The Grand Elder of the Flash Thunder Clan, his primordial spirit on the brink of oblivion, suffered grievous wounds from the earlier sword strike. The clash between the undying thunder and the seven-foot blade unleashed a tempestuous force that shattered the majority of his essence. By all rights, he should have ceased to exist.

Now, naught remained but a tattered wisp of his former self. His memories were scattered like leaves in the autumn wind, his very sentience clouded and faint. He hovered on the precipice of oblivion, ready to fade into the fabric of the cosmos, when the Kun-Ji Whip, gleaming with golden light, swept through the void and ensnared his broken spirit.

The Kun-Ji Whip, a conduit of celestial power, could lengthen or shorten at will. With a swift tug, the Grand Elder’s once haughty and invincible spirit was plucked from the ether and seized in Wang Lin’s grasp.

Such a soul, once belonging to a cultivator nearing the pinnacle of the Fifth Decay of Heaven and Man, a single stride from transcending into a Great Power, could not be allowed to dissipate. Simply slaying him and binding him to the art of Scattering Beans into Soldiers would create a formidable weapon, let alone the wealth of cosmic energy and profound understanding of thunder contained within his essence.

To others, the Grand Elder’s spirit would have been a precious treasure, a rare celestial ingredient. But in Wang Lin’s hands, it was worth infinitely more, a boon akin to a grand creation itself!

“This soul serves a vital purpose!” Wang Lin declared, his form blurring as he followed the Scattered Spirit Sage, who carried seven million souls from a shattered world, toward the void rift.

The seven million souls, remnants of a world forged by another’s hand, now lay scarred and broken after an unprecedented war spanning millennia. As the boundaries of their reality crumbled, savage storms raged, devouring all in their path. The sounds of destruction echoed like mournful bells, tolling the end of the world and the return of all things to dust.

As Wang Lin departed, his mind was clear. Though his time in the Ancient Star System had been brief, he had consumed the memories of countless cultivators. He knew the Flash Thunder Clan was a dominant force in the system, their Grand Elder akin to a king, wielding absolute authority.

Even among the Ancient Star System’s inhabitants, the Grand Elder was a figure of renown, feared by all save for the rare Third Step Great Powers. Moreover, the Flash Thunder Clan’s sacred relic had been placed within the Sealed Realm Formation, making the Grand Elder vital to the stability of the system.

His death would surely unleash a cataclysm. Even Tuo Sen, who had slain countless souls within the Ancient Star System, had never felled one of such stature. Those aware of their impending defeat would often send their clansmen to their doom while they themselves sought escape.

The Grand Elder’s demise would reverberate throughout the Ancient Star System. Wang Lin knew not whether the Third Step Great Powers possessed the means to discern this event, but regardless, a great crisis awaited him.

The exodus of the seven million souls would surely lead to the Flash Thunder Clan’s annihilation, triggering a series of earth-shattering events. The collapse of such a powerful clan would draw attention from across the cosmos.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed, and despite the looming threat, he would not falter.

The echoes of the crumbling seven million souls faded into the distance. The battle had been more arduous than even his encounter with the Water Dao Child. Though he had been powerless then, the Grand Elder had proven a far more formidable foe. “Yet, the greater the struggle, the greater the reward. Without the aid of the Scattered Spirit Sage, I could never have slain a cultivator in the Fifth Decay of Heaven and Man!”

Following the void rift, starlight soon emerged. With elation, the Scattered Spirit Sage led his people through, stepping into the Flash Thunder Clan’s star domain within the Ancient Star System.

Tears streamed down the Scattered Spirit Sage’s face as he entered. He laughed with unrestrained joy. Not only he but the surviving millions from the shattered world, now spared from certain death in the void by the sage’s protection, had witnessed their salvation and stepped into the immortal realm that had dictated their fates for countless years. The sheer ecstasy was beyond words.

“This is the immortal realm, the world of those who decided our fate. From this day forward, my people shall call ourselves immortals! If there are Flash Thunder Clans and other factions, then there shall be the Immortal Clan as well!” The Scattered Spirit Sage laughed, but his laughter soon turned to weeping.

The entire populace of the shattered world wept with him. Their countless years of suffering were unimaginable to outsiders, especially considering that their freedom had come at the cost of nine-tenths of their people’s lives, fueling their grief.

“From this moment onward, we are free!”

Wang Lin silently watched the Scattered Spirit Sage and his people, listening to their words and observing their joyous smiles and tears. He sighed inwardly, lifting his head to gaze at the starry skies of the Ancient Star System. He yearned for the power to pierce through all obstacles and see what lay beyond the stars.

“Have we truly escaped?” After a long silence, Wang Lin lowered his head and murmured to himself. He recalled a night of discourse with Lu Yuncong and Li Qianmei in the Cloud Sea Star Territory.

“The Heavens and Earth are the cause. Even if we break free from one cage, more cages lie beyond. What truly constitutes escape?”

The Scattered Spirit Sage gradually calmed his emotions and turned toward Wang Lin, offering a sincere bow with clasped fists.

“Daoist friend, the Scattered Spirit Sage will never forget your grace. My entire Immortal Clan will never forget it, generation after generation. Whatever you may ask, the Immortal Clan will brave fire and water, never daring to refuse!” As the Scattered Spirit Sage finished speaking, the surviving millions of his people turned their eyes to Wang Lin, revealing deep gratitude and clasping their fists in unison.

“The Immortal Clan will brave fire and water, never daring to refuse!”

The Scattered Spirit Sage waved his right hand, conjuring a storm of spiritual thunder from his palm, unleashing tens of thousands of them toward Wang Lin.

“This is what I promised you!”

Wang Lin accepted the gift with an undisturbed expression, collecting all the spiritual thunder with a flick of his sleeve. It was a well-earned reward, even if each spark represented the life of a Tribulation Transcendent cultivator.

“The Flash Thunder Clan’s Undying Thunder Source has been weakened. I intend to attack them again to devour it. What say you?” Wang Lin’s gaze settled upon the Scattered Spirit Sage.

The Scattered Spirit Sage’s eyes flared with killing intent, and he replied in a deep voice, “That is well. I shall never forgive the Flash Thunder Clan. If we do not seize this opportunity to utterly destroy them, I cannot quell the hatred for the loss of nine-tenths of my people!”

Without further ado, Wang Lin stepped forward, lightning flashing in his right eye. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, striking out with his true form, far more potent than his previous incarnation.

Only the Grand Elder, a cultivator in the Fifth Decay of Heaven and Man, could pose a challenge to Wang Lin. As for the others, unless they did not practice the Way of Thunder, they might be troublesome. After all, there were still two cultivators in the Fourth Decay within the Flash Thunder Clan.

But if they practiced the Way of Thunder, even the Fourth Decay would hold no fear for Wang Lin. The battle of thunder cultivators hinged on the manipulation of lightning!

Wang Lin had devoured eight Ancient Thunder Dragons and now possessed tens of thousands of spiritual thunder sparks. Though he had yet to find a place to refine them completely, his thunder origin was already terrifyingly powerful. Who could compare to his origin?

Even those thunder cultivators in the Fourth Decay were no match for him. “With the Grand Elder dead, the Flash Thunder Clan has lost its fangs!”

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with cold light. He increased his speed, his thunderous form hurtling toward the protective array formed by the Flash Thunder Clan’s six cultivation stars!

“This battle must be swift! We must smash through quickly, devour the Undying Thunder, and leave at once!” As Wang Lin advanced, the heavens and earth trembled. Countless lightning bolts materialized within the cosmos, converging toward him, encircling his body as if an emperor were traveling with a million soldiers at his side.

This was because Wang Lin’s thunder origin was far too powerful, attracting all lightning within the cosmos to spontaneously coalesce around him. The thunder continued to gather, expanding in range!

In a mere moment, the lightning surrounding Wang Lin had become a veritable thunder domain, blanketing the heavens and unleashing unparalleled thunderous might, surpassing even a heavenly tribulation!

Wang Lin’s thunderous power was earth-shattering. If anyone were to witness it, they would be in utter shock. Even a Third Step Great Power would narrow their eyes at the sight.

Within the ancient legends of the world, a hidden rumor lay buried within the sands of time, a rumor that spoke of the ultimate secret of becoming a Third Step Great Power!

The rumor spoke of relying on the incense offerings of disciples to continuously strengthen and nourish one’s origin. Eventually, one might open the gates of heaven and earth, perfecting one’s origin, allowing the cultivator to undergo a transformative change, stepping into the Third Step and becoming, not a cultivator, but a Great Power!

However, few knew that an even more ancient tale existed, one that spoke of becoming a Third Step Great Power not through incense offerings or external forces, but through one’s own comprehension, using a method now lost to time. One would perfect one’s origin through sheer will, shattering the gates of heaven and earth to become an earth-shattering Third Step Great Power!

Becoming a Third Step Great Power in this manner would make one a legend among Third Step cultivators!

Wang Lin’s path of cultivation was leading him step by step toward this very legend!