"The Battle of the Six Royal Cities, has there been a conclusion?" Nan Zun asked as he turned and walked towards the small wooden house by the beach, without looking back.
Cang Lan Ming Yue and Cang Lan Qiu Yue quickly followed, "There's no conclusion yet. Zhang Fan rushed back to the Six Royal Mansion and in the midst of the great battle, severed one of Sima Cang's arms. Afterward, both sides ceased their hostilities, agreeing to fight again in three months at the Fallen Immortal Mountain Range, and they swore a Heavenly Dao oath, vowing to fight until one dies."
"Did Zhang Fan propose it?"
"Master, how did you know?" Cang Lan Ming Yue and Cang Lan Qiu Yue looked at Nan Zun in surprise, asking.
To outsiders, Zhang Fan and the Six Royal Mansion were in a disadvantageous position. Upon hearing this news, they would have assumed that the proposal came from the Flying Immortal Mansion, Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, and Sun Shadow Grotto-Heaven.
Nan Zun shook his head, not answering the question. Instead, he murmured to himself, "The net I've been weaving for so long has been broken. I wonder if his net is sturdy enough. What will be the outcome of this cast?"
"Master seems to have great confidence in Zhang Fan?" Cang Lan Ming Yue and Cang Lan Qiu Yue, being very intelligent individuals, immediately understood his meaning upon hearing this.
"Don't you have confidence in him?" Nan Zun turned his head, smiling at Cang Lan Ming Yue, and retorted.
This question indeed stumped Cang Lan Ming Yue. He was far more aware of the strength of the Flying Immortal Mansion, Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, and Sun Shadow Grotto-Heaven than Ling Xiu. The combined number of their Half-step Nascent Divinity cultivators exceeded ten, while the Six Royal Mansion's Half-step Nascent Divinity cultivators numbered no more than a handful. Even with Zhang Fan and Liu Mu added, there was still a significant gap in numbers.
Despite the considerable gap in Half-step Nascent Divinity cultivators, there existed a variable like Zhang Fan, whom he couldn't fathom among his peers for many years.
Cang Lan Ming Yue himself couldn't determine the outcome of this battle and could only smile bitterly and shake his head, offering no answer.
"I wonder if the Flying Immortal Mansion's Shang Yang Venerable is still alive. If he isn't dead yet, both Zhang Fan and the Six Royal Mansion will likely have trouble escaping the Fallen Immortal Mountain Range," Cang Lan Qiu Yue said, her bright eyes flashing as if she recalled something.
"So what if he's alive?" Nan Zun shook his head, a trace of disdain in his eyes, and said, "He took a wrong turn in the Nascent Soul stage. Even if he's managed to cling to life until now, he wouldn't dare to act rashly. Otherwise..."
Nan Zun didn't continue, but Cang Lan Ming Yue and Cang Lan Qiu Yue both understood that Shang Yang Venerable was effectively crippled.
"Master has been paying close attention to news of Zhang Fan. Shall we go and watch the battle?" Cang Lan Qiu Yue asked curiously.
Nan Zun stood on the beach, gazing at the thick mist on the sea. After a long while, he finally spoke, "There's no need to watch. After this battle concludes, I will go and pay him a visit."
"A visit?" Cang Lan Ming Yue and his sister exchanged glances, both seeing expressions of utter shock in each other's eyes.
While outsiders might not know, how could they, his disciples, not be aware of their master's status?
The outside world rumored that although Nan Zun's divine soul and laws had fully merged, he lacked confidence in passing the Divine Transformation tribulation, and thus had been suppressing himself.
But in reality, Nan Zun's laws and divine soul had not only perfectly fused, but he had even cultivated a Primordial Spirit. As long as he wished, he could trigger the Divine Transformation tribulation at any time and achieve an indestructible Primordial Spirit.
"Go. Although you two have exceptional talent and have received the teachings of Immortal King Zi Wu, you have ultimately never left the Wu Shan Star Domain and have not witnessed the outside world. Your horizons are still too narrow. The battle at the Fallen Immortal Mountain Range is worth your observation." After speaking, Nan Zun walked into the dilapidated wooden house he had built, no longer paying attention to the Cang Lan siblings.
Seeing this, the two bowed respectfully to Nan Zun and then quietly departed.
...
True Fire Grotto-Heaven, Endless Mountain Range.
Here lay a mysterious space where countless sword energies and sword dao laws danced. They appeared chaotic but were in harmony with some great dao, exuding an indescribable profoundness.
In the center of this space, a colossal circular grinding stone floated. Seated cross-legged atop the grinding stone was an elder with a head full of white hair. His eyes were closed, and he exhaled and inhaled sword energy. With every breath, the sword light and laws within the space would shift, imbued with spirituality.
This white-haired elder was none other than the current Sect Master of True Fire Grotto-Heaven, Gong Lie Yang.
"Master, your sword dao is becoming more formidable. I wonder when I'll be able to reach your level." A slender figure in a green robe appeared in this mysterious space. Sensing the immense quantity of sword dao laws, she couldn't help but feel admiration.
"Yue'er, your master is the foremost sword dao expert on the Boundary Heart Continent. When it comes to sword dao, I've never bowed to anyone."
"Even with your high talent, you'll still need hundreds of years of arduous cultivation to reach my level." Gong Lie Yang's voice boomed with pride, thoroughly enjoying his young disciple's flattery.
"But Senior Sister Yi Yi mentioned that there's a young man named Zhang Fan who, at the Eighth Tribulation stage, had already cultivated over nine hundred thousand sword dao laws. The sword dao domain he unleashes already possesses a hint of the Great Dao Domain's essence."
"I remember, didn't you ask me to bring back a young man named Zhang Fan a few years ago? Did you want to take him as a disciple? Senior Sister Yi Yi is talking about him."
The girl named Yue'er finished speaking, then muttered to herself, "Senior Sister Yi Yi must be tricking me. How could anyone cultivate over nine hundred thousand sword dao laws in the Nascent Soul stage? Master, as the foremost sword dao expert in the Wu Shan Star Domain and a Half-step Divine Transformation realm cultivator, you've only cultivated close to eight hundred thousand sword dao laws."
"Cough, cough!" Gong Lie Yang suddenly coughed violently upon hearing this. Even with his thick skin, being teased by his young disciple made his old face flush. He quickly waved his hand, "Yue'er, it's Master who misremembered. Your Senior Sister Yi Yi didn't lie to you."
Yue'er's eyes, as bright as stars, held a hint of confusion as she asked, "Then is Master now the second-ranked sword dao expert in the Wu Shan Star Domain?"
Facing his disciple's innocent gaze, Gong Lie Yang felt a pang of guilt, but his expression remained calm. "That Zhang Fan is a rare genius demon that appears once in ten million years. In terms of sword dao, he is indeed a bit more formidable than this old man."
"Really? Senior Sister Yi Yi also said that Zhang Fan is going to fight against the Flying Immortal Mansion, Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, and True Fire Grotto-Heaven in a few days. Master, can you take me to watch?" Yue'er asked.
"Your cultivation is too low, it's not suitable for you to watch, you might get accidentally injured. After Master goes to watch, I'll tell you about it when I return." Gong Lie Yang said with a pretense of seriousness, but in his heart, he thought that if he let his young disciple watch, he might not even be able to keep his title as the second-ranked sword dao expert in the Wu Shan Star Domain.
Although he didn't go to watch the battle at Panlong Mountain Range of the Six Royal Mansion, he had already learned detailed information about it. Not only was Zhang Fan's sword dao talent monstrous, but there was also a young man named Liu Mu whose sword dao talent was terrifyingly strong. It was said that he had broken through the ninety-thousand-dao mark in sword dao laws with a cultivation of only the early Ninth Tribulation stage.
"If you don't take me, I'll ask Senior Sister Yi Yi to take me." The moment Yue'er finished speaking, she left the mysterious space, leaving behind a troubled Gong Lie Yang.
...