In an instant, Lord Dragon understood — this was Yuan Lian's true inheritance!
He could clearly feel his Wood Path realm soaring to incredible heights, while all manner of details regarding the Wood Path killing move Piercing Branches and Sweeping Leaves were deeply etched into his mind.
That bamboo grove — rather than an illusion, it was more of a mental landscape.
And the power of the Piercing Branches and Sweeping Leaves killing move was precisely to liberate Gu Immortals, dissolving the harmful bindings that clung to them.
"What a sorry state I'm in." Lord Dragon let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Once again, he felt the overwhelming might of a Venerable.
In truth, he had extensive knowledge of the dual Venerables' chess game within the Yique Baohan Pavilion. This chess game possessed boundless power and was one with the Heavenly Court, ceaselessly drawing upon its strength. It was the product of a mysterious pact between Star Constellation's Will and the Limitless Demon Venerable from ages past.
Because it was powered by the combined might of two Venerables, opposing it with the strength of a single one was exceedingly difficult.
However, the silver-white chains binding Lord Dragon were merely a manifestation of a single chess piece within the game. The Piercing Branches and Sweeping Leaves killing move that Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian had left behind was perfectly suited to undo such bindings.
"Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian was so thoughtful. Giving me this Wood Path true inheritance — what a pity it was wasted on me."
Lord Dragon sighed and collected himself.
His dragon pupils swiveled as he tilted his head slightly, fixing his gaze on the nearby Calamity-Fate Altar.
The altar's massive body dominated most of his field of vision.
When Lord Dragon had been bound, he had fallen near the Calamity-Fate Altar. Now, having regained his freedom and risen to his feet, he naturally stood not far from it.
Deep breath.
The sounds of fierce battle, explosions, and war cries grew ever fainter within his heart.
While bound, Lord Dragon's grief, self-reproach, and hatred had filled his chest to bursting. Now that he had regained his freedom, those surging emotions were like a volcano that had been building pressure for millennia, on the verge of eruption.
Unconsciously, every Gu Immortal on the battlefield felt it — the calm before the storm.
Exhale...
Inhale...
Lord Dragon primarily cultivated the Qi Path and secondarily the Transformation Path. Each breath he took drew in a colossal volume of air, creating tremendous turbulence. The force was so immense that it even faintly affected the stability of the distant Qi walls.
Behind Lord Dragon, his tail swayed gently. His dragon claws and dragon horns were suffused with a layer of purple-gold radiance — nobility beyond words, not to be defiled. Wisps of motes drifted through the surrounding air, each one shimmering with the same purple-gold glow.
A terrifying, peerless aura slowly rose from his body — like a primordial beast that had once split heaven and earth, slumbering for untold eons, now gradually awakening.
Countless gazes rapidly converged upon Lord Dragon!
"This is bad," Bing Saichuan quietly gritted his teeth.
Huazi had fallen unconscious, Lord Dragon had broken free — Eternal Heaven's operation had suffered the greatest setback in its history.
Within the Refinement Path Grand Formation, Niu Mo and the Five Elements Grand Mage sensed the impending disaster and fought desperately to break through. But Che Wei and Yan Cong held their ground firmly, not granting even the slightest opportunity.
Deeper within the Refinement Path Grand Formation, Yuan Qiongdu coughed up blood as he stubbornly sustained the formation's operation. The resolve to die had already taken root in his heart.
Bing Saichuan racked his brains for a brilliant strategy.
The rapidly deteriorating situation sent cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
His reserves were nearly depleted. He could no longer summon the Limitless Demon Venerable to turn around. In truth, the Limitless Demon Venerable hadn't actually turned around before either — that attitude had already said everything.
Lord Dragon's aura climbed to its absolute peak, becoming vast and overwhelming!
Though he hadn't made a single movement, he had already commanded the full attention of everyone on the battlefield.
"Is that Lord Dragon?" Heavenly Court Gu Immortals cast gazes of admiration and reverence his way. Lord Dragon's seniority was indeed considerable.
But some surpassed even him. An elderly Gu Immortal didn't recognize Lord Dragon: "Is he one of ours?"
"Lord Dragon has finally broken free!" Fairy Ziwei was overcome with emotion. With her panoramic view of the entire battle, she knew full well that among the current Heavenly Court lineup, Lord Dragon was the undisputed strongest.
His timing in breaking free from his chains, regaining his freedom, and rising once more could not have been more perfect!
No — to be more precise, it was Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian's arrangements that had been impeccably timed.
At the thought of Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian, a surge of reverence welled up in Fairy Ziwei's heart.
"Unbelievable methods! Since Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian's era, the Heaven Surveillance Tower has actually been repaired and improved many times, with numerous Gu Insects replaced. Especially in the last decade or so, with several great battles and repeated devastating damage, it underwent major overhauls multiple times. Yet Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian's methods remained completely intact — hidden so perfectly that no one had ever discovered them."
"This Immortal Path killing move was hidden within the Heaven Surveillance Tower. The tower is arguably the foremost Immortal Gu House for reconnaissance, yet from beginning to end, it never detected a thing. What's more brilliant still — Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian's killing move never once interfered with the tower's operation."
At this thought, a flash of inspiration struck Fairy Ziwei: "Could it be that the rumor is true? That Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian truly created the Painting Path? The greatest advantage and defining feature of the rumored Painting Path is its ability to perfectly avoid interference with the operation of other Immortal Gu and killing moves... It's remarkably similar to how Dao Marks on the Supreme Immortal Body don't conflict with each other — different approaches, yet identical in principle!"
Fairy Ziwei could only speculate.
The Ten Venerables were the absolute pinnacle of Gu cultivation history — the most brilliant and resplendent stars, radiant beyond measure. Though Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian hadn't been a Wisdom Path cultivator, he had nonetheless comprehended the principles of heaven and earth, grasped the subtleties of transformation, and laid down groundwork that would shape the future.
More crucially, this intervention had arrived at precisely the right moment. The timing was nothing short of masterful.
Bing Saichuan was beside himself with anxiety, barking orders: "Hold the line against Lord Dragon!"
No reminder was necessary — every Northern Plains Gu Immortal could see the threat Lord Dragon posed.
After reaching his peak, Lord Dragon's aura actually began to gradually withdraw, as though someone were pulling back a raised fist. Once it erupted, it would surely shatter heaven and earth.
This placed immense psychological pressure on the Northern Plains side.
"Kill!" A Northern Plains warrior's voice boomed like thunder as he charged toward Lord Dragon.
A second Northern Plains Gu Immortal followed silently behind the warrior, providing cover as they advanced.
"No — let me handle him!" A third Northern Plains powerhouse surged forward. His speed was extraordinary, and he was the first to reach Lord Dragon.
Lord Dragon wore an expression of perfect calm, standing motionless in place, still as a sculpture.
ROAR—!
Suddenly, a dragon's roar erupted. A magnificent purple-gold dragon-shaped wave of qi flashed across the sky and vanished in an instant.