The space was suppressed, the aura locked. Facing the terrifying, ferocious phantom of the Rift Heaven Beast, he had nowhere left to retreat.
"Go!"
At the moment of crisis, he disregarded all thought and without hesitation, unleashed his most prized life-saving treasure, collected over ten thousand years. He hurled a jade bottle towards the direction where the Rift Heaven Beast phantom was attacking. However, before the bottle could even approach the beast, it was shattered by the immense aura.
Endless quicksand poured from the jade bottle, flowing like a river and surging towards the Rift Heaven Beast phantom. In an instant, the phantom was encircled by the boundless spatial quicksand. The very space around it rippled with waves, and the beast's speed clearly slowed by a fraction.
"To think a quasi-Nascent Divinity cultivator could obtain spatial quicksand. It seems he had some fortuitous encounters. Had it been ordinary divine abilities, they might indeed have bound him."
Zhang Fan watched this scene with ease, murmuring, "But it's a pity that the Rift Heaven Beast excels in the Great Dao of Space, and its Rift Heaven Horn is the bane of all spatial techniques. Even spatial quicksand cannot immobilize it."
Spatial quicksand could solidify space, making it incredibly stable, and even imprison beings within it—a feat only achievable by Divinity Transformation cultivators. Yet, against the Rift Heaven Beast's horn, ordinary spatial techniques could not contain it. The spatial quicksand only hindered it for a fleeting moment. As the Rift Heaven Beast raised the single horn atop its head, layer upon layer of spatial ripples were shattered and dissipated. The countless grains of spatial quicksand instantly turned to nothing.
"Sovereign, save me!"
Seeing that even the spatial quicksand could not trap the Rift Heaven Beast phantom, merely affecting it for a brief moment before it continued its charge, the quasi-Nascent Divinity cultivator's expression drastically changed. He cried out loudly.
Hearing this plea, Bai Mengtian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He had not expected that the Sovereign would ultimately be forced to act, and a sense of sorrow welled up within him.
When Sovereign Shang Yang made his move, it would be his day of demise.
"Sovereign Shang Yang is indeed still alive, but dare he intervene?"
Canglan Mingyue stared intently at the Rift Heaven Beast phantom. Just as its horn was about to strike the quasi-Nascent Divinity cultivator, the space beside him suddenly tore open. A colossal spatial rift blocked the beast's path. A hunched old man emerged from the rift. He thrust his hands forward, and space, like rolling waves, superimposed itself layer upon layer, surging towards the Rift Heaven Beast. Silently, the phantom was shattered by this onslaught.
"He actually intervened. Zhang Fan is likely in danger." Both Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue's faces turned grim. Although the Southern Sovereign had shown disdain for Sovereign Shang Yang, to others, Sovereign Shang Yang could easily crush them.
The moment the hunched elder appeared, everyone felt their souls suppressed. Weaker cultivators felt as if their souls were frozen, their bodies unable to move.
"Is this the gap?" Proud Gong Lieyang couldn't help but sigh softly. He had always known that once the soul completely merged with the laws, strength would undergo a qualitative leap, but it had always been a vague concept. Now, seeing it, he felt he might not even withstand a single move from Sovereign Shang Yang.
Dark clouds churned in the sky, and vast energy gathered within them. The moment Sovereign Shang Yang made his move, the heavenly tribulation sensed him.
Zhang Fan's eyes were fixed on the suddenly appearing hunched elder. He sensed an extremely dangerous aura from him. This was likely the old fossil of the Flying Immortal Mansion, a powerhouse whose soul had completely merged with the laws.
"Wasn't it better to continue being a shrinking turtle? Why come out and offer yourself for death? In ten breaths, the heavenly tribulation will descend. Do you think you can accomplish anything in this short time?" Zhang Fan asked, staring at the elder.
"My purpose for existence is to ensure the continuation of the Flying Immortal Mansion, and you have already threatened its inheritance."
"Once the heavenly tribulation descends, I will indeed die without a doubt. But before the tribulation arrives, if I can kill you, it will be enough," Sovereign Shang Yang replied indifferently, paying no heed to Zhang Fan's words.
For him, living while evading the heavenly tribulation felt like being a shrinking turtle, but he didn't care. Since achieving Divinity Transformation was out of reach, why not contribute his last ounce of strength to the sect?
"It won't be that easy to kill me. A quasi-Nascent Divinity cultivator whose soul has fully merged with the laws. Would refining a pill from him yield potent medicinal effects?" Zhang Fan said with a smile.
"Sovereign, kill him quickly!"
Bai Mengtian roared furiously. Sovereign Shang Yang sensed the increasingly massive energy gathering in the sky above. He did not hesitate, taking a step that traversed space, and appeared before Zhang Fan.
He used no treasures, no flashy techniques. With his five fingers forming a claw, he reached out to Zhang Fan, simple and direct.
Locked by Sovereign Shang Yang's soul, Zhang Fan's reaction was a fraction slower. Before he could even raise his iron sword to defend, the withered claw had already landed on his body.
Even his formidable physical body was no match for Sovereign Shang Yang. With a single move, Zhang Fan's chest was torn to shreds. A powerful soul force adhered to the wound. Even with the recovery capabilities of his nascent divine body, the injury could not be stopped. Scarlet blood instantly dyed Zhang Fan's upper body red.
"Haha!"
Zhang Fan grimaced in pain but laughed heartily. It had been too long since anyone had exerted such immense pressure on him.
"To withstand one of my moves... your physical body is indeed extraordinary." Sovereign Shang Yang glanced at Zhang Fan with surprise. With his current strength, few beneath the Divinity Transformation realm could withstand a single move from him and survive.
Just as he was about to strike again, he suddenly stopped. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at the pitch-black, three-legged, two-eared cauldron that flew out from above Zhang Fan's head. The power contained within it made him feel an unfathomably profound Dao intent.
"I once promised my brothers in the Six Kings Mansion that I would refine a batch of immortal-grade spirit pills and bestow them a great fortune." Zhang Fan glanced at the dark clouds in the sky. The vast energy within them made even him tremble. He knew the time was ripe and thus shouted, "There is not much time left. Everyone, please enter the cauldron!"
Zhang Fan's hands shook, and the palm-sized Myriad Beast Cauldron suspended above his head began to spin violently. In an instant, it transformed into a colossal cauldron tens of kilometers in diameter, descending upside down to enshroud Falling Immortal Valley.
Those who were intensely fighting were instantly enveloped by the Myriad Beast Cauldron. A powerful Primordial Spirit force permeated the cauldron. Even quasi-Nascent Divinity cultivators felt their souls tremble under this power, losing all courage to resist.
"This is Primordial Spirit force?"
Sovereign Shang Yang felt this power, and his expression turned extremely grim. He couldn't understand how a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage could wield the power of the Primordial Spirit.