When Wang Lin shatters the third seal, this vessel shall surely fall into the rightful grasp of its master.

Thus, shall the guest become the host!

A glacial glint ignited in Fan Shanmeng’s eyes. With a thought, her right hand ascended, pointing a slender finger at the shimmering shield protecting the Soul-Devouring Galleon. At her command, the layers of light dimmed and flickered.

In that fleeting moment, Fan Shanmeng moved with uncanny speed, descending from the first deck into the second.

As she vanished, a tempest of iridescent light descended, engulfing the entire galleon. The Rainbow Daoist strode forward, his boots thundering on the deck.

Upon the deck below, Wang Lin, seated in meditation on the third level, lifted his gaze toward the heavens. His face was an impassive mask, yet his eyes burned with a calculating light.

“She does as I anticipated,” Wang Lin murmured, a smile curling his lips. Her subtle machinations thwarted, her hidden threats rendered impotent, Fan Shanmeng had resorted to invoking the power of the Rainbow Daoist.

With the first deck under Wang Lin’s control, he would be forced to contend with the Daoist indirectly, dividing his focus to maintain the wardings and bar the Daoist’s passage.

“You seek to play with fire… I, too, know this game!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. With a swift incantation and a wave of his hand, the first deck of the Soul-Devouring Galleon resonated with a thunderous roar. The ancient wardings ceased their vigil, falling silent.

In the stillness, the iridescent light pierced through the first deck to the second. The Rainbow Daoist laughed triumphantly as he descended to the next level.

As the Daoist descended, Fan Shanmeng burst into the third level. Her face contorted with horror as she perceived Wang Lin’s actions. “What madness compels you?! We cannot hope to stand against the Rainbow First Soul, even together! To open the way for him is suicide!”

“Dare to rebuke me again, and I shall fling open the second deck,” Wang Lin hissed, his eyes burning with cold fury.

“You dare?!” Fan Shanmeng glared, murder etched upon her features.

“If you can weaken the shield around the galleon, granting him easy entry, then who am I to deny him the first deck? I hold no deep-seated vendetta against him. He seeks the Li Guang Bow; I shall give it. You, however, are different. If you wish to survive, hold your tongue!” Wang Lin’s words were a tempest, turning Fan Shanmeng’s face ashen.

“Hold your tongue, and cease your petty machinations! Should you persist, I shall unleash the Rainbow Daoist upon you!” Wang Lin’s gaze was venomous, piercing her to her very core.

A chill ran down Fan Shanmeng’s spine. She beheld Wang Lin with new eyes, recognizing the depths of his cunning and the chilling power of his schemes.

“He has seized the initiative, wresting control from my grasp! I find myself pressed back by his actions, utterly suppressed by his cunning. This man… this man is far too dangerous!”

Fan Shanmeng fell silent, her heart consumed by a profound dread of Wang Lin, the unassuming cultivator from the Domain of the Cave.

“To possess such guile at so young an age… in the Immense Expanse, he would surely be a figure of renown…”

Wang Lin fixed his gaze upon Fan Shanmeng, then turned away.

Above them, the second deck groaned and trembled, the wardings flaring as they fought against the Rainbow’s onslaught. Yet, the battle was swiftly turning against them.

“If you value your life, then you must summon all your strength, that I may have more time to break through the third seal. I know you possess a final defense, capable of ensuring your survival. But within the Soul-Devouring Galleon, our fates are intertwined. Without my cooperation, you shall never escape!” Wang Lin spoke with a cold certainty. With those words, he closed his eyes, the Dao Ancestor’s phantom shimmering around him as he resumed his study of the third seal.

Fan Shanmeng’s face twisted in a storm of rage and trepidation. Wang Lin’s words struck true, piercing the heart of her schemes.

She did, indeed, possess a final trump card, a secret that had fueled her initial confidence. She had planned to use the power of the Rainbow Daoist to force Wang Lin into submission.

But never had she imagined that, in so little time, Wang Lin would seize control of two layers of wardings, snatching half of the galleon’s dominion from her. To unleash her final gambit, she now needed Wang Lin’s cooperation. “What is your plan? Even if I delay him, I cannot grant you the time needed to break through the remaining seals! Abandon your efforts to control the galleon! If you do, we might still escape! But if you persist in your stubbornness, we shall surely die!” Fan Shanmeng spoke through gritted teeth.

Even as she spoke, a deafening thunder erupted. A vast section of the second deck collapsed, its wardings crumbling into ruin.

“I need three hours!” Wang Lin opened his eyes, fixing Fan Shanmeng with a piercing gaze.

“You dare!” Fan Shanmeng snarled, but after a moment, she spun on her heel, summoning her power. The iridescent light flared with renewed intensity on the second deck.

Wang Lin closed his eyes once more, his heart now steeled. He had never intended to treat Fan Shanmeng and her sister in such a manner, but they had been the first to plot against him. Throughout his cultivation, Wang Lin’s guiding principle was: harm none unless harmed first.

Now that he had seized the advantage, he would not relinquish it. Furthermore, the galleon’s wardings were of great use to him. He had unlocked two seals, bringing his Four Great Seals close to perfection, nearing a fusion that would birth the very source.

The third seal, however, was veiled in mysteries unseen. As he studied them, Wang Lin’s mastery of wardings grew with each passing moment.

Time flowed onward. Two hours passed, and the second deck roared, groaned, and cracked. The fissures stretched and widened until, with a final, earth-shattering explosion, the second deck shattered! Fan Shanmeng coughed blood and stumbled backward. The iridescent light surged from the destroyed deck, sweeping through the galleon.

Then, Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open. He wove a rapid series of incantations, thrusting his hands upward. The wardings of the third deck surged to life, forming a protective net.

He leapt downward, hurtling from the third deck into the fourth!

In unison, Fan Shanmeng followed.

The fourth deck of the Soul-Devouring Galleon was filled with swirling mists, cloaking the surroundings.

“He broke through the second seal, and even with my efforts, two hours were all that I could achieve. Now, even if you manage to unlock the third, I can tell you that he needs but an hour to break through it! Wang Lin, what do you want? I admit that I sought to use you, but it was for our mutual benefit! I will give you my soul oath, just as I will give you yours! Do you believe that I would willingly harm you? We are at a critical juncture! We must exchange our oaths! Give up your control of the galleon, so that I may seize command and give us a fighting chance!” Fan Shanmeng’s voice was laced with desperation as she regarded Wang Lin on the fourth deck.

Wang Lin gazed back at Fan Shanmeng, and then he laughed.

“You seek to deceive me even now…”

“Deceive you?” Fan Shanmeng’s eyes widened with sorrow. She glanced up at the third deck, which was now a labyrinth of fractures.

“You are not Fan Shanmeng…” Wang Lin sighed softly, unconcerned by the spreading cracks.

“What do you mean by that?!” The woman’s face hardened, her eyes turning to ice.

“You are Fan Shanlu! You have been plotting against me since I first set foot on this galleon. If I had given you my soul oath, all would have been well, and none of this would have transpired. But you feared that I would refuse. Thus, you used the act of spitting blood to subtly alter your aura and appearance, leading me to believe that you were Fan Shanmeng! Because of this deception, you revealed the secrets of the Domain of the Cave, making me believe that you were Fan Shanmeng. As I broke through each layer of wardings, your reactions were a mix of truth and falsehood! I had not realized it then, but now I understand.” Wang Lin’s gaze remained fixed upon the woman as he spoke.

Above them, the third deck continued to crumble.

“You are mad! I understand nothing of what you say!” The woman frowned.

“You do not understand…? Everything here is false! The second deck, the third deck, the fourth deck – all are illusions! You are false! The Rainbow Daoist may be real, but the one on the ship is not. This is a phantom realm!”

The woman faltered, disbelief spreading across her face. She recoiled, her voice laced with bitterness.

“Illusions? Wang Lin, are you truly mad? You… if you do not wish to exchange oaths, so be it! But to claim that all of this is an illusion…”

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He raised his right hand and hurled a palm strike at the collapsing third deck.

With a thunderous roar, the third deck shattered. The iridescent light erupted, engulfing the fourth deck. The Rainbow Daoist descended.