The three of them charged toward the Predicament — this was a true fight to the death!
All three were already running on fumes, yet the Predicament's strength far exceeded their expectations.
Disaster after disaster crashed down. The three Immortals pushed themselves to their absolute limits, digging out every last trump card and wringing every last shred of potential from their bodies.
Black Loulan's Youdu Power Tiger Totem had been battered into ruin. Huang Zhong Patriarch's Golden Bell Totem had sustained a full eighty percent damage — the cost of restoring it would be astronomical. As for that Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal, he possessed a Rain Eagle Totem and a Thunder Fish Totem, both of which had lost all combat capability. Fortunately, the Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal had a technique that could merge the two damaged totems together, forming a Thunder Rain Fish Eagle Totem.
Near death — then back from the brink!
After a stalemate that lasted the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the three Immortals finally fought with their very lives and killed the Predicament.
Huang Zhong Patriarch lay sprawled on the ground, too drained even to laugh properly. He could only let out two dry chuckles: "The Ability Gu is mine! You two did well. Whether or not you're willing to join my Huang Zhong tribe, I owe you both a favor. What are you doing?!"
Suddenly, Huang Zhong Patriarch's eyes went wide and he let out a furious roar.
He had just seen that Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal quietly crawl a short distance and pick up the Ability Gu from the ground.
"What else would I be doing? Snatching the Gu, of course." That Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal stowed the Ability Gu inside his own immortal orifice right in front of Huang Zhong Patriarch.
Pfft!
Huang Zhong Patriarch coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, passed out on the spot, and tumbled down from the Heavenly Path.
Black Loulan gritted her teeth in secret: "So close! How infuriating!"
She had wanted to seize the Ability Gu as well, but unfortunately, after breaking free from the Predicament, her positioning was terrible — she was the farthest from the immortal Gu on the ground.
All she could do was watch that Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal succeed.
The Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal gave Black Loulan a faint smile, then dropped down off the Heavenly Path.
"I don't have the strength to explore any further either." Black Loulan sighed deeply. Her trip had yielded enormous gains, but the true supreme-grade immortal Gu had eluded her.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly froze — the edge of her palm had brushed against something.
"Is this... an invisible Gu insect?"
Black Loulan focused her senses. Only because she had come into contact with this immortal Gu could she detect its aura and force signature.
"An Eighth Transformation invisible immortal Gu? What on earth could it be? Could it be...?" Overjoyed, Black Loulan seized the mysterious immortal Gu and departed from the Heavenly Path.
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*Records of the Human Ancestor, Chapter 5, Section 34:*
It is said that the Human Ancestor encountered the most powerful Predicament of his entire life. From this, his seventh child — Da Li Zhen Wu, the Great Power True Warrior — was born. The Human Ancestor was thus saved.
The Human Ancestor and Da Li Zhen Wu traveled together.
Da Li Zhen Wu asked, "Father, where do we go from here?"
The Human Ancestor replied, "My child, you don't yet know the full story, so let me explain. I originally set out to rescue your brothers and sisters, but the Fate Gu arranged everything, preventing our family from reuniting. Right now, we can only break free of the Fate Gu's shackles before we can be together with our loved ones again."
When Da Li Zhen Wu heard the whole account, he cried out in outrage: "This Fate Gu is absolutely detestable!"
At the same time, the Might Gu shouted within his swelling ambition: "The strong despise nothing more than shackles — especially Fate."
The Human Ancestor patted Da Li Zhen Wu's head and comforted him: "It's alright. Your father has already thought of a plan. I will use my own Gu to draw upon Strength and Wisdom, then obtain the Freedom Gu to break free of the Fate Gu's constraints. Now we will go to a place called the Heaven-Earth Crystal Wall to find the Zhi Hui Gu waiting there."
Da Li Zhen Wu nodded vigorously: "Then let's go together."
The Human Ancestor and Da Li Zhen Wu walked on and on. The road grew increasingly uneven, full of uphill slopes and downhill grades.
The Might Gu goaded Da Li Zhen Wu: "Man, take the uphill path! Uphill is harder to climb, but there are always good things to be found up there!"
Da Li Zhen Wu nodded: "The strong love taking uphill paths."
After much effort, Da Li Zhen Wu reached an uphill slope. He looked left and right and called out: "There's nothing here at all!"
"No, it's right by your feet. Pick it up," the Might Gu reminded him.
Da Li Zhen Wu crouched down and groped along the ground. Sure enough, he found a hard, invisible Gu.
"So there really is something good," Da Li Zhen Wu said with a sudden grin. "It's an Effort Gu."
The Human Ancestor was puzzled: "My son, how did you know? Neither of us can see what it looks like."
Da Li Zhen Wu scratched his head: "The moment I held it in my hand, I could see the Effort Gu clearly. As for why I knew it was the Effort Gu — well, the strong should naturally know about effort. It's only to be expected; there's nothing strange about it."
The efforts of others are invisible to all.
Father and son continued on their way.
"Excellent! Now that I have the Effort Gu, it helps me enormously." Da Li Zhen Wu walked along, gazing at the Effort Gu with delight.
He always chose the uphill path.
The Human Ancestor asked curiously: "Is the Effort Gu really that powerful? Can it bring you success directly?"
Da Li Zhen Wu shook his head: "Effort doesn't guarantee success, but effort always produces a result. No matter what that result is, it's certainly different from not trying at all."
But the Human Ancestor was worried: "My son, you've only just been born. Don't be deceived by Gu. I was once tricked by the Zhi Hui Gu myself. Every time I see you take an uphill path, you're drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. I haven't seen the Effort Gu bring you any benefit at all. I've also heard rumors that the Effort Gu sometimes lies."
Da Li Zhen Wu shook his head and wiped the sweat from his brow: "Father, you can't see my effort, so you've misunderstood. You can't appreciate how much effort I put in to climbing uphill. In truth, the result of that effort is right beneath my feet — it lets me gain more height with every step. The uphill path is full of good things that one simply cannot obtain without effort."
"Is that really so?" The Human Ancestor was half-believing, half-doubting.
The Human Ancestor and Da Li Zhen Wu kept walking.
Da Li Zhen Wu always took the uphill path, and his standing rose ever higher. Thus he obtained the Authority Gu and the Resolve Gu.