As the madman spoke, his gaze darted about, scrutinizing Wang Lin’s every flicker of expression. Seeing no reaction whatsoever, he scratched his head, then rose and edged closer with exaggerated caution. Wringing his hands, he grinned mischievously. “A word or two wouldn’t kill you, eh? What’s your name, then? Tell old King what’s-his-face here, and there’ll be a reward!” Wang Lin’s reply remained the same – unbroken silence, eyes closed in meditation.

“Won’t speak, eh? You *dare* not speak?! Back when I caught Little Red, he wouldn’t say a peep, so I plucked out every single feather he had! Guess what happened then?” The madman rambled, sidling closer still, until he was sitting directly opposite Wang Lin, attempting conversation.

“You’ll never guess, but I took Little Red and… *haha*! *Ha-tchi*! *Gah! Hrr-*…” The madman clutched his belly and roared with laughter, a sound that echoed long after he finally stopped, fixing Wang Lin with a baleful stare.

“Why aren’t you laughing? Don’t you think I’m funny? Back then, even the Li family would burst into laughter at my jokes! Anyone who *dared* not laugh… I’d sic my brother on them! *Hrr*… I haven’t even told you what I did to Little Red, have I? And you haven’t asked! Fine! I’ll tell you whether you want to know or not! It was back then… hmm, wait…” The madman furrowed his brow, rapping his knuckles against his skull, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

“Blast it all! Forgot again!”

Once the madman started rambling, there was no stopping him. Days could pass with him spouting nonsense without a break, his words growing ever more frantic. His only regret was Wang Lin’s unwavering silence. Still, the mere presence of a living thing to whom he could speak seemed to satisfy him. His droning voice became a constant hum, like a swarm of gnats buzzing through the heavens, never fading.

Wang Lin, however, heard not a word. His inner world was in turmoil. His Ancient God body encased him, a Nascent Soul stood in place of his original spirit, and deep within it all, the Celestial Sealing Bead turned with glacial slowness.

According to the measure of mortal time, the Bead completed a single revolution only once every twelve hours.

The spiritual energy that had once pulsed through his veins had utterly collapsed and vanished. In its place, originating from the very marrow of his bones, was a new ichor, brimming with the power of Immortality!

This Immortal energy dwarfed his former spiritual power. While far less in quantity – a mere trickle compared to the vast rivers and seas of his previous strength – it was enough to send tremors through Wang Lin’s very soul. He could sense within it a terrifying, earth-shattering potential.

The Ancient God body surrounding his Nascent Soul had absorbed the shockwaves from the collapsing Seven-Star formation, including the still-unleashed Second Tribulation. This had dramatically strengthened his physical form, imbuing it with an even greater concentration of Dao Ancient power. Each beat of his heart seemed capable of shaking the heavens, sending ripples of sound outwards.

A surge of raw power flooded Wang Lin. He felt confident that even a late-stage Nirvana Shatterer would be unable to escape him.

Only a Nirvana Completion powerhouse, stronger even than those of the late stage, might stand a chance against him.

For he was now a union of Immortal and God, a rarity in the endless star-seas.

Whether this fusion was a blessing or a curse, Wang Lin did not know. What he *did* know was the agonizing pain that wracked his body. The innate resistance between his physical form and his Nascent Soul, though forcibly merging, remained.

Even the Celestial Sealing Bead could not fully quell this conflict; it could only force the union. The searing pain, the very source of his suffering, remained embedded within him.

Unless this inner conflict could be resolved, Wang Lin could not unleash his full potential. Each time he tried to channel Immortal energy, the excruciating pain would be compounded by the resistance of his Dao Ancient body, allowing only a fraction of his true power to manifest.

Yet even that fraction was enough to slay a late-stage Nirvana Shatterer! What might he achieve if he could unleash it all? Wang Lin did not know, but he was certain that the likes of Grand Emissary Nan Zhao would be no match for his fully realized might.

Likewise, the power of his physical form was hindered by his Nascent Soul.

But that was not his greatest concern. Most alarming was the increasing intensity of the conflict, threatening to erupt and shatter his body, destroy his Nascent Soul, and obliterate his spirit entirely.

This inner resistance was a sword hanging over his head, poised to fall at any moment.

As Wang Lin sat cross-legged, his mind raced, desperately seeking a way to resolve this conflict. In the end, he found no solution.

His Immortal Ancestor Mark, though seemingly shattered, was, in reality, still present. Like his body and Nascent Soul, it had merged with his seven Ancient God star-points, resulting in the unprecedented phenomenon of golden Ancient Stars.

Days passed, filled with the madman’s incessant babble. Finally, to the accompaniment of the madman’s exhausted yet excited face, Wang Lin opened his eyes. In that instant, two beams of golden light shot forth, piercing the madman’s eyes.

The madman’s ramblings halted abruptly. He stared dumbly at Wang Lin’s eyes, a puzzled expression on his face. Scratching his head, he asked in a simple tone, “Huh? Where’d you get my clan’s gold eyes? But they’re just pale gold… that won’t do. Watch me!”

With a grunt, the madman inhaled deeply, puffing out his cheeks until they bulged. His entire body seemed to inflate.

As he swelled, his dull, lifeless eyes sharpened, two golden beams erupting from them.

Under that golden gaze, the madman seemed to transform into a being of incredible power.

“Well? What do you think? Am I amazing, or am I amazing?” But the instant he spoke, the regal air vanished.

“Just you wait. I can be even *more* amazing!” He inhaled again, puffing himself up even further. Cracking sounds echoed as his body expanded rapidly. His gaunt frame began to fill out with muscle and sinew, regaining a hint of its former glory.

But then, with a thunderous *poof,* a jet of air escaped from the madman’s backside, causing him to deflate like a punctured balloon. The golden light in his eyes vanished, leaving them dull once more.

Scratching his head sheepishly, the madman blushed and mumbled, “Er… accident. Just an accident…”

Wang Lin stared at him with a mixture of gratitude and exasperation. The madman had given him a great opportunity, but one that had nearly killed him. In truth, without the Immortal Ancestor Mark, his body wouldn’t have reacted so violently.

“Bah,” Wang Lin muttered, shaking his head. “What good is it to argue with a madman?” His greatest concern was the increasing intensity of the inner conflict. He closed his eyes, then reached into the void, tearing open a spatial rift. A wave of demonic energy surged forth.

The Ancient Devil he had acquired from the ancient tomb appeared before him.

The Ancient Devil’s flesh, once petrified, had changed when Wang Lin received the Dao Ancient inheritance. Now, it resembled true flesh and blood. Within its right eye, six demonic stars flickered, but the Ancient Devil remained a lifeless corpse.

Wang Lin had intended to forge a demonic soul and create a clone from the Ancient Devil’s body, but his inner crisis had forced a change of plans.

With a flicker of resolution, Wang Lin pointed at the Ancient Devil, who trembled violently. In the midst of its tremors, the massive body withered and shrank rapidly, its flesh, blood, and everything else transforming into streams of demonic energy flowing into the six demonic stars.

In the blink of an eye, the Ancient Devil’s body vanished, leaving behind only the six stars. Wang Lin grasped them and drew them toward his right eye.

In that moment, the six demonic stars merged with Wang Lin’s eye, branding themselves beneath the golden lightning bolt.

Wang Lin inhaled deeply, forming a hand seal, and his body trembled. The seven golden Ancient God star-points on his brow flickered rapidly, sending beams of golden light into his right eye, merging with the six demonic stars.

The madman, standing a short distance away, rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He mumbled to himself, “Using the Ancient God as the foundation, the Ancient Devil as the division… that’s the Dao Ancient lineage of the Three Royal Clans of the Ancient Kingdom… The Three Royal Clans… the Extreme Ancient used the *demon* as the foundation, the Primeval Ancient used the *spirit* as the union… strange, he’s clearly an Immortal, and possesses my royal clan’s undying flesh! But the Immortal royal clan with Ancient blood of the Ancient Kingdom and his undying flesh of the Immortal? Who gave it to him!” The madman grew serious, saying, “Something is wrong… which one did something like this?!”