"Time-space..." Song Lin pondered for a moment.

His future plan was to condense Nine Pills.

Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—Five Pills; Yang Qi, Heavenly Water, and Innate Eight Diagrams—Three Pills.

In total, that's eight.

If he added the Time-Space Golden Core, wouldn't that make it perfect?

The Time-Space Dao was inherently difficult to comprehend, and now that he'd encountered such an excellent specimen, how could he not claim it?

"Do you know its weaknesses?"

"It's hard to catch. Jiao'liao can tear through the void and flee at any moment. However, there is a method—use cold afflictions and curses. Curses are invisible, transcend the limitations of time and space, and thus, they won't be able to escape. You can track them using the aura of the curse. Alternatively, you could have King Wen calculate the precise location."

"I know what to do."

The Heavenly Realm, Qilin Mountain.

Dark clouds loomed thick; atop the mountain lay a Moyu Qilin. Its body was shrouded in black mist of Fire Qi, exuding an aura of malevolence.

As a Demon Emperor once as renowned as Taishi, the Moyu Qilin now appeared unremarkable amidst the talented beings of this era.

No one knew he had once been the Demon Emperor; their impression of him was merely that of the Eastern King's steed in ancient illustrations.

Since the great war's victory, the Moyu Qilin seemed to have gained some enlightenment on Emperor Yi's Dao of Curses, and he'd been in seclusion ever since, step by step approaching the Heavenly Immortal realm.

At this moment, a figure ascended the mountain.

The Moyu Qilin awakened, transforming into a man clad in black robes.

"Greetings, Heavenly Emperor. What brings you here?"

"I need your help."

Swoosh!

Song Lin brought the Moyu Qilin into the void.

"In a moment, we'll set up a trap. First, you do this..."

Song Lin and Guu Yuchan arrived at the Eight Sceneries World, manipulating the Mother Tree of All Things into the void, allowing its aura to spread.

In the void, a "meteor" would occasionally appear, then vanish.

"Oh..."

At this moment, Jiao'liao stopped, a human-like voice emanating from his bird-like beak.

He had caught the scent of a Small Thousand World, marking the location in his memory. With a gentle peck of his beak, he tore open a hole in the void.

A lantern swayed softly, and fireflies flew inside.

These fireflies, too, had human forms—with fiery lower halves and entirely composed of green flames.

They were called Fire Cloud Children. In comparison to Jiao'liao's Ancient Immortal physique, they seemed small, but that was only relative: the Ancient Immortal's body stood six thousand zhang tall, and even the children measured about ten zhang in size.

Each child was refined from a million human lives, capable of expansion and contraction, with stomachs that could store all things.

Once inside, the Fire Cloud Children transmitted no further information.

"Hmm?" Ancient Immortal Jiao'liao furrowed his brow. Could something have gone wrong?

He was just about to leave but reconsidered. It wasn't every day one came across a world so teeming with vitality. Dangerous situations were to be expected. After all, he was a master of world-defying Time-Space Divine Skills.

If things went awry, he could always escape.

While Jiao'liao hesitated, a Fire Cloud Child flew out of the void.

"What's going on?"

"There are too many of them, and we can't handle it. We ask the Great Immortal for help."

Jiao'liao looked displeased. "Didn't I tell you? No fighting—battles are risky."

"Great Immortal, it's like this: they haven't noticed us yet. However, at the center of that world stands a massive tree. We can't move it and must trouble you to act personally."

"What tree?"

Jiao'liao remained cautious; he wouldn't rush in based on a few words. His experience from hundreds of thousands of years told him: don't panic, don't rush. As long as one stays alive, the benefits will come eventually—even if not this time, then the next.

"A very large tree, its roots extending into the void..."

"And in that world are countless people. A conservative estimate is at least tens of billions—too many to count."

Hearing this description, Jiao'liao's eyes lit up.

Could it be the World Tree?

This would be a treasure capable of being forged into an Immortal Artifact.

The only Immortal Artifact he currently possessed was the Tribulation Fire Lantern. No one ever complained about having too many Immortal Artifacts.

Moreover, with so many people in that world, he could kill them all, use their souls to cultivate Netherworld Tribulation Fire, and craft more Fire Cloud Children.

"Quick, take me there at once!"

With that thought, Jiao'liao plunged into the black hole without hesitation.

Moments after stepping through the portal—

Whoosh!

The scene went pitch black before glowing bright again. The intense brightness stung his eyes, and a chill ran down his back.

"Not good!"

Before his eyes, the Fire Cloud Child transformed into a man.

The man wielded a lamp in one hand and a sword in the other, slashing down in a single stroke.

Boom!

The lantern burst into flames. Green flames formed a shield, nullifying the sword strike.

Soon after, the green fire morphed into Fire Dragons that lunged at Song Lin.

"Hah! You fool, trying to kill me? Taste my flames!"

The fire incinerated the void, reducing everything it touched to ashes.

Thousands of Fire Cloud Children charged toward Song Lin.

Fire Dragons, the children, and the omnipotent flames all converged on him.

Jiao'liao reacted quickly—aside from the initial lapse in caution, his subsequent actions were precise and swift.

He could tell the man was also a Heavenly Immortal, but his Taoist Realm still fell short in comparison.

Sure enough, the flames latched onto Song Lin, startling him into wails.

"What kind of Demon Fire is this?"

"Netherworld Tribulation Fire!"

The Ancient Immortal Jiao'liao appeared behind Song Lin in a flash, his void-piercing bird beak stabbing toward Song Lin's brow, aiming for his Spirit Platform.

Simply destroying the physical body meant nothing to a Heavenly Immortal; only seizing his Tao Golden Pill would settle the matter once and for all.

At that moment, Song Lin abruptly turned his head. His expression no longer carried the panic it had before; instead, he looked eerily composed. The flames on his body were slowly being consumed by a golden flame.

"I was kidding."

Song Lin sneered.

The Pure Yang Golden Fire Lamp unleashed its golden flames, which shot forth at incredible speed, penetrating Jiao'liao's dharma body and shattering the defenses of the Netherworld Tribulation Fire.

This time, it was genuine Pure Yang Fire—not the earlier True Taiyang Fire.

The intent had been to deceive Jiao'liao.

The flames enveloped Jiao'liao's dharma body, burning everything to ashes. The Immortal Artifact lantern's defenses collapsed under the fire's onslaught, and the Fire Cloud Children and Fire Dragons had already been annihilated the moment Song Lin made his move.

The Pure Yang Golden Fire Lamp was a Magic Treasure Song Lin had spent 60 years refining into fire itself.

Even so, Jiao'liao had not yet lost consciousness.

Sensing his foe's overwhelming strength, he immediately tore open the void to escape.

As Song Lin prepared to bring his treasure sword down, Jiao'liao had already plunged most of his body into the darkness.

Slash!

Just as Jiao'liao vanished into the black hole, the Pure Yang Sword severed his right wrist.

At least it was just his wrist.

"I don't care who you are. The grudge I bear today—I vow to hunt you down, whether it takes a thousand years or ten thousand, until your soul scatters and your Tao lineage is obliterated..."

Before the black hole closed, Jiao'liao spat out a venomous curse.

Unbeknownst to him, a thread of black energy had entered his body through his wound.

After Jiao'liao's departure, the Moyu Qilin emerged from concealment nearby.

"Is this enough?"

Song Lin wiped the black blood from his sword blade. The Moyu Qilin's Spell was at play here.

It was unrealistic to task a Harmonization Stage Moyu Qilin with taking down an ancient Heavenly Immortal, so Song Lin had served as bait, applying the Spell onto his sword blade.

In truth, Jiao'liao proved to be the most cunning foe Song Lin had ever encountered—ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

"It's enough. If not for a death curse, simply marking him will suffice."

Replied the Moyu Qilin.

Three years passed.

Song Lin and the Moyu Qilin pursued Jiao'liao relentlessly.

Finally...

In the silent depths of space, a six-thousand-zhang-long corpse floated, its blood flowing like rivers.

It was a monstrous being with a human torso, snake's tail, and crow's beak.

Song Lin retrieved the bronze lamp and stored Jiao'liao's body and blood in the Heavenly Burial Coffin.

"Next time, I'll refine the Heavenly Burial Coffin into an Immortal Artifact. That'll make capturing people far easier," Song Lin thought to himself.

Beyond holding insights on the Time-Space Dao, Jiao'liao's corpse held great potential—it might even be forged into a Magic Treasure.

"Let's go back."

Song Lin glanced at the Moyu Qilin, then summoned the Golden Gate of the Palace of the Polestar.

Just as he was about to leave...

From a distant void, Mao Zhong burned a talisman, activating the communication Spell the two had agreed upon.

Simultaneously, in front of the Golden Gate, Song Lin paused.

"Hmm? Mao Zhong?"

(Two additional chapters as promised for the Alliance Hierarch tonight.)

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