With a desperate cry, “Eight tenths, I claim it!” Wang Lin reached his limit. The words were barely uttered when his face turned ashen, his life force ebbing away like a torrent, and he aged visibly, his vigor stolen by the arcane power he now wielded.

Simultaneously, the ancient umbrella, crackling with untamed energies, snapped shut with deafening clamor. Shrieks echoed amidst the chaos, marking the demise of countless souls trapped within its fiery embrace.

The three Great Generals of the immortal sect staggered back, their minds reeling. Blood trickled from their lips as they summoned every ounce of strength to resist the ancient umbrella’s scorching wrath, desperate to escape its fiery domain.

Even the Seven-Colored Immortal and the Old War Demon bore grim expressions, the inferno swirling around them. Though their cultivations were formidable, their mortal forms were not as resilient as those of the ancient clans, forcing them to expend precious energy in defense.

A deafening roar reverberated as the Seven-Colored Immortal, inheritor of the Immortal Venerate’s divine power, drew upon the ancient umbrella’s secrets. Though his technique differed from Wang Lin’s, his understanding far surpassed that of others. With a savage bellow, he leaped forth, the first to break free from the fiery prison, his eyes burning with murderous intent as he lunged towards Wang Lin!

A chilling glint flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes. Reaching his eight-tenths threshold, he knew he could push no further. Yet, the ancient umbrella had achieved its intended purpose. He was content.

The instant the Seven-Colored Immortal emerged, Wang Lin flung his left hand skyward in a defiant gesture!

The heavens themselves thundered, and the earth trembled as seven-colored light erupted around Wang Lin, rising from the very ground to meet the Seven-Colored Immortal, who now hovered, the first to escape the flames. The beams intertwined, indistinguishable, a tapestry of vibrant hues stretching from the heavens to the earth.

With a fearsome shriek that shattered the skies, a seven-colored spear burst from the earth beside Wang Lin, soaring like a majestic dragon, its wrathful roar aimed directly at the Seven-Colored Immortal!

The suddenness of the assault caught the Immortal completely off guard. The moment he stepped clear of the fire, his pupils constricted in shock. With a frantic wave of his sleeve, the five-petaled lotus platform, now missing two petals, materialized around him, attempting to replicate its previous defense against Wang Lin’s rule-bending blade. The petals closed, enveloping the Seven-Colored Immortal in a protective shield.

But this time, the lotus platform could not withstand Wang Lin’s onslaught. This arcane art, like the ancient umbrella, was not native to this world. Unleashed with even half its true potential, it was a force to be reckoned with!

The spear hurtled forward with a piercing cry, striking the lotus platform with violent force. One by one, the five petals shattered and disintegrated, swirling away as dust and ash. The platform imploded, revealing the Seven-Colored Immortal within, his face etched with fury. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand, conjuring an identical seven-colored spear to meet Wang Lin’s weapon head-on.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

The clash was earth-shattering. The collision of the two spears unleashed a shockwave that ripped through the heavens and scattered in every direction. It was at this precise moment that Wang Lin unleashed his third ambush!

Amidst the chaos, Wang Lin’s true form materialized, his brow and eyes swirling with starlight, a spectral ancient Dao warrior looming behind him. His physical form swelled to a thousand feet, merging with the spectral warrior, blurring the line between spirit and flesh. In his hand, he wielded the colossal Sky-Cleaving Axe. As the spears disintegrated, he roared to the heavens and swung the axe forward!

The Sky-Cleaving Axe hurtled toward the Seven-Colored Immortal! At the same instant, the Old War Demon emerged from the fiery abyss behind the Immortal.

A flicker of avarice ignited in the Old War Demon’s eyes. Seizing the opportunity as Wang Lin’s true form swung the axe towards the Seven-Colored Immortal, the War Demon lunged forward with unmatched speed, aiming for the floating Third Soul before Wang Lin!

But Wang Lin’s seven-fold ambush was not to be so easily breached. Though he could not match the War Demon’s raw power, he had prepared a trap. Just as the War Demon neared within a hundred feet, Wang Lin’s left hand snapped shut, as if grasping at the air before him.

“Fourth Ambush! Ghost-Faced Blood Sail!”

The Old War Demon faltered, a moment of bewilderment clouding his eyes. Then, a chilling hum echoed through the heavens as a crimson mist materialized before him. It writhed and twisted into a grotesque, blood-red face, its silent roar promising oblivion as it devoured the Old War Demon whole.

This illusion, capable of ensnaring even the Seven-Colored Immortal for a time, proved inescapable for the War Demon. Consumed by the crimson apparition, he immediately sat cross-legged, his expression flickering between fear and determination.

Meanwhile, Wang Lin’s true form, wielding the colossal axe, descended upon the Seven-Colored Immortal. As the axe struck, a deafening explosion tore through the air. But Wang Lin knew that mere brute force could not harm the Immortal. This attack was intended to shatter the weapon!

The Sky-Cleaving Axe splintered into fragments, unleashing its pent-up energy in a cataclysmic explosion. Wang Lin’s true form was ripped apart, flesh and blood flying in every direction. But through the power of his meticulously prepared Dao Ancient Regeneration Art, he retreated, his body reforming as he merged with his seated avatar, fully restoring his shattered form.

Yet, blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his white robes in a macabre display.

He looked to the Seven-Colored Immortal, who emerged from the chaos, his hair wild and his eyes burning with madness, staggering toward Wang Lin. The Three Great Generals and the other members of the Immortal Sect also emerged from the fire. But as they took their first steps, they froze, disbelief etched upon their faces!

They could scarcely believe what they saw. The Old War Demon was ensnared by a crimson mist, his expression twisted in agony, immobile within a hundred feet of Wang Lin.

The Seven-Colored Immortal was disheveled, his robes torn, his demeanor bordering on insanity.

They had missed the preceding events, witnessing only the aftermath. Horror gripped their hearts. Especially the Sect Leader, who knew the Seven-Colored Immortal and the Old War Demon’s power, and could not believe these two were in such a sorry state before Wang Lin.

The Azure Dragon General gasped, his gaze upon Wang Lin now tinged with a palpable fear, the kind that only arises from witnessing such stark contrast.
The Xuanwu General, his face ashen, whirled about, his eyes darting to and fro. The dread weight of Wang Lin’s mastery of the Heavenly Dao crashed upon his mind, and a chilling regret pierced his heart. He wished he had never set foot in this forsaken place!

The Vermillion Bird General wrestled with a maelstrom of emotions, his inner turmoil mirrored in his stunned gaze. He could scarcely believe the spectacle unfolding before him.

Even the Sixth Immortal Consort, who had barely clawed her way from the inferno, her body already ravaged, felt the icy fingers of fear grip her anew. The dread of Wang Lin was rekindled within her soul.

Yet, in truth, Wang Lin stood upon the precipice of collapse, his spirit wounded, his physical forms – the Cultivation Avatar and the Dao Ancient True Body alike – grievously injured. Only sheer will held him upright, preventing him from succumbing to unconsciousness.

He had chosen this battlefield, laid his intricate traps, yet he had still suffered grievous harm, a testament to the terrible power of the Seven-Colored Daoist!

The Seven-Colored Daoist, his murderous intent now a burning pyre, surged forward, a tempest of celestial energy at his back. He did not aim for the Third Soul, but for Wang Lin himself!

Wang Lin, though pallid as death, focused his gaze with icy calm. As the Daoist drew near, his right hand remained firmly clasped upon the Li Guang Bow, while his left rose, a single finger pointing towards his foe.

“Heavenly Dao of the Underworld, Devourer of Worlds!” he roared. As those words echoed across the ravaged landscape, the very fabric of reality tore asunder before the Seven-Colored Daoist, birthing a colossal chasm, gaping like the maw of a monstrous beast.

The Nether Beast materialized, its eyes snapping open, revealing depths of chilling indifference. As the Seven-Colored Daoist lunged, the beast lunged in turn, unleashing a devouring maw!

The Underworld opened its gullet, ready to consume all life. Several disciples of the Seven Dao Sect, who had barely escaped the fiery crucible, were instantly caught in its inexorable pull. Before they could even comprehend their surroundings, they were ripped screaming into the beast’s gaping throat. Even a portion of the raging inferno overhead was sucked into the insatiable abyss.

The faces of the Three Great Generals twisted in horror as they struggled to anchor themselves against the overwhelming force. But the Sixth Consort, shrieking in terror, found no purchase. Her frail form was swept helplessly into the Nether Beast’s maw.

Grandmaster, paralyzed with dread, stood transfixed. He stared at the Nether Beast, his face drained of all color. The memory of his lord’s demise, consumed by this very creature, remained a fresh wound upon his soul. Though he had dared to hope, the cold, pitiless gaze of the beast banished all doubt. He recoiled in terror, stumbling backwards.

The Seven-Colored Daoist, startled, halted his advance. He fixed his gaze upon the Nether Beast, his eyes wide with shock.

“The…the Heavenly Dao!” he gasped.

Wang Lin knew the Nether Beast was incomplete, incapable of devouring the truly powerful. He had unleashed it not to consume, but to shock, to seize that fleeting moment of hesitation from the Seven-Colored Daoist!

For Wang Lin could not dare to inflict the Art of Immobilization. The backlash would surely kill him. Instead, he had summoned the Underworld, hoping its sudden appearance would deliver the same effect.

“Sixth Stratagem!” Wang Lin muttered, a grim smile twisting his lips. Yet, the smile was weak, stained with blood, giving it a macabre and unsettling quality. He slammed his left hand upon the earth, channeling a secret art learned from the Second Vermillion Bird – the White Tiger’s manipulation of power. Layer upon layer of seismic force surged from his palm, sinking deep into the earth, stirring the slumbering, twisted soul of the mutated Oogway Fish dwelling beneath.

At that instant, the crimson circles Wang Lin had painted upon the ground with his own blood before the battle erupted skyward, their restrictive seals shattered. The raw, visceral power within the blood, unmasked and untamed, coupled with the primordial essence of the planet, surged outwards in an unleashed torrent.

With a single, devastating flash, the crimson circles converged upon the Seven-Colored Daoist, then exploded.

A maelstrom of raw energy swirled around the Daoist, and at that moment, the very world beneath their feet quaked with a cataclysmic force. From the bowels of the planet, a sound echoed, a guttural roar that spoke of eons of slumber, a power that dwarfed all others.

As that earth-shattering bellow tore through the air, the sands of the barren world rose in a swirling tempest, obscuring the sky!