Chapter 152: Moye

"What's going on? How could the passage close?"

Lin Fan's expression turned ugly. He clearly had not expected this, and Yi Ming had never mentioned that such a situation might occur.

At that moment, another roar echoed from the distance. The entities upon those towering platforms were slowly awakening, and gazes filled with murderous intent pierced through the void, locking directly onto Lin Fan.

"It seems none of these are living beings, merely spiritual awareness born anew after death. What kind of beings are they then? What race is the one with a single horn on its head and three eyes? They call this place the Shura Realm, what does that mean?"

Lin Fan muttered to himself, enveloped by dense clouds of doubt. He felt deep down that this place must be more than just a fragment of a greater world; there had to be other secrets.

Retrieving the Bodhi Seed once more, Lin Fan began to observe the world anew, hoping to uncover deeper and more profound secrets, but in the end, he gained nothing.

Some mysterious force interfered with the Bodhi Seed, preventing it from functioning at its full potential.

Still, he managed to notice something he had overlooked before: the entities on the platforms could not travel far and were restricted to moving only within their immediate vicinity.

"It seems the only place where a passage might possibly exist is around that tomb. As long as I steer clear of those large platforms, I should be fine, even though the journey will be a bit more circuitous."

Lin Fan exhaled a breath of stale air, his gaze flickering. He proceeded step by cautious step, unwilling to court any further trouble. Fortunately, there were no formations within this world fragment, and aside from the platform entities, there were no other dangers.

Although it took him a full several hours, aided by the Bodhi Seed as if guided by the gods, Lin Fan bypassed numerous large platforms and finally arrived beneath the tomb. Even so, he had to endure many fierce battles along the way.

One platform entity, at the mid-stage of the fourth decay of the Celestial Human Realm, manifested with immense power, rushing forward to suppress Lin Fan. At that time, Lin Fan was not borrowing any external forces, relying entirely on his own cultivation, which triggered a brutal and bloody clash.

In the end, Lin Fan won by a narrow margin, shattering his opponent's body with a single punch. Yet he himself suffered a counter-attack, his physical body cracking and oozing blood. Without the help of the Human Emperor's Icon, he likely would have perished in a pool of blood. However, this fierce battle was not without its benefits; Lin Fan felt that he could now perceive the bottleneck of the mid-stage of the second decay of the Celestial Human Realm.

"The closer I get here, the more intensely I can feel the Human Emperor's Icon throbbing."

Pale-faced, Lin Fan raised his head to look at the suspended tomb, his eyes flashing as he wondered what lay ahead.

He chose not to enter the tomb immediately, deciding instead to recover his injuries.

After several more hours passed, Lin Fan fully recovered, his eyes even brighter and having returned to their peak condition.

Without any further hesitation, he leaped into the air, charging directly toward the tomb suspended in mid-air.

However, before Lin Fan could fly very high, his body dropped back down.

"What is the meaning of this? Flight is forbidden here as well? Then how am I supposed to get up there?"

Lin Fan frowned, feeling somewhat helpless.

Yet he did not have to wait long before a beam of divine light descended from the tomb, eventually condensing into a flight of stairs that led straight up to it.

"So that's how it is. This must be the dignity of a mighty expert."

Lin Fan smiled faintly, having figured it all out.

Even in death, a powerful expert would never allow anyone to fly over their head. They were domineering throughout their lives, and remained just as unyielding after death.

Lin Fan stepped onto the stairs with a trace of respect. No matter where they went, whether invincible in their era or fallen in battle, true experts deserved everyone's respect. Furthermore, Lin Fan could be certain that the expert within this tomb belonged to the human race and shared a profound connection with the Human Emperor's Icon.

"I wonder who the person inside the tomb is."

Lin Fan murmured to himself, though he was not in a rush to enter the tomb, choosing instead to comprehend the Dao of the mighty expert resting within it.

At a glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary flight of stairs, but in reality, it was the embodiment of Dao and Law, offering immense benefit to Lin Fan in his current state.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Fan reached the exterior of the tomb. As if someone had been waiting for him, the tomb doors swung wide open, leaving only for Lin Fan to step inside.

"Such an ancient aura! This is definitely something left over from the Primeval Era, and the expert within this tomb is no ordinary figure. It's even possible that he was the one who shattered this great world."

Maintaining his composure, Lin Fan stepped into the tomb, certain that the person inside already knew of his arrival.

The tomb was filled with churning white mist, obscuring everything from view as if at the dawn of chaos, making it terribly easy for one to lose their way within.

"Is that the Human Emperor's Icon resting upon your chest?"

At that moment, a voice rang out, echoing through the entire tomb as if coming from all directions at once, making it impossible to trace its origin.

"Reporting to Senior, it is indeed."

Lin Fan spoke without any concealment. He knew that before such a towering figure, all his secrets would be laid bare, so he simply chose to admit it outright.

"Indeed it is. Seen in this light, you are also a disciple of my Master, albeit across generations."

The mist billowed, and a figure slowly walked out from the distance, stopping right in front of Lin Fan.

This appeared to be a very young man, yet his eyes held an endless vicissitude of life, as if he had seen through life and death and reversed the wheel of reincarnation.

"You may call me Moxie, and you can also address me as Senior Brother."

The man smiled and nodded, appearing quite satisfied with Lin Fan.

"There's no rush for that. I hope Senior can tell me some of the secrets I deserve to know."

Lin Fan's expression remained unchanged and thoroughly calm, even knowing that the person standing before him was likely an invincible powerhouse from the Primeval Era.

"You are good—your temperament is extraordinary. In fact, even if you hadn't asked, I would have told you."

Moxie was slightly startled, the look of satisfaction in his eyes growing even deeper as he slowly began to speak.

"The item upon your chest is the Human Emperor's Icon. It conceals a heaven-shaking secret relating to the human race and the divine kingdoms up in the Nine Heavens. As for the specifics, even I know very little, so you needn't ask further; knowing would do you no good."

Moxie's gaze lingered on Lin Fan's chest for a moment before shifting away.

"Originally, the Human Emperor's Icon belonged to my Master. As for who my Master is, you will find out in due time. Put that way, you are indeed my junior brother. You needn't worry about me deceiving you, nor do you need to worry about me seizing it from you. By now, you should already have a vague sense of it: the Human Emperor's Icon possesses its own spiritual awareness. Since it has chosen you, no one else can take it away."

At this point, Moxie felt a fleeting trace of sorrow, though he quickly concealed it.

"Is the Human Emperor's Icon a form of heritage?"

Lin Fan pondered for a moment before asking, his expression solemn.

This was the question he most wanted answered. Perhaps to others, obtaining the Great Devouring Art from the Human Emperor's Icon meant it was a form of heritage, but deep down, he vaguely felt it wasn't so simple. The Great Devouring Art was indeed one of the very best among the Three Thousand Great Daos, yet in Lin Fan's perception, it still could not compare to the Human Emperor's Icon itself.

"I didn't expect you to have already realized this. Still, I can share some news with you: the Human Emperor's Icon can be considered a heritage, but then again, it may not be. The so-called heritage originates from my Master, yet even my Master was merely a wielder of the Human Emperor's Icon."

Moxie was somewhat surprised that Lin Fan would ask such a question, though he had no intention of hiding anything.

"The Human Emperor's Icon is... unmasterable. It is much more than that; it is a form of faith, a kind of destiny, an embodiment of sheer will."