"I'll face you!"
The Golden Light emanating from Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's body began to show faint red hues from the scorching of lightning and fire.
He was tall, and with just a few strides across the sandy beach, he reached Zhang Fan. His colossal fist, like an iron hammer, swung towards Zhang Fan's head.
However, facing the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's attack, Zhang Fan did not dodge at all. The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's fist landed squarely on his head.
"Clang!"
An incredibly crisp sound echoed across the island.
The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint was initially surprised, but when he heard this clear sound, he was completely stunned.
Before the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint could react, Zhang Fan grabbed his arm and grinned at him. The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint sensed danger and twisted his body violently, trying to break free.
But Zhang Fan's arm was like a vise, holding him firmly. He couldn't budge at all.
Zhang Fan suddenly exerted force, swung the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's arm, and slammed him hard onto the ground.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
...
Every time the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint was slammed onto the ground, the island trembled as if struck by an earthquake. The violent sounds made everyone present's hearts tremble.
Far away, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, coiled around Lin Haotian's shoulder like an arm's thickness, saw this. A human-like smile appeared on its flood dragon face, filled with a strange sense of satisfaction and emotion.
The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's initial cries eventually fell silent. The blood he spat out splattered onto Zhang Fan, dyeing him into a bloody figure.
After swinging the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint in the air dozens of times, Zhang Fan's surroundings were riddled with uneven pits. The Changbai Mountain Martial Saint, who had initially resisted fiercely, eventually stopped moving, as if he had lost all strength to struggle.
Zhang Fan threw the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint to the ground and stomped hard on his chest. He looked down at the panting Changbai Mountain Martial Saint, who resembled a dead dog, his stern face devoid of any sympathy.
"Still not dead. Your vitality is indeed much stronger than ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators," Zhang Fan said indifferently.
Blood dripped from the corner of the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's mouth, flowing onto the sand. He struggled to turn his head to look at Daoist Niu and said weakly, "Run quickly!"
Only now did he understand what kind of existence he had provoked. The strength of this Master Zhang was probably comparable to that of the Half-Moon Immortal who had once condensed a Golden Core. How could they, a group of Nascent Soul cultivators, dare to provoke him.
Bai Tu, having witnessed the shocking scene, was already scared stiff. Hearing the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's words, he finally reacted and turned to flee!
However, Daoist Niu, standing beside him, ignored the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's plea. His murky, sunken eyes gradually deepened, and a fierce fighting spirit erupted within them!
"Can you escape?"
Zhang Fan snorted coldly, stomped to crush the Changbai Mountain Martial Saint's head, and waved his hand, collecting the corpse into his Star Constellation Space.
As Bai Tu turned and prepared to fly out of the island, he suddenly stopped. Zhang Fan had blocked his path, standing in the void less than ten feet away, like a god of death.
Bai Tu knew the gap between him and Zhang Fan was too vast, and escape was impossible. Moreover, the strongest, Daoist Niu, had no intention of saving him. He could only plead with Zhang Fan.
"Master Zhang, it was indeed my fault this time. If you can spare my life, name any request. Even if it's to be your slave, I..."
Bai Tu begged desperately, but before he could finish, he suddenly stopped. He looked down at his chest, his eyes filled with pain and unwillingness.
Zhang Fan withdrew his fist from Bai Tu's chest, extracting a snow-white Yuan Dan that resembled a dragon's eye.
The Yuan Dan was the source of a Nascent Soul cultivator's magical power and their lifeline. Once the Yuan Dan was extracted, unless there were special means, cultivators had almost no chance of survival.
After dispatching Bai Tu, Zhang Fan descended from the air and approached Daoist Changsheng.
Seeing Zhang Fan by his side, Daoist Changsheng wore a wry smile and shook his head slightly. Despite all his calculations, he had never expected Master Zhang's strength to be so far beyond their imagination.
With a flick of his finger, Zhang Fan sent a strand of energy, swiftly killing the defenseless Daoist Changsheng. Then, he turned his gaze to Daoist Niu and the Unfallen Sword Immortal.
"Now, only the two of you remain!"
Zhang Fan said softly.
"Just a bunch of trash, no use keeping them!"
Daoist Niu glanced at the Unfallen Sword Immortal, who was questioning his life due to Zhang Fan's few words, and shook his head inwardly, a look of disdain in his eyes.
To cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, yet have such an unstable Dao Heart, he found it truly exasperating.
"Let me help you end your suffering and confusion!" Daoist Niu waved his hand, unleashing a sharp energy that shot directly towards the Unfallen Sword Immortal's head.
Zhang Fan watched this scene, somewhat bewildered. Daoist Niu's actions made him feel a slight sense of caution.
After unleashing the energy, Daoist Niu paid no further attention. He turned to look at Zhang Fan, about to speak, when he was interrupted by a sudden explosion!
"The way of the sword, this is my way of the sword!"
The Unfallen Sword Immortal held his sword with one hand and sliced through the sharp energy with a single strike!
Simultaneously, his aura surged rapidly. In just a few short breaths, the Unfallen Sword Immortal, who was originally only at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, had directly advanced to the late-stage of Nascent Soul!
Seeing this, Daoist Niu looked extremely astonished. He stared intently at the Unfallen Sword Immortal, desperately wanting to know what had happened to cause his cultivation to advance by a minor realm in such a short span of time.
It was known that cultivating to the Nascent Soul stage on the spiritually barren Earth was already incredibly difficult. Once one entered the Nascent Soul stage, no matter how astonishing their talent, it was difficult to advance even a minor realm without a century of accumulation.
"He has actually reached the level of clearing the mind and seeing the true nature, directly pointing to the heart. He has indeed crossed the threshold of the sword path." Zhang Fan, observing the Unfallen Sword Immortal's state, naturally understood what had happened.
He had also not expected that his words, aimed at his heart, would actually allow the Unfallen Sword Immortal to overcome his inner demons and find his own way of the sword.
"Master Zhang, I wonder if I should hate you or thank you?"
The sword qi in the Unfallen Sword Immortal's eyes dissipated, replaced by an immense, peaceful serenity. His entire demeanor was no longer ethereal like an immortal; instead, he appeared more like a simple swordsman.
"I don't mind if you hate me, but there's no need to thank me, because even if you have crossed the threshold of the sword path and your strength has broken through, you will still die today!"
Zhang Fan said calmly.
Although, in Zhang Fan's opinion, the Unfallen Sword Immortal's ability to cross the threshold of the sword path without any prior guidance was indeed a rare genius.
However, Zhang Fan had encountered too many geniuses, and they no longer impressed him. Killing geniuses did not bring him pleasure; he simply wanted to kill them.
The Unfallen Sword Immortal did not show anger at Zhang Fan's words. Instead, he looked at Zhang Fan with deep respect and said, "Master Zhang's casual words were enough to disturb my sword heart and make me doubt my own path of the sword. Master Zhang's achievements in the way of the sword have far surpassed mine."
"Unfallen has a request. I wish to become your disciple and join your ranks!"
"Please grant me this wish, Master Zhang!"
After saying this, the Unfallen Sword Immortal knelt down on both knees and bowed with utmost sincerity.
Daoist Niu stood to the side, looking at this scene with utter confusion: "This kid, has he gone foolish after breaking through?"
...