The disciples of Zhang Fan and the group from the Six Princes' Manor remained relatively calm among the onlookers, having witnessed Zhang Fan's Domain of the Dao before. Nevertheless, a hint of awe still lingered in their eyes.
Some cultivators at the Nine Tribulations realm could only cultivate up to five hundred thousand Dao rules at the Nascent Soul stage, finding it incredibly difficult to progress further.
Such cultivators often had limited potential, struggling through their journey, relying on various fortuitous encounters to barely survive the eighth Heavenly Tribulation and enter the Nine Tribulations realm. Without a miracle, they would never glimpse the profundities of Deity Transformation in their lifetime.
If one could cultivate six hundred thousand Dao rules and elevate their techniques and cultivation to the extreme of the Nascent Soul stage, only then would they be qualified to step closer, merging their divine soul with the Dao rules and entering a different realm.
However, even for these cultivators, it remained impossible to reach the Deity Transformation realm through their own efforts.
Above them were cultivators like Fu Tianling, who had cultivated over seven hundred thousand Dao rules in the Nascent Soul stage. Furthermore, he was young, exceptionally talented, and possessed extraordinary comprehension. In the Nascent Soul stage, he even had the hope of reaching the level of eight hundred thousand Dao rules, allowing him to easily merge rules and his divine soul, entering the Half-step Deity Transformation realm.
Even so, breaking through the shackles of the Nascent Soul and transcending mortality to become a Deity Transformation cultivator remained incredibly difficult, with only one in ten thousand succeeding.
The fact that only Zhi Wu had reached this level in Wu Shan Star Domain over the past million years clearly illustrated the arduous path to Deity Transformation.
Fu Tianling, worthy of being a prodigy with a golden Nascent Soul, was not deterred in his will to fight, despite being shaken by Zhang Fan's powerful Sword Dao Domain.
While this Sword Dao Domain was potent, Zhang Fan was ultimately only a cultivator at the Eighth Tribulation realm, possessing a significant gap in cultivation with Fu Tianling. The domain indeed posed a considerable restriction, but it couldn't harm him in the slightest.
Fu Tianling's body trembled slightly, and streaks of black sword light flowed across his skin, enveloping him like flowing water to ward off the domain's erosion.
"To think that you could defeat me with just this domain is pure delusion. Even with only seventy to eighty percent of my strength, I have enough to vanquish you!"
Fu Tianling dispelled his fear, and the sharp sword light in his eyes coalesced once more. After activating his protective divine ability, sword patterns permeated the ground beneath his feet, breaking through the domain's myriad obstructions. Wielding his Heavenly Treasure, he unleashed incredibly condensed sword lights that rained down upon Zhang Fan.
The resonant golden hum continued unabated, each sound exquisitely beautiful, like celestial music. Yet, the onlookers had no time to appreciate it, their gazes fixed on Zhang Fan, trying to discern his every move.
Zhang Fan, holding his sword with one hand, gently twisted his wrist, drawing a perfect circle before him.
At this moment, Fu Tianling felt an illusion of the world spinning, and before he could react, the overwhelming sword lights that were about to strike Zhang Fan were already flying back with even greater speed, blasting him several kilometers away. His protective divine ability was shattered, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, his protective divine ability was a notch weaker than his mastery of the Sword Dao.
"With a mere turn of his hand, he can reverse the heavens and earth. It is rumored that the Great Dao Domain of a Deity Transformation True Immortal can become its own world, granting the True Immortal absolute control over the space within, allowing them to easily alter its structure."
"This Sword Domain already possesses some of the might of a Great Dao Domain, and can be considered its rudimentary form," Cang Lan Qiuyue's bright eyes, usually calm and undisturbed, now flashed with a hint of surprise.
Cang Lan Mingyue, who had appeared composed throughout, now wore a solemn expression, myriad thoughts flashing through his mind.
The Canghai Hall, as the most powerful sect in Wu Shan Star Domain, possessed a profound heritage unmatched by even other top forces. Even True Immortal Zhi Wu had a considerable connection with their Canghai Hall, which allowed him to better understand the implications of this.
If Zhang Fan could cultivate steadily to the peak of the Nine Tribulations realm, with his talent, the hope of cultivating an Indestructible Divine Soul was extremely high.
A Deity Transformation True Immortal was enough to overturn the existing order of Wu Shan Star Domain, which was not good news for Canghai Hall.
"Too weak. I shall take one of your strikes, and you shall take one of mine, how about it?" Before Zhang Fan's words even fell, his entire being blurred into an indistinct figure, speeding towards Fu Tianling.
His speed, already exceptional due to cultivating the Dao of Thunder, was further enhanced by the auxiliary power of the Sword Dao Domain. In almost an instant, he was before Fu Tianling.
"Sword Seven!"
No complex techniques, just a simple, yet powerful, slash that carried an immense tide of Sword Dao rules. The heavens and earth seemed to descend like a rain of swords. The iron sword descended with an earth-splitting force, its speed and might so overwhelming that it was impossible to resist or evade.
By the time Fu Tianling reacted, the iron sword was already at his throat. Even with his divine ability protecting him, the sharp sword qi still caused a stinging sensation on his face.
Years of combat experience and a calm, composed demeanor allowed him to react swiftly in this desperate situation. Fu Tianling knew that resisting with his sword was impossible, so he could only abandon defense and sidestep, splitting the path of the strike.
The iron sword cleaved off his arm. Fu Tianling's entire left arm was severed, the wound as smooth as a mirror. Scarlet blood splattered across the sky. It was only after the sword light passed that many cultivators could clearly see Zhang Fan's figure, and they couldn't help but hold their breath, their eyes filled with shock.
However, Fu Tianling, now missing an arm, did not hesitate. He retreated rapidly, regrouping with Nangong Feng and the others.
Having heavily injured Fu Tianling with a single sword strike, Nangong Feng, who had been observing from the side, felt an immense heaviness in his heart. In that situation, he wouldn't have had time to intervene.
Simultaneously, they glanced at Fu Tianling, who stood with one arm, and a flicker of admiration appeared in their eyes. They believed that in such a perilous situation, they wouldn't have performed any better than Fu Tianling.
For a Nascent Soul cultivator, as long as the Nascent Soul remains intact, even if their physical body is completely destroyed, they can regenerate a new body. The loss of an arm was merely a loss of some vital energy, which could be regrown over time, though it would significantly impact combat effectiveness in the short term.