Before him, light shimmered and flowed. The four walls were all crystal-clear crystal panels that could reflect one's image.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept in a circle. Behind him and to both sides were walls—only the path forward was open.
"I've finally arrived at the Secret Treasure Pavilion." The corner of Fang Yuan's mouth curved upward in a subtle arc as he stepped forward and walked ahead.
The crystal corridor was transparent, and within five steps, Fang Yuan saw various Gu insects and Gu recipes appearing within the crystal walls on either side, like insects preserved in amber, resting quietly inside the crystal.
These were all the rare treasures of the Secret Treasure Pavilion. To obtain any of them, one had to offer something of equivalent value in exchange.
"Hmm? There is a Wood Path Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus here." Fang Yuan slowly halted, discovering a familiar Gu insect sealed within the crystal wall before him.
This Gu was a blooming lotus of alternating blue and white, the size of a washbasin. Its origins were extraordinary—it had been created by Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian.
The complete set consisted of the Third Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus, the Fourth Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure Lord Lotus, the Fifth Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus, and the Sixth Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure Emperor Lotus.
Among them, the Heavenly Origin Treasure Emperor Lotus ranked sixth among the Ten Great Immortal Gu, its value comparable to the Spring Autumn Cicada. It was currently in the possession of the Langya Earth Spirit.
Fang Yuan had once used a Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus, which largely compensated for his deficient aptitude and brought him considerable help. However, to further advance this Gu, Fang Yuan not only lacked the corresponding Gu recipe, but the fusion refinement cost was also exorbitant—it required a natural Yuan Spring. Moreover, the spring had to be rich in Yuan force and could not be one that had been used for years with depleted reserves. After a successful advancement, the Yuan Spring would be completely destroyed.
Advancing to the Fourth Transformation Yuan Lian required sacrificing seven Yuan Springs. To reach the Fifth, another nine. To reach the Sixth, another eleven.
These figures were based on the Yuan Springs of the Southern Border and similar regions. Using the Yuan Springs of the Northern Plains, the cost would increase by at least another sixty percent.
When Fang Yuan had wanted to advance the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus, it had been far too difficult. Besides, his aptitude had already been greatly improved, so he had abandoned the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus Gu.
But now, this Fifth Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus truly made his heart stir.
"The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus series is known as a mobile Yuan Spring. Once refined, it can produce natural True Essence. The Third Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus Gu hasn't suited me for a long time. But the Fifth Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus is perfectly suited to my current state."
However, to obtain this Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus, according to the rules, Fang Yuan had to exchange treasures of equivalent value.
"Then let's make an exchange." Fang Yuan could now be considered wealthy beyond measure. Possessing a Blessed Land was equivalent to a Gu Immortal's capital.
To exchange for the Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus—for others, it would be a massive trade requiring them to risk their entire fortune. For Fang Yuan, it was merely a small question of choosing what to offer.
"What should I offer in exchange?"
Fang Yuan sent his consciousness into his two Empty Orifices.
The Strength Path and Enslavement Path Gu insects within his Empty Orifices certainly could not be traded. His first Life Gu, the Spring Autumn Cicada, was even more impossible to produce.
But beyond those, there were still quite a few miscellaneous Gu insects.
The individual value of these Gu was certainly lower than the Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus, but if one wasn't enough, two or three could be offered together.
"Hmm? How come there are eighteen Spring Egg Gu here?"
In his first Empty Orifice, Fang Yuan was surprised to discover a batch of rare Fifth Transformation Gu that had appeared.
But he quickly recalled the reason: "I almost forgot. These are my rewards for achieving a superior completion, delivered directly into my Empty Orifice by the True Sun Tower."
In theory, a Gu Master's Empty Orifice was the very foundation of cultivation—the most closely guarded secret of all. But the True Sun Tower, having been personally crafted by Ancestor Long Hair and configured by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable, possessed tremendous power—it could deliver Gu insects directly into a Gu Master's Empty Orifice.
Although the Spring Egg Gu was inferior to the Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus, it was also a Fifth Transformation Gu.
The Spring Egg Gu resembled a white goose egg. It had been obtained by slaying the powerful Egg Person Emperor. When planted deep underground, the Spring Egg Gu could form a Yuan Water Spring Eye.
Yuan Springs were the foundation of a Gu Master's cultivation, which was why large clans and families would collect Spring Egg Gu to bolster their reserves for unexpected needs. Even Gu Immortals frequently sought to purchase them, planting them in their own Blessed Lands to form Yuan Springs that nourish all things.
Fang Yuan casually withdrew one of the Spring Egg Gu.
But this Gu was in poor condition—the surface of its eggshell was covered in fine cracks. There were obvious True Essence traces within the Gu, indicating it had been used by someone before.
A sharp gleam flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes and vanished. He let out a cold laugh: "It seems this Gu was plundered by Flying Hand Snow while it was being activated. All the trial completion rewards in the Eighty-Eight Corner True Sun Tower come from such sources."
Giant Sun Immortal Venerable had painstakingly arranged an elaborate scheme spanning ages, all to fulfill his dream of a "family empire" and to secure benefits for his descendants.
First came the Royal Court struggle, weakening and eliminating other tribes. Then came the exploitation of the Ten Year Snow Disaster to siphon rare treasures from across the Northern Plains into the Eighty-Eight Corner True Sun Tower.
One had to understand that Gu cultivation was extremely dependent on material resources.
Giant Sun Immortal Venerable's establishment of the Eighty-Eight Corner True Sun Tower was nothing less than pulling the firewood from beneath the pot. He plundered resources and gave them to his own bloodline descendants, while destroying the hopes of other tribes' rise to power.
During Fang Yuan's previous life five hundred years ago, the Central Continent Gu Immortals had breached the Royal Court Blessed Land by exploiting precisely this feature of the True Sun Tower.
They dispatched pawns to infiltrate the Royal Court Blessed Land. At the same time, they deliberately scattered Gu insects and allowed Flying Hand Snow to plunder them inside. Ultimately, they caused destruction from within the True Sun Tower, blasting open critical breaches.
After the Central Continent Gu Immortals destroyed the Royal Court Blessed Land, they also mass-exposed Giant Sun Immortal Venerable's sinister intentions to the public, triggering massive upheaval across the Northern Plains as public opinion boiled over.
But upheaval was upheaval—the Northern Plains remained the second most powerful force after the Central Continent. With the major superpowers and Golden Tribes uniting their efforts, the Northern Plains remained stable and unmoved.
Having ruled the Northern Plains for so many years, the Golden Tribes were deeply rooted and firmly established—far from something that public outrage alone could shake.
No matter how loud the public outcry, without military backing, it meant absolutely nothing.
Fang Yuan moved the Spring Egg Gu in his hand closer to the crystal wall, bringing it nearer to the Heavenly Origin Treasure King Lotus sealed within.