Two days later, the raging inferno that had engulfed the Wei family finally subsided.
However, Ling Fan, who had been in seclusion within, had vanished without a trace.
...
The Royal City.
The Royal Palace.
A figure moved as if through an empty realm, passing through the heavily guarded Flowing Cloud Royal Palace and penetrating its depths.
The several Flowing Cloud royal family experts at the Heavenly Origin realm, guarding the forbidden area of the palace, remained completely unaware.
A silhouette appeared beneath a towering portal at the deepest part of the palace.
This figure was, of course, Ling Fan.
With his Heavenly Demon Eyes activated, the secrets of this portal were laid bare before Ling Fan's eyes.
Forty-nine golden artifact patterns pulsed with an aura of unbreakable strength.
This Suspended Gate was, in fact, a top-tier Profound Grade mid-grade spiritual artifact, extremely close to Profound Grade upper-grade.
And not far behind this towering Suspended Gate.
Two colossal figures stood like silent sentinels, guarding the gate.
They were the two Giant Spirit realm powerhouses whom Ling Fan had met before, and even fought one of them.
A hint of solemnity flickered in Ling Fan's eyes.
If his Nirvana Tribulation Body had reached minor completion at this moment, he could have forcefully broken through this gate with his formidable physique.
However, he was still some distance from minor completion, and a forceful breach would inevitably come at a price.
Moreover, there were two Giant Spirit realm experts who could launch a surprise attack at any moment.
...
A forceful breach was clearly an unwise move.
Yet, Ling Fan did not hesitate in the slightest.
Ling Fan's hand slowly extended, landing abruptly on the Suspended Gate.
Instantly, centered on his palm, ripples spread across the portal like a stone dropped into a thousand waves.
Boom!
Suddenly, a powerful counter-shock surged from the Suspended Gate, slamming into Ling Fan.
Ling Fan let out a cold snort, unleashing astonishing physical strength from his palm. With a fierce grip, he dispersed the counter-shock.
Concurrently.
Ling Fan grabbed the portal with both hands and tore it violently apart.
With a low growl, Ling Fan's blood surged, his physique radiating light. He forcefully inserted his hands into the portal of light and ripped open a fissure.
Boom!
At that instant.
The Suspended Gate, a top-tier Profound Grade mid-grade spiritual artifact, seemed to have been provoked.
It suddenly emitted a fierce radiance, and an overwhelming power, capable of crushing the robust physique of a Giant Spirit realm martial artist, descended upon Ling Fan.
It intended to obliterate the audacious intruder.
But the moment this formidable suppressing force landed on Ling Fan.
Ling Fan's body merely swayed slightly before regaining its stance.
The two blood pills within Ling Fan's heart, along with the third nascent blood pill, erupted with a torrent of vital energy.
He became like an ancient ferocious beast, radiating an awe-inspiring aura.
Ling Fan tore at it again with all his might.
Crack!
Crack!
The fissure widened abruptly and then split open.
Ling Fan forcefully rammed his body forward.
He actually squeezed through the gap in the portal.
This process appeared slow.
In reality, it occurred in the blink of an eye.
Behind the Suspended Gate.
The two terrifyingly tall figures suddenly opened their eyes, like divine lamps.
A fearsome aura surged skyward. As they stood up and looked towards the portal, two overwhelming pressures descended, blanketing the area.
"Another ant from the mortal world dares to challenge the Suspended Gate, seeking death!"
"Hmm... surprisingly, he wasn't crushed by the Suspended Gate, but instead tore open a rift and squeezed himself into the gap..."
"Hmph, damn it, it's that brat who dared to burn my great bird!"
One of the terrifying figures let out an enraged roar.
Enemies meeting, their eyes burned with hatred.
Especially since he had a vivid memory of the brat who had nearly roasted his bird; he would recognize him even if he turned to ash.
Ling Fan had no time to concern himself with these two Giant Spirit realm experts at this moment.
Their strength was merely at the early stage of the Giant Spirit realm.
They were comparable to the Flowing Cloud King.
Their strength did not instill fear in Ling Fan.
At this moment, the most dangerous entity was the Suspended Gate itself.
Ling Fan had not completely passed through the portal.
Instead, he was stuck within it.
Unable to advance or retreat.
An endless crushing force emanated from all directions, intent on grinding him to death within the portal.
If not for Ling Fan's formidable physique, any Giant Spirit realm expert from the lower realms would have been compressed into a meat patty by this top-tier Profound Grade mid-grade spiritual artifact.
The squeezing force of the Suspended Gate continued to intensify.
Even Ling Fan's robust physique was emitting faint cracking sounds under the pressure.
Ling Fan's vital energy roared, and he unleashed punch after punch towards the front, attempting to break through the Suspended Gate.
However, the hardness of this portal exceeded his imagination.
With his exceptionally strong physique, he was still unable to break through it.
After dozens of punches, he managed to blast a crack in the light barrier ahead.
Just as Ling Fan was about to capitalize on his progress and forge an escape route.
The light of this fissure only lasted for a moment.
Within the Suspended Gate, the two Giant Spirit realm experts wore mocking cold smiles.
They unleashed streams of spiritual energy with their hands.
While reinforcing the Suspended Gate, they activated it, abruptly sealing the fissure and channeling power to strengthen this particular area.
Ling Fan's eyes shot out two cold beams, glaring at the two Giant Spirit realm experts.
One of the Giant Spirit realm experts sneered, "Heh heh, you lowly ant from the mortal world, you actually aspire to set foot in the Upper Realm. Despair as you are crushed to death within the Suspended Gate!"
At this time.
The commotion at the Suspended Gate also attracted the attention of the Flowing Cloud Royal Palace's experts.
"Someone else is trying to breach the Suspended Gate!"
"Whoa, who is this fierce!"
"He seems to have gotten in... no, he hasn't fully entered, he's stuck in the gate!"
"Heh heh, this kid is finished. The Suspended Gate isn't that easy to breach."
A group of Flowing Cloud Royal Palace experts stood far away from the Suspended Gate.
They could not see through the Suspended Gate, thus they could not discern Ling Fan's appearance within the portal, only a blurred silhouette.
While shocked, they did not believe this person could succeed in a forceful breach.
...
Seeing the situation worsening with each passing moment.
Ling Fan's eyes narrowed.
An ice-blue battle armor suddenly materialized on his body.
It was the Profound Grade mid-grade battle armor with forty artifact patterns belonging to Wei Hong, the patriarch of the Wei family.
However, that armor could only be activated by those with the Wei family's Demonic Martial Bloodline.
This current armor had been re-refined by Ling Fan.
It was now even more powerful and durable than before.
Ling Fan suddenly crushed a spirit core.
Instantly, terrifying spiritual energy erupted like a cloud of mist, pouring madly into the ice-blue battle armor on his body.
At that moment, the flowing light on the ice-blue battle armor intensified to an extreme.
Vaguely, the phantom of a colossal azure ice demon roared towards the sky, pushing back the terrifying power of the Suspended Gate that was crushing from all sides.
However, despite the immense power of this ice-blue battle armor.
It was merely a spiritual artifact that had just reached Profound Grade mid-grade.
The gap between it and the top-tier Profound Grade mid-grade spiritual artifact that was the Suspended Gate was too vast.
The phantom of the ice demon only held back the pressure for a fleeting moment.
The Suspended Gate suddenly closed.