"Shadow Shield!"
Lin Yun's cultivation of the Shadow Path was not inherently strong in offense. Even after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, his offensive ferocity was merely average among newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivators, not even matching that of True Monarch Nine Swords when he unleashed his divine abilities.
Therefore, facing such a formidable attack, he could only do his utmost to defend.
Endless dark light surged from Lin Yun's body, condensing into a pitch-black shield before him. Deep, shadowy light flowed across the shield, slowly extending to form a translucent black barrier, enveloping both him and Zhang Fan.
After activating his Blood Demon True Body, Xue Jing stood nearly five meters tall, his entire being radiating blood energy and an exceptionally potent aura. He strode forward, each step covering several meters, like a giant positioned at the very front.
Xue Jing unfurled his eight pairs of massive silver wings, their tips sharp and formidable. The eight pairs of wings acted like incredibly sturdy shields.
Xue Jing plunged four pairs of wings into the ground, their forms encircling his body. His colossal, blood-red eyes remained calm as he fixed his gaze forward, clearly prepared to withstand the onslaught.
In mere moments, the assault, gathered by over a hundred and twenty Golden Core stage powerhouses, tore through the sky and struck Xue Jing, who stood at the forefront.
Boom!
Though it was but a casual strike from each of the hundred-plus Golden Core cultivators, their combined effort far surpassed the power of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, reaching the might of a full-power attack from a first-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
Despite his robust defense, Xue Jing was still propelled backward, carving a path several meters long across the snowy plateau before being forced to a halt by Lin Yun's Shadow Shield.
The impact sent Xue Jing spitting blood. His sharp and sturdy silver wings appeared somewhat battered, and crimson blood splattered onto the pristine snow, a stark contrast.
Snowflakes swirled in the air. The ground where Xue Jing had stood was now a massive crater, shards of rock exploding outwards in all directions. Cracks spread from the crater across the plateau.
"They blocked it?"
True Monarch Nine Swords was momentarily stunned. Such an attack's power was something he could only withstand by unleashing his divine abilities. Yet, this Undying Blood Race member had tanked it with his physical body, sustaining only minor injuries. His physical resilience was already a level stronger than a body cultivator who had just begun to achieve minor success in their Holy Body.
"Full power!"
True Monarch Nine Swords roared, nine streaks of sword light of various colors gradually emanating from his body before converging above his head, forming a colossal sword shadow!
Seeing True Monarch Nine Swords deploy his signature divine ability, the other Golden Core cultivators no longer held back, unleashing their most potent offensive techniques.
In an instant, a hundred divine abilities converged in the sky, drawing upon the surrounding energies of heaven and earth, creating an immensely powerful energy storm that caused the world itself to tremble.
Led by the massive sword shadow, the energy storm formed by a hundred divine abilities directly slashed towards the three of them.
"They're dead!"
The Golden Core cultivators, having unleashed their divine abilities, were astonished by the sheer power they could generate as a collective, despite being merely Golden Core stage cultivators.
They gazed upwards at the energy storm, guided by the colossal sword shadow, heading towards Zhang Fan and his companions, a sense of unexplainable pride and excitement welling within them.
Simultaneously, they were absolutely certain that under such an assault, those three were doomed.
"This power is already comparable to the attack unleashed by a second-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator. Even I would die if I took it head-on. They are finished!"
Dao Venerable's eyes pierced through the dark light, fixated on Zhang Fan, who was shrouded within it, he thought to himself.
At this moment, Zhang Fan remained seated cross-legged on a patch of melted snow, his eyes closed, his expression serene, seemingly oblivious to everything happening around him.
The meltwater began to refreeze, while the divine abilities arrived in an instant. Xue Jing looked up at the rapidly approaching energy storm, a glint of madness in his blood-red eyes.
...
At this very moment, billions of humans watching the live broadcast watched this scene with bated breath. Most of them found the battle incredibly exciting and thrilling, completely unaware that this fight would largely determine the survival of humanity on Earth.
"Ancestor!"
"Master!"
"Fan'er!"
The three Blood Clan princes, the Dark Emperor, Lin Haotian, Qin Luoshui, Zhang Fan's parents and family, and others, stared intently at the screen, their hearts pounding with tension, feeling as if their breath had ceased.
...
Boom, boom, boom!
Several earth-shattering explosions followed. The area where Zhang Fan and his companions were located was instantly subjected to an assault akin to a hundred nuclear bombs. Dust and debris filled the air, and the shattered rocks seemed to have been pulverized into fine dust particles.
A powerful shockwave spread outwards from Zhang Fan's position, whipping up a blizzard across the plateau and affecting an area exceeding a hundred kilometers.
Fortunately, this battle took place on an uninhabited plateau. Had it occurred within a city, it would have resulted in countless casualties, and the entire city would have been reduced to ruins.
Silence descended upon the plateau, broken only by the howling of the cold wind. Even True Monarch Nine Swords stared intently at the lingering dust cloud. Such a powerful attack, even he would struggle to survive if struck.
After all, his position on the Heaven Rankings, earning him the title of True Monarch, relied solely on the explosive power of his Nine Swords divine ability. At its peak, his attack could reach the threshold of a first-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
Even so, facing an attack comparable to the full might of a second-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator, his divine ability would likely be annihilated, and a significant portion of the attack's power would fall upon him. His physical body was not particularly strong and could not withstand it.
Snowflakes gently drifted down. Under the gaze of countless observers, the dust cloud gradually dissipated.
Upon seeing the three figures clearly, all the cultivators from the Wushan Star Domain were utterly astonished.
Zhang, the Saint Master, who had been seated cross-legged, now stood. He was bare-chested, wearing black casual trousers, and stood barefoot on the snowy ground.
A faint divine radiance flickered across his bare torso, interweaving around him. His muscles were sculpted with aesthetic lines, not overly exaggerated, but exuding an impression of immense strength.
Xue Jing and Lin Yun stood behind Zhang Fan. Xue Jing had shed his Blood Demon True Body and reverted to his normal form, appearing as a handsome young man with fair skin.
Gazing at the extraordinary figure standing before them, Lin Yun and Xue Jing's eyes were filled with shock. The cultivators of the Wushan Star Domain did not know what had transpired, but they were acutely aware of the events.
Facing an energy storm that rivaled the full power of a second-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator, Xue Jing and Lin Yun had both felt the threat of death. Yet, just as the energy storm was about to strike, Zhang Fan, who had been seated cross-legged, suddenly appeared before Xue Jing.
With just one punch!
The energy storm was shattered and dispersed!