After piercing the middle-aged man in plain clothes with a single finger, Zhang Fan turned his gaze to Bai Tianyi, who stood by, looking utterly crestfallen. He said indifferently, "Did you see clearly? This 'unbreakable'蛊虫 (gu worm) of yours, how I will break it for you."
With that, a large amount of golden flame erupted from Zhang Fan's palm holding Qin Tuyi. Although the flames enveloped Qin Tuyi, they did not harm him in the slightest.
Under Zhang Fan's control, the golden flames transformed into thread-like strands, as fine as hair, which entered Qin Tuyi's mouth. They followed his throat and swiftly burrowed towards Qin Tuyi's heart.
As the golden flames surged in, Qin Tuyi's entire body seemed to be on the verge of burning. His previously fair skin now looked as if he had been cooked, flushing red, his body losing a massive amount of moisture and emitting steam.
At this moment, Qin Tuyi paid no heed to his physical transformation, for he felt an excruciating burning sensation within him as the golden flames poured in, emitting piercing screams.
Hearing Qin Tuyi's agonized cries, the Qin family members grew worried. However, intimidated by Zhang Fan's might, they dared not utter a sound, merely watching the scene unfold.
The countless hair-thin flames made Qin Tuyi's insides appear almost transparent, allowing everyone to clearly see his internal organs.
Upon Qin Tuyi's heart, a white worm resembling a silkworm cocoon was slowly crawling.
Witnessing this, everyone felt a sharp tug at their hearts, as if Qin Tuyi's heart could stop beating at any second.
"Condense!"
With Zhang Fan's low utterance, the countless hair-thin golden flames suddenly seemed to come alive. They rapidly intertwined, forming a fiery net smaller than a palm, which ensnared the white worm.
Instantly, the white worm sensed danger and struggled violently, attempting to break free from the fiery net's grasp.
However, no matter how the worm struggled, it was in vain. The miniature fiery net tightened, shrinking until it firmly trapped the creature.
"Such powerful flame control. Even the most elite array masters in China would be miles behind Grandmaster Zhang."
Wei Xiaowen watched the scene intently, observing Zhang Fan's masterful control of the flames, his ability to move them freely within a human body without causing any harm. This level of control alone was enough to astonish any witness.
However, she was not entirely surprised. After all, in addition to his peerless martial prowess, Zhang Fan was also the undisputed foremost alchemy grandmaster in China.
Even the Dan Shen Pavilion, once hailed as a sacred land for alchemy, could only bow in defeat before Zhang Fan.
"Come out!"
Zhang Fan slightly tightened his grip on Qin Tuyi's neck. Qin Tuyi, who was already struggling to breathe, felt as if he were suffocating, his face contorted grotesquely.
With Zhang Fan's pull, the miniature fiery net rapidly contracted and, with a sudden tug, yanked the worm directly from Qin Tuyi's heart.
Having accomplished this, Zhang Fan casually tossed Qin Tuyi onto the ground, ignoring him and instead fixating with interest on the white worm he held in his hand.
Despite the worm's violent struggles, it was as insignificant as an ant in Zhang Fan's grasp.
The worm was white and translucent, appearing harmless. However, as Zhang Fan held it, he felt the immense power possessed by this white worm, no larger than a fingernail.
"With your strength, you likely couldn't have nurtured such a potent蛊虫 (gu worm), could you?" Zhang Fan flicked his finger, gazing at Bai Tianyi, who lay limply on the ground, and said softly.
Bai Tianyi's cultivation was only at the half-step Saint Domain level, yet this蛊虫 (gu worm) had reached the full Saint Domain level. If Bai Tianyi could have nurtured such a worm himself, he would have long been a Saint Domain expert.
At this moment, Bai Tianyi was utterly stunned by Zhang Fan's breathtaking display. He knew Zhang Fan was immensely powerful, far surpassing ordinary Divine Realm experts, but he hadn't expected Zhang Fan to be able to unravel even the蛊虫 (gu worm) he had planted.
If this was the case, what was the use of his Bai family's art of nurturing蛊虫 (gu worms)?
Without its蛊虫 (gu worm), the Bai family's strength would likely be severely diminished.
"This蛊虫 (gu worm) was bestowed by my Bai family's ancestor. If you destroy it, you will undoubtedly alert my ancestor. Grandmaster Zhang, though powerful, may not be a match for my Bai family's ancestor!" Bai Tianyi said with a cold voice.
"Heh heh." Zhang Fan smiled, and a cluster of golden flame reappeared on his palm, directly burning the white worm to ashes.
This flame was a divine ability cultivated by Zhang Fan's Thunderfire Divine Eye, far surpassing ordinary flames. With his current power, even peak Saint Domain experts could not withstand it. A mere蛊虫 (gu worm) stood no chance of resistance.
"Pfft!"
Bai Tianyi's spirit was intrinsically linked to his life-bound蛊虫 (gu worm). With the destruction of his life-bound worm, Bai Tianyi immediately suffered a severe backlash, spewing a mouthful of blood and appearing utterly dejected.
"You speak so highly of them, it makes me eager to witness your Bai family ancestor's might. If he dares to show himself, I, Zhang Fan, will ensure he accompanies you on the road to the Yellow Springs!" Zhang Fan said, gently pointing a finger at Bai Tianyi.
An invisible surge of energy shot from Zhang Fan's fingertip, aiming for Bai Tianyi's brow.
Watching this, the onlookers couldn't help but sigh. The young master of the Bai family, who had appeared so imposing earlier, not even deigning to look at Qin Tuyi, now met such a tragic end.
"Who dares harm my Bai family's descendant!"
Just as everyone believed the matter was settled, a voice filled with authority and soul-stirring power echoed through the manor.
Above Bai Tianyi's head, a colossal phantom, about thirty feet tall, appeared.
A white-robed, white-haired elder stood suspended in the air, his head touching the heavens. He was like a celestial being, his immense divine might permeating the entire manor, causing countless individuals to tremble in fear.
The white-robed elder appeared ethereal, as if projected, yet with a mere raise of his hand, he blocked the surge of energy that Zhang Fan had unleashed.
"Ancestor!" Bai Tianyi looked up at the white-robed elder above him, his heart filled with immense excitement. He had never expected his ancestor to appear for him.
It was known that their Bai family ancestor had lived for over a hundred years. Over the past century, the Bai family had proliferated through generations, with descendants spread far and wide. Even if the Bai family patriarch died, the ancestor would not intervene.
And he, Bai Tianyi, was merely a disciple of the younger generation of the Bai family, albeit the most promising one. Whether he could even cultivate to the Divine Realm was still uncertain.
Moreover, ordinary Saint Domain experts were not particularly significant to the Bai family; their ancestor would not care about them.
...