The sixth year of Wang Lin’s struggle against the Xian罡 (Celestial Astral) Laws within the ethereal Void dawned. Across the Xian Li Continent, a rare peace prevailed, devoid of war. The ancient Daoists and the celestial clans engaged in few conflicts.

In this year, across the seventy-two celestial prefectures of the celestial clans, a constellation of geniuses blossomed, radiating brilliance. Foremost amongst them was a young man named Yun Yi Feng!

In this year, the Immortal Emperor, nominally ruler of all sects across the seventy-two prefectures, and heir to the celestial ancestor’s lineage, emerged from a seclusion of ten thousand years. A wave of boundless celestial aura emanated from him, enveloping nearly half the Xian罡 Continent.

In this year, some cultivators from the Cave Worlds secretly reincarnated, their new existences a mystery.

In this year, the ancient Daoist’s thirty-six counties experienced a similar tranquility. The three major branches of the Daoist did little, and the year passed peacefully.

Each prefecture or county of the Xian罡 Continent held an expanse dozens of times larger than the Cave Worlds. Its vastness was such that a common cultivator could rarely venture beyond their birth prefecture or county within their entire lifespan.

Furthermore, a celestial river presented a formidable barrier between the celestial and ancient Daoist realms. This river thrummed with strange power and teemed with formidable, ancient celestial beasts. Only ancient monsters, almost coeval with the heavens and earth, could reside within its depths, and even they dared not venture too far. Thus, this celestial river became the first insurmountable chasm for any who dared to trespass into enemy territory.

And so, the year passed in serene measure.

Among the seventy-two celestial prefectures, the farthest from the celestial river was Azure Ox Prefecture, one of the Nine Provinces. When shrunk countless times, the land bore a vague resemblance to an ox.

Thus, it was named Azure Ox.

This remote prefecture was a distant reach from the Immortal Emperor’s capital in the Celestial Underworld Prefecture. In ancient times, it was often referred to as the “Outer Province.” Azure Ox formed the eastern part of the Xian罡 Continent, and together with eight other prefectures, they were collectively known as the Eastern Province!

The Eastern Province boasted nine major sects and thirteen prominent orders. The Violet Sun Sect held the most esteemed position, while the Eastern Verge Sect remained shrouded in mystery. The Returning Unity Sect, the Great Soul Gate, and eighteen other sects comprised the twenty-one most renowned factions in the Eastern Province of the Xian罡 Continent.

Beyond the Nine Sects and Thirteen Orders, smaller sects existed, but their strength paled in comparison to these twenty-one behemoths. It was even rumored that a Great Celestial of the Nine Suns resided within the Violet Sun Sect.

Within Azure Ox Prefecture lay the domain of the Great Soul Gate and the Returning Unity Sect. The Seven-Colored Celestial Venerate, Su Dao, founded his sect in a remote corner of this prefecture.

Here, black mountains rose, shrouded in a dense forest. From afar, a miasma of poisonous vapors hung over the forest, deterring birds and beasts.

Within these mountains stood a solitary peak, the black aura upon it denser than anywhere else. For tens of thousands of years, it had never dissipated. This peak was the Seven Dao Sect’s mountain gate. However, after the closure of the Cave Worlds, Su Dao sealed the Seven Dao Sect. As time wore on, the sect fell into decline, devoid of life and steeped in death.

This place was also where the gates to the Cave Worlds reappeared.

Yun Yi Feng, Fan Shan Lu, and all others with Xian罡 blood who emerged from the Cave Worlds appeared here. Gazing upon their familiar yet foreign homeland, they departed one by one.

On one day of this sixth year, upon the peak consumed by black miasma, one could glimpse, through the dense fog, a multitude of pavilions. At the mountain’s summit stood a grand hall, the Seven Dao Sect’s ancestral hall and the place where the Seven-Colored Celestial Venerate had secluded himself.

On this day, outside the obscured hall, a figure materialized silently. It was a young man clad in black robes. Though he appeared youthful, the weariness of ages marked his being.

He was Xuan Luo!

Xuan Luo gazed at the Seven Dao Sect hall, partially obscured by mist. He slowly sat down in a meditative posture.

*”Wang Lin, all have been reborn. I could not control the timing of their rebirth, whether it be years or millennia before they appear… “*

*”But they are safe.”* Xuan Luo sighed softly, looking at the hall. He seemed to see, beyond the hall and within the Void, Wang Lin struggling against the Xian罡 Laws, desperate to escape.

*”Less than four years remain. Disciple, I have helped you to the best of my abilities… Now, it is up to you…”* Xuan Luo slowly closed his eyes. Upon his brow, a point of crimson light flickered dimly, this light guiding Wang Lin lest he lose his way.

Within the Void between the Cave Worlds and the Xian罡 Continent, Wang Lin’s face was ashen. His hands weaved incantations, drawing upon the power of his Daoist Ancient lineage to circulate throughout his body, resisting the crushing force assailing him from all sides.

This force had grown impossibly strong. Were it not for the mosquito beast beneath him, Wang Lin would have been halted long ago. Even the Mosquito King had slowed its pace, struggling against the pressure and emitting silent roars.

Wang Lin’s eyes were bloodshot. His Primal Source power was exhausted, shrunken within his body and unable to be replenished. His only defense against the Xian罡 Laws was his Daoist Ancient physique.

For a year, he had seen not a single remnant of others who had tried to cross this void. It was clear that very few could reach this point.

The blood dragon that had once surrounded Wang Lin had long since dissipated. Even the crimson mark on his brow was now almost invisible.

These seven years were incredibly arduous for Wang Lin, especially as he had to protect his wife, Li Muwan, behind him. With each passing day, he endured greater pain.

But he had no regrets!

A month, two months, three months… Another year passed. On this day of the eighth year, the crushing force intensified. The entire Void seemed to solidify, pressing down upon him, causing blood to continuously spill from Wang Lin’s lips. His vision blurred, and he realized he was nearing his breaking point.
A bitter smile twisted Wang Lin’s lips as he laboriously raised his right hand, placing it upon the head of the monstrous Mosquito King beneath him, whose fangs were bared in a savage grimace. For eight long years, the Mosquito King had been his steadfast companion. Wang Lin could sense that this place, this desolate expanse, was perhaps the beast’s ancestral home. Here, it was undeniably more at ease than he could ever be.

Yet, it was not born here. Perhaps in countless years it might fully adapt, but now, it remained unable to truly pierce the depths of this void.

Forced entry had left the Mosquito Beast utterly spent. It still needed to absorb more of the Celestial Fiend laws, to undergo repeated evolutions and transformations, in order to truly return to its savage, primal form.

“… Do not follow me into madness… Since this is your home, then you shall remain… You have been with me for over two millennia. Today… you must leave…”

The Mosquito King shuddered violently, unleashing a deafening shriek that echoed through the silent void. Woven into that cry was a will, a defiance, for the first time refusing Wang Lin’s command. It would not abandon him. It would devote every last ounce of its strength, even unto death, to carry Wang Lin further on his perilous journey!

A genuine smile graced Wang Lin’s face, though pain ravaged his body. With a shake of his head, he slowly, agonizingly, rose to his feet. A simple act, yet one requiring a monumental effort.

The moment he stood, a long-dormant spark ignited in Wang Lin’s eyes. A series of thunderous booms erupted from within, the full force of his Dao Ancient power unleashed, granting him the momentary strength to continue alone.

His hand moved swiftly, giving the Mosquito King no chance to resist. He struck the beast’s head with a palm strike, instantly immobilizing the creature. In that instant of frozen motion, Wang Lin leaped forward, transforming into a blazing streak of light as he surged ahead.

“Go! This is your home; forget me!” His voice was firm, resolute. As he hurtled forward, he flung his sleeve, releasing the remaining nine mosquito beasts to converge upon their king.

In that single, decisive moment of separation, the distance between Wang Lin and the Mosquito King stretched vast and impossibly wide. In his ears echoed a heart-rending cry, the Mosquito King’s desperate wail, like a child separated from its kin, screaming in utter despair.

Wang Lin’s heart clenched with the sound, a sharp pang of sorrow. But he did not turn back. He poured all his strength into a desperate, frenzied flight. He knew this journey was likely a one-way path, a dance with death. Why burden the Mosquito Beast with his fate?

Behind him, the Mosquito King broke free of its bonds, its eyes burning with furious red. It surged forward, a desperate charge, unwilling to abandon Wang Lin, willing to die by its master’s side.

But Wang Lin’s speed, and the gentle touch he had bestowed upon the beast’s head, had transmuted into countless restraints, hindering the Mosquito King’s advance, each time forcing it to grind to a halt.

Ten separate halts, one after another, stretched the distance between beast and master to an impossible length. No matter how relentlessly the Mosquito King pursued, it could no longer find its master.

The mournful shrieks echoed through the emptiness, carrying across immeasurable distances. Ahead, Wang Lin grimaced, the Mosquito Beast’s lament still ringing in his ears. He glanced back, a long, lingering look, before steeling his resolve and pushing forward.

After a long, fruitless chase, the Mosquito King could not find Wang Lin. Trembling, it halted, surrendering to the crushing pressure of the void. But it did not give up. With a savage roar, it spun around, leading its nine brethren back the way they had come. It would absorb the essence of this place, evolve as quickly as possible, returning to its primeval form. Only then, could it hope to navigate this void and find its master again!

Time marched on, reaching the ninth year of their separation.

A year had passed since Wang Lin and the Mosquito King parted ways. Wang Lin’s body was reaching its breaking point, his steps heavy and labored. He struggled to protect his wife, who trailed behind. His eyes were vacant, yet an incredible will burned within.

A will he had carried for a very long time – a will to defy.

Two millennia ago, as a mortal child at the foot of Heng Yue Sect, blood staining the steps beneath his feet, he had stubbornly refused to give up. Two millennia later, he was still that unyielding Wang Lin!