The sky was clear and the air was crisp.
Inside the palace, a figure sat cross-legged on the ground, with a broken stone statue floating before him.
Azure light burst forth, and an incomparably pure True Essence flowed back from within the divine statue.
No one knew how much time had passed before Lin Fan opened his eyes and muttered, "I'm still missing that last sliver."
Opening the Heart Gate was even more difficult than he had expected. He was clearly only a step away, yet he could never cross it.
Could there be something wrong with my cultivation direction?
A thoughtful look appeared in Lin Fan's eyes. He then summoned a hazy Soul Body.
"Is there a fixed order for opening the three hidden gates?"
Kumuzi shook his head. "Master, I'm not sure either."
As a ghost cultivator, he was extremely powerful, yet he had never opened a true hidden gate. Otherwise, he would not have lost to Lin Fan that day.
Lin Fan fell silent in thought. Kumuzi's remnant soul was linked to his own spiritual soul, so he could tell at a glance whether Kumuzi was lying.
Noticing Lin Fan's expression, Kumuzi suddenly said, "Master, cultivators and ghost cultivators are different. If you can't successfully open the gate you tried before, perhaps you should try opening another one."
Lin Fan nodded slightly. "That's worth a try."
The gates he was most likely to open now were the Heart Gate and the Spirit Gate, with the Blood Gate coming second.
Since he could not open the Heart Gate for the time being, he would try the Spirit Gate.
With that thought, Lin Fan withdrew Kumuzi, who had become a Soul Slave, and swiftly communicated with the Pre-emptive Dao Fruit.
``` Would you like to consume one hundred and