The tiger spirit bowed its head low towards Wang Lin, then with a spectral shift, plunged directly into the vortex beneath him, merging with its swirling heart. The vortex dissolved, reforming into the colossal white tiger it once was.

With a mournful cry, the white tiger surged forward, passing beneath Wang Lin. In the distant sky, it glanced back at him, utterly ignoring the white-haired elder, before dissolving once more into a boundless white radiance, a light that mirrored the heavens, fading into the ancient Immortal Domain.

“This… this is impossible!” The white-haired elder’s face was ashen, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief.

As the heavens were consumed by the white tiger’s departing light, and the elder’s horrified cry echoed, from within the brow-vortex of one of the four mountain-sized statues, a figure of jade-green took a single stride forward.

With his arrival, a dragon’s roar shattered the sky. The emerald figure transformed into a colossal azure dragon, coiled majestically across the heavens. Simultaneously, an old man in emerald robes materialized from within the dragon’s form, becoming a streak of azure light hurtling towards Wang Lin.

His speed surpassed even lightning, and his timing was impeccable, seizing the blinding moment of the white tiger’s departure. In the blink of an eye, the azure-clad elder was upon Wang Lin, raising his right hand, extending a single forefinger, his expression serene but laced with deadly intent, aiming for Wang Lin’s brow.

As his finger moved, the immense azure dragon behind him roared, its body blurring, overtaking the elder and merging into him, infusing that single, deadly digit.

From afar, the scene was like a painted scroll. The azure-robed elder’s finger pulsed with emerald light, the endless form of the azure dragon tracing the very path of his advance, until it seemed the elder vanished entirely, becoming a single, living dragon of jade, poised to strike Wang Lin’s brow.

All happened with blinding speed. In a breath, the elder was upon him, a mere three feet away!

At the same moment, from within the brow-vortex of another of the four statues, a black-robed elder strode forth. The sky dimmed as he appeared, and a colossal Xuanwu, a creature of monstrous tortoise form, emerged with a deafening roar.

As the black-robed elder descended, he too moved with lightning speed, rushing towards Wang Lin from the opposite direction, his swiftness matching that of the emerald elder. He lunged, a fist of iron aimed to crush.

The Xuanwu’s shadowy form, writhing and roaring behind the black-robed elder, melded into him, infusing his attack. As his fist swung, countless barbs of black iron materialized upon his knuckles!

The Azure Dragon General and the Xuanwu General! At that very moment, both had chosen to strike, launching their assaults with the subtlety of thieves, each targeting Wang Lin.

The Four Generals had fought alongside each other for countless years, their coordination honed to near-telepathic precision. Even as the two launched their attacks, the White Tiger General, wiping blood from his lips, lunged forward. No white tiger phantom accompanied him, but in his hands he wielded the Heaven-Splitting Blade. With a roar, he leapt through the air, bringing the blade down in a furious cleave towards Wang Lin!

Only the Vermillion Bird General remained unseen, seemingly convinced that the combined might of the three would be more than enough to obliterate Wang Lin.

All of this unfolded in the span of a heartbeat. As the Azure Dragon General drew near, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. A sense of mortal peril surged through him, engulfing his very being. Unlike others, who might falter in such a moment of deadly crisis, Wang Lin had lived a life steeped in danger. The feeling of death’s embrace was an old companion, and in its presence, he found only greater clarity.

In his heart, he held no fear for these wounded remnants of immortals. Let them strike together if they dared!

With a resounding laugh, Wang Lin raised his right hand, extending his forefinger, meeting the Azure Dragon General’s jade-green digit. As he did so, the twisted, celestial skull of the Dao Ancient descended from above, merging with his finger.

Simultaneously, the ancient god star point in Wang Lin’s brow, and the ancient demon and ancient devil star points in his right eye, all blazed and whirled, unleashing the power of the three ancient races, pouring into his right forefinger, forging Wang Lin’s most powerful, self-created Dao Ancient Divine Ability!

The Ancient Race Unyielding Finger!

A finger that could shatter even the seals of the Seven-Colored Immortal Sovereign! What fear could it hold for this crippled Azure Dragon Immortal?

As the finger manifested, the heavens shifted, and the winds howled. The Azure Dragon General’s serene expression shattered, replaced by sudden dread. In the next instant, his finger collided with Wang Lin’s Unyielding Finger.

A cataclysmic roar erupted, shaking the very foundations of existence. At the moment of impact, the Azure Dragon General coughed up a mouthful of blood. The endless form of the azure dragon behind him shuddered, then shattered into fragments. As the dragon dissolved, the Azure Dragon General stumbled backwards, staggering over a hundred feet before managing to halt, his eyes wide with horror.

The Ancient Race Unyielding Finger, imbued with Wang Lin’s Dao Ancient power, would not be utterly destroyed. It shattered, only to reform, again and again. The Azure Dragon General’s finger, though mighty, merely destroyed Wang Lin’s finger countless times, an insignificant number compared to the Immortal Sovereign’s seal.

Hundreds of destructions could not break Wang Lin’s Unyielding Finger. In the end, Hua Qinglong, the Azure Dragon General, could only fail!

But Wang Lin’s body fared no better. Only his finger was unyielding, not his flesh. In the clash with the Azure Dragon General, Wang Lin tasted blood, his insides roaring, his organs twisted as if crushed together, sending bolts of agony through his frame.

But Wang Lin forced down the pain, his eyes burning with murderous intent. After repelling the Azure Dragon General, he whirled, and the golden blood, born of the Immortal Undying Physique within his brow, manifested in a blinding flash of gold, a light that instilled terror in the hearts of the Four Generals. It pulsed with the purest essence of an immortal’s lineage.
The Onyx General, sprung from ambush, found himself closest to Wang Lin. He was consumed by a blinding golden light that seemed to vaporize his very being. Black smoke poured from him, accompanied by agonizing shrieks and cries of terror that echoed through the air.

From Wang Lin’s brow, a single drop of golden blood shot forth. It pierced the Onyx General’s charging fist, and with that touch, the shadowy tortoise that wreathed the warrior shattered, unleashing a howl of unbearable pain.

The General spat crimson, recoiling as black miasma clung to his form. His right fist was a mangled ruin of flesh, and his eyes held only fear.

“Celestial blood! You possess celestial blood! Impossible! The purity of this lineage, the…the…immortal body of the Celestials!”

As he retreated, the golden blood returned to Wang Lin’s brow, sinking back into his flesh.

With a single finger, the Azure Dragon was held at bay. With a single drop of blood, the Onyx General was broken. But the peril was not yet passed. Above Wang Lin, the White Tiger General, wounded but unbowed, swung the Heaven-Cleaving Blade.

The blade gleamed with unnatural light, its descent accompanied by a piercing shriek. As it threatened to fall, Wang Lin lifted his head, suppressing the turmoil within. He raised a hand, meeting the descending blade with an open palm.

From that palm erupted a swirling vortex of nine-colored flame, followed by a thunderous storm of lightning summoned from the four corners of the heavens. The flame coalesced into a palm of equal size, a fiery barrier against the White Tiger’s blade.

It was not finished.

Behind the flame palm, the essence of Causality formed a swirling vortex of chaos, becoming a third barrier.

Then came the essence of Life and Death, black and white energies entwined, birthing a fourth palm.

Next, the essence of Truth and Illusion manifested, shifting between the tangible and the intangible, forming a fifth palm in the blink of an eye.

Finally, an overwhelming aura of slaughter erupted from Wang Lin, solidifying into a sixth and final palm. These six palms, linked together like a chain, hurtled toward the Heaven-Cleaving Blade of the White Tiger General.

A deafening roar shook the very foundations of reality. The Heaven-Cleaving Blade shattered upon impact, and the six palms crashed into the chest of the White Tiger General.

The General screamed as a bloody mist erupted from his form. Waves of celestial energy poured forth, and he was thrown backward. The Azure Dragon and Onyx General surged forward, catching their wounded comrade on either side.

“Break the healing seal! Release my essence! I will kill him!” the White Tiger General rasped, his face pale and drawn. Yet, his eyes burned with an even more intense fury. He shoved aside the Azure Dragon and Onyx General, his hair wild and disheveled.

With his roar, his power surged, and a golden rune manifested on his brow.

“Azure Dragon, Onyx General! Break the seal! If we were not bound to restore our power, would we be forced back by this insect? I will kill him! What right does he have to defy us Celestials? He is but a lower realm worm!”

Wang Lin remained composed, though he too felt the sting of battle. The combined assault of the three had wounded him, and without his many defenses, he would have been severely injured, if not slain.

Seeing the White Tiger’s rage, Wang Lin raised his left hand, grasping at the empty air. A golden light erupted, revealing a bow of ancient, desolate power.

With his left hand, he held the bow. With his right, he drew back the string. With a soft *thrum*, the string was fully drawn, and an ancient arrow materialized upon it.

As the bowstring resonated, the world around them fell silent. The White Tiger General ceased his roaring, his rage extinguished. He stared at the bow in Wang Lin’s hands, his face a mask of stark terror.

The Azure Dragon flinched, recoiling with a dread he had never known.

“Li Guang’s Bow!”

The Onyx General was equally horrified. The black energy that had choked him was now suppressed, leaving his face ashen. But the sight of the bow drained the color from his face.

“…Friend Wang Lin, do not be angered. I beg you, for my sake, let us parley…” From the swirling vortex on the brow of the final statue, a figure in crimson robes emerged. His expression was strained as he offered Wang Lin a respectful bow.