Fang Yuan sorted through the memories of this Heavenly Spirit,
"I thought this was just a mere aperture but to think that I am actually the Heavenly Spirit of a Grotto Heaven!"
The difference between a Grotto Heaven and a Blessed Land was the same as the difference between the stars and the moon.
A Grotto Heaven exceeds a Blessed Land in every conceivable quality and quantity.
"Oh? Not only is this a Grotto Heaven, but it's one that has fused with a piece of the Immemorial Heaven, and it was the…Yellow Heaven." Fang Yuan squinted at this point and began piecing clues together.
"No way…it couldn't be…" Fang Yuan then surveyed further in the memories to find that the original owner of the Grotto Heaven was: "…Daoist Countless Treasure…which means this is…"
Treasure Yellow Heaven!
!!!
The number 1 marketplace in the entire Gu World!
Home to an innumerable amount of wealth!
And,
"Undiscovered for over 300,000 years! Even Venerables who have scoured the face of the earth have not found this Grotto Heaven, notably, Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable!"
That's right!
Treasure Yellow Heaven was formed during the Medieval Antiquity Era, during that time there was Genesis Lotus, Thieving Heaven, and Giant Sun Immortal Venerable.
All 3 tried but did not manage to find Treasure Yellow Heaven.
This has been the number 1 mystery in the entire Gu World.
"It's hard to believe that Daoist Countless Treasures was only a Rank 8, there must be something unique about him, and today I have a chance to find out!"
Fang Yuan was ecstatic; he already had a plan to find the location or a method to locate Treasure Yellow Heaven.
"Although I can't annex Treasure Yellow Heaven, as it contains a piece of Yellow Immemorial Heaven, I can still loot all the Treasures," greed was shining on Fang Yuan's face, he nearly lost focus, and slapped himself: "Damnit! It must be the innate obsession with the previous owner, what is the inheritance condition anyway?"
Fang Yuan assumed that it was related to getting the most treasures as Treasure Yellow Heaven was the number 1 marketplace in the world.
Fang Yuan looked through the memories of the Heavenly Spirit to find the inheritance condition,
"Eh?" Fang Yuan blinked a few times to ensure he wasn't seeing things:
"A Cultivator who has reached at least Grandmaster in Demon Path?"
"There's a Demon Path? Interesting…"
Fang Yuan shelved the thought.
"I'll investigate once I return to conciseness."
Wandering throughout the Dream Realm,
Fang Yuan began to look around for clues on Treasure Yellow Heaven
"Strange…if I am already a Heavenly Spirit then why are there no external wills trading in Treasure Yellow Heaven?"
After absorbing the Immemorial Yellow Heaven fragment, Daoist Countless Treasure was rooted in place, and his Grotto Heaven had remained in the exact same location for 300,000 years.
"Did he not establish his Grotto Heaven as a trading hub during his lifetime? Then would that mean…"
Fang Yuan sieved through the memories of the Heavenly Spirit and found no mention of Connecting Heaven Gu.
But he did find an interesting point:
"Oh? This guy has a method to contact him? Right, they should still be alive at this point."
The pieces began much clearer once Fang Yuan realized that he could contact this person.
Fang Yuan activated the method: "Looks like it's time to meet an old friend," his smirk was almost devilish.
Far away, in the Northern Plains.
"Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure Daoist Countless Treasure?"
Fang Yuan heard the voice and smirked: "Long Hair Ancestor I see you're still alive and kicking."
!!!
That's right the person that Daoist Countless Treasure was contacting was actually Lang Ya, Long Hair Ancestor!
Hearing the voice and tone Lang Ya knew "So, it finally happened, Daoist Countless Treasure is dead." A sigh could be heard reverberating.
"To think you would call me Long Hair Ancestor it seems you retain an unresolved desire of his. Speak."
A grin surfaced on his face, "Straight to the point, I like it, indeed I need your help, I have been left with the intense desire and burden to accumulate wealth!"
Lang Ya chuckled, "That does sound like his final desire, so is that why you're calling? For money?"
"No!" the Heavenly Spirit of Treasure Yellow spoke before Fang Yuan could say anything.
"Seems, like I'll be taking the backseat for this part."
The Heavenly Spirit continued: "I need more than any amount of Treasure you can provide, thus I need a business."
Lang Ya raised his eyebrow, "Interesting, what business do you propose."
"This. Master spent days and nights conceptualizing it, and in his final moments he managed to complete his idea, all I need is your help in spreading it."
The Treasure Yellow Heavenly Spirit sent over the plans that Daoist Countless Treasure had made.
"Fascinating! Connecting Heaven Gu, a mortal Gu that allows Gu Immortals to send their Divine Sense into a Heaven, and he plans to use the barren landscape of his Grotto Heaven to open up a marketplace? Ha Ha as expected of him! Okay, I'll refine the Gu for you."
But the Treasure Yellow Heaven shook his head: "I need you to do more than just refine the Gu."
"Oh? What else would you need me to do?" Lang Ya stroked his beard.
"I need you to spread the knowledge and existence of Connecting Heaven Gu and of Treasure Yellow Heaven!"
"And why should I help you do that?"
A grim expression appeared on the Heavenly Spirit, "You and I both know that this could radically change and improve the Gu World across the 5 Regions, how many times have Gu Immortals stumbled onto an Immortal Material that they do not need? I'm sure you know the benefits this will have for your Refinement Path as well. Now you won't need to scour for materials, instead, they will come to you!"
"Hmm," Lang Ya was tempted, after all, even if one possessed immense skill and talent, experimenting was expensive.
To waste time to find and collect the precise materials that he needed was something that Lang Ya would happily cut out of his life.
"I can agree to help lend you not only my contacts by my credibility as well, but it is contingent on 2 things."
"What?"
"Number 1, I am putting my reputation on the line here so you must promise me that you won't steal from the marketplace,"
"Of course!" the Heavenly Spirit was offended: "My master was a wise man, he said: Why kill and steal when you can profit instead."
Lang Ya nodded, he knew Daoist Countless Treasure's personality, "The man would do any form of business, even if it may ruin lives, but he knew the profits of proper business, far outweigh any bandits."
Fang Yuan rolled his eyes from his spectator seat, "Tch, this Daoist Countless Treasure sure is shameless, even though he says he doesn't steal, he has no actual opposition against stealing nor doing business with stolen goods."
Indeed, Daoist Countless Treasure did not actively steal from people, but he wasn't opposed to stealing, it was just that in his eyes it wasn't profitable in a cost-benefit analysis.
"The second condition is this, I know to make profit from using your Grotto Heaven, you plan to charge people a 20% fee, based on the Treasure Light from Treasure Light Immortal Gu, but if I am helping you, I want my Fee to be waived."
"This…" the Heavenly Spirit was hesitant, though Fang Yuan was incensed:
"What is that idiotic Heavenly Spirit doing? Take the Deal!"
At that moment, Fang Yuan regained control.
"So do we have a deal?"
And he answered: "Yes!"
Lang Ya was shocked at the immediate and resolute answer, "Strange? Knowing that stingy bastard, I thought he would try to fight and haggle his way through, I was prepared to pay only a 5% fee, oh well, I guess I have more reason to make this work, or maybe that was his intent…"
Lang Ya and Fang Yuan shook on it.
At the moment Fang Yuan and Lang Ya shook, the Dream Realm abruptly ended.
"Hmm?" Fang Yuan's hands were still shaking but it wasn't Lang Ya on the other end.
"Pleasure to finally talk to Heaven Refining Demon Venerable, Fang Yuan," the person who Fang Yuan was shaking was a scholar dressed in all white.
He had a calm and lofty deposition as if he were an immortal that transcended the world:
Fang Yuan smirked: "To what do I owe the pleasure, Limitless Demon Venerable?"
Indeed, the person across from someone was the number one cultivator, the ardent Dao Pursuer, the crazed demon venerable.
Limitless Demon Venerable!
Limitless smiled, "How about some answers?"
Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows, "I'm listening."
"For as long as the world has known there have been 2 Paths that stood out, opposed against each other, amongst all Paths,"
Fang Yuan guessed where Limitless was going: "You're talking about Heaven and Human Path."
Limitless nodded: "Correct. But what is not common knowledge is that within Human Path exists 2 branches of Side Path: Immortal Path [1] and Demon Path."
!!!
This was news to Fang Yuan, "Despite obtaining Grandmaster in Human Path I did not know this, how interesting." Fang Yuan thought to himself.
"You're probably wondering why despite your high attainment in Human Path, you have not discovered the existence of either Path?"
Limitless saw through Fang Yuan's thoughts,
"Indeed, I am. Are you going to answer it?"
Limitless smiled, he gestures towards the empty space, conjuring up a table, "Shall we go further into the discussion then?"
Limitless led the way and took the first seat.
Fang Yuan was somewhat cautious, but considering he had no alternative, "It would seem that this conversation is happening within a Dream." He stroked his chin.
"How do I know there's no trap?"
"You don't."
"And you expect me to sit without any form of guarantee."
"I give you, my word."
Fang Yuan was still sceptical of Limitless, after all, the man was supposed to be dead, but nonetheless, he decided to take a seat.
As soon as he sat down Limitless began:
"The way of the Dao Emperor is wrong, it is not the true path of immortality,"
"I know." Fang Yuan calmly replied.
Now it was Limitless's turn to be shocked and impressed:
"Oh? Now I'm curious how do you know that?"
Fang Yuan chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? What kind of true Immortality is dependent on someone else?"
!!!
That's right!
The core of a Dao Emperor was still linked to the Heavenly Dao, which meant that their existence would only be as long as the Heavenly Dao's
Limitless laughed: "Ha Ha Ha, as expected of a true demon you've seen through it all."
Break free from the world; pursue immortality!
[1] I wanted to use Immortal as it contradicted Demon in the OG, I think it's a translation and style choice, but if it sounds weird let me know and I'll go with either Saint or Benevolent Path.
Sorry for tdy's late upload.
I was marathoning some movies and lost track of time, fell asleep and just woke up to finish today's chap.
My bad