Big Fish Eat Small Fish
The one finger flow shark charges at Blazing Heaven Demoness, and she retreats while casting the fire path killer move five fingers blazing chains to bind it. Time around the shark slows to an extreme, but as a time path desolate beast it is less restricted, and it slips through the chains to pierce her forehead, then loops back to pierce her chest. An immortal zombie’s body has no fatal points like an ordinary Gu Immortal’s except the head, so the wound is serious rather than fatal. A dark fire heals both wounds almost at once. Despite the injury, Blazing Heaven Demoness smiles and names three time path Immortal Gu on the shark: one that slows time, one that quickens it, and one that bends how a target perceives time passing. She can only guess at which Gu these are and at the limits of their power. She works out that the slowing Gu served when it collided with her small fire bird and when it evaded the chains, that the quickening Gu made the fire bird explode, and that the perception Gu kept her from dodging its final strike. ch. 921
In only a few exchanges Blazing Heaven Demoness has probed the shark’s details, a clear display of how extremely formidable this rank eight Gu Immortal is in a fight. Immortal killer moves prove superior to bare Immortal Gu here: a single use typically reveals an Immortal Gu’s workings, while a killer move built from countless Gu worms hides its core Gu and resists counters. She then splits into five or six lifelike clones. The shark wastes its strength chasing the decoys while making no real progress. Fang Yuan and Tai Bai Yun Sheng agree she now holds the advantage, and by this stage the fight has lost its suspense, the shark’s own chance having lain in the opening stage before she read its cards. ch. 921
The one real opening for outside interference had come the instant her head was pierced. Shark Demon let it slip. He lacked the nerve to take risks under danger, whether worn down by long years in Zombie Alliance or held back by misgivings about dragging Su Bai Man down. Fang Yuan and Tai Bai Yun Sheng privately agree to act as circumstances allow and to look for a chance to withdraw. Fang Yuan later suspects Blazing Heaven Demoness used the clones partly to bait Shark Demon into attacking; even failing, the ploy still opens a rift between him and Fang Yuan. ch. 921
Shark Demon and Su Bai Man had asked Zombie Alliance’s headquarters for reinforcements at the fight’s start. None arrive. Blazing Heaven Demoness had already bribed the alliance’s leaders, Shark Demon guesses for a cut of the spoils. The couple ask Fang Yuan and Tai Bai Yun Sheng to expose her true body among the clones, offering a heavy reward. Both refuse, Fang Yuan judging that the couple want them as cannon fodder to draw her wrath in their place, and both sides see he has read the plot and stop pressing. ch. 921
Fang Yuan judges Blazing Heaven Demoness the truly terrifying one here. Years earlier she fought the rank eight Heavenly Lord Bai Zu over a fragment world of the immemorial nine heavens and failed on the verge of success. In fury she turned her great killer move blazing heaven on the whole fragment world, burning it down and killing countless beings, and threatened to burn the blessed land of anyone who objected. No righteous force could touch her for it, and her name spread through Northern Plains, letting Zombie Alliance hold its head high until she left for Eastern Sea, after which the alliance fell back into hardship. ch. 921
With no hope of reinforcement, Shark Demon concedes, asking Blazing Heaven Demoness to stop and instead lead them against Yu Lu blessed land. She agrees, and the clones burn away to nothing. Shark Demon pacifies the one finger flow shark, and it dives back into the river of time. His influence over it already looks remarkable, and given time he might truly control the beast, which would put its three time path Immortal Gu in his hands. Blazing Heaven Demoness then reveals her true body and turns to Fang Yuan, confirming his cover identity Xing Xiang Zi and conscripting him for the coming invasion of Yu Lu blessed land, demanding his full effort. ch. 921
