From the Celestial Clan of Qian, rose Qian Kuizi, one of its three ancestral spirits. He had walked the path of cultivation for ten thousand years, his heart once intertwined with that of the Phantom Clan’s elder in a youthful bond of brotherhood. Now, bathed in starlight, he stepped forth from the Thousand Illusion Star, and took his seat upon the Starry Canopy, an invisible dais woven from the very fabric of the cosmos. His eyes, like glacial shards, pierced the distant void, as he waited with serene patience.

This venture was his alone, unburdened by the banners of the Qian Clan. He offered his aid to the Phantom elder as a private pact, though not without a price. His gaze was set upon a treasure held within the Phantom Clan’s vaults.

“To claim the artifact, I must only slay the audacious one. Yet, shadows of doubt linger in this bargain. Phantom Ruthless himself, a miser of renown, displays an uncharacteristic generosity…” Qian Kuizi appeared a man in his fortieth year, his face smooth, and his form elegantly handsome. A pure white Daoist robe draped his frame, enhancing his ethereal presence.

“The insolent whelp must be a formidable foe. The fearsome sword-qi that recently emanated from the Phantom Clan’s realm… it is likely linked to this very youth. Caution is paramount. I shall observe the arrival of this upstart, and if an opportunity arises, I will strike swiftly, claiming the treasure as my reward. But should the task prove too perilous, I shall not risk sowing the seeds of future conflict for a mere bauble!” Resolving his course, Qian Kuizi closed his eyes, a silent sentinel adrift in the star-strewn expanse.

Days later, a silver streak tore through the void, a celestial arrow aimed true. Within that argent light stood Wang Lin, his face a mask of icy resolve, his gaze fixed on the shifting iridescent hues of the Thousand Illusion Star. He came bearing the chill of vengeance, and all who stood in his path would be branded as enemies! As the silver radiance blazed forth, Qian Kuizi opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the oncoming storm with implacable calm.

Wang Lin, too, beheld Qian Kuizi, and his pupils contracted, unleashing a glint of frigid ire.

“So, an ally emerges!”

“Halt, wayfarer!” Qian Kuizi’s voice, initially a gentle whisper, expanded into a torrent of power, each word transforming into a mystic seal, echoing like thunder across the cosmos.

“Words made Law!” Wang Lin’s Stellular Compass, transformed into a silver dragon, flickered beneath the oppressive might of that sonorous pronouncement. His gaze, as sharp as a honed blade, fixated on Qian Kuizi. By the intuition born from the Celestial Guardian, Wang Lin recognized the other’s cultivation as the Illusory Yin stage of the Yin-Yang Void Reality realm.

“The Celestial Guardian, though of the same cultivation, cannot truly compare to a mortal cultivator… it lacks true subtlety.” Wang Lin knew the automaton’s limitations, yet the Guardian’s unique martial arts granted it formidable strength.

“Do you come seeking Phantom Kyoto?” Qian Kuizi asked, his eyes serene, his tone laced with a hint of condescension.

Wang Lin stood upon his Stellular Compass, his voice ringing with cold finality. “Indeed, I do!”

“A mere youth, emulating the deeds of clan-slayers. Do your elders turn a blind eye? Speak their names, and I may know them, thus sparing you a fatal encounter!” Qian Kuizi scrutinized Wang Lin.

He saw nothing of particular note in the youth’s bearing, his cultivation still shy of the Nascent Soul stage. But when Qian Kuizi’s gaze fell upon the spectral figure at Wang Lin’s feet, his eyes widened. “A puppet of the Illusory Yin stage?!” Though his expression remained composed, Qian Kuizi inwardly gasped.

“Which clan possesses such boundless resources, to transform a cultivator of the Yin-Yang Void Reality realm into a puppet for a mere junior? This… this is simply terrifying!” Qian Kuizi’s eyes remained fixed on the spectral form, now burning with unconcealed avarice.

Wang Lin’s gaze was now a baleful glare. “Senior, this is a matter of personal grievance between myself and the Phantom Clan. I ask you, refrain from interference.” Qian Kuizi struggled with his inner demons, torn between desire for the puppet and apprehension of the youth’s familial power. Ultimately, greed prevailed over reason.

A puppet of the Illusory Yin stage held too much value! And furthermore, he acted in the name of the Phantom Clan. Even if the youth’s clan were to discover his involvement, he could place the blame upon the Phantoms. With the combined strength of the Qian and Phantom Clans, even the youth’s family would have to think twice.

“Surrender your puppet, and I shall turn a blind eye to this matter!” Qian Kuizi stated, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

The coldness in Wang Lin’s eyes intensified. He still held two strands of the Heaven Piercer’s sword-qi within his being. Before entering the Abyss of Tides, he had possessed two such strands, expending one to aid the Ancient Demon. He then gained two more within the Abyss, bringing his total to three.

The spectral form beneath Wang Lin shimmered, then solidified before him. The Celestial Guardian stood revealed, its eyes burning with battle-lust, its gaze locked on Qian Kuizi.

“Slay!” Wang Lin commanded. The Celestial Guardian’s eyes blazed. With a single stride, it lunged forward, its hands tearing apart the very fabric of space, creating fissures in the void.

Qian Kuizi’s eyes narrowed. Remaining seated, he wove a spell with his hands, chanting words of power. Runes poured from his lips, filling the void around him. Each rune pulsed with vast energy, swiftly pressing upon the Celestial Guardian.

The Celestial Guardian, forged by the Immortal Emperor Qing Lin in emulation of the Ancient Gods, primarily manifested its power in the strength of its physical form. Its right hand formed a mystic seal, a golden light erupting from its palm, engulfing its entire body. In an instant, the Guardian transformed into a golden colossus. With a thunderous step, it unleashed a fist of blinding force. The single blow unleashed a cacophony of explosions, echoing through the void and creating countless microscopic cracks in the cosmos. The runes before the Guardian shattered upon impact.

Qian Kuizi’s eyes glinted with fascination. “An Illusory Yin puppet, its flesh forged in the crucible of power? I shall possess this treasure!” With a shift in his incantation, his tone transformed, becoming sharp and metallic, like the clang of hammer against anvil.

Instantly, the runes around him crackled with lightning, transforming into thousands of bolts of celestial fire, converging upon the Celestial Guardian.
Bolts of celestial fire, drawn together by unseen forces, coalesced into a blinding tapestry, threatening to illuminate the very fabric of the cosmos. A deafening roar echoed through the void as they descended in furious unison. Wang Lin, astride his starlit compass, met the onslaught with a glint in his eye. With a swift gesture, he retrieved from his enchanted pouch the legendary Divine-Arrow Chariot. It materialized in the air with a resonant boom, instantly transforming into a magnificent Thunder Beast.

The creature unleashed a primal bellow, and a strange phenomenon occurred. The thousands upon thousands of runes shimmering with electric energy faltered. Then, to the utter astonishment of a wizened cultivator named Qian Kuizi, the lightning essence detached itself from the symbols and surged towards the Thunder Beast, disappearing within its maw. The beast swelled in size, doubling its original form. It emitted a contented belch, its eyes blazing with intensified electric power.

“By the celestial dragon… a Thunder Beast!” Qian Kuizi gasped, leaping to his feet. His face was a mask of disbelief as he stared at the creature, drawing in a sharp breath.

“Now I understand,” he stammered, “Why you wield such keen-edged sword-qi, why you possess a puppet of the Void-Illusion realm to guard you. It can only mean… you are of the Thunder Immortal Palace!” Overwhelmed, Qian Kuizi hastily retracted his swirling runes, any lingering desire for the puppet now utterly extinguished.

“Young friend, I beg your forgiveness! My earlier actions were born of rashness, a misunderstanding, truly!” Qian Kuizi pleaded, his face ashen. Gone was the imposing demeanor of a seasoned cultivator. “To think I dared covet the treasures of the Thunder Immortal Palace…” His face was etched with bitter regret.

He might dare to provoke any of the cultivating families within the Luo Tian Starfield, but he wouldn’t dare to show even the slightest disrespect to the Thunder Immortal Palace. The mere name was enough to inspire paralyzing fear.

Normally, with his cultivation and cunning, he would not have jumped to the conclusion that Wang Lin was connected to the Thunder Immortal Palace. This reaction was entirely due to the Thunder Beast! Throughout the Luo Tian Starfield, Thunder Beasts were known to belong solely to the Thunder Immortal Palace, an unquestionable truth. The Thunder Beast was, without a doubt, the emblem of an emissary from the Thunder Immortal Palace! In his millennia of cultivation, Qian Kuizi had never heard of anyone outside the Palace possessing such a creature. In his mind, Thunder Beasts belonged exclusively to the Thunder Immortal Palace, an immutable law of the cosmos.

Wang Lin’s expression remained unchanged as he fixed Qian Kuizi with a steady gaze. “A misunderstanding, you say?”

Qian Kuizi offered a forced smile, inwardly frustrated. Given his power, if he hadn’t been the aggressor, he wouldn’t be groveling, even knowing that Wang Lin was affiliated with the Palace. Only the rare Thunder Immortal emissaries who had achieved the second step of transcendence would have commanded such respect.

But he had initiated the conflict and even attempted to seize possessions belonging to the Thunder Immortal Palace. Furthermore, he suspected Wang Lin held a high position within the Palace, or why else would they bestow a Void-Illusion puppet for protection?

After a moment of hesitation, Qian Kuizi forced a smile. “Young friend, I cannot aid you against the Huan family. We belong to the same star cluster, and besides, one of the Thunder Immortal Palace scarcely needs my help. However, I assure you, my Qian family will not interfere in this matter. We sever all ties with the Huan family at this very moment!”

“I require Immortal Jade,” Wang Lin said, his voice even and unwavering.

Qian Kuizi paused, surprised. “Does the Thunder Immortal Palace truly lack Immortal Jade? Very well, you shall have it!” He cursed his own greed, realizing this was the price for his avarice. No one dared provoke the Thunder Immortal Palace, as each of their disciples possessed unique and formidable abilities. Even if he managed to kill Wang Lin, it would not be long before the Qian family was eradicated from the Luo Tian Starfield.

*”He wants Immortal Jade… likely a vast quantity. And he hasn’t specified the amount, leaving it to my discretion. This…”* With a pained expression, Qian Kuizi reluctantly retrieved a storage bag from his robes and tossed it to Wang Lin. After a quick bow, he turned and sped back towards Qianhuan Star, his face a thunderous mask. As he crossed the threshold, his divine sense swept outwards, engulfing the Huan family. He sent out a chilling message: “Huan Wuqing! You lured me into provoking a member of the Thunder Immortal Palace. I will remember this, and the day your family falls, I will repay you upon the bodies of your descendants!”

From the Huan family ancestral hall, the Huan patriarch frowned and transmitted his own message: “He is not of the Thunder Immortal Palace, but comes from the Alliance Starfield, as does my adopted daughter, Huan Mei.”

“Lies! Your divine sense was present as well. Did you not see the Thunder Beast? The Thunder Beast belongs only to the Thunder Immortal Realm, and is the symbol of a Palace emissary. Who doesn’t know this?” Qian Kuizi raged, inwardly seething. *Huan Wuqing, even now you would deceive me? This insult I will never forget!*