At the same time.
North of Emperor Pass lies a cliff face shrouded in gray mist.
A figure sat cross-legged on a boulder, his body surrounded by surging golden light, each ray of which contained fine, dark red patterns.
The patterns were pulsating.
It's like a heart that's been forcibly suppressed, constantly trying to break free of its restraints.
Sudden.
The figure suddenly opened its eyes.
Deep within those pupils, two golden lights contracted violently, then exploded, transforming into countless tiny fragments of law.
"What a fine Lin Clan prince of the Lin family!"
The voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, hoarse, cold, and filled with suppressed rage.
Jin Zhen stood up, and the boulder beneath his feet cracked with a thud, the fissure spreading from the center to the edges before shattering into dozens of pieces.
His clone was killed.
Although that clone was not his main body, it was a complete replica of nearly 30% of his cultivation and two strands of Immortal Qi.
Originally, it was to seize the opportunity of the Longevity Ruins at the lowest possible cost.
While we're at it, let's also investigate the details of the Three Thousand Provinces.
As a result, he was photographed as a spectacle in a single glance.
They couldn't even force out the third strand of Immortal Qi.
Jin Zhen took a deep breath, and the dark red pattern on his chest rose and fell with his breath, like some kind of ancient rune being repeatedly activated.
"Three strands of Immortal Qi..."
He repeated the word in a low voice.
He also has two paths.
One is one's destiny, the other is one's refinement.
To condense the second one, he spent a full sixty years, consuming three fragments of Emperor Weapon, two remnants of immortal herbs, and an ancient imprint from deep within the Jin Clan land.
It was formed by the combined efforts of all the patriarchs!
But the second one still had impurities, and each time it was activated, it would be a beat slower, like a lame horse that could never run at full speed no matter how hard it tried.
The Lin Clan prince from the Lin family, who came from Three Thousand Provinces, revealed three weapons in one go.
Three perfect, pure, and perfectly integrated Immortal Qi.
Jin Zhen closed his eyes, but the image of the three streams of Immortal Qi blooming simultaneously still lingered in his mind, as clear as if it were branded.
"Boom!"
He suddenly threw a punch, tearing a dark rift in the void in front of him, with dark golden fragments of law churning and collapsing at the edges of the rift.
"My secondary body... is gone."
He gritted his teeth and spoke slowly, each word distinct.
The secret manual he cultivated was called the [ Twin-Body Emperor Transformation Art ], which could split his soul and cultivation into two: the main body cultivated his destiny, while the secondary body refined external objects.
After cultivating their two bodies to their peak, they merge into one, which can directly lead to the status of Great Emperor. Moreover, the foundation of their Dao upon becoming an Emperor is far more solid than that of an ordinary Great Emperor, and they may even have the potential to step into the Immortal Dao.
This method is extremely dangerous.
Once the secondary body is destroyed, the main body will remain unharmed, but the path to fusion and becoming an emperor will be severed.
Although he can condense a second body, it will take a very long time and resources to mature. Only by refining the three Immortal Qi fruits on Lin Fan's body will there be a chance to complete his Dao foundation!
" Lin Fan..."
Jin Zhen opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the not-yet-completely-closed crack in the void before him. His voice was low but carried a resolute determination, as if he were making a desperate gamble.
"Those three streams of Immortal Qi..."
"It's more precious than my secondary body. If I could refine it, I could not only complete my Dao foundation, but I could even advance to a higher level."
Behind him, a deep voice came. "Young Master, he possesses three strands of Immortal Qi. Are you sure..."
"I'm sure."
Jin Zhen turned around and looked at the figure standing in the shadows, his tone so calm it didn't sound like he was talking about something so serious, "What do you think the Jin Clan has that has allowed them to stand Emperor Pass for so many years and be revered as an ancient royal family?"
The person in the shadows remained silent for a moment.
Then he understood. "You want to activate that thing?"
It's not a request.
Jin Zhen raised his hand, his palm open, and a very faint golden line appeared between the lines of his palm, like a sleeping dragon slowly opening its eyes.
"Take it with you."
"It's time for the Jin Clan's Immortal Artifact to see some blood!"
The person in the shadows suddenly contracted their pupils.
Then he bowed, stepped back, and disappeared into the gray mist.
Jin Zhen stood alone on the precipice, his gaze piercing through hundreds of miles of empty space, as if he could already see the ancient ruins that would soon see the light of day again in three days.
" Lin Clan prince... I'm determined to have your three strands of Immortal Qi."
"Let's see if your Double Pupils are more powerful, or if my Jin Clan's Immortal Artifact are sharper."
The wind howled.
The figure on the cliff slowly clenched his fist, golden laws flowing between his fingers like bound magma.
Immortal Burial City.
The backyard of an unassuming inn.
Lin Fan sat under an old locust tree in the courtyard, holding a pot of freshly warmed wine in his hand, his gaze falling on the branches and leaves swaying in the wind above.
The system panel floated semi-transparently in front of him.
In addition to the usual information, a new notification appeared: [Warning: Jin Zhen (main body) has decided to participate in the Longevity Ruins operation three days later, carrying Immortal Artifact. Target: the host's three strands of Immortal Qi.]
[ Immortal Artifact -level threat detected. Host, would you like to consume Villain Points to unlock temporary countermeasures?]
Lin Fan took a sip of wine.
Then he placed the flask on his lap and calmly looked at the line of text.
Immortal Artifact?
interesting.
He had heard about it when he was in the Three Thousand Provinces. The ancient royal family of the Emperor Pass had a profound heritage, and some Lineage even inherited half a fragment of Immortal Artifact.
But the Jin Clan actually possesses a complete Immortal Artifact?
This is unexpected news.
but...
Lin Fan took another sip of wine, a slight smile playing on his lips, " The Jin Clan is giving away Immortal Artifact? Immortal Artifact are wonderful! My Dao Comprehension Stele and Hunyuan Bell have been itching for a long time!"
He finished the last drop of wine from the jug, casually placed the empty jug on the stone table, stood up, and stretched.
Night was falling.
The branches and leaves of the old locust tree rustled in the evening breeze, as if countless unseen eyes were secretly watching over the small courtyard.
Three days later, Immortal Burial City.
Before dawn, a pale golden light had already illuminated the ancient city wall, which was covered with ancient array patterns, as if a fuse had been lit from within.
Nine figures had already arrived at the ancient pass.
Lin Fan arrived neither early nor late.