Southern Border, the Wu Clan's headquarters.
"Hurry, hurry, bring out the White King Head Flower herbs!" Wu Zhenzhu, a Sixth Transformation Gu Immortal of the Wu Clan, called out, her expression anxious.
She was overseeing the grand formation before her, her mind fully occupied. They had reached a critical juncture, and she could not afford to divert her attention.
Fortunately, several Fifth Transformation Gu Masters stood at her side as assistants. The moment they heard Wu Zhenzhu's order, they moved to comply.
The White King Head Flower herb was a Sixth Transformation immortal material, and it was fed directly into the immortal formation.
The Wu Clan's formation was famous in its own right — it was called the Sea of Death Life-Fishing Formation. Originally, it had belonged to an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal from the Eastern Sea. But that Gu Immortal had come to the Southern Border to show off his strength and challenge the Wu Clan's authority, only to be publicly executed by the Wu Clan.
The Sea of Death Life-Fishing Formation was a healing formation, but its core Gu worm was only at the Seventh Transformation. That former Eastern Sea Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal had indeed possessed Eighth Transformation Gu worms, but at the moment of his death, he had destroyed them himself.
The Wu Clan had spent over a hundred years painstakingly refining replacement Gu worms, and only then managed to barely reassemble the Sea of Death Life-Fishing Formation.
Wu Ji and the others had originally died at Yitian Mountain. The reason they had been able to revive so easily was primarily because the Fate Gu had been destroyed, and secondarily because this Sea of Death Life-Fishing Formation had done its work.
The grand formation slowly ceased its operation, its radiance fading. Wu Ji, her face deathly pale, awakened at the formation's center.
"So I'm alive again!" Wu Ji smiled faintly and tried to sit up, but her body was so weak that it took three attempts before she succeeded.
"You need to take it easy, Wu Ji. That's already the fifth time this month." Wu Zhenzhu approached Wu Ji, her brows deeply furrowed.
Wu Ji smiled without a care. "But we still have this formation, don't we? Even if I die, I can come back."
Wu Zhenzhu let out a derisive snort. "Don't overestimate what Gu Immortals can do. Wu Ji, do you realize you were this close to truly dying just now? The only reason you revived is the Sea of Death Life-Fishing Formation. But when the same method is used on the same person repeatedly, its effectiveness grows weaker each time. You're gambling with your life! You have a bright future ahead — why won't you treasure yourself a little? If you keep acting this recklessly, you'll die for real sooner or later!"
Wu Ji raised her brows, her eyes gleaming. "My Lady, I'm someone who has already died once. What is there to fear about death? Precisely because I've died before do I cherish life all the more."
Wu Zhenzhu rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You call this cherishing life? When you seized the Ascension true inheritance, you had already obtained the inheritance's contents from Kong Ritian. You could have reported back to the clan and been done with it. Why did you keep chasing? Why did you fight to the death against everyone's combined assault?"
Wu Ji laughed heartily. "That is exactly how I cherish life! After dying once, I re-examined how I want to live. How should a person live? Everyone has their own answer. And this is mine — the length of life is secondary; the depth of life is what matters."
"I may not be a Gu Immortal, but I understand their situation. Lady Zhenzhu, tell me — why do Gu Masters go to such lengths to ascend to immortality? After ascending, they face so many calamities, so frequently. Isn't that just courting death? How many Gu Immortal have perished because of tribulations? Don't they know this? Yet they throw themselves forward one after another — isn't it all to find meaning in life?"
"In this great era, if I don't press forward with courage, wouldn't I be squandering the life that Heaven has granted me, squandering my chance at rebirth? I, Wu Ji, also wish to ascend to immortality, to witness more of the world's wonders, and to grasp even greater power. That is the meaning of my life!"
After hearing Wu Ji's words, a complex mixture of emotions welled up on Wu Zhenzhu's face.
She had actually thought very highly of this junior, which was why she had come to counsel her. But now Wu Zhenzhu realized that not only had she failed to persuade Wu Ji — she had been persuaded by her instead.
"Since you've made up your mind, then there's nothing more I can say." Wu Zhenzhu sighed.
Wu Ji's expression turned earnest, and she bowed deeply. "Lady Zhenzhu, your care for this junior is something I will always hold in my heart."
Just as she spoke, another Gu Immortal's figure appeared suddenly. "Hahaha! I heard everything you just said, Wu Ji. As expected of our Wu Clan's foremost Gu Immortal seed — you haven't let our clan's reputation down."
"Wu Zhanping, you're here because..." Wu Zhenzhu asked, though she already had a guess. She was secretly delighted for Wu Ji.
Wu Zhanping nodded to Wu Zhenzhu, then turned to Wu Ji. "I am the Wu Clan's Grand Elder responsible for imparting techniques. Wu Ji, your cultivation is sufficient, your merits are sufficient — I have come under orders to guide you onto the righteous path of a Gu Immortal!"