Paragon of Sin

It was him!

It was actually him!

The figure that was as elusive as a shadow in the night, strapped with all sorts of mighty accolades. There wasn't a single person that reached a cultivation at the Realm World Phase that wasn't aware of Wei Wuyin's identity, status, and feats within the Everlore Starfield. The one-and-only Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn! An alchemist that supposedly reached the Mortal Sovereign Alchemist before the age of fifty!

Said to possess unearthly good-looking features that could shake the hearts of every woman, talent that could bring envy into the hearts of every man, and skills that could draw in every cultivator. While many of these so-called details were exaggerated over time, bringing the six-year absent figure into a myth-level status, most understood that rumor typically was tainted with an essence of truth.

The Grand Demonstration, Golden Auction, and Golden Life Pavilion's endorsement of his identity, talent, and the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill only supported this. Now, the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit was created to redefine the standards of Chosen. While some might contest that the reason was due to the archaic, unchanged standards for several millennia, most understood that the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill wasn't just the excuse but the very reason!

And he was here!

Wei Wuyin politely bowed to their three Earthly Saints, extending a greeting and personally announcing his arrival! Not many believed the truth that this almost mythological figure was actually connected to their sect, and so his arrival was a heavy shock.

Of course, the most shocking of all wasn't just that, but two other things!

The Fire Phoenix!!!

Behind Wei Wuyin was a proud, majestic, twenty-two-meter-sized winged creature that had shrunk from her gargantuan form of fiery brilliance! Those golden eyes from afar were as noticeable as the stars in the sky, gorgeous and magnificent! There wasn't a single cultivator at the Astral Core Realm alive in the Aeternal Sky Starfield that wasn't aware of the Tang Clan fiasco.

Those details, including targeted recordings to destroy their reputation, were spread with wild abandon. Fueled by ill-intentions, even children knew of the Tang Clan's humiliating folly.

This could be a different fire phoenix from those told in the stories, but that was extremely unlikely. Not only did its fiery form look exactly like those depicted in the recordings, but it was of the same exact size, had similar proportions, there wasn't a single pair of beasts that was identical as those two! Of course, that was because they were one and the same!

The other, what really caused those Ascended being's hearts to roll, and why their confidence took a heavy hit unlike the weaker cultivators who hadn't even registered to the extremely swift exchange between Earthly Saints and Han Yuhei's stupendously fast recovery, was Wu Yu! The recently ascended Alchemic Knight!

They weren't there, so the stories of Wu Yu's strength and ability felt greatly exaggerated. But the truth was before them, and it was grim.

"..." There was a shocked, stifled silence after Wei Wuyin's words.

Wu Yu, however, narrowed his eyes. He sent Wei Wuyin his assessment. The three Earthly Saints had unleashed their Mystic Aura and defended against him, and he accurately determined their Runic Ascendant States.

"Young Lord, that Gong Lau is at the 3rd Runic Ascendant State," this wasn't weak by the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region standards. It rivaled some of the high-level Ascendants, such as the Ever-Knights. While Gong Lau might not be a match for their cultivation foundation, he had ascended. But, "Despite this, he feels flimsy. It's as if he has used an external method to elevate his state, unlike the Ever-Knights."

Gong Lau likely used other means to elevate his Runic Ascendant State from the 2nd Runic Ascension. Since Wu Yu could naturally elevate his Runic Ascendant State from 7th to 8th, there were definitely worldly treasures or alchemic pills that could achieve similar results. From his unstable mystic runes, it's extremely unlikely he'll have the same degree of Awakened Mystic Intent as a true 3rd Runic Ascended.

"Zhang Ziyi, however, is in the 1st Runic Ascendant State." This was the first time Wu Yu had met an Earthly Saint at the lowest level. In a way, she barely qualified to become an Earthly Saint. However, this standard might be more common than he believed. After all, the lower-ranked Starfields all had Earthly Saints, and they were low-rank for a legitimate reason.

Wei Wuyin used Bai Lin's visual senses to perceive the two Earthly Saints. They were enveloped by their Mystic Aura, so besides an unfathomable aura signifying their existence as Ascended beings, he couldn't determine any details without his eyes.

Wu Yu couldn't hold back a slight smile despite trying to maintain a stern, stable visage befitting an Alchemic Knight as he inspected Han Yuhei's mystic runes. "The little brat isn't half-bad. He's in the 4th Runic Ascendant State."

"..." Wei Wuyin internally frowned. He hadn't expected Han Yuhei to be the same as the United Source True Queen. Moreover, he couldn't understand why Wu Yu was willing to genuinely consider him as 'half-bad'. He half-expected Wu Yu to denounce him for making no advancements in his Runic Ascendant State after several millennia.

Wu Yu continued, "While he's at the 4th Runic Ascendant State, his mystic power is by far the strongest I've felt from any Earthly Saint. The Ever-Knight's are inferior in that regard."

Enlightened, Wei Wuyin understood. While his Awakened Mystic Intent was lacking, his cultivation foundation was abnormally sturdy and powerful. He might be able to fight against those above his level or outright dominate his competition. This held true for the Ever-Knights as well. Even the United Source True Queen wouldn't dare fight the Ever-Knights. While her Awakened Mystic Intent was higher, the foundation of its might and its fuel, her mystic energy that evolved from astral force, was far too inferior.

There wasn't a single cultivator that could be defined just based on a single aspect of their cultivation base. There were a lot of variables that determine strength, such as Intent, spells, arts, cultivated methods, and armaments.

Wu Yu had cultivated the Blood Origin Method and his physical energies had heavily elevated in quality and quantity, increasing his mystic energy levels by a high amount, simultaneously affording him a stronger physique and eventually a secondary Dantian. A second source of energy will allow him to unleash more powerful spells and arts with little less reservation, and a stronger physique with a higher compatibility for mystic energy will allow him to bring forth more mystic power in a shorter period of time. An absolutely essential advantage in any fight.

"I can take them all, just say the word." Wu Yu's smile grew slightly vicious, his eyes sparkled with an intense desire to dominate. When he had regained his body as a Soul of Mysticism cultivator, entering the Aeternal Sky Starfield had hampered his Imperial Will. Han Yuhei, the cousin of Han Xei and a subject of his teasing, had become a renowned Earthly Saint. He felt fear, going as far as to hide his identity in public events during the competition of the Golden Life Pavilion.

He was afraid.

And rightly so.

He was two stages beneath him, losing thousands of years of time, and could be dealt with as easily as swatting a fly by Han Yuhei. His choice of life and death stripped away by the cruel hand of fate. Considering their past, Han Yuhei would never let this chance go.

Even with Wei Wuyin, it was hard to accept and he felt he'd never catch up with the time loss. Yet his decision that day continued to prove correct, Wei Wuyin hadn't just given him a powerful mystic-rank method, but he had given him a high Mystic-Earth grade pill that worked perfectly with it.

Using those two godsend means, he leapt two stages, entering Han Yuhei's level in a single bound! He no longer felt inferior, and after that brief exchange, he once again felt superior.

Han Yuhei's eyes reflected a subdued reaction, the same look he always had all those years ago, where in the depths of those colorful pupils was endless frustration and thoughts of vicious, violent revenge.

And now Han Yuhei was afraid.

And rightly so.

Han Yuhei tightly clenched his fists beneath his sleeve until the whites of his knuckles showed, looking solely at Wu Yu. After learning of Wu Yu's return, he was in utter disbelief. All those years ago, when he learned of his demise at failing his tribulation, he was so ecstatic that he drank for three days and three nights with that big oaf of a demon in joyous celebration.

When he ascended to the Demi-Mortal Lord successfully, proving himself greater than Wu Yu, he drank again, this time for an entire week, bedding his wife many times during which. That very week was when Bai Yuxi's father's life was determined. A happy week that was.

Yet, here he was…

The two Earthly Saints, Zhang Ziyi and Gong Lau, had suffered and mutually decided to allow Han Yuhei handle this matter. Considering this concerned Wei Wuyin, they didn't want the other party to speak first anyhow. But while their focus was on Wei Wuyin, processing the Fire Phoenix's existence, Han Yuhei only saw Wu Yu.

And while Wei Wuyin sent the reply to Wu Yu's enthusiastic urge to dominate with: "No need; we didn't come here to fight." Which caused Wu Yu's excitement to lessen considerably but Han Yuhei unleashed an entirely different order.

"Initiate the Nine-Divine Elemental Star Array!" The nine-colored glow in his eyes brightened considerably. The other two Earthly Saints were rendered speechless!

The white gloss that covered Origin became resplendent and radiant like a Solar Star. In the briefest of moments, the entire planet was converted into a nine-colored Solar Star! Those inside were startled, but they were entirely safe within the array. The true shock began after Han Yuhei's next declaration!

"Prepare for BATTLE!"

Wei Wuyin's expression drastically changed, but Wu Yu laughed heartily, with a heavy dose of ridicule and mockery within.

"Young Lord, it seems I was right." Wu Yu sent, grinning from ear-to-ear. Before coming here, Wei Wuyin wanted to come peacefully, use his identity as a Chosen to glide into the sect peacefully, searching for his objective without conflict. With his means and wealth, he could negotiate any issue. In the end, he'll privately turn down the Chosen title and depart into the wind. That was what he planned. But Wu Yu had repeatedly reminded him that Han Yuhei might not act as he had expected.

Why?

The principle was very simple, often used by old experts to deal with nascent juniors.

It was: "I can't let him grow!"

Not towards Wei Wuyin, but towards Wu Yu! The feeling of being stomped for centuries, inflicted with so much mental damage of inferiority in the past, it was extremely unlikely Han Yuhei would want to be placed in that situation again.

Right now, Han Yuhei had the advantage. It was his Domain, it was his Planetary Array, and he had numbers on his side. If he waited for the freshly ascended Earthly Saint Wu Yu to consolidate his cultivation, cultivate for longer with a Grand Mortal Sovereign Alchemist giving him full support, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wei Wuyin was truly rendered speechless. What did Wu Yu do to make Han Yuhei so hostile?

Damn….