Paragon of Sin

"Lord Wei," Su Mei called out. They were both currently standing within a training field, facing each other.

"Hm?"

"Regarding the mission from before, the Ancient Void Gates." Within her heart, mind, and soul, she was quietly trembling. Su Mei felt that this tribulation attempt would be catastrophic for her. For some odd reason, she felt as if tomorrow wasn't promised. This caused her to recall that specific assignment.

The Ancient Void Gates were a strange existence that seemed to have originated from long ago, and there was a scent of mystery surrounding them. While Wei Wuyin kept a 'key' to these Ancient Void Gates around his neck, he hadn't wanted to venture within and explore. The question of what was on the other side kept tapping within her thoughts.

Another continent? Planet? Starfield? Would it lead to another world entirely? Will there be new races, species, or cultivators out there? Perhaps it was a world of desolation, destroyed and lost. Her curiosity was stroked, but till this day it remained an unknown.

"You were right. Zuhei found an Ancient Void Gate on another continent, the Dark Mist Continent. I also found one on the Myriad Yore Continent. They had different conditions, with the Myriad Yore Continent's being destroyed and the Dark Mist Continent's was infected by the demonic energies within." Su Mei explained it all.

"I know," Wei Wuyin said. He could feel the nervous aura from within Su Mei. While she hadn't noticed it, her hands were trembling and her eyes were suffusing an exhausted and terrified light. She maintained a straight-face, but her body was responding.

In fact, she was detailing information that he had already known. "Take a breath," he walked forward and pressed his hand against her shoulder. Her hands stopped, and her eyes stared into his own. For several moments, they were simply looking into the other's eyes.

"Huuuu! Haaaaa…" Su Mei inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, and exhaled out all her turbid emotions. Her turbulent aura steadied. When she reopened her eyes, they reflected a determined will.

"That's it," Wei Wuyin smilingly praised. 'She's scared.' This was the first time he had ever seen Su Mei like this, and even his Celestial Eyes revealed nothing. But if there was an issue, she was tied to him via karma, and his Karmic Luck Value should be able to ensure she survived any unfortunate incidents.

...right?

He frowned.

"I'll be fine, Lord Wei." Su Mei regained herself, leaving Wei Wuyin's range and distancing herself. When she stood alone, she gazed at the stars and felt her Natal Soul's sensation. It was this unique sensation that all 4th Mortal State and higher Natal Souls at the Qi Essence Phase felt. It was termed the Call of the Astral Tribulation.

For a moment, to her, it felt like time-stopped. The clouds movements slowed, the suns' rays were flickering about, and the air stilled. 'I'll stay by your side, as your light. Wherever you go.' Her thoughts were clear and uttered from the depths of her soul. Her hands slowly clenched as she interacted with that sensation, invoking the Astral Tribulation!

Wei Wuyin quietly watched. 'She has a Divine Heart of Darklight Qi. Her foundation is at the peak possible. She even comprehended two high-level Intents of Light and Darkness alongside Saber Intent. More, she has a Zenith Mortal State Natal Soul. There shouldn't be any issue. After all, she's unlike me with the Void, Eden, or Alchemic Dao. It should be ordinary and normal. It should.'

The more he thought about Su Mei, the more nervous he felt. Even his very thoughts were as if he was consoling and reassuring himself, but he didn't believe it. He opened his silver eyes, pushing his Celestial Eyes of Spiritual Divinity to its utmost limits to grasp every little change within her and the world.

According to the normal Astral Tribulation, her Mortal Star will appear, fused with Light, Darkness, and Darklight Intent. It should follow the same set of events like his Divine Heart of Elemental Qi. Darklight was merely the merging of Light and Darkness, and Su Mei had comprehended the core basics of its Intent, capable of merging both light and darkness together.

There should be no irregularities.

"..."

"..."

"..."

A silence was evoked, by the sky, earth, and suns. It felt as if the entire world had descended to an utmost quiet that was eerie and uncertain. There were no changes. "Did she not call forth her Astral Tribulation?" Wei Wuyin was confused, observing Su Mei who remained still as if within a picture. His entire focus was on her.

"FATHER!!!" Kratos's roar was violent, causing Wei Wuyin's entire heart to shake. Abruptly, he coughed grey blood, enough to fill several buckets as his robes were drenched. He staggered, his expression pale as he felt a wave of exhaustion. But his eyes never left Su Mei.

"Something's strange!" Eden called out, sending chaotic waves into his sea of consciousness that induced a splitting headache. These surging waves were intense, causing the current world to start to fracture. He had never felt like the world was made of glass, even his vision felt as if it was splitting. From where Su Mei stood, his entire sense of perception had become fractured and surreal.

Kratos had never called Wei Wuyin 'father' before. In fact, none of his Astral Souls referred to him by any title, but from the urgency within its voice and how it rumbled his entire body, he knew it was calling out to him. He felt the urgent and palpable fear within its tone.

He shouldn't focus on that right now. At the moment, he regained a semblance of physical strength and mental clarity. "What's happened?!" He asked, his eyes never leaving Su Mei.

"...The world! It's changed!" Kratos exclaimed, each word of it pumped his heart violently and he spewed out another gush of blood. However, he stayed steady. Wei Wuyin used his Celestial Eyes to perceive the world's mana, and his eyes narrowed. He realized the ambient mana had all vanished. There wasn't any present, at all.

This shouldn't be possible. Mana was present everywhere and he had never experienced an absence of it. In fact, he felt that mana was a central aspect of cultivation and life that even the Heavenly Daos relied on. How could it be absent, and so thoroughly? It was like instantly siphoning the oxygen out of a planet.

It just shouldn't be possible.

He tried to spread his spiritual sense, but his spiritual sense couldn't escape his Astral Souls. He felt his Astral Souls, but he couldn't feel a connection with them and his sea of consciousness. Without this connection with his mind, his spiritual sense was absolutely useless.

Eden kept radiating waves that caused an endless mind-splitting headache. "She's dying!" Those words caused Wei Wuyin's eyes to widen, trying to view Su Mei's body. But regardless of what, she was stagnate. He couldn't see anything. It was as if she was frozen in time, fractured in his view like a broken picture frame.

"Your eyes! Use your other eyes!" Eden called out. It seemed it was struggling to shout each word, its voice uncharacteristically deep. Wei Wuyin struggled to stand. He kept coughing blood, his mind felt as if it was a wardrum in full play, and this entire situation was confusing him.

Other eyes?

He had his Gaze of the Celestial Eyes. With it, he could even see the world trend? What other eyes did he have?

This!

As if struck by lightning, he realized what Eden meant. Without hesitation, he no longer suppressed his Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality, a benefit gained from his successful concoction of a ninth-grade product. Within both his eyes were stars, seven in each, and they were brilliant. In a single glance, his view changed.

The glass shattering sight morphed, distorting and revealing the truth.

"SU MEI!"