Heavenly Court.
In the once-pristine white sky, seven-colored radiance now shimmered and blazed.
An enormous Immortal Gu House dominated the heavens above.
What an Immortal Gu House!
It was a three-tiered circular platform, grand and imposing. Row upon row of balustrade pillars lined its surface, prismatic light forever reflecting between the white jade railings.
It was none other than the Eighth Transformation Fortune Path Immortal Gu House — the Tribulation Fortune Platform.
One of the three great Immortal Gu Houses personally created and governed by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable.
The Tribulation Fortune Platform had originally served as a trump card to suppress Immemorial Heaven. But this time, Immemorial Heaven had actually brought it out to join the assault on Heavenly Court.
Such a move demonstrated Immemorial Heaven's iron resolve to win, and it weighed on the hearts of every Gu Immortal in the court.
Fairy Ziwei's brows were knitted tight.
Even Dragon Lord's eyes held a solemn gravity at this moment.
However, his gaze lingered less upon the Tribulation Fortune Platform and more upon the seven-colored radiance blooming across the sky.
Dragon Lord spoke in a deep voice: "With the Tribulation Fortune Platform alone and the strength of Immemorial Heaven's Gu Immortals, they cannot breach our defenses directly. This seven-colored radiance is unmistakably Ninth Transformation in grade — it must be Giant Sun Immortal Venerable's handiwork!"
"Giant Sun Immortal Venerable?" Fairy Ziwei was startled, and a look of realization dawned on her face. "According to Heavenly Court's records, Giant Sun Immortal Venerable was once invited to visit. Could this be a hidden measure he left behind at that time?"
"That is most likely the case," Dragon Lord replied.
Fairy Ziwei's expression immediately darkened. "What a schemer, that Giant Sun Immortal Venerable — truly cunning and devious. He had been plotting against our Heavenly Court from the very start, with calculations running this deep."
"Every generation of Venerables possessed extraordinary wisdom and must never be underestimated. Giant Sun Immortal Venerable mastered the Fortune Path and left hidden arrangements that our Heavenly Court knew nothing of until they were finally activated." Dragon Lord shook his head and sighed, his emotions somewhat tangled.
Back when Giant Sun achieved Venerable status through the Fortune Path, it greatly disrupted the Fate Gu. The leader of Heavenly Court at the time — Great Immortal Golden Hoop — for the sake of the world, specifically invited Giant Sun to visit, publicly announcing to all under heaven that he wished to have Giant Sun preside over the court.
After deliberation, Giant Sun accepted the invitation and entered Heavenly Court.
Great Immortal Golden Hoop personally guided Giant Sun Immortal Venerable along the way, leading him through the court's key locations one after another — especially the sites where the three great Demonic Venerables Limitless, Mad Desolate, and Red Lotus had fought and been halted.
Giant Sun Immortal Venerable expressed a desire to see the Fate Gu.
Great Immortal Golden Hoop did not refuse. Together they ascended the Observing Heaven Tower, where Giant Sun beheld the Fate Gu.
After descending the tower, Giant Sun remained silent throughout.
When he finally departed Heavenly Court, he said the matter of presiding over it required further consideration.
This entire experience, as well as the conversation between Giant Sun and Golden Hoop, was recorded verbatim in Heavenly Court's historical annals.
"The might of Ninth Transformation is unfathomable. Giant Sun Immortal Venerable made his move long ago, and we only discovered it now — truthfully, it is not surprising. After all, he cultivated the Fortune Path. Our understanding of the Fortune Path has been sorely lacking. However, Ghost Demon Venerable once planted a spy deep within Heavenly Court itself, but he himself is now behind bars. Giant Sun Immortal Venerable has long since perished. Now it is merely the Tribulation Fortune Platform and a group of Northern Plains Gu Immortals who have come to attack — how could our great Heavenly Court be so easily toppled?" Elder Zheng Yuan's voice reverberated through the great hall.
Fairy Ziwei nodded, though her brows remained furrowed. "The Tribulation Fortune Platform is no ordinary Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu House — it was once Giant Sun Immortal Venerable's own possession. It's a pity Crown Prince Fengxian did not join this expedition; otherwise we would certainly have learned of Immemorial Heaven's surprise attack plan beforehand."
"What matters more is — how large a force is hidden within the Tribulation Fortune Platform?"
"Hmm... wait — I estimate it cannot be too many. Because we received absolutely no intelligence regarding Immemorial Heaven's surprise attack from the Northern Plains. For them to keep it this tightly guarded, they were clearly being conservative — the information was confined to a select few."
Fairy Ziwei analyzed rapidly.
"You are correct — that is most likely the case." Dragon Lord nodded slightly. Though he had risen from his seat, he now stood with his hands clasped behind his back, not moving to join the battle, but rather waiting for something.
Almost in the very next instant, the entire Heavenly Court suddenly shuddered violently.
A gust swept through like a great wind howling, cutting through the deepest recesses of every heart.
Dragon Lord, Fairy Ziwei, and Elder Zheng Yuan showed no surprise whatsoever — instead, a faint smile appeared on each of their faces.
"The killing move left behind by Primordial Immortal Venerable has been activated!"
Within the Tribulation Fortune Platform, several Immemorial Heaven Gu Immortals felt no surprise either.
This had already been described in the intelligence left behind by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable. Even without Giant Sun's account, Immemorial Heaven possessed several lineages of Demonic Venerable heritage. Whether Mad Desolate or Limitless — both had been authentic natives of the Northern Plains — and Immemorial Heaven held considerable intelligence on their campaigns against Heavenly Court.