The scenery in level 44 is more expansive than any of the previous levels.
This is an endless gray mountain range, its rugged terrain resembling the spines of lurking giants, stretching across the dark purple sky.
There are many ancient architectural ruins in the mountains.
Some have collapsed more than halfway, leaving only a few broken stone pillars standing alone. Others retain their original outlines, like forgotten cities, silent in the passage of time.
A considerable number of cultivators had already gathered at the pass.
Most of them were the pride and protectors of the Three Thousand Provinces. Some stood on distant mountaintops watching, while others sat on the stone steps of the ruins, closing their eyes to rest. Occasionally, some would whisper a few words to each other, their gazes frequently glancing in the same direction.
Directly in front of the pass, three figures were sitting cross-legged on a huge black rock.
Jin Xuan, who was in the lead, closed his eyes, and the power of the laws around his body pulsed slowly like breathing, just like a sun breathing.
Qing Sha stood behind him, slowly wiping the bloodstains from the tip of the halberd with a cloth.
The Bai Yue stood tall and graceful, like a piece of ancient ice, listlessly surveying the surrounding scenery.
After wiping the tip of his halberd, the young man casually asked, "Do you think that Lin Clan son really dares to come?"
I bet he'll come.
Jin Xuan said confidently, "I heard that he fought his way from the first level to the forty-third level, slaying the Eternal Dragon Emperor Physique of the Dragon Clan, repelling the Chaotic Devil Physique, and even crushing the ancient freak of the Holy Spirit Clan. If you let someone hear that someone is waiting for him, he won't hide."
Qing Sha scoffed, "The prodigies of the Three Thousand Provinces, no matter how much they boast, are still a step behind those of the Emperor Pass."
The young man in black didn't open his eyes, and said calmly, "They've arrived."
They both looked up at the same time.
At the edge of the gray mountains, nine True Dragon pulled a chariot, descending from the sky.
The roar of the dragon came from afar, like a golden cloud spreading out from a distance.
The nine Pure-Blooded True Dragon possessed a vast ocean of blood and energy, each radiating a Sage- level dragon might that caused the surrounding air to tremble slightly.
The three from Emperor Pass looked up at the same time.
Jin Xuan's gaze remained fixed on the carriage, his expression unchanged.
The young man with the halberd narrowed his eyes. "It really is a nine-dragon palanquin, quite a grand spectacle. I just wonder if it's worth the extravagance."
"I've heard that these nine dragons possess the legendary bloodline of True Dragon..."
Jin Xuan's gaze finally changed; if he could capture her and train her properly...
Bai Yue revealed a hint of interest. "Here it comes, the show is about to begin!"
The nine dragons landed before the forty-fourth gate, their claws pressing the ground and raising a ring of golden energy.
Lin Fan's gaze immediately locked onto the dazzling golden light screen in the distance, and the figure standing with his hands behind his back.
"People from Emperor Pass?"
The lingering echoes of the laws in the air hadn't completely dissipated when that unfamiliar aura made him raise an eyebrow slightly.
Jin Xuan turned his head.
Their gazes met in the void, without any violent clash, yet all the cultivators in the arena subconsciously held their breath.
"You're Lin Fan?"
Jin Xuan sized up Lin Fan for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Lin Fan replied calmly, "I am indeed the Imperial Son. And who are you?"
Jin Xuan's smile froze for a moment, " Emperor Pass, Jin Xuan of the ancient royal family Jin Clan."
He spoke, his tone still carrying that haughty composure. "I've come to retrieve the Purifying Lotus Immortal Flame. Did you take it?"
"Um."
Lin Fan nodded. "I took it, so what?"
Jin Xuan's smile turned completely cold, " The Purifying Lotus Immortal Flame was ordered by a very important figure from my Emperor Pass."
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority as he said disdainfully, "You took something you shouldn't have..."
"Considering your father had some influence in the Emperor Pass!"
"If you hand it over voluntarily and kneel down to apologize, I can pretend this never happened."
"Otherwise..."
He glanced at the corpse of the Golden Ancient Clan on the ground, his tone lingering with a meaningful pause. "Your fate will likely be similar to his."
Lin Fan remained silent for a moment.
Then he laughed, a naive and innocent laugh, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. "What did you say? You want me to kneel down and apologize?"
He tilted his head, his gaze falling on Jin Xuan.
As if looking at a somewhat interesting but not quite fun toy. "Are you sure you're here to get the Purifying Lotus Immortal Flame, and not to deliver takeout?"
"What did you say?" Jin Xuan's face darkened abruptly. Although he didn't know what "delivering takeout" meant, he could sense the contempt and disdain in Lin Fan's tone!
I said...
Lin Fan said calmly, "Your condescending attitude reminds me of the people I've met on the road before."
"They also think they're very important."
"They all ended up in my barbecue grill."
He paused, then added, "But you're fresher than them, coming from the Emperor Pass. I wonder what the meat quality is like."
As he spoke, he wiped his drool.
Jin Xuan's face darkened completely. "Arrogant!"
They actually treated him like food!
He is a member of the prestigious Jin Clan, an ancient royal clan Emperor Pass the Imperial Pass. Wherever he goes, he is treated with respect, yet this brat is so arrogant!
"You think that killing those Sage King Realm cultivators is all I have?"
"Fine, I'll show you the true strength of the Emperor Pass's Pride!"
You will know what despair and helplessness are!
He laughed in anger, and golden laws suddenly erupted around him, like a golden sun rising behind him.
"Your father caused trouble in the Emperor Pass, and today you'll pay for it!"
Before he could finish speaking, Jin Xuan moved.
He took a step forward, and the golden laws around him condensed into a huge golden fist imprint, carrying enough destructive power to shatter a Saint Early Sage King Realm expert, and smashed down towards Lin Fan.
This punch was delivered without any restraint.
What he wanted was to crush the enemy in one blow and demonstrate the absolute power of the Emperor Pass Pass's prodigy.
Moreover, his laws are different from those of the Three Thousand Provinces; they are more complete and powerful because the laws of heaven and earth in the Emperor Pass are more complete than those of the Three Thousand Provinces!
This is why the geniuses of the Emperor Pass look down on the geniuses of the Three Thousand Provinces!
This is because they have a complete understanding of the laws of heaven and earth, making them naturally stronger than the cultivators of the Three Thousand Provinces!
However, Lin Fan simply raised his right hand.
With his five fingers spread, Chaos Qi condensed into a thin layer of light in his palm.
boom!
The golden fist imprint slammed into the chaotic light barrier, producing a deafening roar.
The golden laws scattered and dispersed, and the shockwave spread outwards like a circular tsunami, blowing away a layer of the ruins within a radius of a thousand feet.
The chaotic light curtain remained completely still.
Lin Fan stood still, without even taking a step back.
Jin Xuan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. "What? The Law of Chaos? It actually bridged the gap in the laws!"
"That's interesting."
Lin Fan withdrew his hand, shaking his wrist as if to dispel the residual heat from his palm. "He is indeed a tiny bit stronger than those Sage King Realm, but only a tiny bit."
He looked up at Jin Xuan, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, "Now, isn't it my turn to make a move?"
Before he finished speaking, his figure disappeared from the spot.
The speed was so fast that even Jin Xuan's Sage King Realm divine sense could not completely lock onto it. He instinctively activated the golden law to condense a protective light barrier and retreated backward at the same time.
But it was too late.
A hand shrouded in Chaos Qi pressed precisely onto his protective light barrier, as if struck by the universe.
"Bang!"
The protective light barrier shattered instantly.
Jin Xuan was sent flying backward like a cannonball, tumbling several times in mid-air before barely managing to regain his footing.
A trickle of pale golden blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
He glanced down at the slowly spreading Chaos Qi crack on his chest, then abruptly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the white-clad figure in the distance, and his expression finally changed completely.
It was no longer contempt and condescension, but genuine solemnity, even tinged with a hint of excitement and madness.
"You are indeed stronger than he said!"
Jin Xuan straightened up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "But this is what makes it interesting. If they couldn't even withstand one punch from me, that would be boring."