Compared to the Dharma image's colossal foot descending from above, Chen Fan was like an ant.
But don't forget, this was an ant at the Half-Emperor realm.
He clenched his fist and struck upwards.
"Dong."
Heaven and earth trembled.
A minuscule fist, yet it carried world-shattering might.
One punch, piercing through heaven and earth.
The Way of Death,貫穿天地.
With a "boom," the colossal foot was pierced.
The entire colossal foot continued to descend.
The earth caved in, space distorted.
Qiang.
A sword's hum echoed.
Heaven and earth turned into ten thousand swords.
Dense swords of rules materialized between heaven and earth, like a vast net, dismembering the Dharma image's foot.
Effortlessly.
The distorted space stabilized, the collapsing earth ceased.
"Heh."
Chen Fan looked at the two Dharma image giants still towering towards the sky.
A hint of a sinister charm curled the corners of his lips, "My two esteemed guests, don't be rash. We can talk this out."
"You are provoking the majesty of Zang Shan."
The one who spoke was Zang Tian, his aura the most potent.
Around his Dharma image, streaks of grey mist transformed into great dragons, constantly weaving.
"Who are you?"
Zang Tian asked, "Why did you kill my brother?"
"I am..."
He was about to state his true name.
But then he stopped himself, smiling, "I am Chen Fan, a lone rogue cultivator."
"Chen Fan?"
Zang Tian pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "You are not from Kuang Realm."
Though it was just a name, Zang Tian had directly pinpointed Chen Fan's origin.
"You are not Chen Fan, you are Chen Fan, the Lord of Sword City." Zang Tian's voice reverberated through the heavens.
"Weng."
At that moment, from the distant center of Kuang Realm, gazes swept across thousands of miles.
Chen Fan, this name, seemed familiar to many.
"Sigh."
Chen Fan sighed, "Why be so direct?"
Truly, this was too much.
Why be so direct?
"It seems the Mountain Lord has gathered quite a few people from the Immortal Realm under his banner." A self-evident truth, no need to guess.
Of course, there was another possibility...
It was possible that Huo Xing or Da Kui were still alive.
But at this moment, he couldn't ask.
"Hmph."
Zang Tian snorted, "The City Lord arrives and immediately kills one of our Mountain Lords. It seems the City Lord's ambition lies with our Zang Shan."
"No."
Don't just make things up, Chen Fan was displeased, "I was merely passing by and had some conflict with him.
"And incidentally, I wanted to inquire about some news from the Mountain Lord."
Zang Tian sneered, "You killed my brother, and now you want to inquire about news from me? Are you joking?"
A joke? Perhaps.
I don't think so.
Chen Fan continued, "May I ask the Mountain Lord, before we arrived, did someone go out and capture a group of people from the Immortal Realm into Kuang Realm? Do you know about this?"
"I do not."
Chen Fan: "..."
This was too insincere.
You could at least think about it.
Furthermore, someone managed to leave Kuang Realm, and you're not even curious?
So blunt, it's obvious they know about this matter.
"Heh."
Laughter echoed, tinged with a hint of coldness, "I try to reason with you, and you act like a scoundrel. I act like a scoundrel, and you try to reason with me."
Crack.
A bolt of lightning flashed.
The sky was torn open, illuminated.
Chen Fan's voice grew colder, "You're unwilling to say, fine. When I personally step into Zang Shan, I'll see if you'll speak then."
His hostility was undisguised.
In the distance, Zang Shan's pupils contracted.
Immediately, he responded, "Since the City Lord wishes to come, our Zang Shan will welcome you..."
As he spoke, his immense Dharma image faded.
Zang Ren, who rarely spoke, gave Chen Fan a provocative glance.
...
In the ensuing silence.
The gazes from the central region gradually receded.
Before Kuang Realm's destruction, something was bound to happen.
This was beyond doubt.
Great battles, destruction... these were inevitable occurrences during an apocalypse.
And it seemed Zang Shan was about to become the catalyst for this great battle.
By the edge of a dried-up lake, three figures stood.
The City Lord in front, his servants behind.
In the eyes of Xiao Wu and Xi Qiu, the City Lord's back was reflected.
A youthful back, full of vigor, yet it gave them a feeling of mountain-like solidity.
As if an invincible aura of "I am unmatched" was unfolding.
This world seemed to bow before the back of the person in front.
Xi Qiu glanced at Xiao Wu's gaze, his eyes seemingly asking, "What kind of person is the City Lord outside?"
Xiao Wu gave a wry smile, "I don't know."
He didn't know much either.
Xi Qiu gritted his teeth and asked, "City Lord, are we going to attack Zang Shan?"
To be honest, he was still a little uneasy.
Zang Tian, like himself, was among the first residents of Kuang Realm.
Although Zang Di and Zang Ren were not among the first residents, they achieved Half-Emperor status while Kuang Realm was still thriving.
As for Zang Ren, Xi Qiu didn't pay much mind.
Only Zang Tian, he was somewhat fearful of.
That person was no pushover.
"Are you afraid?" Chen Fan retorted.
His deep eyes made Xi Qiu shiver slightly.
"No..."
"You shouldn't be afraid."
Chen Fan spoke again, "I believe if you unleash your full power, you might not be weaker than him."
"..."
Xi Qiu fell silent.
He knew the City Lord seemed to have guessed something.
But he still maintained his silence.
On the other hand, Xiao Wu beside him wore a thoughtful expression.
"No rush."
Chen Fan's words relieved Xi Qiu, "Let's go meet your old friend first."
"My old friend?"
"Boom."
Without explanation, Chen Fan shot into the sky.
The void split, torn apart by that figure.
Xi Qiu and Xiao Wu quickly followed.
A moment later...
Dong.
The void vibrated.
Chen Fan threw a punch with a raised hand.
"Boom."
The void distorted, and a figure was blasted out by Chen Fan's punch.
Behind him, Xi Qiu and Xiao Wu arrived just in time.
"Mountain Lord, no... Qi Mu?" Xi Qiu was shocked.
The one Chen Fan had blasted out of the distorted space was none other than Qi Mu, the former Mountain Lord of Tian Dang Mountain.
No wonder the City Lord called him an old friend.
Qi Mu's face was grim. He glanced fearfully at Chen Fan, took a deep breath, and said sternly, "Why are you blocking my path, sir?"
"Why do you say that?"
Chen Fan countered, "You've been lurking and spying for so long, and now you're playing the victim. Qi Mu, you really know how to talk."
Qi Mu: "..."
He had been discovered.
Then, Qi Mu heard Chen Fan explain, "I didn't mean to spy, I was just curious and took an extra glance."
"And you've been looking for quite a long time."
"I..."
Just as Qi Mu was about to speak again, Chen Fan interrupted him, "Enough, stop explaining. There are some things I don't want to mention. You spied, fine. I'm here to see you for another reason."
"What reason?"
"Return what you owe me."
"Hmm?"
Qi Mu didn't grasp it for a moment, "What do you mean, sir? This is our first meeting, when did I owe you something?"
"I misspoke, it's something owed to Tian Dang Mountain." That phrasing made sense.
Behind him, Xi Qiu watched Qi Mu with a grim expression, remaining silent.
Qi Mu retorted, "As the Mountain Lord of Tian Dang Mountain, everything in Tian Dang Mountain is mine. Why would I owe Tian Dang Mountain anything?"