The vast primordial spirit sat up in shock, the Great Night suffered divine punishment!

The waters of the Li River rose and fell with the wind, while Elephant God Mountain stood firm like a monument, as if time had frozen at this moment.

Whether it was Xu Banshan, Xu Zhixia, or even Gao Xiaoniang who had fallen on the bamboo raft...

Everyone’s eyes trembled, the Spirit Platform was on the verge of breaking, and in the sight of their primordial spirits, Zhang Fan’s presence was enveloped in chaos, like the vast sky, the long night without celestial light, deep and unfathomable, the stars hidden, the Great Moon submerged, and where he stood, all brilliance extinguished.

That man, in this realm, at this moment, was like the king of cultivation.

"Zhang Fan... you..."

In the distance, Xu Zhixia’s trembling gaze fell upon Zhang Fan, her pallid face filled with disbelief.

Compared to their last reunion in Yujing City, Xu Zhixia’s shock at this moment was even greater.

Back then, she saw Zhang Fan wielding Daoist techniques with such innate talent, leaving her aghast, as if in a dream.

Yet, how much time has passed, and now the heights Zhang Fan has reached again make Xu Zhixia feel an unprecedented unfamiliarity.

This aura, this pressure, made her primordial spirit almost collapse, hard to imagine the terror if Zhang Fan were to truly take action.

"How... how does he have such techniques?"

Xu Zhixia’s eyes became unfocused, even as a member of the Xu Family, Zhang Fan had become incomprehensible to her at this moment.

"Primordial Spirit Outer Scenery... what kind of outer scenery is this?"

At this time, Xu Banshan’s mind roared with disbelief.

Born to the Pure Yang Family, a descendant of Ancestor Xu, how many geniuses had he seen, how many with profound Dao practice?

Yet he had never seen such a primordial spirit inner scenery, where celestial light was absent, all things in ruination, even his own primordial spirit seemed like it would be buried within, with no sight of heaven above, no contact with earth below, all the past becoming clouds of smoke, a towering edifice crumbling hereafter.

"Great Night... this is the great tribulation of cultivation... Great Night?"

In Xu Banshan’s heart, a voice seemed to roar, bringing forth a possibility, yet he dared not believe it.

The Great Night, that was the great tribulation of cultivation, something the Daoist family would avoid at all costs, who could have heaven-defying techniques to transform it into a primordial spirit outer scenery, with divine power beyond compare, transcending the mundane.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a night breeze blew, ruffling Xu Banshan’s disordered hair, a touch of coolness brought him back to his senses, and at that moment, a broad hand had already landed on top of his head.

Xu Banshan’s eyes trembled, the corner of his eye catching sight of Zhang Fan appearing like a ghost, landing on the bamboo raft beside him.

He knelt there, like a lamb waiting for slaughter, unsure if it was from fear or inability to move.

"Go home, have some milk from your mom."

Zhang Fan walked past Xu Banshan without even looking at him, akin to how an ordinary person would pass by an ant.

At this moment, Xu Banshan’s face turned crimson in shame, feeling his dignity thoroughly discarded, trampled upon unprecedentedly.

Zhang Fan walked over to Lin Jianyue and inspected briefly; the prolonged separation of the primordial spirit had deteriorated his body significantly.

Even with high skill, one cannot bear the primordial spirit being away from the body for too long, unless one reached the Great Master realm.

"It’s done, let’s go."

Zhang Fan turned his head, calling out.

"Okay!"

In the darkness, a compliant response rang out, immediately followed by Li Miaoyin emerging from afar.

Xu Zhixia glanced over, instantly recognizing this woman from the hotel who was by Zhang Fan’s side.

Her expression was complex as she watched Li Miaoyin leap onto the bamboo raft, walking to Zhang Fan’s side.

"Looking handsome."

Li Miaoyin gazed mischievously at Zhang Fan, speaking softly with a smile.

"Come on."

Zhang Fan smiled back, not hearing any flattery in her words.

"Still not leaving?"

Zhang Fan raised his head to see Xu Banshan still kneeling on the bamboo raft, as if petrified, unmoving.

"I... my legs are weak..." Xu Banshan stammered.

He didn’t want to stand up, but simply couldn’t.

"Off you go."

Zhang Fan lifted a leg and kicked, forcefully sending Xu Banshan flying, the latter landing with a heavy thud, groaning in pain.

"Go back." Zhang Fan said softly.

"Yes, go back." Li Miaoyin nodded.

The night was vast, the fragmented moonlight undulating with the river water.

Xu Banshan watched the bamboo raft drift farther, slowly disappearing from view.

"Damn... damn it..."

Finally, Xu Banshan could no longer endure, clenching his fists, pounding the ground in fury, a fire within him almost erupting like a volcano.

His anger wasn’t directed at Zhang Fan, but at himself; he was angry at his own incompetence, his cowardice.

Moments ago, in such a posture, wagging tail in supplication, like a stray dog, utterly shaming the face of the Xu Family.

This wasn’t him.

This shouldn’t be him.

"Brother Shan..." Xu Zhixia approached.

"I disgraced the ancestors!"

Xu Banshan gritted his teeth, recalling how just moments ago, he didn’t even have the courage to fight back, how his knees felt so soft before that man, all past pride, all past glory, all that he once boasted about in his Xu family bloodline vanished with that kneel.

As for why he was able to survive, it was mostly due to Xu Zhixia’s presence.

"This enmity, this hatred, I must avenge! If I don’t kill this person, I vow not to be a man." Xu Banshan declared in a deep voice.

Xu Zhixia’s eyebrows knitted together, unsure of what to say.

"Zhixia, who exactly is that pretty boy of yours?" Xu Banshan asked, lifting his head.

"I don’t know... I don’t know anymore." Xu Zhixia shook her head.