Fang Yuan took out the Bright Pearl Gu, which he had refined over the past few days along with other similar Gu.

Bright Pearl Gu was a storage-type Gu, primarily used to seal Gu worms and put them into a deep slumber, making them easier to store.

"I don't plan to refine the second aperture Immortal Gu right now. So, I might as well not waste the remaining Gu materials. More importantly, there are a lot of purple crystal relic Gu, along with even more yellow-gold relic Gu! If I use them, I'll be able to advance to Rank 5 Peak Stage in no time," Fang Yuan thought, recalling his plan.

"Land spirit, use these storage Gu to store all the precious materials and the remaining relic Gu," Fang Yuan ordered Ba Gui, the land spirit.

"...No! These materials will only be used to refine Gu!" Ba Gui responded angrily.

"This is a necessary step, Ba Gui. Trust me—if you don't do it now, the second aperture Immortal Gu refinement will definitely fail."

"This..." Ba Gui hesitated, then spoke with a sad expression. "Okay, I will do it."

Fang Yuan smiled. "Don't worry. The Immortal Gu refinement will be a success."

…

"I can move on to the next step."

Fang Yuan took out a wine jar and smiled deeply.

In the Legends of Ren Zu, Divine Travel Gu clearly stated: "As long as anyone drinks four of the world's top-tier wines, they will give birth to me in their hearts. I can teleport them to any place they desire."

The real reason Fang Yuan chose Chou Jiu in the first place was because Chou Jiu had three of the wines necessary for Divine Travel Gu, and Fang Yuan had obtained the last one from an unlucky Gu Master he had killed.

"Slurp," he drank one wine after another, using Gu worms to stay sober.

"Everything is going according to plan."

"All that's left is to wait for the right time to refine Fixed Immortal Travel Gu."

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…

A black hole suddenly appeared, spinning rapidly as numerous white apes jumped out. The ape army surged forward, forming a strong formation as they charged towards the hall.

"Young master, go ahead. I will block them here," Tie Bai Qi's tone was resolute and powerful.

"We'll be counting on you. The Immortal Gu is the most important. For the clan, we must arrest Fang Yuan alive!" Tie Ruo Nan gritted her teeth, leading the four Tie clan elders as they began their invasion.

With the white ape army covering their advance, Tie Ruo Nan successfully entered the hall.

Inside, Fang Yuan pretended to be refining the Gu. The land spirit prepared to attack, but Fang Yuan quickly stopped it. "Ba Gui, don't overextend yourself! You need to control the dog groups and manipulate the immortal essence—how can you manage anything more?"

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"Bai Ning Bing, it's up to you now. Go block her!" Fang Yuan ordered.

Bai Ning Bing snorted coldly and rushed to engage Tie Ruo Nan in fierce combat. As they fought, the Tie clan's four elders joined in, putting immense pressure on Bai Ning Bing.

"I can't hold them back any longer, Fang Yuan!" Bai Ning Bing shouted, struggling under the weight of the battle.

"Hang in there! I need more time!" Fang Yuan's voice was tense, though his focus remained elsewhere. He continued pretending to refine while discreetly storing another five-hundred-year lifespan Gu. Even just this wealth was unimaginable for the new Rank 6 Gu Immortals.

Moments later, Bai Ning Bing gasped, visibly weakened. "I can't go on! Fang Yuan, I'm going to self-destruct!"

Crack... crack…

Frost began gathering rapidly, filling the hall with a chilling aura. The temperature dropped sharply as Bai Ning Bing's entire body turned into ice crystal, just as she had done back at Qing Mao Mountain.

"Bai Ning Bing? Bai Ning Bing!" Fang Yuan called out, though there was no reply.

"Bai Ning Bing's acting is impressive. I'm honestly amazed," Fang Yuan thought to himself with a smirk. "I'll have to reward her for this performance."

He stood up, sending the Yang Gu toward Bai Ning Bing, but before it reached her, the Gu abruptly changed direction in a U-turn, returning to Fang Yuan's right hand.

At the same time, a cloud of smoke transformed into a Gu worm, landing in Fang Yuan's left hand. It was the fake second aperture Immortal Gu.

In the original, this Gu could last for forty years, but since Fang Yuan hadn't used all the lifespan Gu, it would only survive for ten.

Fang Yuan raised his head and activated Liquid Metal Gu, blocking the frost effortlessly. He then turned to Bai Ning Bing with a knowing smile. "So, Bai Ning Bing, will you continue your acting?"

The frost stopped. This time, Bai Ning Bing couldn't continue the ruse and reverted to her flesh form, staring at Fang Yuan in shock and disbelief. "How… how did you know!?"

"In Shang clan city, you had Doctor Su Shou remove your poison vow and then secretly contacted Tie Ruo Nan. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Fang Yuan spoke casually while inspecting the two Gu in his hands.

Bai Ning Bing landed on the ground, her expression dazed. "How did he find out? I was so careful… that means he's been watching me, letting me act like a fool all this time!"

"Wait," Bai Ning Bing's thoughts raced, "at least I succeeded in planting the Fixed Star Gu…"

Fang Yuan chuckled, raising his left arm: "the fixed star Gu?

Tie clan's four elders frowned. Fang Yuan could easily sever his arm, and even if they used their killer moves, they would only capture that limb. To someone as ruthless as Fang Yuan, sacrificing an arm meant little.

"Immortal Gu refinement isn't complete yet, which means I've enough immortal essence to kill you all!" Fang Yuan's lips curled into a cold smile.

At that moment, Ba Gui appeared, his face tearful and distraught. "No, it's no use. There's too much loss in immortal essence to kill them, and what remains won't be enough to support the Gu refinement."

"Besides, it's already too late. There are too many holes in the blessed land—it's going to collapse entirely," Ba Gui added, his voice tinged with sorrow.

His only obsession was completing the refinement of the second aperture Gu; he cared little for his own survival.

"Young man, you made a fatal mistake in your calculations! The Immortal Gu refinement is a failure!" the land spirit howled, its grief overwhelming.

"No, the refinement isn't a failure," Fang Yuan said, smiling suddenly.

Ba Gui, looking haggard and heartbroken, paused in his crying, staring at Fang Yuan in disbelief.

"Ba Gui, do you still want to refine the second aperture Gu?" Fang Yuan's voice transmitted calmly into Ba Gui's mind.

"Could it be… that you have a way?" Ba Gui stammered, a flicker of hope in his voice. "That's right—you're a reborn Gu Immortal. With your previous life's experience, you must have foreseen this!"

"The current me is just a mortal; I couldn't have refined the second aperture Gu from the start," Fang Yuan admitted. "Ba Gui, I've failed you. But we still have hope."

The land spirit's sobbing softened as it cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

"The half-finished second aperture Gu is with me. If you follow my orders, I can get from here safely and will succeed next time."

Ba Gui hesitated but eventually nodded. "You're the only one who meets the requirements of the blessed land. As a reborn Gu Immortal, you do stand a great chance. Even if it failed this time, the next attempt might succeed."

"Good. First, kill Tie Ruo Nan."

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