Zhan Bu Du immediately began a countdown timer in his head.
If he didn't make it out in 3 hours, Hei Chun Qiu will activate the Killer Move, One Day; Three Autumns.
This will cause them to waste one of their trump cards and this opportunity.
Zhan Bu Du took his next step forward.
An even stronger bolt of lightning struck but he just brushed it off.
"Hmph, again."
Another step, another lightning.
On the 8th step.
Zhan Bu Du frowned.
The lightning was taking a long time to gather, and the force within was a cause for concern.
"This aura is on par with a Rank 8 Killer Move!" Zhan Bu Du stood tall against the lighting.
Its might caused Zhan Bu Du to crash to the ground in pain, but he was alive.
"Hmm, going by my estimates there are exactly 64 steps," There were 2 possibilities open to Zhan Bu Du's mind.
Number 1, the next step was at the level of Pseudo or even Venerable level.
Number 2, there are 8 sets of 8 moves all different paths, the first was Lightning path.
Zhan Bu Du came to the second conclusion because he noticed that although the lightning was dangerous it was also beneficial, the lightning had cleansed the body of any impurities making it stronger and more efficient.
"For some reason, I'm getting the impression that Reckless Savage Demon Venerable is training up someone, maybe it's meant for his inheritor?"
After all, the 2nd prize of the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven was a Reckless Savage True Inheritance.
Thinking further was pointless, Zhan Bu Du braced himself and prepared his strongest defense and attack.
As he stepped onto the 9th step, a pillar of fire came down on Zhan Bu Du.
It slipped past the barrier and into Zhan Bu Du!
"Soul Path? No, not quite, its Fire Path emulating Soul Path effects!"
The Fire had attacked Zhan Bu Du's soul, but its strength was relatively weak.
"It seems I was right; the moves will get stronger with each step, but they cap at the Rank 8 level, each move tempers and trains various parts of the body.
"Lightning Path for the physical, Fire Path for the soul but then what else is left?"
Zhan Bu Du decided not to waste time guessing when he could verify it himself.
Meanwhile, outside the 5th floor.
Feng Jiu Fe sat on the step right before the 5th floor, seemingly lost in thought.
It has been 30 minutes since Zhan Bu Du went in, at this point Ying Guang Xin had reached the step right beneath Feng Jiu Ge.
"Hmm? Feng Jiu Ge? Why are you here?"
Star Constellation had hidden Feng Jiu Ge's participation from everyone, including the 10 Great Ancient Sect Members.
Feng Jiu Ge opened his eyes and looked into Ying Guang Xin: "Lighting the beanstalk to boil the beans, and of this, the beans thus wailed: "Borne are we of the same root; should you now burn me with such disregard?" (1)
Ying Guang Xin felt something stirring in her soul.
The poem Feng Jiu Ge recited for some reason immensely resonated within her. But the poem spoke of being cast aside despite being of the same root.
If the poem spoke about her then the one of the same root would be, Spectral Soul!
This poem began to make the gears in Ying Guang Xin's mind turn.
Who was she?
Was she just a clone of Spectral Soul?
That was her origin but throughout her journey, she had never questioned her mission of helping the main body.
But after gaining reincarnation, she felt the increasing question of why?
Has she not done enough for the main body already?
In fact, this was now her main body!
Her Soul was no longer connected with Spectral Soul.
So why should she be a slave?
Gu aura began emanating from Ying Guang Xin's aperture, but she didn't notice anything, she was busy contemplating her very existence.
Feng Jiu Ge closed his eyes and continued meditating.
Outside in the Western Desert,
The Venerables were closely monitoring the situation, particularly Spectral Soul who was frowning as he sensed Gu being refined in the Ying Guang Xin.
"What is happening? Sure, if she was hit by a Killer Move and is stuck in a mental lock that's one thing but how can she be refining Gu as well?" Spectral Soul began to wonder if this was part of Reckless's arrangements.
Meanwhile, Giant Sun had other thoughts: "How did Star Constellation manage to get Feng Jiu Ge to agree to help her?"
Back when the rules were agreed upon, Star Constellation sought out Feng Jiu Ge through Feng Jin Huang and her mother, Fairy Bai Qing.
Fairy Bai Qing got Feng Jin Huang to kneel before Star Constellation Immortal Venerable: "Lady Star Constellation I'm sorry for the actions of my husband I have no idea where he was but the moment, I get word of him I'll call for you, just please don't punish my child!"
She spent many nights depressed and could only hold on because of Feng Jin Huang.
Fairy Bai Qing knew Feng Jiu Ge better than anyone in the world, she knew that in his heart he still loved them, but they were not the reason for his existence. She knew that they still occupied a place in his heart but she also knew that he would not deny himself for anyone.
That was the man she loved, and she had accepted that.
Fairy Bai Qing was a loving mother, she continued to search for ways to make money to support Feng Jin Huang.
She didn't need Feng Jin Huang to become the legendary Great Dream Immortal Venerable, all she wanted was for her child to be safe and happy.
The sight of her mother containing all her emotions and her sanity, made Feng Jiu Huang swear to become strong enough to bring her father home!
She knew that he abided by his principles regardless of what was logical or beneficial.
"Calm down Fairy Bai Qing, I don't hold you and your daughter responsible for Feng Jiu Ge's actions," Star Constellation eased their minds.
"I just want to talk to him, I believe if you call his name he will come, especially with me here,"
The mother and daughter pair looked at each other.
Fairy Bai Qing tried to call his name but as the words formed in her mouth tears overwhelmed and the composure, she tried to maintain came crashing out.
Seeing her mother like this made Feng Jiu Huang cry as well as she called out: "Father!"
A wind blew across and Feng Jiu Ge appeared in between Star Constellation and Feng Huang Jin.
"Father…" Feng Huang Jin instinctively wanted to call out and hug him but the back she once admired seemed so distant now.
Feng Jiu Ge didn't turn back to his family and instead addressed Star Constellation: "What do you want?"
Seeing her father not even look at her and her mother made tears stream down Feng Jiu Huang's puffy cheeks, but she did not let out a sound.
"I want to propose a deal with you," Star Constellation then gestured to his family behind: "I will keep Fairy Bai Qing and Feng Jin Huang safe and in comfort throughout their lives."
Hearing Star Constellation's words the mother and daughter pair were shocked.
"What do you want?" Feng Jiu Ge did not flatly agree nor deny.
"Don't worry I know how you work; you go where you want to and for the reasons you want," Star Constellation chuckled: "I want you to go to Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven. It's located in the Demon Swamp of the Northern Plains"
Feng Jiu Ge frowned. That was exactly where he felt a calling from, how did Star Constellation know?
Although he didn't know what the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven was, he knew that he was getting a feeling from the Northern Plains.
"I'm sure your curious to know how I knew you wanted to go there," Star Constellation let out a grin: "Why don't we continue our conversation in private."
Star Constellation opened the door to her Immortal Aperture.
Feng Jiu Ge walked in without a second thought, followed by Star Constellation.
With the door of the Aperture closed, the pair vanished without a trace leaving the mother and daughter behind.
Fairy Bai Qing had fainted due to the overwhelming number of emotions she felt upon seeing Feng Jiu Ge.
Meanwhile, Feng Jiu Huang continued staring at the, now empty, spot where her father had been.
So many questions welled in her heart.
The biggest one she wanted to ask was: "Do you still love us?"
More than why he did what he did she wanted to know if the father she had grown up with still loved her.
The father who had protected her family's happiness, who was her role model!
Did that person still exist? Did they ever exist?
Back in the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven,
Zhan Bu Du had just finished dealing with the 8th Fire Path attack.
"*Huff* That *Huff* was brutal."
Zhan Bu Du lay on the 16th step, exhausted.
As he was a split soul the Fire Path refinement was extremely torturous for him and had reduced the strength of the split soul, but it made the remaining soul more solid and condensed.
Zhan Bu Du got up, still panting slightly: "I wonder what's the next path?"
He made his 17th step.
A sudden surge of emotions hit him.
They were quickly dispelled through his sheer strength as it was only the first.
"Wisdom Path? It seems like Reckless Savage wanted to train his inheritor in all aspects, Mind, Body, and Soul."
"But that begs the question what's beyond that?"
Not dwelling on it he took his 18th step.
After nearly 30 minutes Zhan Bu Du managed to make it to the 24th step.
"Wisdom path is proving trickier than I thought, but I can feel that my brain is now able to hold and generate more thoughts even without any Gu! Reckless's method is ingenious."
Of course, the capability of a Wisdom Path expert was still way better but not everyone could cultivate multiple paths, and be proficient in them, most were limited to a single path.
Reckless's method would allow a Gu Immortal to have a decent body, a body that had physical strength, allowing less pressure from others, a sharper mind for quicker use of Killer Moves, and a resistant Soul to prevent attacks on the Soul.
Upon stepping on the 25th step, the world around Zhan Bu Du began to change, his body and cultivation rapidly decreased to a mortal, and all the Gu he had vanished.
"What's happening!?" Zhan Bu Du was caught off guard by the sudden change.
"Shen Li get your ass out here!" A loud voice called out.
Zhan Bu Du surveyed his surroundings, he found that he was in a tiny bamboo hut
A banging on the door snapped Zhan Bu Du up: "Shen Li if you don't come out, I'm coming in!"
"Shen Li? Am I Shen Li?"
A splitting headache erupted in Zhan Bu Du's mind, and it all suddenly made sense
"I'm in a Dream Realm!"
"It was a good thing that the Main Body's attainment in Dream realm was relatively high allowing me to perceive the difference." Zhan Bu Du thought to himself.
But this was a problem, exploring Dream Realms was not only dangerous but it was hard as well.
Without Guts Gu Zhan Bu Du had no way to repair his Soul and without the Dream Butterfly Immortal Gu, it made it difficult to complete without injury.
"Luckily my Soul was made tougher by the Fire Trial, must have been part of Reckless's arrangements, but I should still tread carefully."