Aether crackled around Azurepine, coalescing into bolts reminiscent of his first clash with Wang Lin. They thundered forth with world-shattering force, hurtling towards the immense tide of elemental power before him, colliding in a cataclysmic instant.

The reverberations echoed across the heavens, the raw elemental power dissipated as the lightning cleaved through, a searing path aimed directly at Wang Lin. His eyes flashed, and he thrust forth a mighty fist.

Ancient God power surged within him, manifesting as a colossal spectral form looming behind him. This immense projection mirrored Wang Lin’s movements, its fist mirroring his, rending the very fabric of reality with a thunderous roar as it met the lightning assault head-on.

The heavens themselves recoiled! The lightning sigil fractured under the impact, its contained energy erupting into a tempest of celestial thunderbolts, cascading down upon Wang Lin. Azurepine, his eyes burning with malice, had unleashed his most potent spell, consumed by a venomous desire to obliterate Wang Lin.

“Lightning…” Wang Lin uttered with disdain, a sudden burst of pure energy igniting in his right eye. A vortex manifested between his brows as the Primordial Thunder Dragon, his nascent spirit, tore free and unleashed a deafening roar at the descending storm! *ROAR!*

The Primordial Thunder Dragon, wielder of the heavens’ thunderous decree! With the echo of that roar, the energy in Wang Lin’s right eye intensified, engulfing his form, transforming the surrounding hundreds of feet into a raging pool of electricity.

The descending thunderbolts faltered for a split second, then plunged into the storm around Wang Lin, merging with the swirling energy to create a boundless abyss of lightning. Wang Lin stood within this maelstrom, a being of pure thunder, breathing in the boundless energy, drawing the surrounding lightning into his right eye. Azurepine watched this scene unfold, his face paling, his eyes wide with disbelief. Nearby, Chen Tianjun, sweat pouring down his brow, stared in stunned horror.

Wang Lin paused not. Having absorbed the boundless energy, a faint lightning sigil now shimmered within his right eye. As if conjured by his will, a replica of Azurepine’s original attack flashed into existence and streaked towards its creator.

Azurepine staggered back, weaving frantic hand seals. The seven nascent souls within his face erupted forth, surrounding him in a shield of crimson light, a desperate attempt to withstand the onslaught.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed. Though his cultivation had not truly advanced, his understanding of the Tao had reached a new level. He was now stronger than during their first clash.

As the lightning bolt hurtled towards Azurepine, Wang Lin’s hand moved, tearing open a rift to his storage space. Seven-colored light spilled forth as the Seven-Colored Nail appeared in his grip. He cast it forth! The nail became a streak of iridescent light, whistling through the air towards its target.

The crimson barrier around Azurepine shimmered, then the lightning struck. The barrier seethed and bubbled, the air filled with thunderous cracks as the crimson light began to shatter and dissipate.

Azurepine continued to retreat, his right hand fumbling at his storage bag, seeking a protective treasure. But a sense of impending doom washed over him. In the gap in the dissolving crimson light, the Seven-Colored Nail pierced through, traveling at impossible speed!

Azurepine’s face turned deathly pale. The nail struck, bursting from his chest in a spray of blood, erupting into a cloud of iridescent mist. Azurepine’s spirit form attempted to flee within the chaotic mist, but it cried out in agony, as the Nail pierced it, pinning it to the very fabric of existence.

Panic flared in Azurepine’s spirit, replaced with insane rage. In that instant, Wang Lin materialized behind him, his right hand descending on the crown of Azurepine’s spirit, initiating a soul search at the moment of near destruction.

Memories flooded into Wang Lin’s mind from Azurepine’s spirit. Azurepine shuddered, madness consuming him. In a moment, his fury reached its peak, he roared at the sky, veins of crimson energy spreading from the wound in his chest, consuming his essence.

Wang Lin withdrew, ignoring Azurepine’s fading existence and looting everything of value from the opened storage space. All this transpired in the blink of an eye, and in that instant, Azurepine finally broke.

He clutched his head, his body radiating crimson light, his eyes burning with a feral light. Pointing a trembling finger at the heavens, he screamed in defiance. His body shuddered, a thunderous roar emanating from within as his form withered and decayed. In the final moment, his spirit dissolved, leaving behind a crimson pearl.

The pearl pulsed with crimson light, eclipsing the light of the Seven-Colored Realm, plunging the world into a blood-red twilight. The heavens dimmed as the pearl shot skyward.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. This was his first time using the Seven-Colored Nail. He knew from personal experience that it would drain all life force in a moment of final madness. He had never expected this, the creation of such a pearl upon death!

Seeing the pearl ascend, Wang Lin moved with incredible speed, reaching it in an instant. He grasped it tightly, but the pearl bucked and struggled, attempting to break free, and the chaotic power within sent tremors through Wang Lin’s mind, dragging him towards the void.

Wang Lin’s expression darkened. Suddenly, the Celestial Pearl within his soul, dormant for so long, sparked to life, spinning rapidly within his spirit. A strange vortex of energy enveloped his right hand and enveloped the struggling pearl. The pearl ceased to resist and was absorbed into Wang Lin’s right hand and then into the Celestial Pearl. In Wang Lin’s right hand, the iridescent light coalesced, reforming the Seven-Colored Nail.

Shaken by these events, Wang Lin betrayed no emotion as his gaze fell upon Chen Tianjun on a nearby peak.

Chen Tianjun had witnessed Wang Lin’s decimation of Azurepine. His face was ashen, and as Wang Lin looked at him, he instinctively retreated, bowing respectfully.
“Brave Lǚ, your cultivation shakes the very heavens! Chen admires you greatly! That Cang Songzi was a venomous cur, leading us to this forsaken place. That he met his end at your hand, Daoist Lǚ, is a fitting destiny. The wretch deserved his fate, and you delivered righteous justice!” Wang Lin stepped forward, approaching Chen Tianjun and offering a shallow bow.

“I departed earlier,” Chen Tianjun explained quickly, “but retracing my steps to the altar, I found myself unable to escape this Seven-Colored Realm. I was then beset by a monstrous beast, and wounded grievously. I sought refuge here to heal.” Chen Tianjun watched Wang Lin warily, speaking before he could be questioned.

“To escape a twelfth-level beast… you possess no small skill yourself,” Wang Lin remarked, his expression unchanged.

Chen Tianjun’s heart tightened with apprehension. He bowed respectfully. “My arts are… unique. I possess some knowledge of beasts, allowing me to barely escape with my life.” Seeing as he bore no grudge against Wang Lin, nor had they contended for treasures, Wang Lin offered a cursory bow and turned to depart.

“Daoist Lǚ, stay your steps!” Chen Tianjun, after a moment of hesitation spurred by Wang Lin’s departure, gritted his teeth and hardened his resolve. “I have a matter to beseech of you.”

“What is it?” Wang Lin turned back to Chen Tianjun.

“When you searched Cang Songzi’s soul, did you… did you discover a means of leaving this realm?” Chen Tianjun asked, his gaze fixed on Wang Lin, a hint of desperation in his eyes.

Wang Lin considered the question for a moment before nodding slowly.

Chen Tianjun released a relieved sigh. His expression became even more subservient. He clasped his hands together in a sincere bow. “I beg you, Daoist Lǚ, aid me in escaping this place! I will offer anything, name your price, so long as I can leave this infernal realm!”

Wang Lin’s eyes scanned Chen Tianjun’s face, and he shook his head. “I have no immediate plans to depart.”

Chen Tianjun’s face fell. After a moment’s pause, he said in a hushed tone, “That matters not! Simply take me with you when you do leave, Daoist Lǚ. I am in no rush. Should you find need of my services, do not hesitate to ask.”

He watched Wang Lin, but his expression remained unchanged, seemingly unmoved. He spoke again, quickly. “Daoist Lǚ, with my knowledge of these beasts and the skills of my Beast-Taming Sect, I could procure essence crystals amidst the countless fog-spawned monsters! By my reckoning, there must be hundreds of such beasts here, a vast treasure of crystals! If you agree to take me with you, I will risk all to gather every one of them for you! And upon our escape, I shall reward you handsomely.”

Wang Lin’s mind stirred. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded, extending a jade slip to Chen Tianjun. “When you have gathered the crystals, send me a message.” Without another glance at Chen Tianjun, Wang Lin turned and vanished.

Chen Tianjun watched Wang Lin’s form fade into the distance, then released a great sigh of relief. He spoke the truth: his only desire was to escape this realm. He had believed all hope lost, but witnessing Cang Songzi’s demise, he realized the key to his escape lay with Wang Lin. Hence, his desperate plea. “Gathering those crystals will be perilous. I need preparation.” Chen Tianjun took a deep breath, clutching the jade slip tightly as if it were his hope personified, and returned to his grotto.

Meanwhile, Wang Lin returned to his own mountain valley and immediately laid out a vast quantity of essence crystals, arranging them in a protective formation around his body. He began to absorb their energy, pulling the very essence of heaven and earth from all directions to fuel his ascension toward the middle stage of the Cleansing Nirvana realm.

“Though perilous, this place is an excellent site for cultivation. The memories of Cang Songzi reveal the location where his physical form might be re-formed within a stone statue. Perhaps I, too, could absorb its power. And then there are the three beings from beyond this realm; they hold power and information I seek. There is also the old crone in green, her arts of life and death, and Sima Mo’s forbidden magic of time…”

Far beyond, amidst the vast expanse of the starry sky, lay an endless star region, its size dwarfing even the domains of Luo Tian, Kun Xu, Zhao He, and the Cloud Sea. Even all four regions combined could not compare to this boundless expanse. It was known by those trapped within the sealed boundaries as the Outer Realm… but to those born within its starlit depths, it was called the Ancient Star Domain.

In a forgotten corner of this Ancient Star Domain, within a forbidden expanse of starlight, stood a mysterious palace. The palace was eerily silent, devoid of any sign of life. Within the grand hall, several shimmering orbs of light drifted lazily. Each orb contained a jade slip, upon which was etched a name… Qing Shui, Tian Yunzi, Chong Xuanzi, Shui Daozi, Sima Mo, Cang Songzi…

At that moment, the jade slip bearing Cang Songzi’s name shattered with a resounding crack, crumbling to dust. A sigh echoed through the silent palace. As it faded, time itself seemed to rewind. The dust from the shattered slip swirled and reassembled, reforming into a complete jade slip as if the destruction had never occurred.

However, upon this newly formed slip, the name etched upon its surface had changed. It now bore the name: Wang Lin. “A land to sow the seeds of Dao… the Dao is near completion… let this soul be the vessel to bring the Dao to fruition.” The murmuring voice reverberated through the hall, a whisper that seemed to originate from the very fabric of reality itself, echoing across the vast star-strewn expanse.

Deep within the Seven-Colored Realm, upon the mountain where Wang Lin’s spirit had once journeyed, the white-haired elder sat in silent meditation. Behind him lay a grotto, emitting a radiant seven-colored glow. From within, the faint echo of anguished wails emerged, carried on the ethereal light.

The old man suddenly lifted his head, gazing into the heavens. After a long pause, he nodded slowly.