The moment Wang Lin’s right hand grasped the hilt of the iron sword, the murderous glint in his eyes vanished, leaving them as placid as still water. It was as if his simmering rage towards the Void Wanderer had been completely absorbed by the iron sword, leaving no trace. Yet, this absence of malice was more terrifying than a raging tempest.

Wang Lin sensed a presence within the iron sword, a spirit slumbering within its steel. He felt it stir, threatening to awaken and unleash a cataclysmic power. The village maiden, her gaze fixed upon Wang Lin, furrowed her brow at the sight of the scabbard. She did not recognize it. But the instant Wang Lin’s eyes stilled, she gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as a forgotten memory flickered within her mind. The man in black, too, stared at the scabbard in Wang Lin’s hand, his pupils shrinking.

With unwavering eyes, Wang Lin pulled the iron sword from its sheath. An indescribable, terrifying aura exploded forth. The force of it cracked the very foundations of the hall, as if it would crumble. The colossal statues flanking Wang Lin groaned as fissures raced across their surfaces, threatening to shatter them.

With a *shing*, the iron sword emerged entirely. Without hesitation, Wang Lin raised it and brought it down upon the Void Wanderer, who remained immersed in the primordial source, attempting to decipher its secrets. The Void Wanderer had dismissed Wang Lin as an ant, his senses attuned to the essence swirling around him, seeking the key to its creation. He felt intuitively that this held the path to the third step of cultivation, and the thought quickened his pulse.

As he delved deeper, on the verge of grasping a vital thread, an icy dread gripped him. A sense of mortal peril, even greater than the collapsing burial pool, washed over him. He recognized the chilling aura. His eyes darted to the iron sword in Wang Lin’s hand.

“A Void-Nirvana treasure!”

As the iron sword descended, a colossal blade of shimmering silver light materialized between Wang Lin and the Void Wanderer. The dazzling sword, a beacon of raw power, crashed down upon the Wanderer. He inhaled sharply, his face contorted in shock.

He had no time to evade. Wang Lin had struck at the crux of his vulnerability. The silver blade moved with a speed beyond any shattered-Nirvana cultivator. It struck the Void Wanderer’s chest in a burst of light.

At that moment, the Void Wanderer’s primordial spirit expanded at impossible speed, erupting from his body to envelop his flesh in a protective shroud. It glowed with brilliant purple. While an ordinary cultivator’s spirit was fragile, the Void Wanderer’s was far stronger than his corporeal form. Thus he used it to meet the silver blade head-on! The silver light flickered wildly. The Void Wanderer shuddered, a flush spreading across his face as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His spirit trembled, retracting back into his body.

His face twisting in a snarl, the Void Wanderer staggered backward. With a sudden cry, his retreating foot slammed down. He rooted himself in the primordial source, allowing its power to further ravage his body.

“Insolent whelp! Even with a Void-Nirvana treasure, you lack the power to kill me!” The Void Wanderer’s murderous intent intensified. He raised a hand, and his fingers snapped towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin paled as his power drained with each swing of the sword. He had felt the sword’s power before, and knew it required no refining to wield.

This unique attribute baffled him, but now, for the sake of his plan, he could not afford to dwell on it. He had prepared for the sword’s hunger. Despite the drain, Wang Lin remained composed.

As the Void Wanderer’s hand lunged, Wang Lin raised the iron sword again. He inhaled, summoning his remaining power. The silver light flared, and he swung! The light was blinding. The Void Wanderer flinched, retracting his hand with a dark expression. He began to panic. The primordial source was a constant drain, and his power was taxed.

He had dismissed Wang Lin before. Now, he was forced to respect him. The thought of abandoning his chance to comprehend the primordial source enraged him. His hatred for Wang Lin reached a fever pitch.

“Give me half an incense stick’s time, and I shall unlock the secrets of this source!” He touched his pouch, summoning a violet ice crystal. Its presence blanketed the hall in frigid air. With a pang of regret, the Void Wanderer split half of his primordial spirit into a separate form. He consumed the violet ice crystal, sending it hurtling toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin swung the iron sword. The illusionary silver blade materialized, screaming toward the Void Wanderer’s spirit. The Void Wanderer’s spirit invoked a spell, meeting the illusory blade with a thunderous blast. The spirit stumbled, becoming faint, and the illusory sword shattered.

Wang Lin felt a familiar aura from the violet ice crystal, similar to his iron sword and Xuan Bao Shang Ren’s Void-Nirvana arrow. It was a Void-Nirvana treasure.

Wang Lin’s power ebbed, but now was not the time for regret. The plan was in motion. To abandon it now was unacceptable. His plan would be a failure if he could not harm or even kill the Void Wanderer. He was not only exposing his source, but a Void-Nirvana treasure as well. If he could injure or kill the Void Wanderer, it would intimidate the village maiden and man in black.

He closed his eyes. He had sensed a spirit within the sword. He could not unleash it. He knew to let the treasure guide him.

As Wang Lin abandoned control, the iron sword resonated. The Void Wanderer’s spirit rushed toward him, the frigid air enveloping it.

The iron sword rose, guided by the spirit. Wang Lin’s power cascaded into the blade, and a silver blade appeared.

It was different. The blade appeared corporeal. The blade swung! The Void Wanderer’s spirit staggered. It was relentless. The blade arc in the air and slashed again!

There was no hesitation. The blade slashed in a chain of strikes. It increased in speed. The strikes lashed at the enemy.

Wang Lin’s power was gone. The sword started to drain blood. He had to endure.

After seven strikes, the eighth swirled like a dragon. Then came the ninth, and tenth.