“Hasten!” Wang Lin’s command was terse. Following the path laid bare by his palm’s imprint, he surged toward the direction of Qian. Though his face betrayed nothing, his heart was far from serene. He felt with startling conviction that he had unleashed but a fraction of that palm’s true power. If he could command it fully… the entirety of this Immortal Emperor’s nine-layered domain would crumble before a single strike!

Ling Tianhou, hearing the order, shadowed Wang Lin. His eyes held a deeper fear than before. He found himself unable to decipher this enigmatic warrior. Despite believing his cultivation to perhaps surpass Wang Lin’s, he was convinced of his own inevitable defeat in a true confrontation.

Wang Lin, swift as lightning, arrived at the shattered palace at the heart of the domain. Casting a chilling glance at Ling Tianhou, he devoured a handful of pills and retrieved from his storage pouch a figure wreathed in silver. The Silver-Clad Corpse Woman materialized beside him, her frigid gaze sweeping over Ling Tianhou.

Ling Tianhou’s pupils contracted. He felt an even greater sense of mystery surrounding Wang Lin. “I cannot fathom him,” he thought, “Not his cultivation, his spells, nor anything else about him. Only the words ‘profoundly unfathomable’ can describe him!” In all his life, Ling Tianhou had reserved this phrase for only one being: Tian Yunzi. Now, there was another.

Forgoing the waxen pill given to him by Wang Wei, he instead swallowed ordinary elixir, quickly replenishing the formidable power drained by the use of the ‘One Word’. The loss of energy rivaled that of wielding the Titanium Sword.

Fortunately, Wang Lin had just emerged from the depths of the molten Piyan. Besides the Fire Power he naturally commanded, there was an abundance of free-flowing energy within him, which he had drawn upon for months through his meditative breathing. Even the Vermillion Bird Tattoo on his body had absorbed its share.

In those months of meditation, Wang Lin had discovered that the Fire Power absorbed by his Vermillion Bird Tattoo could be channeled into his own body. It was this revelation that had kept him within the magma for so long.

He swallowed the pills, abstaining from drawing on the Vermillion Bird Tattoo, and instead drew upon the free-flowing energy within his body. Combined with the elixir, Wang Lin found himself somewhat restored.

Soon, they stood before the ruined central hall. A single candle flame struggled to burn within a lone candlestick. The hall was empty. Wang Lin stepped inside and his gaze swept across the space. “What transpired here?” he asked, his voice calm.

Ling Tianhou followed Wang Lin into the hall, his face etched with lingering dread. He recounted the tale, “When our party entered this place from the Seventh Layer, there was no Black Mist. But the moment we entered this hall and opened the gateway to the Ninth Layer, three Demonic Shadows surged forth, instantly filling this place with the Black Mist.

“Those shadows were unnaturally powerful. Void Spirit was gravely injured instantly. Even Wang Wei was caught in a surprise attack by Bei Luo and a struggle ensued. Tian Yunzi aided Bei Luo… As for Hu Juan, she was immediately drawn into the Ninth Layer before she could act… I myself was wounded by a Shadow. Especially with this Black Mist, one cannot see anything, nor can the divine sense pierce it…”

Ling Tianhou concisely recounted the events. Wang Lin frowned, inwardly alarmed. He was not surprised that Tian Yunzi had aided Bei Luo. Tian Yunzi had visited the Land of the Ancient Spirits countless times. Wang Lin refused to believe he had no connection with the Ancient Demons.

He recalled the time, long ago in Tian Yun Sect, when his Senior Brother Zi Xi had displayed a spell akin to demonic arts. The memory was etched in his mind.

As he gained more experience, he became even more certain of this assumption.

Especially since Wang Lin had acquired the Demonic Spirit body within the Land of the Ancient Spirits – a body that bore a striking resemblance to the Ling Tianhou before him, only younger.

That body remained within Wang Lin’s storage pouch. He was certain that if he produced it, Ling Tianhou’s face would be ashen, and even Tian Yunzi would show a flicker of surprise.

“Ancient Demons, Ancient Spirits, Tian Yunzi, Ling Tianhou… there is a strange connection between them…” Wang Lin remained impassive, examining the ruined hall, his gaze lingering on the lone, burning candle flame.

“How does one open this place?” Wang Lin had no choice but to venture into the Ninth Layer. He must find Zhou Yi and Situ Nan. Though Situ Nan had not entered, Wang Lin was confident his cultivation would keep him safe in the early layers.

But Zhou Yi was in the Ninth Layer, and so was the key to curing Situ Nan’s poison. How could Wang Lin abandon these two benefactors in his life? Even knowing the dangers that lurked within the Ninth Layer, to turn back for fear of those dangers would make Wang Lin unworthy.

“Do you truly intend to enter?” Ling Tianhou hesitated.

Wang Lin nodded.

Ling Tianhou was silent for a moment, then his eyes flared with a touch of madness. “Very well! You have less cultivation time than I, yet you possess such courage! My beloved beast was destroyed by those demonic entities. If I were to leave now, my domineering Dao would be for naught! Tian Yunzi dares to enter, what do I have to fear?!” He strode forward and approached the candle stand, swiftly manipulating the candles according to the pattern Hu Juan had used before.

Immediately, the ninety-nine candles began to slowly move, emitting a rumbling sound, their arrangement forming what appeared to be a massive array.

An ethereal light emanated from the array, erupting into a blinding flash. A translucent portal appeared above the ninety-nine candles, and the Black Mist poured forth from it in a frenzied torrent.

With a grunt, Ling Tianhou charged into the portal, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Wang Lin did not hesitate. Taking a deep breath, he dismissed the Silver-Clad Corpse Woman and stepped into the gateway.

As Wang Lin and Ling Tianhou entered the Ninth Layer of the Immortal Emperor’s domain, the figure shrouded in Black Mist sitting on a throne in a hall identical to those of the previous layers, suddenly raised its head. Agony twisted its features. A single point of light flickered on its brow, surrounded by an endless tide of Black Mist that ceaselessly battered the light, as if seeking to consume it.

Outside the hall, the sounds of battle raged like thunder. The cries of fury echoed like the roar of a storm. It was clear that a fierce battle was taking place.

The others were nearly all present, though each bore the marks of battle. They were arrayed around the hall, besieged by countless Demonic Shadows. The Shadows, driven by a ravenous bloodlust, charged relentlessly, battling the cultivators. No matter how the cultivators attacked, the Shadows would not disperse.

When pressed, some Shadows would self-destruct, unleashing a devastating blast that tore through the surrounding area, forcing the group to engage in constant, arduous combat.

Void Spirit’s face was pale. He sat cross-legged some distance away, spitting out a mouthful of black blood as he pressed on several pressure points to suppress his injuries.

Beside him, the Black-Clad Man, his face devoid of color, sat in meditation, his eyes fixed on the battle ahead.

Tian Yunzi swept his sleeves, unleashing awe-inspiring spells that shattered the Demonic Shadows. Wang Wei, his face grim, was surrounded by a swirling water barrier, launching a relentless assault.

His fury stemmed from two sources: his master, Qing Lin, and Hu Juan. Hu Juan had been immediately drawn into the Ninth Layer after activating the portal, leaving Wang Wei momentarily distracted. Bei Luo had seized the opportunity and launched a surprise attack. Tian Yunzi’s assistance had left Wang Wei injured, but Wang Wei had not engaged Bei Luo and Tian Yunzi. Instead, Wang Wei had consumed too many pills and had entered the ninth layer to search for Hu Juan.

Bei Luo, on the other side, radiated demonic energy, conjuring phantom images of Ancient Spirits. These apparitions, though seemingly ethereal, were almost solid, exuding an aura of eerie power.

He unleashed spells with every gesture, battling the countless Shadows emerging from the Black Mist. “Ta Jia,” he roared, “your Demonic Shadow technique consumes the most demonic energy! Let us see how much you have to expend!”

Bei Luo’s challenge was answered by a hoarse, rasping voice that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it, a voice that emanated a sense of demonic power.

“Bei Luo, once I complete my possession, you will know just how much demonic energy I possess!”

Hearing this, Wang Wei’s eyes flashed with red. He formed hand seals, causing a sheet of blue to spread before him, rapidly transforming into a boundless ocean. The ocean filled the sky, a veritable sea descending from the heavens, crashing down upon the Black Mist surrounding the hall.

The old gourd-wielding man also unleashed his spells, directing countless arcane attacks at the Black Mist, engaging the Shadows in fierce combat.

Zhou Yi was present as well, though his body was weak. His eyes were filled with apprehension as he gazed at the Black Mist. He had lost his physical body, and the encroaching Demonic Qi was becoming increasingly difficult to resist.

It was at this moment that Wang Lin and Ling Tianhou appeared. The Ninth Layer was not large. Aside from the central hall, there was nothing else. Upon arriving, they beheld the unprecedented battle before them.

Particularly by Bei Luo’s Ancient Spirit Phantom and Wang Wei’s Raging Ocean, at this moment, Tian Yunzi’s eyes glowed with a strange light, his right hand pointed to the sky, and he chanted, “Heavenly Luck Finger!”

As he spoke, a vast vortex appeared in the seawater of Wang Wei’s spell, and a pressure descended from the sky. Under the pressure, a huge finger emerged from the seawater and stabbed fiercely at the palace covered by black mist below!