Gu Zhen Ren, Reverend Insanity, Arc 2-198

"In this world, there are countless heroes..." After a long silence, Fang Yuan looked up and sighed.

"Bai Ningbing—what a Bai Ningbing... Heh—I underestimated you. You've bested me. You won cleanly, with exquisite scheming. I grew careless, fixated on the Immortal Gu—and you took advantage. My mistake."

"You flatter me. I only succeeded because the time, place, and people aligned. If our positions were reversed—refining an Immortal Gu while orchestrating everything—I doubt I'd have done as well." Bai Ningbing replied seriously. "But what's done is done. The victor reigns—I advise you not to resist."

"Heheh." Fang Yuan laughed coldly. "You haven't killed me because you want the Immortal Gu, its uses, and the recipe in my mind."

With the land spirit dead and the blessed land collapsing, the heavenly suppression was gone—Gu Masters could use their Gu freely.

That meant Fang Yuan could self-destruct all his Gu with a single thought—faster than Bai Ningbing or Tie Ruonan could stop him.

"Tie Ruonan, Tie Mubai and the others died by my hand. You need this Immortal Gu to redeem yourself—otherwise, you'll lose your young master position." He sneered.

Tie Ruonan's expression was calm: "You're right. An Immortal Gu is of unparalleled importance—taking it back would be a monumental achievement, earning me the favor of the Iron Family's Gu Immortals. The recipe is only known to you. Offer it, and I'd become the Iron Family's young clan leader."

"One day, when I ascend, I'll follow Tie Mubai's example and uphold justice. I've come to understand that without power—personal and institutional—justice is just a word. Only then can I repay Old Clan Leader's teachings and let him rest in peace."

At the thought of her fallen kin, her eyes reddened—hatred, anger, and the thrill of near-revenge mingling.

She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on him: "As for you, Gu Yue Fang Yuan—I won't kill you. Refining an Immortal Gu as a mortal is no small feat. Your talent as a refiner is impressive. If you surrender, I'll send you to the Demon-Suppressing Tower for reform. In time, you can repent, serve the Iron Family, and contribute to the righteous path—that's the best way to atone."

"The Demon-Suppressing Tower..." Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed. "You speak so sweetly! Heh—you want the Immortal Gu? Then let's make a deal."

As he spoke, he listened for sounds outside the hall.

He was stalling.

The situation seemed hopeless—but a chance remained.

Exhausted, low on true essence, and with many beast phantoms consumed during the refinement, he couldn't fight head-on. Bai Ningbing and Tie Ruonan had planned for this, and outside were the four Iron Family elders and the beast master Tie Baiqi.

The Spring Autumn Cicada could turn the tables—but at great risk. He'd only use it as a last resort.

"The real turning point lies with the crowd outside. The dog pack and the four elders can't hold them forever. Once they break in, the situation will shift."

Fate was fickle—moments ago, he'd been trying to keep them out; now he wished they'd storm the hall.

...

"Damn the Iron Family—so they're the ones behind this!"

"Old Clan Leader Tie Mubai came—what drew him here? We should have realized..."

"The Iron Family may be a superpower, but they can't monopolize an Immortal's treasure—it belongs to everyone!"

On the bloody battlefield, fury blazed.

Many Gu Masters glared toward the bronze hall, their eyes burning.

A purple dome sealed the hall—the four Iron Family elders guarding it.

At the entrance stood Tie Baiqi, commanding the dog packs.

An old man with white hair and a third eye, he was a Rank Five beast-path Gu Master—once Tie Mubai's right hand. Summoned by the old clan leader, he'd left seclusion and traveled far.

Now, he smiled as he surveyed the battlefield.

Under his command, the dogs fought with triple their previous effectiveness—and he didn't care about losses. He held the crowd at bay.

"Tenacious old bastard." Mo Wutian's black hair flew as he gasped for breath.

Before him, the Dog Emperor Bahuang was covered in wounds—in worse shape than Mo Wutian. But its healing Gu activated, and white light began mending its injuries.

Mo Wutian pressed his advantage—but a wave of Azure-Hua Dogs flanked him.

"Again!" He cursed, forced to deal with them first.

In that interval, Bahuang recovered and grew fierce again.

Unlike Bai Ningbing, who couldn't manage the Dog Emperors once deployed, Tie Baiqi handled everything with ease, fully displaying the beast path's strength.

Xiao Mang, too, was under heavy pressure.

"This won't do—the Iron Family will claim the treasure!" He was furious. But the Dog Emperor Yingming still blocked him.

"Damn you—you forced my hand!" Roaring, he flew skyward.

A massive hole had opened in the sky—beyond it, the outside world: clear sky and floating clouds.

Xiao Mang flew through, raised his hands.

Rank Four—Light-Gathering Gu.

Sunlight gathered into a massive sphere, dwarfing him.

Rank Five—Great Light Gu.

Ancient Glory Light infused the sphere—a qualitative transformation.

Rank Five—River-Falling Gu.

The sphere exploded into a torrent of light, each drop like a fragment of the sun.

Killing move—*Heavenly Light River!*

The river of light cascaded through the hole into the blessed land—blinding, magnificent.

"No!" Tie Baiqi tried to block it, but the light river was too vast—he could only weaken it.

The river crashed into the purple dome—it shattered after a moment, the four elders spitting blood.

Weakened, the light still surged into the bronze hall, creating a breach—aimed at Fang Yuan, Bai Ningbing, and Tie Ruonan.

Their pupils contracted as they instinctively dodged.

Fang Yuan, who'd been waiting, reacted instantly.

*Teleport Gu!*

He activated the Rank Five movement Gu—a spoil from the Killer Healer.

In a flash, he vanished with the Immortal Gu.

The light river struck the floor, leaving a massive crater.

Bai Ningbing and Tie Ruonan stood at its edge, calm.

"He fled—using the Teleport Gu, probably from Qiu Jiu." Tie Ruonan analyzed coolly.

"Let him go?" Bai Ningbing asked.

"Forgot about the Star-Fixing Gu? Even if he runs to the ends of the earth, the four elders can capture him. Let him exhaust himself—saves us trouble." She smiled, with the poise of a seasoned commander.

Hardship had truly matured her.

*Pfft.*

Pain shot through him—he spat blood, dizzy and nauseous. His organs felt scrambled.

The Teleport Gu was a Space Path Gu—it could tear through space, but with side effects.

Frequent use would twist muscles, reverse blood flow, and contort bones—users grew uglier over time.

Other Gu could mitigate this—but Fang Yuan had no time.

"The Second Aperture Gu is yours for now—I'll collect it with interest!" He assessed his position—still near the hall.

Dogs charged at him—he chose to retreat.

Though Tie Ruonan held the Gu, he still controlled it. One thought, and it would self-destruct—but he wouldn't do that unless forced.

"The fight's just begun—Bai Ningbing, Tie Ruonan, just wait. Heh."

Using the Second Aperture Gu required immortal essence—or a mountain of primeval stones.

He couldn't store it in his aperture—the Spring Autumn Cicada already strained it to the limit. Adding another Immortal Gu would burst it.

Without storage, its aura would leak, drawing attention. If he fled with it, he'd become the prime target for everyone.

"Tie Ruonan has the Gu now—she'll be the focus. Let them fight, and I'll take the spoils!" He planned to retreat, recover, and strike again.

But sharp-eyed Gu Masters spotted him.

"Who's that?"

"The Little Beast King—from the bronze hall!"

"Stop him—he must have some treasure!"

The crowd turned—dogs and Gu Masters alike attacked him.