A chilling frost crept into Wang Lin’s words, freezing the movements of the hulking Fengtian Wolf Clan warrior. Beads of sweat erupted on the warrior’s brow as he stared, transfixed with dread, at the nine droplets of black poison that encircled him.

His cultivated senses told him that within each of those droplets lay unimaginable venom. A single one would be enough to dissolve his flesh and spirit entirely, leaving nothing behind.

But what truly turned his blood to ice was the countless spirits of incense swirling within the venom. These souls had been tainted by the poison, twisted into venomous wraiths, forcibly imprisoned and radiating boundless resentment and a desire to obliterate the heavens themselves.

He dared not move, not even an inch. This battle had been too swift, its tides shifting with terrifying speed. He had not anticipated the arrival of Lingdong, nor that Lingdong had taken that half-step into true power!

If that were all, it would be enough to bear. Even with the Ancient Breath Leaves sealing away most of his power, he would still have possessed a chance to fight back. But the appearance of these nine droplets of poison had brought him to the brink of despair.

The horrifying aura emanating from the venom caused a fine rash to break out across the skin of this Zhou Jin of the Fengtian Wolf Clan.

Seeing Zhou Jin trapped, his face ashen, Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed. He spoke slowly, “Lingdong.”

Lingdong Shangren strode forward, halting ten paces from Wang Lin. He dropped to one knee in the void, his eyes burning with fervent respect. “Does my Master wish him slain, or transformed?”

“Master?!” The word struck Zhou Jin like a physical blow, leaving him utterly stunned. A Third Step cultivator, one of the strongest beings in all the starry heavens, a figure of immense renown – how could such a being acknowledge anyone as master, let alone someone who had yet to attain the Third Step?!

“Transform him!” Wang Lin waved his hand. Within the Celestial Furnace, chaos swirled. The eighteen Ancient Breath Leaves hurtled inward, sealing the furnace shut as the trapped souls within began their fell work.

Lingdong Shangren, aided by Wang Lin, stepped from his own Incense World into the Sea of Poison, sitting cross-legged in the air to assist in the transformation. Zhou Jin of the Fengtian Wolf Clan was unlike Lingdong in his earlier state; he was a true Third Step being, and enslaving him would be no easy feat. Even the Dream Dao art would require the target to be utterly exhausted of mind and spirit to guarantee success.

But with Zhou Jin suppressed within the Celestial Furnace, guarded by Lingdong Shangren, sealed by the Ancient Breath Leaves, and most importantly, surrounded by the nine droplets of poison, Wang Lin felt confident that his prey would not escape his grasp.

He would not squander the nine droplets of venom; they were far too precious. For now, their mere presence was enough to hold him captive. And Wang Lin had no intention of killing Zhou Jin with poison. If he could transform him into an ancient slave, then when Wang Lin returned to the realm, he would have two Third Step slave servants at his side. His old foe, Suidaozi, would surely flee in terror at the sight.

A flicker of light erupted from Wang Lin’s brow as the Ancient God Star Point materialized. As it spun, it drew the Celestial Furnace within itself. He stood suspended in the air, gazing down at the forest below.

The forest of withered trees was now largely barren, with only a hundred or so trees remaining at its edges. In its heart, the vortex that had drawn the Greedy Wolf from the Ancient Tomb remained undisturbed, hovering in place.

After a moment’s thought, Wang Lin considered taking the entire forest, along with the buried skull of the Ancient God. However, he could not be sure that the teleportation vortex would survive the removal. If it were to vanish, he would have lost a prize of immense value.

This vortex was of vital importance to Wang Lin. Although he could not be certain that it would lead to the Ancient Star, he knew it possessed the power of teleportation.

After a long pause, Wang Lin chose not to act rashly. Instead, he performed a series of hand seals, conjuring a multitude of restrictive seals that shot into the sky, forming layer upon layer of protection.

For several days, Wang Lin dedicated himself to completely sealing everything off. Then, he turned and strode away from the forest.

He reappeared within the mists of the Ancient Tomb. Once more, he cast layer upon layer of restrictions, sealing the area from the outside. Only then did he feel at ease. This forest was now trapped within a web of seals, both internal and external, so dense that even one who possessed an Ancient Breath Leaf would struggle to break through, facing unimaginable perils in the attempt.

Wang Lin held immense confidence in his sealing abilities. With the seals in place, he summoned the Moonstone Door with a flash of light. The passage of time added to the layers of protection, making his seal that much stronger.

Having completed his work, Wang Lin turned his gaze to the Fengtian Wolf Clan warrior’s Fifth Step tomb platform. With a gesture, the platform groaned and trembled as countless runes detached themselves and flew towards Wang Lin.

As the runes approached, Wang Lin produced his own Fifth Step tomb platform. As it absorbed the runes, it quaked violently and expanded rapidly, growing to six thousand zhang in size. Standing upon the platform, Wang Lin felt that familiar surge of divine sense flooding his mind.

The map in his mind expanded once more!

And at that moment, a voice of undeniable authority echoed in Wang Lin’s mind:

“Nine Steps to the end… I possess the Three Courts of Heaven, Earth, and Man… In the Court of Man lies the Sword of Benevolence and Harmony, a weapon that accompanied me throughout my life of slaughter, the most savage blade under heaven… Because its carnage turned it demonic, I placed three seals upon it…”

The voice faded. Wang Lin remained silent for a time, before a glint appeared in his eyes. He commanded the six thousand zhang tomb platform to move forward, disappearing into the mist.

As Wang Lin sped along, he could sense the presence of several other tomb platforms ahead. These platforms were all at least Fifth Step, and were much further ahead.

The foremost platform was, according to Wang Lin’s calculations, already within the Eighth Map.

“Nine Maps, the meaning of Daogu Wilderness’s words is not who reaches the Ninth Map first, but who becomes a Ninth Step tomb platform first…”

“At my current speed, I will not be able to surpass them…” Wang Lin sat cross-legged on his platform, deep in thought. After a long silence, he touched his brow, his eyes slowly hardening with resolve.

“Everyone within this Ancient Tomb has a number, except for me… and if Tuosen comes here, he would not have a number either…”

“I am an Ancient God; that is why I do not need a number to enter… then what is the purpose of these numbers…?” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He felt as if he was on the verge of grasping something. He lowered his head, striking the platform with his right hand, causing a numerical rune to vibrate and rise. He seized it in his grasp.

Since entering this Ancient Tomb, Wang Lin had been passive, controlled and guided by an unseen power, following its whims. Even the appearance of the giant hand seemed to have been orchestrated.

This feeling made him deeply uncomfortable. Now, for the first time, Wang Lin began to carefully examine the all-important numerical markers within the Ancient Tomb, staring at them with growing consternation.

Time passed slowly. Wang Lin allowed the platform to speed forward, passing through the Fifth Map and entering the Sixth. He had now replaced the rune in his hand hundreds of times, examining each one with meticulous care.

“Within these runes lies a strange power. Its purpose seems to be to allow one to exist within this place for a limited time… If one were to lose this rune…” Wang Lin raised his right hand and grasped at the empty air. The young girl from the Sealed Extinguisher Clan floated before him.

Although Wang Lin had taken her clan seal, a faint mark remained on her brow – the numerical marker.

The girl’s eyes were closed, as if she were asleep. Wang Lin stared at her brow. After a long silence, he raised his right hand, imbuing it with the power of the Ancient God, and gently brushed it against her brow.

The girl’s body shuddered, but when Wang Lin pulled his hand away, the numerical marker was still there.

Wang Lin paused, then opened his storage space and took out the Ancient Soul Bottle. He tapped it, and a sorrowful wail echoed out as a soul of an Ancient Devil flew forth. The moment it appeared, Wang Lin grabbed it.

With a crushing grip, the Devil Soul screamed as it died, transforming into a ball of Ancient Devil power that swirled around Wang Lin’s right hand. Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed as he allowed the Ancient God power within his body to flow into his hand, attempting to fuse with the Ancient Devil power.

Time passed slowly, but the fusion remained incomplete. It was impossible to achieve perfect harmony, as if something was missing.

“Ancient Demon power…” Wang Lin’s eyes shone brighter and brighter. He reached out with his left hand, and a gourd flew from his storage space. This gourd was the one he had obtained in the First Sealed Realm, an item offered by a cultivator in exchange for his life.

At the time, Wang Lin’s divine sense had revealed that the item was an Ancient Demon treasure, containing a small amount of Ancient Demon power.

Now, he took it without hesitation. He tapped it with his left hand, and a surge of demonic energy roared out. As the energy began to coalesce into a form, Wang Lin trapped a portion of it with his left hand and pressed it onto his right hand, mingling with the Ancient Devil and Ancient God powers.

The powers of the three ancient races gathered at once, and in that instant, they fused completely within Wang Lin’s right hand, forming a unique power. This power far surpassed the Ancient God, Ancient Devil, and Ancient Demon. Grasping this power, Wang Lin felt as if he held the very fabric of the heavens in his grasp.

Without hesitation, he raised his right hand and brushed it against the Sealed Extinguisher Clan girl’s brow. Instantly, the girl’s eyes snapped open, and she let out a shriek as the numerical marker on her brow vanished!

Without the numerical marker, the girl’s body began to tremble violently. The surrounding mist seemed to boil as it rushed in from all sides, converging on the girl. As if her existence was now in direct conflict with the rules of the Ancient Tomb, triggering a series of drastic changes in the tomb that sought to erase this impossible aberration!

The changes were far too sudden, catching even Wang Lin off guard. In an instant, the surrounding mist had spread and enveloped the girl, and she vanished from Wang Lin’s sight.