Chapter 1842

Wu Shuai spends a hundred years accumulating strength and builds an extraordinary rank seven Immortal Gu House, Dragon Court. He makes a wager with Wind Cloud Manor and kills Song Tao Zi with Dragon Court before an audience, which makes his name known across the world. At the celebratory banquet Green Ant Ascetic and Calligraphy Pavilion Lady appear, which confirms that he can now speak on equal terms with rank eight existences. That night he dreams of reaching every goal he was willing to fight for. In it Duke Long steps down for him, he tortures Fan Ji to death before Shu Jiu Ling, and her mother Calligraphy Pavilion Lady loses a fight and serves him for good. Green Ant Ascetic and Wine Fairy are forced to submit, and Tai Qin becomes his sole dragon empress and bears him many gifted children. ^{ch. 1842}

He wakes smiling, and for the next few decades the conflict between dragonmen and humans intensifies, since the fight with Song Tao Zi has energized the race. Duke Long summons Wu Shuai and scolds him as the main culprit. He orders him to announce his crimes, step down as owner of South Flower Island, and change Dragon Court’s name to Dragon Palace. Too weak against Duke Long and Heavenly Court, Wu Shuai obeys reluctantly. Gu Liang, who has worked harmoniously with the South Flower Island dragonmen for decades, comes to ask whether he can help. ^{ch. 1842}

Wu Shuai admits that his actions have shown little effect since he killed Song Tao Zi. Gu Liang consoles him and proposes that he advance to rank eight, which would answer his worry about the race’s morale. Wu Shuai fears the final tribulation, even with Dragon Court. Gu Liang offers to help him become a true rank eight Gu Immortal, and his own aura rises from rank seven to rank eight. He had been disguising himself as rank seven. He admits approaching Wu Shuai for his own ends, as an Eastern Sea Gu Immortal who welcomes strife in Central Continent, but says admiration, not that aim, is why he helps. ^{ch. 1842}

Wu Shuai’s life unfolds as scenes of a dream realm, and its next scene is his tribulation. Because he and Gu Liang grew close in the earlier scenes, Gu Liang helps him pass it without danger, and Wu Shuai becomes a rank eight Gu Immortal. Dragonman morale rises greatly, higher than before, and he is the second rank eight of the race with only Duke Long above him. He speaks as an equal with Green Ant Ascetic and Calligraphy Pavilion Lady, and Duke Long stops scolding him casually. Gu Liang tells him that fate Gu is the foundation of Heavenly Court. Two Demon Venerables failed against Heavenly Court because they could not destroy fate Gu, and Star Constellation’s assimilation kept its foundation steady. Yet that assimilation also angered the Heavenly Dao, since heaven’s way is balance and humanity’s unchecked growth defies heaven’s will. ^{ch. 1842}

Gu Liang says rank eight is not enough, since Heavenly Court has many more rank eights, and that it will definitely act if the dragonmen really surpass its bottom line. The target must be the source, fate Gu, which Wu Shuai calls strictly kept and too difficult. Gu Liang points to Red Lotus, whom Heavenly Court wanted to nurture into an Immortal Venerable but who defied it, and the headache this gives Duke Long has loosened his control over the dragonmen. Red Lotus wants to revive his family and his lover, so he must defy the Heavenly Dao and fate. He turned on his teacher, and Duke Long cannot turn him back. Red Lotus will definitely attack Heavenly Court and try to destroy fate Gu, though Gu Liang is unsure when. Wu Shuai resolves to draw close to Heavenly Court, entering it often for deeper secrets, and to try to steal fate Gu when Red Lotus attacks. ^{ch. 1842}