He was the Way, the Sky, born of countless paths intertwined. He was the gaze that watched as countless luminous orbs pulsed with change, from bloom to decay, from death to rebirth – his was the Way of the Wheel of Life and Death.

Cause and effect intertwined, for every seed, a blossom; for every blossom, the echo of a seed. As Li Muwan sought her elusive answer, as Wang Ping and Qing Yi lived their lives of humble grace – this was his Way of Karma.

In a fleeting moment, Wang Lin felt a glimmer of understanding, yet simultaneously, a profound ignorance. This bewilderment swelled like a tide within his soul, rising into a tumultuous sea. Then, with a shuddering crash, as the tide reached its zenith, clarity surged, and he was thrust back, standing once more before the colossal gate that pierced the heavens.

Nothing had changed. The thunder still roared, the violet light still pulsed, as though all that had transpired was but a fleeting dream, a figment born of a moment’s disorientation before the gate.

So unreal, yet so palpably true…

The gate had parted, revealing a sliver of what lay beyond, only to slowly, inexorably, seal shut, vanishing into the ether. The arm wreathed in violet lightning followed, and all the radiant purple light coalesced, retreating, forming once more the Heaven Defying Pearl.

But now, the pearl bore a mystic change. The imprints of the Five Elements, once etched upon its surface, were gone. In their place dwelled the symbols of Yin and Yang, the Sun and the Moon, each claiming half of the pearl, distinct, unmerged.

It drifted towards Wang Lin’s brow, merging of its own volition into his very being.

Wang Lin stood unmoving in the air, his eyes slowly closing, his mind still echoing with the phantom sensations of the visions.

A glimmer of understanding began to dawn…

He remained rooted, lost in the contemplation of the truths he had glimpsed. In the depths of that unreal dream, a profound truth had been revealed, etching itself indelibly upon his soul.

Wang Lin knew that the dream’s secrets were of immense value, a celestial boon beyond compare.

He could not speak of it to another soul. He dared not try. He even suspected that beings like Tian Yunzi, if they knew of such a chance, would forsake all else for its pursuit!

They would abandon Tian Yun Star itself, relinquish all their powerful spells and artifacts, for this singular opportunity to seek the Way!

For this search held the potential to unlock the most enigmatic of doors, the Third Step, the object of their relentless pursuit, the dream that haunted their waking hours, the desire that consumed their very beings!

Those who hear the Way may die content in the evening…

Those who seek the Way forget the fear of death…

The true worth of the Heaven Defying Pearl remained a mystery, but this glimpse of its power was an unforgettable, awe-inspiring revelation.

The journey had not enhanced his cultivation directly, but it had elevated his very essence. Where once Wang Lin had stood before the towering gate in profound awe, an emotion felt from the depths of his soul,

an emotion born of the disparity in their levels, akin to a man looking upon an ant, he was different now. While he remained but an ant compared to the gate, he was now an ant who had glimpsed the Third Step!

He had seen the Third Step!

As his soul delved deeper, the lightning pool beneath him seemed to respond, churning into furious tempestuous storm, the thunderous roar reverberating through the stone layer.

At that moment, within the shattered stone, a bolt of lightning descended, carrying the armored Thunder Beast and its black-haired rider, his eyes narrowed with alarm, flying deep within the fragmented depths.

As he approached, he had immediately sensed a disruption in the air. The turbulent surge of lightning was far beyond anything he had previously encountered.

And within that lightning, there was an inscrutable presence of immense power, a thing that filled the black-haired man with apprehension, urging him toward caution.

He navigated the shattered stones with practiced ease, yet never had he felt such unease.

He swiftly traversed the layer, drawing ever closer to the Thunder Prison. The nearer he came, the more intense his dread became.

“What has changed in this place!?” the black-haired man muttered, his face grim. He was at the brink of the Yang Solid stage, close to reaching the point where he could break through to the next realm. To instill such trepidation in him, a cultivator of his caliber, required power that only a cultivator of the Second Step could invoke!

And yet, the terror increased.

After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth. His Thunder Beast surged forth, piercing through the final layer of debris, revealing the familiar sight of the Thunder Pool!

His eyes immediately fell upon Wang Lin, hovering above the surface. The sight was unsettling. He hung in the air, surrounded by a swirling halo of lightning, arcs of energy dancing through his body, his hair whipping around him.

The sheer size of the Thunder Pool sent the black-haired man reeling. It felt as though he had stumbled into the wrong place altogether. It was barely half the size it had been the last time he had visited!

As Wang Lin emerged from the depths of his meditation, the black-haired man caused a faint ripple in the state of nothingness. Slowly, Wang Lin opened his eyes!

They were eyes beyond description, seeming to hold within them the heavens and the earth, all the laws of existence. It was a gaze that could pierce the sky, plumb the depths of the earth!

They reminded him of the colossal hand he had witnessed outside the heavenly gate, an awe-inspiring sight that caused his very soul to tremble, filling anyone who beheld it with the profound reverence reserved for the most insignicant of insects…
The lingering echoes of Wang Lin’s sojourn within that illusory dream clung to his eyes, a sliver of truth amidst the unreal. He stood, for that fleeting moment, as if he were the very firmament, as if he *were* the Dao itself.

This was the aura of the Third Step. Wang Lin’s gaze held no focused intent, only a serene emptiness tinged with a distant confusion, as he casually glanced upon the black-haired warrior.

That single glance struck the man like a cataclysm. A thunderous roar erupted in his mind, as if he had drawn upon the primal energies of a raging storm, far exceeding his own capacity.

He was instantly frozen, utterly immobile. His entire world narrowed to the single point of Wang Lin’s gaze. His life, in that instant, contained nothing beyond that singular, overwhelming stare.

The rumble of thunder echoed around him, yet seemed distant, muted, though he heard it clearly, he could not truly *feel* it.

He could not comprehend the nature of this gaze, yet it was infused with a divine power that shattered his understanding. This power tore through his very eyes, invading his heart and soul, shaking him to his core.

His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat approaching the point of bursting.

His blood surged through his veins, a chaotic torrent, carrying with it his own vital energy. He was gripped by utter terror, feeling that any resistance would only hasten his utter annihilation by this terrifying gaze.

“What…what power *is* this?!” The black-haired man could not move a single muscle. His own energy spun wildly within him, a desperate shield, even if it dissipated, even if it was wasted. His mouth was dry, sweat poured down his face, soaking his garments. He was consumed with madness, unable to break the connection with that annihilating gaze.

With all his martial prowess, this was the first time in his life he had encountered such a formidable power. Even facing the Lord of the Lightning Citadel, he had never felt such crushing dread.

Wang Lin gazed calmly at the black-haired man. In his eyes lingered the echoes of the endless search, the quest for the Dao. He saw only a creature before him, be it soldier or serf, it mattered not. He had achieved a certain enlightenment, and to him, the man seemed less than an insect.

In his dream quest, his very gaze had become the Dao. Where his eyes rested, the glowing motes of existence blossomed and withered in the blink of an eye. And now, carrying that dream-born gaze, his eyes rested upon the black-haired man.

The man became like one of those dream-born motes, except instead of growing and expanding, he found himself swiftly, inevitably unraveling, being unraveled, being unmade.

Layer upon layer, constantly, relentlessly peeled away.

The black-haired man’s eyes widened with boundless, agonizing terror. Death had never felt so close, so absolute. As the other’s gaze fell upon him, he felt his own spirit withering and burning. The vital energy within him spun out of control, erupting into a blazing, invisible inferno.

The gaze carried a power so terrifying, he could not muster even a sliver of resistance. It was as if the very heavens whispered to him, *Return…Return…* He was nothing more than a mere ant, and a deep, primordial reverence surged through his soul.

And it was not just the man. The thunder beast that bore him suffered even worse. Low, mournful whimpers escaped its throat as its flesh visibly crumbled, returning to the dust from which it came.

All of this occurred in the briefest of moments. Then, the echoes of Wang Lin’s endless quest faded, and he closed his eyes, drawing a deep, steadying breath.

The black-haired man was left trembling, jolted back from the brink of annihilation. Soaked in sweat, his vital energies depleted, his spirit withered, he stared, petrified, at Wang Lin.

“So terrifying… What…what gaze was that? What is the extent of this man’s power?!” The black-haired warrior gasped for air, his body shaking, his face pale. He was filled with a deep regret for ever coming here. If he had stayed away, he would not have suffered that moment of unbearable terror.

He had no doubt that if that strange, terrible power had lingered for but a moment longer, he would have utterly collapsed, annihilated, stripped of all life and being.

Even the escape of his spirit, the flight of his soul, would have been impossible.

The thunder beast beneath him shared the sentiment, its eyes filled with stark terror as it gazed upon Wang Lin. It was a proud creature, a beast that would sooner die than submit, but before that gaze, death was merely a trifle – this was a pressure that struck at the very core of its being.