In the fathomless expanse of the star-strewn void, beyond shimmering nebulae and endless asteroid fields, lay an immeasurable ocean of cosmic dust. These motes, often imperceptible, were so minute that some were discernible only to the most perceptive cultivators, while the vast majority remained hidden even from their keenest senses.

Within a forgotten corner of this celestial sea, nestled amidst a cluster of dust invisible to the naked eye, existed a single speck of such infinitesimal proportions that even the sweeping divine sense of a Shattering Nirvana cultivator would fail to detect it.

Yet, this humble speck held a secret universe within. It was the long-lost domain of the Demon Spirit Lands, once the celestial realm of the Immortal Emperor Qing Lin, his hidden sanctuary.

Only the ebb and flow of the distant Eastern Sea Tide, impossibly removed from this point in space, offered a veiled entrance into this miniature world. Deep within, at the very heart of the Immortal Emperor’s sanctuary, stood a magnificent hall.

Forged entirely of violet jade, the hall radiated an aura of ancient authority. Inside, ninety-nine candelabras, arranged in a complex arcane array, stood upon the floor. Yet, sixty-four of these sentinels of light had been extinguished…

The hall was devoid of life, save for the mournful trace of ash that blanketed the ground. Only thirty-five of the candelabras remained alight, their flames flickering with an uncertain glow, casting the interior in a dim and eerie light.

A phantom wind seemed to stir from beyond the hall’s unseen entrance, caressing the remaining flames. Twenty-three of the embers shuddered violently, as if struggling to cling to existence, yet the wind carried an unnatural chill. As it swept through the hall, it coalesced into shimmering runes, briefly visible within the gusting air before vanishing.

One by one, the twenty-three defiant flames were snuffed out. With each extinguished light, the hall plunged further into shadow. Only wisps of acrid smoke rose from the lifeless candelabras, swirling into ephemeral demonic shapes that echoed with silent, mocking laughter before dissipating into nothingness.

At the exact moment the last of the twenty-three flames died, deep beneath the violet hall, in a near-identical chamber, a figure slumped upon a grand throne shuddered violently. A torrent of black blood erupted from his mouth, staining the floor before him.

Crimson ichor also trickled from his eyes, nostrils, and ears, painting a horrifying picture.

The chamber mirrored the hall above, yet instead of candelabras, colossal thrones occupied their positions. One throne, shrouded in swirling tendrils of darkness, held a male figure who gasped and opened eyes filled with an unsettling void.

If Wang Lin were to witness this scene, he would recognize this place as the distorted nexus reached through his Path of the Netherworld! This mysterious man was none other than the being who gifted him the Yellow Crystal!

“Twenty-three extinguished… leaving only twelve… Qiu Yao, even in death, you seek to torment me…

Do I truly inspire such hatred within you?” The man’s face twisted in a bitter grimace.

“Your Rune Clan arrived from beyond the celestial boundaries, seeking alliance with my Immortal Realm. I carved out a dominion for you, allowing your kind to flourish… But since your arrival, countless immortals have vanished, with every sign pointing to your Clan’s involvement.

I refused to believe it, but upon venturing to your Rune World, I witnessed with my own eyes your theft of the souls of my immortal brethren, all to unlock the sacred Rune of your people…”

“How could I not wage war upon you? How could Qing Lin, after ascending to Emperor, stand by and watch this vile act! Had it not been for your treachery, the Immortal Realm would not have been so weakened by civil war! Had it not been so ravaged, it would have resisted the cosmic cataclysm that shattered it without a fight! And the Realm’s destruction was part of your grand design! Rune Clan Ancestor, a mere avatar! Your true form is the daughter of the Lord Sovereign beyond the Void, and your arrival was not for alliance, but to dismantle all power within the Sealed Realm!” The man’s bitterness deepened, a spark of recollection flickering within his clouded eyes.

“You became my Rune Consort, forcing Hua Fei to become a Flower Spirit, only to exist as a Flower Immortal because she discovered your secret. This discovery was my own, after growing suspicious. You refused to repent, and instead, begged that I journey with you beyond the Void to become a disciple of your father, the Sovereign. I, the Immortal Emperor, the sovereign of the Immortal Realm, born within the Sealed Realm, how could I betray it! Within your eyes resided the power of Primordial Chaos, and you used our connection to unleash it. This chaotic force is your father’s ultimate weapon, designed to obliterate the Immortal Realm. If unleashed, no being would survive, even the countless mortals would crumble into dust, turning our realm into a wasteland ripe for invasion so you could search for the so-called Gate of Ascension.”

“I tore your eyes from their sockets. Can your pain even compare to the pain I felt?! Even then, I could not bring myself to end you, instead sealing you within the Burial Immortal Pool, claiming to the world that you had perished. Do you know the torment in my heart? Qiu Yao, what right do you have to hate me?! Even now, you sacrifice this avatar to beguile those I have drawn here and harness destruction to snuff out my twenty-three Lamps of Life!” The man’s face contorted in agony as tendrils of dark energy coiled around him, threatening to consume him, coalescing into demonic visages.

“You have no right to hate me. The remnants of the Rune Clan are a scourge upon the Sealed Realm. How could I allow them safety, leaving a future of endless suffering for my descendants? They may exist, but only as eternal slaves of the Immortal Realm! By sparing them, I give my descendants an eternal reminder, to never forget the deadly malice of those beyond the stars!”

The black energy intensified, converging upon his brow, striving to penetrate. But at the precise moment of impact, twelve points of light flickered into existence on the man’s forehead, stubbornly blocking the darkness.

“Is my time running out?” The man sighed softly, then closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, far removed from this cursed hall, Wang Lin stood upon an endless ocean, his gaze sharp and focused. The waves surged and receded, stretching out before him without end. He had been transported here upon triggering the ancient enchantment within the flower bed, and all that met his eye was the vast, cerulean expanse.

“When I was transported here, I distinctly saw another fall into the flower bed, close to me. This was the one exuding demonic energy, one that feels familiar.”

Lost in thought, Wang Lin’s expression shifted as he suddenly looked up. He watched as a distant tempest brewed upon the horizon, a raging wave of water rose like a living wall.