Mountain peaks stretched endlessly in verdant waves, the sky above clear and cloudless.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, strange radiance blooming and then swiftly condensing into a tall, striking figure.
The man possessed a pair of snow-white, slender eyebrows that extended well beyond the edges of his face. Beneath those snowy brows, his eyes were shut tight. He wore immaculate white robes, not a speck of dust upon them, and a faint halo of light emanated from his garments, his skin, and his hair alike.
The glow was not blinding, yet it lent him an almost divine appearance.
This man was Jun Shenguang, a cultivator who had reached the Eighth Transformation. He specialized in the Light Path and served as a Supreme Elder of the ten great ancient sects of the Central Continent. Recently, he had been recruited by Fairy Ziwei to join Heavenly Court.
"Liu Hao's last known location was right here." Jun Shenguang's eyes remained closed, yet his perception was as clear as if he were seeing with open gaze.
Almost at once, he discovered traces of battle left behind.
"This is bad—it seems Liu Hao is in grave danger. A fierce battle must have taken place here. Unfortunately, Liu Hao managed to send out not a single plea for help. Was it a Gu formation, or an Immortal battlefield?"
Jun Shenguang's expression darkened, his brow furrowing slightly.
Liu Hao was a mole planted by Heavenly Court, through the Wu family's hand, into the Southern Border team. He possessed the Space-Immortal Gu, specifically designed to counter Fang Yuan's Fixed Star Travel.
As for Jun Shenguang himself, he was the contingency Fairy Ziwei had arranged. If the Southern Border Gu Immortals pursued Fang Yuan and, after a great battle, left him gravely wounded and fleeing, then Jun Shenguang—with his exceptional tracking abilities—would serve as Fang Yuan's executioner.
"The Southern Border team that set out to capture Fang Yuan is composed almost entirely of elites from their respective families—powerhouses among the Seventh Transformation. Even facing an Ancient Desolate Beast one-on-one, any of them could usually preserve their lives."
Tie Quzhong of the Tie family held a formidable reputation in the current Southern Border Gu Immortal world, earning him the title of Grandmaster Tie. Since his debut, he had hunted down and slain over a dozen Demonic Path Gu Immortals. His name alone struck terror into the hearts of demonic cultivators in Southern Border.
Shang Huzhang of the Shang family practiced both the Transformation Path and the Wood Path. With methods akin to Lightning Ghost True Monarch, he had found a way to make the two Path's Dao marks compatible, granting him diverse and comprehensive techniques. He was a peak Seventh Transformation figure within the Shang family!
Yang Ku of the Yang family was one of the foremost representatives of peak Soul Path attainment in the Southern Border Gu Immortal world. He had once single-handedly destroyed the lair of an entire pack of Ancient Desolate Beasts, then successfully escaped alive from the pursuit of a Primordial Desolate Beast.
These Seventh Transformation Gu Immortals were unquestionably the elite of Southern Border's Gu Immortal community. Any single one of them, if taken elsewhere, would serve as a signature powerhouse for their respective faction.
"On top of that, this team also includes Lu Weiyin, the current successor of the Leyu Legacy, as well as Xia Cha, the Supreme Grand Elder of the Xia family!"
These two required no further introduction—it sufficed to say they were both Eighth Transformation cultivators!
Jun Shenguang let out a deep sigh.
It was precisely because of this stellar lineup that Jun Shenguang had felt quite reassured. Even if they encountered Fang Yuan and a battle broke out, it would leave him ample time to react and slip quietly into the vicinity.
He was wary of Lu Weiyin's and Xia Cha's methods, and concerned about being detected by the two of them, which could spark an unnecessary misunderstanding. That was why he had trailed far behind the entire way, not daring to approach too closely.
"Two Eighth Transformation cultivators, several Seventh Transformation powerhouses, and a thoroughly prepared plan specifically designed to counter Fang Yuan's various schemes and methods—yet they actually lost! And not merely a defeat, but a catastrophic rout, losing everything down to the bone."
Jun Shenguang shook his head repeatedly.
"Fang Yuan must have used Dream Path!" His gaze settled upon the only small patch of dreamscape remaining on the battlefield, and his conviction only grew stronger. "Aside from employing Dream Path, no matter how sharp Fang Yuan's other methods might be, they could never have produced such an outcome. Hmm?"
Just as Jun Shenguang was about to conduct a more thorough investigation, he suddenly turned his head, gazing toward the southern sky.
The heavens stretched vast and empty, with nothing to be seen.
Yet within Jun Shenguang's range of detection, an Immortal Gu House had entered his perception.
He didn't need to identify the aura—he knew at once that this had to be the Southern Border party.
The Immortal Gu House was traveling at tremendous speed, but it would still take some time before it reached this location. Still, Jun Shenguang knew he needed to leave this place immediately.
For this particular Immortal Gu House was extremely well-known, and the Southern Border Gu Immortals possessed many wondrous tracking killer moves. If Jun Shenguang were exposed and a misunderstanding arose, things would become troublesome indeed.
Moments after Jun Shenguang vanished, the Immortal Gu House controlled by the Southern Border Gu Immortals arrived at the location.
The structure was neither grand nor imposing in appearance. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a stilted bamboo cottage.
The cottage had two stories, constructed entirely of bamboo. Green leaves still sprouted from the stalks, and droplets of dew clung to each leaf, fresh and glistening.
This was the illustrious Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu House—the Jade Clear Dripping Wind Small Bamboo Cottage!
It was with this very house that Wu Yong had launched his fierce counterattack, firmly securing the Wu family's position as the number one clan.
The cottage's entrance swung wide open, and an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal was the first to fly out.
This man appeared middle-aged, ordinary in features but robust in build. His long, slightly drooping eyebrows gave him a hint of a sinister air. Yet his bearing radiated an imposing authority that no one could overlook.
This was Wu Yong, the current Supreme Grand Elder of the Wu family.
Immediately after, another figure followed close behind Wu Yong, flying out of the bamboo cottage.
This person was elderly in years but vigorous in spirit. His dark eyes were deep-set, his cheekbones pronounced, and he likewise exuded an Eighth Transformation aura. Who else could it be but Chi Quyou, the Supreme Grand Elder of the Chi family?