Lady Yao Xixue, her brow furrowed delicately, believed she had offered sincerity itself. Every plea had been uttered, the offered recompense was exceedingly generous, and she had even forced down her own temper to beseech his aid.

Yet, Wang Lin remained resistant, his constant refusals stirring a growing impatience within her heart.

Without his assistance, she would be forced to wait until she attained the Ascendant realm to break the ancient ward. While the celestial jades required for such an undertaking were not lacking, her comprehension of the Dao remained stagnant. This enlightenment could take an age, its arrival known to none.

Furthermore, this endeavor must remain concealed from the native inhabitants, lest it unleash a cataclysm upon this land.

After much contemplation, she concluded that Wang Lin was the only suitable candidate! Particularly, his battle against the demon general after succumbing to demonic influence convinced her. She witnessed his strength firsthand and was certain that with his aid, the remaining seals could be shattered.

Yao Xixue cast a glance at Wang Lin. After a moment of consideration, her sharp mind piecing together his earlier words, she understood his game. These past four months were nothing more than a ploy to extract a greater reward.

A flicker of contempt flashed within her. Her tone turning colder, she demanded, “What more do you desire? More celestial jades? Magic artifacts? Ancient techniques?”

Wang Lin remained unfazed by her sharp words, replying calmly, “I lack neither artifacts nor techniques. Converting them to more celestial jades would be most agreeable.”

Her scorn deepened. “Celestial jades aplenty reside within my father, Blood Ancestor’s, ancestral cave. I shall grant you a blood-rune token. Once you depart from this demon realm, you may retrieve them yourself!”

Wang Lin nodded. “Very well. However, this matter is fraught with peril. I require time to consider.”

Yao Xixue’s face turned frigid. “How long will this ‘consideration’ take?” she asked icily.

“Three months, perhaps,” Wang Lin replied impassively.

“You!” Yao Xixue erupted in anger. With a flick of her sleeve, the pavilion doors burst open, and she turned to leave, her expression a mask of cold fury.

“Farewell,” Wang Lin stated calmly.

Yao Xixue paused, one foot over the threshold. She took several deep breaths, bit her lip, and with a wave of her hand, produced a waxen pill from her storage pouch. Turning back to Wang Lin, a hint of cruel amusement flickered in her eyes. “Take this. Leave with me in three days, or our pact is undone!”

Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened as he focused on the waxen pill. It appeared unremarkable, lacking any discernible aura. Yet, as he studied it, he noticed a series of minuscule runes etched upon its surface.

These runes pulsed with an unnatural light, their rhythm mirroring Yao Xixue’s breath and heartbeat!

“What is this?” Wang Lin asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Yao Xixue made no attempt to conceal her scorn. “It is little wonder you do not recognize it. You have only recently become a disciple of Tian Yunzi. This is a Blood Soul Pill, a unique creation of my father, Blood Ancestor!”

“Blood Soul Pill?” Wang Lin inquired, hearing the name for the first time, his expression unchanged.

He was unaware that were other cultivators of the Tianyun Star to hear the pill’s name, they would be driven to madness.

Its value was beyond measure!

“Named ‘Blood Soul,’ it is not meant for consumption. Rather, it imprints your spirit and flesh upon it, forging a connection that allows you to resurrect, even if your soul is shattered! To be precise, it is a substitute for death itself!” Yao Xixue spoke coldly.

Wang Lin’s face finally betrayed a hint of emotion. He beckoned with his right hand, and the pill flew from Yao Xixue’s grasp, landing in his palm.

Yao Xixue, anticipating his desire to examine it, did not resist. Watching his reaction, she smiled inwardly. This pill was, in truth, a useless husk!

Her father had created it as a decoy to deter thieves. While it did indeed contain traces of the rare blue blood, that blood was riddled with impurities and toxins. Only her father and herself could discern the genuine pill from this flawed imitation.

In this way, they had no fear of anyone attempting to steal it!

To place one’s hope on this worthless thing was to forfeit half of one’s life.

Wang Lin held the waxen pill and immediately noticed that the rhythm of the runes had shifted. It now pulsed in sync with his own heartbeat.

Clearly, the pill adapted to its holder, attuning itself to their life force.

A feeling of blood kinship washed over Wang Lin, as if the object was a part of him. The sensation was intense.

Wang Lin inhaled deeply, glanced at Yao Xixue, and said, “Give me the celestial jades!”

Without hesitation, Yao Xixue produced a storage pouch from within her robes. She tossed it forward, stating, “This is enough to sustain your cultivation until you reach the late stage of Infant Transformation. The remainder will be given to you upon our return! In three days, when the Violet Demon Moon ascends three-quarters, meet me at Drum Mountain!”

Wang Lin fell silent. After a moment, he replied, “Agreed.”

Yao Xixue’s face broke into a smile as she turned and departed. She had no fear that Wang Lin would break his word. She cared nothing for celestial jades, and even less for the pill.

Wang Lin’s eyes followed Yao Xixue until her figure vanished into the distance. Only then did he turn away, a thoughtful expression settling upon his face.

“That woman is remarkably carefree, unafraid of my betrayal. But such nonchalance must have a source. Perhaps she scorns celestial jades, and her father, Blood Ancestor, possesses an abundance of them.

“This Blood Soul Pill, however, is suspicious. If it truly possesses such power, it would be exceedingly rare, akin to a true Immortal Art!

“To offer such a treasure, simply for my assistance… if I were her, I would certainly add some trickery.”

A cold smile touched Wang Lin’s lips. He murmured to himself, “Yao Xixue, had you not been so nonchalant, I might merely have suspected something. But now, I am certain… there is something amiss with this Blood Soul Pill!”
A glint sparked in his eyes. With a flick of his left hand across his storage pouch, a simple soul banner appeared. He unfurled it with a snap, and intoned, “Cao Yi-Dou!” From within the banner surged a wisp of black mist, billowing and swirling until it coalesced into the form of a man!

It was Cao Yi-Dou, the guide he had acquired for himself on Suzaku Planet!

The moment he materialized, Cao Yi-Dou prostrated himself on the ground, uttering a deferential, “Greetings, Master!”

Wang Lin wasted no time on pleasantries. “Do you know of the Blood Ancestor?” he demanded. Upon hearing the name, Cao Yi-Dou’s face underwent a stark transformation, taking a considerable moment to regain its composure. He stammered, “I know of him! The Blood Ancestor’s renown echoes amongst all cultivators of Tian Yun Star! Legend tells of his seven attempts to challenge Tian Yunzi, each ending in failure. Yet, his power only grew with each defeat. Some even whisper that he stands as the third mightiest being on Tian Yun Star, surpassed only by Tian Yunzi and Ling Tianhou! Though a mere rumor, it speaks volumes of his strength!”

Wang Lin pondered this for a moment, then pressed on, “The Blood Soul Pill – have you heard of it?”

“The Blood Soul Pill!” Cao Yi-Dou exclaimed, his fervor unlike anything Wang Lin had witnessed before. Not even the promise of a nascent soul body had elicited such a reaction.

“Master, that pill is ranked among the top three treasures of Tian Yun Star!” Cao Yi-Dou cried. “It holds the power to seize the very essence of creation, to defy fate itself! It can grant death to a cultivator, and then rebirth! It is a unique creation of the Blood Ancestor, and none know how he came to possess it!” His words tumbled out in a breathless torrent, fueled by unrestrained excitement.

Wang Lin extended his right hand, revealing a waxen pellet nestled in his palm, arcane runes shimmering upon its surface.

“Do you recognize this?”

Cao Yi-Dou squinted, scrutinizing the pellet. After a long moment, his face paled. He muttered, “Encased in the wax of a White Lizard Beast, marked with three thousand six hundred and fourteen runes, pulsing in rhythm with one’s heartbeat, and yielding to the touch with the feel of living flesh… Master, am I correct?”

Wang Lin’s expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded.

Cao Yi-Dou struggled to contain his fervor. “I implore you, Master,” he said. “Allow a drop of your blood to touch it!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Lin bit his finger, drawing forth a single drop of crimson blood. As it landed upon the waxen pellet, a flash of azure light erupted from within, lasting for three heartbeats before fading away.

“White Lizard wax, runes that gleam, blood brings forth an azure dream! Yes, without a doubt – it is the Blood Soul Pill!” Cao Yi-Dou’s gaze was riveted to the pellet, a ravenous hunger blazing in his eyes.

Wang Lin’s face darkened. He regarded the pellet with a wary eye, and spoke slowly, “Cao Yi-Dou, given your cultivation, what was your standing within your sect on Tian Yun Star?”

Lost in his desire, Cao Yi-Dou seemed deaf to Wang Lin’s words. His entire being was consumed by the Blood Soul Pill. It held a significance for him that ran deeper than Wang Lin knew, for he vaguely remembered a rumor that if a soul form consumed the Blood Soul Pill, it could even reconstitute a new physical body!

Seeing his condition, Wang Lin’s brow furrowed. He issued a cold snort, a sound that pierced Cao Yi-Dou’s ethereal form like a shard of ice. Startled, Cao Yi-Dou snapped back to reality. Hearing Wang Lin’s question, he hesitated, then shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. “My standing was not high, or else the Corpse Yin Sect would never have dispatched me to Suzaku Planet for a body snatching…”

A spark ignited in Wang Lin’s eyes. “If your status was so low,” he countered, “how is it that you possess such intimate knowledge of the Blood Soul Pill, even to the point of knowing how to authenticate its veracity?”

Cao Yi-Dou paused once more, then offered a rueful smile. “Master, the methods for identifying the Blood Soul Pill are widely known on Tian Yun Star. It is hardly a secret.”

Wang Lin nodded. With a wave of his hand, the soul banner billowed, and Cao Yi-Dou was once more confined within its depths. Wang Lin stared at the Blood Soul Pill in his hand, his face growing ever more grim.

“If this item is truly so precious, why would the methods for its identification be so freely disseminated, especially when they appear to be entirely accurate?” he mused. “This reeks of a scheme concocted by someone with ulterior motives!”

“The Blood Ancestor,” he continued, “truly is an ancient monster seasoned by countless years of cultivation. With a single, artful stroke, he has diffused the danger of possessing such a valuable treasure. Were I in his position, I would have done the same!” Wang Lin squeezed the waxen pellet in his hand, his eyes clearing with newfound clarity.