing to the ground. Fang Yuan stepped forward and firmly planted his foot on Bai Ning Bing's chest, pinning him down.
He swept his gaze across the Hu Immortal Blessed Land, taking in the surroundings. Then, glancing down at Bai Ning Bing—who was struggling to break free—Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes in thought.
A moment later, he removed his foot and spoke coldly, "You've reached Rank 5, and yet you still haven't learned basic manners?"
"Ha!" Bai Ning Bing tried to respond, but Fang Yuan didn't give him the chance. He struck him in the stomach, causing blood to spill from Bai Ning Bing's mouth.
"You think just because I'm Rank 4, you're better than me?" Fang Yuan said as he gripped Bai Ning Bing's shoulder tightly.
"Don't even think about it."
With that, he flung Bai Ning Bing across the ground, sending him tumbling.
The watching disciples gasped, stunned by how easily Bai Ning Bing had been overpowered.
This was the impression Fang Yuan wanted to leave—of a powerful, fearless, and straightforward genius.
He couldn't afford to let anyone glimpse his calculating nature. Let them believe he was just a strong and talented brute, driven by pride and instinct.
The more they underestimated him, the easier it would be for him to stay ten steps ahead.
...
A few minutes earlier.
Fang Yuan had activated the Abomination Gu, powering it with Immortal Essence he had extracted from the Primeval Elder Gu. Then, without hesitation, he forced it to self-destruct.
The explosion, amplified by the Immortal Essence, was just enough to create a small crack in the barrier.
Wasting no time, Fang Yuan activated Invincible Steps Gu.
This powerful movement Gu not only allowed him to traverse vast distances in an instant, but also rendered him invisible. As he sped toward the Hu Immortal Blessed Land, he passed through chaos—seeing Gu Masters being slaughtered by Gu Immortals in the sky. But he didn't slow down. He accelerated.
In just a few breaths, he reached the vermillion gatehouse and slipped inside unnoticed.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he was pulled into a void.
A playful giggle echoed beside him.
"Heeheehee…"
"You're another fated one seeking the Hu Immortal Inheritance?" came a young girl's voice, sweet and clear. "Soon, you'll see a mountain. Only the first person to reach the summit can claim me. You better hurry—others got a big head start. Heeheehee…"
The girl wore a rainbow-colored dress, and a snow-white fox tail swayed playfully behind her. Her large, round eyes sparkled with mischief and childlike innocence.
"Okay," Fang Yuan replied calmly.
She smiled and reached out her delicate finger, gently tapping his forehead.
Then—just as suddenly as she had appeared—she vanished.
Fang Yuan was left alone and thrown inside the blessed land.
Understanding that someone must be monitoring the inheritance trial externally—likely via observation techniques like Force Intrusion—he immediately crafted a plan.
He feigned exhaustion, laying on the ground as if breathless from effort. It was all part of his performance. When Bai Ning Bing arrived, it merely became a bonus—a chance to publicly demonstrate his strength and create a false image.
He hadn't known Bai Ning Bing would be here. In truth, he didn't care.
...
Fang Yuan surveyed his surroundings, finding himself in a vast grassland. The soft breeze made the grass sway gently, and vibrant flowers in every color blanketed the land, stretching all the way to the distant horizon.
In the distance stood a towering, sharp-edged crystal mountain. Its surface was semi-transparent and pink, glowing like something out of a dream.
From where Fang Yuan stood, he could make out the figures of people scaling the mountain, though they appeared tiny in comparison to the massive peak.
"The first to reach the top will claim the Hu Immortal Inheritance!" The words of the mysterious girl echoed in his mind.
Fang Yuan couldn't help but inwardly smirk, though his expression remained neutral.
He glanced over at Bai Ning Bing, who, after recovering from the previous beatings, was now up and about. He spoke coldly to him, "You should climb first, unless you're planning on quitting this challenge."
With those words, Fang Yuan sat down on the ground to meditate.
Bai Ning Bing shot him one last glance before dashing towards the mountain, beginning his ascent.
Meanwhile, Fang Yuan directed all his focus inward, intending to verify the theories he had been mulling over since leaving the southern border.
...
"Lord He Feng Yang, can you explain what's happening?" the surrounding Gu Immortals questioned him, having taken notice of the unusual exchange between Bai Ning Bing and the unfamiliar young man who had just entered the inheritance ground.
He Feng Yang looked around calmly and reassured them, "Everyone, you've misunderstood the situation."
"The young man who entered the inheritance is not a member of our Immortal Crane Sect."
"If someone so talented were part of our sect, we would've allowed him to participate in the inheritance openly."
"In truth, that young man is a demonic Gu Master from the Southern Border, known by the alias 'Demon King.'"
"The Tie Clan from the Southern Border even issued a warrant for his capture some time ago. But until now, I had no idea he had made his way to the Central Continent."
"He's said to have slaughtered over a million Gu Masters, not to mention countless mortals."
"More importantly, he possesses one of the ten extreme physiques."
"That's why we've kept an eye on him before, but in recent years, information about him has been scarce."
He Feng Yang was being completely honest with them.
Even he hadn't expected Fang Yuan to show up here — let alone infiltrate the blessed land right under the watch of nine Gu Immortals — all while having just Rank 4 peak stage cultivation.
"If that's the case, then once he exits the blessed land, we must investigate how he managed to conceal his presence from us Gu Immortals," a female Gu Immortal suggested.
The others nodded in agreement.
He Feng Yang also gave a nod, about to add something himself, but the words never left his lips — they remained buried in his heart:
"This person had Rank 5 Upper Stage cultivation… four years ago."