Fang Yuan swam hard toward a cluster of emerald light.
This ball of green light proved far harder to approach than the red one before it.
It drifted slowly, constantly changing direction. Fang Yuan chased after it for a while before finally catching up and snatching it in his grip.
It was the size of a large bowl, just like the red light. Fang Yuan carefully sent his mind into it.
An indescribable tremor radiated from the emerald light, spreading through Fang Yuan's body.
"Be careful—that belongs to Old Immortal Kongjue!" Within his mind, Mo Yao's will suddenly recognized the object and issued a warning.
"Don't worry—it won't get away!" Fang Yuan's tone was firm as he clenched both hands, gripping the light sphere tightly.
"Idiot, that's not what I meant. Let go quickly—" By the time Mo Yao spoke, it was already too late.
A mysterious vibration pulsed out from the emerald light, reaching all the way to Fang Yuan's Empty Orifice.
Fang Yuan's Empty Orifice began to shake violently!
Ninety percent of his True Essence sea churned into towering waves.
*Crash, crash, crash...*
Immense waves slammed against the orifice walls on all sides. The translucent crystal membrane of the Fifth Transformation Peak Stage began developing hairline cracks under the onslaught.
Fang Yuan was shocked!
This test hidden within the True Inheritance was remarkably ingenious and impossible to guard against—it struck directly at the Gu Master's orifice walls.
"Boy, use a Gu Insect to sever your own arms! Only by cutting off a hand to save your life is there a sliver of hope!" Mo Yao's will shouted inside Fang Yuan's mind.
"Sever my arms?" Fang Yuan's expression darkened, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He had tried to loosen his grip, but the emerald light emanated an incredibly powerful suction, locking his hands in place.
Fang Yuan couldn't break free, and the tremor in his Empty Orifice grew more intense with each passing moment.
*I've got it!* In his desperation, inspiration struck. Fang Yuan channeled the True Essence from his second Empty Orifice into his first.
The vibration propagated through the True Essence, spreading into the second Empty Orifice.
The second Empty Orifice began to shake as well, but by sharing the burden between them, the crisis in the first Empty Orifice was greatly relieved.
Mo Yao let out a soft exclamation.
The emerald light gradually stilled. The vibration ceased, as though it acknowledged that Fang Yuan had passed the test.
"What's going on here—you actually have two Empty Orifices?" Mo Yao cried out.
Two Empty Orifices bearing the test together. Though both crystal walls bore cracks, neither had shattered.
"You really have been hiding things deep, boy. Two Empty Orifices! The second Empty Orifice... I never expected the long-circulated rumor to be confirmed in you." Mo Yao's tone was thick with emotion.
Fang Yuan had no desire to discuss the matter and instead asked, "You mentioned Old Immortal Kongjue earlier. Could that be the great Refinement Path grandmaster of antiquity?"
"Precisely. That's him. A Refinement Path grandmaster... throughout the entire history of humanity, past and present, only three have ever emerged. Later generations called them the 'Three Elders.' They are: the grandmaster of the Primordial Era, Old Freak Tiannan; the grandmaster of the Ancient Era, Old Immortal Kongjue; and the grandmaster of the Middle Era, Ancestor Changmao."
Mo Yao continued, rattling off the details like a seasoned storyteller. "Among them, Old Freak Tiannan had a peculiar temperament and perished in ruin when he attempted to refine the sky itself. Old Immortal Kongjue studied the Empty Orifice more deeply than anyone, authoring the *Strategies of Immortal Orifices*. He also assisted the Ten Extreme Physiques in ascending to immortality—before him, no Ten Extreme Physique had ever succeeded in such an ascension. As for Ancestor Changmao, he possessed the longest lifespan and refined the most Immortal Gu. The Eighty-Eight True Yang Building was his creation. There are even rumors that he could refine Lifespan Gu, which provoked Ancestor Giant Sun to attack the Langya Blessed Land—though the matter ultimately came to nothing."
Mo Yao revealed many closely guarded secrets.
The Three Elders, three Refinement Path grandmasters—each one a legend.
They were the three summits standing atop the Refinement Path in human history, their brilliance and grandeur impossible to overshadow even by Ninth Transformation Venerables.
"This inheritance of Old Immortal Kongjue tests the Empty Orifices of those fated to receive it. Since you have two Empty Orifices, you've managed to pass through by a clever trick. Take a look—this inheritance is quite impressive and will be of great help to you in the future." Mo Yao continued.
Fang Yuan sent his mind probing inward once more.
This inheritance was called the Secret Essentials of Ascending to Immortality. It documented Old Immortal Kongjue's summary of the difficulties various schools of Gu Masters might encounter during their ascension to immortality, along with methods of应对 and the critical keys to a successful ascension.
Fang Yuan considered inwardly: *Though this is neither a Gu recipe nor an Immortal Gu, it possesses extremely high theoretical and guiding value. A Gu Master who obtains it would not only benefit greatly themselves but also gain a deeper understanding of all the various Paths—an absolute treasure.*
"This Secret Essentials of Ascending to Immortality is ancient, and some of it may no longer align with the trends of the current era. After all, with so many years of development, countless schools of thought have flourished—far more diverse than the monolithic landscape of antiquity. What I want to point out is that the true essence of this inheritance isn't the Secret Essentials themselves, but rather the annotations left by Venerable Giant Sun when he reviewed it. These annotations are written from a commanding height and provide a comprehensive framework—saying they are worth a thousand gold coins per word would be no exaggeration." Mo Yao dropped yet another bombshell.
Old Immortal Kongjue was a Refinement Path grandmaster on par with Ancestor Changmao.
His exploration, combined with the personal annotations of a Venerable—its value was astronomical.
Any Gu Immortal who read this would greatly increase their chances of ascending. Moreover, through the eyes of a Venerable, one could glimpse the developments that lay far ahead, providing tremendous guidance for the future path of a Gu Immortal and helping one avoid countless detours.
The allure of this True Inheritance was staggering. For a genius like Fang Yuan—someone who craved further advancement and refused to remain content with the mundane mortal world—it was especially tempting.
But Fang Yuan still chose to reject it.
He had the experience of his previous life. He would simply walk the Blood Path once more.
He had come to this True Inheritance space with a different purpose.
And so Fang Yuan released his grip, letting the emerald light sphere drift away from him, flying off into the distance at a speed just slightly faster than the red sphere had.
"You're really choosing to give this up? Don't come to regret it later." Within his mind, Mo Yao sighed.
"Regret?" Fang Yuan chuckled softly. "That word hasn't existed in my life for a very long time." He let out a few quiet laughs and continued his search.