Chapter 209

Gu Cangsheng agreed with Gu Yuan's idea and looked toward Gu Lin Tian.

"I also think so."

"Some methods, you may not need to use them, but you cannot lack them."

Seeing the grandfather and grandson both made a decision, he, as the family head, seemed unable to say anything, stood up and nodded.

"Then it's settled! Elder Linjiang is preparing the second batch of quotas for the Immortal Hall auction; I'll go add a rule, writing this tribulation guarantee service into the contract."

"Dad, don't write it too bluntly."

Gu Yuan reminded, "Just say the Gu Family sympathizes with the hardship of cultivation, specially set up a Protector of the Dao quota; if willing, the price, well, add thirty percent on top of the transaction price, of course, entirely voluntary."

"If you have the ability, like the Ji family, the Dragon Emperor—you can just walk through it yourself."

"I understand, Father understands."

Gu Lin Tian understood instantly and strode out of the rear hall.

Gu Cangsheng watched Gu Lin Tian's back, then glanced at Gu Yuan sitting calmly in the chair, and shook his head.

"These sects of the Primordial Immortal Realm, meeting you, are damned for eight lifetimes."

Gu Yuan peeled an orange and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Grandfather, this is a win-win; they gain the false fame of true immortals, while our Gu Family gains substance and resources. Everyone has a bright future."

As for why it's a false name.

After all… when everyone becomes a true immortal.

True immortals then become worthless.

This is called the True Immortal Inflation Theory.

Also called the "True Immortals as Common as Dogs, Heavenly Emperors Everywhere" theory.

……

……

A few days later.

The Gu Family's immortal edict spread once again throughout the Primordial Immortal Realm.

The Immortal Hall Plan 2.0 version officially launched.

The newly added Protector of the Dao quota instantly caused a sensation.

The image of the Withered Wood Ancestor escaping death under the Nine Netherworld Extermination Purple Lightning had long been spread by the spies of various sects.

Everyone knows the true immortal tribulation is nine deaths to one life; now the Gu Family actually offers a guarantee service?

What's a thirty percent price hike?

Compared to being wiped out, losing all one's property is nothing!

For a time, the Primordial Immortal Realm once again fell into a frenzy of smashing pots and selling iron.

Gu Yuan, meanwhile, lay comfortably in a rocking chair on the back mountain of Divine Island, watching the treasures of light continually gathering in the sky, playing with an invisible thread of cause and effect in his hand, while the scene before him reflected everything Gu Zhan was experiencing in the Myriad Medicine Great World, and he couldn't help but marvel.

"Battle Uncle not spreading this is truly a waste of talent; in such a short time he's conned so many true immortal-grade medicinal herbs—if he brings them all back, our alchemists will be blessed."

……

……

In the Myriad Medicine Great World, deep in the southern black forest.

Beside a totem stone pillar entwined with dark purple vines, a three-zhang-tall stone bull-headed figure sat cross-legged on a grinding-stone-sized blue stone.

His pair of grinding-stone-sized stone hands clumsily pinched a wholly crystalline snow jade ginseng, moving as gently as if protecting fragile glass.

"Old ginseng, I, Iron Bull, never lie to herbs. Look at my qi and blood— isn't it more fragrant than the richest spiritual pool here?"

The embodied Battle·Iron Bull, Gu Zhan, was now exerting himself to circulate that strand of chaos true immortal origin within his body.

That aura seeped out from his stone fingertips, turning into wisps of pale golden mist.

The few jade-green leaves atop the snow jade ginseng trembled violently, sending out a faint ripple: "Iron Bull Brother, you said that Gu Family… really gives us this divine liquid every day?"

"Could that be false?"

Gu Zhan slapped his chest, making a booming sound, stone chips flying,

"Our young master is famous for his kindness. In our place, plants and trees also have dignity. Whoever dares to refine you into pills, I, Iron Bull, will be the first to split him. This is the Longevity Mutual Aid Society; its sole tenet: join the Gu Family, refuse to be refined into pills!"

As Gu Zhan's shout rang out, a rustling sound arose from the previously tranquil forest around him.

A half-person-tall lingzhi mushroom poked half its head out of the soil, its cap wobbling; a pitch-black lightning-struck wood lay horizontally in midair, its tip actually sprouting an old human face; even the moss on the ground began to emanate a yearning emotion.

In the Myriad Medicine Great World, these plant and tree spirits, though possessing extremely high intelligence, live in utter frustration.

Essentially, they are crops left by the Myriad Medicine Divine Lord; every so often, outside alchemists enter with tokens, harvesting them like reaping wheat.

Here, becoming stronger means better medicinal efficacy, but also means being more likely to attract attention.

"The heavens are dead; the medicinal herbs shall rise!"

Gu Zhan stood up, raising that massive stone hand—this was the slogan Gu Yuan taught him before departing.

Although he didn't know who Cang Tian was, it indeed sounded very stirring.

"Follow me, let's loot those alchemists' treasuries and smash all the bottles and jars that hold your brothers and sisters!"

"Join the mutual aid society! Refuse to be refined into pills!"

The grasses and trees across the mountains and fields resonated in unison, various colored spiritual lights gathering into a vast ocean, momentum astonishing.

Just then, an extremely sharp Sword Intent swept across from a distant lone peak.

That Sword Intent was extremely overbearing; wherever it passed, even the void was slit into fine black cracks.

A weed stalk only three cun tall, wholly scorched black and with only three remnant leaves left, drifted down slowly from the air, freezing before Gu Zhan.

Each of its leaves flowed with a chilling aura of extinction.

This is the remnant stalk of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, once a King-grade immortal herb following the Myriad Medicine Divine Lord; though its grade has fallen, that arrogance remains deep in its marrow.

Big guy, you have a loud voice.

Nine-Leaf Sword Grass sent out a cool divine sense, with a hint of disdain: "With your pitiful cultivation, you dare to speak of saving the world?"

Gu Zhan hadn't spoken yet, but the green lotus seed constantly perched on his shoulder objected.

That was the Chaotic Qing Lotus Seed, Xiao Qing. It gave a light hop, emitting a faint green light, vaguely showing an image of heaven and earth being split apart. Its voice, clear like a little girl's, said: "Old Black Grass, you're not allowed to speak to Brother Tie Niu like that! You're just a severed remnant, what's with the arrogance?"

The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass's leaves curled slightly inward, its Sword Intent intensifying: "Chaotic Qing Lotus? I didn't think this extinct species could still leave a seed. Too bad, it hasn't bloomed yet—it's just a ball."

"You're the ball! Your whole family are balls!" Xiao Qing jumped up and down in anger.

Gu Zhan quickly reached out to shield Xiao Qing, a simple honest smile spreading across his stone-like face as he cupped his hands toward the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass.

"Sword Grass brother, I, Tie Niu, am a rough fellow who doesn't understand the Grand Dao. I only know that my young master lacks medicine, but what he lacks is medicine that can help him fight, not dead ingredients for alchemy."

He paused, his tone becoming sincere.

I see your body covered in scars—those must be from the Myriad Medicine Divine Lord's formation wearing you down, right? You haven't had enough of being raised like livestock, ready to be harvested at any moment, have you?

Nine-Leaf Sword Grass fell silent.

Its three remaining leaves drooped slightly.

As a former Immortal King's Grand Medicine, it has endured too much.

Now, on this weird stone fellow's body, it sensed something different.

"The place you spoke of—does it really have an Immortal King giving lectures?"

Nine-Leaf Sword Grass's voice grew much lower.

"My ancestor was an Immortal King—the kind who could scatter the heavens with a single slap."

Gu Zhan hehehed a laugh, pointed at the sky, and said: "If you don't believe me, when I return, follow along and see. If I'm deceiving you, you can just chop my stone head with a single sword."