— — — — — —
Fang Yuan stood tall, his expression calm yet full of schemes. Behind him, his new "temporary slave," Wang Xiao, followed nervously. Fang Yuan's mind churned with thoughts, formulating his next move.
"No matter how I look at it, following the plot is the safest bet to get what I want," he mused, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Still I have to make sure" Fang Yuan smiled remembering his little cheat.
A spark of excitement lit up in his eyes. "A.I. Chip! Simulate all probabilities and tell me the best way to maximize my gains from this situation."
[Beep! Mission established. Beginning simulation of all possible scenarios.]
[... ... Simulation complete.]
[... Importing data——]
The A.I. Chip's mechanical voice echoed in his mind, and in an instant, the results were presented.
"Two and a half Immortal Gu from here..." Fang Yuan muttered, his eyes gleaming. "I was overlooking that possibility. The A.I. Chip really doesn't miss a thing. Amazing."
"What's even more amazing is that without the A.I. Chip, I wouldn't stand a chance of refining later and would just be stuck following the plot. FANG YUAN really is amazing—choosing to become him was the smartest move ever. Absolutely genius."
"Before I make my next move, I need to get the details straight. Reading the book is one thing, but actually experiencing it is a whole different game."
Fang Yuan, deep in thought, gave another silent command to the A.I. Chip. "Transfer all the memories from this body's original owner—right now."
[Beep! Warning: 500 years of memories detected. Absorbing such a vast amount at once would harm the host, resulting in dangerous soul injuries or even death.]
[Does the host want the transfer process to continue.]
"This... of course not," Fang Yuan muttered, his brows furrowing in frustration. Then, as a calmness settled over his face, he gave another silent command. "Chip, just send the memories I need for the plan right now. Break it down into smaller chunks for now."
[Beep! Importing selective data.]
As the process began, Fang Yuan muttered to himself, "My soul's too weak right now. If it were stronger, absorbing this much info would be nothing. But no matter... soon, I'll have the means to strengthen it. Once that happens, problems like this will be a thing of the past."
His thoughts drifted to his ultimate cheat—the A.I. Chip. A smirk tugged at his lips. "I've got one of the best comprehension tools in history. A true cheat in this world. Add that to my knowledge of the plot... unstoppable doesn't even begin to describe me."
Fang Yuan wasn't naive about the dangers of this world. Betrayal, ambushes, and even random disasters could strike at any time. But with the A.I. Chip and his foresight, a quiet confidence burned within him. "Let them try. There's nothing and no one that can truly stop me."
— — —
"Time to begin the plan."
Fang Yuan took out the Beast Strength Placenta Gu. This Gu had the unique ability to devour others' apertures and was crucial for refining the legendary Second Aperture Gu. He handed it to Wang Xiao.
"Use this to devour Yun Luo Tian's aperture," Fang Yuan ordered, glancing at the corpse of the recently deceased.
Wang Xiao just followed the command, beginning the process. Suddenly, Fang Yuan spoke aloud. "Ba Gui Land Spirit, you want me to stop, don't you?"
From the shadows emerged a massive tortoise-like creature, its jade shell glinting under the light. Its elephant-like legs and dragon whiskers gave it an otherworldly presence.
The Land Spirit, Ba Gui, froze in surprise. "How do you know my name?! And how did you even sense my thoughts?"
Fang Yuan snorted. "Wang Xiao, seal your senses. You are not to hear anything said here until I allow it."
Fang Yuan then let the aura of the Spring Autumn Cicada seep out. "Feel this. Land Spirit, what do you think it is?"
The Land Spirit froze, speechless, overwhelmed by the aura. Wang Xiao, standing nearby, was just as stunned. Although he couldn't identify it as a mortal, he could feel the terrifying power.
"This... this is the aura of a Rank Six Immortal Gu!" The Land Spirit's voice trembled. "It seems… it seems to be the Spring Autumn Cicada… the seventh Mystical Gu in the world! How is it possible for a mere mortal like you to possess such a thing?"
Fang Yuan's expression didn't change. He got straight to the point. "Ba Gui, I won't waste time lying to you. I am from the future—a future Gu Immortal who used the Spring Autumn Cicada to return to the past. This Gu? It's my vital Gu."
The Land Spirit reeled, trying to process the shocking revelation. It had never encountered anything like this in all its years.
Fang Yuan's tone grew sharper, his arrogance clear. "I came back for one purpose: to rewrite everything. I know the inheritance here. I know the conditions to become your master—the successful refinement of the Second Aperture Gu."
He stepped closer. "I succeeded in refining the Second Aperture Gu in my previous life. That's why I am your rightful master."
With the memories he had just imported, Fang Yuan effortlessly answered all the Land Spirit's questions about the Gu and its refinement process. His confidence was unshakable, his explanations flawless.
"You really are my future master?" The Land Spirit's voice now carried a mix of disbelief and excitement. "Whether you're lying or not, I can't deny this—your knowledge has raised the chances of refining the Second Aperture Gu significantly!"
Fang Yuan nodded, his smirk unshaken. "Ba Gui, I'm not here to play games. The dangers are far greater than you imagine. If you don't follow my lead, the refinement will fail, just as it nearly did in my previous life. Back then, even after succeeding, enemies destroyed the Gu and killed me."
The Land Spirit hesitated but finally agreed. "Very well. I will assist you as much as I can."
"But," it added cautiously, "I cannot acknowledge you as my master until the Second Aperture Gu is successfully refined."
"That's fine," Fang Yuan said with a calm confidence. "Once the refinement is complete, everything else will fall into place."
He turned his attention back to Wang Xiao, who was still in a state of shock. With a flick of his hand, Fang Yuan signaled to release the restriction placed on him.
With a faint smile, he declared, "Now, my plan can officially begin."
.
.
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