At the peak of Book Mountain.
In regard to Fang Yuan's Poisoned Ant Plague move, Fairy Yuxiu continued: "Fortunately, Fang Yuan has already used this move once in the Eastern Sea, and you planted Zui Xianweng within the Righteous Qi Alliance, obtaining first-hand detailed intelligence. This allowed me to make preparations well in advance."
"However, the current version of the Poisoned Ant Plague has been improved again by Fang Yuan. My original countermeasure is no longer quite suitable and will need further refinement."
Upon hearing this, the somber expression on Qin Dingling's face eased somewhat: "That is good enough."
Fairy Yuxiu smiled faintly: "Give me three days, and I will complete the improvement. In the meantime, have the Heavenly Court extensively publicize the Poisoned Ant Plague move."
Qin Dingling accepted the order and departed.
Before long, all the non-human Immortal Gu Masters learned the inside story, and their indignation surged.
"The Sage of the Yellow Soil Great World is truly despicable!"
"I heard long ago that the Gu Masters of the Yellow Soil Great World were united and harmonious. Who would have thought their Sage could be so ruthless — it is truly a source of utter disappointment."
"By comparison, the Sage of the Blue Lotus Great World is the one who truly embodies generosity and the bearing of a Sage. Even the Sage of the Primordial Chaos Great World is nothing more than this."
The observing non-human Gu Masters were deeply disappointed. They had been watching eagerly, but neither Eternal Life, nor Fang Yuan, had shown any response that matched their hopes.
They had gained nothing. Meanwhile, the Yellow Soil Great World and the Primordial Chaos Great World went ahead and mobilized their armies to launch an all-out war!
Disappointment among the non-human Gu Masters gradually turned to anger.
"With the Sages of these two great worlds acting like this, are they not afraid we will truly defect to the Blue Lotus Great World?"
"Hmph, both of these Sages are far too arrogant and aloof."
"Forget it, let us join the Blue Lotus Great World instead!"
Nearly all of the non-human Gu Masters who had been sitting on the fence decided to pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Court.
"Truly formidable, this wisdom-path move by the Heavenly Court. The emotions deep in those non-human Gu Masters' hearts were all influenced from the shadows. From what I know, many of them made the decision to join the Heavenly Court in a fit of anger," Lu Weiyin said to Fang Yuan with a sigh.
First, the Heavenly Court publicized Fang Yuan's vicious and ruthless nature. Then, it freely deployed a move to relieve the non-human Gu Masters of their Poisoned Ant Plague affliction. Finally, it secretly employed a method to quietly sway the emotions of these non-human Gu Masters.
This sequence of moves — one countering, one striking — not only nullified the negative impact of the Poisoned Ant Plague, but also turned the tables, leaving both Fang Yuan and Eternal Life in a thoroughly awkward position.
"At present, the Heavenly Court has gathered a massive number of non-human Gu Masters, and their numerical advantage has become even more pronounced. Should we withdraw the army at the front?" Lu Weiyin asked again.
Fang Yuan smiled and waved his hand: "The Heavenly Court is truly formidable. According to my calculations, this mysterious wisdom-path move also contains the profundities of the Heavenly Dao, enabling it to interfere with the thoughts of all living beings, much like Heavenly Will."
"The Poisoned Ant Plague had been plaguing the Righteous Qi Alliance, yet the Heavenly Court dismantled it with almost effortless ease."
"In truth, I have already improved the move once again."
"However, Eternal Life has begun to move as well. We should wait and observe for a while before making any decisions."
Gutou Luan was among the non-human Gu Masters who had defected to the Heavenly Court.
After forging a covenant with the Heavenly Court, she tore through the void and returned to her own small world.
For several consecutive days, she was busy setting up an Immortal Formation.
This Immortal Formation was, naturally, a gift from the Heavenly Court. Once activated, it could influence the descent trajectory of the small world, ultimately causing it to land upon the womb-wall of the Blue Lotus Great World.
"The Sage of the Blue Lotus Great World is truly unfathomable. This Immortal Formation is exquisite beyond measure, its power tremendous, and yet its consumption of Immortal Essence is remarkably low."
Gutou Luan secretly praised it as she drove the formation forward.
The Immortal Formation erupted with a faint, mysterious glow that radiated outward from within the small world.
The small world had been plummeting toward the very center of the void all along, and now, under the formation's influence, its trajectory began to shift ever so slightly.
"Hmm?!" After sustaining the activation for several breaths, Gutou Luan suddenly showed a look of shock.
"What's happening? I clearly activated the Immortal Formation, yet the small world has broken free of control and is hurtling in a different direction!"
"Could the Immortal Formation be ineffective?"
Gutou Luan hastily probed deeper, and what she discovered in the end was nothing short of horrifying: it was not that the formation was ineffective. Rather, a profound and majestic force had already taken hold of her small world.
Compared to this vast and overwhelming power, the Immortal Formation simply could not compete.
Gutou Luan could only watch helplessly as her homeland plummeted onward, ultimately crashing into the womb-wall of the Primordial Chaos Great World.
Her case was not unique. The vast majority of the small worlds had been influenced — either they had already fallen onto the Primordial Chaos Great World, or they were still on their way down.
Gutou Luan and the other non-human Gu Masters were dumbfounded.
They had pledged themselves to the Blue Lotus Great World, yet their own small worlds had landed on the Primordial Chaos Great World. Inevitably, they would be absorbed and merged into it.
"This is the work of the Sage within the Primordial Chaos Great World!"
"Incredible — that Sage had already made his move. He can draw in all of the small worlds!"
"Only those small worlds at the very fringes have been spared."
"What are we going to do?"
Many Gu Masters began to regret their decision. Had they known this would happen, they would not have rushed so hastily to join the Blue Lotus Great World.
At the peak of Book Mountain.
"This is Giant Sun's Heaven and Earth Fortune move," Qin Dingling remarked with a sigh. "Fate is the constant, fortune is the variable. Eternal Life has gone so far as to send the Heaven-Conferring Palace crashing down, and it has already begun to interfere with the Heaven and Earth Fortune of the Eighth Layer of the Crazed Demon Cave. That is why all these small worlds have fallen to his side."
"As expected of a Venerable's methods," Fairy Yuxiu sighed. They had seen through this particular move of Eternal Life's, but there was nothing they could do to counter it.
Setting aside the fortune-path aspect, where Eternal Life already held superiority over the Heavenly Court — the fact that this move was being powered by the Heaven-Conferring Palace meant that to break it, one would have to destroy the Heaven-Conferring Palace itself.