The qi tide surged across the sky in vast, rolling waves, rapidly engulfing the entire Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven.
Demon Venerable Spectre sighed deeply. What a pity. He had originally intended to let both sides fight to the death, then clean up everything himself — devouring Gu Immortal souls would be far more helpful than absorbing soul cores.
Unfortunately, his plans had all been disrupted by this qi tide.
"I don't possess Dashing Soul Mountain and lack Courage Gu, so I can only devour soul beasts and soul cores. But these require a certain amount of digestion time, far inferior to Courage Gu, which can directly bolster one's soul foundation."
"How could this be so coincidental? Not long ago, Qi Sea Ancestor and Wu Shuai clashed, triggering a qi tide. And now this battle has also drawn the qi tide's attention."
Demon Venerable Spectre thought on this and gained a faint insight: "Could it be that when Gu Immortals fight one another, they trigger qi tides?"
It was only a speculation — he dared not be certain.
"Alas, my attainment in the qi path is merely ordinary. If it were still as it once was, I would surely be able to reach a decisive conclusion."
He possessed the arts of Soul Search and Soul Devour, but these techniques could not directly elevate one's path attainment. The only way to directly raise one's path attainment was to absorb true meanings. The vast majority of Demon Venerable Spectre's attainments during his prime had been obtained through painstaking contemplation and study of memories acquired via Soul Search — no easy feat.
"Never mind."
"This time, An Xun performed exceptionally well and earned merit. It is very likely Wu Shuai will summon him for an audience."
"If I reside within his body, I can get close to Wu Shuai. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to enslave Wu Shuai and seize the Dragon Palace!"
When one plan failed, Demon Venerable Spectre immediately devised a new one.
He harbored deep covetousness toward the Dragon Palace, which held Dream Path Immortal Gu.
Within the raging qi tide, streaks of cold light converged together, reforming into the Ice Crystal Immortal King.
The Ice Crystal Immortal King's aura had weakened considerably, his face deathly pale. The cost of deploying the Extreme Ice Light Immortal-Subduing Coffin killer move had been enormous.
Yet he had single-handedly nearly sealed the Demon Slaying List, making him the greatest contributor to securing victory in this battle.
The Two Heavens Gu Immortals came to visit him one after another, and the looks in their eyes had clearly changed.
Strength could prove everything and distinguish status. Without question, the Ice Crystal Immortal King, who possessed the Extreme Ice Light Immortal-Subduing Coffin killer move, stood above the majority of Eighth Transformation Gu Immortals from the Two Heavens in terms of combat power.
"Although the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven has been protected, the clan-suppressing killer move has been exposed." The Ice Crystal Immortal King had driven back Heavenly Court, but he could not bring himself to feel happy about it.
For now, he could only console himself — the Immortal-Subduing Coffin was difficult to counter and would serve as his reliance for a time.
"Fellow immortal friends, I am not injured. I merely need some time to recuperate. I ask that you all lend your strength together to protect my grotto-heaven," the Ice Crystal Immortal King said.
"Of course, of course."
"The Two Heavens Alliance stands as one. Such a small matter is nothing."
"Everyone, act quickly! Put forth your full effort to maintain the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven!"
The Two Heavens Gu Immortals all sprang into action, working to resist and clear the qi tide within the grotto-heaven, while the Ice Crystal Immortal King took responsibility for repairing the breaches in the grotto-heaven walls.
Though the qi tide was vast and powerful, under the combined efforts of so many Gu Immortals, it was quickly brought under control.
Because they had acted in time, the damage caused by the qi tide to the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven turned out to be relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.
"Vice Alliance Leader, come quickly and see — we've made a new discovery!" The Great Wisdom Immortal Mother flew back, bringing the Ice Crystal Immortal King unexpected news.
Moments later, all the immortals of the Two Heavens arrived at the scene.
A massive fruit the size of a small mountain floated in midair. The fruit was translucent, composed entirely of heaven and earth qi, shaped like a gourd, yet also resembling a peanut.
"Could this be a qi skill fruit?"
"After a qi tide sweeps through, people often discover qi skill fruits of this shape forming. When Gu Immortals obtain one and use it in their immortal apertures, it can rapidly harmonize the heaven and earth qi within, greatly advancing the process of the two qi merging."
"But ordinary qi skill fruits are only as large as a carriage or horse. If this truly is a qi skill fruit, how could it possibly be so enormous?"
The Two Heavens immortals murmured among themselves, unable to reach a conclusion.
"Master, is this truly a qi skill fruit?" An Xun secretly asked Demon Venerable Spectre. "If it really is, wouldn't the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven have turned disaster into fortune? If the Ice Crystal Immortal King absorbed a fruit this massive, his immortal aperture could undergo a complete transformation, no longer restrained by the qi tide!"
"It is indeed a qi skill fruit, but whether this is fortune or misfortune remains to be seen," Demon Venerable Spectre chuckled coldly.
Sure enough, when the Ice Crystal Immortal King attempted to collect the qi skill fruit, he was startled to discover a deeper secret.
"This is bad!" The Ice Crystal Immortal King's face grew even whiter. "This qi skill fruit is still in the process of cultivating and growing. It is drawing upon the heaven and earth qi of my grotto-heaven to continuously expand. If I were to rashly destroy it, it would inevitably cause the grotto-heaven to quake, bring catastrophe upon all living beings, and unleash an even more violent and ferocious qi tide!"
The crowd of immortals erupted in alarm. With the Ice Crystal Immortal King's permission, they stepped forward one by one to investigate.
"This qi skill fruit absolutely cannot be allowed to grow and develop. Is there any fellow immortal who can help me eliminate this threat? I, the Ice Crystal Immortal King, will not be stingy with my rewards." The Ice Crystal Immortal King's expression was grave.
But the Gu Immortals exchanged uneasy glances, all at a loss.
To forcibly destroy the qi skill fruit was something nearly everyone could do. But the harm it would cause to the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven would be devastating, directly undermining its very foundation.
Moreover, according to the immortals' estimates, a direct destruction would detonate the qi skill fruit, triggering a qi tide, after which a second qi skill fruit would begin to form.
In that case, achieving both a permanent elimination of the threat and the preservation of the Ice Crystal Grotto-Heaven posed an extraordinarily difficult challenge.
The Great Wisdom Immortal Mother suggested: "The reason we cannot help is because none of us primarily cultivate the qi path. Perhaps the Alliance Leader has a method?"