Ancestor Thousand Transformations was furious, resenting Fang Yuan for his failure to see the bigger picture.
Fang Yuan knew exactly what was going on, yet he burst into hearty laughter: "If Heaven's Court comes, I shall cut them down. One comes, one falls. Two come, I slay the pair!"
Ancestor Thousand Transformations was stunned, and couldn't help but wonder to himself: "Has this Fang Yuan won so many consecutive battles that he's become an arrogant soldier drunk on victory, or does he truly have hidden cards to back up such confidence?"
It turned out that when Ancestor Thousand Transformations had been crossing the Myriad Tribulation, he had nearly perished, and had been secretly recuperating ever since. When Fairy Emerald Wave was killed by Fang Yuan, he had sensed the shift, but with his severe injuries, he could only send Cloud Dancer Red to investigate. Fearing that his weakened state might be exposed, he had gifted Cloud Dancer Red the Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu Mutation, so that she would not lose face should she encounter a powerful enemy.
Ancestor Thousand Transformations was an independent cultivator, and his relationship with the Righteous Path of the Western Desert was far from friendly. During his recovery, he was at his most vulnerable.
Later still, Fang Yuan had schemed to frame Cloud Dancer Red.
Ancestor Thousand Transformations received word from Heaven's Court, learning that Fang Yuan was the true culprit.
But by that point, the dream realm had already trapped Cloud Dancer Red and the Immortal Gu Mutation. Ancestor Thousand Transformations had no choice but to dispatch Night Fiend Maiden and Fairy Azure Mist to set up a Seventh Transformation-level immortal formation.
He never expected this move would reveal the truth of his condition to Heaven's Court.
Fairy Purple Violet had since then been actively scheming, seeking to cut down this Eighth Transformation Western Desert Gu Immortal ahead of schedule, in preparation for the upcoming five-region war.
Heaven's Court covertly dispatched personnel, and Fairy Purple Violet repeatedly devised stratagems, weaving together a trap aimed at Ancestor Thousand Transformations.
As an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal, Ancestor Thousand Transformations was naturally no ordinary figure. He keenly sensed the undercurrents of danger, but constrained by his injuries, he had no option but to maneuver against Heaven's Court through schemes of his own.
The two sides clashed in the shadows. Though Heaven's Court possessed a Wisdom Path great ability in Fairy Purple Violet, she was weighed down by a multitude of affairs. Moreover, even a mighty dragon could not suppress a local serpent — the Western Desert was, after all, territory that Ancestor Thousand Transformations had cultivated for many years.
Thus, once Ancestor Thousand Transformations had grown wary, Heaven's Court's campaign stalled and stalled again.
Seeing this, Fairy Purple Violet proactively extended an offer of recruitment to Ancestor Thousand Transformations, hoping to replicate the successful model of their earlier sponsorship of Ancestor Snow Beard.
But Ancestor Thousand Transformations was nothing like Ancestor Snow Beard. He possessed the True Inheritance of Mad Berserker, controlled the entirety of the Myriad Image Desert, commanded abundant cultivation resources, and could even sponsor his wives and concubines to ascend to immortality.
Ancestor Snow Beard, on the other hand, had exhausted nearly all his accumulated wealth in the failed refinement of the Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu Heaven's Equal Fortune, and with Heaven's Court's patronage, he was able to quickly rebuild his strength.
Ancestor Thousand Transformations did not outright refuse, either. He told Heaven's Court he would give it further consideration.
Neither side had truly torn off the mask.
But just then, Fang Yuan suddenly appeared, launching a surprise assault on the Myriad Mile Flexible Great Formation. Ancestor Thousand Transformations had no desire to take action.
This troublemaker Fang Yuan, by making his move at precisely this moment, shattered the original stalemate in an instant, rendering Ancestor Thousand Transformations' plan to stall for time completely futile.
The struggle between Ancestor Thousand Transformations and Heaven's Court was like a powder keg. Both sides had been exercising restraint, each trying to find a more opportune moment.
And Fang Yuan was the spark that plunged straight into that powder keg.
With the balance broken, Ancestor Thousand Transformations had no choice but to fight. Once his weakened state was laid bare, Heaven's Court would certainly strike without mercy!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A succession of explosions shook the heavens.
Fang Yuan commanded the Ten Thousand Year Battle Chariot to clash head-on with Ancestor Thousand Transformations. After several exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand.
"There are likely Heaven's Court powerhouses watching us from the shadows nearby. Even if there aren't, this commotion has surely drawn them here." Ancestor Thousand Transformations harbored a persistent unease. Guarding the great formation, he refrained from pursuing, and instead urged Fang Yuan: "Fang Yuan, Fairy Emerald Wave's death was due to her own insufficient skill — she died in battle, and met the end she deserved. The enmity between us need not be something we cannot set aside. You need to see clearly — your true enemy is not me, but Heaven's Court!"
Ancestor Thousand Transformations spoke with earnest sincerity, forcibly suppressing the fury in his heart.
My situation is actually no different from yours, Fang Yuan — why must we fight each other to the death? We are both targets of Heaven's Court. Once we start fighting, we hand Heaven's Court the opportunity! How can you be so irrational?
But Fang Yuan was precisely that irrational. He roared with wild laughter: "Ancestor Thousand Transformations! For an Eighth Transformation powerhouse to be such a coward, wanting to make peace with me? Heh — Heaven's Court is nothing to fear, and neither are you. Die!"
Hearing this, Ancestor Thousand Transformations was so enraged he wanted to tear Fang Yuan apart with his bare hands.
Fang Yuan stood at the prow of the chariot once more, unleashing the Dawn Breaker sword attack.
The sword light cascaded like a waterfall, its momentum vast and overwhelming, yet supremely agile. The instant the swarm of Dawn Breaker swords reached Ancestor Thousand Transformations, it split into ten streams. All ten streams of sword light bypassed Ancestor Thousand Transformations entirely and surged toward the Myriad Mile Flexible Great Formation.
"This brat Fang Yuan is truly vicious!" Ancestor Thousand Transformations' eyes nearly split from rage. He absolutely could not let Fang Yuan succeed — if the great formation were breached, the female immortals inside would suffer catastrophic casualties.
Ancestor Thousand Transformations sucked in a deep breath, and his body abruptly swelled into that of a giant.
He then wheeled around, his back transforming into an enormous tortoise shell that deflected five or six of the sword swarms.
Next, his neck stretched and reshaped, becoming a serpent's long, extended neck.
His head transformed yet again, forming the maw of a beast. The beast's jaws gaped wide and inhaled fiercely, sucking the remaining sword swarms into its mouth.
"Giants Transformation! Vortex Tortoise Shell Transformation! Azure Serpent Neck Transformation! Gluttonous Beast Transformation!" Fang Yuan's eyes blazed sharp as he identified each of Ancestor Thousand Transformations' techniques in an instant.
Ancestor Thousand Transformations wielded all manner of transformations with effortless fluency, his mastery profound beyond measure. Every transformation was executed with perfect precision, flawlessly shielding the great formation behind him.
Fang Yuan immediately understood: the Ten Thousand Year Battle Chariot alone would not be enough to break through Ancestor Thousand Transformations' defense.
Not only that — Fang Yuan needed to avoid close combat as much as possible. He himself knew of many transformations capable of countering the Ten Thousand Year Battle Chariot. If the chariot charged in head-on, it would be exactly what Ancestor Thousand Transformations wished for most.
Fang Yuan sneered: "A fitting display of the Mad Berserker's True Inheritance. Very well — let the battle end here for today. Ancestor Thousand Transformations, we shall meet again."