"How did it go?" Mao Shi'er smiled.
High among the clouds, he held a secret meeting with the mermaid female Immortal, Lian Kexin.
Lian Kexin replied, "It is indeed a Gu Immortal seed. The probability of passing the tribulation and ascending to immortality is quite high."
Mao Shi'er shook his head slightly. "He now has a path to immortal cultivation and a strong driving force, but it's still not enough. We should try to give him some more foundation — after all, the bottleneck of the Three Qi Regulation can only be crossed by himself, alone."
As for the other tribulations, those were no concern at all! They could secretly lend a helping hand from the sidelines.
"Then, according to Senior Immortal's wishes?" Lian Kexin revealed a hesitant expression.
Mao Shi'er then said, "I'll leave him seven or eight days to get familiar with those mortal Gu. After that, I'll lure those pursuers back again to give him training fodder."
"His mother, Iron Thread City's Lord, is not actually dead. She has fallen into a near-death state, and only the means of a Gu Immortal can provide any hope of saving her."
"I will make him learn this, so that his desire and resolve to pass the tribulation become even stronger!"
Lian Kexin fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then praised, "Senior Immortal truly has deep foresight — Kexin falls far short in comparison. Once this mission is complete, I'll leave the distribution of contributions to Senior Immortal's discretion."
"You are too modest." Mao Shi'er narrowed his eyes and waved his hand hastily. "I will report your contributions truthfully. Besides, contribution distribution is Star Luo City's affair — how could I have the authority to interfere?"
Lian Kexin had originally accepted the mission to get close to and build rapport with Mao Shi'er. But once she learned of Gu Yue Fang Xiang's special identity, she immediately understood that Gu Yue Fang Xiang would surely be placed in an important position by Fang Yuan in the future!
This mermaid female Immortal devised a plan, going so far as to personally step onto the field and make contact with Gu Yue Fang Xiang.
In order to perform better, this mermaid female Immortal had gone all out.
Mao Shi'er worried that her performance would dilute his own share of the credit, so he confided in Lian Kexin about another arrangement of his.
Lian Kexin was also very perceptive, immediately declaring that she would not compete for credit, which instantly put Mao Shi'er at great ease.
The atmosphere between them thus returned to what it had been before, becoming harmonious again.
After exchanging a few more words, suddenly from the far southern end, a massive pillar of light shot skyward, and an eerie aura of Gu refinement spread outward.
Lian Kexin sensed it and her expression changed instantly: "Someone has just refined a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu?"
She then turned to Mao Shi'er, praising, "Your noble clan truly has no shortage of talent. This surging aura alone fills me with admiration. Might Senior Immortal arrange an introduction?"
But Mao Shi'er showed a troubled expression and shook his head, instinctively lowering his voice: "If it were any other Mao clan Gu Immortal, I would certainly arrange an introduction for you. But this person is extremely special. Their true identity is a clone of Ghostly Soul Demon Venerable, who has been imprisoned by our Lord's means and spends every day refining Gu without cease."
Lian Kexin was greatly surprised to hear this. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her mind and she blurted out, "Could it be that this imprisoned Gu Immortal is Mao Liu?"
Mao Shi'er nodded. "Senior Immortal is clever — a single guess and it's correct. The valley where Mao Liu resides was also specially arranged by our Lord. It is a forbidden zone within the entire Supreme Immortal Aperture, commonly known as the Ghost Valley Forbidden Zone."
Meanwhile, within the Ghost Valley Forbidden Zone.
Mao Liu's body was emaciated as kindling, his cheekbones jutting high, his eye sockets sunken deep.
A Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu had just been successfully refined.
This Gu Insect resembled an ant — its upper body was large and lustrous, while its lower body was small and dim. Its front limbs were weak and short, but its rear limbs were powerful and long.
It was none other than a Slavery Dao Immortal Gu — the Master-Servant Gu.
"Finally... finally, it's done..."
"Failed thirty-three times, gravely injured twenty-seven times, on the brink of death nineteen times, but I still managed to refine it!"
"With this Immortal Gu, I can surely help Sect Master Fang Yuan."
"I still need to rely on Sect Master to rescue my original self."
"Wait, I seem to have forgotten something... Never mind, I'll just continue refining Gu."
"The more Immortal Gu I refine, the stronger Shadow Sect will become, and the greater the hope of rescuing my original self!"
Mao Liu's mind was clearly not right. After muttering to himself for a good while, he immediately set about refining other Immortal Gu once more.
Moments later.
Within the Treasure Yellow Heaven, Fang Yuan's will and He Fengyang completed a trade before the eyes of all.
Fang Yuan obtained an Earth Dao resource point in the Central Continent called the Nine Yang Stone Forest, while He Fengyang obtained the Master-Servant Gu.
"They actually traded — unbelievable! He Fengyang has nerve!"
"This isn't him smashing a cracked pot out of despair. He must have received instructions from the Immortal Crane Sect to do this."
"The Immortal Crane Sect? No, no sect would dare withstand the pressure of openly trading with Refining Heaven Demon Venerable. There must be tacit approval from the Heavenly Court behind this — otherwise, how would the Central Continent's Ten Great Ancient Dares have the guts to act this way?"
"Didn't the Heavenly Court declare Fang Yuan a Demon Venerable? And yet they cooperate with him?"
"What's so strange about it? How difficult is it to refine a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu? The Heavenly Court is wealthy beyond measure, and they have countless resource points like the Nine Yang Stone Forest. Pay a little, and you get an Immortal Gu — I'd do the same in their place!"
"Fang Yuan truly lives up to his title as Refining Heaven Demon Venerable. Refining a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu is that easy! It's like drinking water."
"I wonder, what about when he refines Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu? Surely it can't be this effortless? I'd say at most a fifty percent chance — no, thirty percent."