Wang Lin’s gaze swept across the landscape before his feet settled gently upon the earth. The ward, a mere hundred paces in breadth, was subtly interwoven with the surrounding stones, a masterful concealment.

Had he not possessed absolute certainty that no such barrier existed moments before, its presence might have eluded him entirely. More significantly, the subtle emanation of celestial power hinted at its true nature.

“A faint wisp of celestial essence, perfectly blended with its surroundings… ingenious indeed!” Wang Lin murmured, his keen eyes observing the intricate design. “Yet, in this fusion, a subtle flaw emerges. Though intertwined, disparate celestial energies can never achieve true, unbroken unity.”

He paused, poised to breach the barrier, when a sudden premonition struck him.

“Nay,” he mused, a frown creasing his brow. “Such a meticulously crafted ward would not suffer such an obvious weakness. The celestial power could easily be extracted, rendering it nigh invisible. The hand that wrought this is too skilled to make such an error.”

His divine sense scoured the land within a mile, finding no trace of other presence. After moments of contemplation, he murmured, “Strange… I sense the aura of a ward, yet see nothing. Could it be a trick of the eye?” With a nearly imperceptible flicker of his gaze, he transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the heavens until he vanished completely from view.

An hour passed. Beside the ward, a dozen paces to the east, the air shimmered, rippling like water. From this disruption, two figures emerged: the very same pair of cultivators at the peak of the Asking stage whom Wang Lin had encountered a moon prior.

The woman, her face a mask of vexation, glared at the sky in the direction Wang Lin had disappeared. “You assured me that your ward was indistinguishable from reality, a lure for any cultivator on this shard! Why did that man not fall for it?”

The man beside her frowned, considering. “Perhaps he did not truly leave. We may have been too hasty in revealing ourselves.”

“Cease your evasions! I demand an explanation!” the woman snapped.

“He may have perceived a flaw within its design,” the man conceded, his voice hushed.

“Do not overestimate him! Did you not hear his own words? He saw no ward at all! I told you to leave more obvious openings, but you insisted on your own flawed perfection!” Her tone was laced with disdain.

A flicker of contempt crossed the man’s eyes, though he swiftly veiled it. “Any who venture to the Realm of Thunder are seasoned veterans, their hearts veiled in a thousand years of cunning. A ward riddled with flaws would deceive no one. Yet, without such openings, even those who have begun their Second Step would find it impenetrable. This, Li has ensured.”

The woman’s eyes flashed with fury. “Li Yuan, your audacity is astounding! Do you dare mock my brief years of cultivation?”

The man paused, then bowed his head respectfully. “Li’s life-soul rests within your clan’s grasp. How could I dare such insult?”

“Remember your place, cur! Had my grandfather not taken pity and granted you elixirs, your wounds would have claimed your life a century ago!” The woman’s voice was like ice.

Li Yuan’s face twisted in a grimace, a silent sigh escaping his lips. Suddenly, his expression shifted. “Return to the ward! Someone approaches!”

He moved to step forward, but the woman anticipated him, disappearing into the shimmering waves before him. As the two stepped back into the illusion, the waves dissipated, leaving behind the unadorned, untouched stone. Even the most powerful spiritual senses would find no trace of their passage.

A streak of sword light, screaming through the air, descended upon the spot. The light faded, revealing a middle-aged man who gazed at the stone, puzzled. He studied it for a long while, then his eyes suddenly gleamed. He released his spiritual sense which wrapped around the area, but it discovered nothing peculiar, his eyes were filled with a strange light.

After a moment of pondering, the man stepped back and slapped his storage bag. Immediately a white light flew out and fell beside him, forming a full body wooden puppet.

The puppet was covered with engravings and runes that exuded white light.

The middle-aged man made a series of hand seals and chanted something beneath his breath. With a point of his finger, the wooden puppet suddenly started to slowly move. As it moved, its body became more flexible, till it resembled a real person. It leaped forward into the middle of the ward and took several steps forward based on an order. The eyes of the middle-aged man shined, and he softly shouted, “Explode!”

The puppet trembled, and the white light became brighter and brighter. With a loud boom, the puppet shattered, and the shockwaves blasted outward, shattering the ward. It revealed a hole in the ground, no more than ten feet across.

The eyes of the middle-aged man revealed joy and he slapped his storage bag again. He summoned another puppet, and under his control, it stepped forward into the ward and jumped down the hole.

Shortly after, the man’s eyes revealed ecstasy and he dived into the hole without any hesitation. However, he immediately let out a scream, and his nascent soul flew out of the hole with fear on its face. But before it could escape, a green shadow flew out of the hole and dragged it back in.

A few dozen feet away, the space above a rock rippled and Li Yuan and the woman appeared. Li Yuan looked away as he sighed, while the woman had a face full of excitement. She walked forward a few steps and placed her hand in the hole as if she was caressing something. She gently said, “Be good, you can eat one more later and we’ll change places. This time, I’ll make sure you’re full in the Realm of Thunder.”

“Intriguing,” Wang Lin’s form shimmered into existence nearby. He had never truly departed, instead cloaking himself in an illusionary guise, observing the spectacle unfold.

The woman’s expression shifted, and she turned to face the suddenly materializing Wang Lin. Her brow furrowed, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Li Yuan stepped forward, shielding her. He clasped his hands in salute to Wang Lin. “Friend, apologies for the ward. Now…”
“Why waste words on him? His cultivation is no greater than ours! Together, we shall seize him and offer him as a feast to my pet!” The woman scoffed, her lithe form surging forward. She slapped her storage pouch, and a feathered fan materialized in her hand. With a swift flourish, the fan unleashed a storm of feathers, each one carrying a keen edge of deadly intent, aimed directly at Wang Lin.

Li Yuan, with a rueful sigh, wove a hand seal. A shimmering echo of an ancient ward rippled into existence before him, swiftly coalescing into a series of interconnected restraints that surged towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin remained unperturbed, his gaze calm and unwavering. In the foundational steps of cultivation, he was unmatched. He took a single step forward and, with a flick of his right forefinger, unleashed a bolt of pure, crackling lightning. It slammed into the onrushing feathers, obliterating them instantly. The feathers offered no resistance against the raw power; they shattered into nothingness.

The destruction of her enchanted fan, coupled with the violent backlash, forced the woman to cough up blood. She staggered back, her face a mask of terror.

Wang Lin had taken but a single step. While the destroyed fan was inconsequential, the wards summoned by Li Yuan piqued his interest. As they unfurled, they fractured into eighteen distinct glyphs, layered upon each other in a tight, impenetrable weave.

These wards possessed an eerie complexity. To unravel them through study would consume precious time. This was combat, however, and Wang Lin had no patience for such deliberation. His eyes flashed, and instead of attempting to dismantle the wards, he raised his right hand and clawed at the void. Once more, lightning coursed through him, manifesting as a blinding aura of power. He molded it into a spectral hand of crackling energy and sent it hurtling towards the eighteen interlocking wards.

“Crack! Crack!” The eighteen wards shattered upon contact with the lightning hand, unable to withstand its immense force. The hand continued its trajectory, barely diminished, until it finally struck Li Yuan squarely upon the chest.

Li Yuan spat blood and stumbled backward, his face ashen. He stared at Wang Lin, disbelief etched across his features.

Wang Lin took his second step. This time, his movement carried him past the pair, directly to the heart of the broken array, to the bottomless pit. Without hesitation, Wang Lin cast his gaze downward.

Within the pit swirled a cloud of sickly green, frigid miasma. As Wang Lin peered into the abyss, the miasma erupted outwards, taking the shape of a colossal skull. Bathed in an unholy green light, it lunged at Wang Lin, its gaping maw intent on swallowing him whole.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light. “A Devourer,” he murmured.

Nearby, the terrified woman shrieked, “Consume him!”

The Devourer’s skull bathed the surrounding earth in its sickly green light, as it snapped forward to devour him. In that instant, Wang Lin’s brow flashed, and the Lash of Karma materialized. With blinding speed, it lashed out, striking the Devourer. The creature shrieked in agony, spewing forth torrents of green vapor, desperately attempting to retreat. Wang Lin would not allow its escape. He moved with preternatural speed, the Lash of Karma snaking around the Devourer, pulling it back within his reach. A quick flick of his wrist, and he produced the Banner of Souls, and cast the struggling Devourer into its depths.

“With this, my chances of crafting a second celestial guardian are greatly improved!” Wang Lin turned, his gaze settling upon Li Yuan and the woman.

The woman’s eyes were wide with terror. She could not comprehend how this stranger could so easily capture a creature her family had nurtured for generations.

Li Yuan’s face was grim. He had seen the sudden appearance of the whip in Wang Lin’s hand, and he drew a sharp breath. With a complex expression, he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. “Venerable One, we…”

“You two used this warding array to prey upon others. That is of no concern to me. But to actively attack me after seeing me, that cannot be forgiven lightly!” Wang Lin’s expression betrayed nothing, but his words sent a shiver down the woman’s spine. Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

“Venerable One, we were foolish. This one knows of a place within the Celestial Realm of Thunder, a hidden location guarded by potent wards. It is said to hold celestial treasures. In atonement for our offense, I offer this knowledge.” He paused, glancing at Wang Lin with a respectful bow.

The woman, humbled and fearful, remained silent.