A kaleidoscope of celestial hues erupted, halting the Qi Queen’s Hand Sovereign mid-flight. Desperation yielded to bitter acceptance as she gazed upon the iridescent display. Even the Seventh Celestial Concubine, spared by a stroke of fortune and a protective treasure against Li Guang’s legendary bow, stared at the rainbowed heavens with a complex mix of awe and dread.

“He has come,” Wang Lin murmured, his pupils contracting. Without hesitation, he retreated, his hand summoning a jade slip from the ether. He shattered it, a sharp crack echoing in the void, and from the debris bloomed a fist-sized black hole, pulsing with a lightless hunger. A vortex of unimaginable power erupted from its maw, seeking to devour Wang Lin whole.

Far across the starlit canvas, a figure emerged from the prismatic luminescence. He was a man of middle years, clad in a Daoist robe, exuding an aura of serene power. Yet, as he witnessed Wang Lin’s ritual, a flicker of unsettling amusement danced in his eyes.

“You seek to flee in such a manner? I think not.” With a casual gesture, the Rainbow Daoist extended a finger towards Wang Lin. Instantly, the celestial aurora coalesced, drawn to his will, and transformed into a lance of chromatic energy that hurtled toward Wang Lin with impossible speed.

The iridescent finger-wind tore through reality, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. A chilling premonition seized Wang Lin, constricting his very soul. He appeared doomed, unable to escape the vortex before the celestial dart pierced him.

Yet, his face remained impassive, as if this perilous moment was foreseen. As the deadly finger-wind bore down upon him, a hand, pale and delicate, emerged from the heart of the black hole. A jadeite ring adorned its middle finger, and it met the oncoming onslaught with uncanny precision.

The iridescent blast shattered without a sound, its essence fracturing into serpentine wisps that burrowed into the ethereal hand. A muffled groan echoed from the abyss as the hand trembled, then, with a swiftness born of ancient knowledge, performed a series of arcane gestures. It multiplied into seven identical hands, each glowing with a unique color of the spectrum, yet bound together in perfect harmony.

With a gentle clap, the seven hands, a rainbowed corona, sped past Wang Lin, aiming directly at the approaching Rainbow Daoist. Simultaneously, Wang Lin surrendered to the pull of the black hole, vanishing from the primeval starfield.

The event unfolded in a heartbeat.

The Hand Sovereign’s face contorted with shock, her gaze fixated on the unfolding hand-seal. “It is *her*!” she exclaimed.

Even more shaken was the Seventh Concubine, who stumbled backward, her face drained of color. “Elder Sister! She lives!” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Only the Rainbow Daoist remained unmoved. As the seven-handed seal surged towards him, he raised his hand, sweeping his sleeve across the void. A shockwave of iridescent energy rippled outward, meeting the approaching attack.

The clash reverberated through the cosmos, then faded into nothingness.

The Rainbow Daoist closed his eyes, lost in thought. Finally, he opened them and gazed eastward, towards the void where Wang Lin and the black hole had disappeared. A hint of longing flickered within his gaze.

“The Chromatic Jade Seven-Hand Seal… or so it was called… Alas, I only gleaned the technique, not the complete knowledge… Yet, to think you could escape my grasp is foolish. Li Guang’s Bow has served its purpose. It is time for its return.” With these words, he stepped forward, vanishing without a trace.

Only the Hand Sovereign and the Seventh Concubine remained, exchanging glances laden with awe and fear. Their shock stemmed from the seal, from the identity of the hand’s mistress:

The Celestial Honored One’s First Consort! The Rainbow Celestial Honored One’s own sister!

Deep within the Cloud Sea Star Region, beyond the ancient Demon Sect, lay a hidden rift, its destination unknown to most. It was a place of ravenous beasts, prone to unleashing chaos upon the world.

Within this rift, in a region of alien, pitch-black starlit expanse, a titanic beast dwelled, its form akin to a lion, yet adorned with a single horn.

Upon the leonine head, just before the horn, sat a woman of peerless beauty, her face pale with exertion. Her hands weaved intricate patterns before her, channeling a flow of arcane energy.

Before her hovered a fist-sized black hole, devouring the surrounding darkness. Suddenly, it shuddered, expanding to the size of a man, and from within stepped Wang Lin.

As he emerged, the black hole collapsed, dissolving into shimmering motes of light.

“My thanks,” Wang Lin said, offering the woman a respectful bow.

The woman opened her eyes, fatigue etched upon her face. She gazed at Wang Lin, a faint smile gracing her lips.

“Years have passed since we last met. Your cultivation was once weak, yet you have reached such heights… I believed you had forgotten your promise to me, but when I received your message a year ago, I knew you had not.”

“I would never forget your aid in escaping that place. My tardiness was only due to pressing matters,” Wang Lin said with a smile, glancing at the massive lion-beast beneath him, now streaking across the starry void. He settled down beside her.
Knowing the path to the Shattered Star Sea and the Immortal Domain Beyond was fraught with peril, Wang Lin had already conceived his retreat. He was no fool; this journey was no mere stroll. Once the power of his two celestial bows was spent, the dreaded Palm Sovereign would surely give chase. And even if Wang Lin possessed more than the mere two bows the Sovereign claimed, the lands beyond teemed with the influence of the Seven-Colored Daoist. Should that entity intervene, Wang Lin’s current cultivation would offer little hope of escape.

Thus, a year prior, amidst the cyclical breathing of the Reincarnation Array, he had used the jade token, a gift from a woman long unseen, to send forth his divine sense. Through this conduit, he reached an accord with this forgotten figure.

His decision to seek her aid stemmed from a tapestry of clues and his own understanding of the cosmos. Wang Lin held a strong conviction, nearing certainty, that this woman was none other than the missing First Consort of the Immortal Exalt!

Their initial exchange of divine thoughts confirmed his suspicions. The woman revealed herself as the very one he suspected – the First Consort of the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt!

“I was indeed the First Consort of the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt of the Seven Dao Sect,” her voice, though faint, resonated with an ancient power. “But I bear another name, another allegiance. I am the younger sister of Fan Shanmeng, the Daoist companion of the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt. My name is Fan Shanlu!”

“As our spirits have already spoken, and you are aware that all this is but a hidden grotto, I shall hold nothing back. It is as you suspect. In his greed for power during the conflict of the Nine Suns, the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt ruthlessly used my sister as bait, seizing his opportunity. He then sealed the Seven Dao Sect, trapping all within.

“Here, I can trust no soul from the Immortal Astral Continent. Moreover, wounded by the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt, my cultivation has never fully recovered. Until your arrival, there was no one with whom I shared no conflicting interests. We can collaborate!” Her voice carried the weight of ages.

“You seek to lead the cultivators of this grotto world to the Immortal Astral Continent, and in this, I will assist you.”

“The Immortal Astral Continent is a realm of boundless wonder, yet riddled with endless war. Peace between sects is a rare commodity. To establish a foothold, you must claim a sect for your own. However, every desirable location is already held by force. With your current power, I dare say claiming a mountain gate is beyond your reach! Furthermore, remember that the grotto world is a construct, an illusion in many ways. The beings that inhabit it… their reality is tenuous. Rarely, if ever, has it been heard that those emerging from grotto worlds are able to rise within the Immortal Astral Continent.”

Wang Lin sat in silence, absorbing her words.

“Not impossible, mind you, but your entry into the Immortal Astral Continent will come at a great price. You will face the Trial of Ascendance, a trial I have heard whispered of. Only those of the Void Tribulant stage within a grotto world possess any hope of surviving it. But even this, I can aid you with!” Fan Shanlu’s gaze was unwavering.

“I am listening,” Wang Lin replied, his face betraying nothing. Her eyes, however, held a flicker of admiration for his composure.

“My sister… she is not dead!” The declaration hung in the air.

Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened, but he remained silent.

“She is not here. She is on the Immortal Astral Continent! Lands are hard to come by, but if you were to slay the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt, the mountain gates of the Seven Dao Sect would be yours! My sister and I claim nothing. We are not truly of the Seven Dao Sect, but core disciples of the Great Soul Sect, within the Nine Universes and Thirteen Gates of the Eastern Immortal Astral.

“Years ago, we were blinded, our hearts captured by the Seven-Colored Immortal Exalt…” Her delicate features contorted in hatred.

“Should you acquire the Seven Dao Sect, we can even arrange for you to be introduced into the Great Soul Sect!”

“As for the Trial of Ascendance, my sister can beseech our master to aid you in crossing over, mitigating its severity.”

Wang Lin paused, carefully weighing her words. “And what of the other cultivators within this grotto world?”

The woman was about to answer, but her expression abruptly shifted. She whirled around, her eyes wide. Simultaneously, Wang Lin’s face hardened. He too turned, sensing a chilling presence closing in from behind.