Paragon of Sin

The Battlefield was expansive, divided into nine zones, further divided by regions and various terrains, from muddy, to flat ground, to mountainous, to littered with various bodies of water, to filled with foliage and tree life. These environments were diverse, yet they were all tainted by the murky air, the turbid light, and horrific environmental conditions.

In these circumstances, the water was poisonous, the plants dispersed toxic spores into the air, the mountains were prone to collapse at a moment's notice, and the flat ground was a location without cover or protective sightlines. They all held their own disadvantages requiring armies to adapt or suffer.

However, few were aware among the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone that the Battlefield that they risked their lives in, to fight for resources and a better future, divided by racial lineage, isn't limited to just nine zones. There were actually ten. This tenth zone had a unique name, classified almost as a secondary Battlefield rather than a tenth zone. It was called the Nexus Battlefield.

It was an existence that only those who qualified could participate in, specifically to those who've collected a certain amount of merits and War Souls, typically reserved for repeaters and warmongering cultivators that thrived in the Battlefield. They thirsted for war, blood, death, and excitement. They slaughtered freely and without mercy.

The Nexus Battlefield itself wasn't large. In fact, it was essentially small by comparison to the others, roughly two hundred square miles. It was littered with a diverse environment that mirrored the nine zones. In fact, if one were to observe the entirety of the nine zones, they would notice a stark similarity between designs. The Nexus Battlefield could be considered a miniaturized replica.

However, there were two notable differences. The edges of the Nexus Battlefield was a vast, swirling wall of dark violet and silver light while the Battlefield seemingly was encapsulated in murky clouds and a simulated Dark Void beyond it, endless and reflecting existential chaos. Going too far was the same as entering chaotic space.

However, the Nexus Battlefield wasn't limitless and had defined boundaries. This boundary was the very same wall that reached beyond the limits of one's sights vertically. However, if one stared for too long at this wall, they may lose their sense of balance, yet it was still an astonishingly beautiful sight.

The other difference was that at the center of this environment, at the very center, there was a black monolith thirteen meters high and covered in silver characters. If Wei Wuyin saw this monolith, he would recognize it as the very same monolith from his first and only vision of the Battlefield.

Wei Wuyin was in a location of flat ground as far as the eye could see, leaving visible sightlines in all directions and no protections of any sort. This zone was called the Earthen Horizon Zone, and there was a similar environment within the Nexus Battlefield.

Within that specific zone, a figure shimmered into existence as if he had been brought into focus after a strenuous effort to squint.

Bam!

Wei Wuyin fell from a few feet and crashed against the hardened surface. He smoothly landed in a half-kneeling position. At the moment, his body was emitting a faint grey steam that dispersed into the surroundings and vanished.

'So that's what chaotic space is?' Wei Wuyin's first thought wasn't to observe his surroundings or question whoever brought him here, but relish in the sensation of traversing through chaotic space. In truth, he was merely shuttled through while protected, but he could see it. It was a strange, surreal experience.

His sense of time, direction, and distance was absolutely chaotic. He couldn't set his internal clock or compass correctly, feeling as if he traveled a thousand miles in a split second one moment, and then only the smallest of centimeters the next, or felt as if a day had passed and then a minute. Yet both distance and time durations felt exactly the same.

He couldn't even begin to describe how much dissonance the experience produced within him, even as a cultivator with the Void Dragon Bloodline, he was unable to grasp much. However, he wasn't disappointed and neither was Kratos. In fact, they were both extremely excited.

If they weren't Void Dragons, be it by blood or spirit, then they wouldn't have felt a single thing. The grey steam that emanated from his body was the deliberate attempt to replicate chaotic spatial fluctuations. One of his issues, including Kratos, was their lack of experience with understanding the details and characteristics of the Void Dao. With this, they've literally replicated chaotic spatial energies, far different than fixed spatial energies.

Unfortunately, his attempt had exhausted a vast portion of his Bloodline Source. Clearly, chaotic space was a higher form of spatial power that he was unable to tap into at the moment. It seems that despite having the metaphysical Bloodline of a Void Dragon, he and Kratos were still infants that hadn't yet learned to talk, walk, or perhaps even crawl.

'Where is this?' The chaotic spatial emissions dissipated rapidly, revealing his entire figure unabated by any unique substance, rising to a standing position. Wei Wuyin realized, to his astonishment, that his clothes had vanished, replaced by a dark grey-colored full body gambeson.

'What is this?' Touching the torso of the gambeson, he couldn't help but feel amazed. This material was top-tier astral-graded material. He felt that it'll be extremely difficult for ordinary Starlords to damage even the first layer of its cloth material.

There wasn't a single formation imprinted on it, purely just armor. After touching it for a little longer, Wei Wuyin touched the rest of his body and found nothing amiss. This gambeson seemed specifically designed for him, even accommodating his most important organ with a firmness as if tailor-made.

This was far better than his previous clothes, and its design was exceptional. While he liked the martial arts outfit, the form-fitting and padded design without any metallic obstructions was far better in his opinion.

'Can I keep this?' After thinking this, his mind stirred. 'I'mma keep this.' One-sidedly deciding this in his heart, he turned his attention to the world. However, with his eyes closed by instinct, he tried to expand his spiritual sense.

"..." Wei Wuyin deeply frowned.Â

When he tried to expand his spiritual sense, he was met with an obstruction and restriction. It was at least hundreds of thousands times stronger than the Battlefield. This was outrageous!

He unsealed all three of his Astral Souls. His spiritual strength was pushed to its limits. Despite this, he could only extend his spiritual sense outward for a single meter around himself.

"What the...?" Wei Wuyin then tried to push his astral force into the world. He could circulate it within his body, but when he tried to expel it, he felt an incredible force crush it into oblivion. This was all the standard reaction for types of astral force. There wasn't a single exception amongst them.

"You're not suffering," Eden pointed out.

"Oh?" Wei Wuyin now noticed that even with all four Astral Souls unleashed, he wasn't experiencing any discomfort or pain. That was quite strange. Then, he inspected his body and his expression darkened.

"My body has been refined? When?!" Wei Wuyin was fiercely taken aback by this discovery. He realized that his cellular structure, musculature, bones, organs, and every ounce of flesh in him had been refined, fortified and strengthened far beyond its typical standard.

Was this when his clothes changed? But it couldn't have been too long since then, right?

Wei Wuyin found this absolutely terrifying. He felt as if he was put to sleep, and he hadn't even known it, feeling as if he was aware the entire time. He could even break the time freeze of the Heavenly Daos, how the hell did this go unnoticed?!

Eden analyzed, "Our body has been pushed to its limits deliberately."

"Our?' Wei Wuyin asked curiously. It was the first time Eden has referred to his body as 'our' body before.

Eden clarified, "Not just yours. I feel reinforced, my Astral Core."Â

"I do too! I do too!" Ori echoed. It felt itself abruptly strengthened. Its Astral Cores didn't enlarge, but it became reinforced resulting in a far more durable state. It was an inexplicable development. They hadn't sensed it at all! It just happened.

"Tch." King sounded out in agreement.

"I didn't sense anything..." Kratos felt uncertain. It was a Void Dragon, its senses and instincts were impeccably precise. It could sense the slightest shift in molecules in the air if it wanted, yet it was entirely unaware of how this happened.

Wei Wuyin was unable to explain it either. But the world was filled with things beyond their current knowledge, and whoever or whatever did this must be far, far beyond their scope of understanding. Just a few decades ago, he was unaware of what it meant to ascend beyond Mortal Limits, but today, he had these beings following his orders as a mere mortal.

There were far too many incredible things out there, and since the Realm of Sages seemed to be so far away, then there were existences harnessing power that he hadn't even begun to understand, rivaling or exceeding the Heavenly Daos. Even Fuxi had summoned his will without warning, dispelling the Heavenly Daos aggression without issue.

He inspected his internal body and realized that his body was truly pushed to its limits, not of his realm, but of his physical limits that matched his current physical energy quality. Wei Wuyin had used unprecedented alchemical products to elevate his innate physical energies, but this was regulated by his Void Dragon Bloodline, not his physical body itself, so if he used too much energy.

To refine his physical body would be similar to refining a physique, a subject he was still fiercely ignorant of. Well, he had a few ideas. In a way, his body had gained a physique that matched his physical energy levels without an attribute or specific quality.

Was this a benefit for qualifying in the Nexus Battlefield?

Wei Wuyin deeply inhaled. Just as he was about to open his eyelids to expose his silver eyes to the world, he heard an approaching voice suffused with playfulness.

"Oy! I didn't think I'd find another one here. It's my lucky day, huh? And a newbie no less, perfect!"