Liu Nan sighed as he felt his attainment level drop.
Liu Nan had been born within a Grotto-Heaven and had been trained by his Master for over two hundred years. When he had fought Fang Yuan, he had not been using his full strength, much like Fang Yuan had not been using his.
Liu Nan was not actually a Poison Path specialist. Although he was relatively fine fighting with it, he was, in truth, a Pill Path Gu Master and had reached Master-level attainment in the same. However, in order to help his Teacher construct a tribulation for Fang Yuan, he had been forced to sacrifice part of this. Because of this, his own attainment fell to quasi-Master level, the same as Fang Yuan's.
'What a waste,' he thought to himself. He had ended up making Fang Yuan stronger rather than weakening him in any regard.
He had worked hard to obtain Master level attainment in the Pill Path. Heaven still suppressed this path in question, and it was not easy to research it. If it hadn't been for his teacher's help, he never would've even gotten half as far as he did. And to go through all of that only for Fang Yuan to take a portion of the results...
Fang Yuan was no friend of theirs. However, for their plan to succeed, they needed his help. Unfortunately, forces greater than or equal to theirs were leading Fang Yuan astray from the path originally envisioned for him - they needed Fang Yuan right now but Fang Yuan in turn did not need them. There might even be the case that Fang Yuan would begin opposing them in the future!
Liu Nan had tried to take Charity Gu from Fang Yuan in order to limit his growth, but failed. Before he could try anything else, he had been recalled back home in order to help constructing the dream realm to obstruct Fang Yuan.
Yet even that had failed...
"There's no need to despair," a voice called out to him.
He turned around. He was currently in the central part of the Grotto-Heaven in question. Several Rank Six Gu Immortals who lived within the Grotto-Heaven surrounded him. Ordinarily, this area would be open only to Immortals. However, Liu Nan had earned his Master's trust and so was allowed here.
"You may have lost your attainment level," the voice continued, "but that is not the end of things. You can always regain your attainment."
"I was not complaining about it too much, Master," Liu Nan said, bowing his head lightly. "After all, the only reason I was able to advance in the Pill Path is thanks to notes that you had left behind."
"Well, those notes were not entirely mine," his teacher said. "They were left behind by some of my friends during my time in the Heavenly Court. However, it's clear that that was not enough to dissuade Fang Yuan." In truth, Fang Yuan's final tribulation that Heaven's Will had sent was not a Dream Path tribulation, but rather a Human Path one!
Heaven's Will had relied upon the two of them to create an artificial dream realm which they modified in an attempt to get Fang Yuan on their side; to appeal to his humanity by showing him a world where he was happy. Red Lotus had been able to see into the future, and thought that by reminding Fang Yuan of Xie Han Mo he might be able to manipulate him. But that did not seem to move Fang Yuan in the slightest. Fang Yuan, so long as it suited his needs, would continue to defend Fate Gu.
"It is finally time," his teacher told him. The hairs on Liu Nan's neck began to stand up.
"It's finally time, Teacher? Are you saying that I can really...?"
"Yes. It is time for you to ascend to a Gu Immortal," his teacher answered. "Fang Yuan has ascended to Rank Six, and if you intend to counter him in the future, you will also need to be a Gu Immortal."
"Understood. I will not let you down," Liu Nan said.
Liu Nan was speaking to his teacher near a large body of water at the center of the Grotto-Heaven. However, upon closer inspection, one would find that it was not a body of water - at least not an ordinary one. This was a stream directly taken from the River of Time itself and the most sacred of areas in the Grotto-Heaven.
The shadowy figure that represented his teacher belonged to none other than Red Lotus Immortal Venerable!
'Yes, Immortal Venerable, not Demonic Venerable,' Liu Nan thought to himself. The Heavenly Court had branded his teacher a Demonic Venerable simply because he did not dance according to their whims. But that didn't change the fact that his master was a righteous cultivator. 'Hmph - Heavenly Court - more like Fraudenly Court!' Liu Nan thought.
"Do not worry, we will without a doubt succeed," Red Lotus's Will said from within the River of Time. "The nature of the Great Dao is to be ever-changing. The Heavenly Court pretends that they are doing Heaven's bidding by controlling Fate and ensuring human supremacy. However, Heaven is never stagnant. They are instead corrupting Fate, twisting it to their own ends in an attempt to maintain the status quo forever. However, that goes against the very law of Heaven itself. They are nothing more than hypocrites - people perverting and distorting a fragment of the Heavenly Dao for their own gains in a way that was never intended. And soon enough, whether they realize it or not, their actions will catch up to them. Their very actions of using Fate Gu in order to ensure the fact that humanity reigns supreme forever and ever will, ironically, be the reason that Heaven will turn against them and work towards the destruction of Fate Gu."
Liu Nan then shattered the crystal walls of his Rank Five Peak Stage aperture. The other Gu Immortals in the area, as well as the Grotto-Heaven's Land Spirit, came to aid him in his ascension.
It was time to become a Pill Path Gu Immortal!
'When I ascend - I will call myself - the Immortal Apothecary!'