"The essence blood of the Ancestral Dragon?"
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "This thing is in the tenth level? Not bad, not bad, another pleasant surprise."
"Buzz!"
He casually put Yun Wuji's storage ring into his pocket, then looked up at the icy blue phantom still suppressed by the Hunyuan Bell.
[Name: Long Yan]
[Identity: Ice Dragon Empress, reincarnation of the Ice Ancestor of the Immortal Realm.]
[Realm: Late Great Emperor (Remnant Soul)]
[Life Script: Once an empress, she was betrayed by those close to her, leaving only a remnant soul. She unexpectedly discovers Yun Wuji's talent and plans to train him to create a physical body for her! Once the body is formed, she awakens her past life memories and journeys to the Immortal Realm!]
Is he the reincarnation of the Ice Ancestor of the Immortal Realm?
That's interesting!
Lin Fan's eyes flickered; this woman might still be of value to him...
The Ice Dragon Empress's gaze remained cold, but now held a hint of complexity. "You killed him."
Lin Fan hummed in agreement. "What, you want revenge?"
The Ice Dragon Empress remained silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You are very strong, much stronger than I imagined."
She closed her eyes, as if making a difficult decision. "What do you want?"
Lin Fan tilted his head, looked at the remnant soul of the former empress, and suddenly smiled, "This imperial prince is short of a maid, and you are just right."
"What?!"
The Ice Dragon Empress suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze flashing with cold light. "You want me, the mighty Ice Dragon Empress, to be your maid?"
"Otherwise what?"
"You don't want to live?"
"Don't you want to live and take revenge?"
His voice suddenly became meaningful. "Only you know the reason for your demise back then. You wouldn't want them to live carefree lives while you perished with resentment, would you? Follow me, and becoming an immortal is just the beginning."
The Ice Dragon Empress remained silent for a long time.
She looked at Lin Fan, her icy blue eyes filled with no hatred, no murderous intent, only an extremely complex scrutiny and weighing of her options.
Who exactly are you?
Lin Fan smiled, "Didn't you see it? The Lin Clan son, the Chaos Gods and Devils Body, the one with Double Pupils, and... a celestial artifact."
"Alright, stop dawdling."
He pointed, and a wisp of chaotic energy transformed into a chain, binding the floating jade pendant and taking it into his palm. "You just stay inside obediently and come with me to the tenth level to retrieve the Ancestral Dragon's essence blood, then we'll consider what happens next."
Ice Dragon Empress: "..."
She, a dignified empress, had lived for tens of thousands of years, falling from the Immortal Domain to the mortal world. She finally found a successor, only to have him die, and now she was to be suppressed and forced to become a maid?
"Snort."
She snorted coldly and said nothing more. The illusory figure transformed back into a beam of icy blue light and disappeared into the jade pendant.
Lin Fan put away the jade pendant and clapped his hands. "Let's go, the second trial isn't over yet."
[Ding! The host has successfully subdued the remnant soul of the Ice Dragon Empress as a maid, seizing the trump card opportunity of the Son of Fortune Yun Wuji. This aligns with villainous behavior, and the host has been awarded 100,000 Villain Points!]
He glanced back at the pale-faced cultivators lying on the ground around the stone platform, but said nothing more.
Turn around.
The Kowloon Carriage awaited in the distance.
Several days later, Lin Fan passed through the second level of the maze.
At the end of the second level is a towering stone staircase, at the end of which floats a pale golden light gate, beyond which lies the entrance to the third level.
Along the way, Ji Kun reaped considerable rewards.
Relying on the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art and the resources given to him by the Emperor's son, he picked up several sacred herbs, half a tattered Emperor's Scripture, and inexplicably found a fragment of an ancient magic weapon in several hidden caves in the maze.
Ji Kun was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. "Your Highness, all of these are gifts from you!"
Lin Fan leaned back in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest. "Take it, no need to thank me. The road ahead is long; only when you become stronger can you run errands for me."
Ji Kun nodded repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes. "Yes!"
The third level is a desolate ancient city ruin.
Lin Fan stepped down from the carriage and glanced around.
The ancient city was vast, filled with collapsed palaces, broken stone pillars, and fragments of ancient array patterns, as if it had been leveled by a great war.
A faint smell of blood filled the air.
There were many recent traces of battle on the ground, some with Sword Qi crisscrossing, some with fist imprints as thick as mountains, and several places still had strong Yao Qi remaining.
"Everyone ahead has gone over; they've picked up all the treasure, not even a blade of grass is left."
"It's time to pick up the pace..."
He glanced at the distant sky.
There, one can vaguely see an ancient stone path that runs through the entire ruins. At the end of the path, there seems to be a magnificent golden palace, radiating a faint celestial light.
Let's go!
He didn't hesitate for long.
Over the next two months, Lin Fan led Ji Kun forward.
The fourth level is a sea of illusions, where all who enter will be plagued by Heart Demon; only those who see through the illusions can pass through.
Lin Fan, with his Double Pupils activated, pushed his way through.
The Heart Demon didn't even have time to take shape before it was evaporated by the chaotic energy.
Level 7, Level 8...
Each level was more difficult than the last, but none of them could stop Lin Fan.
Ji Kun was bitten by an ancient demonic python during the seventh level and almost died. Fortunately, Lin Fan threw a pill at him at the critical moment, which saved his life.
Ji Kun was so moved he almost cried, "Your Highness, you are so good to me!"
Lin Fan waved his hand. "Stop talking nonsense, get up and get going."
They slaughtered their way through, crushing everything in their path.
Upon reaching the end of the ninth level, Lin Fan finally saw the golden palace floating above the sea of clouds in the distance.
Level 10.
That's where Long Aotian is stationed.
Many pioneers stopped here; some watched from afar, some hesitated, some stood at a distance to watch the spectacle, and some simply sat down to wait and see the final show.
Lin Fan stood on the stone platform at the junction of the ninth and tenth levels, looking up at the golden palace.
The main hall's doors were tightly shut, with a faint golden light shining through the cracks, radiating a deep and ancient aura of power.