The seventh layer of the Madness Cavern was quite vast, and to Immortal Not and Schemer, it felt even more enormous.
This was because every step they took required careful deliberation, as they had to endure the constant trial of massive quantities of Dao Marks repelling each other.
The further they walked, the more difficult it became. This difficulty also amplified the sense of distance in their minds.
Fang Yuan persisted for a while using the normal method of movement for Gu Immortals, and gained a certain degree of empathy for the plight of Immortal Not and Schemer.
"Without the Supreme Immortal Body, I also need to select my path. But this path grows narrower the more I walk. At the beginning, there are quite a few options, but the deeper I go, the fewer choices I have."
After walking for a stretch, Fang Yuan stopped.
His path was dead ahead.
The road before him was filled with Dao Marks from other paths.
Fortunately, once he got past this section, there was still a route Fang Yuan had selected further along.
Fang Yuan cast a subtle glance at Immortal Not and Schemer.
The two had been left behind by him, trailing at the rear, struggling to move forward.
Likewise, they were constantly watching Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan gritted his teeth and pressed onward.
He pretended to struggle, halting after each step as he pushed forward. After a short while, he finally overcame the difficulty and found his way onto a suitable path again, a hint of relief surfacing on his face.
"Dao Mark repulsion means nothing to me. The real waste is this act of pretending — it's costing me more effort than the actual walking," Fang Yuan thought bitterly.
From far behind, Immortal Not and Schemer exchanged another glance.
Fang Yuan's strength was even greater than they had estimated!
That small stretch of road had been difficult for Fang Yuan, yes, but his speed was still remarkably fast. If Immortal Not had been in the same position, he probably would have vomited blood!
From that point on, the two grew slower and slower, their hearts growing heavier with each step.
The surrounding Dao Marks bore down on them constantly, making every movement a struggle. Immortal Not had already begun coughing up blood, while Schemer's face had taken on a sallow, purplish hue.
Before long, the two were forced to stop.
They had reached their limits.
Fang Yuan was still walking ahead. His expression showed considerably more fatigue than before, but he clearly still had plenty of stamina remaining.
"This Fang Yuan is truly a monster!"
"Sigh, but he inherited the legacy of a Venerable and has defeated the Heavenly Court time and again. It's hardly surprising he's accomplished this much."
Immortal Not and Schemer communicated privately, sighing with a sense of helplessness.
"Then let's just watch him from here. I want to see exactly how far he can go!" Schemer gave a cold snort.
Immortal Not hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you think he might make it out of the seventh layer and into the eighth?"
"How is that possible?" Schemer denied it immediately, without a second thought. But then he murmured, "The chances are quite slim. To exit the seventh layer, one would need at least several hundred thousand steps. We've covered less than ten percent so far! Fang Yuan is indeed powerful — a once-in-a-century, even once-in-a-millennium Seventh Transformation prodigy. But he's still not an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal. I'd even wager that only a Venerable could walk out of the seventh layer and enter the eighth."
"A Venerable..." Immortal Not considered this. "Should we tell Fang Yuan about the clues that certain Venerables have been here before?"
"Mm." Schemer nodded. "Once Fang Yuan reaches his limit and we turn back, we'll share that information with him."
Having witnessed Fang Yuan's strength, Schemer admitted that Fang Yuan surpassed him. Telling Fang Yuan about those clues might ignite his fighting spirit and curiosity, tempting him to remain in the Madness Cavern and work alongside the three eccentrics to conquer it.
Fang Yuan walked a bit further before pausing briefly.
"This is where I last encountered Schemer." Fang Yuan surveyed his surroundings, but found no trace.
The Dao Marks here that he remembered — predominantly Metal and Earth — had completely changed.
Fang Yuan was not surprised.
The Dao Marks of the seventh layer were in constant flux.
Whenever the demonic melody began sounding from the ninth layer, it would propagate outward — spreading through the eighth layer, the seventh, all the way to the first.
Once it reached the first layer, an invisible force sealed the melody, preventing it from leaking into the outside world and harming innocents.
Fang Yuan continued walking.
Schemer and Immortal Not remained in place, watching his receding figure from afar.
When Fang Yuan unknowingly surpassed Schemer's farthest record, even the wisdom-path Gu Immortal couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye.
Although he had foreseen this possibility in advance, when he actually witnessed it happen, a profound sense of loss still surged within him.
"I've been surpassed," Schemer sighed deeply. "I am the foremost of the three Madness Eccentrics, always the one who explored the farthest. I've lived in seclusion here for centuries, dedicating myself to study, and now Fang Yuan has overtaken me with ease."
A mix of jealousy — even hatred — along with anger at himself, bitterness, and desolation all flooded into his heart at once, leaving him with a complicated tangle of emotions.
Immortal Not felt considerably better, after all he was the worst performer among the three Madness Eccentrics.
Seeing Schemer's expression, Immortal Not sighed inwardly and was about to offer comfort, but in the next instant, his own face changed drastically.