Canglan Mingyue shook his head and said, "Daoist friend Zhang Fan's strength is indeed far beyond our expectations, perhaps comparable to a powerful being who has fused with rules and divine souls. I have to admit that even if my sister and I join forces, we are not his match."
"However, with some of our means, we are confident in our ability to survive."
"The Great Luo Hall is about to open, and the demon beast tribes are besieging the Dark Plains. I don't think Daoist friend Zhang Fan wants to waste time with my sister and me, do you?"
Before Zhang Fan, Canglan Mingyue was considered the foremost figure among the younger generation on the World Heart Continent. Yet, today, he publicly admitted his inferiority to Zhang Fan. To be able to say these words was enough to show the immense pressure Zhang Fan had exerted on him.
Zhang Fan merely smiled at Canglan Mingyue's words and then said, "I said before that I would spare your life today, but that depends on whether you have the ability to survive."
"Take one of my swords. If you can survive, it will be your own skill. If you cannot withstand it, you can only blame yourself for being too weak if you die."
Zhang Fan held his iron sword. Within his white immortal infant, the surging sword dao and lightning were simultaneously ignited. Nearly two million strands of rule energy permeated heaven and earth. Everyone felt as if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had been drained, and even Nascent Soul cultivators felt suffocated.
Dark clouds churned in the sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. On the ground, sword qi converged, flowing like a river of swords. At this moment, the power of heaven and earth also seemed to become volatile.
"Slash!"
As endless dazzling lightning merged into the sword river, Zhang Fan swung his iron sword and unleashed a strike.
Instantly, heaven and earth seemed to be divided. Where the sword river passed, space cracked layer by layer, rushing towards Canglan Mingyue and his sister.
With Zhang Fan's current strength, he could tear space apart without relying on divine abilities. This strike was the strongest strike resulting from the fusion of Zhang Fan's sword dao and lightning dao.
"Not good!"
Feeling the rule energy surge like a tidal wave, the expressions of Canglan Mingyue and his sister changed drastically. They exchanged glances and simultaneously unleashed their final trump cards. If they couldn't block it, they would truly die.
Hundreds of thousands of strands of saber dao and sword dao rules fused together, forming a massive shield of rules in front of them. As the two collided, the shield of rules rapidly melted away. Innumerable strands of sword dao and saber dao rules dissipated into heaven and earth, and in the end, it still couldn't block the strike, exploding with a bang.
Under the impact of the boundless sword river, the two were sent flying. Their bodies were covered in fine sword marks, and golden blood spurted from their mouths.
When their figures stopped, everyone realized that there was a terrifying hole through Canglan Mingyue's chest. The wound was charred black and pulsed with weak lightning energy. Canglan Qiuyue, protected behind him, had lighter injuries.
Seeing the golden blood, Zhang Fan's mind raced through many thoughts, and then he burst into laughter.
"Haha, so you've cultivated the Crimson Gold Refining Emperor Body. No wonder."
Being taught the Crimson Gold Refining Emperor Body by Zi Wu indicated that they were tacitly acknowledged as registered disciples by Zi Wu. Given Zhang Fan's past relationship with Zi Wu, he would at least spare them.
Upon hearing this, Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue looked at Zhang Fan in disbelief and asked, "How did Daoist friend Zhang Fan know about the Crimson Gold Refining Emperor Body? This..."
"What is there not to know?" Zhang Fan replied, "Isn't it just an Emperor Body technique taught to you by Zi Wu? It's not a divine body technique, so why hide it?"
The Crimson Gold Refining Technique was a rather profound Emperor Body technique cultivated by Zi Wu during his True Immortal stage. Later, after breaking through to the Void Return stage, this technique became less useful to him, so he switched to other refining techniques.
The Crimson Gold Refining Emperor Body, when cultivated to the Great Accomplishment stage, could make the physical body comparable to the peak strength of the Nine Tribulation Realm, and its recovery ability was extremely strong. With the protection of the Emperor Body technique, Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue were able to survive this sword strike.
Otherwise, they would have either died or been crippled.
Canglan Mingyue was deeply surprised. Even within their Cang Hai Palace, fewer than a handful of people knew about this matter, yet Zhang Fan knew it and so naturally uttered the name of True Immortal Zi Wu.
"Alright, you have taken one of my swords, and your lives are saved. However, from now on, do not provoke me." Zhang Fan waved his hand, having settled this matter, and turned his gaze towards the cultivators from the Flying Immortal Mansion and other factions.
Canglan Mingyue wiped the golden blood from his lips, disregarded his injuries, clasped his hands slightly towards Zhang Fan, and then stood aside, deep in thought for a while, as if he had an epiphany.
"Senior Zhang Fan, we have no intention of being your enemy. Please spare our lives."
Seeing Zhang Fan's gaze upon them, the cultivators from the Flying Immortal Mansion, Black Sand Cave, and other factions all became extremely fearful, bowed, and begged for mercy.
"No intention of being enemies, but we are already enemies."
Zhang Fan stepped through the void, walking step by step. Behind him, a colossal phantom of a Taotie began to condense. Its entire body emitted a deep, dark aura, causing the heavens and earth to change color, as if even light was being swallowed, like the descent of an abyss.
He looked at the cultivators from the hostile factions and said calmly, "I believe that if you had the strength, you would not hesitate to tear me to pieces."
"Therefore, there is no need for you to feel indignant."
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the expressions of the cultivators from the hostile factions changed drastically. Several cultivators, unwilling to await their doom, used secret techniques, burning their life force, and fled towards the distance at extreme speed.
However, even powerful figures like Nangong Feng and Fu Tianling could not escape Zhang Fan's domain. How could they escape?
Before they could flee a hundred miles, they were either shredded by sword light that materialized out of thin air or struck by terrifying lightning power, dying on the spot.
The remaining cultivators were all shocked and stood frozen in place.
Some looked ashen-faced, having given up all resistance. Reflecting on their lifelong cultivation, it felt like a dream. They were filled with emotion.
Some wore ferocious expressions, unwilling to accept their fate, and cursed Zhang Fan. However, they found that even their voices could not escape, being isolated by the power of the domain.
Some cultivators, unwilling to become nourishment for others' cultivation, attempted to self-destruct, but under the suppression of the multi-layered domain, they couldn't even detonate their Nascent Souls.
Sadness and despair spread.
"Alright, all of you, rest in peace. After you leave, I will raze your sects, and they will come down to accompany you."
"Darkness Devour!"
As the divine ability was unleashed, the colossal Taotie opened its bloody maw, revealing an internal space like a black hole. A powerful suction force descended upon the cultivators of the hostile factions. Their bodies lost control, pulled by an invisible force towards the Taotie's maw.
...