“Hey, Ling Xuanzi’s ranking suddenly shot up, and his real identity is Lin Xun. Who is he? Some terrifying figure from the Ancient Nebula Road?” Peng Tianxiang was shocked. Despite that, he found nothing strange. He had no idea that the ‘Jin Duyi’ he had regarded as a close brother was actually Lin Xun and was now ranked third on the wanted list. All he saw was Dugu Youran silently staring at the name on the notice. “That guy’s a scoundrel and a big, fat liar,” Dugu Youran said with a faint smile. That smile lit up Peng Tianxiang’s heart. He remembered his uncle Peng Qianhe’s advice: Think what she thinks, worry about what she worries about. So he quickly declared, “Youran, if you hate him that much, how about I hunt him down myself in the name of the Peng Clan? Hey, wait, Youran? What’s wrong? Wait for me...” Before he could finish, Dugu Youran turned away and walked toward the city gates, her expression dark and unreadable. Peng Tianxiang wanted to cry but he couldn’t. What happened? Why are women’s moods so hard to grasp? The thirty-sixth city of the Immortal Heavenly Pass. This was one of the cities under the control of the Luo Clan. Inside the City Lord Residence, a stunning woman with flawless features and a graceful bearing spoke coldly, her voice tinged with pride, “Fifth Uncle, back then I was the one responsible for overseeing our clan’s bounty hunts targeting cultivators from the Ancient Nebula Road. This time, I was also the first to uncover Lin Xun’s true identity. So, this matter should be handled by me.” This woman was Luo Ling, a jewel of the Luo Clan. She was breathtakingly beautiful and remarkably gifted. Her cold, detached gaze and elegant bearing made her seem unapproachable. It was because of her that Wen Shaoheng had once gone to great lengths to search for Lin Xun, all just to win her favor. In the grand hall, a number of Luo Clan experts were seated. At the head sat the lord of the city, Luo Yunfeng, an Emperor Ancestor with unfathomable cultivation and also Luo Ling’s fifth uncle. “Your sixth, seventh, and ninth uncles all perished in the Ancient Nebula Road. “Your ninth uncle was slain by Combat Emperor, Fangchun Mountain’s first disciple. “Your seventh uncle died in the Celestial Phoenix World. “Your sixth uncle died in the Kunlun Dominion and rumors say he was killed by Zhong Qiu, Fangchun Mountain’s second disciple.” Luo Yunfeng said with a serious expression. “Ling’er, do you know how devastating these losses are? In the Sixth Heaven Domain, many great forces are already pushing to drive our Luo Clan down to the Fifth Heaven Domain!” A hint of violence flashed between his brows and his expression turned grim. “Back then, our Luo Clan was a mighty imperial clan rooted in the Seventh Heaven Domain! We were powerful enough to contend with the Ten Immortal Giants of the Eighth Heaven Domain!” The grand hall was silent, with only Luo Yunfeng’s voice echoing through the stillness. All the Luo Clan cultivators wore dark expressions, their moods shifting like unsettled skies. Luo Ling said in a low voice, “I understand. It’s because we’ve lost the clan’s most supreme innate talent. That’s why we’ve declined to this point. “This is why I’m determined to take Lin Xun down myself. If we capture him, our clan will have the chance to rise again and regain our former glory!” However, Luo Yunfeng gave a cold snort, “Do you really think...with your current strength...you’re capable of that?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “He’s a successor of Fangchun Mountain. “And he’s already stepped into the seventh realm Supreme Emperor Stage. When he entered Origin City, he started a killing spree and he killed Heng Tianshuo, an Ancestor of a Path in a direct battle! “Most importantly, he carries our clan’s strongest innate power, and he’s most likely awakened it to its second stage!” By the time he finished speaking, Luo Yunfeng couldn’t suppress the intense jealousy surging in his heart. Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer! This was like a thorn in the hearts of all the Luo Clan elders. Looking back, it was thanks to that innate talent that the Omega Lord had built an extraordinary foundation for the Luo Clan. The clan’s power shook the entire Seventh Heaven Domain, forcing even the mighty overlords who commanded Heaven Rank laws to lower their heads! Those glorious days were unmatched! The Omega Lord had even scorned the Ten Immortal Giants of the Eighth Heaven Domain. That incredible dominance still echoed across the Eighth Heaven Domain to this day. With the mysterious disappearance of the Omega Lord and the loss of the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer bloodline, everything changed. Even the Luo Clan’s hold over the Sixth Heaven Domain had begun to falter! The contrast was staggering. For elders of the Luo Clan like Luo Yunfeng, how could there not be bitterness? All of it stemmed from the loss of that supreme bloodline talent! Furthermore that very talent had resurfaced in a young man without the surname Luo. The realization made Luo Yunfeng seethe with resentment and fury. “Now, tell me, what do you have that can capture that little bastard alive?” Luo Yunfeng’s gaze was icy and oppressive as he looked at Luo Ling. All eyes in the hall turned toward Luo Ling. After a moment, she took a deep breath and replied, “I possess methods that can threaten even Emperor Ancestors. And more importantly, I can rally the Heng and the Wen Clan to act alongside me.” Luo Yunfeng sneered. “Ling’er, you don’t understand what the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer truly represents. It is the strongest innate talent of our entire bloodline, a power capable of shaking the great powers of the Seventh Heaven Domain! Remember, never underestimate the talent that once belonged to our clan!” As he reached the end of the sentence, each word landed with weight, as if striking the ground, filling the hall with immense pressure. Luo Ling fell silent. After a long moment she said with resolve, “Even if it costs me my life, I will capture that man alive!” With that, she rose and strode out of the hall. Some elders stood up to stop her, but Luo Yunfeng waved a hand. “Let her go. I want to see if she can actually get this done!” Then after a pause, a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes. “Besides, if I’m not mistaken, she’s carrying that treasure, which may have a miraculous role against that boy.” After leaving the fifth Immortal Heavenly Pass, Lin Xun quickened his place. According to the green sparrow’s guidance, the journey from the fifth to the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass would take him through fewer than ten perilous and unpredictable battlefield planes. The distance had shortened, but the danger had intensified dramatically. Ordinary Emperors needed to travel in groups just to survive. Even supreme Emperors had to tread carefully, otherwise they would perish on the way! Indeed, Lin Xun experienced firsthand the terrors and perils of the journey, bathing in bloodshed and enduring countless hardships Several times, he narrowly escaped death by relying on the power of his divine ability, Time Stopping. Those battlefields were filled with unfathomable strangeness and ominous forces, almost all linked to terrifying remnants of the previous epoch. On the flip side, the rewards were immense. By the time he reached the eighth Immortal Heavenly Pass, the treasures he exchanged had already earned him a staggering fifteen million first class cosmic origin crystals! Additionally, his cultivation had also improved, entering the advanced levels of the seventh realm Supreme Emperor Stage. Though he was still far from the level of perfection, his progress was astonishing. At least, in the outside world, there was no way he could have experienced so many life-and-death trials or acquired so many transformative opportunities. The long journey, the unending slaughter and the repeated brushes with death had gradually tempered Lin Xun’s aura and demeanor into something more calm and unremarkable. Just like when all splendor faded, everything returned to its truest form. He was as silent as a still abyss, as steady as a settled cauldron. Among crowds, he was like any other under heaven, common, unremarkable and forgettable. However, in the eyes of true powerhouses, one could glimpse the immense and unfathomable mystery hidden beneath that plainness. He was like an abyss of immeasurable depth and power! This was the manifestation of cultivation refined to its limit, a return to the true nature, where illusion and reality intertwined and one remained one’s true self. True cultivation was precisely the pursuit of this ‘truth’. It needed no embellishment from the power of the dao, because it was the embodiment of the dao! As Lin Xun left the eighth Immortal Heavenly Pass, he suddenly recalled something. Half a year had already passed, yet the supreme Emperor-level assassin Frost from Empty Hidden World had yet to appear. Could Empty Hidden World have given up? If he counted the days, it had already been two and a half years since he left Origin City at the first Immortal Heavenly Pass and had made his way to the eighth. Had this sudden thought not surfaced, Lin Xun might have completely forgotten the matter. “If they’re planning to deal with me, then the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass will be their best chance.” Lin Xun murmured, his eyes clear as he made his prediction. Whether it was the Heng Clan, the Wen Clan, the Luo Clan, or Frost, if any of them wished to seize an opportunity, there was no doubt they would choose the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass. The reason was simple: The ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass held a Battle Stele of the Domains! Lin Xun would never miss such an opportunity. In addition, if those enemies had even the slightest foresight, they would be preparing in advance, if only to be ready. Lin Xun remained calm. The countless battles and trials along the way had tempered his heart and mind. He was no longer the newcomer who knew nothing about the Great Thousand Battle Domain. He understood clearly that on this bloody, unreturnable road, the only way forward was to advance with courage. There could be no retreat! If he wished to survive in a world of the so-called Immortal Imperial Clan descendants, peerless giants, and Ancestors of a Path, then he had to be stronger than all of them! He had walked his path alone from a young age, weathered countless storms, witnessed the rise and fall of life and tempered his dao heart into one of invincible will. This was no blind arrogance, but an absolute confidence in the strength of his own cultivation. On the path of the Emperor, none rival me! Only with such resolve could one remain firm on this unprecedented path, surpass all of the same realm, and transcend the ages! Lin Xun set off again, continuing his journey toward the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass. “A great catastrophe is approaching. It is inevitable. When it arrives, a bloody storm will sweep through the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass...” In the ruins of an ancient battlefield, a thin monk in plain hemp robes stood still. It was none other than Yunliu, the monk from Little Thunderclap Temple who had entered the Earth Kun Realm Gate alongside Lin Xun. At this moment, he seemed to sense something. He brought his palms together in silent prayer, raised his gaze to the distant horizon, and a profound, unfathomable Zen light flickered in his eyes. In that instant, terrible visions surfaced in his eyes—blood pouring like waterfalls, the sky collapsing, the earth splitting apart, Emperors falling, and all things crumbling. Terror beyond imagination!
