62 Ghostly Son Wuying Trades Gu with Langya
The night was tranquil. The bright moon hung in the sky, with sparse stars twinkling faintly. A cool breeze drifted across the land.
A crescent-shaped lake lay embedded within the vast grasslands.
The lake's surface was calm, shimmering under the moonlight, mirroring the crescent above.
This was Crescent Lake.
Rich in aquatic plants, serene and picturesque, it was home to countless creatures.
Vast packs of water wolves roamed its shores, alongside herds of triangular rhinos, thousands of exotic beasts, and swarms of insects numbering in the tens—perhaps even hundreds—of millions.
Encircling the lake were Iron Shell Flowers, Cliff Grass, and Horseshoe Trees, forming a sparse forest.
Scattered throughout the area stood stone forests, with stone pillars of various shades—gray-white, purple-black, green-yellow—standing silently in between.
---
A ragged young man walked slowly through the stone forest, as if searching for something.
Eventually, he stopped beneath a purple stone pillar.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary. However, at its base was a smooth, flat rock, shaped almost like a seat.
He drew a dagger, slashed his palm, and smeared fresh blood onto the stone pillar.
"I want to—"
Before he could finish, he vanished from sight.
---
In the next moment, his surroundings shifted abruptly.
He found himself in a chamber filled with the fragrant scent of pill cauldrons. The room was lavishly adorned—golden dragon columns, silk canopies, red-crane lamps, and vermilion windows.
A Daoist elder, exuding an air of immortality, sat cross-legged upon a cloud bed, eyes closed in deep thought.
He was tall and thin, his beard cascading down his chest like flowing snow. His ruddy face had the complexion of an infant, and he wore billowing robes, his sleeves drifting lightly as though caught in an unseen wind.
"Descendant of the Demon Lord, Wuying, greets you." The young man placed his right hand over his chest and gave a slight bow.
The elder's eyes cracked open slightly, sharp light flashing within them. His gaze swept across Wuying's body with a piercing intensity, as though substantial in itself.
"Boy, still trying to deceive me? Show your true form at once!"
His voice boomed, and a crushing pressure descended upon the chamber.
Wuying's bones creaked under the immense force, his entire body frozen in place.
After a brief struggle, he gave up resisting and collapsed to the floor.
"Haha! As expected, your insight is unparalleled—I knew I couldn't hide from you!"
A second voice echoed, but it did not belong to the collapsed youth.
A humanoid shadow coalesced in midair.
---
This was none other than Qi Tian's killer move—Ghostly Son, Wuying.
Qi Tian himself had never ventured to Northern Plains, instead dispatching this perfect clone, created at great cost—even sacrificing a portion of his own vitality.
It embodied his will. Though not Qi Tian's true body, it could act on his behalf.
It had hidden within Fang Yuan, and only after confirming that Fang Yuan remained aligned with his original fate did it set out for Crescent Lake.
Near the lake, Wuying had taken control of a mortal slave, using him to meet the requirements set by Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable for entry into Langya Blessed Land.
Though Wuying had taken great care to conceal himself, Langya's earth spirit still saw through him—recognizing his killer move for what it was.
But Wuying was not surprised.
After all, the earth spirit had strength comparable to an eighth-rank Gu Immortal. It was only natural that it could see through some of his tricks.
---
"The secret phrase agreed upon by Demon Venerable in the past?" Wuying chuckled. "Haha, that would be—no secret phrase at all."
He shrugged and chose not to dwell on the matter of his killer move.
The earth spirit nodded. "Boy, since you are the heir of Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable, you must be here to fulfill the Three-Gu Agreement."
The Langya Earth Spirit had a passion for collecting Gu recipes. It would go to great lengths to obtain rare formulas but had little interest in immortal killer moves.
Before Wuying could respond, the earth spirit continued:
"In my blessed land, you have three opportunities to request my help in refining Gu. Whether success or failure, each attempt counts as one chance."
"If you request a mortal Gu, I guarantee a successful refinement and will hand it over to you."
"The Three-Gu Agreement can wait," Wuying replied. "I heard you love collecting Gu recipes. I happen to have a few—perhaps they will interest you?"
The earth spirit scoffed, speaking slowly, "Boy, let me tell you—I have an ocean of Gu recipes in my collection. If you show me something I already own, I will have no interest in it."
It doubted that Qi Tian could present anything new.
But Wuying smiled confidently. "Old man, you're out of touch. Give me pen and paper, and I'll write one down for you."
He began writing but deliberately stopped halfway.
"Continue! Keep writing! What else?!"
The earth spirit leaned forward eagerly, scratching its head, eyes shining with excitement.
The dignified immortal was rapidly losing his mystique.
The moment he saw the half-written formula, he immediately knew—this was a brand-new recipe, one he had never seen before.
He no longer underestimated Wuying.
"Well? You don't have this one, do you? Want to trade for it?" Wuying asked with a grin.
"Yes! I want it!" The earth spirit nodded eagerly. "Boy, I'll trade you an equivalent Gu for it. Or you may select a recipe of equal value."
"This is a fifth-rank recipe," Wuying declared. "I want a Through Heaven Gu."
The earth spirit wasted no time—he summoned a Through Heaven Gu, placing it on the table.
Wuying finished writing, then refined and absorbed the Gu.
The earth spirit, meanwhile, gleefully studied the new recipe.
This Gu wouldn't appear for another hundreds of years—during the era of five-region war, when the world would burn in endless conflict.
To the earth spirit, this recipe was revolutionary.
---
Over the next exchanges, Wuying traded for a Mind Gu.
His plan was simple—using Through Heaven Gu and Mind Gu, he could impersonate a Gu Immortal, allowing him to conduct trade in Treasure Yellow Heaven, bypassing the business blockade imposed by Immortal Crane Sect.
Then, he wrote out the Star Gate Gu recipe.
The earth spirit's eyes shone. "This Gu… fascinating! It enables inter-regional transport? The five regions are separated by natural barriers, yet this Gu ingeniously taps into Black Heaven's power…"
"Historically, only Cave Earth Gu and Through Heaven Gu were classic choices for such feats. This new Gu… it rivals them! Did you create this recipe?"
"Of course!" Wuying lied shamelessly.
Seeing the earth spirit's fascination, he continued to boast:
"Some of the earlier recipes I traded were also of my own design—or at least improvements upon existing ones."
This only strengthened his relationship with the earth spirit.
---
"Friend, your talent in refinement is truly extraordinary. You've earned my respect!" The earth spirit no longer called him "boy" but instead addressed him as friend.
"Haha! We'll meet again!" Wuying laughed.
---
With a wave of his sleeve, the earth spirit transported Wuying back to the stone forest.
Beside him, the mortal slave also reappeared, still unconscious.
Without hesitation, Wuying summoned flames, erasing all traces of the slave's existence—including his very soul.
A mere mortal held no value.
He had served his purpose.
And now, Wuying vanished into the night.