Fang Yuan revealed a relaxed expression as he processed the materials with astonishing efficiency, to the point that the land spirit was rendered speechless. Every movement he made was steady and instinctive, as though he had performed this refinement countless times before.
"Perhaps Second Aperture Gu will finally see the light of day…" Bai Gu suddenly felt a strange sensation. Fang Yuan looked as though he could refine Second Aperture Gu with absurd ease, as if he were merely refining a mortal Gu rather than an Immortal Gu.
Blood qi and desolate blood powder mixed together beneath the power of the formation, forming a delicate balance. At that moment, Fang Yuan blended the rotten soil into a sphere of crimson light.
The rotten soil fused seamlessly with the blood qi and desolate blood powder. Fang Yuan did not even need a second attempt at this step.
He immediately moved on to the second stage, taking out icy stalks alongside Star Plains Gu and other mortal materials.
"This step is slightly difficult. I'll need absolute concentration to process all these materials at once."
Fang Yuan ordered the land spirit to activate the formation at full power. Instantly, the number of thoughts in his mind surged, allowing him to borrow the formation's strength to process the materials.
For three days and three nights straight, Fang Yuan continuously processed materials and refined the Gu until he reached the final step. Grinding his teeth, he activated a killer move he had specifically created for the last phase.
Phantom beasts flew out and instantly became solid before crashing into the sphere of light.
The black serpent phantom struck the white sphere and coiled around it. The white elephant phantom charged forward, smashing the sphere with its trunk while stabbing it with its tusks. The galloping horse phantom let out a piercing neigh before kicking the sphere with immense force and taking position. Then came the stone crocodile phantom, which bit down upon the sphere with its massive jaws.
Under the force of the four beasts, the white sphere transformed into a cloud and gradually shrank until it revealed the incomplete Immortal Gu within.
Fang Yuan let out a breath of air as the beast phantoms returned to him. Most of the Dao marks upon them had been shaved away, rendering them unusable for some time. Yet Fang Yuan revealed a satisfied expression as he looked at Beast Placenta Gu.
Beast Placenta Gu resembled a smooth disc, like an embryo made from silk or soft asphalt. It gave off a cold sensation, though not a sinister chill — rather, something calm and temperate. Upon the surface of the disc were engraved the images of a galloping horse, a stone crocodile, a white elephant, and a black serpent.
"This Beast Placenta Gu can endure indefinitely… the difference from my previous life is truly enormous…"
Fang Yuan exhaled a turbid breath while inspecting Beast Placenta Gu, confirming that the incomplete Immortal Gu had already reached a state close to perfection.
"Ah! Young man, you are truly incredible! The formation you created possesses unimaginable power, yet it did not consume a single drop of immortal essence throughout the entire refinement process — only a few traces of primeval essence! More than that, it is so powerful that even a peak rank five Gu Master would be unable to break it! You are truly capable and astonishing!"
Land spirit Bai Gu nearly burst into tears of joy after finally finding a worthy successor capable of fulfilling her obsession.
This caused Fang Yuan to ponder the secret behind heavenly spirits and land spirits. Even with his attainment in Heaven Path, he still found it difficult to completely grasp their mysteries, though he could vaguely perceive a portion of the truth.
"The Heavenly Dao is fair and balanced. It neither hates nor favors anyone. It has existed since the beginning of time to govern this world… every drop of water flows with the current, every river branches endlessly, yet all pursue the same destination. When a Gu Master ascends to immortality, they are granted a chance to experience natural inspiration and directly question the Heavenly Dao. This can be considered a form of reward bestowed by the Heavenly Dao upon Immortal Gu Masters."
But the Heavenly Dao removed excess and compensated deficiency, upholding the fairness of heaven.
Thus, Immortal Gu Masters who experienced a qualitative transformation in the essence of their lives would face calamities and tribulations. And when one died while harboring an obsession, that obsession would manifest as a heavenly spirit or a land spirit.
The formation of a land spirit or heavenly spirit from the obsession of an Immortal Gu Master could be regarded as a form of second life.
A sudden realization struck Fang Yuan, inspiration flashing through his mind for an instant.
"Heavenly spirits and land spirits are formed from the obsessions of Immortal Gu Masters, and they acknowledge no master unless someone fulfills their conditions… in that sense, this is another form of the Heavenly Dao's balance and fairness. When an Immortal Gu Master dies with lingering regret, that regret becomes a land spirit. If someone later discovers the blessed land, they may be able to fulfill the obsession of that Immortal Gu Master or erase their regret, granting them a chance to achieve their goal even after death… Heaven's fairness is cruel and merciless, but it is still fairness."
Fang Yuan felt that this was the truth.
And this was no ordinary intuition. With his attainment in Heaven Path, he could verify this theory if he researched further.
"Unfortunately, I currently lack both the time and the resources required to confirm it."
Fang Yuan felt a trace of regret. Perhaps if he studied the matter more deeply, he might even be able to produce a land spirit or heavenly spirit within an immortal aperture while the Immortal Gu Master was still alive.
"Young man, now that you have refined the Immortal Gu, you should gather apertures. The more apertures you collect, the greater the benefit of the Second Aperture Gu. Look at this map — where do you want me to send you?"
Fang Yuan looked toward the map, where the locations of Gu Masters, the inheritance grounds of the Three Kings, hairy men, snowmen, and the dogs had all been displayed.
But Fang Yuan shook his head.
"Bai Gu, the blessed land possesses very little immortal essence. We should not waste it recklessly. Fortunately, the formation I created contains a transportation method. It links together the entire blessed land, meaning we won't need to expend immortal essence at all."
"This…"
The giant turtle revealed a hesitant expression, but Fang Yuan urged her onward, leaving her no choice but to obey.
In the very next moment, Fang Yuan appeared before Tie Mu Bai.
Tie Mu Bai was startled, but Fang Yuan merely pointed toward him.
A phantom Thunder Boar appeared and tore Tie Mu Bai into bloody fragments.
Just like that, he died.