Ziwei Fairy's expression was as dark as water.
The Central Grand Hall served as the nerve center of all the Heavenly Court's palaces. Its destruction caused Ziwei Fairy's control over their forces to plummet. Any further mobilization would demand even more time and energy.
Yet in a life-or-death battle of this magnitude, every single breath of time was precious.
The Central Grand Hall had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Before the Tribulation Fortune Altar stood a towering pagoda.
"The Heaven Monitoring Tower!" Inside the Tribulation Fortune Altar, Bing Saichuan's gaze burned hot.
The Heaven Monitoring Tower was famous throughout the world — every Gu Immortal across the Five Regions knew of it. At this moment it stood motionless, surrounded by a Refinement Path Great Formation that blazed with brilliant light, enveloping it at the center.
"The Fate Gu sits atop the Heaven Monitoring Tower. Under the control of the Refinement Path Great Formation, it is being continuously repaired!" Bing Saichuan's brow furrowed slightly.
The Heavenly Court's defenses were remarkably thorough. In the final moments, they still had the Heaven Monitoring Tower guarding everything.
The Central Continent Gu Refinement Grand Assembly had not yet concluded — only the final round remained. Because countless Gu Masters had failed in their refinements, a great number of successful Dao Marks had already accumulated within the Invincible Blessed Land.
The Heavenly Court had extracted these Dao Marks in a continuous stream, and were now using them to repair the Fate Gu, ensuring nothing could go wrong.
"We can't simply destroy this Refinement Path Great Formation. If we did, the backlash from the formation might undo all the Fate Gu's repairs, reverting it to its originally damaged state. It seems we have no choice but to enter the formation and seize it!" With this thought, Bing Saichuan immediately issued orders to the Five Elements Great Mage and Niu Mo.
Niu Mo accepted the command, but the Five Elements Great Mage hesitated: "Lord Bing Saichuan, there's one thing I'm afraid I won't handle correctly. If we get the opportunity to seize the Fate Gu, but it hasn't been fully repaired yet, what should we do?"
This was indeed a problem.
The Heavenly Court possessed the means to repair the Fate Gu — by relying on Human Path killer moves, hosting the Central Continent Gu Refinement Grand Assembly, accumulating a vast quantity of failures, and then collecting the successful Dao Marks needed for refinement through the Invincible Blessed Land.
The Endless Heavens had no such methods.
Bing Saichuan looked at the Five Elements Great Mage. At this point, there was no need for concealment, and he confessed openly: "That is precisely the state of the Fate Gu we want. It has been painstakingly repaired by the Heavenly Court over countless years, finally approaching full restoration. A Fate Gu in this condition is exactly what we desire."
"A fully repaired Fate Gu cannot be directly utilized by anyone. Even the Heavenly Court can only observe the life trajectories of all things in the world indirectly, through the Immortal Gu House, the Heaven Monitoring Tower. If someone could truly master the Fate Gu, they would be able to set the course of destiny and arrange the journey of life. Unfortunately, every generation of Immortal Venerables in the Heavenly Court has made countless efforts, all ending in failure, with not the slightest sign of success."
The Five Elements Great Mage asked in surprise: "If that's the case, then what use is it to us if we seize a Fate Gu that is merely approaching completion?"
Bing Saichuan smiled faintly: "We cannot directly control the Fate Gu. Every generation of Venerables has speculated on the reason — most likely, the activation threshold of the Fate Gu is extraordinarily high, and only the Will of Heaven can operate it. But that doesn't mean we cannot make use of the Fate Gu."
"The Heavenly Court's Heaven Monitoring Tower is the best proof. It's just that their use of the Fate Gu is rather rudimentary."
"Beyond that, the Heavenly Court has another method — using the Fate Gu as a refinement material, combining it with the Fortune Path Immortal Gu to jointly refine the Destiny Gu!"
"Destiny Gu?" The Five Elements Great Mage's pupils contracted slightly.
The smile on Bing Saichuan's lips grew more pronounced: "This is precisely why the Heavenly Court previously invaded the Northern Plains, attempting to seize the Fortune Equal to Heaven Gu."
"I see." The Five Elements Great Mage's confusion cleared.
Bing Saichuan continued: "But they don't know that the concept of the Destiny Gu was first proposed by the Ju Yang Immortal Ancestor. The Heavenly Court's ambition to directly refine a Tenth Transformation Destiny Gu was far too grand. We are different — we only wish to refine a Ninth Transformation Destiny Gu. Therefore, the Fate Gu serving as material does not need to be completely restored."
"As long as we possess a Ninth Transformation Destiny Gu, our Endless Heavens will be able to contend with the Heavenly Court, dominate the coming great era, replace the Heavenly Court, and even rule over the Five Regions — becoming the supreme ruler of all under heaven is entirely within reach!"
The Five Elements Great Mage was left slack-jawed, stunned by the Endless Heavens' tremendous ambition, and all the more awestruck by the grand design of the Ju Yang Immortal Venerable: "So the Endless Heavens' invasion of the Heavenly Court was planned as far back as the era of Ju Yang Immortal Venerable, and only now has it been put into action!"
Receiving Bing Saichuan's explanation and encouragement, the Five Elements Great Mage no longer hesitated. He charged out alongside Niu Mo, shooting like lightning into the Refinement Path Great Formation.
The Heaven Monitoring Tower stood at the formation's center. They had to fight their way all the way to its top floor and seize the Fate Gu.
"They've entered the formation!" Elder Zhengyuan spotted them from afar, his face filled with worry.
But Ziwei Fairy was not particularly flustered: "This Refinement Path Great Formation was specially arranged by us — it is not the same as the previous Refinement Furnace Formation. And inside, it isn't just Yuan Qiongdu alone; two other Eighth Transformation cultivators are assisting him with the refinement."
Although the Refinement Furnace Formation had been highly effective for repairing the Fate Gu, the Heavenly Court had decisively abandoned it — because it was modeled on the Refinement Furnace of the Lang Ya Blessed Land. Now that the Endless Heavens had already annexed the Lang Ya sect, the construction methods of the Refinement Furnace Immortal Gu House were surely already in the Endless Heavens' possession.
Within the Refinement Path Great Formation, Yuan Qiongdu served as the primary formation master, needing to maintain it at all times and unable to leave. But the two Heavenly Court Eighth Transformation cultivators assisting him could temporarily set aside their current tasks to serve as his protectors.
Thoughts flashed through Ziwei Fairy's mind: "The fact that the Endless Heavens sent others to break into the formation tells us they intend to seize the Fate Gu, not destroy it — which means they have reservations. Only a Demon from Beyond the Heavens can destroy the Fate Gu, and Fang Yuan is still on the Emperor City battlefield. We still have time."
With this realization, Ziwei Fairy did not rush to enter the fray. Instead, she first secured Elder Zhengyuan in a safe position.
Elder Zhengyuan was only a Seventh Transformation cultivator and did not qualify to participate directly in the battle. But his role was critically important — he was the key to activating the various Human Path measures left behind by the Primordial Immortal Venerable!
Once Elder Zhengyuan was settled, Ziwei Fairy immediately returned to the battlefield.
The Tribulation Fortune Altar hovered in midair, looming above the Refinement Path Great Formation, blocking the formation's entrance.
Inside the formation's spatial domain, Niu Mo and the Five Elements Great Mage had already begun exchanging blows with the Heavenly Court's two Eighth Transformation cultivators.
Ziwei Fairy let out a low shout, and countless thoughts rained down upon the Tribulation Fortune Altar like a violent storm.
This was an Immortal Path killer move of extraordinary power, especially amplified by the Star Constellation Chessboard — even the Tribulation Fortune Altar did not dare take it lightly.
Bing Saichuan simultaneously healed his wounds and controlled the Tribulation Fortune Altar to counter Ziwei Fairy.
Ziwei Fairy wielded the Star Constellation Chessboard, which was itself an Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu House. The Tribulation Fortune Altar had been created by Ju Yang Immortal Venerable, while the Star Constellation Chessboard had been created by the Star Constellation Immortal Venerable.