Chapter 670: Advancement Plan

**Chapter 664: Advancing the Plan**

He Lingchuan understood, glancing outside the door. There was no one there, not even a guard from the Concord Guard, who couldn't be bothered to come over. He casually set up a barrier before saying, "Speak freely."

Fang Canran didn't stand on ceremony. "Did you get the Frost Pills?"

"Sort of. I've already had someone appraise them," He Lingchuan shrugged. "Hope they're usable."

Fang Canran repeatedly said "Good," then asked, "The Thunder-Armored Behemoth's last egg, was it truly lost?"

"It also shattered."

He Lingchuan had already given the winged suit to a servant for washing. Once dry, he would return it directly to Fu Shanyue. When he flew over the ridge earlier, he happened to see the Thunder-Armored Behemoth leading its kin, furiously pursuing the leader of the Beastless to the foot of the mountain, seemingly intent on revenge. At that time, he already suspected that the last beast egg hadn't survived either.

The reason was simple: if the eggs were still there, even just one, the Thunder-Armored Behemoth wouldn't have been able to leave to pursue the Beastless. Its power was truly immense, but its cunning was far inferior to that of its enemy.

He Lingchuan left the mountainous area, returned south, and along the way, he gathered some Rinse Pearls before reuniting with the Chiyan team near the Eye of the Storm. His teammates' eyewitness accounts confirmed his suspicions: the conflict between the two powerful creatures had affected the nest, and with the nest overturned, no eggs remained intact.

Lord-tier Danube Beasts have great difficulty reproducing. The Thunder-Armored Behemoth had likely waited for many years to produce these three eggs, only to have them all destroyed in one go. It would be strange if it didn't go berserk. The Beastless leader escaped quickly, so the Thunder-Armored Behemoth took its rage out on the innocent human visitors, electrocuting a dozen people to death on the spot. Seeing it begin to rampage, everyone fled.

The Chiyan team had already begun to retreat earlier, so they suffered no losses.

Fang Canran wrung his hands, his regret evident. He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "You're not the Thunder-Armored Behemoth. Why are you upset?"

This fellow's words were truly sharp, but Fang Canran didn't mind. A few days ago, they were fighting to the death; now, such remarks indicated that their relationship had grown considerably closer. "Lord-tier Danube Beasts have difficulty reproducing, and the Thunder-Armored Behemoth especially cherishes its offspring. The complete loss of its eggs must be a huge blow to it."

"So?"

"These Lord-tier Danube Beasts temporarily lose strength after laying offspring," Fang Canran rubbed his hands. "The Thunder-Armored Behemoth laid its eggs before encountering the beast tide and sandstorm, and then fought a great battle with the Beastless leader. Its vital energy is probably severely depleted and won't fully recover in a short time. This might even be a help to you."

He Lingchuan asked more directly, "What do you intend to do to it?" Even injured, the Thunder-Armored Behemoth at this moment was not something humans or monsters would dare to provoke.

"I heard two eggs shattered in the nest, and one was taken by the Beastless?" Fang Canran stared at him. "Did you... by any chance pick up any eggshells or anything?"

"You want the Thunder-Armored Behemoth's eggshell?" He Lingchuan frowned. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Who could have known about these changes beforehand?" Fang Canran gave a wry smile. "I only had some new ideas for our plan after hearing about the continuous incidents in the F-Realm."

Before he finished speaking, an egg appeared on the table. A perfectly intact egg. It was the size of a bucket, its surface covered with blue and green snowflake patterns.

Fang Canran was momentarily stunned, hearing He Lingchuan ask him, "What ideas?"

"No..." Fang Canran instinctively reached out to touch the egg. "You... you snatched it back from the Beastless?!" This was a Lord-tier Danube Beast's egg?

He Lingchuan grunted, "And I was hunted down for it."

Fang Canran subconsciously ignored that last remark and muttered, "In the past three hundred years, only twice have Lord-tier Danube Beast eggs been brought back from the Grass Sea Hunt, and they both fetched astronomical prices!" It wasn't that Spirit Void City's teams weren't strong; rather, Lord Danube Beasts rarely laid eggs, and the chances of that coinciding with the Gate of Storms opening period were already very slim. Was this kid highly skilled, or just incredibly lucky? Or both?

He Lingchuan looked at the beast egg. "What's the special use for this thing?"

"Usually, it's useless."

"..." Then how could it fetch an astronomical price?

"Valuable things aren't necessarily useful," Fang Canran said, his gaze fixed on the beast egg. "With this kind of item, its main appeal is its rarity."

He Lingchuan recalled the wealthy nobles of Spirit Void City, who liked to use unique items to adorn their treasuries and display their status.

"Come on," he casually tapped the beast egg, earning a worried and scared look from Fang Canran. "Tell me your new ideas."

Fang Canran squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Don't break it!"

"It rolled dozens of times on rocks and didn't crack. What's there to be afraid of?"

"Wait, did you just say someone was hunting you?"

The fellow finally reacted. "Yes, his name was Hu Bin, a mercenary. But I think that might have been a fake name and a fake face."

Fang Canran was accustomed to strange treasures and didn't find this surprising. "Will it affect our plan?"

"He was being hunted by the Beastless leader, so he might already be dead," He Lingchuan still felt a faint worry in his heart.

Fang Canran breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good." He Lingchuan's plan seemed increasingly viable; even he was starting to invest in it. He didn't want He Lingchuan to be targeted at this time, revealing the plan.

He Lingchuan leaned back. "You're saying this egg will help our plan?"

"I have an idea," Fang Canran said, pressing the enormous egg and grinning widely. "Perhaps it can be of great help to you."

"Having a plan is good, but you wouldn't want to handle it yourself, would you?" He Lingchuan felt there was something sinister about Fang Canran's smile.

"Why?"

He Lingchuan bared his teeth. "Your practical skills are truly... terrible!" Fang Canran was excellent at planning and organizing, but terrible at hands-on execution, as evidenced by their confrontation at Yuetxiang Villa.

"..." Fang Canran's face twitched. "Don't worry, this matter is significant. I have my own discretion."

He Lingchuan smiled without a word. Indeed, he had guessed correctly that Fang Canran wasn't acting alone.

Afterward, the two discussed the uses of the Thunder-Armored Beast egg, exchanging detailed and in-depth opinions. He Lingchuan always felt that this fellow was still holding something back. But as long as his own plan could be seen through to the end, he didn't care if others harbored hidden motives. If he had no ulterior motives, why would Fang Canran help him?

After their discussion, Fang Canran took the egg away. He had provided He Lingchuan with a great deal of help; the oath chain alone was invaluable. Now that Fang Canran requested this egg, He Lingchuan truly had no reason to refuse.

He Lingchuan watched his retreating figure, letting out a long sigh of relief. This adventure in the F-Realm had advanced his Ruined Mountain Plan by several steps. He hoped everything else would go smoothly as well.

Upon returning to Dun Garden, Fang Canran dismissed his attendants, set up a barrier, and then stroked the large parrot on its perch. "Uncle Ling, call a meeting tonight. It's time for us to act."

The parrot, which had been half-dozing, instantly perked up. "Ah, ah! We've been preparing for so long; have we finally found the right opportunity?" As its excitement grew, its feathers immediately fluffed up and expanded, making one parrot look almost twice its size.

"Indeed. I finally see a glimmer of hope for success!" Fang Canran lowered his gaze to the threaded signet ring on his hand and clenched his fist. "We've been accumulating power for a long time; we must ensure a world-shattering outcome. Heh, Spirit Void City has had it too good for too long. It's time to let them see our strength!"

The parrot was a bit uneasy. "Is it stable? Our previous attempts failed, fortunately without exposing you. But this time..." This time, He Lingchuan had seen Fang Canran and knew his background.

"We'll act only if he succeeds; if he fails, our plan is canceled," Fang Canran said calmly. "He can't expose me either, otherwise, why would I have given him the oath chain?" "Do you know who to contact?" he asked the parrot. "Secrecy first."

The latter cackled, "Of course." Then, it flapped its wings and flew away.

For the next two days, He Lingchuan outwardly did not engage in any serious business. He simply wandered through the markets and made new friends. This was what Young Master He was best at; he was completely at ease doing it.

During this time, the matter he had asked Old Dan to inquire about received a reply: "Young Master, everything at the Hong residence is as usual."

He Lingchuan paused. "What about Hong Chenglue?"

"Yesterday, he accepted General Golden Horn's invitation and went to Dun Garden."

Hong Chenglue was still alive? So the mercenary Hu Bin, who had tried to assassinate him in the F-Realm, wasn't Hong Chenglue in disguise? Or did he escape the pursuit of the Beastless leader? After all, when He Lingchuan flew high on his wings, he saw the Thunder-Armored Behemoth leading its subordinates into the mountains to settle accounts with the Beastless. At that time, Hu Bin was leading the Beastless leader in an escape, so if their paths had converged, there was a slight chance of him escaping.

"What about three days ago?" Three days ago, both he and Hu Bin were in the F-Realm.

"General Hong had been away for several days and only returned home yesterday," Old Dan said. "As for where he went, the servants aren't clear."

That made it hard to say. He Lingchuan raised his hand and rewarded Old Dan with a silver ingot. In Spirit Void City, he wasn't worried about the other party ambushing him again.

Two days later, he gathered with Gao Jilin, Du Shan, and others for drinks again. Ever since his true name was exposed at Xiangman Tower, He Lingchuan no longer hid or pretended; he simply called his friends to join him for a full day of eating, drinking, and entertainment. He was a man of substance, often hitting the nail on the head with his remarks, which earned him great praise from his peers. After two drinking sessions, everyone became as close as lifelong friends.

In just a few days, He Lingchuan's circle of friends rotated twice; only Jiang Tao, Gao Jilin, and Du Shan remained constant presences.

This time, two guests from the East joined them at the table. He Lingchuan had specifically asked Jiang Tao to invite them. When the Celestial God invaded his consciousness, the third question asked was about his connection to the Kingdom of Mou. Since the Celestial God was so concerned about this country, He Lingchuan felt it necessary to learn more about it.

These two were brothers, Dou Wenguan and Dou Wuxing, both in their early twenties. They bore a slight resemblance to each other, but one was from the Kingdom of Mou, while the other was from the Sand River Basin bordering Mou. Upon asking, he learned that Dou Wenguan had moved to the Kingdom of Mou with his father when he was young, while his younger brother Dou Wuxing had remained in their hometown.

Although they were brothers, their temperaments were vastly different: Dou Wenguan was far more eloquent than Jiang Tao; he spoke logically and carried an infectious sincerity that made people trust him.