Chapter 1768: Beheading the Master
It's good to be ambitious, but things don't always go as planned.
Those who can rise from obscurity by upholding "truth" are all easy-going people.
Zhang Fan's successful defeat of Lin Fan was entirely due to his magical powers. However, in a life-or-death struggle, magical powers are only a partial factor, not the only one.
Ever since his opponent accidentally escaped during a fight, the unique skills he learned from the Sanctuary World spread like wildfire and spread far and wide.
Everyone now knew he possessed powerful abilities like [Hooked Wish], [Life and Death Separation], and [Swallowing Heaven's Luck]. Even from a distance, they were wary. He would often face attacks from multiple people.
In contrast, Zhang Fan often knows nothing about other people who carry "Huanzhen".
This put him at a great disadvantage.
"Damn it! I should have been more ruthless back then!"
Thinking of this, Zhang Fan felt a little regretful. However, he couldn't be blamed entirely.
Who could blame Zhou Fan for being so similar to him? Even at such close proximity, they could vaguely sense each other's inner thoughts. It was as if they were one and the same.
When the other party's soul was almost annihilated, Zhang Fan seemed to feel the same way.
I was horrified and at the same time felt pity for him.
Zhang Fan's mind was shaken by this, and he couldn't help but stop his annihilation movement. However, Zhou Fan took advantage of his dazed moment, broke free, and escaped at the speed of light.
"Just wait! This revenge will be taken!"
The other party's resentful voice was still fresh in his ears. At that time, Zhang Fan would never have thought that this fleeing man would bring him so much trouble next.
"Luckily, I still have a hidden weapon called [Reincarnation Destroyer] that I've never used before, so I might be able to use it as a last resort."
"However, no matter how strong they are, they can't withstand such a relentless battle. They can only hide for the time being."
"But hiding like this isn't a solution. Sooner or later, someone will find it."
The methods of transformation and concealment were useful for other cultivators, but they had basically no effect on these Heavenly Fate Sons who also possessed the "Return to True" ability.
"Son of Heaven's Mandate" is a collective term for all cultivators who possess the "Return to True" principle. It's unknown who originally coined the term, but possessing the true and false path, they truly are considered Sons of Heaven's Mandate. Everyone was satisfied, and so they grew accustomed to the title.
The moment Tianmingzi and Tianmingzi met, even if they were still at a great distance, the similarity of "Zhenzhen" and their souls would make them detect each other immediately.
What made Zhang Fan even more depressed was that Zhou Fan, by some unknown method, seemed to have directly revealed his identity as "Zhang Fan" to all the Tianmingzi.
When all the Tianmingzi met him, even if they had never met or heard of Zhang Fan before, all the information about Zhang Fan would spontaneously emerge in their minds after a while.
Moreover, this kind of public knowledge seems to be shared by everyone and will be constantly updated.
At first, Zhang Fan didn't realize this. In a life-or-death duel, his [Hooked One's Wish] and [Life and Death Separation] abilities were successively broken by his opponent, gradually falling behind. Then, with his first use of [Devouring Heaven's Luck], he turned the tide and killed his opponent. Zhang Fan was certain that he had completely destroyed the corpse, eliminating all possible paths and leaving no bystanders.
But when they met other Destiny Children later, they still took precautions against [Devouring Heaven's Luck]. They carried filth with them, hoping to taint their own luck and break Zhang Fan's magical power.
This caused Zhang Fan to suffer a great loss, and his injuries have not recovered until now.
At present, I can only temporarily hide in an ordinary mortal state, absorb the energy of living beings, and slowly recover.
"The recognition of the public announcement must be Zhou Fan's doing."
"This kind of cognition only exists in the group of Tianmingzi, and has no effect on other cultivators." Zhang Fan has confirmed this through a lot of soul searches.
"It's probably because they took advantage of some similarity between us. This characteristic might be the fundamental reason why we all carry the True Spirit. It might even be involved in all the conspiracy behind the scenes..."
After figuring this out, Zhang Fan was shocked to realize that he still didn't know himself well enough.
"Where did Zhenzhen come from? Where did I come from?"
Zhang Fan forgot his former ambitions and the dangers lurking in the outside world. He immersed himself in his inner thoughts, seeking the answer to this question.
See your mind and understand your nature, then look within yourself.
To others, this might be an extremely difficult task, but to Zhang Fan, it was somehow unusually easy.
Zhang Fan vaguely realized that it might be related to the time he lived in the sheltered world.
"There, the heaven and earth grow infinitely, and all living things have no worries about aging. They must be secretly blessed by the Great Dao of Immortality."
"And I've lived there for a long time, and I've hardly ever encountered fighting or killing. It must be some kind of great power that subtly changes and nurtures the nature of all things."
Although he hadn't actually been away for long, Zhang Fan, having experienced a series of life-and-death battles, had already undergone a transformation. Many things he had taken for granted in the past now seemed amiss when he recalled them.
The longing for the Novice Village only existed in my mind for a moment.
Zhang Fan was immersed in thoughts, as if facing his own soul.
It was translucent and lustrous, as if it had gathered all the wonders of the world. Yet, it seemed to be essentially the same as the countless living beings in the mountains and seas.
"Where are the connected ones?"
Zhang Fan tried to examine himself from an outsider's perspective.
In an instant, it seemed to be split into two.
One returned to his own body, while the other floated out of his body and watched from a distance.
Slowly, Zhang Fan seemed to understand something.
"Everything, Zhang Fan, belongs to you."
"Everything that is mine belongs to me."
As he spoke inexplicably, a transparent white light seemed to float out from him who was observing.
Returned to the sitting cross-legged body of "Zhang Fan".
At this moment, Zhang Fan seemed to have escaped from the fate of Tianmingzi and was able to observe himself from the perspective of an "outsider".
A thin line, or countless thin lines representing fate, extend from one's body.
Connected to countless different corners of the mountains and seas.
And beyond the mountains and seas...
In that unknown place, all the fine lines converge into one place!
boom!
The spying only lasted for a moment before Zhang Fan was dragged back by the strong attraction coming from his body.
He spit out a mouthful of blood.
The damage he inflicted upon his original soul was far greater than Zhang Fan had anticipated. He almost lost his transcendental state and was about to fall to the realm of obscurity.
Fortunately, it's all worth it.
In that split second, Zhang Fan not only saw a way to avoid "Everyone Knows", but also saw the person behind the scenes who controlled all the Destiny Sons!
"Unfortunately, I only know how to break the "Knowledge of All," but I don't know how to use this magical power. Otherwise, I could just reveal the behind-the-scenes story to everyone, and we could all attack together..."
Zhang Fan's expression kept changing.
He didn't know that his thoughts suddenly froze at this moment.
At this moment, a blurry figure crossed endless time and space and appeared in front of him.
It’s exactly [true]!
As the operator of Li Fan's plan, everything that was put into the bodies of the gods was under his control.
All actions, even thoughts and ideas, cannot escape his detection.
Therefore, the moment Zhang Fan showed signs of losing control, He took action.
I really didn't expect that I could see through the connection between the many divine bodies so quickly.
The power that caused Zhang Fan to escape from himself seemed to still remain in the air.
I stared at it for a moment and suddenly understood.
"Behead the Master."
Then he looked towards the place where all the divine guests were.
Without causing any ripples, the group of gods and the protective world they created disappeared quietly and prematurely in the mountains and seas.
Then [Zhenzhen] looked at Zhang Fan who was frozen in ice, but he was in hesitation for a moment.
Although the transformation of the gods seems to be out of control, who can guarantee that this is within the expected variables?
Just as [Zhenzhen] was hesitating, Li Fan's faint voice suddenly appeared.
“Since it is a variable, its existence has meaning.”
"Let's see how far he can go."
The voice continued to echo, and the figure of [Zhenzhen] had disappeared and returned.
…
"It would be great if we all attack together and capture the person behind the scenes alive." Zhang Fan's thoughts started to flow again.
From the beginning to the end, he did not realize the arrival of [Zhen Zhen] and that his life was hanging by a thread.
After recovering slightly from his injuries, Zhang Fan began to reflect on the magical power he had just learned that could avoid the influence of [Everyone Knows].
"That feeling probably comes from the butcher who occasionally prepares the fish for the angler."
Fishermen who go fishing in the mountains and seas do not release all the fish they catch.
On the rare occasions that I come across a collection that satisfies me, I'll take it with me and play with it, just like that slate.
Before being taken away, it is often handed over to a sloppy butcher.
Only after the butcher has raised his knife and put it down, the fisherman can feel at ease to put away his collection.
"It's so obvious that this isn't an ordinary monk. Yet, I never noticed it before and instinctively ignored it."
"Such strength..." Zhang Fan was secretly shocked.
When the image of the butcher appeared in my mind, my feeling about that path became stronger and stronger.
The clean and sharp knife light kept flashing in Zhang Fan's mind.
Slowly, he followed suit and slashed in the air.
It was as if a strand of hair fell off.
Then thousands and thousands of them fell like snowflakes all over the sky.
Countless blood marks appeared on Zhang Fan's body at the same time, as the price of severing the connection with Tianmingzi.
But Zhang Fan was not surprised but happy, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Life-slaying Sword, what a great name!"
Cut off the shackles and sever the fate.
With one strike of the sword, all fetters are gone.
The effect of "Everyone Knows" slowly faded. The dark cloud that had been hovering over Zhang Fan's head for so long seemed to finally dissipate.
An unprecedented sense of security enveloped his heart.
Zhang Fan fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, he was still alive and his injuries had all healed.
"If I have the chance, I must go back and thank those seniors." Zhang Fan thought to himself.
He knew clearly that the reason he was able to escape the fate of the Son of Heaven was not because of his own specialness, but because of the subtle care and support from the great powers including the Fishing Man.
"I just don't know what realm they are in."
"Could it be that they are all so-called mountain and sea saints?"
While Zhang Fan was thinking, he continued to cut off all remaining connections.
When only a thin line was left, the life-killing knife was unable to fall.
The moment the knife light gradually rose, an indescribable fear arose in Zhang Fan's heart.
It seemed that when the silk thread broke, it would be the moment of one's death.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhang Fan finally chose to trust his intuition and did not force his move.
"It's not time yet."
"Perhaps this sword can only be truly delivered when I become a saint." Zhang Fan said with some realization.
"Come to think of it, could it be that I'm truly gifted? This [Life-Slaying Sword] magical power is incredibly profound. I've surprisingly comprehended it so smoothly, and it's become increasingly more adept at using it. And there are other magical powers..."
Zhang Fan was puzzled and could only attribute it to the secret cultivation of a group of powerful people.
But he would never have imagined that all the gods, including the Fisherman, have now been wiped out by "Zhenzhen".
All the great ways have temporarily become ownerless.
As the only one in the mountains and seas who could be connected to these great ways, he could be said to have benefited greatly from the legacy of the Godly Guest. Naturally, his comprehension was exceptionally smooth.
Zhang Fan didn't think so much.
Now, he is obsessed with seeking revenge on Zhou Fan.
"Now, it's my turn to hide in the shadows. I hope you won't be easily caught by me."
Zhang Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed.
Zhou Fan's [well-known] magical power really hurt him badly.
If I don’t avenge this grudge, would I be a non-human?
Soon Zhang Fan left this mortal realm to heal his wounds and searched for the other party in secret.
But Zhou Fan was indeed cautious.
Relying on the mutual induction of [Zhenzhen], Zhang Fan has eliminated nearly a hundred Tianmingzi, but still has not found any trace of him.
The number of Tianmingzi decreased drastically in a short period of time, and everyone realized that something was wrong.
They stopped showing off and hid themselves away for a while.
This once again frustrated Zhang Fan's journey of revenge.
The turbulent mountains and seas fell into a strange calm.
After going through so much trouble to find a Destiny Child and killing and absorbing him, Zhang Fan was suddenly shocked.
"Strange, so many disappeared at once."
"Something doesn't match..."
"Could it be that, besides me, there are other people hunting Tianmingzi?"
My heart skipped a beat, as if this guess was confirmed.
Zhang Fan's expression became serious.
"Who is it?"
Zhang Fan was not surprised by this.
After all, the number of Tianmingzi that appeared in a short period of time was really too many.
They attacked each other and regarded other powerful people in the mountains and seas as nothing.
Furthermore, all the Sons of Heaven's Fate carry the "Return to True" treasure, and are inevitably coveted by others.
"Those who have the strength and motivation should be the mountain and sea saints."
Once upon a time, Zhang Fan wanted to cross Daoyan and go to the so-called other shore, the holy dynasty, to admire the grace of the saints.
Now it is too late to avoid it.
"I am strong enough now. With my magical powers in hand, killing transcendent monks is as easy as slaughtering chickens and dogs.
"But I'm not strong enough. Even though I haven't really fought a Saint, I know in my heart that I am no match for a Saint at this point."
"There's no hope of a breakthrough in the short term. If you want to protect yourself, you still have to rely on the transformation of true and false!"
After this period of killing, the amount of true and false great ways that Zhang Fan has absorbed and accumulated has become quite considerable.
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