AN:
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Outside Stone Lotus Island, the six Venerables arrived almost simultaneously, the disturbance in the River of Time impossible to ignore.
Star Constellation Immortal Venerable's gaze fell upon the island. For a brief moment, her pupils contracted.
"A Stone Lotus Island..."
Countless deductions unfolded within a single breath.
Two possibilities surfaced.
First — Fang Yuan intended to aid Red Lotus' revival. The two had long been entangled ever since the Spring Autumn Cicada.
Second — Fang Yuan was seizing Red Lotus' arrangement for himself.
Her eyes grew cold.
No matter the intent, Fang Yuan would not act without profit. If the resonance continued, the one who stood to gain the most would undoubtedly be him.
"Attack. Break the formation." She spoke decisively.
"Heh.." Spectral Soul' dark eyes locked onto fang yuan. His lips curled slightly.
"Red Lotus… Fang Yuan…" Thick killing intent began to coil faintly around him, restless and eager, as if countless resentful souls were howling in anticipation.
Fang Yuan stood within the formation core, gazing at the Venerables who arrived. His expression was calm as he summoned Wu Shuai and Zhan Bu Du, replacing him as they continue controlling the formation.
Fang yuan then floated, putting himself between the Venerables and the formation, firm on his stance to defend it. He then activated various defensive compound killer moves, stacking one upon the other.
"HAHA! Now this is fun!" Reckless Savage Demon Venerable laughed loudly.
His body expanded. Muscles bulged. Bones shifted. His aura became ancient. He transformed— Into an Immemorial Year Beast.
This immemorial Year beast however was different, it was actually a mix of the twelve different species of year beast!
Spectral Soul Demon Venerable did not speak. After regaining his sanity, his aura had become even more restrained, but the killing intent surrounding him was far deeper than before, causing the river water of the River of Time itself to instinctively retreat as condensed death conceptually filled the space.
It was not aura, nor pressure, nor light. It was pure killing intent refined to the extreme—so concentrated that surrounding time path dao marks dispersed on instinct, as if life itself sensed the presence of a natural predator.
A black spear formed in his palm without grandeur or decoration. Its simplicity was what made it terrifying, for it existed only to embody one meaning: to kill.
He threw it.
The spear did not travel through space but vanished and reappeared directly before Fang Yuan's forehead.
Spectral Soul move that radiated killing path did not travel.
It arrived.
Because to kill, distance was meaningless.
The spear did not aim at Fang Yuan's body.
It aimed at life itself.
At the thread that bound soul, flesh, will, and dao marks together.
Fang Yuan's and the other Venerable pupils contracted slightly.
This was new.
Spectral Soul did not display his killing path in the earlier fights, this was the first time he was using this card.
"Heh." Fang Yuan did not retreat.
—Heavenly Web Protection Veil.
tikkkk!
A sound aking to a needle trying to pierce a hard surface resounded.
The point of contact between his brow glowed for a brief moment, in that brief moment you can vaguely see a translucent net covering Fang Yuan's skin.
Heavenly web protection veil's defensive power was higher than the strength of Spectral Soul move.
Silence followed.
Spectral Soul's eyes darkened slightly. It was this move again. His newly formed killing path was still not complete. After only recently regaining sanity, how could his killing path truly "kill" heaven itself?
However—
He knew.
Maintaining that defense was not without cost.
So the attacks continued.
The Venerables were determined.
Primordial Origin's Qi attacks pressed inward,
Star Constellation's Mental Domain killer move was relentless, trying to extracted his emotions madly, deduction waves spread silently, looking for every hole Fang Yuan may let out.
Genesis Lotus' Painting Path created a battlefield that somewhat suppress the suppression forced when fighting in the River of Time Dao. Allowing the other Venerables attack to unleash some of their original might.
Reckless Savage roared as his Immemorial Year Beast form smashed through temporal currents, his fists carrying ancient primal violence.
Giant Sun's blood light condensed, blood sea fragments manifesting faintly within the River of Time.
Each strike was heavier than the last.
Fang Yuan stood before the formation core.
His expression did not change.Yet—
The glow of the Heavenly Web Protection Veil gradually dimmed.
This defensive move was powerful. But it was not without price. Heaven path materials were constantly being consumed.
Dao marks were consumed.
The foundation sustaining the veil was being eroded under continuous assault.
Spectral Soul's 'killing spear' struck again.
The invisible spear reappeared.
It pierced the veil.
Ripples spread across the translucent web pattern covering Fang Yuan's body. the net trembled before breaking.
He move swiftly and managed to dodge the fatal strike, leaving a deep gash the stretch from the middle of his forehead to the side of his head. Blood gushed as Fang Yuan's flesh and bones was bear for everyone to see.
Fang Yuan's left eye was constantly being hindered by the blood leaking from his wound. However he remained calm, but within his immortal aperture— Heaven path resources were already depleted. His reserves was deep.
Yet facing six Venerables was still beyond his current limits.
Heavenly Web Gu was damaged badly, his strongest defensive move becoming unusable.
The Venerables noticed it, their attacks became more aggressive as Fang Yuan's wound was accumulating at a terrifying pace.
The calm River of Time around the perimeter of the Stone Lotus Island began showing signs of violent collapse under continuous stress due to the intense battle.
Fang Yuan was slowly being forced backward.
Step by step, toward the formation boundary.
Blood stains on his white robe deepened.
Time path healing killer moves circulated, repairing injuries immediately.
But consumption was greater than recovery.
His advantage was endurance. Not absolute power.
The Venerables attack were strong even if suppressed in this environment it still exerted great pressure.
At this moment—
Star Constellation's eyes flashed. She noticed something, the cocoon that was constantly being nourished was gradually slowing.
Fang Yuan's true intention was never to defeat them here.
It was to delay.
BADUMP
BADUMP
BADUMP
Soon, faint heartbeat that started slow gradually resounded through the battlefield. The Venerables immediately ceased their attacks. Staring at the figure slowly emerging from the cocoon.
It was Fang Yuan.
The Venerables eyes widened, they immediately deduced that it was Fang Yuan's clone. But it was not the cause of the Venerables shock. No, they knew Fang yuan has clones and the appearance of this clone was even his original one before consuming sovereign immortal fetus Gu.
The reason they were shocked was that this clone actually radiated a genuine rank 9 aura!
The clone first looked at Fang Yuan, before fixing his gaze at the Venerables.
The clone smiled.
Very simply.
The River of Time fell silent for an instant.
Not because of force.
But because something had emerged that demanded attention.
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