The Heavenly Court battlefield.
Figures soared through the air while others grappled upon the ground.
Booming explosions echoed without cease. Fire blazed in every direction, and fierce light burst forth in brilliant flashes.
Gu Immortal powerhouses from the Northern Plains fought tooth and nail against the members of the Heavenly Court.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out. The massive black bear — enormous as a mountain — had its entire right shoulder blown clean off. Chunks of flesh vanished into thin air, and the shoulder bone was shattered to pieces.
An expression of agony froze upon the bear's face. Its eyes shut, and it was knocked unconscious on the spot.
Rumble!
Then its mountainous body slowly toppled over, and with a final thunderous crash, it smashed a massive crater into the ground.
High in the sky above, a Northern Plains Gu Immortal laughed heartily. "My, Nuer Baoxiong's killer move Stunning Thunder is no joke! Don't go thinking your Transformation Path makes you tough-skinned — I've killed more Transformation Path Gu Immortals than I can count, hahaha!!"
He was a specialist of the Lightning Path, a once-dreaded berserker who had ruled the Gu Immortal world of the Northern Plains. When Changsheng Tian remained absent and he served as Supreme Grand Elder of the Nuer family, the Nuer tribe had been the undisputed foremost power in the Northern Plains.
But just as Nuer Baoxiong's laughter faded, a clear, melodious female voice rang out: "Big talk. I cultivate the Transformation Path as well — come and kill me, then."
"You blind little—" Nuer Baoxiong turned his head and had barely begun to speak when a streak of red light flashed before his eyes.
Before he could react, a booming explosion erupted. Flames shot in every direction, and clouds of smoke and dust billowed outward.
He plummeted from the sky, his entire body still wreathed in raging flames.
"Now! Save Zhang Feixiong!" Gu Liuru called out from his wheelchair, extending a finger to point.
Instantly, a halo of light shimmered over the black bear that Zhang Feixiong had transformed into, temporarily preserving his life.
"Hmph! I like killing people — not saving them!" A bewitching silhouette tore through the sky, diving swiftly toward Zhang Feixiong.
It was none other than Wan Zihong. Alluring in appearance, she cultivated the Wood Path. She had originally been a Demonic Path Gu Immortal with a murderous temperament, but had since been recruited by the Heavenly Court.
"This Zhang Feixiong actually has some skill — even unconscious, his transformation hasn't dissipated!" A hint of wariness flickered in Wan Zihong's eyes. She did not slow down, plunging straight into the wound on Zhang Feixiong's right shoulder.
The instant she made contact, Wan Zihong's form suddenly burst apart, transforming into a shower of pink flower petals that settled upon the bloody, mangled wound.
The petals exuded a rich fragrance. Then — astonishingly — fresh flowers began to bloom rapidly across the wounded flesh.
Those flower petals drifted downward once more, landing on the surrounding flesh, where they grew into more and more blossoms, forming an entire sea of flowers.
The flesh Zhang Feixiong had lost was rapidly regenerating, restoring itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Hmph!" High in the sky, Nuer Baoxiong's expression was grim. His Lightning Path killer move carried tremendous power, but the methods of the Heavenly Court Gu Immortals were no less formidable. Wan Zihong's healing technique had actually neutralized the countless Lightning Path Dao Marks he had imprinted on Zhang Feixiong, and the recovery speed was astonishingly fast with excellent results. It was as though Wan Zihong's Wood Path Dao Marks and the Transformation Path Dao Marks on Zhang Feixiong's body were entirely compatible.
Nuer Baoxiong had only managed a brief glance before his opponent seized yet another opening.
A red light flashed swiftly past, and Nuer Baoxiong was struck by yet another killer move, his entire body once again engulfed in flames.
Seeing this, Nuer Baoxiong abandoned all thought of pursuing Zhang Feixiong. He shook off the flames and fixed every ounce of his attention on the enemy before him. "Who exactly are you? Is this how the Gu Immortals of the Heavenly Court fight — hiding their faces and skulking about?"
From within the red light dancing through the air came a bright, clear laugh, while the light itself continued to dart left and right without pause, making it impossible for Nuer Baoxiong to fix his gaze or launch an effective counterattack.
"That should be Senior Zhu Que'er. She cultivates both the Flame Path and the Transformation Path — her fighting style appears to be the perfect counter to Nuer Baoxiong." Seeing this scene, Fairy Ziwei couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
As time wore on, Gu Immortals continued to awaken from the Immortal Tomb one after another. Zhu Que'er was among them.