Chapter 274: Ling Qingzhu's Admiration, Enemies Cross Paths!
At the front of the group, the Yuan Gate disciples suddenly began retreating in large numbers, leaving behind only a few dozen figures.
Each of these remaining figures emanated powerful, concentrated auras—all of them were at Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage or higher.
Yuan Cang cast a long, heavy glance in Lin Fan's direction, then led these elite disciples of Yuan Gate directly into the Burning Heaven Ancient Treasury.
This time, however, there were no screams.
Seeing this, many in the crowd exchanged uncertain glances.
"All Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage and above, follow us into the treasury. The rest, stay here and wait," Xiao Xiao ordered decisively.
Soon, Dao Sect disciples also split off. Those with sufficient strength—Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage and above—joined Lin Fan and Xiao Xiao in flying into the ancient treasury.
There was one exception—Lin Dong, who had only reached Seven Yuan Nirvana Stage, but was still allowed to join.
As Lin Fan entered the distorted space, he immediately felt a wave of extreme, fiery heat erupting from within his body.
The heat threatened to incinerate him.
With a thought, Lin Fan activated his Flame Ancestral Symbol, allowing him to quickly adapt to the searing intensity.
Just then, the surrounding space rippled wildly, and in the blink of an eye, all the Dao Sect disciples who had entered with him vanished from sight.
Lin Fan frowned slightly and began examining his surroundings.
What stretched out before him was a vast crimson wasteland. Heat waves shimmered above the earth, twisting the very air.
Deep ravines crisscrossed the ground, as though shaped by countless ancient battles. Among the scorched red soil, the broken remains of weapons could still be seen.
A desolate and ancient aura lingered in the land.
Lin Fan realized he was now within the treasury's spatial formation.
Fortunately, he had previously acquired the True Explanation of Array Dao, a compendium that recorded countless types of formations and had greatly deepened his mastery of formation theory.
Although this formation wasn't recorded in that tome, Lin Fan was confident he could break it.
After a moment of sensing the fluctuations, he chose a direction and began heading deeper into the wasteland.
All formations had a central core—and Lin Fan intended to find and disable it.
As he moved forward, the space before him suddenly rippled again.
From within the distortion, a slender figure stepped forth, her steps light and elegant as she walked upon a floating lotus.
Her features were hidden behind a thin veil, her aura cold and aloof like an exiled fairy from the heavens.
She was none other than Ling Qingzhu of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace.
The moment Lin Fan saw her, she saw him too.
"You weren't affected by the formation?" Ling Qingzhu asked, her cool gaze examining him curiously.
Lin Fan smiled. "I have some understanding of formations, so I wasn't caught in it."
"To think the first person I'd encounter in the treasury would be you… fate really works in strange ways."
Ling Qingzhu's expression remained calm. "The transport inside the treasury is entirely random. It's not unusual to meet anyone here."
Lin Fan nodded. "That's true. Since we've met, let's go together. I'm heading to the core of this formation to break it."
"The space here is warped. You can find the core?" she asked with a slight frown.
She knew full well that the core was the key to breaking any formation. But in this distorted space, moving blindly would only trap them forever.
"I'm confident. If you trust me, follow me," Lin Fan said with a grin, then continued ahead.
Though the spatial layout was scrambled, Lin Fan's deep knowledge of formations and his control over the Spatial Ancestral Symbol made him uniquely capable of navigating it.
Ling Qingzhu hesitated for a moment, then followed.
This place was strange, and if there was a chance to escape, she wouldn't miss it.
Still, walking behind Lin Fan made her feel somewhat awkward.
They traveled in silence. Their relationship had always been complicated—it was impossible to treat each other as ordinary friends.
Ling Qingzhu watched Lin Fan's slender back with mixed feelings.
Five years had passed, and he had changed a great deal.
"How's Lin Langtian now?" she asked suddenly after a long silence.
Lin Fan paused briefly and replied with a smile, "He died by my hand before the Hundred Empire War even began."
"He used to be your goal to surpass. Congratulations, you've done it." Her tone was soft.
"After we parted on the mountain that day… maybe I became your next goal. Should I feel honored or uneasy?"
Lin Fan looked back at her, serious. "Lin Langtian was my enemy. You're not the same."
"I did say things that hurt your pride back then. You don't resent me?" Ling Qingzhu asked with a faint smile.
"I won't deny they stung a bit… but I'm not that fragile." Lin Fan smiled.
"Is that so?" Ling Qingzhu's lips curved faintly beneath her veil.
"Still, I stand by what I said. Even if I could go back, I'd say the same again."
"But I admire you. To reach this level in just five years… it's impressive."
Her words weren't flattery. Knowing how humble Lin Fan's starting point had been, she couldn't help but feel a touch of genuine respect.
"Then I'll accept that as an honor," Lin Fan chuckled.
Ling Qingzhu said nothing more, her faint smile fading.
Lin Fan turned away and narrowed his eyes toward the distance. "We're almost there."
"Oh?" Ling Qingzhu raised an eyebrow and looked ahead. In the twisting space, vague shapes were becoming visible.
They quickened their pace. Minutes later, the shapes revealed themselves—a massive stone altar.
Ancient and weathered, it radiated the aura of countless ages past.
"This is the core of the formation," Lin Fan said.
Ling Qingzhu also gazed at the altar, her eyes narrowing. "We're not alone."
She turned her gaze to another side of the altar, where faint footsteps echoed.
Two figures stepped into view—it was Yuan Cang and Ling Zhen, two of Yuan Gate's Three Kings.
The moment they saw Lin Fan and Ling Qingzhu, killing intent surged in their eyes.
Then, a familiar voice rang out behind Lin Fan.
"Big Brother Lin Fan!"
It was Lin Dong, who had also found the formation core. Seeing Lin Fan, he rushed over quickly.
Lin Fan nodded to him without speaking, then turned back toward Yuan Gate's elites.
Yuan Cang and Ling Zhen stepped out from the other side of the altar and stopped some distance away.
Yuan Cang's gaze swept briefly over Ling Qingzhu and Lin Dong, but it landed and stayed on Lin Fan.
"You made it here… I'm impressed," he said darkly. "But that just means I get to kill you sooner—and avenge Lei Qian."
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