Two days later, a towering mountain peak abruptly appeared in Fang Yuan's field of vision.
The deep blue peak resembled a lone vulture standing tall, its shape peculiar and striking.
Fang Yuan was momentarily startled, then his eyes lit up with pleasure. "This must be Star Vulture Peak. It seems my direction was correct. According to the accounts of the immortal Gu Master Tianku Shangren from my previous life, wherever the vulture's gaze falls — that is where the Holy Palace lies!"
The Royal Court Blessed Land held a sacred and elevated status in the hearts of the Northern Plains people, serving as a spiritual symbol. It was also the cradle that had nurtured generations of Northern Plains immortal Gu Masters.
When the Central Continent launched its invasion of the Northern Plains, the first target of their assault was this critical strategic stronghold.
Caught off guard through meticulous planning, the Royal Court Blessed Land was breached by the allied forces of Central Continent's immortal Gu Masters. The Holy Palace was ruthlessly destroyed, reduced to ruins. The Eighty-Eight True Yang Building became nothing more than a legend, vanishing into the rolling currents of history and leaving future generations to sigh with regret.
Tianku Shangren had been one of the immortal Gu Masters who participated in the surprise attack on the Royal Court Blessed Land. Fang Yuan's plan had drawn heavily upon the raiding methods employed by those Central Continent immortals.
"Hmm? There are people at the summit of Star Vulture Peak." Fang Yuan was about to drive his wolf group over the peak when he suddenly halted, spotting numerous Gu Masters at the summit — among them, some familiar faces.
His interest piqued, he abandoned any thought of rushing onward and instead directed his wolf group to descend upon Star Vulture Peak.
"Pan Ping pays his respects to the Wolf King."
"Brother Shanyin, we meet again."
Seeing the Wolf King descend, the Gu Masters all felt a chill run through them. Two leaders stepped forward from the crowd — one was Pan Ping, who had amassed his fortune during this round of the Royal Court competition, and the other was Zhu Zai, one of the Demonic Path's Twin Evils, who had been personally invited by Tai Bai Yun Sheng.
Pan Ping had already reached the peak of the Fourth Transformation, possessing the Single Blade Gu, and his combat strength rivaled that of some Fifth Transformation Gu Masters.
Zhu Zai, as a Strength Path Fifth Transformation cultivator, specialized in close combat, which made him even more wary of the Single Blade Gu than most. After entering the Royal Court, he had separated from his partner Gao Yang and made his way toward the Holy Palace, only to clash with Pan Ping midway.
"Underlings, pay respects to the Wolf King!" After Pan Ping and Zhu Zai, the remaining Gu Masters all bowed in succession, and with a rustling sound, a whole row of them dropped to their knees on the ground.
The great battle at the Ma family estate had elevated Fang Yuan's prestige to an unprecedented height, establishing him as the undisputed foremost figure of the current era. His fame overshadowed even Hei Loulan and Yelü Sang, who possessed an Immortal Gu of the Flame Path.
If not for the fact that Chang Shanyin lacked the Golden Bloodline, and that Hei Loulan held the position of alliance leader, there might well have been calls for a change in the alliance's leadership.
"All of you, rise. There's no need to be so formal." Fang Yuan sat atop a Sky-Blue Myriad Wolf Emperor, nodding mildly before speaking directly, "You've all gathered here — have you discovered some kind of inheritance?"
The crowd inwardly groaned.
The truth was exactly as he suspected. Initially, someone had discovered the inheritance atop Star Vulture Peak but lacked the strength to claim it. With no other choice, they had rallied other Gu Masters to join forces. The result had been several casualties.
The discoverers, unwilling to accept failure, sought help far and wide. This had eventually drawn in both Pan Ping and Zhu Zai.
The two competed fiercely against each other for their own interests, causing the situation to stagnate — until Fang Yuan happened upon the scene.
Now that Fang Yuan had asked directly, Pan Ping and Zhu Zai dared not deceive him, so they took turns explaining the matter.
"Wolf King, it's a blessing that you've come. This inheritance opens once every seven days, and when it does, a pillar of starlight shoots into the sky, revealing a starlight door. The window of opportunity is extremely brief, and moreover, swarms of insects pour out from the star gate, blocking our entry," Pan Ping explained with a smile.
"There's only a short time left before the inheritance opens again. Since Lord Chang Shanyin has graced us with his presence, I represent all the Gu Masters here and humbly request that you preside over this matter," Zhu Zai said with a face full of sincerity.
Pan Ping's lips twitched, and he shot Zhu Zai a look of utter contempt.
"Zhu Zai — a so-called famous expert of the Demonic Path — and yet he's so obsequious!" Pan Ping was filled with disdain for Zhu Zai.
"The Wolf King may be powerful, but I, Pan Ping, will reach his level one day!" Pan Ping was young, and his pride still burned, but he showed none of it, lowering his head instead to display his deference to the Wolf King.
As a Demonic Path Gu Master, he understood the realities of his situation all too well and knew the principle of bending when necessary.
Fang Yuan accepted the role without the slightest hesitation, immediately taking charge of the proceedings.
As time gradually passed, everyone indeed saw starlight slowly spreading across the summit.
When the moment arrived, the starlight surged magnificently upward, piercing straight through the firmament. A small door slowly materialized amidst the dazzling radiance.
Bzzzzz...
Massive swarms of insects poured out like a torrent.
The swarms were a chaotic kaleidoscope of colors, with many wild Gu insects mixed in. Though they appeared fierce in demeanor, they merely circled around the star gate rather than lunging at the crowd.
This was clearly a test.
After careful observation, Fang Yuan chuckled inwardly. This insect swarm test was not difficult to overcome. Even without him, the combined strength of everyone present would have been enough to break through.
But Pan Ping and Zhu Zai had been locked in internal strife, causing their forces to fragment. Each side had supporters who refused to yield, and it was this deadlock that allowed Fang Yuan to step in.
Fang Yuan swept his gaze over Pan Ping and Zhu Zai — both wore expressions that had turned rather ugly.
Fang Yuan paid them no mind and issued his orders directly: "When this insect swarm goes on the offensive, it's often harder to deal with than a beast tide. Listen to my commands and follow my arrangements, and we can minimize our losses and handle this with ease."
The crowd hastily agreed. Afterward, they were spun around by Fang Yuan's directions — launching segmented assaults, luring portions of the swarm away, and continuously cutting them down.
After a dozen or so breaths, more than half of the insect swarm had been drawn out, and a large gap appeared in what had been a tightly packed defensive line.
Pan Ping was delighted. "The Wolf King is truly formidable! We were all blinded. In truth, destroying the swarm isn't the priority — what matters is opening a passage. That way, we'll have more than enough time."