Within the Luo Hou dominion, at the very instant Wang Lin devoured and assimilated the great, ill-omened soul of Luo Hou, drawing it into his own fused spirit, Ke Tu, prince of the celestial court, shuddered within the grand hall, coughing forth a mouthful of blood.

As that crimson spatter erupted, an unseen seal within his very being shattered, its ancient restraints broken.

A strange light ignited in Prince Ke Tu’s eyes, as he felt a dormant power awaken within him, surging through his veins, compelling him to close his eyes.

Outside the hall, beneath the heavens, Wang Lin, the Avatar of Slaughter, slowly withdrew his gaze from the primal mountain of the Ancient Imperial City, his eyes pools of cold indifference, utterly devoid of mercy.

Beside him stood the Avatar of Five Elements, swirling with iridescent hues. Though bearing the same visage, these two beings radiated entirely different energies.

The Avatar of Five Elements, the embodiment of Wang Lin’s cultivated life, emanated a gentle power, the undeniable presence of a mighty soul.

The Avatar of Slaughter, the manifestation of Wang Lin’s bloody past, exuded a chilling coldness, an inhuman ruthlessness that instilled fear in the hearts of any who dared approach.

“Avatars, return!” After ten chimes resounded, a calm voice echoed from within the hall’s hidden chamber, reverberating through the world. The Avatar of Five Elements bowed its head towards the chamber entrance, then dissolved into a rainbow streak, plunging into the earth, vanishing in an instant.

The Avatar of Slaughter followed without hesitation. Its ebony hair danced in the wind, its black robes billowed around it as it moved toward the earth, fading into wisps of darkness, slowly dissolving.

In the chamber within the palace, Wang Lin sat in meditative posture, the Avatars of Five Elements and Slaughter standing calmly before him. He regarded them with profound solemnity in his eyes.

“A century of cultivation has birthed this Avatar of Slaughter… now, we shall see if its fusion with my true self will elevate my cultivation beyond the pinnacle of Void Tribulation, and allow me to scale another step!”

Wang Lin inhaled deeply, drawing his gaze from the Avatars, fixing upon the Soul of the Immortal Emperor, suspended in the air above him. It shimmered with a golden light, but the encroaching decay had been arrested, solidified into a sphere no larger than a babe’s fist, trapped within the Immortal Emperor’s spirit, impossible to utterly eradicate.

“My cultivation differs entirely from others. Beyond Void Tribulation’s peak, titles like Celestial Venerate or Sky-Piercing Venerate are but honorifics; ultimately, they still fall within the Void Tribulation’s boundaries.

“Each of my cultivational attainments are measured through realms, not titles…” Wang Lin’s eyes glowed with anticipation. He yearned to know what form his advancement would take beyond the peak of Void Tribulation.

“Grand Celestial Venerate…? Or perhaps…” Wang Lin murmured, his eyes blazing with an almost crazed intensity.

“Or perhaps… the Fourth Step!! But does such a step truly exist in this world…? Were the Immortal Ancestor, the Ancient Ancestor, perhaps beings of the Fourth Step…?” Wang Lin, his eyes glittering, suppressed the tide of expectation within him. Raising his right hand, he pointed to the Avatar of Five Elements. Instantly, the Avatar stepped forward, merging with Wang Lin’s body, seamlessly melding as one, their essences indistinguishable.

The instant the Avatar of Five Elements fused, Wang Lin’s white hair stirred without a breath of wind. The power within him surged forth, instantaneously reaching the peak of Void Tribulation. A century of secluded cultivation had left him refreshed, the energy within him vast and untamed, poised at its zenith.

Gazing upon the sable-haired Avatar of Slaughter, Wang Lin steeled his resolve, his eyes burning with fierce determination. Lifting his right hand, he pointed to the Avatar of Slaughter, which abruptly lifted its head, fixing its emotionless gaze upon Wang Lin, and stepped forward.

In the blink of an eye, the Avatar of Slaughter stood before Wang Lin. Its pace did not waver as its form melded with Wang Lin’s seated figure, merging fully and utterly, becoming one with his being.

As the fusion progressed, Wang Lin’s eyes began to cloud with confusion. Simultaneously, the power within him exploded forth, increasing at an unimaginable rate, unleashing celestial transformations. Wang Lin’s cultivation seemed to shatter some invisible barrier, hurtling toward an extraordinary realm beyond the reach of Void Tribulation.

In this torrent of change, his cultivation swiftly surpassed the so-called Celestial Venerate, and climbed beyond even the Sky-Piercing Venerate.

Still, the surge continued, showing no signs of abating. The bewilderment in Wang Lin’s eyes deepened, teetering on the edge of madness, adrift in a surreal sensation.

As his cultivation relentlessly soared, passing the Sky-Piercing Venerate level, it crashed against another boundary, the very threshold of the Grand Celestial Venerate!!

How long it continued, no one could say. The Avatar of Slaughter’s fusion with Wang Lin’s true self was nearly complete, only a sliver of separation remained. At the instant of final fusion, a silvery radiance ignited in Wang Lin’s eyes, those orbs now filled with uncomprehending bewilderment.

Finally, a thunderous roar reverberated through his mind, and Wang Lin felt his spirit tear free from its earthly shackles, as if leaving behind a mortal husk. It transcended the constraints of flesh and bone, piercing through the chamber walls, soaring into the heavens.

The sky was not azure blue, void of sun, moon and stars; as if at this moment of time, only Wang Lin’s soul exists in this endless world. He gazed upon the earth, but it was concealed by a shroud of white mist, impenetrable to his gaze.

He turned his gaze upward to the sky above, which was woven with countless strands, so fine, yet so patterned. Each line possesses a distinct principle and law.

“This is… Heaven…?” Wang Lin murmured in confusion. He could not see the sky, only these delicate lines. Even as he focused all his will to see beyond, he saw even more threads, an infinite and boundless tapestry.

Filled with wonder, Wang Lin sought to fly upwards, driven by an intuition that, if he could but step beyond this unending skein of lines, he would take that vital step beyond the pinnacle of Void Tribulation!
This step was not merely a journey, but a leap of the soul, a metamorphosis akin to the butterfly bursting forth from its chrysalis! The sensation resonated within him, a profound echo buried deep within the very core of his spirit.

A long silence held him captive. Then, with a suddenness that startled the very air, Wang Lin raised his head. Though a sliver of doubt remained in his eyes, it was overshadowed by a fierce resolve. Without hesitation, he charged towards the infinite lines that stretched before him!

His speed defied comprehension, blurring the world into a chaotic streak. Yet, he pressed onward, plunging into the sea of swirling lines, allowing them to writhe and coil around him, undeterred in his advance.

Time lost all meaning. Finally, in the distance, amidst the endless sea of lines, he saw it: a bridge!

Or rather, *nine* bridges!

And beyond them, arcing across the heavens like a celestial ribbon, lay yet another, a bridge of pure rainbow light. Behind it, more followed, a chain of shimmering arcs stretching into the distant, ancient horizon. A primordial aura emanated from them, hinting at an age beyond reckoning, as if they had sprung into existence at the very dawn of creation.

Beyond the ninth, and most distant, bridge lay a shimmering veil, a mirage that hinted at another realm entirely. Within its depths, he thought he glimpsed figures moving, but upon closer inspection, the image dissolved into a blurry, indistinct haze.

“The Bridges of Heavens’ Ascent!” Wang Lin whispered, his voice barely audible above the ethereal hum. He saw, beneath the first bridge, a colossal stone tablet, upon which four massive characters were carved. The script was alien, unlike anything he had ever encountered, yet the moment his gaze fell upon them, their meaning bloomed in his mind as if planted there by ancient magic.

Beneath the four characters, a smaller inscription caught his eye. He approached, his heart pounding, and read the words etched into the stone.

“Path of Heavens’ Ascent, Void Annihilation’s Way, Soul of Immortality, Adoration of All Beings!”

A wave of disorientation washed over Wang Lin. He had heard whispers, in times long past, that if a Fourth Step truly existed, it would be known as the Heavens’ Ascent!

He stood at the foot of the first bridge for what felt like an eternity, the daze slowly receding from his eyes, replaced by a burning intensity. After a prolonged silence, he lifted his chin and stepped forward, towards the bridge.

Each footfall echoed in the silent expanse. Though the bridge appeared close, it took hours to reach its base. When at last he stood beneath it, the true nature of the first bridge became clear.

It was ethereal, devoid of substance. Visible to the eye, yet impervious to the touch, a phantasm woven from pure energy. An ancient power pulsed from it, far beyond the skill of any mortal to create.

“The Staff of Heavens’ Ascent…” Wang Lin murmured, reaching out a hand to touch the bridge. His fingers passed straight through, unhindered. He stared in disbelief, drawing his hand back for closer inspection.

Tiny particles of light, shimmering and alive, danced around his hand. Each particle pulsed with vibrant energy, before detaching itself and floating back to the bridge, rejoining the ethereal structure.

He closed his eyes, standing motionless for what felt like half an incense stick’s burning. Then, with a snap, his eyes flew open, and he stepped forward, onto the first Bridge of Heavens’ Ascent!

The moment his foot touched the bridge, Wang Lin felt a surge of power, as if his very soul was undergoing a transformation. Cosmic laws, once abstract and unknowable, were now clear and understandable. He was flooded with knowledge beyond his comprehension. He stood stock-still, awestruck by the transformation within him.

After an age, Wang Lin exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on the bridge with newfound respect.

He took another step, then another, and another, until he stood at the end of the first bridge. The secrets of the universe, the celestial order, were now etched into his very essence, forever unerasable.

He looked toward the ninth bridge, and the distant, shimmering veil. The illusory landscape behind it was now slightly clearer. He could almost make out a vibrant land teeming with life, but the figures within remained indistinct, shrouded in the mists of the unknown.

Silent and resolute, Wang Lin stepped off the bridge and towards the second. A profound certainty resonated within him: if he could cross these nine bridges, and pierce the veil to see what lay beyond, he would break through the boundaries of the Third Step, and enter the legendary realm of the Heavens’ Ascent!
(To be continued…)