Long ages passed, and then Qinglin frowned, withdrawing his spiritual sense from the wisp of Tian Yunzi’s divided soul, returning it to Wang Lin.

“I find no trace…this soul is as any other divided sliver, and weak besides, on the verge of utter dissolution.”

“You found nothing as well?” Wang Lin mused, then spoke again. “Perhaps…if I were to merge with it, and you imbued your spirit within my form, you might discern some alteration in my very essence.”

Qinglin nodded in assent.

To allow another to delve into one’s self, with their entire being intertwined with the soul fragment of Tian Yunzi, was an act fraught with peril. Should ill intent reside within Qinglin’s heart, it could inflict grievous wounds upon Wang Lin.

Yet Wang Lin held trust for Qinglin. Though their encounters had been few, the tapestry of shared experiences over the years had woven a bond worthy of that trust.

Qinglin, too, felt a stirring of emotion at Wang Lin’s words. He knew the man to be cautious in all things, yet now, to speak such a request revealed the depths of faith Wang Lin held for him.

Wang Lin offered no further words, but seated himself cross-legged before Qinglin. Before him, the soul-wisp of Tian Yunzi’s fragment lay in serene meditation. Wang Lin’s eyes snapped shut, and his spiritual sense unfurled, enveloping the wisp and slowly merging with it.

Qinglin, at his side, watched with eyes like sharpened steel, banishing all lesser thoughts. He unleashed his own spiritual sense, plunging it into Wang Lin’s form, scrutinizing every facet of his being. As he peered into Wang Lin’s depths, Qinglin recoiled, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Seven Essences! I had only heard tell of six! Six was already beyond imagining, yet now…seven! How did Wang Lin achieve such a feat? Seven Essences…this is…this is staggering!” Qinglin gasped, his gaze upon Wang Lin filled with awe.

But even greater was the shock that seized him as his spirit touched Wang Lin’s core. Not only did he perceive the power of the Essences, but he also felt a presence that sent shivers down his very soul, making him feel as an ant before the heavens themselves. This terror-inducing aura emanated from Wang Lin’s bloodline!

The power thrumming within his veins was ancient beyond measure, seemingly coeval with the very cosmos. It was a power before which all beings, great and small, should bow in supplication, trembling with a fear born of reverence.

This aura was also undeniably, irresistibly domineering. It radiated a sense that any hint of disrespect would invite annihilation, erasing one’s very cycle of rebirth.

Qinglin’s face paled, and he stumbled backward, his gaze upon Wang Lin no longer merely awe-struck, but tinged with horror.

“I knew he possessed the flesh of an Ancient God, but the aura within his bloodline…it is not of the Ancient Gods! What is this power, that it should be so terrifying!”

After a long silence, Qinglin forced down the tumult within his soul, striving to observe Wang Lin’s transformation as he merged with the Tian Yunzi soul. The fusion now reached a critical juncture.

As he watched, Qinglin’s expression shifted once more. He perceived, faintly, that within Wang Lin, the seven Essences – particularly the Essence of Restriction – were stirring on their own, moving without Wang Lin’s conscious command, as though guided by some unseen force.

And Wang Lin himself seemed largely unaware of this, sensing only a vague unease.

As the merging deepened, the tendril of the Essence of Restriction spun faster, circling within Wang Lin’s form with increasing velocity.

“Something is amiss!” Qinglin exclaimed, his voice hushed with dread. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand and struck Wang Lin’s brow.

“Soul-Binding Art!”

The blow froze Wang Lin, halting the processes of his body and temporarily stopping the fusion in its tracks.

Simultaneously, Qinglin drew his finger from Wang Lin’s brow to his chest, and with a swift, pulling motion, he yanked forth a sliver of ghostly light. The ethereal thread coiled about Qinglin’s finger.

His eyes glinting, Qinglin stared intently at the shimmering thread. It was this sliver that had split from the Essence of Restriction and moved of its own accord. Qinglin focused his spiritual sense, pouring all his energy into the thread. The instant his mind touched it, his senses exploded, the world dissolving into chaos. When clarity returned, he was met by a familiar sight: a starry expanse.

The stars of Zhaohe!

“Wang Lin’s Essence of Restriction…the errant sliver has led to this place!” Qinglin’s consciousness was now a projection within this space. He saw before him a fine thread, stretching into the depths of the starry void, vanishing from sight.

His eyes narrowed, and Qinglin surged forward, following the thread.

“I will see if Tian Yunzi himself is responsible, or another!” Qinglin’s face was grim as he vanished, drawn by the thread into the unknown.

A brief time later, perhaps half an incense stick’s worth of time, Qinglin had traveled far. Suddenly, a blaze of seven colors erupted from the starry void where the thread stretched.

The colors bloomed, and an ancient voice echoed through the stars.

“Qinglin…this is not your concern. Return whence you came!”

As the command reverberated, the seven colors intensified, coalescing into a gigantic scythe. The blade swept forth, aimed directly at Qinglin!

The scythe dominated the entire cosmos. As it fell, the stars themselves trembled. Qinglin’s eyes narrowed, and he halted, forming a series of hand seals before thrusting his arms outward.

“Stars, Moon, Sun – three lights guard my form! Three swords cleave the river!” A surge of starlight, moonlight, and sunlight radiated from Qinglin, colliding with the descending scythe.

A deafening roar echoed through the void. The scythe shattered, and the force of its destruction sent Qinglin reeling, his form dissolving into nothingness.

Back in the Immortal World, upon the snow-capped mountain, the thread around Qinglin’s hand snapped. He staggered backward, his face ashen.

Wang Lin shuddered, the Soul-Binding Art shattered, and he awoke from the fusion, opening his eyes.
“I have never beheld the Celestial Sovereign of Fortune, yet I have seen the Seven Hues!” Qing Shuang spoke softly, her voice echoing across the snow-laden peaks. “During your prior fusion, a faint strand of the forbidden essence within you stirred, drawn by some peculiar force to the Starfield of Zhao He. I followed its thread, but a scythe woven of those Seven Hues severed the connection.”

A chilling glint sharpened the gaze of Wang Lin. “The Starfield of Zhao He…”

“If I am not mistaken,” Qing Shuang continued, her brow furrowed in thought, “this fragment of the Celestial Sovereign of Fortune’s soul within your grasp is the linchpin of your connection. Through it, he seeks to pilfer your very essence! A cunning scheme, indeed, to devise such a method. But how has he accomplished this? How can a mere fragment steal your source…?

“Furthermore,” she mused, “your essence shows no sign of diminishment. And the arcane art he wielded seemed simple, yet it drew upon the very power of the cosmos. It felt unlike any ordinary sorcery.”

The desire for retribution burned hotter in Wang Lin’s eyes, mirroring the very questions that plagued his own mind, eluding his grasp.

“Perhaps he employs a method akin to imprinting…” a flicker of insight sparked within Wang Lin’s gaze.

Just then, a voice, ancient and resonant, echoed through the snow-swept mountains, reaching the ears of both Wang Lin and Qing Shuang.

“In my youth, I heard whispered of a certain forbidden technique, a sorcery known as the Cycle of Unity…” As the voice resonated, a wave of azure light washed across the heavens, illuminating the snowy peaks. Within the radiant glow, the ethereal form of Daoist Lan Meng materialized, walking towards them.

“Qing Shuang greets Daoist,” Qing Shuang said respectfully, bowing towards the luminous form.

“The Cycle of Unity…?” Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing.

Daoist Lan Meng stepped onto the snow-covered summit, offering Qing Shuang a gentle smile before turning his benevolent gaze towards Wang Lin.

“I learned of this art from the Honored Master, said to be among the secret arts of the Seven-Hued Immortal, though even he, it is said, never fully mastered it…

“The key lies in treating each life in the countless cycles of reincarnation as but a fragment of one’s self, eventually devouring them in a peculiar ritual. It is the only path to its mastery. I have not witnessed it myself and can only speculate on the intricacies.

“But I do know this: a fragment created through this technique, if claimed by another, will rapidly merge into a single being!

“Once merged, the dominant consciousness will claim all that belongs to the subordinate: their aura, their power… All the essence you possess, he will possess as well…

“This art is malicious, yet should one master it, they become formidable… Judging by your state, and Qing Shuang’s description, coupled with the soul you hold, I dare say there is a fourfold chance you have fallen victim to the Cycle of Unity!”

Wang Lin fell into a heavy silence.

“Yet, while I know not the specifics of this sorcery, every art has its counter. Should you devour him, your power would swell accordingly.” Daoist Lan Meng’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“I shall aid you in finding the one who has dared to cast this spell upon you. I yearn to see the talent of one who could master a technique that even the Seven-Hued Immortal could not!

“Yet, his demise shall be your own doing. You and this soul fragment are as one, your destinies intertwined through reincarnation. This union may yet prove to be a boon.” Daoist Lan Meng raised his right hand, conjuring a blinding azure halo, and pressed it directly onto Wang Lin’s brow!

Wang Lin’s mind exploded with light, the world dissolving into a sea of blue. Within that radiance, he saw the cosmos, swirling and shifting at impossible speeds. In an instant, he was transported to the Starfield of Zhao He, seeing deep within, a lone asteroid adrift.

And upon that asteroid, cross-legged in meditation, was the Celestial Sovereign of Fortune, his eyes snapping open in shock! Their gazes met, for the barest moment, a connection forged across the vastness of space!