“Should this array be shattered, you shall remain forever ignorant of the mysteries of the cave realm, the Immortal-Astral Continent, and all truths of this heaven and earth, unless you once more bathe in a sea of endless slaughter!” The Ancient Dao Guardian roared, his face contorted with fury. “You shall forever witness Li Muwan’s spirit crumble, cast back into the cycle of reincarnation, forever unable to have her by your side!”

The black-haired avatar of slaughter, his eyes gleaming, stayed his descending hand. Dark energy writhed around it, a spectacle both terrible and fascinating.

“You possess ancestral blood, blood with the power to create entire clans! Yet, even should a drop of that blood be fully infused within Li Muwan’s being, it shall not grant her safe passage into the Ancient God Realm.

“The Ancient God Realm is the highest, holiest place on this Immortal-Astral Continent, not meant for the tread of ordinary cultivators. To enter, one must possess either unfathomable cultivation or a body of unparalleled might.

“Especially now, with the Realm’s gates fully opened, unlike anything seen before! If you wish to bring Li Muwan, her body must become indestructible. Only then may she enter, embrace the power of reincarnation, and wrest her true self from the cycle, achieving immortality!” Tian Yunzi cried, spitting forth two more mouthfuls of blood.

The crimson mist passed through the array, becoming two wisps of black energy, each composed of countless souls slain by Wang Lin. With mournful screams, they shot towards the heavens, joining the four dark vortices above, seemingly arranging themselves into a circle.

Within those two wisps, new scenes unfolded, not of the Immortal lands, but of the Ancient tribes!

In the most ancient reaches of the Ancient clans, stretched a boundless sea of black, the infamous Sea of Death. Its waters radiated the stench of decay, once a place of training for the Ancient clans, where the crushing pressure honed body and spirit.

But now, monstrous waves surged across its surface, roaring and receding. The sea floor sank, and gigantic pillars rose towards the sky, vanishing into the firmament, draining half the Sea of Death.

As the first pillar faded, another erupted from the border between the Dao and Prime Ancient clans. Waves of energy rippled through the sky, attracting the attention of all who witnessed the spectacle. Most could only guess at its meaning, but a select few knew what was coming!

“All the answers you seek lie within the Ancient God Realm. Once you arrive, all will be revealed!” The Ancient Dao Guardian wiped blood from his lips.

The black-haired avatar of slaughter fixed his gaze upon the Guardian. “The space you occupy is distinct from that of this array…”

Even as he spoke, the avatar pointed a finger towards the Guardian. A torrent of dark energy rushed forth, engulfing the old man. Yet, the energy passed through him as if he were a mere reflection, leaving him unharmed. The Ancient Dao Guardian’s eyes narrowed, his gaze filled with renewed dread.

“I still do not believe your words!” Wang Lin, his true form seated outside the array, observed the scene within, his expression contemplative. His avatar of slaughter spoke, seemingly unmoved by the Guardian’s revelations.

“Do you possess a strand of white hair, and a skull the size of a fist?” the Ancient Dao Guardian spat out.

The avatar’s eyes flashed with cold light, while Wang Lin’s true form abruptly looked up.

“So, you have obtained them!” The Ancient Dao Guardian’s spirit lifted. “Enter the Ancient God Realm. Use the hair as a guide, the skull as a light, and you shall find the truth! Destroy this array, and while my plans may fail, you will remain forever ignorant, and one day, you will regret this decision!”

The day’s events had defied his expectations. He had believed Wang Lin incapable of entering the array’s space, but now, the man possessed the power to break through. Especially against the avatar of slaughter, the old Guardian felt a primal fear, a terror that shook his very soul.

“This should not be! What went wrong?” the Guardian raged inwardly, but outwardly remained composed. With the array’s fate hanging by a thread, he was compelled to reveal long-held secrets.

“Intriguing,” the avatar said. “I may yet spare this array, but first, tell me why my true form’s slaughtered souls are required to activate it!”

The Ancient Dao Guardian hesitated, but as Wang Lin raised his hand, dark energy swirling, threatening to destroy the array, he relented.

“It is because the Ancient God Realm…” The Guardian started, but suddenly he trembled, a pained cry escaping his lips as his form began to dissipate.

“This… This is the law of the realms! It cannot be spoken! If I utter these words, I shall be destroyed!” The Ancient Dao Guardian’s face turned ashen.

“Oh? Then speak no further on that. Tell me instead, who are you?” The avatar stepped forward, his voice a chilling whisper.

“I am Seven-Colored, I am Tian Yunzi, and I am the Ancient Dao Guardian! And even beyond…” The old man began, but once more his body convulsed, wracked with pain.

“I cannot speak! Wang Lin, this array is vital to me, but equally so to you! If you persist in its destruction, I shall no longer stand in your way!” The Ancient Dao Guardian declared, his features twisted.

He had erred by underestimating Wang Lin’s ability to breach the barrier with his avatar. The initiative had been snatched from his grasp.

The avatar of slaughter remained silent. Wang Lin, still seated outside the array, wore a complex expression. After a long while, he sighed. Based on the Guardian’s reaction, a bizarre theory began to form, one so outlandish that he could scarcely believe it himself.

But this involved Li Muwan. He knew that the Guardian spoke the truth: ancestral blood could awaken her, but could not transcend reincarnation. To truly save her, perhaps the Ancient God Realm was the only path.

He closed his eyes. As he did, the avatar of slaughter within the array retracted his hand, and the swirling darkness ceased its outward flow.

“Continue the array’s activation!” the avatar commanded.

The Ancient Dao Guardian showed no surprise, but instead cast a knowing look towards Wang Lin. He spat forth two more mouthfuls of blood, transforming them into wisps of black energy, composed of countless souls. These ascended, completing the circle with the previous six vortices.

Simultaneously, two more pillars of light rose from other locations in the Ancient lands, shaking the ground before vanishing into the heavens.

In the firmament, the nine dark vortices began to spin, faster and faster, until one erupted with black light that spread out in all directions, enveloping the entire sky in darkness!

Not just in that place, but across the entire Ancient lands, even over the boundless sea and the seventy-two provinces of the Immortal lands, all were plunged into darkness!

The entire Immortal-Astral Continent was shrouded in night!

After nine breaths, the darkness receded. Wang Lin saw that one vortex had vanished from the sky. At the same time, a strange sensation filled his mind, a faint impression of a massive pillar rising from the boundless sea between the Ancient and Immortal lands, a place few could ever cross.

Suddenly, another vortex erupted with the same black light.

Again, darkness descended, and after nine breaths, only seven vortices remained. But in the boundless sea, a second pillar had risen!

With each alternation of black and white, the Immortal-Astral Continent trembled. The sea raged, the waves crashing with thunderous force.

Wang Lin could sense the events unfolding on the sea. He witnessed the scene, his heart pounding. This phenomenon, one affecting the entire continent, could only be the legendary Ancient God Realm, the place that could elevate a cultivator to the level of a Great Venerate!

“The Ancient God Realm…” Wang Lin murmured. He had heard tales of it before, but this was the first time he had witnessed its awakening.

The sky turned black a fifth time. When light returned, only three vortices remained!

Tian Yunzi, within the array, was overcome with excitement. He had waited long for this day. He too could see the changes occurring in the sea, and his eyes shone with longing and madness.