Icy words, like a wind from the grave, whispered past the throng, striking Liu Jinbiao. His pupils contracted to pinpricks, and his body locked into place as if turned to stone. In that instant, his mind was a blank slate.

A tremor shook him, and he spun to face the source of that chilling voice. The sight that greeted him nearly shattered his very soul. He crashed to his knees, a crimson torrent erupting from his lips – not a feigned display, but the bitter fruit of pure, unadulterated terror.

His cunning schemes vanished like smoke. He trembled, mouth agape to speak, but the weight of Wang Lin’s gaze silenced him. It felt as though his flesh were being rent, the gaze a searing blade piercing his mortal form to strike at his very spirit. A single thought from this being could unravel him, erasing him from existence.

That dreadful gaze, pregnant with a murderous intent, caused icy prickles to crawl across Jinbiao’s scalp. He was struck dumb, able only to kneel and beat his forehead against the hard ground in a frantic rhythm, heedless of the blood that gushed forth.

Xu Liguo, drunk on his cruelty, was still howling in agony. But the instant that voice reached him, he was seized by a violent tremor. That voice… he knew it, intimately, terrifyingly. It was the voice of the grim reaper he had so foolishly defied!

The fury and cold it radiated threatened to dissolve his spectral form. A ringing filled his mind, and he went deathly pale. The spectral blades piercing him shattered, leaving him truly broken. He turned, his gaze meeting the frigid stare of Wang Lin, clad in white.

He teetered on the edge of oblivion and crashed to his knees, eyes wide with abject fear.

“M-Master!” Xu Liguo choked out, his voice a piercing shriek that echoed his despair. “Master, spare me! Hear my explanation! It’s not as it seems! This…” Despite the crushing fear, his long servitude to Wang Lin granted him a sliver of resilience beyond Jinbiao’s. He spoke, his voice trembling, as he groveled, attempting to clutch at Wang Lin’s leg in desperate supplication.

This abrupt shift sent ripples through the other cultivators. The dozen or so menacing figures turned as one. The moment they met Wang Lin’s icy glare, it pierced them, causing their spirits to reel. Each coughed up blood, their faces masks of horror.

The female cultivator was equally stricken. Her face was ashen, and she stumbled back, her eyes brimming with terror. She did not know this figure’s name, but the sheer force of his presence made her feel as though the very heavens were collapsing. Even her own master, the most powerful being she had ever known, seemed insignificant before this titan.

“W-Who are you?!” she stammered, her words twisted by the oppressive dread.

All those present felt as though they stood before a tempest, a swirling vortex of power that dwarfed them. This tempest, a bridge between worlds, pulsed with a terrifying energy that threatened to obliterate all life. They felt as fragile as motes of dust, capable of being extinguished with a mere flick of a finger.

Fahua Zi, the youth in black robes standing at the edge of the throng, bore a pale face smeared with blood. But upon meeting Wang Lin’s gaze, a moment of shock gave way to fervent excitement. He seemed to recognize Wang Lin but struggled to believe it.

The Madman, blissfully untouched by the rising tension, saw Wang Lin and instantly crumpled. Tears welled in his eyes, and he darted past the others, past Xu Liguo, to throw himself at Wang Lin’s feet, sobbing uncontrollably.

“They bullied me! I did nothing wrong! I only asked the nice lady her name! I swear, I did nothing! Xu Liguo said it would be fun, but before I could even do anything, they burst in! I didn’t do anything!” The Madman’s voice rose with each word, tears streaming down his face.

Xu Liguo felt his heart seize. Under Wang Lin’s chilling gaze, he dared not approach. He opened his mouth to speak, but Wang Lin raised his hand and pointed.

With that single gesture, Xu Liguo screamed as torrents of spectral essence spewed from his mouth. He became almost transparent, his body slamming against the stone wall behind him. The wall shimmered with the activation of an ancient ward, and Xu Liguo screamed again as he was hurled back.

That one finger nearly severed three-tenths of his cultivation, leaving his spirit on the brink of collapse. The agonizing pain that ripped through his mind made him wail. Now, he was utterly terrified. After years of service, he understood Wang Lin’s ruthlessness. “Grim Reaper” was not a title bestowed lightly.

“Master, Master! I have served you well! I have bled for you! Do you not remember the Giant Demon Ancestor on Vermillion Bird Star? Do you not remember…” Xu Liguo cried out, desperately reciting every deed he had performed for Wang Lin, lest he be denied the chance to speak at all.

“Were it not for all that, that finger would have annihilated your very soul, not merely crippled your cultivation!” Wang Lin’s eyes burned with icy rage. He had sworn to care for the Madman, and Xu Liguo had betrayed that trust. As the rogue claimed, were it not for their long history together, Wang Lin would have ended him.

His gaze swept to Liu Jinbiao, still kneeling and trembling, a flicker of murderous intent in his eyes.

“A leopard cannot change its spots. Liu Jinbiao, you have disappointed me greatly. I earned your freedom at the Vermillion Bird Clan. I vowed to release you upon my return, and grant you a fate that would allow you to care for him in my stead…” Wang Lin’s voice was a glacial wind that swept through the cave, causing Liu Jinbiao to shudder violently. His head struck the ground with even greater force, a relentless *thud*.

Wang Lin pointed at Liu Jinbiao. A gust of wind followed his finger, striking Jinbiao and throwing him back several paces in a spray of blood.

“You did me a great service, and it shall be remembered. But your new life is forfeited, and freedom is no longer yours. You will serve me as a thrall for a thousand years!” Wang Lin’s pronouncement reached Liu Jinbiao, who offered a wry smile, relieved. He could endure such a punishment.

“Esteemed Sovereign! You are Esteemed Sovereign!” Fahua Zi, the black-robed cultivator, blurted out in a voice laced with excitement and reverence. He had held onto a sliver of doubt, but hearing Wang Lin speak of Vermillion Bird Star and the Vermillion Bird Clan shattered it. He bowed low, his fist cupped in utmost respect.

His exclamation sent a shockwave through the other cultivators. Faces lit up with disbelief, quickly followed by fervent admiration. They bowed as one, hands clasped, radiating joy.

“Greetings, Esteemed Sovereign!” The female cultivator hesitated for a moment, before her eyes filled with awe. She bowed to Wang Lin, mirroring the others. She trusted Fahua Zi’s words implicitly. Only an Esteemed Sovereign could possess such terrifying power.

Wang Lin’s gaze remained fixed, meeting the gaze of the black-robed youth.

“You have seen me before?” Wang Lin asked, slowly. The youth’s expression lit up even further. He rushed forward, bowing deeply and replying, “This lowly one resided in the Land of Heavenly Retribution for a time. During the First War of the Cloud Sea, I was among the Heavenly Retribution soldiers. I saw Esteemed Sovereign from afar. Also, I have received jade scrolls from the Cloud Sea, granting me vague knowledge of your appearance.”

He glanced towards the Madman, a flicker of shame crossing his face. He opened his mouth to explain, but the words died on his tongue.

Wang Lin remained silent, casting his gaze upon the dozen or so cultivators within the cave. His gaze bore down on them with immense pressure, causing them to hang their heads in shame, unable to meet his eyes.

“This ends here,” Wang Lin finally spoke, his voice calm. With a flick of his sleeve, he swept up Xu Liguo and Liu Jinbiao. He then took the Madman’s hand and strode forward. The air shimmered and distorted as he departed, leaving only silence in his wake.

Only after he was gone did the cultivators dare raise their heads. Their backs were drenched in cold sweat. They exchanged uneasy glances, each sharing a look of stark terror.

“Damned fool! Look at what you’ve done! If not for your instigation, we wouldn’t have earned the Esteemed Sovereign’s scorn! It’s also my fault. I let Xu Liguo’s greed lead me astray, and I did this… setting a trap for a madman…” Fahua Zi’s face was a canvas of shame, and he stared at the empty space where Wang Lin had been, his heart filled with regret.

Wang Lin was a figure he revered, and he had often dreamed of meeting him. He never imagined that his dream would come true under such circumstances, or amidst such scandal…

The female cultivator, her face equally flushed with shame, ground her teeth and hissed, “It’s all Xu Liguo’s fault! That fiend… If I ever have the chance again, I will make him pay!”

In the starry void, Wang Lin walked slowly forward. Liu Jinbiao and Xu Liguo were imprisoned within his storage ring, and the golden blood they had acquired was now largely in his possession.

Behind him, the Madman was muttering incessantly, clearly shaken by what had transpired.

“People are wicked, so wicked… And spirit stones and silver are important, very important. If I ever get spirit stones or silver, I must be frugal, absolutely frugal! I can’t spend them willy-nilly… Not even a little…”

Even Wang Lin was surprised by the impact of the events. The Madman’s personality had shifted, becoming more guarded. He had become obsessed with money, exhibiting a level of stinginess that bordered on absurd.

As he listened to the Madman’s constant muttering, a sense of calm settled over Wang Lin. He turned to look at the Madman, a strange thought striking him. The Madman’s ramblings reminded him of someone… someone he had only seen once in the outer reaches of the Ancient Star System, someone he had almost forgotten.

Wang Lin shook his head and smiled, dismissing the thought as ridiculous. He then turned towards Vermillion Bird Star, and resumed his journey.