Chapter 1165

Fang Yuan passes the fifth earthly calamity. He spent much effort against the corrosive dark current, though Hei Fan’s true inheritance left him no obvious weakness. He concludes the calamity, though stronger than the first four, did not greatly exceed his expectations, since his strength had grown faster than its power. He judges earthly calamities can no longer stop him and that heaven’s will turns to human calamities, recalling the fourth calamity’s human calamity, which brought an immemorial rock dragon and greatly exceeded his limits, and he survived only through bluffing. This tribulation brought no human calamity, since he moved as an otherworldly demon whose plans heaven’s will could not decipher. ^{ch. 1165}

He decides he should no longer undergo tribulation at fixed locations, since repeated tribulations in the northern icy plain let heaven’s will subconsciously affect many Gu Immortals and had nearly killed him. He had chosen Earth Trench, where earth path and dark path dao marks are in the highest quantity, hoping for an earth path calamity, but heaven’s will denied him that and formed a dark path one. Inspecting with perceivable dao Immortal Gu, he finds his dark path dao marks near ten thousand, a gain of at least nine thousand from a weak foundation. Though his dark path attainment is low, he holds a dark path Immortal Gu, dark limit, which conceals him from heaven’s will’s perception to an extent. This tribulation cost him only a few days. ^{ch. 1165}

At Hei Fan grotto-heaven, Chu Du’s rank seven peak battle strength keeps it impregnable, but Bai Zu holds the upper hand even though he cannot break through and is pushed back repeatedly, free to attack or retreat while Chu Du can only defend. Fang Yuan judges Chu Du is bound to fail, though far from his limit, and weighs whether Chu Du’s death would help or hurt him. He concludes it is better for Chu Du to live. He had invested heavily in Chu Du through the rank seven Immortal Gu calamity beckoning, which would perish if Chu Du died, and their alliance agreement obligates him to help. Calamity beckoning can divert calamity pressure, and helping would let him relocate his storage pool to Hei Fan grotto-heaven, hatching the upper extreme heavenly eagle while producing heavenly crystals. He decides to help against Bai Zu, but is in no rush, since Chu Du needs to rest and restock his immortal essence. ^{ch. 1165}

In Southern Border, at Sun Crown Mountain, Ye Fan confronts a group of Gu Masters, accusing them of being demonic cultivators posing as lone cultivators. They protest that their ringleader died at his hands and that, since submitting to boss White Demon, they have stopped their crimes. Ye Fan declares he represents Shang clan and needs passage through Sun Crown and Silent Flow Mountain, both of which Bai Ning Bing has taken control of. He demands White Demon meet him. Otherwise, he threatens to slaughter everyone tomorrow. Knowing Silent Flow Mountain’s defenses are stronger and that he cannot take it by force, he judges luring White Demon out his best method. ^{ch. 1165}

An icy voice answers that she is there, and more than ten figures appear. Ye Fan sees Gu Masters among her retinue, but Bai Ning Bing herself draws his attention as a beauty comparable only to Shang Xin Ci. A demonic Gu Master crawls to her, fawning over their defense. Bai Ning Bing freezes him, judging that avoiding the enemy and refusing to fight deserved death; he is beyond dead. The demons and her experts are shaken, while Ye Fan feels his good impression replaced by anger, accusing her of killing her men. ^{ch. 1165}

Bai Ning Bing smiles and points at Ye Fan; a huge piece of ice forms on his left leg despite his defensive killer move, which fails for the first time. Shocked that the method given to him by Lady Shang Qing Qing, a Gu Immortal, proved useless, Ye Fan realizes she has not yet used all her effort. He had greatly underestimated her. But Ye Fan steadies himself, his battle intent surging. ^{ch. 1165}