Several days ago.
Long Life Heaven.
This was Ju Yang Immortal Venerable's ninth transformation grotto-heaven! Golden light blanketed the Four Desolations, and a soothing azure glow illuminated the Eight Extremes.
The Four Desolations and the Eight Extremes formed the entire layout of Long Life Heaven, much like the Nine Heavens and Five Earths of a supreme Immortal Aperture.
At the heart of the Four Desolations, at the center of the Eight Extremes, an Immortal Gu House radiated an ethereal white-grey brilliance, its mystic light shooting straight up to the Ninth Heaven. The entirety of Long Life Heaven resonated with it, producing a deep, humming roar.
Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu House — Calamity Fortune Altar.
Three-tiered circular platform, with row upon row of ornamental pillars and white jade balustrades, bathed in iridescent light.
The eight Gu Immortals of Long Life Heaven stood at nine of the Calamity Fortune Altar's corners, exerting their full strength and concentrating with all their might to direct the altar's operation.
At the center of the Calamity Fortune Altar, lightning flashed and crackled as electric dragons danced, then fortune energy surged skyward as clouds rose and mist descended.
A Gu Immortal's figure sat cross-legged on the ground, resisting the crushing force of the Calamity Fortune Altar.
Around him, a ring orbited and whirled, enveloping his body in five-colored light.
"Five Elements Grandmaster, even with your eighth transformation cultivation, once you've fallen into the Calamity Fortune Altar, there's no hope of turning the tide! I advise you to surrender obediently. Perhaps when the Four Desolations Immortals awaken, you'll still have a sliver of hope of surviving." The leader among the eight Gu Immortals, Tian Ji Zi, shouted coldly.
The Gu Immortal trapped at the center of the Calamity Fortune Altar was none other than one of Northern Plains' five eighth transformation existences — the Five Elements Grandmaster!
The Five Elements Grandmaster laughed heartily. "Eighth transformation Immortal Gu House, the Calamity Fortune Altar — it's nothing special! You eight from the Eight Extremes have joined forces to operate it, suppressing me for this long, even drawing upon the power of Long Life Heaven to try and annihilate me. But you haven't even managed to break through my first Five Elements Ring! Tian Ji Zi, you still have the nerve to tell me to surrender?"
Tian Ji Zi sneered. "That's only because you don't understand the Calamity Fortune Altar's true function! Its real power lies in calamity-fortune mutual conversion. Calamity transforms fortune, fortune transforms calamity. Calamity and fortune are linked, endlessly cycling. This is the mystery of Heaven and Earth Fortune! How could a mere independent cultivator like you possibly comprehend it?"
The moment he heard the words "Heaven and Earth Fortune," the smug expression on the Five Elements Grandmaster's face immediately vanished.
Ju Yang Immortal Venerable had founded the Fortune Path. His entire cultivation could be summarized as Self Fortune, Living Beings' Fortune, and Heaven and Earth Fortune.
Of these, Heaven and Earth Fortune had been created by Ju Yang Immortal Venerable in his later years — vast and majestic, piercing through the mysteries of heaven and earth. The Five Elements Grandmaster had been stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through on his own, so he had infiltrated Long Life Heaven, attempting to steal the true teachings of Heaven and Earth Fortune.
He had not expected that although the Four Desolations Immortals within Long Life Heaven were all dormant, their defensive power still far exceeded his earlier estimates.
After a prolonged struggle, the Five Elements Grandmaster became deeply entangled within the Calamity Fortune Altar and was suppressed by the combined efforts of the Eight Extremes, unable to break free.
"Ju Yang Immortal Venerable had three eighth transformation Immortal Gu Houses during his lifetime. I've long heard of the Calamity Fortune Altar. But this calamity-fortune mutual conversion — what exactly is calamity-fortune mutual conversion?" The Five Elements Grandmaster murmured for a moment, then suddenly asked.
The Eight Extremes exchanged glances, all of them surprised.
But soon, they recovered.
Tian Ji Zi couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration inwardly. "I've long heard of this Five Elements Grandmaster. His thirst for knowledge is extraordinary — even when he was a mortal, he frequently disguised his identity and stole teachings from everywhere. After becoming a Gu Immortal, he'd work himself to the bone for other Gu Immortals just to gain some experience and guidance in cultivation. And now, he's actually asking his enemy to teach him on the battlefield! What an obsessed man! But his ignorance makes him fearless. Telling him the truth would deal a heavy blow to his morale and fighting spirit!"
With this thought, Tian Ji Zi spoke up. "It's already settled. There's no harm in telling you. This Calamity Fortune Altar was deliberately left behind by Ancestor Ju Yang to protect the safety of Long Life Heaven. Calamity-fortune mutual conversion means it can transform disasters into good fortune. Your invasion of our Long Life Heaven this time constitutes a human calamity against us. By activating the Calamity Fortune Altar, I can convert this calamity into good fortune, turning disaster into blessing — making you shine and contribute your part to the eternal preservation of our Long Life Heaven."
"Wonderful, wonderful!" The Five Elements Grandmaster's eyes gleamed brightly as he listened. He asked again, "If a human calamity works this way, then what about heaven and earth calamities?"
"Naturally, the same conversion applies," Tian Ji Zi replied proudly. "Rendering heaven and earth disasters utterly harmless, turning them into nourishing rain and dew for our Long Life Heaven."
The Five Elements Grandmaster widened his eyes. "Long Life Heaven is a ninth transformation grotto-heaven that has never absorbed any Ancient Nine Heavens fragments. With just the Calamity Fortune Altar, it can weather calamity after calamity?"
"Hahaha! You're already an eighth transformation Gu Immortal, yet you don't even understand the origin of calamities?" Tian Ji Zi laughed dismissively.