Wang Lin shimmered, appearing as if a wraith above the Sea of Pills. Below him stretched the invisible lattice of a forbidding array. Within its protective weave, he was shielded, for its intricate enchantments veiled his presence from the sorcerers dwelling within.

Yet caution clung to him like a second skin. He suppressed his very aura, becoming a phantom flitting through the ethereal expanse. With purposeful strides, he melted into the fabric of the world, vanishing only to reappear near the shores of the Verdant Demon Isle. Even the heavens here teemed with the jade-clad warriors of that isle, a constant, watchful presence.

These warriors, diverse in their mastery, were mostly of the Second Step, with a smattering of the Third. Occasionally, a more formidable figure would slice through the air, their spiritual senses sweeping the land, as if guarding against an unseen threat.

As the ranks of the Verdant Demons swelled, the chilling presence of Sky Profound masters emerged, slowing Wang Lin’s advance. He paused, his eyes gleaming with resolve. In a flash of silver, he plunged into the invisible netherworld of the array below. Blood suffused his pupils, casting a crimson aura around him as he sank into the depths of the ward, becoming one with the mist.

Wang Lin, wielder of the Forbidden Source, mimicked the very essence of the ward enshrouding the Sea of Pills. He was confident that, for a time, he could remain undetected.

Merged with the seventh layer of mist, he moved with utmost care, seeking the true heart of the array, the nexus of power held by the central compass. Above him, the sky grew ever thicker with Verdant Demon warriors as he neared their island domain. Squads of dozens swept past, their expressions grim, a silent testament to a looming conflict.

“If the numbers I have seen are any indication, there must be tens of thousands of these soldiers massed here. Only a fool would deny that they are sharpening their blades for a strike against the Sky Bovine Isle,” Wang Lin murmured to himself, now a mere wisp of vapor, as he watched the formations of green-clad warriors march overhead.

The cycle of slaughter, between sects, between entire isles, was relentless, ubiquitous. The Cave Dwelling Realm knew it well, and so too did this Xian Gang Continent.

There was no paradise in this world, only places where strength reigned supreme, suppressing the darkness and silencing the whispers of ambition.

Lost in somber contemplation, Wang Lin suddenly froze, his head snapping up. He sensed a powerful surge emanating from afar, not the aura of a warrior, but of a potent artifact.

A moment later, hundreds of Verdant Demon warriors materialized, four Sky Profound masters guarding the cardinal directions, like sentinels around a royal personage.

At the center of their formation floated a gargantuan drum, a hundred yards in height.

Its frame was obsidian, and its surface, too, was black as night. Around it, twisted visages of monstrous beasts adorned its surface, exuding an aura of chilling dread.

A multitude of spectral figures clung to the drum, their silent screams forming rippling waves of energy that pulsed outwards.

The drum seemed impossibly heavy, requiring nearly a hundred warriors, straining with every ounce of their strength, to carry it aloft.

The instant Wang Lin laid eyes upon this drum, his own eyes narrowed. He froze, becoming utterly still within his misty form. He sensed, with unnerving clarity, that within the heart of the drum, another being was concealed!

This being seemed melded with the drum, and as it passed over Wang Lin’s hiding place, a single tendril of spiritual energy flickered forth, probed, and then receded.

Only when the formation had vanished into the distance did Wang Lin stir, his gaze fixed upon the receding silhouette of the drum.

“An artifact fused with a warrior…”

Over the next few hours, Wang Lin saw eight more of these drums. He also observed other colossal creations, each designed for large-scale slaughter, their forms varied but their intent unmistakable.

These war engines were all of enormous size, their mere presence radiating an oppressive aura.

“I must not linger here… Speed is essential!” Wang Lin felt a prickle of unease, but this only sharpened his focus. Blending with the array, he cautiously moved closer to the Verdant Demon Isle. Here, he felt the faint but unmistakable pull of the central compass.

“It is just ahead!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed. He surged through the mist until, at last, three towering banners came into view, their peaks piercing the sky!

These banners writhed in the wind, emitting a constant rustling that rippled the surrounding air. They were undoubtedly objects of immense power.

Below the banners stood a fair maiden, her brow furrowed as she stared at the compass in her hands.

Beside her stood the youth he had seen before, with his alabaster complexion and a fan that he absently waved as he gazed towards the sea.

Guarding them were hundreds of Verdant Demon warriors, silent sentinels in verdant armor.

None of them suspected that, high above, shrouded in the seventh layer of the array’s mist, Wang Lin watched with eyes as cold as glacial ice. His gaze lingered on the compass, a tool he knew to be critical to his survival in this treacherous land.

“That is it! If I take the compass, I will no longer need to hide within this array. It is the only key to revealing my presence in the Sea of Pills…” Wang Lin knew, through his mastery of the Forbidden Source and his understanding of this array, that the compass was the key to controlling it.

Only with the compass in his possession could he ensure that his intrusion into the Sea of Pills would remain a secret, allowing him to find Yun Kong, slay him, and escape unharmed. And the compass, too, held the key to finding Yun Kong. In this boundless sea, the compass was his only guide!

But therein lay the paradox. To seize the compass, he must reveal himself, alerting those below to his presence.

“I must be swift, allowing none to escape and giving the maiden no chance to send word…” Wang Lin frowned, studying the warriors below and the three towering banners.
“These three great banners…they must be shielding Fali…this presents a most vexing predicament.” Wang Lin, shrouded within the concealing mist, remained motionless, his senses alert as he contemplated the scene below.

Upon the sea, beneath the three towering banners, the woman clutched a compass, her brow furrowed in mounting concern.

“Strange,” she murmured, “though no outland cultivator remains within the entirety of the Dan Sea, this compass yet registers layers of disturbances. Surely, this is the array itself, reacting to some unseen anomaly.”

The compass in her hand was alive with emerald pinpricks, devoid of any white flares. But across its surface rippled waves, like the reflection upon a troubled pool.

Her eyes flashed with a sudden thought. With a flurry of hand gestures, she wove intricate seals, imprinting them upon the compass. Yet, no revelation came.

Her actions drew the attention of the young man with the jade-pale face and the ever-present fan. He stepped closer, peering at the device. A slight smile played upon his lips.

“Do not succumb to phantoms, sister. With Grand Master Yun Kong at work, all will be well.”

The woman paused, then nodded. “Grand Master Yun Kong has already begun his work. Before long, this entire Dan Sea shall be dispelled, and we shall witness the legendary half-Immortal pill, and learn its true power!” She raised her gaze towards the distant horizon.

Hidden within the celestial mists, Wang Lin overheard their exchange, and sensed a subtle duplicity in their expressions. Curiosity stirred within him.

But at that precise moment, a deafening roar erupted throughout the Dan Sea, like the wrathful bellow of a sea serpent. The surface churned into a maelstrom, and waves of monstrous proportions crashed and rolled.

Across the Dan Sea, nine gargantuan whirlpools materialized, each a slowly rotating abyss, yet resonating with earth-shattering booms.

“The Grand Master has begun!” The woman abandoned her compass, her face now alight with anticipation as she watched the distant sea.

Simultaneously, from beneath the waves near the three banners, a squad of a dozen or so cultivators emerged, winging their way towards the woman’s position.

They were a returning Green Devil Guard, sent forth by the woman to execute her bidding.

The Green Devil cultivators streaked through the sky. Their arrival did not register with the woman or her companions; such movements were clearly commonplace.

Unbeknownst to them, within the sky’s warding mists, Wang Lin’s eyes flared with a spectral gleam. He dissolved into a wisp of vapor, and as the Green Devils passed beneath, he darted forth with lightning speed, piercing the ear of one of the warriors.

At that instant, the host’s body faltered, his eyes clouding with confusion. But it was momentary, and was quickly replaced by a placid calm. He resumed his place in the formation, escorting the others towards the banners and the woman.

As Wang Lin erupted from the mists and entered the cultivator, the compass in the woman’s hand shuddered, emitting a brief, frantic pulse. She started, glancing down, but the moment had passed.

“What is it?” the jade-faced man asked, noticing her change in demeanor.

“Something is amiss,” the woman said, her voice taut. “The compass warned of an intruder, a being not of the Green Devil host, who has entered the Dan Sea!

“This one is skilled in concealment. I cannot pinpoint him. Brother Zhao, lend me your aid. I must reverse the compass to glimpse the events of that fleeting instant!”

Without hesitation, the jade-faced man placed his hand upon her back. The woman drew a deep breath, her eyes radiating an arcane light. Fixated upon the compass, she chanted and wove seals, replicating the methods taught by her master.

She failed to notice the approaching Green Devil Guard, her own emissaries, drawing ever closer!

A hidden gaze, laced with malice, flickered amongst the ranks of the returning warriors.