The pinnacle of Soul Severing cultivation surged forth, transforming into a vast and untamed Yuan force. It howled wildly across the celestial expanse of Da Luo Star, coalescing into a colossal vortex centered upon Wang Lin. The vortex spun with increasing ferocity, emitting mournful cries that echoed throughout the entire world of Da Luo!

The disciples of the Da Luo Sword Sect were instantly beset by a pressure as though mountains were crashing down upon them from the heavens. The spiritual energy within their bodies spun uncontrollably as they desperately sought to resist, lest they be utterly crushed.

From afar, the Da Luo Sword Sect was now overshadowed by a raging vortex in the sky. At the very heart of the swirling chaos, stood Wang Lin, his long hair dancing in the tempestuous winds. His robes billowed around him as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze lifted towards the heavens.

His star-like eyes shone with a brilliant light, as if holding the entire cosmos within their depths, a sight forever etched in the memories of the Da Luo Sword Sect disciples.

Wang Lin remained rooted to the spot, his mind as still and serene as the eye of the storm, calmly reflecting on the insights he had gained.

“That soaring bird… could it have been a glimpse of my former life…?” Lost in contemplation, Wang Lin’s eyes held a deep thoughtfulness, lingering on the images he had witnessed at the edge of the Heaven Defying Gate, in the moment his foot had fallen.

“Origins, what truly are Origins…? That bird… it was not my past, but a symbol of my own heart, born from within! And its demise within the serpent’s jaws… what does it signify?” Wang Lin furrowed his brow, unable to grasp the full meaning, yet sensing a faint and elusive thread of understanding.

“This time, the Heaven Defying Pearl has absorbed extreme Yang, reaching a minor state of completion. To truly comprehend all, it must also consume extreme Yin to achieve the great balance of Yin and Yang. Perhaps then, the answers will be revealed!” Wang Lin inhaled deeply, his gaze filled with determination.

“Regardless of whether Tian Yunzi or Ling Tianhou plots against me, he has placed his wager upon me! This game… I shall break it!” A cold smile touched Wang Lin’s lips. With a fleeting movement, he stepped into the void, his eyes briefly falling upon the towering pagoda that had once housed Ling Tianhou.

A gaping hole marred the side of the pagoda, remnants of Yuan energy still lingering within.

“Each opening of the Heavenly Dao Pearl requires an immeasurable surge of heaven and earth Yuan energy. This time, there was no discernible change in the surrounding energy, yet Ling Tianhou fled in haste. His escape coincided precisely with the two beams of light emanating from within and without the Heaven Defying Pearl. Clearly, one of those beams sped directly towards Ling Tianhou!”

Wang Lin strode forward, leaving Da Luo Star behind and entering the starry skies.

“But what of the other beam of light from the Heaven Defying Pearl? Who was it destined for?” Wang Lin paused, his eyes flashing with a sudden thought. “If only it was Tian Yunzi…” He suppressed the thought, ceasing to dwell on it. His form blurred into a streak of light, hurtling deeper into the cosmic expanse.

“Tian Yunzi’s gambit has been thwarted. There is no further need to linger on Da Luo Star. I must now prepare for the journey to the Land of the Spirit Demons! The Four Immortal Mansions, I hold dominion over one. I can bring foes to my side…” As he flew, such thoughts swirled in his mind.

Though Wang Lin did not employ the Art of Spatial Shrinkage, his speed was nonetheless formidable. He transformed into a blazing comet, and after some time he beheld a desolate and forgotten barbarian star.

“This is it!” Wang Lin did not pause, but crashed through the sound barrier, making for the forsaken star.

The star’s shape was peculiar, far from a perfect sphere. A portion seemed to have been devoured, leaving it with a crescent-moon form as it drifted through the void. Fragments of the ruined star occasionally broke away, lost to the reaches of space.

The streak of light that was Wang Lin drew near to the planet in an instant, piercing through the weak and crumbling layers of its outer defenses.

Lacking any spiritual energy, the star’s protective barriers were pitifully frail. Wang Lin’s intrusion triggered their immediate and total collapse, setting off a chain reaction of disintegration.

With no remaining shielding, the fine dust of the cosmos rained down upon the surface of the star, forming great, howling storms.

The star’s surface was cracked and barren, devoid of all vegetation. Life had long vanished, leaving only a lingering miasma of death.

As Wang Lin’s feet touched down, two streaks of light came streaking toward him from the horizon. The streaks were of different sizes, with the larger one trailing distantly behind the smaller.

Wang Lin remained unperturbed, even allowing a slight smile to play on his lips.

The smaller streak came upon him at once, the light fading to reveal an odd figure with a head of monstrous size atop a tiny body. Thin, sparse hair covered the immense skull, with clearly visible blue veins visible.

“Greetings, Master!” The strange cultivator was none other than Bighead. He and Leiji had been placed here before Wang Lin entered Tian Yunzi’s star, awaiting Wang Lin’s summon.

Leiji came rumbling to a stop nearby, and looked to Wang Lin with utmost respect, “Leiji greets Master.”

“Was the journey smooth, Master?” Bighead hesitated, then spoke.

Wang Lin looked at them both, nodding slowly. “Acceptable, aside from some minor issues. I have come today to take you two to a suitable cultivation star for seclusion.”

“The environment here is inhospitable, unfit for cultivation.”

Bighead nodded, adding, “Indeed, this place is unsuitable for seclusion. This star is not only abandoned but also crumbles in large portions every hour.”

Wang Lin, no longer speaking idle words, waved his sleeve and swept up Bighead and Leiji, swiftly departing the forsaken star and hurtling into the void.

Once in the starry expanse, Leiji extended his limbs and knelt on his legs, roaring to the heavens. Instantly, his body swelled to an immense size, becoming a towering hundred-zhang-tall Gigantic Devil.

Wang Lin stepped onto Leiji’s back, sitting in a meditative posture. Bighead remained at his side like a guard. At that moment, a spectral shadow flickered behind Wang Lin: it was Taisen who emerged and stood silently next to him.
Wang Lin, with a flick of his right hand, unleashed his loyal mount, Reggie. The monstrous beast erupted forth in a furious roar, a blur of dark scales as it charged ahead. Wang Lin remained serene upon its back, yet their passage was not without interruption. Mortals and cultivators alike, hailing from the star system of Tian Yun, froze in their tracks at the sight of Reggie’s immense form. Those who dared impede their path swiftly yielded, unwilling to provoke the wrath of such a creature.

“By the heavens, what ancient sorcerer commands such a fiendish mount?” one would whisper.

“And the cultivator seated atop… his face seems familiar, as though glimpsed in a forgotten dream…”

“Forget the beast, gaze upon the guardians at the sorcerer’s side! Their power is beyond my comprehension! Even our Grand Elder could not exude such an aura!”

Throughout their journey, whispers followed in their wake, gazes of awe and deference fixed upon Wang Lin. For in this realm, strength reigns supreme.

Wang Lin, still seated in meditation upon Reggie’s back, delved into the depths of his own power, savoring the peak of the mid-stage Kou Nie cultivation.

“In my days of Kou Nie’s initial stage,” he mused, “combined with the strength of my ancient god flesh, I could challenge a Jing Nie cultivator. Now, with this advancement, I shall be more than a match for those in Jing Nie’s initial stage! Nay, I would even dare face those of its middle stage!”

His eyes glinted with a newfound confidence. “The Blood Ancestor was of Jing Nie’s middle stage. Were I to face him now, though victory may not be assured, he would find it no easy task to end my existence!”

At that very moment, leagues ahead in the star-strewn expanse, a colossal vessel of obsidian hue glided through the void. Thirty measures in length, the ship pulsed with arcane energies, its enchantment plain for all to see. Rich spiritual energy flowed from it, a testament to its power.

Upon the ship’s deck, a grotesque figure sprawled upon a lavish chair. A mountain of flesh, the elder was attended by a gaggle of lithe and alluring maidens. Clad in gossamer silks that revealed more than they concealed, they plied him with wine and delicacies, their honeyed voices weaving a constant stream of flattery. Some massaged his corpulent form, while others nestled at his side, their affections seemingly unfazed by his repulsive appearance.

Beyond this fleshy tableau stood seven figures clad in black. Immobile as statues, yet radiating a palpable menace, they stood vigilant, their faces grim and impassive.

Below, a hundred cultivators clad in azure robes flew in formation, their swords shimmering as they escorted the obese elder through the stars.

The elder, his hand groping the nearest maiden, roared with laughter as he drained a goblet of wine. Yet, as he reached for another, his brow furrowed, his gaze drawn to the distance.

None but he seemed to sense the approaching disturbance. After a moment of consideration, his eyes glinted with a predatory light. He extended his goblet to the nearest maiden. “Fill it, wench.”

As she complied, a ripple spread through the void before them. A massive form materialized, a four-legged behemoth hurtling towards the vessel with relentless speed.

“So it is him,” the mountainous elder hissed, his eyes narrowing as he drained his goblet.

Simultaneously, the seven figures in black snapped to attention, their eyes burning with a cold fury. With a unified surge, they launched themselves forward, seven streaks of darkness hurtling towards the approaching threat.

“Halt, traveler! Yield within three breaths, or face death!”

Wang Lin’s own eyes blazed with a chilling light. Though lost in meditation, his senses remained vigilant, attuned to the cosmic currents. He had sensed the elder’s gaze and, in turn, discovered the opulent vessel and its grotesque master. He had found his quarry.