Chapter 1362: Peak of the Cloud Sea, I Refuse!

The young girl was wearing a light yellow blouse, and her dark hair was separated into two strands, swaying with her lithe body, making her look very adorable.

Her appearance was not absolutely stunning, but it was very delicate. Although her features still carried a trace of childishness, one could still discern her gentle nature beneath her playful demeanor.

"Alchemy is truly too difficult. I always fail to refine the pills, even though I'm trying very hard." The girl walked through the mountains, pouting and muttering to herself.

"I wonder how Brother is doing now. His aptitude is better than mine, and he was immediately prioritized for training as soon as he entered the School. I must hurry up and work hard so he doesn't look down on me." As the girl walked, she stopped, her gaze falling upon a spirit grass emitting a soft moonlight not far ahead. She quickly stepped forward and gently plucked a few leaves, completely unaware that a solitary figure had appeared behind her at some unknown point.

Wang Lin stared blankly at the girl ahead. Although her appearance differed slightly from back then, he recognized her instantly.

Gentleness gradually appeared in his eyes. Wang Lin stood there, his heart filled with bitterness.

After the girl plucked a few leaves of the Water Moon Grass, she carefully placed them in her Storage Pouch. She then stood up, preparing to leave, but suddenly paused, walked a few steps forward, squatted down to part the grass, and saw a small creature.

The creature looked like a squirrel, lying there barely breathing, its right leg bloody and mangled, as if it had been bitten off.

The girl gasped softly, her eyes showing pity. She quickly took out her Storage Pouch, patted it, and retrieved some medicinal herbs, which she crushed and gently applied to the creature's wound.

However, these herbs were clearly unable to save the creature. Its eyes gradually dimmed; having lost too much blood, it was already close to death.

Anxiety appeared in the girl's eyes. She quickly and gently picked up the creature and turned to head down the mountain to the Pill Chamber to find her Master, but as soon as she turned around, she immediately cried out in alarm, rapidly retreating with panic in her eyes.

Turning around suddenly, she naturally saw Wang Lin behind her and was startled for a moment.

"Let me handle it." Seeing the girl's frightened expression, Wang Lin's heart trembled. He spoke softly, raised his right hand, and waved it forward. A flash of white light landed on the small creature in the girl's arms. The creature's wounds rapidly healed at a visible speed, and even its dim eyes instantly regained their luster.

The recovered creature kicked its body, jumped out of the girl's embrace, and landed on a nearby branch. It glanced back at the two of them, and after a few leaps, disappeared into the distance.

The girl took a deep breath, patted her chest, and looked at Wang Lin curiously. She curtsied and whispered, "Junior Li Muwan greets Senior. May I ask which peak within the School Senior is from, and if you are here to look for my Master?"

Wang Lin shook his head. Looking at the girl before him, his expression grew even gentler. He whispered, "I'm not looking for your Master; I live here."

"You live here?" Li Muwan blinked.

Wang Lin smiled, flicked his large sleeve, and immediately a gentle breeze permeated the area, wrapping around Li Muwan's body. The two instantly vanished without a trace, reappearing at the very top of the mountain peak, where clouds and mist swirled.

An Immortal Cave had appeared here at some unknown time.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Li Muwan's eyes were wide. She stared at the scene, only recovering her senses after a long time, her gaze toward Wang Lin filled with astonishment.

"Senior must be an Old Monster… or rather, a reclusive expert of my Luo River School." Li Muwan chuckled awkwardly, retreating a few steps, a flicker of vigilance in her eyes.

There was no one around. She had been instantly whisked away by Wang Lin, so she was naturally very nervous. Although Wang Lin did not look like an evildoer, Li Muwan's heart was still pounding.

"Junior… Junior was ordered by Master to gather herbs and has been out for a long time. Master will surely worry and come looking. Junior should take her leave now." Li Muwan retreated repeatedly, deliberately mentioning that her Master might arrive at any moment.

Wang Lin smiled. He had never seen Li Muwan with such an expression before, and he nodded upon hearing her words.

Li Muwan quickly retreated and hurried away along the mountain path. Only after descending the mountain did she exhale deeply and look back at the peak.

"Senior Sister once said that the Old Monsters in the Cultivation World all have strange quirks, especially some who like to Cultivate using Cauldron vessels. That scared me to death! This Old Monster appeared silently and whisked me straight to the mountaintop. Hmph, if I hadn't reacted quickly and mentioned Master, I might have been in danger today… But this Old Monster looks very young, not like a bad person… Perhaps I'm just overthinking things."

After muttering a few words, Li Muwan quickly left.

Wang Lin stood atop the mountain peak, his gaze penetrating all existence, clearly seeing Li Muwan's expression and even hearing every word of her self-muttering.

Only after Li Muwan had gone far away did Wang Lin withdraw his gaze. A hint of happiness appeared on his face, yet this happiness carried a sense of melancholy.

"Is this place materialized from the memories within my soul, or… does it truly exist? Clearly, this scene was not in my memories…" Wang Lin sighed lightly, unwilling to ponder the matter, and silently closed his eyes.

After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes and muttered softly, "One more look, a few more words with her, and then I will leave… and light that first stick of Burning Incense."

Time slowly passed, one day, two days… In the blink of an eye, four days had gone by.

During these four days, Li Muwan did not reappear. Wang Lin remained on the mountaintop, waiting and waiting. Just like in his memories, Li Muwan, accompanied by the sound of a yearning zither within the Cloud Heaven Sect, waited for his return.

For four days, Wang Lin did not meditate but silently gazed at the sky, continuing to wait.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the fifth day that a series of hurried, panting breaths came from down the mountain. It was Li Muwan, who had walked up from below. After reaching the summit, Li Muwan wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead, her eyes still showing panic and vigilance, but she gritted her teeth and walked toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin quietly gazed at Li Muwan, a gentle expression on his face.

However, this gentleness, when seen by Li Muwan, caused her to subconsciously retreat a few steps, her vigilance growing stronger.

"Se… Senior, can you heal this one too…" Li Muwan bit her lower lip and cautiously took out a palm-sized creature from her bosom.

This creature resembled a cat, still a juvenile. Its fluffy body trembled in Li Muwan's hands, and its eyes were only slight slits; it seemed to want to open them but lacked the strength.

Wang Lin laughed wryly, nodded, and raised his right hand to stroke the creature. Amidst a flash of white light, the creature seemed to be injected with vitality, its eyes slowly opening and revealing their luster.

Delight appeared in Li Muwan's eyes, and she let out a joyous cry. She quickly and gently stroked the creature's fur. Her vigilance toward Wang Lin gradually dissipated somewhat, but it still lingered.

"Thank you, Senior." Li Muwan smiled happily, curtsied to Wang Lin, quickly retreated, and hurried down the mountain. Clearly, in her heart, she still harbored deep caution regarding the term Old Monster, and she would never have returned this time unless absolutely necessary.

"This Old Monster probably isn't a bad person…" As Li Muwan descended the mountain, she looked back at the peak and muttered softly.

Wang Lin watched Li Muwan leave for the second time, the reluctance in his eyes growing stronger.

Just then, the entire sky suddenly churned with wind and clouds, changing color. Rolling thunder boomed down, echoing wildly in all directions, and a giant Vortex appeared high in the sky.

The Vortex spun rapidly, stirring up heaven and earth, radiating an indescribable majesty!

This pressure was astonishing. As it spread, it permeated the entire Human Square Realm. Strangely, however, none of the illusory beings in this realm noticed anything, as if this celestial change was only for Wang Lin, as if this Vortex explosion was only because of Wang Lin!

"Wang Lin! Why haven't you quickly lit the Human Square Incense? What are you waiting for!!" Those last four words turned into a storm, forming countless echoes resounding thunderously within this world!

What are you waiting for… On the Great Emperor Star, the Old Vermilion Bird, anxious after waiting too long and worried that Wang Lin's soul would be unable to extract itself from his homeland, disregarded the Trial Grounds rules. He stepped forward, placed his right hand on the first stick of Burning Incense, and rushed into Wang Lin's soul, letting out this low roar!

"Lighting the Human Square Incense is not difficult. All I need to do is spread the fire within my soul, burn this illusory Human Square Realm, instantly incinerate everything here into a sea of flames, leaving nothing behind, and then I can light the Human Square Incense!"

"But…"

"I refuse!!" Wang Lin raised his head, his eyes burning like torches as he looked at the Vortex in the sky.

"Entering this seemingly real yet illusory realm with my soul is meant to temper the heart of the soul, erase the last trace of mortal thought, and transform it into the power of burning. Because it is soul-burning, the flames of this realm can be integrated into the soul, planting a trace of Undying Soul Fire, serving as the sacrifice for the Vermilion Bird's Fourth Awakening!"

"But, at such a cost, using the annihilation of my mortal thoughts as the catalyst, I cannot do it!" Wang Lin stood up, gazing at the sky.

This was the place where his soul had entered. Even if the Old Vermilion Bird's cultivation was unfathomable, he could not remain for long within this Trial Grounds, which the current generation's Vermilion Bird had created through the manifestation of a certain Magic Treasure and the diffusion of a Divine Ability that remains incomprehensible to this day!

"You… this place is only illusory, not real! I also entered here back then. You only need to destroy it, maintain the Burning Incense after leaving, and you will pass. Why are you so stubbornly misguided!" The Old Vermilion Bird's voice revealed anxiety. Suddenly, the sky Vortex collapsed, and his voice gradually faded.

The moment his voice dissipated, Wang Lin's words were transmitted into the Vortex.

"In my entire life, Wang Lin has never abandoned the obsession in his heart. Even if Soul Transformation draws the Heavenly Tribulation, it cannot make me let go! Planting the Undying Soul Fire within the soul does not only rely on burning this realm!"

"If the Heavenly Dao truly demands this, and soul fire cannot be ignited otherwise, then I will go against the Dao, using my own obsession to transform into Karmic Fire! I will not take that Undying Soul Fire; instead, I will take the karma of my soul's persistence and ignite that Karmic Obstruction of Reincarnation!!"

On the Great Emperor Star, the Old Vermilion Bird withdrew his right hand, looked at the closed-eyed Wang Lin, and let out a long sigh.

Although Si Mozi was unaware of everything in the Human Square Realm, upon seeing this, he somewhat guessed what was happening and couldn't help but sneer, "Senior, a long time has already passed. It seems this Third Young Emperor's trial has encountered an accident…"

Before he could finish speaking, the Old Vermilion Bird suddenly turned around, his eyes wide. He directly swung his right hand forward, and with a loud pa, he slapped Si Mozi again.

Si Mozi spat out fresh blood, his body sent reeling tens of thousands of feet away.

"Accident my ass! My family's child is igniting Karmic Obstruction with his obsession. How could a piece of trash like you understand!"

After delivering the slap, the Old Vermilion Bird's inner anger subsided slightly. His eyes were sharp, and he mused inwardly, "Karmic Obstruction, Karmic Obstruction. Good, this boy has guts, daring to ignite Karmic Obstruction Fire. The founding Old Ancestor once said that achieving the Void Fire Realm for our Vermilion Bird race by borrowing the Undying Soul Fire is not the true path. This is because Karmic Fire descending upon the soul is extremely difficult; throughout history, only the Old Ancestor succeeded in his early years under the protection of an Immortal Venerable, which is why future clansmen were forbidden from choosing it! If this boy succeeds, he will be the number one person in our Vermilion Bird clan in the future!"

I hadn't planned on asking for a monthly vote today, but I truly feel I wrote too well today. I couldn't help but feel sudden joy and sorrow as I wrote. Following Wang Lin, a rebellious spirit surged to the heavens, demanding a monthly vote! I, too, must ignite my Karmic Obstruction and ask the heavens how many seasons the beacon fires will burn!

Thank you, Ao Youzui and Ren Dan Ru Ju Bu Li Bu Qi, and Boss Yang Xiong for supporting renegade immortal without reservation, ascending to the position of Alliance Leader, taking a step ahead of Wang Lin to become a Third Step Mighty Figure. Er Gen bows in respect!