Zhang Fan smiled faintly as he looked at these former old opponents. In his previous life, they had fought fiercely for the last True Thunder Emperor Seal, causing countless stars to fall. But now, they probably wouldn't even have the courage to make a move in front of him.
"Haha, I never expected that just by coming out to find some materials, I would encounter such a powerful being. From where do you hail, friend?" A voice filled with heroic spirit suddenly echoed in this void. The sound seemed to contain the power of the Great Dao, shaking the hearts of every cultivator present.
"It's Venerable Nu Tian." King Shen Yu's heart jolted. He hadn't expected Venerable Nu Tian to actually arrive.
Zhang Fan looked up and saw a ten-thousand-zhang rift appear in the starry sky. A majestic and domineering man emerged from the spatial rift, like the master of heaven and earth.
Zhang Fan naturally recognized the newcomer. This was Venerable Nu Tian from the Five Elements Immortal Sect of the Central Starfield. He cultivated the Dao of Five Elements and possessed profound attainments in each of the Great Daos, making him considered the most likely to ascend to the Immortal Emperor realm within the Five Elements Immortal Sect.
"Venerable Nu Tian, I know you," Zhang Fan said, looking at the approaching figure.
The hearts of Kings Zhi Wu and the others also stirred. How could they not recognize this powerful being who stood at the pinnacle below the Immortal Emperor, a figure renowned throughout the myriad star domains? They wondered if Zhang Fan had a chance against Venerable Nu Tian.
"What kind of skill is it to bully a few juniors? Fellow Daoist, why not exchange a few moves with me?" Venerable Nu Tian's gaze was peaceful, yet extremely penetrating. He calmly stared at Zhang Fan, trying to ascertain his background, but found nothing.
"Nu Tian, I've heard you are hailed as the most promising figure in the Five Elements Immortal Sect to ascend to the Immortal Emperor realm. I'd like to test if you have the qualifications," Zhang Fan declared, and then he made the first move.
"Flame Blade!"
Zhang Fan shaped his arm into a blade, condensing countless rules of fire. The temperature of this starry sky rapidly increased. Even cultivators at the Harmonization stage felt their Dao bodies scorching, as if they were about to melt.
Venerable Nu Tian's eyes narrowed. The technique this person was using was actually a supreme art of their Five Elements Immortal Sect, and it had reached an extremely high level of mastery, making him even more curious about Zhang Fan's origins.
"Flame Blade!"
Venerable Nu Tian cultivated the Five Elements Great Dao and was also adept at the supreme arts of the Five Elements. He initiated with the Flame Blade, furiously slashing towards Zhang Fan.
In the starry sky, two flame blades, each millions of li long, collided. This collision generated a powerful and scorching wave of energy that spread outwards. Stars within a radius of one light-year were subjected to this intense impact and exploded, emitting the hottest light of their existence in the darkness of space. However, it was merely a fleeting moment before they ultimately turned to nothingness.
The Harmonization stage Immortal Kings quickly retreated to the side, their eyes filled with astonishment. The battles between Venerable-level experts were indeed on a different plane from Harmonization stage cultivators. If they were too close, the residual energy alone could crack their Dao bodies.
Fortunately, this cold and desolate starry sky was devoid of life. Stars within thousands of light-years were uninhabited. If a battle at the Venerable level were to erupt within a star domain, countless innocent lives would likely be affected.
"How is this possible?" King Hei Mu's sunken eyes widened. After one exchange, Zhang Fan remained as still as a mountain, while Venerable Nu Tian was forced to retreat.
Venerable Nu Tian's expression grew more solemn. He brought his fists together and slammed them forcefully, uttering a low chant, "Vajra Pillar Reaching Heaven!"
Innumerable rules of metal converged, and a golden pillar of infinite length materialized before him. Venerable Nu Tian hugged the pillar with both hands and furiously smashed it towards Zhang Fan.
As the colossal pillar was swung, to the eyes of the many Immortal Kings, the fabric of the universe seemed to invert. An overwhelming force surged forward, and even though it wasn't directed at them, they felt immense pressure.
"Water Shield!"
Zhang Fan once again unleashed a defensive supreme art of the Five Elements Immortal Sect, manifesting a massive shield with the Dao of Water. Countless rules of water converged, and layers of ripples shimmered, blocking Venerable Nu Tian's Vajra Pillar Reaching Heaven. Simultaneously, the recoil force pushed Venerable Nu Tian back several steps.
"Your mastery of the Five Elements Immortal Sect's supreme arts is even superior to mine. Who exactly are you?" Venerable Nu Tian gazed deeply at Zhang Fan, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"The Five Elements revolve. The Vajra Pillar Reaching Heaven, while incredibly fierce, is ultimately part of the Five Elements. It's merely overcoming hardness with softness. Venerable Nu Tian's accumulation is indeed profound, possessing the potential to contend for the Immortal Emperor position," Zhang Fan said with a smile, avoiding answering Venerable Nu Tian's question directly.
"I do have some ties with the Five Elements Immortal Sect. You may leave. Perhaps we will have a chance to meet again in the Central Starfield."
Sensing the goodwill in Zhang Fan's words, Venerable Nu Tian felt a sense of relief. Although they had only exchanged two moves, Venerable Nu Tian clearly knew that Zhang Fan had not exerted his full strength and was definitely not someone he could contend with.
"I hope that day comes," Venerable Nu Tian cupped his fists in salutation, then tore through space and vanished from their sight.
With Venerable Nu Tian gone, all eyes in the area turned to Zhang Fan, filled with reverence and shock. Even Venerable Nu Tian, at the peak of the Dominator realm, was not his opponent. Had he already reached the legendary Great Dao realm?
Zhang Fan looked towards King Zhi Wu and the others and said with a smile, "This matter is settled. It is time for me to leave."
"If you break through your limitations and ascend to the Venerable realm in the future, I will certainly visit the Heart Domain and have a few drinks with Brother Zhang Fan," King Zhi Wu nodded.
After bidding farewell to the group, Zhang Fan used a thought and vanished from his original spot. His internal universe was now nearing completion, spanning a million light-years in diameter. His mental power could cover a radius of a million light-years. The universe was vast, and he could go anywhere.
Returning to the small courtyard in the Luo River Domain, they had lived there for several decades. These past decades had been extremely pleasant. With an inexhaustible supply of cultivation resources, everyone's cultivation had rapidly advanced. Relying on the power of the Dao Origin, his parents and Zhang Lüying had now reached the Void Returning stage.
However, Zhang Fan estimated that this was the limit of their cultivation. To advance further would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Qin Luoshui, Southern Venerable, and Lin Haotian, through their talent and Zhang Fan's guidance, had also reached the Void Returning stage after cultivating for an extended period in the Wuji Tower. Their potential was clearly greater, and there was still a considerable hope for them to advance further.
The Blood Demon Flood Dragon had now completely mastered the Blood Dragon Body Refining technique. Its bloodline had completely evolved into a Blood Dragon bloodline, making it a pure Blood Dragon with the combat power of the Void Returning stage.
As for the less talented Sword Immortal Wu Chen and Heavenly Monarch Tian Hua, after cultivating for hundreds of years in the Wuji Tower, they had only reached the Soul Transformation stage. Without external assistance, the possibility of them breaking through to the Void Returning stage in this lifetime was extremely slim.
...