"Zhang Fan, come out and die!"
Dao Zun roared, channeling his true qi, his voice echoing across the island and reaching Donghai City. The citizens of Donghai City rushed out of their homes, eager to witness the spectacle.
"That man is challenging Grandmaster Zhang again. Last time he brought a bunch of powerhouses to the island and they were all slaughtered, leaving only him to flee in disgrace. I can't believe he dares to come back!"
Videos of the battle half a year ago had gone viral online. Even the authorities couldn't control them and eventually gave up, letting them spread freely.
Therefore, most citizens of Donghai City had witnessed the battle. A large number of powerhouses who had come to challenge Grandmaster Zhang were killed. It was thought that after that battle, no one would dare to challenge Grandmaster Zhang's might again. Yet, here was someone as stubborn as ever.
Because of his close relationship with Zhang Fan, Lin Dahai had also received many spiritual pills from him. With the help of these pills, he had now cultivated to the Saint Domain.
Lin Dahai and the Mist Pavilion Master stood side-by-side on the Mist Pavilion's roof, watching the figures hovering in the air above the island. They could feel the powerful aura emanating from them and were filled with questions.
"Where did these powerhouses come from? We've never heard of them before."
The Mist Pavilion Master spoke. Even if this world was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, the glories of such powerhouses would at least leave behind legends.
It was like the Half-moon Immortal. Although the martial artists in China had never seen him, some cultivators in the Saint Domain and God Realm had heard legends about him.
"That level is too far beyond us. Let's not think too much about it and just enjoy the show," Lin Dahai said with a smile.
Although he had now entered the Saint Domain, he could sense how powerful the intruders challenging the island were. Someone of his level could likely be killed in large numbers with a single slap.
"En."
A hint of loneliness flickered in the Mist Pavilion Master's calm gaze. He had once wanted to apprentice himself to Zhang Fan and pursue deeper realms, but Zhang Fan had not agreed.
Seeing these intruders on the island now, he vaguely understood why.
Perhaps in the martial world of China, he could be considered a genius, having entered the Saint Domain at such a young age. However, in the eyes of Grandmaster Zhang, he was likely just ordinary and not worth cultivating.
...
"Die?"
Zhang Fan soared into the sky, followed by Xue Jing, Lin Yun, Lin Haotian, and others. The Blood Demon Flood Dragon, dozens of feet long, flew through the air, its blood-red eyes flashing with ferocity.
"You rushed back to die with only a few helpers? Are all cultivators from Wu Shan Star Domain this foolish?"
Zhang Fan's gaze swept over the one-armed Dao Zun and the other four Golden Core cultivators, a smile playing on his lips. He was contemplating how many Golden Scale Breaking Yuan Pills he could refine with five Golden Cores.
In the spiritual-energy-scarce Earth, it was almost impossible to break through to the Golden Core realm through one's own efforts. Zhang Fan could only rely on external aids to break through.
Clearly, Golden Scale Breaking Yuan Pills were excellent auxiliary spiritual pills.
"Killing you is enough!"
The one-armed Dao Zun waved his hand, and a gleaming saber filled with chilling aura appeared in his hand. He pointed it directly at Zhang Fan and said coldly.
"We're all adults, so let's stop playing hide-and-seek. Call out all your companions, so I can finish them all at once and save trouble."
Zhang Fan said casually and leisurely.
As soon as he said this, the Dao Zun's eyelids twitched. His eyes remained calm, but a hint of panic stirred within him.
"Did he discover us?"
The Dao Zun pondered. From the moment they descended to Earth until they appeared on the island, they had been concealing their movements. Zhang Fan shouldn't have been able to detect them.
Meanwhile, above the island, the Mind Asking Pavilion Master and Li Yangzi, along with four third-grade Golden Core cultivators, were hidden in the void. The Mind Asking Pavilion Master held a black, rhombus-shaped token, upon which was carved a beast resembling a fierce tiger.
It was the faint aura emanating from this token that enveloped the Mind Asking Pavilion Master and the others, allowing them to block divine sense detection, hence their boldness in approaching the battlefield.
"With the prohibition of the Thought Restraining Token, unless he has cultivated念力 (nianli), it's impossible for him to discover us!"
The Mind Asking Pavilion Master said with great certainty.
Generally speaking, once cultivators reach the Heaven-Human realm, they can enter a state of unity between heaven and man, giving birth to divine sense. As their cultivation increases, their divine sense will gradually strengthen.
The primary function of divine sense is for detection. With divine sense covering an area, it is an extremely powerful detection method, unaffected by time and distance.
In addition to detection, divine sense also possesses a certain offensive capability. It can be used to control spiritual treasures for attack.
Alternatively, it can be used for direct divine sense attacks.
However, divine sense attacks are only significantly effective against cultivators whose strength is far inferior to one's own. When two cultivators of similar strength fight, divine sense plays a minor role.
This is because divine sense attack methods are ultimately auxiliary, and inferior to Qi refinement or body refinement.
For instance, when Zhang Fan was weaker, he often used his divine sense to control flying swords, as his divine sense was far superior to his cultivation level, making his divine sense attacks comparable to his own Qi refinement methods.
But for ordinary cultivators whose divine sense strength is not much different from their own cultivation level, their divine sense attacks would only unleash about sixty to seventy percent of their full power.
Of course, some cultivators are born with powerful divine sense, like the assassin Blood Phoenix who once tried to assassinate Zhang Fan.
Unlike Zhang Fan, a reborn individual, she was born with powerful divine sense. She developed divine sense even in the Saint Domain realm and even comprehended divine sense attack methods, making Zhang Fan actively want to recruit her.
Unfortunately, Blood Phoenix was too inexperienced and too proud, and refused Zhang Fan.
There are special cultivation methods for divine sense, but they are only of great help in the early stages of cultivation. In the later stages, the role of divine sense in combat becomes smaller.
However, at the Golden Core realm, if one can condense a first-grade Golden Core, the power of their divine sense can be greatly enhanced. After the Golden Core shatters and transforms into a Nascent Soul, their divine sense will undergo a qualitative change, giving rise to a power more marvelous than divine sense:念力 (nianli).
念力 (nianli) is the power of strong intent. When fully unleashed, its power is no less than that of Qi refinement or body refinement. It is a very special cultivation path, and every念力 (nianli) master is an object of envy.
During combat,念力 (nianli) combined with body refinement allows them to simultaneously control spiritual treasures and wield them in battle, effectively fighting two battles at once.
Furthermore,念力 (nianli) masters are extremely adept at long-range attacks, and every念力 (nianli) master has the potential to become a divine archer.
While念力 (nianli) is enviable, it is extremely difficult to manifest.
One must condense a first-grade Golden Core, causing their divine sense to undergo a qualitative change in the Golden Core realm. Only after shattering the core and forming a Nascent Soul is it possible to manifest念力 (nianli).
This does not mean that every Nascent Soul cultivator who forms a first-grade Golden Core will be able to manifest the magical power of念力 (nianli).
In the entire Wu Shan Star Domain, it is rare for even a few念力 (nianli) masters to be born every ten thousand years.
The Dao Zun pondered, believing that at Zhang Fan's current level, where he hadn't even condensed a Golden Core, it was impossible for him to have developed念力 (nianli). He thought Zhang Fan was bluffing, and his inner calm gradually returned.
"Grandmaster Zhang is truly cautious. To deal with cultivators from a mere barbaric star system like you, why would I, Dao Zun, conceal myself? You think too highly of yourself!"
"Alright."
Zhang Fan shrugged and said, "Since you refuse to come out, I'll deal with the few of you first. Let's see if they can still hold back then?"
"Go, take them all down. Leave none alive!"
Zhang Fan waved his hand, and Xue Jing, Lin Yun, Wuchen Sword Immortal, and others went out, charging towards the group of Golden Core cultivators.
...
ps: Second update! Two more chapters to go today...