Before the oaken coffin, veiled in the dim light of the chamber, stood Wang Lin. He gazed upon Li Muwan, her lashes fluttering like the wings of a captured butterfly, and a single, crystalline tear escaping her eye. With a tenderness that belied the iron in his soul, he reached out a hand, his fingers gently tracing the curve of her cheek to capture the errant pearl. It clung there, suspended, as clear and perfect as a newly formed crystal.

He brought the tear to his lips, a silent vow etched upon his face. The taste was bitter, acrid with sorrow, yet as it touched his heart, a faint sweetness bloomed in its wake. An indescribable flavor, a blend of despair and devotion. He remained there, lost in the contemplation of her serene features, the passage of time unnoticed, eternity distilled in a single, heartbroken gaze.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, until a strange calm settled over Wang Lin’s spirit. He closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his lips, and when he reopened them, a newfound resolve burned within their depths.

He knelt, his face brushing against the cool pallor of Li Muwan’s lips. He whispered words meant for her ears alone, secrets carried on the breath of his soul.

A moment later, with a flick of his silken sleeve, the oaken coffin dissolved into a shower of shimmering light, vanishing as if it had never been. Only Wang Lin remained, seated in the desolate chamber.

A single oil lamp cast an eerie glow, its flame dancing with ancient magic, untouched by the ravages of time. Its light painted Wang Lin’s form in shadows, a lone sentinel guarding the echoes of his grief.

He reached out with his left hand, his fingers closing on empty air. A flash of gold erupted, revealing the captive soul of the Immortal Emperor, its eyes closed in slumber. Though bathed in celestial light, a creeping grayness tainted its essence.

Hesitation flickered across Wang Lin’s face, but determination hardened his resolve. With a guttural cry, he expelled a wisp of emerald fire, the very essence of his own soul. It enveloped the Immortal Emperor’s soul, consuming it in a maelstrom of ethereal flames.

“Whether this soul can be bent to my will depends on whether I can purge the ancient curse that binds it. The process will be slow, agonizingly so…”

He watched the soul writhe in his spectral fire for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze. He closed his eyes, his breathing slowing to a barely perceptible rhythm. He remained motionless, a statue carved from grief and hope.

The seasons turned, and three years slipped away like grains of sand through an hourglass.

No one dared disturb Wang Lin in his solitude. He remained locked within the secret chamber, lost in his meditation. His inner energy and ancient bloodline flowed in perfect harmony, though the merging of his Immortal-Ancient power, born on the slopes of the Gu Dao Mountain, remained incomplete. Only a fraction of its potential had been unlocked.

The Immortal Emperor’s soul, tormented by the emerald fire, changed little, but the creeping grayness slowed its advance.

The outside world held no allure for Wang Lin. Sentinels stood guard outside the secret chamber, ensuring his undisturbed slumber.

Throughout those years, Crown Prince Jidu remained, steadfast in his devotion. He dedicated himself to his duties in the Anxing Palace, occasionally hosting clandestine meetings, the departing figures radiating excitement and reverence.

Each morning, regardless of the demands upon his time, Crown Prince Jidu visited the chamber, gazing upon its sealed entrance with a fervent light in his eyes, spending half an hour in silent vigil before departing.

Then, on a day three years hence, the chamber grew still, and the slumbering Wang Lin stirred. His eyes snapped open, unleashing twin bolts of pure light that momentarily pierced the gloom.

A shimmering, spectral form emerged from his seated figure, the manifestation of his Five Elements True Body. It stepped across the chamber and settled into a meditative posture.

The Five Elements True Body, born from the perfected mastery of the five fundamental forces, stood as a testament to his profound understanding. Their unity within the True Body amplified their power, bordering upon the divine.

It was a near-perfect attainment. Only by ascending further, transforming the Five Elements True Body into a true god, could he hope to surpass it.

The Five Elements True Body closed its eyes, joining the original Wang Lin in silent communion. Another three years passed, silent and unseen.

It was now the sixth year of Wang Lin’s seclusion. Again, a spectral figure shimmered into existence, this time shrouded in an aura of bloodshed and death. The avatar of Killing Thunder separated from Wang Lin’s core, its long black hair billowing about its impassive face as it settled into its own meditative pose in another corner of the chamber.

The sight within the secret chamber was surreal. Three identical Wang Lins, each locked in contemplation, formed a silent trinity.

The Immortal Emperor’s soul, scorched by six years of the emerald fire, was slowing in its corruption. Perhaps one day, when the creeping grayness was halted, Wang Lin could finally claim it for his own.

Time marched on, leaving no trace upon the still figure within the chamber. It was the ninth year of Wang Lin’s retreat when his original body began to waver and distort once more. This time, however, the emerging form was incomplete, a hazy orb of light halting a mere arm’s length behind him.

Wang Lin opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the three aspects of his being. In these nine years, he had pushed his cultivation and ancient bloodline to their current zenith. Furthermore, each of these elemental incarnations had attained the pinnacle of their respective potential.

He now possessed the confidence to face the Dao Yi Grand Empyrean in his prime, with the skill and power to hold his own. In fact, he sensed he could even overcome Dao Yi.

“Among the Grand Empyreans, the Immortal Dao Yi is the weakest. With my current power, I might not surpass Jiudi, but I can approach Wu Feng… Even Song Tian of the Primeval Ancient lineage, whose power is on par with my master, Xuan Luo, is now a match that I could confront, though the victor would be uncertain.”

“And that is without even considering my most powerful manifestation…” Wang Lin’s face remained impassive, his eyes filled with calculation. After a long moment, he turned his gaze upon the Immortal Emperor’s soul, still locked in the heart of his emerald flame.

“Burning it with my soul fire is proving effective, but the process is agonizingly slow. I wonder when it will finally be complete.” He observed the captive soul for a long moment before averting his gaze.
The Five Elements True Body was a path untrod for now. When completed within the ancient Dao Imperial City, it had elevated his cultivation to the very zenith of the Emptiness Tribulant stage. His past conjectures, it seemed, had been proven true.

“If I am to ascend further, it lies within the Slaughtering Lightning True Body…” Wang Lin’s gaze fell upon that form, his pupils shimmering with an arcane light. “Its perfection demands… what my esteemed Master procured for me, traversing numerous lands of the Ancient Clan, gathering sufficient *Qi*.”

A sigh escaped his lips as he turned from the Slaughtering Lightning True Body, his gaze sweeping towards the direction of the Dao Ancient lineage. He seemed to pierce the chamber walls, envisioning the aged figure upon the Dao Ancient Palace’s secluded mountain in the Dao Imperial City.

At length, Wang Lin withdrew his vision. This seclusion was undertaken with the resolute intent to remain until his cultivation blossomed. He must possess the strength not only to overcome the Grand Celestial Venerate Song Tian, but also to navigate the Ancient Clan without fear of the Ancient Dao’s power. Only then could he ensure Song Tian would choose Ji Du as the Imperial Lord, granting him entry into the Ancestral Temple.

And most crucially, within the Tai Ancient God Realm, he must possess the power to unravel the mysteries and the hidden purpose of the Dao Ancient Imperial Preceptor.

“The Ancient Dao Grand Celestial Venerate’s demeanor is… perplexing.” He had not sought him out regarding the matters of the Dao Ancient lineage, but only his own strength could serve as the key to all. He could not entrust his very existence to the whims of another. Wang Lin’s eyes burned with purpose as he regarded his Slaughtering Lightning True Body.

His path of cultivation diverged sharply from others. It was a road he himself had carved, a path only he could navigate, step by painstaking step, to see what heights he might attain.

“This Slaughtering Lightning True Body, born of a singular essence, already possesses a perfected Lightning source. But the remaining four are merely at the Great Completion stage: Slaughter, Obliteration, Primordial, and Restriction…”

Muttering to himself, Wang Lin abruptly raised his right hand, pointing towards the Slaughtering Lightning True Body. At his touch, the form shuddered, slowly dividing before his very eyes.

Crackling arcs of violet lightning danced around the separating body, splitting it into four distinct wisps. As one of these wisps materialized, an icy chill permeated the chamber, suffused with an insane thirst for bloodshed that coiled around every corner. This was the essence of Slaughter.

Another wisp shimmered with a myriad of cryptic runes, swelling with ever-increasing symbols as it pulsed – the essence of Restriction.

The two remaining wisps radiated, one with blinding light, the other with an utter void. These were Primordial and Obliteration, respectively.

“When these four essences are forged into perfected True Bodies, and then united, my Slaughtering Lightning True Body will reach completion, propelling my cultivation beyond the zenith of Emptiness Tribulant! This next stride may lead to Celestial Venerate, or perhaps a Transcendent Celestial Venerate. Or perhaps… neither. It may be a step into an uncharted realm…” Perhaps, the Grand Celestial Venerate! Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. He understood that the so-called Celestial Venerate and Transcendent Celestial Venerate were merely divisions created by those at the peak of Emptiness Tribulant, as the path to Grand Celestial Venerate was fraught with insurmountable obstacles. In truth, whether Celestial Venerate or Transcendent Celestial Venerate, they remained, at their core, Emptiness Tribulant cultivators.

Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened, and after a moment of consideration, he raised his right hand, sweeping it across the chamber’s ceiling. As he did, a strange transformation occurred. The ceiling twisted and reformed into a sky-like expanse. Azure skies, billowing white clouds, a boundless, sunlit vista, yet lacking the sun itself.

Without hesitation, Wang Lin seized the Primordial essence and flung it towards the sky-like ceiling. The essence soared, merging with the illusory firmament, erupting in a dazzling light, as if becoming the sun!

Wang Lin tilted his head, observing the ceiling-turned-sky. Before his very eyes, the illusion began to shift, mirroring the ebb and flow of the heavens. As if a full day had passed, the Primordial essence, now the sun, faded into a setting sun, gradually disappearing.