Lin of the Whirlwind did not immediately venture into the remaining Numinous Palaces of the Heavenly Venerate. Though the quickest path to garner the Grand Heavenly Venerate’s attention lay within those hallowed halls, another matter weighed heavily upon his soul.

Thus, as the four palaces shimmered with golden light, their auras entwining into a single resplendent beacon, Lin of the Whirlwind paused. Before the gaze of countless Heavenly Venerate cultivators, he descended, a swift shadow parting from the fourth palace, plunging towards the earth.

All eyes followed his descent, mirroring the awe that had followed the Heavenly Venerate of Bamboo Grove. Even the Bamboo Grove Heavenly Venerate watched, his gaze sharp.

He saw in Lin of the Whirlwind something different. Those who braved the Numinous Lands of the Heavenly Venerate, even knowing a palace held insurmountable trials, would still seek to glimpse its trials, to know its difficulty, and thus, understand their own shortcomings.

But Lin of the Whirlwind, having conquered four palaces, ignored the fifth entirely. Others might overlook this, but the Bamboo Grove Heavenly Venerate saw it, and a seed of apprehension sprouted in his heart.

“Either he has no hope of traversing the fifth trial, or he sees it as a mere formality, easily conquered when he desires… Which is it? I pray it is the latter!” The Bamboo Grove Heavenly Venerate pondered, a glint of cunning in his eye.

As Lin of the Whirlwind landed, he was met with smiles and respectful greetings from the gathered Heavenly Venerates. Many were those whom he had faced in battle these past fifty years, men with whom he now shared a grim familiarity. Others were those who sought to forge new alliances.

To each, Lin of the Whirlwind offered a warm smile and a respectful bow.

“Esteemed friends,” he said, “I must depart on urgent business. Should fortune smile upon us, we shall meet again and share tales.” And with that, he transformed into a streak of light, hurtling towards the ancient teleportation array by which he had arrived. Within its swirling energies, his form dissolved into mist, vanishing from sight.

Only after he was gone did the Heavenly Venerates turn from the departure, murmuring amongst themselves, their thoughts carried on the winds of divine sense.

“He held back, that much is clear. Seeing how easily he moved through the first four, I wager this white-haired Heavenly Venerate could conquer at least the seventh!”

“Perhaps, though I fought him thirty years past. The fourth is his limit, I say!”

“Hard to say. Though thirty years is but a blink, in that time, fate might grant boons, allowing even Heavenly Venerates to ascend. We shall see. He will return to the Numinous Lands of the Heavenly Venerate.”

While the Heavenly Venerates debated, far away on the Mountains-Seas Continent, in a cavern nestled amidst the peaks by the sea, Lin of the Whirlwind, seated in meditation, opened his eyes. A strange, otherworldly light flickered within them.

As he stirred, the Golden Sovereign Sea Dragon, who guarded his mortal form, revealed its joy. Reduced in size, it circled him, uttering affectionate, low hisses.

Lin of the Whirlwind raised his hand, gently patting the Sea Dragon’s head. He studied the array of enchantments that warded the cave. Among them was a Time Seal, placed to gauge the passage of time during his absence.

“The time within the Numinous Lands is mirrored here. No change,” he murmured. Lin of the Whirlwind rose, taking a step forward, the Golden Sovereign Sea Dragon fell into step behind him.

Man and dragon emerged into the night. A full moon hung high in the sky, its gentle light bathing the sea in a silvery sheen.

The sound of waves crashing upon the shore echoed, mingling with the sea breeze. The wind ruffled Lin of the Whirlwind’s white hair, making it blaze like starlight under the moon’s gaze.

Gazing at the Mountains-Seas, Lin of the Whirlwind stood silent for a moment. Then, with a sudden surge of power, he mounted the Golden Sovereign Sea Dragon. With a mighty roar, the beast plunged into the sea.

For a cultivator whose strength reached the pinnacle of Heavenly Venerate, there were few places in the Seventy-Two Continents of the Immortal Clan that were beyond reach. Only the Grand Heavenly Venerate and the Forty-Eight Transcendent Venerates posed a true threat. Nine out of ten sects could be crushed beneath their feet. One could say they stood at the apex of the Immortal Clan.

Even the ancient, sealed souls could be challenged. Now, Lin of the Whirlwind intended to claim the Mountains-Seas Spirit Tree that sustained the realm. This was a feat that would have been impossible before attaining the power of a Heavenly Venerate.

Especially as the Mountains-Seas held Hai Zi Heavenly Venerate, who could merge seventy divine abilities into a single finger.

But now, Lin of the Whirlwind could.

The Golden Sovereign Sea Dragon moved with incredible speed, not above the waves but within them. A sea dragon by nature, it moved through the water as easily as a fish. Its speed created a piercing, howling sound that echoed through the still night, shaking the silence.

“The Heavenly Bull Soul Armor cannot be sustained for long. Even now, I have less than half an hour. Hai Zi Heavenly Venerate is strong, but with my soul armor and Speed Incantation, she cannot defeat me!

But neither can I conquer her in such a short time. So, what is to be done?” Lin of the Whirlwind’s eyes gleamed with determination. Beneath him, the Sea Dragon sped onward, tearing through the depths.

The dragon’s passage stirred up colossal whirlpools, causing the sea to roar and churn. Countless sea beasts, terrified by the dragon’s power, fled before it.

Before long, as Lin of the Whirlwind rode towards the heart of the Mountains-Seas, the sea before them erupted. A towering wall of water rose from the depths, crashing down, threatening to bar their way.

The Sea Dragon, its eyes burning with savagery, crashed headlong into the liquid barrier. The wall of water shattered with a deafening roar. As the beast broke through, the waters behind it began to churn, as if boiling.

From the roiling depths, a mass of tentacles, covered in a viscous fluid, writhed and reached into the sky. And from the waves emerged an island, perhaps ten thousand feet in size.

But upon closer inspection, it was no island. It was a colossal kraken. A wave of power equivalent to a Golden Sovereign surged from the monstrous beast.

On the kraken’s head stood a woman of surpassing beauty. Her lithe form was clad in a green dress, and she held a jade flute. Long hair fell freely behind her, and her eyes were bright and captivating.

On her forehead was a colorful starfish, like a delicate decoration, accentuating her otherworldly beauty.

“Lin of the Whirlwind! Why have you come?!” Her brow furrowed as she watched Lin of the Whirlwind break through the water wall, still mounted on the Sea Dragon. “Though the Mountains-Seas Spirit Tree holds no value to me, I will not allow you to take it!”

The Sea Dragon roared, but did not turn toward the woman. Instead, its gaze fell upon the kraken beneath her, whose own malevolent eyes locked onto the Sea Dragon.

The two leviathans had clashed before, they were ancient rivals.

“The Mountains-Seas Spirit Tree is of great use to me. I do not seek to take it all, only a portion. It is of no use to you and taking some will not impact the balance of the Mountains-Seas, so why would you deny me?” Lin of the Whirlwind asked. “It is not yours to begin with. The Immortal Ancestor sealed it here. That you claim this place as your home cannot grant you ownership.”

Lin of the Whirlwind, standing on the Sea Dragon, looked upon the woman, spoke with a calm resolve.

He had seen her beauty three years prior. Few could match her, save for Mu Bingmei. She possessed an alluring charisma.

“Here, all within the Mountains-Seas is mine! If you can defeat me, then you may take what you wish. But can you? Three years ago, even with your true body, you could not withstand three of my attacks. Have you come to be humiliated?” The woman lifted her chin, staring coldly at Lin of the Whirlwind, then raised her hand and pointed.

As her finger rose, the heavens shifted, and the sea roared. Seventy colossal whirlpools appeared around them, each containing a divine power.

She was attacking with her greatest strengths, seeking to overwhelm him with a single strike.

Lin of the Whirlwind remained calm. As the woman raised her hand, a spectral light flashed across his face. The Heavenly Bull totem, long concealed, manifested, enveloping his body in its eerie glow.

The Heavenly Bull Soul Armor had reappeared after fifty years.

With the emergence of the Heavenly Bull Soul Armor, Lin of the Whirlwind’s cultivation erupted in power. Rising from the Sea Dragon’s back, he looked down with an icy gaze at the Hai Zi Heavenly Venerate, who stared up in shock.

“A Soul Warrior!” she breathed. She had glimpsed his hidden strength in their battle years ago, but never suspected he was one of the Soul Warriors, their power rivalling that of the Transcendent Venerates!

“A Heavenly Venerate and a Soul Warrior…! Even so, you cannot defeat me in a short time. Soul Armor has its limits! I will see how long you can endure!” The woman saw the key in an instant. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned the swirling waters!