A slender jade-green corridor extended across the lake, leading all the way to a solitary pavilion.
Outside the pavilion, a light drizzle fell, and a cool breeze gently brushed by.
Unlike the outside world, the rain here fell upwards. The name "Adverse Rain" came from this.
After the female Gu Immortal Tan Bi Ya, the blessed land welcomed a new guest.
"Junior Hei Bai greets Senior Dong Fang Chang Fan." The newcomer looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, but was a genuine Six Turn Gu Immortal.
"It's been seventy years since we last met, hasn't it? Back then, I remember you were the clan head of the Hei family. You even almost made it into the Imperial Court." Dong Fang Chang Fan, with snow-white hair and beard, chuckled and gestured with his eyes. "Please, sit down."
Hei Bai sat down on the stone stool and bowed slightly. "Speaking of which, I am ashamed. At the time, I had the full support of my clan, but in the end, I was one move short, and the Liu family snatched the victory."
"Heh heh heh." Dong Fang Chang Fan laughed. "That's right. The clan head of the Liu family back then was Liu Yi Feng. His talent was unmatched, a true genius rarely seen in a century."
"Senior's memory is flawless. I am in awe."
Dong Fang Chang Fan slowly shook his head. "We Wisdom Path Gu Masters, since we engage in deduction, naturally place great importance on gathering every piece of intelligence. However, although Liu Yi Feng was dazzling, he ultimately failed in his attempt to break through to the Gu Immortal realm. Of all the prominent figures of that generation, the one who truly laughed last was you, the one known as the 'Stone Man of the Hei Clan.'"
"Senior flatters me. I was merely fortunate."
"There's no need for you to belittle yourself. Achieving Gu Immortality is as hard as reaching the heavens. Often, out of ten thousand Fifth Turn Gu Masters, not a single one succeeds. Ah... to be honest with you, I've been inspecting quite a few juniors over the years. My current hope is placed on this boy." As Dong Fang Chang Fan spoke, he pointed his right index finger, and a plume of colorful smoke rose from the center of the stone table, reflecting the real-time battle situation on the Grass Plains of the Northern Plains.
Just then, the two Gu Immortals saw Pan Ping swing his curved saber and kill the Tang clan leader in a single strike.
Hei Bai raised an eyebrow. "This is rather interesting. If I am not mistaken, this Gu is a Single Saber Gu. Its power is unique. Once activated, it has a certain chance of ignoring defenses of the same rank. It was created by the Gu Immortal, Saber Demon. Its form is special, just a flash of saber light, and it must reside on a saber. This Gu feeds on sabers, and the saber it parasitizes will gradually shrink until it completely dissipates."
Dong Fang Chang Fan nodded. "Correct. The highest rank of the Single Saber Gu can reach the Sixth Turn. Back then, the Saber Demon relied on this Six Turn Single Saber Gu, making him unique and untouchable. But he eventually fell at the hands of the Butterfly Sword Immortal. The Saber Demon died in battle, and his blessed land was annexed by the Butterfly Sword Immortal. The recipe for the Six Turn Single Saber Gu, however, was not passed down. Nevertheless, there are still quite a few Single Saber Gu in the mortal world today. These were all casually given away by the Saber Demon in the past when he disguised himself as a mortal and traveled the world. It seems this lucky junior has received one of the Saber Demon's former gifts."
"Senior is truly knowledgeable. Your junior has learned a lot today." Hei Bai said with heartfelt admiration.
Dong Fang Chang Fan was a famous Wisdom Path Gu Immortal of the Northern Plains. He had countless glorious achievements in his life, and many Gu Immortals had fallen victim to his schemes.
When he was first born, the Dong Fang clan was already in decline. It was after he became a Gu Immortal that he single-handedly supported the clan, devised numerous plans, and orchestrated conflicts between his enemies with superb skill, ultimately restoring the Dong Fang clan to its former glory.
He was a Seven Turn Gu Immortal, an undeniable giant of the Northern Plains, and the pillar of the Dong Fang tribe.
But now, his lifespan was running out, his time was limited, and he was eager to pass on his legacy. Previously, Dong Fang Chang Fan had high standards and had selected several candidates in succession, but none had met his expectations. Now, although Dong Fang Yu Liang did not meet all of his criteria, he was a relatively satisfactory choice.
Longevity Gu were difficult to find, even for a super clan like the Dong Fang tribe, one of the most formidable forces in the Northern Plains.
Of course, there was also the reason that righteous path Gu Immortals had formed a private alliance to forbid the sale of Longevity Gu to Dong Fang Chang Fan. Similarly, the demonic path Gu Immortals who had suffered under Dong Fang Chang Fan's schemes hated him to the bone.
Dong Fang Chang Fan had schemed against countless people, but at the very end of his life, he too was caught in a united scheme against him.
He himself was well aware that he had offended too many Gu Immortals. Even the righteous path was unwilling to see him continue living.
Hei Bai understood that this meeting with Dong Fang Chang Fan would be his last time seeing this legendary Gu Immortal of the Northern Plains. Thus, he felt a mix of respect and nostalgia.
The colorful smoke on the stone table swirled continuously, revealing every detail of the battlefield right before their eyes.
The Dong Fang army already had a disadvantage in terms of formation, and Pan Ping killing the Tang clan leader only worsened the Dong Fang clan's position.
In the end, Dong Fang Yu Liang directly issued a challenge to Hei Lou Lan and personally entered the fray.
He tried to rely on his own strength to claw out a sliver of hope.
But in the end, he fought Hei Lou Lan to a draw, neither able to gain the upper hand.
When night fell, Hei Lou Lan gave the order and launched a full-scale assault.
With the arrival of night, the combat strength of the Night Wolves surged dramatically. Wave after wave of wolves, under Fang Yuan's command, charged against the final defensive line of the Dong Fang army.
The Dong Fang army's morale was low and its troops were scattered. Despite the many preparations Dong Fang Yu Liang had made, the defensive line held for just half a cup of tea before being breached.
Left with no choice, Dong Fang Yu Liang was forced to concede.
Thus, the great battle between the Hei and Dong Fang clans came to an end, and the personal grudge between Hei Lou Lan and Dong Fang Yu Liang temporarily concluded with Hei Lou Lan's victory.
"This young man, Dong Fang Yu Liang, has no other faults, but he cares too much for his little sister. To ensure her safety, he actually split off a portion of his army to form a rear guard and placed his sister inside it. The Dong Fang allied army was already weaker than the Hei family's, and this division made the difference in military power even greater. If not for this, the outcome of the first battle might not have been so one-sided. Ha ha ha. It seems I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Hei Bai."
Dong Fang Chang Fan calmly looked at the colorful smoke, a faint smile on his face.