Yunliu let out a muffled groan. His eyes that were showing terrifying, blood-soaked scenes suddenly dimmed. “When the successor of Fangchun Mountain is involved, everything...becomes uncertain?” he sighed. He practiced the Buddha Prophecy Sutra of the Little Thunderclap Temple, a scripture known for peering into the hidden mysteries and secrets of heaven and foretelling what was to come. This sutra was revered as a method of prophecy. With just a glance at an ordinary person, Yunliu could foresee their fate and the trajectory of their life. Even most cultivators couldn’t escape his insight. Unfortunately, the dao of fate and destiny was among the most profound. It touched upon the secrets of eternity and immortality. What he could glimpse were only fragments, hazy, vague and elusive. Just now, a sudden feeling arose. He sensed signs and omens, visions of a looming catastrophe descending upon the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass. Unfortunately, no matter how he tried, no matter how he exhausted his cultivation, he could not discern the figures involved. He knew very well that this was partly due to the limits of his cultivation, but more importantly, it was because a certain someone was involved in this catastrophe! The successor of Fangchun Mountain! “Fate shifts like clouds and wind, unpredictable and hidden in the unseen. Whether it brings fortune or misfortune, no one can escape its grasp,” Yunliu murmured. Blood trickled from the cracks at the corners of his lips, but he seemed unaware. In the third year after entering the Great Thousand Battle Domain. After countless hardships, dangers and life and death trials, Lin Xun finally reached the outskirts of the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass! In the vast, silent universe, a colossal ancient city floated in the void, radiating divine brilliance in all directions. Far beyond the city hung a black curtain like the veil of night draped across the heavens, forming a dark backdrop to the city. From atop the city, if one gazed into the distance, they could faintly make out silhouettes of mountains and rivers within the darkness. Even the vague outlines of terrifying creatures loomed in the shadows, their chilling roars echoing through the void, shaking the boundless cosmos! The black curtain was no ordinary night, but more like an ominous and mysterious region of space. It was the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass, and the ancient city suspended before it was known as Taiyi. Unlike the previous eighth Immortal Heavenly Pass, Taiyi City was vast beyond measure and resplendent beyond compare. It stood like the beating heart of the universe, sacred and radiant, bathed in billions of strands of divine light. “I’ve finally arrived...” Lin Xun exhaled a long breath of turbid air. On the way to the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass, he had experienced dozens of bloody battles, both large and small. The most recent danger Lin Xun had faced occurred when he passed by a dilapidated ancient temple, a ruin that had somehow endured since the last epoch. There, a bronze halberd clutched in the hand of a clay statue caught his eyes, but when he tried to take it, he was struck by a deadly blow. The halberd looked decayed, yet it unleashed an overwhelming and terrifying power. With a single swing, it could split the sky and shatter the earth. Its might was absurd. Lin Xun battled it for several days, sustaining countless wounds. He was nearly killed several times, but in the end, he managed to suppress the strange halberd with the power of his divine ability, Time Stopping. Unfortunately, just as he had subdued it, the bronze halberd seemed to have exhausted all its remaining strength and crumbled into pieces, exploding into dust. Lin Xun could only stand there, dumbfounded. After all that effort...what a waste! Though such bizarre and frustrating events were not uncommon during his journey, this one still left Lin Xun somewhat dispirited. Perhaps the only consolation was that the battle had served as a rare training session, tempering his skills to an astonishing level. After leaving the ancient temple ruins, he headed straight to the universe where the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass was located. At this moment, though his body was stained with blood, his hair disheveled, and he looked battered and worn, the faint wisps of murderous intent swirling around him were incomparably concentrated and terrifyingly sharp. He was like an ancient demon god that had just emerged from a sea of ​​blood and corpses! When he appeared in this stretch of the starry sky, he immediately drew attention. All the cultivators passing by turned to look, but when their eyes met Lin Xun’s, they froze in horror, as if plunged into an icy abyss. His cold, killing gaze seemed capable of reaping lives with a single glance! “It’s very rare for anyone to reach the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass alone and still be alive...” Voices filled with awe and confusion rose in the air. However, when they looked again, their expressions turned to astonishment. The man who had just radiated terrifying murderous intent now seemed no different from an ordinary mortal. His presence had faded entirely. There was no aura, no energy fluctuations! It was as if he had become a completely different person! Lin Xun ignored the attention and vanished from sight in a flash. At the gates of the majestic ancient city, two lines of imperial guards stood on either side and two Ninth Realm Ancestors sat in command. Their presence was awe-inspiring. The green sparrow advised, “The ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass is extraordinary and full of mysteries. In the past, many fierce and powerful figures have undergone transformation here.” According to it, the number nine was a special number because it was ever-changing and unlike any other. Furthermore, this city was known as a place for tempering the dao. The most ancient and primal dao laws were concentrated here. Cultivating here could forge an incomparably solid foundation for one’s dao path. The reason was that throughout the ages, countless powerful figures, ancient sages, and peerless giants had come to this place, each treating it as a battleground to prove their dao, leaving behind their will on the Battle Stele of the Domains within the city The Battle Stele of the Domains possessed the power to communicate with the laws of the entire Great Thousand Battle Domain, effectively recording and preserving the might of the dao of those who had left their names. Mediating quietly in the city, one could feel the immense dao power that had built up over countless years. For those who grasped its essence, the rewards were huge and with no drawbacks at all. As the green sparrow explained, Lin Xun stepped into Taiyi City. He could clearly sense that this city was far larger, more populated, and more prosperous than any of the previous eight Immortal Heavenly Passes. Over the years, countless powerful cultivators from across the Great Thousand Battle Domain had come to this place for various reasons, choosing to remain and temper themselves here. It was not that they couldn’t leave. Instead, this city held too many secrets, too many temptations they were unwilling to part with. At the heart of it all was something located just on the outskirts of Taiyi City. That stretch of darkness in the depths of the universe, like a curtain of night, was actually a perfectly preserved relic from the last epoch: the Dao Ruins! The Dao Ruins were not dilapidated in the slightest but instead had remained intact, brimming with unimaginable mysteries and fortunes. In the past, some cultivators had achieved sudden breakthroughs in their dao within those ruins, elevating their path in a single leap. Others discovered secret dao scrolls left behind from the last epoch, comprehending peerless paths of cultivation. Some even unearthed divine materials and treasures born in the last epoch! While the Dao Ruins was steeped in mysteries from the last epoch, it was also riddled with dangers and terrors, making it both deeply alluring and feared. “I wonder if that wanted criminal Lin Xun will really show up in the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass like the rumors say.” “He’s so fierce and ruthless! He killed Heng Tianshuo, the city lord of Origin City, and beat the Wen Clan’s young master Wen Shaoheng to death. They say the bloodshed dyed all of Origin City red. I’m curious what this Lin Xun looks like.” “After tens of thousands of years, the deteriorating Ancient Nebula Road has finally produced a supreme Emperor. But now, he’s in grave danger. If he dares to appear, I bet Taiyi City will be his burial ground.” Shortly after arriving in the city, Lin Xun overheard discussions about him. After making some inquiries, he quickly learned that someone had deliberately spread a rumor that he would appear in the ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass. According to the rumor, the Immortal Imperial Clans, the Wen Clan, the Heng Clan, and the Luo Clan, were already preparing to join forces to kill him. If it were just gossip, it wouldn’t have caused such a stir. Surprisingly, both the Wen and Heng Clans had personally acknowledged the claim! Furthermore, many renowned experts even announced that if Lin Xun dared show up in Taiyi City, they would make sure the murderer who was ranked third on the wanted list wouldn’t leave alive! Because of all that, it was no wonder Taiyi City had been thrown into a frenzy. At this point, just about everyone in Taiyi City knew about this matter. “Indeed, they’ve prepared their net in advance...” Lin Xun remained unfazed. He had anticipated this long before stepping foot in Taiyi City. The wide and ancient streets bustled with life. Apothecaries, weapon shops, pill pavilions, wine taverns and tea houses lined both sides. The city was vibrant and flourishing, just like every other Immortal Heavenly Pass. Lin Xun headed straight to several large merchant guilds to sell the treasures he had collected along the way. At the same time, he was also on the lookout for businesses that sold Yellow Spring Beads. It was not until three hours later that he finally settled down in an inn to rest. “I only need nine more Yellow Spring Beads to fully condense the last three netherworld funes...” In the room, Lin Xun carefully placed the newly acquired Yellow Spring Beads one by one into the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron. Watching the subtle transformation in the three netherworld runes, he couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction. Since the third Immortal Heavenly Pass, he had purchased Yellow Spring Beads in every city he passed. Though it cost him a fortune, the results were undeniably significant. He had a premonition. Once all nine netherworld runes were fully condensed, earthshaking changes would happen! “Green sparrow, tell me about the trial in Taiyi City.” Lin Xun said casually. The green sparrow replied, “It’s not difficult to enter the Dao Ruins outside this city and capture ten Emperor-level spirits. The real danger lies in the ruins themselves. It is full of terrors, but it also holds rare fortunes from the last epoch. If you want to survive and return, you’ll need to be especially cautious.” Earlier, while selling treasures in the city, he had already learned that each month, a group of registered cultivators would be sent to the Dao Ruins. Now, only three days remained until the next dispatch. There was still time to register. However, before that, Lin Xun planned to visit the location of the Battle Stele of the Domains!