"Kill!"
Lin Tianfan roared, his battle intent surging to the heavens and shaking the cosmos. Both hands clenched into fist seals, he met the Immortal-Slaying Executioner's Blade cleaving down from on high with peerless valor.
This punch embodied the utmost yang and unyielding strength. Nothing but its intent remained across the sky, piercing the entire starfield. Great stars exploded one after another, reduced to dust. He actually intended to clash head-on with a blade capable of killing immortals.
Boom!
At that moment, immortal radiance surged, unleashing boundless divine light. Everything exploded in all directions, and the universe itself grew unstable, as though heaven and earth were being sundered to forge a new era.
Yet something unforeseen happened. Lin Tianfan actually shattered the immortal-slaying blade into several pieces, while his own fist suffered only scraped skin and shed a few drops of blood.
"He's so strong! Is he about to succeed? Even heaven's will can't block his path-he smashed it apart!"
The cultivators of every race and the beings awakened within the forbidden zones were stunned. They believed he already stood within the immortal realm; otherwise, how could he be so powerful?
Crack!
Countless thunderclaps rolled, and a rain of light filled the air. Practicing Body-as-a-Seed, Lin Tianfan treated himself as an aggregation of minute particles, each containing inexhaustible divine power. Now they resonated together, releasing dazzling immortal light.
The Great Dao thundered, the order of laws descended into chaos, and chaos energy surged. Standing there, he seemed to be the sole existence, the universe itself, majestic and towering.
This was his path and his cultivation system, blooming at this moment. He would break his shackles, attain the rank of Battle Immortal, smash every obstacle, and ascend straight to The Heavens, trampling even the myriad Daos beneath his feet.
What immense power and ambition! None without tremendous courage could attempt this. He was a truly invincible figure who dared confront the will of heaven and earth.
The heavenly tribulation continued, its thunder still resounding.
However, the immortal lightning tribulation could no longer do anything to Lin Tianfan. It inflicted not the slightest injury. Both his feet had entered the immortal realm, his vitality was inexhaustible, and the passing years could no longer touch him.
At the same time, the Three-Legged Golden Cauldron beside him, the vessel of his Dao attainment, also released hazy immortal light. It had transformed into an immortal artifact, radiant as a miniature sun.
Many immortal patterns had appeared on the cauldron. Engraved upon it were auspicious beasts such as the True Dragon, the Undying Divine Phoenix, the Qilin, and the Kunpeng, along with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees.
This cauldron embodied the principle that the Dao begot one, one begot two, and three begot all things. He used it to anchor his own being.
Its exterior was not forged from some exceedingly rare immortal material. With shou mountain copper as its base, it incorporated various refined essences and embodied his Dao.
Everyone in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was deeply shaken. Was he truly about to become an immortal?
Hum!
Suddenly, the void trembled faintly. Black mist descended from the very summit of the heavens, spreading through the starry expanse where Lin Tianfan stood. It swallowed the stars and shrouded the sky, as though everything had lost its vitality.
"It's appeared-the most sinister black mist on the path to immortality!" Countless people froze, gazing toward that starry expanse. Even across an immeasurable distance, it filled them with dread and unease.
Attaining immortality was sacred, glorious, and peaceful. Yet now everything was steeped in death, all vitality devoured. It was profoundly sinister and chilling.
Some old monsters who had survived since primordial times thought of two men: Ye Qianyu and Mo Wudao. Both had stood at the pinnacle of the mortal path, dazzling talents who sought immortality. They had almost survived their heavenly tribulations, only to die within the black mist.
This trial was the strangest and most terrifying of all. Some called it a curse, others heaven's will... but no one could explain what it truly was.
"So you've come. Even darkness can forget about stopping me!" Lin Tianfan's gaze pierced the black mist like two immortal swords. Surrounded by sinister forces, he remained utterly composed.
He had been on guard against the mist's arrival all along, knowing it was the greatest obstacle on his path to immortality.
Lin Tianfan also knew something of its origins. It was connected to the Reception Ancient Hall. It would corrode a living being's essence, transform them into a creature of darkness, and take away their original primordial spirit, allowing a new self to emerge. It was horrifying.
In this age, before the Desolate Heaven Emperor had single-handedly severed the ages, it was almost impossible to overcome. No one could resist it. The power of darkness exceeded imagination and drove people to despair.
Yet the more formidable it was, the higher Lin Tianfan's battle intent soared. He would break through everything and stand second to no one.
"Fight!"
He spat out a golden symbol that erupted with boundless immortal light and vast divine power, attempting to disperse the endless black mist. Yet like a stream flowing into the ocean, it dimmed in an instant.
This left him deeply alarmed and hard-pressed. Within the mist, his five senses were sealed, making it difficult to perceive his surroundings.
Lightning still flashed overhead as black mist poured down alongside it, surging like an unfathomable black hole. Some creature seemed to be roaming within.
"Break!"
Lin Tianfan refused to yield. He unleashed a punch, its immortal radiance illuminating the hazy mist amid endless auspicious splendor. It blasted apart the black fog enveloping the starfield, then continued toward the black hole high in The Heavens.
At that moment, nothing seemed to remain between heaven and earth but the radiance of his fist. Golden light blazed, the void collapsed, and every star in this starfield was annihilated, swept clean. Only chaos and emptiness remained.
With a hum, a gigantic black hand suddenly reached out from the black hole. Boundless and vast, it covered the heavens and met Lin Tianfan's punch.
Boom!
Fist and palm collided. The starry sky shattered, heaven collapsed and earth split, and ghosts wailed as gods howled. The resulting shock waves swept outward, shaking countless starfields as though heaven and earth were being created anew.
Anyone could see how fierce this blow was. It surpassed the limits of the mortal path, like a clash between two True Immortals, making souls tremble and people quake with fear!
It was a catastrophe, a world-shaking strike that almost engulfed some of the inhabitants of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Fortunately, someone intervened to block the shock waves, keeping the scattered stellar debris from falling on inhabited places. Otherwise, countless lives would have been lost.
"What's that? There's actually a living being inside the black mist!" Many powerful cultivators observed this astonishing scene from an immeasurable distance.
Had Lin Tianfan not dispersed the enveloping black mist, those outside would never have perceived any of this.
Every living being lost their composure. The reason no one in this world could become immortal after the immortal ancient era was that someone was cutting off the path.
"So strong-not an ordinary True Immortal!"
Lin Tianfan sighed. Even his peerless fist seal, capable of smashing anything, had left him injured in this clash. His blood and vital energy churned, and his arm had nearly snapped.
His current strength already matched that of a Mortal World Immortal in his fifth or sixth lifetime, and he had reached this level without ever taking an elixir of longevity. He was powerful enough to surpass an ordinary True Immortal, yet he had still been injured.
Hum!
Black mist once again spilled from the heavens, filling the boundless starfield that stretched for hundreds of millions of miles. It was even denser and more chilling than before.
Lin Tianfan's heart shuddered. Wrapped in the black mist, his soul stiffened under some inexplicable corrosion, as though he were being turned into another person.
The negative emotions lying dormant within him erupted at this moment: brutality, bloodlust, coldness, and mercilessness.
His primordial spirit seemed to be undergoing replacement. An entirely new self was being born, occupying his mind and stealing his body. It was utterly terrifying.
"So this is darkness. Sinister indeed, but this isn't enough to taint my body!"
Lin Tianfan shouted. Divine radiance blazed within him as gates opened inside his body. The same happened to his primordial spirit, which transformed into a peerless sword to dispel the sinister and ominous forces within him.
Then his voice shook heaven and earth once more, supremely majestic and immeasurably grand. It seemed to pierce past, present, and future, issuing an edict that could not be defied.
"Body, art, spirit!"
The three words emerged from his body and became three sources of light, bursting with boundless might. Then the three symbols merged, evolving into a supreme secret art. In an instant, it shot forth like the light of an ascending immortal, striking straight at the heavens.
These were the invincible arts he had created through his three aspects of essence, energy, and spirit. Each represented the utmost strength of one aspect: "Body" made his flesh imperishable, "art" increased his combat strength tenfold, and "spirit" made his soul resilient and nearly indestructible.
The three secret arts could unite into one, their boundless power elevating them into a supreme immortal art capable of piercing any foe.
Splat!
The massive hand reaching out of the heavenly black hole tried to continue its attack, but its bones were pierced through. It failed to withstand the blow. It had underestimated Lin Tianfan, and black blood rained down, annihilating the sky.
That being's blood was fiercely potent, radiating dark light. Every drop fell like a great star, bearing an ominous aura, as though it came from hell itself. It chilled people to their bones.
"Gather!"
The Golden Cauldron shone, drawing in and releasing rivers of stars as it rapidly expanded. Linked to Lin Tianfan's mind, it collected the black blood and refined it, refusing to let it scatter.
This was no ordinary blood. It contained dark matter. If it fell upon the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, it would contaminate the land and transform its inhabitants into creatures of darkness. It was immensely dangerous and would bring great harm to this world.
Though merely spilled blood, it was enough to incinerate great stars. A single drop could kill any being below the Supreme level, and even an ordinary Supreme. It had to be refined completely, stripped of its killing intent and ominous power as it stained the heavens red.
"Roar..."
A mighty roar came from the black hole. Lin Tianfan's actions seemed to have enraged him. His blood energy overwhelmed the sun and moon, and the pressure emanating from within grew stronger, surpassing the True Immortal level.
A giant claw reached out from the fissure, obscuring the sun and moon. With a boom, it slammed toward Lin Tianfan, its power having risen by more than a single tier.
"This is... Quasi-Immortal King-level combat strength!" Lin Tianfan was utterly shocked, keenly sensing the terror of that massive claw.
He tried to dodge, but wherever he moved, the claw followed as though locked onto him. The black hole overhead did the same. There was no escape.
Splat!
Lin Tianfan took the blow head-on. The immortal light around him scattered, and he spat blood. His sinews and bones shattered, his internal organs were displaced, and his body exploded into a shower of blood.
That single strike nearly killed him. He barely managed to circulate his power and reassemble his body, his face deathly pale and his strength utterly drained.
An ordinary True Immortal might already have died from that blow. Within the immortal realm, each stage was a separate heaven; defeating an enemy of a higher stage was nearly impossible.
Although that creature of darkness was only a Quasi-Immortal King, not a true Immortal King, he was still beyond Lin Tianfan, who had only just entered the immortal realm.
Most terrifying of all, the darkness seized this chance to corrode him again. Lin Tianfan's eyes dimmed and grew bewildered. An unknown force tugged at his primordial spirit, summoning it, dragging it out of his body.
"Without Quasi-Immortal King-level strength, is becoming an immortal in this age truly impossible?" Lin Tianfan sighed softly, a trace of sorrow in his voice.
His current strength surpassed the worthies of the past, yet he still struggled to defy heaven.
Was the curse that prevented anyone from attaining immortality after the immortal ancient era truly unbreakable?
Lin Tianfan knew he had rushed things. Given enough time, he would surely have become a Mortal World Immortal, shattered the darkness, and attained undying longevity.
But now there truly was not enough time. That other world was coming, and his own strength was becoming difficult to suppress. Before long, the tribulation of immortality would descend on its own anyway. This was no age of declining Dharma.
"Has he failed? Another man has fallen on the path to immortality after Ye Qianyu and Mo Wudao!" Beings in the forbidden zones discussed it. Some were even True Immortals who had survived from antiquity.
Though they could not see clearly what happened within the black mist, they could sense the terrifying power emanating from it. It exceeded the scope of True Immortals and had reached the Quasi-Immortal King level.
"Remarkable. This man is already immensely powerful. His combat strength has reached the True Immortal level, far beyond those previous two, yet he still cannot survive to become an immortal!" A True Immortal sighed, profoundly aware of how terrifying this age was.
"Sage Emperor..."
People in the Nine Heavens wailed, overcome with worry. They belonged to the forces under the Sacred Emperor Palace, all nurtured by Lin Tianfan himself and unwaveringly loyal.
"Is it still impossible? Even if you fail, I hope you survive. Otherwise, it will be a tremendous loss for the Nine Heavens!" Meng Tianzheng said quietly, his heart full of concern.
The two had known each other for many years, as both teacher and friend. When Lin Tianfan was weak, Meng Tianzheng had looked after him time and again, guiding him along the path of cultivation. Their bond was deep.
Lin Tianfan had risen from the Three Thousand Provinces and made his way to the Nine Heavens. Without Meng Tianzheng's help, how could he have traversed the path of Body-as-a-Seed and so swiftly become supreme throughout the cosmos?
"I was born in splendor, and I shall die in glory! How could I let darkness taint me and occupy my body? Even if I die today, I will blaze a trail for those who come after and bear witness to the brilliance of the path to immortality!"
Lin Tianfan's expression was impassive. Like a Heavenly Emperor descending into the mortal world, he struck upward toward the Nine Heavens and reached down into the nine nether depths. Standing alone, he looked down upon The Heavens and surveyed the world with disdain.
In that instant, many memories of the past surfaced in his mind, filled with regrets and sorrow.
As a youth, he had left his homeland with lofty ambitions; when he returned with his learning complete, his loved ones were already dead. From demonic beginnings, he had trodden upon the skies and struck at The Heavens, fighting bloody battles and slaughtering foes in every direction!
For a very long time, he had borne the vengeance owed to his family and friends, walking the path of cultivation alone. Revenge had become his obsession.
Later, he had wanted even more to resurrect his family and friends. He yearned to become incomparably powerful, to transcend everything and stand above it all. Through countless lonely years, this obsession had honed him and driven him onward!
And now...
"Kill!"
Lin Tianfan roared coldly, nothing remaining but blazing battle intent. His murderous aura poured forth, shaking the cosmos, and his eyes blazed. He would stake everything on one final struggle and carve out a clear, radiant world. Even if he fell, his end would come amid splendor!
"Dao-Fusing Sacred Art!"
At that moment, heaven and earth trembled. Immortal power boiled, imperishable light blossomed, and Lin Tianfan unleashed his strongest divine ability and methods.
He had created this technique himself as well. It could devour all things, including laws and order, and fuse the myriad methods of the Daos into a single move.
It was his strongest strike and his final desperate measure, the embodiment of his lifetime's Dao attainment. By fusing and refining his own being, he unleashed limitless power.
Yet he had always felt it was incomplete, flawed. It killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of his own, but he no longer had time to perfect it.
Lin Tianfan did not want to leave his flesh behind for the darkness to occupy. Rather than that, he would leave nothing at all and sacrifice himself completely.
Blazing flames ignited around him, turning him into a mass of immortal light. Only his form, composed of Dao laws, remained as he charged toward the black hole in the heavens, determined to perish together with his enemy.
At this moment, with nothing of himself remaining, Lin Tianfan instead glimpsed new life. He saw his own Dao...
"So that's it. My Dao still lacks..."