The River of Time flowed ceaselessly onward.
Heavenly Court.
The great hall of assembly.
The Gu Immortals of Heavenly Court had gathered in force—very few were absent. This was the largest assembly Heavenly Court had seen in over a thousand years.
Duke Long sat upon the highest tier, surveying the entire hall. "The deliberations are settled—then let us act. Whether we can restore Heavenly Court's former glory depends entirely on the efforts of everyone present."
"We shall give everything we have!" the assembled immortals answered as one, their wills united.
Pertaining to the balance of power across the Five Regions and the overarching trends of the world, the long-awaited Central Continent Gu Refinement Conference had finally begun!
When the news spread, the world shook.
Thanks to Fang Yuan's widespread publicity, all the Gu Immortals understood the immense significance of this particular Gu Refinement Conference. The mortal Gu Masters, however, mostly had no idea—they assumed this Central Continent Gu Refinement Conference was no different from any previous one.
Gu Masters set out in droves, heading toward Central Continent.
Every Central Continent Gu Refinement Conference attracted Gu Masters from the other four regions, its scale spanning all Five Regions and growing to truly staggering proportions.
But this time, something was different from the very start.
Western Desert.
A large group of Gu Masters stood before the Boundary Wall.
A young man let out a cry of wonder. "Father, I never would have believed such a majestic sight could exist if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"This is the Boundary Wall. Once we cross it, we'll be in Central Continent," the middle-aged Gu Master beside him cautioned. "When you enter the Boundary Wall, your vision will be severely limited. Stick close to your father and don't wander off. Understood?"
"I understand, Father. I'll remember," the youth nodded obediently.
"Mm." Zhang Quan looked at his son, Zhang Ping, feeling a quiet warmth in his heart.
His son possessed remarkable talent in the Dao of Refinement. For the sake of his growth and development, Zhang Quan had undertaken this long and arduous journey, bringing his son to the Central Continent Gu Refinement Conference to broaden his horizons and hone his abilities.
"What's that sound?" The next moment, Zhang Quan looked up in confusion.
Then his pupils contracted sharply, his face contorting with abject horror.
A colossal meteor, vast as a small mountain, was hurtling down toward them.
The surrounding Gu Masters screamed in panic.
"How can this be?! We're finished!" In that instant, Zhang Quan was overwhelmed with regret. If he had traveled to Central Continent alone, his son Zhang Ping would not have died.
BOOM!
The meteor struck the earth in a cataclysmic explosion that shook heaven and ground.
Zhang Quan and the others were obliterated without a trace.
High above, an Ink People Gu Immortal glanced down coldly, then swiftly departed.
Similar scenes unfolded across all Five Regions.
These Gu Immortals were all subordinates of Fang Yuan, acting under his orders specifically to intercept those heading to the Central Continent Gu Refinement Conference.
Afterward, Fang Yuan issued a public declaration in Treasure Yellow Heaven: "Whoever attends this Gu Refinement Conference is my enemy. Sooner or later, I will come to settle accounts!"
The Gu Immortals of the Five Regions couldn't help but marvel—the Gu Refinement Conference had barely begun, and Fang Yuan had already made his move. He truly deserved his title as the Young Demon Lord. So brazen, so ruthless.
Heavenly Court was furious!
Because of Fang Yuan's subordinates' interceptions, the number of Gu Masters attending the conference was lower than in previous years, which was extremely detrimental to the restoration of Fate Gu.
Unlike his previous life, Fang Yuan had ordered his subordinates to operate only in the Northern Plains, Southern Border, Western Desert, and Eastern Sea—the four outer regions. In this way, the Gu Immortals of Central Continent and Heavenly Court could not conveniently travel to the other four regions to provide escort.
At this critical juncture, if Central Continent and Heavenly Court Gu Immortals ventured into the four outer regions, it would be poking at the sensitive nerves of the great powers there.
Heavenly Court had no choice but to denounce Fang Yuan's atrocities while contacting the Righteous Path forces of the four outer regions, hoping they would uphold the spirit of the Righteous Path and sanction such demonic behavior.
The Righteous Paths of the four regions all responded vocally, but very few followed through with concrete action—and those who did made far more noise than substance.
In his previous life, Fang Yuan had struck within Central Continent itself, which was why he had faced interception relatively quickly.
This time, Fang Yuan had acted preemptively and immediately reaped bountiful results.
The tide of Gu Masters flooding toward Central Continent was effectively stemmed.