Her name was Xi Xue, a peak Fourth Transformation cultivator and a renowned Ice Path powerhouse. She possessed a fifth-tier Sky-Filling Snow Gu. Once activated, it would send goose-feather snow flying in violent tempests, transforming a range of several thousand paces into a frigid ice domain.
Seeing this person, Chang Biao thought bitterly, "This is trouble."
Even at his peak, he would have had to be cautious against her. Now, burdened with injuries, he was no match at all.
The two clashed. Xi Xue's attacks were fierce and relentless, while Chang Biao focused on dodging and stalling. As a result, he was inevitably forced onto the back foot.
The battle raged on. As time passed, Fourth Transformation Gu Masters continued to fall — some wounded and forced to retreat, others killed by the enemy.
Both sides suffered casualties. Overall, the engagement was at a stalemate.
Gradually, the number of Fourth Transformation Gu Masters remaining in both camps dwindled to the point where there were not enough left to deploy.
"Patriarch Gu, I must ask you to act at this moment." Hei Loulan turned his gaze toward a figure who had been sitting upright in the command tent the entire time.
Gu Family Patriarch Gu Guolong was an Earth Path Gu Master who had once piled stones into mountains, causing enormous trouble for the Hei family's army. At one point, he had even made Hei Loulan consider withdrawing altogether. But ultimately, Tai Bai Yunsheng arrived and secured victory for the Hei family. As the defeated party, the Gu family was absorbed into the Hei family's army.
When Gu Guolong took to the battlefield, the Ma family's army was shaken.
This was the first time a Fifth Transformation powerhouse had been deployed. Ma Shangfeng immediately responded by sending out Cheng Family Patriarch Cheng Long.
He was a Fifth Transformation Transformation Path expert — Cheng Hu's elder brother.
Seeing Cheng Long take the field, Gu Guolong gave a slight bow and said courteously, "So it is the Cheng Family Patriarch. Please, lend me your guidance."
Cheng Long chuckled. "I wouldn't dare presume to teach the Gu Family Patriarch anything. Let us simply exchange a few moves."
The two clashed with overwhelming force, immediately overshadowing everyone else and becoming the center of attention.
Gu Guolong was balanced in both offense and defense, solid and steady. Cheng Long, on the other hand, moved freely through the air, fierce yet composed.
After twelve rounds, Hei Loulan dispatched another Fifth Transformation expert, Luo Bojun.
Luo Bojun had originally pledged allegiance to Liu Wenwu. After the Liu family fell to the Hei family, he became one of the upper echelons of the Hei family's army.
The Ma family immediately sent out a Fifth Transformation expert to counter.
In terms of Fifth Transformation powerhouse lineup, the Ma family was in no way inferior. Previously, the Nur army had absorbed the Tao family. The Yang family then defeated the Nur, and the Yelu defeated the Yang, but ultimately the Ma family shattered the Yelu army, becoming the final victors. Through these successive battles, the Ma family's army had come to include no small number of large tribes. They commanded many powerful factions, including the Qilian, Cheng, Zhao, Lü, Tao, and Yang families.
Moreover, they possessed three Enslavement Path Grandmasters: Jiang Baoya, Yang Poying, and Ma Zun!
The Fifth Transformation Gu Masters mostly held high positions of power. Their manner and tone were far more composed and amiable compared to the murderous intensity of the Fourth Transformation Gu Masters. When they fought, they also held back three parts of their strength and two parts of courtesy.
Should any of them die, their tribe would be left leaderless and absorbed by either the Hei or Ma family.
Though they stood on opposing sides, what they truly cared about were the interests of their own tribes. Even though they were bound by the constraints of blood oath pacts, there existed tacit, unwritten rules between them.
Fang Yuan sat calmly, watching quietly.
Though he only displayed the cultivation of a peak Fourth Transformation, he was in fact an Enslavement Path Grandmaster — a pivotal figure who could influence the course of the battle. His status was therefore special, even exceeding that of those Fifth Transformation tribal patriarchs.
"Great Sun Immortal Venerable truly had grand vision and brilliant calculations!" Personally participating in the Battle of the Royal Court filled Fang Yuan with ever-deepening admiration.
Great Sun Immortal Venerable had left behind a legacy for future generations, established the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, and set the tradition of the "Battle of the Royal Court" — truly ingenious thinking and painstaking effort.
Setting aside the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, just the Battle of the Royal Court alone served as a purge every time it was held. The Golden Tribes absorbed other tribes, strengthening themselves. At the same time, the concentration of resources created a thriving war merit economy — a distorted form of prosperity. Through war reparations, technological exchange was fostered, greatly deepening the Golden Tribes' foundations.
More crucial still was the principle of survival of the fittest. Gu Masters were pushed to the edge of life and death, spurring them to think, strive, and become stronger. It screened out seeds of Gu Immortals for the Golden Tribes.
Though Great Sun Immortal Venerable was no longer among the living, his influence still ruled over the entire Northern Plains.
"Compared to the Immortal Venerable, I am as insignificant as an ant. However, it is thanks to this Battle of the Royal Court that my strength has advanced so rapidly..."
Thinking of this, Fang Yuan's attention wavered slightly as he turned his mind inward to his Empty Orifice.
Inside his Empty Orifice, several new Gu insects had appeared. Most were at the fourth tier, one was at the third tier, and there was also a fifth-tier Asura Corpse Gu and a fifth-tier Earth Overlord Gu.
Ever since gaining inspiration from the "Three Heads Six Arms" Killer Move, Fang Yuan had combined his own resources and visions to develop certain results. He then condensed these into a single Killer Move of his own naming — Four-Arm Earth King!
Once he activated this Killer Move, a pair of entirely new arms would grow from both sides of his body. When all four arms were deployed, his combat power would surge dramatically, rivaling the Liu brothers' "Three Heads Six Arms" grand Killer Move!
"However, compared to Three Heads Six Arms, my Four-Arm Earth King form lasts for a shorter duration. I can only unleash my full power while standing on the ground. The moment I take to the air, my combat strength drops by half."
This Killer Move was merely something Fang Yuan had roughed out — still far from complete. Only after being tested in battle, with new Gu added, unnecessary old Gu replaced, or simply removed — only then could the Killer Move gradually be perfected.
The rising sun climbed higher. In the face of the approaching blizzard, even the normally fierce and scorching sunlight appeared cold and feeble.
On the battlefield, killing intent boiled over, gradually building to its peak.
Dozens of battle circles erupted with dazzling displays of color, locked in fierce, unresolvable combat.
In the Hei family's command tent, very few Gu Masters remained. Those not currently fighting had either retreated to rest and recover, or had simply perished on the battlefield.
But overall, the Hei family still held a slight advantage.
Hei Loulan had long received generous support from the two Gu Immortals, Hei Bai and Hei Cheng. The Ma family, on the other hand, had only sought help from Xuesong Zi in this particular battle.
"Hmph. These Ma family bastards sure can take a beating!" Hei Loulan snorted coldly, his gaze fierce. He was growing increasingly impatient.
He turned his gaze toward Fang Yuan and was about to speak when, at that moment, three swarms of beasts charged out from the Ma family's camp.
On the left, ten thousand horses thundered forward, their hooves pounding the earth like rolling thunder!