"The Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land?!" Zhao Lianyun cried out in shock.
She raised her head and saw a female Immortal Gu Master standing before her.
The woman lay upon a cloud bed, her features unremarkable, clad in a silk dress. Her most striking feature was her long hair of a greenish hue — like a river, it flowed from the top of her head, wound around the cloud bed, and spread across nearly the entire floor.
The female Gu Master read the genuine bewilderment on Zhao Lianyun's face and found it somewhat puzzling. She asked, "Judging by your expressions, the five of you blundered into the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land by accident, not by intention?"
"Five people?" Zhao Lianyun looked around and finally realized she was inside a great hall — and she was not alone. Four fellow Immortal Gu Masters stood beside her.
The four companions regained consciousness one after another.
Though Zhao Lianyun had only recently become an Immortal Gu Master, she found she knew all four of them.
The one she knew best was Buzhenzi, a Supreme Elder of Lingyuan Zhai and a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu Master, tasked with guarding her safety.
Yu Yiyizi — this young-looking, handsome Gu Master came from Guhun Sect. Although his cultivation was only at the Sixth Transformation, his attainment in the Refinement Path was well recognized and widely respected.
Shi Zhengyi was also a young man, with thick brows and large eyes. He had been on the uppermost floor of Fengman Lou with Zhao Lianyun just moments ago. Though she had not spoken with him, she had seen his father, Shi Ge — a man rendered completely blind by Pitch-Black Darkness — and the impression was a vivid one.
The last person Zhao Lianyun did not recognize; this was their first meeting.
However, Shi Zhengyi clearly knew this person. He immediately ran over and called out, "Senior Mu Linglan, how did we suddenly end up here?"
It was none other than Mu Linglan — a Water Path Immortal Gu Master from Lingdie Valley, Seventh Transformation.
"I'm just as bewildered," the woman said in a level tone. "Space shattered without warning and spat the five of you out. You've trespassed into the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land without permission. I'm still waiting for an explanation."
"The Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land… this is the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land?" Shi Zhengyi exclaimed loudly. Through the hall's windows he could see the world outside — snow blanketed everything, and over a dozen snow peaks rose in the distance.
He also realized that the hall they stood in sat atop one of those snow peaks.
The Central Continent Immortal Gu Masters quickly took stock of the situation.
Buzhenzi hurried to Zhao Lianyun's side and fixed his gaze on the female Gu Master before them. "If I'm not mistaken, you are Faji — the Peak Master of the ninth snow peak in the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land!"
"The Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land… Hongyun is right here!" Zhao Lianyun's eyes blazed with sharp light.
The female Gu Master sat upright, her expression turning solemn and tense. "So you really did come for Ma Hongyun!"
"That's right — hand Ma Hongyun over!" Zhao Lianyun barked.
Faji studied Zhao Lianyun for a long moment. "Ma Hongyun is not with me. If you want to find him, you'll probably have to fight your way all the way to the first main peak. But Wanshou Niangzi is stationed there, along with Old Ancestor Xuehu. The five of you wouldn't even make a decent snack."
"A man makes his own fate!" Shi Zhengyi clenched his fist and shouted.
"Even if I die here, I will save Hongyun!" Zhao Lianyun's resolve was absolute.
Mu Linglan stepped forward several paces. "We five are naturally just the vanguard. Behind us, Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu Masters hold the rear. Your Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land may hold the advantage of terrain, but in the end you have only a single Eighth Transformation Gu Master."
Mu Linglan was bluffing.
In truth, the ancient Immortal Gu Masters left behind in the Interstitial Path were likely doomed. The only ones who had truly been saved were probably these five — Zhao Lianyun's group alone.
Riding the power of the Love Gu and driven by Zhao Lianyun's burning obsession, all five Gu Masters had dropped directly into the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land.
Faji's expression shifted subtly. She was only a Sixth Transformation Gu Master, and the five before her not only outnumbered her but also included two at the Seventh Transformation.
The Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land contained fifteen snow peaks in total.
Faji resided on the ninth peak. She had never expected this sudden disruption — five Gu Masters materializing before her without the slightest warning.
"I'll take the lead. Fall back," Mu Linglan transmitted privately. Without hesitation, he stepped forward to take charge.
Sensing the danger, Faji quickly raised her hand. "Wait — hold your weapons. We are friends, not enemies."
"What do you mean?" Buzhenzi stopped the eager Mu Linglan.
Faji said, "Did you think I would willingly serve Old Ancestor Xuehu? For his own selfish gain, he has forced us to scour for immortal materials. We suffer endlessly but can do nothing against his tyrannical power."
"To be honest, I have long wanted to defect. I was simply waiting for the Righteous Path Gu Masters of the Northern Plains to attack — I never imagined it would be Central Continent Gu Masters like you."
"I have no intention of fighting you. If you want to cause trouble for Old Ancestor Xuehu, you have no idea how welcome that is."
"Oh? Is that so…" Buzhenzi and Mu Linglan exchanged a glance, somewhat hesitant.
Faji continued, "Since you mean to assault the Great Snow Mountain, you must have gathered intelligence beforehand. I'll be blunt: the Great Snow Mountain has long been riven with dissent. Old Ancestor Xuehu, consumed by his obsession with refining the Fortuitous Luck Heaven-Matching Immortal Gu, has gone completely mad — he pays no heed to our feelings as Peak Masters. But we are shackled by him and cannot resist. All we can do is wait for outside help."
The five Central Continent Immortal Gu Masters said nothing. None of them had anticipated things would develop this way.