Zhang Fan's divine sense had been locked onto Zhao Nanqiang. Although Zhao Nanqiang had dived into the sea and remained hidden, Zhang Fan could still pinpoint his location. Just as Zhang Fan was about to unleash another sword strike, he was surprised to find Zhao Nanqiang disappear from his divine sense.
However, Zhang Fan's combat experience was far superior to that of these Nascent Soul stage cultivators. In an instant, he deduced that only two scenarios could explain this.
The first scenario was that Zhao Nanqiang possessed a treasure that could shield his divine sense, allowing him to evade Zhang Fan's tracking.
As for the second scenario, it was the presence of a Half-step God Transformation realm expert hidden beneath the sea. Because their divine soul had merged with the rules of the Dao, they could use the power of the rules to conceal their divine soul and evade Zhang Fan's detection.
Zhang Fan was unwilling to take the risk. He wielded his iron sword, invoking nearly a million strands of sword dao rules, and unleashed a heaven-shattering strike.
The powerful sword light split the seawater in two, creating a trench tens of kilometers long, yet there was still no movement from the seabed.
Zhang Fan had a suspicion in his heart, and he sneered internally, feigning to attack Nangong Pu as he fled.
However, just as he turned, the sea surface beneath him suddenly exploded, and two figures shot out of the water, attacking Zhang Fan from the left and right.
"Another one." Zhang Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, and a powerful soul force washed over him, blurring his vision.
Fortunately, Zhang Fan was prepared. The sword dao rules within his body circulated, forming a circular sword aura that enveloped him. In the next moment, metallic ringing sounds echoed continuously as Zhao Nanqiang and a gaunt old man unleashed dozens of sword strikes, yet neither could break through his surrounding sword aura.
"Who are you?" Zhang Fan looked at the gaunt old man in white clothes and asked.
"Little friend, your mind is meticulous, and your strength is extraordinary. It seems your journey to this point is no mere luck," the gaunt old man with deep-set eyes said, looking at Zhang Fan as if he were a peerless tonic, a hint of fervor in his gaze.
"This is the Supreme Elder of my Black Sand Cave Heaven. You insignificant creature, you've been arrogant for so long. Today is the day of your demise!" With the Supreme Elder present, Zhao Nanqiang felt emboldened, believing he could win. He felt victory was within his grasp and immediately sentenced Zhang Fan to death.
Nangong Pu and the others, who were fleeing, clearly recognized the gaunt old man in white clothes. Their hearts filled with joy, and they quickly returned to the battlefield, landing beside him and respectfully saying, "Nangong Pu greets the Supreme Elder."
Liu Mu had been pursuing the ten scattered Nascent Soul cultivators. Relying on his speed advantage, he managed to kill two and was about to pursue further when he noticed the situation with Zhang Fan. Thus, he had no choice but to abandon his pursuit and rendezvous with Zhang Fan.
"What's his origin?" Liu Mu asked Zhang Fan, warily eyeing the gaunt old man in white clothes.
"He is a Half-step God Transformation realm cultivator."
"Half-step God Transformation?" Upon hearing this, Liu Mu's eyes showed no fear, but rather a hint of excitement, appearing eager to fight.
"Don't you dare snatch him from me. I'm dirt poor right now. This Half-step God Transformation must have a lot of good stuff on him. I'm claiming him."
After speaking, Zhang Fan saw Liu Mu's dissatisfied expression and added, "Then I'll let you have the two peak Nascent Soul cultivators. I'll leave them to you."
Outmatched, Liu Mu could only obey. "Fine."
Zhang Fan instructed, "Don't hold back. Take care of these two old fellows quickly. I need to check on the situation at the Six Royal City."
Hearing their conversation, the Supreme Elder of the Black Sand Cave Heaven was stunned at first, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Haha, the young people of today truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. They think they're unrivaled just because they've had some fortunate encounters."
"You're interested in the treasures on me, and I'm also very interested in your cultivation."
"Kill!"
Zhang Fan didn't want to waste any more time. After coordinating with Liu Mu, he charged directly at the old man in white clothes.
"You two handle him. Finish it quickly," the old man in white clothes instructed Nangong Pu and Zhao Nanqiang. Then, he raised his hand and summoned a rusty iron sword, heading to meet Zhang Fan.
Both were sword cultivators, and their mastery of the sword was not low. The old man in white clothes being able to cultivate to the Half-step God Transformation realm proved that his sword dao rules had at least reached six hundred thousand strands. Although the number of rules couldn't compare to Zhang Fan's, he was, after all, someone whose divine soul had merged with the rules. In terms of cultivation realm, he was far beyond Zhang Fan, a mid-stage Nine Tribulation realm cultivator.
"Legend has it your sword dao is supreme, surpassing your peers. How about you witness my Black Water Sword Technique?" With a slight tremor of his arm, the old man in white clothes' rusty iron sword transformed into a pitch-black treasure sword, its edge gleaming with a dark light.
"Rise!"
The old man in white clothes danced his sword upwards. The seawater below was instantly pulled by a tremendous force, surging upwards from all directions like water pillars as thick as buckets, rapidly rotating and generating fierce winds that enveloped Zhang Fan.
"Sword dao as the guide, black water as the root, strike!"
As the old man in white clothes slashed down with his sword, the towering water pillars converged, forming a tightly woven sword net that aimed to tear Zhang Fan apart.
"The techniques of a Half-step God Transformation are indeed extraordinary. This move alone is far superior to that half-baked Fu Tianling."
When Fu Tianling fought Zhang Fan atop Flat Mountain, he had also employed a similar sword technique. However, compared to the old man in white clothes before him, Fu Tianling's swordplay was crude and unrefined, possessing only the form and not the spirit.
"However, since you wish to witness my sword dao, I shall broaden your horizons today."
Nearly two million strands of lightning rules and sword dao rules erupted from Zhang Fan's body. The vast domain formed by the power of the rules had completely altered the world within a thousand-mile radius. In the sky, dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and sword qi crisscrossed the heavens and earth, seemingly capable of cutting through anything.
"Sword Eight!"
As the blood-colored long sword in Zhang Fan's hand descended, a massive spatial rift appeared in the heavens and earth. The sword net that had been closing in on Zhang Fan instantly dissolved under this attack. The sky was filled with seawater, which then tilted downwards. At this moment, heaven and earth seemed to have been turned upside down.