Howling winds, raging blizzards.
The Demonic Blood Mountain Hill, once covered in deep crimson grass, was now a vast expanse of white.
The towering hill had likewise yielded to the might of a decade of storms and snow, frail as an infant.
Roar, roar, roar...
Massive silhouettes, at least three zhang tall, loomed in and out of visibility amid the blizzard. These were the meteorological monsters that appeared only during great snowstorms — Snow Demons.
The larger the Snow Demon, the stronger its combat power.
A three-zhang Snow Demon could match a Third Transformation Gu Master. Four zhang, and it possessed the power of a Fourth Transformation Gu Master. Five zhang, and it had the terrifying might of a Fifth Transformation Gu Master.
Accompanying the blizzards, Snow Demons rampaged across the Northern Plains.
They slowly congregated, focusing their attacks on the few remaining survival points in the Northern Plains, delivering deathly blows to the lingering remnants of humanity and all living things.
But every creature has its predator — Snow Demons were prey to the Snowmen.
By consuming the flesh and blood of Snow Demons, the Snowmen could accelerate their reproduction and even extend their lifespans.
Hei Bai and Hei Cheng stood atop the peak of the towering Demonic Blood Mountain Hill.
Clad in black robes, they stood out starkly against the white expanse of snow.
Beside them lay the corpses of hundreds of Snow Demons. No matter how many Snow Demons there were, unless they reached a body size of six zhang, they were nothing more than fodder when facing Gu Immortals.
Hei Bai and Hei Cheng had been waiting for a long time.
Suddenly, Hei Bai's expression sharpened as he sensed something. His keen gaze shot toward the front left.
There, whirlwinds of snow and wind were forming in midair.
In the blink of an eye, they transformed into colossal hands made entirely of wind and snow — Flying Hand Snow.
The giant snow hands, having fully materialized, lunged toward Hei Bai and Hei Cheng.
"Ha ha, you're exactly who we've been waiting for." Hei Bai laughed heartily, flicking his fingers repeatedly as a massive number of Fifth Transformation Gu Insects flew forth.
Hei Cheng made the same gesture.
The giant snow hands seized the Gu Insects one by one, then clenched tight. The snow hands crumbled apart, and the Gu Insects within vanished — tightly gripped by a mighty force and drawn into the King's Court Blessed Land.
The two Hei family Gu Immortals offered no resistance whatsoever, allowing their Gu Insects to be taken by the Flying Hand Snow.
This continued for a full half-hour, as large quantities of Fifth Transformation Gu Insects were taken. Only then did Hei Bai and Hei Cheng cease, exchange a smile, and shoot off into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Reinforcements have arrived!" Moments later, Hei Loulan suddenly sensed it, his eyes blazing. He looked up, fixing his gaze on the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
At the peak of the Sacred Palace, clouds of mist and radiance swirled brilliantly, colorful light dancing about.
The sixty-eighth floor was still coalescing. Within it, the final one-hundredth trial had already taken shape. The as-yet unformed sixty-eighth floor was merely a husk, its resplendent light flowing like liquid, constantly wavering, enveloping the large number of Gu Insects just drawn in from the outside of the Northern Plains.
Some of these Gu Insects were wild ones. Others had originated from Gu Immortals Hei Cheng and Hei Bai.
The Eighty-Eight True Yang Building would select the strongest among them to form the ninety-ninth trial, the ninety-eighth trial...
Hei Loulan carefully probed with his senses and frowned slightly. "Those two from the Hei family have already acted. Yet Xue Songzi still stands by and does nothing. Hmph!"
He had secretly corresponded with Xue Songzi and reached an agreement. One of the terms was that Xue Songzi would lend him aid at a specific moment.
But now, Xue Songzi showed not the slightest movement.
Hei Loulan grew displeased and immediately composed a letter, dispatching it via a Gu Insect.
Shortly after, he received a reply.
In the letter, Xue Songzi poured out his grievances, claiming that these past days he had been pressured by the two Hei family Gu Immortals, that his Snowmen trade had been squeezed to the point of collapse, plummeting to new lows. Moreover, he had already supported Hei Loulan with a great number of Fifth Transformation Gu Insects some time ago for the sake of the Wooden Chicken Gu. Asking him to act now was beyond his capacity.
"Excuses!" Hei Loulan flew into a rage upon reading the letter, nearly crushing the letter Gu in his grip. "Demonic Path Gu Masters are truly without a single good one among them — all deceitful and cunning rogues."
But in the next instant, Hei Loulan reined in all the fury from his face.
He had actually anticipated this.
After all, he was merely a mortal, while Xue Songzi was a lofty Gu Immortal. A mortal striking a deal with a Gu Immortal was like an ant negotiating with an elephant.
They were simply not on the same level. If a Gu Immortal wanted to renege, a mortal could do nothing about it.
Hei Loulan's anxiety simmered within.
The sixty-eighth floor was forming, and the longer time passed, the weaker the effect of the Gu Immortals' support would be.
"It seems I must first obtain the Wooden Chicken Gu before I can get Xue Songzi to act!" Hei Loulan let out a cold laugh, then immediately issued orders to gather everyone.
The Wooden Chicken Gu was located on the thirty-ninth floor of the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
For months, Hei Loulan had focused his efforts on this floor. With Xue Songzi's assistance, his progress had been quite smooth, successfully advancing to the final trial.
The Wooden Chicken Immortal Gu was the reward for this final trial.
This final trial was both exceedingly difficult and yet straightforward.
It primarily tested patience and grinding persistence.
Hei Loulan personally led his people through forty or fifty attempts, long since having grasped the situation. Each time he nibbled away a little more, and the cumulative effect over time was remarkable. Only the thinnest layer of paper separated him from final success.
"Perfect — before tackling the sixty-eighth floor, I'll clear this thirty-ninth floor to boost my side's morale." Having made up his mind, Hei Loulan immediately sprang into action.