An explosion that tore the heavens apart.
That was the only way to describe the power of a Rank 9 Immortal Gu exploding.
Its divine intensity was beyond anything that could be described.
Kao Dao Ji gritted his teeth whilst covering his hands.
The bright green light, sun-like flash was so powerful that his own senses were overwhelmed.
At that moment.
He touched his forehead, which felt a sharp pain within its insides.
And his eyes turned blurry.
The environment changed.
…
…
…
He stood alongside other members of Heavenly Court before the Heaven Overseer Lord.
"Many of you may not be privy to this. However. Many of you are." The lord shook his head.
"Star Constellation never died. She has always been with us; she became the Heavens and Earth around us.
Her beauty and light have guided us for untold eras." His expression was peaceful; he stretched his hands into the air as he spoke in a fervent tone.
"Through her voice! We have survived where countless forces have fallen. Even those who were once supported by Venerables.
But we.
We have remained strong.
Due to our efforts, and due to her guidance.
It's through her that humans have remained supreme."
But then his expression grew solemn.
"But the crisis before us. It's far greater than anything that has ever happened in history!
Not even when Fate was damaged, or when the Dragoman tried to rise up, or when Spectral Soul killed two-thirds of the Immortals on the world.
None of them ever approached the danger Heavenly Court and humanity are currently at.
A being from an era that has not even started has regressed using the tool of the sinner Red Lotus, Spring Autumn Cicada!"
His words were solemn.
His expression was heavy.
"Whatever their goals may be, we suspect that they will intend to make use of that same tool to resurrect themselves. We even suspect that they intend to revive in one of our bodies."
"But we will not allow this!" He clenched his fist, and then raised it to the air.
"Star Constellation guided our path like the stars in the sky guide the sailors. But Primordial Origin was the one who built the boat, the foundation on which we stand.
Primordial Origin already suspected that one day the enemies of humanity would try to infiltrate Heavenly Court.
And he arranged a tool to prevent such betrayal."
"The Chaotic Qi Poison Liquor."
"This liquor is divided into two halves. Upon consuming either of the two, the body will remain stable.
But after a week, the body will collapse.
The only way to amend this is by taking the other half before that period.
But replicating this liquor is impossible! It was made personally by Primordial Origin using his own blood.
While we hope we will not have to rely on this, we have in mind one final trap.
If the owner of Spring Autumn Cicada activates the Gu to seize one of the bodies.
They will soon discover that they will be trapped in a dying body!"
The eyes of Kao Dao Ji trembled.
As he processed this piece of information.
He finally understood everything.
Why Star Constellation had acted so recklessly, allowing Blue Lead to fight against Crimson Soul one-on-one so blatantly.
Her original plan was for Fang Yuan to seize the opportunity mid-combat and steal the body of Blue Lead, or that of any other Immortal from Heavenly Court.
The moment he did so, he would be condemned.
The plan turned out to be unnecessary the moment Spring Autumn Cicada was detonated.
Or at least it seemed so on the surface.
Even then, Star Constellation arranged this second trap.
Blue Lead body was carried by the wind and, coincidentally, instead of falling down into the sky, was caught by several clouds.
Giving Fang Yuan the prime opportunity to steal it, and the move was subtle.
Most people would not consider the possibility of a scheme behind such a move.
Not to mention, the prophecy.
While he was no longer sure if it truly had been Star Constellation the one who gave the prophecy, whoever had given it knew that this would happen from the very beginning.
In the end, the one who fell into the trap was him alone.
This was the end.
"Snap out of it! Crimson Soul is approaching." Fang Yuan said inside his mind.
At the next moment.
King Crimson manifested in front of his vision.
A powerful punch was unleashed, and Kao Dao Ji was unable to avoid.
Only at the last moment, instinctively, he was able to activate a defensive Gu to survive.
A blue light collided with a red-black shockwave.
Crimson Soul smiled viciously.
"The attack failed to kill him. But judging by his sluggish reactions, it must have had a huge impact on him. I only need to push him a bit further, and he will die!"
[Infamy Gu]
[Infamy Gu]
[Infamy Gu]
With every blow, Infamy Gu was activated once more, whilst Kao Dao Ji merely instinctively avoided or blocked.
In one of the many exchanges.
Crimson Soul and King Crimson struck at once from two different angles.
But he remained still like a statue, his expression a complete daze.
Kao Dao Ji failed at everything he was supposed to accomplish.
He was reborn at the worst possible time.
In a foreign body whose path he held no understanding of.
He was reborn after every one of his Clan had died.
He had been reborn right at the apogee of Crimson Soul, when there was nothing to fix.
And now he discovered that his body was plagued by poison that had been arranged by Heavenly Court from the very beginning.
At that thought, the frozen Kao Dao Ji finally smiled.
"Hope is truly the most bitter poison of all." He sighed.
And closed his eyes.
This outcome had been foreseen by him long ago.
While even now he still did not understand who was the one who guided his life to this point.
He knew about every Venerable in recorded history.
No matter who they were, their attitude towards Variant Humans was at the absolute best of indifference.
Even Red Lotus, the traitor of Heavenly Court, only opposed them in the necessity of Fate Gu; in everything else.
He agreed on.
Evil gods. Indifferent gods. Righteous gods.
They were the same.
No matter who it had been, he stood in their absolute way, and thus.
He was to be discarded like a broken toy.
"If I am to be broken, then let it be."
"Rip apart my body, gouge out my heart. Feast on my blood. Choke on my flesh!" He opened his mouth and screamed in primal fury.
And in reaction, the skies, which were already filled with a blue metallic fog, were set alight!
The pupils of Kao Dao Ji widened in bewilderment.
How had he done this?
But then.
He realized.
His Attainment had suddenly been elevated beyond any comprehensible logic.
Quasi-Supreme Attainment in Metal Path.
"Did I inherit the attainment of the original body?"
"Not quite." Fang Yuan suddenly spoke inside his mind.
"Spring Autumn Cicada overwrites the 'Will' within the soul, replacing it with a new 'Will.'
However, the process is not instantaneous.
Before this step is complete, the new will is put in control over the body, whilst the other is forced into a state of temporal stasis before erasure.
As of now.
The memories and emotions are being flushed out of your system.
That is also why you suddenly recalled memories that were not your own.
Do not get overconfident.
This attainment is ephemeral; it will dissipate within a few minutes."
Kao Dao Ji frowned.
His mind rapidly calculated.
Before a wide smile appeared on his face.
"Hahahahahaaha! It's finally here at last. My ultimate form!" He shouted with his arms stretched.
His body bathed in the blue spectral flames.
The sound of his voice propagated unnaturally amidst the crowd; everybody stared at him as if he were a mad man.
Except for one.
Kao Dao Ji, who was still caught by Thunder Ghost True Monarch, widened his eyes upon hearing those words.
Whilst Crimson Soul frowned.
While he felt confident in winning in the long run, Kao Dao Ji kept propagating the flames through the air.
It may have been wasteful, as the blue fog was rapidly expended without fulfilling its original purpose.
But it was also a powerful defensive technique; no matter how much he wanted to, he did not dare to approach.
Whilst Kao Dao Ji healed from his wounds.
"Hmph! Do you truly think I will be so foolish as to let you heal?" Crimson Soul spoke in an irritated tone.
"Hui Gui Yu! Come here, I need your help for something."
Hui Gui Yu tilted their head.
How on earth were they supposed to make a difference in such a chaotic battlefield amidst deities?
But as they approached.
They were suddenly grabbed by the throat.
The body of Crimson Soul flickered just a few dozen meters away from Thunder Ghost True Monarch.
Her true body was hovering just outside Kao Dao Ji's Aperture while a clone subjugated the trio inside the aperture.
Regardless.
With one swift motion.
Crimson Soul tossed her away and cut the connection with her avatar.
At that moment, Crimson Soul finally laughed heartily.
"You fucking idiot! The only reason why I fought so bravely before was simply that I had no other way; I was trapped in your formation, but not anymore.
So why the hell should I stay in your battleground?"
He grinned, opening Kao Dao Ji's Aperture.
He took a glimpse at Le Tu.
"Now I will enslave the fated venerable; Then, I will turn him into a zombie before forcing him to use Divine Travel Gu to teleport myself and the others out of here.
While there will be some heat towards that place, it will be far safer than here.
Furthermore, I can even use them as Gu Materials for refining Black Tainted Soul Gu."
Crimson Soul calculated internally.
He created an avatar of himself and forcefully injected it into Kao Dao Ji's Aperture.
Then that avatar appeared before Le Tu.
And forced his eyes wide open whilst staring at him with a vicious grin.
But at the next moment.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Crimson Soul, who was connected to his avatar through a spiritual connection, suddenly screamed in agony.
Outside the aperture, Le Tu suddenly appeared before his eyes.
His fists were bathed in intense blue flames. As he punched his face!
While the disparity in Ranks was massive, Le Tu possessed a Rank 7 Fire Path Immortal Gu!
That, added to the fact that Crimson Soul had suddenly fallen into shock, gave him the perfect opportunity to strike.
And surprisingly it landed!
Crimson Soul was tossed away while coughing blood; however, just as it went flying.
King Crimson teleported behind him and caught him.
The expression on Crimson Soul was quite the sight.
Without hesitation, he teleported again towards Le Tu.
"I don't know what you did, but you will regret it!" He shouted. Without hesitation, he grabbed tightly onto Le Tu's leg with his right hand.
And with his left arm, he chopped it.
Or at least he tried.
Once more.
Crimson Soul felt a sharp pain in his hand, whilst Le Tu remained inexplicably unharmed.
"How? HOW??? HOW????" Crimson Soul grew furious; he threw a flurry of kicks and blows towards Le Tu, who was unable to evade a single one.
Yet.
No matter how powerful his blows were, or even if he targeted his eyes or vital organs, or if he made use of clever moves to alter his blood flow or seize his heart, nothing worked!
?????
Suddenly.
He realized.
"Fate Armor Gu! He gave it to you, didn't he?" Crimson Soul suddenly shouted.
But then.
Behind him.
Spectral metallic blue flames were shot towards him.
Crimson Soul widened his eyes; he grabbed Le Tu by the throat and tossed him away.
Before preparing to block.
Inwardly, Kao Dao Ji frowned.
"He made the perfect choice in the split of a second. Had he ignored Le Tu completely, we could have besieged him from both sides and perhaps even killed him…"
But there was no time for regret.
While his actions had been a bluff to lure him into this position, he truly had healed using such a precious chance.
Not only that, but he had even charged his Killer Move.
While he charged the Killer Move, he contacted the Will of his alter ego and gave him his Fate Armor Gu, and spoke of his plans.
To ensure he would believe him, and to ensure Kao Dao Ji would inspect Treasure Yellow Heaven. He shouted those words.
His alter ego reacted as quickly as he predicted, quickly giving Le Tu Fate Armor Gu, which, together with the Rank 8 Immortal Essence embedded onto it.
Activated successfully.
And because Le Tu was a Fated Venerable, Fate Armor's defense was at its strongest; even a pseudo-venerable would struggle to do as much as scratch him.
Finally, while Crimson Soul was distracted by Le Tu, his alter ego successfully completed that step and made use of the cleared skies to drag him to the mix!
This plan was made in such a hurry, and truth be told, it was not truly his own.
But it relied on the prophecy.
But when the dream fades, and reality awaits —Cicada will stir its wings and burrow within the shell.Yin-Yang tides will converge; azure rays will vanquish the dark.The skies beyond will open and clear.The bridge to Heaven will be revealed.
The skies were opened as Spring Autumn Cicada exploded. Whilst the azure rays were produced by him just as he ignited the heavens above.
Finally.
He pieced the final part of the puzzle.
Of course, ordinarily teleporting a Rank 8 Immortal inside a Rank 6 Aperture would lead to permanent harm; however, for that he consulted Fang Yuan.
And he taught him how to suppress his aura for a tenth of a second, enabling him to step inside the aperture without crushing it.
And now.
All those steps were executed at last.
Crimson Soul's defenses faltered, and he was sent away alongside the flames.
Finally.
The skin of Le Tu had changed by the time Kao Dao Ji stared at him, like the plan said he would turn into a zombie.
Kao Dao Ji grabbed the throat of Hui Gui Yu whilst Le Tu absorbed the aperture of Kao Dao Ji and the others.
And then.
He activated Divine Travel Gu!
…..
….
….
He and the others inside his aperture were teleported.
At the very epicenter of a green barrier.
Where they were surrounded by a dozen Rank 8 Immortals from Heavenly Court.
Kao Dao Ji could not help but chuckle at the sight.
"I fucking knew it! Star Constellation would never leave anything to luck.
Divine Travel Gu was a trap from the very beginning.
Even if we had activated it before. This would have been the outcome!"
Yet even though he stepped into such a trap, he did not look flustered.
"What is another trap? I already fell in ten or so…" He thought to himself, with a bitter smile in his face.
However.
His smile widened.
"Besides. Before I inevitably die...There is some steam I still need to release!"