Two gu immortals flew out from Deep Mirror Valley and took to the sky, their bodies hidden by thick blankets of clouds covering Central Continent in enormous patches. One of the gu immortals, a male, boasted an impressive physique, darker skin as if he worked his entire life under harsh sun, swaying brown hair, and manly features. His smile was sunny and his gaze was gentle and warm. Cotton robes covered his body loosely, whipping with the wind and exposing his hairy chest, broad and round shoulders, and the beginning of his abdominal muscles. The other gu immortal, a female, was dressed in an impressive combat attire of black and dark-gold. Her skin was pale and smooth, and her sharp black eyes were scrutinized the surroundings calmly. A pitch-black mask covered the lower half of her face and she wore her short black hair freely as her locks moved with the wind.
They were Fickle Consort Immortal and Fairy Black Moon, two of the most recent supreme elders nurtured by Spirit Affinity House. The pair was well-known in the other ten ancient sect as a loving immortal couple who fell in love with each other the moment they locked eyes. Black Moon took in Gu Yue Lo Jik as her consort and graciously allowed him to continue his relationship with his other wives.
This pair of loving consort and wife moved silently. However, they weren't actually quiet. The duo communicated using gu worms.
"Do you think we're being used as a bait because of our actions?" Lo Jik jested. Love Gu stayed stable on his shoulder. Unless it was activated, the intense aura of the legendary gu worm was quite converged and did not affect other living beings unnecessarily.
"Do I?" Black Moon sneered. "Xu Hao and others are afraid of us, and for a good reason too. They don't want to see us rise because we will always be regarded as outsiders in the sect. So, we must carve out a place for ourselves. What about Bai La? Did you manage to convince her?"
Lo Jik's smile grew meaningful as Black Moon snorted in her heart.
"Only time will tell," answered the Fickle Consort. "But I did my best."
"Who do you think the sect sent to tail us?" Lo Jik continued as Black Moon shook her head.
"I don't know. But this much of planning is useless. The ten great ancient sects are alert of the hidden enemy with the guts of ambushing one of them on Tian Ti Mountain no less. Things will be calmer for a while."
It was as they discussed. The sect sent out the pair as a bait to attract the group of mysterious gu immortals again. Xu Hao's deductions had been mostly ineffective as Spirit Affinity House realized that this mysterious entity targeting their immortal gu house also had a great wisdom path expert supporting them, someone capable of defending against deductions.
As for sending out Lo Jik and Black Moon as bait? It was reckless on the surface. Lo Jik was acknowledged by Love Gu but he did not refine it. Love Gu did not enter Lo Jik's aperture because his blessed land still could not bear the burden of a rank 9 immortal gu for long periods of time and followed him everywhere on his body. Heck, when using Anywhere Door earlier, Lo Jik was mostly concerned about Love Gu Worm's reaction. That's why he utilized Disguise Gu worm in the formation around the cultivation chamber and used a clone gu, disguising the clone's aura to make him appear real to Love Gu.
Putting the pair out as bait implied risking Love Gu. But the mysterious enemy was cautious of Love Gu. So, why would they attack Lo Jik? Xu Hao and other gu immortals studied the recorded battle and realized that even if the enemy claimed to be targeting Lo Jik, their attacks were quite simple and did not risk his life at all. Their true target was Spirit Affinity House the entire time.
The enemy had huge guts. Not only did they attack the group at Tian Ti Mountain, but they also did so in Love Gu Worm's presence. Love was unpredictable. No amount of wisdom path deduction could account for Love Immortal Gu because it had innumerable effects. It activated on its own whims! Even venerables like Star Constellation Immortal Venerable and Giant Sun Immortal Venerable could not refine this legendary rank 9 immortal gu worm.
Fortunately, the enemy greatly underestimated Lo Jik and the rest. They could not destroy Spirit Affinity Immortal Gu House, much less plunder it! All they could snatch was a few supplementary immortal gu worms.
But their action also alerted the ten great ancient sect. The timing of the attack was impeccable. They were waiting for Spirit Affinity House to appear outside Hu Immortal Blessed Land.
What did this imply?
There were murky undercurrents in Spirit Affinity House. The sect was infiltrated!
'But they were not actually targeting Spirit Affinity House.' Black Moon thought darkly as her heart chilled with cold fright. The enemy was in the dark while she was in the open! Indeed, Bai Qing's group and Spirit Affinity House was not the real target! In fact, the appearance of Spirit Affinity House could be said to be a fortuitous encounter for the group as they spared no cost in refining the supplementary immortal gu of the immortal gu house before targeting their real objective.
Black Moon!
"How did they know?" She still couldn't believe it.
"Only you and your aunts knew," answered Fairy Mo coldly.
"No, they wouldn't betray me." Black Moon instantly refuted. However, she was an ambitious woman who did not trust anyone. A seed of doubt was already planted in her heart as even the voice of her mother's emotion remained quiet, unable to refute the fact that all of it seemed suspicious.
"Only you and your aunts were aware that you obtained my inheritance and took control of Water Pavilion in Imperial Court Blessed Land." Mo Yao laughed and ridiculed. "Oh, Black Moon. Open your eyes and see the truth. How else could outsiders know about you possessing the long-lost immortal gu house of Spirit Affinity House—Water Pavilion? Furthermore, I hid Water Pavilion in a bead of your sweat, ready to use it if your life fell in a great peril. But they targeted that location accurately and snatched the entire immortal gu house!"
Fairy Mo mourned. Her voice grew tearful.
"We lost Water Pavilion… *sob* *sob*"
Black Moon couldn't refute Fairy Mo and fell silent.
"We will find them and return this humiliation a hundred-folds," she spoke after a while as her eyes shone with a ruthless glint. "Water Pavilion was one of my greatest assurances when arriving at Central Continent alone. Little Aunt is proficient in information path and can help us gather information about these mysterious assailants."
While Black Moon suspected her aunts, that was mostly due to the elements in her upbringing. Pondering about it revealed how both her aunts stood nothing to gain by stabbing her in the back like this aside from her ire.
"Sigh, if you think this is the right course of action then it's fine." Fairy Mo relented before adding in a worried tone. "But I lost my sustenance. I can't maintain my will for long without Water Pavilion Immortal Gu House."
"How far did you reach with your deductions? Isn't the possession method still complete?" Black Moon frowned as her heart sank.
"Not yet," replied Fairy Mo, equally helpless. "My main body cultivated refinement path mainly and wisdom path on the side. Deducing this wisdom path killer move, even at a mortal level, is quite burdensome. Not to mention the fact that I have to account for all sorts of imbalances. You will need to purchase these few gu worms from Treasure Yellow Heaven and form this wisdom path formation to sustain me."
Black Moon received the list and readily agreed to the request. They communicated in a flash as the masked woman heard Lo Jik exhaling loudly.
"I hope it's just some mysterious gu immortals we have to worry about."
Black Moon blinked and glanced at him.
"What do you mean?"
Lo Jik fell silent as he hesitated for some reason.
"What do you mean?" Black Moon insisted and furrowed her brows. She had an ominous feeling as Lo Jik opened his mouth.
"The truth is… I have an incredibly bad luck, Fairy Black Moon," Lo Jik began slowly as he reminisced. "I was nearly killed by a bear when I started cultivating. Its sharp claws were this close to breaking my neck and caving my chest. When I graduated from the academy, I was attacked by an old and weakened mutated blood wolf. I barely survived with my life."
Lo Jik's lips trembled as if recalling painful memories.
"I was chased by mutated manta ray and hound when my clan was destroyed. I encountered even more mutated beasts and mutated beast kings. When I felt I was at the peak of my strength… I was nearly crushed to death by a desolate snake beast."
He recounted several things in a great detail and masterfully expressed his despair in those situations and relief of surviving them by the skin of his teeth. The more he spoke, the greater the chill in Black Moon's heart!
"What kind of unlucky freak is he?!" Fairy Mo screamed in shock, forgetting her earlier plights.
"Haha," Lo Jik laughed. "But all this is just in my head. How can luck surpass skills? How can one even measure luck? It's all just a saying. I'm now a gu immortal, there's no way mutated beasts and mutated beast kings can trouble me. Most desolate beasts will also run away from me! Only ancient desolate beasts can threaten me."
Black Moon paled.
"Could he truly be unlucky?" She questioned Fairy Mo. "You're one of the few individuals closest to luck path, Fairy Mo. You even refined a luck path immortal gu worm. What do you think?"
Lo Jik spoke before Fairy Mo could reply.
"To be honest, I hope it's Lord Feng Jiu Ge tailing us. I truly do not like roaming outside the blessed land. It's like I'm being watched by a giant beast." He shook his head. "But Lord Feng Jiu Ge can save us from most dangerous situations."
"Lan'er…" Black Moon's mother spoke in a grave tone. "Forget my earlier words. This youth is not cute at all. Don't think about making this fake marriage a real thing and stay far away from him."
Black Moon was speechless.
"Humor aside, it's likely that Lo Jik is only making a mountain of a molehill—"
*Woof*
A loud, resounding bark suddenly filled the pair's surroundings as Lo Jik and Black Moon paused.
"Fuck." Lo Jik cursed loudly.
"Fuck! He's actually an unlucky freak!" Fairy Mo was aghast.
"A waste of such good looks… a pity, truly a great pity," Black Moon's mother felt disappointed for a different matter altogether.
Black Moon quietly inched away from Lo Jik as she quickly took command of the situation.
"Let's ignore it and fly around it. It's merely a coincidence. That ancient desolate beast dog even let out a few barks in warning. It does not want to attack us—"
Black Moon's expression changed suddenly as Lo Jik twisted his waist and planted a sharp kick on her abdomen. Black Moon flew back as Lo Jik didn't stop and further pushed his leg away.
*Chomp*
A massive jaw bit the area where Black Moon previously stood. Aura of an immortal gu exploded as Lo Jik and Black Moon paled visibly.
'Aura of two immortal gu worms.'
Black Moon did not accuse Lo Jik of hitting her and instantly transmitted hurriedly. Lo Jik also spoke the same thing at the same time.
"RUN!"
They flew ahead sideways.
<<<>>>
A rank 7 gu immortal flew behind Lo Jik and Black Moon once they left the public blessed land, boasting extreme capabilities in stealth as they remained unable to discover him despite several attempts of using mortal investigation killer moves. He smiled to himself and shook his head. He was Bu Zhen Zi, one of the sect's supreme elder, a rare phantom path expert! His methods were sophisticated as he remained hidden from plain view.
The journey from Deep Mirror Valley to Tian Ti would take a day at their speed. Alas, they couldn't use transportation formations on Gu Yue Lo Jik due to the extreme pressure from the rank 9 immortal gu worm. Of course, Bu Zhen Zi was tasked with ensuring their safety—not just Lo Jik. In fact, Black Moon was extremely valuable to the sect!
Personally, Bu Zhen Zi was very interested in Lo Jik and otherworldly demons in general. He was also one of the few gu immortals who thought Lo Jik's act of filling his head with lurid imaginations when Feng Jiu Ge was sent to recruit him was quite hilarious, even if childish and base. Bu Zhen Zi was curious from early childhood, questioning the wonders of the world. He wanted to understand what rules supported the innumerable actions in nature and countless habitats dotting the gu world, allowing him to walk rule path and eventually specialize in its sub-path—phantom.
While thinking about the different worlds other than his own, Bu Zhen Zi's expression suddenly changed. He stopped following Lo Jik and Black Moon before staring in a peculiar direction.
Stirred by his investigation, the air fluctuated as an aged woman stepped out.
Bu Zhen Zi instantly felt a headache as he regarded the old, wrinkled woman with great caution.
"Fairy Phantom Scales," greeted Bu Zhen Zi. He couldn't help but prepared several methods in advance as the hunchbacked woman suddenly opened her mouth and screeched. No noise spread out in their surroundings as Bu Zhen Zi instantly blocked the woman's mortal killer move—Phantom Shriek.
"Hehe, my luck is too great!" He heard her cackle as his expression turned grim. "To think I will run into you like this. My luck is really too great! Let us deal with our enmity once and for all!"
She attacked viciously as Bu Zhen Zi thinned his lips.
Bu Zhen Zi encountered his immortal opportunity six hundred years ago when he was still a young elite disciple in Spirit Affinity House. Unfortunately, Fairy Phantom Scales, who was a rank 6 gu immortal at the time, had been eyeing the inheritance for a long time. Bu Zhen Zi had accidentally spoiled her fortune. Furthermore, when she retaliated, the defensive measures in the true inheritance counterattacked and caused a backlash. Phantom Scales had been an extremely bewitching woman once. Unfortunately, the backlash permanently disfigured her.
She nurtured a bone-chilling hatred for Bu Zhen Zi since that encounter.
Currently, she was on her way to meet one of her business partners to complete a transaction when she ran into Bu Zhen Zi.
Central Continent was a huge location! Chance encounters such as this were as good as close to none. Moreover, Bu Zhen Zi was extremely proficient in escaping. Phantom Scales instantly latched onto this opportunity and attacked him!
'Shit! I have to contact the sect!'
Lo Jik and Black Moon had no idea that their so-called escort was already embroiled in a life-death battle of his own.
*Woof*
A loud bark resounded in the surroundings as surprise flashed in Phantom Scales' and Bu Zhen Zi's eyes.
That was a—
<<<>>>
Ancient desolate beast, Remnant Heavenly Dog!
Such a beast compared to rank 7 gu immortals in terms of dao marks. Furthermore, this was a rare beast only found in immemorial white heaven and was filled with space path dao marks. To make matters worse, this Remnant Heavenly Dog was in a rabid state where it attacked anything and everything! It had aura of two space path immortal gu worms!
Lo Jik and Black Moon flew as quickly as possible as the ancient desolate beast chased after them in a craze. It howled loudly and suddenly bit down.
Already alert, Lo Jik and Black Moon dispersed the moment they sensed the space in front of them fluctuate. An invisible jaw tore through the front, chomping down harshly.
"That's rank 6 Space Bite Immortal Gu!" Black Moon and Lo Jik communicated.
"Look at its state." Lo Jik was calmer on the inside. "It's not acting rabid out of fury but fear. Does that mean there is an even more dangerous entity around us? Even the aura of rank 9 immortal gu worm isn't enough to disperse this Remnant Heavenly Dog's courage… oh?"
"What?" Black Moon inquired before she noticed something, too. "Is she…"
"This beast is pregnant." Lo Jik nodded. "She's scared for her unborn child. There's a huge space inside Remnant Heavenly Dog's stomach and their pregnancy can go unnoticed—"
"I can see that she is fucking dilating!" Black Moon interrupted Lo Jik's impromptu less on Remnant Heavenly Dog with a hiss as they remained unsuccessful in keeping distance from the rabid Remnant Heavenly Dog. Furthermore, the pair was alert for any other entity that scared this dog to such an extent. Black Moon and Lo Jik also contacted Spirit Affinity House. They were only three hours from the sect. Someone like Fairy Yi could quickly cross this distance and—
Lo Jik nearly activated his killer move when his entire body shook. Even Black Moon revealed a look of horror.
"Oh, no. This is hopeless… this youth is the absolute opposite of Giant Sun! Unlike Giant Sun, who took in millions of concubines and only enjoyed fortuitous encounters, this man can only attract tribulations!" Fairy Mo's will nearly dispersed inside Black Moon's mind as she felt hopeless.
Remnant Heavenly Dog howled bitterly as the sky darkened.
*Bam*
Everyone heard a deafening noise before a gulp.
Bu Zhen Zi and Fairy Phantom Scales were too shocked to fight. Their bodies broke into a cold sweat as they watched a mountain-sized head press down from the heaven! The entire region had darkened as an impossibly gigantic snake swallowed Remnant Heavenly Dog. Lo Jik and Black Moon were near the ancient desolate beast, getting swallowed in the process.
"An immemorial Black Heaven Swallowing Snake!" Bu Zhen Zi blurted out as his thoughts shifted quickly. Unlike Fairy Phantom Scales shaken by the aura of the dark and qi path dao marks densely packed on the body of the immemorial beast to the point of exuding an invisible pressure, Bu Zhen Zi thought about this beast.
"It's a rare immemorial beast that is incredibly docile and only takes form when it starts feeding. To think it was chasing after this Remnant Heavenly Dog… could she be pregnant? I wasn't close enough to observe this beast. Either way, this is a blessing in disguise!"
Despite being suppressed by the aura of dao marks on the immemorial desolate beast, Bu Zhen Zi did not let this instinctive fear win. He gave a loud shout and suddenly struck Phantom Scales before contacting the sect and chasing after the immemorial beast that had already vanished.
"Bu Zhen Zi! You dare?!" Fairy Phantom Scales instantly ran after Bu Zhen Zi with extreme hatred dripping in her voice.
***
Alternate Title: Giant Sun watching Lo Jik attract all kinds of tribulations: This… this is the new harem man?; Giant Sun: Snatching women and fucking heavenly dao with luck path; Lo Jik: Courteous to women and being chased by heavenly dao *Heaven's Will's a tsundere*; Phantom path Bu Zhen Zi; The true target; Black Moon lost her gu house; Lo Jik's new plight; Lo Jik steps out of a blessed land or a safe location *The entire gu world's beast kingdom: So… you have chosen death*; Snake from heaven; Bu Zhen Zi's unlucky encounter; Heaven's will adjusting its glasses like some smart anime character; Black Moon's doubts; Two immortal gu worms!; Lo Jik: Ah, shit. Here we go again; Lo Jik: I have divine concealment. I'm untouched by tribulations— *Sees hundreds of manic immemorial desolate beasts flying his way because of… stuff*
***
Join the discord through the link in the synopsis.
Read 60 chapters ahead @ Patron and Subscribe Star (Links in the synopsis.)
Support the Fanfic through comments, likes, reviews and such (if the published site allows it.)