Generally speaking, the wild beasts of the five domains — Southern Border, Central Continent, Northern Plains, Eastern Sea, and Western Desert — found it extremely difficult to cross the domain boundaries and reach other regions.
These wild beasts, ancient wild beasts, and primordial wild beasts could rival Gu Immortals. They were the quintessence of their respective domains, and it was nearly impossible for them to leave the domain that had nurtured them.
The domain boundaries were like shackles to them.
By comparison, ordinary beasts, beast kings, and variant beasts enjoyed more freedom and could cross between domain boundaries.
However, this group of ancient cloud beasts currently chasing Fang Yuan had not been nurtured by the Southern Border. They originated from the White Heaven, one of the Nine Heavens of Antiquity.
The domain boundaries held no distinction of closeness or distance for them — they were all treated equally, with no binding or rejection force.
Perhaps this was because all nine layers of the Nine Heavens of Antiquity blanketed the entirety of the five domains.
This characteristic had long been known to all.
Previously, when Demon Venerable You Hun had performed his heaven-defying Gu refinement, the Gu Immortals of the Heavenly Court had been able to reach the Southern Border so quickly by using the Heaven Monitoring Tower to traverse White Heaven.
Even before that, Fang Yuan's Star Gate Gu had been able to use the starlight within the Black Heaven of Antiquity as a guide to cross the five domains.
The underlying principle was the same as that of the current group of ancient cloud beasts — all relied on this very characteristic of the Nine Heavens of Antiquity.
Fang Yuan sped through the domain boundary at great velocity.
The pack of ancient cloud beasts behind him — Fang Yuan couldn't manage them even if he wanted to, so he could only let them tail him.
These cloud beasts were single-minded. Once they had locked onto Fang Yuan, they would never give up until they achieved their goal.
At this moment, Fang Yuan couldn't help but reminisce about the benefits of Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.
If he had Fixed Immortal Travel Gu, he could have shaken off these nuisances cleanly and decisively.
Even with injuries on his body, the ancient cloud beasts' tracking range had its limits. With Fixed Immortal Travel Gu, he just needed to exceed that range.
But the only movement Immortal Gu Fang Yuan currently possessed was Sword Escape Immortal Gu.
Relying solely on Sword Escape Immortal Gu could certainly widen the gap between them. But the price would be far too steep.
Most critically, Fang Yuan didn't know the maximum tracking range of the ancient cloud beasts. If that range turned out to be very high, then even spending his entire fortune might not be enough to fuel Sword Escape Immortal Gu's consumption.
"The Lang Ya land spirit is innocent and wouldn't lie, but he's also been scheming against me all along."
"Previously, when dealing with Qi Zai, he got one over on me. Lending me the Dark Crossing Immortal Gu cost me a considerable price."
"If I'm desperate to shake off the ancient cloud beasts' pursuit, he'll likely take advantage of the situation to fleece me! After all, Falling Soul Valley, Swaying Soul Mountain, and Zhi Hui Gu are far too tempting!"
The domain boundary ahead suddenly shifted to a deep blue hue.
Fang Yuan had passed through the Miasma Domain Wall of the Southern Border and officially entered the Azure Water Domain Wall of the Eastern Sea.
There was nothing more to say. Fang Yuan continued to fly headlong forward.
The journey was smooth and unobstructed.
No living creatures inhabited the domain boundary, nor were there other hazards or obstacles.
After all, the domain boundaries themselves were the greatest obstacle.
After flying for a while longer, Fang Yuan turned his head to look back. The pack of ancient cloud beasts was still there, relentlessly chasing after him.
Cloud beasts had no fixed form. When they flew, they resembled rolling streams of cloud, pure white as frost and snow, graceful in their movements. But to Fang Yuan's eyes, they were nothing short of infuriating.
By this point, Fang Yuan's Lang Ya Sect contributions had been completely burned through, and he had begun to accrue a debt of Immortal Yuan Stones to the Lang Ya land spirit.
"If not for these ancient cloud beasts, how would I have ended up like this? Hmm? What's going on?"
Mid-flight, Fang Yuan's expression suddenly shifted, a sharp gleam surging in his eyes.
He had made a startling discovery — within this Azure Water Domain Wall, his own aura was undergoing a mysterious transformation.
The aura of a Southern Border Gu Immortal was steadily fading and shrinking. Meanwhile, another aura — that of an Eastern Sea Gu Immortal — was continuously growing in its place.
If Fang Yuan had activated Meeting Like Old Acquaintance at this moment, he wouldn't have been so surprised.
The key was that he hadn't activated this killer move at all.
"Could it be that this brand-new body of mine can not only freely traverse the five domains' domain boundaries, but also continuously shift its aura to become that of a Gu Immortal from any domain?"
Fang Yuan silently hypothesized.
The moment he officially flew out of the Azure Water Domain Wall, the Southern Border Gu Immortal aura throughout his entire body completely dissipated, truly transforming him into an Eastern Sea Gu Immortal.
Fang Yuan was both surprised and delighted.
"This Supreme Immortal Fetus Gu is truly wondrous. I no longer need Meeting Like Old Acquaintance at all — I can perfectly blend into any of the five domains without being rejected by the local Gu Immortals."
"But for now, I'd better still activate Meeting Like Old Acquaintance."
Fang Yuan glanced back at the group of ancient cloud beasts trailing behind him, sighed, and dutifully activated Meeting Like Old Acquaintance, shifting his appearance into that of an unfamiliar stranger.
He had originally planned to pass through the Eastern Sea quietly and return to the Northern Plains.
But with this pack of ancient cloud beasts tailing him, that plan had naturally fallen through.
Such conspicuousness was not what Fang Yuan wanted, but he truly had no other choice.
"However, this isn't too far from the Turbulent Sea Area. Perhaps I could take a detour, head toward the Turbulent Sea Area, and use the terrain to shake off these ancient cloud beasts?"
A sudden thought surfaced in Fang Yuan's mind.
Thanks to his 500 years of previous life's wandering and hardship, Fang Yuan had intimate knowledge of the geography across all five domains.
After thinking it over for a while, Fang Yuan chose caution and prudence, ultimately abandoning the idea.
The Turbulent Sea Area was like a labyrinth. Once one carelessly fell into it, they would be swept along helplessly, potentially trapping themselves.
It was rumored that the Turbulent Sea Area had been a battlefield where mighty Gu Immortals had fought to the death. In that bloody battle, many powerful Gu Immortals had fallen, leaving behind numerous inheritances and hidden treasures.
Many Eastern Sea Gu Immortals, as well as those from the Central Continent, Northern Plains, and Southern Border, would frequently venture into the Turbulent Sea Area to explore and seek opportunities.
Unfortunately, in Fang Yuan's 500 years of previous life, he had never heard of anyone gaining a great opportunity from it. Instead, he often heard things like: So-and-so Gu Immortal had gone missing in the Turbulent Sea Area. Or so-and-so Gu Immortal, after disappearing for months or years, had finally broken free and resurfaced.