Her shriek pierced the air, a blade of terror slicing through the silence. It resonated with a primal fear, as if the statue’s visage held dominion over the silver-clad woman, inflicting wounds that lingered even through the veils of her lost memories. The mere sight of it unleashed this raw, agonizing cry.

Wang Lin stood aghast, for such a drastic transformation was unforeseen, a side of her he had never glimpsed. His pupils constricted, and he surged to his feet, his hand a blur as he snatched the offending statue away from her sight.

The silver woman recoiled, retreating until her back pressed against the cave’s deepest recess. Her eyes, wide and haunted, mirrored an all-consuming dread. Her body trembled violently, and her face was ashen, as though she were a lone skiff tossed amidst a raging storm, a picture of utter vulnerability.

As Wang Lin moved to approach, she suddenly looked up, her eyes overflowing with unimaginable horror, and she hissed, “Stay back!”

Her voice was laced with desperation and helplessness, a profound distrust of all living things under the heavens. Even Wang Lin, it seemed, could not breach the wall of fear that had risen around her.

Wang Lin halted, a pang of regret piercing his heart. He had been consumed with the need to unveil the statue’s identity, blind to the dormant terrors it might unleash.

A soft sob escaped her lips, and two streams of tears traced paths down her cheeks, gathering on her chin before falling to the ground, each drop a faint, mournful note.

The tears shattered upon impact, leaving a spreading stain of sorrow on the stone floor.

“Stay away… please, stay away… I did nothing wrong… the gate, it wasn’t me… it wasn’t I…” She bit down on her lip, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, and she slowly slid down the cave wall, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The scene was so heartbreaking, it would stir pity in the most hardened heart.

Wang Lin remained silent, then after a long pause, he breathed a sigh and whispered, “I’m sorry…”

The woman’s face was buried in her arms, and her weeping continued, still stained with the indelible ink of fear.

With deliberate steps, Wang Lin approached, and he knelt beside her. He gently stroked her silken hair, murmuring, “Don’t be afraid, it’s over… Don’t dwell on it. If you’ve forgotten, let it remain forgotten.”

Under Wang Lin’s soothing words, the woman gradually calmed, though her body still trembled. After a long while, she looked up, her eyes wide with lingering terror, and her teeth had broken the skin of her lower lip, drawing blood.

“The gate… I didn’t open the gate… I truly didn’t…” she murmured, her gaze fixed on Wang Lin, her eyes pleading with him through a mist of fear and confusion.

“I know, I know…” Wang Lin replied softly, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. This woman recognized the statue, and perhaps, she had even encountered the person it depicted!

*Who could it be?* Wang Lin wondered, his eyes flashing with a mix of concern and determination.

“I know you didn’t open the gate. Don’t think about it anymore,” Wang Lin soothed.

“They’re all dead… all murdered…” the woman murmured, as if she hadn’t heard Wang Lin’s words, her eyes glazed with fear and bewilderment.

“Taoyun is dead… Zilu is dead too… all gone…”

“He believed we opened the gate… all of us died. Even I am dead…”

Wang Lin paused, and after a moment, he looked at the trembling woman and asked, “Who is *he*?”

“He is…” The woman’s body convulsed, and a fresh wave of fear washed over her, multiplied tenfold. Simultaneously, her face contorted in agony, as if an excruciating pain was rising from within her, a tidal wave threatening to drown her.

The torment wrung another piercing scream from her, a desperate attempt to ward off memories, to suppress all thoughts related to *him*.

In the midst of this anguish, a streak of azure light danced beneath her skin, like a phantom serpent coursing through her veins. In the blink of an eye, the light coalesced into a grotesque brand upon her face, a macabre mask that consumed her beauty, transforming her into a demonic specter.

She snapped her head up, and in that instant, the fear and confusion vanished from her eyes. They were replaced by a cold, emotionless void, a chilling desolation. As she lifted her head, a surge of power, like a tempest unleashed, erupted from within her.

Wang Lin’s heart pounded in his chest as a sharp prickle of danger rippled through his senses. He flung himself backward without hesitation. In the instant he retreated, the woman raised her right hand and struck downwards towards Wang Lin!

The palm landed, and while not disrupting the ambient energy of the celestial domain around them, the entire cultivation planet shuddered violently. The heavens, once serene and bright, were suddenly tainted, as if dipped in ink. Darkness devoured the land, blotting out the sun, severing the connection between sky and earth.

In the inky blackness, a thunderous roar echoed through the heavens, unlike any ordinary lightning strike, tearing a colossal rift into the sky. This fissure was far more profound than any spatial tear; it was a gaping maw, a void that defied the very fabric of reality, as if the tear led to a realm beyond comprehension, the deepest, most mysterious stratum of this starfield!

As the rift opened, a wisp of azure air howled forth, racing towards Wang Lin’s cave. The protective barriers, which would normally be able to repel it with ease, offered no resistance, and they shattered, allowing the azure energy to wrap itself around the woman’s outstretched hand!

All of this occurred in a flash, as swiftly as the woman’s hand had risen. The azure energy had arrived with an almost supernatural speed!

“This is not spiritual power, not celestial energy, not the power of the heavens and earth, nor the aura of ancient demons, ancient devils, or ancient gods!” Wang Lin shouted, his pupils contracting.

The woman’s hand descended, and the azure energy solidified into a cyan palm print, seeking to pulverize Wang Lin!
In the blink of an eye, the spectral palm descended. Wang Lin, hands weaving arcane gestures, channeled the wild surge of his inner essence. With a mighty sweep, he conjured a colossal vortex, a swirling maelstrom of power to meet the incoming blow.

The clash was deafening. The vortex shattered, yet the palm remained unscathed, cleaving through the remnants of the spell.

Wang Lin retreated, using the vortex’s collapse as a springboard, hurtling himself from the confines of the cavern. His right eye blazed with celestial lightning, unleashing a thunderous image, a vast lightning tapestry blooming before him!

Nine rings of accompanying lightning danced around the tapestry, amplifying its power, its roar echoing through the heavens. The lightning shield whirled, seeking to bar the palm’s advance!

The following explosion dwarfed the first, shaking the very foundations of the world. As the echoes subsided, the lightning tapestry cracked and bowed. The palm, its azure aura diminished, pressed onward with relentless pursuit.

Wang Lin’s eyes glinted with cold resolve. Planting his right foot firmly, he halted his backward flight, remaining suspended in the air. His right hand shot out, grasping at the void. Crimson light erupted, bathing the world in its bloody glow. The Bloodsword, a blade of legend, materialized in his grip.

As the palm shattered the remnants of the lightning shield and bore down upon him, Wang Lin snarled. Clutching the Bloodsword, he cleaved downwards with savage force!

The crimson light intensified, unleashing a crimson wave, a tide of blood that formed a colossal sword-light, crashing upon the ethereal palm. With a resounding roar, the Bloodsword paused for but a moment, then rent the palm asunder, splitting it into two!

The severed palm dissipated in a thunderous burst, its essence of azure refusing to fade. It coalesced into a small sphere, rising skyward, seeking to rejoin the monstrous rift that hung in the heavens.

Wang Lin, head thrown back, tasted the bitter tang of blood rising in his throat. He suppressed the urge to cough, his expression hardening into a mask of cold fury. Raising the Bloodsword, he soared upwards, intercepting the ascending azure sphere as it approached the celestial tear. With a furious gesture, his right hand grasped at the heavens!

“Descend!” he bellowed.

The world shuddered. A gargantuan, spectral hand materialized, spanning the heavens. It seized the azure sphere with a mighty grip!

As the sphere fell into Wang Lin’s grasp, the gaping rift in the sky shuddered, then abruptly contracted, vanishing entirely. The oppressive darkness receded, banished by the sudden return of the sun. The land was once more bathed in light.

Wang Lin, his face grim, descended to the cavern floor, the azure sphere clutched in his hand. He studied the fallen form of the silver-clad woman, his brow furrowing with concern.

She lay prostrate, her face ashen, her body wracked with tremors. Her lips moved, uttering whispered pleas.

“It wasn’t me… I didn’t open the gate… it wasn’t me…”

His expression hardening, Wang Lin approached the woman. After a careful examination, he wove a tapestry of arcane seals with his left hand, each one a ward against unseen forces, and laid them upon her.

When he was finished, he stared at the azure essence held within his right palm, a frown etched upon his face.

“This is a power unlike any I have encountered! It is not the power of incense, nor is it true origin. Yet it bears a kinship to the very source. What is it truly? Could it be related to the idol? This woman conceals secrets aplenty… What is her true nature?

One of the Eight Ancient Consorts, perhaps?” Wang Lin wondered aloud.

“She spoke of the poison within incense. I believed she had once walked that path, only to be tainted and brought low. But now… now I sense the truth is far more complex!

Did she know the incense was venomous even before she embraced its power?”

Wang Lin’s gaze turned frosty, fixed upon the unconscious woman. After a long moment, he raised his right hand, placing it upon her crown. He would employ a technique he had long resisted using upon her, the Soul-Stripping Art.

“We are not enemies, nor do I wish you harm. But the secrets you hold are vital to me. With my power, I can wield the Soul-Stripping Art with caution, leaving your spirit unbroken!”

Wang Lin closed his eyes, his consciousness flowing through his right hand, invading the woman’s mind.

Her inner world was a churning vortex, tainted by a malevolent azure light that flickered erratically. Wang Lin’s consciousness swept through the chaos, seeking the threads of memory. Yet no matter how deeply he delved, no trace of coherent thought could be found.

Only chaos, and the relentless, suffocating azure.

As his consciousness probed further, a faint tug drew him forward, towards a region shrouded in the azure mist.

The swirling haze was fainter here. Wang Lin’s consciousness circled it, probing cautiously before extending a tendril into the depths. The moment it entered, the azure flared, bathing the area in an intense, otherworldly light. The azure motes surged forth, drawn to his consciousness like moths to a flame.

The azure power was similar to what he encountered in the outside world!

As the azure swarm bore down on him, Wang Lin’s consciousness darted and weaved, a fleeting wisp of energy seeking to evade the assault. He pressed deeper.

The azure thickened, the motes massing until they formed a nearly impenetrable barrier, a ravenous swarm intent on devouring his consciousness.

In a desperate gamble, Wang Lin’s consciousness compressed, forming a needle-point of pure will. As the azure swirled around him, he struck with sudden force, piercing the swarm at its weakest point.

The void roared. In the cavern, the seated Wang Lin winced. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Within the woman’s mind, his consciousness was depleted. Only a fragment remained, driven by desperate resolve as it plunged deeper into the azure darkness!

The resistance was immense, but as his consciousness pierced the barrier, the last dregs of his essence burst into the deep depths of the azure mist!

Wang Lin’s consciousness recoiled as he entered the heart of the void, revealing a breathtaking scene, something he would never forget.

Within the depths of the azure mist sat a figure, cross-legged in meditation!
He was draped in a robe of shimmering, iridescent hues. His countenance was that of a man in his middle years, seated in the lotus position. An aura of rainbow light emanated from his form, yet he was neither a primordial spirit nor a being of flesh and blood. Instead, he was the embodiment of an ancient seal!

Within the cavern, Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open, reflecting a profound shock. He retracted his hand from the crown of the silver-clad woman’s head. Though his arcane probing had yielded no memories, the endeavor had proven to be immensely fruitful!

“The figure dwelling within this woman’s mind…it is identical to the one depicted by the statue!” Wang Lin murmured, a disquieting weight settling upon his soul.

“Again, the colors of the rainbow…” The instant he glimpsed the spectral form, the thought that flashed across Wang Lin’s mind was of the Venerated Sovereign. Yet, this notion was fleeting, swiftly dismissed.

Powerful as the Sovereign might be, his strength could not possibly manifest in such a way that a mere statue could inspire such dread within Wang Lin! He was no stranger to the might of the third step, the Daoist Blue Dream being a peer of the Sovereign himself. Such comparisons allowed Wang Lin to discern the truth with relative ease.

“Rainbow…rainbow…throughout my cultivation, I have encountered these hues time and again. Tian Yunzi favored the rainbow. The Sovereign, too, possessed its colors. Even some mystical arts bear its mark…and then there’s the Dao Fruit of the Rainbow Realm Seed!

“And the Seven-Colored Sky Piercing Nail!” Wang Lin’s gaze flickered with intensity, a nascent understanding stirring within him. He sensed that within the rainbow’s spectrum lay a profound and closely guarded secret!

“And the jade aura and emerald light from before…could they be but fragments of the rainbow’s totality?” Wang Lin frowned, pondering the enigma for what seemed like an eternity, before sighing and with a flick of his sleeve, consigning the silver-clad woman back into the depths of his storage space.

“This matter is shrouded in such uncertainty that overthinking it is futile. For now, it is of greater importance to refine Greed Wolf’s treasures and secure the essence of the Fire Sparrow!” Wang Lin mused. He banished the statue from his thoughts, and instead, drew forth Greed Wolf’s possessions, preparing to reforge and scrutinize them.

“The Floating Crystal Ninety-Nine Swords…Greed Wolf obtained them from the skull of an ancient demon. According to his memories, the skull lacked stars in its eyes. The ninety-nine swords circling the skull were all stained with fresh blood, forming a formidable sword array!” Wang Lin waved his hand, and instantly, the ninety-nine blades swirled around him, each identical to the other, radiating an aura of chilling malevolence.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with arcane energy, his divine sense unfurling like a shroud, meticulously examining each of the ninety-nine blades.

“Indeed, these are treasures of the ancient demon race, imbued with a potent demonic essence! I may be unable to unleash their full potential, but should my second avatar reach its zenith, that demon avatar wielding these blades would be a force to be reckoned with!

“Should I keep them, or forge them anew…” Wang Lin pondered for a moment, then with a wave of his hand, left his mark and imbued the ninety-nine blades with his own restrictive seals before consigning them back to his storage space.

“To refine them would be to squander and dissipate their demonic essence, so I shall preserve them for now, and once I return to the Realm Within, I shall allow my second avatar to absorb them! Alas, the Great Sealing Array impedes my connection with my second avatar, else I could have transferred them at once.”

“I wonder how my second avatar fares these past years…” Wang Lin sighed, and then retrieved the second treasure: the Ossified Stone Tablets!

The nine stone tablets hovered around him, emitting waves of familiar energy. It was the aura of the Ancient Gods!

He reached out, touching one of the tablets. According to Greed Wolf’s memories, the Ossified Stone Tablets were obtained from a colossal stone fragment, near the head of an Ancient God.

The Ancient God’s head appeared young, as if he had not yet reached maturity, and his eyes were filled with an eternal, unyielding fury and confusion.

“The material of these tablets…they are crafted from the bones of my Ancient God brethren…yet, it was not done with malice, but rather, after their passing, they willingly allowed their remains to be forged into treasures by their descendants…otherwise, they would be suffused with an intense resentment, and not this tranquil energy.” Wang Lin murmured softly.

“Greed Wolf only used these treasures for defense, lacking the ability to unlock the hidden Ancient God techniques within…” Wang Lin waved his hand, and the nine stone tablets erupted with blinding light. The aura of the Ancient Gods surged forth, and with a thunderous rumble, the nine stone tablets swirled around Wang Lin.

Finally, they abruptly shrunk in size, congealing upon Wang Lin’s right arm, forming a gauntlet! This gauntlet was a pale white, like bone itself!

It encased his fist entirely, enlarging it, and the five fingers were also ossified. A cacophony of cracking sounds echoed as he clenched his fist.

Scars and fissures marred the surface, testaments to countless years of battle this gauntlet endured in the hands of the youthful Ancient God.

“Within this Ancient God treasure lies an Ancient God technique…akin to the Dream of Ancient Times within the Jade Light Shield, a means of preserving one’s life…alas, a life-saving technique that could not save the Ancient God’s life.” Wang Lin murmured, a complex array of emotions rippling through him. The power of the Ancient Gods flowed through him, surging into the gauntlet.

“The art of the Eight-Star Ancient Gods…Ancestral Soul Protection! This technique is absent from Tu Si’s memories.” Wang Lin immersed himself in the technique within the gauntlet for an hour before finally returning to himself.

“If this technique is combined with the Light and Shadow Shield, it would be a formidable power!”

He gazed at his right hand. At his whim, the gauntlet seemed to melt away, disappearing within his arm, merging into flesh and blood.

He reached out, grasping the air, and the third treasure emerged with a thunderous roar!

The Emperor’s Hearth!

From the moment Wang Lin first saw the Emperor’s Hearth, he felt a stir within his heart, a sense of familiarity that resonated deep within his soul. This aura was unique to the treasures of the Royal Clan of the Ancient Gods. Only they could perceive it so clearly!

“To think that Greed Wolf had obtained a treasure of the Royal Clan of the Ancient Gods! Though it was not passed down through generations, but rather, forged by a later descendant, it is, without a doubt, a Royal Clan Ancient God treasure!”

Wang Lin’s eyes burned with fervor as he gazed upon the Emperor’s Hearth. The ancient god stars between his brows rotated rapidly and dispersed a starlight, falling upon the Emperor’s Hearth. The treasure began to resonate, rotating, and after a while, its starlight formed a rainbow, rushing toward Wang Lin’s brow.

The treasure shrunk rapidly, merging with his first star.

Tuosen integrated the essence of a third-step powerhouse to become a god. Wang Lin chose to merge a treasure. These distinct origins will lead to a different path in the future.
Wang Lin’s frame shuddered, a surge of primal power unleashed within. The force of the ancient god coursed through him, a symphony of booming echoes reverberating in his very bones. Slowly, the echoes faded, and his hair stirred, though no wind touched it. His form seemed to solidify, growing stronger with each passing moment.

“Though it cannot compare to the Blood Sword or the Heaven-Splitting Axe held within the Sealed Realm array, this artifact is akin to Tu Si’s God-Slaying Spear. Once fully mastered, its power will be boundless! Most importantly, its strength lies in the act of forging itself anew!”

Joy deepened in Wang Lin’s eyes. With a flick of his wide sleeve, a fourth treasure materialized before him: the Mist Demon Spear, a weapon that danced between reality and illusion.

The moment it appeared, demonic energy erupted, flooding the cavern. Whispers of agonizing roars echoed through the air, adding to the spear’s already imposing presence.

“A treasure of the ancient demons… alas, I possess no demonic avatar. Were this spear wielded by such a being, it would surely unleash its truest potential!”

“A demonic avatar… I once surmised that if I could meld the three ancient races, I might be able to revert them to a singular, primordial ancestor!” A strange light flickered in Wang Lin’s eyes as he gazed upon the Mist Demon Spear, lost in thought.

“The ancient god was forged through my own cultivation, while the ancient demon is a mere sliver of a soul, worshipped by the Thirteen Tribes with a power akin to incense. That ancient demon believes itself to be me, requiring little effort on my part to become my avatar…”

“As for an ancient demon… perhaps I can create one myself! Though, finding one to capture would be even better!” In contemplation, Wang Lin raised his right hand and seized an unseen force. Immediately, the Gluttonous Wolf’s treasure, the Demon Soul Bottle, appeared before him.

The emergence of the Demon Soul Bottle amplified the demonic energy within the cavern exponentially. Clouds churned and swirled, revealing countless demonic apparitions. Like a surging tide, this dark power spilled forth, enveloping the entire cultivation star.

From the depths of the void, the Dark Scorpion Clan’s cultivation star was now shrouded in a sinister miasma, a sight both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

“I cannot create a demonic body, but if I could forge a demonic soul, one that embodies my will, and then wield the ancient demon artifact, its power would be formidable. And should the opportunity arise, I could then use that demon soul to seize control of an ancient demon’s form, making it my third avatar!”

“But… what are the chances of such a feat succeeding?” Wang Lin’s eyes lingered on the Demon Soul Bottle, shadowed by doubt.