“The Crimson Seal of Oblivion… a forbidden art passed down by the Ancient Dao Grand Celestial to the royal lineage of the Dao-Ancient Three Veins. Only a sovereign of their line may wield it, and but once in their lifetime. Those marked by this seal, save for Grand Celestials themselves, forfeit all dominion over their fate, becoming mere puppets in the sealer’s grasp!”

Xuan Luo, his face ashen, spoke with measured dread. “Only the Ancient Dao Grand Celestial can unravel its binding.”

Wang Lin remained silent, his heart a battlefield.

“Ye Dao,” Xuan Luo intoned, his voice carrying the weight of his ancient oath. “As guardian of the Dao-Ancient lineage, I command you to lift the restrictive wards. Allow Wang Lin to reclaim this woman! I shall beseech the Grand Celestial himself to undo this dark magic!”

The aged emperor, adorned in regal robes, furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed upon the Dao-Ancient Sovereign. “Son, for a mere woman, is this worth the risk? She is but a fragment of this warrior’s wife. Why hold her captive? Return her. Such strength choosing to remain within our Dao-Ancient lands is a boon. Your actions risk embittering him.”

“Embitter him? Let him be bitter! You are old, Father, and your concerns weigh upon me unduly. This is a matter for my royal house. Have you, as guardian, forgotten the ancient pact made with the Grand Celestial? Furthermore, this man stormed the palace, showing disrespect to the Imperial Majesty! Indeed, I would sooner see Xuan Luo slay him as an example to others!” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign spoke with icy disdain, dismissing Xuan Luo’s words outright.

He presumed safety in the knowledge that none dared spill his royal blood, especially not this Wang Lin!

Xuan Luo laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound, his eyes glittering with icy fire. This Dao-Ancient Sovereign was of his own choosing, yet he now spoke such insolence. As he was about to retort, Wang Lin, breaking his silence, uttered a single, devastating question.

“Would you grant my wish, were I to kneel before you?”

“Ah, the arrogant one, so eager to spill my blood! The one who refused to kneel before your Emperor! What has changed, insect? You, a worm from the realm of the Tears, dare stand before the Son of Heaven! Kneel, craven! Beg for mercy! Perhaps, in a moment of supreme amusement, I shall cast this woman aside as a trifling gift.” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s smile was a chilling mask.

“I, Wang Lin, would continue to safeguard the Dao-Ancient lineage, until my life’s end… I would kneel, and I would stay my hand… I desire only the remnants of my wife’s soul… Return her to me… I implore you…” Wang Lin’s voice was a ragged whisper, filled with the accumulated sorrow of millennia.

“Grant her to you? That depends on my mood, worm. Perhaps after I have indulged myself with this woman for a few thousand years, and your devotion is proven, I may consider your request.” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s laughter echoed with cruel triumph.

Wang Lin shuddered, his eyes squeezed shut. The murderous intent within him surged, threatening to overwhelm him. He could sense the bonds that held him, the blood curses woven into his very soul. With time, he could sever them.

But he held back, restrained by Xuan Luo’s counsel… by the knowledge that slaying the Dao-Ancient Sovereign would never be permitted. Xuan Luo guarded the Dao-Ancient lineage, and the lineage revered the Imperial Throne above all else.

“I… I can offer other treasures, to purchase the fragments of my wife’s soul…” Wang Lin opened his eyes, his murderous rage forced back into the depths, but his eyes burned with crimson lines.

“Oh? Pray tell, what wonders do you possess to offer?” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s voice dripped with mocking amusement.

Wang Lin gazed upon Song Zhi, standing near the Dao-Ancient Sovereign. He raised his hand, and in a blinding flash, a soul materialized within his grasp. Its eyes were sealed shut, yet a celestial golden light radiated from it, albeit tainted and flickering, and the soul itself appeared wracked with eternal agony.

“The soul of a Celestial Clan Emperor… Is this sufficient?” Wang Lin’s gaze was unwavering, fixed upon the Dao-Ancient Sovereign.

The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s mirth vanished, replaced by a look of disbelief. He stared at the soul, his eyes wide with incredulity.

“A Celestial Emperor! This… this cannot be! How… how did you acquire such a thing?!” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign gasped, his face paling. It was not just him, but the entire audience of Dao-Ancient, whose hushed whispers filled the hall. They all knew the visage of the Celestial Emperors.

Even the aged emperor, the Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s father, trembled violently.

Xuan Luo himself was stunned, his face drained of color.

“Insufficient! The soul of a mere Celestial Emperor is not enough!” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s heart hammered in his chest, his gaze now filled with a profound dread. He could not fathom how Wang Lin possessed the soul of such a being, one of the Nine Grand Celestials!

Wang Lin remained silent, his left hand rising. With a single gesture, the black and white Taiji of the Grand Celestial appeared behind him, and within it, a monstrous object was revealed. It was a head. A colossal, decaying head, its ears severed, its eyes gouged out!

As the head materialized, an overwhelming aura of celestial power washed over the hall, and golden light erupted like a second sun, radiating outwards.

“Add this to the bargain! Is it now enough?” Wang Lin’s voice was hoarse, his eyes burning with a desperate, fiery light.

“This is…” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign stammered, peering at the ghastly head. It seemed vaguely familiar, yet he could not place it. “…This… this is the head of the Ancestor of the Celestials! This… this is truly the Celestial Ancestor’s head!” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign’s father cried, a voice hoarse with disbelieving reverence. He shot out of the palace.

“What?! The Ancestor of the Celestials!” The Dao-Ancient Sovereign exclaimed.

Xuan Luo gasped, staring at the head, his mind reeling.

Their reactions were mirrored across the three veins of the Dao-Ancient race. The appearance of this head surpassed the mere soul of a Celestial Emperor.
“The Ancestor of the Celestials!”
“The Ancestral Immortal… slain! But what of the Ancient Grandfather? Does he yet remain…?”

“By the ancient stars! Wang Lin possesses the very head of an Ancestral Immortal!” The news reverberated through the Imperial Palace like a thunderclap, destined to shake the entire Ancient Clan. From afar, members of the other two bloodlines trembled with fervent emotion, their eyes fixated on the severed head, a mixture of disbelief and avarice twisting their faces.

“With these two relics, will you ransom the soul of my wife?” Wang Lin’s voice was raspy, barely a whisper as he addressed the petrified Daogu Emperor.

“Enough! Enough!” The Emperor’s father, an aged figure clad in resplendent robes, spun around, his voice choked with eagerness as he turned his gaze upon his son.

“Ye Dao, with these meager offerings, the time of the Daogu line’s ascendance has arrived! The Soul of an Immortal Emperor will bring us acclaim, the head of an Immortal will bring subjugation! The Daogu line will finally unite all the Ancient Clans! Release the woman at once!” The old man’s voice trembled with fervent anticipation.

The Daogu Emperor hesitated, a conflict raging within him.

“Release the enchantment now! What are you waiting for?” The robed elder roared, his patience frayed.

“Not enough! Not with such a grave offense. These two prizes… if this man dies, they shall still belong to the Daogu line!” A murderous glint flashed in the Daogu Emperor’s eyes.

“You…” The robed elder began to protest, but his words died in his throat. He abruptly turned, his gaze locking onto Wang Lin, his eyes flickering with newfound calculation.

“You have gone too far!” Xuan Luo’s voice boomed from the heavens, shaking the very foundations of the palace. The minds of all present reeled, many spitting blood, their faces etched with terror and disbelief.

Even the Daogu Emperor paled, a mouthful of crimson erupting from his lips. His face contorted in fury as he glared at Xuan Luo.

“Xuan Luo, you dare harm me? Do you not fear the wrath of Grand Heavenly Venerate Gu Dao?!”

“Ye Dao, release the confines of the enchantment. Take the Immortal head and Immortal Emperor’s Soul, and I shall pretend this never occurred. Refuse, and I swear, I will bear the wrath of Grand Heavenly Venerate Gu Dao to extinguish your life!” Xuan Luo’s heart ached. He looked upon Wang Lin’s pleading eyes, his pallid face, and compassion burned within him.

He understood. Wang Lin did this for him, this disciple unwilling to see his master burdened by sorrow and disappointment, enduring such humiliation.

With such a disciple, Xuan Luo was filled with pride. His disciple would go to such lengths for him, and Xuan Luo, despite his countless millennia of existence, would repay the gesture by slaying this Emperor, becoming the first Grand Heavenly Venerate in all of the Ancient Clan’s history to commit such an act.

The consequences weighed heavily on him, but to stand idly by as his disciple suffered such indignity was a burden he could no longer bear.

“You dare kill me? Xuan Luo, you are the Daogu line’s Grand Heavenly Venerate! To kill me is to invite your own death at the hands of Grand Heavenly Venerate Gu Dao, to betray the thousands of years you have sworn to protect. What of the Daogu line? You dare spill my blood?!” The Daogu Emperor screamed, his face twisted with rage. “You are a traitor to the Daogu line! A traitor to the entire Ancient Clan! You will be cursed for eternity!”

Xuan Luo staggered, his eyes closing as he shielded the sorrow and confusion within.

“I have protected the Daogu line without fail… But this… this is my only disciple… I brought him here from the Realm of Tears. He possessed unparalleled status amongst the Immortals, yet he sought me out… I have only this one disciple!!!” Xuan Luo’s eyes snapped open, filled with an unyielding resolve.

“Master…” As Xuan Luo reached his decision, Wang Lin spoke softly. He gazed upon Xuan Luo, a faint smile gracing his lips – the first since learning of Wan’er’s fragmented soul.

But that smile pierced Xuan Luo’s heart. It was not a smile at all, but a silent lament.

“Master, your life has been spent guarding the Daogu line… This disciple… I am not worth such a sacrifice…” Wang Lin slowly knelt upon the ground, offering Xuan Luo a deep, respectful bow.

He had once vowed never to bow to the heavens, nor to the earth, only to honor his parents and the Old Vermin… Now, another name could be added to the list of those worthy of his reverence.

“You…” Xuan Luo’s eyes welled with sorrow.