Within the seventeenth tier of the Vermillion Bird Star Immortal Clan’s Legacy, just as Tasha was about to ascend to the eighteenth, a voice of immense authority echoed throughout the entire level!

“The Eighteenth Tier is forbidden!”

The booming voice sent tremors through the air. Tasha was struck as if by a colossal force, hurled back thirty paces, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Even the Big-Headed Child was forcefully repelled. As for Reggie, his mind went blank with a deafening hum, his body retreating uncontrollably.

The same befell Finchling, whose cultivation was the weakest. He was flung against the far wall with a sickening thud, spewing blood and growing visibly weaker.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with cold light as the voice descended. He channeled his inner Yuan energy, his feet digging into the ground as he retreated ten paces before finally steadying himself. His face was pale as he stared ahead.

Before him, the air shimmered, and the old Daoist, resembling a golden dragon, stepped forth. His arrival unleashed a wave of searing heat, instantly solidifying the cracks in the ground. In the blink of an eye, the path to the eighteenth tier was sealed off!

The old Daoist, exuding an air of immortal grace and commanding presence, scanned the chamber. A powerful aura emanated from him, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, drawing back into his form, imbuing him with a palpable sense of danger.

With a flick of his sleeve, Finchling, Reggie, Tasha, and the Big-Headed Child felt a gale-force wind buffet them. In a flash, they vanished from the spot, banished beyond the boundaries of the Immortal Clan Legacy.

Wang Lin’s pupils constricted as his mind raced. The old Daoist had spirited away the others, leaving only him, and the implication was clear. With a barely perceptible shift in his gaze, he bowed respectfully. “Disciple Wang Lin of the Heng Yue Sect pays respects to the Sect Leader!”

The old Daoist eyed Wang Lin with a wry smile. “Who is your Sect Leader?”

Wang Lin remained composed. “If Senior does not acknowledge the title, then I shall consider myself to have mistaken you.”

The old Daoist chuckled. “You are an amusing little fellow. Why do you believe me to be the Heng Yue Sect Leader?”

Wang Lin calmly replied, “I once ventured to the Demon Spirit Land and saw a painting depicting your likeness.”

The old Daoist pondered for a moment, then chuckled again. “Little one, do not so readily claim a Sect Leader. I am hardly worthy of such a title as Xu Mu, the Rightful Thunder Immortal of the Luotian Starfield.”

Wang Lin…

Admiration flickered in the old Daoist’s eyes. He was pleased with Wang Lin’s composure and response. “Whether you err in your identification or not, you were on the verge of committing a grave error! The eighteenth tier is not a place for you, especially in the company of an Immortal Clan descendant. Should he obtain the Source, not only this Vermillion Bird Star, but the entire Alliance Starfield would face calamity!”

Wang Lin maintained a respectful demeanor, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts, appearing to absorb the reprimand.

The old Daoist studied Wang Lin, then said, “Wang Lin, I ask you, do you sincerely hold me to be the former Sect Leader of Heng Yue, and do you truly consider yourself a disciple of that sect?”

Wang Lin fell silent. He felt much for the Heng Yue Sect; it was, after all, his first sect, the first step on his path of cultivation.

“The Heng Yue Sect was my first sect, and the Vermillion Bird Star is my home,” Wang Lin replied, meeting the old Daoist’s gaze.

“Oh?” the old Daoist’s eyes gleamed. “Then what of the title of Rightful Thunder Immortal of the Thunder Immortal Palace?” His voice was like thunder, laced with anger.

“The circumstances demanded it!” Wang Lin met the old Daoist’s gaze unflinchingly, his eyes clear.

The old Daoist’s gaze seemed to pierce Wang Lin’s very being. After a long moment, his expression softened. “I care not what identity you hold in Luotian, or how many sects you have joined. But remember this: though you are a cultivator of the Alliance Starfield, you are a native of the Vermillion Bird Star! A disciple of the Vermillion Bird lineage within the Four Sacred Sects! As long as you do not forget this, I will always be your Sect Leader!”

Wang Lin nodded calmly.

“This Luotian war is a war of the Cultivation Alliance, and has nothing to do with the Four Sacred Sects!” the old Daoist stated casually.

Wang Lin’s expression flickered, and he looked at the old Daoist.

The old Daoist ceased discussing the matter and instead examined Wang Lin. “Since you have seen the seventeenth tier, you must have some understanding. With my help, and your current cultivation level, you may enter the eighteenth tier for an experience. It is up to your fate if you are to gain anything.”

Without waiting for Wang Lin’s reply, the old Daoist waved his sleeve, and Wang Lin felt a powerful force engulf him. Wary, Wang Lin remained unresistant, maintaining his respectful posture.

The old Daoist stepped forward, and a wave of intense heat engulfed the area. Under his feet, the ground turned molten like magma, and a black flame rose up, enveloping the old Daoist.

In a moment, the old Daoist’s silhouette vanished, and Wang Lin disappeared with him from the 17th level! Wang Lin felt an overwhelming heat, with traces of the Source in it. Wang Lin’s heart shook as he remained cautious.

The scene blurred before Wang Lin, then he realized that he was in a secret chamber of around a hundred zhang!

The chamber was pitch black, except for a flicker of dim light in the middle, making the place feel eerie. As if countless wraiths were dwelling in the shadows, hovering around the light and wanting to consume it, but each time, they were shattered by the flicker.

“This is the eighteenth tier of the Fu Clan. That flame is a strand of the Fu Clan’s Source power. You may attempt to comprehend it, and if you can gain something, then it shall be your fortune.” The old Daoist’s voice reverberated. Wang Lin remained silent for a moment, then his gaze fell upon the flame.
As the shard of light pierced him, Wang Lin’s spirit jolted. A surge of alien power, erupting from the heart of the flame, crashed directly into his mind.

Within the fiery orb pulsed a desperate longing for life, a profound understanding of power, and a chilling hint of bloodlust.

The flame blazed with sudden intensity, and Wang Lin’s mind reeled. A torrent of information, vast and chaotic, slammed against his consciousness, threatening to shatter his sanity. It was an endless deluge, a storm of memories and sensations. Almost instantly, a strange duality bloomed within his eyes – his left eye shone like the sun, while the right held the pale glimmer of the moon. The Dao of Cause and Effect surged through his veins.

Within his mind, a yin-yang symbol of twin fish spun furiously, purging the extraneous thoughts and visions. Finally, a scene unfolded before Wang Lin, a vista of such magnitude that it shook him to his very core.

In the secluded chamber, the ancient Daoist materialized beside Wang Lin. He scrutinized the younger man with approving eyes. “Impressive,” he murmured to himself. “For one so young to glean insights from such a potent sliver of Nazu origin… he is worthy. We shall observe further before inducting him into the Vermillion Bird lineage!”

Lost within the depths of his mind, Wang Lin stood amidst a boundless sea of stars. His gaze beheld countless Immortals riding upon clouds of auspiciousness and wielding wondrous artifacts. Ahead of them loomed a vast expanse of yellow paper talismans, each one the size of a house, a tower, or even a small mountain!

Upon each talisman stood strange beings, clad in attire similar to that of cultivators, yet adorned with the plant totems of the Immortal Abandoned Clan. Each differed in the number of leaves on their totem.

At the brow of each of these beings, runes flickered with potent energy.

This was a war of cosmic scale!

As the two sides clashed, the air crackled with myriad immortal arts. The talisman wielders, however, possessed even more unsettling powers. Their magic was rooted in runes, and their every action seemed capable of sealing the heavens and earth, causing the very fabric of reality to tremble.

Suddenly, from a gigantic talisman several hundred feet in length, an elder emerged. His attire bore a totem with a multitude of leaves, including a single, glittering golden one. Spreading his arms, he unleashed the power of the runes etched upon his body, and surged forward. The very cosmos quaked at his approach. Immortals cried out in alarm, finding themselves ensnared by unseen runes that robbed them of their immortal essence.

At that critical moment, a streak of pure black light shot forth from the distant void. Within the light, a figure moved, though its features remained shrouded in shadow. This figure strode forth and engaged the talisman elder in battle. In a blur of motion, the cloaked figure’s right hand flashed, its fingers gripping the elder’s brow. With a brutal wrench, it tore free a pulsating orb of pure, vibrant life!

The instant the orb was ripped from its host, it exploded in a shower of sparks. A single ember, a burning fragment of that life force, hurtled towards Wang Lin and seared itself into his forehead.

Wang Lin’s brow burned. He staggered, as if struck by a force of immense power. The momentum drove him backward, through the veils of time itself. He felt a final, deafening surge in his mind, and his eyes snapped open. He was awake.

The moment he regained consciousness, he looked toward the flame. The more he gazed upon it, the more it resembled the orb he had seen torn from the brow of the talisman elder.

The vision had felt like a dream, but the burning sensation on his forehead whispered of its reality.

Instinctively, Wang Lin reached to touch his brow, but found nothing there…

Far away, within the Star Domain of the Alliance, a colossal chunk of rock hurtled through the void, heading straight towards the western regions. Upon this rocky missile stood a lone figure clad in crimson robes. His eyes, cold and ruthless, stared into the distance as he muttered, “Xu Mu, the Genuine Lightning Immortal of Luo Tian… do not disappoint me.”