"The Battle of the Six Royal Cities, has it concluded?" Nan Zun turned and walked towards the small wooden house by the beach, asking without looking back.
Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue hurried to catch up. "There's no definitive outcome. Zhang Fan rushed back to the Six Royal Mansion and severed one of Sima Cang's arms in a great battle. After that, both sides ceased hostilities, agreeing to fight again in three months at the Falling Immortal Mountain Range, and made a Heavenly Oath, vowing to fight until death."
"Did Zhang Fan propose it?"
"Master, how did you know?" Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue looked at Nan Zun with surprise.
To outsiders, Zhang Fan and the Six Royal Mansion side were at a disadvantage. Upon hearing this news, they would have assumed that the Flying Immortal Manor, Black Sand Grotto, and Sun Shadow Grotto had made the proposal.
Nan Zun shook his head, not answering the question. Instead, he murmured, "The net I've been weaving for so long has been broken. I wonder if his net is strong enough. What will be the result of this cast?"
"Master seems to have great confidence in Zhang Fan?" Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue, being extremely intelligent, immediately understood his meaning upon hearing this.
"Don't you have confidence in him?" Nan Zun turned his head and smiled at Canglan Mingyue, asking in return.
This question truly stumped Canglan Mingyue. He was far more aware of the strength of the Flying Immortal Manor, Black Sand Grotto, and Sun Shadow Grotto than Ling Xiu. The combined number of their Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivators exceeded ten, while the Six Royal Mansion had no more than a handful, even with Zhang Fan and Liu Mu added, there was still a significant disparity in numbers.
Despite the considerable gap in Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivators, there was the variable of Zhang Fan, the only contemporary cultivator he couldn't see through in all these years.
Canglan Mingyue himself could not judge the outcome of this battle, and could only shake his head with a wry smile, not replying.
"I wonder if Venerable Shangyang of the Flying Immortal Manor is still alive. If he isn't, Zhang Fan and the Six Royal Mansion might not be able to escape the Falling Immortal Mountain Range," Canglan Qiuyue suddenly said, her bright eyes flickering, as if recalling something.
"What if he is alive?" Nan Zun shook his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "He took a wrong turn in the Nascent Soul stage. Even if he survived until now, he wouldn't dare to act rashly. Otherwise..."
Nan Zun didn't continue, but Canglan Mingyue and Canglan Qiuyue both understood that Venerable Shangyang was effectively crippled.
"Master has been following Zhang Fan's news. Are you going to watch the battle?" Canglan Qiuyue asked curiously.
Nan Zun stood on the beach, gazing at the thick fog on the sea. After a long while, he finally spoke, "There's no need to watch the battle. After this fight concludes, I will go and pay him a visit."
"A visit?" Canglan Mingyue and his sister exchanged glances, seeing utter shock in each other's eyes.
Outsiders might not know about their master, but how could they not?
The outside world rumored that Nan Zun's divine soul and the laws had already fused completely, but he lacked confidence in passing the Nascent Soul Tribulation, hence he had been suppressing it.
But in reality, Nan Zun's laws and divine soul had not only fused perfectly, but he had also cultivated a Nascent Soul. He could trigger the Nascent Soul Tribulation at any time and achieve an immortal Nascent Soul if he wished.
"Go. Although you two have extraordinary talent and received teachings from King Zi Wu, you have never left the Wushan Star Domain and have not experienced the outside world. Your horizons are still too narrow. The battle at the Falling Immortal Mountain Range is worth your observation." After Nan Zun finished speaking, he walked into the dilapidated small wooden house he had built, ignoring Canglan Mingyue and his sister.
Seeing this, the siblings bowed to Nan Zun and quietly departed.
...
True Fire Grotto, Endless Mountain Range.
Here lay a mysterious space where countless sword energies and sword dao rules pulsed, seemingly chaotic yet in harmony with some grand dao, exuding an indescribable profoundness.
In the center of this space, a colossal circular grinding stone floated. Seated cross-legged on the stone was an elder with a head full of white hair. His eyes were tightly closed, and he exhaled sword energy. With each breath, the sword light and rules within the space would dance, full of spirit.
This white-haired elder was the current Sect Master of the True Fire Grotto, Gong Lieyang.
"Master, your sword dao is becoming more formidable. I wonder when I will reach your level," a graceful figure in a green robe appeared in this mysterious space. Sensing the vast quantity of sword dao rules, she couldn't help but feel envious.
"Yue'er, your master is the foremost sword dao expert on the Boundless Continent. In terms of sword dao, I have never yielded to anyone."
"Even with your high talent, it will take several centuries of arduous cultivation to reach my level." Gong Lieyang was full of heroic spirit, thoroughly enjoying his young disciple's flattery.
"But I heard Senior Sister Yiyi say that there is a young man named Zhang Fan who, at the Eight Tribulation stage, had cultivated over nine hundred thousand sword dao rules. His sword dao domain already possesses a hint of the grand dao domain."
"I remember now. Didn't Master ask me to bring back a young man named Zhang Fan a few years ago? Senior Sister Yiyi is talking about him."
The girl named Yue'er finished speaking and then murmured, "Senior Sister Yiyi must be tricking me. How can anyone cultivate over nine hundred thousand sword dao rules in the Nascent Soul stage? Master, you, as the foremost sword dao expert in the Wushan Star Domain and a Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivator, only have slightly less than eight hundred thousand sword dao rules."
"Cough, cough!" Gong Lieyang suddenly coughed upon hearing this. Even with his thick skin, his old face couldn't help but blush when teased by his young disciple. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Yue'er, it's my mistake. Your Senior Sister Yiyi didn't lie to you either."
Yue'er's eyes, as bright as stars, asked with confusion, "Then is Master now the second greatest sword dao expert in the Wushan Star Domain?"
Faced with his disciple's innocent and pure gaze, Gong Lieyang felt a twinge of guilt, but outwardly remained calm. "That Zhang Fan is a peerless genius demon that appears once in ten thousand years. In terms of sword dao, he is indeed a bit more formidable than this old man."
"Really? Senior Sister Yiyi also said that Zhang Fan is going to fight the Flying Immortal Manor, Black Sand Grotto, and True Fire Grotto in a few days. Can Master take me to watch?" Yue'er asked.
"Your cultivation is too low, making you unsuitable for spectating. You might get accidentally injured. After I go and watch, I'll tell you about it." Gong Lieyang said with a serious expression, but in his heart, he thought that if he let his young disciple spectate, his reputation as the second greatest sword dao expert in the Wushan Star Domain might not be preserved.
Although he did not go to witness the battle at Dragon Disk Mountain Range of the Six Royal Mansion, he had learned detailed information about it. Not only was Zhang Fan's sword dao talent monstrous, but there was also a young man named Liu Mu whose sword dao talent was terrifyingly strong. It was rumored that his cultivation was only at the early stage of the Nine Tribulation realm, yet his sword dao rules had also surpassed the ninety thousand mark.
"If you don't take me, I'll ask Senior Sister Yiyi to take me." As soon as Yue'er finished speaking, she left the mysterious space, leaving behind a worried Gong Lieyang.
...