More than twenty colossal starships, each over a kilometer in length, with the longest exceeding two kilometers—several times the size of Earth's largest war machine, the aircraft carrier—hovered ostentatiously in Earth's outer space. They resembled mountains erected in the void.
This immense fleet, suspended above Earth, blotted out the sky, leading the planet's inhabitants to mistakenly believe in an alien invasion and causing considerable unrest.
Fortunately, Lin Yun had already transmitted the situation back to Huaxia. To appease the public, the Huaxia authorities chose not to conceal the news, instead openly disclosing it.
This was partly due to the numerous videos of supernatural phenomena circulating online, and the earlier release of combat footage depicting battles akin to those between celestial beings, which had made the ordinary people of Earth more receptive to the existence of superhuman entities.
"A great opportunity left by a powerful being from the cosmos above Central Siberia, and those aliens came to Earth seeking it?"
"See, I always said there must be extraterrestrial life in this universe."
"Saint Master Zhang is too powerful! Fighting against overwhelming odds, those aliens were no match for him. Truly magnificent and awe-inspiring."
"A pity that one-armed alien managed to escape."
...
Half a year had passed since Zhang Fan's last battle. The video of that conflict, released and widely circulated online, had sparked considerable discussion.
An American television station seized this opportunity, utilizing its commercial satellite to lock onto the source of the colorful celestial glow above the Central Siberian Plateau and broadcast a global live stream.
However, due to the illusion array enveloping the area, their cameras could not capture Zhang Fan and the others. Nevertheless, the broadcast achieved exceptionally high viewership, with billions tuning in, meaning nearly two-thirds of Earth's population was following the event.
Meanwhile, Lin Haotian, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and others, who had taken refuge in the Half-Moon Cave dwelling, continuously monitored the online news.
Instead of rejoicing at Zhang Fan's victory, they were filled with apprehension. They knew that the group brought by Dao Zun was merely a small contingent of the treasure-hunting army from the Wushan Star Domain.
Now that the opportunity had manifested, the next arrival of cultivators from beyond the domain would likely be far more formidable.
Despite their worry, their own strength was too insignificant in the face of those Golden Core stage cultivators; they were of no help and could only wait in the Half-Moon Cave dwelling, offering silent prayers.
...
At this moment, on the Central Siberian Plateau, the three individuals enveloped by the formation were diligently cultivating, undisturbed by the commotion outside.
"Hoo!"
Xue Jing opened his eyes, exhaling a thick, blood-red breath. The crimson hue on his face gradually receded, returning to its usual pallor.
"After half a year of secluded cultivation, I have finally perfected this divine ability. I wonder what its true power is."
Xue Jing murmured to himself for a moment before shifting his gaze to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan's robes, scorched by the Black Dragon's Flame, had long since turned to ash, revealing his perfectly proportioned physique.
The melting snow and ice around him had been vaporized by the extreme heat radiating from Zhang Fan's body, creating a massive crater. Zhang Fan sat cross-legged within it, his surface temperature continuously rising, emitting a searing heat that even Xue Jing, at a distance, felt intensely. This filled Xue Jing with awe at Zhang Fan's physical resilience.
To withstand such temperatures and maintain such willpower was truly remarkable.
"I wonder if Master can succeed. If not, this time will be truly perilous."
Xue Jing's heart was filled with concern. During his period of cultivation, he had also continuously observed the situation outside the formation.
Over the past half-year, more than ten batches of Golden Core stage cultivators had attempted to break the formation. The largest group comprised nearly fifty, a formidable assembly of Golden Core experts. Such a sight had indeed startled Xue Jing.
If not for the illusion array, the combined attacks of over a hundred Golden Core cultivators on the Heavenly Gang Snow Ape Formation would likely have overwhelmed it in mere moments.
With this thought, he looked towards Lin Yun beside him.
Lin Yun had been at the peak of the Golden Core stage for over a thousand years, possessing profound accumulation. However, his chances of breaking through the bottleneck and forming a nascent soul using the Golden Scale Yuan Breaking Pill gifted by Zhang Fan seemed slim in Xue Jing's estimation.
After all, if breaking a Golden Core and forming a nascent soul were so easy, nascent soul cultivators would not be so scarce throughout the Wushan Star Domain.
Consider this: the Wushan Star Domain had at least ten thousand Golden Core stage cultivators, yet the number of known Nascent Soul cultivators was less than a hundred.
Furthermore, Nascent Soul cultivators lived for tens of thousands of years, while Golden Core cultivators had a lifespan of only three thousand years. Despite the constant turnover, the birth rate of Nascent Soul cultivators remained astonishingly low, illustrating the immense difficulty.
...
Two months passed silently. For the humans of Earth, these two months were an agonizing wait, their attention fixed daily on the situation above the Central Siberian Plateau.
However, for Dao Zun and his group of Golden Core cultivators, two months was barely enough time for serious closed-door cultivation; it was far too brief.
*Whoosh!*
A pitch-black starship traversed through space. Onboard this vessel, two figures sat cross-legged in the vast control room, facing each other.
"We've been traveling for half a year, and we're finally nearing our destination. Tianhua, aren't you skilled at divination? Why is it that every coordinate you predict is off by a thousand light-years from the fortuitous opportunity? Are you intentionally tricking me?"
A youth clad in black brocade, with nine divine swords on his back, spoke to the man opposite him.
The one addressed as 'Tianhua' was a middle-aged man exuding an air of scholarly elegance. He wore plain white robes and idly manipulated nine dragon-eye-sized black pearls in his right hand. The pearls flowed through his palm, transforming at times into water droplets, creating ripples, and at other times into fireballs, blazing with intense flames, an astonishing spectacle.
This elegant middle-aged man was none other than True Monarch Tianhua, whom Dao Zun and his group had been eagerly awaiting.
Upon hearing the youth's words, True Monarch Tianhua offered a gentle smile and replied, "Brother Jiujian, you jest. The art of divination is merely my hobby, not something I can claim to be skilled at. Moreover, with the abilities of True Immortal Zhiwu, how could a mere Golden Core cultivator like myself hope to divine it accurately?"
"Besides," True Monarch Tianhua continued proudly, "didn't I accurately predict the coordinates of the opportunity's appearance two months ago?"
"Wasn't it Dao Zun who told you?" the youth glanced at True Monarch Tianhua and said dismissively.
"So you saw that..." True Monarch Tianhua's expression of pride instantly froze. However, being a master of pretense, he quickly changed the subject.
"Tell me, if they knew the renowned True Monarch Jiujian had also arrived at the fortuitous opportunity site, what would they think? Would they perhaps unite to deal with you first?" True Monarch Tianhua asked, looking at the youth with a wry smile.
"Don't I have you?" the youth replied nonchalantly.
While True Monarch Tianhua's combat prowess might be lacking, his terrifying mastery of formations ensured he was an exceptionally troublesome opponent.
Given sufficient time to set up his formations, even dozens of Golden Core cultivators would be unable to harm him in the slightest.
...
ps: I'm encountering writer's block, which is rather difficult. I'll only release one chapter today.