Wu Yong had considered the possibility that Heaven Court's intelligence might be false.
However, the Purple Violet Fairy had provided ample evidence. Moreover, although Fang Yuan had altered his appearance when he departed the battlefield aboard the Supreme Sky Eagle alongside Hei Bai and the other Immortals, many Southern Border Gu Masters had witnessed the event.
Wu Yihai's disappearance had been too sudden and too bizarre. If Wu Yihai was truly Fang Yuan, then every detail fell neatly into place.
"Send me the Life Plate Gu and Soul Lamp Gu linked to Wu Yihai through the Bao Huang Heaven. In addition, there are several Immortal Gu — Wu Fa, go to the inner treasury and retrieve them for me." Wu Yong stood by the window, gazing down upon the layered dreamscapes below, and issued his orders in secret.
At the same time, he called out to Chi Quyou in the distance: "Grand Elder of the Chi Family, I must ask you to deploy a formation. Encircle this area and prevent the target from escaping through Space Path means."
"Oh? The target possesses such abilities?" Chi Quyou raised an eyebrow in surprise, then nodded. "I can indeed set up a Gu formation that disrupts the workings of the Space Path. However, the Immortal Gu I currently have on hand are not sufficient."
"No matter." Wu Yong smiled. "Here and now, with so many Righteous Path Immortal friends from our Southern Border present, could we possibly lack Immortal Gu?"
Not a single Righteous Path Gu Immortal contradicted Wu Yong's words. They all looked through their stashes, following Chi Quyou's requirements, to see which Immortal Gu each clan had available that could be assembled into a formation.
If they still came up short, the gap could be bridged through the Bao Huang Heaven.
The cost would not be trivial.
But ever since Fang Yuan had opened this particular can of worms, the Gu Immortals of the Southern Border had begun to follow suit.
News of the Gu being shipped to Wu Yong from the Wu Clan reached Fang Yuan and his allies almost immediately. After all, the Bao Huang Heaven was entirely open — any Immortal Gu transaction was bound to make waves.
"Almost all of these Immortal Gu came from the Wu Clan's inner treasury. They must have been sent through the Bao Huang Heaven."
"And my Life Plate Gu and Soul Lamp Gu! Hmph!"
A creeping sense of unease washed over Fang Yuan.
Too bad that even though he understood exactly what was happening, there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Transactions within the Bao Huang Heaven were perfectly secure. Fang Yuan had once relied on this very advantage, and now the shoe was on the other foot.
Before long, the mortal-grade Information Path Gu in Fang Yuan's possession received another message from Wu Yong.
"Wu Yihai — or perhaps I should call you Fang Yuan? We could talk. Strike a deal. Use the Immortal Gu on your person to buy your life. What do you say?"
Fang Yuan's pupils contracted ever so slightly. "So Heaven Court has spilled the beans. Those Gu just now — they were all delivered into Wu Yong's hands. And he comes right out and offers to buy my life? He must have some kind of method…"
Thinking this through, Fang Yuan deliberately halted his cooperation with the other Gu Immortals.
"Keep practicing. I have a small matter to deal with." After tossing out that line, he immediately slipped to the side and began activating the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil.
Inside Wu Yong's Immortal aperture, Gu after Gu rose into the air like layer upon layer of clouds, nearly blotting out the sky.
"This is the signature killing move of the once-mighty Witch Family of the Southern Border — a technique that once plunged the Gu Immortal world of the South into shadow and terror. My Wu Clan obtained it and kept it secret, fearing that other clans would band together to ostracize us. Now, Fang Yuan — why don't you have a taste?"
The cold light in Wu Yong's eyes flared.
The Immortal Path killing move activated!
But under his control, every trace of aura was suppressed. Not even Qiao Zhicai, standing right beside him, noticed a thing.
The next instant, Wu Yong's expression changed violently. His powerful frame shuddered as he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Lord Wu Yong, are you all right?!" Qiao Zhicai paled with shock and rushed over to support him.
"How can this be?! Fortunately, I only intended to issue a warning and test the waters — I didn't unleash its full power." Wu Yong's mind reeled with astonishment. The killing move had been directed at Fang Yuan, yet he himself had become the one suffering.
Wu Yong gently forced Qiao Zhicai's hand away.
His composure returned almost immediately, and he coughed a few times. "It's nothing. Just a lingering injury from when the Purple Blood Primordial River Formation struck me."
Qiao Zhicai's face filled with admiration and emotion. "Lord Wu Yong is wounded, yet he rushes to rescue his brother regardless — a true example for the Righteous Path!"
Wu Yong: "…"
Without a flicker of expression, he fell silent for a moment before saying to Qiao Zhicai: "You're a good one."
Qiao Zhicai had no idea these were sarcastic words. He assumed he had flattered the man perfectly and felt a small surge of pride.
The reason Wu Yong had been injured, of course, was the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil on Fang Yuan.
"The Reverse Flow River has diminished slightly. So Wu Yong really does possess some fearsome method — one that can attack my physical body directly through my Life Plate Gu and Soul Lamp Gu. A pity he ran into the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil, and every bit of it was reflected back."
Fang Yuan exhaled a long breath, then resumed his train of thought. "Something's off. If Wu Yong already knows I'm Fang Yuan, how could he have failed to account for the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil?"
"Could it be… he doesn't know I have another identity — Liu Guanyi? Did Heaven Court not tell him? Or does Heaven Court itself not know?"
Fang Yuan thought of the Dream Realm.
The reason his identity had been exposed this time was the super Dream Realm that had manifested externally and been eroded by Heavenly Will. He had entered the Dream Realm multiple times to explore it, his soul slipping in without the mask of the Familiar Face or the Conceal Immortal Gu. Naturally, Heavenly Will had seen through his disguise and pinpointed his location.
If that was the case, his Liu Guanyi identity had not been exposed!
"No good." The realization struck Fang Yuan like a weight dropping into his chest. "I've just activated the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil, and on top of that I'm already hit by a detection killing move. Doesn't that make it obvious — practically an unspoken confession that I'm Liu Guanyi?!" Whether or not Heaven Court had previously seen through this layer of his identity, using the Reverse Flow Protective Sigil now was tantamount to revealing it.
It had been a small clash fought in the shadows.