Lord Ling Tianhou’s eyelids flickered, a cold smirk gracing his lips. He pointedly ignored the Celestial Fortune Seer and fixed his gaze upon Wang Lin, his voice booming, “Wang Lin, my Great Luo Sword Sect finds itself lacking a suitable elder. Would you consent to fill this void and become an elder of our sect?”

The Celestial Fortune Seer’s brow furrowed.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed, his mind a whirlwind of calculations. He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, “I am grateful for the offer.”

Ling Tianhou turned to the Celestial Fortune Seer, a sharp edge to his tone. “Celestial Fortune Seer, according to our accord, I now have justifiable reason to intervene, wouldn’t you agree?”

The tension eased from the Celestial Fortune Seer’s brow, and after a moment’s contemplation, a subtle smile played on his lips. He cast a knowing glance at Wang Lin, then said with feigned indifference, “In that case, let it be.” With a flicker, his form dissolved into a rainbow of light, vanishing without a trace.

The sudden departure sent a jolt through Wang Lin’s heart. He stared at the spot where the Seer had stood, lost in thought.

Ling Tianhou’s countenance darkened in an instant, his brow furrowing with concern. He swiftly tapped his storage pouch, and five tortoise shells materialized, swirling in his palm as he muttered incantations.

After a time, his expression grew even more troubled. He murmured to himself, “What game is that old Celestial Fortune Seer playing?” He looked up at Wang Lin, lost in his own deductions.

“This Wang Lin… to be a pawn in the Celestial Fortune Seer’s machinations, he must possess some extraordinary potential, something deeply tied to his cultivation! Especially considering he bears the mark of a Vermillion Bird Chosen… The Seer’s design for him must be of utmost importance, or he would never risk the ire of the Four Sacred Sects! If the Seer succeeds in his plans, he could gain power that would shake the very foundations of the Four Sacred Sects! Thus, I must intervene, lest the Seer’s success forever deny me any hope of redemption!”

Ling Tianhou’s thoughts raced.

“But if Wang Lin is so vital to his scheme, why did he so readily depart… and even the divinations offer no clarity on the matter. It is most disconcerting!” Ling Tianhou sighed inwardly, his gaze fixed on Wang Lin as he rasped, “Wang Lin, even had I not come to your aid, the Celestial Fortune Seer would not dare to kill you outright. You are, after all, one of the Vermillion Bird Chosen.”

Wang Lin, who had been pondering the relationship between Ling Tianhou and the Celestial Fortune Seer, clasped his hands in response. “There are three Vermillion Bird Chosen, I am but one. Regardless, I am eternally grateful for Sword Lord’s timely intervention.”

Ling Tianhou nodded, a smile returning to his face. “I was but a junior when the Vermillion Bird Sacred Emperor achieved enlightenment. His Grace showed me great favor. It was long ago, and I doubt he remembers it now. You are of the Vermillion Bird line, and perhaps destined to become the next Sacred Emperor. Let us treat each other as equals, now that you are no longer the Seer’s disciple.”

Wang Lin maintained a calm demeanor and bowed. “Sword Lord is too kind. I shall heed your words.”

Ling Tianhou laughed heartily and extended a hand. “Fellow Daoist Wang, come with me to Great Luo Star. When the tides run deep, we shall venture together to the Immortal Abode!”

“Lead the way!” Wang Lin replied with a smile and a nod.

The two of them flew swiftly, Great Luo Star not being too far away. As both were Grand Mystical cultivators, their speed was astonishing. Soon, they caught sight of the Great Luo Star in the distance.

During their journey, Ling Tianhou avoided any mention of Wang Lin’s past transgression of killing his disciple, acting as if the event had been forgotten. Instead, he engaged Wang Lin in discussions about immortal arts and the Dao. This was arguably the first time Ling Tianhou had shared such a profound and engaging conversation with Wang Lin.

Although Wang Lin spoke sparingly, the wisdom he offered caused Ling Tianhou to repeatedly offer silent praise.

“This Wang Lin, as expected of one who has become a Vermillion Bird Chosen. His cultivation is profound, and his insight and understanding of the Dao are equally remarkable!”

Amidst their discourse, Wang Lin’s thoughts dwelled upon the matter of the Solar Extremes. He had formulated a tentative plan. Regarding the Celestial Fortune Seer’s casual departure, Wang Lin considered it at length, yet he could not decipher the Seer’s true intentions.

However, a suspicion began to take root in his mind – that the Celestial Fortune Seer’s actions were not truly directed at him… but rather… Wang Lin cast a subtle glance at Ling Tianhou.

“It is Ling Tianhou…”

From afar, Great Luo Star appeared as a vast expanse of azure, surrounded by countless streams of sword energy. These streams seemed chaotic and disordered, but to a cultivator of a certain level, it became clear that they were anything but ordinary.

These were not emitted by cultivators, but rather, emanated from Great Luo Star itself! It was this origin that gave the energy its seemingly haphazard nature. Yet, Wang Lin saw at once that should someone guide and harness this energy, its power would be earth-shattering.

“Great Luo Star did not originally lie within the Celestial Fortune Star Domain. I expended a great deal of effort to complete a Human-Rank task for the Kun Xu Cultivation Sect to be granted this star! It originates from a vast, perpetually burning void star within the Kun Xu region – a void star five times the size of the Celestial Fortune Star! When that void star collapsed, Great Luo Star became one of its fragments. The Kun Xu Cultivation Sect’s Void Spirit Celestial then refined it with a sword, transforming it into the Great Luo Star you see before you!” Ling Tianhou explained calmly, yet his words held a hint of pride.

“Kun Xu!” Wang Lin’s expression shifted. This was the second time he had heard that name. The first had been from Clear Water, who had indicated that the Alliance Star System had long ago been known as the Kun Xu Star Domain! “Cultivation Sect… Could this ‘Cultivation Sect’ be a sect named after Kun Xu…?”

A look of contemplation crept into Wang Lin’s eyes.

“The Kun Xu Cultivation Sect is the only Ninth-Rank Cultivation Nation within the Alliance Star System! But it is commonly referred to simply as the Kun Xu Cultivation Sect.” Ling Tianhou glanced at Wang Lin, realizing his limited understanding of the matter, and elaborated.

“Only they retain the ancient designation, Kun Xu!” A touch of nostalgia crept into Ling Tianhou’s voice.
Within the Star Domain of the Alliance, nearly all cultivators who attained a certain level of power held the Kun Xu Sect in deepest reverence, surpassing even the deference given to the Alliance itself! To receive an invitation from the Kun Xu Sect was considered the highest honor. Every three millennia, the Kun Xu Sect would dispatch three jade slips, each bearing an invitation to cultivate within the sacred Kun Xu lands, bestowed upon those deemed worthy… “I and Tian Yunzi,” Ling Tianhou declared, “were once granted such invitations.”

“Kun Xu…” Wang Lin pondered, absorbing Ling Tianhou’s revelations. After a time, his eyes gleamed with thought. “If individuals enter every three thousand years, surely some members of the Kun Xu Sect must venture outwards…”

“Indeed, they do. When you arrived at Tian Yun Sect days ago, did you notice a woman, resembling a simple village maiden? She was the third soul who journeyed to Kun Xu with Tian Yunzi and myself! And the female disciple who accompanies her… if my guess serves me, she hails directly from Kun Xu.”

Wang Lin’s mind instantly pictured the pink-robed girl who had extended him an invitation before his departure.

“The Kun Xu Sect preserves ancient traditions from the days of the Immortal Realm. They always maintain a Kun Xu Saintess. Whether that disciple is the current Saintess… only time will tell.”

“Kun Xu Saintess…” Wang Lin rubbed his temples, for all that Ling Tianhou spoke of was utterly new to him.

“Your Four Saint Sect, in ages long past, was once the dominant force within Kun Xu… Alas…” Ling Tianhou shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished.

But those words resonated deeply within Wang Lin’s heart, sending a tremor through his very being. “The Four Saint Sect, the former rulers of Kun Xu?” He had suspected his Sect’s power, but never imagined it could be so far beyond his comprehension.

As they approached, Luo Star loomed larger in Wang Lin’s vision. This was his first visit, and the closer they drew, the more intensely he felt the ceaseless torrent of sword qi emanating from the planet.

The surface was mostly ocean, and the sole sect, the Great Luo Sword Sect, stood defiantly against the waves. Towering spires, one after another, unfolded before Wang Lin’s gaze.

Below, countless disciples of the Great Luo Sword Sect took to the skies, hovering in mid-air. A vast throng numbering in the tens of thousands! Yet, Wang Lin noticed something strange. Most seemed to have reached the level of Asking, with a scant few possessing the Yin Void stage, and not a single one at the Yang Solid.

“Do you find it curious that the prestigious Great Luo Sword Sect seems to lack true Second Step cultivators?” Ling Tianhou asked with a knowing smile.

Wang Lin, never one to dissemble, nodded. “Indeed, I do.”

“The Seven Element disciples of Tian Yun Sect suppress their cultivation, fearing they will lose control and have the seals upon them broken, devoured by that old fox, Tian Yun.

But here in the Great Luo Sword Sect, we have no such fears. It is simply that those who truly attain the Second Step go elsewhere.”

The tens of thousands of cultivators below each carried a greatsword upon their back. They were models of reverence, and as Wang Lin and Ling Tianhou descended, they bowed in unison, their voices thundering.

“We welcome Lord Enshrined and Sword Sovereign!”

Their combined voices, a vast, echoing sound, reverberated across Luo Star like a furious tempest.

Ling Tianhou laughed heartily. From among the assembled ranks, dozens of figures detached and swiftly approached, bowing deeply. Several of them had accompanied Ling Tianhou to Tian Yun Sect and had seen Wang Lin there.

Now, they eyed Wang Lin with undisguised bewilderment, clearly unable to fathom why he was in Ling Tianhou’s company.

Wang Lin scanned the faces of the multitudes, a stirring of thought within him.

“During the battle in the northern territories of the Alliance, I encountered Chenlong. Yet, I see no sign of him here.”

Ling Tianhou waved his sleeve and surged forward, arriving at the foot of the tallest of the towering spires.

“Henceforth, Wang Lin is an Elder of the Great Luo Sword Sect!” With those words, Ling Tianhou vanished within the giant tower.

“Elder Wang, I shall be in seclusion for several months. In that time, you shall be safe within Luo Star!” Ling Tianhou’s spiritual sense echoed in Wang Lin’s mind, lingering long after his departure.