Within the withered husk of an ancient god, one might find a creature akin to the moon’s reflection in a still pool – a favored familiar. So too, within the vessel of a primeval demon, would a similar entity reside. This humanoid horror was such a thing!

It was not born within the god’s lifetime, but placed here after its demise. It was birthed amidst the chaotic clash of ancient demon and Immortal Emperor, their energies tearing through this very grotto. How it wormed its way into the skull of the fallen god within the Burial Pool of Immortals remained a mystery.

Voidson, though standing in the shadow of the ancient demon Taga, was in a state most unsettling. His eyes were glazed with a vacant madness, and upon his brow pulsed a glyph, radiating malevolent energy. Clearly, Taga had sealed him, yet Wang Lin could sense Voidson’s life force rapidly ebbing away, teetering on the precipice of death. Lord Skyreach wore a mask of troubled contemplation, his gaze darting away from Wang Lin’s, lost in thought. But most enigmatic of all was Heavenspan.

Heavenspan exuded an unsettling serenity, just as he had upon first entering the Immortal Emperor’s grotto. His eyes hinted at a profound understanding. When Wang Lin met his gaze, Heavenspan offered a knowing smile.

Seeing Heavenspan and the others, Wang Lin sighed inwardly. He knew the blood-sealed wards were only effective against the ancient demon Taga, useless against the likes of Heavenspan. Yet, they were at least within the Immortal Emperor’s first layer, and escape would not be insurmountable.

Still, a nagging feeling of wrongness plagued him. Something about their journey seemed off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. An ominous premonition stirred within him, amplified by the sight of Heavenspan standing so confidently behind Taga.

In truth, their entire ordeal had unfolded in such a compressed span of time that Wang Lin had not had the chance to truly ponder it. Now, looking back, it seemed as if their every action had been forced by the ancient demon…

As if their movements were all a part of Taga’s design… much like Heavenspan’s schemes, terrifying in their implications. This feeling coiled around Wang Lin’s heart, and he recoiled instinctively.

Situ Nan, ever watchful of Wang Lin, instantly followed his lead, retreating swiftly. Wang Wei and Hu Juan mirrored their actions, and soon, a chaotic scramble ensued as every cultivator sought to escape.

Heavenspan’s smile widened. With a flick of his wrist, a greyish aura shimmered within him, coalescing into his ashen-robed doppelganger. The doppelganger cast a cold glance at Heavenspan’s original form, grunted, and then lunged towards the wards.

An aura of relentless slaughter swept through the chamber, gathering into a boundless wave that crashed against the protective barriers. The grotto thrummed with violent energy as the wards buckled under the assault.

But these wards were not solely Wang Lin’s creation. Wang Wei and Hu Juan had contributed, with Hu Juan’s skill in wardcraft reaching unparalleled heights, far surpassing even Wang Lin’s. Thus, the grey-robed Heavenspan would not find it easy to breach their defenses.

This bought them precious time. Wang Wei, retreating, pointed a finger skyward. A thunderous surge of water erupted, forming a colossal golem of the seas. The water giant swung its gargantuan fists, slamming into the ceiling with earth-shattering force, sending cascades of fractured stone plummeting downward.

Hu Juan did not flee, but stood her ground at a distance, her hands weaving intricate signs, unleashing a torrent of wards that anchored themselves to the ground, fortifying the defenses.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with determination. He chanted an incantation, unleashing his own powers, and joined Wang Wei in assaulting the ceiling. The other cultivators, understanding the gravity of their situation, threw themselves into the fray. A deafening cacophony echoed through the Immortal Emperor’s first layer.

Meanwhile, far beyond the boundaries of the Demon Spirit Land, in the inky expanse of the cosmos, six Shattered Nirvana cultivators sat in meditation around the Vermilion Bird True Spirit. Their hands moved in arcane gestures, and they chanted ancient words, channeling their power into the Vermilion Bird, causing its flames to burn ever brighter.

Moments later, the Vermilion Bird shrieked, its piercing cry reverberating through the void. A crimson tidal wave of fire surged outward, its intense heat harmless to the Vermilion Bird Sect’s disciples, but capable of incinerating all other impurities, visible and invisible. In the wake of the inferno, all residual cosmic dust was annihilated, save for a single point of resistance: the Demon Spirit Land itself!

Flames now licked at this singular speck, revealing its presence to all. The Vermilion Bird, in a frenzied shriek, plunged headlong towards the tiny mote of existence.

The cosmos vibrated with the impact of the Vermilion Bird repeatedly slamming into the seal protecting the Demon Spirit Land. With each blow, the seal weakened.

The six Shattered Nirvana cultivators redoubled their efforts, unleashing their full power. The seal, laid by Qing Lin himself in the Immortal Realm, trembled with growing ferocity.

The external onslaught reverberated within the Demon Spirit Land, causing it to quake violently. Even those trapped within the grotto could feel the increasingly intense tremors.

But for now, no one dared to dwell on the phenomenon. Under the constant barrage, the barrier separating the Immortal Emperor’s grotto from the Demon Spirit Land shattered with a resounding roar!

In that very instant, the grey-robed Heavenspan tore through Hu Juan’s broken wards and burst free. Hu Juan, pale with exhaustion, stumbled backward, only to be caught by Wang Wei, who pulled her toward the breach.

The ancient demon Taga strode forward, a malevolent grin twisting his lips. He opened his maw and inhaled, unleashing a torrent of demonic energy. The energy coalesced into writhing black dragons that lunged at the fleeing cultivators. The second of the Dust Dao Triad was ensnared by a demonic dragon and, trapped in its coils, succumbed to utter despair as the ancient demon devoured him. Wang Lin yearned to intervene, but he was a heartbeat too late.
A disciple of the village maiden beauty, caught in the black dragon’s coils, paled as death approached. But the maiden in pink, a flash of motion and swirling snow, seized the maiden of a thousand melodies, dragging her towards the breach in the barrier. The black dragon’s assault crashed against the flurry of white, and with a gasp of crimson, the pink-clad maiden’s snow-shard amulet shattered, its defenses finally undone. Yet, she had succeeded, pulling the maiden through the gate.

Though dire circumstances prevailed, Big Head and his companions, with the aid of Situ Nan, the wandering alchemist, and the silver-clad maiden summoned from Wang Lin’s pouch, managed to escape. But the shadow of doom remained. The ancient demon, Taga, strode forth, his fist clenching, the very air cracking beneath his touch.

The force of his strike fell upon those who had just stumbled into the land of the demon spirits. The maiden of a thousand melodies, lacking in power, was consumed, her very flesh crumbling into dust.

The pink-clad maiden, too, succumbed, her body dissolving into a crimson mist. Yet, from her spirit arose a treasure from the Kunxu realm, shielding her and the maiden’s essence. The spirits, though ravaged, did not perish, but instead, began to meld, their very beings entwining…

They were not alone. Of the three children of dust, only two remained. The third was torn asunder, his spirit plucked away by the eldest before it too could be lost.

Even Regulus, though of lesser power, possessed a resilient flesh. Yet even he was cleaved in twain, the remaining half dragged to safety by the stalwart Big Head.

Situ Nan and the wandering alchemist, both initiates of the purified soul, weathered the storm, their bodies bruised but unbroken. Yet, a sinister shadow crossed Situ Nan’s face as the ancient poison within him stirred to life with each painful breath.

The ancient demon’s might could have obliterated them all, were it not for the sacrifice of Wang Jue and Hu Juan. They, in that desperate moment, threw themselves against the demon’s power, bearing the brunt of its fury.

For they knew that among those fleeing were those held dear by Wang Lin, a debt they were sworn to repay.

Wang Lin, too, stood against the onslaught, sharing the burden with Wang Jue and Hu Juan. Blood stained his lips, his face grew gaunt, and his spirit wavered on the brink. Though the fire of his essence burned bright, it could not halt the encroaching darkness.

The ancient skin could offer little solace against such power, for the enemy was an ancient demon, clad in the stolen flesh of Qing Lin!

Without hesitation, Wang Lin drew forth the waxen pill gifted by Wang Jue, crushing it and swallowing the potent remedy. Even as the elixir raced through his veins, Wang Jue and Hu Juan faltered, crimson staining their lips, a bitter smile etched upon their faces.

“Wang Lin,” Wang Jue spoke, “we shall hold this ancient demon at bay. The matter of our master’s resurrection is forfeit. If fate allows, revive Qing Shuang in our stead!” He seized the air, tearing a rift from which he hurled the sleeping figure of Zhou Yi.

“We have lived too long, and have dared to walk these halls many times. But for a variety of reasons, we could never draw near to the master. Alas, now that we have, it is at such a price…” Regret twisted his face.

Then, the ancient demon Taga stepped forth from the crumbling barrier, gazing upon the sky with rapture, a chilling laugh echoing in his wake.

“Qing Lin, you schemed in vain! To prevent my escape after seizing your vessel, you bound me with rules: I could not leave this realm, nor could I unravel any ward! But through a simple illusion, I have driven these would-be saviors to pave my path, effortlessly breaking the shackles you forged!” He clenched his fist, his eyes burning with a manic glee.

Wang Jue and Hu Juan paled as Wang Lin gasped, the unease that had clung to him finally taking shape. He fixed a wary stare upon the demon. “Now,” Taga roared, “witness the true might of this demon!”

The ground trembled, and the sky warped. A vision, shimmering and ethereal, manifested above: a palace embraced by a sea of blooming flowers.

“Ancient demon…” a voice, cold yet melodic, rang out. “My husband, Qing Lin, planned many steps ahead. You may have broken one of them, but you would be unwise to forget that by merely exiting the grotto, you have now stepped into the second phase of my husband’s design.”

From the palace emerged a maiden clothed in white. “Flower Concubine!” Wang Lin breathed, his gaze riveted to the sky.

At that moment, the astral domain upon which the land of the demon spirits lay began to break as the Vermillion Bird Soul relentlessly pounded at the seal.

And with that, a ray of light that was born of a new cosmic rule, touched the location of the dust speck that contained the land of the demon spirits…at the beginning of a new day.