In just over a hundred breaths, these nine Nascent Soul level Sea Race and Human Race cultivators, along with dozens more Late Core Formation Sea Race and Human Race cultivators, all met their demise at Ning Fa's hands.
For Ning Fa, however, this was merely a slight exertion.
At this moment, he already possessed a significant gap in power compared to ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, and even most Great Cultivators.
Yet, Ning Fa's current state was peculiar. Amidst the scattered remains and bloodied limbs, he floated silently in the air, his eyes slightly closed, his expression as if lost in a dream. His hands were even subconsciously forming sword seals.
With a resonant sword cry, the five Heaven-Shattering Swords flew to his front, trembling slightly as they began to circle, gradually forming a hazy, five-colored radiance that enveloped him. A unique aura ascended from within, as if a new life was about to break free from its chrysalis.
Just then, a streak of escaping light flew rapidly from the north. It was the group of over a dozen Human Race high-level cultivators who had been trapped earlier. The Nascent Soul cultivator of the Sea Sect who had activated the Azure Water Realm-Trapping Pearl had already fled when he saw the situation turn unfavorable.
"Many thanks, Daoist Ning, for your intervention. You not only saved us but also the lives of hundreds of thousands of our Human Race compatriots on the Sun Wheel Islands. Our Sun Wheel Islands will forever be grateful!"
These high-level cultivators bowed deeply to Ning Fa. Even the three Nascent Soul cultivators wore expressions of profound reverence.
However, after a long while with no response, they exchanged glances, not daring to disturb him.
At that moment, a clear, high-pitched voice echoed from nearby.
"Many thanks to the Immortal Master for your rescue! Our Zhou Clan will never forget!"
These were the members of the Zhou Family, a small immortal cultivation family that Ning Fa had previously saved. They emerged from their hiding places in the distant houses, their faces filled with devout gratitude as they prostrated themselves in Ning Fa's direction.
More Human Race members emerged from nearby shelters.
They did the same, regardless of gender, age, cultivator or mortal, all kneeling on the ground and bowing towards Ning Fa with devout expressions.
"Many thanks to the Immortal Master for your rescue, we will never forget!"
An increasing number of surviving Human Race members emerged, and without hesitation, they also knelt and bowed in Ning Fa's direction.
In a short span of time, the hundreds of thousands of surviving Human Race members in Yong'an Immortal City, both mortals and cultivators alike, were all bowing towards Ning Fa.
Their sincere words of gratitude were repeated over and over, gradually merging into a single, powerful chorus, like a stream converging into a vast ocean, forming a sound like roaring waves.
"Many thanks to the Immortal Master for your rescue, we will never forget!"
The dozen or so Human Race high-level cultivators were also filled with shock. Following that, they too descended to the ground, bowing deeply towards Ning Fa in respect.
And at the center of this mass worship, Ning Fa remained suspended in the air, the radiance condensed by the five Heaven-Shattering Swords growing ever brighter.
With a sword cry that seemed to shake the heavens and earth, after the ultimate brilliant radiance, Ning Fa vanished. In his place appeared a five-colored longsword, about seven feet in length.
At this moment, a series of humming sounds arose.
The surrounding cultivators, especially the sword cultivators, discovered with horror that their flying swords and magic treasures were moving uncontrollably. Some flew out of their owners' grasp, while others leaped directly from their storage bags.
Sword light flowed and sword cries echoed, with over ten thousand flying swords trembling intensely towards the five-colored sword in the air, as if cheering or expressing submission.
It was like ten thousand swords paying homage, an utterly awe-inspiring scene.
The grey-haired old Daoist among the three Nascent Soul cultivators looked at the silver-white sword in his hand, which was vibrating and seemed eager to break free and fly away. A hint of horror flashed across his face, for this was his Natal Magic Treasure.
Then, as if struck by a realization, he took a deep breath, exclaiming in shock, "This is... the Third Step of the Sword Dao – Sword Heart Immaculate! Daoist Ning has actually cultivated his Sword Intent to this level!..."
Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman in the green dress and the Brocade Robe Big Man beside him, who had only harbored suspicions before, now looked at the old Daoist with shock.
Because, to a certain extent, achieving the Third Step of the Sword Dao, Sword Heart Immaculate, was even more difficult than advancing to the Late Nascent Soul stage.
In the entire Nine Dragons Sea, only a select few could reach this level of swordsmanship.
They never imagined that Ning Fa, a figure renowned throughout the world for his lightning techniques, possessed such terrifying swordsmanship talent. This only deepened their reverence.
At this moment, the brilliance of the five-colored sword in the air slowly receded, and Ning Fa's figure reappeared.
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as a tranquil lake, as clear as a mirror, as if reflecting all things yet unstained by any dust.
The moment the three Nascent Soul cultivators met Ning Fa's gaze, they felt as if they had been seen through completely, from head to toe, from outside to inside.
This immediately struck them with horror, and they involuntarily activated their protective spiritual light.
The old Daoist held his flying sword, the shock in his eyes fading, replaced by a deep envy.
Now, he finally confirmed that Ning Fa had indeed grasped Sword Heart Immaculate.
Only then could they feel so vulnerable under Ning Fa's gaze.
The old Daoist even suspected that all their secrets had been thoroughly seen by Ning Fa. If they were to attack, Ning Fa would undoubtedly strike directly at their weaknesses.
Without a matching strength of Divine Soul, they could be considered defeated before the battle even began.
At this moment, the five Heaven-Shattering Swords let out a joyous, soft hum and flew to Ning Fa's front like swimming fish, merging into one. The surface of the sword clearly reflected Ning Fa's figure.
Looking at this sword, Ning Fa had a clear feeling: the Heaven-Shattering Sword now was him, and he was the Heaven-Shattering Sword.
A look of emotion appeared on his face. He hadn't expected to enter the Third Step of the Sword Dao – the realm of Sword Heart Immaculate – so quickly.
The catalyst for this was precisely the tragic state of the Human Race he witnessed in Yong'an Immortal City, and his full exertion to protect the city's inhabitants, which triggered it.
This act of a virtuous person benefiting the world perfectly aligned with his path as a sword cultivator, reaching his true heart, and thus breaking through the final bottleneck of the Third Step of the Sword Dao.
Furthermore, the sincere gratitude of the hundreds of thousands of people in the city provided the final spark of assistance for him to overcome the bottleneck, finally allowing him to successfully step into the Third Step of the Sword Dao.
This realm was incredibly crucial, possessing a chasm-like difference compared to the previous two stages of the Sword Dao, akin to the difference between Core Formation and Nascent Soul.
It was no exaggeration to say that even a cultivator in the Early Nascent Soul stage who mastered the Third Step of the Sword Dao's Sword Intent could defeat an ordinary Great Cultivator.
This was because this realm possessed four major abilities.
First, the Sword Heart is Clear and it can See Through Illusions and Preserve Truth.
At this moment, the cultivator's heart is like a bright mirror hanging high; all illusions, mental manipulations, and spiritual seductions cannot shake their mind, and they possess extremely strong resistance to all divine soul attacks.
Furthermore, any trace of emotional fluctuation, true essence flow, or weakness in divine abilities and techniques from others will be exposed without any hiding under the reflection of the sword heart.
Second, the Sword Intent is Flawless and Indestructible.
Due to the purity of the sword heart, the sword intent emitted also becomes flawless. It is no longer merely sharp; it is more like it contains a pure law.
This sword intent can sever all things on the material plane and can also strike at more profound levels, such as the weaknesses of divine abilities and techniques, the location of array eyes, curses, evil arts, and even connections of fortune.
A single sword strike, simple and unadorned, can directly target the core and is unavoidable.
Third, the Unity of Heart and Sword, with Intent Preceding Thought.
During combat, there is no longer a need to think through the process. The opponent's movements, and even their thoughts, will be reflected in the mirror of the sword heart, and the body and sword will instinctively make the most correct response, with offense and defense transitioning seamlessly.
This is a state that transcends reaction speed, bordering on precognition.
Fourth, the Dao Heart Nurtures, and One is Immune to All Evils.
The Immaculate Sword Heart is not only a huge breakthrough in the Sword Dao but also an sublimation of the cultivator's state of mind.
A pure sword heart will, in turn, nourish the divine soul and Dao heart, and greatly avoid the proliferation of inner demons on the path of cultivation.
Therefore, Ning Fa's divine soul strength has been significantly enhanced by this. His spiritual sense detection range has increased by about 20% from the original 1,500 li, reaching 1,800 li.
This range already surpasses that of ordinary Mid Spirit Transformation cultivators.
The enhancement in the power of his divine soul techniques is even greater than this increase in spiritual sense range.
If the current Ning Fa were to use the Moon-Slaying Divine Light again, those Sea Race cultivators from before would not have been able to break through his Cage of the Moon with the self-destruction of those strange crystal towers.
Moreover, Ning Fa's Sword Dao divine abilities have also surged several times.
Now, even with Ning Fa's ordinary sword skill attacks, it is extremely difficult for Nascent Soul cultivators to resist.
If he were to unleash the Heaven-Shattering Sword Array, its power would be even more unimaginable.
Ning Fa roughly estimated that this advancement to Immaculate Sword Heart has boosted his overall strength by at least 30%, conservatively speaking.
After all, he is not a true sword cultivator; his true strength lies in his Lightning Law.
However, the extent of this amplification is still quite astonishing.
Considering Ning Fa's terrifying strength, which already far surpasses the Nascent Soul realm, a 30% increase in strength is a significant enhancement, and it also gives Ning Fa more confidence to contend with true Spirit Transformation cultivators.
At this moment, Ning Fa surveyed his surroundings and saw hundreds of thousands of Human Race individuals kneeling before him with devout expressions.
Ning Fa was silent at first, then nodded in acknowledgment to them.
Although he had saved the people of this city, it was also thanks to them that he had truly stepped into the Third Step of the Sword Dao.
At this moment, a fluctuation occurred beside Ning Fa, and the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant suddenly appeared.
The Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant examined Ning Fa from head to toe, and a hint of emotion appeared on his usually calm and placid face.
When Ning Fa had decided to use the three Innate Divine Thunders to clear out the Sea Monster and Sea Race armies earlier, he had not asked the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant to intervene.
Besides the fact that it would require additional compensation, another crucial point was that he had the True Form Imprint to recover, but the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant might not have such powerful recovery methods.
There might still be a fierce battle ahead, and they might encounter enemy Spirit Transformation cultivators, so he wanted the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant to conserve his strength.
"Daoist Ning, we..." At this moment, the Brocade Robe Big Man, a Nascent Soul cultivator, was about to say something with a smile.
Ning Fa said with a solemn expression, "There are still Sea Race cultivators ahead. I will go first."
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, several streams of light flew from the corpses of the nearby Sea Monster and Sea Race Nascent Soul cultivators into his hand – these were the lifeless Nascent Souls of these alien races.
Ning Fa flipped his right hand, and these Nascent Souls disappeared.
Following that, Ning Fa transformed into a dazzling sword light and instantly sped away, and the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant also vanished.
About a hundred li to the northwest, a fierce battle was erupting.
Ancestor Nihuo and several of his disciples were fighting against a squad of high-level Sea Race cultivators. One side was engulfed in roaring flames, while the other was battered by surging waves.
Although Ancestor Nihuo, a late-stage Great Cultivator, was present, the opposing side also had a late-stage Fourth-grade Sea Race cultivator, along with two other Nascent Soul level Sea Race cultivators and six Core Formation level Sea Race cultivators, who were suppressing Ancestor Nihuo and his group.
Fortunately, Ancestor Nihuo, as a master artifact refiner, possessed quite a few powerful Magic Treasures. In particular, a top-tier Magic Treasure that resembled a great hall of crimson fire was excellent for both offense and defense.
Thus, even with two fewer Nascent Soul cultivators than the opposing side, they were still able to hold on and fight on equal footing.
However, judging by Ancestor Nihuo's slightly pale face, it was clear they couldn't hold on for much longer.
Just then, both sides looked back simultaneously and saw a dazzling sword light, like a streak of silk, speeding towards them.
Upon seeing this, Ancestor Nihuo's face lit up with joy.
On the other hand, the late-stage Fourth-grade Sea Race cultivator on the opposing side, whose face was covered in several scars and looked exceptionally ferocious, had his expression suddenly sink.
There was even a hint of fear in his eyes, as he was precisely Luotai, the reinforcement summoned by the four-armed Sea Race cultivator Tulun earlier.
Now that he saw Ning Fa arriving here in good health, it was clear that the fate of Tulun and the others needed no further explanation.
This shocked him greatly. Without further hesitation, he immediately let out a low roar, "Retreat!"
Saying that, he unhesitatingly retreated backward, and the Sea Race cultivators around him scrambled to follow suit.
But at that moment, a not-so-loud sword cry clearly reached their ears.
"Not good!" Rotai, a sea race member, turned pale. He flicked his left hand, and a water-blue crystal shield shot out like a stream of light, instantly transforming into a thick blue light screen, protecting them all within.
But in the next moment, a sound like tearing cloth echoed, and the thick water-blue light screen exploded.
Even the last six Core Formation sea race members froze, fear appearing in their eyes, unable to move.
Then, countless cracks appeared on their bodies. Dazzling sword light pierced through these cracks, and these sea race members instantly turned into nothingness in the sword light.
Following that, there were popping explosion sounds.
The two early Nascent Soul sea race members looked at the defensive magic treasures that had turned into fragments before them, their faces filled with horror.
Not far away, sword light flashed, and Ning Fa's figure appeared abruptly, looking at them with a detached expression.
Rotai looked at the sword mark on his right hand, which was covered in bone spurs and went deep enough to see the bone. He took a deep breath and said sternly, "His escape speed is too fast, we can't escape. Let's fight with all we've got! Balor, don't hold back your Illusion Wave Eye, use it now!"
Upon hearing this, the tall and thin sea race member, whose eyes were bound by a bloody cloth, trembled. Without hesitation, he removed the bloody cloth from his face, revealing a pair of strange eyes interwoven with red and blue.
Instantly, a circle of red and blue light waves shot out from his eyes, enveloping Ning Fa almost immediately. Ning Fa's figure became blurry and indistinct within it.
The other two Nascent Soul cultivators from the sea race rejoiced and were about to make other moves when the tall and thin sea race member let out a scream.
His red and blue eyes suddenly flashed with spiritual light. With two "bang" sounds, his eyeballs exploded. In the empty eye sockets, a trace of sword light appeared, growing from faint to brilliant in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, that sword light directly tore apart the sea race member's head.
With a flash of blue light, the sea race Nascent Soul flew out from the remains, about to flee.
But the sword light that was still lingering around his body slashed from a distance.
The Nascent Soul sea race member, who was about to activate his teleportation technique to escape, suddenly had the divine light in his eyes dim. He floated quietly in the air—this sword strike had directly severed his divine soul.
Then, the Nascent Soul flew into Ning Fa's hand in a stream of light. With a flip, it disappeared.