The tempest of fire, halted in mid-air, merged with the fiery bones of the skeletal canopy, birthing an ancient umbrella of world-consuming power. Wang Lin’s lifeblood dripped upon its surface, followed by a torrent of verdant vitality, causing the colossal parasol to resonate with thunderous echoes.

In the wake of this surge of power, the already crumbling sacred grounds of the Fire Sparrow Clan were engulfed in an indescribable heat. Even the descending palm print, wreathed in celestial power, faltered momentarily in the face of this incandescent wave.

The Palm Sovereign’s countenance twisted in alarm! It was then that Wang Lin’s primal roar tore through the heavens!

With a cataclysmic shudder, the ancient umbrella unfurled, revealing a fire born of annihilation, spilling forth from within. This was no ordinary flame, but a formless essence, a burning spirit rather than a tangible conflagration.

As the umbrella creaked open, reaching a mere tenth of its full extent, the descending palm print drew near. The fiery essence roared forth, colliding with the hand of divine judgment. With a deafening blast, the palm print shattered, its celestial energy dispersed into nothingness!

The fiery essence continued its inexorable spread, swallowing all within its reach, turning existence into a void.

Obliteration! This was the force of absolute oblivion!

The chaotic energies unleashed by the clash between the Vermilion Bird Origin and the Palm Sovereign’s divine art, the ravaging storm threatening to consume all life, were met by this encroaching fiery essence. They were swallowed whole, extinguished by the all-consuming spirit of destruction!

“The Annihilation Canopy!” The Palm Sovereign’s face drained of color. He was already gravely wounded, his attempts to seize the Vermilion Bird Origin thwarted, further ravaged by the essence’s power, and now faced with this terrifying manifestation of the Annihilation Canopy!

He was weakened beyond measure. His features twisted into a mask of fury, the Palm Sovereign clasped his hands upon his shoulders, a mad gleam in his eyes. With a bestial roar, he tore outwards!

Agony coursed through him, yet he ripped the armor, fused to his very flesh, from his body. With a violent fling, the armor transformed into a cloud of ashen light, materializing into a gigantic hand that blotted out the heavens!

“The Annihilation Canopy shall not open so easily! This armor, a gift from my master, a treasure of the ancient era, shall stand against your incomplete creation! I shall seize the cosmos!” The Palm Sovereign roared, the colossal hand of armor descending towards Wang Lin with terrifying speed.

It was immense, nearly eclipsing the Vermilion Bird’s beak in size, sweeping through the heavens like a celestial tide, colliding with the fiery essence spilling from the ancient umbrella.

A cacophony of sound exploded, and the fiery essence was pierced by the descending hand, which itself rapidly deteriorated as it plunged towards the partially opened umbrella.

All occurred in the blink of an eye, with impossible speed. The hand, dwindling in size, reached the umbrella’s exterior, its bulk halved, and slammed into it with the force of a collapsing star!

“Annihilation Canopy, break!”

With a shuddering groan, the ancient umbrella quaked. Wang Lin coughed up blood, his life force in turmoil. His cultivation was too weak to fully command the umbrella’s true power; to open it a mere two-tenths and force the Palm Sovereign to dissipate half his attack was his limit!

Spitting blood, Wang Lin was thrown backward. Without his life force to sustain it, the ancient umbrella began to fade, its dissolution not entirely caused by the Palm Sovereign’s attack.

Yet, as it neared complete oblivion, Wang Lin’s face contorted in fury, his eyes burning with a desperate resolve. He roared, “Explode!”

The dying umbrella trembled, and at Wang Lin’s command, it detonated with a cataclysmic roar, unleashing a wave of all-consuming destruction!

The sacred grounds of the Fire Sparrow Clan shattered utterly. The ashen hand of armor, still pursuing Wang Lin, was engulfed by the blast and disintegrated.

Outside the shattered gates of the sacred grounds, the Fire Sparrow Ancestor, deep in meditation, snapped his eyes open, turning towards the now crumbling gateway with a look of utter bewilderment. Even as he turned, the gate imploded, sending shards of stone hurtling towards him.

The attack was sudden, and the Fire Sparrow Ancestor had no time to react. He was struck by the debris, coughing blood, and staggering backward in shock, disbelief, and mounting horror!

From within the imploding gate, Wang Lin burst forth, retreating rapidly. Behind him, the sacred grounds continued their catastrophic collapse, releasing a torrent of annihilation that roared outwards.

The Palm Sovereign’s guttural bellow echoed from within the chaos. With a flash of movement, he emerged from the storm of destruction, pursuing Wang Lin with unwavering intent. Though gravely wounded, he could still hunt down his prey.

As he burst through the gateway, the Palm Sovereign raised his right hand, striking forward. Another colossal palm print materialized, bearing down upon Wang Lin, threatening to obliterate him!

Facing imminent demise, Wang Lin retreated, his face deathly pale, blood spilling from his lips. He formed a hand seal, summoning the Rain-Wind Realm, a desperate measure. The realm appeared and collided with the approaching palm print.

With a thunderous boom, the Rain-Wind Realm shattered!

Wang Lin coughed more blood, his body momentarily wreathed in white light, and then, from within the planet’s core below the collapsing sacred grounds, an incandescent beacon erupted, converging on Wang Lin’s form, coalescing into a colossal, ethereal figure!

The divine art of the Azure Dream Dao Sovereign: the Shadow Shield!

The Shadow Shield was barely formed when the palm print slammed into it. The shield flared brightly, reflecting the power, but could only withstand the assault for a mere instant before shattering into fragments!

Wreathed in shimmering shards, Wang Lin spat blood once more, as the unbridled palm print threatened to crush him. With a primal roar, the ancient god stars on his brow materialized and spun, and from within the first star,

The Heavenly Furnace roared forth!

The Heavenly Furnace appeared around Wang Lin, forming a final bulwark against the approaching palm print.

With a deafening clang, Wang Lin staggered backward, his body riddled with wounds, blood flowing freely. The Heavenly Furnace did not shatter, but the force of the Palm Sovereign’s attack had forced it, deformed and misshapen, into Wang Lin’s brow!
“I shall see how you resist, how you escape!” roared Lord Yu, his pursuit relentless, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

The palm strike hurtled towards Wang Lin, now a mere seven feet distant. The oppressive weight emanating from it sent tremors through his very being, threatening to rip his nascent soul from its corporeal prison.

At this dire moment, Wang Lin raised his right hand, positioning it before him. Instantly, the raw, untamed power of the Ancient God surged forth from his arm, coalescing into a protective vambrace of immense power.

A relic of the Ancient Gods, forged from the very bones of their fallen kin!

The moment the Ancient God Vambrace materialized, the palm strike crashed against it with earth-shattering force! Wang Lin coughed up seven mouthfuls of blood, each expulsion wracking his frame. The Cultivation Star of Wu, unable to bear the brunt of the repeated impacts, began to crumble and disintegrate.

The entire planet tore apart, fissures erupting across its surface like a shattered globe. Wu, once a celestial sphere, dissolved into cosmic dust.

Wang Lin’s body was flung backwards, crashing through the collapsing core of the world. He pierced through the remnants of the ruined planet, hurtling into the void of the Ancient Starry Sky. His form retreated at a terrifying pace, his flesh threatening to tear, his spirit withering within.

Only the blood of the Ancient Gods coursing through his veins prevented his utter annihilation. Had he been of lesser stock, the sheer force of the impact would have claimed his life instantly.

Yet, even battered and broken, he had withstood the onslaught of Lord Yu’s attack!

“Still alive, are you?” Lord Yu thundered, his voice echoing across the cosmos. With a single stride, he stood upon the starry tapestry, raising his hand once more. Another palm strike, infused with greater speed and devastating power, materialized, aimed directly at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin, his face contorted in pain, slammed his left hand onto the Ancient God Vambrace on his right arm. He roared, “Eight-Star Ancient God, Lifesaving Art, Ancient Protection!”

The Ancient God power within Wang Lin’s body surged, emptying itself into the vambrace. As his words echoed across the void, the stars themselves seemed to warp and twist, a wave of ancient power washing over the cosmos.

In the distance, before Wang Lin, a gargantuan Ancient God manifested, its size dwarfing even Cultivation Stars.

A phantom of an age long past, it radiated an aura of immeasurable age. Scars and wounds crisscrossed its form, testaments to countless battles fought and won. Its back was turned towards the pursuing Lord Yu and the approaching palm strike, its arms wrapping around Wang Lin, cradling him like a child. It sought to shield Wang Lin with its own massive body.

A sense of warmth, of profound safety, emanated from the Ancient God, as if Wang Lin were cradled in the arms of his parents. In its embrace, even as the heavens threatened to collapse, he felt protected.

No sooner had the Ancient God materialized than Lord Yu’s palm strike slammed into its back!

Deafening explosions ripped through the Starry Sky, yet the Ancient God remained unmoved. The attack shattered harmlessly against its form, as insignificant as a fly buzzing against a mountain.

Even Lord Yu’s eyes narrowed in surprise at the unexpected defense. He prepared to unleash another spell, but the Ancient God moved!

Ancient Protection, a lifesaving art bestowed upon young Ancient Gods, was not merely a shield. The colossal figure, as Lord Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief, spun around, its right hand clenched into a fist. In the same motion as it turned, it unleashed a devastating punch towards Lord Yu!

Eight celestial star points burned brightly between its brows.

With a deafening roar, before Lord Yu could even react, the Ancient God’s fist struck him with the force of a runaway asteroid.

Lord Yu’s face paled, and he coughed up blood. He was truly and utterly wounded. His body flew back, and a stifled groan of agony escaped his lips. This single blow, a brutal culmination of the wounds he had been fighting for tens of thousands of years suppressed by his desperate attempts to heal in the Zhu Que Beak and the protection of the Ancient Burning Umbrella, finally broke free.

The attack forced all of Yu’s suppressed injuries to burst forth in a violent and uncontrollable wave.

After the devastating strike, the Ancient God’s form dissipated, reverting into the vambrace that now adorned Wang Lin’s right arm, vanishing as if it had never existed.

Cold fury flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes. His first instinct was to flee, but with a wave of his hand, a crimson light filled the void. From the treasures he had gathered before leaving the Sacred Ground, the Blood Sword screamed into existence, hurtling toward the retreating Lord Yu.

With a deafening roar, Lord Yu summoned some unknown treasure to block the Blood Sword’s path. The Blood Sword screeched to a halt. Wang Lin sighed inwardly. He was grievously wounded, running on sheer willpower. If his resolve faltered, he would collapse. Without hesitation, he grabbed the Blood Sword and stepped forward, prepared to flee.

But just as Wang Lin prepared to use the power of Shrinking Earth to escape, Lord Yu’s weak voice echoed through the Starry Sky. The words struck Wang Lin like a thunderbolt, freezing him in place.

“Wang Lin… Wang Lin, you are bold and meticulous, ruthless and decisive, cunning and resourceful. Will you pledge your service to me? If you agree, I can restore your wife!!” Not just awaken her soul, but truly bring her back to life!!”

Wang Lin’s mind reeled. He stood there, paralyzed, his eyes fixated on the middle-aged man clutching his chest in the distance, now appearing more like a broken puppet than a god.

“If, on that day, I had been Sima Mo, and his sister had been Wan’er… how would I have chosen…?”

“Perhaps… perhaps there will be such a day…”

“That day… has arrived.”