From the ancient, hallowed depths of a forgotten age, came the Umbral Parasol, a relic of unimaginable power. Though unfurled but a fraction, its apocalyptic blaze defied the very essence of existence, an unstoppable inferno that knew no bounds. From beneath its shade, a torrent of fiery wrath unleashed, surging outwards in a cataclysmic wave, consuming all in its path!

The spectral mists that veiled the land were devoured in an instant, igniting into a tempest of searing winds, roaring with the furious voice of creation itself. Within the swirling chaos, the dreaded Nine Heavens Demon Lord materialized, a flicker of grim unease etched upon his face. Even for him, the encroaching sea of annihilation posed a grave threat. Had his true form been present, he might have weathered the storm, but this mere fragment of his being, its power diminished, was forced to concede, retreating before the infernal tide. Similarly, the Lady in White, her expression a kaleidoscope of fleeting thoughts, bowed her head and stepped back, her intentions shrouded in mystery.

As the two formidable beings yielded, Wang Lin, wiping blood from his lips, seized the opportunity. Propelled forward by the Parasol’s unleashed force, he darted ahead, traversing the seventh tableau of this forsaken realm, and poised to enter the eighth. But just as he neared its threshold, the Nine Heavens Demon Lord, his gaze piercing the veils of reality, fixed his eyes upon him. He raised a hand, touching his brow, and muttered in a dark incantation: “Just to glimpse you is enough… just to have your essence etched upon my vision… no matter the gulf that separates us, be it a mountain range that spans worlds, I shall find you and destroy you!”

“Mountain-Piercing Immortal Finger!” The Demon Lord’s hand, which had been resting on his brow, shot forth, his finger aimed with deadly precision! In that instant, the pupils of his eyes reflected Wang Lin, frozen in the act of wielding the Umbral Parasol. As the Demon Lord’s finger stabbed forward, the image of Wang Lin in his eyes contorted, as if a malevolent force sought to tear it asunder. But just as the Demon Lord unleashed this ancient and terrible art, second only to Plucking the Moon from a Well in the annals of the starry cosmos, the Lady in White, standing nearby, lifted her head, a glint of resolute determination in her eyes.

Her jade-like hand struck through the air, and she whispered an incantation: “Threefold Celestial Gates, the Gates of Sun, Moon, and Star! Open the Star Gate!” As the words left her lips, she performed a swift hand seal, and a multitude of stars erupted before the Nine Heavens Demon Lord!

The celestial lights intertwined, coalescing into a colossal gate that seemed to reach the heavens, its form eerily similar to the Door of the Void, though its essence was undoubtedly different.

In the very instant that the Star Gate materialized, the Demon Lord’s finger plunged forward. The two arcane forces collided in a fleeting moment.

Silence reigned. No thunder, no cataclysm. The Star Gate trembled, then crumbled into stardust, dissolving into the depths of the ancient tomb. Simultaneously, the Nine Heavens Demon Lord spat forth a mouthful of blood, his face ashen. He staggered back, his gaze fixed upon the Lady in White. “Immortal Consort, why do you impede me?”

The Lady in White, her own complexion pale, retreated, her gaze serene. “I need not explain my actions to you! You are nothing.”

The Nine Heavens Demon Lord stared at her, his expression gradually calming, his lips curving into a smile. He shook his head, turned, and strode away, bypassing her to pursue Wang Lin through the eighth tableau.

The Lady in White frowned, glanced towards Wang Lin’s vanishing point, sighed softly, and walked onwards.

The instant Wang Lin stepped into the eighth tableau, a chill seized him, and a potent sense of impending doom engulfed his mind. Without hesitation, he tapped his brow, and the Heavenly Furnace materialized around him, shielding him as he plunged into the depths of the eighth tableau.

Upon entering, the sense of danger receded. Wang Lin turned and gazed back, then, without a second thought, steered the Tomb Platform towards the inner regions.

Not long after his departure, the Nine Heavens Demon Lord followed, entering the unfamiliar expanse of the eighth tableau. After a moment of contemplation, he relied on his inherent senses and resumed his pursuit.

Simultaneously, the seductive Lady of the Wind, one of the Eight Consorts, standing upon her Tomb Platform, entered the eighth tableau from the ninth.

Of all those within the ancient tomb, none possessed greater familiarity with the eighth tableau than Wang Lin. As he advanced, his speed was unmatched. Within this realm lay three sealed domains, each marked on the ancient maps with archaic runes: God, Demon, and Spirit.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Lin would have sought the sealed domain marked with the rune of the Ancient God. But now, without hesitation, he headed straight for the sealed domain of the Ancient Spirit.

With a clear destination in mind, Wang Lin wasted no time or effort, and within an hour, he approached the sealed domain of the Ancient Spirit. Meanwhile, the Nine Heavens Demon Lord and the others followed, guided by their intuition, approximately half an hour behind. In that half hour, they would find and pursue him. Half an hour… time was of the essence. Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened as he saw a colossal vortex ahead, tens of thousands of feet in diameter, rumbling with hidden power, emanating a dense aura of spirit. Even from a distance, this aura sent shivers down one’s spine.

As he drew nearer, Wang Lin distinctly felt a surge of life amidst the spiritual energy. “A living Ancient Spirit!” Wang Lin gasped, fixing his gaze upon the vortex. At its core lay a swirl of primordial chaos, and within it, a figure sat in meditation. Around the vortex was a seal, preventing the Ancient Spirit from escaping, as if slumbering.

The spiritual energy was thick, and the life force it contained led Wang Lin to deduce that the Ancient Spirit was not only alive, but immensely powerful, certainly no less than an eight-starred entity, if not a nine-starred one! His brow furrowed, but soon relaxed, and a grim smile played on his lips. He cautiously dismounted the Tomb Platform, storing it away as he entered the vortex.

As soon as he stepped into the vortex, a whirlwind of howling winds surrounded him. The spiritual energy within the vortex lashed at Wang Lin like strands of steel, attempting to tear him apart. After traveling only a hundred feet, Wang Lin struggled to move forward. The distance to the center of the vortex was still vast. Wang Lin’s eyes flashed, and the Ancient God star points on his brow illuminated.

Wang Lin’s eyes darted as he imbued his body with the power of the Ancient God. With a roar, he grit his teeth and took another step forward. Each step was a testament to his resolve, and soon, he had reached a thousand feet into the vortex. He was near his limit, but he had enough strength to advance a little further. Instead, Wang Lin sat down, crossed his legs, and took a moment to catch his breath. He then performed a hand seal, and the Demon Soul Bottle appeared. Drawing upon the Demon Souls within and infusing it with the power of the Ancient God, Wang Lin reached out with his left hand, and amidst the roaring chaos, he seized a wisp of passing Ancient Spirit energy. The three merged swiftly.

The strange power surged forth, and Wang Lin quickly pressed it upon his brow. A rune materialized, flickering briefly before Wang Lin wiped it away and stored it carefully. His speed accelerated, and he repeated this action relentlessly, without any pause.

Gradually, Wang Lin siphoned away the Ancient Spirit energy within the vortex, the Ancient Demon Souls within the Demon Soul Bottle dwindled, and the number of runes grew. Time passed, and most of the half hour had elapsed.

The number of runes Wang Lin had created, under the influence of the abundant Ancient Spirit energy, had reached several thousand. His hands moved with blinding speed, becoming mere blurs as he drew upon the Ancient Spirit energy, extracted the Demon Souls, and merged them with the power of the Ancient God. This entire sequence of actions was now second nature to Wang Lin.

“Faster! Just a little faster!” Although he was creating runes at an extraordinary rate, he was still far short of the number required to elevate his Tomb Platform to the ninth level. Moreover, Wang Lin sensed four approaching presences closing in on his location with increasing speed. Before long, the void around him shattered as a Tomb Platform, seven thousand feet in size, appeared with a powder-dressed woman standing on it.

Her laughter was like a sigh, filled with indescribable allure. As it reached Wang Lin’s ears, his mind was stirred, and memories of his time in the Vermilion Bird Tomb with Willow Leaf flooded his senses. The sudden disturbance caused Wang Lin’s face to turn pale. His eyes flashed with icy resolve as he glared at the rapidly approaching Tomb Platform and the woman on it. With the steadfastness of a cultivator with two thousand years of experience, and fueled by the pain from the events in the Vermilion Bird Tomb, he forcibly suppressed the surge of emotion. His eyes grew colder. As the woman neared, Wang Lin stood and retreated deeper into the vortex. Without a glance at the woman outside, he closed his eyes and continued creating runes.

“Oh, so it’s you, little one. It’s a pity that I already have Tuo Sen, or else I wouldn’t bear to hurt you.” The woman giggled, but a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She glanced subtly at the swirling chaos at the heart of the vortex, where the Ancient Spirit dwelled, her eyes betraying a hint of caution. Her laughter seemed normal, but it contained the essence of her magic, which had briefly bewildered Wang Lin, only for him to recover almost instantly. This astonished her.

“Could it be that this little one has never been near a woman in his life?” The woman’s eyes gleamed, her tongue traced her lips, and her laughter grew even more enchanting. With a flicker, she entered the vortex, darting toward Wang Lin. At the same time, the Nine Heavens Demon Lord emerged from the void, his expression dark, his speed relentless. He was closing in on the vortex.