“The Crystalline Null is a personal treasure, not a matter for your Myla Sect!” The aged voice boomed, an iridescent streak approaching from the distant sky, coalescing beside Ouyang Long as the ancient Azurepine.

The yellow-robed youth scoffed, his voice tight, “Thirty-five thousand Source Crystals!”

“Forty thousand!” Azurepine responded, his demeanor unchanged, as if such a sum were but dust in his aged palms. This nonchalance did not escape the notice of the surrounding cultivators, their gazes upon Azurepine now laced with wonder and unease.

Azurepine, Grand Elder of the Jadeite Enclave, held even its Master in casual regard, commanding a legion of devoted disciples, enough to challenge the very throne. Yet, his demeanor was one of quiet reserve. His secret acquisition of celestial jade and vast stores of Source Crystals had not gone unnoticed, but the Enclave Master, for reasons of his own, had never questioned him.

“Fifty thousand Source Crystals!” The yellow-robed youth spat, his jaw clenched.

Azurepine merely chuckled, uncaring that he now revealed his hidden wealth. Let suspicion rise, let the greater realms take note – he would be gone from this insignificant isle of Penglai after this day, perhaps forever. The path he now trod held the promise of immeasurable power, and he feared no scrutiny.

“Sixty thousand!” Azurepine declared, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone measured.

“You…!” The yellow-robed youth inhaled deeply, steeling himself to respond.

“Seventy thousand!” Azurepine’s gaze pierced the youth, a mirthless smile playing on his lips. “The Myla Sect sends few to these lesser realms. The path back to the Seventh Sphere is long, young one. Ensure your journey is…uncomplicated.”

A hush fell over the assembly. To threaten a scion of the Seventh Sphere was a rare audacity indeed!

“What manner of power does Azurepine wield, that he dares such a gambit?!”

The yellow-robed youth stared at Azurepine, his eyes narrowed, before finally exhaling a cold laugh. He turned, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the vastness of the heavens.

Azurepine, his face impassive, gave a curt bow to Wang Lin. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a pouch flying towards him, then seized the armor with a practiced hand. He examined it with meticulous care, a smile slowly spreading across his weathered face. “Daoist Wang, the deposit is within the pouch, a sum of eighty thousand Source Crystals. Shall we depart?”

Wang Lin accepted the pouch, his senses probing within. He noted the vast stores of wealth, a testament to Azurepine’s cunning and ruthlessness.

Yet, even with such sharp wits, Azurepine could not compare to Tian Yunzi. And Wang Lin had crossed blades with Tian Yunzi himself. This Azurepine held no fear for him.

With a slight nod, Wang Lin strode forward, transforming into a stream of light that sped toward the heavens. Azurepine chuckled, then followed, joining Wang Lin in a dance of light that vanished into the distance. The auction, now tainted by this strange spectacle, dissolved as the attendees dispersed, their minds awash with questions.

Beyond the borders of Penglai Isle, Wang Lin and Azurepine streaked through the misty void. Suddenly, a flute’s haunting melody drifted through the star-strewn expanse.

In the distance, the mist churned, revealing the blue-haired Li Qianmei, her eyes upon Wang Lin, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

Wang Lin paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. He turned to Azurepine, “Daoist Azurepine, proceed ahead. I will join you shortly.”

Azurepine offered a knowing smile, producing a jade slip and offering it to Wang Lin. “Daoist Wang, meet me at the location marked on this star chart. My companions and I await your arrival.”

With a glance at Li Qianmei, he offered a curt bow, then vanished into the star-filled expanse, showing no concern that Wang Lin would not follow.

“I thought you had departed. Why have you returned?” Wang Lin asked, his voice calm.

“I had,” Li Qianmei replied, her eyes sparkling. “But I remembered your promise of a parting gift.”

Wang Lin frowned. “I can offer it here… Your strength is considerable, so the dangers should not be too great. But still, be cautious.”

“Who knows? Perhaps this is the last we shall see of each other… the coming bestial chaos troubles even my master.” Li Qianmei shook her head, her voice soft.

Wang Lin said nothing, and Li Qianmei sighed, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “Azurepine’s actions are shrouded in mystery. I had intended to travel with you…” She bit her lip and removed a jade bracelet from her wrist.

“You answered three questions for me, each deserving of a gift. This is for the third. It is a protective artifact. Take it and be safe.” Li Qianmei offered the bracelet to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin gazed at Li Qianmei, a complex emotion swirling within him. He took the bracelet, feeling the faint warmth of her touch, and then shook his head, returning it to her.

“Why do you refuse it?” Li Qianmei asked, her voice quiet.

“It is too precious. I cannot accept it. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave,” Wang Lin said, offering a bow and turning to depart.

Li Qianmei, her face composed, flung the bracelet into the star-filled void. It shimmered with emerald light as it vanished.

“If you refuse it, then neither will I.” Wang Lin paused, looking back at Li Qianmei.

“If you refuse my gift, then I shall reclaim this painting.” Li Qianmei summoned a scroll, offering it to Wang Lin. “The landscape within is beautiful, but it lacks life. I have added a few strokes.”

Wang Lin took the scroll but did not unroll it. Instead, he summoned a spatial rift, and from within emerged a bar of pure gold.

The gold shimmered, coalescing into a brush in Wang Lin’s hand.

With swift, practiced movements, Wang Lin inscribed a series of runes upon the air, a symbol of immense power and complexity.

“This brush is a celestial treasure. Wield it in conjunction with these runes, and even with your current strength, you will command a power beyond your comprehension.” Wang Lin released the brush, and it hovered in the air, bathed in golden light. Without another glance at Li Qianmei, Wang Lin transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the void.
“You have answered my three riddles. I will not let you escape now.” Li Qianmei’s face bloomed with a cruel smile as she watched the direction Wang Lin had vanished. She raised a jade flute to her lips, and a haunting melody began to weave through the star-mist, echoing outwards into the vastness…

Far away, the notes reached Wang Lin’s ears. He glanced at the scroll in his hand, unrolling it to reveal a desolate landscape. Gone were the vibrant rivers and lakes, replaced by cracked earth and dust. In the parched riverbed, two fish lay pressed together, desperately sharing their meager moisture.

A frown furrowed Wang Lin’s brow, and a bitter smile touched his lips. He carefully re-sealed the scroll and continued his journey, the melancholic flute music his only companion.

After a long while, Li Qianmei lowered her flute. With a flick of her wrist, a golden brush appeared in her hand. She turned and stepped into the void, slowly receding into the star-mist…

Following the star charts etched on Cang Songzi’s jade slip, Wang Lin sped through the nebula like a fleeting spark, heading towards his destination. But suddenly, he halted, his gaze fixed in disbelief.

Not far ahead, a jade bracelet shimmered with a verdant light, suspended in the swirling star-mist. Neither Wang Lin nor Li Qianmei could have foreseen such a coincidence – her casual toss of the bracelet had inadvertently placed it directly along the path dictated by Wang Lin’s star charts.

Despite this, the star-mist was boundless, a sea of cosmic proportions. To spot the jade bracelet in this immensity was akin to finding a single grain of sand on an endless beach.

After a long, silent contemplation, Wang Lin reached out with his right hand, and the jade bracelet floated into his grasp. With a sigh, he renewed his pace, vanishing into the star-mist.

Not far from Penglai, a territory within the Fifth Star Region, lay a small, desolate continent, sparsely populated by savage beasts and rarely visited by cultivators. But now, three figures sat cross-legged upon its barren surface.

“Cang Songzi, the location of this place is our most guarded secret. Why have you allowed that Lu fellow to join us?” The speaker was an elder, his face scarred and pitted – one of the individuals Wang Lin had encountered at Cang Songzi’s private gathering.

Cang Songzi, seated serenely, remained unperturbed. “This individual can employ the Spirit Binding Seal. With him, our chances of success increase by two-tenths! And Zhao Daoist,” he continued, turning to another figure, an old woman dressed in green, also known to Wang Lin, “I must also trouble you with your Passage-Shifting Technique. After the deed is done, as agreed, you may choose three items from our spoils.”

“This old one will do her best,” the crone rasped in reply.

At that moment, the star-mist swirling around the desolate continent began to churn. A piercing cackle echoed through the air, and the mists parted, revealing an old man clad in a black and white Daoist robe, a Daoist crown perched atop his head. With a few steps, he traversed the distance between them, as if shrinking the land itself, and arrived beside the waiting three.

As the old man emerged, a thick, cloying scent of blood permeated the air. Within the mists behind him, countless wraiths lurked, occasionally revealing their ghastly faces, emitting silent, mournful cries. “Cang Songzi, I encountered some old enemies along the way, and was delayed.” The old man’s face was deathly pale, yet his eyes gleamed with an eerie, spectral light.

“Yun Hunzi!” The pitted-faced elder’s eyes narrowed upon seeing the Daoist-crowned figure.

The Daoist crown-clad man’s face twitched slightly, and he chuckled darkly. “Pang Daoist, we meet again.” He then scanned the green-clad crone before finally resting his gaze upon Cang Songzi. “Cang Songzi, are we only four this time?”

“There are three more! They should be arriving soon,” Cang Songzi said, licking his lips slowly. As the words left his lips, a disturbance arose in the star-mist ahead. The clouds roiled and parted, revealing a lone figure.

Clad in white robes, his black hair flowing freely, his eyes radiating a chilling indifference, Wang Lin emerged from the mist and fixed his gaze upon the four figures before him.

“A nascent soul whelp? Cang Songzi, you brought a nascent soul into this?” Yun Hunzi’s brow furrowed.

“He is not a nascent soul!” Cang Songzi replied, a smile playing on his lips.

“Oh?” Yun Hunzi’s eyes glinted. As Wang Lin drew closer, Yun Hunzi swept his right hand forward, and the countless wraiths behind him surged forth with a haunting wail, rushing towards Wang Lin.