Shi Hao was surprised and said, "The bastard you’re talking about, is it Master Qian Ji?"
"Damn, how did you know?" Little Pig had been pretending to be profound, but Shi Hao’s words shocked it so much that it fell flat on the ground.
"Hahaha!" Both Knight Sanye and his horse laughed so hard that they rocked back and forth.
Boom, it clearly didn’t know the saying ’joy turns to sorrow’, and was kicked far away by Little Pig, spewing green Ganoderma blood.
Shi Hao felt a pang of heartache, as that could be used to enhance cultivation, after all.
He looked away and said, "You aren’t in cahoots with Gu Shiyun, are you?"
"Pfft!" Little Pig sprayed again, "You even know Old Gu?"
Shi Hao smiled, "Master Qian Ji wants to refine Yunding Star into a Five Elements Primal Sphere, and this was what Old Gu told me."
Little Pig shook its head, "No, Old Gu is now confused, doesn’t recognize anyone, and is constantly targeted by the heavens. Whoever crosses him is bound to be plagued by bad luck, but you, you don’t seem like an unlucky guy."
Damn, Old Gu, you’re so deceptive.
Shi Hao was speechless, Old Gu, oh Old Gu, why didn’t you mention this?
"Old Gu has already regained his senses," he said. "What’s going on your side then, another of Old Gu’s plans?"
"No, I’m the key to saving the world!" Little Pig said proudly, "As long as the Fire Origin on the Eastern Fire Continent is removed, Yunding Star will lose its balance of the Five Elements, losing the key element needed to refine into a magic artifact."
"Would that cause other issues?" Shi Hao looked at the Purple Gold Rat.
The Purple Gold Rat thought for a moment, "The most likely outcome is the disruption of the Five Elements balance, causing a massive explosion that would destroy the entire Celestial Body."
Shi Hao agreed with the Purple Gold Rat’s judgment. He nodded, acknowledging that this was likely Old Gu’s final move. If Gu Tong’s plan to take Yunding Star to the Immortal Realm failed, might as well destroy Yunding Star, not allowing Master Qian Ji to benefit from it.
It’s ruthless, but also a do-or-die approach.
Little Pig was dumbfounded, seemingly unable to believe it.
All along, it thought it was saving Yunding Star, but suddenly being told that removing the Fire Origin would cause the star to collapse?
"This dumb pig is hit hard!" Knight Sanye said.
"As if you weren’t hit hard, too," the horse said disdainfully.
"I’m much more resilient than that dumb pig," Knight Sanye said.
This time, Little Pig paid no mind to the split-personality Ganoderma Spirit, it sighed long and hard, "At first, Old Gu entrusted such an important task to me, I felt flattered, but it turns out he didn’t rely on me at all!"
"But how are you still alive if you’re just a Great Sacrificial Heaven?" Shi Hao asked in surprise.
Little Pig scoffed, "How could you fathom the magic of mine?"
The Purple Gold Rat sneered, revealing, "It has Dragon Blood flowing in its veins, so its lifespan is unusually long, and since it’s been in a state of sleep, the passage of time slowed for it, so it could easily live tens of thousands of years."
Little Pig looked at the Purple Gold Rat, its mouth twitching.
Who is this, constantly ruining my pretentious moments?
Shi Hao was still curious, "How did Old Gu trick you into coming here?"
"I was accidentally brought out by Old Gu during an adventure in a forbidden place in the Immortal Realm," Little Pig said. "At that time, I was just an egg, innately damaged, and it was Old Gu who spent countless efforts to hatch me."
No wonder this guy is so loyal to Old Gu, so that’s the story.
Innately damaged, even after birth, its growth was slow to a shocking degree, often falling into a state of sleep. Fortunately, with a Dragon Clan background, it could live a very long and lengthy life.
And because it could live long enough, Old Gu assigned it such a task.
Shi Hao grinned, if it weren’t for him bringing along the Purple Gold Rat, if he directly removed the Fire Origin, wouldn’t that have killed him?
Old Gu, couldn’t you be more reliable, leaving such a backup plan without giving any heads-up?
"Is Old Gu awake now?" Little Pig asked.
"Fool, let’s go find Old Gu, having dared to deceive us, we need to settle this," Little Pig said loudly.
Knight Sanye shrugged, "You talk as if you can beat him."
Thump, the consequence of a sharp tongue was being kicked away.
Little Pig ran off with the Ganoderma Spirit, leaving Shi Hao no chance to open his mouth to ask it to leave some more essence.
"Clever." Shi Hao sighed.
This trip was a wild goose chase, but he also realized how ruthless Old Gu could be.
Moreover, at that time, unguarded, he fell victim to Master Qian Ji’s scheme, only to then be thrown back to Yunding Star and punished by the heavens, yet he still managed to set up Little Pig as a backup plan.
In this respect, Shi Hao had to admire.
Once worshipped by Myriad Sects, and after entering the Immortal Realm, obtaining exotic treasures with Artifact Spirits like Yue Ying, Old Gu’s fortune was formidable, except he still couldn’t make Yue Ying recognize a master.
"Bah!" Yue Ying spat, utterly disdainful.
Shi Hao thought for a moment, then said, "Now, let’s head to the place where Yuan Chengmie fell."
Back then, Yuan Chengmie obtained the Nine Revolutions Sky-Plundering Scripture, but accidentally triggered restrictions, resulting in his body being destroyed, and his soul severely injured, forcing him to possess Shi Hao, only to end up dead.
Shi Hao wanted to see what kind of place it was.
He certainly wouldn’t delve in deeply now, back then even Yuan Chengmie, who had the Heaven Building Ladder, perished, let alone when he was just a Great Sacrificial Heaven.
Just to see if there were any benefits to be had.
It wasn’t on the Four Continents, but in the depths of the sea.
This naturally didn’t trouble Shi Hao. He had mastered the Primordial Scripture, and as he entered the ocean, the sea automatically parted on both sides, allowing him to walk as if on flat ground.
After half a day, he arrived at the location.
However, what lay before him was just ruins.
Previously, Yuan Chengmie had triggered the restrictions, destroying the entire ancient relic.
There were still some broken stone pillars, fallen walls, and such, but based on these remnants, it was far from enough to deduce the original purpose of the relic.
Shi Hao was very disappointed, this lead was broken too.
He returned to the land, unexpectedly encountering Gu Tong as soon as he landed.
"Brother Gu," Shi Hao greeted.
Gu Tong nodded, "I’ve met with my father already; this time, I really have to thank you."
Shi Hao smiled, "I gained from it too."
Saving Gu Shiyun should be considered a transaction; he learned the Sky-Flipping Seal, and what he paid was the Neptune Star Divine Herb.
However, he owed Gu Tong a lot.
Gu Tong patted Shi Hao’s shoulder, his face still filled with gratitude.
He couldn’t leave Yunding Star— even if he did, he’d spend his remaining life drifting in endless space, never able to reach another life-bearing Celestial Body, so there was no way for him to get the Neptune Star Divine Herb.
"Brother Gu, when do you plan to take that step?" Shi Hao asked.