Fierce, monstrous energy permeated the starlit expanse, an aura of primeval desolation enveloping the hearts of numerous cultivators. Even though Zhang Fan's intent was not directed at them, the onlookers couldn't help but tremble.
This was a suppression rooted in bloodline. Chaotic Fierce Beasts and Chaotic Divine Beasts were once the supreme rulers of heaven and earth. Even now, divine beasts like the Dragon and Phoenix were merely descendants of Chaotic Divine Beasts, compelled to bow before them.
Bai Yu Zhen Xian, who was directly facing Zhang Fan, was already consumed by fear, a terror far greater than what she felt when facing a Void Returning Great Master.
"How is this possible? How could Ten Absolutes True Immortal transform into the Chaotic Fierce Beast, the Sky-Splitting Ram? Even Immortal Kings and Immortal Venerables couldn't achieve this!" Many cultivators refused to believe it, thinking it was an illusion.
Yet, the crucial point was that the aura was so primal and pure, it could not be faked.
"Legend has it that Ten Absolutes True Immortal cultivated a divine ability that could conjure the phantom of a Chaotic Fierce Beast. It seems this divine ability is too heaven-defying. Rumor has it that a mature Chaotic Fierce Beast can battle an Immortal Emperor!"
"Open your eyes and watch closely as I break your proud defensive formation!"
The Sky-Splitting Ram, Zhang Fan, spoke in a low voice that resonated in Bai Yu Zhen Xian's heart. Bai Yu Zhen Xian's beautiful eyes, as brilliant as stars, were now filled with panic. Facing such a ferocious beast, even a Void Returning Great Master would struggle to remain calm, wouldn't they?
"It must hold! After all, Mang Ya Zhen Xian tested it before. Below Void Returning, no one can possibly break this grand formation!" Bai Yu Zhen Xian forcibly calmed herself, trying to reassure herself.
"Sky-Splitting Horn!"
The ten-thousand-zhang-tall Sky-Splitting Ram stomped its feet, its terrifying power causing stars throughout the universe to tremble. Under the gaze of numerous cultivators, the sharp horn atop the Sky-Splitting Ram's head violently collided with the grand formation.
The interconnected defensive formation lasted for less than a single breath. With low cracking sounds, the defensive formation shattered.
"Escape!"
Bai Yu Zhen Xian had no intention of resisting. As a magnificent Heavenly Crane, she fled into the distance. As a member of the Heavenly Crane clan, her speed far surpassed that of cultivators of the same realm. With a single wing beat, she covered hundreds of thousands of miles.
"Can you escape?"
Zhang Fan transformed in a flash, to the shock of everyone, becoming a Golden-Winged Great Peng and giving chase at an even greater speed.
"How can this be?"
Bai Yu Zhen Xian sensed Zhang Fan pursuing her, her heart filled with shock and anger. After glancing back, her heart turned ice-cold.
"Chaotic Divine Beast, Golden-Winged Great Peng?"
Bai Yu Zhen Xian found it unbelievable. What kind of monster was this Ten Absolutes True Immortal? First, he transformed into the Chaotic Fierce Beast, the Sky-Splitting Ram, possessing invincible strength.
Now, he had transformed into the Chaotic Divine Beast, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, utterly crushing her in her proud domain of speed.
In terms of speed, in this endless universe, perhaps no other race could match the Golden-Winged Great Peng.
Legend had it that a mature Golden-Winged Great Peng could traverse an entire star sector with a single wing beat, its speed so great that even Immortal Emperor-level figures were left in its dust.
In just three breaths, Bai Yu Zhen Xian was subdued beneath Zhang Fan. Facing her exquisitely beautiful face, Zhang Fan showed no mercy and extracted her primordial spirit.
Thus, Zhang Fan had killed two Deity Transformation realm cultivators, both of them nine-star Marquis-level powerhouses, earning a total of one million military merits.
However, having come to Thousand Star Island, Zhang Fan naturally wouldn't stop so easily. This place gathered a large number of Deity Transformation realm cultivators from the Nine Cliffs Star Domain, nearly thirty percent of whom were异兽 (yi shou - exotic beasts). Zhang Fan intended to seize this opportunity to hunt more exotic beasts and replenish the primordial spirits in his Myriad Beast Cauldron.
After all, if he were to break through to the Void Returning stage, he wouldn't have such a good opportunity.
And so, in the following time, Zhang Fan roamed Thousand Star Island alone, embarking on a frenzied hunt.
"They're going mad! Is this Ten Absolutes True Immortal going to slaughter all the Deity Transformation realm cultivators in the Nine Cliffs Star Domain?" The Deity Transformation realm cultivators from the Purple Firmament Star Domain were extremely excited.
In the past, their Purple Firmament Star Domain only had Fairy Zi Ling as a King-level expert, while the Nine Cliffs Star Domain had two, placing the Purple Firmament Star Domain at a disadvantage in terms of top-tier combat power.
After all, on this battlefield in space, when Void Returning realm Great Masters did not intervene, only King-level powerhouses possessed the strength to kill nine-star Marquises.
Within the scope of Thousand Star Island, which comprised over a thousand islands, the Nine Cliffs Star Domain occupied over six hundred islands, while the Purple Firmament Star Domain held less than four hundred, illustrating the disparity in strength between the two sides.
Zhang Fan's slaughter caused a mass exodus of Deity Transformation realm cultivators from the Nine Cliffs Star Domain. They disregarded the rich resources of their territories; Ten Absolutes True Immortal could break their formations with a single move, and staying on the islands meant waiting for death.
However, quite a few cultivators were still too slow and were pursued by Zhang Fan, ultimately perishing in resentment. Just as Zhang Fan was preparing to hunt his twelfth Deity Transformation realm cultivator, someone finally stepped forward.
"It's Thousand Spirit King!"
"Thousand Spirit King has finally made a move! This Ten Absolutes True Immortal is too arrogant. Does he think no one can deal with him?"
Thousand Spirit King was a strange creature covered in eyes. It was roughly humanoid but lacked a mouth, nose, or ears. Its entire body was covered in eyes, appearing particularly horrifying.
"Thousand-Eyed Race?" Zhang Fan recognized it at a glance, somewhat surprised. The Thousand-Eyed Race was a special life form, particularly skilled in soul attacks and illusion creation.
"Humph, humph!"
"Since you know my origin, you still dare to be so arrogant?" Thousand Spirit King did not speak, but a peculiar voice echoed through the void, shaking Zhang Fan's soul.
"Are you the only one here? That's not enough to stop me. Isn't Mang Ya Zhen Xian here?" Zhang Fan asked.
"Haha, truly arrogant."
A hearty laugh rang out. A tall, thin middle-aged man strode across the waves. His eyes were deep, and he looked at Zhang Fan with a hint of a knowing smile.
"If you had fled when you first encountered me, perhaps there would have been a sliver of a chance. Now that Mang Ya is here, even if you wanted to flee, there's no opportunity," Thousand Spirit King said.
The two of them working together, even Fairy Zi Ling would be defeated, let alone this Ten Absolutes True Immortal.
"Very well. Originally, I found hunting you all to be too troublesome. Since you've come to my doorstep, I shall accept these twenty million military merits!" Zhang Fan nodded in satisfaction. For twenty million military merits, it seemed worth exposing the Myriad Beast Cauldron.
In terms of strength, a nine-star Marquis was only worth five hundred thousand military merits, while a ten-star King was worth ten million military merits. The proportion was unreasonable, the gap too large.
But Zhang Fan could understand why the War Base set such prices.
After all, a ten-star King possessed Void Returning realm combat power. When Void Returning Great Masters were not allowed to participate in combat, it was almost impossible for King-level powerhouses to perish. The facts bore this out; in hundreds of thousands of years, there had been no recorded instances of King-level powerhouses falling.
...