“Greetings, esteemed elder,” Wang Lin spoke, a ripple of emotion stirring within him as he beheld Zhou Yi once more. “The promise made in days past is not forgotten. Though I must traverse continents, I shall deliver the flesh of Azure Frost!” Zhou Yi was amongst the rare few he considered a benefactor in his long life. Regardless of the heights his cultivation reached, respect for those who had aided him would forever remain steadfast.

Zhou Yi’s face softened with a mixture of joy and relief. “Between us, dispense with the formalities. Call me Brother Zhou, if you would.” He paused, his gaze sharpening as he studied Wang Lin with growing concern.

“Who has wounded you so grievously?” Zhou Yi’s voice held an edge of frost. “Your very spirit flickers, dimmed and unwell. A slow recovery has festered into a more insidious ailment!”

Wang Lin offered a wry smile and recounted, in broad strokes, his encounter with Void Seer. He omitted the matter of the Source, knowing its profound significance. It was not a matter of distrust towards Zhou Yi, but rather the Source’s importance was too great to trust anyone outside his closest allies.

“Void Seer!” A chill gleamed in Zhou Yi’s eyes, replaced quickly by a look of guilt and remorse as he looked back to Wang Lin.

“Had you not sought the Azure Frost for me, you would not have faced such peril. I shall remember this, Void Seer.” Zhou Yi nodded slowly, committing the name to memory. To harm Wang Lin in the pursuit of a gift for him was a grave transgression, an affront to his very honor. Should the opportunity arise, Zhou Yi vowed, Void Seer would pay dearly.

“You came seeking the elixirs within this place, no doubt. Though many were stored here, the Immortal Couple Yun Xian claimed the lion’s share long ago. Those that remain are effective only upon spiritual bodies, for their preservation is a delicate art that eluded Yun Xian’s grasp.” Zhou Yi paused, then continued, “Fear not, though. I shall procure the restorative draughts you require!”

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhou Yi transformed into a streak of sword-light, piercing through the enchantments guarding the alchemy chamber. He materialized in the air as a spectral form, bowing respectfully towards a distant point. “Esteemed Yun Xian couple, I beseech you! A dear friend stands before you, and seeks your aid. May you reveal yourselves and bestow upon him your potent elixirs!”

A soft chuckle echoed from afar, and from within a grove warded by violet energy, Wang Wei and Hu Juan emerged. With a deliberate, almost spectral pace, they traversed the distance to the alchemy chamber in but three strides.

Wang Wei waved his hand, and the seals upon the alchemy chamber vanished as if they had never been. Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, impressed by the man’s mastery over the arcane.

“I suspected you bore some kinship with this sword spirit, young Wang. My intuition proves true.” Wang Wei chuckled, then reached into the void. A rift shimmered into existence before him, from which six jade bottles emerged, hovering in his palm.

“These six vials of Fifth-Grade Essence Condensing Pills may prove beneficial.” With a flick of his wrist, the bottles floated towards Wang Lin.

A potent aura emanated from within the jade vials, a fragrance that invigorated the mind and spirit. Wang Lin accepted the offering, a flicker of his divine sense swiftly scanned their contents, but he did not ingest them, stowing them away within his spatial pouch instead.

Hu Juan studied Wang Lin intently, her gaze sharp and piercing. “Are you an heir of the Rupture?” she asked.

Wang Lin remained impassive, his eyes meeting hers. “Not an heir, but I possess some knowledge of the art.”

Zhou Yi, noting Wang Wei’s paltry offering of merely six vials of Condensing Pills, frowned. After a moment’s consideration, he bowed deeply towards Wang Wei. “Elder Wang Wei, this man is not only a friend but a benefactor to me. The events of long ago, I have never spoken of, for I was sealed within this place, rescued by his hand. Were it not for him, I would not have the honor of standing before you today.”

Wang Wei glanced at Zhou Yi, his expression unreadable. He raised his hand once more and reached into the rift. This time, five bottles radiating a rainbow luminescence emerged. Clutching the vessels, Wang Wei offered them to Wang Lin.

“Within these vials are five elixirs known as Heaven-Hiding Pills, Fourth-Grade Celestials. Partaking of them will greatly soothe the wounds inflicted upon your spirit.”

Wang Lin accepted the elixirs and scanned them with his divine sense. He felt an aura of celestial energy contained within, far surpassing that of the Condensing Pills.

Zhou Yi frowned again, his dissatisfaction evident. Griting his teeth, he abandoned the formalities and spoke, “Since you know that I am the spirit of the Rain Sword, surely you are aware of the Rain Immortal Qing Shuang!”

Wang Wei’s eyes narrowed. He said nothing, instead reaching into the rift and producing three more elixirs, whose purpose was left unspoken, and tossed them to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin caught the bottles, his face shifting as his divine sense identified the properties. These elixirs possessed an even more potent celestial aura than the rainbow vials. “Long ago, within the Rain Immortal Realm, I was captivated by a corpse, a maiden whose form I preserved with the Immortal Jade Tower, forever preserving her flesh.” Zhou Yi’s eyes glazed over, lost in remembrance as he recounted how he obtained the remains of Azure Frost.

“Only later did I learn, she was not Ting’er, but Qing Shuang, the discarded love of the Rain Immortal.”

Wang Wei’s expression shifted, for Zhou Yi’s tale, and it was the first time he had heard it. Hu Juan, even more so, showed clear excitement. They exchanged a brief glance, and Wang Wei reached into the rift once more, this time pulling forth dozens of vials of varying hues and sending them all towards Wang Lin.

Staring at Zhou Yi, Wang Wei said, “You continue.”

Wang Lin’s expression grew strange, for it was at that moment he realized the truth of Zhou Yi’s words: it was on his efforts the recovery of this medicine would hinge.

“In my final visit to the Rain Immortal Realm with Ting’er, I encountered Wang Lin.” Zhou Yi’s gaze was heavy with nostalgia, consumed by the echoes of happiness.

As Zhou Yi spoke, the events of the past were recounted once more. Wang Lin listened, drawn into his memories.
A palpable tension seized the very air as Wang Wei and Hu Juan were drawn into the vivid tapestry of the past. The mention of desecrating Qing Shuang’s mortal remains ignited a cold fury within Hu Juan, her gentle countenance hardening into a mask of lethal intent. A frigid glint sparked in Wang Wei’s eyes, and an oppressive aura of power emanated from him, blanketing the surroundings.

“I would gladly burn all that I am for her. I regret nothing,” Zhou Yi murmured, his voice resonating with unwavering devotion. Even now, with the weight of his actions laid bare, he felt no remorse.

Hu Juan gazed upon Zhou Yi with newfound pity, hearing of his sacrifice – the burning of his very soul to safeguard Qing Shuang’s body, a feat that granted him fleeting clarity after ascending to godhood, yet left his resolve unshaken.

“A twisted fate indeed,” Wang Wei sighed inwardly. His profound wisdom and vast experience allowed him to discern truth from falsehood with ease, and he recognized the sincerity in Zhou Yi’s words.

As Zhou Yi spoke, a nascent spirit, born from his thousand-year obsession within Qing Shuang’s body, stirred and breathed life back into his dying form, transforming him into the Rain Sword Spirit. These unfolding memories, delivered by Zhou Yi’s own tongue, silenced Wang Wei and Hu Juan.

After a long, heavy silence, Wang Wei let out a weary sigh and bowed deeply, his fist clasped in respect. “Brother Zhou, I thank you on Qing Shuang’s behalf for your immeasurable kindness. For any offense we may have caused you, I beg your forgiveness.”

Beside him, Hu Juan, her face etched with sorrow, inclined her head towards Zhou Yi. “Brother Zhou, our debt to you is one we shall never forget.”

They could perceive the truth with unwavering clarity. Coupled with their prior deductions, Zhou Yi’s tale held no contradictions, no deceptive shadows. How could they not believe him? Furthermore, Zhou Yi’s very nature as the Rain Sword Spirit served as undeniable proof. “So, young Wang Lin must be the one destined to deliver Qing Shuang’s physical form,” Wang Wei mused, turning to Wang Lin, his eyes radiating admiration and gratitude. Reflecting on his limited interactions with the young man, he realized the depth of Wang Lin’s integrity.

Though the situation seemed to have reached a resolution, Wang Lin retreated a few steps, his gaze fixed upon Wang Wei and Hu Juan. “Who are you truly?” he asked, his voice calm but guarded.

Wang Wei, however, found himself even more impressed by Wang Lin’s cautious nature. His prudence only underscored the importance he placed on the task entrusted to him by Zhou Yi.

“Very well,” Wang Wei relented. “These countless years, I have never revealed my true identity to another soul. But you and Zhou Yi have bestowed upon us and upon the Immortal Emperor Qing Shuang a debt that cannot be repaid. To remain veiled in secrecy would be unconscionable.” He sighed, lifting his gaze towards the swirling black mist that dominated the center of the Immortal Emperor’s sixth chamber, a melancholic expression flitting across his face.

“I, Wang Wei, was once the First Guardian of the Immortal Emperor Qing Shuang and also… the second disciple of my esteemed mentor.” As he uttered these words, an indescribable force surged from within him, reaching towards the heavens with an indomitable air of pride and power.

For a fleeting moment, Wang Lin could almost envision Wang Wei’s glorious presence in the Immortal Realm of ages past!

“I am the seventh disciple of our mentor, raised alongside Qing Shuang as her sister,” Hu Juan said softly.

“When the Immortal Realm was torn asunder by calamity, my companion and I were fortunate enough to be away on assignment, thus escaping the devastation. Later, we learned that our mentor had survived, though gravely wounded and in hiding. We have searched countless realms for her, and finally, we are certain that she lies hidden within this Immortal Spirit Ground.”

Wang Lin’s heart pounded in his chest, and he fell into a contemplative silence.

Hu Juan glanced at Wang Lin and waved her right hand towards a nearby ward. Instantly, the barrier shifted, becoming even more formidable than before.

“You must have noticed the subtle differences in the wards surrounding this alchemy chamber. With your mastery of enchantments, you must have guessed… After my mentor created this Immortal Emperor’s dwelling, I was the one who designed and wove every structure and every ward within its walls. Therefore, any modifications I make can blend seamlessly with the original design.” Hu Juan’s voice was low, yet her words echoed within Wang Lin’s mind.

Wang Lin gasped, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “So it was you… I had assumed it was Senior Wang Wei.”

Wang Wei shook his head and chuckled. “My skill with enchantments cannot compare to hers. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost that wager to her because of you.”

Wang Lin reached for his storage bag, intending to retrieve the Immortal Jade Pagoda. But at that moment, Wang Wei’s expression hardened, and he whirled around, his gaze fixed on the distant shadows.

A piercing shriek echoed through the sixth chamber, shattering the quiet.