Since being reborn, Zhang Fan had used soul-searching and similar secret arts on numerous enemies, never imagining that on Earth, someone would attempt to use such an art on him.
"An interesting thought, but I wonder if you have the strength to back it up?" Zhang Fan scoffed.
"You needn't worry about that, Master Saint Zhang. Since this Emperor dares to state it so directly, of course I am confident in my ability to achieve it." The white-robed Pope was full of self-assurance, viewing Zhang Fan at this moment as a trapped creature in a cage.
"Words are meaningless. Let me see just how capable you truly are." Zhang Fan waved his hand, and an ancient bronze sword appeared in his grasp.
"Formation, rise!"
As Zhang Fan held the ancient bronze sword, his entire demeanor became sharp and imposing. Within his deep, dark eyes, countless tiny sword energies flickered, causing a stinging sensation to the pupils of anyone who met his gaze.
Innumerable sharp sword lights erupted from Zhang Fan's body, instantly appearing in various locations within the small world of light, forming a massive sword formation in an incredibly profound arrangement.
And Zhang Fan stood at the center of this formation.
"Qianxuan Sword Formation!"
Zhang Fan had previously employed this sword formation when battling the Eight Extremes Fist Saint. However, due to his limited strength at the time, the formation was merely superficial and was easily broken by the Fist Saint finding its weak point and shattering it with a single punch.
But the current Zhang Fan's strength was worlds apart from what it was before, and the ancient bronze sword, serving as the formation's core, had now been refined by Zhang Fan to its utmost potential.
Though limited by its material, the ancient bronze sword could only be considered a semi-spirit treasure. However, it was Zhang Fan's first-ever magical artifact. Through prolonged nurturing, it could now unleash the power of a true spirit treasure in his hands.
Its only difference from a spirit treasure was the lack of a spirit artifact for protection. Should it be damaged, it would lack self-repair capabilities and would likely be destroyed.
Even if Zhang Fan were to repair it using his artifact forging skills, it would be difficult to restore it to its peak state.
The Qianxuan Sword Formation, a self-contained domain, enveloped the area with sharp sword energies, dispelling the light element and significantly reducing Zhang Fan's pressure.
Zhang Fan's Qianxuan Sword Formation domain was naturally inferior to the Pope's domain of light, but it was more than sufficient to clear a small area for himself.
"This technique is indeed remarkable. To resist my domain of light with just a sword formation, I am truly eager now." The white-robed Pope, known for his perpetually calm and gentle demeanor, rarely had his emotions stirred.
Yet, at this moment, he displayed a look of excitement, eager to capture Zhang Fan and perform the 'Soul Extraction Technique' upon him.
"Go!"
Zhang Fan made the first move.
Drawing upon the power of the sword formation, countless tiny sword energies filled with sharpness instantly converged, forming a colossal sword of pure sword energy that slashed towards the white-robed Pope hovering in the air.
"You certainly possess some skill." The white-robed Pope felt the world-splitting might of the sword energy giant sword and rejoiced inwardly. He gently waved his hand, and a golden scepter appeared in his grasp.
It was the Papal Scepter, a spirit treasure that had nurtured its own spirit artifact.
As the golden scepter materialized, the light energy within the grand hall surged towards it, causing the scepter's power to rapidly increase...
"Break!"
The white-robed Pope, wielding the golden scepter, lightly pointed it into the air. The golden scepter blazed with holy light, unleashing a beam resembling an aurora.
The sword energy giant sword and the white beam collided instantly, emitting a crisp sound akin to metal striking metal. In the air where they met, powerful waves of energy spread outward from the point of impact.
The white beam gradually thinned as they struggled, while countless tiny cracks appeared on the body of the sword energy giant sword condensed by Zhang Fan, seemingly on the verge of collapsing and exploding.
"Desperate blow!"
Seeing the stalemate, Zhang Fan once again drew upon the power of the sword formation. All the sword energies surrounding him transformed into streams of light, merging into the sword energy giant sword.
As the sword energies poured in, the body of the sword energy giant sword expanded once more, becoming a sky-splitting giant sword dozens of feet long.
The white radiance unleashed by the white-robed Pope was instantly dispersed by the immense sword, and with no obstacle, the sword energy giant sword resumed its assault on the Pope.
The white-robed Pope had not anticipated Zhang Fan abandoning his sword formation domain entirely to focus it into a single, potent attack.
With no time to counter, the Pope could only raise the golden scepter with both hands, holding it horizontally before him.
Beneath the colossal sword energy giant sword, dozens of feet long, the white-robed Pope appeared as minuscule as an ant.
The sharp energy and immense power contained within the sword energy giant sword made it difficult for even the Pope, who was at the Core Condensation realm, to resist with sheer strength.
With a single downward slash, the white-robed Pope was sent flying backward, crashing into the grand hall's wall behind him. The luxurious mural cracked and spread outwards.
Despite being repelled by the blow, the white-robed Pope remained remarkably composed. Given his physical resilience, the attack, though seemingly fierce, had not harmed him in the slightest.
"Master Saint Zhang dares to come to my Holy See, and indeed has some confidence. However, you underestimate the power of a Celestial Earthly Immortal." The white-robed Pope held the golden scepter and slowly extended it, gently tapping the center of the grand hall's ceiling.
Instantly, the hall, which had been filled with light energy, blazed with renewed brilliance. Streams of pure white vines began to spread from the ceiling, descending downwards.
The holy light-emitting vines spread with incredible speed. In just a few seconds, the walls of the entire hall were filled with them, blocking the exits.
"Bloom, Flower of Sacred Light."
The white-robed Pope softly exhaled a puff of white mist. The white vines, as if watered with divine elixir, began to unfurl, revealing flowers as tall as humans. They were breathtakingly beautiful and soul-stirring.
But Zhang Fan dared not be mesmerized. From those beautiful white flowers, he sensed an extremely dangerous signal.
Zhang Fan, holding the bronze ancient sword, unleashed a full-powered strike. Waves of sword energy, brimming with incomparable sharpness, hacked at the vines and white flowers.
The white vines sustained gaps from Zhang Fan's attacks, but they did not break. In an instant, they glowed brightly, and the gaps healed, proving incredibly resilient.
The white flowers swayed, deflecting the sharp sword energies Zhang Fan had unleashed, remaining unharmed.
"If it weren't for the intention of capturing Master Saint Zhang alive, using this Flower of Sacred Light would truly be overkill," the white-robed Pope remarked, shaking his head slightly as he observed Zhang Fan's futile resistance.
Zhang Fan could not destroy the Flower of Sacred Light, but under the Pope's manipulation, it bloomed rapidly, one by one. It was estimated that in less than a minute, it would fill the vast grand hall.
And then, Zhang Fan would have nowhere to escape.
...