— — — — — —
"From now on, my name is Fang Yuan," he declared firmly, sealing the fate of his old identity. 'Joey' was history, a name he'd never speak of again.
Fang Yuan turned his gaze to Wang Xiao, studying him intently.
Wang Xiao—a Poison Path Rank 5 Upper Stage Gu Master from the Southern Border. A demonic cultivator, infamous for his cunning and ruthlessness.
More importantly, Wang Xiao was the only person who knew the secret path to Wu Mountain, a place shrouded in thick fog, a maze of countless small paths, but only one led to the heart of the mountain.
That secret true path made Wang Xiao the sole master of the mountain's resources. In a way, Wu Mountain was practically under his control.
Fang Yuan already knew all of this. After all, he'd read Reverend Insanity. He also knew one critical detail: Wang Xiao would never willingly reveal the path. Threats, bribes, begging—it wouldn't matter.
But none of that concerned Fang Yuan anymore. Wu Mountain wasn't part of his plans.
"I'll just kill him," he decided, his voice as cold as steel. His eyes narrowed, and his foot rose, poised to strike.
And yet… he stopped.
"Damn it," Fang Yuan muttered, his hand trembling. "Why can't I do it?"
Frustration bubbled inside him. Killing Wang Xiao was the logical choice—The right choice.
But logic didn't erase the fact that just hours ago, he'd been an ordinary modern man. Someone who had barely seen blood, let alone taken a life. That old life clung to him, dragging down his resolve.
His thoughts spiraled: Why is this so hard? I've already decided to become Fang Yuan. So why am I hesitating now?
His body stiffened, his gaze fixed on Wang Xiao, who was still groveling on the ground, completely oblivious to Fang Yuan's internal struggle.
"…"
"I-I have a Poison Vow Gu! I can make any agreement you want. Just let me live, please!" Wang Xiao stammered, desperation dripping from his voice. He didn't care about wealth or power anymore—he just wanted to survive.
Fang Yuan's eyes gleamed. "Wait. Maybe sparing him could be useful… at least until I deal with this psychological block."
"Fine," Fang Yuan said finally, his tone icy. "Maybe keeping you alive is better. But you'll agree to all my conditions. No questions asked."
"Yes! Yes, that's better!" Wang Xiao said quickly, his face lighting up with hope.
"Summon your Poison Vow Gu," Fang Yuan ordered.
Wang Xiao hesitated, but one glance at Fang Yuan's unyielding expression was enough to spur him into action.
A strange, pulsating Gu worm appeared in his palm. Poison Vow Gu—a Rank 3 consumable Gu. Purple-red, finger-sized, with a mouth that practically screamed danger.
"The agreement will be as follows…" Fang Yuan's tone was steady, commanding, as he laid out his terms. Despite the firm conditions, he sprinkled in unexpected concessions, ones that made Wang Xiao extremely confused.
"That sounds… fair. Toofair," Wang Xiao muttered suspiciously. "What's the catch?"
Fang Yuan smirked. "Do it now, or I'll kill you where you kneel."
That shut Wang Xiao up. "I'll do it," he said hurriedly, grabbing the Poison Vow Gu.
The Gu flew to his left index finger, biting down hard. Pain seared through his nerves, but he endured it, his voice shaking as he began.
"I, Wang Xiao, swear by the Poison Vow Gu to follow all of your orders without question until we leave the Three Kings Inheritance."
The Gu absorbed his heart blood, swelling in size before flying toward Fang Yuan. It latched onto his finger, drawing blood as he spoke his part of the agreement.
"In return," Fang Yuan said smoothly, "I, Fang Yuan, agree not to kill Wang Xiao, seize his Wu Mountain, force him to commit suicide, send him on suicide missions, or take any of his Gu worms without fair trade."
"After we leave the Three Kings Inheritance, both sides will be free from the agreement."
His eyes darkened. "However, any refusal or betrayal will nullify this agreement, and the Poison Vow Gu will activate immediately. The result? You'll explode into a puddle of blood."
The Gu, now swollen with blood, quivered ominously before bursting into countless crimson specks. They rained down on both men, merging into their bodies.
The agreement had taken effect.
Fang Yuan smirked, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "Perfect. Now I've got a loyal dog to do the dirty work I can't stomach right now."
"Now it's time to take my first step toward greatness."
Wang Xiao shivered. Whether it was the strange contract that bound him or the terrifying man he now had to obey, he wasn't sure what scared him more.
— — —
Fang Yuan began focusing on his next steps. He was now in the Three Kings Inheritance, a legendary site containing three Rank Five inheritances.
The inheritance was marked by three glowing pillars:
The Yellow Light Pillar: Representing the King Quan Inheritance, an Enslavement Path.
The Blue Light Pillar: Representing the King Xin Inheritance, focused on the Refinement Path.
The Red Light Pillar: Representing the King Bao Inheritance, a Fire Path.
Each pillar had its unique charm. The red pillar burned like fire, the yellow pillar shone bright and dazzling, while the blue pillar radiated a mysterious, almost demonic aura.
The Three Kings had been fortunate in their lifetimes to discover this ancient inheritance ground, originally created by a mysterious Rank Six Gu Immortal.
While they gained tremendous benefits, they were unable to obtain the true inheritance within. Instead, they left behind their mortal inheritances, along with a challenge: the true inheritance would belong to the fated.
This true inheritance was none other than the recipe for the legendary Second Aperture Immortal Gu and even most of the Gu materials needed.
The Second Aperture Gu was a Heaven Path Gu, allowing Gu Masters to cultivate two apertures simultaneously. It was an expendable Gu, disappearing after use but leaving behind a second aperture within the user's body.
The second aperture started at Rank One Initial Stage, similar to a newborn Gu Master's aperture. It needed to be cultivated independently, just like the first aperture. The two apertures were separate entities, but they could complement each other through shared primeval essence.
For example:
A first aperture with 90% primeval essence and a second aperture with 90% would effectively give the Gu Master a combined 180% primeval essence capacity.This doubled capacity meant faster natural recovery of primeval essence, a critical advantage in battle and cultivation.
— — —
However, there were also limitations:
The second aperture's aptitude couldn't exceed that of the first. If the first aperture was Grade A (90%), the second aperture would also max out at Grade A (90%).
The total aptitude couldn't surpass what the Beast Strength Placenta Gu (used to refine the Second Aperture Gu) allowed. For instance, if the Placenta Gu had a limit of 50%, the second aperture would cap at 50%, even if the first aperture was higher.
The mortal second aperture couldn't be used for ascension to immortality. This limitation could only be removed with the Immortal Second Aperture Gu, an evolved version of the mortal one.
Despite its limitations, the Second Aperture Gu was legendary for good reason. The ability to cultivate two apertures gave any Gu Master an edge that was nearly impossible to overcome in a fair fight.
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