Chapter 218

A gentle breeze swept over the dark-golden plain.

In the distance, the army of plants and trees still lay trembling on the ground; the residual might of the four Immortal Kings had not yet faded, and they dared not lift their heads.

Nine-Leaf Swordgrass drifted down from Gu Zhan's shoulder, hovering before Gu Yuan; its scorched black leaves glowed with a faint green light, vaguely outlining the phantom of an old man in a cyan Daoist robe.

The old man had a gaunt visage, long beard reaching his chest, and his whole body exuded a medicinal fragrance.

"This humble one is Wan Yao; I greet you, fellow Daoists." The phantom bowed with clasped hands, his posture very low.

Gu Zhan widened his stone eyes, pointed at the old man and cursed: "You damned old bastard! I took you as a brother, yet you deceived me! If you're a deity, why not bring out the World Heart sooner instead of making me take a beating?"

Wan Yao Shenjun gave a bitter chuckle: "Little friend Tie Niu, calm your anger. If I had such ability, I wouldn't have fallen to this state."

Gu Yuan crossed his arms, watching Wan Yao Shenjun's performance.

"Actually, you've been scheming against Battle Uncle from the start, right?"

Gu Yuan spoke, cutting off Wan Yao Shenjun's lament.

Wan Yao Shenjun's phantom trembled slightly, offering no reply.

Gu Yuan raised one finger.

"First, the Evergreen Guard's formation: although Battle Uncle is as strong as a True Immortal, he is not the main body, so how could he possibly fight three hundred and retreat unscathed? Moreover, Xuan Ce Uncle said the Evergreen Guard's formation core had been tampered with beforehand. The power of those three hundred puppets is less than thirty percent of its peak; the few Immortal Kings outside need not go to such trouble—given their strength, once they enter, they could wipe out the three hundred puppets with a raise of the hand."

Gu Yuan raised a second finger.

"Second, the World Heart. This thing bears the origin of a world and naturally repels outsiders. Though Battle Uncle now looks like a Stone Spirit, his soul's essence is entirely different; his ability to deceive cannot work on non-living beings. Scanning the entire Wan Yao world, I don't believe there is anyone more suitable than Battle Uncle."

Wan Yao Shenjun sighed: "Young Master, your insight is as clear as observing fire; I admire you."

Gu Yuan lowered his hand, his eyes turning sharp.

"Your reason for doing this is singular."

"Seizing a body."

Gu Zhan sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling a chill run down his back.

"You old thing, you want to snatch my body?"

Gu Yuan continued:

"He has only a wisp of remnant soul, lodging in the withered Nine-Leaf Swordgrass. The Swordgrass itself is severely wounded and cannot bear his Immortal King origin. He must find a perfect fleshly body to be reborn. Battle Uncle, your Stone Spirit body, fused with the ancestors' Chaotic Origin, brims with qi and blood and carries little karmic entanglement— to him, it's practically a tailor-made vessel."

Wan Yao Shenjun remained silent for a long while, his phantom growing ever dimmer.

"Young Master, you've hit the mark on everything."

The old man lifted his head, his eyes full of helplessness and sorrow as he looked at Gu Zhan, a flicker of guilt crossing his gaze.

"Little friend Tie Niu, I indeed harbored greed. Your chaotic aura is too tempting. I secretly weakened the Evergreen Guard and guided you to fetch the World Heart, hoping to seize the moment when you refined the World Heart and your spirit was most relaxed, to take over your nest."

Gu Zhan flared with anger, jumping up and raising his broken axe to chop.

"I treated you as a brother, yet you treat me like a house! Today I'll surely chop you into firewood!"

"Battle Uncle, stop."

Gu Yuan blocked Gu Zhan.

"Young Master, this old brat means no good; keeping him is a disaster!" Gu Zhan fumed.

Gu Yuan ignored Gu Zhan's complaint, instead lowering his gaze to Wan Yao Shenjun.

"Senior Wan Yao, what do you think of this fleshly body?"

Wan Yao Shenjun opened his eyes, following Gu Yuan's toes downward.

When he saw the Twilight Immortal King's corporeal form, the old man's gaunt face showed a rare hint of dazed stupor.

"This… this is the Immortal King who cultivates the Apocalypse Dao?"

"Exactly."

Gu Yuan nodded,

"Although my father broke his bones and my grandfather trampled his battle armor, the Immortal King's foundation remains. If you can take possession of it, after tens of thousands of years of nurturing, recovering seventy to eighty percent of his strength is no problem."

Wan Yao Shenjun's breathing grew hurried; his remnant shadow quivered violently, revealing his extreme inner turmoil.

"Young Master, you mean… to grant this fleshly body to me?"

He could scarcely believe his own ears.

One second he was a prisoner, the next a heavenly gift descends? This is an Immortal King's body! It's stronger than Gu Zhan's Stone Spirit shell by who knows how many times!

Gu Zhan muttered beside him: "Young Master, you're being too kind to this old swindler. An Immortal King's body—selling it could fetch countless treasures."

Gu Yuan turned, locking eyes with Wan Yao Shenjun.

"There's no free lunch in the world. I can give you this body, but I have conditions."

The wind ceased.

The entire core forbidden zone fell silent, not even a sparrow's chirp.

Wan Yao Shenjun suppressed his inner joy, bowing deeply in respect.

"Please speak, Young Master. If I can accomplish it, I will not shirk even at the cost of my life."

Gu Yuan extended his right hand, palm upward.

"First, I demand you swear on the origin of the Grand Dao to eternally loyal to the Gu Family; should you harbor a second heart, both spirit and soul shall be annihilated."

"Second, from now on the Wan Yao world shall bear the Gu surname. All its flora and fauna, spirit fields and medicinal gardens shall be merged into the Gu Family's Hall of Immortals project. You shall be its Chief Alchemist and Grand Steward of the Herb Garden."

"Third, write down from memory all the pill formulas and formation diagrams you know, and hand them over to the Gu Family's Scripture Pavilion; I want all of your inheritance."

Three conditions, each striking at the core.

This amounts to binding Wan Yao Shenjun himself, together with all his possessions, utterly to the Gu Family's war chariot.

In the past, a lofty Immortal King–level Alchemy Master would never tolerate such humiliation.

But now, Wan Yao Shenjun hesitates not even a bit.

"I agree."

He answered with unwavering certainty.

To survive, to regain the Immortal King's flesh—what price is that?

Moreover, the Gu Family has a Jue Dian Immortal King seated as its guardian.

In combat power, he is far stronger than even his own peak.

"Very good."

Gu Yuan snapped his fingers.

"Grandfather, please lend him a hand. This old man is now extremely void; I fear his possession will fail and he will be devoured by the lingering will of Twilight."

Gu Cangsheng hummed, walked to the corpse of the Twilight Immortal King.

He extended a finger and tapped the brow center of the Wan Yao Divine Lord's illusory shadow. A wisp of gray‑purple chaotic qi pierced into it.

"Go. I, the old man, will protect your true spirit. If that man surnamed Huang dares to resist, I will directly shred his true spirit."

With the Jue Dian Immortal King's endorsement, the Wan Yao Divine Lord had no further reservations.

The illusory shadow turned into a streak of flowing light and pierced straight into the brow center of the Twilight Immortal King.

The possession process was not calm.

The flesh of the Twilight Immortal King began to convulse violently.

The lingering will that had been sealed deep within the Sea of Consciousness sensed the intruder's invasion and launched a frantic counterattack.

The law of apocalyptic decay and the Wan Yao Divine Lord's life‑creating law engaged in a fierce tug‑of‑war inside the flesh.

The skin surface of the Twilight Immortal King alternated between a decayed gray‑black hue and a vibrant emerald glow.

Gu Cangsheng stood aside, arms crossed over his chest, like a supervisor.

Whenever Twilight's will gained the upper hand, Gu Cangsheng would let out a cold hum, inject a strand of chaotic qi, precisely crushing Twilight's counterattack and helping the Wan Yao Divine Lord steady his stance.

Such a tilt‑the‑balance act left the remaining will of the Twilight Immortal King utterly desperate.

Half an hour later.

The convulsions ceased.

The body on the ground slowly opened its eyes.

Those eyes, once dead and heavy like a dormant sun, now brimmed with world‑worn wisdom.

Wan Yao Divine Lord, reborn.

He struggled to rise from the ground. The flesh was so badly damaged that any movement stabbed his heart with pain, yet the joy on his face could not be concealed.

Thump.

The Wan Yao Divine Lord knelt heavily before Gu Cangsheng and Gu Yuan.

"I, the ancient Wan Yao, bow in gratitude to the Gu Family for the rebirth!"

It was gratitude that rose from the depths of his lungs.