Chapter 1703

Fang Yuan flies away with blood at the corner of his lips, hurt in the intense battle against the rank eights. After his plot killed Zhou Xiong Xin, the other three decided to escape and together broke his formation. Shadow Sect had made that super immortal formation long ago from the area’s natural dao marks, and kept it hidden as a future base camp for Defy. Defy was a very secretive loose organization of Gu Immortals unhappy with the ten great ancient sects, a Shadow Sect branch. Defy is gone, and Fairy Zi Wei earned much credit for wiping it out. ^{ch. 1703}

Having weighed possible Heavenly Court pursuers after destroying the Refinement Path Convention’s competition locations, Fang Yuan had made the formation his trump card and fled straight to it. Zhou Xiong Xin trapped him with rumor cage. Zhou Xiong Xin was overjoyed, never suspecting the whole encounter was an ambush Fang Yuan had planned from the start. The formation cut rumor cage off from the outside world, completely crushed the immortal battlefield, and held the three other rank eights for a breath, which gave Fang Yuan time to kill Zhou Xiong Xin. The formation then expended itself and the three destroyed it, giving Fang Yuan a backlash like Zhou Xiong Xin’s, though he was prepared. With nothing left to obstruct the three, they retreated; he could defeat them, but killing them was too hard unless he trapped them. ^{ch. 1703}

His peak rank eight battle strength as the immemorial year monkey comes from his dao marks. In the Red Lotus true inheritance contest he neither won nor lost, and in the Dragon Palace contest he lost. Afterwards heaven form located the crucial Immortal Gu hidden in Beast Calamity grotto-heaven. Disguised with familiar face, Fang Yuan stole every Immortal Gu there, then changed identity and inherited the Beast Calamity true inheritance. The Beast Calamity heavenly spirit was completely deceived, even when he annexed the grotto-heaven. ^{ch. 1703}

That grotto-heaven had passed one myriad tribulation before its owner, Beast Calamity Immortal, died, and holds over a hundred thousand transformation path dao marks. Fang Yuan already had nearly a hundred thousand. Annexing it brings him to two hundred thousand, as many as a rank eight who has passed two myriad tribulations, like Bo Qing and Duke Long. As the monkey they become time path dao marks, and added to the more than a hundred thousand time path dao marks he already holds, he would have three hundred thousand. A rank eight without special fortune would need a third myriad tribulation for that. In time path dao marks Fang Yuan has reached pseudo-Immortal Venerable level, and with his rank eight time path Immortal Gu and killer moves his strength is peak rank eight. ^{ch. 1703}

He thinks facing Duke Long will still be difficult. Fang Yuan has three time path Immortal Gu, only passable, and too few, too weak killer moves; reworking spring scissors many times has not changed its core. Duke Long has at least three hundred thousand dao marks, more than three rank eight Immortal Gu, and numerous profound killer moves such as triple qi retraction. That gives him pseudo-Immortal Venerable strength. Fang Yuan’s confidence rests on knowing his own strength, and he stays wary only because his battle strength falls short of Duke Long’s. ^{ch. 1703}

He judges that people’s accusation is growing stronger, and he cannot resolve it with emperor yama. The more often he shows up in Central Continent and the longer he stays, the stronger it becomes. The real fight has not started. He decides to let out the troop he raised. Duke Long did not show up during the battle, and Fang Yuan has no confidence of facing him alone now that the formation is gone. He will have Bai Ning Bing and the rest cause havoc while he lies low. ^{ch. 1703}