On this day, from the Cloud Canopy Continent, a pillar of brilliant light suddenly burst into the sky.
The light was a kaleidoscope of colors, shimmering and resplendent, like a celestial pillar soaring straight to the ninth heaven.
It was so blindingly bright that the Hairy Men on the three continents—Black Fur, Yellow Fur, and White Fur—need only look up to witness it.
"This is an immortal phenomenon!" the Hairy Men exclaimed in awe.
In the past, news of Immortal Gu Masters on the three continents had been nothing more than vague, unfounded legends.
But after the Langya Earth Spirit changed its personality, the situation underwent a dramatic transformation.
The Langya Earth Spirit personally issued an immortal decree, emulating the Contest of the Royal Court to incite war between the three continents, and from it, select elite seeds to bring to Cloud Canopy Continent for cultivation.
The wars between the three continents had affected all the Hairy Men, and now the "immortal phenomenon" above Cloud Canopy Continent once again ignited their fervor.
"To become an immortal and attain the Dao..." The Black Fur King gazed up at the vast sky, his eyes shooting out beams of light so intense that no one could meet his gaze.
The radiance subsided, and the Black Fur King suddenly made a resolve: "Someone, deliver my decree. An immortal phenomenon has appeared before us—a tremendously auspicious omen. In gratitude, our nation shall hold a martial tournament! The victors of the tournament shall be granted open access to the national treasury to select any treasures they wish!"
"At once." The guard immediately accepted the command and bowed as he withdrew.
This decision by the Black Fur King was no spur-of-the-moment impulse, but rather something he had deliberated upon for many days.
The wars between the three continents had made the Black Fur King realize that the narrow-minded notion of prioritizing Gu refinement alone needed to be abandoned. For the wars to come, he urgently needed powerful elites—Gu Masters who excelled in combat.
With the Black Fur King's single command, a massive wave of influence radiated outward from the royal city in all directions, growing ever wider.
Time flew. Half a month passed.
Iron Thread City welcomed a distinguished guest.
This guest received a personal reception from the Iron Thread City Lord, for his identity was that of a fellow city lord.
"City Lord Huafeng, what brings you here on this occasion?" At the welcoming banquet, after three rounds of drinks, the Iron Thread City Lord asked.
"City Lord Iron Thread, you're a perceptive person—you've long known my purpose." City Lord Huafeng smiled, gesturing toward the several Hairy Man Gu Masters standing behind him. "The King wishes to hold a martial tournament, but each region is only permitted to send three representatives. In our area, there are only our two cities. The Gu Masters standing behind me are the candidates I intend to send to compete. However, the King has limited our numbers. So let us first hold a few matches between ourselves to determine who shall go!"
"Hahaha. Excellent—I had the very same thought." The Iron Thread City Lord laughed heartily and clapped her hands, summoning several Hairy Man Immortal Gu Masters from behind the curtain to the hall.
Each side sent one fighter to the arena, and the clashes began.
After several rounds, City Lord Huafeng's side won match after match, while the Iron Thread City side failed to secure a single victory.
City Lord Huafeng smiled with satisfaction, drinking at his leisure. The Iron Thread City Lord's expression was as dark as water, her heart heavy: "I didn't expect City Lord Huafeng to come so well prepared—the Gu Masters he selected are all truly elite. This is bad. If my side fails to win a single match, the result will surely be spread far and wide, and for years to come, Huafeng City will overshadow my Iron Thread City."
"There's only the final match remaining. City Lord Iron Thread, please deploy your last fighter." City Lord Huafeng pressed her.
The Iron Thread City Lord gave a cold snort and fixed her gaze on the last Hairy Man remaining.
But this Hairy Man Gu Master was drenched in cold sweat. He understood the immense burden on his shoulders given the current situation. But precisely because of this, his confidence waned even further.
It wasn't just him—even the senior officials of Iron Thread City at the banquet felt a distinct lack of confidence.
At that moment, an elder of the city secretly transmitted his voice to the Iron Thread City Lord: "City Lord, I have a candidate who can restore our honor."
The Iron Thread City Lord was delighted upon hearing this and hurriedly asked for details.
The elder replied: "City Lord, have you forgotten? You recently acquired a human slave—he has Fifth Transformation cultivation."
The Iron Thread City Lord was taken aback, a bitter look crossing her face, and she transmitted back: "That won't do! My contest with City Lord Huafeng is a formal, legitimate affair. If I were to send my human slave to fight—let alone the shame of losing—even if he won, I'd have to send him up to participate in the tournament. If the King were to see that Iron Thread City sent a human instead of a Hairy Man, wouldn't he condemn me?"
The elder smiled.
He knew perfectly well these were merely pretexts.
The truth was, the Iron Thread City Lord simply couldn't bear to part with him.
That slave named "Fang Yuan" had been visited by the City Lord almost every night since his purchase. This had long since aroused the displeasure of many among the senior ranks.
Elder Yun continued: "City Lord, you may rest easy. The current King is magnanimous and values talent above all—among his closest advisors, there is no shortage of Snow Men and Feather Folk. If you send Fang Yuan to fight and he loses, you can pin the blame entirely on him. If he wins, you preserve our city's honor, and sending him to the tournament, the King will surely look upon you in a new light—and might even consider you a kindred spirit. Who knows?"
The Iron Thread City Lord gave the elder a deeply meaningful look, thinking to herself: "This old fox—what a scheme! Isn't this just because I've been neglecting the nephew he sent me recently? He's devised such a vicious plan. If Fang Yuan wins, I have to send him away. If he loses, I have to execute him and shift the blame. Either way, I lose Fang Yuan."
"Sigh, fine!" the Iron Thread City Lord sighed inwardly. "Am I really the kind of fool who would abandon great ambitions over mere beauty?"
Though the Iron Thread City Lord visited Fang Zheng nightly and was enthralled by him, she was fundamentally a cold-hearted, power-hungry Hairy Man.
In her heart, mere beauty counted for nothing.
And so, the Iron Thread City Lord swapped out the last Hairy Man and summoned Fang Zheng, giving him her instructions.
Upon learning the reason, Fang Zheng descended to the arena.
"A Fifth Transformation Gu Master?!" City Lord Huafeng's heart lurched. Sensing Fang Zheng's Fifth Transformation aura, he immediately grew wary.
He smiled and said: "By the rules of our contest, this final round's format should be determined by my side. In the previous rounds, we competed in combat. But the essence and tradition of us Hairy Men—how could we possibly abandon it? This round shall be decided by Gu refinement!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the Iron Thread City Lord nearly cursed out loud.
The elders on Iron Thread City's side also cast looks of contempt at City Lord Huafeng.
But City Lord Huafeng had served as city lord for many years. He had long since developed a thick skin and was utterly impervious to such stares.
Unable to argue—these had been the rules established beforehand—the Iron Thread City Lord could only wave at Fang Zheng: "Go fight. Make sure you give it your absolute all. Remember one thing: this battle has no room for defeat. If you lose, pay with your life."
Fang Zheng heard this, and his expression remained unchanged.
He had suffered endless humiliation these past days. The Iron Thread City Lord's desires were insatiable—she favored all manner of positions, demanding him seventeen or eighteen times a night without restraint, making him wish for death.
Fang Zheng truly wanted to simply die, but as a prisoner at another's mercy, he could neither live freely nor end his own life.
Now that the Iron Thread City Lord threatened him with death, he actually felt a sense of relief.
A thought immediately surfaced in his mind: "Would I even miss this world? Why not simply forfeit and be done with it—just let death come!"
But at that very moment, a voice sounded in his mind: "Fool! A real man must know when to bend and when to stand tall—what are a few petty insults to someone like you? If you have any backbone, bide your time and take your revenge in the future, chopping to pieces every last enemy who made you suffer. That is what a true hero does!"
"Who's there?!" Fang Zheng was startled and cried out in alarm.
Over there, the last Hairy Man Gu Master from Huafeng City had just stepped into the arena.
He thought Fang Zheng was addressing him, so he puffed out his chest and declared loudly: "The name's Mao Shiba!"