In the Immortal Realm, Yun Fan emerged from seclusion. Empowered by the refinement of spirit stones and Feng Wu Yan's strength, he had now reached the realm of Half-Step Immortal King.
Unfortunately, he was still one step short of becoming an Immortal King. It wasn't a lack of foundation, but rather insufficient power to support his breakthrough.
The power required for each of his breakthroughs was several, even ten times, that of ordinary individuals, hence this awkward cultivation bottleneck.
Lie Huo watched in stunned silence. The power Yun Fan had consumed to break through would have been enough for an ordinary person to advance two more stages.
Yet, for Yun Fan, it was not enough. Indeed, the Zhan Tian clan's combat prowess was unrivaled; there was a reason for their supremacy.
Through Bi Yao's return, all the women were brought to the Immortal Realm.
Among them, Lin Tian Xin lived up to expectations. She possessed the greatest innate talent, no weaker than Yao Xi. After her breakthrough, she had advanced rapidly.
Coupled with Yun Fan's Zhan Tian power, her strength had now reached True Immortal. Though True Immortals might seem weak, the key was that Lin Tian Xin had reached this realm in what was seemingly a very short period since she began cultivating. Her innate talent was thus beyond doubt.
With so many beloved companions, even spending one day with each would take Yun Fan a long time.
Of course, after resting, Yun Fan wasted no more time, as pressing matters called. With the resurgence of the Anomalies, the pressure on him was immense.
He wasn't fighting to save galaxies; he was simply fighting for self-preservation.
At this moment, Yan Xin rushed over anxiously.
"Sir, this is bad! The Lord of the Galaxy is leading his forces to pursue our Lie Yan clan! My father, though leading the Lie Yan clan towards the Immortal Realm, was still caught by the Lord of the Galaxy. They are now locked in a fierce battle in the void!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan said, "Don't worry, I'll go and see!"
Although at his current level of strength, the Lie Yan clan no longer needed his protection, it was undeniable that the Lie Yan clan had provided him with immense help.
Especially the spirit stones. Without them, his current achievement of Half-Step Immortal King would have been a pipe dream.
Therefore, at this juncture, he decided to rescue Lie Huo.
With that, Yun Fan boarded the Void Warship and set course for the Lie Yan clan's direction.
The Void Warship traveled for a day before reaching the battlefield.
While the main forces of the Lie Yan clan had already retreated, the confrontation between Lie Huo and the Lord of the Galaxy was still ongoing.
One was at the first stage of Immortal King, the other at the second.
Under normal circumstances, Lie Huo would have been easily defeated by the Lord of the Galaxy countless times. However, the battle had already been raging for a day.
Although Lie Huo was suppressed by the Lord of the Galaxy, he had not yet been completely defeated.
The Lord of the Galaxy sneered, "Lie Huo, stop this futile struggle. You are no match for me!"
He was also perplexed. He was a full realm higher than Lie Huo, yet he hadn't managed to subdue him even now.
Don't forget, he also had the amplification of the Anomalies. Without it, he might even have been counter-killed by Lie Huo.
But then he discovered the anomaly: Lie Huo was exceptionally unusual, possessing the boost of Zhan Tian power. Though not the purest form of Zhan Tian power, this subtle enhancement had allowed Lie Huo to persist until now.
Lie Huo retorted, "Lord of the Galaxy, someone like you will eventually be reviled by all!"
"You have become a running dog for the Anomalies. You are unfit to be human!"
The Lord of the Galaxy sneered, "The universe is vast, and within this vast universe, strength decides everything! Even though I have become one with the Anomalies, my strength is beyond your imagination!"
"One day, the universe will fall again, and I will be its supreme ruler!"
The Lord of the Galaxy harbored grand ambitions, for his master, the Anomaly Xiao Hei Tian, had promised him he could break through to Immortal Emperor.
In this era where Immortal Emperors were extinct, an Immortal Emperor was the absolute ruler.
At this, Lie Huo scoffed, "Supreme ruler? Do you have that capability? Even your master wouldn't dare to boast like that!"
The Lord of the Galaxy replied, "Because the Anomalies can bestow upon me supreme power. You don't understand these things, for you are about to become a dead man!"
Instantly, he attacked Lie Huo again. This time, he unleashed almost his peak power. This battle had already dragged on for too long, and he did not want to waste any more time.
After all, Yun Fan was his primary target. A pure-blooded Zhan Tian clan member posed a significant threat to him.
If a pure-blooded Zhan Tian clan member wasn't eliminated, the Anomalies would likely face the same dire situation as ten thousand years ago, when they were almost wiped out by the Zhan Tian clan.
At this, Lie Huo fought with all his might, but alas, the disparity was too obvious. Thus, at this moment, he seemed unable to withstand the Lord of the Galaxy's killing blow.
Just then, Yun Fan appeared and, with a single strike, neutralized the attack.
Upon seeing Yun Fan, the Lord of the Galaxy revealed a mocking smile, "So you are that pure-blooded Zhan Tian clan brat. It's a pity I didn't deal with you that day, or there wouldn't be this future trouble!"
Yun Fan stated, "Lord of the Galaxy, I will not interfere if you attack other places or conquer any territory. But you cannot proceed further, for what lies ahead is your forbidden zone!"
It wasn't that Yun Fan was being apathetic. It was because he could not yet use Jun Kai's power.
Jun Kai's power was meant to be used when he confronted Xiao Hei Tian. If he used it now, he would be unable to deal with Xiao Hei Tian later.
In terms of strength, he was still far behind the Lord of the Galaxy. If they were to truly fight, he might not be able to defeat the Lord of the Galaxy. Therefore, he intended to redirect the Lord of the Galaxy's target.
Once he broke through to Immortal King, he would deal with the Lord of the Galaxy.
Unexpectedly, the Lord of the Galaxy declared, "Impossible! If you do not die, the Anomalies will never reign supreme. For the future of the Anomalies, you must die!"
His objective this time was to kill Yun Fan.
If this nemesis wasn't eliminated, conquering the universe would be a fool's dream.
After all, when Yun Fan rose to power, their doom would be sealed.
Yun Fan remarked, "It seems you've come for me. Is a fight unavoidable today?"
"Indeed!"
The Lord of the Galaxy scoffed, "I originally planned to kill you after dealing with him, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourself to my doorstep. In that case, there's no way I'll let you go!"
At this, he strode towards Yun Fan.
Yun Fan said, "You are too confident. Do you truly believe I cannot deal with you?"
"Sir, my life is not important. You don't need to risk yourself for me!"
Lie Huo quickly warned Yun Fan.
His intention in fighting the Lord of the Galaxy here, without leading him towards the Immortal Realm, was born from a willingness to die.
Yun Fan replied, "Don't be so pessimistic. Who says I will definitely lose? You retreat first and let me face him!"
Yun Fan actually hoped to fight the Lord of the Galaxy, absorb his power, and then thoroughly break through to Immortal King.
At that point, even Xiao Hei Tian would perish.
The Lord of the Galaxy sneered, "Still being sentimental at this point? No one can escape today!"
Instantly, he attacked Yun Fan directly. In his eyes, a mere brat who hadn't even reached Immortal King was no different from an ant.
"Zhan Tian power!"
Yun Fan directly unleashed the aura of the Zhan Tian clan. In an instant, it dispersed the aura of the Lord of the Galaxy.
The Lord of the Galaxy's expression changed. He had never imagined that the aura of the Anomalies would be rendered utterly useless before Yun Fan.
However, he did not despair. As an existence at the second stage of Immortal King, if he were to fear a mere youngster who hadn't reached Immortal King, he would become a laughingstock.
Following this, the two peerless powerhouses engaged in a peak battle.
"I'll finish you in a second!"
At this moment, the Lord of the Galaxy unleashed a貫穿 (guànchuān - piercing) strike, intending to instantly kill Yun Fan. However, his vaunted Anomaly power dissipated before it could even reach Yun Fan.
In an instant, Yun Fan's fist slammed into him. The Lord of the Galaxy was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Pfft!"
He looked at Yun Fan in shock, unable to comprehend how he had been defeated by Yun Fan in the very first exchange.
It seemed impossible.
Yun Fan asked, "Lord of the Galaxy, is this all the strength you possess?"
Lie Huo, standing nearby, was aghast. This shouldn't be happening! He was at the first stage of Immortal King; was he truly inferior to Yun Fan, who was only at Half-Step Immortal King?
The facts proved he was indeed inferior to Yun Fan. Yun Fan possessed the ability to fight beyond his level. If Yun Fan were merely at the ninth stage of Immortal General, he still wouldn't be able to defeat an Immortal King, no matter how many levels he transcended.
But Yun Fan possessed strength that surpassed the ninth stage. As Half-Step Immortal King, his ability to fight beyond his level meant he was still not the equal of a second-stage Immortal King, but the gap was not significant. If Yun Fan were at the first stage of Immortal King, then even the Lord of the Galaxy would be mere fodder.
The Lord of the Galaxy was enraged. He refused to believe Yun Fan was truly this monstrous. In his view, the pure-blooded Zhan Tian clan was merely exaggerated; they weren't actually that powerful.
Therefore, he attacked again. He firmly believed that if he hadn't been so depleted from fighting Lie Huo, Yun Fan wouldn't be so arrogant.
The next moment, Yun Fan unleashed another strike.
"Rage of the Zhan Tian!"
When this power descended, it shattered the Anomaly shield and slammed heavily onto the Lord of the Galaxy.
"Ah!"