Even though Fang Yuan was at the peak of rank five, it was still difficult to cross the gap between mortal and immortal.
In his previous life, Fang Yuan was a Gu Immortal; no mortal could understand this gap better than him.
Fortunately, in his plan, he was not one mortal daring to fight a Gu Immortal alone. He would use the power of the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, his previous life's valuable experience gave him bright guidance, and the precious information provided by Lang Ya land spirit gave his plan even more certainty.
Thus, the possibility of seizing the Immortal Gu 'River As Before' reached twenty percent!
Among the three options to save Soul Searching Mountain, a twenty percent chance was already the highest.
Only an Immortal Gu could counter the Immortal Gu 'Mix Mud'.
With foresight surpassing five hundred years, the Immortal Gu that Fang Yuan knew could save Soul Searching Mountain at present were only three.
The first was the earth path rank six Petrification Gu. This Gu was now in the hands of Western Desert rank six Gu Immortal Sun Cu.
The second was also an earth path rank six Immortal Gu, named 'Rise Again', collected in the Eastern Sea's Sea Market blessed land.
The third was the time path rank six Immortal Gu 'River As Before'. This Gu had not yet been born; it was not naturally formed. Its master Tai Bai Yun Sheng was currently only a rank five Gu Master in the Northern Plains.
To seize the Petrification Gu, Fang Yuan would have to deal with Gu Immortal Sun Cu, who had achieved immortality over ten years ago.
If he plotted for the 'Rise Again' Gu, the situation would be worse: Fang Yuan would be under the watch of a group of Gu Immortals. A mortal trying to exchange for an Immortal Gu? That was like a child carrying gold bargaining in a black market.
Therefore, the third plan regarding the 'River As Before' Gu had the least risk and the highest possibility.
Even if Tai Bai Yun Sheng became a Gu Immortal, he would only be a novice Gu Immortal, not very familiar with the realm and qualitative changes in power.
Such an opponent was much easier to deal with than the veteran Sun Cu or the group of Gu Immortals in Sea Market blessed land.
...
Northern Plains calendar, December.
Snowstorms grew stronger and more frequent. Even without snow, white frost covered the entire Northern Plains. Even the sun hung in the sky, but its usually blazing rays became weak and powerless.
The day of the ten-year blizzard disaster was drawing closer.
Sky River, Warm Swamp Valley.
"Patriarch, this is the C-rank primeval spring." Ma Youliang pointed worriedly at the dried-up bottom of the primeval spring, introducing it to Ma Yingjie.
Ma Yingjie's brow furrowed deeply.
The C-rank primeval spring was one of the only three remaining primeval springs in Warm Swamp Valley.
Now that it was dry, only the A-rank and B-rank primeval springs were left to support the Ma clan. This was terrible news for the Ma tribe.
The primeval springs of the Northern Plains were different from those in the Southern Border and other regions.
Northern springs mostly had scarce spring water, narrow spring mouths, violent spurts, thin reserves, and the shortest duration.
Eastern springs had sufficient quantity, Southern springs bubbled continuously, Northern springs were violent, and Western springs were refined.
In the Southern Border, a medium or small tribe could use a single primeval spring for more than a decade. As long as a Southern primeval spring was not overexploited, it could be continuously drawn, like a trickling stream.
But in the Northern Plains, it was different.
Primeval springs in the Northern Plains formed quickly and dispersed just as quickly. Additionally, with the intense warfare in the Northern Plains, a medium or small tribe needed at least three or four primeval springs to sustain itself.
After Ma Yingjie returned to the tribe, he became the new patriarch of the Ma clan. The Ma clan had failed in its attempt to become a super force and had fallen to a small tribe. The vast Warm Swamp Valley felt empty.
The Ma clan had supplies of food and water, and they were well-prepared.
But primeval stones, produced from primeval springs, were currency and also essential resources for Gu Master cultivation. Once the snow disaster came, places like Warm Swamp Valley would become the last refuge.
Not only beast groups, but also other Gu Masters would come to take shelter.
As the host, the Ma clan not only had to withstand the snow disaster but also had to negotiate with these people.
The primeval stones produced by the primeval springs were the backbone supporting the combat power of Gu Masters. Now, one of the three backbones of the Ma clan was broken. The weakened Ma clan had only thirty percent of its foundation left. Because of the drying up of the C-rank primeval spring, that foundation immediately lost ten percent.
Yet, Ma Yingjie had no solution for this problem.
If he had a 'River As Before' Gu, he could restore the C-rank primeval spring to its original state immediately, and the problem would be solved. But Ma Yingjie did not.