Time became especially agonizing in this moment. As each minute and second ticked by, the cloud-mist in midair gradually stabilized.
Only then did Fang Yuan have the capacity to mentally curse the blessed land's original owner. Such a critical juncture, and there had been no annotations whatsoever in the recipe!
Had he not been focusing with all his might, reacted in time, and had Feng Tianyu's assistance, he would never have managed to stabilize the situation by a hair's breadth and then gradually turn things around. Otherwise, it would have been a complete failure.
Time passed. A mysterious, ethereal aura began to spread.
The cloud-mist thoroughly digested the Three Hundred Year Life Span Gu and calmed down, transforming once more into the sight of blood fields and red rice. But now the red rice had turned a lush green, like spring rice growing vigorously, packed densely together — exactly the scene described in the recipe as "three hundred years is spring."
"That mysterious Gu Immortal must have only developed the recipe without ever putting it into practice at this stage — otherwise how could they have left no annotations?" Fang Yuan fully recovered his composure and reflected. "Next, I'll need to use the Five Hundred Year Life Span Gu. But there's no rush."
He wiped the sweat from his brow and called out to the Land Spirit. "Ba Gui, pull up the image of that poisoned area."
Instantly, a line appeared out of thin air, forming a smoke-image, and a picture materialized.
Long Qingtian's corpse lay quietly on the ground. The surrounding sky and earth had all been stained a deep cyan-green.
It was Long Qingtian's Azure Sky Gu poison.
This Gu dated back to the primordial age. Its poison was extraordinarily fierce — even Fang Yuan wouldn't dare touch it.
At that very moment, two Gu Masters appeared in the image, both with Third Transformation cultivation.
"This area is strange — why is everything such a sickly green?"
"Look! That corpse — it's actually Long Qingtian!"
They had stumbled in here and stumbled upon Long Qingtian's corpse.
"Long Qingtian was a Peak Stage Fourth Transformation — a notorious demon — and someone actually killed him!"
"Quick, let's check it out. There might still be good things on his corpse!"
The two rushed excitedly toward Long Qingtian's corpse. Greed had addled their brains, completely oblivious to the fact that a green glow had already spread across their bodies.
"Seeking death." Fang Yuan sneered. Sure enough, he watched the two run fewer than ten steps before the poison took effect, killing them on the spot as they dissolved into green light and dissipated into the air.
"The Azure Sky Gu poison has accumulated deeply. This area is nearly finished — it'll be completely rotted by poison. The breach it forms could even be larger than the one Xiao Mang punched through..."
Time was pressing. Every second was precious. Fang Yuan was burning with anxiety, yet he still chose to hold his ground.
After half a cup of tea's time, a thunderous boom shook the blessed land. The great hall trembled.
The second breach had formed!
The Land Spirit sighed deeply — this meant the blessed land's collapse had accelerated twofold.
"Continue refining the Gu!" Fang Yuan took out the Five Hundred Year Life Span Gu and tossed it into the cloud-mist.
The cloud-mist boiled up again, trying to break free from Fang Yuan's mental control.
But this time Fang Yuan was mentally prepared. He wasn't caught off guard like before, and managed to maintain a firm grip.
Yet soon, he felt his strength flagging.
This time the cloud-mist's transformation felt not merely slippery, but carried a wild, savage force — as though it had changed from a green snake into a flood dragon, trying to break through Fang Yuan's restraints.
Feng Tianyu hurriedly stepped in to help. Their minds worked in concert to suppress the cloud-mist's transformation.
The cloud-mist surged several times, nearly breaking free each time, but was suppressed in the end.
After half an incense stick's time, the cloud-mist grew clear once more, transforming into a blood field with golden rice stalks heavy with grain — the very scene of "five hundred years is autumn."
Fortunately, he had waited until after the poison took effect before refining the Gu. Otherwise, with the second breach forming and the great hall shaking, the refinement would have been severely disrupted.
Fang Yuan waited a while longer. The cloud-mist ripened and gradually dissipated, shrinking from the size of a water vat until it finally condensed into a new Gu, which dropped down.
Fang Yuan caught it in his hand. The Gu resembled a peanut shell, brilliant golden in color, its surface patterned with crimson veins of blood.
The previous Second Empty Orifice Fake Gu had only been able to exist for seven days and seven nights, and was quite unstable. This new Gu, however, could last for forty years.
At this stage, the true Second Empty Orifice Gu had formed an embryo, gestating within the peanut shell.
But if left to develop on its own, forget a thousand years — even ten thousand years might not produce a genuine article. Only by applying a tremendous external force, discarding the false and preserving the true, transforming from void into substance, could it achieve a qualitative leap, transcend the mortal realm, and ascend to immortality!
And that external force was none other than the Sixth Transformation Divine Wandering Gu!
"Next, I'll use an Immortal Gu to refine an Immortal Gu!" Fang Yuan took several deep breaths, steadied his qi, and began the most critical step of the entire Gu refinement process.
Meanwhile, outside, battle cries shook the heavens...
"That beast is mine!"
"Just hand over the Gu Insects obediently, and I'll spare your life."