As heaven and earth qi gather around Fang Yuan, Hei Lou Lan and the others retreat. The river-like Giant Sun’s will growls but does not charge, its mass cut by more than half in the intense battle with him. It frets that it cannot take him alone unless the main will sends reinforcements. Fang Yuan breathes a huge sigh of relief, since events have gone as he expected and a life-gambling mutual defeat has won back the initiative. He judges his immortal ascension extremely important, as it can almost decide victory and loss. Tai Bai Yun Sheng, anxious, knows he would have failed his own ascension without Giant Sun’s will’s help. ch. 627
Fang Yuan has two apertures, because he took a major risk in three kings blessed land and gained an immense opportunity. Both are rank five peak stage with crystal purple primeval essence, and he shatters the second, the first of three steps. Gu Masters with one aperture cannot retreat afterward, but a failure would cost him only one, and the other could preserve his life. Tai Bai Yun Sheng does not know this secret. ch. 627
Extraordinary lightning bolts strike Giant Sun’s will, whose sand-like will explodes again and again. The shattered aperture formed a new tribulation, which fused with the once in ten years blizzard, and snow war tribulation lightning now falls less than a breath apart. The will cannot leave, because Eighty-Eight True Yang Building is nearly an empty shell that would crumble, and its main objective forces the will to resist head on. It thus becomes Fang Yuan’s protector. ch. 627
Eighteen spirals then appear in the thunder, each growing a snow white tooth over thirty meters tall. The will recognizes the chaotic branching teeth, a top ten catastrophe with greater might than snow war tribulation lightning. If all eighteen strike together, even it cannot resist, so it sends ten dragon wills to destroy them first. Wind blades, icy hail and lightning halve them, and the five that arrive destroy only three spirals. It sends another ten in desperation. ch. 627
Inside the domain, Fang Yuan studies his shattered second aperture. The vital Gu of the first aperture, Spring Autumn Cicada, would make him a time path Gu Immortal, but he knows too little time path to risk Immortal Gu on it. All-out effort Gu in the second would make him a strength path Gu Immortal, and he has studied strength path intensely since rebirth. His five hundred years of experience are definitely sufficient. Yet it is not the best time, since his strength is only a hundred jun and he still has impermanence bones and turtle jade wolf skin. His strength path Gu are not all rank five either, and all of this affects his future potential and his immortal aperture’s size. He wanted to reach the absolute limit first, but the situation forces his hand. ch. 627
Thick white human qi rises from him like a huge balloon, completely covering his body. Tai Bai Yun Sheng, his heart settling, sees that Fang Yuan prepared long ago. The three qi merge into a multi-colored lump, the second step. The river-like will burns with anxiety but dares not act rashly, since heaven qi would melt it into air and earth qi would turn it into rock. Fang Yuan must keep the three qi balanced at all times, as too much heaven and earth qi kills him and unbalanced human qi makes him self-detonate. ch. 627
The fusion brings him unceasing inspiration, and he drops back to his usual appearance from the six arm heavenly zombie king killer move. His injuries heal faster than in that mode as the qi cleanses his body, soul, mind and will, and scars fall off. His whole life flashes by, and cultivation questions that had no answer receive perfect ones. Heaven and earth impart Great Dao mysteries, but he must manage his emotions while balancing the qi, and losing balance means death. Countless Gu Masters have failed at this step. ch. 627
