A silence fell, as if woven solely for his departure. Hu Lin’s pupils constricted; the sudden reversal of events had left him reeling, many questions unanswered. Yet, there was no time for contemplation. With a surge of power, he transformed into a streaking rainbow, hurtling away with a sound like tearing silk.

He summoned every ounce of his speed, making straight for the gates of the Returning Dawn Sect. The air boomed in his wake. Behind him, the elder Bian Yun pursued, his eyes burning with an unholy light. As a cultivator of the Void Tribulant’s late stage, he crossed the vast distances with each stride, intent on his quarry.

The two figures, one fleeing and one pursuing, traversed the Returning Dawn Sect at blinding speed. Soon, they burst through its gates, and in that instant, a purple comet shot out as well. The gates slammed shut behind them, returning to their placid stillness.

Hu Lin, now beyond the gates, sped away for leagues. Within the Sect’s perimeter, the art of Shrinking Earth was treacherous, especially with the grand array churning the very essence of the world.

As Hu Lin cleared the turbulent zone and prepared to Shrink Earth once more, Bian Yun struck. His face grim, the elder raised his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, the azure sky above underwent a metamorphosis. Seven ethereal starlights appeared, shimmering with an unearthly luminescence, piercing the daylight as if they were true stars in the night.

“Seven Star Rend!” Bian Yun’s eyes glinted with cold resolve. The promised treasures for Hu Lin’s head outweighed any misgivings about the Sect’s odd behavior. All he cared for was the Soul-One Order, the decree that proclaimed Hu Lin a traitor, delivered by the Sect’s own master.

“With Hu Lin’s head, I can claim the reward from the Returning Dawn Sect. Even if there are undercurrents here, I shall play the fool. In so doing, I merely execute the Sect Master’s order. The Great Soul Gate can scarcely object, for Hu Lin betrayed them first! I merely slay a traitor!” Bian Yun, a rogue cultivator who had reached the Void Tribulant’s mid stage and earned the Celestial Bull’s favor, clad in its soul-armor, was not without cunning. In a flash of thought, he made his decision.

As Bian Yun’s hand rose, the seven stars in the sky blazed with renewed vigor. A raw, untamed power gathered from all corners of the world, converging in the firmament. Then, with a thunderous roar, the stars fell as if banished from the heavens themselves.

The sound alone threatened to rend the sky, carrying an indescribable force. Hu Lin paused, a ripple forming beneath his feet as he prepared to depart, then looked up, his gaze sweeping the heavens.

He beheld seven streaks of darkness cleaving the azure, hurtling towards him with destructive speed. At the heart of each streak was a meteorite, black as pitch and the size of a fist, descending with maddening haste.

Even at such a distance, the meteorites seemed like massive skulls. If they were to draw nearer, their scale would be monstrous.

As Hu Lin watched, the fist-sized stones swelled before his eyes, becoming as large as washbasins, still expanding. Soon, they threatened to engulf the surrounding thousands of leagues, reducing all within to ruin.

Such a spell was only possible when Bian Yun’s power was amplified by the Celestial Bull’s soul-armor.

The ripples beneath Hu Lin’s feet intensified. He glanced back, his resolve hardening. Bian Yun knew nothing of his Shrinking Earth, and no matter the power of the elder’s spells, he could not hope to keep Hu Lin chained here.

But then, a purple comet flashed into view behind Bian Yun. Tang Jia, her face a mask of conflicting emotions, fixed her gaze on the distant Hu Lin. Her speed was terrifying, and it appeared as if she would streak past Bian Yun.

“Elder Bian Yun, allow Jia Jia to lend her strength! I ask only for the Five-Elements Fire Armor as reward!” Tang Jia’s gentle voice carried through the roaring heavens. Even before Bian Yun could reply, she drew within a hundred paces of the elder.

Bian Yun frowned, but said nothing. However, Hu Lin’s feet stilled. He saw it clearly: as Tang Jia approached Bian Yun, just ten paces away, something was amiss.

“What do you intend?” Bian Yun sensed the change. His eyes flared with a fierce light as he flicked his sleeves, retreating. A whirlwind of black wind erupted from his body, erecting layers of defense. Yet, Tang Jia’s pupils were ablaze with a golden light. She lifted a jade hand and pointed forward, and eight golden gates materialized around Bian Yun, forming a prison.

“Eight Gates of Sealing!”

The golden gates emitted a blinding radiance as they rushed towards Bian Yun, converging upon him.

The sudden betrayal stole Hu Lin’s breath. Thoughts raced through his mind in those fleeting moments, and without hesitation, he abandoned his escape. He turned, a wisp of spectral light, and plunged towards the imprisoned Bian Yun.

It was Hu Lin’s way. He would not seek conflict, save as a last resort. But when confronted with an aggressor like Bian Yun, he would strike back without mercy. When he saw Tang Jia summon the golden gates, he finally understood why she seemed familiar. The aura, the feel of her, was eerily similar to that of Consort Tang Shan!

Coupled with her name, Hu Lin could now be certain: she and Tang Shan were linked by bonds of blood, or something deeper still.

All transpired in the blink of an eye. Caught off guard, Bian Yun lost control of three of the descending stars. They flickered and vanished, leaving only four to continue their descent. It would not be long before they struck the earth.

As the remaining four stars hurtled down, a black flame engulfed their surfaces, adding to their terrifying momentum. Even before impact, waves of searing heat rolled across the land, accompanied by a force that felt as if it were turning the world inside out.

Ignoring the descending meteorites, Hu Lin closed the distance to Bian Yun. He raised his right hand, summoning a mystical seal.

The world trembled, and a seven-hued spear materialized. Its colors shifted thrice, transforming into the Seven-Hued Threefold Change, and roared towards Bian Yun.

Then, with blinding speed, Hu Lin strode forward, forming another seal. The gargantuan Six-Fingered Demon Hand manifested, lunging at Bian Yun as well.

These two techniques alone were not enough to cripple Bian Yun. Hu Lin gritted his teeth and formed yet another seal with both hands, pointing them at the sky.

The heavens shook, and the earth was drowned in darkness, transformed into a sea of ink. In the distance, the faint glow of a distant sun could be seen.

The Art of the Lingering Night. In his hands, cloaked in the soul-armor, Hu Lin unleashed it for the second time.

Tang Jia, having committed herself, showed no signs of hesitation. She formed a seal and swiped her hands forward, summoning a massive golden whip in the black sea created by the Lingering Night.

The whip cracked with a force that threatened to shatter the heavens, lashing towards Bian Yun. Her casting speed was no match for Hu Lin’s; she only completed this single technique after Hu Lin had unleashed three.

Bian Yun’s face twisted in despair. He was trapped by the Eight Gates, Tang Jia’s most potent technique. Empowered by her soul-armor and her peak Void Tribulant cultivation, the gates excelled at entanglement. Bian Yun’s eyes burned with rage. He cast aside all hesitation, biting his tongue and spitting out a mouthful of blood. The blood transformed into a writhing cloud of ghastly specters, howling as they crashed against the Eight Gates.

With a deafening roar, the gates shattered. But no sooner had Bian Yun regained his freedom than the Seven-Hued Threefold Change spear slammed into him. With no time to dodge, he swiped his sleeves, and a palm-sized white shield materialized before him, meeting the spear with a blinding flash.

The spear detonated, but the shield was riddled with cracks. Before it could fully disintegrate, Hu Lin’s Six-Fingered Demon Hand slammed into it, contracting from its colossal size to a mere ten yards across.

The white shield offered no further resistance. It shattered, and the palm slammed into Bian Yun.

A shockwave rolled outward, and Bian Yun’s face paled. He was thrown backward, his right arm raised, and he jabbed at his brow, howling towards the sky.

Behind him, a celestial bull shadow erupted, likewise roaring and creating ripples that shattered the Demon Hand. But Hu Lin’s onslaught had continued. As the Demon Hand dissolved, the Lingering Night Technique reached its zenith. The distant sun lifted above the horizon, unleashing a devastating light!

“Belief… Belief arts!” Only now, after suffering such a beating, did Bian Yun recognize the true nature of the sun. Terror filled his eyes, and he retreated frantically.

But as he did, Tang Jia’s golden whip danced like a ray of sunlight. With a flick, it split the darkness and struck Bian Yun, sending him flying backward.

Blood spewed from his mouth. He staggered, desperate to escape the technique’s range. Yet, he was too slow. The sun’s light spread in all directions with a rending force. Bian Yun coughed blood once more, his eyes bloodshot. He felt the edge of the abyss and made a split-second decision.

He halted his retreat, raised both hands, and pressed them to his brow. Then, with a violent surge, he flung his arms forward.

In that instant, a spectral form erupted from Bian Yun – the phantom of a Celestial Bull, lifting its forelegs as if to shatter the very sky with its horns. With a deafening bellow, it charged headlong towards the rising sun!