As Wang Lin ascended, the terrestrial form of Zi Shu, the Rat Zodiac, withered and succumbed to the clutches of death. Yet, upon his brow, a golden glimmer persisted, a fading echo of vitality.

Zi Shu’s very essence, his primordial spirit, had shattered. His lifeless husk plummeted from the sky, striking the earth with a sickening thud.

The chasm between him and Wang Lin was too vast, the sword-qi bestowed upon him by his master remained unsheathed, a silent testament to his swift demise.

Within Wang Lin’s breast, a tempest of madness brewed. His celestial energies surged with savage abandon, coursing through his veins and infecting his very soul. The Ascendant Fruit further fueled this inferno, filling him with unbridled battle-lust and a chilling thirst for vengeance.

His eyes burned crimson, and with a mighty stride, he pierced the heavens. The air crackled and roared as if the sky itself shattered beneath his foot. Thus, he embarked upon his grim pilgrimage, each step a thunderclap.

He was leagues away from the ancient battleground, yet his passage through the Demon Spirit Lands was marked by a palpable aura of malice. He attracted the attention of myriad denizens, from lesser cultivators to the formidable demon-generals of the Fire Demon Prefecture. Those who dared not to provoke him were spared, yet any who dared to harbor a spark of ill-intent found themselves marked for oblivion.

For Wang Lin, now possessed of a dreadful sensitivity, could sense the seeds of murder sown in their hearts. And upon discovery, he would not hesitate to reap a harvest of death.

Far from the Celestial Fortune Star lay a secluded planet, known as the Mo Domain. Upon it resided a being who styled himself Mo Zu, whose cultivation had reached the formidable peaks of Yin Void.

Though his own strength surpassed the limits set for entry into the Demon Spirit Lands, he had sent three disciples, save for his most skilled pupil, into that perilous realm.

Now, within the borders of the Fire Demon Prefecture, two youths clad in grey robes soared through the skies. These were none other than disciples personally trained by Mo Zu.

As they traversed the heavens, one of the youths suddenly felt a disturbance in the ether, a sense of impending doom emanating from the distant horizon. He perceived, with chilling clarity, the approach of an ancient and savage beast, a creature radiating an unimaginable aura of murder.

His face contorted in fear. “Junior Brother, retreat!” he hissed, and without a moment’s hesitation, the two scattered, veering sharply away from the approaching threat. A figure like a falling star thundered past.

“A Soul Severing expert!” the disciple exclaimed, his voice choked with dread.

“Senior Brother,” the younger disciple whispered, his gaze fixed upon the receding figure of carnage, “He appears to be wounded! A Soul Severing cultivator undoubtedly carries valuable treasures. If we could obtain his demon crystal…”

The elder disciple hesitated, his ambition warring with caution.

“Senior Brother, we are both late-stage Infant Soul. Together, we might stand a chance against a wounded Soul Severing cultivator, especially if we employ our talismans…”

As the two plotted, Wang Lin halted abruptly, his body coiled like a viper. He slowly turned, his bloodshot eyes boring into the distance, and a low growl escaped his lips. “The scent of murder…”

In a blinding flash, he reversed course, becoming a bolt of lightning aimed directly at the two disciples.

They paled as Wang Lin returned, their minds reeling at the impossible speed of the Soul Severing cultivator. But Wang Lin was upon them. With a flick of his wrist, he stood before the younger brother.

The youth screamed, his heart seized by an icy dread. He looked into Wang Lin’s eyes, a glimpse into the abyss, and his spirit recoiled in terror.

Wang Lin’s extended finger, to the disciple, looked like the will of Heaven made manifest.

It slammed into the youth’s forehead with unfathomable speed. A strangled cry tore from the youth’s throat, his body instantly withered, falling limp from the sky. His primordial spirit shattered in an instant, its essence joining with the last vestiges of his physical form to create a crimson miasma of slaughter, which escaped from his orifices and coalesced into tendrils of crimson energy that coiled towards Wang Lin.

The deed was done in the blink of an eye. Before the elder brother could even react, Wang Lin had already struck. As the elder finally recovered, his limbs became like jelly and he used a method of teleportation to step into the void.

Wang Lin moved, his speed breaking the sound barrier, and with a snap of his fingers, he penetrated the void and ripped the disciple from his escape.

The elder disciple turned as pale as ash and quickly said, “I am a disciple of Mo Zu!” Before he could finish, Wang Lin’s clenched hand came to a close and the man became a cloud of blood and flesh that stained the ground.

The man’s essence rose from the ground to join the tendrils of crimson energy, which then coiled toward Wang Lin.

Having dealt with the two youths, Wang Lin felt his battle lust grow even stronger. He rocketed off into the horizon, his body leaving the battlefield and the remnants of his battle behind.

As he soared through the lands, the soil began to lose its life. The ground where Wang Lin stepped became grey and no longer supported life. Every animal and plant also died where he passed and their essence rose toward Wang Lin to support him on his journey.

Like a demon of the underworld, he devoured the life force around him.

A path of devastation followed Wang Lin’s wake and the entirety of the Fire Demon County was filled with fear as he laid waste to their homes. As such, dozens of generals mobilized to cut off the source of this calamity before it could continue further.

The location where they planned to strike was at the border of the Fire Demon County and the Heavenly Demon County, a place called the Myriad Demon Mountain.

Mists never dissipated from the mountain and on either side of the mountain stood two kingdoms, the kingdom of Fire Demon County called Heavenly Escort and the kingdom of Heavenly Demon County called Melting Fire.

In Heavenly Escort, over 100,000 men prepared for war as several generals stood atop the castle, looking toward the horizon.

In the middle of the generals, stood a middle aged man with a gloomy aura.

“Killing this cultivator should be no problem for us, especially with Vice General in charge.” One of the generals said with a smile, but it was clear from his expression that the smile was one of respect.

“That’s right, with Vice General, we can kill him with ease.” Another General laughed.

“You guys should finish this quickly and I can be on my way.” The middle aged man said. Despite the gloominess on his face, there was a hint of arrogance in his voice. As the Vice General, his station was already far above such small tasks. He would usually never leave the capital for such a simple task.
Lord Baishi, a demon general of the Fire Demon Dominion, journeyed towards the Sky-Marked Prefecture on personal business. Scarcely had he arrived, before the Emperor of the Fire Demons commanded him to remain and orchestrate the demise of a lone cultivator.

This decree vexed him. To slay one mere mortal, sending forth such a host seemed excessive, a needless entanglement.

After a moment of consideration, he inquired, “Are you certain this wretch will pass this way?”

“Fear not, Lord Baishi,” a lieutenant replied. “Our scouts confirm his path is unswerving, a straight line that intersects with this very place!”

Another added, his voice troubled, “My lord, a disquieting detail. Of the scouts we dispatched, three out of ten have perished. Not all, but just a few. It troubles me, for the mortal seems to possess a peculiar appetite for slaying, leaving some alive, as if…”

As the demon generals murmured, Lord Baishi stiffened, his gaze drawn to a distant point. A flicker of annoyance crossed his features. “A mere Ascendant Soul cultivator, wounded no less, dares to flaunt himself in the Fire Demon Dominion? Dispatch him swiftly!”

A dozen demon generals, their eyes gleaming with malice, turned toward the approaching figure. One, clad in emerald armor, stepped forward, saluting with a clenched fist. “Lord Baishi, I, Yin Dong, volunteer to extinguish this pest!”

Lord Baishi nodded his assent.

Yin Dong launched himself into the air, becoming a streak of emerald light aimed at the approaching Wang Lin.

In Yin Dong’s heart, a cold determination burned. To slay this mortal with efficiency, before Lord Baishi’s eyes, would surely earn favor and pave a path to glory.

*“A wounded Ascendant Soul. My demonic power nearly reaches three hundred thousand. Though a full-fledged Ascendant Soul would be a challenge, this one is crippled. His demise shall be swift.”*

A wave of malice washed over Wang Lin as he flew. His eyes blazed crimson, filled with a battle lust that consumed him.

“Halt, transgressor!” Yin Dong bellowed, pouring all of his demonic energy into the cry, hoping to cow his foe with sheer power.

The sound reverberated like thunder, amplified by the ten thousand demon soldiers garrisoned within the city, who roared their support. A palpable wave of bloodlust rolled across the land.

On the city walls, Lord Baishi felt a flicker of appreciation. *“Yin Dong understands the art of intimidation.”*

Yin Dong basked in the sonic waves, oblivious to the fact that he had opened a gate to a hell of violence.

This wave of bloodlust struck Wang Lin’s already heightened senses, instantly amplifying his raging battle intent tenfold.

He did not slow his pace. Yin Dong sneered, preparing to unleash his powers, when Wang Lin suddenly lifted his head, crimson fire pouring from his eyes. His right hand rose, and his finger darted forward, a silent invocation. The Finger of Extinction, a black beam as thick as a towering oak, erupted in a cataclysmic burst.

Yin Dong had no time to react, no chance to evade. The black beam engulfed him, and his form began to wither before the eyes of all watching, turning to dust.

In that instant, the cheers of the ten thousand demon soldiers died on their lips.

Silence. A chilling silence blanketed the land. Upon the city walls, Lord Baishi’s eyes narrowed, his face now bearing a grave expression.

“Kill!” Wang Lin roared to the heavens, a primal sound that shook the very air. Waves of murderous energy erupted from him, solidifying into a swarm of spectral azure dragons. The thirty thousand strands of killing intent he had recently absorbed were unleashed in a terrifying display. Wang Lin, surrounded by this swirling vortex of azure dragons, appeared as a Demon Lord made flesh!

“Commanders, deploy! Execute the formation!” an elder amongst the demon generals bellowed. The ten thousand soldiers sprung to action!

As the soldiers surged forward, Wang Lin unleashed his swarm of azure dragons, unleashing a storm of slaughter, a rain of blood.