The Netherbeast, its coarse fur bristling, roared with a fury that shook the very air. It fixed its baleful gaze upon the cultivators arrayed before it, itching to unleash its pent-up rage. Yet, sluggish of wit, it failed to register the sudden departure of Wang Lin. Lost in its snarling display, it remained oblivious, though a distant rumble began to echo behind it.

A dawning unease crept into its dim mind. The cultivators, once the target of its ire, now shifted their attention, their gazes drawn to something behind the beast. The resonant voice of Wang Lin, carrying on the wind, finally pierced its thick skull. A primal instinct compelled the creature to turn.

Slowly, ponderously, it wheeled about, its eyes widening in confusion as it beheld emptiness. Then, it caught sight of Wang Lin, standing some distance away, drawing ever closer to the rogue cultivator, Suidaozi.

In a heartbeat, comprehension struck like a thunderbolt. The Netherbeast’s pupils constricted, and the raging roar it had been unleashing died in its throat, replaced by a new sound, born of pure, unadulterated terror.

The bristled fur flattened against its hide, fear gleaming in its eyes. It trembled, and a frantic retreat commenced, each terrified bellow punctuated by the frantic thumping of its own heart.

Driven by panic, it bolted back toward Wang Lin, its eyes betraying both fear and a profound sense of betrayal. The memory of its earlier bravado, its defiant roars directed at those dread cultivators while bereft of its master’s protection, sent shivers of dread down its spine.

Meanwhile, Wang Lin, with purposeful stride, closed the distance to the fleeing Suidaozi. Gone were the illusory fist phantoms; this time, his blow was real, a single, devastating punch.

“This blow,” Wang Lin declared, his voice steely, his features grim, “is for the Venerated Sealer!” And with that, his fist connected with Suidaozi’s fading spirit.

A scream, born of unimaginable agony, rent the air as Suidaozi spewed forth a torrent of spiritual energy. His essence dimmed, and despair clouded his eyes as he stumbled backward.

“You cannot kill me! I am a master of the Third Step! I…” But before he could utter another word, Wang Lin was upon him again, delivering a second brutal strike.

“This blow is for Li Qingmei!” Wang Lin’s voice was chillingly calm as the impact echoed across the ravaged landscape. Suidaozi’s ethereal legs shattered, erupting in a shower of swirling spiritual energy.

Another scream, even more piercing than the last, tore from Suidaozi’s throat. His despair gave way to madness, but against the implacable Wang Lin, even madness was a futile weapon.

“I am a servant of the Venerated Sealer! Take me as your thrall! Your power will increase tenfold! Do not kill me!”

Wang Lin remained unmoved, his expression as cold as the void. He advanced, delivering a third crushing blow.

“This blow is for the cultivators of the Cloud Sea, for your attempt to slaughter the Returning Origin Sect!” Wang Lin’s voice was a snarl as his fist slammed into Suidaozi’s chest.

The spirit of Suidaozi flickered, dimming further, until it appeared almost transparent, on the verge of dissipating into nothingness.

“This blow is for the golden tempest you unleashed!” Wang Lin roared, his fourth punch sending Suidaozi reeling, his left arm dissolving into pure energy.

“This blow is for Wang Lin himself!” Wang Lin howled, his hand rising as if to grasp the sun, moon, and stars, as if to seize the very fabric of the cosmos, before bringing it crashing down upon his foe.

The earth shook as the blow landed. Wang Lin’s hand pierced through Suidaozi’s spirit, tearing a gaping hole in his chest.

Suidaozi’s eyes, glazed and unfocused, registered the excruciating pain as he was flung backward. For a fleeting moment, lucidity returned.

“This blow… is for nothing! I simply desire your death!” Wang Lin, words failing him, advanced, fist clenched, intent on obliterating the last vestiges of Suidaozi’s spirit.

In that final moment of clarity, Suidaozi unleashed his ultimate, desperate gambit.

“I am bound to Mu Bingmei! To kill me is to kill her! She is your woman! Kill me, then! Kill me!” Suidaozi shrieked, his voice echoing across the heavens, piercing Wang Lin’s very soul.

With a thunderous halt, Wang Lin’s killing blow froze, a mere three inches from Suidaozi’s ravaged form.

Suidaozi, his mind reeling, stared at the arrested fist, his face contorted in a triumphant leer. “Why don’t you kill me? Kill me, I say! Kill me, and Mu Bingmei dies! I planned this from the beginning! That ignorant fool, Mu Bingmei, I restored her cultivation, I showered her with elixirs, all to bind her life force to mine!”

“Your golden bell is nothing! She is my shield!” Suidaozi cackled, flinging out his remaining arm. The world around them warped and twisted, revealing a massive array. Within the array, a woman sat in silent meditation, her eyes closed. Her white robes were stained with blood.

Her face was pale, but as if sensing Wang Lin’s presence, her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened. Her gaze seemed to pierce the distorted reality, locking onto Wang Lin.

Slowly, a sad smile touched her lips, a smile tinged with resignation.

“I know… you have always hated me…”

“I know… there is always pain in your heart…”

“I know… Liu Mei has wronged you… Liu Mei is me, I am Liu Mei…”

“Over the years, as my body weakened, I slowly began to forget I was Mu Bingmei. I know… I wanted to become Liu Mei…”

“I know… we can never be together, because of Ping’er, we can only be strangers who were once close… I know… I know…”

“I could have refused the elixir, but… I am tired… The destruction of Kunxu, the ruin of my homeland… I cannot bear it any longer, alone… What does it matter if my cultivation is restored…?”

“What does it matter if I am a Holy Maiden…?”

“I wanted to see my child… but I cannot…”

“There is a karmic debt between us… you will always have me like a thorn in your heart… You don’t speak of it, but I know…”
“To meet my end…in your hands…I hold no grievance. It is a debt, not to you, but to Ping’er… I owe him so much… I was never a worthy mother… Should Ping’er ever awaken, I beg you, tell him… that Li Muwan…is his true mother. I…am undeserving…” Two crystalline tears traced paths down Mu Bingmei’s cheeks, falling slowly upon her robes, mingling with the horrifying crimson stain, blurring its sharp edges.

She closed her eyes, and with a trembling hand, reached towards her own brow, pressing down with sudden resolve!

The Taoist of Water was taken aback. In this moment, he seemed to care for Mu Bingmei’s fate even more than Wang Lin himself. Wang Lin, silent, watched as her hand moved to end her own life. A flash of keen light ignited in his eyes. He halted the Taoist’s outstretched hand, a mere three inches from its target. Without hesitation, he unleashed a devastating fist!

Simultaneously, his left hand rose, a single finger pointed at Mu Bingmei, suspended in the distorted heavens above. He uttered a single word, a command of immobility, and her hand froze in place.

A deafening roar shattered the air. An indescribable force surged into the Taoist of Water’s ravaged soul, shattering his outstretched arm and then tearing through his very essence, obliterating his spirit in a single, agonizing scream!

The Taoist of Water… thrall of the Sealed Realm, Grand Elder of the Divine Sect, a mighty being of the Third Step of the Cloud Sea… was extinguished.

In the instant of his demise, a complex incantation flowed from Wang Lin’s lips, a language understood by few. Only the fading specter of the Ghost Sect’s Nine-Star Ancient Fiend stirred, its ancient essence shaken by the sound.

“The Dao Ancient Life Conversion Technique!! This is the forbidden art of the Dao Ancient!! Legend claims the Ancient Clan could only use this life-giving magic three times in their entire existence!”

The Dao Ancient Life Conversion Technique, a secret passed down through Wang Lin’s inheritance in the Graveyard of Tongues, was useless for Li Muwan, but at this moment, it could channel the entirety of the Taoist of Water’s vital essence into the woman connected to him, Mu Bingmei!

He had destroyed the Taoist’s soul, but he had preserved the core of his life force. In that critical juncture, Wang Lin had refrained from complete annihilation, instead safeguarding the essence inextricably linked to Mu Bingmei’s fate!

Years past, Wang Lin could not have accomplished this feat, but now… he possessed the power!

Struck by the binding spell, Mu Bingmei’s body shuddered. The entirety of the Taoist of Water’s life force poured into her, undergoing a bizarre and transformative merging within her very being!

“You owe Ping’er nothing… nor do you owe me,” Wang Lin said, his gaze fixed on Mu Bingmei suspended in the distorted heavens. He waved his hand, releasing her from the spell’s grip.

At that very moment, the Nether Beast, overcome with fear and a touch of indignation, scurried back to Wang Lin’s side. Its eyes, brimming with a wounded look, seemed to chastise him for his sudden departure, leaving it in such a state of terror.

Reassured by its master’s presence, the Nether Beast regained its courage. A low growl resonated from its depths, and the drooping fur stood on end once more, revealing a semblance of its former intimidating glory. It glared fiercely at the assembled cultivators, its expression a mixture of bewilderment and ferocity, as if ready to pounce at Wang Lin’s slightest command.

However, this time, a part of its attention remained firmly fixed on Wang Lin himself. Should he retreat, it would not hesitate to do the same. The earlier incident had clearly left a deep impression, etched into its memory.

The thought of having stood roaring in oblivious bravado after Wang Lin had vanished filled it with shame and anxiety, making its present howls all the more vehement.

The low growls swept across the cultivation star, dispelling the lingering stench of death that surrounded the Taoist of Water, and penetrating the silence of the assembled cultivators.

“The cultivators of the Fiend Sect, pay homage to the Sealed Lord!” The disciples of the Fiend Sect, after a moment of deliberation, bowed in unison, led by their Sect Leader.

“The cultivators of the Divine Sect, pay homage to the Sealed Lord!” The members of the Divine Sect, having witnessed all that had transpired, clasped their fists with complex emotions.

“The Ghost Sect of the Cloud Sea, pay homage to the Sealed Lord!” The venerable Daxu of the Ghost Sect followed suit, clasping his fists in respect.

“The cultivators of the Cloud Sea, pay homage to the Sealed Lord!” A chorus of voices rose from all directions, echoing in the air as the assembled cultivators bowed in reverence!