From the heart of encroaching darkness, a solitary sun blazed forth, radiating a power primordial, a force capable of rending the night itself. Within this incandescent might pulsed a whisper of an essence indescribable, an aura uniquely belonging to Wang Lin, for it was he who had conceived the术.

Yet even as its creator, Wang Lin could not fully grasp the nature of this essence. He merely sensed it was the cornerstone of his ‘Remnant Night’ art, the wellspring of the primal force, or perhaps… a manifestation of his own unwavering conviction!

A conviction to tear through the darkness, to shatter the shackles of mediocrity, an unyielding defiance against fate itself!

If the night was to be seen as layers of bondage crushing him, if the night symbolized the heavens’ casual disregard for mortal life, if the night was a mountain range descended upon Wang Lin…

Then this power to cleave the darkness was the embodiment of true rebellion and resistance!

Only a soul imbued with such defiance could conjure such a wonder. Only a spirit clinging to an unbreakable desire could birth such power.

Wang Lin had not initially understood, but now, beholding the essence within the ‘Remnant Night’ sun, a glimmer of comprehension sparked within him. He understood why he, and he alone, could have forged this art!

It was his undying love for Li Muwan, his refusal to relinquish her. For her sake, he would tear apart the darkness shrouding her world! For her sake, he would ensure the night could never again blind his sight!

This… was ‘Remnant Night’!

It was the art Wang Lin forged for Li Muwan, a testament to his devotion. Though its creation, from inception to its present form, held no direct connection to her, within Wang Lin’s heart, his Daoist heart, his very being, his relentless pursuit… all were expressed within this first art he had brought into existence.

In the essence within the incandescent sun, he glimpsed his beloved Wan’er.

Battling man, beast, the earth, the heavens, the star-strewn void, all of creation, the Xian Clan… all of it was born from that suffocating night. Wang Lin’s life had become a singular quest!

To tear through the layers of darkness obscuring his vision, to seek the light that lay beyond the unending night!

This… was ‘Remnant Night’!

Previously, Wang Lin’s understanding had been clouded, his perception veiled. But now, aided by the Soul Armor, empowered by his current cultivation, wielding the ‘Remnant Night’ art, he began to see with greater clarity.

It was his first, and only, original creation, an art truly imbued with Wang Lin’s own conviction, intertwined with the enduring soul of his lifelong obsession, a miracle transcending mere Daoist arts!

This art had become one with his body, his life, his very belief. Wang Lin knew not what to call such power, but others, like Zhang Daozong, knew!

The moment the world was engulfed by the sea and the solitary sun burst forth from the distant darkness, the gazes of Zhang Daozong and the others were instantly drawn to the lone beacon in the gloom.

Upon seeing the sun, upon glimpsing the indescribable essence swirling within, Zhang Daozong’s face contorted in a sudden, violent shift. He trembled, his eyes widening in disbelief. The sun’s emergence, the presence of that strange aura within, struck his mind like a million claps of thunder!

“This… this essence is…” Zhang Daozong’s face turned ashen, utterly devoid of color, his expression one of abject horror.

Even the Elder Zhao stood transfixed, staring blankly at the faint, yet stubbornly persistent essence within the sun, an essence newborn like the sun itself. He seemed to have forgotten how to breathe, his eyes filled with overwhelming fear and shock, a shock that dwarfed the notion of the entire Tianniu Continent’s cultivators perishing in a single night.

“This is impossible… it cannot be… has he perhaps… been reborn…?”

Besides the two, the other two female cultivators of the initial Sky Tribulation stage only felt a flicker of dread, but were not as shaken as Zhang Daozong and the Elder Zhao. They could not comprehend what this essence represented.

They might be ignorant, but the four Green Devil Envoys, upon witnessing the sun, underwent a collective transformation. Their faces grew pallid and contorted, revealing fear and overwhelming dread.

“This is Faith Art… exceeding all arts – spells, supernatural powers, Daoist arts, everything. Only a Grand Empyrean can wield it!”

“There can be no mistake, this is Faith Art!! The conviction within the sun has exceeded a certain threshold, transforming into the most potent of all supernatural powers, far more elusive than Daoist arts!”

“Faith Art, only the nine Grand Empyreans can master it. It is said Faith Art has no lineage, cannot be passed down. Every Faith Art is self-created by the Grand Empyrean!!”

“Who is this man?! How could he possibly wield Faith Art? Though the conviction is still nascent, it is undeniably there!!”

Faith Art, beyond Daoist arts, its power beyond description. This form of art demanded conviction, but not the kind that fueled elemental origins or willpower. It had to be forged from personal experiences and obsessions, the ultimate evolution of one’s intent!

Willpower and conviction were disparate, separated by a gulf as vast as the heavens and earth. Only when willpower reached a sufficient magnitude could it transform into conviction! An obsession, a relentless, unwavering belief!

This conviction was not the incense of worship, but an unwavering belief in oneself, a devotion to one’s actions, a firm assurance of one’s ability to accomplish one’s goals.

Intent, Origin, Conviction!

Intent, when taken to its ultimate limit, gave birth to a corresponding origin, and that origin, at its peak, could materialize into an origin form. If this form was infused with Willpower, it could evolve into a True God!

The reason it was named True God was because the Willpower had replaced everything else. But even then, it was still incredibly difficult to transform again, to reach true perfection. That perfection, was the birth of conviction!

Spells, Daoist arts, Faith Arts!

These three differing forms of art corresponded to the two transitions of intent. Spells corresponded to Intent, Daoist arts to Origin, and Faith Arts to Conviction!
Only nine Celestial Sovereigns, since time immemorial, have ascended to this ultimate stratum! The rest remain below, gazing upwards in awe.

“Remnant Night,” a spell forged by Wang Lin himself, held within it the essence of his life – a lifetime spent tearing through the darkness.

A Celestial Sovereign’s power to materialize spells stems from an unshakeable conviction, a will capable of conjuring something from nothing.

This creation from emptiness is the cornerstone of a Celestial Sovereign’s abilities, the root of all their divine powers.

Wang Lin stood within the earth, eyes closed, yet he perceived all that transpired outside. He existed, or so it seemed, within the radiant sun, embodying its very essence. He saw below, within the tumultuous seas, the throng engulfed, their expressions etched with dread.

“I believe you are part of this darkness…”

“I believe you are obstacles barring my path…”

“I believe that when the sun ascends, you will vanish alongside the night…”

“I believe that beyond this darkness lies the light I have sought for millennia…”

“I believe that light exists, it *must* exist… I believe!”

“My hair is no longer black. The darkness gifted me this sable mane, but it heralds the coming light…”

“My eyes are no longer black. They hold within them fire and thunder, and the forbidden arts that mirror the very laws of existence… The darkness granted me black eyes, but the fire will consume the night, the thunder will illuminate it, the forbidden arts will shatter its constraints. I shall use my eyes to witness the dawn!”

Wang Lin murmured, his voice echoing through the Remnant Night-infused sea and sky, resonating within the hearts of the Green Devil Emissaries, Zhang Daoyan, the Elder Zhao, and the two female nascent souls. His words carried the weight of ancient scriptures, yet they were now imbued with Wang Lin’s unwavering faith!

Wang Lin opened his eyes. In that instant, the sun upon the horizon unleashed a blinding radiance, expanding outwards, charged with Wang Lin’s unwavering conviction – a belief in banishing the shadows and seeking the light!

A belief in defying fate, tearing through the night, and resurrecting Li Muwan! It was the unyielding spirit he held sacred within his very soul.

It was his first Faith-Art!

The encompassing darkness of the sky dissipated in a single, swift breath. The seas themselves vanished in that instant. The two women, their nascent souls mere babes in the Void Tribulation realm, uttered no cries of anguish. Instead, smiles graced their faces, as if touched by Wang Lin’s unwavering faith. In the light that rent the darkness, they found release, discovered their own dawning, and vanished, body and soul, with serene smiles.

Elder Zhao shuddered. His physical form was rent asunder, reduced to blood and sinew, vanishing with the receding night. His nascent soul quaked, struggling against the fading darkness, issuing a guttural roar.

He refused to perish so easily. Though a Grand Venerate in the mid-stage of the Void Tribulation realm, and though a separate fragment of his soul resided within the Green Devil Continent, ensuring his ultimate survival, he still refused to succumb!

But under the power of the Faith-Art, his resistance faltered. A smile crept upon his face. He closed his eyes and faded into nothingness.

Zhang Daoyan, ever so slightly more powerful than Elder Zhao, suffered the collapse of his physical form. His nascent soul emitted a piercing shriek, retreating in panicked haste, spitting forth a jade pendant concealed within his very essence. He clutched it before him, the jade radiating a gentle light, momentarily warding off the encroaching dawn. But the jade shattered.

Despair flooded Zhang Daoyan’s eyes. He had never cultivated a separate soul, relying solely on the breath of immortal essence within him. Now, under the weight of Wang Lin’s Remnant Night Faith-Art, his nascent soul began to dissolve. Yet it did not crumble completely. It coalesced into a searing beam of light, hurtling towards the heavens. In its desperate flight, consciousness slipped away, but the Faith-Art had granted it a sliver of escape.

The shattering of glass echoed as the illusory Green Devil mirrors, conjured around the Green Devil Emissaries, crumbled. The projections of the Green Devil Continent collapsed.

The earth trembled. All was restored. They were once more upon the boundless Extreme Heaven Grasslands. The four Green Devil Emissaries spewed forth blood, staggering backwards. In the moment of their retreat, Wang Lin, clad in black armor, emerged from the earth!

His white hair danced in the wind. An aura of terrifying power clung to him.

Utterly alone… a tragic fate… (To be continued!)