In the vast tapestry of the cosmos, there existed a star-realm of unparalleled strangeness, a verdant expanse deemed forbidden by the Ascendant Alliance.

From afar, this domain appeared as a shimmering illusion, a place where colossal trees pierced the heavens and boundless fields of emerald grass carpeted the void. It was a terrestrial paradise improbably transposed onto the celestial sphere, not as a singular oasis, but as a chain of endless forests, ancient beyond measure, as if they had always been woven into the fabric of the stars.

Here, a potent wood-aspected energy suffused the air, forming a verdant mist that cloaked the star-realm, never to dissipate. Any cultivator who dared approach would find their own energy stagnating, even vanishing entirely.

Even the Ascendant Alliance, with its formidable power, regarded this place with trepidation, designating it as a forbidden sanctuary. Only a few ancient beings, their memories stretching back through countless ages, held fragmented recollections of this emerald realm, whispers of a forgotten past that stubbornly refused to fade.

This was the realm of the Azure Dragon Sect, one of the Four Sacred Sects!

At the edge of this star-realm, a lone figure materialized, a man in the prime of his years, his gaze tinged with reminiscence and sorrow as he surveyed the Azure Dragon Sect. With a sigh, he raised his right hand, and a spectral Vermillion Bird materialized, its cry echoing as it plunged into the verdant mist, circling the heavens.

Moments later, several figures flickered into existence within the mist. Three elders, their hair as white as winter’s snow and their bodies bearing the marks of time, led the way, followed closely by six more aged cultivators.

“Greetings, Vermillion Bird Emperor,” the nine elders intoned in unison, bowing respectfully before the middle-aged man.

“An Awakened One has emerged within the Vermillion Bird Sect. We require the aid of your Azure Dragon Sect’s ancient artifact. You must accompany me!” The man was none other than the Vermillion Bird Emperor’s very soul. To ensure the success of this crucial mission, he had already sought the assistance of the Black Tortoise and White Tiger Sects. The Azure Dragon Sect was his final destination.

The nine Azure Dragon elders exchanged glances, and after a brief deliberation, one of the three most venerable figures nodded solemnly. “As the Vermillion Bird Emperor commands, we shall obey.”

Meanwhile, in the Demon Spirit Land, amidst the chaotic aftermath of an Vermillion Bird Sect elder’s self-sacrifice, Wang Lin desperately retreated from the clutches of Tian Yunzi, his eyes bloodshot. The intense movements aggravated his already grievous wounds, sending waves of agony through his body.

The remaining five Vermillion Bird elders were too far away to intervene. Their cultivation levels, far from the pinnacle of Nirvana Shattering, were merely at the early or mid stages. Engaging the Ancient Demon Taga was already a daunting task, and any distraction could prove fatal.

Surrounded by swirling flames and armed with various magical treasures of the Void-grade, artifacts accumulated by the Vermillion Bird Sect over countless millennia, the five elders combined their powers, forming a colossal fire giant. Hua Fei, abandoning her humanoid form, also joined the fray. Together, they managed to hold their ground against the Ancient Demon, but were visibly overwhelmed by its formidable power.

Tian Yunzi, his expression serene, tore open the first seal between his brows, unleashing an unimaginable surge of power. He stepped forward, closing the distance to Wang Lin.

“To perish under my First Tribulation of Heaven and Man is an honorable end,” Tian Yunzi declared. As he took the single step, wind and thunder raged in his wake, buffeting Wang Lin like a thousand blades. Cracking sounds echoed within his body as he stumbled backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His face contorted in defiance. Throughout his cultivation journey, it was his unyielding refusal to surrender that had sustained him. Tian Yunzi’s immense power did not deter him; even in the face of death, he would fight on!

Wiping the blood from his lips, Wang Lin rifled through his storage bag, summoning forth dozens of great swords. With a roar, he unleashed them upon Tian Yunzi. Simultaneously, he retrieved the third God-Slaying Chariot!

The moment the chariot appeared, it shattered into the form of a butterfly, its wings beating with an ancient power.

Tian Yunzi remained unfazed, his pace unwavering. As the swarm of swords hurtled toward him, he merely moved his lips, seemingly reciting an incantation.

Instantly, the swords froze in mid-air, then erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, their fragments hurtling back toward Wang Lin. As the shards flew, Tian Yunzi manipulated them into a fearsome dragon composed of razor-sharp metal.

The dragon roared, lunging towards Wang Lin, only to collide with the butterfly formed by the God-Slaying Chariot.

As the butterfly beat its wings, the dragon of swords emitted a horrifying grinding sound, as if countless blades were scraping against one another. In an instant, it shattered into a million fragments, scattering like dust in the wind.

Wang Lin’s blood ran cold. Never before had he faced such a formidable opponent. He barely understood Tian Yunzi’s abilities, yet he had narrowly escaped death. Had the God-Slaying Chariot not intervened, he would have surely perished.

The butterfly, its wings pulsating with the force of cosmic law, unleashed a torrent of power against Tian Yunzi. However, Tian Yunzi’s expression remained unchanged. He merely continued to murmur his incantation.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the very fabric of reality before the butterfly, unleashing a ripple of force that caused the butterfly to tremble, threatening to shatter into nothingness.

Wang Lin’s face twisted in determination. He formed hand seals and spat a mouthful of blood onto the butterfly, roaring, “Open the Third Seal!”

The butterfly shuddered, its wings beating faster. Above it, four withered flower petals materialized, spinning rapidly as they drifted forward.

Tian Yunzi uttered a soft exclamation, then raised his right hand, waving it forward.

The very space before him shattered, as if the sky itself was collapsing at his command. He hurled this fractured reality toward Wang Lin.

Before the butterfly and its petals could unleash their true power, they were swept aside by the collapsing sky, vanishing from sight.

Tian Yunzi, his face serene, drew near. He raised his right index finger, aiming it directly at Wang Lin’s forehead!

If that finger were to connect, even Wang Lin’s Ancient God body would be shattered, his frail soul annihilated, erased from existence forever!

Tian Yunzi’s power loomed over Wang Lin like an insurmountable mountain. He felt a chilling sense of helplessness, an inescapable fate.

But that feeling was immediately crushed beneath the weight of Wang Lin’s unyielding will!

“I refuse!” Wang Lin’s voice echoed through the Demon Spirit Land, a defiant roar of madness. As Tian Yunzi’s finger descended, Wang Lin pulled forth a sword scabbard from his storage bag, holding it up as a shield.

In that instant, Tian Yunzi’s finger collided with the scabbard.

A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The scabbard cracked under the force of the blow, but it did not shatter completely. The impact sent Wang Lin flying backward.

Spitting out a torrent of blood, Wang Lin’s vision blurred, his soul nearly torn asunder, his body broken and battered. His only support was his burning will to defy fate, to carve his own destiny against all odds!

Tian Yunzi paused. His seemingly effortless attack had sent a shockwave of force through the scabbard, unsettling him. His eyes narrowed in murderous intent. In a blur of motion, he lunged towards Wang Lin.

Raising his right hand, he prepared to deliver a final, crushing blow.

But in that very instant, a surge of primal rage erupted from the depths of the Demon Spirit Land. The earth trembled violently, and a figure wreathed in glowing runes burst forth from the ground.

This figure moved even faster than Tian Yunzi, arriving in the blink of an eye. A guttural roar echoed through the heavens. “He who harms my master is the eternal enemy of Tushan!”

Just as Tian Yunzi’s palm was about to strike, the rune-clad figure waved his right hand, summoning a strip of animal hide. The hide burst into flames, its ashes swirling around the figure, accelerating him to unimaginable speeds. He intercepted the attack, slamming into Tian Yunzi’s palm.

The force of the impact sent him and Wang Lin hurtling backward. He coughed up blood, and the runes on his body shattered, but his expression remained fierce.

The burning ashes around him were rapidly absorbed into his body, healing his wounds and transferring a portion of their power to Wang Lin.

At that moment, a cry of agony echoed from afar. Da Tou’s physical form was pulverized by an attack from Tian Yunzi’s clone. His soul, gravely injured, was on the verge of being annihilated.

Lei Ji, already severely wounded, roared and charged forward, placing himself between Da Tou’s soul and Tian Yunzi’s clone. His body collided with the clone’s attack.

With a sickening thud, Lei Ji’s body was destroyed, his soul nearly extinguished. Fu Fengzi swept him up with a desperate wave of his sleeve, but the price of that action was a sword thrust through his chest by another of Tian Yunzi’s clones.

Spitting out blood, Fu Fengzi stumbled backward, joining the equally wounded Chen Daozi.