Paragon of Sin

Wei Wuyin's arrival in Origin unleashed several incredibly unexpected and equally shocking developments. While his visit was brief, the dynamics of the True Element Sect had changed, especially towards the Lin Clan and those of the external clans. The former somehow seemed more powerful, while the latter was more reclusive, less arrogant, and exercising a rare degree of caution.

In fact, the external clans factions within the sect started to vanish, many of them 'returning' to their clans for 'internal matters'. There was less internal conflict and contentions amongst disciples, and the atmosphere grew strangely harmonious for those that remained. It was a long time since the True Element Sect felt light, feeling like a genuine sect. The owners of the vice-like grip that choked them had slowly relented, against their will of course.

However, who could blame them? With the death of Gong Lau and the Nansi Clan's Earthly Saint recuperating elsewhere, Grand Elder and Shattering Element Faction's leader Zhang Ziyi and Lin Clan's True Element Sect's Sect Master Lin Xianxian possessed too much power and authority. Zhang Ziyi had already taken advantage of this to remove some undesirable members of True Origin Faction.

Despite Zhang Ziyi's calm demeanor, she was quite ruthless and cunning with exploiting loopholes to deal with others. She had clearly used this to act against Lin Xianxei, almost resulting in her death outside the Elementus Domain, without any evidence pointing towards her. Those from the external clans embedded within the sect to take advantage of further resources and assets they had no legitimate rights to were dealt with using the same shadowy methods.

Without the protections of their resident Earthly Saint, Gong Lau, they were helpless ducks tied to tree trunks, awaiting their time to meet their maker. They fled, if they could. They hid away, if they couldn't.

There was one location in the True Element Sect where this change of dynamic was greatly seen—the True Element Palace. It was the headquarters of the True Element Sect and home of the Lin Clan's Matriarch, Lin Xianxian.

Within the depths of this opulently designed, sky floating, and white-colored palace was an array of activity. There was a large, squarish room with a rectangular table with twenty-four seats. These seats were all filled with senior members of the sect, belonging to the various clans of the True Element Sect.

Most of these clans belonged to the Shattering Element Sect, forced to listen to Lin Clan's leadership from the external clans' fierce pressure. The others were new clans or experts that had joined after the True Element Sect had been established, forgoing its identity as the Jade Element Sect.

At the head of this table, Lin Xianxian's gorgeous figure was calmly seated, her golden irises revealed a glimmer of authority and intelligence befitting her status as a Sect Leader of a World Sect.

This clearly shook many of these elders as their aged gazes betrayed their surprise. After all, while that light had been present before, there was a hollow feeling to it. Now? There was a substantial power those golden eyes of hers held that couldn't help but cause their hearts to quiver. It was as if she had adapted fully into her identity, and this change had rapidly happened over the course of their most dynamic-evolving period.

At this table, the strongest wasn't Lin Xianxian. Her cultivation base was at the Soul of Mysticism Phase, the Second Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, and there were five members here, three male and two females, two males belonging to the Shattering Element Faction, and the rest belonged to the Elementus Faction headed by Han Yuhei, that were all Demi-Mortal Lords. Their Mystic Auras might be kept restrained, but their presence was incredible.

However, in terms of authority, Lin Xianxian should 'technically' be miles ahead of these figures. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to do much before without making continuous concessions and appeasing the others with what limited authority and resources she was allowed to have.

But since her acceptance in becoming Wei Wuyin's maid, whether it was Han Yuhei or Zhang Ziyi, they both had a change of attitude. Especially the latter, she went from fully exerting her Grand Elder position to stall any and every attempt at her or the Lin Clan from benefiting in any matter to becoming silent and indifferent towards her.

Those of both factions also felt this change, and while they didn't know the exact reason, they didn't wish to push that envelope and discover why that was the case.

"..." She swept her gaze over these figures that had made it very difficult for her over the last thousand or so years, restraining the smile that threatened to form on her lips. For the first time, she tasted a tinge of respect.

How hilarious was it that she had to become a maid of a mortal to get it?

"Let's discuss the annual division of resources," Lin Xianxian lifted her position, placed her hand on the table, and calmly set the topic. The others didn't reject or outright bring it to a vote to allow it to remain unchanged. They all nodded, agreeing to discuss this and allowing her to lead. The fall of the external clan's True Origin Faction within the sect made this topic interesting for them all!

Unable to hold it any longer, Lin Xianxian revealed a smile.

Outside of the True Element Palace, two figures floated high above in the upper Sky Layer, and they looked down towards the palace. They were none other than Han Yuhei and Zhang Ziyi. The latter's gaze towards the True Element Palace was filled with disdain and ridicule, while the former was largely indifferent.

"Give a maid an inch, and she thinks she's riding the lap of a dragon for miles," Zhang Ziyi mockingly spat.

Han Yuhei sighingly shrugged, "Act against her then."

"..." Zhang Ziyi went quiet. She clearly wasn't in the best mood. Lin Xianxian becoming Wei Wuyin's maid placed her in a peculiar position, and she wanted nothing more than to deal with her before she could cement herself in his good graces. She didn't consider Wei Wuyin as a simple mortal, and she knew that a position of maid for a powerful figure wasn't to be taken lightly. Even a servant, the San Clan was a prime example of that.

He wasn't simple; he was a Saintmaker, a Grand Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, had an unknown backing that even the Imperial Clan was seemingly cautious towards, and he was talented and strong as a cultivator. Just one of these was enough to give him respect, yet he also had two Earthly Saints and a Fire Phoenix at his beck and call.

And from how he used the Four Extreme Continent's inhabitants to establish those pavilions, the wealth he possessed was astronomical. Thinking of wealth, she couldn't help but recall those rings Wu Yu had. Just thinking of it was salivating.

"What do you think he's doing?" Zhang Ziyi asked. Over the course of these four months, Wei Wuyin had been making great moves in Origin. The Four Extreme Pavilions caused quite a commotion, and even the strength of the sect elevated amongst those at the Astral Core Realm.

For the last four months, there had been at least twenty Realmlords birthed, including three Timelords, and one talented Starlord. This didn't factor the lesser breakthroughs which reached in the tens of thousands. The amount of Astral Tribulations had increased in quantity to an unbelievable degree. What should've taken at least three decades took four months!

Moreover, that Heavenly Seer of his was making all sorts of visits to clans. In fact, there were signs of those in their own faction who had interacted with her. They didn't interfere, but they learned some things. For example, there was a series of oaths sworn and deals made.

Some of those at the table in the True Element Palace had personally met this Heavenly Seer.

"Does it matter?" Han Yuhei indifferently replied.

"...It doesn't?" Zhang Ziyi was slightly baffled.

Han Yuhei looked at the sky, peering into the Dark Void, saying: "It doesn't."

"..." Zhang Ziyi couldn't comprehend Han Yuhei's nihilistic thoughts towards their sect. But when she thought about Wei Wuyin, she couldn't help but feel a little helpless herself. Just Wu Yu was enough to defeat their entire sect, and a single sentence took the life of an Earthly Saint. Another action of his made one!

It truly felt as if he was a terrifying force. Zhang Ziyi couldn't help but feel that Lin Xianxian's newfound status was going to threaten her considerably. If Lin Xianxian grew shameless, even her own life and death might not be hers to decide. She had to figure out a way to secure her position, and she hadn't forgotten that favor Wei Wuyin owed her.

However, Han Yuhei couldn't help but look at Zhang Ziyi's thoughtful appearance. He couldn't help but shake his head internally. Her scheming thoughts were so insignificant to him; it felt so small.

Wei Wuyin had saved Ma Zheng's life that hung on the thinnest of threads and made him an Earthly Saint.

It was almost certain Wu Yu failed his Third Ascension before and survived by sheer luck, yet now he was an Earthly Saint that could tackle their entire sect.

And he wasn't even a hundred years old!

Whatever backing or force he belonged to didn't matter, what mattered was that he had means far beyond their imagination as a mere mortal.

Wei Wuyin's existence was a prelude to an era of change. An era of the greatest change since the King of Everlore. If his talent was remotely as high as that man, this situation wasn't the end but the beginning.

The title Saintmaker wasn't given out casually.

Ma Zheng invested early, and he received immense returns. Han Yuhei was forced to contemplate his own future, and he knew he needed to decide some things. Things that will redefine the direction of his life, and the limits of his cultivation.

"Perhaps even Worldly Saint might not be my limit…"

RUMBLE!

Suddenly, the two felt a tremor shake the entirety of fixed space. Their expressions changed as light burst out from their eyes, unleashing Ocular Spells.

"What's that?" Zhang Ziyi gazed at Origin below, feeling as if the entire space of the world was churning violently inwards.

"Is this a Realm World Astral Tribulation?" Han Yuhei instantly deduced from the unique spatial signature. But the intensity of this spatial signature wasn't anything like normal. It was…

"Is that Wei Wuyin's courtyard?!" Zhang Ziyi exclaimed.

Han Yuhei looked even more intensely. Like an unexpected explosion, his eyes widened as he was met with a scene that plunged him into abject disbelief!

A few minutes before, there were two figures residing in Lin Xianxei's idyllic courtyard. They were Lin Xianxei herself and Lin Ming, whose aura seemed far more sturdy and robust than before, giving off an intense spiritual aura.

He was holding a stable stance with his Origin Spear in hand, his eyes closed, his breathing rhythmic and steady. Standing not too far away, Lin Xianxei observed with calm eyes.

After a while, Lin Ming's aura exploded outwards, causing dust and wind to blow about in chaos. As it slowly calmed down, so did his spiritual aura, and he slowly opened his eyes to see the faintly smiling, extremely beautiful Lin Xianxei.

A warm feeling sieged his heart.

"You've reached the first stage in only four months," she softly sighed in amazement as she continued, "but you still have more work to do." While her first words were praise, the second half was a reminder.

Lin Ming didn't allow his success to cloud his thoughts. He nodded, understanding there was far more left to do. "The Primal Spiritualistic Method is truly profound. To think it can increase one's physiological and mental compatibility with spiritual energies, and elevates Spiritual Strength. Incredible," Lin Ming praised. This method was one of the few cultivation methods he could cultivate from Divine King Han Xei's legacy left behind in the Paramount Jade Sect.

Lin Xianxei nodded with satisfaction.

Lin Ming said with a joyful laugh: "It's mostly because you acquired that high-tier, eighth-grade Spirit Blaze Elixir at the high-quality, otherwise it would've taken me much longer."

"..." Lin Xianxei's faint smile gradually faded. Those words summoned the image of the man that had saved her life with a few words. She felt a wave of inner turmoil. After all, the pill definitely came from him, as she bought it from the Four Extreme Pavilion, and that was led by Si De. It wasn't hard to figure out for her.

Thinking of that incredibly handsome image, and those words of the Grand Seer once again, she strongly inhaled.

"What is it?" Lin Ming was shocked by Lin Xianxei's reaction.

Lin Xianxei snapped out of her thoughts with a deep exhale. "Nothing," she replied, trying to regain her smile.

"..." Lin Ming felt something wasn't right.

RUMBLE!

Suddenly, it felt as if the fixed space of the entire world experienced a harsh tremor. They felt it even more intensely, their bodies shaking and their Astral Souls releasing faint strands of refined spatial energies without their orders, an instinctual reaction!

"A Realm World Astral Tribulation?" Lin Xianxei felt it immediately, her eyes blazing with white light as she looked in a specific direction. How could a Realm World Astral Tribulation feel so…massive?!