The matter of the Cloudspirit Seed was set aside, unspoken. Old Pang, the elder, inwardly groaned, his mind still racing. He had offended Wang Lin with his earlier words, and the memory of Wang Lin’s icy pronouncements sent a chill down his spine.

“Do not let your divine senses stray too far,” boomed Elder Cangsongzi, “lest you attract the attention of the monstrous beasts. Though this is but the outer edge, twelve-tier Mistfiends roam here. And none shall fly higher than one hundred zhang.”

Wang Lin gazed at the rainbow shimmer in the sky, his brow furrowed in contemplation. The chromatic light was strange, imparting an indescribable sensation, a subtle hint of unfathomable rules and shifting energies.

“What manner of place is this?” Chen Tianjun of the Beast Sect of Pi Qianzhang inquired.

“The Seven-Colored Realm, as I call it,” Elder Cangsongzi replied, gazing ahead. “This outer area teems with the Mistfiend beasts. My own yuan-crystals came from this very place. I have ventured here before, but each time, I was turned back before I could penetrate its inner reaches.”

He continued, “Here, too, lie the remains of those who came before. From what I have gleaned, there are immortals among them, and other beings of strange power.” Cangsongzi gestured forward.

“Friends, please remain close and follow my lead. This place is perilous, and a moment’s inattention can lead to a grim demise.” He stepped off the altar and strode forward.

The group kept pace with Cangsongzi, cautiously advancing into the bizarre Seven-Colored Realm. Cangsongzi, his expression grave, followed a set path, leading them away from the altar and into the mist-filled depths.

Wang Lin’s eyes darted about as he walked. There were no trees here, only barren mountains and individual pockets of mist, each existing independently of the others.

Suddenly, Chen Tianjun of the Beast Sect halted, his gaze fixed on a mountain to their right. In its side, a stone cave was visible. It was clearly not a natural formation, but a grotto carved out for habitation.

“Indeed, that is a dwelling,” Cangsongzi said calmly, casting a glance at Chen Tianjun, “but a twelve-tier beast guards it. I lured it away on a previous visit and found some treasures within.” He then continued onward. Chen Tianjun, his face unreadable, watched Cangsongzi’s back.

As they journeyed deeper, the path grew increasingly treacherous. Cangsongzi, however, seemed intimately familiar with the terrain, always finding a new route when the old was blocked.

Time slowly passed. The adventurers began to sense a growing air of majesty. It grew heavier with each step, weighing on their minds and making their spirits tremble.

Cangsongzi’s countenance grew more serious, his pace slowing. He would pause every few steps, lost in thought, as if recalling the correct path.

Wang Lin, ever vigilant, noticed the multitude of ancient restrictions woven into the land. Most were long since broken, but some still remained active.

The power of these remaining restrictions was astonishing, far surpassing those within the Azurewood Cave. If not for their decayed state, progress would have been impossible.

Looking back, Wang Lin realized they had traveled ten li, yet they were still on the edge of the Seven-Colored Realm. The mountain range before them remained uncrossed, the landscape beyond still a mystery. In this place, there was no night, only the endless, chromatic day.

Cangsongzi stopped, rubbing his temples. “Friend Duanmu,” he said, his voice heavy, “the Reincarnation Pill lies just ahead, but a twelve-tier beast guards it. Acquiring the pill will not be easy.”

Before them, the path narrowed into a defile, flanked by shadowy mountains. Pebbles occasionally tumbled down the slopes, creating soft, echoing sounds. Otherwise, the silence was absolute.

At the far end of the defile, a wall of mist blocked the way. At the edge of the mist lay a skeleton, leaning against the mountain. Its clothing was mostly gone, a few tattered rags clinging to the bones.

On the skeleton’s pelvis lay a pill, faintly glowing with seven colors. It was cracked and broken, part of it already melted away, leaving it shaped like a crescent moon.

This was a pill that had been swallowed, but its consumer had ultimately failed to escape death, never fully digesting it! Though the years were long, a faint medicinal aroma emanated from the pill.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed as he caught the scent. It was strange. It coursed through his nostrils, jolting his Primordial Spirit and stirring unwelcome memories. Scenes from his past flickered before his eyes. He bit his tongue, clearing his mind with a jolt of pain. *Dangerous!* he thought.

He glanced at the others. Old Pang had already sealed off his senses, sensing the danger. The old woman in green had recovered from a moment of confusion. Chen Tianjun, too, had quickly regained his composure.

“What a potent pill!”

“Indeed, it is a Reincarnation Pill!” Duanmu, the boy, inhaled deeply, entranced by the aroma.

“Fellow Daoist Duanmu cultivates the Way of the Sun, Moon, and Reincarnation, seeking to grasp the essence of rebirth. To achieve enlightenment, one must undergo nine cycles of reincarnation, but the Heavenly Way is elusive and difficult to grasp,” Cangsongzi said evenly. “It is said that the ancient cultivators possessed Reincarnation Pills, imbued with the power of Heaven and Earth. When consumed, one could enter the cycle of reincarnation to seek the Heavenly Way. Alas, the pill has been lost to time, leaving only fragments of its formula. A true pill cannot be forged, only traces of the aura of reincarnation.”

Duanmu’s eyes flashed as he stared at Cangsongzi. “Fellow Daoist Cangsongzi knows much. You must have done your research before seeking me out.”

Cangsongzi said nothing.

“If not for the mist guarding the skeleton, Cangsongzi would not have been so willing to invite me here,” Duanmu said, glancing at the swirling mists.

“That is true. Friend Duanmu’s Reincarnation Grand Freedom Divine Ability will be invaluable for the journey ahead. We will help you obtain the pill, and you will help us clear the path that lies beyond,” Cangsongzi admitted.

“Very well!” The boy paused, then glanced at the Reincarnation Pill. His expression became grave.

“It is guarded by a twelve-tier Mistfiend Jiaolong, equivalent to a Split-Ethereal late-stage cultivator. But beasts are beasts. If we cooperate, and with Fellow Daoist Duanmu’s art of reincarnation, victory is not impossible!” Cangsongzi boomed.

“I want the Jiaolong’s soul!” Chen Tianjun, of the Beast Sect, licked his lips.

“The Jiaolong’s flesh is mine!” the old woman said.

Wang Lin opened his mouth, “I want all the yuancrystals within the mist.”

Having all staked their claims, all three turned to Cangsongzi.

Cangsongzi smiled. “Agreed. My friend Pang and I had no intention of taking those things. Our only goal is to pass through this place.”

Duanmu’s eyes glinted coldly. He took a deep breath, making incantations. The boy’s hair danced in an unfelt wind, and his eyes shimmered with a spectral light, forming the Pupils of Sun and Moon. With a cry, he touched his brow with his left hand and then pointed with his right.

His eyes blazed with a spectral light, the Seal of the Sun and Moon appearing from within them. Everyone around him felt as if their spirits were being drawn out of them. Wang Lin remained unfazed, but still watchful.

The two seals circled each other, forming a vortex, which swept towards the mist.

The seals crashed against the mists, and the area churned violently. A mighty roar shook the very mountains, sending stones tumbling down the slopes.

From the mist surged the head of a gigantic Jiaolong, its fetid breath washing over them, threatening to devour them.

And with the head came a crushing pressure that rivaled a Split-Ethereal late-stage cultivator, shaking everyone to their very cores.

With a shriek, Duanmu unleashed a torrent of images, Sun and Moon, to envelop the Jiaolong’s head, forming a vortex around the Jiaolong’s head.

“My reincarnation art can only affect it for ten breaths! You must hurry!” The boy’s face was contorted, veins popping on his forehead. He sat down, summoning a seven-foot flying sword that circled around him. It transformed into a beam of light and hurtled toward the Jiaolong.

Chen Tianjun took a step forward, making incantations. A spectral light flickered, and he arrived before the Jiaolong. He sat cross-legged on the head, and light swirled around him as he melded into the beast.

Cangsongzi waved his hand, summoning thousands of flying swords, forming a rain of steel. Then, the old woman blew a freezing wind that turned the very defile into ice, rushing towards the Jiaolong.

The old man Pang was also not idle. With a leap, he raised his hands, and lightning flashed, casting down thunderbolts.

Wang Lin flickered, striking the beast with his fist. As the blows landed on the Jiaolong’s body, it roared and writhed, struggling to break free.