As the Celestial-Gang Continent underwent its twilight dance of black and white, upon the hallowed grounds of the Immortal Clan, within the Ancestral City of Emperor Mountain, the Everlasting Emperor Great Celestial Venerate stirred from his secluded meditation. His form shimmered as he ascended into the heavens, his gaze piercing the distant horizon, a flicker of change gracing his divine features.

“Indeed, the aura of an Ancient God…” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. “This opening… it originates from the Ancient Clan… and the timing… hastened beyond measure. The Ancient God Realm should not awaken so early… this matter…”

A voice, soft yet resonant with power, echoed beside him. “This shall be the first complete unveiling of the Ancient God Realm, unlike any before.” It was the Sea Maiden, garbed in flowing white, her eyes reflecting the distant spectacle with a complex tapestry of emotions.

“I cannot divine the entirety of its secrets, only fragments. My calculations foretold that the true opening lay centuries hence,” the Everlasting Emperor confessed, his gaze unwavering.

“A complete unveiling!” A spark of unconcealed fervor ignited within the Everlasting Emperor’s eyes.

“Should it be fully revealed, perhaps within its depths lies a path to transcend even Great Celestial Venerates, to stand as equals to the Immortal Ancestor himself!”

Meanwhile, within the hallowed halls of the Dao-One Sect, a pall of dread hung heavy, a consequence of the countless inexplicable deaths that plagued its ranks. The Dao-One Great Celestial Venerate had retreated into an unyielding seclusion, leaving the once-vibrant sect a ghost of its former self.

But now, a primal scream tore through the oppressive silence. A reverberating boom shattered the tranquility as a mountain peak crumbled, revealing a figure wreathed in shadowy ash, its face contorted in a furious grimace, its gaze locked upon the distant heavens.

“The Ancient God Realm! Within its depths may lie the means to purge this cursed sorcery and ascend to even greater heights!”

In the Violet Sun Sect, the two cherished young maidens, immersed in their secluded meditation, were bathed in the ethereal light emanating from the Immortal Ancestor’s eye, which bound their destinies together.

Simultaneously, their eyes snapped open, their gazes fixed upon a singular direction, as if piercing through the concealing walls to behold the distant world.

And in the frozen wastes, where the first signs of the Ancient God Realm’s emergence were detected, Wu Feng stood upon a glacier, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Concurrently, in the hidden depths beneath the Immortal Clan’s Ancestral City, within the layers of folded space, a mountain stood, its form frozen in stillness – the madman’s final form.

Beyond the Immortal Clan, the awakening of the Ancient God Realm rippled across the Ancient Clan lands. The Supreme Ancient Great Celestial Venerate, the Primeval Ancient Great Celestial Venerate, all felt the tremors, their awareness drawn to the unfolding events.

Even Xuan Luo, long attuned to the subtle disturbances, watched the wasteland where Wang Lin had ventured, his gaze drawn to the abnormal heavens. And from the depths of the Ancient Dao Imperial Palace, the Holy Emperor Ancestor re-emerged, standing beside Xuan Luo, his face etched with awe as he gazed at the sky.

“The Ancient God Realm awakens… prematurely!”

A silent understanding passed between them, their thoughts unspoken.

In the heart of the Ancient Clan lands, where the three bloodlines converged, a figure shrouded in mist stood within the towering spire of Mount Ancient Dao, gazing at the sky, a sigh escaping their lips.

“At long last… it is being fully opened. From the day I learned of all that is, I knew I was powerless to change fate…” The figure shook their head, a rare flicker of complexity and sorrow in their eyes.

“Centuries hence… the Great Tribulation…”

“All beings must weather the Great Tribulation… to sever the obsession with leaving the abyss… and embark on the decreed path of cultivation…” the figure whispered.

As the sky of the Celestial-Gang Continent completed its eighth cycle of darkness and light, the final swirling vortex above the ruined wasteland vanished. In the vast ocean, eight colossal pillars stood, impervious to the raging waves.

Within the circle formed by these eight pillars, the sea transformed into swirling mist, while outside the circle, the water remained unchanged.

Beneath the ruined wasteland, within the array, the figure resembling both Heaven Trampler and the Dao Ancient Grand Tutor of Seven Colors, his face etched with profound concern, chanted an arcane incantation, his hands moving in a blur of complex seals.

The chant was a cacophony of voices, a chorus of whispers that defied comprehension. Yet, as the sound reached Wang Lin’s ears, a barely perceptible glint flickered in his eyes.

“Imprison the path of Heaven, all beings must weather the Great Tribulation, sever the obsession with leaving the deep prison, all beings shall also, before the immeasurable, unravel the current era, break free from the celestial decree, and seize the next life’s… embark on the decreed path of cultivation!” The Dao Ancient Grand Tutor’s words cut through the murmuring cacophony.

The moment these words were uttered, the array surrounding the Dao Ancient Grand Tutor erupted in a blinding light, revealing countless ethereal nets woven throughout the surrounding space!

These were the Inter-Realm Nets, the barriers Wang Lin had shattered with such effort to reach this place. But now, as the array pulsed with celestial energy, these nets began to fracture, cracks appearing in their shimmering surfaces.

Through some unknown means, the Dao Ancient Grand Tutor was forcing the array to break free from its confined space and manifest upon the Celestial-Gang Continent!

Previously, the array within the ruined wasteland existed only as a phantom projection. Wang Lin’s intrusion had demanded the full extent of his cultivation and power. Now, the array was being physically transplanted from its ethereal state into the tangible realm. With it came Wang Lin’s Slaughter Incarnation!

Now, the Incarnation stood within the same space as Wang Lin’s true form, the barrier between them shattered.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of understanding in his gaze.

The instant the array materialized upon the earth, the Dao Ancient Grand Tutor roared, unleashing a torrent of iridescent light that soared into the heavens, forming a ninth pillar, a beacon of power that dwarfed all others!

As the light surged, Wang Lin’s Slaughter Incarnation retreated, merging once more with his true form. With a swift movement, Wang Lin stepped beyond the radiant aura, his senses overwhelmed by the raw, unfathomable power contained within the celestial pillar.
The Ninth Pillar Ascends!

“Open the Ancient God Realm!” The ancient royal tutor’s roar echoed from within the Ninth Pillar as it surged skyward, transforming into a resplendent rainbow that pierced the celestial sea connecting to the Immortal Continent.

Upon that vast ocean, where eight towering pillars stood in a perfect circle, the rainbow descended. As it touched down, the Ninth Pillar materialized above the circle, causing the very heavens to tremble and the clouds to churn in turmoil. Ripples spread across the firmament, reaching every corner of the Immortal Continent.

The ocean roiled as the Ninth Pillar slowly descended toward the circle’s center. In the instant of its arrival, a cataclysmic event unfolded, shaking the souls of all who perceived it.

The boundless sea, in a deafening roar that reverberated across the land, began to rise! It was as if a colossal hand, imbued with unfathomable power, was reaching from the heavens to grasp the ocean, lifting the immeasurable waters into the sky.

This feat was beyond the capabilities of even a Great Celestial Sovereign, perhaps even the Ancient Dao Sovereign himself.

As the sea ascended, a vast, concave abyss was revealed beneath. Countless leagues of silt, riddled with depressions and overgrown with decaying kelp, formed the long-hidden seabed.

The ocean continued to rise, soon surpassing the lands of the Immortal and Ancient clans. Its unfathomable depth, like its vast expanse, defied mortal reckoning. As it towered over the earth, the line between the water and the sky blurred into a dizzying, awe-inspiring spectacle.

Then, in a single, breathtaking moment, the boundless sea rotated halfway, standing on its edge! The depth of the ocean became its width, and its width became its depth. The transformation was a miracle to behold, a feat that challenged the very laws of existence.

The nine celestial pillars now stood at the heart of this vertical ocean.

The uplifted sea formed a titanic wall between the Ancient and Immortal clans, its summit lost in the clouds. Looking up, one could not see the end, a phenomenon that blurred the distinction between reality and illusion. Was the Immortal Continent rotating beneath a static sea, or was the sea itself defying gravity? The mind struggled to grasp the reversed cosmos.

This vertical ocean began to spin, slowly at first, then gathering momentum, until it became a roaring vortex of water connecting heaven and earth. Within this aquatic maelstrom, the nine pillars shimmered, forming the frame of a gigantic, imposing gate.

A gate that remained firmly shut.

“Alas, your carnage is insufficient… Otherwise, the gate could open at once. But as it stands, it requires five centuries of cultivation to gather the power to open. Wang Lin, in five centuries, we shall meet again within the Ancient God Realm! At that time, you shall know the full truth!” The royal tutor’s image faded amidst the crumbling ruins of the Ancient Dao royal city.

“Eastern Serenity Sect, was it you who destroyed it?” Wang Lin asked, watching the fading figure.

But there was no answer. Only laughter echoed as the royal tutor vanished. The site remained a desolate ruin.

Wang Lin stood in silence for a long time, then turned and soared into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

He had no further reason to remain within the lineage of the Ancient Dao. But there was one person, a mentor he honored with a depth that defied even death, a master he held in his heart.

A teacher unspoken, yet deeply enshrined.

He had indeed secured first place; would he be able to stand firm for a few more days?