"Dead?"
Within the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation, Tianhua Zhenjun, Daozun, and the others stared dumbfounded at the scene. The body of Jiujian Zhenjun, struck by that divine ability, instantly turned into a bloody mist, leaving behind no Golden Core.
From the moment Jiujian Zhenjun arrived, Daozun and the other eight had viewed him as their biggest rival for the opportunity. Though they were reluctant to admit it, they understood that with Jiujian Zhenjun present, their chances of obtaining the treasure were slim.
However, the very Jiujian Zhenjun whom they considered their greatest competitor had died before their eyes, without even entering the Immortal Mansion's gate.
At this moment, they felt no joy, but rather a melancholic sadness, akin to "when one rabbit dies, the other feels a chill."
If even Jiujian Zhenjun had perished, how could they possibly contend with the overwhelmingly powerful Saint Master Zhang?
And the group of Golden Core realm cultivators, struggling to fend off the assaults of Lin Yun and Xue Jing, also witnessed this. They all paused slightly, the situation far exceeding their expectations.
In their eyes, Jiujian Zhenjun was a super-expert listed on the Heavenly Rankings. Although they were all Golden Core realm cultivators, they had to admit that they were not on the same level as a powerhouse like Jiujian Zhenjun.
Jiujian Zhenjun was a monstrous prodigy who could contend with Nascent Soul cultivators even in his Golden Core stage.
Therefore, Jiujian Zhenjun's death was a severe blow to their morale, causing their spirits to plummet. Some Golden Core cultivators even felt despair and began to give up resisting.
Zhang Fan turned around. The Shanhe Seal, which had been blasted away by the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation, shrunk to the size of a palm and landed in Zhang Fan's hand. Simultaneously, the enormous dragon tail of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation swept towards him in rage, stirring up a howling gale across the snowfield, carrying with it a blizzard.
"Just in time!"
After eliminating Jiujian Zhenjun, Zhang Fan's aura was at its peak. Seeing the massive dragon tail hurtling towards him, he trembled slightly. Faint divine light enveloped his arms, and his blood surged like a great river pouring into the sea, emitting a low rumble.
The dragon tail, like a pillar supporting the sky, struck Zhang Fan with an unstoppable force. In an instant, Zhang Fan tightly embraced the tail with both arms. The immense power shook him, pushing him back. He slid over a hundred meters across the snowfield before stopping.
"Lift!"
Zhang Fan roared, his divine body's power erupting completely. His arms, embracing the dragon tail, swung it fiercely. The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, kilometers long, was lifted by Zhang Fan, drawing a golden rainbow across the sky before being smashed heavily onto the ground.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, a concavity several miles long was gouged into the snowfield, as if struck by a natural disaster, sending rocks and debris flying.
The ten individuals within the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation also felt their heads ring from the impact, experiencing temporary dizziness. Fortunately, with the aid of the formation disk, the formation's power protected them, and they were unharmed.
Tianhua Zhenjun mobilized the entire formation's power, attempting to break free from Zhang Fan's restraint. However, he discovered Zhang Fan's strength to be too immense. Even with the combined efforts of ten people and the coordination of the formation, they could not break free for the time being.
Before Tianhua Zhenjun could devise a countermeasure, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation was lifted again and slammed fiercely onto the ground. With a deafening roar, Tianhua Zhenjun and the others heard agonizing screams.
A scan with his divine sense revealed the grim expressions on the faces of Tianhua Zhenjun and Daozun and the other ten.
It turned out that when Zhang Fan lifted the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, he had directly smashed its colossal body into the crowd of Golden Core realm cultivators. Dozens of Golden Core cultivators were crushed, their bodies turning into bloody mist. The remaining Golden Core cultivators were sent flying by the force, sustaining significant injuries.
Although the Golden Core realm cultivators had average individual strength, their combined force was formidable. Now, with Zhang Fan's devastating blow, more than half of them were killed or wounded. The remaining Golden Core cultivators, facing the relentless attacks of Lin Yun and Xue Jing, found it even harder to resist, their casualties accelerating.
They had initially hoped that these Golden Core cultivators would at least hold back Xue Jing and Lin Yun. But judging by the current situation, they wouldn't last much longer.
After contending with Zhang Fan for over a dozen rounds, Tianhua Zhenjun finally managed to break free from his restraint. The giant Five-Clawed Golden Dragon soared into the air. Looking down at the minuscule human below, it hesitated to attack.
"Everyone, what should we do next?"
Tianhua Zhenjun transmitted his thoughts to the other nine powerhouses within the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation. With the formation in place, they could still protect themselves for the time being. However, if Lin Yun and Xue Jing were to join the fray, facing the combined might of three super-experts, they would likely have no choice but to flee.
After centuries of searching, they had finally found the land of opportunity, and the Immortal Mansion was right before them. To abandon it now would be something no one could easily accept.
Though Daozun feared death, he couldn't bring himself to give up at this point.
After much deliberation, Daozun finally thought of a method that he believed could be tried.
"Saint Master Zhang, your strength is indeed formidable. How about we cease hostilities?"
Daozun's voice emanated from within the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation.
"Hmph, what qualifications do you have to speak to me like this?" Hearing Daozun's words, Zhang Fan sneered dismissively.
"We know we cannot defeat Saint Master Zhang. However, for the sake of the opportunity, we are willing to pay with our lives. If Saint Master Zhang continues to press us, we will have no choice but to draw the battlefield towards Donghai City!"
"As far as I know, Saint Master Zhang has many relatives and friends in Donghai, right?"
Daozun smiled faintly, his tone carrying a hint of malice.
During his first descent to Earth, Daozun had gathered much information about the planet, especially concerning Zhang Fan, the strongest individual on Earth. Thus, he was aware of Saint Master Zhang's weakness.
He hadn't considered using such despicable tactics before, as he believed their strength could easily overwhelm the natives of Earth, making such trouble unnecessary.
But now, to enter the Immortal Mansion, he had no choice but to resort to such methods.
Upon hearing Daozun's words, infinite killing intent flashed in Zhang Fan's deep eyes. Those who dared to threaten him with his family and friends had existed before, but they were all dead.
Despite the raging killing intent in his heart, Zhang Fan remained calm. With the power of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, once it entered the vicinity of Donghai City, the entire city would likely be reduced to ruins. The residual shockwaves of battle would make survival impossible even for Divine Realm cultivators.
Although he had made preparations earlier, relocating his parents, disciples, and Qin Luoshui to the Half-Moon Cave Mansion, he still had many friends and relatives in Donghai.
"I can cease hostilities, but I don't believe you are willing to give up this opportunity?" Zhang Fan looked up at the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Formation, his gaze sharp and substantial, piercing through the formation's defenses and landing on Tianhua Zhenjun.
"As I said before, for the sake of obtaining this opportunity, we are willing to pay with our lives."
"Therefore, we will naturally not give up this opportunity. The condition for ceasing hostilities is to allow us to enter the Immortal Mansion. And to demonstrate our sincerity, the remaining dozens of Golden Core cultivators can be dealt with as Saint Master Zhang sees fit. What do you say?"
Daozun spoke in a calm tone, but his words sent chills down the spines of the Golden Core cultivators who were struggling to resist.
...