The maiden wore a tunic of canary yellow, her raven tresses parted into twin braids that danced about her with each graceful movement, lending her an endearing charm. Her features, though not of a breathtaking beauty, were finely sculpted. A hint of youthful innocence lingered in her brow, yet one could discern beneath the playful surface a gentle spirit.

“Alchemy is such a trial!” she lamented, pouting as she wandered through the mountains. “I can never get it right, though I try with all my heart.”

“I wonder how brother fares,” she mused, her steps faltering. “His talent far surpasses mine. He was nurtured from the moment he entered the sect. I must strive harder, lest he look down upon me.” She paused, her gaze drawn to a sprig of moonpetal herb shimmering with ethereal light. She carefully plucked a few leaves, unaware of the solitary figure that had materialized behind her.

Wang Lin stood transfixed, his gaze upon the maiden. Though time had wrought subtle changes, he recognized her instantly. A tenderness bloomed within him, yet it was laced with a bitter sorrow.

The maiden, having secured the moonpetal leaves within her pouch, rose to depart. But a sudden impulse seized her, and she pushed aside a clump of foliage, revealing a small creature. It resembled a squirrel, lying listlessly, its right leg a mangled mess of blood and torn flesh, as though savaged by a beast.

With a gasp of pity, she rummaged within her pouch, producing a handful of herbs. She crushed them and gently applied the poultice to the creature’s wound. But the herbs were clearly insufficient to save it. The light faded from its eyes, its lifeblood ebbing away.

Desperation etched itself upon her face. She tenderly cradled the creature and turned to descend the mountain, intending to seek aid from her mentor. But as she turned, she let out a startled cry, recoiling in fear. Her sudden movement had revealed Wang Lin standing behind her.

“Allow me,” Wang Lin said softly, his heart aching at the sight of her terror. He raised his hand, and a beam of pure white light enveloped the small creature. The wound began to knit itself back together with unnatural speed, and a spark of life rekindled in its dimming eyes.

The revitalized creature sprung from her arms, landing gracefully on a nearby branch. It glanced back at the pair before darting away, disappearing into the verdant depths.

The maiden took a steadying breath, patting her chest. Her curiosity piqued, she bowed politely to Wang Lin. “This one is Li Muwan,” she said in a soft voice. “Greetings, esteemed senior. Might I inquire from which mountain peak you hail? Are you perhaps seeking my esteemed master?”

Wang Lin shook his head, his gaze softening further. “I do not seek your master, maiden. I reside here.”

“Reside here?” Li Muwan blinked, puzzled.

A smile touched Wang Lin’s lips. With a sweeping gesture of his sleeve, a gust of arcane wind enveloped her, whisking them away in an instant. They reappeared high above, at the very peak of the mountain, shrouded in swirling mists. There, a grotto, seemingly conjured from nothing, stood before them.

Li Muwan’s eyes widened at the sight. After a long moment, she regained her composure, her gaze towards Wang Lin now filled with wonder. “Surely, you must be one of the esteemed hidden elders of the Luo River Sect… or rather, not an elder perhaps, but a reclusive master!” She chuckled nervously, taking a few cautious steps back, a flicker of wariness in her eyes.

They were alone, and she had been spirited away to this place with alarming ease. Though Wang Lin did not seem malevolent, her heart pounded within her chest.

“This one… this one was tasked by my master to gather herbs. I have been gone… for quite some time. My master will surely be concerned and come looking.” Li Muwan retreated further, hinting at the imminent arrival of her mentor.

Wang Lin smiled, having never witnessed such a display from her before. He nodded in understanding.

Li Muwan hastily departed, hurrying down the mountain path. Only when she reached the base did she pause, taking a deep breath and casting a wary glance back at the peak.

“Sister said that the old monsters of the cultivation world often have strange predilections, and some even use maidens as living cauldrons for their cultivation! How terrifying! This old monster appeared so silently and spirited me away to the peak in a flash! If I hadn’t been so quick to invoke my master’s name, I might have been in grave danger… but he does seem rather young… perhaps I am mistaken.”

She muttered to herself for a moment before hurrying away.

From the mountain peak, Wang Lin’s gaze pierced through all things, seeing Li Muwan’s expressions and hearing her self-deprecating words.

Only when she was out of sight did Wang Lin turn away, a fleeting smile gracing his lips, a smile tinged with melancholy.

“Is this a phantom conjured from the memories within my soul, or… is this real? My memories hold no such scene…” He sighed, unwilling to dwell on the matter, and closed his eyes in silence.

After a long while, he opened them again, whispering to himself, “One more glance, one more conversation, and then I shall depart… and ignite the first incense.”

Time flowed by. A day, two days… Four days passed in the blink of an eye.

Throughout those four days, Li Muwan did not appear. Wang Lin remained atop the mountain peak, waiting, waiting. Just as he remembered, Li Muwan waiting within the Cloud Sky Sect, accompanied only by the mournful strains of her zither, awaiting his return.

For four days, Wang Lin did not meditate, but simply stood, watching the horizon, waiting.

Then, on the afternoon of the fifth day, a panting breath drifted up from the mountain path. It was Li Muwan, ascending the slope. Reaching the summit, she wiped the perspiration from her brow, her eyes still betraying a hint of unease and wariness. But with a determined set to her jaw, she approached Wang Lin.

Wang Lin gazed upon her, a tender expression upon his face.

However, his tenderness only caused Li Muwan to instinctively recoil, her apprehension heightened.
“Venerable…Senior,” Li Muwan whispered, her voice laced with apprehension. She bit her lower lip and carefully drew forth a small creature, no larger than her palm, from within her robes.

The tiny beast resembled a kitten, still in its infancy. Its downy fur trembled in Li Muwan’s grasp, and its eyes were mere slits, as if straining to open but lacking the strength.

Wang Lin chuckled softly and nodded. He raised his right hand and gently brushed it over the creature. A flash of white light enveloped the kitten, as if infusing it with life anew. Slowly, its eyes fluttered open, revealing a spark of vitality.

Li Muwan gasped with delight, a joyful sound escaping her lips. She hastily and tenderly stroked the kitten’s soft fur, her gaze directed towards Wang Lin. The wariness in her eyes began to dissipate, though a trace of caution still remained.

“Many thanks, Venerable Senior,” Li Muwan murmured, her face radiant with happiness. She offered a respectful bow to Wang Lin before backing away, then swiftly turned and descended the mountain. Clearly, the term “ancient monster” still resonated deeply within her, and only dire necessity could have compelled her to seek him out again.

“Perhaps this ancient one is not wicked after all…” Li Muwan mused softly as she glanced back at the mountain peak during her descent.

For the second time, Wang Lin watched Li Muwan depart, his heart heavier than before.

Suddenly, the heavens above convulsed, the very skies shifting and changing hue. Thunder roared with deafening intensity, echoing wildly in all directions. A colossal vortex formed in the firmament, a maelstrom of cosmic proportions.

This vortex spun with incredible speed, agitating the very fabric of reality and exuding an immeasurable aura of might and majesty. The pressure was staggering, permeating the entire human realm. Yet, strangely, none of the illusory beings within that realm seemed to notice the celestial upheaval. It was as if this transformation was solely for Wang Lin’s sake, as if this vortex existed only because of him.

“Wang Lin! Ignite the Human Realm Incense, and tarry no longer!” The final words reverberated like a storm, echoing endlessly throughout the heavens and earth… “Tarry no longer…” On the Great Emperor Star, the Elder Vermillion Bird, consumed by impatience after a long wait and fearing that Wang Lin might lose himself in the embrace of his homeland, violated the rules of the trial. He stepped forward, placed his right hand upon the first incense stick, and plunged into Wang Lin’s soul, emitting a desperate roar: “Igniting the Human Realm Incense is not difficult! Merely scatter the fire within your soul, incinerate this illusory Human Realm, reducing everything to a sea of flames in an instant, leaving nothing behind. Only then can the Human Realm Incense be lit… but… but…”

“I… refuse!” Wang Lin declared, lifting his head. His eyes burned like torches as he gazed upon the vortex in the sky.

“To enter this realm, both real and unreal, with your soul, to temper your heart and spirit, to erase the last vestiges of mortal sentiment, transforming them into the fuel for the flames. Because it is your soul that burns, you can allow the flames of this realm to merge with your soul, planting a seed of imperishable soul-fire, a sacrifice for the Vermillion Bird’s fourth awakening. But, at such a price, with the destruction of my mortal sentiments as the offering, I cannot!” Wang Lin stood, gazing resolutely at the heavens.

This was where his soul had entered, a realm fashioned by the current Vermillion Bird through some treasure, and an unfathomable power. Even the Elder Vermillion Bird, with his immeasurable cultivation, could not exert influence here.

“You… this is merely an illusion, not reality! I, too, have entered this place. You need only destroy it, and upon your departure, maintain the burning incense to pass the trial! Why are you so stubbornly attached!” The Elder Vermillion Bird’s voice, tinged with urgency, echoed. Abruptly, the vortex in the sky collapsed, and his voice faded away.

As his voice vanished, Wang Lin’s words resounded into the vortex.

“In my life, Wang Lin has never relinquished his convictions. Even the Celestial Tribulation, should I ascend, cannot force me to loosen my grip. To plant imperishable soul-fire within my soul, it need not come from burning this realm. If the Heavenly Dao demands it, and this is the only way to ignite soul-fire, then I shall defy the Dao! I shall transform my own convictions into karmic fire! I shall not seek the imperishable soul-fire, but instead seize the Karma of my soul, burning away the karmic obstacles of reincarnation!”

On the Great Emperor Star, the Elder Vermillion Bird retracted his hand, staring at the closed-eye Wang Lin, and let out a long sigh.

Although Si Mozi was unaware of the events within the Human Realm, he could deduce a portion of the truth. He couldn’t help but sneer, “Senior, a long time has passed, and it seems that the Third Young Emperor’s trial has encountered an unexpected turn…”

Before he could finish, the Elder Vermillion Bird whirled around, his eyes blazing. He raised his right hand and struck forward. With a resounding crack, Si Mozi was once again slapped across the face.

Si Mozi coughed up blood as his body was sent hurtling backward thousands of feet.

“Accident, my ass! The scion of my family is burning karmic obstacles with his convictions! What would a piece of trash like you understand?”

After delivering the slap, the Elder Vermillion Bird’s inner fire subsided slightly. His gaze sharpened, and he thought to himself, “Karmic obstacles… good! This boy has guts! Daring to ignite the fire of karmic obstacles! The First Ancestor once said that achieving the realm of illusory fire through the imperishable soul-fire is not the proper path. Only because the karmic fire near the soul is exceedingly difficult, and the Ancestor could only achieve it with the Celestial Sovereign’s protection in his early years, do we forbid our descendants from choosing this path! If this boy can succeed, he shall be the foremost individual of the Vermillion Bird clan!”