Eastern Sea.
East of the Rough Seas, west of the Barbecue Archipelago, there lay a vast and peculiar stretch of ocean — the Qi Sea!
The Qi Sea held not a single drop of seawater. Instead, countless qi currents intertwined and entangled, forming billions of swirling qi vortexes.
In the ancient era, the Qi Sea occupied a supremely exalted position in the hearts of all Gu Immortals under heaven.
In those days, the Qi Path flourished beyond measure and served as the mainstream of Gu cultivation, while all other paths were merely niche pursuits.
All other paths were lesser; only the Qi Path stood supreme.
The Qi Sea's scale was even more tremendous — it contained its own world within, with countless qi currents shuttling through it, perpetually born and destroyed. In that era, the Qi Sea was the foremost Qi Path resource point across all Five Regions.
Time passed swiftly, and the seas shifted into fields.
The Qi Path declined, and the Qi Sea's scale shrank continuously. By the present day, the Qi Sea's area was less than a ten-thousandth of what it had been, and the qi currents within had all degraded into mere water qi. Only in the very center could one still find some immortal material qi currents of other varieties.
The Qi Sea had fallen from a place where ten thousand immortals came to pay homage, to one that virtually no one bothered with.
What it contained most abundantly was water qi.
But water qi — which stretch of sea in the vast Eastern Sea didn't have it?
Water qi was extremely easy to extract. Why would Gu Immortals travel thousands of miles to gather it from the Qi Sea?
Even if one sought other immortal material qi currents, venturing into the center of the Qi Sea to explore was far too risky. It was far more cost-effective to simply purchase them in Treasure Yellow Heaven.
"This time, I will host the Eastern Sea Grand Banquet, and the Qi Sea will once again make a name for itself across the Five Regions." Fang Yuan's true body sat atop a cloud, gazing down at the Qi Sea below.
Seen from high above, the Qi Sea appeared pale blue, with countless qi currents and waves churning and rolling, forming a stark contrast with the glittering deep-blue seawater bordering it on all sides.
Back then, it was Southern Border's Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal Qi Xiang who created the Boundless Qi Sea killer move, and to some extent, the inspiration had come from this very Qi Sea.
Fang Yuan's title of Qi Sea Ancestor was not casually chosen. Behind the scenes, he had long given it thorough consideration.
For instance, exactly where in the Eastern Sea would the Qi Sea Ancestor's place of seclusion be?
Fang Yuan had designated this secluded location at the Qi Sea itself.
It was virtually deserted, with few Gu Immortals ever coming to explore, yet it matched perfectly with the Qi Path that the Qi Sea Ancestor was said to specialize in.
It was entirely logical and reasonable if word got out.
From the center of the Qi Sea, a message arrived from the Dragonman clone Wu Shuai: "The grand formation has been set in place."
This Eastern Sea Grand Banquet was of great significance to Fang Yuan, and so he had made extensive preparations.
Fang Yuan had not only dispatched Wu Shuai over, but also laid down a grand formation at the center of the Qi Sea.
It was naturally a Qi Path grand formation. Fang Yuan's Time Path clone had relied on his Qi Path Grandmaster attainment, Formation Path Master attainment, and Wisdom Halo, spending over a month of calculation before arriving at the design.
At the center of the Qi Sea, countless qi currents surged violently, shuttling through ceaselessly. The environment was extremely perilous.
Setting up an immortal formation in such a place was extraordinarily difficult.
However, it was still no match for Fang Yuan. His Formation Path expertise was more than sufficient, the resources at his disposal were abundant, and moreover, the grand formation he was building did not aim for the level of the Nine-Nine Continuous Chain Formation. He was being practical, pursuing cost-effectiveness.
Fang Yuan's true body extended his divine sense, checked everything once through, confirmed there were no errors, then closed his eyes to rest.
This Eastern Sea Banquet was of great significance to him.
He was using the world as his chessboard, positioning pieces and guiding the grand trend — but such things were never easy.
On the Southern Border front, Fang Yuan's influence had long been declining. Wu Yong was actively forging alliances and wielding impressive political skill; even Fang Yuan could not curb him.
On the Western Desert front, while the Fang Clan had risen to prominence, its influence still needed time to ferment. At the same time, whether it was Heavenly Court or other Western Desert forces, they each harbored different designs. Fang Di Chang's clone still had a long road ahead.
Central Continent had Heavenly Court — a place almost impervious to outside influence, sealed tight as an iron bucket. The Zombie Alliance that the Shadow Sect had planted years ago, along with the Rebel Organization, had all been thoroughly eradicated by Fairy Zi Wei.
In the Northern Plains, Fang Yuan was closest to Chu Du, but it was irrelevant to the larger picture. Although Bing Sai Chuan had yet to awaken, Eternal Life was gradually exerting its strength — not a place Fang Yuan could involve himself in.
That was why the Eastern Sea had become a crucial link in Fang Yuan's grand arrangement.
The Eastern Sea was the region richest in resources. If he succeeded here, then when the Five Regions eventually merged, Fang Yuan could leverage this influence to extend his reach into the other four regions.
After half an incense stick's worth of time, Fang Yuan slowly opened his eyes and gazed toward the horizon, murmuring: "They've arrived."
A Gu House flew in from the horizon, its speed deceptively slow yet remarkably swift.
The Gu House came to a leisurely halt, and out stepped a bright-eyed young woman wearing a long dress, its hem adorned with clusters of pink clouds.
"Hua Caiyun, Supreme Elder of the Hua Clan, pays respects to Ancestor Qi Sea." Hua Caiyun possessed an Eighth Transformation cultivation level, and her manner was respectful.
Following her, several more Gu Immortals of the Hua Clan emerged from their Gu House, each paying their respects to Fang Yuan in turn.
"The appointed time has not yet arrived, yet Immortal Hua has come early. Please, take a seat." Fang Yuan extended his hand, and to his right, qi currents converged and formed a cloud platform.
Hua Caiyun stored her Gu House back into her immortal aperture and took her seat, while the other Hua Clan Gu Immortals stood behind her.
"This junior meets Ancestor for the first time, and her heart is stirred with excitement. This is a small token of the Hua Clan's respect — please accept it, Ancestor." As Hua Caiyun spoke, one of the Gu Immortals behind her produced an object and presented it with both hands.