Gong Ziru acted with extreme decisiveness. Before anyone could react, Zhang Fan was already enveloped by the formation, trapped within the ensnaring array.
"Not good!"
No one had anticipated that Gong Ziru, who moments before had been cordial and ingratiating, would suddenly attack Zhang Fan.
"Big Brother, Fellow Daoist Liu Mu, please join me and help Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan break this ensnaring formation!"
Fu Feng knew that no matter what, Zhang Fan could not be harmed. If Zhang Fan fell, their Fu family would once again be in peril.
Upon hearing Fu Feng's words, neither of them hesitated. Three figures soared into the sky from Fuliu City, simultaneously unleashing their spiritual treasures and unleashing swift attacks, bombarding the ensnaring formation.
However, no matter how fierce their assault, they could not shake the formation.
"How is this possible?"
The three dared not believe it. Gong Ziru was merely a second-grade Formation Grandmaster, and yet their combined might could not break a formation he had set up in such a short time.
"You think you can break my formation with just this? Truly wishful thinking!"
Seeing this, a mocking smile curved Gong Ziru's lips. Even if their strength were doubled, they still wouldn't be able to shatter the formation.
This ensnaring formation was called the Nine Peaks Spirit Entrapment Array, a mid-tier Heavenly grade formation.
Once trapped within, even a cultivator at the Fourth Tribulation Nascent Soul stage would need immense effort to break free through brute force. Gong Ziru, with his current cultivation in the Way of Formations, could naturally not have set up such a powerful array.
This formation was crafted by another Formation Grandmaster from their Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, who refined it into a formation disk. The value of this set of formation disks was comparable to a Heavenly Treasure.
Of course, only cultivators proficient in formations could comprehend and utilize the formation disks to set up arrays.
Without knowledge of formations, obtaining the disks would be useless.
The members of the Fu family were in a panic, but Zhang Fan, trapped within the formation, appeared remarkably calm. He stared at Gong Ziru and spoke, "Because I refused to join your Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, you intend to kill me?"
"Dead men have no need for so much nonsense! I kill you merely to avenge Fellow Daoist Ouyang!"
Gong Ziru stated in a deep voice.
He would naturally not reveal the true reason for wanting to kill Zhang Fan. If he admitted that anyone unwilling to serve their Black Sand Grotto-Heaven deserved death, then who would dare join them in the future?
In truth, besides this reason, another was that Zhang Fan's ability to cultivate a first-grade, high-quality Golden Core indicated he must have had extraordinary encounters, which Gong Ziru naturally would not let go of.
"Even if your formation can trap me, do you think it can kill me?" Zhang Fan asked again.
Everyone was also puzzled. Zhang Fan's strength was evident to all. Even a cultivator at the Third Tribulation Nascent Soul stage might not be his match. To kill him, it would likely require at least a Fourth Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Rest assured, few who my Black Sand Grotto-Heaven targets have ever survived. As long as you can be trapped, someone will come to kill you!"
Gong Ziru was not worried at all. The moment Zhang Fan killed Ouyang Jing with a single sword strike, he had secretly contacted an elder of the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven.
As long as Zhang Fan could be contained, Elder Hei Ming would arrive and kill him.
Although Gong Ziru's words were veiled, everyone understood the implication: another powerful expert from the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven was currently rushing towards Great Rock Star.
Fu Mengtian and the others grew anxious but were helpless.
In contrast, the members of the Li family were filled with anticipation. If the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven's experts dealt with Zhang Fan and incidentally took care of the Fu family, then from that moment on, their Li family would be the foremost family on Great Rock Star!
However, before dealing with Zhang Fan, the Li family dared not act rashly. After all, that young man was too mysterious. The ability to cultivate a first-grade, high-quality Golden Core suggested he either possessed a significant background or had experienced an immense fortuitous encounter. Until he was utterly annihilated, no one could be certain what might happen.
"Although I truly wish not to kill you, Patriarch Ouyang was like a brother to me. If I don't kill you, my rage cannot be quelled, and Brother Ouyang cannot rest in peace."
"It is a pity for your cultivation and talent."
Gong Ziru was incredibly thick-skinned, having forgotten that Ouyang Ye had been sent to the executioner's block by his own hand.
With the demise of the Ouyang family's two Nascent Soul experts, Gong Ziru still used them as a pretext to kill Zhang Fan, leaving the Golden Core realm cultivators of the Ouyang family feeling stifled and eager to leave.
"Indeed, it is a great pity!" A smile appeared on Zhang Fan's face. He looked at Gong Ziru and said, "You are decisive and resourceful. If you survive, you will undoubtedly achieve great things in the future!"
"Unfortunately, today you will perish here."
Zhang Fan spoke these words while extending his hands and inserting them into the light barrier confining him.
Gong Ziru's smile suddenly froze. He discovered that Zhang Fan's hands passed through the light barrier as if it were nothing, and a gap was slowly torn open, causing the formation to become unstable.
"How is this possible?"
Gong Ziru found it unbelievable. If he hadn't studied the Nine Peaks Spirit Entrapment Array in great depth, even he could not break it.
"This formation is indeed good, but you have used it in the wrong place!"
Zhang Fan drew his ancient bronze sword and unleashed eighteen sword qi strikes in an instant. Eighteen sharp sword energies shot out, striking the eighteen formation disks hidden within the formation.
As the low hum of sword qi impacting the formation disks echoed, the light barrier that had enveloped Zhang Fan dissipated. A mid-tier Heavenly grade ensnaring formation was so easily broken by Zhang Fan.
Under Gong Ziru's astonished gaze, Zhang Fan casually waved his hand and collected all eighteen formation disks used to set up the array into his possession.
"So powerful!"
Liu Mu, Fu Feng, and Fu Mengtian watched this scene with eyes full of awe. Only those who had attacked knew how formidable this ensnaring formation was. Even a Fourth Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator would require considerable time to forcibly break it.
While Zhang Fan's strength was immense, forcibly breaking the formation was impossible. Yet, he escaped in such a short time, indicating his profound attainments in the Way of Formations, perhaps even surpassing Gong Ziru.
"Just who is this monstrous talent that has appeared?"
This question echoed in everyone's minds. What kind of supreme being could teach such a formidable junior?
Fu Sisi, standing in Fuliu City, looked up at the scene and felt ashamed. Earlier, she had ridiculed Zhang Fan for boasting in Fuliu Mountain Villa, never imagining she would be proven wrong so quickly.
However, she found being proven wrong immensely satisfying!
"Have you prepared yourself to die?"
Zhang Fan gently shook his long sword. A light and melodious sword cry rang out.
Hearing this sword cry, Gong Ziru instantly snapped out of his shock. He knew Zhang Fan intended to kill him.
His greatest reliance was the formation. If the formation was ineffective against Zhang Fan, he would become like a defenseless child, at the mercy of his opponent.
"You cannot kill me! I am an elder of the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven. If you dare to lay a hand on me, you will be relentlessly pursued by the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven..."
Faced with death, Gong Ziru's usual arrogance and bearing vanished, replaced by shock and regret.
He intended to intimidate Zhang Fan with his background, but he had vastly underestimated Zhang Fan. Before he could finish speaking, a flash of sword light cut through the air, and his voice abruptly ceased.
"Since you attacked me, even if you were the son of a True Immortal, I would still kill you!"
With one sword strike to the physical body and another to the Nascent Soul, Gong Ziru never dreamed that he, a dignified Formation Grandmaster and an elder of the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, would die at the hands of a Golden Core cultivator.
After slaying Gong Ziru, Zhang Fan turned his gaze towards the group of cultivators surrounding Fuliu City. His cold gaze swept over them, and no one dared to meet his eyes.
"Are you not leaving? Do you wish to die?"
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the group of cultivators who had gathered to attack Fuliu City felt as if they had received a great amnesty. They transformed into streams of light, fleeing Fuliu City in a manner befitting whipped dogs.
Having witnessed Zhang Fan's strength, they no longer harbored any hostile intent and had long wished to retreat.
However, without Zhang Fan's explicit command, none dared to be the first to leave. If they drew Zhang Fan's attention, a single sword qi strike could obliterate even a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Within mere breaths, the sky above the once bustling Fuliu City became eerily quiet.
...