Chapter 33: Stone Man Tears at Soul Searching Mountain
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Gu Yue Village had already been built outside Soul Searching Mountain, and the strength of the Gu Yue Clan had grown significantly.
Three new Rank Five Gu Masters emerged: Desolate Dust, Red Snake, and the Elder with a different surname, Feng Tianyu. Since entering the Fox Immortal Blessed Land, Fang Yuan no longer deliberately hid the blood skull gu and the bone flesh reunion gu, revealing both of these trump cards.
Using the blood skull gu and his own Blood Path methods, he produced a massive amount of Gu Yue Clan blood, raising the Aptitude of all Rank Five Elders and the Rank Four Elders on Soul Searching Mountain to A-grade.
(Still, not the entire clan has A-grade aptitude.)
After receiving the recipe for the bone flesh reunion gu, Feng Tianyu successfully refined one hundred of them, bringing countless contributions to the Gu Yue Clan.
With such a foundation, among the ten thousand people Fang Yuan brought, there was no longer a single Rank Two Gu Master; everyone had promoted to Rank Three, and more than half of those Rank Three Gu Masters had broken through to Rank Four.
The Fox Immortal Blessed Land already contained hundreds of thousands of Gu worms, and with Fang Yuan purchasing large quantities of mortal Gu in Treasure Yellow Heaven, the overall combat power of the Gu Yue Clan suddenly skyrocketed.
The bright moon still water tower also became even more powerful. The tower housed two million Gu worms and integrated Refinement Path and Food Path methods, capable of accommodating one hundred thousand people.
The bright moon still water tower added several Killer Moves: "ancient glory light," "Blood Transformation," "Ice Blade Storm," "Heaven Shaking Earth Moving," "Five Elements Tornado," and "Reverse Five Elements Tornado."
Among them, ancient glory light originated from Xiao Mang, Blood Transformation was from Fang Yuan's Blood Path Legacy, Ice Blade Storm was secretly learned from Bai Ning Bing, and Heaven Shaking Earth Moving came from the Clan Leader.
The Five Elements Tornado was composed of five Rank Five Gu—specifically the Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Dragon Gu—operating on the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and destruction. The Reverse Five Elements Tornado was derived from the Five Elements Tornado, corresponding to the Wind, Lightning, Light, Dark, and Ice Dragon Gu.
The central structure within the tower underwent several modifications; the number of treasure moonlight king gu for the Stars Arching Towards the Moon Killer Move increased to fifty, significantly strengthening its defensive capabilities.
The Heavenly Essence Treasure Monarch Gu in the tower was also refined into the Heavenly Essence Treasure Emperor Gu, and the number of Heavenly Essence Treasure Emperor Gu reached thirty, yet it was still unable to allow the bright moon still water tower to exert its full power.
Even though more than half of the two million Gu worms were Blood Droplets that required no Immortal essence to activate, the power of the remaining hundreds of thousands of Gu worms was far beyond what a mere thirty Heavenly Essence Treasure Emperor Gu could activate.
However, at this moment, Fang Yuan only needed to consume one bead of green grape immortal essence to allow the bright moon still water tower to exert its full power, briefly possessing pseudo-Immortal combat strength.
The reason it was only pseudo-Immortal combat strength was not that the bright moon still water tower hadn't become stronger, but that a True Immortal is truly difficult to match. Looking across the entire original work, the only one who could slaughter Immortals at will was likely the young Limitless.
If one were to say Hei Lou Lan could also slaughter Immortals, that would indeed be possible, but she could only bully support-type Gu Immortals like Great White Cloud Life.
Facing a Rank Six Gu Immortal who had established a firm footing like Fang Yuan in his previous life, she would be nothing more than a roadside pebble. More importantly, Hei Lou Lan possessed the Great Strength True Martial Body and held immortal gu, and her intellect and shrewdness were top-tier; even the Giant Sun Ancestor had once been schemed against by her.
(Gu Yue First Generation casts an approving gaze toward Hei Lou Lan.)
Similarly, while the bright moon still water tower could fight a Gu Immortal at full power, it could only suppress the likes of Great White Cloud Life or the Hairy People Gu Immortals of Lang Ya Blessed Land.
If it encountered the Mei Lan Movie, it would still be vulnerable.
Of course, if Hei Lou Lan were to clash with the bright moon still water tower, the outcome would be hard to say—after all, Hei Lou Lan can also self-detonate.
With everything now ready, Fang Yuan took Fang Zheng, Qing Shu, Wei Dong, Feng Tianyu, Desolate Dust, Red Snake, Qiu Jiu, and the Clan Leader, flying above the Stone Man tribe's settlement aboard the bright moon still water tower.
This was the entire high-level combat force of the Gu Yue Clan. Combined with the Thousand-Mile Earth Wolf Spider, the Blood Droplet Spiders, and the bright moon still water tower, there were a total of twelve Rank Five combat forces.
The Stone Man tribe's old chief White Stone, old chief Granite, and others came out upon hearing the news. They bowed with cupped hands and said respectfully:
"Welcome, new Immortal! Immortal, the market has been poor lately, and our Stone Man tribe's livelihood is difficult. We beg you to reduce the tribute."
"The floods in the north and the fires in the west have caused our Stone Man tribe heavy losses! We beg the Immortal to show mercy and understand our incompetence!"
The ground was piled with gold, silver, and jewels, all tributes offered by the Stone Man tribe to the Gu Immortal White Fox Immortal.
After hearing this, a malicious glint flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes. He feigned understanding of the Stone Man tribe's Dilemma and even claimed he could waive all their tributes. However, he made one request:
The Stone Man tribe must assist the Gu Yue Clan in excavating a canal to use the northern floods to extinguish the western fires within the blessed land.
The Stone Man tribe was arrogant and conceited; how could they accept such a suicidal request? They immediately rose up in resistance.
Old chief White Stone was fuming with rage, saying righteously: "Immortal! Though you are powerful, our Stone Man tribe will never yield!"
Old chief Granite echoed: "Only love can make my Stone Man tribe work hard. My Stone Man tribe will absolutely never yield to your tyranny, Immortal!"
An experienced and steady Stone Man pointed at Fang Yuan and cursed: "May Mother Earth curse you to have children without assholes!"
The Fox Immortal Earth Spirit originally wanted to suppress the Gu worms on the Rockmen, but was stopped by Fang Yuan, who signaled his subordinates to act. In just a short moment, the likes of old chief Granite and old chief White Stone were all killed.
Only a Stone Man named Yan Yong, fearing death, was the first to surrender.
On the Gu Yue Clan's side, except for Fang Zheng, Qiu Jiu, Feng Tianyu, and the Clan Leader suffering minor injuries, everyone else was unharmed.
Yan Yong was filled with terror. In just a few breaths, his grandfather was gone, his granduncle was gone, his neighbors were gone, his younger brother was gone—and his brother's sons, grandsons, and even later descendants were all gone. The small Rockmen that split off after a Stone Man dies are the offspring of the deceased.
If Yan Yong had the habit of keeping a diary, this day would surely become the most terrifying memory of his life.
The clansmen who were just standing there in an orderly fashion had fallen all over the ground in a few breaths. Stone chips flew everywhere, some even splashing onto his face.
One second, his grandfather was right there; the next second, he was everywhere. The thought alone was terrifying.
The tiny Rockmen who had just split off hadn't even had time to breathe a breath of fresh air before being blown apart by a palm strike from Fang Yuan, their heads sent flying into the sky.
"Too terrifying! Too terrifying! Mama... wait, Papa! My dad is dead too! Waaaah—I want to go home! I want to go home!"
At this moment, Yan Yong was like an orphan with no father or mother (Rockmen have no mothers, and Yan Yong's father had died last year).
Yan Yong held his head helplessly, his whole body trembling violently as he screamed in terror, like an injured beast surrounded, trying to use roars to scare off the enemy.
Fang Yuan was naturally not intimidated by his display; instead, he demanded that Yan Yong serve as his mole within the Stone Man tribe.
Because the subsequent plot is quite risky, some methods won't be written in detail, only summarized roughly. And here, it differs slightly from the original work, such as the Rockmen's reactions and their population.
(The Immortal Master's math is a bit...)
With Yan Yong as an internal informant, Fang Yuan supported him to ascend to the position of Stone Man chief. After Yan Yong took power, he engaged in a great battle against the Gu Yue Clan and the fox groups at Soul Searching Mountain, actually breeding a few thousand Rockmen into a population of one hundred thousand. With the help of courage gu, the number of Rockmen continued to grow.
(The original work only had three thousand Rockmen, which was too few. According to the workload, even if Rockmen are naturally good at digging, it would be impossible to dig a grand canal in three months.)
Subsequently, Fang Yuan pretended to be defeated by the Rockmen and fled Soul Searching Mountain. Yan Yong then announced to the outside world that Fang Yuan's power stemmed from the northern floods and western fires within the blessed land.
Some Rockmen stated plainly that the northern floods and western fires were too terrifying to face head-on; they were subsequently silenced by Yan Yong in secret—simply because these Rockmen were too rational and refused to follow orders.
Another Stone Man proposed digging a canal. Yan Yong adopted his idea on the surface but killed the Stone Man who proposed it afterward—simply because he was too clever.
So much so that it made Yan Yong think of those terrifying eyes.
(Regarding the Aura of the Immortal Venerable, Gu Yue Pan Shi has experienced it deeply.)
Under Yan Yong's deliberate guidance, the deceased old chief White Stone was enshrined as a Saint of the Stone Man tribe. Yan Yong even issued all his decisions in the name of old chief White Stone.
Amidst this fanatical promotion of old chief White Stone, Yan Yong led one hundred thousand Rockmen to officially begin digging the canal.
Rockmen needed to sleep. When someone suggested taking a break, Yan Yong would say, "The big picture is what matters."
"Work even if you die!"
Rockmen needed to rest. When someone requested to slow down, Yan Yong still said, "The big picture is what matters."
"As long as our hearts are united, we can build a grand canal within three days!"
Rockmen needed to relax. When someone hoped for a breather, Yan Yong repeated, "The big picture is what matters."
"The bolder the Stone Man, the higher the yield!"
When people resisted, Yan Yong established the Rock Guard Army to suppress all rebellions;
When people slacked off, Yan Yong promoted model workers, shouting the slogan "Labor is most glorious";
When people fell into despair, Yan Yong preached "collective sense of honor," demanding that Rockmen uphold the spirit of "sacrificing oneself for others."
"Together we create a beautiful tomorrow for the Stone Man tribe!"
Rockmen screamed, went mad, and resisted, then became numb and dull under the high pressure; Rockmen wept, were injured, and became fanatical, then were coerced into "unity" to move forward.
Tens of thousands of Rockmen marched toward destruction, all under the banners of "hot-blooded" stupidity and "for a beautiful tomorrow."
The model workers exhausted their last bit of strength, those who spoke the truth became a pile of rubble. The Gu Yue Clan toasted and feasted, while the remaining Rockmen continued to dig the grand canal in a daze.
For the beautiful tomorrow of the Stone Man tribe.
Three months later, the canal was finally completed, but the Stone Man tribe, which originally had one hundred thousand people, now only had a hundred left. They stepped over the bones of the model workers, the rebels, and the truth-tellers to cheer for "victory," welcoming this so-called triumph.
They seemed to have truly won...
Inside the bright moon still water tower, the Gu Yue Clan toasted and feasted, holding a celebratory banquet with great fanfare.
Meanwhile, by the canal, only abandoned corpses remained everywhere, mixed with endless tears, hot blood, and hatred.
The "Great Leader" of the Stone Man tribe, Yan Yong, was now kneeling before Fang Yuan like a lapdog, a flattering smile squeezed onto his face, his voice trembling as he pleaded:
"Immortal, my Stone Man tribe did not fail your expectations; the canal is finished... but the Stone Man tribe is also on the verge of extinction. From the original one hundred thousand clansmen, only one hundred and thirty-seven remain... I beg the Immortal to show mercy, for the sake of our canal construction, please let us go..."
Hearing this, Fang Yuan frowned slightly:
"Since your Stone Man tribe offended me, you are my slaves in life and my ghosts in death. How about this: after the great battle, many courage gu have grown on Soul Searching Mountain. With these Gu worms, in a few months, you will be able to become a tribe again."
"Yan Yong, your current task is to produce more Rockmen. Yesterday, I reached an agreement with the Immortal Crane Sect to deliver five hundred Stone Man slaves in three months."
After hearing this, Yan Yong lowered his head and pleaded again, but Fang Yuan kicked him, shouting angrily:
"You blind fool! Get out!"
Yan Yong immediately curled into a ball and rolled out, and Fang Yuan did not pursue him further.
Just then, a Gu worm flew out of thin air and accurately bit into Yan Yong's body.
Yan Yong felt a strange power instantly bind his entire body, and even his Divine Soul seemed to be firmly locked. He stared at Fang Yuan with a face full of confusion, but Fang Yuan casually took a sip of wine and spoke indifferledly:
"Yan Yong, you've crossed the line. This is a slave gu; from now on, you are my slave."
Struck by the slave gu, Yan Yong no longer had any power to resist and could only lead the Stone Man tribe back toward Soul Searching Mountain. courage gu were everywhere on Soul Searching Mountain, and the constant fighting and killing expanded the Stone Man population; under this double blessing, the number of Rockmen actually shot back up to two thousand.
Shortly after, using the excuse of scouting the blessed land, Yan Yong tricked five hundred Rockmen into entering Gu Yue Village. He then turned around and lied to the remaining tribe members, claiming they had been ambushed by Gu Yue Clan Members on the way and that only he had fought desperately to break through the encirclement.
Upon hearing this, the Rockmen were all filled with admiration, praising him as a warrior of the Stone Man tribe, lauding his decisiveness and leadership.
Yan Yong could only smile bitterly, his heart full of misery. These Rockmen were all bred and raised under his own eyes, connected by blood; at this moment, he only felt as if his heart were being torn open, dripping with blood.
On the other side, the Gu Yue Clan escorted batches of Stone Man slaves in an endless stream to the Immortal Crane Sect, exchanging them for a massive amount of Gu materials and cultivation resources.
The entire clan was filled with joy, everyone praising Fang Yuan's great vision and strategy, leading the whole clan to rise step by step and making a fortune by selling slaves.
The one controlling the body now was Yuan Fang. He looked at the festive scene outside the tent, with no smile on his face, only a long sigh:
Sailing against the current year after year, Heavenly Tribulations and earth disasters never end.
Having known the dangers of the worldly path in my past life, I smile at the snow pressing down on the branches of Taihang.
Time passes like a fleeting river, life's ups and downs are bound by wind and rain.
The most heartbreaking place in the mortal world is the tears of the Rockmen at Soul Searching Mountain.
How does everyone feel about this Stone Man segment? Does it fit the original work?