A very young man, appearing to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, stood there. He was strikingly heroic, with sharp features and an extraordinary aura, exuding an imposing charisma.
Looking at this person, even Tian Fan felt a chilling sense of foreboding. This man was strong—exceptionally strong—the strongest he had encountered since his debut.
“Tian Fan!?” the man spoke, his tone cold and piercing. “You dared to kill nine members of my Sword Immortal Sect. You’re quite bold!”
“You flatter me. Including you, that will make ten,” Tian Fan replied casually, staring at the man before him with an air of indifference, showing no concern.
The two men locked their gazes on each other, neither blinking. An intangible yet overwhelming aura clashed between them, causing the ground beneath them to tremble. Tiny fragments of dirt floated skyward, all a result of the immense energy radiating from their bodies.
A low hum resonated as a golden divine lamp emerged above the man’s head. It expanded instantly and shot forward. Without further words, the man struck decisively.
The pressure emanating from the golden divine lamp was overwhelming. In an instant, the ground beneath Tian Fan’s feet fractured extensively, entirely due to the lamp’s immense weight.
The immense pressure seeped into every crevice, pressing down relentlessly. The ground surface cracked, and fragments of rock flew in all directions. Despite its small size, the golden divine lamp emitted energy waves so potent that just its downward pressure caused such destruction. Scarlet rocks scattered like shards of a shattered star.
“It seems I should find myself a proper weapon,” Tian Fan thought to himself. Golden light erupted above his head, forming the character “swast!ka,” shielding him from the oppressive force. He stood tall on the scarlet wasteland, unmoving, the ground beneath his feet untouched by the destruction.
The golden “swast!ka” sigil radiated a formidable aura, enveloping both him and the land he stood on, protecting them from any impact.
The void seemed to quiver like a fragile wall under the lamp’s weight, as if it could collapse at any moment. Despite being only slightly larger than a regular oil lamp, the golden divine lamp radiated blinding light. With a tremor, it descended fiercely, aiming to crush Tian Fan into pulp.
As a blade-like beam of golden light descended, Tian Fan’s left hand rose toward the sky. Golden brilliance surged heavenward, countering the attack.
With a deafening “boom,” a massive golden hand, infused with divine power through the Divine Celestial Heart Sutra, materialized. It was like a golden cloud, slamming onto the golden divine lamp with a thunderous clap.
The divine lamp, akin to a blazing sun that covered the sky, radiated endless golden light. Yet, it trembled violently upon impact, a clear palm print scorched onto its surface.
“Get lost!” Tian Fan roared.
The golden hand struck again, surging with divine power like a golden tidal wave. The divine lamp was sent flying, hurtling into the distant sky, leaving behind a dazzling golden arc.
Suddenly, piercing sword cries rang out. The space around them quaked as three swords—one green, one purple, and one red—shot forth. Each sword radiated divine light in its respective color, emitting towering sword Qi that slashed through the air with tremendous force.
With a resounding “boom,” three massive beams of sword light descended from the heavens, striking the scarlet wasteland. The surrounding area, spanning over a hundred meters, was pierced through, leaving terrifyingly deep holes in the ground that reached the earth’s core.
The sight sent chills down one’s spine.
Tian Fan remained motionless, standing where he was, yet countless silver sword lights appeared around him, shooting skyward. Even though the three beams of sword light were as thick as water barrels, they shattered upon contact. The three swords themselves trembled under the impact.
The void quaked as golden light erupted once more. In the distance, the divine lamp returned, shining even more brilliantly than before. Its oppressive aura was overwhelming, as if golden flames were burning, painting the sky in a dazzling display.
The golden divine lamp radiated endless divine light, releasing countless golden needles—yes, golden light needles—that swarmed forth like a tide. The myriad silver sword lights emitted by Tian Fan were instantly shattered. The entire sky was now enveloped by the golden divine needles.
Golden sword beams as thin as embroidery needles shattered the earth, leaving it riddled with holes. Within a radius of a hundred zhang, there was no intact land. Even the ground beneath Tian Fan’s feet had been reduced to rubble.
This area had been scorched, with bottomless sword holes densely packed like a massive sieve. A glance around revealed nothing but devastation.
Tian Fan used the golden “swast!ka” seal to shield himself. His body radiated with a surge of silver light as he soared into the air, facing tens of thousands of sword needles and striking toward the golden divine lamp.
Clang!
The young man’s expression remained indifferent, showing no concern that Tian Fan had effortlessly blocked his attack. If anything, it seemed he would have been surprised if Tian Fan had failed.
Boom!
For the first time, he stepped forward, causing the ground to quake. He extended a massive hand, shrouded in black light that surged skyward, even obscuring the sun.
Bang!
Tian Fan was unafraid. His golden fist shot upward, distorting the void with its sheer force.
“As expected, you’re strong. Those nine didn’t die in vain…” the young man said coldly, his expression icy. “Though I didn’t have much of a connection with them, since you killed them, I have no choice but to exterminate you!”
“Hmph…” Tian Fan snorted coldly. “Does your Sword Immortal Sect truly believe you rule the world, free to kill whomever you please?”
“Your words are meaningless. Blame yourself for refusing to join the Sword Immortal Sect. The ancients left a saying: If one cannot serve, they must be eliminated!”
At that moment, the young man revealed the truth—it had all been a conspiracy.
When Tian Fan broke through to the Cloud Heaven Realm during the Four Sect Martial Tournament, it had triggered a world-shaking heavenly tribulation that alarmed the Sword Immortal Sect’s ancient elders.
A person of his potential would undoubtedly achieve greatness in the future, at the very least reaching the level of a powerhouse in the Immortal Ascension Realm.
And what was Immortal Ascension? In the Divine Martial Continent, those two words represented the pinnacle. Across the land, people in the Immortal Ascension Realm were as rare as phoenix feathers, beings who could shake the continent with a mere stomp.
Since such a person couldn’t be recruited, they had to be eliminated in their infancy. While killing him brought no benefit, it ensured there would be no future threat.
“‘If one cannot serve, they must be eliminated!’ How despicable of your Sword Immortal Sect. One day, I will come for you and uproot your entire lineage!” Tian Fan declared coldly. So, this was the truth. From the very beginning, the Sword Immortal Sect had set a trap for him.
They had sent Long Daotian with the Sword Immortal Decree to the Great Sealing Sect. If Tian Fan agreed to join, it would naturally be advantageous. However, if he refused, Long Daotian would attack using the Sword Immortal Decree. Under the pressure of its faint Immortal Ascension Realm aura, Tian Fan’s initial-stage Cloud Heaven cultivation would have been powerless to resist.
However, Tian Fan possessed the Yin-Yang Sword from the Yin-Yang Sect, a divine weapon that had once slain a True Immortal. It could easily shatter the Sword Immortal Token. Yet, the moment he used the Yin-Yang Sword to destroy it, the Sword Immortal Sect would gain an excuse to hunt him down, free from any concerns about being questioned by countless cultivators on the Divine Martial Continent.
Vicious—utterly ruthless!
Tian Fan clenched his teeth, hatred boiling in his heart. The masterminds of the Sword Immortal Sect had plotted every step meticulously, ensnaring Tian Fan completely. Everything was under their control—except for one miscalculation: Tian Fan and Long Daotian were brothers, both princes of the Soaring Dragon Dynasty.
Even so, this connection had backfired. Long Daotian always saw Tian Fan as a useless weakling and looked down on him. When he suddenly realized he couldn’t defeat his so-called worthless brother, he immediately used his most powerful weapon, aiming to kill Tian Fan on the spot. At that moment, Long Daotian had ignored the sect’s arrangements and instinctively used the Sword Immortal Decree.
“With just you? Do you think you can challenge my Sword Immortal Sect?” The young man’s tone was calm yet commanding as he stepped forward, coldly declaring, “Time is running out. Now, die, and let this all end!”
“It’s true, time is running out. Those nine have gone ahead of you and might already be impatient. Allow me to send you to the underworld to reunite with them!” Tian Fan sneered, his silver radiance shimmering faintly as he strode forward resolutely toward the Sword Immortal Sect disciple advancing toward him…
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