"Is this the legendary chaotic fierce beast, the Taotie?"
Xue Jing's fair and flawless complexion, which could make any woman envious, revealed an expression of disbelief. A storm had already erupted in his heart.
Among those present, only Xue Jing could be considered knowledgeable. After all, he was from the Starry Sky of Ten Thousand Realms, a member of the Undying Blood Race, and held a high position within it.
He had once stumbled upon some information related to chaotic fierce beasts in a tattered ancient book. The beast before him bore some resemblance to the Taotie described in the ancient text.
However, what Xue Jing found difficult to comprehend was why the beast, shaped like a Taotie, had a human face so similar to Zhang Fan's. Could this ferocious beast have transformed from Zhang Fan?
Xue Jing dared not believe it. Taotie was the most ancient of chaotic fierce beasts, a legendary existence. It was rumored that even super-powered beings at the level of Great Ascension Immortal Emperors would not dare to provoke such a creature lightly.
As Xue Jing's thoughts became chaotic, a roar that shook heaven and earth erupted from the Taotie's phantom mouth.
"Chaos Devour!"
Zhang Fan's voice echoed from the Taotie's mouth. The phantom figure's maw became like a bottomless black hole, emitting an irresistible devouring power. A massive vortex of airflow formed, distorting the very space of the secret realm, which was slowly being swallowed by the Taotie.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, the secret realm, which spanned several football fields in size, was completely devoured by the Taotie phantom in less than a minute, disappearing from their sight.
A brief void appeared where the secret realm had been. Then, space twisted, and the void gradually merged with the surrounding space, being covered by the Earth's atmosphere.
Their Blood Race's secret realm... was gone?
They had watched with their own eyes as the vast secret realm was devoured by the beast's phantom, vanishing before their very eyes!
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, even Xue Jing would not have believed that someone could devour space.
What kind of divine ability was this, so terrifying!
Zhang Fan emerged from the void. His aura was simple and unadorned, like that of an ordinary person, yet to everyone's eyes, he was blindingly brilliant. Even Xue Jing could not discern Zhang Fan's current cultivation level.
His eyes were as dark as ink, as deep as black holes, seemingly capable of devouring even divine consciousness, making others unwilling to look directly at him, lest they be lost within them.
"Quick, get me something to eat!" Zhang Fan waved to Xue Jing.
Before Xue Jing and the others could offer congratulations, Zhang Fan uttered such a sentence, leaving them completely stunned.
After reaching the Core Formation stage, cultivators would occasionally eat, but it was merely to satisfy their appetites. After all, Core Formation cultivators could continuously absorb the energy of heaven and earth through their nascent cores to sustain themselves.
Eating had become a superfluous matter, yet Zhang Fan's first action after emerging from seclusion was to request food, which truly bewildered everyone.
Upon reacting, Xue Jing quickly replied, "I'll make arrangements immediately!"
Prince Hill, standing beside him, understood Xue Jing's meaning. He transformed into a streak of light and vanished from everyone's sight, hurrying to arrange a banquet.
Zhang Fan's gaze swept across the crowd. Seeing that Wu Chen Jian Xian and Ailerbela's strengths had all seen breakthroughs, Zhang Fan intended to say a few words. However, the intense hunger in his abdomen caused him to change his mind, "Let's go, let's eat something first."
Taotie was known for its devouring nature and its gluttony. Zhang Fan suspected that this was related to his cultivation of the "Taotie Atlas."
In the spacious main hall, a ten-meter-long wooden table was set. Zhang Fan took the head seat, while Xue Jing, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and others sat on either side. Dishes from all over the world were continuously brought to the table.
"Let's eat!"
Zhang Fan spoke no further. After signaling to everyone, he began to savor the delicacies.
In the past, Zhang Fan had no particular fondness for food. No matter how exquisite the dish, he had tasted it all, so he wasn't very interested.
However, today, as he tasted the food before him, it felt incredibly wonderful, as if he had missed out on too much.
Everyone present possessed considerable strength; the weakest, Ailerbela, had reached the peak of the Divine Realm. Even a single cow wouldn't be enough for them to eat.
In the beginning, they, like Zhang Fan, slowly enjoyed the food placed on the table. Dishes were replaced round after round. They ate for an entire day, and even Xue Jing felt quite full, but Zhang Fan felt nothing.
On the second day, the others could no longer eat and could only stand aside, watching Zhang Fan eat.
It was as if Zhang Fan's stomach contained an endless space. The amount of food he consumed could fill a van, yet Zhang Fan did not feel much.
This feast lasted for three full days, and Zhang Fan ate continuously for those three days. Even the cooks of the Blood Race, who had reached the Transcendent stage, were nearly exhausted. Only then did Zhang Fan finally stop and get up.
"I finally feel something, about seventy percent full," Zhang Fan said, a statement that almost caused Xue Jing, whose stomach was already round, to collapse.
Having eaten for three consecutive days and still feeling only seventy percent full, he desperately wanted to know what Zhang Fan had experienced during this past year.
"Your Blood Race cooks' skills are quite good. Let's go take care of our business first. We'll have another three-day grand feast when we return."
Zhang Fan patted his slightly bulging belly with satisfaction.
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, Xue Jing and the others felt their stomachs churn. If they had to go through this again, even with their formidable strength, they wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Hahaha..."
Zhang Fan let out a hearty laugh at their reactions, feeling that after cultivating the Taotie Atlas, he had transformed into a super foodie.
After some preparations, Zhang Fan decided to travel to the Holy See with Xue Jing, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and the three princes of the Blood Race.
Although Ailerbela wished to go, she knew her strength was still too weak. She couldn't even deal with a cultivator at the early stage of Core Formation. Going would only be a burden.
After consuming the Yuan Gui Pills bestowed by Zhang Fan, the three princes of the Blood Race had achieved breakthroughs. Prince Hill successfully advanced to the late stage of Core Formation, while the other two princes, though unable to break through, had both reached the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation.
With the combined strength of these three, even Wu Chen Jian Xian, who had already etched a golden core dao pattern, would require some time to deal with them, making them a considerable fighting force.
Before departing, Zhang Fan called his parents on Lake Heart Island in China. He learned that everything had been peaceful on the island during his seclusion, which put his mind at ease.
"Depart!"
With Zhang Fan's command, he soared into the sky, transforming into a white streak of light that sliced through the firmament. Xue Jing, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and the other five followed behind Zhang Fan, flying in the direction of the Church of Light.
Ailerbela, the Blood Race leader Wrights, and several elders of the Blood Race watched their departing figures, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion. If all went as expected, after today, the name of the Church of Light would cease to exist on Earth.