Fang Yuan carefully counted. Inside the golden bowl, there were seventy-eight Green Grape Immortal Essence. If he included the layer of green immortal liquid at the bottom of the bowl, that made seventy-eight and a half.
The abundance of immortal essence was over a hundred times that of the Three Kings Blessed Land!
Fang Yuan immediately took out a Green Grape Immortal Essence, holding it between his fingers. Then, with a thought, he summoned the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.
The Fixed Immortal Travel Gu resembled a butterfly carved from fine jade — exquisite and elegant. It drifted over leisurely.
Fang Yuan's face turned pale. His entire body trembled violently, cold sweat pouring out, and his vision went dark. Had he not been gripping the rim of the golden bowl, he would have collapsed on the spot.
"Master, be careful! Your soul is severely injured. Don't casually summon Immortal Gu, or you'll fall unconscious again!" The little fox spirit cried out, her tone anxious and her gaze full of concern.
"It's fine. I know what I'm doing." Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, waved his hand dismissively, and slowly opened his palm toward the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.
Sensing the aura of the Green Grape Immortal Essence, the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu immediately fluttered its wings gently, glided through the air for a moment, and then landed on Fang Yuan's palm.
Then, it settled onto the Green Grape Immortal Essence and slowly began to suck it dry.
The Fixed Immortal Travel Gu's name contained the word "Immortal" for good reason. Its food was immortal essence.
After a short while, an entire Green Grape Immortal Essence had been consumed.
Gu Masters refined Gu, used Gu, and also had to raise Gu. Since forging it, Fang Yuan had never fed the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.
He had been unconscious for seven days and seven nights, which had left the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu starving. Its once luminous butterfly wings had long since dimmed.
This was the first time Fang Yuan had fed it.
Having eaten its fill, the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu gave a satisfied flutter of its wings and rose into the air. A soft green glow reappeared, scattering in delicate, shimmering particles with every beat of its wings — a beautiful sight. The distinctive aura of an Immortal Gu radiated from it continuously.
"The cost of feeding Immortal Gu is steep — the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu requires one immortal essence each time! But after this feeding, it won't need to be fed again for six years."
The higher a Gu Insect's transformation level, the greater the feeding cost, but the interval between feedings also increased significantly.
First and Second Transformation Gu required feeding multiple times a day. At the Fourth Transformation, once every few months sufficed. Fifth Transformation Gu could be fed once every year or two, but each feeding came at a tremendous cost.
After feeding the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu, Fang Yuan paid it no further mind, letting it fly freely through the Soul-Swaying Palace. As long as it didn't leave the Soul-Swaying Mountain and wasn't struck down by that bolt of lightning, it would be fine.
Currently, Fang Yuan's Empty Orifice was still only at the Fourth Transformation High Stage, unable to contain a fully complete Immortal Gu.
The reason he could house the Spring Autumn Cicada was primarily because its condition was too weak. Additionally, it was also because of the Life Gu.
Prioritizing matters in order of urgency, Fang Yuan had confirmed that he was temporarily safe after understanding his current situation. Now that the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu matter was resolved, he would turn to the injuries on his soul.
"Let's go, little fox spirit. Take me out to find gallstones."
"Yes!" The earth spirit answered crisply at once. "Master, you really should have done this sooner. Please, follow me."
The little fox spirit led Fang Yuan up to the Soul-Swaying Mountain.
The two walked across the rough, uneven rocks. Fang Yuan's body swayed unsteadily, prompting the earth spirit to voice her concern: "Master, let me teleport us directly there."
"Teleport? We need to conserve immortal essence at every turn!" Fang Yuan shot her a sharp look.
The little fox spirit stuck out her tongue, startled by Fang Yuan. She couldn't help but think: this master really is imposing — even when injured, he's frightening.
"Master, there's a gallstone here!" After walking for a while, the earth spirit stopped and pointed at a rock beneath their feet.
The stone resembled a gallbladder, growing out of the mountain rock. Its colors were mottled — unless one looked carefully, it would be mistaken for an ordinary stone.
Fang Yuan hurried over, crouched down, and shattered the gallstone with his hand.
The moment the gallstone broke, a Gu flew out, transforming into a gray wisp of light that burrowed into Fang Yuan's body.
Fang Yuan immediately felt his mind clear, a surge of fresh power bolstering his soul. The buzzing in his ears also diminished considerably.
The Soul-Swaying Mountain could shake and shatter souls, making it a death trap for all living creatures. It was only because the earth spirit was suppressing its effects that Fang Yuan could walk freely.
But the Soul-Swaying Mountain was not purely a realm of death.
The souls of living creatures were shattered upon the mountain, their remnants falling and merging with the mountain itself. Over time, these could form gallstones.
And within some gallstones, Courage Gu were hidden — Gu that could strengthen one's soul.
It was like how places where venomous snakes dwelled often had antidote herbs nearby. All things competed, the great Dao maintained balance — where there was life, there was death.
The Soul-Swaying Mountain appeared to be a realm of death and despair, yet it held a thread of life within it.
But these Courage Gu could only exist for an instant. Within that instant, they either perished on their own or were shattered again by the Soul-Swaying Mountain. Although the earth spirit could suppress the mountain, the gallstones could not be moved and had to be harvested on the spot. Therefore, Fang Yuan had no choice but to walk the Soul-Swaying Mountain himself.