Canglan Mingyue shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan's strength is indeed far beyond our expectations, perhaps comparable to a powerhouse who has fused rules and divine souls. I have to admit, even if we two siblings join forces, we are not his match."
"However, with our methods, we are still somewhat confident in preserving our lives."
"The Grand Luo Palace is about to open, and the demon beast tribes are encircling the Dark Plains. I believe Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan would not want to waste time on my siblings and me, would you?"
Before Zhang Fan, Canglan Mingyue was always considered the foremost figure among the younger generation on the Jie Xin Continent. Yet today, he personally admitted in public that he was inferior to Zhang Fan. To be able to say these words was enough to show the immense pressure the latter had put on him.
To Canglan Mingyue's words, Zhang Fan merely smiled and then said, "I said before that I would spare your life today, but that depends on whether you have the ability to survive."
"Take one sword from me. If you can survive, it's your own ability. If you can't withstand it, you can only blame yourself for being too weak if you die."
Zhang Fan held his iron sword. Within his white immortal infant, immense sword dao and lightning were simultaneously activated. Nearly two million threads of rules permeated the heavens and earth. Everyone felt as if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had been drained, and even Nascent Soul cultivators felt a sense of suffocation.
Dark clouds churned in the sky, accompanied by thunder and lightning. On the ground, sword qi converged, flowing like a river of swords. At this moment, the powers of heaven and earth also seemed to become tempestuous.
"Slash!"
As endless dazzling lightning merged into the river of swords, Zhang Fan wielded his iron sword and unleashed a single strike.
Instantly, heaven and earth seemed to be divided. Wherever the river of swords passed, space shattered layer by layer, heading straight for the Canglan Mingyue siblings.
With Zhang Fan's current strength, he could tear space without relying on divine abilities. This strike was Zhang Fan's strongest sword, a fusion of his sword dao and lightning dao.
"Not good!"
Sensing the rule force surging like an overwhelming tide, the Canglan Mingyue siblings' expressions changed drastically. They exchanged glances and simultaneously unleashed their ultimate trump cards. If they couldn't block it, people would truly die.
Hundreds of thousands of threads of saber dao rules and sword dao rules merged, forming a massive shield of rules in front of them. When the two collided, the shield of rules rapidly dissolved. Countless threads of sword dao and saber dao rules dissipated into the heavens and earth. In the end, it still couldn't block the attack and exploded with a roar.
Under the impact of the endless river of swords, the two were sent flying. Their bodies were covered in minute sword marks, and golden blood spurted from their mouths.
When their figures stopped, the onlookers discovered a horrifying hole through Canglan Mingyue's chest. The wound was charred black, with faint traces of lightning power still pulsing. Canglan Qiuyue, shielded behind him, sustained lighter injuries.
Seeing the golden blood, Zhang Fan's mind recalled many things, and then he burst into laughter.
"Haha, so you've cultivated the Scarlet Gold Imperial Physique, no wonder."
Being taught the Scarlet Gold Imperial Physique by Zi Wu indicated that they were recognized as registered disciples by Zi Wu. Given Zhang Fan's past friendship with Zi Wu, he would naturally spare them.
Hearing this, Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue looked at Zhang Fan with disbelief and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan, how do you know about the Scarlet Gold Imperial Physique? This..."
"What is there to not know?" Zhang Fan said, "Isn't it just a royal physique technique taught to you by Zi Wu? It's not a divine physique technique, so why hide it?"
The Scarlet Gold Body Refining Technique was a profound royal physique technique. It was a body-refining technique that Zi Wu cultivated in the True Immortal stage. Later, after breaking through to the Void Return stage, this body-refining technique was no longer of much use to him, so he switched to other body-refining techniques.
The Scarlet Gold Imperial Physique, when cultivated to the Great Accomplishment stage, could make the physical body comparable to the peak strength of the Ninth Tribulation Realm, and its recovery ability was also extremely strong. With the protection of the royal physique technique, the Canglan Mingyue siblings were able to survive this sword strike.
Otherwise, they would have died or been crippled.
Canglan Mingyue was greatly astonished. Even within their Canghai Palace, fewer than a handful of people knew about this. Yet Zhang Fan knew, and he even mentioned the name True Immortal Zi Wu so casually.
"Alright, you've taken one sword from me, and your lives are saved. From now on, don't provoke me." Zhang Fan waved his hand, having resolved this matter, and turned his gaze towards the cultivators from forces like the Flying Immortal Mansion.
Canglan Mingyue wiped the golden blood from the corner of his mouth, ignoring his injuries. He cupped his hands slightly towards Zhang Fan and then stood aside, deep in thought, seemingly having some realization.
"Senior Zhang Fan, we had no intention of being your enemy. We beg you to spare our lives."
Seeing Zhang Fan's gaze fall upon them, the cultivators from forces like the Flying Immortal Mansion and Black Sand Cave Heaven were all in fear and trepidation, bowing and begging for mercy.
"No intention of being enemies, but we already are."
Zhang Fan stepped through the void, walking step by step. Behind him, a colossal phantom of a Taotie gradually coalesced. Its entire body exuded a deep, dark aura. The heavens and earth changed color, as if even light was being devoured, like the descent of an abyss.
He looked at the cultivators from the hostile forces and said calmly, "I believe if you had the strength, you would not hesitate to tear me to shreds."
"Therefore, you don't need to feel indignant."
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the faces of the cultivators from the hostile forces all changed drastically. Several cultivators, unwilling to await death, unleashed secret techniques, burning their life force, and fled into the distance at extremely high speed.
However, even powerhouses like Nangong Feng and Fu Tianling could not escape Zhang Fan's domain, so how could they?
Before they could escape a hundred miles, they were either annihilated by sword light that materialized out of thin air or struck by terrifying lightning power, dying on the spot.
The remaining cultivators were all shocked and stood frozen in place.
Some had faces ashen, having given up resistance. Recalling their lifelong cultivation, it felt like a dream. Their hearts were filled with emotions.
Some had ferocious expressions, filled with resentment, and cursed Zhang Fan. However, they found that even their voices could not be heard, being isolated by the power of the domain.
Some cultivators were unwilling to become sustenance for others' cultivation and attempted to self-destruct. However, under the suppression of the multiple domains, they couldn't even detonate their Nascent Souls.
Emotions of sorrow and despair spread.
"Alright, rest in peace. After you are gone, I will trample upon your sects. They will join you."
"Darkness Devour!"
As the divine ability was unleashed, the Taotie beast opened its bloody maw, revealing an internal space like a black hole. A powerful suction force descended upon the cultivators from the hostile forces. Their bodies lost control, drawn by an invisible, mighty force, flying into the mouth of the Taotie beast.
...