Chapter 1179

Fang Yuan floats above the deformed battlefield, pits full of mangled ice spike divine ape corpses. Every Gu Immortal is injured or dead. The one who died is the theft path Gu Immortal, killed not by the heavenly dragon but by Heavenly Lord Bai Zu’s clones while helping. Fang Yuan takes a javelin-sized icicle through his left lung. Frost has necrotized much of the flesh on his lower limbs. His sovereign immortal body’s great advantage, dao marks that never conflict, proves its flaw: once an attack breaks through, none of those marks blunt it. Blood asset Immortal Gu is still recovering, leaving bloodstained conqueror’s robe unusable. ^{ch. 1179}

Hei Fan’s true inheritance carries outstanding defensive methods built around its sealed core Gu, Years Flow Like Water, kept shut since its leaked aura would draw immemorial year beasts. Fang Yuan defends instead with weaker year Gu, Hei Fan’s method before rank seven. Anything of rank eight strength entering his aperture would force him to abandon the sovereign immortal body and flee as a soul. Heavenly Lord Bai Zu, he reflects, is an enslavement path rank eight and truly formidable, fighting only through clones from outside the grotto-heaven. His space distortion for sending in beasts is truly extraordinary. This battle brought a hundred ice spike divine apes and a field of desolate plant snow willows. Two icefall divine apes slipped through despite every attempt to block them. ^{ch. 1179}

Fang Yuan once borrowed Lang Ya blessed land’s ice spike divine ape, which later died defending that blessed land. He has also fought an icefall divine ape, born from Hei Lou Lan’s tribulation through Reckless Savage’s true meaning. He judges a tribulation-born one cannot match a genuine divine ape in strength. On their own, the beasts and plants would be troublesome but not difficult. What makes the difference is Heavenly Lord Bai Zu’s clones directing them as coordinated troops, whose battle strength under enslavement path killer moves is very shocking. The immortals won only by combining every strength. ^{ch. 1179}

Healing Fang Yuan’s wounds has cost him heavily, and Heavenly Lord Bai Zu’s losses run heavier still. His year Gu has fallen in years and needs parallel refining again. The contest has settled into a battle of attrition. Heavenly Lord Bai Zu first struck Chu Du’s resource points, then sent beasts, and now builds bases forcing the Gu Immortals to come to him. He controls the battle even alone. Fang Yuan is first to run low, his rank seven only a surface show over green grape immortal essence. Alone with him, Chu Du admits he has recruited everyone he can and that Heavenly Lord Bai Zu will win here, since they cannot challenge a rank eight’s foundation; the true key is Bai Zu tribe outside. ^{ch. 1179}

Chu Du’s rumor campaign is working across Northern Plains, spreading word of Bai Zu tribe’s weak foundation, Heavenly Lord Bai Zu’s threat, and his lack of Giant Sun Immortal Venerable’s bloodline. Impersonators provoke the super forces. Bai Zu tribe’s leader, Bai Zu Wei, has died in battle. His weaker successor reports the tribe’s danger to Heavenly Lord Bai Zu. Heavenly Lord Bai Zu is unmoved, judging it Chu Du’s ploy to provoke the Huang Jin tribes. He reasons the other tribes see through it but dare not act against his rank eight deterrence. He stays determined to take Hei Fan grotto-heaven, timing his push while Five Elements Grandmaster is occupied with Longevity Heaven and other rank eights are occupied elsewhere. ^{ch. 1179}

Selling more desolate beasts, including two spinefin star dragonfish, harms Fang Yuan’s aperture foundation. His finances have turned from a growing cycle to a declining one, a clear warning. He resolves to advance to rank seven once this battle ends. Heavenly Lord Bai Zu nearly enters with his true body several times. Fang Yuan secretly asks Lang Ya Sect for help recruiting Chu Du, but the land spirit refuses, warning that revealing the sect would kill Fang Yuan under their alliance agreement. Chu Du tells Fang Yuan that he can still hold on but means to give up rather than waste more resources on a decided outcome. Fang Yuan, wanting to withdraw, agrees at once, but as the two discuss retreat, every Huang Jin tribe unites against Bai Zu tribe, a turn for the better at the last possible moment. ^{ch. 1179}