As it turned out, at the Taiqiu battlefield, ever since Fang Yuan and the others had departed, Dongfang Changfan had gradually gained control over the internal strife, turning the tide of battle in his favor.
He was a shrewd and calculating strategist. Shortly after Fang Yuan's departure, he had immediately grasped the situation. He instantly deduced that those three mysterious black-robed Gu Immortals had likely gone to attack his old base.
However, he had long since made preparations within the Azure Pool Blessed Land and was not worried. In fact, he welcomed this development — the Demonic Path Gu Immortals splitting their forces meant he could deal with the Free Scholar at his leisure.
But soon, he discovered with utter horror that he had lost all contact with the Straw Hut!
This shock was no small matter.
The Straw Hut was the Dongfang tribe's foremost treasure, and Dongfang Changfan had personally set it up with meticulous care. Even an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal could hold out for a moment within it. How could it have silently vanished from his awareness?
Dongfang Changfan immediately changed his strategy. He abandoned the Taiqiu battlefield and rushed back toward his base to provide aid.
The Free Scholar saw Dongfang Changfan flee and naturally gave chase without hesitation.
Dongfang Changfan had one final critical step that he had not shared with Elder Canyang. The latter followed Dongfang Changfan as well, fighting and retreating as they went.
Both sides clashed in the sky while flying, the battlefield shifting rapidly. After considerable time had been wasted, they finally arrived at the Azure Pool Blessed Land.
The Straw Hut had already vanished without a trace. The Azure Pool Blessed Land had also been damaged, a gaping hole torn through it.
Seeing the Demonic Path Gu Immortals ransacking the resources within without restraint, Dongfang Changfan's fury erupted. He then noticed the Slave Path Gu Immortal Qie Shimin using unique methods to capture Dongfang tribe Gu Masters en masse.
Dongfang Changfan was so enraged that countless star thoughts burst from the crown of his head, knocking his ceremonial cap clean off.
This was a true case of fury making one's hair stand on end.
"Demonic scum! Your sins are unforgivable!" Dongfang Changfan pointed a finger, disregarding the immense drain on his Immortal Essence. He unleashed his trump card killer move once more — Myriad Stars Flying Fireflies.
Hei Loulan and the others were still attacking the Yanran Sea when they saw countless stars rain down from above, drifting like snowflakes in a brilliant, dazzling display of starlight — a breathtaking sight.
Yet this beautiful scene only heightened everyone's vigilance. They immediately halted their actions, changed their offensive, and soared into the sky together to attack Dongfang Changfan.
The situation now was vastly different from Taiqiu.
At the Taiqiu battlefield, the Demonic Path Gu Immortals had been fiercely competing with one another over a Wisdom Path inheritance. To make matters worse, Dongfang Changfan had possessed a body, and the Wisdom Path inheritance was still inside his mind — the chances of successfully seizing it were slim.
But now, across the vast Azure Pool Blessed Land, countless resources lay open like arms beckoning them to take freely.
With such great profit before their eyes, as long as they killed Dongfang Changfan, they could continue plundering. The Demonic Path Gu Immortals cast aside their earlier infighting and joined forces, spirits high, with a palpable sense of unified purpose.
The Demonic Path Gu Immortals attacked together, and Dongfang Changfan's expression turned grim as he felt the overwhelming pressure. He struggled to defend on all fronts, immediately falling to the disadvantage.
"Kill him, and the entire Azure Pool Blessed Land will be ours!" Banyue Barbarian Master shouted.
"Forget the Azure Pool Blessed Land — there's also that old thief Dongfang's Wisdom Path inheritance! It's the number one Wisdom Path inheritance in the Northern Plains right now!" Peacock Flying Immortal He Ruo's eyes gleamed.
"I'd give up the Wisdom Path inheritance — all I want is his body-snatching technique!" Pi Shuihan said coldly, his hands never stopping, his attacks crashing forward like tidal waves.
After being forced back repeatedly, Dongfang Changfan finally stabilized his position with Elder Canyang's help.
Being pressed so hard, the fury in his heart had accumulated to its peak. Seizing a brief moment to breathe, he threw his head back and laughed with wild rage: "I will make every last one of you die here!"
The moment his words fell, the entire Azure Pool Blessed Land began to tremble violently.
The heavens shook and the earth heaved!
The Demonic Path Gu Immortals were horrified to discover that every single one of their Mortal Path killer moves had lost all effectiveness.
Dongfang Changfan had served as the Dongfang tribe's Grand Supreme Elder for countless years and held considerable authority over the Azure Pool Blessed Land. Although the blessed land was a public one and he could not control all of it, the power he wielded was more than enough to make the Azure Pool Blessed Land reject these Demonic Path Gu Immortals.
The Azure Pool Blessed Land was the Dongfang tribe's headquarters. Fighting here, Dongfang Changfan naturally held the advantage of terrain.
Before, it had simply been a case of the owner being away while robbers invaded.
The Demonic Path Gu Immortals' attacks weakened instantly. Rather than pressing his advantage, Dongfang Changfan seized the opening and dove downward.
He plunged directly into the Yanran Sea restricted zone. The illusion had been shattered, and the once-beautiful flower sea and peach orchards lay in utter ruins. The Peach Wolf pack had been slaughtered down to just two or three survivors, and several wolf corpses that hadn't been collected yet lay beneath the peach trees — a miserable sight.
Seeing this, Dongfang Changfan's heart bled with pain. This was the accumulation of so many years of painstaking effort!
Suppressing his anguish, he called out to the depths below: "Brother Fang, I have protected your clan for centuries. We formed a covenant to watch over each other, without a single day of betrayal or oppression. Now my clan faces the moment of life and death — I need your help."
Dongfang Changfan's voice echoed through the sky.
After several breaths, a thin, sharp voice similarly rang out across heaven and earth in response: "As it should be."
As the words sounded, everyone saw a streak of emerald light shoot upward like lightning from the Yanran flower sea, landing in Dongfang Yuliang's hand.
The emerald glow faded, revealing a miniature mountain peak.
It was Fangcun Mountain!
"So this is Fangcun Mountain!" The eyes of all the demonic cultivators turned greedy on the spot.
Pi Shuihan and Hei Loulan, however, looked somewhat somber.
Judging by the exchange between Dongfang Changfan and the Small Person Gu Immortal, it turned out that Fangcun Mountain did not belong to the Dongfang tribe at all — the Small Person Clan and the Dongfang tribe had formed an agreement, becoming allies.