Beneath the gaze of the night’s pearl, a gentle zephyr stirred, lifting strands of Wang Lin’s silver hair as if in yearning to ascend heavenward. The wind possessed a tender touch, akin to Wan’er’s hand, caressing the weathered visage carved by the passage of ages.

A millennium seemed to echo in the stillness.

This eve, the moon shone with ethereal brilliance, banishing sleep. Yet, with Li Muwan at his side, Wang Lin’s heart found solace, devoid of loneliness.

The wind, as it danced through Wang Lin’s locks, also swept across the Heaven-Defying Coffin, stirring the raven tresses of the slumbering Li Muwan within. A harmonious ballet of the unseen, weaving through her silken strands.

Within the coffin, her sable hair entwined itself about the inner sanctum, seemingly reaching for the heavens, but ultimately succumbing to gravity, falling back in gentle repose.

As the lunar radiance deepened, Wang Lin beheld a weathered silhouette upon a distant peak bathed in silvery moonlight. An azure aura enveloped the figure, and beside him stood a maiden.

Li Qianmei.

The father and daughter had, it seemed, been here for an age, witnessing Wang Lin’s dreamlike reverie, and the tears that fell upon Li Muwan. As Wang Lin’s gaze met theirs, they turned, their figures fading into the embrace of the moonlit night.

Yet, their departure left an echo of solitude, particularly in the retreating form of the maiden.

Wang Lin closed his eyes, uttering no word. This night belonged to him and Li Muwan, and to none other.

The moon’s reign was slowly challenged by the nascent dawn, its rosy fingers painting the horizon, introducing a second luminescence to the land. Wang Lin opened his eyes, his gaze locking upon the Heaven-Defying Coffin and the woman within. A single glance, yet spanning a thousand years.

“Wan’er, wait for me…” Wang Lin murmured, raising his right hand in a gentle gesture. The Heaven-Defying Coffin dissolved into a spectral shimmer before him, carefully gathered and stored away. He then turned to face the awakening sky, where moon and sun held court, and inhaled deeply.

“The time has come to seek the Third Soul! By now, the Seven-Colored Daoist and the Old Ghost Zhan must have also gleaned some glimmer of its whereabouts…” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with resolve as he spoke the words aloud.

Far beyond the Immortal Realm, in the vast expanse of the cosmos, as Wang Lin had foreseen, the Four Great Generals had not abandoned their quest for the Third Soul, despite the perils faced amidst the Heavenly Dao. Now, they stood united in the Cloud Sea Star Region, their formation bolstered by a colossal gourd hovering above, spewing forth a dense fog.

This mist served as a guide, swirling and beckoning, leading the four warriors onward. They traversed star-strewn paths, passing ancient, floating continents, edging closer to the realm of Luo Tian within the Cloud Sea.

Behind them, with a grim countenance, Old Ghost Zhan silently trailed, maintaining a delicate balance, each faction refraining from interference.

In due course, the gourd above the Four Great Generals unleashed a surge of power, the fog erupting forth, coalescing into a gargantuan form.

Not of man, but a beast of canine nature, akin to a Kirin, yet distinct. Composed entirely of mist, it stood in the void, its head tilting, its nostrils twitching, as if detecting a subtle essence.

Finally, the beast raised its head, its eyes burning with primal fury, and with a mighty leap, soared from above the Four Great Generals, heading straight ahead.

The Four Great Generals felt a jolt of energy and immediately pursued, their bodies blurring as they followed. Behind them, the expectant gleam in Old Ghost Zhan’s eyes betrayed his anticipation.

The colossal beast forged ahead, sniffing the ether, until it halted before a ruined, floating continent, emitting a series of mournful howls.

The Four Great Generals swiftly arrived, descending upon the land, their spiritual senses unfurling, encompassing the entire continent in their search.

Old Ghost Zhan also stepped onto the ancient land, his own spiritual senses sweeping through the ruins, yet he quickly frowned.

The continent was desolate, a wasteland of crumbling structures. It was evident that long ago, beings had thrived here, with mortals in abundance.

But now, all had succumbed to the relentless march of time. No life remained, save for a few wretched beasts that had taken refuge amongst the ruins.

The Four Great Generals exchanged glances, then simultaneously performed a series of hand seals. A wave of destruction emanated from their bodies, transforming into a storm that enveloped the entire land. In an instant, pitiful cries echoed through the storm as it eradicated all remaining life.

After the annihilation, tendrils of vaporous energy rose from the continent, converging into the maw of the giant beast. It swallowed the energy, shook its massive head, and departed, soaring onward.

“Alas, not here either…”

“While not here, the fact that the Immortal Venerate’s name-bound Mist Beast lingered and devoured the energy implies that, in ages past, the Venerate’s Third Soul underwent reincarnation on this soil…”

“The more reincarnation energy the Mist Beast consumes, the easier it will be to pinpoint the Third Soul’s location. It has devoured several times along the journey; we must be close!”

The Four Great Generals glanced at each other before rising, transforming into four streaks of light, following the Mist Beast as it neared the edge of the Cloud Sea, where lay the path to Luo Tian!

Old Ghost Zhan stalked in the rear, his gaze fixed upon the Mist Beast, his thoughts churning.

“If its behavior is anything to judge by, the Third Soul must lie within Luo Tian! I have spent the most time in Luo Tian. If it truly resides there, will this Third Soul be man… or beast…”

In another corner of the Luo Tian Star Region, in the ethereal realm of Kun Xu, a swirling cloud of seven-colored light surged. Before this iridescent veil, the Seven-Colored Daoist furrowed his brow, his gaze locked upon a single, crystalline drop of blood in his palm.

He had searched almost the entirety of the Kun Xu Star Region, save for the Five Elements Planet, scouring every inch of space, every celestial body, even every mote of dust, yet in Kun Xu, he had found no trace.

After a moment of silence, the Seven-Colored Daoist lifted his head, contemplation clouding his eyes.

He recalled that in the rift within the Cloud Sea, within the illusion of illusions, he had glimpsed the Third Soul flying towards Kun Xu, but he could not determine whether it had simply passed through, or remained within.
When the moment of his ascension was nigh, the illusion woven around him by the Celestial of Seven Hues was shattered by Wang Lin, and he was forcibly ripped from the dream.

The realization of this trespass darkened the Seven Hues Celestial’s countenance, and the embers of his hatred for Wang Lin blazed hotter.

“Even without that illusory prison, the countless lives sacrificed in the wars between the realms would have given me the blood needed to find my third soul!” he snarled. “If Kunxu yields nothing, then I shall scour the Summon River! I shall leave no stone unturned in these Four Star Domains! I refuse to believe that fragment of my being can escape this Caved World!” His face a mask of grim determination, the Celestial of Seven Hues strode towards the Summon River Star Domain.

As he traveled, his gaze remained fixed upon a vial of blood, its crimson depths unchanging. Yet, the Celestial knew that this was no ordinary fluid. It was a potent concoction, a distillation of mortal essence. When faced with a soul reborn within the Caved World, the blood would remain dormant. But should it encounter a fragment of a being from beyond this reality, it would erupt in a blinding crimson light.

The range of this detection was small, and only this single vial remained. The search would consume vast stretches of time, but what were a few more moments to one who had already waited for millennia?

Reaching the Summon River, the Celestial of Seven Hues began his meticulous hunt.

No longer could the Third Soul remain hidden, for its sanctuary was about to be revealed!

But the Celestial was not the only one in pursuit. Wang Lin, too, sought to unearth this lost fragment.

Seated atop a desolate peak, Wang Lin unleashed his divine sense, encompassing the Immortal Realm. In a secluded valley to the northwest, nestled within a wooden pavilion, he found his quarry: Qing Shui.

Red Butterfly was there as well, living peacefully with her father in this secluded haven.

Qing Shui, with a gentle smile, was imparting wisdom to Red Butterfly, guiding her through the complexities of Taoist principles. Red Butterfly, ever the astute disciple, absorbed his teachings with eager understanding.

“A cultivator must understand the power of intention, the strength of the heart. All that truly matters is the guiding will…” Qing Shui paused, his eyes hardening as he looked towards the heavens beyond the pavilion. A storm of conflicting emotions clouded his gaze. He rose abruptly.

“Butterfly, continue your practice. Your father must attend to pressing matters.” With that, Qing Shui vanished in a shimmer of light, leaving behind a worried Red Butterfly, who closed her eyes in meditation.

Moments later, a ripple of energy surged on Wang Lin’s mountain peak, and Qing Shui materialized before him.

“Brother Qing Shui, I implore you, aid me in the search for a soul!” Wang Lin said, bowing deeply.

Qing Shui hesitated, his expression conflicted. After a long silence, he whispered, “You know now the truth of my being…”

Wang Lin nodded gravely.

“In the Realm of Seven Hues, you did not ask if I had found the answer I sought. But I have found it. I know that I am but a fragment of a greater whole… Forgive me for not revealing this truth sooner… I could not bring myself to voice it. I did not want to believe it.” Qing Shui closed his eyes, his voice thick with anguish, before taking a seat before Wang Lin.

“Proceed, then. I know not what method you will employ, but I will offer all my strength to aid you!”

“I only know of you, Brother Qing Shui, among the seven souls. The identities of the others remain shrouded in mystery. But be assured, brother, I will not allow the three souls to merge and consume the seven!

When we find this third soul, I will strike it down, and imprison it forever!” Wang Lin raised his right hand, touching his brow. Instantly, the ghostly visage that had merged with his flesh manifested, expanding rapidly into a monstrous mask that hung suspended above them.

The face twisted in a silent roar, lunging towards Wang Lin and Qing Shui, engulfing them in its maw.

As the two were swallowed, their minds were assaulted by a cacophony of thunder, a roaring resonance that ripped through their consciousness, plunging them into the ancient past, to the moment when the Celestial of Seven Hues fractured his essence into three souls and seven spirits!

The search had begun: for the Third Soul!