The radiance faded, and a Gu insect slowly descended into Fang Yuan's palm.
It was the Water Cage Gu, specifically used for capturing wild Gu insects. It possessed remarkable efficacy.
The Hairy Person opposite him was still in the process of refining Gu. When he saw that Fang Yuan had already finished, he let out a desperate roar.
A bolt of lightning descended from the sky and, with a crack, snuffed him out.
Just like the Dog King Inheritance, the Faith King Inheritance was equally cruel. Every step a Gu Master took forward was paved with blood and death.
Fang Yuan sighed and stored the Water Cage Gu away, then continued onward.
If he remembered correctly, this was already the thirty-second trial of the Faith King Inheritance.
The Faith King Inheritance was a Refinement Path inheritance. Every ten trials, the difficulty layered upward, and the Hairy People that appeared grew ever more clever and powerful.
For the first twenty-odd trials, Fang Yuan could still rely on words—flattering the Hairy People, disrupting their mental state, causing them to fail in refining Gu, thereby winning without a fight.
But by the thirtieth trial, these Hairy People had grown massive in body and outstanding in intellect. Fang Yuan could only take action himself and compete directly.
Fortunately, the refining materials from the first twenty-odd trials had all accumulated in Fang Yuan's hands, giving him ample room for choice when refining Gu.
These refining materials were something Gu Masters could save for themselves, to use as capital for the trials ahead.
This was a particular trick that the Faith King had deliberately left behind when establishing the inheritance. Even in Fang Yuan's previous life, this trick wasn't made public until a year later, when it became widely known. Of course, it was still kept secret now. Even if a few people had figured it out, their numbers were exceedingly small.
And so Fang Yuan pressed on, relying on the rich stockpile in his possession and the experience of his previous life to achieve results even better than those in the Dog King Inheritance.
After the fortieth trial, the Faith King Inheritance's difficulty surged several times over once more.
At this point, Gu Masters could deploy one of their own Gu insects. However, in the Faith King Inheritance, the only Gu that could be used were Refinement Path Gu.
Fang Yuan did not possess any Refinement Path Gu, and the materials in his hands had been nearly exhausted.
He began to find every step agonizingly difficult.
Each trial he passed was a tremendous struggle.
Fortunately, after the fortieth trial, the Faith King Inheritance would grant Gu Masters corresponding rewards.
These rewards included Refinement Path Gu, secret recipes, Yuan Stones, and more. They were exceedingly generous.
Fang Yuan fought his way to the forty-fourth trial, where he was presented with an opportunity to be transported out. He seized this chance and withdrew from the Faith King Inheritance.
This run had taken longer than the Dog King Inheritance.
Upon returning to San Cha Mountain, Fang Yuan discovered that the Tie family's purple light barrier was still standing. The four elders of the Tie family were remarkably patient—they had not entered the Three Kings' Inheritance—and Bai Ningbing remained trapped.
The three pillars of light atop the mountain peak had shriveled to a pitiful state, now no thicker than the mouth of a bowl.
But as long as even a sliver of the pillars remained—even a strand as thin as a needle—it meant the gateway had not closed. One could still enter.
However, each time the gateway opened, a Gu Master could only enter any one of the Three Kings' Inheritance once.
Fang Yuan found Li Xian and arranged another trade.
Li Xian was secretly astonished that Fang Yuan could produce so many items.
"Let me share some bad news with you. The four elders of the Tie family have already sent a plea to their clan. The Tie family has dispatched a group of powerful reinforcements, and they may mean you harm."
Fang Yuan was not surprised. The four elders' move had been within his expectations. "Oh? Who are these reinforcements?"
"The leader is Tie Baxiu of the Tie family. He is a Strength Path Gu Master, with a cultivation at the Fourth Transformation High Stage. In addition, there is Tie Ruonan. She is one of the Eight Young Masters of the Tie family, a rising star who has been making waves over the past two years! Each of the Eight Young Masters is a dragon among men. In particular, this Tie Ruonan is the own daughter of the Tie family's Divine Detective, Tie Xue Leng. Despite her youth, she has already reached the Fourth Transformation Initial Stage."
Regarding this group of Tie family reinforcements, Li Xian focused his introduction on Tie Ruonan. He said comparatively little about Tie Baxiu.
Tie Baxiu was already a famous figure, known to all. But Tie Ruonan was a newcomer—she had only a modest reputation and had not yet achieved recognition across the entire Southern Border.
What Li Xian did not know was that Fang Yuan was quite familiar with Tie Ruonan.
"So she really has also advanced to the Fourth Transformation. Tie Baxiu—the Tie family really did send him, just as in my previous life…" Fang Yuan mused inwardly.
Li Xian had been carefully observing Fang Yuan's expressions the entire time. Seeing that Fang Yuan's face remained utterly calm, he felt an ever-deepening sense of wariness.
"My young Beast King, once the Tie family's reinforcements arrive, the four elders will be free to deal with Bai Ningbing. If you act now, there is still time." Li Xian's face was full of earnest counsel.
"For our future dealings, please keep a close eye out, Li Xian." Fang Yuan smiled and turned to leave the cave.
The moment Fang Yuan departed, Li Xian's expression darkened.
His tiny eyes glinted with shrewd light. "I've been stirring the pot this much, and this little Beast King can still sit tight? Does he truly not care at all about his companion's safety? Could it be that Bai Ningbing's relationship with him isn't as close as the rumors suggest? No—a woman as breathtakingly beautiful as Bai Ningbing, any man would rush to save her. It seems I'll need to contact Hu Mei'er…"
For him, stirring up conflict had become second nature. Only by watching them fight and fishing in troubled waters could he extract greater profit.
"Is this true?" The moment Hu Mei'er received Li Xian's news, her eyes blazed bright and she was visibly exhilarated.
"How could I deceive my little darling?" Li Xian laughed as he slid his hand to Hu Mei'er's waist.
Hu Mei'er giggled and threw herself into Li Xian's arms, acting coy. "Brother Li is the only one who truly cares for this servant girl."
……
A round bead lay quietly in the palm of Fang Yuan's hand.