Guiyi Sect, as one of the registration venues for the Gu Refining Convention, was just as packed with people.
"The Gu Refining Convention has finally begun! I never thought I'd get a second chance in this lifetime. Truly, I must thank the Heavens," a middle-aged Gu Master sighed.
The Gu Masters around him recognized him, and discussions immediately broke out.
"Look, it's actually Grandmaster Luo Sheng of the Refinement Path!"
"In the last Gu Refining Convention, he was eliminated due to unexpected circumstances. This time he's making his comeback!"
"The Gu Refining Convention is supposed to be held once every hundred years, so Luo Sheng shouldn't have had another chance. Who would have thought that after only ten years, the Ten Great Ancient Sects would hold another one!"
The middle-aged Gu Master heard all of this, his expression perfectly calm.
He was long past the age of vanity. All he wanted now was to prove himself.
"My opponents this time are no less formidable."
"Despite my diligent efforts and painstaking accumulation, the Central Continent is simply too vast. The Five Regions stretch too far—there are always new talents emerging."
"Just here and now, there are quite a few promising newcomers..."
His gaze swept across the crowd, focusing primarily on three Gu Masters. One was an old man who had been famous for many years, also a Grandmaster of the Refinement Path. The other two were a young man and a bright-eyed young woman. The former had shone brilliantly in the last Gu Refining Convention, while the latter was a dazzling talent who had risen to prominence over the past decade.
"This Gu Refining Convention will be just as fiercely competitive!"
"I absolutely must seize this opportunity—I cannot afford to fail again..."
"I will prove myself, so my wife and son can hold their heads high!"
BOOM!
In the next instant, a colossal ancient Nian Beast plummeted from the sky, crushing the entire registration hall to rubble.
All of the middle-aged Gu Master's grand ambitions vanished into nothing.
Those young Gu Masters with bright futures, the dazzlingly talented young girl—all perished on the spot, crushed into a bloody pulp of flesh and bone, mingled together until their bodies were unrecognizable.
"Next location." High in the sky, Fang Yuan's figure flickered and disappeared.
This was already the fifteenth site he had attacked.
The Central Continent Gu Masters were suffering devastating losses. These were all mortal Gu Masters—how could they possibly contend with ancient Nian Beasts?
Even Sixth Transformation Gu Immortals might not be able to match these ancient Nian Beasts.
Fang Yuan ruthlessly slaughtered these Gu Masters' lives, creating one horrific massacre after another. The number of elite Gu Masters sacrificed grew ever larger, causing even the immortals of Heavenly Court to feel a pang of distress.
"Fang Yuan, this demonic monster—he truly is the epitome of evil! He really did come to cause chaos!"
"Damn it, are we just going to sit here and watch?"
"Lady Ziwei, I wonder if you..."
Lady Ziwei shook her head slightly. "Fang Yuan is cautious and meticulous. Each time he strikes, he only releases wild ancient Nian Beasts to wreak havoc upon the world and slaughter Gu Masters. He rarely takes action himself."
She let out a deep sigh. "His attainment in the Wisdom Path is extremely profound. He understands full well that the more he acts personally, the more clues he leaves behind, making it easier for us to discover and track him. Pinpointing his location is incredibly difficult—it requires more clues, and it will take a very long time."
"But where did he get so many ancient Nian Beasts?" A Gu Immortal frowned.
"According to intelligence from the Southern Border, a Nianhua Pool was constructed inside Xia Cha's Immortal aperture. It must be through this pool that Fang Yuan secretly gathered so many Nian Beasts," Lady Ziwei explained.
Though her expression remained calm, fury churned within her heart.
As a Gu Immortal, Fang Yuan was brazenly attacking mortals—bullying the weak with his strength, oppressing those beneath him. It was utterly shameless, without a shred of a moral bottom line!
The vast majority of Demonic Path Gu Immortals would never do such a thing.
This was an unspoken understanding among Gu Immortals, and Fang Yuan had shattered it outright.
"Fang Yuan is a menace to all living things!" Lady Ziwei seethed inwardly, her heart aching for all the innocent lives lost. "The longer he lives in this world, the more beings will suffer his poison and persecution."
Dragon Lord, however, was truly calm, his heart still as an ancient well without a single ripple.
"Enough. Fang Yuan's appearance—wasn't this exactly what we anticipated? Proceed according to plan. No matter how great the cost, we must repair the Destiny Gu!" Dragon Lord's voice was utterly resolute.
The Gu Immortals of Heavenly Court listened with solemn obedience. They all felt this: nothing in this world could shake Dragon Lord's determination at this moment.
Fang Yuan was indeed a nuisance. Heavenly Court could not have failed to account for him, and they had long since prepared contingency plans.
Days later, the people terrorized by Fang Yuan's widespread attacks received definitive intelligence and evidence.
Everything pointed to Fang Yuan—he was the culprit!