24: The ancient road is about to open, and the six realms will be in turmoil.

The acquisition of the Void God Crystal Fragment finally showed a glimmer of hope for the process of repairing the star pagoda. Lin Fan was in no hurry to use this fragment; he knew its value and that it would only yield its maximum effect at a critical moment or when more fragments were found. He stored the fragment safely and continued to immerse himself in his Cultivation and the search for the resonance of the Tokens.

The atmosphere within Tianjiao City grew increasingly tense as time passed. An oppressive feeling of a coming storm permeated the air. Conflicts over the Tokens occurred from time to time, and incidents of bloodshed were on the rise. Some truly powerful experts possessing Tokens began to surface; although no large-scale conflicts had broken out between them, the secret probing and standoffs never ceased.

Relying on the faint resonance of the Token fragment in his hand, Lin Fan found another suspected location. Unfortunately, he arrived too late, leaving behind only the traces of battle and a faint scent of blood; the Token was already long gone. He was not discouraged, knowing that such an Opportunity could not be forced.

One day, as he was in the courtyard practicing the Nine Nether Reincarnation Art, attempting to further his visualization of those nine Reincarnation vortices, the entire Tianjiao City—no, the entire space where the city floated high in the sky—suddenly shook! It was not a physical vibration, but a tremor originating from the space's Origin and the level of Law!

Immediately following that, an indescribable, vast, ancient, and immense Aura, which seemed to connect endless time and space, erupted from the very center of Tianjiao City and soared straight into the clouds!

"Buzz!" Above the sky, clouds churned and Dao principles manifested as countless mysterious runes flickered in the Void Realm. A massive, blurry phantom of a portal, seemingly woven from the light and shadow of countless worlds, slowly condensed and emerged directly above Tianjiao City! Although it was not yet fully clear or stable, the Aura it emitted already caused the hearts of all the Cultivators in the city to shake and their Bloodlines to boil!

"The Tongtian Ancient Road! The entrance to the Ancient Road is about to open!"

"It's finally coming! The era of competition between ten thousand worlds!"

"Look! The portal is solidifying!"

The entire Tianjiao City was in a complete frenzy! All Cultivators, whether they possessed a Token or not, looked excitedly at the magnificent and grand sight in the sky.

Lin Fan also walked out of his courtyard and looked up at the massive light-and-shadow portal. He could clearly feel the dark silver Token fragment in his robes heating up and vibrating violently, creating a strong resonance with the Aura emitted by the portal! It wasn't just his Token; he could vaguely perceive dozens of similar resonant fluctuations rising simultaneously from various corners of Tianjiao City, echoing each other from afar!

"It seems that those who possess Tokens can now sense each other's general locations," Lin Fan realized. This was perhaps the final screening before the Ancient Road opened, causing the struggle to reach a fever pitch before they even entered.

Sure enough, the moment the phantom of the Ancient Road portal appeared, intense energy fluctuations and the sounds of slaughter erupted from several directions within the city! These were battles breaking out between Token holders, either to clear out competitors at the last moment or because they had identified a target through the Token resonance!

Lin Fan's eyes turned slightly cold. He could feel at least three perceptions carrying obvious hostility locking onto the general area where he was located. Clearly, he, this "tough bone," had also been targeted.

He did not panic; instead, his Aura became steady and condensed, like a dormant Primordial Divine Mountain, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive.

At that moment, a cold Sword Intent and a wild, enchanting Aura appeared near his courtyard almost simultaneously.

Su Zhiqing and Zi Linger arrived together.

Su Zhiqing was still dressed in snow-white clothes, elegant and transcendent, but at this moment, her eyes held a bit more gravity in addition to her pure Sword Intent. Zi Linger was in a set of sleek purple martial attire that perfectly outlined her fiery figure, her face filled with excitement and eagerness.

"Brother Lin Fan, it seems trouble has come knocking," Zi Linger said with a giggle, though her eyes scanned the surroundings alertly.

Su Zhiqing looked at Lin Fan and said concisely, "Team up?"

The two of them had clearly also felt the hostility locking onto this place, and through the Token resonance, a subtle and temporary trust seemed to have formed between them and Lin Fan. In the chaotic eve before the Ancient Road was to open, huddling together for warmth was the wisest choice.

Lin Fan glanced at them and nodded. "Fine."

The three of them instantly reached a consensus, their Auras faintly connecting. Lin Fan's mountain-like stability, Su Zhiqing's sword-like sharpness, and Zi Linger's enchanting unpredictability interwove to form a strange balance and a powerful field, pushing back the hostile perceptions locked onto the area by several points.

"Hmph, quite alert," a cold voice sounded as three figures appeared in the air before the courtyard like ghosts.

The leader was none other than Fierce Soul, who had fled after being heavily injured by Lin Fan! His face was still pale, but his Aura seemed to have stabilized somewhat, and the venom in his eyes was almost overflowing. Standing beside him were two Elders with even more obscure and deep Auras, surrounded by ghostly Qi; they were two Mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm Elders of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Sect!

"Lin Fan! Today is the day you die! I will pull out your living soul and torture it day and night to vent the hatred in my heart!" Fierce Soul roared shrilly, looking half-mad.

Figures also emerged from two other directions. One group consisted of three ascetic monks wearing golden Buddhist robes with faint Buddha light encircling their heads, coming from the Lesser Leiyin Temple of the Western Regions, their gazes calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority. The other group consisted of two women in revealing clothes, their faces beautiful and their eyes seductive enough to steal one's soul, coming from the Hehuan Sect of the Southern Border, their Auras enchanting and dangerous.

These three parties were clearly drawn here by the Token resonance, their targets being the Tokens in the hands of Lin Fan, Su Zhiqing, and Zi Linger!

"Tsk tsk, the remnants of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Sect, the baldies of Lesser Leiyin Temple, and the vixens of the Hehuan Sect. The lineup is quite complete," Zi Linger licked her red lips, showing no fear but instead a high Battle Intent.

Sword Qi flickered at Su Zhiqing's fingertips as her cold eyes swept over the crowd, finally landing on the ascetic monks of Lesser Leiyin Temple, clearly more concerned about that pure Buddhist Aura.

Lin Fan took a step forward, his calm gaze sweeping over the three groups of powerful enemies before fixing on Fierce Soul, his tone indifferent. "It seems the last lesson wasn't deep enough."

Fierce Soul instinctively took half a step back under his gaze, then became flyblown with rage. "Still stubborn even when death is at hand! Elders, please take action and capture this brat!"

The two Nine Nether Yellow Springs Sect Elders snorted and attacked simultaneously! One sacrificed a Myriad Soul Banner, which unfurled to release countless wailing ghosts that transformed into a massive ghost claw reaching for Lin Fan; the other spat out Nether Ghost Fire, the emerald flames burning the Void Realm as they rushed toward Lin Fan's face!

Seeing this, the ascetic monks of Lesser Leiyin Temple chanted a Buddhist name and joined hands to form a seal. A massive " swastika" Swastika Buddhist Seal appeared out of thin air, carrying the power to suppress demons and deliver all living beings as it descended toward Zi Linger! They seemed to have determined that Zi Linger, being of the Yao Race, was a demonic outsider.

The two women from the Hehuan Sect giggled, their figures moving like butterflies among flowers as they scattered a sky full of pink Peach Blossom Miasma, which contained extremely strong charm and corrosive power, aimed directly at Su Zhiqing to disturb her Sword Heart.

The great battle erupted instantly!

Facing the joint attack of two Mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm Elders, Lin Fan's gaze narrowed, not daring to be careless. The Eternal Indestructible Body operated at full power as a brilliant divine light soared into the sky. The Indestructible Divine King Fist was struck out fiercely, its Fist Intent infused with a trace of the Intent of Reincarnation Nirvana he had just comprehended, actually dispersing the Nether Ghost Fire with one punch while the other met the massive ghost claw!

Su Zhiqing's Sword Heart Illumination was clear; facing the decadent music and the Peach Blossom Miasma, although she had no sword in hand, her fingers acted as one. A streak of Glazed Sword Qi moved with total freedom, tearing through the miasma as her Sword Intent pointed directly at the bodies of the two Hehuan Sect women, forcing them to dodge repeatedly.

Zi Linger went even further, directly revealing some of her Yao Race characteristics. Her fox ears stood erect, and the phantom of nine tails swayed behind her as her demonic power surged. She used her powerful Physical Body and Divine Ability to directly clash with the descending Swastika Buddhist Seal, actually causing the golden light of the seal to tremble violently!

In the sky, the phantom of the Ancient Road portal became clearer and clearer, and the ancient Aura it emitted grew increasingly rich. Below, the melee surrounding the Token holders had also reached a fever pitch. The roar of energy collisions, the wailing of ghosts and howling of gods, Buddhist chants, and sharp shouts interwove to turn this area into a chaotic battlefield.

All the onlookers held their breath, knowing that this was not just a struggle for Tokens, but an important clash between top Prodigies before they stepped onto the Ancient Road! The result would likely influence the future landscape within the Ancient Road!

Lin Fan repelled the ghost claw with a punch, his figure moving like lightning as he actively charged toward the two Nine Nether Yellow Springs Sect Elders, his eyes burning with Battle Intent.

The Ancient Road is about to open, and the winds and clouds are gathering! This chaotic prelude was the perfect stage for him to temper himself and validate what he had learned!