With a sweep of his foot, he instantly slew a Rank Eight Ferocious Beast. Though such a beast could contend with a cultivator at the peak of Nirvana Cleansing, it was not a true cultivator, and could not wield mystical treasures. It merely possessed an understanding of the rules of Heaven and Earth, from which it manifested its powers. Yet, it was still a Rank Eight beast! A cultivator who could slay such a creature in an instant was surely among the powerful even in the Cloud Sea Starfield.

Li Xiangdong and his companions stared in stunned silence. In their eyes, this Great-Uncle Master, whom they had never met before, was now cloaked in mystery and exuded a profound majesty. Though doubts about Wang Lin’s true identity lingered in their hearts, they chose to ignore them at this moment. “With such a cultivator of great power in our Returning Origin Sect, dominating the Fifth Rank Starfield is surely within our reach!” Li Xiangdong and the two elders exchanged excited glances, save for Lu Yanfei, their spirits soaring.

If they knew that not only could Wang Lin instantly slay a Rank Eight beast, but that he had also, in the recent past, vanquished a Shattered Nirvana cultivator from a Sixth Rank Starfield, their shock would be even greater.

The Ferocious Beasts, witnessing Wang Lin’s power, were no longer driven by greed, but consumed by terror. They scattered in a frenzy, fleeing toward the edges of the Moro Continent, desperate to return to the Starfield.

Wang Lin paid no heed to the thoughts of those around him. He was enveloped in the life force of the slain Rank Eight beast, drawing it into his body to fortify his true form against the tribulation of flesh.

After a few breaths, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with brilliance. He glanced at the fleeing beasts and took a step forward, becoming a deathly light, reaping lives. He was instantly upon a fleeing beast, piercing through its body, scattering blood and life force. Light shimmered across the sky as Wang Lin moved with lightning speed, each flash bringing another beast to its doom.

In moments, Wang Lin chased them beyond the Moro Continent, flashing across the starscape. Screams filled the void as the beasts drawn by the Ancient God blood crystal met a slaughter.

This slaughter lasted for the time it took to burn an incense stick, then slowly ceased. For hundreds of thousands of miles around the Moro Continent, no beast remained, save for a few who escaped with the memory of terror etched into their souls. They would never forget the cultivator on the Moro Continent, who was like a god of destruction.

The defensive barriers of the Moro Continent were restored, and all seemed as it had been, unchanged. But in the hearts of the Returning Origin Sect’s cultivators, the shock remained eternal.

Now, outside the Returning Origin Sect’s Southern Garden, Li Xiangdong, Lu Yanfei, and the two elders stood respectfully, waiting patiently despite the passing of time.

The cultivators of the entire Southern Garden had been moved to the other three gardens. Only Sun Yun remained at Lu Yanfei’s side. The Southern Garden was empty of all disciples. “These herbs… did Great-Uncle Master bring them back?” Li Xiangdong asked, his gaze drawn to the herbs in the garden. Sun Yun’s confirmation stirred him with excitement.

Deep beneath the courtyard, Wang Lin sat cross-legged. Before him, his true form, now reduced to human size, quietly meditated, absorbing the energies of the world.

His true form had largely recovered, but the flesh on his chest was still slowly regenerating, a final battle against the tribulation of flesh.

Time passed slowly. Three days later, Wang Lin’s chest shone brightly as the tribulation of flesh dissipated. He had successfully weathered the first tribulation, the second calamity, of the Ancient God’s Three Destructions and Seven Calamities!

His true form slowly opened its eyes, revealing a light of great brilliance and an aura of indescribable power. His skin was rougher, his bones harder!

His true form had truly become an Ancient God, no longer an incomplete existence! Having devoured boundless power and the strange star mist, his cultivation had increased greatly after overcoming the tribulation!

Beside the five stars between his brows, a sixth star began to appear. It was faint and not fully formed, but even this filled Wang Lin with joy!

The difficulty of gaining a star as an Ancient God far surpassed that of a cultivator. Over the past millennia, Wang Lin had faced countless hardships and encountered many serendipitous events to reach the five-star level.

Though the sixth star was still blurred, the strength his true form could now unleash far exceeded what it had before! More importantly, reaching the sixth star meant that an Ancient God could summon his own Wang Moon from within!

A smile played on his lips. Leaving his true form to meditate and absorb the energies of Heaven and Earth in the depths below, to begin summoning the Wang Moon, Wang Lin left and appeared inside the courtyard.

He took a deep breath, his heart light with joy. The success of his true form in overcoming the tribulation added another layer to his strength in the Cloud Sea Starfield. Combining with his true form, slaying early Shattered Nirvana cultivators would no longer be as arduous as before!

“However, the difference between early, mid, and late Shattered Nirvana cultivators is immense. I wonder, after combining with my true form, where I stand against a mid-stage cultivator!” Wang Lin’s eyes shone. He pushed open the door and stepped outside. A gentle breeze touched his face, bringing comfort. The sky, protected by the restored barriers, was a clear blue dotted with fluffy clouds.

Looking at the herbs in the garden, Wang Lin made a decision. He would use the unique alchemical arts of the Cloud Sea Starfield to enhance his cultivation as quickly as possible. “Come in,” he said softly, his gaze falling on the five people outside the garden.

His voice was calm, but it carried an intangible power that caused those outside to inhale sharply and enter the courtyard with nervous reverence. Sun Yun followed Lu Yanfei, her heart pounding. “This disciple greets Great-Uncle Master. I was unaware of your return, and any disrespect is greatly regretted. Please punish this disciple,” Li Xiangdong and the others said in unison, stepping into the garden.

After a brief exchange, they took their leave. Sun Yun could no longer reside here; she left with Lu Yanfei to the southern pavilion. The entire Southern Garden had become a forbidden zone, closed to all disciples.

At Wang Lin’s command, numerous alchemical formulas and high-grade pills were brought to him. But the pills no longer caught his eye. After studying the formulas, he kept them and had the pills taken away.

While Wang Lin studied the formulas day and night, a rigorous search was underway far from the Moro Continent because of Shi Luo Xing’s death. Cultivators from Sixth Rank Starfield sects spread throughout the Fifth Rank Starfield, searching the floating continents. Some even ventured into starfields below the Fifth Rank.

With the actions of the Sixth Rank Starfield, news of the jade slip and alchemical formulas gradually spread, alarming the Seventh Rank Starfield and catching the attention of the Eighth Rank Starfield.

Streams of light flew out from the Seventh and Eighth Rank Starfields toward the sealed, desolate continent in the Fifth Rank Starfield.

Deep within the Cloud Sea Starfield, the star mist was so thick that even the spiritual sense of a Shattered Nirvana cultivator could only extend about fifty feet. Venturing into the mist was like being blindfolded, and one could easily become lost.

Here dwelled the most powerful Ferocious Beasts in the Cloud Sea Starfield. They hid in the mists, some even using their powers to merge with the star mist, cultivating the Heavenly Dao. They would not attack unless provoked. Compared to them, the few cultivation stars in this mist seemed insignificant outsiders.

But the power within these stars was enough to shake the heavens and earth, causing even the strongest Ferocious Beasts to be wary and avoid approaching.

This was the Ninth Rank Starfield of the Cloud Sea!

At the edge of the Ninth Rank Starfield, seven cultivation stars were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, linked by layers of defensive arrays that made them inseparable.

On the star representing the head of the Big Dipper, beneath millions of layers of protection, a grassland stretched across the land. In the grassland stood a towering structure that pierced the clouds.

The structure was a statue of a cultivator pointing at the heavens, glaring angrily, as if cursing the sky. An indescribable power enveloped the surroundings.

The grassland was quiet. A few small, spiritual beasts occasionally appeared, playing briefly before wandering off. After a long time, a stream of light appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching.

The light contained a woman. She was fair, but possessed strikingly blue hair. In the entire Cloud Sea Starfield, only one person had such hair: Li Qianmei of the Ninth Rank Shattering Sky Sect!

At five, she began cultivating; at seven, she established her Foundation; at nineteen, she formed her Core; at twenty-six, she reached Nascent Soul; at thirty-seven, she reached Spirit Transformation; at forty-five, she reached Soul Transformation; at sixty-one, she Ascended; and after a century of cultivation, she reached the peak of Yin Void.

Then, with the full support of the Shattering Sky Sect, she reached the peak of Nirvana Cleansing after four centuries of cultivation. Three centuries later, she became a mid-stage Cleansed Nirvana cultivator.

After another five centuries of training, she became the youngest Shattered Nirvana cultivator in the Shattering Sky Sect! Today, after over a thousand years of cultivation, her cultivation had reached the late stage of Shattered Nirvana. In the Cloud Sea Starfield, the name Li Qianmei was a legend! “Disciple Li Qianmei greets Grandmaster!” The light dissipated before the statue, revealing a graceful woman.

“Sima Mo’s jade slip has appeared. Go to the Fifth Rank Starfield. If possible, find the person who obtained the jade slip and bring them and the slip back…” A sorrowful, ancient voice echoed from within the statue, and ripples spread across the heavens and earth. Li Qianmei respectfully acknowledged and turned to leave.

Inside the statue sat a white-haired elder, his body covered in sores. A look of remembrance came to his eyes. After a long time, he shook his head and sighed. “Senior Brother Sima, perhaps the master was wrong back then…”