An immense killing intent erupted and poured entirely toward Wu Ji. However, Wu Ji took a single step back, the sly smile still hanging on her lips.
"So it's true, then?"
"You masochistic bitch! I swear I'll beat you to a pulp, even if it costs me my life!"
Fang Tian charged at Wu Ji in fury and threw a punch with all the strength he had left. A phantom of a winged elephant burst forth behind him, and his power became overwhelmingly tyrannical.
Wu Ji could not evade due to her relaxed stance toward Fang Tian. Fang Tian's fist closed in on her face with such force that the wind whistled and stung her skin. She had no choice but to meet this desperate blow head-on. Yet Fang Tian suddenly swayed and collapsed face-first to the ground. The strength path phantom vanished, leaving Wu Ji stunned.
Her gaze shifted to Fang Tian's body lying on the ground. Only then did she truly realize how badly injured he was.
"Tsk… I guess I went too far. Now he can't even answer me… Ah, that was quite fun."
Wu Ji smiled, having enjoyed toying with Fang Tian, but this had to end now. Fang Tian's injuries were severe—he had lost a great deal of blood, and various poisons had spread throughout his body. It was a miracle that he had even been able to respond to her at all.
Wu Ji activated a healing Gu worm on Fang Tian. His injuries recovered at a visible pace, leaving scars behind. Wu Ji then carried Fang Tian and sent him to one of the treatment rooms in the Medical Hall of the Wu Clan to be tended to until he awakened and his condition stabilized.
She, meanwhile, went off to carry out the clan tasks assigned to her. After all, as a Rank Three Gu Master in a massive clan like the Wu Clan, she had many duties to fulfill.
Several days later, Fang Tian awoke in a room filled with the pleasant fragrance of incense. As he examined the room, he found it bathed in sunlight, and from outside he could hear the calls of many birds. He was lying on a large bed; several sticks of incense had been placed beside him. A small table and several cushions were set in the middle of the room, and on the table were hot dishes emitting a mouthwatering aroma.
He was confused at first, but after recalling what had happened between him and Wu Ji, his expression twisted into resentment and fury. He tried to regain his composure, and fortunately, he managed to recover some of it.
"That bitch! She's blatantly blackmailing me and threatening to expose my secret if I don't join the Wu Clan…"
Fang Tian tried to think of the positive side of the matter, but he only grew angrier.
The benefits of joining the Wu Clan were simply enormous! This infuriated him even more. Although his freedom would be constrained by the Wu Clan, the privileges offered by Wu Ji were simply outstanding.
"Damn it, I'm actually tempted!.. My original plan was to get close to her and obtain a method to delay my self-detonation, but I never thought I would actually join the Wu Clan. This is a huge deviation from my goal, though the direction is still correct."
"But that bitch is far too cunning! Now that I think about it, she must have been the one who ordered the Gu Masters to attack me when I tried to escape!"
Fang Tian was caught in a fierce internal struggle between two choices. One was to join the Wu Clan as an external member and obtain tremendous benefits at the cost of his freedom, yet this would allow him to achieve his goal—finding a method to seal the aura of the Unlimited Samsara Forest and delay his self-detonation. The other was to risk having his secret exposed to the entire Wu Clan, perhaps even attracting the attention of Immortal Gu Masters, who would turn him into a slave or use him as material to refine Gu.
The first option offered a stable environment and a steady flow of resources, but with restrictions and mandatory tasks he would have to carry out, though it would fulfill his objective. The second option granted him unrestricted freedom, but would greatly prolong the time needed to achieve his goal—if he even found a solution at all. Otherwise, he would have to flee immediately with his tail between his legs, return to Mount Gu Xian, or travel to Shang Clan City, all while being hunted down by the Wu Clan.
In Elder Chen Yue's chamber, the elder who looked like an underage少女 sat, while Wu Ji stood beside her, radiating an aura of cold authority. Wu Ji spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.
"Mother, do you think he'll join the clan?.. The benefits you're offering are simply irresistible, and with his secret exposed, it's almost certain he'll join us. But what if he doesn't?"
"My little Ji, don't you find this young man Fang Tian's behavior a bit suspicious?.. I mean, not many elders even in our clan know about the Ten Extreme Physiques, yet this boy attacked you the moment you revealed his secret. It seems he obtained some kind of comprehensive inheritance, one that allowed him to know such information…"
"Oh! How did I not notice? But Mother, do you intend to inform the other elders about this?.. They've been paying some attention to me since my duel with him. Perhaps they're thinking of recruiting him as well."
Wu Ji's demeanor was highly respectful now. The arrogance and haughtiness she once displayed were gone, replaced by respect toward her mother, utterly unlike her previous behavior. This was nothing strange to Elder Chen Yue. Ever since she had taken Wu Ji in, she had known of this side of her. She treated it as natural, as though nothing were amiss.
"Little Ji, I have no intention of stealing this young man's inheritance, no matter how valuable it is. With my influence, only inheritances of Rank Five could truly interest me… Also, you must get closer to this boy so that he joins our clan. As for the other elders, they are nothing but cunning foxes who wish to smear my reputation by using your defeat. Other than that, none of them are determined enough to fight me over recruiting him."
The discussion between mother and daughter dragged on, while the screen continued to display Fang Tian's bizarre behavior—sometimes shouting, sometimes scratching his head, at other times muttering unintelligible words. In the end, he finally calmed down. Wu Ji then left and headed toward the room located on the outer part of the mountain.
When she opened the door, Fang Tian was sitting at the small table, eating slowly. He raised his head at the sound of the door opening, and when he recognized Wu Ji's features, he cursed:
"Bitch!"
Wu Ji's expression twitched, and she nearly kicked him. But upon examining Fang Tian more closely, she restrained herself. Fang Tian's complexion had turned deathly pale. Several scars marred his face and arms—some large, others small—while numerous burns covered his body. Wu Ji could not help but notice a burn scar emerging from his collarbone, spreading across the right side of his body up to his neck. His green hair had been completely burned away, leaving only a few strands on his head.
"You're in a miserable state… I suppose I went a bit too far."
"Oh, no need to apologize with words. You can just give me a million primeval stones, and I'll forget about it!"
Fang Tian smiled innocently and weakly at Wu Ji, causing her expression to twitch slightly. She could not endure his mockery and revealed her true intent.
"So? Have you thought it through—join my clan, or live like a corpse for a year or two and then explode?"
Fang Tian's smile vanished, replaced by a rigid expression. Wu Ji said nothing more. She leaned against the wall, folded her arms over her robe, and waited for his answer. After a short while, Fang Tian raised his head and spoke:
"I'll join the Wu Clan, but I have several conditions."
As he said this, he raised his hand toward Wu Ji, signaling for her to look.
