Kao Dao Ji stood in his aperture.
His smile was widening.
Enough time had passed, he stared at his aperture.
Apart from his other projects, he kept finding more and more ways to get rid of that annoying 10th layer of clouds, as of now, he was employing 5 different methods, which slowly drained the clouds.
Through them, he had finally reduced by more than a third the current clouds!
"Now, all I need to do is to waste a 100 Immortal Essence Beads, in Rain Gu, and it will be complete."
That was right, he no longer wanted to employ his previously steady method to dissolve them, as the long period he had long accrued had drove him mad.
Of course, apart from this reason, was that even if he got rid of half the layer, so what?
To truly bring his aperture to life he would still need to wait until it rained naturally, or rely on other methods.
And if he was going to employ Killer Moves to slowly drain the clouds and produce water, then why not do it now? Yes, the cost may be greater but he could save several months.
With this idea, he finally extended his two arms.
"Let there be Rain!" Intense azure and silver aura surged through his body, rhythmically.
Several sound waves spread across his aperture, forcing the surrounding clouds to pour rain.
This method was a Killer Move devised by Kao Dao Ji, using as the Core Rain Gu.
The effects of the Killer Move were quite identical in the nature, but they stretched over a longer period, thus taking far longer to achieve the same results.
With the advantage, that its cost in Immortal Essence was a lot lower.
In practical terms he was saving more than two fifths of the Immortal Essence by using this idea.
…
The rain grew more and more intense as the hours went by, the aperture which before looked filled with cracks and fissure, and looked devoid of life.
Was beginning to produce a massive ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Kao Dao Ji grinned.
"The ocean now is settled, now I only need to buy a few white-thread algae and a few breeds of electric eels, once I do this my aperture will truly begin to thrive in life."
Thinking of this, he immediately went through TYH and contacted a few buyers, he had already made plans to contact them beforehand, with a few he had even negotiated a price beforehand.
Thus, in a matter of hours he had already brought a ginormous amount of resources.
Which he carefully spread over his Immortal Aperture, of course apart from that he also bought enormous reserves of food, enough to feed his current animals for a few years.
And like this, his aperture slowly got filled with life.
Meanwhile.
Kao Yun Yun was staring tongue-tied, at the scene in front of her.
"This is…Problematic."
She touched her tiny glasses, several times while frowning staring at the unconscious body of Bai Lin Hua.
Her eyes were open wide, like those of a recently deceased corpse, most morbidly.
Her brain was completely exposed in the back of her head.
There were several needles incrusted onto the brain, reeking of black ink.
Not only that but one could see a gaseous substance across her whole brain.
"Clouded Thoughts Gu is even more formidable than I thought. Most of my methods are too ineffective, and whilst using Sunny Thoughts Gu can rapidly clear Clouded Thoughts, it's also too much for the brain.
While there is no harm in using a couple, their effect is too insignificant, but once I add up more her brain begins to melt.
I can use my Healing Wisdom Methods to prevent this but the situation is still too precarious, I will require a lot of time to complete the treatment.
Likely months."
"Things would be so much simpler, if I was not forced to preserve the integrity of her memories…
After all, if she loses even the slightest memories, it would be a huge loss for the Clan.
Not to mention that I also need to suppress the seal in her hippocampus.
Still, the fact that she does have this seal means that she must belong to some sort of Immortal group, most likely a demonic one.
Learning of their trails could be quite useful, perhaps I could sell this info elsewhere if need be."
She thought with some joy inside her heart.
"Still, whilst my Reading Thoughts Gu is quite useful, I have heard rumors of the mythical 'Soul Search' Gu, unlike mine, this one does not require the target to be conscious before using it.
And does not expend significative Immortal Essence.
Hopefully I can take this Gu Recipe from her, if I did our information network would grow ten times stronger!"
With this idea, she kept pressing forward.
Ignoring the rising tiredness.
However.
In her eagerness.
She failed to notice a faint purple glimpse in her eyes, that faded just as quickly.
In another corner of the world.
There were a pair of men, standing alongside a table.
They had luxurious food, and drinks, as well as beauties dancing and singing around them.
However, their gazes were completely focused in the cards in their hands.
"I activate my spell card, two-sided betrayal.
This card forces one of my cards to attack one of my own, and similarly forces the same effect to you.
I choose my crimson wings bat, to attack my roaming zombie.
Crimson Wing bat effect triggers, and I kill the monster triggering its death effect." A man with a pale skin, and a tall nose spoke calmly.
With a huge grin in his face.
"Crimson Wing bat's effect is that for every single point of damage it deals, I heal an equal amount, whilst with my roaming zombie I can summon as many 1 cost zombies as I have in my graveyard." He laughed whole heartedly.
Before taking a sip from his red wine, after he drank it he let out a pleasant sound.
"Hahah…It does seem that whether in this game or in reality, my Blood Path is still stronger.
Now that the chain has been triggered, I will tribute those monsters to-"
But the other man raised his card and said.
"Counter effect, I trigger my 'Unavoidable Fate', spell from my hand, which for the remainder of the turn will deny the revival of any monsters into the battlefield." A feminine man spoke calmly, his long nails painted in green were clearly seen.
But the other man simply groaned at seeing the gesture.
"Since when did you have this card in your deck? I thought you were playing a soul archetype."
The feminine man laughed calmly.
"Hahahaha! But that's the beauty of it, because of your own conceptions you never expected me to have such card." Then he added.
"When strength is even, the thing which decides victory or defeat is often, unpredictability.
And honestly, life is far more enjoyable when one looks at things from more than a single angle."
Then he sighed.
"Such a shame though. While Immortals can easily view the lenses and beauty of this world through a myriad pathways, we immortals are so limited in our capabilities.
The more we progress, the more fixed we become in our own Dao.
And thus, the stronger we become the stronger the chains blocking us become."
The pale man chuckled.
"Hah…You weirdo, you truly think everyone is like you who likes to delve into every pathway, as if they were clothing."
Then, he pointed at his clothing.
"Speaking of that, what on earth are you wearing?
What, now that you've run out of men's clothing to use, you decided to give it a try at the one of women?"
He said staring at the skirt that the man was wearing.
Who merely smiled in response.
"Like I said, you are looking at things from such a narrow view point.
So, what if I wear feminine clothing?
I know who I am.
While in the past I held myself back from my true nature, back when I was a mortal it was only because I had no other choice.
But now?
Why should I?
Who's going to stop me." His tone grew cold at those last words.
Before softening as he added.
"I thought you of all people would understand, considering your unusual path…"
The pale man merely snorted coldly.
"You think we are alike, you privileged bastard!
You chose Transformation Path, because you thought it was interesting.
I chose Blood Path because I had no other choice.
That was also the reason why I joined the Spectral Blood Sect.
You?
You merely joined here because you did not like to play by the rules of the righteous!"
The other man simply stated.
"You are not completely wrong."
"I indeed chose to join the demonic, because I despise the righteous.
Especially those of the northern plains.
Such people.
The very thought of prostrating before them, before that pig of a father I have.
Before that piece of garbage of Giant Sun…
The very thought makes me want to puke!" As he said those last words, his body grew in size.
Becoming more muscular, and his voice grew deeper.
As the two looked at each other deep in the eye.
Suddenly.
"You two! What on earth do you think you are doing? Not only you have been wasting the past hours, playing cards. But now you are even starting a fight.
Do you not take me, Crimson Soul Patriarch into consideration?"
The two-man turned to glance at the patriarch, whose head was pale with a faint blue, and looked inflated.
Whilst his eyes were of a deep dark red.
Still, despite his comical looking face.
The two dared not to laugh, instead they prostrated before him.
"Why do we have to pleasure to meet you, sir?"
Crimson Soul Patriarch snorted coldly.
"Why? Why you ask? You truly were neglecting your duties, as I told you before, I wanted you to check on Bai Lin Hua's status. And yet, you brought no results.
While I can accept that this was not up to you, one of my subordinates by chance, ended up receiving one of those rescue signals.
And after a minor investigation she learnt that she had been sending those signals since 7 hours ago.
Yet, you never reported this to me.
Were you truly this incompetent, or were you purposefully neglecting your duties?"
The two prostrating man trembled.
"Sir, we were just incompetent!"
"B-But we can make up for it, just ask whatever you want, and we will fulfill."
The man raised his beard, and began touching it.
Before saying.
"Anything you say? Well. Then go and investigate. Find exactly who did this.
Once you do. Report them to me. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir!" The two said at once, before flying away as fast as they could.