## The Scroll of Immortals, Chapter of the Celestial Void, Tenth Sun: Soul-Kaiser’s Allegiance! (Fifth Dawn Offering)

With the swiftness of a falcon, Lu Wenran was upon him, his resolve hardened into unbreakable steel. He would slay Wang Lin this day, even under the watchful eyes of the multitude. The advantage of surprise had been lost, and this strike must be decisive!

A blur of motion carried him forward, but Wang Lin, retreating, invoked the ancient steps of power. With the third step, his hand shot skyward, and the very heavens within the catacombs echoed with a thunderous roar. A spear of shimmering, seven-hued light coalesced into being, and behind it, a second spear, forged from the very essence of fire, blazed into existence.

The twin spears sang through the air, a deadly symphony aimed at Lu Wenran.

Wang Lin, never pausing, continued his retreat. As his feet touched the earth, both hands rose, the vortex of his divine meridians within him spinning with frenzied speed. This unleashed a torrent of power, a speed that rivaled even the late Xu Decai.

With a snap of his fingers, the Seal of the Spirit Devourer erupted forth, two massive, ethereal hands hurtling towards Lu Wenran.

Simultaneously, his left hand formed another sigil. The world around them ignited in a sea of fire, and the Ancient Umbrellas of World-Burning appeared, one above, one below, unleashing a torrent of infernal flames.

The seven-hued spears struck first. Lu Wenran, with a flick of his sleeve and the might of a Void Tribulant cultivator, unleashed a force that shattered the spears into fragments. But the two Spirit Devourer seals slammed home, colliding with Lu Wenran in a deafening explosion.

Before Lu Wenran could recover, the Ancient Umbrellas of World-Burning descended, their apocalyptic flames consuming all in their path, a fiery maelstrom bearing down upon him.

Lu Wenran’s eyes narrowed, realization dawning. Now, he no longer doubted Wang Lin’s role in the demise of Xu Decai. Only by slaying him could such rapid invocation of powers be learned!

But this was merely the opening salvo, the beginning of Wang Lin’s desperate dance. Driven by the power of his divine meridians, Wang Lin, still retreating, wove his hands in further gestures. The very foundations of the catacombs seemed to shift, replaced by a vast, illusory ocean.

The world was plunged into darkness, save for a crimson line on the distant horizon, the promise of a dawning sun.

“Crimson Dusk!” Wang Lin roared, his hands sweeping outwards. The red line exploded in size, revealing a searing, crimson sun, its light tearing through the oppressive darkness.

And from the opposite direction, another sun, burning with ethereal fire, mirrored the first, unleashing another wave of Dusk’s devastating power!

Then, two colossal stone gates materialized upon the illusory sea, their presence radiating an aura of ancient times, a tangible weight of ages that pressed upon Lu Wenran’s very soul.

All this unfolded in the blink of an eye. In his two millennia of cultivation, Wang Lin had never unleashed such a barrage of powers in such a short span.

But still, he was not finished. As the waves of Crimson Dusk and illusory gates subsided, Wang Lin unleashed the full fury of his divine meridians.

“Summon Winds and Call Forth Rain!”

“Scatter Beans and Conjure Soldiers!”

“Mountain Crumble and Earth Shatter!”

“Gloomy Moon’s Clarity!” With a final flourish, the heavens, already illuminated by two suns, were now shadowed by two dark moons, their presence casting an oppressive gloom over Lu Wenran, unleashing the arcane powers of the Gloomy Moon Sect.

The ground trembled and the air crackled as Lu Wenran fought against the barrage. He withstood the Spirit Devourer seals, was engulfed in the flames of the World-Burning Umbrellas, and weathered the storm of Crimson Dusk. Yet, with a furious bellow, born of desperation, he shattered Wang Lin’s illusions.

The two massive hand seals exploded, the Ancient Umbrellas crumbled to dust, and the illusory sea and crimson skies dissolved into nothingness. Finally, the two colossal gates of stone collapsed into rubble.

Lu Wenran stood panting, a gruesome trophy taken. He was missing an arm, and his existing wounds now pulsed with agony. He had expended the entirety of his strength to repel Wang Lin’s onslaught. Pale and bloodied, he lunged towards his quarry.

But Yan Luan and Xu Dongde, roused by the commotion, moved to intercept.

“Get out of my way!” Lu Wenran roared, consumed by a murderous rage. As Yan Luan and Xu Dongde approached, he flicked his sleeves violently, spitting forth a mouthful of blood. The blood writhed and twisted, morphing into two identical, crimson clones, each bearing down upon the two would-be saviors.

And Lu Wenran himself, ignoring his wounds and fueled by a burning desire for vengeance, charged towards Wang Lin.

“Die!”

With a guttural roar, Lu Wenran raised his remaining hand and seized the very sky above the catacombs. An immense, nine-toothed wheel materialized in his grasp, and he hurled it towards Wang Lin with brutal force.

The air shrieked, the ground trembled, and the nine-toothed wheel hurtled towards Wang Lin, a harbinger of destruction. Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, for he understood the power of a Void Tribulant cultivator. He knew that he must disrupt their plans, or the Soul-Kaiser Armor would imbue Lu Wenran with untold power and spell his doom.

This was his only chance to seize a fragment of that power, a chance he could not afford to squander!

For what is gained without risk? Courage, boldness, and a willingness to gamble are the price of fortune!

Madness glinted in Wang Lin’s eyes. He was willing to bet it all! His Three Lives Technique, dormant for so long, would now be awakened. He would wager one life for a chance at greatness. If he won, he would attain apotheosis. If he lost, he still had two lives to escape.

As the nine-toothed wheel drew near, the shadow of death fell upon Wang Lin. Without hesitation, he raised both hands and clenched them into the empty space before him!
“Sky Split!” Wang Lin roared, his voice echoing through the cavern. With a guttural cry, he braced himself and tore his hands apart with savage force. The instant his raw power met the onslaught of the Nine-Toothed Wheel, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air. Blood sprayed from Wang Lin’s lips as he was hurled backwards, the force of the impact shattering four of the Wheel’s teeth. Yet, the remaining five spun onward, transformed into a ghastly blade of death, hurtling towards him!

In the blink of an eye, it was upon him, a mere three fathoms away, its edges a blur of lethal motion. It was poised to carve him asunder, cleaving him in two with merciless speed.

A searing pain ripped through Wang Lin’s body, originating from his brow, as if he were being torn apart at the very seam of his being. The spinning Wheel crashed against his flesh, and a cloud of crimson mist erupted from every pore.

Lu Wenran cackled, already savoring Wang Lin’s imminent demise. He envisioned the scene playing out in his mind: Wang Lin’s body rent asunder, his soul shattered into a thousand screaming fragments!

“To dare challenge Lu Wenran? You are beneath me!”

炎栾 and Xu Dongde, caught in the throes of the battle, were powerless to intervene. Lu Wenran, in his desperation, had unleashed two specters formed from his own lifeblood, binding them for a few precious heartbeats. It was a gamble, a grievous wound to his own cultivation, but he believed it would be enough. Enough to secure his victory!

“Die, you cur! Your Soul Armor will be mine!” Lu Wenran roared, his face twisted into a grotesque mask of greed and triumph. He watched as Wang Lin desperately braced himself against the spinning teeth, his body retreating, spraying blood with every step.

The surrounding cultivators watched, their faces pale with shock and horror. They saw a Lu Wenran they no longer recognized.

“Madness! He has lost his mind!”

“He killed the Elder before our very eyes. He intends to silence us all!”

“He knows no restraint! If he claims the Soul Armor, he’ll slaughter us all and blame the Green Demon Continent!”

A thousand pairs of eyes, filled with fear and regret, were turned upon the crazed Lu Wenran. Even those who had sworn allegiance to him now recoiled in horror.

“Die! Die! Die!” Lu Wenran’s manic laughter echoed through the vast underground chamber. But then, a sudden silence fell upon him, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Wang Lin, against all odds, was not being cleaved apart as he had envisioned. Instead, amidst the spray of blood, a grating, metallic shriek filled the air. Wang Lin’s formidable physique, forged in countless battles, was holding, resisting the Wheel’s deadly embrace.

And then, a sight even more startling appeared. Above Wang Lin’s head, a lantern materialized, casting a soft, ethereal glow. The light enveloped Wang Lin, bathing his ravaged flesh in its healing radiance. Wounds began to mend, bones to knit themselves anew.

Lu Wenran’s eyes burned with a furious resolve. Foiled in his initial attack, he surged forward, closing the distance between them.

“So, you possess a strong body? A magical shield? It matters not! Die! Die! Die!” He took a step, closing within fifty fathoms.

A second stride brought him within ten. His hand rose, ready to deliver the final, crushing blow. But at that very moment, the 天牛 Soul Armor in the distance pulsed with an unearthly, obsidian light. It shattered into countless strands of black silk, and each strand, with impossible speed, raced towards Lu Wenran, only to veer away at the last second. They flew past him, straight towards Wang Lin.

In an instant, Wang Lin was engulfed in the swarm of ebony threads. A wave of unimaginable power erupted from him, slamming into Lu Wenran with the force of a tidal wave. Lu Wenran coughed blood, his body flung backwards, his face contorted with terror and utter, unbearable defeat.

“No!!!”