Standing at the breach in the sealing array, Wang Lin beheld the approaching cultivator from the Summoning River. A flash of violet, and she materialized, a woman of chilling beauty, halting ten paces distant.

Though her loveliness did not surpass that of Mu Bingmei, it was striking nonetheless. She stood there, a vision in flowing purple silks, like a celestial being descended.

A pallor graced her features, adding to her allure, suggesting a fragile strength.

“Zixia,” she uttered, her gaze meeting Wang Lin’s. After a long moment, the word escaped her lips, cold and a little raw, as if long unused.

“Could this be the Zixia Immortal Emperor of the Flickering Realm?” Wang Lin mused, a hint of recognition in his eyes. He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

“Release the Immortal Concubine you have sealed,” Zixia commanded, her voice devoid of warmth.

Wang Lin’s expression remained unchanged, though his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a cold light kindling within.

“Which of the Immortal Sovereign’s consorts are you?” Wang Lin’s question was a thunderclap. Zixia’s eyes sharpened, her gaze unwavering. At length, she spoke.

“I am the Eighth Consort, Zixia.”

“And the one I slew? Which number was she?” Wang Lin inquired, his tone even.

“You killed the Second Consort. You have sealed the Fifth… The one who fled was the Sixth.” Zixia’s words flowed more smoothly now, but the iciness remained untouched.

Wang Lin’s eyes flickered. Of the Immortal Sovereign’s Eight Consorts, he had now encountered most of them, and their outlines began to coalesce in his mind. The Fourth Consort, she who sought to control Tuosen, was trapped within the Ancient Tomb, unable to escape.

The Third Consort he had met and released from the Ancient Tomb, a woman of cold indifference, who played no part in the war.

As for the Second Consort, she who had dealings with the outsiders and, it seemed, with the Palm Sovereign himself, now lay dead by his hand.

And the Fifth Consort languished within the Heavenly Furnace, resisting complete annihilation.

If Zixia spoke true, then the Sixth Consort had been the one who fled. Thus, only two remained whom Wang Lin had never seen.

The First and the Seventh.

“The woman who made a pact with me within the rift world of the Ninth-Order Starfield of Cloud Sea… could she be one of the Consorts? But which… the First, or the Seventh?” Such thoughts surged through his mind.

“My Fifth Sister, whom you have sealed, is of great importance to me. Release her into my care,” Zixia demanded, a note of command in her voice, born of long years in positions of power, a subconscious assumption that all should obey.

Wang Lin frowned, but recalling her efforts in the defense of the realm, he considered her request. He was about to grant it when Zixia spoke again.

“Furthermore, you must journey beyond the borders of our world, and bring the remaining Consorts to me. I have need of them. You must see to this swiftly. As for guarding this place for three years, it is unnecessary. If the Immortal Sovereign…” She spoke with cold authority, but Wang Lin’s brow furrowed deeper, and a glint of steel ignited in his eyes.

“Enough,” Wang Lin’s voice was low, laced with ice, as he regarded the imperious Zixia.

“Your demands go too far.”

“Insolence! Do you know to whom you speak? All that you have done is to serve the awakening of the Immortal Sovereign, to earn his favor. You will do as you are bid. When all is complete, I myself will inform the Immortal Sovereign of your merits.” Zixia’s eyes blazed with regal fury, her face darkening.

Wang Lin paused, staring at Zixia. Then, a mirthless smile twisted his lips.

“So that is the truth. Not all of the Eight Consorts are traitors. The Eighth Consort remains loyal. But your requests… to capture the other Consorts, even the Fifth Consort whom I have bound… they are beyond my power to grant. I must refuse.” Wang Lin turned, his sleeve billowing, a cold smile etched on his face.

Zixia’s eyes widened at his words. A suspicion flickered through her mind that she had misjudged something. She knew little of Wang Lin, save that he was a disciple of the Sealing Exalt, the current holder of that title, and that he had done much for the realm, winning battles and killing foes.

She had assumed that all his actions stemmed from the mantle of the Sealing Exalt, that the previous holder had instructed him in all things, that he was a servant of the Immortal Sovereign.

Thus, when Wang Lin appeared, after his power astonished her, she had come to issue these commands, to enlist his aid. It had never occurred to her that he might refuse. After all, she was an Immortal Concubine, and their goals were the same: to awaken the Immortal Sovereign.

Upon the Sovereign’s awakening, both would reap great rewards.

But Wang Lin’s laughter and his words of refusal struck her like a thunderbolt. She stumbled back, staring at Wang Lin.

“Did the previous Sealing Exalt not inform you of the Sealing Exalt’s true purpose, his origins?”

“The Seven Dao Sects of the Immortal-Astral Continent… I am aware of these matters,” Wang Lin replied coldly, glaring at the violet-clad woman. Had she not served the realm so well, whatever her motives, he would have banished her long ago, dismissing this deluded woman.

Zixia paled, reeling back several paces, shock twisting her features.

“I know all. Begone, and do not appear before me again,” Wang Lin commanded, waving a hand.

The violet-clad woman stared, her face a mask of pale uncertainty. Finally, she bit her lip.
“Knowing all this, why not join forces with me? You and I together shall awaken the Revered Immortal! Once the Immortal Lord is roused, he will grant us both a blessing of immense proportions…”

“The Revered Immortal is a powerful being even within the Immortal Astral Continent. Upon his awakening, I can beseech him to accept you as a disciple. Thus, you shall escape this cavernous prison and become a member of the Seven Paths Sect, gaining the identity of an Immortal Astral cultivator. That continent is the true world, a thousandfold better than this desolate cave…”

“Only by rendering such service can we earn the Immortal Lord’s favor. He may even bestow cultivation upon you, granting you a place of prominence within the Immortal Astral Continent. In time, you shall become a figure of some renown even there. That land is the true realm of Immortals, where your power shall surely swell…”

Wang Lin, his countenance serene, regarded the violet-clad woman with indifference. Her words stirred nothing within him.

“The Twin Rainbow Immortals are comparable to a powerhouse of the Nine Suns Immortal Astral Continent…? Laughable! Within that land, he is but a petty warlord. Even your Seven Paths Sect is a mere speck. Your desperation to awaken him suggests ulterior motives.”

“You… you know of the Nine Suns?” Zixia’s expression shifted once more, disbelief etched upon her features. Her eyes narrowed, recollection dawning. She remembered Wang Lin drawing the Bow of Li Guang, the roars of the Palm Sovereign.

“Begone! Were it not for your lineage within this realm, your mere affiliation with the Seven Paths Sect would not spare you Wang’s wrath!” Killing intent flashed within Wang Lin’s eyes, his gaze piercing the violet-clad woman’s soul.

Zixia’s mind reeled, her composure shattered. She retreated hastily, ceasing her entreaties and fleeing like a purple meteor, vanishing from sight.

“The Rainbow Immortal… I shall find my own way to awaken him, but not for blessings, but for… vengeance! To slay him! And then, to claim the Dao of this Masterless Cave, to lead its denizens forth, into the Immortal Astral Continent!”

“Wang has walked a path against the heavens his entire life! He shall act according to his will, not become a subservient dog, begging for scraps of life, pleading for rescue!

“Even if I fail in the end, and perish by the Immortal Lord’s hand, I shall die a defiant man, standing tall against fate!” Wang Lin did not utter these words, but they echoed within his soul.

He turned his gaze to the direction the violet-clad woman had fled, not even bothering to inquire about the Coffin of Heavenly Concealment. He would no longer seek answers through her. If he ever escaped to the Immortal Astral Continent, he would find his own way to learn all that he needed to know, and even resurrect Wan’er.

But if he failed to escape… then inquiry was pointless. To die alongside Wan’er would be the final act of defiance, a warrior’s last stand.

Turning away, Wang Lin fixed his gaze upon the dying Seal of the Realm, a brilliant light igniting in his eyes. He stepped forward, approaching the web-like structure of the dissolving Seal, and settled into a meditative pose before it, closing his eyes and channeling the power of the cosmos.

As Wang Lin breathed, the essence of the Cloud Sea Starfield converged upon him, flowing into his form, nourishing his soul and fortifying his flesh, accelerating the restoration of his Ancient God physique.

Wang Lin’s right hand clenched in the void, summoning forth several orbs of Origin Force, drawn from the imprints of causality. He shattered them one by one, absorbing their essence through his orifices, infusing his own six Daos, causing them to churn with renewed weight.

Having achieved the Third Step, the essence of heaven and earth could only expedite the restoration of his body; it held no power to enhance his cultivation.

To ascend within the Third Step, to restore one’s cultivation, required but one thing: Origin Force.

As time flowed by, hours later, Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open, radiating a terrifying might.

“The Seal is dying! I shall obliterate it utterly, and with my own power, forge a new one!”