Some time had already passed within the blessed land. Mo Yao's will, under Fang Yuan's arrangements, had recovered its vitality and could once again be searched.
Fang Yuan showed not a shred of mercy as he plundered Mo Yao's will once more.
This time, he obtained a considerable number of Gu Refining techniques that Mo Yao had mastered, and even a Refinement Path killer move.
Among the memories held by Mo Yao's false will, the vast majority concerned Gu Refining.
In this regard, Mo Yao was a Grandmaster of the Refinement Path, while Fang Yuan was merely a Quasi-Grandmaster. Moreover, Mo Yao had been a Fairy of Spirit Affinity Hall in one of her past lives, and the Refinement Path techniques she possessed truly broadened Fang Yuan's horizons.
After studying them, Fang Yuan felt immensely benefited.
An ordinary master teaching an apprentice might hold something back, keeping trump cards or killing techniques to themselves. As the saying goes, "Teach the apprentice and the master starves."
Mo Yao's will had now become Fang Yuan's "master" — the kind who held nothing back and gave everything without reservation.
Fang Yuan reaped great rewards, simultaneously learning various unfamiliar Gu Refining techniques from Mo Yao's false will while reviewing what he already knew.
He planned to distinguish himself in the Gu Refining Tournament, using his full strength to claim the highest ranking possible.
This was because it concerned the Invincible Inheritance.
Based on the current situation, Fang Yuan estimated that he would be relatively safe during the Gu Refining Tournament. But if too much time passed, that was another matter entirely.
The collapse of the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building was a matter of tremendous gravity. Fang Yuan was alone and without allies; at best he could only delay things. To conceal the truth under the heavy investigation of both the Northern Plains and Central Continent was simply impossible.
If the Great War of the Five Regions were to break out soon after, with the five regions too preoccupied to mind him, Fang Yuan might have been able to slip through the chaos.
But unfortunately, the Great War of the Five Regions was still centuries away.
Central Continent remained under the control of the Ten Great Ancient Sects, with no great upheaval. The overall situation in the Northern Plains, after the battles between Old Ancestor Xue Hu, Medicine Emperor, and Lord Centipede, had also trended toward stability.
"Someday, the secret of how I toppled the True Yang Building will be discovered. When that day comes, both Central Continent and the Northern Plains will issue wanted notices for me, and the other three regions will hunt me down because of Ju Yang's True Inheritance. The Fox Immortal's Blessed Land will no longer be a sanctuary — I expect it would face a direct assault the very first moment. So, during this period before the truth is inevitably revealed, this is my last chance to grow stronger."
Fang Yuan had a clear assessment of his own situation.
Once the truth was exposed, Fang Yuan would be forced into a life of constant flight.
Therefore, he had to increase his strength as much as possible, seize every opportunity, and even create opportunities where none existed.
Right now, the Central Continent Gu Refining Tournament was precisely such a massive opportunity.
This was only the second round of Gu Refining competition. In the middle and later stages, the first-place rewards for each round would be Immortal Essence Stones, immortal materials, Immortal Gu Recipes, and Immortal Path killer moves.
And in the final grand competition, if he placed high enough, he would be eligible to receive the blessing of the Invincible Inheritance.
Therefore, even if it meant drawing attention and being more conspicuous, Fang Yuan could no longer afford to care.
Moreover, news of his wager with Feng Jinhuang had long since spread. The higher-ups of the ten great ancient sects of the Central Continent were almost all aware of it. Even if Fang Yuan wanted to keep a low profile, he couldn't.
One day, when the truth about how he had toppled True Yang Building came to light, his name would resound across the Five Regions. The most conspicuous he could possibly be!
When that time came, it would be an incredibly arduous trial.
The entire world would be his enemy. Countless Gu Immortals would hunt him down. In their eyes, Fang Yuan must have reaped countless benefits from Ju Yang's True Inheritance.
"I must use this final window of opportunity to amass large quantities of Immortal Essence Stones and immortal materials, push my combat power to its limits, and most crucially — break free of this zombie body and regain a new lease on life!"
A Refinement Zombie could not produce its own immortal essence, which was a tremendous burden during ordinary cultivation. Look at the majority of zombies in the Zombie Alliance — they had to avoid any and all battles, moving with extreme caution.
If Fang Yuan were still a zombie during a life of being hunted and fleeing, the pressure would be unbearable. It could very well become the primary factor leading to his downfall.
And so, in the days that followed, Fang Yuan participated in the Gu Refinement Convention on one hand, diligently practicing his refinement techniques, while on the other he actively devoted himself to deductions — consuming large quantities of Star Thought Gu to calculate and improve the Immortal Gu move "Familiar Face."
This Gu move was the most pressing priority and the best means of improving his situation. All other matters paled in comparison and were set aside by Fang Yuan at that time.
The third contest, the fourth contest, and the fifth contest — Fang Yuan passed through them all in succession.
His strength was outstanding. A quasi-Grandmaster level of Refinement Path attainment was rare even among Gu Immortals. Across five contests, he claimed first place five times running. His momentum was fierce, and his reputation was formidable.
Fang Yuan's name had begun to spread far and wide. Those who had heard it knew that he was a Demonic Path Gu cultivator who excelled at Gu refinement, employing techniques that were diverse, intricate, and backed by a remarkably deep foundation.
The day before the sixth contest, Fang Yuan's deductions on the "Familiar Face" Immortal Gu move finally yielded results for the first phase.