Outside the Reverse Flow River.
Xuehu Laozu had originally intended to seek out Bichen Tian for a fight, but unexpectedly, at this very moment, the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable Mao Liqiu suddenly appeared.
"How did this sable get here? Doesn't it spend all year cooped up in its cave?" Xuehu Laozu wondered with alarm.
This sable's background was extraordinary — it had once been the mount of the great Imperial Sun Immortal Venerable. In his later years, the Immortal Venerable had tamed it, with an unspoken purpose: to find a way to extend one's lifespan.
This Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable possessed Dao Marks across its body that were incredibly profound and extraordinarily mysterious.
As it aged, the dog tail behind it would shrink along with its dwindling lifespan. Once its life neared its end, the tail would practically vanish.
Therefore, whenever it sensed its life nearing its end, it would devour an ancient desolate dog. After consuming one, the sable would gain that creature's lifespan, a dog tail would sprout behind it once more, and it would continue to survive.
This was precisely why, though the Imperial Sun Immortal Venerable had long since perished, the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable endured to this very day.
This enormous sable had received the blessings of the Imperial Sun Immortal Venerable, awakening intelligence and learning to wield Gu Insects on its own — even Immortal-level killer moves.
It was an ancient desolate beast in its own right, and with intelligence at that. It could command Immortal Gu to orchestrate all manner of techniques. Its strength was unfathomably deep.
Even Xuehu Laozu felt a chill of wariness.
Xuehu Laozu had originally planned to deal with Bichen Tian, but now that the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable had appeared, it immediately made him shelve that plan for the time being.
"I never expected to be saved by Mao Liqiu!" Bichen Tian exhaled a turbid breath and relaxed slightly.
He too was aware of the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable's existence.
Such ancient desolate beasts were simply too famous. Like Hukong of the Central Continent, or the calamitous dragon Di Cangsheng — all were extraordinary existences whose combat power stood at the very apex of the Eighth Transformation level!
Xuehu Laozu's gaze soon sharpened. He had spotted the two Changsheng Heaven Gu Masters standing beside the sable.
Xuehu Laozu's eyes fixed on Xuanji Zi.
He chuckled coldly: "So it's true — Sun Minglu, you're a man of Changsheng Heaven! I never expected Changsheng Heaven had already set its sights on me."
He had suspected as much before, and now seeing Xuanji Zi in person, his suspicions were immediately confirmed.
Xuanji Zi bowed respectfully to Xuehu Laozu: "Xuehu Laozu, we meet again. This one is Xuanji Zi, one of Changsheng Heaven's Eight Jizi. The name Sun Minglu was merely an alias I used while traveling the Northern Plains."
Xuehu Laozu let out another cold laugh, but showed no intention of attacking.
Because right beside Xuanji Zi stood the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable.
It wasn't that Xuehu Laozu feared Mao Liqiu — rather, he knew full well that the crux of the matter lay not with the three of them, but within the Reverse Flow River.
With the situation inside the Reverse Flow River still undecided, it was unwise to make a move. Doing so would only let a third party reap the benefits.
After exchanging greetings with Xuehu Laozu, Xuanji Zi's gaze locked onto Ma Hongyun and Zhao Lianyun in the river.
"Master Mao, those two at the very front — they are the targets of our trip!" Xuanji Zi reminded the Dog-Tailed Life-Extending Sable.
Bichen Tian furrowed his brow slightly.
Xuehu Laozu's cold laugh grew even icier.
But Mao Liqiu merely curled his lips with nonchalance, his enormous beastly face forming a remarkably human expression: "No rush! Let's wait for them to settle who wins and who loses. We're outside the Reverse Flow River — sure, we can use Gu Insects here, but there's nothing we can do to the river itself. Any immortal-level technique would be reflected right back at me. Why would I ask for trouble like that? True, every blow the Reverse Flow River reflects back does reduce its own water supply somewhat. But a river this vast — how many years would it take to dry it up? Master Mao isn't about to do something so exhausting with nothing to show for it!"
Having said this, he paused briefly and continued: "Don't worry — these people won't last long. The further upstream in the Reverse Flow River, the more it tests one's willpower. Heh heh, right now they're fighting to swim upstream, but any thought of pressing on in their minds will be reflected by the river. Any determination will waver, and eventually they'll be washed out."
Three Eighth Transformation existences warily regarded one another, none making a move.
Outside the river, a stalemate held as all the Gu Immortals turned their gaze toward the Reverse Flow River.
Inside the river.
Ma Hongyun and Zhao Lianyun remained in first place.
Zishan Zhenjun held the second position, drawing very close to Ma and Zhao.
Ying Wuxie, Bai Ningbing, and Hei Loulan occupied the third position.
Behind them came Fang Yuan.
The fifth position had originally been held by Xuehu Laozu and Wanshou Niangzi, but just now, Xuehu Laozu had voluntarily relinquished the competition in order to treat the unconscious Wanshou Niangzi, leaving the Reverse Flow River.
Thus the fifth position was held by the Heavenly Court Gu Master of the Eighth Transformation, Lüdao Weiling Yang, along with several Gu Masters from the Central Continent.
Zishan Zhenjun paddled with all four limbs while periodically flapping the membranous wings on his back.
Ma and Zhao were already within arm's reach.
"I must persevere. Capture these two, and I'll have leverage against Xuehu Laozu — bargaining chips to deal with the Central Continent!"
Zishan Zhenjun's eyes were filled with unwavering resolve.
The Reverse Flow River's waters ceaselessly reflected the will within his mind.
He flung his head sharply, as if trying to cast away the hesitation in his heart.
"Ninety thousand years ago, the Heavenly Will struck. It took exhaustive divination on my part to calculate the last sliver of hope. I sealed myself away, transforming into a purple-gold stone. Yet even so, the Heavenly Will still hounded me, frequently plunging me into states of memory loss and madness."
"Over the course of these nearly hundred thousand years, I have awakened many times, enduring grave dangers, and only by the Shadow Sect's aid have I repeatedly escaped peril and survived."
"My true body has now succeeded in forging the Supreme Immortal Orifice, yet it was seized by another."
"My true body is also trapped within a dream realm, its survival uncertain from one moment to the next."
"The once-great Shadow Sect has been swept away like leaves in a storm. The situation no longer permits me to fail. I must persevere until I capture Ma and Zhao."
"I'm about to reach them!"