A wave of ancient, soul-stirring power washed over the entirety of the Vermillion Bird Sanctuary Starfield, emanating from the hallowed grounds of the Vermillion Bird Holy Sect. Every celestial body within was saturated with its profound essence, leaving the Sect’s Elders in utter disarray.

Though their cultivation was vast, they could scarcely comprehend the nature of the new Holy Emperor’s arcane practices. How could one attain such an awe-inspiring state? The sheer magnitude of Emperor Bai Fan’s divine ability defied their limited understanding, a concept lost to their mortal minds.

Wang Lin’s divine sense alone could never have reached such distant corners of the cosmos. Yet, in his current state of spiritual transcendence, he had shed all earthly concerns, becoming one with the very soul of the volcanoes. Fusing with the essence of each cultivation star, he drew upon their collective astral power, extending his reach in ways previously unimaginable.

At the heart of this transformation lay Emperor Bai Fan’s earth-shattering spell, the “Mountain Collapse.”

Wang Lin’s consciousness had become a nexus, a composite of the very essence of the Vermillion Bird Sanctuary’s cultivation stars. To all who perceived it, his divine sense carried the weight of countless millennia, an epochal burden that threatened to wither their mortal forms. Even the Sect’s Elders, those venerable guardians of ancient lore, found themselves enveloped within Wang Lin’s potent awareness, each one struck dumb by the immensity of his power.

The four ancient Elders, who had harbored lingering doubts, now found their resentment extinguished, replaced by a profound awe that eclipsed their skepticism.

“Without cause, there can be no effect; thus, there is no karma. Without birth, there can be no death; the absence of life and death is eternity. Without truth, there can be no falsehood; the distinction between them lies but within a single thought…” This ageless decree echoed within the divine sense, resonating in the ears of all who were present.

“So that is the key… a mere thought. No wonder my esteemed senior, Clear Water, left behind no detailed revelations. This is something that can only be understood, once understood.” As the divine thought reverberated, Wang Lin began to awaken from his spiritual reverie.

In the instant of his reawakening, the burning Starfield roared to life. The cultivation stars unleashed their astral essence, and the volcanoes that dotted their surfaces erupted in unison. The deafening cacophony of the Starfield’s volcanic symphony shook the very foundations of reality.

It was at this very moment that Flame Lightning and the Third King of the Corpse Yin Sect crossed the threshold into the incandescent Starfield. The Third King’s eyes blazed with an incredulous light as his cultivation immediately detected a divine sense of unimaginable magnitude permeating the region.

Its power was earth-shattering, leaving him breathless. In his perception, he stood not before a single being, but against the collective souls of countless ancient cultivation stars, the accumulated weight of ages pressing down upon him, making him feel like an insignificant youth.

“The Vermillion Bird Holy Emperor!” The image of the elusive Holy Emperor flashed through his mind, yet he quickly dismissed the notion. The reports from Li Yingzhi described a new Emperor with limited experience, an impossibility compared to the sheer power he now witnessed.

“Could it be the old Vermillion Bird Holy Emperor?” The middle-aged man’s eyes narrowed, his demeanor shifting to one of extreme caution.

Flame Lightning, who followed close behind, was equally astounded. He instantly felt the heart-stopping, overwhelming divine sense that permeated the burning Starfield. “This… this is…” Unimaginable shock filled his gaze.

The sheer magnitude of this divine sense defied description. It surpassed the limits of what a cultivator could possibly possess. As he became aware of this power, Wang Lin’s senses turned toward him and the middle-aged man, the Starfield exploding with thunder and fire as his consciousness expanded to meet them.

“Flame Lightning…” The divine thought, carrying Wang Lin’s will, reverberated throughout the Starfield.

Flame Lightning gasped, the divine presence feeling familiar, hinting at a truth he could scarcely believe. His expression hardened with newfound seriousness.

“May I ask who you are?”

“I am the Vermillion Bird Holy Emperor!” Wang Lin’s divine thought resounded, calling down celestial thunder that echoed across the heavens.

“You are Wang Lin?!” Flame Lightning’s eyes widened, his heart pounding with awe and disbelief.

The Third King of the Corpse Yin Sect shared his astonishment.

“And this, I presume, is a member of the Corpse Yin Sect.” Wang Lin’s divine thought slowly spread, stirring the sea of fire that surrounded the middle-aged man and Flame Lightning.

“I am the Third King of the Corpse Yin Sect,” the man declared, his voice somber, his expression unreadable. In his heart, however, the Vermillion Bird Holy Sect had become an object of far greater dread.

He had intended to observe the Sect carefully, but now, such observation seemed unnecessary.

“Some time ago, a junior from my Corpse Yin Sect, Li Yingzhi, returned with a jade slip. I have come to inquire of the Holy Emperor: Where does the artifact within that jade slip lie? Should the Holy Emperor reveal it, the Corpse Yin Sect will be eternally grateful!” The middle-aged man bowed, his words measured and deliberate.

Suppressing his own shock, Flame Lightning followed suit. “Wang… Vermillion Bird Holy Emperor, Lie Yunzi also brought a jade slip back to the Lightning Immortal Hall. I, too, must ask: Where does this jade slip lead?”

While Flame Lightning could discern some of the reasons for Wang Lin’s sudden surge in power, the ability to so perfectly merge with the souls of the Starfield’s cultivation stars was a technique he found deeply unsettling.

In Flame Lightning’s estimation, the Vermillion Bird Holy Sect’s mystique had reached new heights.

“I can tell you where the jade slips lead, but the path is fraught with peril. Whether you choose to tread it is your own decision.” As Wang Lin’s divine thought echoed, countless crystalline lights manifested before the middle-aged man and Flame Lightning, forming a star chart.

The Vermillion Bird Star was clearly displayed, twinkling for a few breaths before fading away.

“The Vermillion Bird Star?” Flame Lightning’s gaze sharpened, his voice laced with contemplation.

“The Holy Emperor shares such vital information with us, perhaps with ulterior motives in mind?” A slight smile played on the middle-aged man’s lips as he spoke calmly.
“Each sought their own gain, using this one merely to slay the guardians of the accursed corpse.” Wang Lin’s thoughts echoed, a candor unbefitting whispers of conspiracy, yet shared freely with the Corpse Yin Sect and the heavens of Luo Tian.

“Indeed! The Sacred Emperor speaks with refreshing honesty. The Corpse Yin Sect acknowledges this debt!” The middle-aged man, taken aback by such forthrightness, chuckled. He cast a deep, thoughtful gaze towards the unseen source of Wang Lin’s voice, offered a perfunctory bow, and departed.

Yan Leizi lingered, a complex mix of emotions clouding his face. Once the other man was gone, he sighed, a wisp of regret in the starlit void.

“I underestimated you, old friend. Beyond the roles we play, the lightning of my hall, the fire of your throne… tell me, Wang Lin, how did I treat you in Luo Tian?”

“Fairly enough,” Wang Lin’s reply drifted back, measured and concise.

“Fairly enough… a truthful assessment. Wang Lin, I must know. The jade slip, does it speak truth, or is even you uncertain?” Yan Leizi’s eyes narrowed, his voice held the weight of ages.

“Yan Leizi, I will not deceive you. The jade slip… it speaks truth without flaw!”

Yan Leizi nodded, his features still etched with worry. He gave a final bow and transformed into a streak of blinding light, leaving the burning starfield behind.

As both figures vanished, the vast tapestry of divine sense that had enshrouded the burning expanse shattered. It dissolved into countless shimmering motes, scattering like dust across the cosmos.

The essence of the stars themselves retreated, flowing back to the distant worlds from whence they came.

The celestial rupture sent tremors through the very heavens, and even the tribes of the Vermillion Bird Holy Sect felt the echoes in their souls.

On the chosen world of Wang Lin, the volcanoes ceased their furious eruption. Within the heart of the largest, Wang Lin opened his eyes. They blazed with newfound power, twin points of lightning in the molten depths.

“I, Wang Lin, sought comprehension in the cycle of life and death, then turned to the dance of cause and effect. Now, upon this world’s destruction, I glimpse the truth of reality and illusion… In a single thought, the karma is completed. I have broken free of Peeking Nirvana and ascended into the realm of Cleansed Nirvana. My comprehension, twisted by the planet’s end, has revealed a new avenue of understanding, a path beyond the illusion of falsehood… The truth and its counterfeit are not merely the absence of matter, but an elevated understanding of the Great Dao.”

Wang Lin rose, and a ripple spread through the magma beneath his feet. In an instant, he stood upon the ravaged surface, gazing at the heavens with a dawning smile.

“Cleansed Nirvana!” He drew a deep breath, feeling the profound shift within his being. The limitations that once confined him were shattered. At his will, the winds howled and the very essence of fire coalesced, surging into his form.

As this raw power flooded his body, Wang Lin’s right hand seized the empty air. Before him, a tear in reality ripped open with a deafening roar. At first, the rift flickered, threatening to collapse into nothingness.

But boundless power flowed from Wang Lin’s outstretched hand, rushing into the void. The tear widened, expanding, until it reached the breaking point. Woven with his essence, the spatial gateway stabilized, becoming a durable, almost indestructible aperture.

“Storage pouches… they are no longer needed.” A smile played on his lips as he tapped his old pouch. Its contents poured forth, drawn into the endless expanse of the rift. Finally, the pouch, empty and obsolete, crumbled to ash in his fingers.

He touched the edge of the tear, leaving his mark upon it, and with a final gesture, the gateway contracted, vanishing without a trace.

At that moment, a flicker of unease crossed Wang Lin’s face. His eyes hardened, a chill descending over his entire being. He stepped forward, emerging into the star-strewn void. Before him, a lone mosquito-beast struggled weakly through space.

The creature, once a vibrant purple, was now covered in blood. Its vitality was spent, sustained only by a desperate instinct to return to its master. A jagged wound tore across its back, leaking a noxious, greenish miasma. Even its long, piercing proboscis was broken. With a mournful cry, the mosquito-beast lurched towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin’s right hand touched the creature’s back, dispelling the poisonous miasma. His left hand tore another rift in space, and from its depths, he drew forth a cascade of potent elixirs, forcing them down the mosquito-beast’s throat.

At the same time, he delved into the creature’s mind, sifting through its memories. As the truth unfolded, Wang Lin’s face darkened, and a wave of murderous rage erupted from him. “You will regret this!”