34 The Formation of the Crane Flock Begins to Show Results, Gu Master Realm Slowly Progresses

"Did you hear? After less than a year of joining, Fang Zheng beat Senior Brother Zhang Nan into a pig's head."

"That Zhang Nan? Hmph! Relying on his master Xuanjizi to act tyrannical, I've never liked him. That Fang Zheng did well!"

"Yes! I heard Fang Zheng is a disciple of an elder in the sect. He became an inner sect disciple just in his twenties, a real genius!"

"Is that so? I heard of a disciple in his twenties who became an inner sect disciple right after entering."

"What? That's unbelievable! I worked hard for eight years just to become an inner sect disciple. This guy has way too much luck! Could he be a secret son of some high-ranking official?"

"I heard that he received the true inheritance of an elder, and even before entering, he had already made a great contribution. After joining, he defeated several inner sect disciples who were dissatisfied with him."

---

Hearing the conversation of the inner sect disciples, Qi Tian thought of Fang Yuan's younger brother, Fang Zheng.

From the original story, Qi Tian knew that Fang Zheng was rescued by Tianhe Shangren after the ice-sealing of Qingmao Mountain. He was brought to the Xianhe Sect and accepted as a disciple.

In the original story, Fang Zheng had fought with a sect member and was imprisoned in a confinement room, beaten by someone named Zhang Nan. Qi Tian didn't pay much attention to these insignificant characters, so he didn't remember them clearly.

However, he was more familiar with Tianhe Shangren.

Tianhe Shangren was a person from a thousand years ago, already near the end of his lifespan, relying on the residual power of the "Xunxi Burial Jade Gu" to survive. Due to his old age, he had a high status, but very few of the younger disciples even knew him, as he hadn't shown himself for hundreds of years. Most of those who knew him were the senior elders.

Several years ago, he broke free from his seal and used the "Zhiqin Blood Worm" to locate the ancient bloodline of the Gu Yue Clan in the southern frontier. Unfortunately, although he killed his former companion, the ancient Gu Yue Clan, he couldn't seize the Blood Sea True Inheritance.

Fang Zheng was brought back to the sect for two main reasons: to cultivate him, and to create the "Zhiqin Blood Worm" to help find Fang Yuan and acquire the Blood Sea True Inheritance. Additionally, Tianhe Shangren intended to use Fang Zheng as a vessel for soul transfer.

For a protagonist like Fang Zheng, who had survived many close calls, Qi Tian didn't plan to waste his efforts on him. After all, Fang Zheng carried the remnants of a five-turn Gu Master's soul, and secretly, he was being watched by Gu Immortal He Fengyang. Qi Tian could not intervene.

After defeating several inner sect disciples who had challenged him, Qi Tian had secured his position as an inner sect disciple. Over the next year, he enjoyed a period of safety.

"The Flying Crane Mountain has millions of flying cranes. With such a geographical advantage, I should make full use of it," Qi Tian thought to himself.

To cultivate Qi Path, Qi Tian needed to gather a set of suitable Gu worms. The Qi Path Gu worms from the Southern Frontier were not suitable for use in Zhongzhou unless refined. However, refining them was expensive, so it was more practical to use the local Gu worms from Zhongzhou.

In the Night Immortal's Blessed Land, Qi Tian had easily gathered a set of Soul Path Gu worms. After inheriting the teachings of Iron Feather Daoist, he had also acquired a set of Slave Path Gu worms. Currently, Qi Tian was cultivating both Soul and Slave Paths.

The Soul Path and Slave Path were inseparable in ancient times.

The Slave Path originated as a branch of the Soul Path. Later, Gu Masters combined it with Ancient Wisdom Path, making it an independent system.

Beast-controlling Gu and Slave Gu were all about controlling the soul and dominating the mind.

Qi Tian's cultivation of Soul and Slave Paths didn't conflict with each other. While other places might find the consumption of resources by Slave Path Gu Masters too taxing, this was not the case in Flying Crane Mountain, where cranes were abundant.

Iron-beak flying cranes, Fire Cranes, Phoenix-tail cranes, Misty Clouds cranes, Starry Aurora cranes… tens of thousands of types of flying cranes inhabited this place, creating a magnificent and ever-changing scene.

"I already have a flock of Iron Feather flying cranes with over a thousand beasts. The Iron Feather flying cranes have metallic feathers, strong attacks, and extremely tough defenses. They're perfect as the main force," Qi Tian analyzed.

"The Misty Clouds cranes are agile and good at disrupting enemies, while the Starry Aurora cranes are fast and nimble, excelling at evasion. Adding these two types of cranes as auxiliary flocks will form a good mixed group."

Mixed flocks required higher mastery in Slave Path to fully utilize the advantages of different crane species, compensating for the shortcomings of a single flock. But the resulting effectiveness would be far stronger than using just one type.

---

In Zhongzhou, on Flying Crane Mountain.

The vast sea of clouds stretched out, with thousands of cranes soaring in the sky.

The mountains were lush and green, with winds sweeping through the pine trees. Qi Tian sat on a cliff, focusing intently as thousands of cranes circled, constantly shifting formations according to his commands.

The Iron Feather flying cranes, Misty Clouds cranes, and Starry Aurora cranes coordinated with each other, sometimes forming offensive formations, sometimes defensive ones, and sometimes trapping enemies.

Although it was a mixed flock, under Qi Tian's command, the cranes moved effortlessly, and the formations changed fluidly. There was no internal friction, and the overall effect was greater than the sum of its parts.

"Mm! Not bad! Although there are only a few thousand, they are stronger than ten thousand. After listening to those elders' public lessons, my crane-controlling ability has improved a lot," Qi Tian said to himself.

Although Qi Tian had reached the Master level of the Slave Path in his previous life, controlling different beast flocks still presented challenges.

Moreover, his previous achievement in the Slave Path had some gaps. Though his family's inheritance included parts of the Slave Path, it was his Soul Path mastery and strong soul foundation that had allowed him to reach the Master level.

In the realm of Gu, there were four main levels: Ordinary, Master, Grandmaster, and Grand Grandmaster.

The Master level was when one elevated the use of Gu worms to an art form, requiring abundant talent and constant training.

Grandmaster level was when one mastered a specific path to an extremely deep level, with a solid foundation that allowed one to apply it to other paths as well.

Grand Grandmasters were the pinnacle, rare even in the entire history of humanity.

Typically, a Gu Immortal would at least be a Master in flying skills, as it was crucial. Even if they didn't master it as mortals, once they became Gu Immortals, they would certainly practice extensively.

Qi Tian, in his previous life, had dabbled in six paths, including Soul, Slave, Wisdom, and even Flying. His main path was Soul Path, and he reached Grandmaster level there.

Although Qi Tian had reached Master or Grandmaster levels in several paths, his current situation was different. His luck was not as good as in his previous life, so he needed to work harder in this life to achieve success.

After months of effort, Qi Tian's Slave Path skills had improved slightly, and his cultivation had returned to the initial stage of the fourth transition.

However, Qi Tian didn't feel happy about it. His plans were still progressing slowly.