Chu Yunying's sword tore open the space of the swamp, creating a huge gap in the swamp's barrier.
Behind the barrier, mist swirls, mountains and rivers appear and disappear, and the ruins of a primordial battlefield unfold before the world like an ancient and weathered scroll.
At the summit of the mountain, the ruins of a dilapidated palace hang alone above the sea of clouds. The stone steps are broken and the stone pillars are tilted, yet they still reveal the aura of their former glory.
Deep within the ruins, ancient trees reach for the sky, their branches and leaves lush and verdant, yet each one bears the marks of time, its trunk etched with the vicissitudes of history.
Sunlight filters through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows that add a touch of mystery and tranquility to this quiet place.
In the ravines, fragments shimmering with a ghostly light can be seen occasionally, some broken spiritual treasures, others weapons of fallen powerful warriors. They lie there quietly, as if warning future generations how cruel the wars of the past were.
"The site of the Great Emperor's inheritance?"
Lin Fan looked back at the split crack, where a single ice crystal emitted a warm glow, confirming it was indeed the place of inheritance.
He immediately transmitted his voice, and everyone stopped fighting and rushed towards the Emperor's Ruins.
Several streaks of light rushed in, and after they disappeared into the ruins, not long after, wisps of black mist appeared at the crack, lingered for a while, and then all followed them in.
The swamp barrier held a hidden world within it. After landing, Lin Fan was deeply shocked to see a desolate desert filled with yellow sand and ancient halls all around.
That's too extravagant. It's just a tomb, yet it opens up another space.
Empress Tianyao's coffin flew out, transforming into a streak of light that rushed into the depths.
Lin Fan was speechless. Could it be that the Empress was also love-struck? At first, he thought she was a woman with a strong sense of career.
Now that she has left, my task is complete.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the mission to escort the Empress. Reward: Demon-Binding Rope!"
The system voice sounded, and Lin Fan opened the item attribute panel. This Demon-Binding Rope was quite interesting. As long as someone was weaker than him, even if they were a Great Emperor, it could bind them tightly.
It's a bit of a double-edged sword. If someone is weaker than you and is an enemy, just kill them; there's no need to tie them up.
The powerful members of the pig clan had disappeared. Lin Fan noticed that Chu Yunying's expression was somewhat solemn, as if she had something on her mind, and asked curiously, "Junior Sister Chu, have you noticed something amiss?"
"Huh?" Chu Yunying came back to her senses, forced a smile on her pretty face, and said, "Senior Brother, don't worry, I'm fine, I was just thinking about some things."
Lin Fan looked at her suspiciously, hesitating to speak. Since she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't ask.
They landed at the nearest palace, which looked dilapidated from the outside, as if it had been submerged in the long river of time and corroded by the years.
Upon entering the palace, it was found to be even more dilapidated, severely damaged, with almost no wall intact.
"Senior Brother!"
That evening, Lin Fan sat on the wall, about to take out a piece of ice crystal to see the location of the Great Emperor's inheritance, when Chu Yunying suddenly stopped him.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"It's about the One Leaf Ice Crystal. Come with me for a moment," Chu Yunying said.
Lin Fan found it a bit strange, but he still followed Chu Yunying.
“Senior Brother, although we have entered the Imperial Mausoleum, the Great Emperor’s legacy is in a Legacy Hall. To open the restrictions of the Legacy Hall, we still need to obtain a Leaf of Ice Crystal,” Chu Yunying said.
“I know that!” Lin Fan said. Although he had never been here in his previous life, there were rumors circulating on the continent, and some ancient lineages had records about the One Leaf Ice Crystal and its inheritance.
“However, the One-Leaf Ice Crystal is still dormant. If it wants to open the Inheritance Hall, it will need the assistance of our Chu clan bloodline,” Chu Yunying said, looking at him.
"Oh, what method?" Lin Fan asked.
Chu Yunying looked at him quietly, without giving an answer, but instead asked other questions.
"The first way is for Senior Brother to become a member of our Chu clan. Would you be willing to marry me?" She was very nervous, her gaze fixed on his face.
Lin Fan was taken aback. So she was still struggling with this question. He didn't answer. Did he have to do something naughty to activate it?
It's a bit melodramatic and a bit embarrassing; the Chu family ancestor must have had something wrong with his head.
"Junior Sister Chu, you know what? Sometimes I really wish you could treat me like you used to, ignoring me completely. That would make things much easier for me," Lin Fan said.
Chu Yunying's eyes dimmed, and although Lin Fan did not answer, he was hinting at it.
"Can you tell me why?" she asked, biting her red lips, her eyes misting over.
“If it were before, I might have been very happy, but after you chose Long Aotian, it was destined that even if we could start over, everything would be irreversible,” Lin Fan said frankly without hiding anything.
Chu Yunying's heart sank to the bottom. As expected, her senior brother still couldn't forget the painful experiences of his past life. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change it.
"But, senior brother, I had my reasons for not telling you." Her tone was almost pleading, somewhat humble.
"Whatever your reasons, I'm the one who was abandoned. Although I yearn to become stronger, I don't want to do anything against my conscience, nor do I want you to sacrifice anything to atone for your sins. I don't need that," Lin Fan said.
"I understand, Senior Brother. Give me the Leaf of Ice Crystal. I have other methods."
Chu Yunying knew what he was thinking. She picked up a piece of ice crystal and suddenly smiled, "Senior Brother, if one day I'm gone, will you miss me?"
After saying that, she didn't wait for Lin Fan to speak, and took the Ice Crystal back to find a quiet place to activate it.
Lin Fan was a little confused. She was the female lead and should live longer than him. According to his memories from his previous life, after inheriting the throne from the Great Emperor, he would face his first predicament.
Only by overcoming the first predicament can one truly escape the fate of death in their previous life.
The next day, Murong Xuanqiu came over with a piece of ice crystal and said with a smile, "Here you go!"
Lin Fan took the Ice Crystal Leaf with a strange expression. Murong Xuan seemed to see his confusion and said, "Junior Sister Chu has left. She said that if you want to control the Ice Crystal Leaf, you need the Chu family's cultivation method."
Murong Xuanqiu then took out another ancient book, which was the Chu family's inherited mental cultivation method.
A single ice crystal turned blood red, radiating a dazzling light.
"Where did she go?" Lin Fan asked.
"I don't know. She just asked me to give you these two things, saying she had important business to attend to and had to leave. She didn't say where she was going," Murong Xuanqiu said.
"Alright!" Lin Fan put away the One Leaf Ice Crystal, then opened the ancient book. A surge of information flooded into his mind, and he quickly mastered how to use the One Leaf Ice Crystal.
"Senior Brother Lin!" Murong Xuanqiu suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?" Lin Fan asked curiously.
"If something happens to me someday in the future, will you think of me?" she asked.
Lin Fan looked at her calmly, then lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Don't talk nonsense."
"If there were a way for me to become stronger and protect myself, would you help me?" she asked again.
"What method?" Lin Fan asked.
Murong Xuanqiu took out an ancient book, on which was written the secret method of Yin-Yang Harmony.
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