This Immortal Gu resembled a cicada. Its head and abdomen were brownish-yellow, with patterns resembling tree rings across the surface. The wings on its back were broad and translucent, like two overlapping leaves.
It ceaselessly emitted the aura of a Sixth Transformation Immortal Gu.
It was none other than the Sixth Transformation Time Dao Immortal Gu — the Spring Autumn Cicada.
At this moment, the Spring Autumn Cicada resided within the Empty Orifice of an Immortal Zombie's physical body, subjected to Fang Yuan's seal.
Its body radiated a warm, lustrous sheen. Its wings were a tender, vivid green, like two newly sprouted leaves. All of this indicated that the Spring Autumn Cicada's condition had been fully restored, ready to be activated once more.
Had it just been reborn, the Spring Autumn Cicada's body would have lacked all luster, appearing rough and dull, like dead wood. Its wings would have been tinged with withered yellow, like dying leaves on the verge of falling in autumn. The tips of its wings would have been slightly curled and incomplete, like the tattered edges of fallen leaves.
The Spring Autumn Cicada had an extraordinary origin. It was an Immortal Gu personally created by the Red Lotus Demon Venerable, one of the ten great Venerables in human history. Moreover, it was the Red Lotus Demon Venerable's Life Gu, holding a position of utmost importance.
Its function was to allow a Gu Immortal to sacrifice everything, transforming into the motive force to traverse the River of Time, carrying the Gu Immortal's sole wisp of will against the current, to be reborn in the past.
It had its advantages and disadvantages. The Spring Autumn Cicada's power was truly wondrous, but it simultaneously harbored a tremendous drawback.
That was: once one became the Spring Autumn Cicada's master, one's own fortune would be constantly eroded. Simply put, the Spring Autumn Cicada attracted misfortune.
At this moment, Fang Yuan gazed at the Spring Autumn Cicada, overwhelmed with emotion.
This was the thread connecting his past life to his present one. Without the Spring Autumn Cicada, there would be no Fang Yuan as he existed now.
If one were to ask which Immortal Gu held the greatest significance for a Gu Immortal, the answer would obviously vary from person to person — every Gu Immortal had their own. But for Fang Yuan, there was only one answer: the Spring Autumn Cicada!
Leaving aside his previous life, speaking only of this one.
On Qing Mao Mountain, at Sanwan Mountain, in the Royal Court Blessed Land, the Spring Autumn Cicada had repeatedly demonstrated its power. True to the reputation of the Red Lotus Demon Venerable's Life Gu, it had time and again allowed Fang Yuan to turn the tables in desperate situations, escaping peril and cheating death.
However, after the great battle at Yitian Mountain, the Spring Autumn Cicada had been lost for a time. Although Fang Yuan eventually reclaimed it, he had since learned that the cicada harbored Heavenly Will within it and could no longer be used.
Fang Yuan had broken free from Heavenly Will's control and made himself its enemy. The Spring Autumn Cicada, carrying Heavenly Will within it, had been placed directly on the list of absolutely prohibited items.
To once again unleash the Spring Autumn Cicada's value, Fang Yuan had to purge the Heavenly Will from within it. If he didn't, then should he ever be forced to rebirth in the future, there would be no hope at all — Heavenly Will would simply kill him.
"Now let me see how this killer move fares," Fang Yuan murmured, sharp light blazing from his eyes.
Immortal Killer Move — Heaven Dissipates, Intent Scatters!
Fang Yuan gathered his energy for a moment, and a layer of greyish-white luminescence enveloped his entire body.
Then, with his hand sheathed in the greyish-white glow, he gently pressed it down upon the Immortal Zombie's physical body.
The greyish-white luminescence flowed like water, streaming from his body and ultimately covering the Strength Dao Immortal Zombie's physical body entirely.
The greyish-white glow persisted for a moment, then began to change.
Eyes — one after another — materialized within the greyish-white luminescence.
These eyes were kaleidoscopic, a dazzling array of myriad colors.
They first appeared around Fang Yuan's palm, then multiplied, spreading outward in every direction.
Soon, these multicolored eyes blanketed the Immortal Zombie's body. They blinked ceaselessly, each blink shifting to a different hue.
Then, the multicolored eyes spread into the Empty Orifice itself.
Finally, the surface of the Spring Autumn Cicada was also covered by a layer of tiny, colorful eyes.
The colorful eyes blinked continuously, each blink a brilliant strike against Heavenly Will.
The Spring Autumn Cicada began to tremble.
The multicolored eyes perpetually appeared and vanished as Fang Yuan continuously expended Red Date Immortal Essence to sustain their endless stream.
The Spring Autumn Cicada trembled even more violently.
After the trembling had continued for a moment, Fang Yuan noticed a fine crack appear on the Spring Autumn Cicada's surface.
His heart sank immediately, and he hastily halted the killer move.
Pfft.
His body lurched violently, as though struck by lightning. The killer move had been stopped too abruptly, and Fang Yuan was injured as a result.
But such a minor injury was nothing compared to the safety of the Spring Autumn Cicada.
Ignoring his wound, Fang Yuan hurriedly examined the Spring Autumn Cicada.
The crack on the Spring Autumn Cicada was not actually very noticeable, but Fang Yuan was cautious by nature and meticulous as fine thread — the moment it appeared, he spotted it immediately.
The appearance of the crack meant the Spring Autumn Cicada had been damaged.
Nearly all Gu Insects were fragile, whether they were at the Sixth, Seventh, or even Ninth Transformation. The Spring Autumn Cicada, even as the Red Lotus Demon Venerable's Life Gu, was no exception.
After a careful inspection, Fang Yuan's expression turned grim as still water.
"Heavenly Will..." Fang Yuan said through gritted teeth.
The Spring Autumn Cicada's injury was not severe. Thanks to his timely discovery, this tiny wound could hardly even be called a minor injury, making it easy to remedy.
However, continuing with the Heaven Dissipates, Intent Scatters killer move was no longer feasible.
If he persisted, the crack on the Spring Autumn Cicada would only grow larger and more numerous, until it was ultimately destroyed.