Chapter 186: Not Even One Percent
Lightning filled the sky as the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation churned like a sea of dark clouds. Within the clouds, tribulation light flashed again and again, blue, white, gold, and black mixing together until the entire battlefield resembled a broken heavenly river. Heaven Overseeing Tower, Sacred Feather City, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage moved within the formation like three injured beasts circling each other, each one damaged, each one wary, and each one waiting for the others to reveal a flaw.
None of the three sides could retreat, and none of them could finish the battle quickly. Heaven Overseeing Tower was damaged, but it was still a rank nine Immortal Gu House. Sacred Feather City was cracked and burning through wish power, but it still had Shadow Sect's surviving Gu Immortals and the ten extreme formation behind it. Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage had suffered less damage than the other two, but it was caught between two enemies, the formation, and the tribulations pressing down from above.
Inside Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage, Fang Ming stood at the movement core while Fang Yuan controlled the attack-defense system beside him. Dream Garment's faint protection still covered Fang Yuan, while Dream Feather's aura lingered around Fang Ming. Behind them, Fairy Huang Sha, Fairy Qing Suo, Fairy Fen Meng, Bian Si Xuan, and Ju Go each occupied a secondary control point, maintaining immortal essence flow and stabilizing the Gu House's structure.
The five Eagle Sect Gu Immortals had already seen more in this battle than most rank six Gu Immortals would witness in their entire lives. Heavenly Court, Shadow Sect, Fate Gu, dream path methods, three Immortal Gu Houses, and a refinement formation using immortal apertures as materials had all appeared one after another. Even they, who had followed Fang Ming through several high-risk operations, felt their hearts tighten. Fang Ming did not let that pressure scatter them, saying in a steady voice, "Maintain the immortal essence flow. Do not chase Sacred Feather City, and do not touch Heaven Overseeing Tower unless we are forced."
The five answered quickly. Fang Yuan glanced at Fang Ming and said, "You are still waiting." Fang Ming's gaze remained on the dark clouds as he replied, "So are they." Fang Yuan did not deny it. All three sides were stalling, but their reasons were different. Heavenly Court wanted heaven's will to pressure Shadow Sect further, Shadow Sect wanted the refinement to continue, and Fang Ming wanted the final product to appear before making his true move. Fang Yuan did not know every detail, but he could tell that Fang Ming was gambling on something beyond Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage.
Then the sky changed. Golden light pierced through the darkness, first as a few scattered points, then as countless pearls descending from above. Each one was bright and hard like vajra, and when they fell into the dark clouds, crisp cracking sounds spread through the battlefield. The upper layer of the formation melted rapidly under their force, as if boiling oil had been poured over snow.
This was relic vajra tribulation, a grand tribulation.
Inside Heaven Overseeing Tower, the Heavenly Court Gu Immortals showed joy. Heaven's will was attacking Shadow Sect's formation, and the stronger the tribulation became, the greater their chance of victory. Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord watched the golden pearls crash into the dark clouds, his old eyes deep and cold as he ordered them to continue waiting until the formation revealed a flaw.
Shadow Sect did not remain passive. The dark clouds opened several gaps, allowing part of the relic vajra tribulation to pour into the formation. Heaven Overseeing Tower, Sacred Feather City, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage were all forced to share the pressure. Heaven Overseeing Tower suffered the least because Fate Gu was within the tower and the tower aligned with heaven's will, so even in its damaged state, the tribulation did not treat it like the others.
Sacred Feather City shone with a soft, warm light that was not ordinary radiance but wish power. Generations of feathermen had lived in Sacred Feather City, leaving behind wishes, hopes, grief, prayers, and attachments that had accumulated over countless years and refined into wish power mortal Gu. Shadow Sect had obtained this city and did not hesitate to burn that reserve now. The warm glow spread across the city's broken walls, strengthening them as Sacred Feather City flew downward and blocked a portion of the relic vajra tribulation for the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation. Vajra pearls smashed into its walls, sending cracks spreading everywhere, but Sacred Feather City continued to endure.
Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage also came under pressure as relic vajra pearls descended toward it. Fairy Qing Suo's face tightened as she said, "Sect master, this is a grand tribulation." Fang Ming's tone remained steady when he replied, "I can see it. Stay at your position." A vajra pearl struck the red light around the Gu House, shaking the entire structure, and before the tremor settled, another pearl fell, then another.
Fang Yuan's eyes sharpened as he sensed the Gu House's time path structure. "We can use the time path sealing method." Fang Ming immediately adjusted Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage's angle before the next wave arrived. "I will handle movement and timing. You handle the sealing." Fang Yuan moved at once, sending Giant Sun's yellow apricot immortal essence into the Gu House while Fang Ming's thirty thousand immortal essence stones burned alongside it, supporting ordinary operation and stabilizing the base consumption.
Red light erupted outward like a spreading inferno. Vajra pearls that struck the red glow were swallowed and sealed inside Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage through time path power. The first few pearls made the Immortal Gu House tremble violently, but Fang Yuan adapted quickly, while Fang Ming adjusted the movement rhythm so the Gu House met the falling pearls from favorable angles rather than being crushed head-on. The Eagle Sect Gu Immortals stabilized the secondary nodes with pale faces, their hands locked on their control points as the Gu House absorbed more and more of the grand tribulation's power.
One hundred vajra pearls were sealed, then two hundred, then five hundred. The red light grew brighter, but the cost was terrifying. The small mountain of immortal essence stones inside Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage shrank at visible speed, pieces vanishing one after another as they turned into pure energy and flowed into the Gu House's systems. Before the relic vajra tribulation ended, the thirty thousand immortal essence stones Fang Ming had taken out were completely consumed.
Fang Yuan's expression changed as he took out more yellow apricot immortal essence. "Your stones are gone." Fang Ming's answer was simple. "Then use Giant Sun immortal essence only when necessary." Fang Yuan's eyes flickered, but he did not argue. The relic vajra pearls were still falling, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage's true ability could not be maintained on immortal essence stones alone. Each use of the sealing method burned through resources at a shocking speed. Fang Yuan had known the Gu House was costly, but seeing it swallow wealth like this still made his heart move. Power always had a price, and a rank eight Immortal Gu House powered by rank nine immortal essence could face a grand tribulation only by consuming a fortune with every breath.
At last, the relic vajra tribulation stopped. Sacred Feather City had suffered the worst. Wish power had preserved it, but cracks covered its walls, and parts of its structure had collapsed. Heaven Overseeing Tower remained damaged but stable, while Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage still floated with dimming red light as sealed vajra pearls remained stored inside it. But the battlefield did not rest. Circles of light appeared in the sky, and from those circles, giant white deer charged out one after another. Their translucent bodies were formed from pure white light, each one the size of an elephant and each one carrying the pressure of an immemorial desolate beast.
These were Destiny Light Deer. The moment they appeared, Shadow Sect's Gu Immortals' expressions changed. They were not falling pearls or beams of light, but living tribulation beasts. Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage could seal attacks, but it could not simply seal living immemorial desolate beasts.
Fang Ming moved Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage toward the side of the battlefield as Fang Yuan released part of the stored relic vajra pearls. Golden pearls shot out from the red light and exploded among the charging Destiny Light Deer, forcing several away while others continued forward, their hooves striking the dark clouds and shaking the formation. Heaven Overseeing Tower avoided the main herd, Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage used stored vajra pearls to repel them, and Shadow Sect bore the heaviest pressure.
Sacred Feather City was already damaged, and the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation had to endure most of the Destiny Light Deer. At the crucial moment, immortal zombie Bo Qing acted. Sword light flashed across the battlefield as five finger fist heart sword erupted. The Destiny Light Deer had rank eight battle strength, but Bo Qing's immortal zombie body contained an unimaginable number of sword path dao marks. Even dead and incomplete, he was still a peak combat force. White deer fell beneath the sword lights, their bodies shattering into pure radiance.
Shadow Sect survived the second grand tribulation, but the dark clouds had thinned to their weakest point so far. The ten extreme immortal zombies hidden inside the formation became faintly visible, and Fang Yuan's eyes immediately lit up. "This is a chance. Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage still holds sealed vajra pearls. If we attack now, we might tear open the formation."
Fang Ming refused before Fang Yuan could continue. "We preserve strength." Fang Yuan turned toward him, his voice colder. "The formation is at its weakest." Fang Ming's voice remained calm, but there was no room for debate. "Heavenly Court sees that too." Fang Yuan stared at him for a breath, then looked toward Heaven Overseeing Tower and saw that the white tower had already begun moving.
Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord would not miss this chance. The damaged rank nine Immortal Gu House charged toward the weakened formation, carrying Heavenly Court's killing intent. Even without its full strongest fate attack, its pressure was still terrifying. Shadow Sect had reached a critical moment, and inside Sacred Feather City, the atmosphere became extremely heavy. Seven Star Child looked at the weakened dark clouds and made the final decision. "Sacrifice Zombie Alliance."
Across the five regions, hidden arrangements activated. One immortal zombie after another appeared within the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation. Rank six, rank seven, and even rank eight immortal zombies emerged like puppets pulled by invisible strings, their eyes blank, their wills suppressed, their bodies filled with dao marks and immortal apertures. Zombie Alliance, the super force spread across all five regions, the organization countless Gu Immortals knew as the refuge of immortal zombies, had always been one of Shadow Sect's hidden fronts.
The immortal zombies did not resist. One by one, they sacrificed themselves, their immortal zombie bodies, dao marks, immortal apertures, Gu worms, and accumulated resources merging into the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation. The weakened dark clouds expanded instantly, roaring back with greater force than before. In a few breaths, the formation recovered beyond its previous peak.
Fang Yuan's expression changed. In his previous life, Zombie Alliance had still existed during the five regions chaotic war. Yet now, immortal zombies from across the five regions were being sacrificed into Shadow Sect's formation in front of him. His memories were being contradicted again, proving that the current timeline had already deviated far beyond what he knew.
Fang Ming watched silently. He was not ignorant of Shadow Sect's connection to Zombie Alliance, but seeing the scale of the sacrifice still made his heart grow solemn. Zombie Alliance was not a small force. It had branches across the five regions, high-level immortal zombies, hidden resources, and a reputation built over long years, yet Shadow Sect had thrown all of it into this formation without hesitation. Fang Ming looked at the expanding dark clouds and thought of his own investment: immortal essence stones, copied Gu, formations, teleport tattoos, Eagle Sect forces, the stolen dream realm, Ghostly Concealment, Luo Po Valley, and the risk of entering Yi Tian Mountain. Compared to Shadow Sect's cost, all of that was not even one percent. If he succeeded in stealing Sovereign Immortal Fetus Gu after Shadow Sect paid this price, the return would be absurd. The thought did not make him smile; it only made his gaze colder.
The formation had recovered, but heaven's will did not stop. The third grand tribulation descended as thin rain fell from the sky. At first glance, each drop looked delicate, only half an inch long, but the moment they landed, the battlefield screamed. This was Absolute Piercing Rain, and every drop was like a tiny weapon capable of piercing through defenses.
The dark clouds were riddled with holes. Sacred Feather City's walls were pierced through layer after layer, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage's red light flickered violently as Fang Yuan tried to seal part of the rain. This tribulation was far harder to absorb than relic vajra pearls. The Gu House shook, cracks spread along its outer edges, mortal Gu died in large numbers, and several systems went silent.
Fairy Fen Meng coughed blood as one secondary control point collapsed, but Ju Go immediately shifted immortal essence flow to cover the break. Bian Si Xuan's face was pale, yet her hands remained steady. Fairy Huang Sha and Fairy Qing Suo maintained defensive nodes while Fang Ming forced Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage through the least dense sections of rain. Fang Yuan used Giant Sun immortal essence again, making red light surge and sealing a portion of the Absolute Piercing Rain, but most of it still pierced through. The Gu House's outer structure cracked, three edges partially collapsed, and some sections became unusable, though the core remained intact.
Fang Ming's voice cut through the trembling Gu House. "Do not panic. Keep the core stable." The Eagle Sect Gu Immortals obeyed through gritted teeth. Sacred Feather City was also suffering, while Heaven Overseeing Tower fared better but still paid a price. Deep cracks spread across the tower, and one corner crumbled under the Absolute Piercing Rain, turning into dead Gu worms that scattered through the air.
When the third grand tribulation finally passed, the battlefield looked ruined. Sacred Feather City was barely holding together, Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage was heavily damaged with dim but unbroken crimson light, and Heaven Overseeing Tower was cracked and incomplete while still releasing an aura that towered over the battlefield. Inside Heaven Overseeing Tower, Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord looked down at the battlefield and saw that the ten extreme immortal zombie lifeless formation had recovered through Zombie Alliance's sacrifice, only to be torn apart again by the third grand tribulation. Shadow Sect's Gu Immortals were exhausted, Sacred Feather City was damaged, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage was also damaged. The battle had reached a moment where one decisive strike could determine everything.
Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord's eyes became sharp. The earlier fate attack could no longer be used safely, and every Heavenly Court Gu Immortal knew this. But there was no better moment. When he ordered Heaven Overseeing Tower to activate, one Gu Immortal hesitated and warned that forcing fate power now might make the tower collapse further. Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord did not look away from the formation as he answered, "If Shadow Sect succeeds, the loss will be greater than this tower."
The Heavenly Court Gu Immortals fell silent, then acted. White light gathered again, but this time it was unstable, trembling within the damaged Heaven Overseeing Tower as if the tower itself could not bear it. Cracks spread deeper along its walls, and dead Gu worms fell from the broken corner like ash. Even so, the white light continued to condense, and fate power rose once more.
Inside Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage, Fang Yuan's expression changed. "He is forcing it." Fang Ming looked toward Heaven Overseeing Tower, the white light reflecting in his eyes. Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord had chosen to gamble the damaged tower for one more fate-powered attack. If the strike landed, the formation might crack, Shadow Sect might collapse, Sacred Feather City might break, and Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage might also be caught in the result.
For a breath, the battlefield seemed to fall silent under the pressure of the gathering white light. Then Heaven Overseeing Tower erupted, and Heaven Overseeing Tower Lord saw the result before him: the formation cracking, Shadow Sect's Gu Immortals dying, Graceful Chaotic Duel Stage shattering, and Fang Ming and Fang Yuan vanishing in the white radiance. Victory seemed to fall into Heavenly Court's hands, and the battlefield moved toward that vision.