A moment later, Fang Yuan opened his eyes and activated his killing move once more.
This time, an entire stretch of the Reverse Flow River answered his call, stirring up tremendous waves.
The immortals' expressions shifted.
Even Snowy Beard Ancestor's offensive faltered for an instant.
But the next moment, Snowy Beard Ancestor threw back his head and howled, unleashing an even fiercer onslaught.
"This is truly difficult. Because the number and variety of Gu involved is far too great, problems keep cropping up everywhere. But this is already at the limit of my current ability. To streamline the Gu involved would require years of calculation, or advancing my realm by another level."
Fang Yuan understood perfectly well. This Second Myriad Self Form involved far too many Gu, which meant the number of factors he had to account for had become staggeringly vast and complex.
While Fang Yuan was lamenting the difficulty of progress, the other Gu Immortals were already shaken to their cores.
Though none of them spoke aloud, their eyes flickered ceaselessly.
"Liu Guanyi, that man…"
"His progress is unbelievable! He really can manipulate the Reverse Flow River."
"Inconceivable! Is he even still human? To have reached this level in such a short time."
"No, he cannot possibly succeed. How could he possibly have conceived an Immortal Killing Move in so short a time?"
Without question, Fang Yuan's repeated breakthroughs and rapid progress defied everything these immortals understood about cultivation.
Never had they witnessed a single person create an Immortal Killing Move in such a brief span, then test and refine it with enormous improvements each time.
Yet here it was, unfolding right before their eyes.
Fang Yuan continued on.
Snowy Beard Ancestor and the Dogtail Lifespan-Extending Mink Mao Liqiu both instinctively increased the intensity of their attacks.
But the Reverse Flow River was far too wide and vast. Even so much force only shaved off less than half a tenth of the river's total volume.
"One more time! Rise." Fang Yuan's expression was dead serious as he extended his hand in a grasping gesture toward the river below, issuing a soft command.
This time, the entire section of the Reverse Flow River was affected. It was like a slender flood dragon awakening from deep slumber, slowly unfurling its body.
"How is that possible?!" someone blurted out in shock.
The whole Reverse Flow River began to surge upward, like a flood dragon raising its head, ready to lift its body and soar across the Five Domains and Nine Heavens.
"You're dreaming!" Snowy Beard Ancestor roared. He suddenly slapped both palms into the void, and a beam of icy light shot forth, striking the middle section of the Reverse Flow River dead-on.
The Reverse Flow River deflected the strike immediately. The ice light met something like a mirror and was refracted outward, hitting the ground. In the blink of an eye, the entire grassland within ten thousand li was frozen into a vast, sprawling ice plain.
Frigid air radiated in all directions. Snow drifted across the sky, and temperatures plummeted. The north wind howled without cease, and the entire landscape seemed to have changed its face in an instant.
This was the might of the Eighth Transformation!
Even Fang Yuan was startled.
He remained within the Reverse Flow River, temporarily safe. The other Gu Immortals also found protection under the aid of their own Eighth Transformation existences.
Ying Wuxie was drenched in cold sweat. Purple Mountain True Monarch had once again awakened at the most critical moment. Had he not stepped in to shield them, Ying Wuxie, Hei Loulan, and the rest would surely not have survived.
"Let's go," Purple Mountain True Monarch said immediately.
"But what about—" Ying Wuxie hesitated, but Purple Mountain True Monarch spread his palm, and several rings of light danced forth, encircling Ying Wuxie and the others before carrying them skyward in a single bound.
Unexpectedly, the Shadow Sect side was the first to withdraw from the area.
Purple Mountain True Monarch left without even so much as a parting word, leaving the remaining Gu Immortals stunned.
"My Lord, that is the Supreme Immortal aperture…" Ying Wuxie pressed anxiously, sending a voice transmission to Purple Mountain True Monarch.
"Rest easy. I have already calculated it — he will not die! He will definitely escape alive." Purple Mountain True Monarch was utterly certain.
Ying Wuxie found it hard to fully believe Purple Mountain True Monarch's words, but for the moment he could not very well voice his doubts outright.
Then, in the very next instant, he saw the entire Reverse Flow River begin to radiate a pale blue glow.
The blue light surged and billowed, like clouds rolling in and spreading apart, like waves crashing in endless succession.
Every immortal's gaze was drawn to the sight.
Fang Yuan stood at the center of it all as a great wind rose, his black hair and sleeves billowing together.
His eyes glowed with a dark, distant light as he softly commanded: "Rise."
At once the river waters surged violently. A roaring rush filled the immortals' ears, like ten thousand voices crying out in unison — a momentum that was awe-inspiring and extraordinary.
Then the blue light condensed. The Reverse Flow River shrank, and in the blink of an eye, it all compressed together as one.
The immense Reverse Flow River vanished entirely, fully condensed and concentrated around Fang Yuan's body, transforming into a pale blue robe.
The robe had wide, flowing sleeves and was white as snow. Across its surface, gentle ripples swayed — the image of the Reverse Flow River's surface flowing slowly onward.
More than that, a faint mist enshrouded the surface of the snow-white robe. A single strand of prismatic light, pure and clear azure blue, wound and curved like an Immortal's ceremonial sash, coiling around Fang Yuan's arms, the back of his neck, and circling once around his waist.
Immortal Killing Move — Second Myriad Self Form — Reverse Flow Body Guard Seal — had finally been successfully activated!
"Success?!"
"How is that possible!!"
"He actually used the Reverse Flow River to temporarily create an Immortal Killing Move on the spot?"
The immortals stared, speechless. Snowy Beard Ancestor's eyes bulged: "This old man refuses to believe such sorcery!"
He flipped both palms and pushed them forward toward Fang Yuan from afar.
A beam of peerless ice light shot forth with lightning speed, engulfing Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was already braced and ready.
The ice light struck his body but was blocked entirely by the Reverse Flow Body Guard Seal.
The seal flashed briefly, and that terrifyingly powerful beam of ice light was reflected straight back, hurtling toward its master, Snowy Beard Ancestor.