Wang Lin’s gaze, calm as a still lake, settled upon the towering peak. It stretched impossibly high, its summit lost in the swirling, ink-black clouds, suggesting hidden realms and forgotten wonders beyond mortal comprehension.

Rivulets of silver lightning, like celestial dragons, pulsed from the storm’s heart, snaking down the mountainside in blinding flashes, accompanied by the muffled, thunderous rumble of the heavens themselves.

Gazing upon the mountain, Wang Lin felt the weight of ages, a palpable sense of history and enduring power emanating from its very core—the mountain’s soul made manifest.

The woman, Ge, stared transfixed, a flicker of uncanny recognition in her eyes. A shudder ran through her, and her gaze darted instinctively to Li Yuan, who stood with his back to her. His silhouette was stark against the backdrop of the ominous peak.

The sight of the mountain, combined with Li Yuan’s familiar posture, triggered a torrent of suppressed memories, erupting in her mind with terrifying force. Her eyes widened in horror, a fear even more profound than she had felt facing Wang Lin himself.

She remembered.

At that moment, Li Yuan turned, casting a knowing glance upon Ge. The words caught in her throat, unspoken. She lowered her head, a moment of silent struggle etched upon her face, then looked up, her expression serene, as if she had finally grasped a long-elusive truth.

“This mountain… it is nameless,” Li Yuan declared, his voice resonating with an ancient authority. “Its heart is riddled with enchantments. Though the Thunder Immortal Realm has opened many times, few have even scratched the surface of its defenses.”

Ge remained silent, her eyes fixed upon the peak, both intimately familiar and utterly alien.

“Let us proceed,” Wang Lin said, his voice betraying nothing.

Li Yuan nodded and moved forward, each step bringing him closer to the base of the mountain. The air thrummed with the energy of raw lightning, the ground littered with shimmering fragments of discharged power.

Li Yuan’s steps were resolute as he ascended the stony slope. The mountain offered no clear path, but countless expeditions within the Thunder Immortal Realm had worn away the barriers, creating a crude, winding trail through the treacherous enchantments.

Ge followed close behind Li Yuan, her hips swaying gently as she walked. Her gaze was locked on his back, a silent question echoing in her heart. “I should have recognized it sooner… that familiar way of standing, so like those of my clan. It was not merely legend, but something more.”

A bitter smile touched her lips. Now she understood why Li Yuan had appeared in her clan’s midst, his presence a carefully orchestrated event.

She realized too, that only through some arcane manipulation by Li Yuan had her clan allowed her to venture into the Thunder Immortal Realm.

The complex, almost sorrowful look in her clan elder’s eyes at her departure now pierced her with understanding. At the time, she had simply dismissed it as odd, but now the truth was unveiled.

Her clan had known, they had always known. Ever since the first of their blood returned from the Thunder Immortal Realm millennia ago, never again did they send another. It was a forbidden place for the Ge family.

But Li Yuan’s arrival had shattered that long standing tradition. She was now the second of her clan to set foot within this realm, separated by thousands of years, and her only companion was Li Yuan.

“So, the elder sent me here as atonement… and gifted me the clan’s treasured relic for the same reason,” she whispered, the realization sending a wave of despair through her.

“And Li Yuan promised to retrieve the fragment of my soul so that I could be a proper sacrifice.” Ge’s mind, suddenly lucid, seemed to penetrate the layers of deception that had clouded her judgment.

Wang Lin, ever observant, missed none of the turmoil playing across her face. He had seen the seismic shift in her spirit the moment she laid eyes upon the mountain.

His gaze drifted past her, settling on Li Yuan’s back, his expression unreadable, but a hint of scorn tugged at his lips. Wang Lin was now certain: Li Yuan had been aware of his presence from the beginning, the supposed protective barriers little more than bait to draw him into a trap.

Everything, it seemed, had been meticulously calculated. While some details remained shrouded in mystery, Wang Lin saw the underlying truth with unnerving clarity.

A flash of murderous intent crossed Wang Lin’s eyes. Those who sought to manipulate him rarely lived to tell the tale. Yet, he had a deeper purpose in mind. An aura of deadly intent rippled through the air, sharp as a honed blade.

Abruptly, Li Yuan halted, his voice low and grave, yet still not turning back, “Brother Xu, I am not as deplorable as you seem to imagine. Our meeting was by design, but it was also a matter of fate!” His address to Wang Lin had shifted, a subtle sign of respect, or perhaps, acknowledgment of a formidable opponent.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, his voice flat and cold, “What lies hidden in the heart of this mountain?”

Li Yuan remained silent for a long moment, then lifted his gaze towards the swirling clouds that obscured the mountain’s peak, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. “Here… my master awaits.”

Wang Lin’s brow furrowed. Li Yuan turned to face him, his demeanor transformed from their first encounter. He was like a different man. “Brother Xu,” he said softly, “once you ascend this mountain, your cultivation alone will not be enough to leave without my permission.”

Wang Lin met his gaze, unflinching. “The Plum Blossom Eighteen Shackles,” he said calmly, “I possess some small understanding of them.”

Li Yuan’s eyes widened, a genuine look of surprise crossing his face. It wasn’t feigned. He frowned and said, “Knowledge of the Plum Blossom Eighteen Shackles is rare, but not unheard of. Your understanding is not as remarkable as you believe.”

Wang Lin smiled faintly. “You indeed wield the Plum Blossom Eighteen Shackles!” A shimmer emanated from him, and the spectral form of the Immortal Guardian materialized at his side.

Without a word, the Guardian lunged forward, delivering a devastating blow into the empty air behind them. The mountain trembled, and a vortex of raw power erupted in the void, tearing a pathway back to the outside world.

The Guardian retreated, dissolving back into the shadows surrounding Wang Lin.

Wang Lin remained still, his eyes fixed on Li Yuan. “This place cannot hold me.”

Li Yuan’s face darkened. He stared at Wang Lin for a long moment, then said slowly, “I underestimated you. Even with that puppet…”

A cold smile twisted Wang Lin’s lips. He extended his right hand, and a single, terrifying wisp of Ling Tianhou’s Sword Qi erupted from his body. His cultivation at the Zenith of Spirit Transformation granted him masterful control over this potent force.

The Sword Qi howled through the heavens, enveloping the entire mountain in its deadly embrace. It struck with blinding speed, a phantom blade poised at Li Yuan’s brow.

“What of this?” Wang Lin’s voice was like the snap of winter ice.

Li Yuan closed his eyes, then opened them, his expression resigned. “You demand a higher price, Brother Xu. Name your terms.”

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Wang Lin’s face. Li Yuan was perceptive, seeing through his charade. His challenge, the unleashing of Ling Tianhou’s Sword Qi, had been a calculated gamble, designed to elicit precisely those words.