Chapter 277: Moving Eastern Sea

The Ni Clan had an illustrious past. Its ancestor, Ni Xiang, had been a Rank Eight Gu Immortal and one of the famous Five Xiangs, alongside Xue Xiang, Qi Xiang, Chi Xiang, and Bai Xiang.

The Five Xiangs had once stood among the strongest Gu Immortals of their era. More importantly, they had discovered a true inheritance left by Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable, containing Heavenly Form, a Rank Nine killer move capable of sustaining itself indefinitely.

At the time, the relationship between the Five Xiangs was still close, and none of them wished to fight the others to the death over the inheritance. Instead, they established an agreement involving their descendants. Their five bloodlines would compete generation after generation, with the victor obtaining the right to control Heavenly Form.

As descendants of Ni Xiang, the Ni Clan carried one of these five bloodlines. Through their blood, he might be able to find the Rank Eight grotto-heaven left behind by Ni Xiang. If Ni Xiang’s Dream Realm still existed within it, Lin Yan could obtain the experiences and Earth Path true meaning accumulated by a Rank Eight great expert.

However, that could wait. What interested Lin Yan more at present was another inheritance hidden within the Ni Clan.

Bloodline Refinement Method.

Among Ni Xiang’s descendants, there had once appeared an exceptional Gu Immortal named Ni Ren. He eventually reached peak Rank Seven, but his cultivation rank was not what made him extraordinary. His greatest achievement was his attainment in Refinement Path.

According to Lin Yan’s memories, Ni Ren had reached quasi supreme grandmaster attainment in Refinement Path, standing only one step away from supreme grandmaster. Although he never crossed that final step, before his death he created an extraordinary refinement path method.

Ni Ren had combined Refinement Path and Human Path to conceal the refinement process within his clan’s bloodline. As that bloodline passed from parent to child, the refinement continued. Eventually, an Immortal Gu would take form within the body of a suitable clansman.

Even death did not bring the process to an end. One clansman died, another was born, and Ni Ren’s method continued through them. So long as his descendants remained, the refinement he had begun could carry on.

The Immortal Gu formed through this method were also deeply bound to the Ni Clan bloodline. Outsiders could not easily seize and refine them. This had allowed Ni Ren’s arrangements to survive long after his death, hidden among a clan that no longer possessed the strength of its ancestors.

Lin Yan was well aware of the value concealed within the Bloodline Refinement Method. In the future, Fang Yuan would become a Refinement Path Venerable, and Ni Ren’s work would contribute to his achievements in Refinement Path. There was no reason for Lin Yan to leave it untouched.

If he could thoroughly comprehend a refinement method that combined bloodline, Human Path, and Refinement Path, it might even provide him with another direction for completing Chaos Fire Immortal Gu.

But another thought soon occurred to him. Ni Ren had used his descendants to continue refining Gu after his death. Could that connection also allow Lin Yan to find the Dream Realm he had left behind?

Dream Seeking could locate a deceased Gu Immortal’s Dream Realm through an object closely connected to them. Ni Ren’s descendants offered another possibility, for the refinement killer move he had created was still operating within their bloodline.

This might provide a stronger connection than a possession Ni Ren had left behind. If Lin Yan understood how the refinement technique worked, he could try using the Ni clansmen as a medium for Dream Seeking and locate Ni Ren’s Dream Realm.

That possibility interested him even more than the hidden Immortal Gu. His Refinement Path attainment was already approaching Grandmaster. How much true meaning would a quasi-supreme grandmaster’s Dream Realm contain? Even exploring part of it could bring an astonishing breakthrough.

Compared with the other opportunities scattered throughout the Southern Border, taking the Ni Clan inheritance carried less unknown dangers. Their hidden Immortal Gu and refinement technique alone justified the journey, while their bloodline could help him pursue Ni Xiang’s inheritance and gain a place in the competition over Rank 9 Immortal killer move Heavenly Form.

As for whether seizing these opportunities would hinder Fang Yuan future advancement to Venerable, Lin Yan found the concern ridiculous. Weakening Fang Yuan was precisely what he wanted. If Fang Yuan obtained Sovereign Immortal Fetus Gu and continued obtaining every opportunity, how was Lin Yan supposed to compete with him?

Moreover, by the time Fang Yuan attempted to become a Venerable, Fate Gu would already have been destroyed. In this regard, Lin Yan’s attitude was much like that of the Venerables. Fang Yuan could destroy Fate Gu, but afterward, it would be best if he obediently left the stage.

With the Ni Family secured, there was little reason to remain in the Southern Border. The Qi Family, descendants of Qi Xiang, had spent years nurturing the Ni Family and had left protective arrangements around their settlements. The disappearance of every branch within such a short time would inevitably alert them.

Lin Yan needed to leave before the Qi Family sent their Rank Seven Gu Immortals to investigate. Fighting them would risk exposing his whereabouts to Heaven’s Will, and he had no desire to become entangled in the Venerables’ schemes.

On his way to the Eastern Sea, Lin Yan happened to pass near San Cha Mountain. Since he was already nearby, he decided to see whether he could obtain the Three Kings Inheritance before leaving the Southern Border.

Before San Cha Mountain came into view, Self Dream Gu suddenly stirred. A warning rose within Lin Yan’s mind, growing stronger as he approached. His expression darkened, and he immediately stopped advancing.

"Heaven’s Will..."

He understood at once. Heaven’s Will was already watching San Cha Mountain. If he interfered with the Three Kings Inheritance, even a minor incident could develop into serious trouble under its influence, eventually drawing powerful Gu Immortals into the matter.

Lin Yan could not predict how such a situation would unfold, nor did he intend to test it. Three Kings Inheritance did not justify the risk. The blessed land had belonged to a Rank Six Strength Path Gu Immortal, and its inheritance offered little of value to him.

What he truly wanted was Divine Travel Immortal Gu.

According to The Legends of Ren Zu, drinking four kinds of top-quality wine could refine Divine Travel Immortal Gu. More importantly, it was a crucial refinement material for both Fixed Immortal Travel and Second Aperture Immortal Gu.

Fixed Immortal Travel was particularly useful to Lin Yan. Crossing the regional walls repeatedly damaged Flame Sovereign Blessed Land. With Fixed Immortal Travel, he could travel across the Five Regions as long as he knew the appearance of his destination.

Second Aperture Immortal Gu would also be useful. Possessing another aperture would make several of his plans concerning Dream Path easier to carry out, giving him another reason to obtain Divine Travel Immortal Gu.

Unfortunately, he had already tested whether the Thousand Wishes Tree could refine Fixed Immortal Travel. Although he knew the recipe, the attempt had failed when it reached the step of producing Divine Travel Immortal Gu.

There could only be one reason: Divine Travel Immortal Gu already existed.

Immortal Gu were unique. As long as the existing Gu remained alive, the Thousand Wish Tree could not produce another, regardless of how many fruits he used. He would either have to obtain that Gu or deduce a recipe for Fixed Immortal Travel that did not require it.

For now, he would have to develop a teleportation killer move of his own. His inheritances contained numerous methods he could study, and there was no need to risk Heaven’s Will’s interference for this opportunity. Lin Yan abandoned the attempt and continued toward Eastern Sea.

Meanwhile, within Qi Sea Grotto-Heaven, several Qi Clan Gu Immortals discovered that the protective arrangements around the Ni Clan’s settlements had been destroyed.

"The arrangement I left at Rotten Mud Mountain has been broken."

"The other branches have been affected as well."

The Gu Immortals exchanged grave looks. A single village might have encountered a beast tide or some other disaster, but the destruction of their arrangements across every branch within such a short period could only mean someone had targeted the Ni Clan.

"Has someone discovered their secret? Even the Wu, Shang, and Tie clans shouldn’t know about it."

Several Rank Seven Qi Clan Gu Immortals immediately left the grotto-heaven to investigate. Whoever had acted knew where the scattered branches were located and had struck them in quick succession. They needed to determine what had happened before any more clues disappeared.

By the time they reached the settlements, Lin Yan had already arrived in Yi Clan territory at Southern Border’s eastern edge. He only needed to cross the regional walls ahead to enter the Eastern Sea.

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