Li Yuan’s cultivation had already reached the very peak of the Asking stage. The reason he hadn’t broken through to the Empyrean Tribulation realm was the insufficiency of his vital essence within his nascent soul.

Now, with Wang Lin nourishing him with three nascent souls, especially that of the Empyrean Tribulation elder, which contained vast reserves of vital essence, Li Yuan’s chances of overcoming the Asking stage’s final barrier were greatly increased.

After setting down several layers of protective wards around Li Yuan, Wang Lin sat cross-legged nearby, his eyes clouded with contemplation.

“Blood Ancestor… so it truly is someone from the Yao clan. Within the old man’s thoughts, the Yao clan, it appears, is powerful indeed. Especially that Yao clan progenitor, the Blood God Child…” A chilling light flickered in Wang Lin’s eyes.

“Since I, Wang Lin, began my path of cultivation, I’ve faced no shortage of formidable enemies. What’s one more Blood God Child?” Wang Lin mused. Even if he had known all of this beforehand, would he abandon Li Yuan simply because the Blood God Child was strong?

Besides, he had already offended the Blood Ancestor, and his resolve was firm.

“As long as I master that divine ability to merge with the heavens, even if Lassen himself came, I could retreat unharmed! However, some memories within that old man’s divine sense are quite interesting, and may prove greatly useful!” Determination flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes. He sat down in a meditative posture, regulating his vital essence and refining it continuously.

“When all the vital essence within me has been fully absorbed, I can infinitely approach the true second step, the initial stage of Nirvana Shatterer!” After a moment of contemplation, Wang Lin gestured with his right hand, and three storage bags and several flying swords flew from the distant ground towards him.

These three storage bags were the possessions of the three fallen cultivators. Wang Lin’s gaze first landed on the flying swords. He and Li Wu had discovered these swords together within the Immortal’s storage space.

As his divine sense swept across the flying swords, Wang Lin’s mind stirred slightly. Immediately, all nine swords rose into the air and landed on the ground, arranged in a specific pattern. Eight of the swords formed a circle, while the last was stabbed into the ground nearby.

This was precisely how Wang Lin had found them initially.

He examined the nine bone shards carefully. Wang Lin had previously investigated them with his divine sense, and discovered that they each contained a faint branding, preventing his divine sense from fully imprinting upon them, let alone controlling them.

From the beginning, he suspected that these bone shard artifacts might have a specific activation method. Now, placing the bone shards back amongst the swords, Wang Lin immediately noticed a difference.

After a brief period of contemplation, Wang Lin released his divine sense, first merging it with the eight smaller bone shards. The moment his divine sense touched the bone shards, they trembled violently, and a powerful suction force erupted from them. Wang Lin’s nascent soul instantly felt this suction.

A flicker of understanding crossed his eyes. He circulated the vital energy within his body, channeling it into his nascent soul and extending it into his divine sense. Then, following the suction force, he divided his nascent soul into eight parts and merged them into the eight bone shards.

The suction force seemed limitless, relentlessly drawing in his nascent soul, as if it wanted to devour Wang Lin’s entire being. Wang Lin’s eyes showed his thoughtful state. With a flicker of his mind, the nascent soul retreated from the bone shards and returned to his body.

Then, he formed hand seals with both hands, casting a series of brandings into the surrounding area. He also released the vital energy within his body, spreading it out within a thousand-foot radius. Instantly, a white mist appeared, enveloping the area. This mist contained his vital energy.

If any outsiders were to pass by this place and see this mist, they would not dare to act rashly. Because the vital energy within this mist was filled with immense pressure. Even Empyrean Tribulation or Sky Sovereign cultivators, upon witnessing this, would be extremely cautious.

This signified that within the mist, there was a Second Step cultivator who wished to avoid disturbance. Anyone attempting to break through would immediately be subjected to an attack by the vital energy within the mist.

After releasing his vital energy to form the mist, Wang Lin pondered slightly, then opened his mouth and spat out the broken ancient seal, fusing it into the mist. Only then did he finally relax. He sat cross-legged, closing his eyes. A bright light flickered upon his crown, and his nascent soul, resembling an ancient thunder dragon, flew out with a roar, charging directly towards the eight bone shards.

As the nascent soul approached, a suction force immediately emanated from the eight bone shards. Under this force, Wang Lin’s nascent soul split into eight parts again, each merging into one of the bone shards.

Having absorbed Wang Lin’s partial nascent souls, the eight bone shards emitted an eerie light that grew stronger and stronger. Eventually, eight beams of blue light shot out from the bone shards, all converging on the sword at the center.

Within this blue light was also Wang Lin’s nascent soul. His nascent soul underwent a transformation within the bone shards, a process he couldn’t understand, before entering the sword along with the blue light.

The sword trembled, emitting a series of ringing sounds. Wang Lin’s nascent soul re-assembled itself within the sword, instantly sensing a dense miasma of sword energy permeating the area. This sword energy madly surged towards Wang Lin’s nascent soul.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed. The vital energy within his nascent soul suddenly spread out, forming a tempest that instantly dispersed all of the sword energy. But in the next moment, even more sword energy appeared, seemingly unending.

“This is strange, this is a restriction formation!” The light of formation derivation appeared in Wang Lin’s eyes. He simply sat down cross-legged, continuously calculating and deducing. Vital energy formed a protective barrier around his body, ignoring the encroaching sword energy.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Wang Lin’s eyes glittered. He had deciphered the restriction. With a thought, restrictions immediately appeared outside his body, spreading in all directions.

At this moment, the sword surrounded by the eight bone shards emitted even more sword energy. The sword suddenly shot up, flying towards the space above the bone shard surrounded by the eight immortal swords. Pointing its tip downward, the sword energy instantly dispersed.

This sword energy split into eight parts, each merging into one of the immortal swords. Once again, Wang Lin’s nascent soul flew out along with the sword energy, splitting into eight parts and merging into the eight immortal swords.

The previous experience reoccurred, but this time, there was much more sword energy, and with Wang Lin’s nascent soul divided into eight parts, each part experienced nearly the same series of events.

Three days later, the eight immortal swords emitted sword energy at the same time. This energy converged on the bone shard at the center, and Wang Lin’s nascent soul burst forth from the sword energy, entering the largest bone shard, the one with four sharp barbs.
His spirit, aetherial and unbound, merged with the ancient beast bone, becoming one with its very essence. A profound understanding bloomed within Wang Lin’s soul, a deep resonance that echoed through his being. It was as if the bone was no mere artifact, but an extension of his own flesh and blood.

After what seemed like an eternity, Wang Lin’s spirit detached itself from the bone and returned to his mortal coil. He opened his eyes, a faint smile gracing his lips, a blend of wonder and anticipation dancing within them.

“A true treasure of the immortals!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. “Without the proper means, it would be impossible to imprint one’s spirit upon it. Yet, with that connection forged, the secrets of its power become readily available!” Rising to his feet, he gestured with his hand, and the massive bone flew towards him, hovering before him like a loyal hound.

“This relic is known as the ‘Dual-Aspect Death-Wither’, a potent artifact born of the celestial realms,” Wang Lin explained. “Alas, it was damaged in a battle against an ancient god, and its master perished alongside it. Thus, it remains incomplete to this day. Yet, even in its weakened state, its power is formidable – perhaps the strongest I currently wield!” He reached out, and the bone pulsed with arcane energy, as if awakening from a long slumber. It engulfed his hand in a flash of light, and when it receded, a perfect image of the bone was etched upon the back of his hand, a living tattoo of immense power.

Leaving the concealing mist in place, Wang Lin glanced toward Li Yuan, who was slowly recovering. His injuries were mending, and his spirit was fusing with his core, embarking on the final stage of a breakthrough. Whether he would succeed, Wang Lin could not say for sure.

While awaiting Li Yuan’s awakening, Wang Lin opened the storage pouches of the three fallen foes. The woman’s pouch held trinkets and baubles, but nothing that caught Wang Lin’s interest. He only took the celestial jade within, casting the pouch aside.

The young master Yao’s pouch, however, yielded more interesting finds. As Wang Lin sifted through its contents, his eyes narrowed upon a particular item.

It was a paper talisman.

Compared to this, everything else paled in significance. Drawing the talisman forth, Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened. It was the second such talisman he had encountered since entering the celestial domain of Luo Tian.

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Lin tapped his own storage pouch and retrieved another talisman. The two were similar in size, but the symbols etched upon them with crimson cinnabar differed significantly.

“What secrets do these hold?” Wang Lin mused. He dispersed his spiritual sense, sweeping it across the two talismans. He detected a faint ripple of power emanating from them.

With his previous level of cultivation, he would not have sensed such a subtle energy.

“Intriguing,” he murmured. “Could these be arcane devices of some kind?” After further consideration, Wang Lin carefully stored the talismans away, sensing that they were more valuable than they appeared.

Finally, he picked up the last storage pouch, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “The old man’s memories were fractured and chaotic,” he murmured, “but his mission to the Immortal Realm of Thunder was crystal clear. He was tasked by the Yao family to bring that young master to the Lore Pavilion within the Thunder Realm, seeking forbidden celestial techniques!”

From the old man’s memories, Wang Lin learned of a fragment of land within the Immortal Realm of Thunder, sealed away by the four great clans who claimed lineage from the celestial realms.

Within that sealed fragment lay the Lore Pavilion, a repository of ancient celestial techniques from a bygone era. It had been crafted by the Thunder Emperor and his most skilled artificers, imbued with rules and enchantments that governed who could obtain its secrets, leaving it all to chance and fortune.

The four great clans were unable to break the seal entirely, so they simply sent their own descendants each time the fragments opened, hoping to gain some hidden celestial power.

Over time, the Lore Pavilion had become the exclusive domain of those four clans, forbidden to outsiders.

The Yao family was not alone in their endeavor; they had dispatched ten teams to the Thunder Realm!

“The Lore Pavilion…” Wang Lin’s eyes shone with newfound interest.

At that moment, Li Yuan stirred nearby, his breathing becoming ragged. His eyes snapped open, gazing blankly ahead before he sighed, “Thank you, Brother Xu. Alas, it seems I am not destined for the Shadow Void. My spirit cannot contain so much core energy.”

Li Yuan glanced down at his missing arm, falling silent in contemplation.

Wang Lin raised his hand, dispelling the swirling mists, revealing the vast expanse of the heavens. He fixed his gaze on Li Yuan, a smile playing on his lips. “Do not underestimate yourself, Brother Li. Your core energy nourishes your spirit. Once it is fully absorbed, you will surely reach the Shadow Void. It may be soon, or it may take time, but you will attain it!”

Hope flickered in Li Yuan’s eyes. He nodded, rose to his feet, and bowed deeply to Wang Lin, clasping his hands in gratitude. “Brother Xu, you have done me a great service, one that I will forever remember.”

Li Yuan was not a man of many words, but his sincerity was undeniable. He felt nothing but gratitude towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin smiled and rose, summoning the one untouched storage pouch and tossing it to Li Yuan.

At the same time, the nine celestial swords that lay scattered on the ground soared into the air, guided by an unseen force, and settled beside Li Yuan.

“Take back what is yours. The pouch is also for you, its contents might be useful.”

Li Yuan nodded, taking the swords and the pouch. He immediately retrieved a peculiar item: an ancient mirror.

“This is the ‘Ban-Shattering Mirror’, a rare artifact capable of breaking almost any magical seal!”

He promptly tossed the mirror to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin smiled, caught it, and stored it away.

“Brother Xu, I can no longer fathom your cultivation level,” Li Yuan began, “but it has clearly improved since we last met. Tell me, was the Blood Ancestor…contained within your storage space?” he asked hesitantly.

“The threat of the Blood Ancestor has been dealt with,” Wang Lin replied casually. “He may not be dead, but he is as good as gone.” Wang Lin’s words sent a jolt through Li Yuan. He looked at Wang Lin intently, for he had a suspicion that Wang Lin’s rapid advancement was somehow related to the Blood Ancestor.
“Brother Li,” Wang Lin said with a smile, turning to his companion, “Xu seeks to tread the Celestial Realm of Thunder, in search of a mystic art… a potent binding, if you will. Would you lend your aid in unraveling the enchantments that bar the way?”

Wang Lin, in his current strength, knew few within the Celestial Realm of Thunder could stand against him. Even with Li Yuan by his side, he could ensure his companion remained unscathed. Furthermore, given the time to prepare and weave his intricate spells, Li Yuan often needed no protection at all.

Wang Lin’s invitation was not without purpose. Li Yuan possessed a deeper understanding of this realm, especially when it came to its protective spells. His knowledge was far beyond Wang Lin’s own. With Li Yuan at his side, the search for the mystic art would be far easier.

A gleam of excitement sparked in Li Yuan’s eyes. He smiled, his voice ringing with resolve. “Brother Xu, your wish is my command! I shall spare no effort to see it fulfilled. Within this Celestial Realm of Thunder, give me time, and I shall unravel every enchantment! Look here, for example, brother. This very place was once the site of a Celestial ruin!”

Li Yuan gestured with his left hand towards a seemingly ordinary plain, its surface covered in withered grasses rustling in the wind. To any casual observer, it appeared utterly unremarkable.

Li Yuan channeled his inner energy, his arm moving in a complex series of signs. His power flowed freely, allowing him to manipulate forbidden spells passed down through his lineage, once rendered unusable by ancestral burdens.

The sky darkened above them, and the plain before them began to unravel like a painted tapestry torn asunder. As Li Yuan’s seal took effect, the illusion shattered, revealing the crumbling ruins of a lost city.

Before the ruins stood a broken stone tablet, upon which a single, ancient character was etched.

“Attracting Immortal Hall.”

“The mystic arts are not merely about uttering the correct incantations,” Li Yuan explained. “With my family’s Heart-Binding Art, a technique that undoes that which hinders the heart, we can decipher the lingering echoes of past spells, and glean secrets from their usage. This art comes at a price; my family rarely resorts to it. But if Brother Xu requires it, I shall not hesitate to lend my aid!”