Battle Nalan Tian

The two sword cultivators of the Immortal Sect instantly retreated, raising their swords before them as True Essence Power radiated from their bodies.

Boom!

A dull, heavy sound rang out as the spiritual energy on the light cocoon exploded violently, sending a ring of spiritual ripples sweeping outward with overwhelming force!

"Not good." Nalan Tian's pupils contracted sharply as he rapidly retreated.

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng's faces turned pale—they were still rooted in place, unable to escape!

Then, a black shadow flickered past like a ghost, its speed beyond what mortal eyes could track. In an instant, it appeared before Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng.

"Hmm!"

The familiar hum of a sword suddenly rang out. Before Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng could react, the ripples reached them—only to be blocked by a blinding, dazzling burst of sword light.

"Big brother!"

"Chen Fan!"

The two stared at the figure before them, joy lighting up their faces as they cried out in unison.

The ripples continued to spread. Nalan Yun was pulled away by Nalan Tian, but the other disciples weren't so lucky—they were struck down again by the force, each feeling as if a mountain had slammed into them, their minds shaken. Some even coughed up a trickle of blood.

"Qi Refining Ninth Layer." Nalan Tian dodged the ripples, his cold eyes fixed on Chen Fan.

"How is that possible? He was only at Qi Refining Layer 6 a few days ago." Nalan Yun's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It seems he absorbed that spiritual energy orb just now. That's why his realm jumped so quickly. What a pity—such precious spiritual energy, wasted on a dead man walking." Nalan Tian shook his head regretfully.

The two sword cultivators had also retreated to the side, taking in Chen Fan's actions. Shock filled their hearts.

"Incredible speed—he actually caught up to the ripples and blocked them." One of the sword cultivators spoke gravely.

"No wonder Elder Han sent the four of us. With speed like that, the two of us alone probably can't take him. We need to call Junior Sister Bai and Senior Brother Liu back. Junior Sister Bai has the Thunder Sound Golden Wheel." The other replied calmly.

"Fine. Send a message to Senior Brother Liu. Let's see how he handles Nalan Tian of Heavy Sword Peak, so we know what we're up against." The first sword cultivator nodded, intending to let Nalan Tian serve as a touchstone.

Thus, the two stood at a distance, suddenly refraining from attacking, leaving Nalan Tian and the others momentarily stunned.

Slap! Slap!

Two dull sounds rang out as Chen Fan's sword severed the mud hands beneath Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng's feet, pulling them free from the mire.

"Big brother, you succeeded?" Chen Jingjing stared at Chen Fan's Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation, delighted.

"Mm." Chen Fan nodded faintly, then asked:

"Which hand did he use to touch you?"

"Huh?" Chen Jingjing's eyes went wide, caught off guard. She hadn't expected Chen Fan to know everything that happened outside while inside the light cocoon.

"Forgot? No matter. I'll help you cut off both his hands." Chen Fan said slowly, then turned his head, his eyes coldly fixed on the black-robed man, Nalan Tian.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Nalan Tian laughed scornfully, as if hearing a joke. He shook his head and looked at Chen Jingjing with pity. "So this is the brother you rely on? Just as the rumors say—a clown seeking attention, full of big talk!"

"Chen Fan, weren't you so impressive before? How does it feel now, staring death in the face?" Nalan Yun sneered repeatedly.

Chen Fan glanced at her briefly, frowned slightly, and showed a hint of confusion. "Who are you?"

At this, Nalan Yun froze, then her face flushed red like pig liver. She pointed at Chen Fan furiously. "Chen Fan, stop playing dumb! You waste, today I'll watch my brother crush you!"

She didn't believe Chen Fan had truly forgotten her—she thought he was deliberately humiliating her to save face.

Zhang Rumeng, however, doubled over laughing, silently praising Chen Fan's acting.

But her laughter drew Nalan Yun's hatred.

"Bitch, what are you laughing at?" Nalan Yun threw out a Talisman. With a hiss, it transformed into a sword beam that shot viciously toward Zhang Rumeng.

Zhang Rumeng shook her head lightly and swung her long sword. With a clang, the sword beam was knocked away.

A casual swing had shattered what Nalan Yun considered her strongest Talisman.

"Nalan Yun, what right do you have to mock us? What right do you have to mock Chen Fan?" Zhang Rumeng scolded coldly.

Nalan Yun's fury erupted. She glared at Zhang Rumeng, her face twisted. "Brother, kill them all."

Nalan Tian chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Killing one is enough."

His gaze fell on Chen Fan. Then he turned to look at the two Immortal Sect cultivators standing nearby. "Fellow Daoists, aren't you here to kill this waste?"

The two sword cultivators frowned slightly at his words but remained silent, ignoring Nalan Tian. A Foundation Establishment cultivator with such poor perception was far beneath them.

Seeing them ignore him, Nalan Tian felt his face burn. His eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing through them, but he held back. He knew well the gap between the Immortal Sect and Heavy Sword Peak.

The only way to salvage his dignity was to kill Chen Fan with swift, decisive force.

But he hadn't expected Chen Fan to step forward expressionlessly, his sword gleaming as he pointed it at Nalan Tian:

"Will you stretch out your hands and kneel to apologize yourself, or should I come over and cut you down?"

Hearing this, Nalan Tian froze for a moment, then laughed in anger. "Who gave you the nerve to be so insolent before a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

With that, Nalan Tian roared, "Water Bullet Technique!"

True Essence Power surged within him as several water spheres materialized before him, carrying murderous intent as they blasted toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan stood with an air of calm composure, his longsword slowly tracing a perfect circle in the air before his form flickered, appearing like a ghostly apparition to Nalan Tian's left front.

"Hum!"

A sword cry howled forth as Chen Fan transformed into a black streak of lightning, his blade wreathed in Blazing Heaven Sword Qi as it swept through several water orbs. With a light tap of his toes against the ground, he pivoted and lunged toward Nalan Tian.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The moment he turned, all the water orbs burst behind him, failing to inflict any harm.

But Chen Fan's Blazing Heaven Sword light had already appeared before Nalan Tian's eyes.

"Ha!" Nalan Tian roared, retreating swiftly as True Essence Power coalesced in his hands. A vast water screen, shimmering with flowing light, materialized before him.

Chen Fan's sword tip struck the water screen, sending ripples across its surface, yet it could not break through.

"Delusional! This Water Heaven Wall is the finest defensive water-element technique. You think a mere Qi Refining Ninth Layer can shatter it?" Nalan Tian laughed loudly, forming a massive water orb in his hands and hurling it heavily at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan's heart stirred. The Blazing Heaven Sword Qi was suppressed against water-element True Essence Power. The gap between their realms could only be bridged by employing the Nine Palaces Sword Art.

"The celestial lord's palace lies before, the general strikes where foes deplore!" He silently recited the Nine Palaces heart method, channeling True Qi to his blade. Where the sword passed, it stirred a faint tremor in heaven and earth.

"This is..." Nalan Tian's pupils abruptly contracted, shock coloring his voice.

"How is that possible?" The two sword cultivators from the Immortal Sect not far away wore expressions of disbelief. A Qi Refining Ninth Layer could not achieve such a feat.

"Nine sons slant in line!"

Three wonders, six instruments, to the ninth palace of Li!

Chen Fan's longsword spun once more, then swept forward, slashing down at the Water Heaven Wall.

"Boom!"

A dull impact rang out. The entire water screen shattered into nothingness, and Nalan Tian's massive water orb, struck by Chen Fan's sword, detonated instantly.

"Hum!" Chen Fan's blade trembled at high speed once more, its piercing cry stabbing into the ears of everyone present.

Nalan Tian's expression shifted. He no longer underestimated Chen Fan. With a roar of "Water Heaven Wall!" he swept his hand, conjuring three consecutive layers of water barriers before him.

"Chen Fan, you do have some tricks. But the Qi Refining Realm is still the Qi Refining Realm. This young master will show you that the terror of the Foundation Establishment Realm far exceeds your imagination."

With that, Nalan Tian formed a hand seal, pouring True Essence Power into it without pause. The spiritual energy around the seal trembled faintly as a vast, surging power began to coalesce.

Chen Fan did not halt. He continued executing the Nine Palaces Sword Art, his sword tip striking the three Water Heaven Walls in rapid succession. After several ripples, all three water barriers dissolved into nothing.

By then, Nalan Tian had completed his seal, draining half of his True Essence Power.

"Water Heaven Prison!" With Nalan Tian's explosive shout, the spiritual energy around Chen Fan's position churned violently.

Then, with a "whoosh," the surrounding spiritual energy transformed into flowing water, forming a hemispherical water screen that inverted and sealed Chen Fan within.

"Damn it!" Chen Jingjing's face turned pale at the sight.