Chapter 121: THREE KINGS INHERITANCE (25)
THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL
The bronze hall was in absolute silence just like a discord call after someone said something wild.
Time froze. The atmosphere was heavy enough to crash a server.
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, the Rank Six Second Aperture Gu floating in front of him like a mythic drop that just spawned. He'd done it. He'd actually done it.
But his eyes weren't on the Gu.
He turned his head slowly—painfully—and stared at Bai Ning Bing. His gaze was the kind of "explain yourself before I crash out" energy.
Bai Ning Bing, now fully restored to his male form, stood expressionless behind him, an ice blade through Fang Yuan's chest.
Tie Ruo Nan walked forward slowly, her face a mix of grief and pure satisfaction. "Fang Yuan. You never in your wildest dreams expected this day, did you?"
Fang Yuan acted like she didn't exist. His eyes stayed locked on Bai Ning Bing.
Bai Ning Bing met his gaze. Taller now. Silver hair floating. Ice-cold blue eyes. He was giving final boss after ascension vibes.
"You didn't expect it, did you?" Bai Ning Bing's smile was cold as ice (it was ice). "That you'd finally be defeated by me."
"Since my resurrection back at Qing Mao mountain, I've been thinking. Plotting. Waiting. You controlled me like a chess piece. Moved me at will. You're not the strongest enemy I've faced, but I'll admit—you're the most terrifying."
"Fang Yuan, you're a scheming goat. Vicious methods. Formidable. But I, Bai Ning Bing, am also built different. How could I stay someone's subordinate forever?"
"The more you controlled me, the more I thought of ways to escape. To counterattack. But the Yang Gu was with you. One thought from you and it'd self-destruct. So I couldn't act recklessly. I had to think."
"Then one day—inspiration. A way."
"The scene of you voluntarily using the Yang Gu? It had already happened once. At Qing Mao mountain. My self-destruction would be the trigger. You'd use the Yang Gu again. And I'd be ready."
"I started plotting. Secretly."
"I would 'self-destruct', as a joke. There was a chance you might not use the Yang Gu. So I chose..."
"Ice crystal Gu. " Fang Yuan's voice was flat. Dead. The kind of flat that knows it's been absolutely outplayed.
Back at Shang clan city, Bai Ning Bing had chosen ice crystal Gu over snow fairy Gu. Wei Yang had been so pressed about it. Now it made sense.
Bai Ning Bing's smile widened. "You finally get it. Snow fairy Gu would've changed my body permanently. But ice crystal Gu? Paired with ice explosion Gu? It creates a scene identical to the northern dark ice soul physique's self-destruction. You just witnessed it. Didn't it deceive you beautifully?"
Fang Yuan scoffed through the blood. "If I wasn't focused on refining the Immortal Gu, I would've noticed. You wouldn't have succeeded so easily."
Bai Ning Bing nodded, serious. "True. You're meticulous. You notice everything. When I thought of this plan, I knew it was risky. Honestly, I almost gave up."
The change? Poison vow Gu.
But Bai Ning Bing had learned from watching Fang Yuan. The Shang Ya Zi situation. The Bai clan rumors. He realized—what if Fang Yuan wasn't actually bound by the poison vow? What if he was just gaslighting everyone?
"If that was the case, I was already cooked. Bound by the vow while you were free? I'd be your puppet forever. No way out. But there was one person in Shang clan city who could help me."
He smiled, mocking. "And I have you to thank for the introduction."
Doctor Su Shou.
The banquet. Fang Yuan's disfigured face. He'd brought Bai Ning Bing along intentionally—maybe to show off, maybe to flex. But Bai Ning Bing met Doctor Su Shou in his real form. And Doctor Su Shou? She was immediately locked in.
Doctor Su Shou, one of the Four Great Doctors, had a type: beautiful people. If you were hot, free treatment. If you were ugly? Couldn't pay her enough.
Bai Ning Bing asked about the Yin-Yang transformation. The answer confirmed how crucial the Yang Gu was. But more importantly—he got to know Doctor Su Shou. And she made a promise: whatever problems he faced, come to her.
Fang Yuan coughed blood. The ice blade was through his heart, but healing Gu kept him hanging on. The cold was spreading. Numbness. Slow death.
"The person you're talking about... Doctor Su Shou?"
"Right again." Bai Ning Bing nodded. "That bitch," Fang Yuan cursed. Then his eyes narrowed. "Wait... you only met once. Unless... there was a second time. "
The memory hit. Bai Ning Bing's "loss" to Yan Tu. The injury. The lost vital Gu. The trip to Doctor Su Shou for treatment and recovery.
"Don't tell me..."
Bai Ning Bing's blue eyes gleamed. "You've guessed it. I lost to Yan Tu on purpose. A vital Gu? Replaceable. Buying a chance to escape your suspicion? Worth the gamble. "
At Doctor Su Shou's, Bai Ning Bing took a risk. He told her everything.
Doctor Su Shou? Sympathetic. And she had a way.
Bai Ning Bing asked if she could break the poison vow.
She couldn't dispel it. But there was another way. A memory from her youth—she'd been deceived by a junior brother into using poison vow Gu, swearing to never abandon each other. Later, she used this method to break free.
Bai Ning Bing asked what it was.
Doctor Su Shou's gaze turned grave. "To live, one must die."
The poison vow would activate. Cause death. Doctor Su Shou, as a healing grandmaster, could then revive the person, removing the vow in the process. But it had a one-in-three failure rate. Fail? Permanent death.
Bai Ning Bing decided on the spot.
It worked. He was free.
No more poison vow. He contacted Tie clan. Tie Ruo Nan learned the truth—that "Fang Zheng" was actually Fang Yuan. The Qing Mao mountain events. Everything.
And a secret cooperation was born.
They used iron cabinet Gu and qi flow Gu to create a fake self-destruction scene, but Fang Yuan didn't take the bait. So Bai Ning Bing went to San Cha mountain. Got "trapped" by Tie clan's four old-timers—all part of the plan.
Fang Yuan killed seven of them. Tie Mu Bai entered the scene. Taught Tie Ruo Nan. She waited for Bai Ning Bing's signal.
Then Fang Yuan dominated the inheritance. Killed Tie Mu Bai. Controlled everything.
Bai Ning Bing stayed silent. Hidden. Using Fang Yuan's trust to control the dog beasts.
When the Land Spirit died, he was free from surveillance. He let Yan Jun probe. Feng Tian Yu was sent out—proof the Land Spirit was truly gone.
He made way for Tie Ruo Nan and the four old-timers.
"Fang Yuan. Surrender." Tie Ruo Nan walked forward, holding the Second Aperture Gu. "Outside, my Tie clan's enslavement grandmaster Tie Bai Qi controls the dogs. The four old-timers have sealed the space with iron cabinet Gu and qi flow Gu. No one's getting in. Surrender is your only option."
Fang Yuan was silent.
After a long silence, Fang Yuan raised his head and sighed. "There are truly uncountable geniuses in this world..."
"Bai Ning Bing. What a Bai Ning Bing. Hehehe. I underestimated you. Fell victim to your schemes. A beautiful victory. Your plan was flawless. I was careless—overconfident—only thinking about the Immortal Gu. Allowing you to succeed. My mistake. "
Bai Ning Bing bowed slightly. "I'm flattered. The only reason I could scheme against you was perfect timing, place, and opportunity. If I had to refine an Immortal Gu while fighting both factions? I'd have done worse. But now? Winner takes all. Loser loses everything. Stop struggling."
Fang Yuan sneered. "You haven't killed me yet because of the Immortal Gu. You want to know its effects. The recipe in my head."
The blessed land was crumbling. Heavenly power was gone. Gu could be used freely now. One thought from Fang Yuan, and all his Gu would self-detonate. They couldn't stop that.
"Tie Ruo Nan." Fang Yuan's smile was sinister. "Tie Mu Bai and the others died by my hand. You need this Immortal Gu to redeem yourself. Otherwise, you lose your young master position."
Tie Ruo Nan's face was expressionless. "True. Immortal Gu are unique. Bringing it back is unprecedented merit. The Tie clan Gu Immortals will nurture me. Reward me. The recipe? Only you know it. Contribute that, and I become young clan leader immediately."
"When I ascend to clan leader, I'll be like Lord Tie Mu Bai. Uphold justice. Maintain order. I've learned: to uphold justice, you need great strength. A strong force. Only then can I repay Lord Tie Mu Bai's teachings. Let him rest in peace."
Her eyes reddened. Fury. Hatred. Satisfaction. All mixed.
"As for you, Gu Yue Fang Yuan? I won't kill you. Refining an Immortal Gu as a mortal? Your talent is spectacular. Surrender. I'll send you to the Tie clan Demon Suppression Tower. Reform there. When you've turned over a new leaf, you'll work for Tie clan. Contribute to the righteous path. Repay your sins. Best outcome."
Fang Yuan squinted. "Demon Suppression Tower. Sounds lovely. Hehehe. You want the Immortal Gu? Fine. Let's make a transaction."
He started talking terms. Stalling. Buying time.
Outside the hall, experts were still fighting. If they broke through, the situation could flip.
The battlefield outside was chaos mode.
Tie Bai Qi, the rank five enslavement grandmaster, was dominating. The dogs fought with triple the strength under his command. Losses didn't matter. He was a wall.
Mo Wu Tian was pressed. Dog emperor Ba Huang, bathed in blood, kept healing. Every time Mo Wu Tian tried to push, more dogs charged.
Xiao Mang was also stuck, Ying Ming blocking his path.
"BASTARD! " Xiao Mang flew into the sky—through the massive hole in the blessed land—and raised his hands.
Rank four, Gather Light Gu.
Rank five, Extreme Light Gu.
Rank five, River Under the Sun Gu.
KILLER MOVE: TORRENTIAL LIGHT STREAM!
A river of light, blinding and fierce, crashed down from the hole. The whole battlefield turned white. Everyone closed their eyes.
The purple barrier around the hall shattered. The four old-timers spat blood, gravely injured.
The light river smashed into the bronze hall, blowing it open.
Fang Yuan, Bai Ning Bing, and Tie Ruo Nan all scrambled.
Warp Gu!
"Bye bye!"
Fang Yuan vanished.
He reappeared a distance away, coughing blood. Warp Gu's backlash was brutal. His body was wrecked. But he was alive.
"Second Aperture Gu is with them for now. I'll take it back. With interest."
He could still detonate it with a thought. Last resort.
He tried to retreat. Recover. Find an opportunity.
But heaven said NOPE.
Gu Masters spotted him.
"Little beast king!"
"He came out of the hall!"
"He must have treasure! BLOCK HIM!"
Dogs attacked. Gu Masters attacked. Tie Bai Qi personally targeted him.
Fang Yuan summoned a golden dragon, paving a path. Yi Chong rushed him with waves. Fang Yuan dodged with bone wings. Yi Huo sent fire birds. Golden aurora Gu boosted his speed. He weaved through attacks.
Mo Wu Tian and Xiao Mang noticed.
A giant light hand shot toward him. Fang Yuan barely dodged.
Then—gentle feelings Gu. Mo Wu Tian's whisper attack. Fang Yuan's mind blanked for a split second.
The light hand caught up.
BOOM.
Fang Yuan flew through the air like a broken kite.
He woke mid-fall, activated a Gu, and shouted: "TIE RUO NAN HAS AN IMMORTAL GU! SHE'S REFINING IT NOW! "
Attention diverted. Chaos intensified.
Fang Yuan used dark clouds to hide, trying to escape.
But—
SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Four chains shot from the void, wrapping around his limbs. Tightening. Coiling. Dragging him back.
He reappeared in the bronze hall.
The four Tie clan old-timers stood around him, half-kneeling, palms extended, chains extending from their hands.
Tie clan's four old-timers' killer move — Infinite Search and Lock.