A wind swept across the cultivation star, brushing past Wang Lin, yet it could not dispel the chilling dread that had settled in his heart. He stood in silent vigil beneath the heavens, slowly raising his gaze towards the distant horizon.

There, in the void between stars, the aura of Tian Yunzi grew ever stronger, tinged with a sinister arrogance. In Wang Lin’s vision, a colossal specter materialized, the very image of Tian Yunzi clad in flowing white robes. The robes concealed much, leaving only a pair of eyes to pierce the distance, fixing upon Wang Lin with an unsettling intensity.

Yet, this was but an illusion, a phantom born from the cold fear that gripped Wang Lin’s soul.

“He awaits my arrival?” Wang Lin murmured, his eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. He was no mere brute; within him resided a cunning as sharp as any demon’s.

Battles with Tian Yunzi were as much contests of the mind as they were of power.

“Tian Yunzi excels at calculation. He lures me to these forsaken places, each time allowing me to absorb a fragment of his being, a process that swells his presence within me. Is his aim ultimately…possession?”

Wang Lin pondered, his gaze narrowed in suspicion. “On the surface, it appears to be a simple usurpation. Yet, given Tian Yunzi’s inscrutable nature, he likely conceals a deeper, more sinister purpose!”

“That Tian Yunzi could so effortlessly imprint all that I have toiled for, all that I have gained through a thousand years of trials and near-death experiences…it is too easy. Where is the true cost?”

“I refuse to believe he has perfectly replicated my very essence. Such a feat is impossible!” Wang Lin stepped forward, a determined stride towards the star where Tian Yunzi’s aura pulsed.

“I, Wang Lin, will defy you! If Tian Yunzi insists on luring me, then I shall come, regardless!” His face was grim, his eyes darting with ceaseless calculation.

“The Samsara Unity Art… If Tian Yunzi truly masters it, his power would be beyond comprehension. Surely, I am not the first to be ensnared in this web of absorption. Others must have faced similar fates, their very beings imprinted upon Tian Yunzi. If this is so, then his own wellspring of power must be far greater than what he steals from me!”

“But if this were true, the Samsara Unity Art would be a marvel, a treasure for which the Great Celestial Sovereigns of the Immortal-Astral Continent would tear each other apart! Why bother cultivating, why pursue enlightenment, why seek the Source? With such an art, even the Great Celestial Sovereigns, the Ancient Immortal Clan, would be but ants!”

“No, I decree there must be a fatal flaw in this art, a weakness that could prove his undoing. Or perhaps, the ability to truly imprint another’s essence is merely a lie, a grand deception!” Wang Lin surged through the void, his mind replaying the previous clashes with Tian Yunzi.

Fire, Lightning, Karma… Each confrontation, each exchange of power, echoed within his consciousness, scrutinized with meticulous care.

“There is something amiss…” Wang Lin’s brow furrowed. He abruptly halted in the void, a glint of understanding igniting within his eyes. His expression hardened with resolve, and in a flash, he vanished without a trace.

Far off in the Starfield of Summoning Rivers, amidst a scattering of celestial debris, Tian Yunzi sat cross-legged on a shard of stone. His gaze was fixed ahead, a disconcerting smile playing upon his lips.

“This time, he is slower to arrive… My disciple, your age betrays you. Compared to your master, you are still but a child.”

Moments later, a streak of light pierced the void before him. With a ripple in the fabric of space, Wang Lin emerged, closing the distance to a mere hundred feet. He landed upon a jagged fragment of rock, his eyes locking with those of Tian Yunzi.

A profound silence enveloped them. Wang Lin said nothing, merely studied his former master. Then, a smile crept across his face, a smile of serenity. Wang Lin seated himself, the darkness of his earlier expression melting away, replaced by an unsettling calm.

“Tian Yunzi,” Wang Lin said, a hint of amusement in his voice, “are you satisfied with the essence of Wang Lin?”

“Acceptable,” Tian Yunzi replied with a nod, his own smile unwavering. “But it lacks certain qualities. It falls short of complete satisfaction.”

“Alas, enlightenment is a difficult path,” Wang Lin chuckled. “In all these years, I have only realized seven Sources. If you are not content, perhaps you could spare a few of your own? I could cultivate them, and you could reclaim them later.”

Tian Yunzi’s eyes narrowed. Wang Lin’s demeanor troubled him. He scrutinized Wang Lin, the smile fading from his face.

“Indeed, you are a worthy disciple. You regain your composure quickly. So, you desire Source power from your master? Then you shall have it.” Tian Yunzi raised his hand, touching his brow. As he withdrew it, a crystalline droplet of water clung to his fingertip.

“This is a shard of Water Source I acquired from another long ago. Regrettably, it is but a sliver, incapable of unlocking the third step of cultivation. Yet, it has remained with me. Today, I offer it to you. If you can cultivate it into a true Water Source, then I shall indeed be grateful.” With a flick of his wrist, Tian Yunzi sent the droplet drifting towards Wang Lin, settling at his disciple’s brow.

“Is there more?” Wang Lin asked, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Tian Yunzi’s brow furrowed slightly. He disliked this new Wang Lin, the Wang Lin who was so collected and in control. It unsettled him. He preferred the unthinking brute he had known before.

“So, you desire power? Then you shall have it.” Tian Yunzi swept his hand through the air, conjuring a clump of soil in his palm. The earth seemed alive, writhing and shifting in his hand. With a casual toss, he flung it towards Wang Lin.

“Wang Lin, let us play a game,” Tian Yunzi said, a smile returning to his face. “Should you win, you will resolve the crisis that plagues you and receive a reward of my making. Whether you wish it or not, the game began long ago.” Tian Yunzi raised his hand, his eyes locked on Wang Lin’s, and aimed it at his brow, ready to pierce into his very essence.
Wang Lin raised his right hand and with a flourish, unleashed a tempestuous gale. Woven within its howling winds was the raw power of his Daogu bloodline, a force that crashed against Tian Yunzi. The very stones at the villain’s feet shattered under the onslaught, and Tian Yunzi recoiled as the wind ripped aside his hand, a crimson line etched across his brow by a stray fingertip.

“Do not be so eager to embrace death, for Wang has not yet finished speaking.”

“To extinguish your life is but a trivial matter for me. You need not attempt to unsettle my spirit with this macabre charade, this pretense of unfathomable power. Tian Yunzi, this is not your true nature. You cloak yourself in mystery to mask something, to conceal truths known to both you and I!” Wang Lin’s smile remained fixed, unwavering as he watched Tian Yunzi.

A shadow fell upon Tian Yunzi’s face, his expression darkening. Wang Lin’s actions were proving unsettling, exceeding his expectations. He fixed his gaze upon Wang Lin, his eyes beginning to gleam with a dangerous light.

“Tian Yunzi, I ask you this: You may steal my essence and my sorceries, you may even plunder my memories. But can you steal the blood of my Daogu lineage?” Wang Lin’s tone remained calm, measured.

“If you can conjure even one Daogu bloodline art at this very moment, then I, Wang, will concede defeat and be at your command. But can you truly accomplish such a feat?” A flicker of contempt danced within Wang Lin’s eyes.

“Dare you try?”

Tian Yunzi held Wang Lin’s gaze, a silence stretching between them, unbroken by any display of Daogu power. He knew, deep in his heart, that he could not. The power of the Daogu blood defied replication, a truth he sought to conceal with this elaborate dance of death, a desperate attempt to sow chaos in Wang Lin’s mind!

“You cannot, you are incapable! Your aura of mystery is but a facade. Do you believe I am still the naive youth who first arrived on Tian Yun Star? Or the fledgling warrior of the Demon Spirit Land? Tian Yunzi, your cultivation lags behind mine, your blood is not as noble, and your station is as insignificant as an ant beside me! While I led the inner realm against the invaders from beyond, you hid in the shadows. My statues stand in the Immortal Realm, revered for eons; a tribute you can never attain!

“I have forged an Immortal Realm, etched my name in the annals of countless cultivators. Can you claim the same? Your only skill lies in deceit and treachery! What makes you think you are worthy to engage in this game with me?”

“Do you even possess the right to challenge me!” Wang Lin’s words were sharp as daggers behind his unchanging smile!

“I grant you that right, not for me to engage in your game, but for you to endure mine! I, Wang Lin, have no taste for shadows; I embrace the light!”

“There is no trace of Daogu within you! This Reincarnation Unity Art cannot replicate my Daogu blood! Your constant deaths betray the existence of countless doppelgangers. So tell me, Tian Yunzi, where is your true form concealed!” Wang Lin’s smile deepened, his words echoing in Tian Yunzi’s ears. Though the man’s face remained stoic, a tremor ran through his very being.

“The rules of this game are not yours to dictate, but mine! This is a contest to see whether I can find and destroy your true form before you can fully claim my essence, achieving your insidious goal of either possessing me or some other unknown objective!

“But know this, you cannot afford to lose. For I wager only a single, mortal vessel, while you risk annihilation itself! A victory against me is but a pyrrhic one, while defeat spells your doom!

“Even if you wish to abandon this game, it is too late. You desire to play? Then I, Wang Lin, shall grant you your desire!” A cold glint flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes, yet his smile remained steadfast, unyielding.

Tian Yunzi’s pupils contracted as he stared at Wang Lin.

“My true form seeks out yours, Tian Yunzi. You must hasten your steps, lest you meet a swift and decisive end…” Wang Lin raised his right hand and with a mighty surge, unleashed the power of Daogu.

The Daogu force howled, a tempest of ancient might aimed squarely at Tian Yunzi.

“Now, you may embrace your demise.”