A few hours ago...
"It's time!" Fang Yuan murmured as he rose to his feet, signaling the fog-like land spirit to bring out the prisoners—the disciples of the ten great sects who had been imprisoned.
Though the land spirit had transformed into a mist, it remained invisible to those around her, and the cage containing the prisoners floated effortlessly on its own toward the Dang Hun Mountain Palace. The prisoner inside the cage couldn't see the fog or hear the land spirit's faint giggling as it carried him.
Soon, the cage arrived at the palace, and the prisoner was placed before Fang Yuan. The moment he saw the person in front of him, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "You bastard! Why the hell are you making my life so miserable?!"
The one who shouted was none other than Bai Ning Bing.
Once, Bai Ning Bing had leaned heavily into his demonic ways, but now he had somewhat let go of them, attempting to turn a new leaf toward righteousness. If he could obtain the inheritance Fang Yuan had, and pass it on to the Immortal Crane Sect, he could gain endless rewards—women, Gu Worms, power—everything he desired. So when he saw that Fang Yuan had taken away his opportunity to shine, his rage flared. He was furious, so furious that he wanted to kill Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan simply shook his head at Bai Ning Bing's outburst and replied coolly, "Aren't you living comfortably now?"
With that, he made the light cage around Bai Ning Bing disappear. As the cage vanished, Bai Ning Bing rushed at Fang Yuan, but before he could get close, Fang Yuan slapped him across the face, sending him crashing to the ground and coughing up blood.
His cheek was already swollen.
Fang Yuan just snorted and walked over to where Bai Ning Bing lay. He placed his hand on the fallen man's chest, then moved it to his aperture, activating his Thought Suppression Gu.
Instantly, Bai Ning Bing's Gu Worms inside his aperture began to dim and flew out, one by one. Fang Yuan quickly gathered them into the Primeval Elder Gu.
Bai Ning Bing gasped in pain, coughing up more blood as he lost connection with his Vital Gu, which was also taken away.
His expression shifted from shock to pure horror. He couldn't comprehend how Fang Yuan had done it.
Fang Yuan spoke calmly, "Go back and tell your sect leader and the others. If they want their disciples back, they will have to pay me with all these materials."
With that, he handed Bai Ning Bing a list of materials.
"Now, go."
Fang Yuan snapped his fingers, and Bai Ning Bing was teleported straight to the entrance of the Hu Immortal Blessed Land.
The door opened slowly, and Bai Ning Bing, still in shock, stumbled out. The door closed behind him with a soft thud, leaving him speechless.
...
"See, the door's opening!" one of the twenty Gu Immortals shouted, as they saw the door of the Hu Immortal Blessed Land crack open.
As Bai Ning Bing emerged, they felt a wave of relief and excitement. They had been waiting for this moment—hoping their disciples would come back. But just as quickly, their expressions shifted when they saw the door close behind him.
Without hesitation, the group of Gu Immortals flew toward Bai Ning Bing, bombarding him with questions about what had happened inside.
Bai Ning Bing, still recovering from his encounter with Fang Yuan, explained everything in detail. He told them how Fang Yuan had now become the owner of the Hu Immortal Blessed Land, and how he had been forced to leave with nothing but a list of materials Fang Yuan demanded in exchange for the release of their disciples.
He handed them the list, showing them exactly what Fang Yuan wanted.
Rather than getting angry, the Gu Immortals' faces broke into knowing smiles.
"It seems this person is trying to buy time," one of them said with a chuckle.
"Hahaha! Interesting," another one laughed, pleased with the challenge ahead.
"Good!" a third one added, eager for the opportunity.
One elder scanned the materials list, his brow furrowing in thought. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "These materials... aren't that valuable."
"Well, then let's just give them to him," another elder said nonchalantly.
"He has to come out to collect them, or someone has to go inside to deliver them," another added, his voice full of amusement.
"Hehehe," the first elder chuckled. "Let's see how long this person can hold out."
Within seconds, one of the Gu Immortals reached into his aperture, pulling out a pile of materials. The others did the same, each adding their contribution until the pile was substantial. They gathered around it, and one of the Gu Immortals using his Immortal Gu shouted, "The materials are here!"
He called out, "Are you coming out to take these, or should we send someone inside to deliver them?"
...
Fang Yuan was busy taking the Gu Worms from another prisoner's aperture, carefully collecting them into the Primeval Elder Gu, when the shout from outside caught his attention.
A faint smile curved on his lips as he thought to himself, Feng Jiu Ge...
The Gu Immortal who had just called out was none other than Feng Jiu Ge, and Fang Yuan recognized him instantly from his voice.
Turning away from his task, Fang Yuan took out a piece of paper and handed it to a girl, who was still bleeding from the mouth. He gave her the list of materials and said in a calm, authoritative tone, "Tell them this: they need to gather these materials if they want the next person back."
He paused for a moment, looking at her to make sure she understood. "And let them know that from now on, they should leave the materials at the doorstep and wait."
With a final gesture, Fang Yuan teleported the girl to the entrance. As she stepped out, the door closed once again with a soft thud.
....
The Gu Immortals, growing more impatient by the minute, erupted in anger once again after hearing what the girl had said.
"This Fang Yuan is too ruthless! Not only is he taking all the Gu Worms, but he's even stealing their Vital Gu, which will harm them!" one of the sect leaders bellowed, frustration evident in his voice.
"Don't be too hasty," another elder interjected, trying to calm the others. "Think about it from another angle."
"What do you mean?" someone asked, raising an eyebrow.