A mirthless smile twisted Wang Lin’s lips, his eyes blazing with intent. “It is she.”

The vortex pulsed, then began to unravel, revealing a figure within. It was a woman, draped in a violet gown, her sable hair cascading around her. Her beauty was otherworldly, enough to ensnare the hearts of mortal men. Even seasoned cultivators might succumb to base desires, envisioning her as a vessel for their power.

This was Zi Xia, the Seventh Consort of the Seven-Colored Immortal! Unlike her sister consorts, Zi Xia harbored unwavering loyalty to her lord. She had once rebuked Wang Lin with fierce words, and only the threat of his Li Guang Bow had restrained her from ending his life when she sensed discord in their thoughts.

Zi Xia’s power was considerable. Before Wang Lin had mastered the Origin of Restriction, battling her would have been a dire trial. Yet, with the Li Guang Bow in his possession, she had been wary. But now, with the Origin of Restriction, the might of the Ancient Dao lineage, and the spectral Ye Mo Hand, combined with a strategic use of the realm’s rules, Wang Lin possessed the power to vanquish this consort, even without wielding the Li Guang Bow!

“The Elder Qing Shuang spoke of the Coffin of Avoidance as being fashioned by this very woman… As an Immortal Consort, she must possess secrets of this place…” Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed. He raised his hand, and with a furious shriek, the Bloodsword tore through the void. In a blur, Wang Lin vanished.

The Bloodsword, in a departure from its usual silence, emitted a deafening howl, a sonic boom that ripped through the heavens. It hurtled across leagues of starlit space, aimed at the emerging figure within the dissolving vortex. The sheer cacophony was designed to unsettle, to force a retreat.

But Zi Xia stood firm. The moment her form solidified, she sensed the overwhelming malice hurtling towards her. The deafening roar pounded in her ears, and her eyes locked onto the onrushing Bloodsword. Her expression hardened, a storm of cold fury brewing within.

“So, he hides here!” Immobile, she raised her hand, and a swirling violet mist erupted. It coalesced into a majestic purple phoenix, its screech a challenge as it soared to meet the Bloodsword.

The collision was cataclysmic. The phoenix shattered in a flash of violet light, but the Bloodsword faltered. The fading vortex behind Zi Xia surged to life once more. She knew Wang Lin had used the Li Guang Bow several times, but she could not be sure if he had used all of its energy. Holding tight to those thoughts, Zi Xia raised her right hand, a jade slip appearing in her grasp. She prepared to leave, to send word and summon others.

She knew of Wang Lin’s ability to freeze time, and her first action before breaking the jade slip, was to retreat. The vortex promised an escape to another fragment of this shattered world, and it offered resistance against Wang Lin’s abilities.

This woman was cunning, and she was reluctant to take risks.

But just as she was about to crush the jade slip, Wang Lin materialized in the distance, his voice echoing across the stars.

“Truly, you are the Seven-Colored Immortal’s most cherished Seventh Consort…” The statement was abrupt, but Zi Xia understood.

Before this, Wang Lin had seen her stand unmoving. Her strange behavior suggested that not only did she know about the three-hundred fragmented realms, but that she also understood the changing rules of this one.

As long as she did not take a step, the rules would not affect her. The moment she moved, she would be enveloped by the rules of the realm.

Wang Lin, of course, understood this.

Zi Xia knew this, more than the other consorts did. She had moved to over a dozen realms, not taking a step after entering, and then calling others to come.

“You seek to depart? I will not hinder you!” Wang Lin glanced at the jade slip in Zi Xia’s hand, then turned his back and walked away, though a storm of dark plans were forming in his mind. A disciple from the Seven Paths Sect had tried to light a strange incense, and now Zi Xia had produced the jade slip. It was clear that those who came here did so after making some kind of agreement.

Things just got a lot more complicated.

“Zi Xia is too cautious. If she chooses to leave, her power would make it impossible for me to trap her. It remains to be seen if the message would even reach the Seven-Colored Immortal or that old ghost Zhan, but her past words suggest she is loyal to the Seven-Colored Immortal, and is connected to the Four Great Generals. She might even send the message to them!”

“Even if it did reach the Seven-Colored Immortal or that old ghost Zhan, it would not matter. We were likely to meet here anyway, and I have prepared for it. But Zi Xia’s caution means that if I cannot kill her now, it will be all the more difficult later. As for the Li Guang Bow, now is not the time to use it.” Wang Lin felt a shift in his heart. His retreating back seemed hurried, but he quickly hid it.

He raised his right hand and swung it behind him. Without a sound, the Bloodsword raced to his side and disappeared into the void.

Seeing Wang Lin disappear, Zi Xia hesitated once more, still holding onto the jade slip, unsure if she should send the message.

“Wang Lin has the Li Guang Bow, but even though he saw my messaging jade, he did not use it. Instead, he left. And in a hurry! Could it be that he was injured in a prior fight?”

“Furthermore, he only attacked with a flying sword. He did not show himself. Most importantly, the sound of that sword was too loud, showing force, but with little power. Like he wanted to scare me away!”

“Could it be that he is weak, unable to use the Li Guang Bow? Does my departure fall into his plans? If I were to send a message, and my guess were true, the Four Great Generals would come and take the Third Soul! I would not let that happen!”

“But he is cunning and cruel. Is he truly injured? Or is he pretending?” Zi Xia’s expression twisted. Wang Lin was disappearing, and he seemed to have revealed a brief, quickly-hidden look of worry, as if his injuries were causing his body to react on its own.

“If he is injured, now is my chance! If I could kill him, and take the Third Soul, it would be a great accomplishment for the Seven-Colored Immortal or that old ghost Zhan. I would be safe in the Immortal Astral Continent.” Zi Xia grit her teeth. She was about to abandon her departure and chase him, when she hesitated. She lifted her right hand and swung it forward. Purple mists gathered, and a purple flying sword appeared out of thin air. With a hum, it flew toward Wang Lin.

“I’ll test him! If he is too obvious, I will know that he is tricking me!” Zi Xia’s eyes flashed as she watched him.

The purple flying sword was fast, and it rushed towards Wang Lin. In a breath, it was less than a hundred feet behind him. Wang Lin quickly turned. His eyes were cold, and he lifted his right hand, pointing with his index finger. At the last moment, as the sword came close, he touched the tip.

At that moment, Wang Lin considered everything. He decided against showing that he was injured. Instead, he let out a roar, and his power erupted. All of the Origins surrounded him, except for the seventh, the Restriction Origin. This massive burst of power traveled to his finger, creating a deafening noise.

The sword shook, before collapsing, turning into mist. Wang Lin’s body swayed, but he did not take a single step. He stared at Zi Xia, his eyes filled with killing intent.

He had his six Origins swirling around him, making him appear strong. He watched her, then sneered before turning to leave.

Inside the vortex, Zi Xia’s eyes sparkled.

“He’s injured! And badly! If not, he would have pretended to be weaker to lure me out!”

“But he did not. Instead, he showed all of his power! He clearly wanted to hide the truth. Only those who are injured, who are worried about being found out, would do this!”

Especially when she saw Wang Lin creating a vortex around himself, as if he was trying to leave! She was now sure!

“I am not wrong! Wang Lin, you cannot escape! You are said to be cunning, but this time, you have shown yourself!” Zi Xia put away the jade slip. No more messages. Her eyes flashed with greed. She was afraid of being too slow. Without a thought, she stepped from the vortex!

As she stepped out, the vortex disappeared. She had given up on leaving!

The instant she stepped out, her body plummeted! She was caught off-guard!

“Not good!”

At that moment, Wang Lin turned around. His eyes flashed with killing intent. His body shot back, and blood light erupted into a rainbow that flew towards Zi Xia!

Everything happened in an instant, giving Zi Xia, who had just left the vortex, no chance to react. She didn’t even have time to take out the jade slip, as the Bloodsword approached her brow!

In her eyes, she only saw Wang Lin!

A spurt of blood sprayed from Zi Xia’s chest, staining her violet dress. It looked black, not red! And within the torn clothes, the bare flesh was a sight that could move the hearts of men!