Wang Lin, prescient as ever, had foreseen the calamitous event. His preparations were meticulous. A breath before the Ancient God’s Finger detonated in a cataclysmic burst, he had already retreated with unnatural speed, invoking the protective magic of the Ancient God Cauldron. Thus shielded, the brunt of the explosion bypassed him, and now, from a safe distance, his eyes glinted with keen interest as he observed the monstrous Wangyue and the female corpse hurtling in his direction.

Since the animated corpse’s appearance on the battlefield, Wang Lin had harbored a desire to claim it as his own. During his tactical withdrawal, in the very instant the Ancient God’s Finger unleashed its fury, he had deliberately adjusted his trajectory while using the Ancient God Cauldron to retreat, all in pursuit of this very silver-skinned cadaver.

Of the two silver-skinned corpses, the male was too grievously wounded, and Wang Lin dismissed it. The female, though also injured, was in significantly better condition.

“Participating in this grand battle, even if I snatch a few enchanted items, surely no one would raise an eyebrow,” Wang Lin muttered, “especially amidst the chaos of the battlefield.” With a flicker of his form, he moved, taking advantage of the confusion birthed from the explosion, and made directly for the female corpse.

However, Wang Lin was not the only one seeking to profit from the maelstrom. Several others, hailing from both the Luo Tian and the Alliance factions, had also set their sights on the same prize.

Seven figures, each approaching from a different angle, converged upon the lifeless woman. Among them, Wang Lin was not the closest, but his speed was unmatched.

As he sped forward, a frigid light gleamed in his eyes. In mere moments, he would be upon the corpse. Yet, with a subtle shift in his gaze, he subtly decreased his pace, masking his intent.

This slight deceleration allowed a Luo Tian cultivator to surge ahead. In the blink of an eye, he reached the corpse and reached out to seize it.

Simultaneously, an Alliance cultivator stepped forward, not to claim the corpse, but to unleash a blinding beam of sword-light, aimed directly at the encroaching Luo Tian warrior.

In close quarters, the two engaged in a savage struggle. As the battle commenced, another Luo Tian cultivator arrived, and seizing the opportunity, grasped the corpse’s arm, intending to flee.

But in that very instant, the cultivator recoiled in terror, his eyes wide with horror, a scream stifled in his throat. His body withered and decayed before anyone’s eyes into a mere puddle of blood.

This sudden, horrifying transformation sent shivers down the spines of the fighting pair. They stared at the female corpse before them, now hesitant to touch it. After a moment of stunned indecision, the remaining three, including Wang Lin, surged forward with renewed speed.

An astute look flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes. With a shimmer of the Ancient God Cauldron about him, he performed a magical exchange, instantly swapping his position with a Luo Tian cultivator rushing towards the corpse.

Caught off guard, the Luo Tian cultivator was pulled backwards by an unseen force. Realizing he had been outmaneuvered and recognizing Wang Lin, he offered a wry smile, abandoning the chase to seek another target.

Having deployed his magic, Wang Lin rapidly approached the female corpse. The two closest cultivators, witnessing the others’ surge, gritted their teeth and simultaneously reached out, grasping the lifeless woman.

But instantly, their screams ripped through the air. Their bodies withered at an alarming rate, becoming pools of blood, all absorbed by the corpse, gathering at its brow as a single, malevolent crimson point.

An Alliance cultivator arrived, cloaked in a dark, serpentine robe. With a light chuckle, his right hand reached out, a powerful spell contained within. It appeared he was merely grabbing for the corpse, but in reality, his hand was preparing a potent attack. Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed. He and the Alliance cultivator arrived almost simultaneously. Forming a sword with two fingers, he thrust them forward and shouted, “Out of my way!”

The Alliance cultivator merely chuckled, his hand speeding up instead of stopping. He murmured, “The Thunder Immortal Xu Mu, also lusting after the beauty of this corpse!”

A chilling gleam appeared in Wang Lin’s eyes. As the Alliance cultivator’s hand neared the corpse, Wang Lin thrust his own hand forward and whispered, “Freeze!”

The Alliance cultivator faltered, and in an instant, his body was as if entangled in countless invisible threads, rendering him immobile.

Wang Lin’s silhouette did not pause. In a flash, he reached for the female corpse. But his touch was executed with cunning precision. Instead of simply grabbing the corpse, at the moment of contact, he manipulated the primal energy within him, imbuing it with the power of the Ancient God. The Yin-Yang Fish manifested, branded on the corpse’s brow.

With a resounding thud, the corpse trembled. The crimson point on its brow, formed from the blood of the other cultivators, dissolved and disappeared under Wang Lin’s assault.

Without pausing, Wang Lin seized the corpse and brushed past the frozen Alliance cultivator. As he departed, he kicked the cultivator in the chest without any hesitation.

A white light flared on the cultivator’s chest, sending him spiraling backward, spewing a mouthful of blood. His face was ashen, but he survived, casting a venomous glance at Wang Lin as he clutched his chest and staggered backward.

Holding the corpse, Wang Lin glanced at it. Blood-red light now permeated its form, converging on its face, dissipating only to reform at its brow once more. The reason Wang Lin had slowed was that he sensed something amiss with the corpse. The deaths of the previous cultivators had confirmed his suspicion.

If the corpse continued to exhibit such bizarre behavior, Wang Lin would have abandoned it, for the current battle was his priority. However, he detected a subtle shift in the corpse after it had absorbed the essence of three cultivators. And so, he chose to press on.

Retreating, Wang Lin formed a series of hand seals with his left hand, imbuing the corpse with numerous restricting spells. Then, he released a mouthful of his own primordial spirit essence to seal it before stowing it in his storage pouch. With a flicker, he made for the distant, collapsing Starry Sky.

The collapsing Starry Sky formed a colossal vortex, emanating a terrifying suction that seemed poised to devour everything. Only Wangyue remained unfazed, charging forward, butchering anything in its path.

At that very moment, a group of ancient cultivators from the Alliance surrounded Wangyue, seeking to halt its advance. Even the Cloud Dragon Demon Sovereign approached the beast.
Yet, even as Wang Yue raged, the Blood-Sleeved Ones, loyal to the demon lord Luo Tian, encircled him, a crimson tide clashing with the Alliance warriors. From the roiling depths of the Luo Fu Blood Orbs, crimson behemoths arose, their forms grotesque and powerful, and joined the fray, turning the tide against the stalwart defenders of the Alliance.

The heavens shuddered with deafening roars and the echoing rage of Wang Yue. Higher still, beyond the swirling chaos, Yan Leizi and Wu Dong Chan, titans of magic and martial prowess, waged their own cataclysmic battle. The black mists surrounding them roiled with unrestrained fury, their conflict a tempest of cosmic proportions.

Even the likes of the Blood God spawn recoiled from the stray waves of energy unleashed by their clash.

In the distance, the Water-Clad Maiden of Luo, her sapphire robes shimmering like moonlight on a still lake, remained serene, untouched by the chaos. Beside her stood the Golden Corpse, clad in the regalia of a fallen emperor, its face a mask of cold indifference. Above its head, five yellow talismans spun in a slow, deliberate dance, emitting threads of crackling lightning that bound to the corpse’s crown, a constant seal against the encroaching darkness.

The Water-Clad Maiden raised a hand, her finger pointing towards the maelstrom of battle, and whispered a command that echoed across the stars, “I summon the Grand Elder of the Earth-Profound Hall, the Venerable Xuan Bao.”

A long, melodious laugh reverberated through the cosmos. It was a sound not of raw power, but of something far more potent. At its resonating touch, the weapons of all warriors, friend and foe alike, trembled in their grasps, straining to break free of their masters’ wills.

The fugitive Blackfiend Demon Lord sighed in relief, as did the Cloud Dragon Demon Lord, both halting their desperate retreats and abandoning their battles to fall back. They understood the weight of the name invoked. Within the Righteous Alliance, amidst the Two Halls, Four Lords, and Eight Domains, the title of “Lord” held a meaning that transcended mere strength. Of the Four Lords, only one, the Sage Lord, stood above the rest.

The Righteous Alliance Four Lords, divided into Moon, Cloud, Sage, and Herb, could each be assembled with three subordinates to form an army of Four Lords. Yet, in this war, the Alliance had committed only one Hall, one true Lord, and three Domains!

The Venerable Xuan Bao held immense power within the Earth-Profound Hall, but that was only a fraction of his true authority. What truly instilled awe, even fear, was his position as a member of the Alliance Elder Council, a body that held dominion over the entire Alliance star domain.

The number of Elders remained a closely guarded secret, known only to its members. Yet, each was an absolute power, capable of overturning destinies and reshaping realities.

Even the Heavenly Fortune Child, once revered and honored by the Alliance with celebratory gifts on his birthday, held his status because of his membership in this secretive council. Though circumstance had diminished his standing, he remained an Elder. Were it not for his humility after a past transgression, the likes of the Skyreach Marquis would have been erased from existence.

Neither the Sage Lord nor Wu Dong Chan, who battled Yan Leizi, possessed the stature to even be mentioned in the same breath as Xuan Bao. To this Elder, they were as dust.

None knew the precise criteria for attaining membership in the Elder Council, though it was suspected that power was only one piece of the puzzle. Within the Alliance star domain, the Elder Council was the ultimate authority, holding all the secrets and wielding all the strength.

Its members were the true kings of the Alliance star domain, possessing the power to shape destiny itself!

The Venerable Xuan Bao appeared in a flowing white robe, his form lean, yet radiating an aura of otherworldly wisdom. His eyes shone with boundless knowledge and infinite depth. Those who dared meet his gaze were said to lose themselves within its depths, forever trapped in his contemplation.

His face was kind, resembling that of a benevolent elder. He carried a simple whisk in his hand as he materialized beside the Water-Clad Maiden of Luo.

With a respectful curtsy, the Maiden spoke, “This disciple greets Uncle-Master.”

Xuan Bao glanced at the distant battlefield, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Child, your master has tasked you with overseeing this battle, granting you command over all forces, and he has carefully chosen this location. Such fortune is rare indeed.”

His words were laced with subtle amusement, as though the chaos unfolding before him held little significance. Only when his gaze settled upon Wang Yue did his pupils contract, revealing a hidden depth and a knowing smile.