Fang Yuan cast a glance at the trembling treasure spirit retreating in fear, then down at his own body—now taller and brimming with raw physical strength. As he clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through him, he muttered, "Not perfect, but it'll do."
He shifted his focus inward, examining his apertures. His first aperture had regressed to Rank 1, and his original vital Gu—the Rank 4 Liquor Worm—had been replaced. In its place was a strange new Gu: silk-like, with scorpion features, watery blue eyes, and a trunk-like tail resembling an elephant's.
As for his second aperture, it was barren—shrouded in darkness and void of any immortal essence.
"W-Who are you?" the treasure spirit stammered, clearly shaken.
Fang Yuan smiled, his eyes gleaming. To the treasure spirit, this didn't even look like the same person—it was someone entirely new, with a different face and body.
The reason? His vital Gu for the first aperture was none other than the Pseudo All Out Illuminati Gu.
"I am... Great Love," Fang Yuan said calmly. "Or rather, I used to be." He noticed his face now resembled the one he had when he wielded the sovereign aperture in his previous life.
"M-Master? Is that truly you?" the treasure spirit asked in disbelief.
Fang Yuan replied coolly, "Can't you tell?"
In that moment, his appearance shifted back to his former self, causing the treasure spirit to jump in shock.
Without another word, Fang Yuan reached for a set of robes nearby and dressed himself.
"Where are my Gu?" he asked.
The treasure spirit hesitated, then obediently retrieved a Rank 9 Immortal Gu and two Rank 8 Immortal Gu from its main storage, along with several of Fang Yuan's mortal Gu.
It was still unsure if this was truly Fang Yuan, so it watched closely to see how the Gu would react.
As the Gu were handed over, they joyfully flew into Fang Yuan's second aperture on their own.
Seeing this, the treasure spirit broke into delighted laughter. "It really is you, Master!"
Fang Yuan remained silent, recalling all of his Gu from storage and directing his focus to the second aperture.
Inside it, countless Gu worms had now gathered:
Re‑refined Rank 5: All Out Illuminati Gu, Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus and countless others.
Rank 6: Dark Skyflower Gu, Exquisite Warp Gu.
Rank 7: Blood Sucker Gu, Despair Gu, Djinn Blade Gu, Instant Pause Gu, Star Thoughts Gu, Unravel Mystery Gu.
Rank 8: Change Form Immortal Gu, Fixed Immortal Travel Gu, Heavy Regeneration Gu, Invincible Steps Gu, Liquor Worm Gu.
Rank 9: Calamity Repelling Gu, Fortune Dominating Heaven Gu, Fear Gu.
Turning back to the treasure spirit, Fang Yuan ordered, "Open the Treasure Heaven and resume transactions as usual."
"Next time I return, I'll already be a Gu Immortal."
With that, he activated Fixed Immortal Travel Gu and vanished, leaving behind the treasure spirit—speechless, yet overjoyed.
...
"Young master, we've completely annexed the Huo tribe," a Gu Master reported with a bow to the young man seated atop a horse.
This young man was none other than Ma Ying Jie.
Just as he was about to respond, a heart-wrenching cry rang through the air.
"Dad!"
"Please don't leave me!"
Ma Ying Jie's brows creased slightly.
The cry didn't just catch his attention—it drew the eyes of the entire Ma tribe.
Looking toward the battlefield littered with corpses, Ma Ying Jie saw a small figure—about fifteen years old—rushing toward a scarred corpse. The boy threw himself over the body, wailing in grief.
"Brat, move aside. You're now a slave of the Ma tribe!" an adult barked, striking the boy and trying to drag him away.
But the boy resisted fiercely, biting the man's wrist.
With a yelp of pain, the adult released him. The boy broke free and once again clung to the corpse, sobbing.
"Dad!" he cried, his voice raw with sorrow.
Ma Ying Jie let out a heavy sigh. "This suffering... it's not what I desire. But in times like these, who can afford mercy? If I don't kill, I'll be killed. Human strength is so fragile. All I can do is protect my people—to make sure no child of the Ma tribe ends up like this."
"Young tribe leader is truly compassionate," the surrounding Gu Masters murmured in agreement.
Ma Ying Jie pointed toward the boy. "He's loyal and filial, yet he suffers because of my decision. One of you, bring him to me. From now on, he'll be my personal servant."
"Yes, my lord," his attendants responded.
There were no objections—adopting personal servants was a common tradition in the Northern Plains. Besides, what harm could a newly awakened fifteen-year-old pose to their powerful young leader?
"Get up, kid," a Ma tribe elder ordered, stopping the adult who had been beating the boy. He then grabbed the boy by the neck.
The child resisted, crying out, "No! I want to stay with my father!"
"Your father is gone," the elder said gently. "But you're lucky—our young leader has taken notice of you. He wants you as his personal servant."
Still sobbing, the boy pleaded, "Please, I'll obey anything the lord commands. Just… please let me give my father a proper burial."
The Ma elder and Ma Ying Jie exchanged a glance, moved by the boy's devotion.
"What a good child," they both thought.
Ma Ying Jie asked, "What's your name?"
"Huo Yuhao," the boy replied.
At Ma Ying Jie's command, the elder released him and allowed him to perform the final rites. Ma Ying Jie watched from a distance, a trace of pity in his eyes.
But none of them noticed—once the boy knelt beside the corpse and embraced it, his tears ceased. Though he continued to sob, a faint smile curled his lips.
This boy named Huo Yuhao… was actually Fang Yuan in disguise.