Nine Heavens…
A tranquil purple bamboo grove stretched endlessly, serene and harmonious. Crystal-like bamboo stalks shimmered, exuding a faint purple mist that swirled gently. As the breeze stirred, the leaves rustled with a soft, melodious sha-sha, pleasing to the ear.
Within the grove, a babbling stream flowed past a stone platform where two figures sat cross-legged: one old, one young.
The elder, Meng Tianzheng, had snow-white hair and wore simple hemp robes, his age etched deeply in his weathered face. The younger, Lin Tianfan, clad in pristine white, appeared no older than twenty. His vibrant blood qi surged like a tidal wave, his presence so radiant he seemed an exiled immortal, too divine for the mortal realm.
They sat facing each other, sipping tea and discussing the Dao in hushed tones. At times, golden lotuses bloomed across the ground, and ethereal visions flickered into existence around them.
Their every gesture resonated with the heavens, each movement imbued with an ineffable charm of the Dao, awe-inspiring and otherworldly.
"Is this truly necessary? Aren't you rushing things?" Meng Tianzheng's eyes gleamed with sharp light, his voice tinged with concern.
"Old Meng, you know there's no time left. That other realm will soon invade. Without the might of an Immortal, how can we hold the line?" Lin Tianfan's tone carried a trace of urgency as he gazed into the distance, his eyes piercing through countless starry rivers.
He saw a city, ancient and eternal, shrouded in chaotic mist. Built upon a foundation of stars, it towered into the clouds, vast and majestic. Before it, any living being seemed as insignificant as a speck of dust.
Beyond the city lay a boundless desert, stretching to infinity. At its heart, demonic clouds intertwined with immortal mist, embracing like yin and yang, forming a deep abyss that defied all attempts to peer within.
Yet, this place pulsed with a sinister force, capable of devouring anything—even stars—terrifying in its hunger.
"With your talent, you should wait. It would be safer!" Meng Tianzheng looked at him, admiration and respect in his gaze. To reach the stage of Alternative Immortal in just over a hundred thousand years was extraordinary.
Lin Tianfan had shattered all records of cultivation speed. Before the age of five hundred, he had become a Supreme Being, shocking the world. He had walked the path Meng Tianzheng could not—the path of Using the Body as the Seed.
Rising with unstoppable momentum, he forged ahead with fearless resolve, overpowering ancient immortal orthodoxies, shattering immortal artifacts with his bare hands, and earning the title "Holy Emperor," revered across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. His might was unmatched, a peerless force that dominated the cosmos.
To be crowned an Emperor spoke of strength that defied the heavens, invincible and unrivaled.
Meng Tianzheng could not bear to see him take such a risk. Becoming an Immortal was too perilous. Since the Immortal Ancient era, no one in the Primordial Realm had succeeded; all had fallen on the path to immortality.
As both mentor and friend, Meng Tianzheng knew that if the Holy Emperor failed and perished, it would be a catastrophic loss for the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
"If I don't rise in despair, I'll perish in it. Better to fight now than die in the future!" Lin Tianfan's voice was resolute, his heart unyielding.
I wasn't born in this world. Over a hundred thousand years ago, I crossed into this realm, clawing my way up to become a Supreme Being. But this is far from enough.
Though his cultivation was the envy of countless beings, he knew it fell short. A Supreme Being was merely the pinnacle of the Mortal Dao. Above lay the realms of True Immortal and Immortal King.
Soon, the Foreign Realm would invade the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. His current strength was insufficient to face such a threat.
Worse still, the future Desolate Heavenly Emperor, Shi Hao, wouldn't be born for years. There was no time to wait for his growth.
Seizing this fleeting chance to become an Immortal was the only hope in the coming chaos.
"Sigh. Is there anything I can do to help?" Meng Tianzheng sighed, knowing Lin Tianfan's decisions were rarely swayed.
"I know you plan to establish an academy to nurture the next generation. I'll leave my path and methods here. If I succeed, I'll create a new cultivation system. If I fail, I hope someone can carry on my unfinished work. Consider it my support for your academy." Lin Tianfan's long black hair fluttered, his words carrying the weight of a hero marching to his doom.
The wind howls, the river runs cold. A warrior departs, never to return.
"Very well," Meng Tianzheng replied gravely, understanding Lin Tianfan's ambition to forge a new system. It was still in its infancy, untested by the heavens, unfit for others to practice.
A new cultivation system required the approval of the heavens, tempered by the Tribulation of Thunder. Without it, it was but a castle in the air, a fleeting illusion.
"By the way, should I clear out those traitors in the Nine Heavens before I attempt immortality?" Lin Tianfan suddenly grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes, like a playful child.
He knows much of the future, Meng Tianzheng thought.
The Jin, Wang, and Feng families had long been at odds with Lin Tianfan. When he first arrived in the Nine Heavens, they had schemed against him relentlessly.
Later, as he rose to power, these clans sought reconciliation, paying a heavy price. Yet Lin Tianfan remembered their true nature—cowardly opportunists, fence-sitters who would betray at the first sign of danger.
In times of crisis, they offered neither strength nor loyalty, only empty words, sometimes even stabbing allies in the back.
"No, don't! That would cause chaos. The Nine Heavens would descend into turmoil. As long as they haven't openly betrayed us, we'll need them in the future!" Meng Tianzheng hurriedly intervened, fearing Lin Tianfan would act on his whim.
He knew Lin Tianfan wasn't joking. In his youth, Lin Tianfan had been a terror, his hands stained with blood. Before becoming the Holy Emperor, he was known as the Heaven-Devouring Demon Emperor, rising through ruthless killing. Mortals feared him, ghosts dreaded him, and gods fled his path.
He had slain more than one Supreme Being and crafted the Human Emperor Banner, a weapon so fearsome that even the souls of his victims were trapped within, eternally bound to serve him.
Had he not been severely injured in the Uninhabited Region, undergoing a profound transformation from demonic to immortal form through a nirvana rebirth, refining his spirit and establishing the Holy Emperor Palace to govern vast territories spanning billions of miles, many more would have perished by his hand.
"Fine. If I become an Immortal, I can sweep them all aside. If I fail, my contingencies will ensure they can't stir trouble." Lin Tianfan shrugged casually, unconcerned. It had only been a passing thought, and he understood Meng Tianzheng's caution.
Meng Tianzheng exhaled in relief, dreading the chaos Lin Tianfan could unleash on the already fragile Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
"Alright, Old Meng, it's time for me to go. In the future, if a young man named Huang comes here, look after him. He might succeed in Using the Body as the Seed as well."
Leaving behind his legacy, Lin Tianfan waved farewell to his old friend and departed the purple bamboo grove with a carefree stride.
"Huang…" Meng Tianzheng murmured, committing the name to memory, knowing Lin Tianfan wouldn't mention it without reason.
___
In the frigid expanse of the cosmos, a resolute shout echoed: "Three Bodies Unite, Proving the Dao of Immortality Today!"
Three identical figures, radiant with divine light, converged as one. These were Lin Tianfan's Spirit, Qi, and Essence—his Three Bodies. Each possessed the might of a Supreme Being, invincible across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Long ago, to hasten his transformation and amass power nearing that of a Red Dust Immortal, he had practiced an ancient Immortal technique, splitting himself into three. Each body had cultivated to the pinnacle of the Mortal Dao, all for this moment.
In this era, before the Age of the End of Dharma, longevity substances abounded, allowing Supreme Beings to live millions of years. Lin Tianfan could not afford to undergo countless rebirths, nor did he have the time. This was his only path.
Boom!
The Three Bodies merged, unleashing a blinding radiance. Lin Tianfan's crystalline black hair turned pale gold, his terrifying divine power shaking the starry universe.
The shockwave was unparalleled. Stars plummeted, burning red as they exploded. Massive meteors rained down, filling the sky.
Lin Tianfan stood like a war immortal, his body wreathed in immortal light, surrounded by boundless auspicious clouds. His radiance outshone entire star domains.
"What is that?!"
Countless beings across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, even those in forbidden zones, were shaken. They opened their eyes, gazing toward the Holy Emperor's position.
"The Light of Immortality, illuminating past and present!"
"Someone is attempting to become an Immortal!"
"How is this possible? In this era, who could succeed? Even prodigies like Ye Qianyu and Mo Wudao failed, their bodies and Daos extinguished."
Monks buzzed with shock and disbelief, witnessing the moment, many doubting Lin Tianfan would avoid the fate of his predecessors.
"You must succeed!" Meng Tianzheng sighed, gazing from afar, hoping Lin Tianfan would emerge unscathed. His success was vital for the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Had his own Dao Fruit ripened, Meng Tianzheng would have taken Lin Tianfan's place, sparing him this premature challenge.
Chi!
Beams of immortal light bloomed in the cosmic depths, scattering radiant rain that illuminated the heavens, rendering the world eternal and awe-inspiring.
From the chaos, divine dew descended, sacred springs surged, and golden lotuses bloomed. Rare phenomena, unseen in ordinary times, manifested, sanctifying the cosmos, inviolable and divine.
All races trembled, the world in uproar!
Boom!
Thunder roared, immortal qi swirling, engulfing the starry sky in dense, overwhelming waves.
This was the Immortal Tribulation, its lightning so terrifying that even across countless star domains, it struck fear into hearts.
Crack!
In moments, the star domain was annihilated, reduced to nothingness.
Fortunately, Lin Tianfan had chosen the Uninhabited Region for his tribulation, sparing billions of miles and countless lives from the devastating lightning.
His tribulation was extraordinary, far fiercer than those recorded in ancient texts. This Immortal Tribulation surpassed the trials of ordinary True Immortals, its terror unmatched.
"Kill!"
Lin Tianfan roared, giving his all to face the horrifying tribulation. Beside him, a three-legged golden cauldron, pulsing with chaotic qi, bathed in the sea of lightning.
This was his weapon, evolving toward an immortal artifact, gleaming with radiant immortal light.
Countless immortal lightning bolts crashed down like rivers, striking Lin Tianfan's body. His flesh tore, blood sprayed across the sky.
Even his primordial spirit was assaulted, nearly cleaved in two.
Using secret arts, Lin Tianfan rapidly healed, repeating the cycle. Each time his body reformed, it grew stronger, as if undergoing countless transformations to achieve the Immortal Dao Fruit.
"Immortal-Slaying Guillotine!"
From the sea of lightning emerged a blood-red guillotine blade, its chilling gleam sharp and unmatched, exuding a perilous aura that sent shivers down Lin Tianfan's spine.
The blade descended from the heavens, wreathed in rolling immortal qi, radiating eternal light.
Yet beneath its serene facade lurked boundless killing intent, targeting both flesh and soul, more terrifying than the tribulation itself.
Clang!
A metallic screech, like a death knell from the underworld, plunged all who heard it into despair, their souls trembling in dread.
This was one of the deadliest trials on the path to immortality. Countless beings had fallen to the guillotine.
It was a blade of heavenly will, meant to sever the path of mortals.
Boom!
Lin Tianfan erupted, his blood qi surging like a rainbow, collapsing the cosmos. He shone like ten suns, as if a million volcanoes had erupted, blazing with unparalleled brilliance.
This was no mere mortal but a universe unfolding, creating heavens and earth!
Golden light blazed, countless particles in Lin Tianfan's body vibrating. Myriad gates within him opened, releasing eternal radiance.
His body, now indestructible, glowed brilliantly. Every cell unleashed infinite divine power, as if countless worlds converged within him.
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