The Immortal Gu house, the Ten Thousand Year Flying Warship, traveled onward through the River of Time.
Fang Yuan stood proudly at the bow, hands clasped behind his back. He wore a blue robe, his black hair cascading like a waterfall. His handsome face bore a pair of deep, dark pupils, gazing at the endless waves of light that surrounded them, his expression utterly cold.
Bai Ningbing and the others huddled inside the Immortal Gu house, watching the aura of a Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal radiating around Fang Yuan as he put on his act at the front. Some felt a chill run through them, while others suddenly understood — so this was why Fang Yuan had dominated for so long. If they themselves possessed Eighth Transformation cultivation, they would have long since begun to lord over their own territories, riding high and mighty. But he played the pig to devour the tiger, never passing up any chance to deceive his opponents.
Others sighed inwardly: the two sides hadn't even made contact yet, and Fang Yuan had already begun to mislead the enemy. This was a clash of intelligence and strategy! The battle had started the moment the Ten Thousand Year Flying Warship appeared in the River of Time.
Fang Yuan had his own plans.
He would conceal his Eighth Transformation cultivation for as long as possible.
Because once it was exposed, the secret of his Supreme Immortal Body could no longer be hidden.
In his previous life, this secret had been revealed. But having reborn into this life, the secret had apparently not yet been discovered.
"As for the secret of my rebirth, I suppose this battle will bring that to light," Fang Yuan mused to himself.
Let it be exposed, then!
Fang Yuan felt that the time had come when exposure was unavoidable.
This battle held tremendous significance.
Though Fang Yuan had always been cautious and vigilant, paying extreme attention to the ink effect, when the moment came to strike, he would never shrink or hesitate.
Advance and retreat with precision, attack and defend with ease — he had long since grasped and mastered the balance between them, honed to the peak of shrewdness.
A pavilion sat squarely in the middle of the River of Time.
It was open on all four sides, its structure simple and unadorned. The canopy appeared to be woven from yellow straw, and its pillars were rough-hewn grayish-white stone, never smoothed or polished. Inside stood a screen, which served as its most ornate decoration.
This was the Seven Transformation Time Path Immortal Gu house, the Past-Present Pavilion.
Four Time Path Gu Immortals from the Central Continent stood within the Past-Present Pavilion — the Four Xunzi.
The moment the Ten Thousand Year Flying Warship appeared, they detected it.
The Four Xunzi reported this intelligence to Fairy Zi Wei immediately, without the slightest delay.
"Fang Yuan has finally appeared."
"Indeed. Our brother and sisters' long vigil here hasn't been in vain."
"He's still at Seventh Transformation cultivation, yet he commands an Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu house!"
"What Immortal Gu house is this? I've never heard of it."
"Judging by appearances, it should be a Time Path Immortal Gu house."
The Four Xunzi did not strike first.
In their minds, the Past-Present Pavilion excelled at reconnaissance within the River of Time. They were currently situated extremely far from Fang Yuan. They could detect him, but he could not detect them.
After all, they were merely Seventh Transformation cultivators — it was only because they specialized in Time Path that the lofty Heavenly Court had selected them as garrisons for this location.
Moreover, the Four Xunzi were not Gu Immortals of the Heavenly Court. What their next move would be depended entirely on how Fairy Zi Wei arranged and commanded.
The Ten Thousand Year Flying Warship carried Fang Yuan, drifting along at first in a slow, languid current. Fang Yuan stood at the bow, scanning the surroundings in every direction, as though searching for something.
"It seems Fang Yuan is here to find the Red Lotus inheritance."
"He truly hasn't detected us."
"Has Lady Zi Wei not yet issued her orders?"
Within the Past-Present Pavilion, the Four Xunzi kept their eyes locked on Fang Yuan, watching intently.
The Heavenly Court.
Fairy Zi Wei experienced joy first, followed by doubt.
What delighted her was that Fang Yuan had finally appeared!
Not fearing that he would appear — only fearing that he would remain hidden, with no knowledge of what he was doing. Truly, with each day that Fang Yuan did not show himself, the pressure in Fairy Zi Wei's heart grew heavier, never knowing what kind of trouble he was cooking up!
But now that Fang Yuan had appeared, Fairy Zi Wei quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good, come then! I want to see just how much you've grown. This time, I will make full use of the opportunity to kill you." Murderous intent suffused Fairy Zi Wei's heart. "And that Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu house — is that the source of your confidence and boldness, Fang Yuan?"
Fairy Zi Wei could not help but feel a trace of astonishment as well.
This Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu house had appeared without the slightest warning!
By all reason, the construction of an Immortal Gu house — even for a superpower — could not be kept entirely hidden. It would inevitably leak numerous telltale traces, because the materials and preparations required were simply too vast.
The process of building an Immortal Gu house was impossible to conduct quietly; it would inevitably be noticed by others.
Fang Yuan was no exception. But the process of his accumulation had taken place in his previous life, which Fairy Zi Wei could not have detected.
"How did Fang Yuan suddenly acquire a Time Path Immortal Gu house, and one at Eighth Transformation no less?"
"What powers and methods does this ship-shaped Immortal Gu house possess?"
Thoughts clashed ceaselessly in Fairy Zi Wei's mind, and purple qi rapidly filled the central hall.
She calculated swiftly, then reached her decision almost immediately.
She estimated that this Time Path Immortal Gu house, even at the Eighth Transformation level, could not be significantly powerful. Its appearance had been far too abrupt, and there were no records of this ship anywhere in history — it was very likely something Fang Yuan had hastily constructed with a trial-and-error approach using Immortal Gu.
Moreover, regardless of whether it was strong or weak, the Heavenly Court needed to test it, and above all, had to prevent Fang Yuan from obtaining the Red Lotus inheritance.
Fairy Zi Wei swiftly dispatched Qing Ye to pilot the Eternal Ship and rush to the Past-Present Pavilion's location.
A detailed and clear terrain map immediately surfaced in her mind.