Wu Ji cast a cold, deliberate glance down at what Fang Zheng was working on. "Fang Zheng, the Three Kings Inheritance is open, yet you have not deigned to enter. Why sit here doing nothing but playing with your paintbrush while others claim the spoils?"
"What can I say?" Fang Zheng smiled faintly. "It simply felt like such a lovely day to paint. I couldn't help myself."
"What exactly are you painting?" she asked.
"Oh, this?" Fang Zheng replied. "It's nothing much - just the architectural plans for a new structure I intend to build. You see, I've given it some thought: the Tie clan has their Demon Suppression Tower, so I believe our Gu Yue clan should have something similar. Only ours will be specifically designed to contain all the naughty young ladies to punish them for their crimes against humanity. I shall call it the Women Suppression Tower. What do you think of its design?"
"That design makes it look like a giant-" Wu Ji's brow twitched, but she did not lose her composure and she refused to play along with what he was saying.
She took in a deep breath.
"Junior brother Fang Zheng, I hear you are a Strength Path Gu Master. You say that women are weaker than men; that is true - but that difference is miniscule when accounting for the effects of Strength Path gu worms. What is that small gender difference when it comes to base strength worth when you can add the strength of a bear, a rhino, or of a dragon to yourself? Practically negligible," Wu Ji said.
"So you admit that I'm stronger than you then, if only ever so slightly?" Fang Zheng asked.
"Well, only one way to find out. I cultivate the Strength Path as well, and this lady would like to exchange a few blows with you to test your strength, if you are willing," she said.
Fang Zheng replied with a warm smile, "This junior brother would be honored to accept senior sister's request."
Fang Zheng stowed his desk and paintbrush back into his aperture. The Wu clan elders quickly got into the Rank 4 Sky Chariot and backed away as far as possible from the clearing.
As the two sized each other up, the disparity was clear: Fang Zheng was at Rank 5 Initial Stage, while Wu Ji was at Rank 5 Peak Stage. There was a notable gap in cultivation, yet Fang Zheng remained completely unperturbed.
For a moment, the mountaintop was so quiet you could hear a mouse scuttling across the ground.
Then, with a cold snort, Fang Zheng launched himself forward.
The two collided. These were basic physical blows at first, yet the shockwaves alone were powerful enough to flatten a house. Neither actively utilized gu worms initially - until Fang Zheng activated a gu within his aperture.
Wu Ji's pupils shrank, and a bead of cold sweat formed on her brow.
Rank 5 Dragon Strength Gu!
Rank 5 All-Out Effort Gu!
A massive dragon phantom materialized around Fang Zheng, enveloping his frame.
'So Fang Zheng really does have Rank 5 Gu worms! And not just any Rank 5 Gu!' Wu Ji thought, stunned. She possessed a Dragon Strength Gu herself, but it had taken her over twelve years of painstaking effort to refine. Fang Zheng hadn't even been cultivating for nearly as long, yet he already possessed one. On top of that, he could summon the dragon phantom with absolute control and certainty. This wasn't luck - the culprit was obvious: Fang Zheng had obtained a Rank 5 All-Out Effort Gu! He had clearly taken the Rank 3 All-Out Effort Gu from their clan after executing their operative, Wu Ran, and then advanced it to Rank 5!
Gu Master, Gu Master; the word "Gu" came before "Master" for a reason. A Gu Master's core strength depended heavily on their set of gu worms. The right gu worm could turn a hopeless loss into an overwhelming victory. Empress Wu Ji was shocked to realize that Fang Zheng's set of gu worms was not just equal but actually superior to her own!
It was almost inconceivable - the equivalent of the Emperor traveling to a remote, backwater no-name village, only to find that the local village chief possessed a larger army, greater wealth, a grander palace, and more beautiful concubines than the Emperor himself!
What Wu Ji didn't know was that Fang Zheng also harbored several other top-tier Rank 5 Gu worms in his aperture, including the Heavenly Essence Treasure King Lotus and a Rank 5 Justice Gu.
'Even as the head of the Wu clan, if I wanted the recipe for a Rank 5 All-Out Effort Gu - let alone refining it - it would require immense contributions on my end, resources, and effort,' Wu Ji thought to herself. 'The Supreme Elders would not hand the recipe over to me unless they deemed me worthy, not to mention sourcing the land for rare or even extinct ingredients. Yet this Fang Zheng has it! Fang Zheng is just too fortunate. He has an elder brother who dotes on him so much that he hands him such powerful gu worms... I suppose that's to be expected. They aren't just brothers, but twins. Twins share a unique bond. I've even heard that they say when one twin hurts, the other feels the pain as well. Fang Yuan clearly must care for Fang Zheng a great deal.'
There were also individuals like Fang Zheng within the Wu clan. Although Wu Ji held authority over the mortal realm as clan leader, several Supreme Elders had offspring who were showered with vast resources simply by virtue of their lineage without ever having to contribute to the clan like she had to. People thought that she must've had an easy life, but it had been anything but scheming and navigating the nest of vipers that was the Wu clan's political system. The true nepo babies of the world were not people like her, they were the children of these Supreme Elders who didn't need to go through such hardship and had the world handed to them on a silver platter!
Fang Zheng fell into that enviable category.
However, while Fang Zheng held the advantage in gu worm quality, Wu Ji possessed advantages elsewhere.
She was three minor realms above him, giving her a far larger pool of primeval essence to work with; though primeval essence consumption was less critical in a duel between Strength path Gu Masters as their fighting style relied less heavily on primeval essence expenditure.
Her second advantage was combat experience. Fang Zheng had trained diligently in hand-to-hand combat and Strength Path techniques, even receiving guidance from Fang Yuan before coming here. But that could not match decades of refined martial skill. Compared to veteran Rank 5 experts, Fang Zheng's battle awareness and skills were still somewhat lacking. Furthermore, Wu Ji was a true Strength Path Master in terms of attainment, while Fang Zheng had been spoon-fed most of his success and his attainment was barely above ordinary. He could not understand the deeper intricacies of using his gu worms together like she could.
The two exchanged brutal blows, sounding like colliding meteorites. The ground buckled beneath them, boulders shattering into fine dust. The observing Gu Masters scrambled backward; anyone lacking the common sense to retreat was swatted aside like a flea by the sheer force of the shockwaves. The entirety of San Cha Mountain seemed to tremble from trying to bear the weight of their fight.
'I understand now,' Wu Ji analyzed inwardly as she fended off another strike. 'Fang Zheng is no simple opponent. Despite being only Rank 5 Initial Stage, his gu worm set is first-class, allowing him to match me blow-for-blow.'
Still, if they truly fought to the death, she estimated her odds of victory at 80-20 being in her favor. She only gave Fang Zheng a 20% chance because she couldn't be certain what secret trump cards he was hiding.
After ten minutes of tearing through the earth and pulverizing the landscape, the two separated, coming to a standstill near where they had begun.
"Junior brother Fang Zheng's strength is truly admirable," Wu Ji said, cupping her fists. "It appears that our clan's All-Out Effort Gu was perhaps better used in your hands."
"Thank you for the praise. Senior sister's battle foundation is quite formidable; I clearly have much to learn," Fang Zheng replied, returning the gesture.
With that, their sparring match concluded. Fang Zheng retrieved furniture from his storage space and sat down.
"Allow me to pour senior sister a cup of tea as thanks for the guidance," Fang Zheng said, pouring a cup of tea for both of them.
Wu Ji glanced at the brew, subtly using a gu worm in her aperture to test for poison before taking a sip. The tea had a unique bluish hue with subtle sparkling specks inside. As the liquid hit her palate, a wave of soothing emotion washed over her. Any lingering fatigue or irritation evaporated, leaving her feeling as light and serene as a fairy drifting through the clouds.
"This tea is quite exceptional" she remarked, surprised once again. "If I'm not mistaken, this was brewed using Rank 5 Emotion Lilly Petals?"
"Senior sister is as knowledgeable as she is strong," Fang Zheng smiled.
'Is he the leader of a super clan, or am I?' Wu Ji thought, almost sickened by the absurd level of wealth Fang Zheng casually displayed.
Wu Ji had only tasted a comparable brew years ago when one of the Wu clan's Supreme Elders had visited her - and even that brew was inferior to this. Fang Zheng's tea-making skills demonstrated deep attainment in either Food path or Emotion path.
He was making her feel like an outright pauper.
Outwardly, however, she maintained a pleasant demeanor and engaged in polite conversation with him. Fang Zheng likewise did not broadcast any of his misogynistic views before her any further.
The Wu clan elders who had taken refuge inside their Gu House now landed back nearby. The demonic path Gu Masters who had fled down the slope cautiously crept back up, only to be met with a scene that left them stunned and disgusted.
These two had just been tearing the mountain apart, and now they were casually sipping tea together like old friends!
"I guess we shouldn't have expected anything else," one demonic cultivator muttered bitterly. "In the end, they're both righteous path Gu Masters."
"They were just probing each other's strength; neither was going to fight to the death here when they are risking the Three Kings Inheritance. Fang Zheng will yield some entry rights to the Wu clan, but we still won't be allowed anywhere near it."
Their predictions proved to be spot-on.
Fang Zheng watched as select members of the Wu clan entered the three pillars of light. Shortly after, the pillars shrank into pinpricks before vanishing entirely.
The Three Kings Inheritance was closed for this round. Until those inside emerged, the next opening would not begin - and during this entire round, only the righteous path had gained entry.
"Does senior sister not wish to enter?" Fang Zheng asked innocently.
"I am still weary from my travels, Fang Zheng. I'll allow my clansmen the honor of exploring first," Wu Ji replied.
In truth, she was naturally cautious. Like Li Xian, she wondered why Fang Zheng sat outside letting others reap the rewards. Did he know something others didn't? Was there a hidden trap within the Three Kings Inheritance? She chose to remain outside, quietly enjoying the magnificent tea Fang Zheng had brewed for her.
For now, the demonic path on San Cha Mountain had been utterly and completely suppressed.