Zhang Fan stood alone, his iron sword in hand, blood still dripping from it. His expression was calm, his gaze gentle, devoid of any killing intent, yet no one dared meet his eyes wherever his gaze fell.
As for some of the cultivators from the Black Sand Grotto, Flying Immortal Manor, and Giant Spirit Hall, their will to fight had long since vanished. Their gazes towards Zhang Fan were filled with intense dread, as if facing the god of death.
Zhan Feiyang, who had originally been eager to seize a share of the spoils, now wore a grim expression. If Zhang Fan had merely been a cultivator of the Eight Tribulations Realm with some talent, as he had initially assumed, offending him would have been inconsequential. With his status, background, and strength, he wouldn't have cared.
But now, Zhang Fan's displayed strength had completely surpassed his imagination. Even Fu Tianling, who had cultivated a Golden Nascent Soul and whose cultivation realm was no weaker than his, couldn't withstand a single sword strike from Zhang Fan. If he were to face Zhang Fan alone, his fate would likely be even more disastrous.
Fu Tianling swallowed a Heavenly Grade spirit pill, his wounded arm rapidly healing. This single sword strike had not only severed his arm but also shattered his pride, making him begin to question his own existence.
Having cultivated a Golden Nascent Soul, he had already surpassed the prodigies of other top forces among his peers, possessing the demeanor and ambition to contend with Cang Hai Ming Yue.
Throughout his cultivation journey, he had been invincible among those of the same realm. Yet, he had been defeated so miserably despite having a cultivation advantage. For him, this was a humiliation he would never forget.
Earlier, when Zhang Fan declared his intention to confront the three top forces—Black Sand Grotto, Flying Immortal Manor, and Giant Spirit Hall—alone, even including Zhan Feiyang of the Sun Shadow Grotto, everyone had considered him arrogant.
But after Zhang Fan made his move, they finally understood that this rapidly rising genius cultivator on the Boundary Heart Continent had already possessed the strength to contend with numerous top forces.
Even the sect leaders of the major top forces, along with the old monsters with profound accumulations in the Nine Tribulations Realm, would likely find it difficult to defeat Zhang Fan.
As for the younger generation, such as Nangong Feng and Fu Tianling, although their cultivation realms had advanced rapidly, they had only entered the Nine Tribulations Realm for a short time. Their divine abilities, techniques, physical bodies, and the rules of the Great Dao were far from their peak. The moment Zhang Fan displayed his Sword Dao Domain, they had already lost the qualification to contend with him.
Nangong Feng observed the expressions of the others, his mind formulating a plan. He looked up to meet Zhang Fan's gaze and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Zhang Fan, your strength is indeed formidable. In a one-on-one battle, perhaps none of us here would be your match. With such strength, why would you come to contend for opportunities within the Grand Luo Realm with us? Isn't that simply bullying us?"
At these words, even the cultivators who had no enmity with Zhang Fan's expression shifted slightly.
Indeed, with the strength Zhang Fan had currently displayed, even if they entered the Grand Luo Palace, how could they possibly compete?
It was one thing for those with weaker cultivation bases, but Zhan Feiyang, Gong Yiyi, and the siblings Cang Lan Ming Yue, all top-tier powerhouses, were heading towards the opportunities within the Grand Luo Palace.
Each of them possessed extraordinary talent, but they were all well aware that with their own and their sects' foundations, breaking through to the Divine Transformation Realm remained extremely difficult. Therefore, the Grand Luo Palace largely represented a key to finding the mysteries of Divine Transformation for them.
Prior to this, the various forces had been relatively balanced. Even the siblings Cang Lan Ming Yue dared not claim they could completely overwhelm a joint force of all other top powers, so there was still hope for them to contend.
But the strength Zhang Fan had displayed made them see the possibility of this scenario. If they truly entered the Grand Luo Realm, a large portion of it might be occupied by Zhang Fan and the Six Kings' Manor, a situation that none of the parties were willing to see.
Facing Nangong Feng's provocation, Zhang Fan merely cast a disdainful glance at him, then chuckled with a hint of mockery, "Do you perhaps believe that with the grievances between your Flying Immortal Manor and me, you could all leave Pingding Mountain alive today?"
"What a joke!"
Nangong Feng roared, "Your strength is indeed great, but with the four of us joining forces, we are enough to contend with you. Moreover, Brother Ming Yue is here, why would we let you act so arrogantly?"
Zhan Feiyang's expression was unpleasant. Nangong Feng's words had directly included the Sun Shadow Grotto in their camp, completely aligning them against Zhang Fan.
He had no deep hatred for Zhang Fan before, but considering Zhang Fan's overbearing approach, he ultimately did not voice a denial, silently moving closer to Nangong Feng and the others.
"As I said, you are nothing but a bunch of mere pawns. Since you oppose me, you must be prepared to face death." Zhang Fan's gaze fell upon the siblings Cang Lan Ming Yue, "Does your Cang Hai Palace also intend to interfere in this matter?"
Although Cang Lan Ming Yue appeared gentle, the pride deep within him was far beyond that of Fu Tianling and others. In terms of both talent and background, he firmly suppressed Fu Tianling and others, making him a leading figure among the younger generation in the Wu Shan Star Domain.
However, Zhang Fan's displayed strength had indeed captured his attention. While he and his sister were confident in their ability to contend with Zhang Fan when working together, that was the most foolish strategy.
A three-way balance was the most stable state, and their Cang Hai Palace had no enmity with the other two parties. If they were to clash within the Grand Luo Palace, it would be most beneficial to the Cang Hai Palace.
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, all eyes fell upon the siblings Cang Lan Ming Yue. Their attitude would determine the power structure within the Grand Luo Palace.
Cang Lan Ming Yue lightly chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Regarding personal grudges, our Cang Hai Palace will naturally not interfere. However, what Nangong Feng said has some truth to it. Everyone's goal is to enter the Grand Luo Palace, and there's no need to fight to the death here."
"Moreover, the Grand Luo Palace is currently surrounded by a beast tide, with various beast kings lurking and watching covetously. What we should be doing now is preserving our strength and breaking through the beast tide's encirclement, not engaging in internal strife here."
Although not explicitly stated, Cang Lan Ming Yue's attitude was clear. Nangong Feng and the others couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.
How could cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul stage not have experienced countless life-and-death struggles and seen through the complexities of the human heart? Although Cang Lan Ming Yue's words were couched in noble terms, most cultivators could guess their deeper meaning, but no one dared to point it out.
Zhang Fan's disciples and the members of the Six Kings' Manor all looked displeased upon hearing this. If it were merely the combined forces of Flying Immortal Manor, Black Sand Grotto, Giant Spirit Sect, and Sun Shadow Grotto, with Zhang Fan's Sword Dao Domain, they would still have a significant chance of fighting against them.
But Cang Lan Ming Yue's attitude was already very clear; if Zhang Fan forcibly attacked the Flying Immortal Manor and other forces now, he would definitely intervene.
Just as everyone thought Zhang Fan would give up, to their surprise, his expression turned stern, "Since that is the case, then come at me all at once, and let me see what you are capable of!"