157: The prologue of the Immortal's Mansion, the turbulent tide of the gathering of old monsters

In Lin Fan's mind, the crimson warning about his "companion" had not yet completely faded.

However, the "glazed key" in his hand began to tremble violently without any warning.

A scorching, piercing pain emanated from his palm.

The key no longer pointed to the distant direction of the "Heavenly Dao Forbidden Zone."

Instead, it pointed straight down, towards the depths of the black earth beneath his feet, within this purified, abandoned ancient city.

"Ding!"

"Emergency Warning: High-value area anomaly detected!"

"Discovering fluctuations of Immortal Grade Nascent Soul fragments, energy level far exceeds current purified targets!"

"System map function has automatically marked the location; please proceed to investigate immediately, Host!"

The cold System prompt sounded with unprecedented urgency.

On the semi-transparent light screen before Lin Fan's eyes, a coordinate point, flashing with dazzling red light, appeared directly beneath his current position, seemingly bottomless.

Surprise.

A feeling of surprise at discovering a new, readily available Opportunity instantly dispelled his previous doubts about the "Heavenly Dao Forbidden Zone."

Compared to the vague, perilous "companion" clue,

this Treasure Trove buried beneath his feet was clearly more practical.

Lin Fan composed himself, and the power of his Immortal Grade Nascent Soul transformed into an invisible probe, silently seeping into the ground, guided by the key.

A hundred meters.

A thousand meters.

Ten thousand meters.

He "saw" it.

In the extreme depths beneath the ancient city, it was not rock and earth veins.

Instead, it was a vast, dilapidated complex of buildings enveloped in endless darkness.

It was a sleeping Ancient Immortal manor.

The outline of the Immortal manor was unimaginably grand; merely the tip of the iceberg that was exposed was more than ten times larger than the ancient city on the surface.

It was shrouded by layers of ancient Restrictions so powerful they were suffocating.

Within the Restrictions, a pure Immortal Dao aura and a dense, inseparable Devilish Qi were strangely intertwined and colliding.

It was as if the sacred remains of a god had been desecrated and occupied by a demonic entity.

A deeply contaminated "immortal realm fragment."

Or perhaps... the burial ground of an Ancient Immortal.

Lin Fan's heart pounded uncontrollably.

This meant that once he successfully "courted death" and purified this place, the reward rating would absolutely be epic.

However.

The earth-shattering fluctuations emanating from an Immortal manor anomaly of this scale simply could not be concealed.

The very next moment after Lin Fan made his judgment.

"Boom!"

The sky above the ancient city, like fragile glass, was forcibly torn open by an invisible giant hand, creating a massive, pitch-black crack.

A chilling, sinister Soul Transformation pressure, carrying an aura of decay, descended like a frigid tide from the netherworld.

Old Ancestor Xuan Ming.

He had returned, his eyes burning with greedy ghostly flames, staring intently at the source of the Immortal manor's fluctuations.

He was not the only one.

"Old Ancestor Xuan Ming, such an Immortal Opportunity is not something you of the Demonic Path can monopolize."

A clear, resonant voice, as if composed of thousands of clashing swords, echoed through heaven and earth.

The eastern sky was pierced by a brilliant Sword Light.

The Sword Light receded, revealing a stern-faced middle-aged Daoist in a white robe, carrying an ancient sword on his back.

His Sword Intent soared to the heavens, and merely by standing there, he caused ripples in space as if it were being cut.

Lord Wan Jian, Grand Elder of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.

Immediately after.

From the south, a giant blood-red lotus bloomed enchantingly, and a graceful palace-dressed beautiful woman, with naturally seductive eyes, stepped forth upon the lotus; with each step, pink mist permeated the air.

From the west, a three-zhang-tall, muscular Golden Arhat, exuding explosive power, shattered the Void Realm, his voice like a great bell.

In just a few breaths.

A total of four Spirit Transformation Old Monster, who could cause heaven and earth to change with a mere stomp of their feet in the Flowing Light Realm, gathered here.

Their auras clashed and contended with each other.

The Spiritual Qi of the entire world solidified because of this, becoming as heavy as lead.

Tension.

A terrifying sense of oppression, with powerful enemies all around, where even breathing became a luxury, enveloped the entire ancient city.

Lin Fan had already, at the first instant, retracted his aura to the extreme, like an unmoving rock, hiding in the shadows of the altar.

He looked at the four god-like figures in the sky, without the slightest fear in his heart.

Instead, a nearly perverse excitement surged within him.

The more people, the better.

The more chaotic the scene, the better.

Only when these top predators were tearing at each other.

Could he, the "mantis" hidden in the dark, have a chance to catch the plumpest "cicada."

He began to frantically deduce dozens of different "courting death" plans in his mind.

How to utilize the Restrictions.

How to sow discord.

How to rush into the center of the battle at the most crucial moment, reap the greatest benefits, and then "die gracefully" under a magnificent Soul Transformation attack, making a perfect escape.

"Senior Brother Lin Fan!"

Zhao Linger's anxious voice sounded behind him.

She, Li Hanyue, and Su Meier had already sensed the world-destroying Soul Transformation pressure, and their pretty faces were filled with worry.

Li Hanyue said nothing, but her knuckles, tightly gripping her sword hilt, had turned slightly white from the exertion.

Su Meier was even more direct; a pink demonic energy shield had already opened, protecting the three of them, her foxy eyes scanning the sky vigilantly.

The battle was over.

The real "battlefield" was only just beginning.

"Don't panic."

Lin Fan turned around, a reassuring smile on his face.

"This isn't danger."

"This is a grand buffet, and we are the only diners."

He looked at the three girls' astonished eyes, his voice becoming steady and full of power.

"This is the first true trial since the establishment of the 'Alliance,' and also a great Opportunity."

He walked up to Zhao Linger, looked into her clear eyes filled with worry, and reached out, habitually, gently rubbing her head.

The warm touch made Zhao Linger's body stiffen, and two blushes instantly flew to her cheeks; the anxiety in her heart was actually diluted by this sudden intimacy.

"Ling'er, your Danxin Fire has a restraining effect on Devilish Qi. Later, set up a Dan Fire array on the periphery to create a safe 'resurrection zone' for me."

He then turned to Li Hanyue.

The girl's gaze was still as cold as a sword, but beneath that sword's edge, there was a hint of concern she herself hadn't noticed.

Lin Fan met her gaze, revealing a challenging smile that only the two of them understood.

"Hanyue, your Sword Heart Comprehension is the strongest, and your observational skills are unparalleled. Help me keep a close eye on that 'Lord Wan Jian' and record all his sword techniques. His insights into the Dao of the Sword will be excellent nourishment for me... or rather, for you."

Li Hanyue's pupils slightly contracted.

She understood Lin Fan's meaning.

He not only wanted to snatch teeth from a tiger's mouth but also wanted to learn hunting skills from the tiger itself.

This man was crazy, yet so confidently captivating.

She nodded heavily.

Finally, it was Su Meier.

She had already actively clung to him, her small hand tightly gripping Lin Fan's sleeve, hiding half her body behind him, her eyes filled with complete trust and dependence.

Lin Fan lowered his head, leaned close to her fluffy fox ear, and whispered in a voice only they could hear.

"My little fox, use your talent to help me disrupt their perceptions, creating an unnoticed stage for me."

The warm breath brushed against Su Meier's sensitive earlobe.

Her body instantly softened, her foxy eyes filled with a hazy mist, and her cheeks were so red they looked like they could drip blood.

"Yes... Yes, Master."

Having arranged everything, Lin Fan's expression once again became cold and focused.

In the sky, the patience of the four Spirit Transformation Old Monster had clearly run out.

"Everyone, instead of confronting each other here, why not join forces to break through these outer Restrictions? As for the treasures inside, each will rely on their own abilities, how about it?"

Lord Wan Jian suggested coldly.

"Agreed."

"Good."

"Hmph."

After a brief exchange, the four instantly reached an agreement.

The next moment.

Four world-destroying powers erupted simultaneously.

Old Ancestor Xuan Ming struck out with a palm, and a pitch-black Ghost Hand, formed from thousands of resentful souls and carrying an aura that corroded all things, grabbed towards the Restriction.

Lord Wan Jian pointed his fingers like a sword, and a terrifying hundred-zhang-long Sword Qi tore through the sky, striking the same point.

Holy Mother Blood Lotus let out a charming laugh, and the blood-red lotus suddenly expanded, countless petals flying out, transforming into a sky full of blood blades.

The Golden Arhat, on the other hand, punched out, a pure golden fist aura, incomparably domineering, as if it wanted to punch a hole in heaven and earth.

"Rumble—"

The combined strike of the four Transformation God Ancestors made the entire earth tremble violently.

The ancient Restriction covering the Immortal manor let out an unbearable wail, its light flashing wildly, and finally, it was forcibly torn open, creating a several-zhang-wide crack.

However.

Lin Fan's attention was not on the world-destroying attack at all.

In his eyes, there was only the data stream frantically refreshing on the System light screen.

"Analyzing Restriction energy nodes..."

"Parsing structural modules... 10%... 50%... 100%!"

"Logical vulnerability found: A 0.01-second delay conflict exists in the energy flow between the Gengjin and Kuishui positions..."

"Three 'safe blind spots' have been marked, allowing direct passage while ignoring ninety percent of the Restriction's power!"

These insoluble Restrictions in the eyes of the Spirit Transformation Old Monster, under the System's analysis, were like a stripped-bare maiden, revealing their most fatal weaknesses.

"Now!"

The moment the crack appeared, the four Spirit Transformation Old Monster transformed into four streaks of light, rushing in, vying for precedence.

But they were fast.

Lin Fan was faster.

He did not take the most obvious crack but instead, with a flicker of his figure, arrived before a seemingly intact stone wall, forming a strange hand Seal; his entire being, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, silently passed through.

Inside the Immortal manor was a complex space.

Pavilions, towers, rockeries, and flowing water all exuded an ancient and profound Immortal Dao charm.

However, the air was filled with a nauseating, decaying Devilish Qi.

"What is that? Thousand-Year Blood Coral!"

"Get lost! I saw that first!"

Two Spirit Transformation Old Monster who had just entered instantly erupted into a fierce conflict over an ordinary Immortal Plant growing by the pond.

The demonic energy giant palm and the sky full of blood blades violently collided.

The turbulent energy aftermath directly tore a beautiful Immortal family pavilion into pieces.

Chaos had begun.

Lin Fan, utilizing the terrain and the System's analysis of the Restrictions, moved swiftly like a top-tier assassin, traversing through the gaps in shadows and Restrictions.

His target was directly the "high-value area" marked by the System, located at the very core of the Immortal manor.

Just as he was about to round a corridor.

A needle-like sense of crisis exploded from the depths of his Divine Soul.

It was Divine Thought!

A terrifying Divine Thought belonging to an Old Monster of the God Transformation Stage, powerful enough to crush the Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, swept over like an invisible net.

Lin Fan's body instantly stiffened, and a drop of cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.

He hid in the shadow of a rockery, operating his Aura Concealment Technique to the extreme.

That Divine Thought lingered on him for a thousandth of a second.

Ultimately, it seemed to detect no anomaly and slowly swept past.

Lin Fan finally let out a sigh of relief, his back already drenched in cold sweat.

This stroke of luck strengthened his previous plan.

In front of existences of this level, any concealment carried the risk of being seen through.

Only "death."

Only by "dying" in the most impossible way right under their noses could he, while taking the benefits, completely shake off their locking and plunge them into maximum confusion.

He quickened his pace.

Finally, he arrived before a magnificent hall radiating colorful Treasure Light.

The hall's main door was tightly shut, covered with extremely intricate Seals.

And at this moment.

"Buzz—"

The entire hall suddenly shook.

A dazzling, indescribably colorful Treasure Light broke through the Seal on the hall's roof, forming a beam of light that shot straight into the sky.

A terrifying pressure that shook the Divine Soul, seemingly originating from the Origin of the Immortal Dao, instantly swept through the entire Immortal manor.

All the Spirit Transformation Old Monster who were in a melee simultaneously paused their movements.

The next moment, they all, by unspoken agreement, abandoned their current struggles, their eyes burning with a hundred times more greed and fanaticism than before, transforming into four streaks of light, rushing madly towards this core hall.

Lin Fan, hidden outside the hall, looked at the colorful beam of light and at the four rapidly approaching Spirit Transformation Old Monster, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes.

The best item was about to appear.

He felt the immense energy contained within that light beam, enough to make the System's rewards explode.

The most frantic battle for the Immortal's Treasure Trove was about to unfold.

And he would be the sole protagonist of this grand drama.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

The show had begun.