**The Update**

*A missive arrived, bearing the seal of the Grand Guild: “Greetings YY:3943! Your patronage is valued; your access to the Gaming Channel is now unlocked.”*

**The Tower of Trials**

Echoing through the heavens, the words of the elder from the third tier of the tower pierced the ears of Wang Lin, and likewise reached Yun Yifeng, ensconced within the sedan of the Returning Sect. A barely perceptible frown creased Yun Yifeng’s brow.

He was known for his easygoing nature, but this was merely a facade. A profound arrogance permeated his very being, and it was this very pride that prevented him from stooping to verbal barbs. Such tactics, in his eyes, were beneath contempt.

Now, brow furrowed, Yun Yifeng cast a dismissive glance at Wang Lin. With a yawn, he lazily retreated, distancing himself from the unfolding scene.

From the third tier of the tower, as the elder’s words faded, a radiant green light erupted, interwoven with strands of golden luminescence. Together, they formed a two-hued aura that rapidly expanded. At the center of this spectacle stood a figure – an old man with hair as white as winter snow, his countenance etched with haughty disdain. He strode forth from the tower’s depths.

The elder was wreathed in the energies of Five Elements: Wood and Earth. Behind him, a spectral forest of towering trees materialized, accompanied by the deafening roar of swirling dust storms.

A wave of power, befitting a cultivator of the Empty Profound stage, radiated from the elder, engulfing all within its reach.

Upon his arrival, he raised his right hand and swept it towards the tower. Instantly, a shimmering barrier enveloped the structure, forming a formidable defense, seemingly unbreakable.

“To trespass upon the Five Elements and to meddle with the Turning of the Heart – such audacity!” the elder’s voice boomed, his eyes narrowing upon Wang Lin. “Since you have arrived, you shall not depart. Know this: certain realms are not to be entered by the lineage of the Dao Ancient!”

“First, I shall capture you, and then your elders shall come to beg forgiveness.” He did not recognize Wang Lin as a native of this Cave World. Seeing only the Dao Ancient power, he instantly surmised that the interloper hailed from the Immortal Astral Continent.

Furthermore, he did not believe Wang Lin had come alone. More likely, other members of the Dao Ancient bloodline were lurking nearby, their true objective not the treasures of this cave, but the retrieval of Ye Mo!

These conjectures formed in the elder’s mind, and with each thought, his conviction grew. Without delay, he lunged forward. His right hand, raised in a grasping motion, caused the phantom forest behind him to convulse and wither. The trees contorted and shrunk, ultimately coalescing into a verdant light that settled in the elder’s palm.

And there, in a flash of verdant luminescence, a whip of considerable size appeared.

The whip pulsed with the power of the Five Elements Wood, radiating life. In the elder’s grip, it cracked and snapped like a thing alive, a serpent of green light that hurtled towards Wang Lin.

The very fabric of reality seemed to warp before the whip’s advance.

On the Immortal Astral Continent, the Returning Sect was known for its mastery of the whip. The “Returning Whip” was renowned, its crafting techniques varied and complex.

As the green whip whistled through the air, Wang Lin could make out little beyond the shimmering green. Within that light, he could sense the very essence of the Five Elements Wood.

Wang Lin’s gaze flickered. Of the three tiers of the tower, the first two remained silent. Yet, this third-tier elder was already formidable. What dangers lurked above?

Wang Lin retreated, but as the verdant whip drew near, his eyes flashed with steely resolve. He raised his right hand, his fingers open, and slammed it forward.

At the moment of impact, his fingers clenched into a fist, which he violently yanked back.

*Cause and Effect Imprint!*

With that pull, a wisp of green light was extracted from the whip, materializing in Wang Lin’s hand. He crushed it in his fist, shattering the verdant light.

As the explosion echoed, the whip faltered. Yet, in that instant, the earth of the Five Elements Star, every place where vegetation grew, withered with shocking speed. Strands of verdant vitality rose from the dying plants, converging on the whip.

In but a breath, the essence that Wang Lin had stolen was restored. The whip recovered.

*Boom!* Wang Lin’s body shuddered violently. The whip had not struck him directly, but its passage a mere seven inches before him unleashed a shockwave that buffeted his body. A great force slammed into him, and he staggered back several steps, suppressing the urge to vomit blood. Raising his head, he saw the elder’s maniacal grin. With a flick of his wrist, the gargantuan whip returned, aimed at Wang Lin’s head.

Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, calculating. His purpose here was not to engage in mortal combat, but to gauge the depth of the invasion, to ascertain the strength of these foreign cultivators.

The elder’s presence, while not unexpected, was preventing Wang Lin from drawing out the inhabitants of the upper two levels of the tower.

“A whip, you say? Wang has one as well!” His mind raced. He was known for his strategic ability, he now had an idea to achieve his goal.

Raising his hand, he summoned the Kun Ji Whip. With a flick, it cracked and snapped, emitting waves of golden light that spread outwards, matching the verdant radiance of the elder’s weapon.

The elder’s eyes widened in surprise, yet, as a thought crossed his mind, his expression darkened.

All of this transpired in an instant. Gripping the Kun Ji Whip, Wang Lin channeled its energy, propelling himself forward. With a roar, he struck the onrushing green whip!

From afar, the two whips appeared as colossal serpents, locked in a furious embrace. As they collided, their flexible forms contorted and intertwined, becoming a knotted mess.

Blinding flashes of golden and emerald light clashed, a roaring vortex of power as Wang Lin gripped the Kunji Whip, his knuckles white. The elder held fast at the other end, both men locked in a desperate tug-of-war, the whip transformed into a rigid rod between them.

In that breathless instant, they unleashed their combined might, each pulling with ferocious intensity. Veins pulsed upon the elder’s brow as he poured his very essence, his cultivated power, into his grasp and into the resisting lash. With a final, desperate heave, his strength exploded outwards.

But he was, at his core, merely a cultivator.

Wang Lin, however, possessed the blood of the Dao Ancient, a lineage unmatched in raw power within these cosmic realms. And not only was he of the Dao Ancient, but his very being was infused with the seven primal Essences.

These Essences erupted within him, feeding his already formidable strength, merging with the Dao Ancient force within his very marrow. Combined with the unyielding might of the Ye Mo Arm, the resulting surge of power reached a terrifying crescendo. The elder, despite his lofty cultivation in the mid-stage of the Sky Profound Realm, might have surpassed Wang Lin in mystical prowess, but to challenge him in sheer brute strength was nothing short of folly.

With a resounding crack that echoed across the heavens, the two whips shrieked in protest, pushed to their breaking point. In a heartbeat, a catastrophic rip shattered the elder’s grip as the whip was ripped violently from his grasp, leaving a bloody trail upon his palm.

Amidst the thunderous din, the whips hurtled toward Wang Lin. His eyes blazing with an inner light, he lunged forward, a swift and deadly strike aimed directly at the elder.

The elder’s face twisted into a mask of dark fury. Without hesitation, he retreated, his fingers weaving intricate gestures. He cast his hand to each side. As he did, the jade green whip violently unravelled, collapsing into a cascade of verdant crystalline light, surging back towards him.

At the same time, the ghostly apparition of the sandstorm behind him lunged forward, engulfing the elder in its swirling embrace. A cacophony of grinding sounds filled the air as the green light coalesced with the sandstorm, forming a swirling vortex which began to compact around him. In an instant, the energies of Wood and Earth, elements of the Five Phases, combined, forming a suit of armor of swirling power.

The armor, predominantly earth-toned in hue, was interwoven with verdant patterns, like veins of jade etched across its surface. From afar, it resembled the crude likeness of a towering, verdant forest sprawling across the suit.

As the armor materialized, the elder’s cultivation surged, hurtling from the mid-stage of Sky Profound all the way to the peak of the late-stage, a mere breath away from the Grand Completion realm!

This was the armor of the Returning Origin Sect!

Yet, such potent armor came at a terrible cost. The greater its power, the more difficult it was to command, and the more grievous the harm it inflicted upon its wearer. The elder’s features contorted in agony, the veins upon his face swelling like gnarled branches burrowing beneath his skin.

With a guttural roar torn from his throat, he surged forward.

Beneath his feet, the earth buckled and writhed. The very land rose in serpentine waves, pushing up vast mounds of soil that followed him.

In that same instant, every blade of grass, every leaf upon the trees of this Five Phase planet withered completely, their life essence dissolving into tendrils of green mist, flowing towards the advancing elder.

Before him, on all sides, countless towering trees sprung forth, a mobile forest that coalesced into a titanic wooden construct!

The wooden giant, thousands of feet tall, stood as an insurmountable fortress. The elder stood encased within its wooden shell. It raised its massive wooden fist to slam upon Wang Lin.

“Die, you whelp!!” The resonating shout echoed, reflecting in Wang Lin’s eyes, which stared unwaveringly at the gigantic wooden fist descending.

At the same time, the earth beneath Wang Lin swirled into a vortex, giving rise to a sandstorm that sealed off his escape. Innumerable particles of sand whipped around him, threatening to tear him apart.

Wang Lin remained calm within the tempest. All of this was within his calculated expectations. As the storm obscured his vision, as the wooden fist hurtled towards him, Wang Lin closed his eyes. He embraced himself, summoning the undying essence of the Dao Ancient to enshroud his very being.

Beyond the Five Phase Planet, Xuan Luo, the Great Celestial Supreme, watched, his attention focused upon every development on the surface. His examination of Wang Lin had long since commenced, and his heart was already filled with satisfaction. Yet, his eyes glimmered with newfound curiosity.

“That is a technique akin to the Immortal’s Undying Body… What does he intend to do…”