The Ancient God’s skin, though coarse, bore intricate, sigil-like fissures. In stark contrast, the hand formed of coalesced violet light possessed an unearthly smoothness. Though colossal in size, it radiated an aura of ancient epochs, as if conjured from the very fabric of divine magic.

It extended towards Wang Lin in a beckoning gesture, akin to a venerable elder summoning a beloved child. The movement was slow, deliberate, repeated with unwavering patience.

From this immense appendage, no hint of danger emanated. It seemed utterly benign, merely beckoning Wang Lin closer, as if to escort him through a colossal gateway spanning the heavens and earth.

Yet, Wang Lin’s senses were on high alert, every hair on his body standing on end. The spectacle unfolding before him was too bizarre, too unsettling. He could never have foreseen such a strange occurrence upon the Celestial Banishment Pearl reaching the pinnacle of the Five Elements.

Immobile, Wang Lin fixed his gaze upon the beckoning hand, his eyes glinting with suspicion.

The hand persisted in its silent invitation, the gesture unchanging. However, with each passing moment, the celestial gate behind it grew more ethereal, as if on the precipice of dissolution.

It felt as though delaying any longer would forever forfeit the chance to pass through.

With a fierce resolve, Wang Lin launched forward, his right hand snatching at the Wan Yue Bone—the sole unyielding object amidst the crumbling earth.

Though the Jin Yan ore was gone, the Wan Yue Bone retained its formidable resilience; it was, after all, a bone from the very being of Wan Yue! Clutching the massive bone, Wang Lin let out a guttural roar, channeling all his celestial energy into his arm. With a mighty heave, he flung the Wan Yue Bone skyward, its whistle slicing through the air as it hurtled towards the colossal gate.

As the Wan Yue Bone neared its destination, the beckoning hand, with a gentle arc, intercepted it.

Wang Lin gasped, his eyes widening in terror. With an utterly casual gesture, the hand gripped the Wan Yue Bone, and a cataclysmic surge of power erupted. The bone, from tip to tail, shattered under the pressure! The very heavens and earth trembled, and even the Lei Guang planet upon which Wang Lin stood was instantly crisscrossed with gaping fissures. The surrounding debris field roared in a cacophony of destruction, vast swaths of rock crumbling into nothingness.

It seemed a vacuum was forming, even the debris beyond the violet light barrier succumbing to some unseen force, collapsing ceaselessly.

The grip possessed unimaginable power, capable of rending the very fabric of existence. Not just strength, but a rule, a law akin to Wang Lin’s own Severing Luo technique, yet infinitely more potent.

Slowly, the hand released its hold and once more extended towards Wang Lin in invitation.

A chilling fear crawled across Wang Lin’s scalp, his face paling. How mighty was that grip? He could not know for certain, but it rivaled the power of the Ancient God’s finger formed by Wan Yue’s divine ability. The hand gave Wang Lin the impression that nothing in the world could withstand its grasp! It crushed not with brute force, but with a rule similar to his own Severing Luo technique, but infinitely more powerful.

After an eternity, it seemed, the colossal hand gradually dissipated, yet even in its vanishing, the beckoning gesture persisted.

The immense celestial gate behind it faded along with the hand, disappearing from sight…

The violet light from all directions coalesced with sudden speed, shrinking to a single point and glowing intensely before finally fading, reverting once more to the form of the Celestial Banishment Pearl.

As if having expended all of its power, the pearl plummeted from the sky. Wang Lin hesitated for a moment before extending his right hand in a grasping motion. The pearl flew into his palm.

It was unremarkable in appearance, like a simple stone bead. However, all traces of the Five Elements had vanished, leaving it more inert than when Wang Lin first discovered it upon that cliff millennia ago.

Wang Lin probed with his divine sense, finding Li Muwan’s nascent soul, Wang Ping, and Qing Yi’s lingering spirit still within.

In fact, they seemed more vital than before, particularly Li Muwan’s nascent soul, which grew increasingly animated. “What exactly is this Celestial Banishment Pearl? And where does that immense gate lead?

And what of the hand beyond?” Wang Lin mused.

He surmised that in the long eons since the pearl came into existence, he was certainly not the first to possess it. Undoubtedly, others had achieved the pinnacle of the Five Elements.

And when that immense gate appeared, those individuals, whether upon the first or subsequent encounters, had ultimately chosen to enter.

“Were those predecessors crushed by the hand, or did they truly pass through the gate?” Wang Lin furrowed his brow.

Before the Celestial Banishment Pearl achieved the pinnacle of the Five Elements, it had filled him with profound bewilderment. But in its wake, his bewilderment only deepened.

“Could this gate lead to that so-called ancient immortal realm? Yet, if that were so, why would that hand appear, seemingly inviting, but actually there to crush?”

“What exactly is the Celestial Banishment Pearl?” Wang Lin’s brow grew even more furrowed. He stared at the Celestial Banishment Pearl for a long time before placing it on his brow. The Celestial Banishment Pearl gradually fused into his Primordial Spirit and disappeared.

Since he could not understand, Wang Lin no longer dwelled on it. The mystery of this object clearly centered on that gate, he just did not know what was behind the gate! “The power of the Five Elements in the Celestial Banishment Pearl is gone, and needs to be searched again!” Wang Lin glanced around the earth. After the scene just now, this Lei Guang planet has been completely abandoned and there is no value in staying.

“It’s a pity for such a treasure land. However, the place that makes the Primordial Spirit feel comfortable is in the depths of the gravel layer, and now that the body is recovered, it is better to go and check it. If there is really lightning, you can practice the Lightning Yuan Technique.”

Having made up his mind, Wang Lin moved his body. Like a thunderbolt, he rushed out of here directly. Most of the gravel layer outside has now dissipated. Wang Lin did not stop and patted the storage bag. The archery car appeared and turned into a Thunder Beast.
From the ether, the beast materialized, as though freed from eons of suppression. A deafening roar echoed, and its colossal, amber eyes swiveled, fixing upon Wang Lin. Yet, a flicker of bewilderment crossed its features. Its gaze remained locked on the mortal, a puzzle in its bestial mind.

With a confident stride, Wang Lin mounted the Thunderbeast, a light tap upon its skull. “Enough gawking,” he chuckled, “Your senses must surely perceive the change ahead. Onward!”

A low growl rumbled from the beast’s throat. For reasons unknown, Wang Lin appeared to it not as flesh and blood, but as a pure embodiment of lightning. A familiar, comforting sensation washed over it, one long forgotten.

The very touch of Wang Lin’s hand upon its head filled the Thunderbeast with an inexplicable contentment, prompting another joyous roar to erupt from its maw.

With great swiftness, the beast tore through the fragmented stone. As they journeyed deeper, the debris grew denser, some fragments crackling with latent lightning.

Neither Wang Lin nor the Thunderbeast felt discomfort in this environment; rather, it invigorated them. Joyous roars continued to rumble from the beast’s throat.

Mounted upon the Thunderbeast, Wang Lin contemplated the Sky-Defying Bead. A shadow of disappointment lingered in his heart. His millennia of labor, the near-fatal venture into the realm of the Devourer, all had led him to believe this artifact would grant unimaginable power upon bonding with a master. Yet, the reality fell far short of the vision.

“What secrets do you hold, Sky-Defier?” he murmured, stroking his brow in thought.

With its keen senses attuned to the currents of lightning, the Thunderbeast plunged further into the heart of the shattered stone.

A low rumble of thunder broke through Wang Lin’s reverie. His gaze sharpened, piercing the gloom. Here, within the depths, the comforting sensation within his primal spirit was palpable.

“This is it!” Wang Lin declared, his eyes blazing with anticipation.

Bursting through the final veil of shattered stone, the Thunderbeast shuddered to a halt, its eyes wide with awe and terror.

Wang Lin gasped, drawing in a sharp breath. Before him lay not a planet, but a vast expanse stretching beyond sight. The air throbbed with lightning, the ground echoed with the roar of pure, unbridled thunder. This was a true hellscape of lightning, rendering the former Thunder Planet a mere spark in comparison.

Within the boundless Thunder-Sea, lightning crackled and writhed like serpents of pure energy, their roars shaking the very fabric of existence. The air thrummed with untamed power.

The Thunderbeast whimpered, its gaze fixed upon the Thunder-Sea. Even it, a creature born of lightning, hesitated, overwhelmed by the sheer, raw power emanating from within.

Wang Lin dismounted, his eyes narrowed with caution. He released his Immortal Guardian, ordering it to stand guard at a distance. He approached the edge of the Thunder-Sea, and after cautious observation, took a single step into its domain.

The moment his foot touched the ground, lightning surged up, enveloping his entire being. Even Wang Lin felt the sting of raw power coursing through him. With a deep breath, he took another step, then another, until he stood twenty paces from the edge, his body awash in crackling energy, his primal spirit resonating with the power of the storm.

This was his limit. Slowly, Wang Lin lowered himself to a seated position, closing his eyes and beginning the slow, rhythmic breathing of his cultivation.

The Thunderbeast paced restlessly on the outer edge. Finally, driven by instinct, it cautiously advanced, taking only a few tentative steps before the raw power of the Thunder-Sea washed over it. With a groan, it lowered itself to the ground, absorbing the errant energy with its unique physiology, slowly transmuting it into usable power.

Only the roar of thunder echoed through the realm. Here, beast and man began their individual meditations.

As Wang Lin slowly adapted, the true nature of the location began to dawn on him. The thunderous power here far exceeded what he currently wielded. Had his physical body not been forged of lightning essence, he would be hard pressed to even remain on the outer edge.

“This is the perfect place to hone the Thunder-Essence Technique!” He opened his eyes, electric arcs dancing within his pupils. He began to silently chant and meditate, feeling the electric current grow stronger with each breath.

Far beyond the shattered stone, in the vast expanse of the cosmos, a streak of lightning tore through the void. It was another Thunderbeast, one with a swollen bud where horns would eventually sprout.

Upon this beast sat a man clad in black armor. His long, black hair flowed behind him, his face was set in a stoic mask. He hurtled through the cosmos, heading straight for the shattered stone.

“The Thunder Immortal Realm is soon to open,” he muttered, “This time, I will feast upon the primal spirits within the Thunder-Hell.”