A golden aura shrouded the hallowed grounds of the Celestial Nirvana, bathing the very earth in a golden luminescence. Upon the surface, hundreds of Celestials stood, their expressions serene, as if the spectacle held no surprise for them.

Many did not even deign to raise their gaze, lost in the depths of meditative slumber, their eyes sealed shut. The golden brilliance that signaled passage through the Fifth Sanctum held no allure for these ascetics.

Far off, the Bamboo Grove Celestial remained undisturbed, his inner world consumed by calculations on how to overcome the Eighth Sanctum. His strength should have allowed him to pass that trial long ago, yet he remained eternally bound there.

“This White-Haired Celestial entered the Fifth Sanctum… and the golden light appeared only after a prolonged struggle. His pace pales in comparison to the legends of his swift conquest through the first four. It would seem he faced considerable hardship within.”

“The time taken, though still swift, is not much different from that of any Celestial traversing this level. Thus, there is little to mark him as exceptional.”

“I wonder if he will depart as he did in the past, or attempt the Sixth Sanctum… though I believe that trial will prove insurmountable for him.”

Those Celestials who did look up offered their own silent assessments. Some held a hint of disappointment. Their interest in Wang Lin stemmed from the whispers, or the direct witness, of his unparalleled speed through the initial sanctums!

Without that legacy, merely conquering the Fifth Sanctum, while commendable, was hardly enough to warrant such attention.

From within the golden glow of the Fifth Sanctum’s celestial palace, Wang Lin emerged, his face calm. He did not glance down at the onlookers, but rather turned his gaze upwards towards the Sixth Sanctum. With a flicker in his eyes, he ascended without hesitation!

This act did not go unnoticed by the Celestials below, who immediately straightened with interest.

“He truly seeks to brave the Sixth Sanctum! I myself was halted there, unable to progress. He struggled in the Fifth Sanctum, taking longer than I did. If I failed, then surely so shall he!”

“The White-Haired Celestial did not retreat?”

“The Sixth Sanctum… now that is where things become interesting. Should he conquer it, I would offer my acquaintance.”

Almost none of the Celestial cultivators below believed Wang Lin would succeed. His performance in the Fifth Sanctum had been too unremarkable, devoid of any extraordinary feat.

Those who had previously kept their eyes closed, unmoved by the Fifth Sanctum’s golden radiance, now opened them, their gazes fixed upon the Sixth Sanctum.

Even the Bamboo Grove Celestial stirred, his eyes briefly opening and closing in a perfunctory glance. But as he was about to return to his meditation, a blinding flash of gold erupted within his vision!

The Bamboo Grove Celestial’s expression instantly hardened.

He was not alone. Every Celestial who had dared to look up at the sky outside the First Sanctum of the Celestial Nirvana now witnessed the same phenomenon – a radiant golden light in their eyes!

This was not an innate power, but a reflection of the Sixth Sanctum’s radiance in the heavens!

Barely seven breaths after Wang Lin had entered, the Sixth Sanctum’s celestial palace exploded with magnificent golden light, merging seamlessly with the golden aura of the Fifth Sanctum. The glorious spectacle was reborn, as in days of old!

“He… he passed…” A Celestial below rose abruptly, his eyes wide with disbelief. “He cleared the Sixth Sanctum!! In a mere seven breaths!”

“A decade past, he stormed through the first four sanctums. Now he returns, conquering the Fifth and Sixth in rapid succession. This man’s power is anything but ordinary!”

“To conquer the Sixth Sanctum means he has fused at least fifty divine abilities into his body! Among the Celestial race, no more than four hundred can achieve such a feat!”

The Celestials below were filled with grave contemplation, their eyes riveted on the sky. Even those who had remained aloof, convinced there was nothing to see, now opened their eyes, drawn to the figure emerging from the Sixth Sanctum’s golden light!

To clear the Sixth Sanctum in the Celestial Nirvana marks one as a powerful Celestial!

The Bamboo Grove Celestial fixed his gaze upon Wang Lin’s figure in the sky, his expression deeply serious. Wang Lin reminded him of that figure from years ago, the one he had dismissed at first, only to watch in growing astonishment as he stormed through four sanctums.

“The Seventh Sanctum! He intends to brave the Seventh!”

“To attempt the Seventh Sanctum? Among the Celestial race, fewer than two hundred have passed this trial! Though he dispatched the Sixth with ease, the Seventh is an entirely different matter!”

“Perhaps… perhaps he truly will succeed!” Excitement rippled through the Celestials below. All eyes were drawn to Wang Lin, whose figure did not descend from the Sixth Sanctum’s light, but instead soared towards the Seventh, with a thunderous roar.

He was now the focus of almost every gaze, filled with expectation, doubt, and even scorn. Even if Wang Lin possessed the strength to clear the Sixth Sanctum, they believed the Seventh would undoubtedly be his limit!

The Bamboo Grove Celestial abandoned his meditation. His eyes were fixed on Wang Lin as he vanished into the Seventh Sanctum’s celestial palace. He could not ignore Wang Lin. If he passed the Seventh Sanctum, it would mean they were of a similar level. How could he remain indifferent after having twice witnessed this man’s bold advance through the Celestial Nirvana?

Within the Seventh Sanctum’s celestial palace, silence descended. Almost every being raised their head, their eyes locked on the sky.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths, four breaths, five breaths… and as the fifth breath ended, gasps of astonishment and disbelief erupted from the Celestial cultivators below!

Above them, the Seventh Sanctum erupted with astonishing golden light, fusing with the radiance of the Sixth and Fifth Sanctums. A single, unified glow engulfed the Celestial Nirvana, shining like a second sun!
From the seventh tier of golden light, a figure emerged, his once white hair now shimmering gold in the celestial radiance, radiating an aura that stilled the breaths of even the Venerable Ones below!

“By the Great Void… he has conquered the seventh trial!”

“Five breaths! Faster than his ascent through the sixth! What manner of power does he wield to overcome the seventh? Surely, his name shall soon echo across the Immortal Continent!”

“Five breaths…such speed is unheard of!” The hundreds of cultivators below were shaken to their cores, all disdain vanished, replaced by a burgeoning respect for the figure bathed in golden light above.

Those who had faltered at the fourth or fifth tiers gazed upon Wang Lin with a newfound awe, tinged with envy.

Among the Venerable Ones, strength varied greatly. To conquer the seventh tier commanded respect, even from equals. The Bamboo Forest Venerable, despite his aloof nature, would draw all eyes were he to attempt this trial.

“The seventh tier…” The Bamboo Forest Venerable remained silent, stunned by the newcomer’s power.

“Will he attempt the eighth? The eighth is… deathly difficult!”

Above, within the golden aura of the seventh tier, Wang Lin stood serene. He had unleashed both the Thunder and Five Elements True Bodies, channeling all their combined might to overwhelm the seventh trial with a crushing victory.

“This Celestial Ascendancy grows ever more arduous. I wonder what awaits on the eighth…” Wang Lin raised his gaze to the eighth tier, and with a burst of speed, shot forth like a radiant comet!

Lost in his ambition to conquer the Celestial Ascendancy, he failed to grasp the storm his actions had ignited amongst the hundreds of Venerable Ones below.

“The eighth tier… he challenges the eighth!”

“Such arrogance! The Bamboo Forest Venerable himself has repeatedly failed at the eighth. This one… alas, I dare not predict!”

“Fewer than one hundred and fifty beings on the Immortal Continent have ever conquered the eighth, a number amassed over countless years. It is said to be immensely difficult. Should he succeed, the Grand Empyrean himself will know!” A wave of anticipation swept through the gathered cultivators. Such a rapid ascent through the fifth, sixth, seventh, *and* eighth tiers was a sight to behold.

The Bamboo Forest Venerable rose abruptly, his contemplative pose abandoned as he fixed his gaze upon the eighth-tier palace. He had challenged it many times, each attempt ending in failure. Now, to witness another attempt before his very eyes, his eyes blazed with intense interest. He surged into the air to gain a better view.

“The eighth tier… Can he truly conquer it?”

The passage of time, typically an eternity during such moments, was mercifully swift. A mere three breaths later, a blinding golden light erupted from the eighth-tier palace, stunning the assembled Venerable Ones into utter silence.

The eighth tier had not radiated such light in countless millennia, but now, that light joined with the lower radiance, engulfing the Celestial Ascendancy and all within it in a sea of gold.

“He has conquered the eighth…” The Bamboo Forest Venerable paled, his eyes wide with shock and a confusing mix of emotions. He had repeatedly failed at this trial, yet he had just witnessed another casually overcome it in but three breaths!

The hundreds of Venerable Ones, awash in golden light, were speechless, their minds struggling to comprehend the figure above.

“What is your name, challenger?” The Bamboo Staff Venerable thundered, the sound shattering the silence. Some amongst the throng knew Wang Lin’s name, but most only knew the “White-Haired Venerable.”

“Wang Lin!” From within the golden light of the eighth-tier palace, Wang Lin spoke, his voice calm and clear.

His gaze then ascended to the ninth tier, shrouded in mist and legend.

To conquer the ninth tier was to stand at the apex of Venerable Ones!

To conquer the ninth tier was to etch one’s name into the annals of the Immortal Continent!

To conquer the ninth tier was to draw ever closer to becoming a Transcendent!

Wang Lin had traversed the Immortal Continent for centuries, and now, he stood at this pivotal moment. He felt no elation, only an unshakable calm.

Under the gaze of the assembled Venerable Ones, Wang Lin took a deep breath and strode towards the ninth-tier palace, a place that had remained shrouded in darkness for tens of thousands of years.