The terror in Shui Jiang’s heart surged like the tempestuous waves of this Five Elements Water Array, crashing against the shores of his very soul. The armor he wore, a legacy from his ancestors, had long ago intertwined with his blood, becoming an extension of himself.

Without it, he was but a cultivator in the Fourth Decline of Celestial Man. With it, he could wield the power of a Third Step Great Lord. Yet, the armor was a capricious master; once donned, it would shackle his mind, commandeering his body.

His ancestor, before his secluded cultivation, had whispered that such armors were rare even within the Sect. Their creation was fraught with peril, bestowed only upon those who displayed unparalleled merit or ventured into the most treacherous of realms. Each suit was an artifact of immense value, never to fall into the hands of outsiders!

But what truly chilled Shui Jiang’s blood was that Wang Lin had shattered the armor with a mere touch, fissures spider-webbing across its surface, threatening to crush him utterly. Only the armor’s arcane resilience, its surge of life-force, had snatched him from the jaws of death.

Even more terrifying was Wang Lin’s piercing gaze, which had dissected the armor’s deepest secrets, laying bare its vulnerabilities. Such insight, such knowledge, sent a shiver of dread through Shui Jiang’s being. In that fleeting moment, he had witnessed within Wang Lin’s eyes a labyrinth of crimson threads, like the very laws of existence woven into his pupils, leaving him momentarily disoriented.

“Cast aside the armor, and I shall spare your life,” Wang Lin’s voice echoed as the seawater, once towering, cascaded down, gradually unveiling the battleground to the watchful eyes of the Gui Yi Sect cultivators surrounding the Five Planets Pagoda. The sight of Shui Jiang’s battered state quelled their initial jubilation, plunging them into a sea of silence.

Shui Jiang’s face was a mask of grim determination. Wang Lin’s words struck a chord of terror within him. With gritted teeth, he suppressed the fear that threatened to overwhelm him, darting backward to widen the distance between them.

Wang Lin remained unfazed, his gaze unwavering as Shui Jiang retreated, clutching his spear. A cold glint, a hint of murderous intent, flickered in his eyes. He would show no mercy to these invaders from beyond the Domain of the Caves, nor offer any quarter to brigands!

“You seek death!” Wang Lin declared, his footfalls carrying him inexorably toward Shui Jiang.

Shui Jiang, his face ashen, his eyes ablaze with desperation, raised his spear and hurled it into the sea. The weapon plunged beneath the waves, transforming into a radiant, azure streak, erupting in a deafening roar, churning the waters into a maelstrom of colossal proportions.

“With my Water Spirit, I summon the power of the Five Elements Water!” Shui Jiang spat a mouthful of blood, his hands weaving a complex incantation. He thrust his right hand toward the raging sea.

The ocean responded with a tumultuous surge, waves crashing as if a colossal dragon stirred from its slumber in the depths. As Shui Jiang raised his hand, the entire ocean seemed to awaken, slowly rising with a thunderous rumble.

From afar, the sight was awe-inspiring. The sea itself was being lifted, ascending with incredible speed, as if to envelop Wang Lin.

Simultaneously, Shui Jiang coughed up another mouthful of blood, his face contorted in exhaustion and agony. His left hand shot towards the sky.

“Clouds dissipate, mist fade, light vanish, heavens perish, condense rain into an ocean!” Shui Jiang bellowed, his voice strained. The heavens responded, dark clouds shattering, releasing a deluge of raindrops, coalescing into a vast, ethereal ocean suspended above. It plunged downward, merging with the rising sea in a cataclysmic union, forming a gargantuan, swirling sphere of water suspended between heaven and earth.

This sphere, murky yet imbued with the color of the sea, was of immeasurable size, its edges beyond sight, resembling a miniature water planet.

“A universe in a droplet!” Shui Jiang gasped, completing the ancient spell inherited from his ancestors. His flesh withered, his handsome features twisting into a grotesque caricature, pustules erupting across his body.

His lifespan should have long expired, the Tribulations of Celestial Man having ravaged him four times. His natural talent was not sufficient to survive such trials.

All of this had been held at bay by the armor. But now, having unleashed its full power, his body was exposed, unguarded, reverting to its rightful, decrepit state.

Before him, the gargantuan water sphere began to spin wildly upon his pronouncement. As it spun, it compressed, shrinking at an alarming rate. With each rotation, the pressure within intensified exponentially!

If he could ultimately refine this ocean into a single drop, even a starfield within would be crushed! This was the power of water, the essence of its very being!

Wang Lin stood within the swirling sphere, watching as the seawater surged around him, the crushing pressure bearing down from all sides, emanating an aura of utter destruction.

His eyes gleamed, fixated on the surrounding water. A peculiar light, laced with a hint of manic delight, ignited within him.

“This is the power of the Water Source!” Wang Lin exclaimed, his exhilaration growing.

“I could leave this place with ease, slay Shui Jiang as easily. But this opportunity is rare. Shui Jiang, through his armor, has summoned the power of Water, which now shifts before me. If I can grasp its essence, then my Sources will no longer be seven, but eight!”

Such an event, as Wang Lin surmised, was exceedingly precious. The Water Source controlled by Shui Jiang’s armor was no ordinary force but a method from the Gui Yi Sect of the Immortal Continent. It was a revelation of the pinnacle of enlightenment!

It was as if everything were laid bare before him, clearer than any master’s teachings!

Wang Lin would not squander such an opportunity! He might not possess peerless talent, but his perception and comprehension were extraordinarily rare. Otherwise, he would never have attained seven Sources. Moreover, Water was not entirely unfamiliar to him, with early absorption from the Heaven Defying Bead, or the drop of Water Essence given by Tian Yunzi, all provided a road map of sorts for grasping the Water Essence!

His anticipation had reached fever pitch. He wasted no time, settling cross-legged within the condensing sphere, his gaze piercing, fixed upon every transformation of the water before him.

The changes seemed chaotic, without pattern. But as crimson threads emerged from the pupils of Wang Lin’s eyes, he slowly began to discern the order hidden within. A look of calculation appeared on his face, along with excitement. He raced to imprint this rare opportunity to witness the transformations of Water Source!

This event was known only to Wang Lin, the water general knowing not, though his expression was twisted in ferocity, excitement was present as well.

He watched the water planet, hands weaving in seals and imprints, causing the Water Source to grow even denser, the condensation becoming faster, the planet size diminishing after the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn, shrinking to the size of ten thousand zhang!

This ten thousand zhang Water Planet’s rain and sea water, condensed time after time, made the source even denser!

“In my universe with a droplet! Even if you reached the peak of cultivation, this is the Five Source Water Formation, which is where I am limitless in power. I will turn you into an isolated droplet and squeeze you to death!” The general frantically wove spells as he flew to strike the planet to send in the manipulation source from his armor to cause the water to rapidly contract.

This show of force almost brought Wang Lin to his knees in gratitude, Wang Lin now witnessing how a single behavior could open up the entire sphere to better comprehension, and Wang Lin could see further transformations of the source!

That ten thousand zhang planet of water was now half its size, and only five thousand zhang, the water general looking ghoulish and excited, but was now breathing heavily, having now used all his power, looking like an oil lamp running dry.

“Nadu! Help me!!” the general suddenly looked up to the sky and howled.

With his howl, a vortex appeared in the Water Formation sky, and the Five Elements Gold was sucked into the vortex and was released to fill the Water Formation.

In the five elements, the water source came from gold! With the origin different, some believed it could be from a metallic object melting and turning into water. Others believed that it was from the Gold source creating all things, and over time, water condensed onto it.

Regardless of the origin, the ancient sages believed that Gold could create Water.

In practice, with the five elemental Gold coming into being, Wang Lin was encompassed in water with the Gold, madly contracting around him and pushing. The water general looked excited, looking as though the other was a dying animal.

“Wang Lin! You will die!”

At that moment, Xuan Lou, the grand celestial, was floating in the starry sky and was looking, showing an odd expression and somewhat of an unknown, tearful expression.

“Where is this guy going to be refined? He is clearly helping the other guy grasp the water source… this guy has Dao blood in him and has immortal arts. That is rare!

Especially since he has 7 sources in his body. This kid is no ordinary person!! He has a bloodline on his pupil, and this is how the rules are set up? I have never seen this anywhere. Dao and immortal cultivation…”