Wang Lin had lingered upon this savage continent for some time. Yet, the affairs of the Returning Origin Sect weighed upon him, forbidding too long a sojourn in this untamed land.

Though he held no fear for the Violet Dao Sect, without his presence to safeguard the Returning Origin Sect, the sect, in its current state, would surely meet its doom. In times past, Wang Lin would have turned a blind eye to such matters. But having slain members of the Violet Dao Sect, he had inextricably bound himself to their fate.

Furthermore, the astute maiden Lu Yanfei of the Returning Origin Sect had bestowed upon him a title of respect, not to mention the tantalizing clue regarding the fragmented sliver of Supreme Yin, a mystery that only the Violet Dao Sect could unravel.

And so, upon this wild continent, Wang Lin chose to embrace a brazen path. Emboldened by the strength of his newly subdued Blackthorn Ape, he plunged into the heart of savage beast gatherings, seizing herbs by force.

He paid little heed to the surging tide of beasts that followed in his wake. Even Wang Lin had to admit, the Blackthorn Ape possessed an uncanny knack for pillaging herbs, a proficiency that bordered on expertise.

This skill was clearly not the result of fleeting practice but rather the culmination of countless such endeavors, refined over time to a masterly degree.

In these past days, Wang Lin had scarcely needed to guide the beast. The ape was intimately familiar with this savage land, leading Wang Lin with unerring precision, darting into lairs with lightning speed, snatching the coveted herbs, and fleeing without a backward glance.

Each successful raid was punctuated by the Blackthorn Ape’s triumphant roar, as though it derived immense satisfaction from its audacious acts.

To Wang Lin’s amusement, he discerned that the Blackthorn Ape was a notorious figure among the beasts of this land, adept at evading pursuers, as if this were a common practice.

The pursuing beasts, having only had their herbs stolen once, would not hound them for days on end, driven by a relentless, maddened hatred.

A conjecture began to take root in Wang Lin’s mind. Some beast lairs held herbs not upon mountain peaks but in hidden locations. Even Wang Lin required the use of his divine sense to locate them, for the mists made them impossible to see.

But the Blackthorn Ape knew these places of concealment, approaching with uncanny precision, snatching and fleeing in an instant. It was as though the ape had, in ages past, meticulously surveyed these locations, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

With each successive raid, the Blackthorn Ape grew noticeably affectionate towards Wang Lin. Its gaze, when cast upon Wang Lin, perched upon its shoulder, held an air of camaraderie.

Recalling his capture of the ape, Wang Lin remembered how the ape had resisted even after he had displayed his formidable power, wounded the ape, and subjected it to the threat of death. Perhaps the Blackthorn Ape, a habitual thief of other beasts’ herbs, was torn between resentment and respect when it found itself the victim of such a theft.

“However, these pursuers grow excessive in their numbers…” Wang Lin mused, seated cross-legged upon the Blackthorn Ape’s shoulder. He glanced back at the swirling dust, deafened by the roars and bellows. His mosquito beasts were safely stored away; this was no place for them.

The pursuing beasts were simply too many, especially given that many were beasts who had had no herbs stolen from them, who were instead simply joining in the chase at the mere sight of the Blackthorn Ape, intent on bringing it down.

From afar, the sheer number of the beasts was impossible to ascertain. Only a line of dust, heaving like a tidal wave, seeking to engulf the Blackthorn Ape.

The ape, however, remained unfazed, its gait fluid as it deftly evaded magical arts. On several occasions, when pressed, it roared with fury, as though uttering curses.

A smile graced Wang Lin’s face. With a wave of his hand, a storage rift materialized before him, from which he retrieved a yellow talisman and affixed it to the ape’s shoulder.

Instantly, an earthen storm erupted from the ape, surging towards the heavens. The Blackthorn Ape shuddered, its eyes blazing with ecstasy. Its speed increased exponentially, leaving the beast horde in its wake with a single stride.

Yet, it did not flee but instead turned to face the pursuing beasts, roaring defiance. Abandoning flight, it charged into the horde, hacking and slashing, carving a path of destruction, before leaping out to the other side, its roars echoing with challenge. The pursuing beasts only grew more frenzied.

Seeing the ape about to plunge back in, Wang Lin frowned and tapped the Blackthorn Ape’s shoulder, halting its charge. The ape, obediently, resumed its flight.

Time flowed onward. The Blackthorn Ape, now moving at an incredible speed, acted like a brigand, plundering any herb cache it knew of, sweeping clean before fleeing.

Gradually, the horde of beasts trailing Wang Lin grew even larger, shaking the very earth, and stirring the mists in the heavens.

Having circled the savage continent, the Blackthorn Ape seemed unsatisfied and, with the horde of beasts in tow, headed towards the heart of the land. Wang Lin considered the time and did not hinder the ape’s actions.

Having spent some time in the Savage Continent, Wang Lin was aware that the central location of the Savage Continent had an even more powerful beast residing within it. The Blackthorn Ape darted across the centre of the mainland, and it wasn’t long before they were running through mountain valleys.

The valleys were completely encircled in fog and mist, preventing one from seeing what lay inside. However, there was a constant aura of mystery emanating from these locations.

As the Blackthorn Ape entered a series of valleys, Wang Lin’s mind grew heavy with concern. These valleys were unnervingly silent, with no roars to be heard from any savage beast. It was as though all of the creatures had vanished from the location.

It was not just Wang Lin who was confused, as the Blackthorn Ape also slowed its pace, staring into the void, unsure of whether to keep travelling forward.
Wang Lin pondered, a tremor rippling through the very earth. The relentless horde of savage beasts, his pursuers, had breached the heart of the continent, their ravenous intent fixed upon the black beast.

Wang Lin lifted his head, a spark of light igniting within his eyes. With a decisive gesture, he commanded the black ape onward. Under his mental guidance, the ape increased its pace, though not with haste. The pursuing beast tide drew closer, a seething mass of fur and fang, as though the ape led them to assault the tranquil valleys ahead. Time, like a fleeting phantom, slipped by as the black ape navigated the labyrinth of valleys. The monstrous wave engulfed the land.

Abruptly, Wang Lin’s pupils contracted, and he surged to his feet, his gaze fixed upon the distance. At the same moment, a chilling voice echoed through the valley, “The Five Venoms Sect claims dominion here! Begone, all who are not of our…” The voice caught, morphing into a startled gasp!

It was clear the speaker had beheld the raging torrent of beasts, a boundless ocean of fury crashing in their wake!

Simultaneously, Wang Lin’s spiritual sense swept forward, detecting eight colossal skulls guarding the entrance to a valley a thousand feet distant. They absorbed the essence of countless departed souls, converting it into a formidable defensive barrier.

Perched atop one of the skulls, a withered crone came into view.

Her eyes narrowed, the swirling mists obscuring her vision. Though her spiritual sense could not penetrate the gloom entirely, the tremors shaking the ground spoke volumes. Moments later, the unmistakable roar of the approaching beast tide crashed into her awareness.

A gasp escaped her lips. Yet, honed by years of experience, her mind raced. Upon sighting the black ape, she swiftly surmised that the ravenous horde hunted it and the white-haired cultivator upon its back.

A flicker of murderous intent flashed within her eyes. She dismissed any notion of coincidence, suspecting either a rescue attempt by the Huaqing Sect or the premature arrival of another Sixth Order sect. “So swift,” she hissed. Moving with uncanny speed, the crone became a blur as she hurtled toward the black ape, a poisonous miasma swirling in her wake.

Wang Lin realized he had stumbled into the midst of a conflict. The eight skulls formed a potent array, intended to ensnare those within the valley.

There was no time for explanation. The old hag moved too quickly, her poisonous aura a deadly shroud. Wang Lin leaped from the ape’s back, relaying instructions to the beast with his mind. The black ape silently veered aside, charging directly toward the skull array.

Wang Lin’s right hand weaved a sigil, and a howling black wind erupted, forming into a serpentine dragon of darkness. It roared forward, a tempest of fury aimed at the approaching crone.

Her cultivation matched that of Song Wude – mid-stage Nirvana Cleansing. But her mastery of venomous arts made her a fearsome foe, far surpassing Song Wude’s capabilities. As the dark wind bore down upon her, she formed a counter-seal with both hands and exhaled three potent breaths!

The first breath materialized into a crimson fog, spreading wildly. It met the black wind-dragon with a deafening roar.

The second breath took the form of a black rain, piercing the red mist and cascading toward Wang Lin. Each droplet contained a potent poison, capable of instantly dissolving flesh into a bloody mess.

The third breath shimmered with the colors of the rainbow, swiftly coalescing into a colossal statue, a hundred feet tall!

“Rise, Venom King! Venom Spirit Mark!” the crone shrieked, her face contorted. With a single strike, she unleashed her ultimate technique. The Venom King statue’s eyes glowed with an eerie light, which converged before it, solidifying into a black, ominous mark!

The mark hurtled toward Wang Lin. Should it touch him, not only would his flesh turn to blood, but his very spirit would succumb to the venom’s fatal embrace!

The crone, ruthless in her pursuit of the jade slip and Nirvana pill formula, feared Wang Lin might evade the attack. With a flick of her sleeve, a slender snake, no thicker than a finger, shot forth. This was her spirit beast, jet black except for a cockscomb-like crest upon its head, its presence exuding a nauseating stench.

(To be continued…)
In the first cycle of rebirth, Wang Lin’s divine sense discerned, beyond the valley’s edge a thousand feet distant, eight gargantuan skulls, each absorbing the endless souls of the dead, weaving them into a sorcerous attack that enshrouded the valley.

Furthermore, he saw atop one of these skulls, a gaunt crone arise!

The crone’s eyes narrowed, for a star-born mist clung to this place, obscuring her vision and hindering her divine sense, but the tremors in the earth grew ever stronger. Moments later, her senses were assaulted by the roar of a relentless bestial horde.

In that instant, she inhaled sharply, but with cultivation of her stature, her mind was sharp. When she beheld the immense black ape, she deduced that the vast number of savage beasts pursued the ape and the white-haired cultivator upon its shoulder.

A killing intent flickered in her gaze. She did not believe in coincidence. Either the Hua Qing Sect sought to rescue him, or other cultivators of the sixth order had arrived early. “So swift!” The crone stepped forward, becoming a blur as she flew towards the black ape, a cloud of noxious vapor spreading in her wake.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He had stumbled into a conflict. The eight skulls formed a ward, to slay those within the valley.

But there was no time to explain. The crone was swift, and the venomous wind carried death. Wang Lin leapt from the ape’s shoulder, commanding it with his mind. The black ape, without a sound, veered aside, making for the valley and the eight skulls.

At the same time, Wang Lin formed a hand seal and pointed, and a black wind howled forth, becoming a shadowy dragon that roared and surged toward the approaching crone.

The crone’s cultivation was akin to that of Song Wu De – mid-Nether Nirvana – but her mastery of poison arts made her a formidable foe, far exceeding Song Wu De. Seeing the approaching black wind, she wove hand seals, and spat forth three breaths!

The first breath became a crimson mist, spreading wildly and colliding with the black dragon in a deafening explosion.

The second breath formed a stream of black water, raining down, penetrating the red mist and heading straight for Wang Lin. Each drop held a virulent poison, capable of instantly dissolving flesh into a bloody pulp.

The third breath shimmered with iridescent light, transforming into a colossal statue, hundreds of feet tall!

“I call upon the Poison Lord! Poison Spirit Imprint!” The crone’s face contorted in a grotesque grin, unleashing her ultimate sorcery. The Poison Lord’s eyes glowed with spectral light, coalescing into a black mark before the statue!

The mark hurtled toward Wang Lin, threatening to dissolve not only his flesh, but his very soul in an instant, should it touch him.

The crone was vicious. To slay the white-haired youth and claim the jade slip and the Nirvana Pill recipe, she unleashed her most potent sorcery. Still fearing Wang Lin might evade it, she flicked her sleeve, and a finger-thick serpent flashed forth. Her natal spirit beast, black as night save for the rooster-like crest upon its head, released a stench of decay.