P.S. Here's a May Day update. Don't rush off to play after reading — remember to cast your monthly vote first. Starting now, the Qidian 515 Fan Festival offers double monthly tickets, and there are also red envelope giveaways, so check those out!
"Hah!" Hao Zhen soared into the air, opening his mouth wide and unleashing a bolt of thunder.
The thunder condensed into a sphere, blue-gold in color, and hurtled toward his opponent at deceptive speed.
His opponent was a Gu Immortal from the Murong family — burly in build, with a broad nasal bridge, a heavy jaw, and a small forehead that gave his face a vaguely triangular shape. His physique was remarkably powerful, every muscle stacked like blocks of stone.
Seeing the thunderbolt come at him, he didn't dodge or evade in the slightest, letting the bolt strike his body head-on.
BOOM!
The thunder detonated, lightning flashing brilliantly, forcing all the watching immortals to squint.
After the lightning faded, the Murong family Gu Immortal stood tall and unmoved, utterly unaffected.
Across his chest was a patch of charred black, wisps of white smoke curling upward from it.
But that was all.
"That's the strongest you've got? Hmm, you scorched some of my hair — that's quite a bit of improvement compared to before." The Murong family Gu Immortal spoke, his tone flat and measured, without a hint of hesitation or emotion.
"You!" Hao Zhen seethed with fury, eyes blazing like fire, but he had nothing to retort with.
His most devastating attack had done absolutely nothing to the powerful foe before him.
"Incredible!"
"Truly worthy of being the best defender in the Northern Plains."
"Murong Gang… that guy hasn't attacked once since entering the fight. He's just been taking hits the entire time. And Elder Hao Zhen's offensive has had zero effect."
The Gu Immortals on both sides exclaimed in astonishment.
It turned out that after Fang Yuan had slain Yelu Qunxing, it had been a devastating blow to the Righteous Path.
To recover from the setback and boost morale, Gong Wanting had immediately taken action. Through her words, she had rallied the strongest Gu Immortal from the Murong family contingent to take the field.
He was the stocky man before them now, an iron-forged figure — Murong Gang!
Chu Du's brow furrowed again.
He sighed inwardly: "Just killed Yelu Qunxing, and now here comes Murong Gang. These golden families of the Northern Plains truly deserve their title as long-standing overlords — their foundations run deep."
At that moment, Hao Zhen stepped down, his face ashen: "I've brought shame upon myself and failed your expectations, Grand Elder."
Chu Du offered a few words of consolation.
Fang Yuan had barely left before he was once again trapped in the same predicament as before.
He swept his gaze across the immortals behind him, only to find that he had no one left to send.
"In my opinion, the strongest among us here is you, Grand Elder. But you can't easily enter the fray yourself. Perhaps we should summon Elder Liu back," Wang Daxian spoke up, making a suggestion.
His proposal was immediately endorsed by many of the Gu Immortals.
"That's right! Elder Liu's strength is unfathomable — he could cut down Murong Gang!"
"Before, Elder Liu took out Yelu Qunxing with ease. Taking down another Murong Gang shouldn't be a problem."
"Elder Liu transformed into an ancient sword dragon — his single breath of dragon fire was devastatingly powerful!"
Even Murong Gang himself on the battlefield spoke up: "Overlord Immortal. Stop sending out these minor characters. The only ones worthy of my attention, besides you, are Liu Guanyi alone. Send him out. I'd like to experience firsthand just how fierce his dragon breath can be."
"How infuriating — he doesn't take any of us seriously!" Chou Laowu's face twisted with anger.
Hao Zhen clenched his fists: "If we fought them as a pair, we could unleash the Wind-Thunder Roar! We'd tear them apart without leaving a shred!"
Having witnessed Fang Yuan's power firsthand, Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu no longer harbored any resentment about their positions as Third and Fourth Supreme Elders.
Hao Zhen was just saying it to save face.
In truth, he knew full well that while the Wind-Thunder Roar he and Chou Laowu performed together was incredibly powerful, it was difficult to execute and required a safe environment.
Just like before, during the battle where the Centipede Heavenly Lord attacked the Black Mortal Grotto-Heaven, they had only been able to unleash the Wind-Thunder Roar because they were heavily protected by their own Gu Immortals.
Everyone was eagerly anticipating Fang Yuan's reappearance.
Chu Du's side hoped Fang Yuan would help them restore their prestige.
The Righteous Path side, meanwhile, hoped to kill Fang Yuan — avenging the Yelu family was secondary; the real goal was that only by killing this man could they truly restore the golden clan's honor!
Chu Du naturally wanted Fang Yuan to strike again as well.
But Fang Yuan gave no response whatsoever.
Chu Du could only smile bitterly at this — there was nothing he could do.
Between him and Fang Yuan, their relationship was one of pure mutual exploitation, standing on equal ground.
Langya Blessed Land, secret chamber in Cloud City.
Fang Yuan sat quietly cross-legged on his meditation cushion, his mind focused entirely on his immortal aperture.
He was fusing Green Grape Immortal Essence, refining it into Red Date Immortal Essence.
This fusion technique was widely circulated and nothing special — almost everyone had mastered it.
Countless ordinary Gu insects were at work — some stationary and radiating light, others dancing through the air, each following its own specific trajectory.
Under the power of these Gu, the beads of Green Grape Immortal Essence were slowly but stubbornly merging together.