The black light manifested abruptly, in utter silence. It didn't even stir the faintest ripple of spiritual qi.
If Li Fan hadn't been the one to unleash it and watch it erupt from within his own body, he would have scarcely been able to detect it even at point-blank range.
When the black light made contact with the mountainside, there was no earth-shattering explosion. The solid rock simply melted away like snow.
The black light's speed did not diminish in the slightest as it continued downward, boring deep into the earth. Everything in its path was eroded by the light, reduced to nothingness.
In an instant, a pitch-black hole, two fingers wide and of unfathomable depth, appeared before Li Fan. Through his divine sense, Li Fan observed the black light continuing its relentless descent through the mountain.
However, while it annihilated all matter it touched, this did not mean the black light could continue infinitely.
The Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword punched clean through the mountain in moments, but at the cost of more than half its energy.
I wonder how my black light of annihilation compares to Zhong Shentong’s multicolored divine light. Which one is superior?
As the black light finally vanished beyond the reach of Li Fan’s divine sense, he looked once more at his handiwork and couldn’t help but entertain the thought.
Zhong Shentong's multicolored divine light manifests in endless, sky-filling torrents. It does not cease its assault until the enemy is dead.
With the laws of five elements as my reservoir, let's find out exactly where my limit stands.
Without pause, he flicked his fingers in rapid succession.
Streaks of inky black light, like arrows of absolute destruction, bloomed within the mountain, piercing downward.
In truth, the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword was the manifested power of Heaven-Scorning’s Law and Ink Death’s Law from Li Fan's Nine-Law Golden Core. It did not necessarily require a finger to activate. He could unleash it from any part of his body, such as his eyes or feet.
It was just that this method of firing off bolts of black light with a flick of his finger aligned more closely with Li Fan's personal aesthetics of slaughter.
Within Li Fan, the power of the Five Elements swirled in a vortex, an unending cycle of generation that provided a continuous source of power for the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword.
After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Li Fan had hollowed out nearly the entire section of mountain, and still felt nowhere near his limit. He had considerable strength left in reserve.
And yet he was forced to stop.
What halted him was not the depletion of his energy. It was something else entirely: a savage, primal urge that begun to rise within him, a desire to annihilate everything before his eyes, to reduce it all to nothing.
Both his eyes had been swallowed by a deep, abyssal black.
The sight was chilling.
This urge, this hunger for total destruction, had not come on suddenly. It had built slowly, accumulating piece by piece with every strike of the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword.
At first, he could still rely on his own willpower and the effects of the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Sutra to suppress it.
But slowly, the savagery kept growing, eventually becoming a powerful storm that nearly overwhelmed Li Fan's entire mind.
The last shreds of his rationality told him that this, right now, was his current limit.
And so, he finally ceased his offensive, calling upon his hidden reserves and the power of the Blue Flame to quell the riot in his mind.
He didn’t know how long it took before the madness in his eyes completely vanished. But eventually, his mind cleared, and he slowly let out a breath.
This Five Elements Annihilation Sword is formidable, but its side effects are nothing to scoff at. Still, for me, it’s manageable.
If I ever face an opponent that even a sustained black light of annihilation can't bring down, then using Return to Truth directly may be my only option.
With the test complete, Li Fan stood up, preparing to leave the interior of the mountain that was now riddled with holes.
Just then, a somewhat aged voice suddenly spoke up behind him. "Young man, that sword technique of yours is quite something."
Li Fan’s body went rigid.
Yet he forcefully suppressed the immediate impulse to activate Return to Truth, whirling around to look.
At some point in time, an old man wearing a straw hat and a rain cape made of palm fibers had appeared within this hollowed-out mountain.
He was currently squatting, examining the traces of destruction left below by the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword. On the old man’s back was a fish basket woven from yellow bamboo strips.
Something inside seemed to be putting up a struggle, but Li Fan couldn’t make out what it was.
Old Man Fisher? The attire of the old man before him was so distinctly characteristic that this name immediately surfaced in Li Fan’s mind.
Recalling what he had learned previously from the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan felt a slight sense of relief. At least for now, this Senior Fisher didn’t seem to harbor any ill intent.
Without dropping his guard entirely, Li Fan performed a respectful bow and said, "Greetings, Senior."
The fisherman didn’t reply, still carefully scrutinizing the surrounding void-like chasms.
Not daring to leave without permission, Li Fan could only wait patiently. After a while, the old man finally clapped his hands together and straightened up.
"Ah, similar, yet not." He shook his head, murmuring softly.
Then he looked at Li Fan and asked with keen interest, "Young man, do you know me?"
"I have indeed heard of your esteemed name, Senior Fisher," Li Fan stated frankly.
Simultaneously, the image of the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart faintly flickered into existence upon his Golden Core within his dantian.
"Fisher... it’s not wrong for you to call me that. After all, that’s what most people in this world call me.
"Going with the flow of the world, not clinging to things—there’s nothing wrong with that." A trace of loneliness suddenly flashed across the old man’s expression. "It’s a pity, I know this isn’t my true name.
"But now, even I have forgotten my own name. What can I ask of others?" Old Man Fisher said with a hint of self-mockery.
Hearing this, Li Fan didn’t know what to say and could only remain silent.
Old Man Fisher appeared to sink into reminiscence, and looked confused for a moment.
But he quickly returned to normal and looked at Li Fan, asking, "Young man, what is the name of that sword technique you just used? Who is your master?"
Here it comes... Seeing the other finally return to the main topic, Li Fan’s heart tightened.
He didn’t dare be negligent and answered, "Senior, this sword technique was created by me. Based on its characteristics, I have named it the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword."
Old Man Fisher’s eyes lit up. "Five Elements Annihilation Sword, a fine name.
"However, that 'Great' you put in front is a bit undeserved," the old man critiqued bluntly.
"But then again, a bit of youthful arrogance is to be expected."
As if remembering something, a flicker of confusion passed through Old Man Fisher's eyes once more.
Li Fan could already see it—this Old Man Fisher was indeed just as the rumors said. His mental state was... not quite right.
Not daring to disturb him, Li Fan stood quietly to the side.