On the northern ice plains.
Relying on the domineering effect of the divine ability "Dark Devour," Zhang Fan successfully shattered his Golden Core and broke through to the Nascent Soul stage in just five days.
After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, Zhang Fan did not pause. Without any accumulation, he directly triggered the first Nascent Soul tribulation.
The first three tribulations of the Nascent Soul tribulation were wind tribulations, also known as 'Celestial Wind,' a peculiar force specifically targeting Nascent Souls.
Generally speaking, cultivators who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage had very fragile Nascent Souls. Even monstrous talents who broke through with a top-grade Golden Core would need time to accumulate, and only after their Nascent Soul’s power was sufficiently deep would they dare to undergo tribulation.
But Zhang Fan knew that the Nascent Soul he had condensed was no ordinary one…
As he had predicted, facing the Celestial Wind, his Nascent Soul remained unmoved, and he easily passed the first Nascent Soul tribulation.
Upon exiting seclusion, he was now a genuine one-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
As for Liu Mu, he had also successfully passed his first Nascent Soul tribulation during this period of seclusion and was practicing his sword techniques on the vast, boundless ice plains.
Ethereal sword intent roamed freely across the ice plains, each sword light capable of easily killing a two-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator, a terrifying display of power.
Seeing that Zhang Fan had finished his seclusion, Liu Mu retracted his sword intent and sheathed his Qingfeng sword.
"You've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?"
"En, and I also passed the first Nascent Soul tribulation."
Liu Mu was slightly stunned. Looking at Zhang Fan's calm expression, he inwardly cursed him as a monstrous talent.
For Nascent Soul cultivators, the nine tribulations of the Nascent Soul were extremely perilous. Even he, after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, had accumulated for some time before undergoing his first Nascent Soul tribulation today.
Yet, Zhang Fan, without any preparation, immediately passed his first Nascent Soul tribulation after cultivating his Nascent Soul.
The Nascent Soul tribulation targeted the cultivator's Nascent Soul. Even though Zhang Fan was powerful and could contend with peak three-tribulation Nascent Soul experts before breaking through, his Nascent Soul might not be particularly strong yet.
"What's your strength like now?" Liu Mu asked curiously.
"I'm not too sure myself. How about you try me?" Zhang Fan said with a smile, looking at Liu Mu.
"Then let's try!"
As a genius who had condensed a top-grade Golden Core, Liu Mu possessed his own pride. Moreover, he had now passed his first Nascent Soul tribulation, and his sword intent and divine abilities had greatly improved. He didn't believe he would be much weaker than Zhang Fan.
"Haha."
Upon hearing Liu Mu's words, Zhang Fan laughed heartily.
However, Liu Mu noticed that as his laughter spread, the glaciers behind Zhang Fan began to crack…
Ice flowers burst forth, and then hundreds of crystalline ice cones shot out from the glaciers, aiming directly at Liu Mu.
Liu Mu had anticipated this and, before the ice cones could strike, he lightly tapped his feet and instantly retreated several kilometers.
The power of the ice cones was immense; each one could easily pierce through an ordinary two-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator. With Zhang Fan's current strength, manipulating them with his divine sense should not unleash such formidable power.
"Psychic power?"
Liu Mu was shocked, and his expression gradually became strange.
"This is interesting. Let me try!"
A voice, as if emanating from the depths of hell, echoed in Liu Mu's mind. His demeanor instantly changed.
The hundreds of sharp ice cones moved at incredible speed, instantly reaching Liu Mu. However, to Zhang Fan's surprise, Liu Mu did not resist at all. His eyes turned incredibly cold as he stared at Zhang Fan, sending shivers down one's spine.
Zhang Fan didn't understand what had happened to Liu Mu and quickly used his psychic power to forcefully stop the hundreds of ice cones.
Just as Zhang Fan was about to transmit a message to inquire, he saw Liu Mu grin at him, a hint of unsettling malevolence at the corner of his mouth. Then, the hundreds of ice cones flew back at an even faster speed, aiming to impale Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan's heart trembled. He hadn't expected Liu Mu to have also cultivated psychic power, and not weaker than his own.
"Sword without shadow, mind without trace!"
Zhang Fan clenched his fist in the air, and an invisible, shadowless long sword appeared in his hand. As he moved his arm, hundreds of invisible sword shadows shot out, striking down all the ice cones. Ice flowers scattered everywhere, and under the sunlight, it was as beautiful as a painting.
"Formless Sword!"
Liu Mu shot out, his speed not particularly fast, but his entire figure gradually became blurry. He then unleashed a sword strike, like a soaring dragon, carving a trench tens of feet deep on the ice plain.
Liu Mu's earlier transformation had already surprised Zhang Fan and led him to make a guess. Now, seeing Liu Mu unleash his full power with his movement technique, Zhang Fan's guess was further solidified, and his excitement soared.
"Good!"
Facing the fierce sword light, like a dragon's strike, Zhang Fan clenched his fists, channeled the power of his divine body, and threw a punch!
The thirty-six forms of the War Emperor, Myriad Dao Fist!
After entering the Nascent Soul stage and passing the first Nascent Soul tribulation, the sword intent within Zhang Fan had completely transformed into the rules of the Dao. With the integration of the Dao rules, the Myriad Dao Fist could unleash its true power.
The two attacks collided, exploding on the ice surface. Invisible waves of energy spread outwards, and the smooth ice plain rapidly cracked. The fissures spread for several kilometers before stopping.
"Enough!"
Just as Zhang Fan was about to make another move, Liu Mu shouted. The malevolence in his deep eyes slowly receded, and his eyes gradually brightened.
"Just now, you…"
Before Zhang Fan could finish speaking, Liu Mu interrupted, "It's fine now. Let's go. Where are you planning to go next?"
Everyone had their secrets. Since Liu Mu didn't want to talk about it, Zhang Fan naturally wouldn't press. He replied, "Realm Heart Continent!"
"That happens to be my destination as well. Let's go together."
Zhang Fan nodded, not surprised by this.
In the vast expanse of the Myriad Domains Starry Sky, almost every star domain had an incredibly vast continent at its center. This was the core region of the star domain, where spiritual energy was most concentrated, and where powerful cultivators and major forces gathered.
However, Great Rock Star was extremely far from the Realm Heart Continent, with a distance exceeding a million light-years. Their only way to reach the Realm Heart Continent was to rely on the spatial teleportation array on Great Rock Star.
Before leaving Great Rock Star, Zhang Fan and Liu Mu decided to visit Fulian City first to bid farewell to Fu Feng, as they likely wouldn't see each other again after leaving Great Rock Star this time.
With their decision made, the two transformed into two streaks of light and rapidly flew towards Fulian City.
"That punch of yours just now seemed very powerful. How many Dao rules have you cultivated?" they communicated via divine sense as they traveled.
"A few hundred, perhaps," Zhang Fan replied calmly.
If he only counted the sword Dao rules, he had indeed only cultivated a few hundred. However, he had also cultivated the rules of the Thunder Dao.
"Truly a monstrous talent!" Liu Mu was speechless. Although he had cultivated a considerable number of sword Dao rules, he had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage long ago and had spent several years cultivating.
Yet, Zhang Fan had only broken through to the Nascent Soul stage a few days ago, and the number of Dao rules he had cultivated was not much less than his own. This kind of talent made Liu Mu a little envious!
…