Chapter 1854

Fang Yuan’s main body stands at Beast Calamity grotto-heaven’s tributary of the River of Time and releases twelve balls of light that become twelve immemorial year beasts. He had fought Heavenly Court’s Gu Immortals in the River of Time with Myriad Year Flying Warship, and the ox and dog beasts damaged it while the rat got inside. The rat carried off Years Flow Like Water, but Fang Yuan had prepared a fake as bait, and Myriad Year Flying Warship escaped. He later went back and subdued those beasts, completing all twelve, and now assembles the Twelve Zodiac battle formation from them. It is not practiced enough to fight Heavenly Court, and with no main body inside to steer it, Heavenly Court’s experts would find too many flaws. Against Beast Calamity grotto-heaven it is more than sufficient. ^{ch. 1854}

Twelve golden pillars stab into the river bottom and vanish into a dense golden fog that shrouds the tributary and speeds the water. As a time path quasi-supreme, Fang Yuan breaks free of the formation’s limits and influences the time flow of the whole grotto-heaven. He also lets a large number of year beasts out of his immortal aperture, and they charge into the grotto-heaven. The qilin heavenly spirit, born from Beast Calamity Immortal’s obsession, is shaken awake. Local cultivators think their grotto-heaven is the whole world, but the spirit knows better. The rate of time has been raised several times, so calamities and tribulations descend very rapidly, and the grotto-heaven, though protected by myriad beings assimilation transformation, cannot endure them coming nonstop. A mighty tribulation catches every Gu Immortal unguarded, and the grotto-heaven falls into chaos with great losses and lives lost. ^{ch. 1854}

Mountain Cliff City Lord is mobilized as a Gu Immortal and leaves the city in his subordinates’ hands. Zhan Bu Du says he is there, and the lord pats his shoulder and tells him the future belongs to him. Fang Yuan thinks the main body will trap the lord in the formation to await rescue, and the stage needs only a protagonist, himself. Months pass, and the main body keeps the calamity from the core of the grotto-heaven. The Combat Beast Guild starts deploying young Gu Masters, Zhan Bu Du among them. ^{ch. 1854}

At a valley entrance to the tributary, the current Combat Beast King briefs the youngsters. The golden fog is easier to enter and leave the younger and stronger one is, and most Combat Beast Warriors are trapped inside. Fang Yuan arranged this so that his clone would be chosen. Zhan Bu Du is rank two, holds the arrowtail eagle, and acts out a wish to save his master even at the cost of his life. His incredible acting makes everyone believe it, and he gains huge prestige. ^{ch. 1854}

Inside, trapped warriors stand stiff as golden statues among mutated beasts. Zhan Bu Du kills the beasts and frees them, leading the youngsters and becoming the benefactor of every Gu Immortal he saves. One saved Eagle Warrior, whom Fang Yuan killed in the previous life, offers help in Sacred Eagle City. Zhan Bu Du asks each rescued person where his master is, though he knows where the main body holds him. Onlookers warn that the fog’s incredibly fast time will use up his lifespan, but he says he will save his master. He adds that he has reached rank three in a few days. ^{ch. 1854}

The Combat Beast King arrives and gives him a lifespan Gu. Zhan Bu Du pretends to be surprised and tells him to use it himself, and the king is very happy to have chosen the right person. The king says he has more and that the youth needs it to stay young enough to enter the fog. Feigning a hard choice, Zhan Bu Du takes the Gu and uses it. The king does not know that this is all Fang Yuan’s scheme. The clone has saved most of the warriors, gains an excuse for a huge boost in strength, and soon rises to rank five before everyone’s eyes. ^{ch. 1854}