From beyond the Misty Veil, in the desolate expanse known as the Ancient Lands, sprawled a realm of ebony soil.

Unlike the ethereal grace of the Immortal Domains, this place throbbed with a raw, untamed spirit. The black earth, stretching to the horizon, instilled a sense of stifling oppression at first glance. Yet, the boundless expanse of the skies served to release that burden upon the distant horizon, as if breathing in the very essence of the ancient folk could somehow ease the heart.

Where the Immortals held their Five Continents under a singular Imperial rule, the Ancient Lands were fragmented, a triumvirate of kingdoms ruled by absolute monarchs. Upon this soil stood the nations of the Dao Ancient, the Zenith Ancient, and the Primal Ancient, each ruled by a sovereign whose authority dwarfed even that of the Immortal Emperor. Here, royal decree was law, an inescapable pressure that weighed upon the land and the souls of its inhabitants.

Unlike the Immortal palaces, where self-preservation reigned in times of peril, the royal courts of the Ancient Lands knew only two fates: the obliteration of the invader, or the utter annihilation of the lineage.

This was the way of the Ancient folk, a tradition spanning eons, mocked by the Immortals, yet envied by their Emperors – absolute, unwavering authority.

The Ancient Emperor was the embodiment of Heaven, the vessel of the Ancient Ancestors, their bloodline inviolable. To the Ancient Folk, blood was everything.

Even the Grand Empyreans, the protectors of each bloodline, held no power to depose an Emperor. While the Grand Empyrean held the highest station in terms of cultivation, the Ancient Emperor held dominion over every soul of their bloodline.

Indeed, should the decrees of Grand Empyrean and Emperor clash, the people would sooner obey the Emperor.

And unlike the Immortals, whose Grand Empyreans, such as the treacherous Jiu Di, dared to scheme against the Emperor, even to strike him down, the Grand Empyreans of the Ancient Folk would never raise a hand against their sovereign. For the one who sealed this ancient destiny, the most powerful Grand Empyrean of the Sacred Immortal Continent, stood watch over the three Ancient bloodlines, safeguarding those destined to become Emperors.

At the heart of the Ancient Lands, where the three bloodlines converged, lay the Sacred Ground, the dwelling of the most powerful Grand Empyrean.

Wang Lin had gleaned what he could of the Ancient Lands from the scrolls of Xuan Luo in the Cave World, and from the ancient texts within the Purple Sun Sect of the Twin Grand Empyreans. He was not as lost as he had been upon first entering the Immortal Domains.

Yet, the Ancient Lands were vast, and he possessed no jade slip detailing the path to the Dao Ancient capital. Such a guide was essential for his journey.

“The Primal Ancient bloodline is the strongest, the Zenith Ancient the most unified… but the Dao Ancient is the most populous, yet also the weakest,” Wang Lin murmured, his boots sinking into the black earth, inhaling the heavy air.

He knelt, gathering a handful of the soil, bringing it to his nostrils. He could sense a force within, a resonance that stirred the Ancient blood within his veins.

“Master,” he whispered, rising and striding onward, “your disciple has arrived in the Ancient Lands…”

Before him, upon the coastland of the Ancient Lands, stood a colossal city, wrought entirely of black, jagged stone. It exuded a primal power, a savage grace woven into the heart of every stone and every inhabitant.

Within the city walls, the architecture was coarse, monumental. Ancient Folk hurried through the streets, while hulking figures in leather armor bellowed orders, their presence causing passersby to recoil in fear.

The city gates, in contrast, were a chaotic throng, teeming with life.

Wang Lin held back, observing the Ancient Folk, recognizing the Ancient Demons, the Ancient Fiends, and the Ancient Gods among them. Though their physical forms were similar to his own, the star-like markings upon their brows and eyes hinted at their true nature.

This was the first time he had seen so many Ancient Folk gathered in one place.

Near the city gates stood eight hulking figures in leather armor, Ancient Gods all, their brows and eyes adorned with five or six stars. Their faces were stern, their gazes sharp as they scanned the throng.

“Hurry, all of you! The gates will be sealed within half an incense stick!” they roared.

“Once inside Blackrock City, you are all confined for three days! No leaving without the City Lord’s decree!”

At their words, the bustling crowd fell silent, and those eager to enter quickened their pace.

Before half an incense stick had burned, the gates were deserted, a stark contrast to the earlier chaos. Those who had entered scattered quickly, leaving the city streets nearly empty. Only the hundred or so armored guards remained, stationed at key points, their eyes fixed on the gates and the towering structure at the city’s heart.

The sudden emptiness revealed Wang Lin, standing a short distance away, drawing the guards’ attention.

Wang Lin, his face impassive, averted his gaze from the city and began to retreat. This city held no powerful figures, and he sought a detailed map – the kind one might find in the possession of a formidable warrior.

But before he could escape, a voice thundered behind him.

“Halt!”

Two of the armored guards, both Ancient Gods with five stars upon their brows, strode towards him.

Wang Lin frowned, stopping and turning to face them.

“Who are you, and where do you come from?” one of them demanded, his gaze piercing.

“Wang Lin,” he replied.

“You’ve been standing here for quite some time, yet you haven’t entered the city. Show us your identification token!” The other guard demanded, extending a hand.
“Unveil your clan sigil!” the hulking man roared, his voice echoing across the dusty plaza.

Wang Lin smiled faintly. From the center of his brow, nine starlike points began to shimmer into existence. They pulsed with an ethereal light, a haunting luminescence that transformed Wang Lin, making him appear indistinguishable from a true Ancient clansman.

The moment the nine stars blazed forth, the two guards stumbled back, their eyes widening with shock. They retreated several paces, then hastily clasped their fists before them in a deep bow.

“Greetings, Sacred One! We, in our ignorance, did not realize your divine presence. For our impudence, we beg the Sacred One’s punishment!” Their voices were filled with reverence, bordering on fanaticism.

This sudden transformation caught the attention of the five remaining guards by the city gates. Upon seeing the nine radiant stars upon Wang Lin’s forehead, their expressions shifted instantly. They rushed forward, bowing deeply in unison.

“We pay homage to the Sacred One!”

Wang Lin was inwardly surprised, but his demeanor remained calm and inscrutable. His knowledge of the Ancient clans was limited. He knew the general geography and basic social structure, but remained ignorant of their customs and hierarchical distinctions.

*If the manifestation of nine stars marks me as a ‘Sacred One,’ then a nine-starred Ancient Demon is a ‘Demonic Saint,’ and a nine-starred Ancient God is a ‘Divine Saint?’* he mused.

*The legacy I received from Ye Mo was incomplete. My understanding of his memories is fragmented. I only know that within the Ancient clans, regardless of lineage, all are composed of Ancient Gods, Ancient Demons, and Ancient Fiends.*

*What then, is one who bears all three, all at nine stars?* Wang Lin pondered, recalling the Second Heavenly Tribulation he had endured within the Immortal Graveyard, and the ancestral recognition he had gained.

In the years that followed, Wang Lin had not actively cultivated his Ancient clan heritage. Yet, with the passage of time, he had unknowingly achieved nine stars in all three aspects of his Ancient lineage. He simply rarely displayed them.

*Judging by these men’s reaction, achieving nine stars in the Ancient clans is not common… Perhaps it is because this region is remote,* he reasoned, myriad thoughts flickering through his mind.

“No matter,” he said, a hint of impatience in his voice, his words woven in the unique tongue of the Ancient clans, a language foreign to most Immortals. “Do you have a jade scroll with a map?”

The burly guard hesitated for a moment, then wordlessly struck his chest with a clenched fist. A jade scroll materialized in his hand. Such scrolls were used by both Immortals and Ancients, though they required different energies to activate.

“My lord, this scroll is incomplete, displaying only the surrounding territories,” the guard stammered, offering the jade scroll to Wang Lin. Wang Lin accepted it and channeled his Ancient clan energy through it.

The scroll was indeed rudimentary, providing detailed information only about the nearby counties. The further one traveled, the more vague and imprecise the map became.

Yet, with this map and his prior knowledge, Wang Lin could now confirm that the twelve uppermost counties of the Ancient clan territory, arranged in a ring, were the domain of the Primal Ancient lineage. The two triangularly opposed regions below were held by the Exalted Ancient and the Daoist Ancient clans.

Blackstone City, it seemed, lay on the edge of the Woodshade County, a county belonging to the Primal Ancient lineage.

“Why is the city sealed?” Wang Lin asked, his fingers still tracing the edges of the jade scroll.

“Your Holiness, we act upon the order of our city lord, who has decreed that the four gates of Blackstone City must be clear within one incense stick’s time to welcome the arrival of Prince Ji Du and the Daoist Ancient emissaries!” one of the guards before Wang Lin replied immediately, offering the information without reservation.

“Daoist Ancient emissaries? I have just emerged from secluded cultivation and am unaware of this matter. Explain.” A flicker of something unreadable crossed Wang Lin’s eyes.

The guard hesitated for only a moment, then proceeded to speak with reverence.

“These Daoist Ancient emissaries, this humble one knows little about them. It is said that they were sent by the Daoist Ancient Imperial Clan and that they have spent centuries scouring the Ancient clan lands for beautiful women. It is whispered… that the Daoist Ancient Emperor seeks new consorts.”