"Too powerful!"
Even the proud Liu Mu couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The peak strike of a four-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator was indeed immensely powerful.
"Haha, excellent!"
Zhang Fan let out a long roar, his spirit soaring, showing no fear in the face of this world-shattering sword strike.
"Break!"
Zhang Fan pushed his palms forward fiercely. The illusory image of the Sky-Splitting Rhinoceros behind him seemed to come alive, letting out a soul-shattering low roar. Then, it raised its horn, capable of piercing the heavens, and charged forward.
The pitch-black sword light arrived instantly and collided with it head-on.
Under everyone's gaze, the pitch-black sword light, capable of tearing apart the earth, lasted only a moment before being pierced by the horn. It turned into a torrent of sword dao rules and flew back into the body of the Withered Sword Elder.
"What kind of divine ability is this!"
The Withered Sword Elder had no time to ponder. The colossal illusory image of the Sky-Splitting Rhinoceros, raising its sharp horn, was already before him…
However, to everyone's surprise, the Withered Sword Elder did not block with his sword. Instead, he sheathed his Withered Wood Sword, formed his hands into palms, and pushed them forward.
The Withered Sword Elder's figure was incredibly gaunt, resembling an elder on the verge of death. Yet, as he pushed his palms forward, he managed to block the divine ability unleashed by Zhang Fan.
Although the divine ability had been delayed for a moment by the sword light and had consumed a considerable amount of energy, its power still reached the peak level of a four-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
Seeing this, Zhang Fan's relaxed expression instantly turned solemn.
"I didn't expect to have misjudged you. You also cultivate body-refining techniques, and your mastery is not low," Zhang Fan remarked.
"Heh heh, if I hadn't cultivated this incomplete Withered Wood Ghost King Body, how would I look like this?"
"But to gain such powerful strength, it was all worth it." A smile flickered across the Withered Sword Elder's gaunt face, looking rather terrifying.
Outsiders only knew of the extraordinary power of his Withered Wood Sword Dao, but they were unaware that his profound mastery of the Withered Wood Dao stemmed from a fragmented body-refining technique he acquired during an adventure in the starry sky.
He called it the Withered Wood Ghost King Body.
King Body Techniques, Emperor Body Techniques, Saint Body Techniques, Divine Body Techniques—each body-refining technique was incredibly precious. Even a King Body Technique was exceedingly difficult to obtain.
Most King Body Techniques, once cultivated to perfection, could achieve the Heavenly Immortal Body. With a Heavenly Immortal Body, one could dominate among Nascent Soul cultivators.
Ai Le Bella's Blood Moon Demon King Body was a powerful King Body Technique. Before leaving Earth, she had cultivated it to great success. With this technique, her Golden Core cultivation level allowed her to contend with Nascent Soul cultivators, which was no small feat.
However, not everyone could cultivate body-refining techniques. Firstly, they were extremely rare. Even the top six powers in the Wu Shan Starfield might not possess a complete King Body Technique heritage.
Secondly, without sufficient talent for body refinement, even if one acquired a technique, achieving great success would be difficult.
The Withered Sword Elder's Withered Wood Ghost King Body had already reached great mastery. If the technique were not incomplete, his combat power would likely increase significantly.
Even so, with his great mastery of the Withered Wood Ghost King Body, he had the confidence to contend with a five-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Perfect timing. My body-refining path has also seen recent progress. I'll use you to test my mettle!" Zhang Fan shouted, then transformed into a bolt of lightning, charging towards the Withered Sword Elder.
"Such youthful arrogance," the Withered Sword Elder revealed his uneven row of yellow teeth, his fighting spirit soaring.
Cultivators of the lightning dao were already the fastest among those of the same level. Zhang Fan, with his nearly thousand rules of the lightning dao, was faster than most four-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivators who were not adept at speed. In the blink of an eye, he was before the Withered Sword Elder.
Zhang Fan attacked, instantly unleashing a flurry of fist shadows towards the Withered Sword Elder. Each punch was powerful enough to obliterate a three-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator. The sheer force and speed made even Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong's scalp tingle.
The Withered Sword Elder's arms were as dry and withered as decaying wood. Facing the torrent of fist shadows unleashed by Zhang Fan, he did not retreat. He also formed his hands into fists and struck out without hesitation.
In the sky, their figures interwove. At this moment, they had completely abandoned flashy techniques. Every move and every strike was simple and unadorned, fist against flesh.
Zhang Fan's punch landed on the Withered Sword Elder's body, and he, in turn, received a punch from the Withered Sword Elder. The low thuds of their fists colliding made hearts tremble.
Invisible yet powerful energy fluctuations continuously emanated from the center of their battle, spreading outwards. Within a hundred-zhang radius of their fight, no one dared to approach.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan also possesses such profound attainments in body refinement. With this physical body, perhaps no one below the four-tribulation Nascent Soul stage can harm him," Fu Mengtian said with great envy.
"Indeed, he is very strong, but compared to the Withered Sword Elder, it seems he's still a bit lacking." As soon as Liu Mu finished speaking, he saw a figure being blasted away.
After taking a blow, Zhang Fan did not charge at the Withered Sword Elder again. Instead, he grinned at him, then transformed into a purple stream of light and fled into the distance.
"Trying to escape?"
The Withered Sword Elder sneered and transformed into a black silhouette, giving chase.
"Tell the Fu family to leave Great Rock Star as soon as possible. I have my own way of escaping. If fate permits, we shall meet again on the Boundary Heart Continent." As he left, Zhang Fan transmitted his farewell to Liu Mu.
His momentum had shifted. After discovering that the Withered Sword Elder practiced body-refining techniques, Zhang Fan understood that even if he used all his trump cards today, it would be difficult to kill him.
After all, cultivators who practiced body refinement possessed incredibly robust vitality. Not only was his realm far below the Withered Sword Elder, but even a five-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to kill the Withered Sword Elder.
Therefore, after a brief engagement, Zhang Fan chose to withdraw. After all, one never knew if the Withered Sword Elder had secretly contacted the experts of Black Sand Cave Heaven. Continuing the fight would ultimately put him at a disadvantage.
After the two left, Fu Liu City was already in ruins. The aftermath of the battle had turned a city that once housed millions of cultivators into a wasteland. The city had been cut in half by the Withered Sword Elder, and the surrounding thousand-mile radius was devoid of any vegetation.
Fu Sisi stared at the scene in a daze, her eyes red. She wanted to cry but couldn't.
This was the place where she had grown up since childhood, and now it was in such a tragic state, naturally causing her immense pain.
Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong descended from above Fu Liu City. Fu Mengtian and the rest of the Fu family quickly paid their respects.
"After this incident, I'm afraid you cannot stay in Fu Liu City anymore," Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong said with regret as he looked at the surrounding devastation.
Fu Mengtian nodded. The Withered Sword Elder was ruthless and viewed weaker cultivators as ants. Although he had left for now, there was no guarantee he wouldn't return, and who could resist him then?
"I have just emerged from my seclusion and have passed my fourth Nascent Soul tribulation. I will soon be transferred from Great Rock Star to the Boundary Heart Continent. At that time, you can bring the Fu family with you. I will find a place for you to survive in Sun Shadow Cave Heaven," Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong stated.
"Thank you, Star Lord," Fu Mengtian said, clearly understanding the situation, and bowed his thanks.
Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong would soon be granted an elder position upon his return to Sun Shadow Cave Heaven. His long-term stationing on Great Rock Star meant that the powers on Great Rock Star all belonged to Heavenly Immortal Lei Hong.
The reason he chose to take the Fu family with him was not only to protect them but likely because of their relationship with Zhang Fan.
"It is truly regrettable that Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan is now being pursued by the Withered Sword Elder for the sake of my Fu family," Fu Mengtian said, his gaze fixed on Liu Mu.
"Patriarch Fu need not worry. Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan transmitted a message to me before leaving, stating that he has a way to escape. He only urged me to tell your Fu family not to linger on Great Rock Star," Liu Mu replied.
Upon hearing this, Fu Mengtian was filled with guilt and gratitude. However, their Fu family's strength was too weak; they could only remember this kindness in their hearts.
…