Several days later.
Tides surged and receded, crashing against the reef and sending up sprays of foam by the thousands.
To put it bluntly, this unnamed island was a godforsaken place. The island itself was rather small, and then there were the undersea trenches brimming with black oil. It was precisely because the ocean trenches here produced copious amounts of black oil that all other cultivation resources were suppressed, leaving the land barren and impoverished.
Human desires were boundless. That was why the Human Way took from those who lacked and gave to those who had surplus — the strong preying upon the weak. The Heavenly Way, by contrast, took from the surplus and gave to the deficient, upholding the balance of all things.
It was precisely because immortal materials like black oil existed here that every other resource on the unnamed island had become scarce. For centuries, the small fishing village had remained the same size, developing at a crawl. The number of Gu Masters it could support was in the single digits — barely a handful.
Right now, in the village chief's house at the very center of the small fishing village, Fang Yuan was sparring with a middle-aged Second Transformation Gu Master.
Bang, bang, bang.
After a few explosive reports, water sprayed in every direction, and the middle-aged Second Transformation Gu Master was drenched like a drowned rat, collapsing limply to the ground.
Fang Yuan, wearing the appearance of Chu Ying, stood leisurely in place with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
From the beginning of the sparring match to its end, Fang Yuan had not moved a single step from where he stood.
The middle-aged Second Transformation Gu Master struggled to his feet and cupped his fists in salute. "Master Chu's methods are extraordinary. I concede defeat. Thank you for your guidance, Master Chu."
He was genuinely and thoroughly won over.
Several days ago, Fang Yuan had deliberately disguised himself as a Fourth Transformation Gu Master and brazenly entered the small fishing village, beginning to interact with its Gu Masters.
His arrival had caused quite a stir. Outsiders seldom came to this small fishing village, and certainly not alone.
It was through his identity as a wandering Gu Master that Fang Yuan had involved himself in this small fishing village. Without question, his arrival had disrupted its peaceful existence.
Even ordinary people with no Gu cultivation understood that a powerful Gu Master had come to their village.
A wandering Gu Master.
This type of Gu Master traveled from place to place with no fixed abode, often going it alone, though sometimes two or three would band together.
Wandering Gu Masters were generally powerful, with very few shortcomings.
This much was obvious.
The outside world was not safe. For a wandering Gu Master to roam freely, they obviously needed real ability. This ability was not limited to combat strength — it also encompassed daily survival, food, travel, feeding Gu insects, and much more.
Without considerable strength, one could not become a wandering Gu Master.
Therefore, from the moment Fang Yuan appeared, he had immediately put the small fishing village's handful of Gu Masters on high alert.
Fang Yuan's aura as a Fourth Transformation Gu Master filled them with deep wariness.
During their very first meeting, Fang Yuan had announced that his Gu insects required feeding and directly demanded Gu materials from the old village chief.
The old village chief was the only Third Transformation Gu Master in the small fishing village — the one whose soul Fang Yuan had previously searched. He dared not refuse Fang Yuan's request and had no choice but to agree.
The sparring match over, the middle-aged Second Transformation Gu Master sought out the old village chief.
The door was shut. Gu insects were released to stand guard. The two began to confer in private.
The middle-aged Gu Master said nothing, his face a picture of bitterness and worry. The old village chief smiled. "Now you see how powerful Master Chu is?"
The middle-aged Gu Master nodded vigorously. "Master Chu's strength is unfathomable. Even if we joined forces against him, we would stand no chance!"
Having said that, he looked at the village chief with undisguised reluctance. "But are we really just supposed to hand over our Gu materials? His insects being hungry is his problem — why should we bear the burden? And what's more, our village's reserves were accumulated over generations. He's nearly emptied them in just a few days!"
The old village chief was quiet for a moment, then spoke meaningfully. "Wandering Gu Masters have a custom — wherever they go, they trade for Gu materials to feed their own insects. These Gu Masters are usually very powerful, so the local factions typically don't turn them away. They cooperate actively and build goodwill. This time, let's just consider it building goodwill."
The middle-aged Gu Master raised his brows, his tone laced with growing anger. "Village chief, you said it yourself — trade! But this Master Chu simply demands things outright. He hasn't offered anything in exchange!"
"Then what do you suggest we do? What can we do?" The old village chief looked at the middle-aged Gu Master.
The middle-aged Gu Master was struck dumb. After several breaths of silence, his anger vanished without a trace. His straightened back sagged, and his face was filled with bitterness, anguish, and utter helplessness.
"The timing is about right," Fang Yuan murmured with a faint smile on the other side.
Every word between the middle-aged Gu Master and the old village chief had been within Fang Yuan's surveillance. In fact, he was fully aware of every movement throughout the entire small fishing village.
Several days ago, he had ventured into the deep sea intending to collect the black oil from the undersea trenches. But then, a flash of insight had struck him, and he had changed his plans.
Fang Yuan had suddenly realized: "Collecting the black oil is nothing. The real priority is the Le Tu True Inheritance! I might as well use this situation to probe further."
And so, Fang Yuan had switched approaches, using his identity as a wandering Gu Master to make direct contact with the small fishing village.
The following day.
The old village chief watched as Fang Yuan came to find him of his own accord, his heart heavy with dread while his face was forced into a smile. He bowed low and said, "Does Master Chu find himself lacking any Gu materials?"
Fang Yuan smiled gently. "Old sir, thank you for your hospitality. I'll be on my way."