Transformation Path Grandmaster!
Inside the sovereign immortal aperture, at Mini Eastern Sea, two desolate beasts spar. The sea is not as vast as the outside world’s, its deepest level only sixty feet, since the aperture still lacks water path dao marks. The shark fin wolf howls and pounces, but the flying bear dodges and slams it down with a huge force. Fang Yuan is not satisfied, since his current strength path immortal zombie body’s dao marks make it hard for change form Gu to alter his appearance, even though those same dao marks let flying bear strength Gu draw useful amplification. Transformation path Gu Immortals normally hold dao marks of their own path in their bodies, and change form Gu shifts only shape, leaving strength and speed to other Gu worms. He judges the boundaries between his own paths are indistinct, an immense advantage other Gu Immortals lack. ch. 1099
He decides training only through a strength path immortal zombie cannot show the true extent of his transformation path. The shark fin wolf attacks again. Fang Yuan had returned beast enslavement Immortal Gu after the earthly calamity and released both desolate beasts, so the wolf now fights with its true ferocity, yet the flying bear still dodges every blow. Slammed down once more, it flees timidly instead of pressing on. Fang Yuan wonders if he trained it too harshly before and blunted its nerve, then loses interest. His practice has proven his transformation path has reached grandmaster level, a fifth grandmaster path beside blood, strength, wisdom and star. ch. 1099
This grandmaster leap came from Reckless Savage’s true meaning, not from his five hundred years of past-life knowledge. Heaven’s will pushed his first two calamities to the limit the way of heaven permits, and their strength, on par with heavenly tribulations, drew out more of that true meaning than an ordinary calamity would. Stronger calamities bring greater danger, but also greater benefit once passed. Three infusions built his attainment: the first at Hei Lou Lan’s ascension to a ten extreme immortal, the other two inside his own calamities through the immortal tribulation tempering aperture. ch. 1099
The second earthly calamity passed only after an extremely dangerous process, Dang Hun Mountain reduced to a small mound and his immortal essence nearly gone. Only his prepared desolate beast secured the outcome. In the first calamity Reckless Savage’s true meaning held over half the power and the snow monsters lacked initiative, but in the second heaven’s will turned that same true meaning into the snow moons that amplified the wind flower tribulation. He judges heaven’s will is certain to weigh Dang Hun Mountain, his killer moves, his beasts, and even Gu Immortal Zhou Zhong in the third calamity. ch. 1099
Against tribulations Fang Yuan counts seven methods: tribulating at the northern icy plain to draw out Reckless Savage’s true meaning, Dog Shit Luck’s luck path, and disguise through several Immortal Gu. The rest are his own combat moves, Dang Hun Mountain’s terrain, his cognition closed to heaven’s will as a complete otherworldly demon, and outside help from his desolate beasts and Lang Ya Sect’s hairy man Gu Immortals. Heaven’s will knows these methods clearly, with variance only in the seventh. The outside help is unreliable, since his enslavement path is weak and heaven’s will could free his beasts mid-tribulation. Unless he has no choice he will not expose his sovereign immortal aperture to featherman Gu Immortal Zhou Zhong, who once entered Tai Bai blessed land as an earthly calamity through heavenly wish. ch. 1099
Fang Yuan judges his calamities will only grow deadlier, the third a near death and the fourth a certain death, his aperture’s unmatched potential making them terrifying and leaving two months between each. Only his deep foundation and saved resources have kept him alive. Treasure yellow heaven’s continued closure blocks any breakthrough, and days pass with no sign it will reopen. A few more months of closure would already mean Fang Yuan’s death, short of a fortuitous encounter. Lang Ya Sect’s growth stalls too. Lang Ya land spirit, still pressing him over the falling star hound without agreement, cuts his teaching rewards to the lowest, while Sixth Hair stirs the hairy man Gu Immortals against him. Fang Yuan is left choosing between waiting for treasure yellow heaven and forcing a breakthrough himself. ch. 1099
