**The Necropolis of Northdark.** Silence reigned within the forsaken halls of the Corpse Shade Sect, a silence so profound it seemed to amplify the subtle, unsettling skitter of unseen things. The sound, like the rasping feet of six-legged horrors, echoed softly, draping the place in an oppressive pall of dread.

Lord Wang, his steps measured and resolute, traversed the labyrinthine caverns. His countenance remained placid, betraying no hint of emotion as he followed the path etched in his memory, deeper and deeper into the heart of the Corpse Shade’s domain.

He halted before a seemingly impenetrable wall, its surface devoid of any discernible feature. Yet, Wang remembered a hidden aperture here, a gateway to the chamber where he had once diligently practiced the Yellow Springs Ascendancy Art.

Without hesitation, he approached the wall. As he neared, hairline fractures spiderwebbed across the stone, spreading with alarming speed. The wall, seemingly of its own volition, began to crumble before him, as if compelled by some unseen force. With echoing booms, it collapsed, clearing a path as though no barrier could stand in his way.

Such a spectacle would have shattered the composure of any lesser cultivator. Even those skilled in manipulating the Yin and Yang, the tangible and intangible, would have found such a feat a considerable challenge. Only those who had truly stepped upon the threshold of the Second Step, who had brushed against the very fabric of cosmic law, could accomplish such a thing with such effortless grace.

Continuing his advance, Wang arrived at the chamber where he had once meditated. A flicker of melancholy crossed his face as he surveyed the surroundings. After a moment of silent contemplation, he moved forward, passing walls riddled with countless tiny apertures that emitted faint wisps of frigid air, much weaker than he remembered.

As before, the walls before him shattered into dust. Wang pressed onward, his purpose unwavering. Soon, he found himself in the deepest recess of the Corpse Shade Sect, a vast subterranean cavern.

There, suspended in mid-air, floated an enormous coffin, hundreds of feet in length, silent and ominous.

“Save me…” A feeble whisper echoed as Wang entered, a voice both familiar and haunting.

But as quickly as it arose, the voice vanished, only to return after an extended pause, this time imbued with a sense of profound shock.

“You… you are the cultivator from long ago!” The voice quivered with disbelief.

Wang Lin, unmoved, approached the colossal coffin. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, yet closer inspection revealed an intricate web of seals and enchantments, layered upon layered, emanating a potent aura of suppression.

In his past, Wang had merely felt a shuddering of his spirit when nearing this place, unable to comprehend the cause. Now, with his heightened power, he could clearly perceive that the source of the oppressive energy lay in the coffin’s complex array of defensive runes.

“Impossible! Centuries have passed… how could you have attained such power? This… this…” The voice, weakened and strained, trembled with disbelief. It recognized Wang Lin, and that recognition only amplified its shock.

It remembered clearly the cultivator who had visited twice before. The first time, he was but a foundation builder, and the being within had dismissed him as insignificant, incapable of offering any aid.

Centuries later, the cultivator had returned, possessing a cultivation nearing the Nascent Soul stage. He had come seeking its blood, and when it pleaded for salvation, the young cultivator had ignored its pleas. To stall for time, it had even offered itself as a mount, but the young cultivator, ever cautious, had ultimately failed in his attempt to break free.

The being had harbored resentment for this failure ever since. But now, as the cultivator approached for a third time, it felt a primal terror seize its heart.

It could not fathom the depths of his power.

Not only could it not see through this man, but neither could it comprehend the two figures behind him, who appeared to be servants. All it could sense was an aura emanating from the three that sent shivers down its spine.

Wang Lin, his expression unreadable, gazed intently at the coffin. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he extended a finger and touched the coffin’s surface. A deafening roar reverberated through the cavern, and a network of cracks erupted from the point of contact, spreading across the coffin’s surface in an instant, until it was completely shattered.

The ease with which Wang Lin accomplished this was stunning, filling the ancient Giant Demon ancestor with a sense of utter dread.

As Wang Lin retracted his finger, the colossal coffin, hundreds of feet in size, exploded into fragments, scattering in all directions. A dense cloud of icy mist billowed from within, engulfing the chamber.

Within the mist, a gargantuan, naked corpse hung suspended in the air. Its skin was the color of iron, lacking the rough, striated texture of the Ancient Gods. Instead, its skin was smooth, like a polished mirror.

Clinging to the corpse, were countless tendrils of a purplish-green plant, writhing ceaselessly. As they writhed, the giant’s body visibly withered, only to swiftly return to its original size in an endless cycle. The writhing emitted a pale, frigid mist.

On the giant’s forehead was a faint, axe-shaped brand, pulsating with a faint light.

“Save me… esteemed… esteemed senior, save me! This humble Leiji is willing to serve as your mount! I beg you, assist me!” The giant’s thoughts echoed weakly, devoid of any past treachery, filled with a desperate plea for help.

Wang Lin glanced at the purplish-green tendrils that ensnared Leiji. He knew that their roots had already burrowed deep within the giant’s flesh. Given time, perhaps a few more centuries, they would utterly consume his life force, leaving him as a mere husk.

“How many members of your Giant Demon clan have been captured by the Corpse Shade Sect?” Wang Lin inquired calmly.

“Esteemed senior, upon this Vermillion Bird Star, I am the only one. But throughout the Alliance Star System, I know that many Giant Demons, from generations past, have been taken by the Corpse Shade Sect. They covet our clan’s bodies. But if our bodies are possessed through normal means, our innate abilities vanish. The Corpse Shade Sect’s goal is to preserve our innate abilities during possession.”
“These tendrils of violet and umber that coil about me are the insidious work of the Corpse Yin Sect. A strange and blighted growth, they drain my life’s essence, yet leave my inherent gifts untouched. A perfect vessel, primed for their vile purpose of soul-theft.” Regi would never have confessed this treachery to Wang Lin were the latter not so powerful. But faced with such might, he spoke with brutal honesty.

In the realms of cultivation, power reigns supreme.

Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. With a casual gesture, he reached out. Regi convulsed, the violet and umber tendrils writhing against his skin.

In a swift, decisive motion, Wang Lin tore a thick tendril free. As it thrashed, it began to shrink, and a palpable aura of immense power surged through the cavern. Wang Lin frowned, examining the vine.

As the tendrils contracted, they emitted a piercing, almost maddened shriek. One by one, they were wrested free, until a monstrous plant, dozens of feet in height, hung suspended in the air. Its appearance was hideous.

Upon its head bloomed a grotesque flower, its petals edged with rows of razor-sharp teeth, dripping with a noxious, viscous fluid. Thick tendrils, akin to grasping tentacles, extended from the plant, two still connected to Regi, while others swayed, their tips also splitting open to reveal similar rows of teeth.

The plant unleashed a grating, bestial roar that echoed through the cavern, building into a tempestuous wave of sound that crashed against Wang Lin. His expression remained cold, unwavering. He sensed a malevolent consciousness within the grotesque flora. This was no mere plant.

“Esteemed Senior, within those violet tendrils lurks the soul of a Vice-Lord of the Corpse Yin Sect! My very flesh was being prepared for his arrival. Had you not intervened, in a few centuries, once my life force was entirely consumed, he would have taken possession of my body without resistance!” Regi’s spiritual voice was weak, strained, but he spoke nonetheless.

Wang Lin listened intently.

“The Corpse Yin Sect has always been known for its trade in flesh. And of all flesh, the most coveted is that of the Ancient Gods! But such vessels are rare. So, the Corpse Yin Sect has turned its gaze to the Giant Demon race. A body such as this, combined with the cultivator’s skills, creates a warrior of terrifying power. I shudder to imagine what a nascent soul cultivator would be capable of with such a body. Even I, should I face such a foe, would not be assured of victory, unless I were to merge with my true self!”

Wang Lin’s face darkened. The secrets of the Corpse Yin Sect were far deeper than he had imagined. He wondered if this scheme of claiming Giant Demon flesh was a mere side project or a fundamental aspect of their plans.

Whatever the truth, Wang Lin had pulled back a corner of the shroud that concealed the Sect’s darkness. With the armies of Luo Tian drawing ever closer, he was confident that all the secrets of the Corpse Yin Sect would eventually be laid bare.

With a renewed shriek, the monstrous plant lunged forward, its tentacles flailing, seeking to ensnare Wang Lin and tear him limb from limb. Wang Lin met the onslaught with a cold smile. He exhaled, and the Immortal Sealing Brand materialized, growing to immense size. Golden light radiated from within, and hundreds of thousands of golden runes surged forth, swarming the plant and attempting to bind it.

The Immortal Sealing Brand crashed down with earth-shattering force, a cataclysmic gust of wind blasting outwards.

Wang Lin raised his right hand, his eyes blazing with the raw power of lightning. Tendrils of crackling energy erupted from the void, converging upon his palm. He commanded the very lightning of the heavens, bending it to his will. A pulsating orb of violet lightning formed in his hand.

With a swift thrust, he hurled the orb at the plant.

As the myriad golden runes enveloped the monstrous creature, the Immortal Sealing Brand descended with a deafening roar. The cavern shuddered, cracks spider-webbing across its walls, and debris rained down, filling the air with dust.

In the instant the Immortal Sealing Brand struck, the lightning orb detonated. Another thunderous explosion echoed through the cavern, accompanied by enraged roars emanating from the plant.

The plant’s form was ravaged, rent and torn by the lightning’s fury. A foul, viscous ichor sprayed in every direction. Regi, freed from the plant’s grasp, tumbled to the ground with a resounding thud.

“Who dares to awaken me from my slumber?! You will pay with your life!” A chilling, spectral voice echoed from within the wounded plant.