Before Wang Lin stood the Celestial Grand尊宋天, who, with raw power, wrenched the primordial mountain from the very earth. The ground quaked, and a shadowy aura emanated from the mountain’s base.

His face remained serene as he watched with detached eyes.

The mountain ascended, higher and higher, until it floated suspended betwixt heaven and earth, poised above宋天. The Celestial Grand尊宋天, his gaze fixed upon Wang Lin, raised his right hand, as if supporting the massive peak.

“Wang Lin,” he bellowed, “if you can withstand the might of this primordial mountain, I concede this battle!” With a sweeping gesture of his right hand, the colossal mountain hurtled towards Wang Lin.

“This mountain,”宋天 declared, “is named Primordial. It is the genesis of the Ancient clan’s earth, the first sanctuary from which the lineage of始古 sprung. For countless millennia, its size has never diminished. Upon this mountain, I achieved enlightenment and became a Celestial Grand尊. As have all Celestial Grand尊 before me, I have tempered and refined this mountain. Now, in my hands, it possesses the power to quell all chaos!

“Wang Lin, withstand it!”

The heavens roared as the Primordial Mountain hurtled down with terrifying speed, poised to crush Wang Lin. As it descended, Wang Lin observed with stark clarity that the silken threads of celestial law, which governed all creation, were repelled by a strange force. The mountain seemed alien to the very fabric of reality, anathema to the rules of existence.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with understanding. Unmoved, he stood, his robes stirring in the tempestuous air, his white hair dancing about his face. He clenched his right fist and unleashed a devastating blow toward the descending mountain.

His fist, though striking empty air, met the mountain a hundred feet distant. A deafening thunderclap echoed, and the mountain shuddered, its descent momentarily arrested, though it continued to fall.

The spectral projection of Wang Lin’s fist shattered into fragments upon contact, and an overwhelming pressure slammed down upon him, severing the space around him. The very segment of existence where he stood was isolated, cut off from the surrounding realms.

“Intriguing,” Wang Lin murmured, a faint smile playing upon his lips. The suppressive power of the Primordial Mountain bore a striking resemblance to the Ancient Ancestor’s Finger technique, though with a subtle difference. While the Ancient Ancestor’s Finger crushed and collapsed the severed realm to destroy its target, the Primordial Mountain used the isolation to imprison its foe, leaving them helpless beneath its crushing weight.

“No wonder they call them Celestial Grand尊. The Nine Great Celestial Grand尊 of仙罡大陸who preceded me were all mighty warriors, each wielding unique and formidable powers.

“The威of宋天’s Primordial Mountain, with its ability to reject the celestial laws and sever space like the Ancient Ancestor’s Finger, is no mere trifle. Though not his ultimate technique, it is still a force to be reckoned with.” Wang Lin mused as the mountain loomed closer.

With a glint in his eyes, he acknowledged that only the Ancient道caused him any trepidation; all other Grand尊 were insignificant. The Primordial Mountain, though formidable, was merely that.

Wang Lin remained calm. He raised his right hand and extended a single finger toward the descending mountain.

It was the Ancient Ancestor’s Finger technique.

The moment his finger pierced the void, the very heavens and earth shifted. The wind roared, and the isolated space around Wang Lin convulsed. Cracks, visible to the naked eye, snaked across the void, widening and growing more numerous until the very fabric of existence threatened to shatter.

The Primordial Mountain shuddered violently beneath Wang Lin’s attack, halting mere yards from him, trembling but unable to descend further.

Then, with a cataclysmic roar, the severed space shattered and collapsed inward. Wang Lin stepped forth, unfazed, and looked toward 宋天.

“Do you seek to continue this contest?”

宋天’s face bore the mask of bitter resignation. But with a resolute clench of his jaw, he leaped and stood upon the Primordial Mountain, biting his tongue to unleash a spray of blood. The crimson mist was instantly absorbed by the mountain as宋天 sat cross-legged, forming incantations with his hands and uttering a profound spell:

“Primordial Suppression!”

A tremendous rumble reverberated through the mountain as it broke free of its paralysis and resumed its descent toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin shook his head and, with a fluid motion, appeared beneath the mountain before it could descend further. He raised his right hand and pressed it against the mountain.

As his palm made contact, the mountain trembled violently. 宋天 coughed up another mouthful of blood and staggered backward.

At that moment, streaks of light approached from the始古皇城, coalescing into scores of figures. The foremost among them, an elderly man garbed in imperial robes, looked upon Wang Lin with mounting alarm.

Wang Lin ignored the newcomers. As the倒捲宋天 recoiled, he flicked his sleeve, causing the Primordial Mountain to spin and shrink, until it was no larger than a man’s palm, resting in his right hand.

Now reduced in size, the mountain resembled a bull’s head, its severed horns restored.

宋天, his face ashen, stumbled backward once more. Never in the mountain’s endless history had any Celestial Grand尊 of the始古 lineage been able to shrink it so completely.

Yet this Wang Lin, without any refinement, had achieved such control with ease. Bitter resignation flooded 宋天. He sighed, relinquished all resistance, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply to Wang Lin.

“I…concede!” 宋天 announced, turning to face the approaching throng. They stood in stunned silence, their minds reeling from what they had witnessed.

“As guardian of the始古 lineage, and as a Celestial Grand尊, I recognize Prince計都as the皇尊 of my始古 lineage a century from now!” 宋天 continued, his gaze settling upon the robed elder.

The elder, the reigning皇尊 of the始古, hesitated, as if about to protest. But, after casting a glance at Wang Lin, he fell silent, returning宋天’s bow with a nod.
Prince Ji Du, his face flushed with fervent emotion, felt a sense of unreality wash over him. The desire he had so long nurtured in his dreams had been granted with such ease, leaving him momentarily disoriented. Yet, he was no ordinary man. Drawing a deep breath, he strode forward, instantly traversing the distance.

He paused, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Instead of offering thanks to Song Tian and his Imperial Father, he turned, and before them all – the Emperor, Song Tian, the assembled Ancients, and even his own brothers – he knelt on one knee before Wang Lin.

“I thank my Adoptive Father for his benevolence!”

The single word, the profound act of kneeling, sent ripples of shock through the gathered throng, their gazes snapping towards the scene with disbelief and utter astonishment.

In this ancient clan where Imperial authority reigned supreme, a Prince, destined to ascend to the throne of Emperor, knelt before another and acknowledged him as his father!

Such a thing defied comprehension, triggering a wave of astonished murmurs that swept through the ranks.

“Ji Du, what madness is this?!” The first to break the silence was a man in his middle years, standing beside the Emperor – the eldest Prince himself!

From afar, Huang Man, consumed by bitter resentment, found no way to alter his fate. But at this moment, his eyes flashed with newfound hope.

“Ji Du, you are a Prince! How can you so readily take another as your father! Especially as the future Emperor, kneeling before a Great Celestial of the Dao!”

The Emperor, silent until now, watched his son kneel before Wang Lin, a shadow of displeasure darkening his gaze.

The rising clamor seemed to pale Ji Du’s face, yet his eyes shone with unwavering resolve. He looked at Wang Lin, knowing full well the gravity of his actions. He wished to demonstrate, even as Emperor, his loyalty to his Adoptive Father.

Wang Lin observed Ji Du, surprised by his audacity. The Prince could have fulfilled his promise in secret, ensuring a smoother path to the throne. Instead, he chose this moment, courting potential turbulence.

As the uproar swelled, Song Tian remained impassive, and the Emperor held his tongue, though the darkness in his eyes deepened.

“Ji Du,” Wang Lin spoke, his voice resonating with authority, “I accept you as my adopted son.”

Ji Du inhaled sharply. Wang Lin had never before acknowledged their bond. Now, hearing these words, Ji Du bowed again, his heart overflowing with gratitude.

“A century hence, you shall be the Emperor!” Wang Lin said, his gaze not on the assembled crowd, but on the Imperial City in the distance. He could almost see the towering statue that resided there, a representation of the Ancient Ancestor.

There lay the ancestral temple.

The eldest Prince and Huang Man, faces paling, were about to protest when the Emperor, as if finally understanding the situation, sighed and spoke for the first time.

“For my son to be taken as a son by the esteemed Wang, it is a boon granted by the heavens! A glory for our Ancient Clan! I am not like that Emperor of the Dao, blinded by pride, driving away the esteemed Wang, and inviting disaster upon myself and my people…

I implore the esteemed Wang to remain among us! Whatever your desires, I shall fulfill them!” The Emperor clasped his hands and bowed to Wang Lin.

“Brother Wang,” Song Tian added, a smile gracing his lips, “if you have no other destination, perhaps you could remain here, and witness Ji Du’s ascension in a century.”

“Father,” Ji Du rose and addressed the Emperor with respect, “Adoptive Father desires to visit the ancestral temple. I have granted permission, but I seek your Imperial approval.”

“The ancestral temple? If the esteemed Wang desires it, then it is granted!” The Emperor replied without hesitation, his smile unwavering. He dared not refuse, nor even voice the slightest objection to Ji Du’s act of adoption.

This Wang was the one who had slain the Dao Emperor and stormed the Imperial Palace, yet walked away unscathed, leaving even the Great Celestial Dao speechless. He had witnessed Song Tian, no mean opponent, be helpless against him. How could he, the Emperor, possibly cross him?

Imperial authority was paramount, yet before such power, it was meaningless.