"Who are you?!" Fang Yuan asked.
"I am you…" The voice replied.
Fang Yuan looked around at the emptiness with bewildered eyes.
"Oh human, now that you have stepped onto the endless path, be aware that if no end is destined, enjoy this eternal journey."
Fang Yuan stared at the straight path before him, which stretched to infinity like an eerie carpet. He wanted to move further along the path, but his legs couldn't move. It was as if he had rooted himself there like a tree, with no chance of moving forward.
"Who are you?"
"I am your awakened essence…"
Once again, he received a cryptic answer. However, he was sure of one thing. The voice that seemed to come from the depths of darkness originated from his heart.
"My name is Gu Breath, and I will accompany you on this path. I am the only Gu that will stay with you until the moment of your death, the only being that will be placed in your coffin when you die. For it is destined that I will forever be a part of you…" the voice continued.
"A part of me…" Fang Yuan murmured.
"But I died…"
"Unfortunately," Gu Breath said.
"And that means my awakening was at the moment of my death," Fang Yuan sighed.
"Do not fear death!!!" Gu Breath shouted.
"But after my death, I have no will on earth…"
Gu Breath paused for a moment and sighed loudly: "Ah, that's true. Death is the severing of ties with the mortal world and the beginning of a new path in the spiritual realm."
"But this is not something that fits within your understanding. When the time comes, you will understand the truth…" Gu Breath continued.
But contrary to what Gu Breath told him, Fang Yuan wasn't dead yet. He had entered a spiritual void to begin his cultivation path. He had awakened in both the Gu and Immortality paths.
When he stepped onto the Gu cultivation path, he unconsciously activated the Healing Gu, and his wounds healed. He was still breathing and hidden under the snow. However, the aura of the Healing Gu, which healed any injury, surrounded him.
After many years, a new cultivator was born on the Gu path.
Fang Yuan had three Gu in his possession but couldn't use them.
The only reason the Healing Gu activated was the aura of rebirth.
Fang Yuan spent more time in the realm of enlightenment.
He felt the profound meaning hidden in every particle of Dao, its weight polishing his soul and filling his being.
"Oh human! Now it is time to return!" Gu Breath spoke after a long silence.
"But I don't belong to the realm of the living," Fang Yuan sighed.
"Your mortal body is dead, and now with the power of Gu, you will be reborn as a cultivator…" Gu Breath replied.
The dark world of the realm of enlightenment was swallowed by a blinding flash, and Fang Yuan felt the cold snow on his face.
The Healing Gu floated in the air. Fang Yuan looked at his hands; the aura of the Healing Gu enveloped him.
"So that's why I survived…" he laughed and said.
Outside the realm of enlightenment, thousands of cultivators were moving through the sky.
A red light fell on the snow-covered ground. Fang Yuan looked at the city walls and saw flames coiling around them like ivy.
The sky was dominated by warriors.
Cultivators flew from the tower in the middle of the city, displaying various techniques.
They shone like stars.
And although they fell like meteors, they were beautiful from a distance.
Fang Yuan clenched his fist and stepped forward. Now was not the time to hesitate; he had to find Xiao. As long as the Healing Gu was active, he feared nothing. Whatever happened, he would be healed immediately. But he didn't know when the Healing Gu would go dormant, so he acted quickly.
He blew open the hatch with spiritual force and entered the winding underground tunnels.
The underground tunnels were dark and damp. Since there was no light, Fang Yuan groped his way. After a long time, he finally saw the first beam of light shining down from a hole in the ceiling. The surface of the water was murky, and broken stones of various sizes blocked the water's path.
Fang Yuan felt light. His rebirth as a cultivator was very pleasant. Although he didn't have superhuman powers yet, his senses were very sharp, and with their help, he managed to guess his way.
But one thing worried him.
Fang Yuan had three Gu in his possession: Healing Gu, Immortal Legacy Gu, and Fixed Travel Gu.
But he didn't know what had happened to the other two Gu. On the surface, only the Healing Gu had activated, but he feared that the Immortal Legacy and Fixed Travel Gu might have activated as well.
The Immortal Legacy Gu contained the essence of a Gu immortal's life. When immortals' lives ended, they stored all their experiences and tricks in this Gu. They clung to this means to remain immortal, but there were many ways to stay. However, one of the simplest methods was to use the Immortal Legacy Gu.
Fang Yuan noticed slight changes in his body. His limbs responded a bit slower than usual. He seemed to have grown a bit, and his clothes were uncomfortable. However, he had nothing to confirm these ambiguities.
Progressing through the tunnel wasn't accompanied by silence.
The sound of a fierce battle on the surface reached his ears, causing ripples on the stagnant water of the canal. Fang Yuan realized he had a much higher understanding of the current situation and could make accurate predictions.
These reasoning skills were not something a 13-year-old boy could possess.
Midway, the aura of the Healing Gu weakened, and Fang Yuan realized he didn't have much time.
Since he had only been able to overcome the side effects of the Qi pill due to the Healing Gu's aura, he feared what would happen if it deactivated. His headache had already started, and his vision was blurry. Despite this, Fang Yuan didn't give up.
In the darkness, everything looked the same. The paths seemed identical and endless. Fang Yuan didn't know which path would end with a smile and which would drown him in regret. But after passing several crossroads, he realized he could only rely on luck.
But was luck a reliable element? Could everything be left to chance?
Fang Yuan used his sharpened senses and powerful mind to draw a mental map. He guessed his position and tried to put himself in the demonic cultivator's shoes. Even without a definite clue, he set goals for himself and proceeded through trial and error.
After two hours, he had explored most of the tunnels.
Fang Yuan marked the paths and memorized the distinctive features of each route.
But time was against him. The aura of the Healing Gu had almost faded, and unbearable pain spread through his body.
He hadn't taken a step when the aura of the Healing Gu vanished. Fang Yuan immediately collapsed. A loud explosion echoed everywhere, shaking the tunnel. Suddenly, the tunnel's ceiling cracked and collapsed a few seconds later.
Dust filled the air. Fragments of orange tiles were visible on the debris. A massive cloud of smoke enveloped the tower, hiding it from view. While Fang Yuan was buried under the rubble, the city was on the brink of collapse.