The Ethereal Flame, a power beyond the grasp of Heaven’s Five Elements, bloomed only after one had mastered true fire and shattered the void. It was the very essence of worldly emotion, a raging inferno fueled by the heart’s desires. To battle a master of the Ethereal Flame meant to guard one’s soul, for any flicker of emotion would be their undoing.

Sima Mo, a being of the Third Step, possessed not only immense power, but a control over his inner self that bordered on the supernatural. He could quell anger, suppress joy, and command his emotions to lie dormant like still waters. Yet, in this moment, a tremor of shock ran through him, a ripple in his carefully constructed calm. It was an anomaly, a thing thought impossible, yet it had occurred.

Before Sima Mo could ponder the cause, a torrent of Ethereal Flame erupted from within him, consuming his body and radiating outwards in a terrifying display. His face contorted in a grimace, a testament to the searing agony, and with that, the flames intensified, fed by his renewed emotional turmoil.

The ancient Vermillion Bird watched with a subtle, predatory grin. “Those few slaps were more than mere punishment,” he murmured to himself. “They were the seeds of the Ethereal Flame’s insidious growth. To face a Third Step master head-on is a fool’s errand. Now, little one, let us see if you can seize this opportunity.”

Wang Lin, a warrior forged in countless battles between life and death, wasted no time. As the Ethereal Flame flared around Sima Mo, his eyes gleamed with icy resolve. He suppressed the lingering wounds from the Nine Destructions and channeled his energies, his hands forming arcane seals as he unleashed a searing blast of power.

His face etched with grim determination, Wang Lin thrust forth his hands. From his left eye, the Nine-Colored Flame, a vortex of primal energy, erupted forth, transformed into a wave of Ethereal Fire that surged towards Sima Mo.

“Ethereal Fire alone is not enough! I call upon the flames of Heaven and Earth to coalesce!” With a stride, Wang Lin moved forward, his sleeves billowing, summoning a tempestuous gale that swept towards the thousands of cultivators observing the battle.

The wind carried with it an unbearable heat. As it washed over the spectators, their emotions surged, giving birth to nascent Ethereal Flames within their very beings. These flames did not consume them, but rather, coalesced into ethereal fire dragons.

In an instant, a chorus of roars shattered the sky as these dragons burst forth from the bodies of the observers, filling the heavens with their fiery forms. Thirty-six thousand, seven hundred and ninety-three dragons of Ethereal Flame writhed and howled, their incandescent bodies painting a breathtaking, terrifying scene.

It appeared as though Wang Lin was no longer fighting Sima Mo alone, but had somehow harnessed the collective emotions of the spectators, turning their inner turmoil into a weapon. In the entire realm of cultivation, only Wang Lin possessed such mastery over fire. Not even the Fourth or Second Generation Vermillion Birds could achieve this, for their own Ethereal Fire, though potent, had its limits. They could only unleash it, not absorb and condense it. But Wang Lin’s possessed the power of the Heaven-Defying Yuan Magnet, allowing him to draw upon the very fabric of existence. With a sweep of his sleeve, he channeled the might of the thousands of Ethereal Fire dragons towards Sima Mo.

Led by the nine dragons that surged from Wang Lin’s left eye, the swarm of ethereal beasts transformed into an unstoppable vortex, a maelstrom of fire that descended upon the Great Emperor Star with cataclysmic force. All of this occurred in a heartbeat. Even as the Ethereal Flame flared within Sima Mo’s body, this tidal wave of energy crashed into him, breaching his defenses and plunging into his very essence.

Sima Mo’s face turned ashen, and he stumbled backwards, his eyes wide with horror. He fought to regain control, to stifle his emotions and solidify his resolve.

“Not enough!” Wang Lin’s eyes glinted with predatory cunning as he advanced, a glint of triumph in his gaze. “Sima Mo, do you remember the Shattered Sky Sect?!”

The words struck a chord, causing Sima Mo to recoil. His eyes flashed with inner turmoil, but he stubbornly suppressed the rising tide of emotion.

“Sima Mo, do you remember your Second and Third Brothers… and the Sixteenth Brother you cast out from your abode?!” Sima Mo’s face turned deathly pale, and his body swayed.

“Sima Mo, do you recognize this?!” With a flick of his wrist, Wang Lin tore open a spatial rift, drawing forth a jade pendant – the very token of Sima Mo’s identity within the Shattered Sky Sect. Sima Mo’s eyes shone with desperate struggle, as if on the verge of implosion.

“Sima Mo, can you recall this?!” Wang Lin once again waved his hand, producing a palm-sized piece of bone – the root cause of Sima Mo’s expulsion from the Shattered Sky Sect.

“Silence!!” Sima Mo’s face was now a mask of ashen torment, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“Should I call you Sima Mo, or Sima Mo?!” Wang Lin’s final question struck Sima Mo like a thunderbolt. The Ethereal Fire within him erupted with unrestrained fury, his very being consumed as sounds of cracking bones reverberated through the air.

A primal madness seized Sima Mo, bursting forth from his eyes. He halted his retreat, allowing the Ethereal Flame to ravage his body. His face twisted in a grotesque mask, and within him, iridescent colors began to flicker, with purple dominating the others.

“I am not Sima Mo! My Dao is Sima Mo! I am known as Sima Mo!” The Ethereal Flame ravaged his body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood that instantly turned to ash. He glared at Wang Lin with murderous intent, his right hand clawing at the void as he unleashed a primal roar.

The heavens darkened as Sima Mo tore open a massive rift in reality. Through the gash in the fabric of space, the onlookers could glimpse another realm. Within, countless planets drifted, each teeming with life. Upon these worlds, countless beings knelt, offering up their prayers, their collective faith resonating in waves of incense power.

“Open, the realm of incense I have forged! My disciples, manifest your spirits!” With a wave of his sleeve, Sima Mo unleashed a torrent of energy into the rift. The countless beings on those worlds began to chant, their voices melding into a single, resonant mantra that poured from the tear in reality.

And as the mantra echoed, phantom figures materialized around Sima Mo. Thousands upon thousands of souls swarmed into existence, filling the sky with their ethereal forms. Their numbers were impossible to count, and their eyes burned with fervent devotion, exuding waves of incense energy.

“The power of incense! A Third Step Daoist’s ultimate ability!”

“With the power of incense, all living things shall be extinguished!”

The surrounding cultivators gasped and retreated, not daring to approach.

The Vermillion Bird’s eyes flashed as he observed Sima Mo, his expression unreadable.

“My disciples, pay homage to your master!” Sima Mo roared. The countless ethereal souls bowed towards him in unison, causing the heavens to tremble. A wind of incense energy, colored a deep violet, swept outwards towards Sima Mo, extinguishing the Ethereal Fire that consumed him.

The endless souls now flickered, as if depleted by the offering. Wang Lin’s expression darkened. “This is the power of the Third Step! Even Ethereal Fire can be extinguished by incense power. Can he truly not be defeated?!” A spark of defiance flickered within Wang Lin’s eyes. “What does the Third Step matter?!”

Suddenly, Sima Mo whirled around, his eyes locked on Wang Lin with icy malice. “My endless disciples offer their faith and power! This incense is only meant for me, and those who have not reached the Third Step cannot withstand such a surge! You seek your death; I shall grant it to you! Disciples, offer your incense to him! Let us see how you endure the power of my endless followers!” Sima Mo raised a finger, pointing directly at Wang Lin.

In response, the countless souls of Sima Mo’s followers turned in unison, their gaze falling upon Wang Lin. Even Wang Lin felt a tremor of dread under the weight of their gazes.

“Offer your incense!” Sima Mo cried. And as one, the souls bowed towards Wang Lin, unleashing a surge of purple wind that tore across the heavens! Wang Lin felt an indescribable force bearing down on him, threatening to crush him from all sides. His body was wracked with pain, and a tearing sensation threatened to rip him apart.

Wang Lin’s face contorted in agony. There was nowhere to run, for the force came from everywhere, inescapable. “Let us see how you withstand the offerings of my endless followers! You dare challenge me without reaching the Third Step? You are simply foolish!” Sima Mo’s eyes glowed purple, and his body pulsed with power.

Yet, within the radiant purple aura, a spot the size of a fingernail on his brow remained untouched, emitting a faint, flickering light. Within, Wang Lin could see a miniature version of Sima Mo, seated in meditation. His face was contorted in pain, and tears streamed down his cheeks. “Help me…” Wang Lin vaguely heard those words.

“Sima Mo’s followers are… numerous!” The Vermillion Bird’s expression changed, and he moved to intervene.

But before he could take another step, Wang Lin’s voice rang out, shattering the heavens! “Ancestor, I can handle it!”