Wang Lin massaged his temples, a throbbing headache taking root.

As Wang Lin wrestled with his indecision, whispers erupted from the Celestial Ox Continent. The Azure Dragon Sect, it was said, had been ravaged. A mysterious cultivator, bearing the surname Wang, had ignited the earth’s fiery veins, unleashing a torrent of destruction that swept through tens of thousands of cultivators. The Sect’s Four Elders were brutally assaulted – three lost their corporeal forms entirely, and the fourth was rendered armless. The tale spread like wildfire.

The Azure Dragon Sect, consumed by rage, dispatched its disciples on a frantic hunt. Yet, this only fueled the fires of amusement among other sects. Many held no love for the Azure Dragon Sect, but fear of Du Qing’s power, and the might of the Great Soul Gate behind him, had always kept them in check.

Now, witnessing the Azure Dragon Sect suffer such a devastating loss, with thousands slain and the Four Elders crippled, they found a secret joy. Their “assistance” in the search for the mysterious Wang was often a mere facade.

However, some sects, driven by their own agendas, did cooperate fully, conducting thorough searches for Wang Lin’s hiding place.

Celestial Ox Continent was vast, and even such sensational news, while spreading, remained confined to a limited region. Larger, more powerful sects, like the Returning Sect or the Great Soul Gate, paid little heed to such matters.

Days turned into a week, yet no trace of Wang Lin was found. The Azure Dragon Sect’s Ancestor, Du Qing, grew increasingly enraged. He personally ventured out, his divine sense sweeping across the land, but to no avail. After all, Celestial Ox Continent was immense!

For one seeking to hide, it was like searching for a needle in an endless sea.

The mountain where Wang Lin resided was scanned by the divine senses of the Azure Dragon Sect’s disciples, but its distance and Wang Lin’s formidable barriers concealed his presence.

Only Ancestor Du Qing himself, with his immense power, could potentially pierce the veil. However, even in his fury, the chances of Du Qing personally inspecting this remote location without a specific reason were slim.

As time flowed onward, the Azure Dragon Sect’s search only intensified, becoming more rigorous.

Wang Lin, preoccupied with his struggle to unlock his storage space and retrieve his treasures, became aware of these events.

For a month, he contemplated the problem of the storage space while simultaneously absorbing the Celestial Qi of the Immortal Astral Continent to nourish his body. He also sought to understand the differences between the source energies of this world and his own.

Slowly, he began to discern the truth. His Source of Illusion remained unaffected, unchanged whether in the Cave World or the Immortal Astral Continent. After all, the Source of Illusion was an embodiment of Wang Lin’s own comprehension and essence, born of his own being.

However, his Source of Reality, like the Source of Fire, was different.

His Sources of Thunder, Fire, and the nascent Source of Water all exhibited this divergence. Even his Sources of Slaughter and Restriction, though altered, were not as drastically affected.

“Enough! I can hesitate no longer!” On this day, seated in meditation within his cave, Wang Lin opened his eyes, a resolute glint in their depths.

He was not a man prone to indecision. It was only the immense importance of his storage space that had caused him such wavering. But now, a decision was inevitable!

“Even if it means destroying it, I must open it and retrieve at least some of its contents. Most of it is mere worldly possessions. If I could acquire them before, I can on this Immortal Astral Continent!”

“And if I act swiftly, perhaps the storage space will not collapse entirely!” Having resolved himself, Wang Lin acted without delay. His cultivation power surged forth, concentrating within the cave, preventing it from leaking outwards. As the power-infused ripples intensified, a distortion began to form around Wang Lin.

The distortion spread like ripples in a pond, causing the very air to thicken. The density wasn’t complete, but enough to slow down anything within it.

By fully releasing his aura, Wang Lin effectively turned the cave into a mire, hopefully slowing the collapse of the storage space when it appeared.

All Wang Lin needed was time!

Once his aura had filled the cave, causing everything to move with sluggishness, Wang Lin took a deep breath. A brilliant light shone in his eyes. He raised his left hand, forming a hand seal, the Art of Immobility gathering on his fingertips.

Then, gritting his teeth, he extended his right hand and fiercely clawed at the void before him! It was a gesture he had performed countless times, but never had it been accompanied by such dread. With the clawing motion, a rift materialized before him.

It was Wang Lin’s storage space!

Almost immediately upon the rift’s appearance, Wang Lin unleashed the Art of Immobility, honed and perfected over countless uses, at the fissure before him! This was no longer a mere spell to freeze beings. It could stop time, space, and even supernatural powers!

Yet, Wang Lin had no idea if it could halt the collapse of the storage space, carried from the Cave World to the Immortal Astral Continent!

The moment the storage rift materialized, it emanated an eerie glow, immediately showing signs of shattering. But within the viscous aura, its pace slowed slightly, and the simultaneous activation of the Art of Immobility caused the rift’s destruction to stall.

But it was only for a fleeting moment. Soon the collapse accelerated violently!

Wang Lin’s mind was focused, his spirit fused with the rift as he frantically sought to draw forth all of its contents.

But that split second of respite was not enough. He could only watch helplessly as the storage space cracked into countless fissures. Madman and the Silver-Clad Woman, being closest to the cracks, were immediately sucked in and vanished. Treasures shattered, and others, though still intact, were swallowed by the fissures.

Everything happened in a fleeting instant. Wang Lin could not stop it, could not even see what he had managed to grasp. He swiftly split his divine sense into numerous fragments and scattered them into the rift, leaving his marks upon the fading treasures.

Having done this, he willed the nearly-collapsed storage space to disappear before him, hoping to prevent further ruin.

In that brief instant, Wang Lin was drenched in sweat. His breath was ragged, his eyes bloodshot as he stared ahead, silent.

Before him floated a crimson sword and a golden seal!

The blood sword pulsed with killing intent, and the golden seal exuded the aura of an Empty Tribulant, and even a hint of Great Venerate, as if bearing witness to the fact this item was forged by Nine Suns, who has used some kind of a magical art to condense this item from thin air.

“The destruction of less important items is of little consequence. But three intact treasures were swallowed by the rift. Fortunately, I was prepared and placed my divine sense upon them. Perhaps, one day, I will find and reclaim them.”

“Madman and the Silver-Clad Woman…” Wang Lin sighed. He had done all he could.

“The storage space can likely be opened a few more times, but each time will hasten its collapse until its complete destruction… Lucky I managed to notice that Yi Si’s puppet was not dragged away.” Wang Lin took a deep breath, dispelling the dense aura and slowly restoring the cave to normal.

Gazing at the crimson sword and golden seal before him, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He raised his right hand, following the method he had learned from Kang Ren for creating storage spaces within the body. Soon, a rift appeared on his right wrist.

The rift was filled with darkness, emanating a powerful suction that drew in the crimson sword and golden seal before vanishing.

“Creating storage spaces within the body using blood and meridians… only those of the Immortal Astral Continent can truly master this technique.” As Wang Lin pondered, his right hand flashed with crimson light, and the blood sword reappeared. Then, in a flash, it vanished. Golden light filled his hand, and the golden seal reappeared.

After repeating the process several times, Wang Lin became familiar with the technique, ensuring that he would not instinctively open the storage rift during combat, causing irreversible collapse and errors. Only then did he feel at ease.

“What does it matter if I lost a few treasures! I can acquire more on the Immortal Astral Continent!” Wang Lin lifted his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cave to the darkened sky outside.

“Greed should also be on the Immortal Astral Continent… As long as he is here, I will never lack treasures! Once I find him, many problems will be solved… Greed, I eagerly await our reunion on the Immortal Astral Continent…” A smile touched Wang Lin’s lips.

“Though Greed is quite strange. He is also one of the Seven-Colored Souls, but why did he not need to reincarnate like Situ and Clear Water in order to leave the Cave World…” Even with the help of a Great Venerate, Xuan Luo had still interfered. “…This is truly inexplicable.” The question had lingered in Wang Lin’s mind, defying explanation.

“Forget it. I might find out once I meet Greed. There’s no use dwelling on it now. I should focus on resolving the problem of the earth fire and my own Source of Fire. Azure Dragon Sect Ancestor Du Qing is no weakling. If he finds me, there will surely be a fierce battle!”

“I came to the Immortal Astral Continent not wishing to stir trouble, but it seems I must be more high-profile in order to gain a foothold!” A cold glint appeared in Wang Lin’s eyes.

Meanwhile, in the central region of the Immortal Clan on the Immortal Astral Continent, within the imperial city of the Imperial Capital, inside a palatial and luxurious hall, a hall that spanned tens of thousands of feet like a celestial palace…

Golden light radiated from the hall, blindingly bright even from afar.

Upon a massive dragon throne within the hall sat a middle-aged man adorned in a nine-dragon imperial robe. The man’s eyes were closed, seemingly in slumber, but suddenly, they snapped open. His pupils resembled twin suns, emanating a noble, lineage aura and an unimaginably powerful presence. The aura exploded outwards from his body.

“The Imperial Advisor foretold that Dao Fei’s disappearance would not endanger his life, but rather bring him fortune.” “Now that his aura has appeared in the God Burial Void, bring him back.” “Oh? There’s a woman beside him…” The robed man’s eyes flickered, and he raised his right hand, clawing at the void!