Paragon of Sin

"Are you confident?" Liu Suyin asked Wei Wuyin. They had left the coliseum after it closed, following Tian Xiaolu to her residence in the academy alongside the accompanying Cao Cuifen. As Tian Xiaolu was a Dao Instructor, she was given a piece of land and a palace that she could use freely in the academy. There were certain obligations for various benefits, however. For example, if one wanted a piece of land in the Voyage Academy of Myriad Transformations, they had to swear an oath to perform at least three classes of their field of specialty once a decade, lasting upwards to a week. 

Tian Xiaolu had already completed this task, and from how well-regarded everyone treated her as she walked by, with those with lust brimming in their eyes even showing restraint and respect despite her Astral Core Realm cultivation base, it was evident she had earned this right through her efforts. 

Another example was having a private alchemy chamber with a set of specialized formations and an overall array beneficial to concoctions or cultivation established by Earthly Saints, and this required ninth-grade products to be exchanged for certain time limits. Despite the upper limits of the cultivation base in the World Between the Fold being extremely high, with the three City Lords having Worldly Saint Phase cultivation, at the Fifth Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, the value of ninth-grade products was still extremely valuable. 

The trek to Tian Xiaolu's residence was abnormally long. Wei Wuyin felt an urge to fly, breaking the rules with how much time was being wasted through this walking bullshit. His irritation was reflected by all four of his Astral Souls, with Kratos trying to madly persuade Wei Wuyin to simply use Void Arts to travel.

Despite his tumultuous emotions towards walking, he resisted this urge with all his might, ignoring Kratos and the rest. He glanced at Liu Suyin, her frigid personality was taking more initiative and willingly too. He felt that the woman he first met outside the summit would've kept that question to herself, not even deigning to talk to Wei Wuyin unless absolutely necessary. 

"Confident? Of winning? Haaa…she has an Alchemic Soul…I'm actually shaking a little," Wei Wuyin held out his trembling hand, his expression ill at ease. Cao Cuifen was walking by Liu Suyin, who seemed to position herself between her and Wei Wuyin, and she looked over to see Wei Wuyin's hand trembling.

Her brows furrowed slightly but soon eased immensely. 

Liu Suyin knew that this match would decide if Wei Wuyin would be able to directly share the inheritance within the Pure Excellence Cauldron! This was the cauldron left behind by the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint, a Worldly Saint Alchemist! It was a blessing for any alchemist, and while Qingye Ying could 'teach' Wei Wuyin what she learned from it, how long would it take her to develop to the point that she could properly disseminate the legacy? 

Cultivation is difficult. 

A fundamental truth and one of the main reasons this was the case was the abnormal difficulty in relaying information to others unless you've fully ascended beyond a certain point. A Saint Alchemist can raise a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist with ease, Tian Xiaolu was evidence of this, but a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist would find it extremely, abnormally, almost impossibly difficult to raise a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist without them having incredible talent. 

This was why, despite the tens of thousands of years since the society of the Sealed Region was capable of producing Mortal Sovereign Alchemists, less than two hundred and fifty Mortal Sovereign Alchemists exist today, and only three Saint Alchemists. 

Liu Suyin's expression subtly changed. She realized that while Wei Wuyin was a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, the disciple of the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint was far from the same as those other Mortal Sovereign Alchemists in the Sealed Regions or the academy. She was trained and instructed by a genuine Alchemic Saint! 

"Haha," Wei Wuyin heartedly chuckled. His hand instantly stopped its fearful tremors as he looked at Tian Xiaolu. She took to the front, escorting them from a few meters ahead, with Qingye Ying at her side. "We'll just have to wait and see." 

"Wait and see…" Liu Suyin didn't feel reassured by this, but what could she do? 

"Alchemic Talent can only get you so far, so please take this seriously. Dao Instructor Tian has a genuine Alchemic Soul, and her cultivation base is extremely refined." Qingye Ying slowed down and entered their group, walking beside Wei Wuyin. She warned, her expression laden with anxiety. 

Despite her shift in attitude towards Wei Wuyin, even containing innate politeness and respect, everyone could feel that she believed Wei Wuyin was inferior to Tian Xiaolu. In Qingye Ying's mind, Tian Xiaolu was extremely talented and skilled in the Dao of Alchemy. Tian Xiaolu was a genuine Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, and she merely got lucky due to her inexperience from age, allowing her to seize a tie. 

Wei Wuyin didn't respond, only revealing a slight smile. 

After an hour and a half, they finally arrived at a plot of undeveloped land with a freshly constructed palace. It was clear that Tian Xiaolu had just recently obtained this land and she had little intention of developing it. There weren't even seeds planted in the garden spaces meant to beautify the place with flowers or rich greenery. 

The path there was barren, not a single blade of grass in the desolate dirt. Despite that, the dirt was rich in earthen energies, and a network was beneath it that periodically infused water energies into the dirt, meant to water the plant life that should've been here. A pity. 

They entered the palace and discovered a bland décor, minimalistic to the extreme, with a few chairs and tables, no paintings, busts, or sculptures of any type. Even the walls were dull white, it felt like the default color of a newly constructed palace. 

"So empty…" Cao Cuifen commented as there was so much unoccupied space in a palace's main hall capable of housing hundreds with ease. It felt eerily uncomfortable having so much open space. 

"Do you feel a chill? Scary…" Qingye Ying felt herself shiver, crossing her arms against her chest. The dim lighting and chill made this place feel haunted. The windows were opaque and restricted light, causing shimmers of strange shadows to form. 

Liu Suyin didn't voice her own thoughts, but her eyes revealed a wisp of discomfort that bled through her indifference. If it wasn't for her spiritual sense, she would mostly be blind here. 

Tian Xiaolu seemed to ignore their comments and reactions, stopped at the ascending stairs, and turned around. Her gaze lingered on Liu Suyin for a moment, and then said: "We'll conduct the Swift Dao Clash here." 

Wei Wuyin noticed that she stopped just short of the stairs. Was she planning to give them an empty house tour? 

Wei Wuyin thought for a moment, his eyes roamed on the few chairs and tables here. They were all of a certain type and size, and they felt very bare and suited for just their functions. He observed the dull white color a little and realized the paint was slightly fresh. In comparison, the palace itself was certainly a few months older. 

"Wow!" Wei Wuyin exclaimed as he walked towards the walls, eyeing the paint with an intrigued gaze. "Such a rare shade of white here, it's quite soothing to look at." He nodded to himself, causing the others to look at him strangely. Wasn't this just the default color of the palace? What were you praising it for? 

Tian Xiaolu's expression changed for a brief moment, returning to normal almost instantly.

Wei Wuyin didn't mind their looks, walking towards the chairs and table. "Made of deadwood, sturdy yet bereft of wood energies, while the structure is simplistic and purposeful. No excess." He sat down, upright and with a firm seating posture, and nodded again. "This is a great place to read, think, write, and cultivate—no distractions." 

"..." Cao Cuifen, Liu Suyin, and Qingye Ying were stunned into silence. This place felt as if ghosts dwelled here, absent of life entirely. Who could read here?

"A place that restrains the glaring light, absence of foreign energies, and is pure in its minimalized atmosphere. A good design," Wei Wuyin praisingly said and stood up, a refreshed look on his face. "Good place to do the Swift Dao Clash. When will we begin, Dao Instructor Tian?" With a satisfied smile, Wei Wuyin asked Tian Xiaolu. She was staring at him in silence, no one could tell what she was thinking.

After a long while, Tian Xiaolu answered: "We'll begin now." She waved her hand and created a thin dividing line in the room, one side belonged to Wei Wuyin and the other belonged to her. "The product we'll use will be a Yin-Yang Essence Pill. In three days, whoever concocts the best Yin-Yang Essence Pill will be the winner." 

The Yin-Yang Essence Pill was a fifth-grade product suitable for Yin Form, Yang Growth, and False Reality Phase cultivators, capable of nurturing yin energies, yang energies, and giving one the experience of how it feels to merge the two together, a vital requirement to the False Reality Phase of the Qi Condensation Realm and obtaining the power of Creation.

"I have a request," Wei Wuyin raised his hand as if in a class.