The disparity in cultivation realms is too great; is this backlash from targeting him with Formless Killing Mechanism? Li Fan pondered silently for a moment before reviewing the vision he had just witnessed.
Within a pitch-black world, two colossal storms collided. A flash of azure light illuminated heaven and earth, and Li Fan faintly saw a small black sword shuttling through the tempest at extreme speed. Its baleful aura shook the heavens, trailing twin trails of blue and azure flame.
Amidst the vast expanse of sky and water, the raging, runaway energy annihilated everything; even the normally abundant spiritual qi was blown away. Only pure wind remained.
The two storms slowly merged, becoming one. Yet, it was the smaller one that assumed dominance like a serpent swallowing a mammoth.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before the fusion was finally complete. The moment this new stormflood took form, the world seemed to fall abruptly silent.
A phantom image of black sword intent, magnified countless times, stood towering between heaven and earth.
Azure wind blew down from the sword's tip, entering the blade from above.
Blue water flowed up from the sword's hilt, entering the blade from below.
Azure, blue, and black intermingled as the sword's form slowly solidified.
When the sword intent phantom fully manifested, a furious roar from Zhang Haobo resounded across the firmament.
"Sever!"
Then the vision went dark, the vision ending there.
Li Fan replayed the vision several more times. In the end, it was Zhang Zhiliang who asked whether he needed to rest, noticing Li Fan had been staring blankly into space for far too long. Only then did Li Fan come back to reality.
Peer into the laws of heaven and earth to refine a Golden Core.
Although he had sustained a minor injury and still didn't know exactly how Zhang Haobo had formed his Golden Core, witnessing the scene of a Golden Core's formation for the first time filled Li Fan with irrepressible excitement and exhilaration.
The path of cultivation ahead was shrouded in thick mists. But by borrowing the power of a prodigy, another segment of it was illuminated.
It took a long while before his excitement slowly faded. Only then did Li Fan calm down once more and return to his study of arrays.
Nearby, Zhang Zhiliang, who had observed the entire process—Li Fan's diligent study, his injury, his exhilaration, and his return to diligent study—couldn't help but show an expression of heartfelt approval.
Although this boy's talent in arrays is truly lacking, his diligence and temperament suit me quite well. I just wonder how long he can persist.
I hope he doesn't give up halfway like those before him.
***
While Li Fan was diligently studying arrays on Myriad Immortals Island, he was unaware that a massive tornado was rapidly approaching the island.
This anomalous phenomenon naturally attracted the attention of the cultivators on Myriad Immortals Island.
Confident in the protection of the Myriad Immortals Array, they believed that even if this tornado were twice as powerful, it would pose no substantive threat to the island.
However, this terrifyingly imposing tornado was something the Congyun Sea had never seen before. Moreover, its target was extremely clear: it was headed straight for Myriad Immortals Island.
This inevitably led the cultivators on the island to entertain some baseless conjectures.
When it came to the stormfloods that ravaged the Congyun Sea, there was an unwritten rule among the cultivators of Myriad Immortals Island: they only erected defenses and generally did not actively disperse the storms.
It was said this was the order of the island's Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminence.
Although the cultivators didn't know the reason for it, they could only comply. After all, while these stormfloods were spectacular, their actual lethality seemed extremely limited.
Only the mortals living on the islands were truly affected. Not even a Qi Refinement cultivator had ever been heard of perishing in one. Thus, cultivators generally paid little mind to the stormfloods.
But now, the situation was different. This stormflood was heading straight for Myriad Immortals Island. Were they still supposed to sit still?
One had to understand that ever since the founding of Myriad Immortals Island, there had never been an instance of a stormflood assaulting the island itself.
Instantly, discussions broke out among the island's cultivators.
Furthermore, for some unknown reason, the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s authorities maintained an eerie silence, offering no decision or statement.
And so, the cultivators of Myriad Immortals Island could only watch helplessly as that colossal azure tornado, which seemed to connect heaven and earth, drew nearer and nearer.
From a distance, it hadn't seemed so imposing. But as the tornado gradually closed in, a sense of dread began to creep into the hearts of the watching cultivators.
Countless tons of seawater were being sucked skyward into the vortex. Where the tornado passed, the sea was stripped bare. Even the mud and rocks from the seabed were torn loose and hurled into the air.
Under the immense force of the gale, the very ground of Myriad Immortals Island began to tremble faintly.
A light bloomed from the statue of the crowned Immortal Venerable Dao Teacher. The Myriad Immortals Array had activated its protective measures automatically.
"It appears our Myriad Immortals Island has a guest," a voice boomed. "Please show yourself, Fellow Daoist!"
As the blue-azure tornado drew ever closer, the Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminence of Myriad Immortals Island finally made his appearance.
Range upon range of mountains, peak after overlapping peak, stood like a barrier before the tornado.
Though the azure wind was powerful, it seemed inadequate against these lofty, interlocking ridges.
Yet the tornado showed no intention of changing course. It offered no reply, instead choosing to collide head-on!
The tornado crashed into the mountain range, and the impact sent shockwaves rippling through heaven and earth. A deafening roar rolled across the land, leaving the watching cultivators pale-faced. They could only stare in stunned awe at the place where wind and rock collided.
The wind cut like blades, hurling shattered rocks in every direction and shearing off mountaintops in the blink of an eye.
A cold snort echoed, and the mountains were instantly restored to their original state.
The sky around the azure tornado suddenly darkened, and range upon range of mountains materialized, one after another, encircling the azure tornado at the center.
At that moment, a bold, unrestrained laugh erupted from within the tornado. "I am Zhang Haobo of the Congyun Sea. I pay my respects to the Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminence!"
The voice carried far, spreading across the entire Myriad Immortals Island in moments.
Among the cultivators witnessing this scene, some wore looks of blank confusion. Others were wide-eyed and slack-jawed, their faces etched with utter disbelief.
Through urgent transmissions and rapid explanations, soon every cultivator on the island learned just who this Zhang Haobo was.
A few years ago, he had tested his swordsmanship against puppets while still at the Qi Refinement realm.
More recently, at the Foundation Establishment realm, he had severed the azure winds with his sword.
But how was it possible that he could now command a storm of such terrifying power, enough to threaten Myriad Immortals Island itself?
Judging by the sheer force, while it might not yet reach the Spirit Transformation level, it certainly surpassed the Nascent Soul level!
How had he achieved this?
Myriad Immortals Island was in an uproar. The sound of discussion buzzed like a raging flood.
But after the initial shock subsided, many of the more astute cultivators began to discern the truth of the matter.
"This Zhang Haobo... his personal strength isn't necessarily that formidable! He is borrowing power!"
"Correct. In my estimation, this man is at the Golden Core realm at most. It's just that his comprehension of the Law of Wind is truly astonishing, allowing him to command such a ferocious storm!"
"With his own meager strength, he stirs the might of heaven and earth, like using four taels to deflect a thousand catties.[1] An ordinary Golden Core cultivator would find it utterly impossible. How long has he even been cultivating? His natural talent is truly terrifying!"
On Myriad Immortals Island, the sound of discussion buzzed incessantly.
The unseen Spirit Transformation cultivator was also silent for a moment before he finally spoke again.
"What is your purpose for coming here?"
Within the azure wind tornado, Zhang Haobo slowly revealed his form.
He gazed at the empty space ahead and smiled faintly. "I apologize for the intrusion, Senior. I seek an audience with you to discuss an urgent matter."
1. 1 tael (两) = 50 grams or ≈ 1.76 ounces
1 catty (斤) = 500 grams or ≈ 1.1 pounds ☜