Under Fang Yuan's control, the Jinghong Turmoil Platform erupted once more with blinding red light.
The crimson glow stretched several zhang long, like raging flames burning.
A mysterious power permeated the fiery radiance. Every Vajra Tribulation Bead that crashed onto the Immortal Gu House was swept up by the red light and sealed within.
With the Ninth Transformation Immortal Essence left behind by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable, the Jinghong Turmoil Platform activated its full power at this moment.
Crack, clatter...
The entire Immortal Gu House trembled violently, rattling noisily.
Absorbing the Seli Vajra Tribulation was still a tremendous strain. After all, this was a catastrophe!
But in the end, Fang Yuan succeeded.
More and more Vajra beads were brought under his control, temporarily sealed within the Jinghong Turmoil Platform.
But Fang Yuan paid a steep price for this.
"Just now in that long fight, I hadn't even used thirty percent of the handful of Giant Sun Immortal Essence I scattered. After absorbing over a hundred Vajra beads, all of it was completely consumed!"
The staggering rate of Giant Sun Immortal Essence depletion startled Fang Yuan inwardly.
But now was no time for second thoughts. He scattered another handful of Giant Sun Immortal Essence.
The Jinghong Turmoil Platform surged with power—not only did it remain unscathed amid the catastrophe, it swept up even more Vajra beads, growing stronger instead.
The Heaven Encroachment Tower was itself a Ninth Transformation Immortal Gu House—its defense was astonishing to begin with, and with the Fate Immortal Gu stationed within, it possessed a natural countermeasure against calamities.
Meanwhile, Fang Yuan's Jinghong Turmoil Platform, bolstered by the Giant Sun Immortal Essence, exceeded its normal limits, fully displaying the profound mysteries of Time Dao, growing stronger rather than weaker.
After this wave of catastrophe, only the Shadow Sect's Feathered Saint City suffered the heaviest damage. Even though they had lost a massive number of wishing-power mortal Gu, the loss paled in comparison to Fang Yuan and Heavenly Court.
The Seli Vajra Tribulation lasted for half an incense stick's time before coming to an abrupt halt.
It gave no respite to the three factions of Gu Immortals. The second wave of catastrophe descended.
Rings of light blazed across the sky, and from them charged countless giant deer.
Each deer was the size of an elephant, their bodies semi-transparent, appearing to be composed entirely of white light.
The Primordial Wild Beast—Heavenly Fate Light Deer!
This was a catastrophe formed by Primordial Wild Beasts. Every Primordial Wild Beast could battle an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal. And now, no fewer than twenty-two Light Deer were charging down.
In other words, this was the equivalent of twenty-two Eighth Transformation combatants!
Undoubtedly, even if these Light Deer carried no wild Immortal Gu, this wave of catastrophe was far more terrifying than the first.
The herd of Light Deer charged toward the Ten Extremities Immortal Zombie No-Life Great Formation, and in an instant, the expressions of all the Shadow Sect immortals changed.
The Ten Extremities Formation quickly opened a gap, letting half the herd through.
"Heavenly Fate Light Deer come in nine colors, corresponding to the nine Primordial Heavens. These are all white Light Deer—it seems they dwell in White Heaven."
"Heavenly Fate Light Deer are naturally gentle creatures. In ancient legends, there are wondrous tales of them carrying people up to the heavens. Who would have thought that under the influence of Heavenly Will, these Light Deer would be filled with battle intent and madness!"
Though the Heavenly Court Gu Immortals had no desire to get involved, they were already caught in the fray with nowhere to hide. They too were swept up in the attack.
Fang Yuan steered the Jinghong Turmoil Platform, retreating even as he fought.
These Light Deer were living beings—he couldn't use the Immortal Gu House to seal them away. The attacks the Jinghong Turmoil Platform could seal were those composed of earth, water, wind, and fire. Drawing on the profound essence of Time Dao—this was the origin of its name, "Jinghong."
Fortunately, Fang Yuan had collected quite a number of Vajra beads earlier. He launched them now, forcing the Light Deer back.
In the second wave of Heavenly Tribulation, Heavenly Court was in the best position, Fang Yuan was second, and the Shadow Sect bore the heaviest pressure, their situation critically dire.
At the critical moment, the Immortal Zombie Bo Qing stepped forward.
He activated the Five Finger Heart Fist Sword and other earth-shattering Sword Dao killing moves, their power overwhelming and terrifying.
Most of the Heavenly Fate Light Deer fell beneath the sword light, dying on the spot. Even possessing wild Immortal Gu, they were of no use.
Though Bo Qing was already dead, the Immortal Zombie body that remained was filled with unimaginable Sword Dao Marks. Enhanced by these Dao Marks, even the same killing move would produce vastly different results when executed by Qin Baisheng versus Bo Qing—a difference like that between clouds and mud.
The Immortal Zombie Bo Qing struggled to hold on, finally enabling the Shadow Sect to survive the second wave of catastrophe.
But the dark clouds in the sky had grown extremely thin. The ten Immortal Zombies could no longer conceal themselves and were faintly visible.
"This formation has been weakened to its lowest point—break through!" Fang Yuan barked a sharp command.
The Jinghong Turmoil Platform spewed Vajra beads outward in a crackling barrage, attempting to shatter the formation.
On the other side, the Master of the Heaven Encroachment Tower also recognized this as a prime opportunity to press the attack. The Heaven Encroachment Tower lashed out as well.
"What do we do?!" Inside the Feathered Saint City, Ying Wuxie clutched his head, utterly helpless.
The remaining Shadow Sect Gu Immortals all wore expressions as dark as iron, the atmosphere unbearably heavy.
They had reached the tipping point between victory and defeat.
The Ten Extremities Immortal Zombie No-Life Great Formation was built with no turning back—either it would succeed or it would fail, with absolutely no third outcome. Once the formation was breached, it would inevitably collapse in succession.
"There's nothing else to be done—we can only sacrifice the Zombie Alliance!" Qi Xingzi let out a long sigh and made his decision.
The Zombie Alliance, spread across the five domains, was in truth merely the Shadow Sect's subsidiary. Just as the Ten Great Ancient Sects of Central Continent were to Heavenly Court.
Only, the Shadow Sect was so extraordinarily mysterious that even many of the Zombie Alliance's high-ranking members were unaware of the secret hidden in its deepest core.