Chapter 1282

Fighting underwater favors Ying Wu Xie’s immortal zombie body, since it needs no breath. Fang Yuan must surface at intervals and cannot land a telling blow, so he turns on Purple Mountain True Monarch in Ying Wu Xie’s arms. He shifts again to stab for Ying Wu Xie’s eyes, aiming to kill him outright. Purple Mountain True Monarch suddenly regains clarity and lunges at Fang Yuan’s face. Fang Yuan catches him and tries to crush him in one fist, but Purple Mountain True Monarch’s deep wisdom path dao marks make him slippery as an eel and he squeezes free. He frees Ying Wu Xie and carries him downstream before falling back into insanity, and Ying Wu Xie understands he retreated because his condition was not stable. ^{ch. 1282}

Shielded, Ying Wu Xie escapes Fang Yuan’s kill, leaving only Fang Yuan, Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun in Reverse Flow River. Old Ancestor Xue Hu demands to know who dared foil his plan. Hei Lou Lan, unable to expose Fang Yuan without betraying Shadow Sect, names his cover identity, Liu Guan Yi. Xue Hu recognizes the name: the demonic path Gu Immortal who killed Ye Lui Qun Xing. Three parties now hold the riverbank, positioned to seize Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun the moment the river forces them out. Old Ancestor Xue Hu stands with Shadow Sect, Central Continent’s Bi Chen Tian and Wei Ling Yang wait apart, and Mao Li Qiu joins Longevity Heaven’s Black Extremity as a third group. ^{ch. 1282}

Wei Ling Yang vows Central Continent will defend the pair. Black Extremity urges Ma Hong Yun to come home to Longevity Heaven, since Fortune Rivalling Heaven chose him and he carries Giant Sun’s bloodline. Old Ancestor Xue Hu offers Fang Yuan the position of Snowy Mountain’s third peak lord if he captures the pair instead. Having failed to kill Ying Wu Xie, Fang Yuan judges capturing Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun his best bargaining chip with all three sides, one he could turn against Shadow Sect, and swims after them. Ma Hong Yun, exhausted but driven by his need to save Zhao Lian Yun, keeps swimming. Fang Yuan swims faster than the pair, but the river pushed him back for a time after his fight with Ying Wu Xie, leaving Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun very safe unless their strength gives out. ^{ch. 1282}

Zhao Lian Yun’s legs touch the riverbed and she stands up with her head and shoulders clear of the water, which leaves both her and Ma Hong Yun extremely joyful. Mao Li Qiu explains that Reverse Flow River shallows near its upstream end and points to The Legends of Ren Zu, in which Ren Zu failed at the last step trying to walk out from the front. With the pair only a hundred steps from the shore, the watching Gu Immortals wonder whether they might succeed where Ren Zu could not. They marvel at the pair’s willpower. Extremely tired, their bodies numb, Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun support each other and keep advancing step by step, leaving a huge impact on the watching immortals. The crowd outside holds its breath as the pair near the river’s end. ^{ch. 1282}