A crimson blur, the Bloodshade strode forth, each step carrying him towards the phantom. As he moved, a miasma of demonic essence billowed from his form, coalescing into tendrils of infernal flame that engulfed the surrounding air, obscuring all within.

Beyond the burning haze, Wang Lin, drained of nearly all his blood, stood weakened and frail. Yet, the phantom’s spear, forged of ethereal magic, remained undeterred. Even as the demonic flames danced, the spear plunged forward, seeking Wang Lin’s heart.

With a savage hiss, the spear hurtled towards him. Wang Lin, in defiance, channeled the raw energy of slaughter into his right hand, forming a blade of pure destruction. Without hesitation, he met the spear’s tip with the edge of his wrath!

A cataclysmic force erupted, surging from the spear’s point into Wang Lin’s hand, devouring the blade of slaughter with ravenous hunger. In equal measure, the slaughter’s energy poured into the spear’s core, relentlessly tearing at its magical structure.

A deafening barrage of explosions echoed through the valley, like a thousand thunderbolts unleashed between the ancient demon and Wang Lin. As his millionfold slaughter-force neared collapse, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with determination. He yanked back his hand, retreating several paces, granting the blade a moment to recover. The edge of slaughter swelled again, replenishing itself in that brief reprieve.

Once more, Wang Lin thrust his finger forward, intercepting the relentless spear.

This cycle continued until Wang Lin had retreated a hundred paces, the spear’s power finally waning, until at last, Wang Lin unleashed a surge of pure, unbridled demonic energy, shattering it into dust.

Pale and gasping for breath, the depletion of his lifeblood left Wang Lin teetering on the brink. Yet, he did not falter. With a surge of will, he dashed forward, his destination clear.

He raced towards the heart of the demon city, the dreaded Demon Valley!

First, breach the demonic veil. Second, enter fifty paces and summon the Bloodshade of Bello with the enemy’s aura. Third, seize the artifact housing the ancient demon’s spirit!

The battle between the two ancient demons in the sky above was beyond his concern. Wang Lin moved like lightning, his feet barely touching the ground as he entered the sacred Demon Valley of the Fire Demon Prefecture!

Within the Demon Valley, an eerie silence reigned. Deep within its heart stood a colossal statue, radiating intense demonic power. Tendrils of dark energy spiraled upwards from the statue, feeding the ancient demon in the sky, empowering his struggle against Bello.

Wang Lin took a step forward, only to halt abruptly. A ripple of energy emanated from the statue, freezing the flow of demonic energy into the sky. The tendrils coalesced, merging into a corporeal form, a simulacrum of the ancient demon, mirroring Wang Lin’s size.

This demonic avatar, adorned with twin horns, floated in the air, wreathed in swirling demonic energy that tethered it to the statue.

It gazed down at Wang Lin, its eyes burning with unnatural light.

Wang Lin studied the demonic apparition, contemplating his next move. Though merely a fragment of the ancient demon, its power was immense. He knew that without resorting to the celestial swordsmanship of the Marquis of Ling Tian, victory was impossible.

“Wang Lin, shatter the statue! Merge it with me, and I shall fulfill the agreement of the Seven Demons. You need not fight further. The moment of union, I will grant your wish!

Do you desire the insights from the ancient demon’s legacy? Then shatter the statue! In that moment, I will intertwine your spirit with mine, granting you the equivalent of experiencing the ancient demon’s legacy twice! The benefits shall be immense! I have aided you many times, now I ask for but this one favor, Wang Lin, aid me!”

Bello’s voice echoed in Wang Lin’s mind. After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Lin sighed. Regardless of the rewards Bello promised, the fact that the demon had twice aided him through life-threatening crises was reason enough to act.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with icy determination. He unleashed one of the two remaining celestial swords hidden within him, channeling its energy into his finger. An intense golden glow erupted, instantly saturating the Demon Valley.

The demon avatar, wrought of pure energy, displayed a flicker of unease. It raised its hands, weaving intricate glyphs in the air, conjuring symbols of demonic power that coalesced into a shimmering barrier.

Wang Lin drew a deep breath, then surged forward. He hurled the celestial sword with all his might. The Demon Valley was instantly saturated with golden light, and the force of the sword turned the demonic energy into dust. The will of the Marquis Ling Tian burst forth to become a tempest in the valley, cracking the earth.

The runes conjured by the ancient demon glowed brightly as they wove together to form a net to halt the sword’s progress.

The ancient demon of the Fire Demon Prefecture, however, had dedicated the majority of its power to fighting Bello. The power of this avatar was, at most, comparable to a peak stage Ascendant cultivator. Without the sword, Wang Lin could not hope to face it, but with the blade in hand, the avatar was doomed!

The sword hurtled forward, the golden light flashing as the blade pierced the runes, shattering them into nothingness.

The sword then flew towards the demon avatar, whose face grew pale. It dissolved into demon fog in an attempt to entrap the blade.

Wang Lin strode into the valley towards the statue.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wang Lin placed his right hand on the statue!

“Stop!” Two shouts of pure rage, each louder than thunder, echoed into the valley. One came from the sky, and one from the demon fog that was now entrapping the blade.

A giant claw descended from the heavens, reaching for Wang Lin, and the demon fog transformed into a monstrous maw in an attempt to devour him from behind.

Wang Lin’s eyes grew cold as his spiritual power flowed into the statue, just as the claw and maw were about to reach him.
The statue groaned, a series of sharp cracks spider-webbing across its surface. A torrent of raw, untamed demonic energy erupted from the fissures, a palpable wave that slammed against the senses. Even as the chaotic essence spread, Marquis Ling Tian’s blade-aura pierced through the gathering miasma. With a blur of motion, it struck true, cleaving through the monstrous, demonic head that lunged for Wang Lin. But even as the head crumbled, Wang Lin’s will hardened. He redirected the remaining force of the blade-aura, sending it plummeting toward the statue.

A thunderous boom echoed as the ancient idol shattered completely.

In the instant of its destruction, the gargantuan, clawed hand that had descended from the heavens dissolved into nothingness. A frustrated roar, laced with ancient fury, reverberated from the sky above, followed by the distant echoes of clashing powers. Clearly, Bei Luo’s intervention had drawn the attention, and ire, of the ancient demon residing within the Fire Demon Prefecture, diverting its attention from Wang Lin.

With the statue’s demise, a maelstrom of demonic energy swirled forth, and Wang Lin stood at its epicenter. As the chaotic winds buffeted him, his gaze pierced through the swirling vortex, falling upon a single, disembodied hand bone, suspended amidst the wreckage.

A glint sparked in Wang Lin’s eyes. Without hesitation, he reached out and seized the bone.

The moment his fingers closed around it, an unimaginable surge of power coursed through him, slamming directly into his nascent soul. Reality fractured. He found himself adrift in a bizarre, liminal space.

Here, there was neither sky nor earth, only an infinite void. Yet, a strange, potent energy permeated the surroundings. As Wang Lin’s spirit merged with this alien realm, a sensation of profound ascension bloomed within his core.

Visions, vivid and ephemeral, coalesced in the empty space before him. These were not mere memories, but echoing reflections of every supernatural art he had mastered since embarking on his path of cultivation.

One vision depicted a young boy, his face still marked by innocence, levitating a large stone with clumsy gestures. Excitement shone in his eyes as he manipulated the rock, shaping it with his will.

The vision shimmered and fractured. Then, impossibly, the boy stepped from the scene, his gaze meeting Wang Lin’s across the void. A faint smile played on his lips as he settled to the ground, his hands still moving in the intricate patterns of manipulation, the power of gravity swirling around him.

Another vision emerged: a youth with flowing hair and a chillingly aloof expression. His eyes were barely open, but when they flickered, a chilling light shone forth, carrying with it an unimaginable killing intent. Before him, countless Core Formation cultivators shattered, their golden cores crumbling to dust, their souls extinguished.

This youth, too, emerged from the vision, his eyes sweeping over Wang Lin before he settled into a meditative pose. An aura of extreme annihilation pulsed around him as his dark hair danced in the void. And yet another vision depicted Wang Lin unleashing the Extinction Finger technique; another showed him channeling the Demonic Transformation, while still another displayed the horrifying power of the Huang Quan Dao. Each Wang Lin stepped forth, taking up a meditative stance.

Amongst these phantasmal reflections, one in particular sent a jolt through Wang Lin’s spirit. A Wang Lin cloaked in grey, an aura of a million murders swirling around him, bringing utter desolation in his wake.

This spectral warrior seemed to sense Wang Lin’s gaze, and turned to face him. His eyes were filled with a chilling greyness, empty and cold!

One by one, the Wang Lins emerged, taking their places around him, some in silent meditation, others still practicing their skills. One of them even manipulated immortal energy into an immortal bind.

Wang Lin was utterly stunned. This scene was not unfamiliar to him. He had witnessed a similar spectacle within the consciousness of Tian Yunzi, countless doppelgangers each mastering a separate technique.

Yet, even as awe struck him, Wang Lin regained his senses, and realized that these scenes were different.

The reflections of Tian Yunzi were solid, utterly real and indistinguishable from the original. The figures before him now wavered between existence and nonexistence, being neither wholly real, nor entirely illusion.

“Reality and illusion… could it be… This is the effect of the Illusion-Reality Dualism technique that comes after mastering the first step to cultivation? And I’m experiencing this because of the power of this old demon?” Wang Lin took a deep breath.

He could only guess at the truth. As he did, the echoes of himself began to fade, each slowly dissipating into nothingness. The first to vanish was the grey-clad executioner wielding the Killing Immortal Art.

In that instant, Wang Lin felt a sudden surge of inspiration. He lunged forward, merging with the grey figure even as it vanished…………