A pall of grey dust shrouded the Rain Realm, a thick fog obscuring the land as if countless motes had settled upon the world. Through this murk, rifts in the fabric of reality flickered in and out of existence, each appearance sucking in the surrounding dust and mist with unnatural hunger.

From afar, a dull, rhythmic boom echoed, stirring the dust-laden air like a phantom wind.

Yet beyond these unsettling phenomena, silence reigned.

Then, Wang Lin’s voice cut through the stillness. Even the foremost Elder of the Azure Dragon Holy Sect, who had been charging ahead, halted abruptly, all eyes snapping to Wang Lin.

“Crimson Sparrow Holy Emperor,” a white-haired Azure Dragon Elder rasped, “What…what do you hear?”

Wang Lin frowned, his senses straining to catch a faint sound, a whisper of despair, a desperate plea carried on the wind. It was a sound unique to him, unheard by any other present.

Situ Nan, ever attuned to Wang Lin’s subtle shifts, stated calmly, “There is nothing.”

“Perhaps an illusion,” Wang Lin replied, dismissing the matter with a shake of his head.

The Azure Dragon Elders exchanged uneasy glances before leaping into the air, pressing on towards the mountain peak. The rest followed close behind.

Wang Lin remained troubled, his gaze fixed on the looming peak. Had it not been for the information gleaned from the Azure Light Shield, he would have dismissed the notion of the Azure Dragon Holy Emperor being imprisoned here. Yet, the closer they drew, the greater his unease grew.

Suddenly, a tremor of excitement resonated in the voice of an Azure Dragon Elder ahead.

“It is the Holy Emperor! Behold! This imprint… it is the Sacred Art of the Azure Dragon Sect – the Verdant Wood Hand!” The Elder hovered in the air, pointing towards a patch of withered grass halfway up the mountain.

His words ignited a frenzy. The other Azure Dragon Elders surged forward, their eyes falling upon the deep, palm-shaped indentation embedded in the mountainside.

“Unseal this mountain! Rescue the Holy Emperor!” The Elders scattered, their hands weaving intricate seals. The very fragment of the Rain Realm shuddered as vast amounts of celestial energy coalesced around them. The Elders ascended to the power of Fragmented Nirvana, unleashing spectral Azure Dragons that roared to the heavens and coiled around the mountain, as if to wrench it from the earth itself.

“Rise!” the Azure Dragon Elders roared in unison. A deafening rumble shook the ground. Fragments of stone rained down from the mountain as the spectral Dragons strained, lifting the colossal peak a mere few inches.

The Elders of the Black Tortoise and White Tiger Holy Sects rushed forward, their hands forming seals that summoned unimaginable celestial energy. The Black Tortoise Elders conjured massive spectral tortoises that burrowed beneath the mountain, as if lending their powerful shells to support the weight. The White Tiger Elders descended swiftly, weaving their arts to bind and guide the mountain. Gradually, the peak rose higher and higher, the tremors growing more violent, the distant booms from the sky echoing with greater intensity.

The Crimson Sparrow Elders were poised to join the effort when, in an instant, a blinding golden beam erupted from the mountain’s heart, piercing the shroud of dust. Another followed, then another, until the mountain pulsed with countless golden rays, illuminating the realm. A colossal golden chain, tens of thousands of feet long, materialized around the peak, each link shimmering with arcane runes. An aura of celestial might radiated outwards, a wave of golden force that flung the Elders of the Four Holy Sects back, scattering them from the mountain.

Wang Wei and Hu Juan stared at the golden chain, their faces etched with shock. Confirming their shared disbelief with a glance, they retreated without a word.

Without the support of their collective powers, the mountain began to settle back down.

“Gather the strength of the Four Holy Sects! Do not destroy the mountain, but lift it only seven fathoms! This golden chain was forged by the Celestial Emperor Qing Shuang! It imprisons not only I, but also another… a being you must never release!” A weak, yet urgent voice echoed from within the mountain, now audible to all.

The Azure Dragon Elders trembled, the most ancient among them crying out, “Holy Emperor! It is the Holy Emperor’s voice!”

Wang Lin turned to Wang Wei and Hu Juan, his expression unreadable.

The two exchanged a silent look. Wang Wei sighed heavily. “This array… it bears the aura of my master. Very well!” With a flick of his sleeve, auspicious clouds formed beneath his feet, carrying him toward the golden chain.

Hu Juan followed closely, a sigh escaping her lips. They approached the chain.

“We can only briefly suppress this seal for a single breath. You must act swiftly to rescue him!” Hu Juan declared as countless arcane seals coalesced around her, each radiating an eerie light. They surged towards the golden chain.

Wang Wei waved his hand, summoning a mist of water that broke into countless droplets, enveloping each of Hu Juan’s seals. The Four Holy Sect Elders, without hesitation, launched their powers. The Azure Dragon Elders wove their Sacred Arts as the Elders of the other Sects surrounded them, channeling their magical artifacts. The gathered force was enough to tear apart the very fabric of the Rain Realm.

All was ready, awaiting the briefest flicker of the golden chain!

Taking a deep breath, they crossed their legs in mid-air, their hands forming seals that pointed toward the chain. The seals and water mist surged forward, coalescing before them into a colossal key of ethereal light!

It struck the golden chain, shattering the layers of golden light and burrowing within. For a heartbeat, the chain’s radiance dimmed. All golden light vanished from the sky.

“Save him now!” Wang Wei roared.

A single breath of time might seem fleeting to mortals, but to Fragmented Nirvana cultivators, it was an eternity in which to unleash the most potent of arts.

Streams of radiant power crashed against the mountain, lifting it inch by inch. Forged by a Celestial Emperor, the mountain was no mere stone, and even without the golden chain, it resisted their efforts with ferocious strength.

One fathom, then two, then three!

The mountain rose five fathoms. A palpable pressure emanated from within, growing heavier with each passing inch. As they pushed the mountain to six fathoms, nearing their goal, the single breath of time ran out.

The golden light returned, and the colossal chain reformed. The ethereal key shattered, sending Hu Juan and Wang Wei staggering back.

The reappearance of the chain caused an immense pressure to descend upon the mountain. The thirty-five Fragmented Nirvana Elders struggled to maintain their grip. Just then, a deafening roar erupted from within the peak, and a beam of azure light, like a tormented Dragon, burst forth, struggling to escape.

Within the Azure Light was an old man in tattered robes, his face etched with exhaustion, yet his eyes burned with a fierce hope. He was on the cusp of freedom when, suddenly, the sky above the Rain Realm churned. The grey dust-clouded sky parted, revealing a lone figure.

Clad in white, with slightly aged features and eyes that seemed to contain the very cosmos, the man’s appearance caused the already unstable Rain Realm to crumble even faster.

“It seems I have arrived at precisely the right moment,” said the figure, who was none other than Tian Yunzi! He strode towards the mountain. Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed; he’d felt a sense of impending doom, yet could not discern its source until now.

As Tian Yunzi neared the mountain, Wang Lin raised his arms. Fire filled his left eye, while lightning crackled in his right. He conjured a sphere of lightning and another of fire before him, and with a flick of his hand, he sent the two orbs hurtling toward Tian Yunzi, where they combined into a sea of lightning-laced flames.

Wang Wei and Hu Juan also unleashed their arts upon Tian Yunzi.

Tian Yunzi waved his sleeve, and three phantom copies shimmered into existence, lunging forward. As Wang Wei and Hu Juan’s powers descended, one of the copies smiled enigmatically, weaving its hands into a seal. A surge of destructive power flooded from its core as the copy detonated in a blinding explosion!

The other two copies wore similar eerie smiles before each followed in the example of self-destruction!