A madness took hold of the Celestial Fiend Shadow, driving it towards the scorching sun. Though Yun, clad in his spirit-forged armor, was a formidable warrior, the act he now performed came at a terrible cost. As the Fiend Shadow hurtled towards the sun, the aura of cultivation surrounding Yun withered, receding from the late stage of Void Tribulation back to its original mid-stage.

This divine ability was born from sacrifice! For a fleeting moment, he relinquished his grip on the soul-infused armor, casting it forth, transforming it into a true Celestial Fiend, its ethereal form crashing against the very fabric of the fading night.

All this transpired in the blink of an eye. The Fiend Shadow collided with the sun, unleashing a cataclysmic roar. Wang Lin, caught in the blast, coughed up blood. His Art of the Dying Night shattered, forcing him to retreat hundreds of feet.

Yun staggered, as though aged a thousand years in an instant. Blood welled from his lips as he stumbled backward. But Wang Lin, fueled by a ferocious resolve, would not allow his escape. Ignoring his own injuries, he surged forward, intent on striking down Yun while his soul armor lay scattered.

Tang Jia remained silent, choosing not to intervene. Her previous assistance was merely a favor to her sister. With a conflicted glance at Wang Lin’s relentless pursuit, she turned and vanished into the distance.

A chilling resolve hardened Wang Lin’s features. He descended upon Yun with blinding speed, his fist clenched, brimming with the ancient power of the Dao. The impact unleashed a devastating shockwave, echoing through the heavens and earth. Yun was hurled back, spewing torrents of blood.

Wang Lin himself reeled from the blow, yet he pressed on, gritting his teeth and charging once more.

Again and again, they clashed in a symphony of destruction. Fear flickered in Yun’s eyes. He had witnessed madness before, but never had he encountered such a relentless, self-destructive fury as Wang Lin’s. He cared for nothing but ending Yun’s life.

As Wang Lin and Yun traded savage blows, a monstrous hand, as black as midnight, materialized from the heart of the Gu Yi Sect, miles away. It stretched across the heavens, reaching to seize its prey.

Wang Lin’s face darkened. Abruptly ceasing his attack, he retreated, ripples spreading beneath his feet as he vanished, melting into the very essence of the world.

The ebony hand descended, clutching Yun in its grasp, dragging him back to the Gu Yi Sect.

The battle, from its inception, was a whirlwind of violence, ending as quickly as it had begun. Only after Wang Lin’s departure did the four meteorites plummet from the sky, crashing into the earth with earth-shattering force. Within a thousand-mile radius, a choking cloud of dust billowed, obscuring the land for what seemed an eternity. When the dust finally settled, the ground lay deeply scarred, littered with countless fragments of black stone, smoldering and releasing tendrils of acrid smoke.

A weary traveler, a journey of two months’ flight away, ripples disturbed the sky above a range of mountains. Wang Lin emerged, his face pale. He stood in silence for a long while.

At last, he lifted his head, surveying his surroundings, his expression tinged with melancholy.

“Tianniu Continent… the time to depart has come.” With a mournful sigh, Wang Lin glanced at the ground beneath him, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

This place was familiar; he had been here before. This was the very site of the long-lost Seven Dao Sect, once a haven in the Tianniu Continent.

His chance shift in space, lacking any guiding intent, had brought him here of all places.

His gaze fell upon a swirling shroud of black mist clinging to the mountains below. Wang Lin sighed softly, transforming into a streak of light and hurtling towards it. He navigated the dense fog, his heart pulling him toward the Seven Dao Sect of his memories.

Soon, nestled within a mist-wreathed peak, he found the crumbling remains of a once-grand palace complex. Wang Lin landed in the central courtyard, its flagstones shattered, overgrown with weeds. Kneeling amidst the ruins, he looked upon the Seven Dao Sect. The desolation slowly kindled a warmth in his heart.

In a way, this was home.

Closing his eyes, Wang Lin settled there, tending to his wounds. His soul armor was now safely stored away. In his weakened state, he released the guardian spirit Yi Si, beginning his slow recovery.

Three days passed. On the third day, Wang Lin opened his eyes. He stood, considering the ruins of Seven Dao Sect. When he first arrived, he barely glanced around, but this time, with a complex heart, with the bittersweet pang of a farewell before leaving Tianniu Continent, he walked this place.

He walked through every building, every hall, every place where the students of the Seven Dao Sect once resided.

Finally, he went to the main hall of the mountain gate of the Seven Dao Sect, where there was a huge chair, obviously belonging to the Seven-Colored Immortal.

Looking at the silent hall, the ground, the tables and chairs, were all covered with dust, exuding a sense of decline.

Standing there, he looked quietly for a long time. Wang Lin closed his eyes, as if feeling the existence of the cave world, and suddenly, he missed home a little.

Missing the Cave World, missing everyone there.

He seemed to be able to vaguely see a beautiful woman, standing on a mountain with her long hair fluttering, raising her head, looking at the dark sky, as if looking for a pair of eyes in the sky.

After a long time, Wang Lin opened his eyes, walked out of the hall, and stood in the Seven Dao Sect where only he existed. Wang Lin’s expression gradually became indifferent.

The cruel reality still needed to be faced.

“In the past few months, earth-shattering changes must have occurred in this Tianniu Continent! This change has caused the Guiyi Sect to change its reward to me… or in other words, force me to betray Tianniu… but they let me leave…

As for the Great Soul Sect…” Wang Lin’s eyes suddenly flashed, he vaguely felt as if he had grasped something, but it was not clear. He quickly raised his right hand, and when he opened his palm, a three-inch villain suddenly appeared in his palm.

The villain immediately knelt in the palm of his hand and bowed to Wang Lin three times!

Wang Lin’s heart shook, and he held his palm. The calculation he had made just now seemed to be in a fog, and he couldn’t see anything clearly, but a sentence vaguely appeared in his heart.

“The matter of reward, since this is the reason, then I will not change it. If Wang Lin abides by it, he can use it as a proof!”
Within the hallowed halls of the Returning Dawn Sect, the venerable Azure Ox Ancestor, through a single strand of his immortal hair imbued with divine consciousness, conveyed a message to Wang Lin. This missive, delivered by the sect’s esteemed Patriarch, echoed with veiled intent.

Wang Lin, steeped in contemplation, savored each syllable. The secrets of the Soul Devouring Path, once a blurred vision after three profound bows, now coalesced into a single, resonant phrase. Its hidden meaning beckoned him deeper.

He repeated the words under his breath, a tremor seizing his very being. His eyes, ignited with sudden comprehension, blazed with celestial light.

“The matter of rewards, thus resolved, I shall not alter. If Wang Lin disregards haste, let this be the decree.”

“The final words of each utterance: Matter, Resolved, Alter, Haste, Decree!”

“Matters alter, hasten defection!”

“Matters possess variables, defect!” Wang Lin inhaled sharply. This message, a symphony of veiled phonetics, held but one interpretation. The Azure Ox Ancestor, in this clandestine manner, urged Wang Lin toward swift betrayal!

“That the Azure Ox Ancestor, a being of such profound power, employs this method of suggestion… that he fears I might remain ignorant and consults with the Patriarch of the Returning Dawn Sect, using unjust rewards to drive me from the Azure Bull Continent…”

“To betray the Azure Bull Continent is to forsake my place within it, necessitating a hasty departure… Does the Azure Ox Ancestor seek my rapid evacuation from this land?” Wang Lin fell into a troubled silence. He sensed a grand enigma lurking within the Azure Bull Continent, the key to the Great Soul Sect and the Returning Dawn Sect’s altered dispositions.

This very enigma, in Wang Lin’s estimation, was intimately entwined with the Green Devil Continent. He had long suspected a deeper motive behind the intercontinental war.

Wang Lin’s mind raced with possibilities, but they remained mere conjectures. He was yet blind to the truth. After a long while, Wang Lin looked into the distance, his eyes now resolute.

“Enough! This place is but a churning pool of strife. Now that this has come to pass, further contemplation is fruitless. The time has come to depart from the Azure Bull Continent.”

“However, my departure will be far from simple. Obstacles will surely litter my path… If my suspicions hold even a sliver of truth, then the vast majority of those who seek to hinder me shall hail from the Green Devil Continent!” As Wang Lin spoke, preparing to leave, his expression shifted. He abruptly lifted his gaze toward the dark mists shrouding the mountain peaks. In a flash, he vanished without a trace.

Moments after Wang Lin’s disappearance, the swirling mists parted, revealing a solitary figure emerging from their depths. The figure moved with utmost caution, meticulously surveying the surroundings and glancing back to ensure no pursuers followed. Only then, it seemed, did the figure exhale a sigh of relief, slowly descending to the plaza before the Seven Dao Sect’s mountain gate.

“Curses! Unforeseen obstacles delayed me, costing me several days. I pray I have not disrupted the Ancestor’s plans…” Tension etched itself upon the figure’s face. After landing, the figure cast a final, wary glance around, then sought refuge in a secluded corner, preparing to meditate.

But at that very moment, a voice echoed throughout the plaza.

“Du Qing!”

The figure, indeed Du Qing, startled at the sound of his name. He leaped to his feet, his features contorted with alarm. But the alarm quickly yielded to joy!

“Friend Wang Lin!” He recognized Wang Lin’s voice.

Wang Lin, his brow furrowed, materialized into existence, gazing at Du Qing, whom he had not seen in quite some time. “Who sent you here?” Wang Lin inquired directly.

“Elder Wang, it was the Azure Ox Ancestor of the Great Soul Sect. He instructed me to depart several months prior, arriving here three days hence, to deliver an item to you.” Du Qing hastily bowed before Wang Lin, his right hand summoning a plain black stone.

The stone appeared unremarkable. Du Qing had pondered over it during his long journey, attempting to decipher its secrets, but to no avail. However, the Azure Ox Ancestor’s grave demeanor during the exchange convinced him that the stone was an invaluable treasure.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed as he accepted the black stone. He held it aloft, his pupils contracting. He detected the faint essence of the Soul Devouring Path emanating from within.