Spectral Soul Demon Venerable was back.
"Heaven!" Spectral Soul snarled, "Give me my body back!"
!?!?
The other Venerables realised that their partnership was incredibly flimsy.
This was to be expected, after all, Heaven took active control of Spectral Soul's body after Fang Yuan had greviously injuried Spectral Soul.
Heaven couldn't peremenatly get rid of Spectral Soul but he did the next best thing, slowly separating Spectral Soul influence from the body and attaching it to another.
Heaven purpsofully kept the consciousness of Spectral Soul subdued within the Billion Soul, waiting for the right moment, which was now!
"Sure," Heaven smirked, "If you beat Fang Yuan its all yours."
With a snap of his fingers, Heaven had swapped places with Spectral Soul!
!!!
"Hmph! Petty tricks." Fang Yuan snorted.
He turned to head towards Heaven but was held back by Spectral Soul.
"Don't you want your body back?"
"Of course, I do, but are you going to spare my body?"
Fang Yuan grin sinisterly, "Obviously not."
Two fists instantly collided, both parties knew that it was impossible for them to cooperate on this matter.
Heaven occupied Spectral Soul's body which was derived from Fire Gu which Fang Yuan needed.
It was a conflict of interest that Heaven exploited.
Spectral Soul was mad not stupid.
The ground beneath began to cave as one was pushed back.
It gradually went from slight sliding to the point where he could no longer hold his ground and was sent flying!
A nearby mountain,
On Hao Mountain, was a village a peaceful mortals, the leader was only a rank 3 Gu Master.
They were isolated from the world and content with life.
"Mama," a child in the village square pointed up, "What's th-"
*Boom*
In place of the Hao Village was a giant crater, there was no screaming, only the smell of burnt flesh held an indication that there was once life present.
"Argh!" crawling out of the crater was a man in pale sickening bluish skin, across his entire body were tiny slits, almost as if they were closed eyes.
It was Spectral Soul!
He had been blown toward the nearest mountain by Fang Yuan's punch!
"When did he get so strong!" Spectral Soul wiped the dust off his body.
He noticed the aura of death and destruction, "Oh? A quick snack to replenish myself, its not much but I need all the help I can get."
The slits across his body opened, revealing rows of pearly white daggers.
Every part of his body har turned into a malicious maw!
Every life force and soul within the entire Hao Mountain was devoured by Specrtal Soul!
The mountain turned deathly still…
*Burrrrrrp*
Spectral Soul wiped his hand across where his mouth used to be, "That hit the spot."
Light began glowing on Spectral Soul, "Looks like we're headed for round 2!"
Just like that the two swapped places once again!
A few moments ago, back in Heavenly Court,
Fang Yuan had knocked Spectral Soul miles away,
"Red Lotus!"
!!!
Red Lotus turned towards Fang Yuan.
"Seal off this Space!"
Red Lotus instantly understood, and though he didn't like having to listen to Fang Yuan, he wasn't naive or arrogant enough to disobey.
"Done."
"If helping Fang Yuan can get rid or hinder Heaven then so be it," Red Lotus thought to himself, the irony not lost on him.
The demon they had grown and then hunted had not only turned the tables but surpassed them so much, to the point, where they were the ones asking for help and begging not to be hunted.
Fang Yuan grinned, "Nowhere to run to!"
He flew straight into Heaven, his speed beyond what the other Venerables could see.
"So fast!"
But Heavenly merely grinned, his figure illuminated slightly and…
*Boom*
The impact created a dustcloud, and a figure was sent launching out of that dust cloud.
"Damn how did he escape!" the figure stabilised himself in midair.
It was Fang Yuan!
"Impossible!" Genesis Lotus gasped, "How could Spectral Soul have sent Fang Yuan flying back?"
Red Lotus pointed his figure at the dust cloud, "It came at great cost."
Indeed, as the dust settled it revealed that Spectral Soul was in a sorry state, his right arm was completely missing!
"Spectral Soul must have hit Fang Yuan with a surprise punch, when he had swapped places with Heaven, but he knew that he couldn't send Fang Yuan flying with raw strength so he detonated his arm."
Of course, for a normal human detonating their arm would severely impede their battle strength but…
"Kekeke, you're really one tough nut to crack." as Spectral Soul spoke his arm instantly regenerated, since his body was comprised entirely of Soul Path it was just a matter of reshaping it.
Fang Yuan cracked his neck to the side, "Seems you two have tons of petty tricks up your sleeve."
"Kekeke," Spectral Soul laughed manically, "We're not so naive to think that Heavenly Court wouldn't lend aid in this fight."
Fang Yuan scratched his chin, "Let me guess, you manipulated Thieveing Heaven's Spaceless Tunnel."
A sinister grin spread across Spectral Soul's mouth, "Correct. We made it so small that it was undetectable, unless you already possess the full Spacetime Dao, this allowed us to veer outside whatever Lock on Space Red Lotus would impose because-"
"Because the exit point is in Spectral Heaven," Fang Yuan completed Spectral Soul's sentence.
"How did you-"
"Red Lotus might not be able to sense the Spacetime fluctuations in something so small, but I can!" Fang Yuan responded, though, in reality, it was because he had Stealing Heavenly Secrets.
Spectral Soul was flabbergasted, "A-anyway you can give up on kiling me or Heaven today, I just need a mere thought and I would be transported back to Spectral Heaven and-"
"Go," Fang Yuan crossed his arms and grinned.
"..." Spectral Soul was stunned, "What did you-"
"You heard me, go, I can't stop you from leaving but if you think for one moment that you're safe from me just because you're in Spectral Heaven," a glint of Killing intent emerged from between Fang Yuan's eyes
Spectral Soul was stunned, at first, he soon began seething, "You! You really think you can beat both Heaven and I within Spectral Heaven!?!?"
Fang Yuan shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think I can beat both of you-"
This admission made Spectral Soul relax a bit, "Maybe he just has someway of damaging Spectral Heaven but ultimately has resigned himself to letting us go."
But this relaxed mood of Spectral Soul was instantly crushed by Fang Yuan's next words,
"I don't think I can beat you both you-"
"-I know I can!"
!!!
Spectral Soul was thrown into a rage, "Do you know the power Heaven has accumulated while you were all immersed in the Grand Dream? How else do you think he managed to obtain a Billion Soul? It is impossible without the power of a Dao."
Fang Yuan nodded, "It was created with the Dao of Devour."
"You!" Spectral Soul had no idea how Fang Yuan had access to so many secrets that he himself barely knew.
"Then use must also know that-"
"Heaven has full control of the entirety of Spectral Heaven."
"Then-" Spectral Soul wanted to add but Fang Yuan cut him off.
"I know Heaven is excessively borrowing the powers of the Heavenly Dao to create Shadows or Imitations of the 3000 Great Dao,"
"You!" Spectral Soul was wagging his finger at him, "If you know all that then how are you so confident that you can win?!"
Fang Yuan gave a sly grin, "Then try it."
Spectral Soul was so angry he was stunned to silence before scoffing,
"Hmph! You think too highly of yourself, Alright I'll call your bluff, come then!"
With a snap of his fingers Spectral Soul was moved back into Spectral Heaven.
~
In Spectral Heaven,
Heaven was busy licking his wounds, "That cursed Fang Yuan."
By this point he had reverted back to the Yang form and was preparing his next plan of attack.
"I've gained full control of the entirety of Spectral Heaven during the Grand Dream, while also creating a few shadow Daos."
A shadow Dao is something only the Heavenly Dao could create, one of its many powers, it allowed the user to create 1 of the 3000 Daos and use them as if they really did possess that Dao, though its effects vary based on the Time used to create them, the materials, and the type of Dao.
For example, if Heaven wanted to make a shadow of an ordinary Dao, like the Dao of Swords, he would need a few Rank 8 Materials and just a few hours to synthesize.
The created shadow Dao would contain the power of a Dao at about 50% completion.
But using the same method on a Great Dao, like the Dao of Death, would only yeild a 25% completed shadow Dao.
This was the real reason why Fang Yuan was immune to most of Death Dao's effects, him shielding his life force behind his Dao of Elements and the rest of the Paths in his body made it impossible for the 25% completed Dao to even scratch his lifespan.
But if it was the completed 100% Great Dao of Death, then it wouldn't have targetted just lifespan, it would erode through everything in its path, after all, nothing lasts forever not even Elements.