In the throes of his advance, Voidson abruptly whirled, right hand poised in a mystic gesture, ready to unleash a mighty spell. Yet, at that precise moment, Heaven’s Warden merely parted his lips, and Voidson’s impending sorcery faltered, an invisible force shattering its nascent form.

Dismay seized Voidson’s countenance. In that fleeting instance, the sword-radiance that was Zhou Yi pierced the fiery veil with a resounding roar, hurtling straight towards Voidson’s chest. So swift was its passage that, in a blink, it found its mark.

A thunderous boom echoed through the grand hall as Voidson coughed forth a crimson tide, stumbling back several paces. The ground beneath his feet crumbled into dust with a grating shriek.

The sword-light dissipated, reforming into the pallid figure of Zhou Yi, his form nearly translucent, ethereal energy draining from him. He seemed on the verge of vanishing altogether. This blow, though it wounded Voidson, had clearly taken a terrible toll on Zhou Yi himself.

Retreating, Zhou Yi stood beside Wang Wei and Hu Juan, his voice a mere whisper to Wang Lin, “Wang Lin, my sword could not slay him, but it has reopened his old wounds, making them fester anew!”

With these words, Zhou Yi settled into a meditative posture, swiftly summoning forth healing energies. From some unseen place, he produced a unique elixir, not a solid pill, but a swirling, fluid aura designed specifically for spirits.

Voidson’s face was ashen. His internal injuries, long suppressed, had been brutally unleashed by Zhou Yi’s desperate strike. His cultivation wavered, threatening to plunge him back to the early stages of the Shattered Nirvana realm. A cold dread, unfamiliar to one of his stature, gripped him. He shuddered, retreating further, right hand weaving seals upon his body, barely managing to contain the damage, yet each action brought forth another gush of blood. His gaze, filled with fierce resentment, was not upon Wang Lin and Zhou Yi, but fixed upon Heaven’s Warden.

Heaven’s Warden remained composed, unaffected by Voidson’s venomous stare. He spoke calmly, “Only in this weakened state, Voidson, do I dare to offer assistance.” Turning his gaze to Wang Wei and Hu Juan, he bowed slightly. “I implore the Yunxian Daoist couple to grant me a favor. Let us set aside all personal grudges and hasten to the next level. What say you?”

Ling Tianhou, his face a mask of displeasure, stood beside Voidson, having clearly discerned Heaven Warden’s subtle treachery. His icy gaze swept over Wang Lin and his allies.

The gourd-bearing elder, too, watched with detached indifference, his position leaving no doubt that he stood with Heaven’s Warden and Voidson.

At that moment, the woman in rose-colored silk, the one suspected to be the Kunxu Holy Maiden, rose from her seated position. With graceful steps, she approached Voidson, her eyes, like jewels, scanned the scene, finally resting upon Wang Lin. “Daoist Wang,” she said softly, “let this matter be set aside for now. Once we have left this place, the Kunxu Realm will take no part in your affairs.”

With the exception of the black-clad figure, sides had been chosen. Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed. He bowed to Wang Wei, “My affairs are of no consequence. I defer to your judgment, senior.”

Wang Wei, though displeased with Wang Lin’s rash actions, saw the younger man’s discretion and nodded. His gaze settled upon Heaven’s Warden and his faction. “Very well,” he declared, “let all personal grudges be suspended! The last three layers of this sanctum hold peril aplenty. Let no one hold back. We will meet at the center of the seventh layer after the teleportation.”

At Wang Wei’s decree, Heaven’s Warden and his followers nodded with disarming smiles. Hu Juan rose and approached the stone dais, placing her hand upon its surface. At her touch, a violet light pulsed from the stone, and the very ground trembled as if shaken by an earthquake.

In an instant, the floor of the hall cracked and crumbled, revealing a void of starlight beneath. One by one, the occupants of the chamber plunged into the abyss, vanishing from sight.

Zhou Yi was taken by Wang Wei as they stepped into the starlit teleportation array.

The seventh layer of the Immortal Emperor’s grotto was unlike any of the previous six. Here, there were no halls, no structures, only a swirling sea of fire, a realm unto itself!

Within this vast space, a colossal volcano dominated the center, belching forth plumes of black smoke that choked the air. Thunderous roars echoed endlessly, punctuated by bursts of molten fire that rained down from the heavens.

The ground was a fractured mosaic, islands of scorched earth afloat on a sea of lava. Vapors of dense heat rose from the molten depths.

As they were teleported, the adventurers were scattered, each appearing in a different location. Wang Lin materialized in this inferno, and upon beholding his surroundings, his brow furrowed. “This is not right!”

Nothing here matched the descriptions from the jade scroll’s map of the seventh layer. Doubt clouded his eyes as he looked into the distance, where Hu Juan stood on a distant patch of land, gazing around with equal bewilderment. Their eyes met, and Wang Lin saw a hint of apology in her gaze and a shake of her head.

Voidson stood apart, his face pale and drawn. Even the fiery glow could not bring color to his ashen complexion. He clutched his chest, the agony unrelenting, and a strange, lingering sword-energy impeded the healing of his wound. “Heaven’s Warden, Wang Lin, and that sword-spirit,” he growled, “I will repay this insult tenfold!”

Wang Wei strode forward and stood beside Hu Juan, and together they transformed into streaks of light and charged towards the heart of the volcano. Heaven’s Warden and his group followed.

Wang Lin remained. He knew his cultivation was below the older monsters.

Nearby, the Kunxu Holy Maiden paused and gave Wang Lin a look. Wang Lin coldly swerved around her.

Wang Lin noted the traces of lost immortal jade. This place was the actual place of the seventh layer, until some force changed it to the state it was.

As he neared the base of the volcano, Wang Lin closed his eyes and spread his divine sense. His guess was confirmed. This volcano did not come naturally. Some powerful force had brought it there. It’s stones were completely different from the land.

He was sure the others had noticed. Wang Lin found a fissure with hot lava. Wang Lin felt good.

He plunged his hand in. He felt the power flowing into him. This twist of fate would prove beneficial. He then used it to pull the power into his body.

He remembered the sixth divine power of the Immortal Emperor. He remembered how it looked like a volcano.

Nearby, the black-clad man plunged his hand in to the lava as well. He glanced at Wang Lin and thought of the fire vermilion. If he could devour it, would his Yan Dragon be able to reawaken.