Chapter 1372: Peak of the Cloud Sea, cultivation is Like a Palm

At the tenth breath, the Thunder Diagram outside Wang Lin's body shone with immense light, containing the flames from Wang Lin's four Vermilion Bird Awakenings.

"What is the relationship between the Ancient Immortal Venerable and the Ancient Immortal Emperor?"

"What you call an Immortal Emperor in your world was called an Immortal Venerable in my era…" The First Generation Vermilion Bird spoke slowly, his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

But the moment his words fell, the flames on the palm where Wang Lin stood surged again. The flame storm instantly tore apart, forming a massive Vermilion Bird on the palm. This Vermilion Bird looked ancient, as if it had existed for countless years. Its bird eyes were sinister, and upon appearing, it let out an earth-shattering Vermilion Bird Cry before diving down fiercely toward Wang Lin.

Eleven breaths!

Madness appeared in Wang Lin's eyes. Performing Hand Seals, the flaming Thunder Diagram outside his body instantly swelled and magnified. The moment the Vermilion Bird charged, he abruptly stood up and pushed upwards with a roar.

Suddenly, this illusory ancient Vermilion Bird collided with the Thunder Diagram. A deafening roar echoed wildly throughout the heavens and earth, and a massive impact blasted out in all directions.

Wang Lin's body shook violently. Half of his Soul Body instantly exploded under this impact. As his Soul Power dissipated widely, his Physical Body outside the Great Emperor Star also shook violently.

His Physical Body spat out fresh blood, nearly collapsing, his face ashen. Moreover, a large amount of red mist permeated from his body, which was his entire body's blood being largely evaporated and vaporized.

This scene left the tens of thousands of Cultivators around them dumbfounded. The Old Vermilion Bird's pupils contracted. With a low roar, he suddenly stepped forward, arriving directly beneath the Heaven-Square Incense. He raised his right hand and pressed it onto the incense, sending his Divine Sense roaring out straight toward the Heaven-Square Realm.

The moment his Divine Sense entered, his voice roared within the Heaven-Square Realm.

"Old Ancestor!!! What is the meaning of this!!! Could it be that he is not one of my Vermilion Bird Tribesmen, or was he fabricated by someone else!!"

"Step down!" The humming voice roared out, transforming into an invisible force that landed directly on the Old Vermilion Bird's Divine Sense, forcibly pushing his Divine Sense out of the Heaven-Square Realm.

"This Vermilion Bird has his own plans!"

Twelve breaths!

The Thunder Diagram collapsed, turning into countless fragments that rolled back into Wang Lin's pupils. The ancient Vermilion Bird's flames paused, and its body retreated dozens of yards amidst the collapse.

Wang Lin waved his right hand, and a Storage Rift suddenly appeared before him. A bloody light flashed within, and the Blood Sword shot out rapidly. Under Wang Lin's fierce pointing gesture, the Blood Sword rushed toward the sky, charging at the Vermilion Bird.

Furthermore, at this very moment, immediately following the Blood Sword, Wang Lin performed Hand Seals with both hands, pointed at the sky, and shouted: "In the name of my thunder, condense the Ten Thousand Dao Thunder Diagram again, and open the Primordial Thunder Realm!!"

Thirteen breaths!

His voice grew louder and louder, eventually becoming earth-shattering and transforming into bursts of roars. Moreover, the moment the words left his mouth, Wang Lin raised his right hand and violently tore forward into the Void Realm.

The heavens and earth roared. The sky immediately twisted, and a massive Rift, a thousand yards long, was suddenly torn open. Endless roars emerged from the Rift, and the colossal bodies of several Primordial Thunder Dragons could vaguely be seen swimming within.

Opening the Primordial Thunder Realm was originally the Divine Ability of the Flashing Thunder Clan's Grand Elder, but after Wang Lin performed Soul-Searching, combined with his Major Achievement in the Thunder Origin, he could also execute this extremely high-level Thunder Technique!

The Dragons roared in fury. Just as several bodies of Primordial Thunder Dragons were about to emerge from the thousand-yard Rift, the voice of the First Generation Vermilion Bird echoed.

"Vermilion Bird Seal, Seal!" Under the cold voice, the ancient Vermilion Bird in the sky let out a long cry and flew straight toward the thousand-yard Rift. Its body instantly burst with astonishing flames, and under the flickering firelight, it directly stamped itself onto the thousand-yard Rift.

Seen from afar, the Vermilion Bird transformed into a massive Seal, sealing shut the torn-open thousand-yard Primordial Thunder Realm with a boom!

The several Primordial Thunder Dragons inside roared and struggled, trying to rush out, but no matter how they crashed against it, they could not break open the Vermilion Bird Seal!

Fourteen breaths!

Wang Lin's body trembled. Without hesitation, he waved his right hand, causing the Blood Sword in the sky to change direction and head straight for the massive Statue. In the blink of an eye, the bloody light approached, but just then, the Statue's eyes, which had always been closed, suddenly opened.

These were a pair of eyes devoid of any emotion. The moment they opened, the Blood Sword was suddenly enveloped by an invisible force, stopping just outside the Statue's Glabella, unable to proceed.

"This sword is actually in your hands!" The voice of the First Generation Vermilion Bird revealed shock for the first time.

Outside the Great Emperor Star, the Old Vermilion Bird’s expression was grim. His right hand had been repelled, and he took several steps back, looking at Wang Lin with a complicated gaze. He couldn't guess the Old Ancestor's intention or why he was acting this way.

"Fourteen breaths… This Third Young Emperor actually reached fourteen breaths too!!" Some Cultivators nearby immediately exclaimed. They had been counting the time, and seeing Wang Lin reach fourteen breaths made them all gasp sharply.

"Fourteen breaths is already this person's limit. Look, his Physical Body is almost destroyed; I fear all his blood has been vaporized!"

Si Mozi narrowed his eyes. With his cultivation, he naturally saw the Old Vermilion Bird's gloominess and sneered inwardly.

"It seems another accident has occurred. This little bastard's Trial is quite eventful. It would be best if he just died in the Trial, saving this old man the trouble."

The Heaven-Square Incense burned intensely, rapidly consuming itself. There were still less than dozens of yards until it was completely extinguished. As raging heat waves subsided, fifteen breaths passed!

Inside the Heaven-Square Realm, the moment the fifteenth breath abruptly passed, the palm he stood on violently shook—and then moved!

The hand clenched into a fist, slowly closing toward Wang Lin in the center of the palm amidst the roaring and the spreading flames. Without giving Wang Lin a chance to ask a third question, the five fingers slammed down.

A Strange Force also descended, preventing Wang Lin from escaping. Seeing the five fingers descend like mountains, Wang Lin roared and abruptly raised both hands forward. Immediately, popping sounds came from his entire body, as the five fingers pressed down tightly onto his arms.

A sensation of his entire body dissolving suddenly echoed. Wang Lin's expression was savage. Amidst his low roar, his lower body instantly collapsed under the immense power.

Sixteen breaths!

Seventeen breaths!

Eighteen breaths!

Wang Lin's body continuously collapsed. He could no longer see the sky; the five fingers covered everything, replacing the heavens. The moment Wang Lin persevered until the nineteenth breath, the palm suddenly clenched into a fist!

But the instant the fist clenched, a Vermilion Bird Cry erupted from within the fist, shaking the heavens. Furthermore, a sheet of Illusory Fire flashed out from between the fingers of the fist, as Wang Lin's soul transformed into a Vermilion Bird.

The Statue of the First Generation Vermilion Bird revealed a strange light in its eyes. It looked at its own fist, its gaze seemingly able to penetrate the fist to see Wang Lin's Vermilion Bird Soul struggling desperately in the palm.

A Nine-Colored Flame flashed on his Glabella, and a wave of Illusory Fire dispersed from within, heading straight for the fist.

This Illusory Fire was invisible, but the moment it merged into the fist, his entire palm was instantly engulfed in flames.

"Your life and death are within a single thought of mine. At this point, will you still not tell This Vermilion Bird the truth? I noticed something unusual about you back on the Dragon Scale Clan Star. If I hadn't wanted to know your identity, I would have killed you long ago! I arranged for your Young Emperor status just to lure you here, and I arranged for the Second Generation to appear to lead you into the Trial!

Now that you have finally come before me, tell me, who exactly are you! Why are you impersonating a member of my Vermilion Bird Clan! The juniors cannot see the secrets about you, but before This Vermilion Bird, you have nowhere to hide!"

The moment he spoke, the eyes of the First Generation Vermilion Bird immediately revealed Monstrous Flames. He stared intently at Wang Lin struggling inside the fist, closely observing all of Wang Lin's expressions.

Upon hearing these words, Wang Lin, though struggling, was momentarily stunned, but then he laughed angrily.

"Since you are so obstinate, This Vermilion Bird shall grant you death!" The strange light in the First Generation Vermilion Bird's eyes intensified. Staring fixedly at Wang Lin inside the fist, immediately after speaking, the Illusory Fire on his fist violently rushed toward the center of the palm, instantly surging into the Vermilion Bird that Wang Lin had transformed into.

The moment the Illusory Fire entered the Vermilion Bird Wang Lin had transformed into, the First Generation Vermilion Bird clearly saw scenes of illusory images. In those images, he saw the Fifth Generation Vermilion Bird leaving a Vermilion Bird mark on Wang Lin's Glabella, and he saw Wang Lin's first, second, and third Vermilion Bird Awakenings.

The First Generation Vermilion Bird did not just glance at these scenes; he meticulously checked them thousands of times in an instant, over and over again. Finally, he let out a deep breath. The strange light in his eyes dissipated, revealing a hint of benevolence he had never shown before.

His fist also slowly unclenched.

"Can you still hold on?" His voice was no longer cold and heartless, but carried a hint of admiration.

The Vermilion Bird that Wang Lin had transformed into stared coldly at the First Generation Old Ancestor, not saying a word.

"Back then, this old man mistook someone for a tribesman, which led to this predicament… unable to step half a pace out of the Heaven-Square Realm… Your sudden appearance, although everything matches the characteristics of a tribesman, required this old man to be cautious. I hope you can understand everything that happened before."

Wang Lin remained silent. The Vermilion Bird he had transformed into gradually dissipated, turning back into human form. He spoke, "The Third Generation Vermilion Bird?"

"That's right. Not even Soul-Searching could reveal a single flaw. No matter how this old man observed, I couldn't find a single clue, until finally, I learned he was fabricated by someone else…" A deep hatred permeated the words of the First Generation Vermilion Bird.

"Without the aid of Incense, you possess five Origins within your body. This is extremely rare. Although these five Origins are still in their rudimentary form, it is very hard to come by. However, your Dao, you have walked the wrong path!" The First Generation Vermilion Bird looked at Wang Lin and spoke slowly.

"After your Thunder Origin achieved Major Achievement, the Void Gate should have appeared, but you didn't open it… You thought your strength was insufficient, which is both right and wrong. What you think internally is to wait until your Fire Origin achieves Major Achievement before attempting to blast open the Void Gate again. Furthermore, in your heart, you don't value the so-called Five Decays of Heaven and Man at all. You don't want to pass through the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, but rather Ascend in One Step from your current shattered nirvana Great Perfection cultivation! If that is what you think, you are greatly mistaken!"

Wang Lin was stunned and did not speak.

The First Generation Vermilion Bird sighed softly, slowly closing his eyes. His voice echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

"Do you know why a person has five fingers on each hand? In my era, we also had the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, only the name was called the Five Fingers of Breaking the Void… cultivation, cultivation, in reality, whether it's you or me, what we cultivate is merely a single hand. The first step is the palm, and the second step is the Palm Lines. Those Palm Lines are the Rules, and everyone's Palm Lines are different, so naturally, the Rules are also different.

The Five Fingers of Breaking the Void, or the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, are the fingers above the palm. If you want to Cover the Sky with One Hand, you must have all five fingers. If you understand these words, you understand. If you don't, then the possibility of Breaking the Void is gone."