Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Western Desert.
Blazing sunlight shone down upon all lifeforms.
The blue sky was cloudless, distorting hot-air was rising up from the golden desert.
“Farewell.” Fang Yuan’s group bid farewell to the two Tang clan Gu Immortals.
“Shadow Sect friends, please take care.” Tang Lan Ke smiled.
She was a rank seven time path Gu Immortal, and was in charge of the tributary of the River of Time. She was the main person who helped Fang Yuan come out of Tang clan’s tributary of the River of Time.
Fang Yuan smiled: “You have already accompanied us for ten thousand li, there is no need to send us off anymore.”
Tang Lan Ke’s smile became even brighter, but she was inwardly laughing bitterly. Their cooperation with Fang Yuan was not just about the guts Gu trade, but also Shadow Sect’s various research gains in dream path.
But ever since Fang Yuan returned to Western Desert, he did not mention anything about this. He seemed to have completely forgotten about it.
Although both sides had formed an alliance agreement and were restrained by it, they had yet to truly cooperate, even Tang clan was starting to feel somewhat anxious.
Tang Fang Ming, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke, inquiring directly: “Shadow Sect leader and friends, I wonder how will we collaborate from now?”
Fang Yuan glanced at Tang Fang Ming, an admiring expression flashing past his eyes: “I am very interested in Thieving Heaven’s dream realm, we can deepen our collaboration in this. But right now, we are being chased by several rank eight Gu Immortals of Heavenly Court, it is not a good time to collaborate, we can only look forward to it in the future. Rest assured, we have formed an alliance agreement, haven’t we? Of course, if your clan truly insists, we can remain here. It is just that our camps are different and with Heavenly Court’s chase, there is huge pressure on us.”
Tang Fang Ming and Tang Lan Ke looked at each other, both seeing bitterness in each other’s eyes.
Fang Yuan’s words meant that if they want to collaborate and obtain dream path research gains, then they have to help resist the pursuing forces of Heavenly Court. Moreover, when the matter of Tang clan colluding with the demonic path is exposed, they will have to bear the consequences of their righteous path reputation going down the drain!
Tang clan could not bear this consequence.
They could not take a hard approach as well.
Because Fang Yuan was sufficiently strong, such that he had no fear of Tang clan, who possessed Immortal Gu House.
“Then I can only wish you a safe journey.” Tang Fang Ming bowed slightly.
“Okay, farewell.” Fang Yuan nodded, leaving with an indifferent expression, while the other immortals followed behind him.
Tang Fang Ming and Tang Lan Ke stood on the sand dune, watching Fang Yuan and the rest leave until they turned into black dots in the horizon.
“Little Ming, you are letting them go like this?” Tang Lan Ke frowned.
Tang Fang Ming glanced at Tang Lan Ke calmly: “I am not letting them go, it is that our Tang clan cannot force them to stay.”
Tang Lan Ke was silent for a long while before sighing: “Sigh, I am uneasy about this, I don’t know if this alliance is beneficial or harmful to our clan.”
Tang Fang Ming: “I only know that all things have advantages and disadvantages. Often, the greater the risks, the greater the profits. What’s more, the decision of collaborating with Shadow Sect was agreed upon by several supreme elders.”
Tang Lan Ke immediately showed a serious expression: “This has no relation to the clan, only you and I contacted Shadow Sect! If there is a mishap, only we will bear the responsibility!”
Tang Fang Ming chuckled, but was inwardly rolling his eyes.
Tang clan threw him and Tang Lan Ke out as scapegoats to maintain their righteous path identity. They would be the cover to hide the clan’s disgrace if this matter was exposed in the future.
This was a righteous path’s trick, and Tang Fang Ming was well aware of it.
“What kind of person is Fang Yuan? He had long seen through Tang clan’s trick! The tributary of the River of Time is near the clan’s headquarters, and they stayed for ten days, but even the first supreme elder did not show up. How could there be sincerity in such a collaboration? Since we are cooperating, we should make up our minds, how can we achieve anything by being so hesitant?”
Tang Fang Ming was thinking to himself, when Tang Lan Ke asked: “What do you think of Fang Yuan? He said he was being chased by several rank eight Gu Immortals of Heavenly Court, could he be exaggerating?”
Tang Fang Ming knew Tang Lan Ke’s question had deep meaning, his best choice would be to keep silent.
If he said bad things about Fang Yuan, Tang Lan Ke would report to the clan that Tang Fang Ming was filled with ill feelings towards Shadow Sect and made them unhappy, she could use this to push the responsibility of this matter to him.
If he said good words about Fang Yuan, Tang Lan Ke would collect this evidence. In case the matter were to be exposed in the future, Tang clan would sacrifice them to protect itself; Tang Lan Ke could then present the evidence to say that she had been enticed by a certain Gu Immortal of the clan, and lighten her punishment.
Tang Fang Ming was not a fool, he might not have been used to it when he had just returned to the clan.
But now, he was an expert in the righteous path’s tricks.
However, at this moment, as Tang Fang Ming gazed at Fang Yuan’s figure disappearing gradually in the horizons, he had a complex feeling.
He sighed and bluntly said his innermost thoughts: “Although I haven’t seen his splendor in battle, through these several days of contact, I am certain his reputation is not false. Fang Yuan is a legend of this generation, his elegant demeanor and grand ambition fill people with admiration. He… is a man who is going against heaven. Just based on this, we will not be able to compare to him.”
A trace of joy flashed past Tang Lan Ke’s eyes, she kept silent upon hearing Tang Fang Ming’s words.
Fang Yuan was also thinking about Tang Fang Ming as he flew on his way.
In his five hundred years of memories, this Tang Fang Ming was a legendary figure of Western Desert!
His status was almost equal to Northern Plains’ Ma Hong Yun of that time.
Tang Fang Ming had been stripped of his status and mercilessly abandoned by Tang clan’s Gu Master higher-ups when he was young.
He and his sister, Tang Miao, led a vagrant life, suffering much hardship. But due to a fortuitous encounter, he cultivated to Gu Immortal level, while his sister Tang Miao became a rank five peak stage Gu Master.
To recruit a Gu Immortal, Tang clan’s multiple supreme elders sacrificed the Gu Master higher-ups of the clan in exchange for the return of Tang Fang Ming.
The later events proved that Tang clan’s supreme elders made a wise decision.
After Tang Fang Ming returned to the clan, not only did he help his sister to become a Gu Immortal, he also actively explored Thieving Heaven’s dream realm.
He had an extraordinary talent and aptitude in dream realm exploration.
He started to create dream path Gu worms, making huge contributions to the rise of the whole of Tang clan.
During the five regions chaotic war, dream realms manifested everywhere, dream path flourished, and Tang clan seized this opportunity to rise to become Western Desert’s strongest super force.
It was mighty and powerful, even throughout the five regions, it was a peak level super force. As Tang clan’s prestige spread in Western Desert, there were many who started to call Western Desert’s Gu Immortal world to be in — Tang clan’s era!
And in Tang clan, the most eye-catching and charismatic legend was the Gu Immortal who turned to cultivating dream path, Tang Fang Ming!
“Currently, Ma Hong Yun has already died in my hands, but with the coming collaboration, Tang Fang Ming will grow up even faster. The comparison and contrast between the two is truly quite amazing.”
“But according to the true path set by fate, Ma Hong Yun was meant to die.”
A dark light flashed past Fang Yuan’s eyes as he thought of this.
On the stone lotus island, what Fang Yuan obtained was not only true inheritances and Spectral Soul’s rank nine immortal essence, but also some valuable information Spectral Soul’s will had deduced with the help of Red Lotus’ true inheritance.
In Fang Yuan’s first life, Shadow Sect had succeeded in defying heaven, Spectral Soul Demon Venerable had resurrected, and also succeeded in infiltrating Heavenly Court.
Later, the great era descended and the five regions chaotic war started.
Shadow Sect’s influence had expanded into the five regions and two heavens, manipulating everything in the dark.
Shadow Sect had interfered multiple times to save Ma Hong Yun, before he finally became a symbolic character of the Northern Plains Gu Immortal world, in order to resist Heavenly Court.
And Tang clan was also a target for Shadow Sect to support secretly!
That’s right.
In Fang Yuan’s first life too, Tang clan had collaborated with Shadow Sect. The reason Tang clan could create ‘Tang clan’s era’ was because Shadow Sect was supporting it from behind the scenes to fight against Central Continent’s Heavenly Court.
Fang Yuan chose to collaborate with Tang clan mainly because of this.
In Western Desert, Tang clan was not the only one who possessed a tributary of the River of Time. But compared to the other two super forces, Tang clan had more basis for sincere collaboration.
The later events proved Fang Yuan’s choice was a success.
Borrowing Tang clan’s tributary of the River of Time, Fang Yuan escaped River of Time, leaving Feng Jiu Ge’s group back at the original spot as they waited fruitlessly.
“But…”
“In my first life, even though Shadow Sect’s grand plan succeeded and Spectral Soul revived, he seemed to have been unable to regain the status of a venerable. Moreover, Shadow Sect had retained its strength but Spectral Soul still chose to fight Heavenly Court in the dark, while supporting other forces. This proved Heavenly Court’s strength was difficult for even Spectral Soul to confront head-on at that time!”
“In this life, Spectral Soul’s grand plan failed because of me, Spectral Soul’s main body was even captured, Shadow Sect is in rough condition, and the only ones remaining are us. This situation is many times worse than in my first life.”
“Now, I also might have to follow Spectral Soul’s strategy, keeping in hiding while supporting several forces like Tang clan to create trouble for Heavenly Court.”
“But what do I do against fate Gu?”
Fang Yuan’s brows unavoidably furrowed at this issue.
In his first life, fate Gu was not restored successfully. Because Zombie Alliance still existed, and Spectral Soul, the one fated to die long ago, had revived. Not only did he revive, he hid from Heavenly Court, manipulating and brewing countless schemes in secret, obstructing Heavenly Court in restoring fate Gu.
But it was different now.
The situation facing Fang Yuan was much worse!
Spectral Soul’s main body was captured and Zombie Alliance was gone, many fate defying existences were already eliminated, which made the restoration of fate Gu much easier.
Fate Immortal Gu was the executioner’s blade hanging above Fang Yuan’s head.
Spectral Soul’s will had deeply reminded Fang Yuan to be careful of fate Immortal Gu, if it was really restored completely, the result would be disastrous.
Fang Yuan firmly engraved this warning in his mind, but he could not imagine or think of ways to go about destroying fate Immortal Gu.
Could he surrender if he could not win?
As far as Shadow Sect was concerned, they did not have this option at all.
And it was even more so for Fang Yuan.
“In my first life, I was constantly on the go, wandering, enduring hardships, being schemed against, tormented and suppressed by heaven’s will, I already have no route to retreat.”
“Heaven’s will chose me as its tool, but when I did not destroy sovereign immortal fetus Gu and used it on myself, I went on the path to go against heaven, there is no other option left.”
Thinking of this, Fang Yuan looked at the sky.
The boundless heavens and the vast will of heaven!
Compared to them, he was so insignificant.
Going against heaven?
“Interesting.” Fang Yuan smiled silently.
