"So it ultimately wasn't a success..." Dongfang Yuliang clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the fine rain outside the window, and let out a soft sigh.
This Fin Wolf had been personally captured alive from the wild at considerable cost.
Then, he had tampered with the Fin Wolf. Fearing the other party might notice something amiss, he had carefully selected a Fifth Transformation Soul Burst Gu and implanted it within the Fin Wolf.
Finally, he dispatched the infamous Demonic Path assassin of the Northern Plains, Shadow Swordswoman, placing the corresponding trigger Gu for the soul burst in her hands and giving her extensive instructions.
He had meticulously designed this assassination plan, sparing no effort—even spending his own energy to repeatedly calculate and simulate it three or four times over, until every potential flaw had been eliminated.
Whether it was the state of the Fin Wolf itself, the location and timing of its appearance, or even the likely response of whichever Gu Master discovered it, he had considered everything thoroughly.
Yet even so, it had still not succeeded.
At the critical moment, the Wolf King Changshan Yin noticed something was wrong and had others act in his stead. Shadow Swordswoman Bian Sixuan, seeing the situation deteriorate, had no choice but to activate the Soul Burst Gu.
The power of the soul burst was formless and colorless, imperceptible to the naked eye. Yet Changshan Yin had immediately blurted out the truth.
Though he was hampered by Bian Sixuan's attacks and harassment, he managed to retreat to the very edge of the soul burst's range. But what was truly remarkable was his extraordinary composure in the face of crisis—he actually used his own allies rushing to support him as shields, blocking the brunt of the soul burst's destructive force.
"Reputation is truly earned—he is every bit deserving of his fame as the Wolf King of the Northern Plains." After hearing Bian Sixuan's report, Dongfang Yuliang's estimation of Fang Yuan rose yet another level.
An extraordinary beast wolf was right before his eyes, yet he had the willpower to resist the temptation. His exceptionally cautious nature, his sound judgment under crisis, his sharp eye to instantly recognize the soul burst, his ruthlessness in using his own people as meat shields, and his composure after being assassinated—not giving chase blindly...
"Wolf King..." Dongfang Yuliang murmured, his heart growing heavier.
"Alliance Leader Dongfang need not worry. Although Changshan Yin used his own people as meat shields at the critical moment, he was still impeded by me and caught in the aftermath of the soul burst. What's more, he was struck by my Brain Burst Gu. Even if this Gu doesn't take his life, it will severely suppress his combat strength. One could say the Wolf King has already been crippled."
In the corner of the study, Bian Sixuan stood clad in black within the shadows, her voice cold and clear.
"Brain Burst Gu?" Dongfang Yuliang blinked in surprise—it was the first time he had heard of this Gu's name.
Bian Sixuan gave a soft laugh and proceeded to explain the origin of this Gu to him.
"So that's how it is..." After listening, Dongfang Yuliang's eyes brightened slightly, as if a weight had been lifted. He thanked Bian Sixuan: "This time, I have to thank the Shadow Swordswoman for her efforts. You've lost a good trump card."
Bian Sixuan said nothing.
In truth, she was secretly feeling the sting of loss as well.
Ever since she had discovered the use of the Brain Burst Gu, it had indeed become one of her most treasured trump cards. Many assassinations had been carried out with its help, achieving remarkable results.
But during the assassination of Changshan Yin, the situation had been too urgent. She had been utterly unable to kill him on the spot and had no time to recover the Gu. Before the enemy could close in and surround her, she had been forced to retreat to preserve her own life.
"Here is the reward I promised you beforehand." Dongfang Yuliang summoned a Gu insect from his Empty Orifice.
It was pitch black all over, with a single horn and a square shell, roughly the size of a fist, giving off an impression of solid heaviness.
It was a Fourth Transformation Stacking Shadow Gu.
Bian Sixuan's gaze fell upon the Stacking Shadow Gu, and she involuntarily showed a trace of eager longing. Although she possessed the Multiple Sword Shadow Gu, its attacks were spread thin, and when facing opponents with deep defense, combat became exceptionally difficult.
If she had the Stacking Shadow Gu to layer the multiple sword shadows together, she could form a single devastating strike of maximum power. The boost to her combat strength would be enormous.
But quickly, Bian Sixuan averted her gaze and did not accept the Stacking Shadow Gu.
From the shadows came her clear, cold voice, tinged with a hint of pride: "Let the Alliance Leader hold onto this Stacking Shadow Gu for now. I'll come collect it after the Wolf King is dead."
With that, she melted into the shadows and vanished.
Dongfang Yuliang was momentarily taken aback, and had no choice but to store the Stacking Shadow Gu back into his Empty Orifice.
"This Shadow Swordswoman truly keeps her word. No wonder she, a Demonic Path Gu cultivator, can navigate so effortlessly between the major tribes. Many Righteous Path Gu Masters spare no expense to specifically hire her services. It seems she has full confidence in the Brain Burst Gu... If the Brain Burst Gu can truly eliminate the Wolf King, then I will have rid myself of a grave threat. That would be the best outcome."
"But what if it can't? What if Changshan Yin successfully deals with the Brain Burst Gu? At the critical moment, he chose to resist the soul burst, willingly allowing the Brain Burst Gu to burrow into his ear orifice—that demonstrates he has a certain confidence and means to deal with this problem..."
Dongfang Yuliang's gaze turned somber: "But the Wolf King was indeed affected by the soul burst this time... The variables have multiplied once more. It seems I'll need to recalculate everything from scratch."
With this thought, he walked over to the bookshelf, turned the lid of the incense burner, and opened a secret passage.
Following the passage, he descended deep underground.
Here, he had long ago planted an Earth Sack Mushroom King Gu.
This Gu was a type of Gu dwelling—its interior space was cramped, but sufficient for one person's solo cultivation. Most importantly, the Earth Sack Mushroom King Gu had thick, solid defenses that could guarantee Dongfang Yuliang's personal safety.
After entering the Gu, Dongfang Yuliang sealed the entrance. The entire Earth Sack Mushroom King Gu curled into a sphere and sank several zhang deeper underground before coming to a stop.
The inner walls of the Earth Sack Mushroom King Gu were soft and thick, like carpet. Dongfang Yuliang sat cross-legged upon them, and his eyes slowly closed.
He focused his mind into his own Empty Orifice, mobilizing his Fifth Transformation True Essence and channeling it into the Star Thought Gu.
He began to think—