Rumble, rumble, rumble.
Fang Yuan hovered high above the sky, gazing down at the landscape below.
The colossal mountain range was collapsing and crumbling. Five-colored streams of light churned as though boiling, surging forth with violent intensity.
Yet the different colored streams did not merge, nor did they interfere with one another. Each went its own way.
"Dismantling the Five-Colored Mountain Range properly is no simple matter. In my previous life, Wu Yong only succeeded thanks to the Qiao Family's years of accumulated research into this inheritance." Fang Yuan mused inwardly.
To draw out the True Inheritance of Tao Zhu, the entire Five-Colored Mountain Range had to be destroyed.
The commotion would be enormous. That was why Fang Yuan had held back all this time — only now did he strike without warning.
First, he had just won a sweeping victory, capturing all the Southern Border Immortals, so his strength had grown dramatically. Second, while the Southern Border Immortals were in disarray and the Heavenly Court's attention was diverted, he could act swiftly!
The tumultuous five-colored streams of light began to dissolve and disintegrate, shrinking at an inconceivable speed.
Fang Yuan nodded with satisfaction.
If one were to blindly alter the earth veins here, unless one was extraordinarily lucky — a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse — the five-colored light streams would persist under normal circumstances.
Only by truly understanding the configuration and employing the correct method could one alter the earth veins and cause the five-colored light to dissipate entirely.
Before long, the five-colored light completely vanished.
A powerful aura surged upward. A colossal pillar of five-colored light shot straight toward the heavens, and simultaneously, a grand voice resonated throughout the entire Five-World Mountain Range: "Younger generation, you've done well. To think you could pass my final trial and destroy the entire Five-World Mountain Range. Now, the Five-World Inheritance I have left behind is yours! Cultivate diligently, roam the world in the days to come, and do not tarnish my reputation!"
Within the pillar of five-colored light, a wisp of will coalesced like smoke and clouds, gradually taking the form of a living Gu Immortal.
This was the will left behind by Tao Zhu.
Fang Yuan smiled coldly and reached out his hand toward Tao Zhu's will from afar.
Tao Zhu's will froze immediately, feeling an invisible force lock around him in an unyielding grip.
Then, like a radish pulled from muddy soil, he was wrenched free from the colored pillar of light and flew through the air toward Fang Yuan, who caught him by the throat in one hand.
Tao Zhu's will flushed with humiliation and rage, glaring at Fang Yuan: "You Seventh Transformation brat, don't you dare humiliate me! I was an Eighth Transformation— ngh!"
Fang Yuan deliberately leaked a sliver of Eighth Transformation aura. The moment Tao Zhu's will sensed it, his expression shifted.
He chuckled, his attitude softening considerably, and spoke in a tone of equal standing: "So it's an immortal brother."
Secretly, he thought: "This young man is handsome and carries himself with poise, yet his conduct is shockingly overbearing. Clearly an Eighth Transformation, yet he disguised himself as a Seventh — that's hardly the behavior of the Righteous Path. He's no good person!"
Fang Yuan smiled faintly. "I am a demon of the present age, old man Tao Zhu. Your True Inheritance, I accept."
With that, he flicked his long sleeve, and a killer move that had long been primed was unleashed.
The earth shook. From within the pillar of five-colored light, a massive number of Gu Insects flew forth, including Immortal Gu, all streaming into Fang Yuan's Immortal aperture.
Then the pillar of five-colored light rapidly dissipated, drawing no further attention.
Tao Zhu's will stood there dumbstruck.
That Fang Yuan could use Wisdom Path methods to peer into his hidden thoughts was not surprising.
What shocked him was that without earning his approval, Fang Yuan had simply seized the entirety of the True Inheritance's content by force.
The safeguards his main body had set up were utterly useless!
"Who exactly are you?" Tao Zhu's will's attitude shifted once more, his gaze on Fang Yuan now tinged with wariness and probing curiosity.
Fang Yuan's single display had already surpassed the heights Tao Zhu had achieved in his lifetime. Not only had he completely seen through Tao Zhu's arrangements, but he had also countered them perfectly and broken through with ease.
Fang Yuan cast him a cold glance. Tao Zhu's will suddenly felt as though his entire being had been hollowed out — no, not hollowed out — rather, he had been completely and thoroughly laid bare. He had no secrets left.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly. "Old man Tao Zhu."
"I… I'm here." Tao Zhu's will instinctively sensed that beneath Fang Yuan's smile lurked a vast terror, and he no longer dared put on airs.
"This True Inheritance of yours is quite interesting. In the future, when I, Fang Yuan, roam the world and invade the Heavenly Court, it will be of great use. As a reward, I will allow you to select a new successor within my grotto-heaven. I will not destroy this wisp of your will, and I will replenish your expenditures as needed, allowing you to persist for all eternity." Fang Yuan said.
Tao Zhu's will was entirely in Fang Yuan's grasp, unable to move a single inch, like a wooden puppet. His heart was filled with bitterness.
His main body had spent years researching the mysteries of the Five-Region World Wall, finally achieving a breakthrough in the last period of his life — a result that shook the world!
But his main body's time had run out. He had no time to make a name for himself, and could only establish an inheritance for future generations.
It was a tremendous regret.
So, in those years, Tao Zhu's main body had used the Five-World Mountain Range as the foundation, setting up a True Inheritance with enormous commotion, carefully designing every trial and test, hoping to find a worthy disciple to carry on his legacy. When his disciple rose to fame, he too would become renowned across the Five Regions — a way to make up for the regret of old.
And what happened?
He ran into Fang Yuan.
Not only did Fang Yuan destroy the Five-World Mountain Range outright, he skipped every preceding trial, jumping straight to the final test. Then he seized Tao Zhu's will and forcibly extracted the True Inheritance's contents, showing not the slightest courtesy, looking down from above the entire time.
Tao Zhu's will was seething with frustration. This was nothing like the script his main body had written!
But what could he do about it?
He was nothing more than a wisp of will.
"Even if my main body were still alive, I suspect he wouldn't be this person's match."
"Just listening to what he said — he actually plans to invade the Heavenly Court. Without real power behind those words, no one would dare say such a thing."
At this thought, Tao Zhu's will sighed and addressed Fang Yuan: "Fine, fine. Such is the time, such is fate."
"I don't care whether you're a good person or a bad person. The True Inheritance falling into your hands may well bring storms of blood and suffering to all living beings — but it will surely make a name across the Five Regions, won't it? That is also what my main body wished for. All I ask is that in the future, you do not erase my main body's achievements. Then what harm is there in giving you the True Inheritance?"
"Hahaha." Fang Yuan threw his head back and laughed three times.
His laughter was piercing, his black hair whipping in the wind, divine light shooting from his eyes, the winds and clouds surging around him.
When he finished laughing, he regarded Tao Zhu's will with a serious expression. "Rest easy. Would I covet a dead man's reputation? If I lacked even that much magnanimity, how could I ever hope to surpass the Heavenly Court, surpass the Venerables of ages past, and pursue that most ethereal and supreme of goals — eternal life?"
Tao Zhu's will's eyes widened once more, thinking: "What? This man's ambition is sky-high! He wants to defeat the Heavenly Court and surpass the Venerables? Is he mad or a fool? Damn it, he can see my thoughts too!"
Fang Yuan laughed three more times. "Without such grand ambitions, what's the point of living? Failing doesn't matter — I can always start over. And even if I ultimately fall short, so what?"
Tao Zhu's will's expression froze, and he stared blankly at Fang Yuan.
He watched Fang Yuan take a breath and gaze into the distance. His eyes were black and fathomless, yet within that deepest darkness, Tao Zhu's will seemed to see brilliant fireworks blooming!
In an instant, a flood of memories surged through his mind.
The doubts and contempt of countless people…
"Researching the Five-Region World Wall? What's there to research?"
"Truly delusional. This is a problem that has persisted since time immemorial. What merit does Tao Zhu have to solve it?"
"Just a Sixth Transformation minor immortal, and an unaffiliated cultivator at that — utterly ordinary."
The suppression of the Southern Border Righteous Path…
"Tao Zhu! Stop your research." The person who warned him was powerful, his features cold as ice.
"Why? I haven't offended you!" Tao Zhu retorted indignantly.
"Don't you understand?" The Southern Border Righteous Path Gu Immortal gazed at him deeply, his tone equally cold as ice. "What is the true significance of the Five-Region World Wall?"
"Today, the Central Continent stands supreme, while the other four regions are all weak. If your research truly bears fruit, it will inevitably plunge the world into chaos — a five-way struggle among the regions, a catastrophe of unimaginable scale."
"Out of consideration for the billions of living beings in the world, we will confiscate all of your research findings."
"No —!"
Boom.
"Overambitious fool. If not for the sake of that person, you wouldn't be drawing breath." The Southern Border Righteous Path Gu Immortal cast him a cold glance and departed.
The farewell of his beloved…
"Tao Zhu, we're not suited for each other. Everything ends here."
Tao Zhu was anguished beyond words. "Yes… I am merely an unaffiliated immortal, while you are the beloved daughter of the Grand Elder of the Yao Family!"
"No, it's not about that! Don't you understand, Tao Zhu? It's because of you! You spend day and night poring over your Five-World theories. How much time have you actually spent with me? Look into your own heart — did you ever truly hold me in it? You love your research more than you love me!" The female immortal before him broke into tears.
Tao Zhu was struck speechless.
The female immortal wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and looked at Tao Zhu through tear-blurred eyes. "One last time, Tao Lang. I'll ask you one last time — do you choose me, or do you choose your research?"
Tao Zhu lowered his head, his expression caught between hesitation and confusion.
The female immortal stepped closer. "Stay with me. Marry into the Yao Family. We'll live together, have children of our own. Forget these Five-World theories. You'll never lack resources for cultivation — with my father here, you need not fear any calamity. Tao Lang…"
Her earnest calling made Tao Zhu's heartstrings tremble.
Tao Zhu looked at the female immortal.
Her hopeful gaze bore down on him with an invisible force, and he involuntarily took a step back.