Hei Lou Lan stepped into the secret room. As soon as she sat down, she got straight to the point, staring at Yuan Fang with a smile:
"Brother Elder of Chang Family, what business do you have with this old brother of yours?"
Yuan Fang smiled slightly, his tone flat:
"I simply wanted to tell Brother Lou Lan a story from several hundred years ago."
"Oh? What story could make you specifically lead me to this... secluded place?" A flicker of curiosity flashed in Hei Lou Lan's eyes.
"Hehe, 'Fairy Su's Night Flight.' Surely Brother Lou Lan hasn't failed to hear even this story?"
As soon as Yuan Fang finished speaking, the aura around Hei Lou Lan instantly became as sharp as a blade. She took a deep look at Yuan Fang, seeing his cold, indifferent eyes and normal expression, her voice also chilled down:
"Brother Elder of Chang Family, what is the meaning of this? A sheep can eat grass as it pleases, but a person cannot speak recklessly."
This 'Fairy Su's Night Flight' was a popular tale that had circulated in Northern Plains for centuries. Back then, Hei Cheng of the Hei Family was imprisoned by the Su Family, and it was Fairy Su of the Su Family who rescued him regardless of her own safety.
It turned out Fairy Su had already developed secret feelings for Hei Cheng; the two became husband and wife from then on, and later both achieved Immortal Ascension, becoming a beautiful story of the time.
After becoming Immortals, the two gave birth to a daughter who was born with the legendary Great Strength True Martial Body. Unfortunately, legend has it that this daughter died young, and Fairy Su also died in a disaster shortly after.
However, all of this was merely an illusion.
The so-called 'daughter who died young' was precisely the cross-dressing Hei Lou Lan sitting opposite Yuan Fang right now. And Fairy Su did not die from a natural disaster, but was forcibly deprived of her lifespan by her husband Hei Cheng using the 'Yin and Yang Life Extension Method,' allowing Hei Cheng to survive until today.
Facing Hei Lou Lan's instantly icy attitude, Yuan Fang was not surprised. The corners of his mouth curled slightly as a mysterious aura quietly drifted out.
Hei Lou Lan's pupils suddenly constricted, and she cried out in shock:
"This... this is the aura of an immortal gu! It... it seems to be a strength path immortal gu!"
As a possessor of the Great Strength True Martial Body, if Hei Lou Lan wanted to achieve Immortal Ascension, a strength path immortal gu was indispensable. However, the Strength Path had long since declined, and strength path immortal gu were extremely rare, which was the root cause of why she had sought one for years to no avail.
Looking at the undisguised desire in Hei Lou Lan's eyes, Yuan Fang spoke slowly, every word striking her heartstrings:
"Do you want it? This is your hope for Immortal Ascension, the key step for your revenge against Hei Cheng. Without becoming an Immortal, how can you personally kill your biological father and avenge that blood debt for your mother, Fairy Su?"
Hei Lou Lan's whole body shook; at this moment, she was no longer surprised. Even a fool could see that the person before her knew her life story and obsessions like the back of his hand. She stared fixedly at Yuan Fang and asked in a heavy voice:
"Guest from afar, where do you come from? Where are you going? Just who are you?"
Yuan Fang gave a carefree smile: "With Brother Lou Lan's wisdom, you should have guessed it long ago, haven't you?"
Since he dared to bring the Gu Yue Clan deep into Northern Plains to participate in the Horde Contest, he had no fear of his identity being exposed. Yuan Fang said slowly:
"I am the Gu Yue Clan Chief, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, from Central Continent's Fox Immortal Blessed Land. I came to Northern Plains for the purpose of toppling the eighty-eight true yang building."
After hearing this, Hei Lou Lan let out a disdainful cold snort:
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan? Your thoughts are far too naive! The eighty-eight true yang building is a Rank Eight immortal gu house, further protected by layers of the King Court Blessed Land. With just you, a mere Mortal, even with an immortal gu in hand, how can you contend against such power?"
Before her voice even faded, Hei Lou Lan's expression changed drastically again. A majestic and vast aura surged out from Yuan Fang's body, like a towering mountain or a deep abyss, pressing down so hard she could hardly breathe.
"This... how... how is this possible! This is actually..."
"A Rank Eight immortal gu!"
Hei Lou Lan was shocked beyond measure, almost doubting her own senses. Meanwhile, Yuan Fang's expression remained unchanged, only the depths of his cold pupils surged with absolute confidence in his own strength.
"Hei Lou Lan, consider it that you have some insight." Yuan Fang spoke indifferently: "This is my Master's immortal gu. My Master is a Rank Eight Gu Immortal known as the Purple Mountain True Monarch, and he is but a Vice Envoy of our Sect."
"My Sect, the Shadow Sect, has influence spread across the Five Regions. Even a super force like the Five Regions Zombie Alliance is merely a subordinate of our Shadow Sect. I came here today precisely to complete a Sect mission—to destroy this eighty-eight true yang building."
Hei Lou Lan's face was full of disbelief upon hearing this. She had never heard of such a massive Sect.
Seeing this, Yuan Fang threw out several heavyweight names to provide evidence for her:
"The Sword Immortal Thin Green of Central Continent, you know of him, right? He is the Vice Envoy of my Shadow Sect's Blue Division!"
"Eternal Ordinary and Great White Cloud Life of Northern Plains are both my Senior Brothers."
"Even your father Hei Cheng's concubine, that woman who lent you the immortal gu through secret channels, is a member of my Shadow Sect."
(It seems she's called Fairy Jiang Yu, but not knowing which 'Yu' it is, I won't write her name.)
"And your eldest maternal aunt, Blazing Heaven Demoness; as a member of the Zombie Alliance, although she is a Rank Eight Gu Immortal, in the eyes of my Shadow Sect, she is but a subordinate."
(Actually, she's Gu material, but I don't dare say that.)
As the figures Yuan Fang listed grew more numerous, Hei Lou Lan's expression shifted from initial suspicion to complete shock and conviction. After all, no matter how outstanding a person was, they couldn't weave such a seamless, interlocking, and monumental lie.
The Shadow Sect did indeed exist, but Hei Lou Lan would never have guessed that Yuan Fang was not a member of the Shadow Sect at all. To her, the Shadow Sect was a mysterious force she had only just encountered; this sense of the unknown made her subconsciously believe in Yuan Fang's identity.
However, Hei Lou Lan still had doubts: "Why would you tell me the secrets of the Shadow Sect?"
Yuan Fang looked directly at her and went straight to the point: "Hei Lou Lan, to destroy the eighty-eight true yang building, I need to borrow your strength. As long as you help me succeed, I will lend you that strength path immortal gu to use."
He then painted an even bigger picture (using her own methods against her), his tone carrying a hint of temptation:
"After the matter is done, if my Master is in a good mood, he might even be able to help you pass your Immortal Ascension Tribulation. Once I receive my rewards from the Sect, I can even help you personally eliminate Hei Cheng in the future."
This series of promises accurately hit Hei Lou Lan's weakness. A sharp light exploded in her eyes, and she finally nodded in agreement.
To show sincerity, the two needed to make a pact. Hei Lou Lan originally wanted to use a Poison Vow Gu to bind them, but Yuan Fang let out a sneer:
"That thing is unreliable."
In the end, both parties established an alliance pact using the Blood Oath Killer Move.
(Even more unreliable.)
Once the alliance was set, the Heroes' Assembly also quickly came to a close.
Due to the powerful intervention of Yuan Fang and the Gu Yue Clan, various Demonic Path Gu Masters and Righteous Path families of Northern Plains flocked to Hei Lou Lan.
For a time, the Hei Family army's scale exploded, its momentum so grand it far surpassed all other forces like the Dong Fang Family, Liu Family, Ye Lü Family, and Ma Family.
(The specific battles of the Horde Contest are not far from the original work, so they won't be detailed here, only the general outline will be narrated.)
The Heroes' Assembly concluded, and the Horde Contest officially kicked off.
The so-called Horde Contest was essentially a trial set by the Golden Clans to consolidate their rule.
The Golden Clans could obtain Legacy opportunities within the eighty-eight true yang building, while the other forces would ultimately have to endure the pillaging of Northern Plains' decennial great blizzard.
And the Golden Clans used this very Opportunity to recruit talents from various Northern Plains tribes, injecting fresh blood into the families to maintain their enduring prosperity. People like the Water Demon Hao Ji Liu were primary targets for the Golden Clans' recruitment.
Liu Wen Wu was always resentful about Yuan Fang siding with Hei Lou Lan. After annexing three tribes in a row to expand his strength, he immediately allied with the leader of the Dong Fang Alliance, Dong Fang Yu Liang, merging their forces to launch a fierce attack on the Hei Family Alliance.
At this time, Yuan Fang already commanded a million-strong wolf pack. Combined with the hundreds of thousands of troops under Hei Lou Lan, their strength was so thick that even the combined forces of Dong Fang Yu Liang and Liu Wen Wu found it difficult to shake them.
Since a direct attack failed, Liu Wen Wu decided to take a different path, attempting to use heavy bribes to lure away Yuan Fang, the most crucial chess piece.
After a major battle, Liu Wen Wu immediately sent an envoy with ten million primeval stones to the Hei Family camp, wanting to buy off Yuan Fang.
But what kind of person was Yuan Fang? Never mind ten million primeval stones, even a billion primeval stones wouldn't catch his eye. He rejected the envoy on the spot and stated bluntly:
"If you want to buy me off, only immortal materials will do."
The immortal materials he wanted were part of the set for refining the All-Out Effort immortal gu, which Yuan Fang happened not to have bought.
The envoy reported back, and although Liu Wen Wu was unwilling, he was salivating for the position of horde lord. After weighing it again and again, he finally steeled himself, gritted his teeth to seek help from the Liu Family's Gu Immortals, and emphasized Yuan Fang's value.
The Liu Family Gu Immortals took this very seriously. Since the Family foundation was deep and the warehouse happened to have several corresponding immortal materials, they sent them out.
After Yuan Fang received the immortal materials, he immediately went to Hei Lou Lan's main tent, displayed the immortal materials sent by the Liu Family to her face, and fully disclosed Liu Wen Wu's intent to recruit him.
Hei Lou Lan was very shrewd and saw through Yuan Fang's scheme at a glance, saying with a bitter smile:
"Fang Yuan, what a good scheme! After fleecing the Liu Family, are you coming to fleece my Hei Family now? Fine, whatever you want, I will just apply to the Family for it."
Yuan Fang then handed over a list, which enumerated various types of immortal materials needed to refine the 'All-Out Effort' immortal gu, and said flatly:
"Hei Lou Lan, I only need any two immortal materials from the list."
Hei Lou Lan took the list and saw the request was within reason, so she shamelessly requested instructions from the Hei Family Gu Immortals. The Hei Family Gu Immortals also knew the weight of Yuan Fang and the Gu Yue Clan; to ensure the chances of winning the Horde Contest, they immediately approved the request.
After Yuan Fang got the Hei Family's immortal materials, he detained the Liu Family envoy and didn't mention a word about returning the Liu Family's immortal materials. Instead, he sent an envoy to reply to Liu Wen Wu, claiming the conditions given by the Hei Family were too generous and he had decided to side with the Hei Family.
Liu Wen Wu was furious upon hearing this, but he was unwilling to give up just like that. He weighed it for a moment and said through gritted teeth:
"Tell Fang Yuan that my Liu Family will also give two immortal materials! Including the previous one, that's three in total!"
The envoy had long expected he would do this and mentioned Yuan Fang's request for two immortal materials. Liu Wen Wu immediately agreed and reported to the Family Gu Immortals again. The Gu Immortals, thinking of the countless treasures in the King Court Blessed Land, also believed this investment was worth it and nodded in agreement.
After Yuan Fang got the immortal materials, he told Hei Lou Lan about this with added color. Hei Lou Lan indeed pressured her Family again, demanding one more immortal material.
Although the Hei Family Gu Immortals felt impatient, for the sake of the big picture, they could only grit their teeth and agree, stating clearly that this was the last time.
Having gathered the immortal materials, Yuan Fang smeared blood to form an alliance with Hei Lou Lan, becoming sworn brothers, and even took the position of a Hei Family Elder.
Subsequently, he specifically sent an envoy to the Liu Family camp to deliver a message with feigned regret:
"Hei Lou Lan is my big brother. Although I long for the Liu Family, unfortunately, as a human being, I cannot be without loyalty."
Liu Wen Wu was so angry on the spot that smoke almost came out of his ears, yet he had no way to voice his grievances. According to the rules of the Horde Contest, Gu Immortals were not allowed to directly interfere in the Horde Contest's battles.
Although this rule was practically non-existent in reality, the Golden Clans were, after all, the facade of the Righteous Path, and the surface constraints remained. If he forcibly demanded the immortal materials back, it would be a violation and would only leave a handle for the Golden Clans.
Liu Wen Wu could only swallow his anger, not only enduring this slight but also immediately blocking the news to prevent rumors from spreading. His only hope was to wait for the Horde Contest to end and then ask the Family Gu Immortals to act and completely wipe out this damn little pest, Fang Yuan.
Just as Liu Wen Wu was blinded by rage, Yuan Fang suddenly struck. A million beasts surged toward the Liu Family camp like a tide, with the Hei Family army following close behind.
By the time Liu Wen Wu woke up from his great rage, the Hei Family army had already broken through the Liu Family's four lines of defense.
A chaotic battle broke out; the Liu Family was caught off guard and suffered a crushing defeat. Dong Fang Yu Liang's reinforcements were too far away to help, and they simply couldn't make it back in time.
Seeing his own troops collapsing, Liu Wen Wu felt a sense of desolation in his heart.
Filled with grief and indignation, Liu Wen Wu no longer held back and immediately called his second and third brothers, preparing to activate their trump card Killer Move, 'Three Heads and Six Arms.'
At this critical moment, a cold moon shadow suddenly struck, accurately hitting his lower abdomen. His body appeared uninjured, but his aperture had been fiercely attacked by the moon shadow. The one who shot this moon shadow was precisely the Slave Path Gu Master, Tie Ruo Nan.
An indescribable sense of weakness instantly swept through his entire body; Liu Wen Wu found it incredibly difficult even to mobilize his primeval essence.
Seeing this, his second and third brothers immediately lunged at Tie Ruo Nan, only to see her shoot several more moon shadows from her sleeves. The two couldn't dodge in time and were similarly hit, their apertures damaged.
Fearing one strike wasn't enough, Tie Ruo Nan shot dozens more moon shadows in succession, completely sealing off the trio's ability to resist.
Then she threw out iron chain gu, binding the three together and dragging them away like dead dogs.
The dignified Liu Clan Chief, with Rank Five Peak cultivation and a heart full of grand ambitions, had actually been defeated just like that, and by a Slave Path Gu Master whose own combat power was not outstanding.
(The Fourth Generation Clan Leader cast an appreciative look at Tie Ruo Nan, while the Flower Wine Walker smiled without answering.)
After dealing with Liu Wen Wu, Yuan Fang and Hei Lou Lan pressed their advantage, successively defeating Dong Fang Yu Liang, Ma Zun, Ye Lü Sang, and other opponents, finally reaching the top as the horde lord and leading the army into the King Court Blessed Land.
During this period, Great White Cloud Life, Ma Hong Yun, Zhao Lian Yun, and others also appeared. Yuan Fang conveniently sent Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun into the Fox Immortal Blessed Land to make it easier for Yuan Fang to leech off the Heavenly Luck of the heavenly luck gu.
Ma Hong Yun even took Yuan Fang as his Master, while Zhao Lian Yun recognized Yuan Fang as her adoptive father. Someone once asked Ma Hong Yun why he didn't recognize Yuan Fang as his father like Zhao Lian Yun did, and he replied solemnly:
"I want to marry Miss Xiao Yun as my wife. If we became siblings, wouldn't that be incest?"
Next Chapter: Fang Yuan Becomes an Immortal.