Lord Yao Yun spared not a glance for the ancient mirror, for the ancestral commands had fled his mind. He clutched his head, a tormented beast howling in the void. About him writhed a monstrous shade, a being of eldritch power, its gaze drawn from the celestial tribulations above, fixing instead upon Wang Lin with chilling intent.

“An ancient demon!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed, recognizing the entity for what it was.

The demon’s spectral eyes glowed with an unholy light. In a blur, it seized the convulsing form of Yao Yun and retreated swiftly, seeking escape from the storm of heavenly judgment.

But as they fled, the very fabric of the cosmos shuddered. From the roiling tempest of celestial energy above came a deafening roar. Four bolts of incandescent lightning tore through the firmament, two plunging towards Wang Lin, the others destined to strike the fleeing demon.

Wang Lin met the celestial onslaught with serene resolve. The power of the heavens, now divided, lessened its fury. As the twin crimson bolts descended, he wove his hands in a circle before him, and a swirling vortex of black and white energy blossomed into existence – the Yin Yang.

The first bolt of crimson lightning struck, clashing against the swirling energies. A thunderous boom echoed through the star-strewn expanse, throwing Wang Lin back as the Yin Yang spun wildly, greedily consuming the heavenly power.

Hardly had the first impact settled when the second bolt descended. As it hurtled towards the Yin Yang, a strange light ignited in Wang Lin’s eyes. From his brow, his nascent soul erupted, transforming once more into the mighty form of the Primal Thunder Dragon. With a roar, it devoured the very essence of the Tribulation! Wang Lin’s soul trembled violently as the raw power of the heavens coursed through it. Yet the Primal Thunder Dragon, born of lightning itself, met the challenge with a defiant bellow, retreating back into Wang Lin’s body, leaving a corona of crackling energy in its wake. Undaunted, Wang Lin stood firm. Though the Heavenly Tribulation held immense power, he felt no fear, knowing that its might was lessened by the presence of another, sharing his burden.

Meanwhile, the ancient demon retreated frantically, yet the celestial storm mirrored its flight, extending its wrath across the cosmos. Though the demon consumed the descending bolts, their impact rendered its form ever more spectral. As its voiceless roars echoed, it redoubled its efforts, exceeding even the grasp of the celestial storm. It seemed the ancient demon, dragging Yao Yun, would escape the Tribulation entirely.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with a sudden cunning. “Yao Yun!” he bellowed, his voice echoing across the cosmos. “Do you remember Yao Bingyun and Yao Mengyun, the twin sisters?! Do you remember the ancient lamp on the Blood God Star, and how it devoured souls?!”

His words, laced with potent spiritual force, pierced the haze of pain, striking Yao Yun’s ears.

The tormented cries of Yao Yun intensified, his retreat faltering. “Get out of my body!” he screamed, the veins on his face bulging, a visage of utter anguish. He clutched at his head, his rage driving back the pain. “Whoever you are, GET OUT!”

He looked up, madness blazing in his eyes, his gaze fixed on the monstrous demon that rose within him. The demon’s countenance twisted with cruel amusement. It cast a chilling glance at Wang Lin, and in a swift movement, ceased its retreat. Instead, it surged forth from Yao Yun, its spectral form lunging to devour Wang Lin whole.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He exhaled a stream of white energy, from which materialized the Seal of Immortality. The Seal expanded, a towering barrier before Wang Lin. With a flick of his fingers, tens of thousands of golden runes erupted from its surface, spreading like a celestial net, ensnaring the charging demon.

In that instant, the clouds above stirred once more. Dozens of crimson lightning bolts, each the size of tree trunks and carrying the power to shatter stars, descended with terrible swiftness.

Facing both the swirling sea of golden runes and the wrath of the heavens, the demon’s spectral eyes glowed with an unholy light. It uttered a silent incantation, and its form grew even more ethereal, fading rapidly before their eyes.

The golden runes faltered, bereft of their target, and hung in the air. With a dreadful shift, the descending celestial energies coalesced, changing course, and fell upon Wang Lin.

As thunderous booms echoed through the cosmos, the dissolving demon grinned with dark triumph. But Wang Lin, in this critical moment, remained unperturbed. He reached out and seized the floating runes, turning them back towards himself, a swirling cage of golden symbols sealing him within.

It seemed Wang Lin was orchestrating his own demise. The descending lightning struck, the impact imminent.

But in that fleeting instant, a flash of blinding light erupted from Wang Lin’s body. A shimmering, ancient cauldron materialized, radiating an aura of primordial godhood that made the ancient demon recoil, its spectral eyes widening in disbelief.

“A paltry demon is nothing to Wang Lin! Shift Positions!” Wang Lin declared, his voice echoing with icy certainty. A strange power surged from the ancient god cauldron, and in an instant, Wang Lin vanished. In his place, the ancient demon, its visage frozen in disbelief, flickered and disappeared.

Their positions swapped, the demon found itself instantly enveloped in the swirling embrace of tens of thousands of golden runes. And then, the heavens unleashed their fury, as the lightning fell.

The sound of cosmic devastation echoed through the stars. The runes tightened their grip, and the full force of the celestial storm crashed down. The demon’s spectral form shattered.

The only remnant was a single, unholy brand, a symbol of ultimate weakness that pierced through the void, hurtling towards Yao Yun’s brow.

Yao Yun, his face twisted in agony, cried, “Get out!” His inner power surged in that moment, erupting like a supernova, attempting to halt the demon’s return.

Wang Lin, his eyes gleaming with cunning, retreated. The Heavenly Tribulation, far from over, would only intensify. Since the ancient demon served as a diversion, he chose this moment to flee.

But in that instant, Wang Lin froze, a look of horror spreading across his face. A palpable aura of bloodlust, an essence that defied the very laws of the Tribulation, erupted into existence. A crimson mist bloomed outward, engulfing the surrounding ten thousand miles. “It’s time… to end this!” a raspy voice echoed through the mist. From behind Yao Yun emerged a withered hand that seized the unholy brand and pressed it mercilessly into his brow, ignoring Yao Yun’s futile struggles.

“Blood God Spawn!” Wang Lin gasped, his pupils constricting into pinpricks. In the distant Thunder Immortal Hall of the Luo Tian Starfield, Immortal Qing Shui’s eyes snapped open. After a moment of profound contemplation, he stepped into the void, disappearing without a trace.