As Lin Xuanye uttered those words, he took control of the core of the Formation deep beneath Nightless City.
A barrier of black mist rose outside the Nightmare Domain. Even with Zhou Fan’s fifth-tier Primordial Spirit, he wouldn't be able to penetrate the barrier and reach the outside world in a short time.
Furthermore, the amplification Formation protecting Nightless City disappeared. On the city walls, the Cultivators of Nightless City, who were battling the colossal black beasts, had their combat rhythm disrupted by this sudden change, and many instantly met their demise under the beasts' claws.
By the time Zhou Fan, the two people, and one butterfly arrived outside Nightless City, fewer than 2,000 Cultivators remained on the city wall. Nightless City's second-in-command was also ambushed by a sixth colossal black beast lurking in the shadows, sustaining severe injuries.
Lin Xuanye walked out from within the city. He stood amidst the tide of colossal black beasts, his black hair dancing in the wind, and the black Dao robe he wore flapped loudly.
“Zhou Fan, I knew you would come.”
Taking a step forward, Lin Xuanye’s original Late Stage fourth-tier Aura suddenly surged. Black Qi from all directions within the ninety-thousand-mile Nightmare Domain poured in, completely entering and being absorbed by Lin Xuanye.
Five hundred years of cultivating the Dao, all spent in the water and clouds.
Retreading the cultivation path, Soul Transformation is but a trifle.
“Now, I lack nothing, hahahaha!”
Lin Xuanye laughed wildly, looking up at the sky. A black Sword Shadow enveloped his body, and the Aura unique to a fifth-tier Soul Transformation Cultivator crushed the entire scene.
“Come! Zhou Fan, fight me!”
Lin Xuanye pointed his sword at Zhou Fan, declaring with immense arrogance, “I know you are also a fifth-tier Cultivator.”
“Come on, let me see if you, a fifth-tier, can withstand a single sword strike from this Venerable One.”
“As you wish.”
Zhou Fan told the two people and one butterfly not to worry about him, and to first go to Nightless City to help the Human Race Cultivators resist the beast tide and stabilize the situation. Immediately, two illusory cyan wings unfurled behind him.
With a flap of his wings, Zhou Fan flew straight into the sky, ten thousand miles high.
Lin Xuanye transformed into a Sword Shadow, catching up at a speed no slower than Zhou Fan’s.
Ten thousand miles up in the sky, Zhou Fan and Lin Xuanye confronted each other for a moment.
Each saw the other's reflection in their eyes. Lin Xuanye smiled wildly, as if he had already witnessed the scene of his great revenge being exacted.
Zhou Fan’s eyes, however, held a hint of regret. He knew that some leeks, once fully grown, could not be left alone.
“Put away your hypocritical gaze! Zhou Fan, I am no longer the powerless swordsman of yesteryear!”
The black Sword Shadow in Lin Xuanye’s hand flickered, carrying a captivating Aura as it slashed towards Zhou Fan.
This single sword strike was his full power, as if it aimed to cleave the entire Nightmare Domain in two.
Zhou Fan spread his wings, his figure flickering like a ghost, easily evading the fierce attack.
At the same time, he mobilized his magical power and original energy. Streaks of Yin and Yang Qi flowed from his fingertips, transforming into a Yin and Yang Rope that whistled towards Lin Xuanye in a single breath.
Lin Xuanye was unconcerned. Black Qi condensed into a shield around him, blocking the Yin and Yang Rope.
The two exchanged blows, probing each other for several moves.
Suddenly, Lin Xuanye unleashed a strange sword technique. Countless black Sword Qi rained down towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan used a protective Spell composed of Yin and Yang Qi to defend, but found that the Sword Qi was continuous and also had the effect of interfering with Primordial Spirit detection.
His keen combat intuition guessed that Lin Xuanye had a trump card. Zhou Fan no longer hesitated and immediately deployed his Yin and Yang Domain.
Under the Domain's amplification, Zhou Fan's Primordial Spirit and protective Spell were greatly enhanced. Through the countless black Sword Shadows, he indeed saw Lin Xuanye slowly constructing a grey sword emanating an ominous Aura.
This grey sword looked very strange. Although it was a lifeless object condensed from a Spell, it gave Zhou Fan a feeling of being pricked by needles, as if he had been “targeted” by this grey sword.
The Yin and Yang Millstone reappeared. As Yin and Yang crushed each other, all the black Sword Qi in front of Zhou Fan was ground to dust.
Then, Zhou Fan moved, protecting himself with Yin and Yang Qi, quickly passing through the Yin and Yang Millstone, and throwing a punch at Lin Xuanye, who was still constructing the grey sword.
But Lin Xuanye seemed to pay no attention. He still had his eyes closed, and the grey sword gradually took shape.
Zhou Fan’s punch struck, but only shattered an afterimage.
He quickly turned his head, his Primordial Spirit locking onto Lin Xuanye's true body, which was still constructing the grey sword, ten thousand miles behind him.
The grey sword here was also an afterimage. Zhou Fan didn't know where Lin Xuanye had acquired this special Spell, which could deceive even his Divine Sense, which was close to the sixth-tier.
Transforming into a streak of light, he rushed towards Lin Xuanye. When the two were several hundred miles apart, Lin Xuanye also unleashed his own Domain.
“Savor the taste of pain, Zhou Fan.”
Lin Xuanye held the fully constructed grey sword in his palm. Zhou Fan could perceive with his Primordial Spirit that the hilt of the grey sword was wriggling like a living thing, burrowing into Lin Xuanye’s palm, absorbing and chewing his flesh.
At the same time, Zhou Fan’s palm also experienced intense pain, as if thousands of worms were breaking through his skin, burrowing and biting inside his arm.
He tried to cast a shielding Spell to ignore the pain, but it had little effect.
“It’s useless, Zhou Fan.”
One of Lin Xuanye’s hands had now transformed into the hilt of the grey sword. He walked step by step towards Zhou Fan, whose face was distorted by extreme pain but was still desperately holding on.
“In my Domain of Suffering Sword, the pain you endure will be ten times the pain I have suffered, and this pain will gradually deepen over time, reaching up to a hundredfold.”
“How is it? The taste of pain isn’t pleasant, is it? Do you want to escape my Domain right now?”
Lin Xuanye licked the corner of his mouth. He looked at Zhou Fan, who was half-kneeling in the Domain due to pain, and laughed with pleasure.
“Hahahaha, I like to give my prey a chance to breathe, to toy with them little by little, just as you once did to me.”
The distance between them was less than ten miles. Zhou Fan’s Yin and Yang Domain could only weaken a portion of the pain; he still had to endure the remaining suffering himself.
“Zhou Fan, did you ever imagine you’d have a day like this?”
One of Lin Xuanye’s arms had already been assimilated by the grey sword. His expression was twisted and maniacal.
“You, who consider yourself a person of great Luck, wantonly toyed with my first disciple, my confidante, and the close friends I met in this life.”
“You let me go again and again. Did you think that no matter how hard I tried, my cultivation speed could never catch up to yours, and that I was an ant to be trampled under your feet for eternity?”
When the two were less than a thousand meters apart, Zhou Fan suddenly stood up.
Lin Xuanye was startled and took half a step back, but then immediately rushed forward.
Whether it was out of shame for his cowardly performance, or because he believed the time was ripe, Lin Xuanye wielded the grey sword, which was now one with his body. A black pupil even opened on the sword's blade.
The grey sword stabbed towards Zhou Fan’s heart. Although the Yin and Yang Qi had the bonus from the Yin and Yang Domain, it was still slowly pierced through by this strange power, which was different from basic energy.
Finally, Zhou Fan’s protective Spell was pierced, and Lin Xuanye’s face lit up with joy.
But when it stabbed into Zhou Fan’s defending arm, Lin Xuanye felt a greater resistance, as if trying to pierce leather with a worn-out small knife.
Using all his magical power to empower it, the grey sword finally made a small white mark on Zhou Fan’s arm.
“Alright, the test ends here.”