Tie Quzhong nodded repeatedly upon hearing these words, the undisguised admiration in his gaze fixed upon Tie Ruonan.
Previously, when Tie Quzhong heard that Iron Mask God had chosen Tie Ruonan as the successor to the Iron Mask True Inheritance, he had harbored some doubts.
But after spending this time together, Tie Quzhong had fully come to recognize Tie Ruonan's abilities, considering her the most promising rising star of the Tie family's current generation.
"Tie Ruonan, for you to possess such deep understanding—that is excellent."
"Fang Yuan is vicious and crafty. He seized my Immortal Orifice, forcing me to cultivate using a Second Empty Orifice, and left me perpetually under his control. My path is finished; my future is bleak. But you still have great potential. With your current accumulation, you already have sufficient foundation to ascend to immortality!" Tie Quzhong said with satisfaction.
Tie Ruonan did not feign modesty: "Yes. These past days, borrowing the power of the Demon Suppression Tower, I have been secluded in continuous cultivation. By studying the tribulation-transcendence experiences of numerous clan seniors, I am eighty to ninety percent confident about the Ascension Tribulation!"
"Good. But you must wait. The Two Heavens are currently confused and in turmoil, and the Heavenly Will is in disarray—ascending now would result in losses. Learning from Nature is an opportunity that comes perhaps only once in a lifetime. It is extremely important." Tie Quzhong offered his guidance.
"Oh? This junior would be glad to hear the details."
Tie Quzhong then explained at length: "During the process of Learning from Nature, a Gu Cultivator can pose questions to the Heavenly Will and receive answers. If the question is too difficult—exceeding the limits of heaven and earth—no answer will be given."
"For example, if you were to ask about the method of eternal life during Learning from Nature, heaven and earth would be unable to provide an answer."
"If the question is too easy, the Gu Cultivator can indeed receive an answer, but would fail to make the most of this precious opportunity—a great pity."
"The ideal situation is a question of moderate difficulty, receiving a perfect and flawless answer. But such cases are exceedingly rare, and beyond our ability to engineer."
"Therefore, the most refined approach is to ask a question slightly above moderate difficulty. This way, the answer received will definitely be correct, though incomplete—a small portion will be missing."
"The missing portions, we can supplement through human effort and material resources during our future cultivation."
"This is the most effective way to utilize Learning from Nature."
Tie Ruonan's eyes gleamed with light as she pressed further: "Then how should I specifically judge the difficulty of these questions?"
"Generally speaking, asking about the recipe for an ordinary Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu would serve as a standard. Any Gu Insect related to the *Records of Human Ancestor* is no ordinary Gu."
"Additionally, you should ask about matters closely connected to yourself. Since you specialize in the Metal Path, you would ask questions pertaining to the Metal Path. But if you were to ask about the Earth Path or other unrelated paths, the results would be very poor. As for matters concerning the Dream Path and similar schools, you must exercise even greater caution."
Meanwhile.
Southern Border.
Iron Tooth Mountain.
Inside an unnamed cave.
Wu Yong cupped his fists in greeting and said with a smile: "Daoist Friend, I have brought some fine wine this time."
Before him sat an elderly Gu Immortal, cross-legged on the ground, opening his hazy eyes as if he had just woken from sleep.
The old man sighed and spoke: "Lord Wu Yong, this is already your third visit. You hold the lofty status of an Eighth Transformation Gu Cultivator and serve as Alliance Leader of the Southern Alliance, yet you extend such courtesy to a mere Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal like myself."
"I understand what you mean, old man. But I only wish to live in seclusion—I have no desire to entangle myself in worldly disputes."
"Your wine may be fragrant, but this old man is not fated to enjoy it."
This elder was a hermit of the Southern Border who specialized in the Wisdom Path, known as the Forgetful Daoist.
The Wu family excelled in the Wind Path and held no particular advantage in the Wisdom Path.
Wu Yong had been searching for a reliable candidate. Upon learning that the Forgetful Daoist was living in seclusion on Iron Tooth Mountain, he had personally visited multiple times in an attempt to recruit him.
Wu Yong spoke solemnly: "Daoist Friend, I must respectfully disagree. In the current state of the world, the Two Heavens are confused and black and white have become indistinguishable. The Five Regions War is practically upon us—who can remain untouched?"
"Even if you do not wish to harm anyone, in times of chaos there are always those unwilling to sit idle. Take the Fang family of the Western Desert, for example."
"With some funding from Fang Yuan, they boldly invaded the Wan family, even causing the death of the Wan family's Supreme Grand Elder."
"This is the summons of troubled times."
"Even if the Heavenly Court funds the Wan family to victory, what essential difference would there be between Star Constellation Immortal Venerable and Fang Yuan?"
"As a Wisdom Path Gu Immortal, this is something you cannot afford to overlook."
The Forgetful Daoist let out another long sigh: "Better to be a dog in times of peace than a man in times of war. In today's world, Great Love Immortal Venerable, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable, and Giant Sun Immortal Venerable each lead a supreme force, all possessing tremendous foundations capable of easily overturning the previous balance among super forces. You, Wu Yong, may grow excited and restless, but this old man sees nothing but sorrow and suffering."
"Lord Wu Yong, there is no need to persuade me further. Please, return."
Wu Yong let out a deep sigh, and could only retain his hope as he bid farewell to the Forgetful Daoist with profound regret.
This world is vast.
There are those who toil in silence, secretly and bitterly refining Immortal Gu—like Shi Zhong. There are those who, leveraging their great-grandfather's influence, plot to obtain a Seventh Transformation Life Gu before they have even ascended to immortality—like Xiao Qixing.
There are those who receive family funding and have already become Gu Immortals—like Nu'er Tu. And there are those who remain as Gu Masters specializing in the Metal Path, receiving guidance from seniors and uncovering the secrets of Learning from Nature—like Tie Ruonan.
There are ambitious schemers like Wu Yong, and there are Gu Immortals like the Forgetful Daoist who prefer the quiet of seclusion and refuse to entangle themselves in worldly conflict.
And there is the super force whose prospects have turned entirely bleak, unable to survive from one day to the next—the Fang family.
The Fang family's headquarters.
The great assembly hall was heavy with a somber atmosphere.
The Fang family had been defeated.
The losses were devastating!
Where should they go from here?
Whether it was Fang Gong, Fang Tichang, Fang Leng, or Fang Yun, their hearts were all weighed down with grief.
Wan Gu Chou had recovered all of the Wan family's lost territory, but the Alliance Against the Fang family remained intact.
If not for the ongoing negotiations between alliance members regarding the specific terms of division, the Fang family would have already suffered the alliance's attack.