Zhang Fan's return, though unannounced to the Six Royal Mansions, naturally drew significant attention due to his current status. Ling Xiu and his companions soon received the news.
"Brother Zhang Fan, I didn't expect you back so soon. You could have at least given us a heads-up," Ling Xiu said, personally descending the mountain with Xiao Yi to greet him.
"Brother Ling Xiu, there's no need for such formalities," Zhang Fan replied, introducing his parents. "This is the master of the Six Royal Mansions, Ling Xiu."
"Brother Ling Xiu, these are my parents, Zhang Xing'an and Su Yun."
"This humble one, Ling Xiu, greets Uncle and Aunt," Ling Xiu said, bowing respectfully. Although Zhang Xing'an and Su Yun were much younger than him and their cultivation was negligible, they were Zhang Fan's parents.
"Master Ling Xiu, you are too kind. This is our first time on the Realm Heart Continent, and we will likely require your further assistance," Zhang Xing'an said.
"That is only natural."
Under Ling Xiu's guidance, the group arrived at the Panlong Mountain Range. Looking at the endless city walls stretching below, Su Yun and Zhang Xing'an were filled with awe. The sheer size of a single city surpassed the land area of Earth's largest countries, an unimaginable feat.
Lin Yun, however, appeared much calmer, having once been from the Wushan Star Domain himself.
After a sumptuous banquet, everyone dispersed. They rested for a night in the Golden Light Immortal Mansion. The next day, Zhang Fan, along with his parents, departed from the Six Royal City, intending to accompany them on a tour of the Realm Heart Continent before leaving the Wushan Star Domain.
Zhang Fan had initially planned to bring Lin Yun along, but he declined, expressing a desire to visit his homeland. Zhang Fan didn't press the matter further.
Before their departure, Zhang Fan had diligently gathered information about various unique locations on the Realm Heart Continent, as his time here was still relatively short, and he wasn't intimately familiar with the continent.
Their first stop was the northern part of the Southern Wilderness Domain. This region was characterized by vast forests and ancient trees stretching for hundreds of miles, a gathering place for demonic beasts. Seated on the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, they surveyed the dense jungle below, occasionally spotting strange birds and beasts flying through the trees—species Su Yun and Zhang Xing'an had never encountered.
Everywhere they looked was green, a scene deeply in tune with nature, reminiscent of Earth in ancient times, devoid of any modern traces. This brought a profound sense of comfort to Zhang Xing'an and Su Yun, who had lived on Earth for so long.
It was here that Zhang Xing'an comprehended the sixth Dao True Intent, breaking through to the Golden Core realm.
Their second destination took them out of the Southern Wilderness Domain and into the territory of the Western Extreme Imperial Domain. Here lay an endless ice plain, a world of pure white that seemed to purify the soul.
Su Yun particularly loved the scenery. Consequently, Zhang Fan decided to place the Golden Light Immortal Mansion on the ice plain, where they lived for a period.
During this time, under Zhang Fan's guidance, Su Yun successively grasped several Dao True Intents, her comprehension so profound that it even surprised Zhang Fan.
Along their journey, they stopped frequently. Besides admiring the beautiful scenery and marveling at the natural wonders, Zhang Fan also guided everyone in their cultivation.
Their footsteps had traversed almost all five domains of the Realm Heart Continent. Within a year, with Zhang Fan's guidance and the aid of spiritual elixirs, Zhang Xing'an successfully condensed the peak-tier Silver Nascent Soul. Su Yun's progress was even more astounding; though she hadn't yet broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, she had condensed a High-Grade Golden Core.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fan's soul power had also steadily increased. Upon completing their travels and returning to the Panlong Mountain Range, his soul had merged with six-tenths of the laws, bringing him a step closer to the Divine Transformation stage.
...
"Dad, Mom, you should focus on cultivating here on the Realm Heart Continent. Once my strength improves, I will return to take you to see a vaster world. The Realm Heart Continent is immense, but compared to the boundless expanse of the starry sky, it is as insignificant as a grain of sand," Zhang Fan said earnestly.
"Go, go find my daughter-in-law soon and continue the lineage of our Zhang family," Zhang Xing'an urged.
"Although your strength is formidable now, be careful when you are out there. Protect yourself," Su Yun instructed with a touch of reluctance.
A mother's worry for her child traveling afar was amplified tenfold, especially with Zhang Fan heading to another star domain, separated by countless light-years. Naturally, Su Yun felt immense sadness. However, as her own strength grew, she gradually understood that while the Wushan Star Domain might be vast for them, it was too small for Zhang Fan, and staying here would only hinder his growth.
"Brother Zhang Fan, we look forward to your swift return," Ling Xiu, Shen Feichen, Xiao Yi, and others bid farewell to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan nodded, giving everyone a confident smile. With a casual tear in the void, a spatial rift appeared before him. He then collected Lin Haotian, Liu Mu, and others into the Golden Light Immortal Mansion before stepping alone into the darkness.
For the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, the Unfettered Sword Immortal, and the Celestial Sovereign Tianhua, the Realm Heart Continent held no lingering attachments. The prospect of traveling to other star domains filled them only with a curiosity for the unknown.
Before leaving, Zhang Fan requested a star chart of the Shattered Star Domain from Ling Xiu. Following the map's guidance, Zhang Fan traversed the endless darkness alone, tirelessly.
Cold, desolate, and vast.
This was the true face of the dark space. Without a resolute Dao heart, prolonged exposure to this boundless darkness could lead to mental collapse. However, for Zhang Fan, there was nothing to fear.
Although the Shattered Star Domain was the closest star domain to the Wushan Star Domain, the distance between them was at least tens of millions of light-years. Traveling by star domain ferry would take over ten thousand years to reach.
Zhang Fan's journey to the Shattered Star Domain was primarily to accomplish two tasks.
The first was to fulfill the entrustment of the Half-Moon Immortal, delivering a jade talisman containing the Half-Moon Immortal's lingering will to the Myriad Mountains Sect. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't hesitate to avenge the deceased Half-Moon Immortal.
After all, he had received a favor from the Half-Moon Immortal, and the Giant Spirit Hall bore some enmity towards Zhang Fan. Although the Divine Transformation experts of the Giant Spirit Hall had not ventured into the Wushan Star Domain, Zhang Fan did not wish to leave a potential threat lurking on the Realm Heart Continent.
As for the second task, it was to search for immortal herbs that aided soul cultivation in the Shattered Star Domain. Only by advancing to the Divine Transformation stage as soon as possible could Zhang Fan travel to the Purple Cloud Star Domain and fulfill his promise to the Great Luo Artifact Spirit.
The Shattered Star Domain derived its name from the fact that its central continent was composed of countless massive continental fragments, scattered like floating islands in the heart of the star domain.
Due to the varied environments, the distribution of power in the Shattered Star Domain was more dispersed, with numerous sects locked in constant conflict. Every day, new powers emerged, but undoubtedly, the two most powerful forces remained the Giant Spirit Hall and the Myriad Mountains Sect.
The Giant Spirit Hall occupied an entire super-continent fragment. Although called a fragment, its size rivaled that of an entire domain on the Realm Heart Continent, making it immensely vast. Legend had it that this continental fragment was formed from the fallen body of an ancient Giant Spirit clan powerhouse. The Giant Spirit Hall's rapid rise owed much to this treasure land.
...