Within the swirling, biting winds and stinging sands, a lone figure, Wang Lin, huddled in a tight ball. The wooden automaton’s fist, propelled by some unseen force, crashed towards him. Though the blow itself did not possess overwhelming physical might, it pulsed with the elder’s channeled power, his cultivation, amplified by the arcane armor he wore, reaching the zenith of the Emptiness Profound realm.

This was no mere strike of brute force, but a blow imbued with divine power!

As the fist descended, the tempestuous sands coalesced and contracted with unnatural speed, hurtling inwards to tear at Wang Lin’s very being.

A deafening roar echoed through the heavens, shaking the foundations of the Five Elemental Star, its tremors spreading outwards, beyond its borders, reverberating through the celestial expanse.

Wang Lin’s body, assaulted by the combined primal forces of Wood and Earth, unleashed the unyielding might of his Dao Ancient Immortality, an aura of potent resilience enveloping him. This power continuously healed and restored him, preventing utter annihilation.

In that fleeting instant when the dual energies collided, Wang Lin, using their very force, uncoiled with explosive speed, shooting forth like an arrow loosed from its string. He shattered the surrounding sandstorm and soared towards the distant horizons.

His velocity was astounding, far surpassing his own Dao Ancient power and cultivation. It was augmented by the full might of the elder’s Emptiness Profound cultivation. Had it not been for the protective embrace of his Dao Ancient Immortality, his physical form would have surely shattered and dissolved.

But shielded by this ancient power, so long as the ordeal remained brief, Wang Lin’s body would not be extinguished!

Propelled by his enemy’s strength, Wang Lin’s speed surpassed the very limits of the Emptiness Profound realm, drawing close to those who had endured multiple Heavenly Tribulations. As he hurtled across the star, the Five Elemental Star itself seemed on the verge of collapse, leaving in its wake only the radiant streak that was Wang Lin, striving to breach the boundaries of this Domain!

This comet-like streak hurtled towards the luminescent barrier guarding the tall tower, a desperate gamble. Wang Lin used his very body as a weapon, a living siege engine, to shatter the tower’s defenses!

The shimmering aura surrounding the tower groaned and warped, contorting violently, then, at the point of contact with Wang Lin, it fractured and shattered, allowing him passage into the tower’s depths!

Only after he had plunged through did the broken aura succumb completely, collapsing in upon itself.

Wang Lin, heedless of the shattered barrier, channeled the remaining energy, and with the Dao Ancient Immortality protecting him, crashed into the tower’s second level.

The tall tower shuddered under the impact, a gaping hole ripped into its structure, the fragments of its being vanishing like dust before Wang Lin’s eyes.

As Wang Lin forced his way into the second level, he beheld, at its very center, an elder wreathed in the five elemental energies, sitting in lotus position.

Though the elder’s skin was weathered with age, his hair was dark as midnight! He was engaged in profound meditation, seemingly cultivating a rare and potent art, when Wang Lin’s abrupt intrusion shattered his focus. The elder’s eyes snapped open!

The moment Wang Lin met those piercing gaze, his very soul trembled!

The elder, were he younger, would have been a perfect mirror of Nado!! And within the depths of his irises, the Nine Revolution Heart Wheel spun eternally!

“Begone!!” The bellow erupted from within the second level, a furious storm that shook the entire Five Elemental Star. The armored elder on the outside trembled, fear and reverence etched across his features.

Even Yun Yifeng cast aside his languid demeanor, replaced by an expression of profound respect.

All those conscious outside were seized by tremors, such was their dread of the voice’s source.

As the sound pierced Wang Lin’s mind, his Dao Ancient Immortality faltered, and blood gushed from his mouth, his body thrown back against his will, as if the roar sought to eject him from the second level altogether!

The gulf between their cultivations was too vast!

But Wang Lin refused to be driven out, he had yet to see the occupants of the first floor. A spark of resolve ignited in his eyes, revealing a ruthless determination.

Wang Lin’s ruthlessness was not only for his enemies, but for himself, as well. Even as he was pushed back, his right hand flickered and the Blood Sword manifested, and as he was forced from the tower, he gritted his teeth against the pain and flung his right arm out.

With that violent motion, the Blood Sword hurtled towards the first level! Simultaneously, Wang Lin spat out another mouthful of blood and brought his left hand forward pointing at the second level.

“Such insolence!” Just then, the elder within the second level rose, his eyes cold, and his right hand reached out to grasp the Blood Sword in the void.

But in that moment, Wang Lin’s preemptive attack unleashed his power!

“Freeze!”

Wang Lin was gambling everything. He knew that under the protection of his undying body, even grievous wounds would not bring death, and if he was not going to die, then he could make the gamble!

And even if he was seriously injured, he still had the means to leave!

Under the spell of immobilzation, the elder’s outstretched hand faltered. This pause lasted only a fraction of a second before collapsing. Wang Lin suffered from the backlash of the Fixed Body Art, as his body roared, every pore on his body spurted blood. But this was worth it.

The elder’s pause allowed the Blood Sword to penetrate the first level of the tower with a thunderous roar, opening a gap only three inches in size, before hurtling through the tower and disappearing into the distance!

As Wang Lin was propelled backwards, he focused his gaze on the three-inch breach, and his eyes widened in shock!

Within the first level, he saw no cultivator, only a suit of armor, as black as the void, capable of swallowing all light!

As Wang Lin was pushed back, more blood spewed from his mouth, the blood sword was about to be retrieved from the outside of the tall tower, but was instead grabbed by a fair hand.

The elder from the second level was standing out from the tall tower with the blood sword in his hand! No matter how much the sword struggled in his hand, it was not going to break free.
“Welcome, Master Ma!” Outside the towering spire, the elder clad in earth-toned, wooden-like armor bowed deeply, his voice hushed with respect.

“Greetings, Grand Uncle Ma.” Even Yun Yifeng, whose heart harbored a wild arrogance, straightened his posture, his eyes gleaming with fervent adoration as he murmured his respects.

“Hail, Brother Ma.” From afar, the trio previously halted by the Dao Ancient phantom offered a unified bow, their faces etched with deference.

Wang Lin retreated into the distance, observing the scene. He finally understood: he had forced the foreign cultivators of the Five Elements Star into the open. This Elder Ma, if he were younger, bore an uncanny resemblance to Nado, the leader of those same interlopers Wang Lin had seen amongst the Flash Lightning Clan!

The splinter had been removed. Their secrets were no longer veiled in shadow; Wang Lin understood their nature. Now, he would not linger here, but depart!

His decision made, Wang Lin, despite the severity of his injuries, maintained his composure. As he retreated, he raised his right hand and pointed towards the heavens.

The instant his finger pierced the sky, Elder Ma, who had emerged from the spire’s second level, turned his gaze upon Wang Lin, his eyes flashing with cold light. He took a single step, and in an instant, he was upon him.

“Disturbing my cultivation? You deserve to die!”

“Take another step, and *you* deserve to die!” Before Elder Ma’s words could fully echo, Wang Lin’s voice cut through the air, sharp and cold. Blood trickled from his lips, yet his declaration rang with unwavering certainty.

The sky above them darkened as if a colossal being had blotted out the sun. And then, in that darkened expanse, a pair of gargantuan eyes opened.

These eyes were utterly devoid of emotion, bereft of any color or warmth. In their gaze, all of creation, all of mortal life, held no more significance than a speck of dust.

Elder Ma’s mind recoiled. He craned his neck to meet the eyes in the sky, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. His foot froze mid-step, paralyzed by an inexplicable fear. He dared not move another inch!

He was being watched. A tempest raged within Elder Ma’s heart. His expression shifted rapidly, a mask of disbelief gradually giving way to stark terror and shock.

He was not alone in his paralysis. The elder in wooden armor trembled, his face draining of all color as those eyes swept over him. His mind reverberated with a deafening roar.

The other three cultivators shared his terror, their bodies shuddering beneath the gaze of the celestial eyes.

Yun Yifeng faltered, his arrogance replaced by stark fear. He turned to Elder Ma, and the sight of his leader’s expression painted a stark picture. Yun Yifeng paled.

“The Way of Heaven…” Elder Ma finally spoke, his voice hushed with awe. After a long silence, he fixed Wang Lin with a deep, probing stare, concealing both his murderous intent and his covetous greed. Yet, he still dared not move.

He dared not gamble!

“Return the sword to me!” Wang Lin retreated slowly, one step at a time, until he stood upon the very heavens. To those below, he appeared to be standing upon the brow of those emotionless eyes.

Elder Ma clenched his fist around the bloodied sword, holding it tight. After a long moment, he raised his head and locked eyes with Wang Lin. “The Way of Heaven is in your grasp? I am surprised. However, I do not believe that Way of Heaven has the power to swallow me whole! Otherwise, you would not be so grievously wounded!” As he spoke, he slowly lowered his right foot, his eyes never leaving Wang Lin, searching for any sign of weakness.

“It is true, it cannot swallow you,” Wang Lin said, a faint smile playing on his lips. “But the sword… you must still return it.”

Wang Lin’s admission furrowed Elder Ma’s brow, filling him with uncertainty. His raised foot hovered in the air, unwilling to come down. He studied Wang Lin, searching for the truth, but found nothing to guide him.

*He would not come here without a means to defend himself…*

“Within three breaths, return the sword to me!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with an icy light.

Three breaths passed. Elder Ma finally relented, retracting his foot. With a powerful heave, he flung the bloodied sword towards Wang Lin. Wang Lin did not reach out to grasp it. Instead, the ethereal, spectral beast that lingered behind him opened its maw and swallowed the sword whole.

“Farewell!” Wang Lin clasped his hands in a final gesture of respect, before stepping backward, out of the Five Elements Star, and into the vastness of the cosmos.