“Perchance this act wrongs Azurefrost, and grieves Azurewood,” Wang Lin murmured, a sigh escaping his lips. “I should not have done this… yet Zhou Yi’s millennia of devotion… alas, I cannot be flawless.”

Below him, the sea dragon roared its lament as they departed the Duststorm Gate, a place where Wang Lin never imagined he would encounter those he knew.

“Situ, Purestream, Xu Liguo, Liu Jinbiao… so many friends of old. Where do they dwell now? Do they, too, gaze upon this same sky?” Seated atop the dragon’s head, Wang Lin lifted his gaze to the heavens, a touch of melancholy in his eyes.

“Does Situ live the life of the royal he so desired? Where does Purestream Brother cultivate now? Sly Xu Liguo, does fortune still favor him? And Liu Jinbiao, lost in his Dao of Deceit, does he yet unravel its mysteries?”

“And… Li Qianmei.” On this vast continent of Immortal Gloom, the sight of reincarnated souls stirred within Wang Lin a sea of memories, the faces of those bygone days flickering before him.

The sea dragon, guided by Wang Lin’s divine sense, sped towards another mighty sect of this realm: the Mengtu Sect.

This sect, named for the province of Mengtu, rivaled even the Duststorm Gate in power.

With Wang Lin’s Celestial Venerate cultivation and the sea dragon’s golden-scaled might, their arrival at Mengtu Sect was met with utmost reverence. The sect’s patriarch, trembling with a mixture of awe and fear, presented Wang Lin with a map jade slip, eager to please.

Within the Mengtu Sect, Wang Lin cast his divine sense, a faint hope lingering that he might find another familiar face from his past.

But his search bore no fruit.

With a sigh and a silent blessing for Zhou Yi and Azurefrost, Wang Lin departed Mengtu province upon his dragon, setting course for Celestial Province, a part of the Eastern Domain.

Celestial Venerates were rare indeed within the Eastern Domain, but a few did exist. In Celestial Province, the Celestial Gate stood as one of the Nine Sects and Thirteen Clans. This sect harbored a Celestial Venerate ancestor, a prodigy said to be of the same generation as Luo Yunhai.

Yet, his cultivation had stagnated within the Celestial Venerate realm. Once a follower of the Twin Celestial Sovereigns, he had departed for reasons unknown and returned to his Celestial Gate, where he had remained secluded for tens of thousands of years.

The Celestial Gate was the mightiest power within Celestial Province, its dominion unrivaled.

Unlike other sects, it was not confined to a single mountain. Instead, nineteen branch sects controlled every resource within the province.

At that moment, a colossal sea dragon tore through the skies above Celestial Province, Wang Lin upon its head, his expression serene as he surveyed the lands below.

The province was named for the ethereal clouds that drifted near the ground, a phenomenon caused by some ancient and arcane shift in the heavens.

Myriad mountains dotted the land, but one towered above all others. Known as Celestial Peak, its summit was perpetually shrouded in mist, the peak hidden from view.

On this day, the sea dragon emerged from a ripple in space near Celestial Peak, circling the mountain. The dragon, whose aura rivaled that of a Golden Exalt, unleashed its might, shaking the very foundations of the land.

Wang Lin, clad in white, stood against the backdrop of swirling clouds, stepped forth, walking on nothing but air towards the mountain’s peak.

At the summit, amidst the snow-laden heights, Wang Lin stood, hands clasped behind his back, his white hair whipped by the wind. The sea dragon landed behind him, its great head raised, its eyes scanning the surroundings.

“I am Wang Lin. I request an audience with the Celestial Gate Ancestor upon Celestial Peak!” Wang Lin declared, his divine sense erupting in a thunderous roar, spreading outwards from his position and transforming into palpable peals of thunder that soon enveloped half of Celestial Province.

Within the Celestial Gate’s branch sects, and among the vassal clans, every cultivator felt the earth tremble as the voice of Wang Lin resounded in their souls.

Even the clouds of Celestial Province seemed to break apart, scattering outwards as Wang Lin’s power cleaved through the heavens, creating a clearing tens of thousands of miles wide.

At the main Celestial Gate, nestled within a range of mountains, an earth-shattering aura erupted as Wang Lin’s words reached them. A white-haired elder, clad in roughspun robes, stepped from the gate, the very air seeming to tremble in his presence. His eyes shone with an inner light as he gazed towards Celestial Peak. With a flick of his sleeve, the elder vanished.

He reappeared on Celestial Peak, his form solidifying as he ignored the colossal sea dragon and focused his gaze upon Wang Lin.

A thousand feet separated them, but the elder’s eyes blazed with authority as they met Wang Lin’s gaze, where golden light flickered.

Though no sound was uttered, a maelstrom raged in Wang Lin’s mind as the elder’s gaze, like a million needles, sought to pierce him.

Wang Lin stood firm, the golden light in his eyes intensifying.

The white-haired elder staggered, sensing within Wang Lin’s gaze a golden sword, filled with an immeasurable power and edged with a piercing chill, tinged with the weight of heaven’s judgement.

As this force entered his soul, he felt the golden sword pierce his being.
“Venerable Daoist, to what do I owe the honor of this summons?” the white-haired elder inquired, his gaze, previously fixed on some distant point, now heavy with consideration as it settled upon Wang Lin.

“I am but newly ascended to the ranks of Celestials,” Wang Lin replied, his tone courteous as he offered a respectful bow. “I seek only guidance from a fellow Daoist, with no further intent.” He bore no ill will towards Tianmen.

A smile immediately blossomed on the elder’s face, and a palpable aura of martial spirit flickered in his eyes. True Celestial combat to the death was a rare occurrence, yet friendly sparring was not unheard of. However, the scarcity of Celestials within the entire Immortal Clan meant that opportunities for such engagements were seldom passed up.

Indeed, such a clash could prove mutually beneficial.

“Good!” The white-haired elder took a decisive step forward. Raising his right hand, he unleashed a mighty flourish of his sleeve towards Wang Lin atop the celestial peak. In response, the entirety of the mountain’s pristine snow erupted in a synchronized tremor, rising as one to form a tempestuous blizzard. This swirling maelstrom of ice, laden with the power of nine arcane techniques, hurtled toward Wang Lin from every direction, promising to engulf him entirely.

Wang Lin responded with a booming laugh, mirroring the elder’s action. With a surge of power, he thrust a fist forward. This single strike, too, carried the weight of nine arcane techniques – nine iterations of Wang Lin’s signature Spirit Devouring Seal.

A cataclysmic roar reverberated through the heavens and the earth. The blizzard faltered and fractured, its remnants scattering to blanket the surroundings, obscuring all within.

The echoes of the tumultuous exchange persisted long afterward, intermingling with Wang Lin’s triumphant laughter, shaking the very foundations of the realm.

Hours later, through the settling snowflakes, Wang Lin was forced to retreat, staggering back thousands of feet. He slammed his right foot into the earth, anchoring himself against the force of the impact.

“Daoist’s cultivation is extraordinary. This battle has enlightened me greatly. My thanks!”

Simultaneously, the white-haired elder was hurled back an equal distance in the opposite direction, only regaining his footing after a considerable struggle.

“To integrate nine arcane techniques into every strike so soon after attaining Celestial status, and at such a young age, earns my sincere admiration!”

The two Celestials, separated by the vast expanse, exchanged respectful bows, smiles gracing their faces.

“Again?”

“Again!”

With a shared impulse, they surged forward, the renewed clash unleashing a torrent of thunderous energy. Even the Sea Dragon, a creature of immense power, felt a tremor of fear and retreated further, its reptilian eyes blinking nervously as it observed the two formidable figures veiled by the swirling snow.

The battle raged for seven days, during which Wang Lin and the white-haired elder engaged in twenty-three separate encounters. After each series of exchanges, they would disengage, seeking respite in meditation to recover their energies, contemplate the lessons learned, and engage in amicable discussion.

This form of Celestial combat, free from malice, proved to be an invaluable opportunity for mutual cultivation and growth.

“Daoist Wang, I sense you hold something back. This battle is exhilarating, and our strengths are closely matched. Why not cast aside all restraint and fight with unrestrained power? What say you!” the white-haired elder suggested, his voice carrying from across the distance.

“Agreed!” Wang Lin replied, rising to his feet. With a swift motion, he manifested his Five Elements True Body.

With the presence of even a single elemental avatar, Wang Lin’s combat prowess swelled immeasurably, allowing him to contend against those Celestial cultivators who had mastered the fusion of eighteen arcane techniques.

“A True Body of Origin! And not a mere elemental manifestation, but a True Body forged from the convergence of multiple Origins!” The elder’s eyes widened in astonishment as he beheld Wang Lin’s creation.

Without further hesitation, both combatants unleashed their full potential. The white-haired elder revealed the power of a Celestial who had woven seventeen arcane techniques into his very being.

The thunderous dance of power consumed the next three days in the blink of an eye. At the conclusion of this final, intense exchange, Wang Lin let out a resounding laugh. He leaped onto the back of the Sea Dragon and vanished into the distance.

“Daoist Murong, my thanks!!”

As snowflakes continued to fall, the white-haired elder emerged from the battleground. Gazing at the receding figure of Wang Lin, his expression grew thoughtful.

“He still holds back… With his cultivation, I wonder how many trials of the Celestial Tribulation Zone he could overcome.” Only when Wang Lin had completely disappeared did the elder turn, departing with a wave of his hand.

“The Immortal Clan has gained another Celestial cultivator. I must inform the Grand Celestial of this.” The ten-day battle had provided him with profound insights.