In ages past, dwelled the three ancient tribes, the lifeblood of the Dao-Ancient lineage. In the southwest reaches of the Immortal Continent lay the twelve Dao-Ancient prefectures, vast lands rivaling an entire Immortal province, perhaps even surpassing it in scale.

Such a boundless domain would require years to traverse by flight alone, were it not for the sacred art of Spatial Condensation. Yet, within the Ancient clans, lived unique beings – the Great-Ancient Gods, Great-Ancient Demons, and Great-Ancient Fiends, half-formed entities whose very existence allowed them to tear rifts in the heavens, greatly shortening the journey’s duration.

Thus, the Dao-Ancient envoy returning from the land of the Prime-Ancient needed but a few months to reach the Dao-Ancient Imperial City.

A marvel of celestial architecture, the Dao-Ancient Imperial City floated serenely in the heavens. From afar, this sky-borne metropolis inspired awe, its mere presence radiating a profound sense of dominance.

Encircling the city were countless fragments of stone, varying in size, orbiting the central stronghold in slow, concentric patterns.

One month after the Dao-Ancient envoy’s return, Wang Lin, guided by the map of Wang Jian, traversed the vast expanse of the Prime-Ancient lands and arrived at this wondrous sight.

He gazed upon the floating city for a long, silent time.

While lacking the sheer immensity of the Immortal Ancestral City, it was undeniably magnificent. At its very heart stood a colossal statue, a male figure with his gaze fixed upon the heavens, his expression one of utter disdain, a feeling Wang Lin could perceive even from afar.

“…Ancient Ancestor,” Wang Lin murmured softly.

A complex array of protective enchantments, crafted from the swirling stones, shielded the city from intrusion. Entry required a jade token of identity; without one, no one could set foot within.

Here resided the pinnacle of Dao-Ancient power, the Dao-Ancient Emperor himself!

To the city’s eastern reaches lay the Imperial Palace, a sprawling complex of opulent halls, heavily guarded, intricately warded, and bathed in a faint, regal purple aura that instilled a sense of oppression in all who beheld it.

Within Wang Lin’s sight, the purple mist surrounding the eastern palace subtly coalesced into a colossal, vague figure, seemingly supporting the very heavens. Its features were obscured, save for a crown that marked it as royalty.

From this entity emanated a pure, unadulterated aura of the Ancient clans.

Though smaller than the Immortal Ancestral City and its imperial palace, the Dao-Ancient City’s defenses exuded an oppressive aura far surpassing that of the Immortal Imperial Palace!

Innumerable guards patrolled the grounds, and even the palace servants possessed formidable cultivation.

Wang Lin stood motionless for a long while, then slowly lowered his gaze. He took a step forward, not in haste, yet his form dissolved into a wisp of smoke, slipping into the city suspended in the heavens.

The intricate defenses, insurmountable to ordinary beings and a source of frustration even for the mighty, requiring them to adhere to the city’s rules and present their identity tokens, were of no consequence to Wang Lin.

To the Dao-Ancient people, only nine beings in all creation could disregard the city’s defenses: the Nine Suns of the Immortal Astral!

Only these beings could stride effortlessly into any of the three Ancient clan’s imperial cities.

But now, there was another. The layered enchantments proved unable to contain Wang Lin, his ethereal form slipping through, allowing him to calmly emerge upon the streets of the Dao-Ancient Imperial City.

The city teemed with Dao-Ancient inhabitants, a vibrant and bustling hub of activity.

Wang Lin stood there, observing the countless men and women of the Ancient clans, yet the sense of belonging he’d felt upon first arriving in their lands was now curiously absent.

“…Master must know of my arrival,” Wang Lin thought. Without needing to extend his spiritual sense, he could feel a towering mountain within the city’s southern reaches, shrouded in mist and exuding an aura of Great Celestial Sovereignty.

He sensed a gentle warmth emanating from that aura. With a faint smile, Wang Lin turned and began to walk southward.

In the city’s southern district stood the mountain, winding stairs with balustrades leading upward, as if to a scenic vista.

A refreshing, green essence permeated the air. Taking a deep breath revitalized the spirit.

Many Ancient clansmen, their faces etched with reverence, ascended the steps, their destination the great hall atop the mountain, a place known to every Dao-Ancient.

This was the Dao-Ancient Hall, residence of Xuan Luo, the sole Great Celestial Sovereign of the Dao-Ancient lineage!

The Dao-Ancient Hall was open to every member of the clan, allowing them to seek breakthroughs in their cultivation. Yet, few were granted an audience with Xuan Luo himself; instead, guidance was provided by the nine Dao-Ancient warriors who served as his disciples.

One of these nine was always present within the Hall, guiding and mentoring the clansmen.

Outside the Hall stood an enormous incense burner, large enough to require ten men to encircle it. Filled with white ash, it held ten massive burning incense sticks, their smoke rising towards the heavens.

Every clansman who approached the incense burner, seeking answers and guidance from within the Dao-Ancient Hall, would kneel before it. Strangely, the more people who knelt, the denser the smoke became, and the nine incense sticks never seemed to diminish, remaining lit for countless ages.

Wang Lin walked along the stone steps, observing the mountain and the billowing smoke. He slowly ascended, and upon reaching the summit, he saw the incense burner. Several Dao-Ancient clansmen had just risen from their knees, their expressions reverent, and proceeded towards the Dao-Ancient Hall.

As they finished their prayers, the incense sticks within the burner seemed to release a bit more smoke, though it was a subtle change, easily missed.

Wang Lin stared at the incense burner for a moment, then walked towards it and bowed deeply, clasping his hands together.

His bow was not for the burner, nor for the incense within, but for his Master, Xuan Luo.
Having chosen to walk the path of the Dao Ancient lineage, having pledged himself to his master’s reincarnation, and vowing to fulfill the oaths of old, Wang Lin, in his heart, yearned to take root within the Dao Ancient clan. He had wandered for millennia, a time immeasurable, and now, desired nothing more than a life of tranquility in this place.

To guard the Dao Ancient, to protect the reincarnation of his master.

And so, embracing the customs of this land, Wang Lin bowed before the incense burner. In this single gesture, he laid bare his deepest resolve. The moment his hands clasped in supplication, the incense burner erupted in a deafening roar. The nine sticks of burning incense blazed with unnatural speed, their crimson tips consumed in an instant. A torrent of verdant smoke billowed forth, swelling tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, even ten thousandfold!

This sudden cataclysm halted the steps of those who had just finished their own devotions and now walked toward the Dao Ancient Hall. They turned, faces etched with astonishment.

Even the Dao Ancient clansmen who ascended the stone steps behind Wang Lin froze, their expressions mirroring disbelief.

The incense burner throbbed, belching forth an ever-growing cloud of smoke that darkened the heavens. The sheer density of the smoke dwarfed all that had come before, a comparison akin to the moon against a firefly.

The jade smoke soared skyward with unimaginable force, visible to all who dwelt on the mountain, to those in the city below, and indeed, to all within the southern expanse of the Sky City, and beyond.

This colossal plume, resembling the mountain itself erupting in flames, ascended towards the celestial realm, forming a mushroom-shaped cloud at the edge of the heavens, spreading its influence in all directions.

Even within the Imperial Palace of the East, this spectacle was witnessed with startling clarity.

Outside the Dao Ancient Hall, every Dao Ancient clan member present stood rooted in place, their eyes wide with awe, a sentiment echoed throughout the Sky City by all who beheld this extraordinary sight.

Yet, even now, Wang Lin’s bow was but half-complete.

Within the heart of the Dao Ancient Imperial Palace, a figure adorned in royal robes and a jeweled crown stood upon the highest tower, his hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed as he observed the verdant smoke that stained the horizon.

“Your Majesty, the selection of consorts has yielded thirty-one maidens. They have been arranged to undergo the rites…” An aged man, his demeanor steeped in reverence, spoke softly from behind the royal figure.

But before he could finish, the man was struck dumb by the sudden appearance of the billowing smoke, his words dying in his throat.

“That the incense burner before the Dao Ancient Hall should unleash such smoke…Investigate. Discover who this individual is…” The emperor spoke, his brow furrowed, but even as the words left his lips, he stiffened, his eyes widening with impossible light.

The aged man behind him gasped, stumbling backward. What he beheld now eclipsed all that had come before, filling him with a primal fear.

For the smoke in the sky, as if in a gesture of submission, now bent in a colossal arc, as if unable to bear the weight of Wang Lin’s devotion. It seemed on the verge of dissolution, as if it would break under the pressure.

This spectacle was earth-shattering. Throughout the Dao Ancient Imperial City, cries of astonishment erupted.

It exceeded the bounds of imagination. Never had they conceived that the smoke of the Dao Ancient Hall’s incense burner could be forced to bow, to break, before any mortal. This was not mere worship; it was the smoke itself offering homage!

Before the Dao Ancient Hall, Wang Lin halted his bow. He understood that the smoke, amplified a thousandfold, could not withstand his full devotion. To continue would surely lead to its destruction.

“Wang Xiao… do not bow… come to the Hidden Peak…” A familiar voice, soft and gentle, tinged with an ancient kindness, echoed within Wang Lin’s mind.

Wang Lin straightened. The smoke slowly ceased its bending, returning to its natural state. As Wang Lin walked past the incense burner, the towering plume of verdant smoke returned to its former glory.