Fang Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He finally realized he had overplayed his hand.
Still, it was only a minor slip-up — nothing catastrophic.
"Let's press on, seal the pact first, and then exchange pleasantries!" Bu Shi Xian smiled, his attitude even warmer than before.
Fang Yuan's recent display had caused Bu Shi Xian's assessment of him to leap upward by several tiers.
The three struggled onward through the Dao Marks.
The farther they went, the more concentrated the marks became, and the greater the resistance.
Of course, this was entirely from the perspective of Bu Shi Xian and Chu Du. But Fang Yuan also had to struggle — he had to put on a convincing show of difficulty so that Chu Du and Bu Shi Xian wouldn't grow too suspicious.
The three immortals rested and walked, walked and rested. What should have been a short distance took them a full incense stick's worth of time.
Finally, they arrived before a stone.
"A newcomer?" the stone suddenly spoke. A wisp of smoke rose from its surface, then dissipated into nothing.
The stone had transformed into a gaunt, diminutive Gu Immortal.
He had a goatee, stood barely as high as Fang Yuan's knees, and a pair of small eyes that glinted with sharp light.
"This is one of the three eccentric immortals of the Cave of Madness — the Wisdom Path Gu Immortal, Mi Mou Ren," Chu Du introduced in timely fashion.
Fang Yuan let out a silent exclamation in his mind. So this was Mi Mou Ren!
Outwardly, he maintained his composure perfectly, acting as though he were hearing the name for the first time. He bowed and said, "Greetings. I am Liu Guan Yi of the Transformation Path."
One day later.
"Brother Liu, Brother Chu — you've barely arrived and you're already leaving? Won't you stay a few more days?" At the uppermost level of the Cave of Madness, Bu Shi Xian made one final attempt to keep them.
"No." Chu Du refused with a bitter smile. "You know the situation in the Northern Plains. I've recently established the Chu Sect and allied with the Bai Zu Family. Now the Righteous Path factions have their eyes on independent cultivators and outsider sects like ours. They're gathering forces to deal with us."
Bu Shi Xian sighed deeply. "What is there to be attached to in this murky mortal world? Power and fame — can any of it be held after death? In the Legend of the Human Ancestor, when Tai Ri Yang Mang died, his soul passed through the Gate of Life and Death and dwelled by the Soul-Soothing Lake. The Reputation Gu drifted away from him. Only immortality is a goal truly worth pursuing for Gu Immortals like us."
Chu Du's expression hardened with resolve. "I have sworn to carry the Path of Strength to new heights. This is a promise I made to someone. If I cannot fulfill it, I fear I will never know peace for the rest of my life!"
Fang Yuan couldn't help but glance at Chu Du.
This was the first time he had ever heard Chu Du speak of his ambitions.
And the earnest look on Chu Du's face at this moment didn't seem to be an act either.
So Chu Du's cultivation of the Path of Strength has a story behind it, Fang Yuan was thinking, when Bu Shi Xian's question reached him.
"Brother Liu, you have enormous untapped potential. Why not simply stay here?"
Fang Yuan smiled. "I came primarily to forge the Pact of Madness. Now that the pact is sealed, I still have other matters to attend to."
In truth, Bu Shi Xian valued Fang Yuan even more highly.
It was mainly because of how Fang Yuan had performed on his first visit that had left a deep impression.
In this regard, Fang Yuan was even more confident than Bu Shi Xian.
He believed he could even sprint through the third-to-last level of Dao Marks with reckless abandon.
But that would be far too outrageous. It would surely make the three eccentric immortals of the Cave of Madness drop their jaws to the ground!
"I haven't seen the first-to-last or second-to-last levels, so I can't estimate them. But the third-to-last level poses no real obstacle for me. The Evolution Gu sits in the very last level. Unfortunately, the three eccentric immortals of the Cave of Madness stand guard here — there's no way I can act alone." Fang Yuan felt a twinge of regret.
Someday, he would return to the Cave of Madness and exploit his advantage to explore its depths.
But now was clearly not the time.
Raising his cultivation as quickly as possible was what mattered most.
As for the Evolution Gu, even if Fang Yuan obtained it, what use would it be? A Ninth Transformation Immortal Gu — it reminded Fang Yuan of the Zhi Hui Gu. He couldn't use it, and wouldn't use it. Acquiring it would only be a heavy burden!
"Aside from immortality, everything else is merely worldly baggage. Brother Liu, how long will your affairs take?" Bu Shi Xian pressed. Clearly, he was reluctant to let a capable hand like Fang Yuan slip away so easily.
Fang Yuan's gaze flickered toward Chu Du. "Actually, I am also a member of the Chu Sect. When these golden factions lay siege to the Chu Sect, I should do my part."
Chu Du knew full well that Fang Yuan was using him as an excuse, but hearing those words still brought a warm feeling to his heart.
"Oh, you two... fine." Seeing that he couldn't persuade Fang Yuan, Bu Shi Xian had no choice but to give up.
Fang Yuan and Chu Du bid farewell to Bu Shi Xian and swiftly soared into the sky.
On the journey back, Fang Yuan questioned Chu Du about the broader situation in the Northern Plains and the difficulties facing the Chu Sect.
Having also sealed the Pact of Madness, Fang Yuan's relationship with Chu Du had deepened another level.
Chu Du made no effort to hide anything from him, and said with a bitter smile, "This time, I'm feeling the pressure heavily. Even though the Chu Sect and the Bai Zu Family have joined forces, the opposition's strength is dozens — even hundreds — of times greater than ours. Fortunately, they lack unity, each guarding their own territory, so the Gu Immortal forces they can actually deploy are limited. And being the Righteous Path, they care about rules and face... We still have a chance."
"When will they make their move?" Fang Yuan asked the critical question.
Chu Du chuckled darkly. "Not for a while yet. Don't let all their loud proclamations fool you — there's still a long way from talk to action. These golden families have their own conflicts and dirty secrets. They have far more to consider. It's nothing like us on the Demonic Path — we keep things simple."
Fang Yuan nodded.
Chu Du's words had given him a much clearer picture and understanding of the current state of affairs in the Northern Plains.