Chapter 2 A Desperate Struggle

Chapter 2: A Desperate Fight

"Kill!"

Lin Tianfan roared, his Battle Intent soaring, shaking the Universe. His hands tightly clenched into a Fist Intent, exceptionally brave, as he met the Immortal-Slaying Scythe falling from the high sky.

This punch was utterly masculine and unyielding, filling the sky with only Fist Intent. It pierced through the entire Star Domain, causing one great star after another to explode and turn into dust. He actually intended to directly confront the Immortal-Slaying Scythe.

"Boom!"

At this moment, Immortal Dao radiance surged, unleashing boundless Divine Light. The four directions exploded, and this Universe became unstable, as if it were creating the world anew, recreating an era.

However, something unexpected happened: Lin Tianfan actually shattered the Immortal-Slaying Scythe into several pieces with his bare hands. His own fist merely grazed, drawing a few drops of blood.

"So strong! Is he going to succeed? Even the will of Heaven couldn't block his path, being directly shattered!"

Cultivators from various races and beings awakening in the Forbidden Zone were greatly astonished, believing that this person had already entered the Immortal Dao Realm; otherwise, how could he be so powerful?

"Crack!"

Billions of thunderclaps rumbled, and a rain of light permeated the air. Lin Tianfan used his Physical Body as a seed, likening himself to a collection of particles, each containing infinite Divine Power. At this moment, they resonated together, emitting a dazzling Immortal Light.

This caused the Dao to roar, Laws and order to become chaotic, and Chaos Qi to surge. Standing there, he seemed to be the only one, the Universe itself, majestic and grand.

This was his path and system, now blossoming, intending to break through shackles, achieve the Battle Immortal fruit position, shatter all obstacles, and directly reach the Heavens, even trampling all Dao underfoot.

What kind of immense power and ambition was this? Only those with great courage could achieve it. This was a truly peerless individual, daring to contend against the will of Heaven and Earth.

The Heavenly Tribulation continued, still rumbling.

However, at this point, the Immortal Dao Lightning Tribulation could no longer harm Lin Tianfan, inflicting no damage whatsoever. He had stepped into the Immortal Dao Realm, his life force boundless and endless, unaffected by the passage of time.

At the same time, beside him, his Dao Artifact, the Three-Legged Golden Cauldron, also emitted a hazy Immortal Light, transforming into an Immortal Artifact, as brilliant as a small sun.

This cauldron was adorned with many Immortal Dao patterns, engraved with True Dragon, Undying Divine Phoenix, Qilin, Kunpeng, and other Auspicious Beasts, as well as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and plants.

This cauldron conformed to the principle of "Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things," used to suppress himself.

Its exterior was not crafted from rare Immortal materials; it was made from the copper of Shou Mountain as the base, fused with various essences, embodying his Dao.

Everyone in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was deeply shaken. Was he truly going to achieve Immortal Ascension?

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, the Void Realm trembled slightly. From the very top of the firmament, black mist descended, permeating the Star Domain where Lin Tianfan was, engulfing stars and shrouding the starry sky, as if all life had been lost.

"It appeared, the most mysterious black mist on the path to Immortal Ascension!" Countless people were stunned, looking at this Star Domain. Even from an infinite distance, it made people feel a sense of dread and unease.

Immortal Ascension was sacred, glorious, and auspicious, but now it was filled with Death Qi, devouring all vitality, extremely eerie and chilling.

Some old monsters who had lived since the Primordial Era thought of two individuals, Ye Qianyu and Mo Wudao, both standing at the peak of the Mortal World, exceptionally talented and brilliant, who sought Immortal Ascension. They almost passed the Heavenly Tribulation, but ultimately died in the black mist.

This stage was the most mysterious and terrifying. Some said it was a curse, others the will of Heaven… but no one could explain what it truly was.

"Has it come? Even darkness won't stop my steps!" Lin Tianfan's eyes were like two Immortal Swords, piercing through the black mist. Surrounded by the inauspiciousness, he remained calm and composed.

He had been wary of the black mist's arrival, knowing that this was the greatest obstacle on his path to Immortal Ascension.

Lin Tianfan also had some understanding of its Origin; it was related to the Ancient Connecting Palace. It would erode a being's Origin, transform them into a dark being, and take away their original Primordial Spirit, giving birth to a new self, which was incredibly terrifying.

In this era, before Huang Tian Emperor's reign of solitude, this was almost unsolvable. No one could contend against it; the power of darkness was beyond imagination, leading to despair.

But the more this was the case, the higher Lin Tianfan's Battle Intent soared. He wanted to break everything, not to be inferior to anyone.

"Battle!"

He uttered a golden symbol from his mouth, spewing boundless Immortal Light. His Divine Power was vast, attempting to disperse the endless black mist, but it was like a stream flowing into the ocean, instantly dimming.

This made him quite startled and found it thorny. Within it, his five senses were sealed, making it difficult to perceive his surroundings.

Above the firmament, lightning still flickered, accompanied by the rolling black mist, surging like a bottomless black hole. It seemed as though some being was lurking within.

"Break!"

Lin Tianfan refused to believe it. He punched out, and the radiance of the Immortal Dao illuminated the hazy mist, accompanied by endless auspicious light, blasting open the black mist that enveloped the Star Domain. He continued to strike towards the black hole in the Heavens.

At this moment, it seemed as if only the fist light remained between Heaven and Earth, golden and dazzling, the Void Realm collapsing. All the stars in this Star Domain were annihilated, swept clean, leaving only Chaos and nothingness.

With a hum, a large black hand suddenly stretched out from the black hole, covering the sky, boundless and endless, meeting Lin Tianfan's punch.

"Boom!"

Fist and palm collided, the starry sky shattered, Heaven and Earth collapsed, ghosts wailed and gods howled. The resulting shockwaves rippled outwards, causing earthquakes in countless Star Domains, as if Heaven and Earth were being reborn.

It could be seen how fierce this strike was, surpassing the limit of the Mortal World. It was as if two True Immortals were colliding, making one's Soul tremble and shiver with fear!

This was a catastrophe, a world-shaking strike that nearly affected some beings in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Fortunately, someone intervened and blocked the aftershocks, preventing the scattered stellar debris from falling on inhabited areas. Otherwise, countless casualties would have occurred.

"What's that? There's actually a being in the black mist!" Many powerful Cultivators, from an infinite distance, observed this astonishing scene.

If Lin Tianfan hadn't dispersed the pervasive black mist, external beings would not have been able to detect any of this.

All beings were unsettled. After the Immortal Ancient Era, Immortal Ascension was impossible in this realm, and it turned out someone was blocking the path.

"So strong, not an ordinary True Immortal!"

Lin Tianfan sighed, saying, even his peerless Fist Intent, which was indestructible, was injured by this blow. It caused his Qi and blood to churn, and his arm nearly broke.

One must know that his current strength was already at the level of a Mortal World Immortal of five or six generations, and that was without having consumed an Elixir of Life. He was strong enough to defeat an ordinary True Immortal, yet he was still injured.

"Buzz!"

The black mist once again poured down from the firmament, filling the entire boundless Star Domain of hundreds of millions of miles, and it was thicker and more chilling than before.

Lin Tianfan's heart trembled. His body was enveloped by the black mist, and his Divine Soul stiffened, subjected to an inexplicable erosion, as if he were about to be replaced by another person.

The negative emotions dormant within him erupted at this moment, becoming ferocious, bloodthirsty, and ruthless.

His Primordial Spirit seemed to be replaced, a brand new self was being born, taking over his mind and seizing his Physical Body, which was extremely terrifying.

"Is this darkness? It is indeed eerie, but it's not enough to corrupt my body!"

Lin Tianfan roared, and a great Divine Light erupted from within him. A door was opening, and his Primordial Spirit was also like this, transforming into an unparalleled sharp sword, dispelling the strangeness and inauspiciousness from his body.

Then, his voice shook Heaven and Earth, incomparably majestic and grand, as if it had pierced through ancient and future times, issuing a decree that could not be defied.

"Body, Law, Spirit!"

Three words emerged from his body, transforming into three sources of light, erupting with boundless power. Then, the three symbols merged into one, evolving into a Supreme secret technique, instantly shooting out like a flying Immortal Light, striking directly at the firmament.

These were the invincible techniques he had created from his essence, Qi, and Divine Soul. Each represented the limit of a body's strength: "Body" meant an indestructible Physical Body, "Law" meant a tenfold increase in Battle Intent, and "Spirit" meant an unbreakable Divine Soul.

The three secret techniques could be combined into one, possessing infinite power, ascending to a Supreme Immortal Art, piercing through all enemies.

"Pfft!"

The large hand reaching out from the black hole in the firmament still wanted to continue its attack, but it was pierced through its bones, unable to resist. It had underestimated Lin Tianfan, and black blood rained down, annihilating the sky.

That person's blood was exceptionally blazing, emitting dark light. Every drop was like a great star falling, carrying an inauspicious aura, as if from Hell, making one's entire body feel cold.

"Collect!"

The Golden Cauldron glowed, swallowing the galaxy, rapidly expanding. It was in sync with Lin Tianfan's mind, collecting the black blood and refining it, not allowing it to scatter.

This was not ordinary blood; it contained dark matter. Once it spilled onto the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, it would contaminate the land, transforming living beings into dark beings. It was extremely dangerous and posed a great threat to this realm.

Although it was only residual blood, it was enough to incinerate great stars and kill all beings below the Supreme, even ordinary Supremes. It had to be completely refined, stripped of its killing intent and inauspiciousness, staining the firmament red.

"Roar…"

A great roar came from the black hole. It seemed Lin Tianfan's actions had enraged it. Its blood Qi overshadowed the sun and moon, and the pressure emanating from it grew even stronger, surpassing that of a True Immortal.

A giant claw extended from the裂缝 (crack), covering the sun and moon. With a boom, it struck Lin Tianfan, its power escalating by more than one level compared to before.

"This is… Quasi Immortal King level Battle Intent!" Lin Tianfan was incomparably shocked, deeply feeling the terror of this large claw.

He tried to evade, but no matter where he dodged, this claw seemed to have locked onto him, following him wherever he ran. The black hole above was the same; it was unavoidable.

"Pfft!"

Lin Tianfan endured this blow head-on. The Immortal Light around his body was scattered, he spat out fresh blood, his bones shattered, his internal organs shifted, his Physical Body exploded, and a rain of blood permeated the air.

Under this single strike, he was almost fatally wounded. He barely managed to circulate his magical power to reassemble his body, his face pale and extremely weak.

If it were an ordinary True Immortal, they would likely have died from this blow. In the Immortal Dao Realm, each stage was a Heaven, making it almost impossible to kill enemies across ranks.

Although that dark being was only a Quasi Immortal King, not a true Immortal King, it was still not something Lin Tianfan, who had just stepped into the Immortal Dao Realm, could contend with.

And at this moment, the most terrifying thing was that darkness once again took the opportunity to erode him. Lin Tianfan's eyes became dim and hazy, and his Primordial Spirit was subjected to an unknown pulling force, being summoned, being dragged, wanting to leave his body.

"Is it true that without Quasi Immortal King level Battle Intent, one truly cannot achieve Immortal Ascension in this era?" Lin Tianfan sighed softly, with a hint of sorrow.

With his current strength, he surpassed his predecessors, yet he still found it difficult to defy Heaven.

Could the curse of being unable to achieve Immortal Ascension after the Immortal Ancient Era truly be unbreakable?

Lin Tianfan knew he was in a hurry. If he had enough time, he would certainly achieve Mortal World Immortal, break through the darkness, and gain eternal life.

But now, time was truly running out. That realm was coming, and his own strength was also difficult to suppress; it wouldn't be long before the Immortal Ascension Tribulation would automatically descend. And the current era was not an era of the end of Dharma.

"Has he failed? Another one, following Ye Qianyu and Mo Wudao, has fallen on the path to Immortal Ascension!" A being in the Forbidden Zone commented, some of them True Immortals left over from ancient times.

Although they couldn't clearly see what was happening in the black mist, they could sense the terrifying power emanating from it, which surpassed the scope of a True Immortal and reached the Quasi Immortal King level.

"Not simple, this person's strength is already very strong. His Battle Intent has reached the True Immortal level, much stronger than the previous two, but he still cannot achieve Immortal Ascension alive!" A True Immortal sighed, deeply feeling the terror of this era.

"Holy Emperor…"

Someone in the Nine Heavens wailed, extremely worried. They were beings of the Holy Emperor Palace's faction, all cultivated by Lin Tianfan himself, loyal without question.

"Still not enough? Even if you fail, I hope you can survive, otherwise it will be a huge loss for the Nine Heavens!" Meng Tianzheng said leisurely, his heart filled with worry.

The two had known each other for many years, both teacher and friend. When Lin Tianfan was weak, Meng Tianzheng had taken care of him a lot, serving as his guide on the Dao of Cultivation, and their relationship was deep.

Lin Tianfan rose from the Three Thousand Provinces and came all the way to the Nine Heavens. Without Meng Tianzheng's help, how could he have successfully walked the path of using his body as a seed and quickly become a Supreme within the Universe?

"I was born in brilliance, and I shall die in glory. How can I let darkness defile my body and occupy my form? Even if I die today, I will pave the way for future generations and witness the splendor on the path to Immortal Ascension!"

Lin Tianfan's expression was indifferent. He was like a Heavenly Emperor descending to the Mortal World, striking the Nine Heavens above and probing the Nine Hells below. He stood there alone, looking down upon the Heavens, disdaining all under Heaven.

At this moment, many past events flashed through his mind, filled with regret and pity.

As a youth, he vowed to leave his hometown, only to return to find his parents dead. From a demon, he stepped on the Heavens, battling his way through, killing in all directions!

For a considerably long time, he carried the hatred for his relatives and friends, walking alone on the path of cultivation, solely for revenge, which had become an obsession.

Later, he even wanted to revive his relatives and friends, craving to become incomparably powerful, transcending all. Through countless lonely years, this obsession spurred him forward!

And now…

"Kill!"

Lin Tianfan roared coldly, only a raging Battle Intent remained. His killing aura poured out, shaking the Universe, his eyes blazing. He would make his final desperate stand, carving out a clear and bright sky. Even if he fell, he would do so in brilliance!

"Dao Fusion Sacred Art!"

At this moment, Heaven and Earth trembled. It was the Immortal Dao power boiling, the light of immortality blossoming. Lin Tianfan unleashed his strongest Divine Ability and techniques.

This move was also his own creation; it could swallow all things, including Laws and order, and could also fuse all myriad Dao techniques into a single move.

It was his strongest strike, and also his final desperate measure, the embodiment of his life's Dao fruit, fusing himself to unleash infinite power.

However, he always felt it was incomplete, lacking something. It was a move that harmed the user as much as the enemy, but he had no time to perfect it.

Lin Tianfan did not want to leave his Physical Body to darkness, to be invaded and occupied. Rather than that, he preferred to leave nothing behind, sacrificing himself completely.

Flames blazed around his body, transforming into a ball of Immortal Light. Only he, composed of Dao Laws, remained, rushing towards the black hole in the firmament, vowing to perish together with it.

At this moment, Lin Tianfan, with nothing left, instead saw new life, saw his Dao…

"So that's how it is, my Dao is still lacking…"