CHAPTER 400: CHAPTER 0397: INHERITANCE OF THE GOLDEN CORE

Lin Fan stood there without speaking.

The situation was utterly baffling.

He could swear to the heavens—he truly hadn’t done anything, hadn’t even said a single word to the other party—and yet now, Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was pointing at him, leaving him completely perplexed.

Was it because of his good looks?

No, maybe it was his unique charm that had deeply attracted the other party, so much so that even hidden within a crowd, he still shone like a beacon.

"Senior, this junior has no other request—I only wish to know, why him?" Brother Zhan couldn’t tolerate it.

Not just Brother Zhan—Dream Fairy and Wang Jun were equally displeased.

The key was theirs.

And these three people had only managed to sneak in by following them. Originally, the Immortal Emperor Inheritance was expected to fall to one of the three of them. But now it had been intercepted halfway—who could put up with that?

"Hmm? Are you questioning this Immortal Emperor’s decision?" Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor frowned. Even though he was now just a residual soul, his piercing gaze still made Brother Zhan’s entire body shiver, as if trapped in a frozen abyss.

"This junior wouldn’t dare."

Brother Zhan lowered his head, a cold sweat trickling down his back. He was overtaken by fear—why would anyone dare to question an Immortal Emperor? If the other party became dissatisfied, he could absolutely end him right there and then.

"Hmph, with someone as unbalanced as you in disposition, once you inherit the Taoism legacy, you’re bound to be killed by someone else."

"Fine, since this Immortal Emperor has always been fair and reasonable from ancient times to the present, I’ll tell you why this is so."

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor wouldn’t lay a hand on a junior—he was a residual soul now, and to spend the remaining strength of his soul on dealing with juniors would be absurd and pointless.

Brother Zhan kept his head lowered. Though he dared not provoke, he desperately wanted to know why—it wasn’t as if an Immortal Emperor could just toy with people like this.

He thought, if they encountered someone with a bad temper, they’d already be slapped out of existence.

"Listen carefully."

"As a man but uninterested in women, that’s a truly frightening matter. Inheriting this emperor’s mantle, you’re destined to prove Immortal Venerable Dao Fruit in the future—but the journey will be riddled with peril and life-threatening crises."

"Encountering danger, dying isn’t the scariest part—what’s frightening is leaving behind no descendants, and without descendants, there will be no legacy. This emperor’s regret lies entirely in his younger self, when he was too focused on cultivation and forgot about the bonds between man and woman."

"If this emperor could choose again, I would ensure descendants as numerous as the stars and my legacy would span all heavens—how could I let this inheritance be squandered for the sake of others?"

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was deeply regretful.

Back then, innumerable fairies had willingly offered to bear him a child, but he had been deceived by hidden schemes, forfeiting the chance to pass on his legacy.

The crowd listened intently to the Immortal Emperor’s lamentations.

Each person stared, slack-jawed, speechless.

What the hell.

Can someone explain to them whether this man was really an Immortal Emperor?

Suddenly—

A deafening roar resounded.

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor pointed at Lin Fan, his voice booming: "And he—he is this emperor’s most satisfactory candidate for inheritor. Bold in spirit, audacious in action—even coveting the fairies desired by his friends—yet calm and unruffled from beginning to end. The very face of fraudulence. If not for this emperor’s ability to discern hearts, even I might have thought this person to be a true gentleman."

"Hence, he is this emperor’s ideal choice."

Silence.

The world fell silent.

Perhaps what happened today brought them shockwaves unlike any other, disrupting their values and shifting their perceptions.

Lin Fan smiled faintly, cupped his hands in salute, and said, "Thank you for the praise, senior. Among all the people I’ve ever encountered, you are the only one who can see through the merits of this junior. Admirable, truly admirable."

On the side, Qin Yang felt like spitting blood.

He’d known for some time that Brother Lin was narcissistic, but he’d never imagined this level of self-adoration.

"Excellent, excellent. Look at how shamelessly calm he can remain, without a flicker of expression—is there anyone else capable of such a feat? This emperor has chosen well. Young man, what is your name?" Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor asked.

"This junior is Lin Fan," Lin Fan replied.

He suspected Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor’s brain might actually be broken—and severely so.

But he had to admit—

An Immortal Emperor was an Immortal Emperor. His judgment was indeed sharp.

Brother Zhan didn’t want to say anything more.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have come here at all.

Because this Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor he’d encountered was definitely not normal—his brain was unquestionably defective. If it weren’t, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Such outstanding individuals stood right in front of him, yet he ignored them and instead chose this sort of person.

Laughable.

Truly laughable.

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor waved his hand. A five-colored Golden Pill floated out from the coffin and flew toward Lin Fan. "This emperor’s legacy resides within. Relax your spirit and accept it slowly. Hereafter, Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor will cease to exist, and his legacy will walk the earth in his stead—to uncover who schemed against this emperor, and why they obstructed his proof of Immortal Venerable Dao Fruit."

Plop!

Lin Fan reached out his hand and caught the five-colored Golden Pill.

Ordinary people encountering this kind of situation would naturally relax their minds and wholeheartedly accept the Immortal Emperor’s legacy. But to Lin Fan, caution was paramount—who knew what kind of strange things might be inside?

"Why did you catch it? Are you perhaps afraid this emperor has an ulterior motive hidden within?" Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor asked.

Lin Fan replied, "Yes, this thought did cross my mind. I just wanted to take a closer look."

"Good. As expected of someone chosen by me. With such prudence, this emperor can rest assured. With your disposition, you are bound for greatness in the future. The heavens have blessed me by allowing this emperor to find an ideal inheritor at last!" Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was so emotional he nearly broke into tears. His mood swung wildly, his excitement palpable.

[Legacy Golden Pill: An artifact of Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor’s inheritance, containing the Immortal Emperor’s innumerable Divine Skills and incredible methods of Immortal Law cultivation. Grants the Nirvana Immortal Body and boosts mana by 300,000 years.]

Not bad.

No issues whatsoever.

Lin Fan almost felt like crying—finally, he’d encountered a peerless being who didn’t resort to tricks and games. It hadn’t been easy for him; after falling into countless traps, were it not for his small support system, who knew how many times he’d been ensnared?

Without hesitation.

Lin Fan directly swallowed the Legacy Golden Pill.

Mana surged.

The Immortal Body was formed.

Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from Lin Fan’s body, shaking the heavens. The Spiritual Energy in the Immortal Emperor’s Treasure Vault surged wildly toward him.

"Hmm?"

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was taken aback, his expression shifting slightly—this development exceeded his expectations. He had never imagined that the one inheriting his legacy would undergo such transformation, surpassing all reason.

"Golden Immortal Laws."

"This brat is about to break through to Golden Immortal. Indeed, this emperor spared no effort in crafting that Legacy Golden Pill, boosting mana by 300,000 years."

Golden Immortal Laws streamed from Lin Fan’s body, interweaving with the heavens.

Xiang Fei and Qin Yang quickly retreated—the imposing aura radiating from Lin Fan was overwhelming, almost impossible to resist.

After a long while.

Lin Fan abruptly opened his eyes. Two beams of golden light shot into the sky, lingering without fading. Gradually, the golden light dimmed, the terrifying aura receding back into his body.

"Thank you, senior. This junior initially doubted the validity of your legacy—may senior forgive this suspicion," Lin Fan said, sincerely expressing gratitude. No matter how inexplicable this inheritance had been, he genuinely appreciated it.

"Hahaha..." Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor laughed heartily. "Not bad, not bad. This Immortal Emperor has a keen eye for selecting successors. If you had blindly accepted the legacy just now, I might’ve reconsidered. But you successfully passed this emperor’s test."

Of course, this was nothing more than self-praise.

Lin Fan felt somewhat skeptical.

[Nirvana Immortal Body: Reborn through flames, a mysterious Immortal Body existing between heaven and earth. When mortally wounded, its Nirvana ability will activate.]

Given how strong the Immortal Body was—

Was Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor actually dead?

This was the lingering doubt in Lin Fan’s mind.

At this moment, in the Immortal Emperor’s Treasure Vault, Lin Fan had become the main character. The Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor’s praises for Lin Fan grated at the ears of Brother Zhan and the others—it was obvious they’d been reduced to mere supporting players.

Had it been just the three of them entering at the beginning, Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor would have had no choice but to select one of them. The inheritance of an Immortal Emperor—its extraordinary value—was something only personal experience could confirm.

"You’ve received my legacy, but unfortunately, there are no Immortal Treasures or Immortal Pills left for you. They’ve all dissipated. Train well and help uncover who obstructed me—and if you’ve got the strength someday, destroy them for me."

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was filled with rage at the mere thought of the one who had stopped him from proving his Dao.

"This junior will surely avenge you, senior," Lin Fan promised earnestly.

Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor glanced at Dream Fairy, saying, "Young lass, in the end, you’re going to be claimed anyway—better let it be my successor. At least he won’t disgrace you."

With that, the residual soul of Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor gradually faded, quickly vanishing in front of everyone.

Dream Fairy was on the verge of exploding on the spot, spiraling into deep self-doubt—why had she come here in the first place?

As for Lin Fan—

He was skeptical about whether Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was truly gone.

If not for acquiring the Immortal Body, Lin Fan might have believed the Immortal Emperor was genuinely dead.

But now...

It didn’t seem likely.

He had a strong feeling that the Immortal Emperor might still be alive, hiding in some unknown corner.

Of course, Lin Fan’s small support system had already analyzed the Legacy Golden Pill, and it confirmed there were no hidden problems—that meant there shouldn’t be any issues.

Sigh!

Forget it; thinking too much wasn’t worth the effort.

The Immortal Emperor’s Divine Skills and Immortal Techniques were innumerable, but the frustrating part was—they all required diligent practice. But did Lin Fan have that kind of time?

Nonetheless.

He had to admit Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor was a rare talent among talents.

Because within the inheritance, Lin Fan obtained an extraordinary Emperor Scripture.

[Five Elements Nirvana Emperor Scripture: A supreme Emperor Scripture created by Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor after two thousand years of Dao comprehension.]

Clearly, Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor’s Spirit Root must have been the Five Elements Spirit Root—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, perfectly balanced. The Emperor Scriptures etched into the stone walls were simply derivations from the Five Elements Nirvana Emperor Scripture.

Impressive.

This was undoubtedly the most brilliant figure Lin Fan had ever encountered.

Just then.

Xiang Fei clapped Lin Fan on the shoulder and said, "Brother Lin, congratulations! Such tremendous fortune—the Immortal Emperor’s legacy, a prize that everyone dreams of. Who could’ve guessed, in the end, it would be Brother Lin who earned the Immortal Emperor’s favor?"

"Ah, it’s nothing special. I’m just too exceptional, and the Immortal Emperor senior saw through it," Lin Fan waved dismissively before seemingly recalling something. He cupped his hands toward Brother Zhan and the others and said, "Here, I truly must thank Brother Zhan and the three of you. Were it not for your help, we wouldn’t have been able to enter the Immortal Emperor’s Treasure Vault—and I couldn’t have received the Immortal Emperor’s inheritance without it."

Thud!

Brother Zhan spat a mouthful of blood in fury, overcome by rage and anguish, his lifeblood churned and reversed.

Qin Yang sighed with resignation. "Unbelievable... someone as outstanding as I am—how did I not get chosen?"

"Dream Fairy, do you think I’m not excellent enough?"

Dream Fairy didn’t want to respond to Qin Yang. Deeply impacted herself, her thoughts kept circling back—she could only imagine Fierce Phoenix Immortal Emperor’s earlier words as hints veiled in implications.

Unconsciously, she stepped further away from Brother Zhan and the others.

Perhaps she was afraid of something.

But the greatest sense of danger she felt came from Lin Fan.

Claimed?

Impossible.

This fairy swore to the heavens—she’d never find a companion. Even if she had to block her own path, she’d never let anyone take advantage.