Paragon of Sin

"..." The trio was tense in body, mind, and spirit; Wei Wuyin had given them only three days to recover before deciding to place them in a trial of life and death, something that they wouldn't have remotely taken seriously just an hour earlier. However, Wei Wuyin, a mere mortal at the Timelord level, had overturned their beliefs with a heaven-defying battle power. 

This was talented! 

They had heard the stories of Tian Yinwu, the seventh son of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor, and his astounding talent and strength. While he was merely at the Sky Ruler Phase, using his ingenuity and cultivated strengths, he defeated a Realmlord at the age of thirty! Thirty!

Despite his humble origins as a son of a concubine of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor, only accepted as the Seventh Son as his talents were revealed, he had developed to the extent he had and was widely considered as a heaven-shaking talent that had a chance of becoming the next Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor should he continue his momentum. 

Venerable Slayingsword and Venerable Bluecloud repeatedly exchanged wary glances as the former held his wife gently, infusing her with wisps of his mystic energy to stimulate consciousness. Kun Yiming soon woke up, notably confused by what happened, and when she was told about Wei Wuyin's actions of treating their disconcerted efforts and resulting pounding as a warm-up to ensure they took him seriously, she didn't know how to feel.

A mere mortal.

It was really hard to break one's mind out of a long-held belief of innate superiority. As Ascended beings, they could destroy planets, ending tens of billions of lives in an instant should they wish; they could conjure Solar Stars, create planets, reverse time, traverse the Dark Void without protection, and command authority that vastly exceeded what mortals can wield.

Just her clan, the Kun Clan, was a leader of trillions of lives and controlled World Realms and fully-developed planets that produced countless resources, providing them reverence and power. They were called Ascended—beings who have transcended beyond their mortal coils and limitations, a type of existence that few had the luxury to enter in relation to the overall population. 

They were special. 

They were different.

Yet, they, beings who have ascended beyond the Mortal Dao, were crushed so one-sidedly that she doubted her own existence, and by a mortal no less. It was a difficult fact to reconcile, even bringing into question if they were genuinely strong or simply too weak, unworthy of their thousands of years of cultivation. 

"Lord Wei isn't…normal," Venerable Slayingsword consoled his wife, seeing her internally struggle to accept this reality. None of them could be considered 'ordinary' amongst Soul of Mysticism Phase cultivators; Kun Yiming was even approached by Trueborn, indicating that her strength and talent were higher than the world's average, and not by a small amount. While he was a Sword Cultivator with the ability to, using his everything and given the right opportunity, slay a Demi-Mortal Lord with his sharpened edge. Venerable Bluecloud neared the Demi-Mortal Lord Phase, infinitely close, and was a bonafide Spirit-type Cultivator with superior mastery over Spiritual Spells that could bewilder Demi-Mortal Lords. 

They weren't ordinary! 

"I…I know," Kun Yiming looked away, hiding her innate shame. She couldn't even escape from a Worldly Domain's territory. She was proud of her speed and her bewildering illusory powers were outstanding, yet Wei Wuyin caught up time and time again and continuously obtained advantage after advantage until she fell to his ploy, instantly used as a meatshield. 

"..." Venerable Bluecloud remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed.

Venerable Slayingsword realized his wife was at a crossroads, his well-intended thoughts unable to soothe her in the slightest. He quietly clenched his right fist. Was his sword's edge so weak? 

"Old Ma-Grandfather, I-" He was about to speak to Venerable Bluecloud, his tone growing slightly softer as he intended to ask a favor, but Venerable Bluecloud looked at him with a strange gaze, causing him to be taken aback. The old man moved, touched his chest, and then his eyes emanated a faint radiance. Taken aback, Venerable Slayingsword was about to remove his hand when the old man spoke out.

"Sense your body," he instructed with a tone that brooked no argument. 

Venerable Slayingsword was momentarily stunned before he did as he was told, finding a strange wisp of World Aura circulating through his body. "His World Pressure infected me?" A heavy expression surged through his mind as he felt a soft hand touch his upper chest, belonging to Kun Yiming, as she sensed his body's condition. 

"...he did something similar to me." Kun Yiming commented disgruntled and aggrieved. Wei Wuyin had somehow shifted her through space without her noticing in a literal instant, and she was brought to act as a shield, slicing all over. Fortunately, Venerable Slayingsword had calmed down the latent sword light within her wounds, allowing her to heal the superficial cuts. As a woman, her physical appearance was important, hence why she looked in her twenties despite being thousands of years old. "It's probably a tactic to be used during our upcoming fight."

"Infected…" Venerable Bluecloud muttered to himself. Then, he inspected himself again and felt increasingly strange. Just as he was pondering, Venerable Slayingsword was about to circulate his traces of remaining Mystic Power to expel this World Aura.

"I'll help," Kun Yiming said.

Abruptly, Venerable Bluecloud urgently shouted: "Don't!" His expression was fearful as he gripped Kun Yiming's hand, pulling it away, and causing her expression to change as she grimaced in pain.

"You dare to touch my wife?! Fuck you, Old Man!" Venerable Slayingsword yelled, already riled by the feeling of weakness and defeat, yet seeing his wife harmed had nearly pushed him to the edge. He held his hilt, hostility flaring in his eyes.

Pah! 

Venerable Slayingsword received a hard slap! 

"Idiot! Don't forget who's your grandfather, I swear!" A light of rage also emanated from Venerable Bluecloud, causing both husband and wife to be thoroughly stunned. Out of the three, Venerable Bluecloud was barely injured or exhausted. They simply weren't his match.

"How did your father and mother fail to raise you properly? Inspect yourself thoroughly—don't destroy this opportunity bestowed by the Lord." Venerable Bluecloud shouted and explained, looking at Kun Yiming with a wisp of pity. He didn't sense anything in her body, likely due to her actions that displeased Lord Wei earlier. 

"...What?" Venerable Slayingsword was unable to react properly for a while, feeling the heat on his face. He hadn't been slapped since he was a rebelling youth, and a wisp of bitter nostalgia flashed in his eyes. But then he gritted his teeth, grimly staring at Venerable Bluecloud as he inspected his body. 

"If I don't se-" Venerable Slayingsword was about to threaten to secure some face back, but his pupils began to shake as he felt the World Aura closer. It wasn't World Pressure, but a type of unique World Will that was infused into his meridians and flowed through his body, slowly circulating like a viscous liquid that was trying to reach his Dantian where his Mystic Soul resided. 

"World Aura? World Heart Intent?" He was increasingly baffled as remnants of this unimaginably profound power were in his body. Was it infused in the continuously forceful World Pressure that Wei Wuyin exerted? 

Venerable Bluecloud nodded solemnly, "I didn't sense it before, but the Lord's blows went through my Mystic Ward, impacting my physique. I feel latent alchemical energies at the mystic-grade inside my body. I think…I think he infused refined traces of a mixture of Mystic-Earth Products into my meridians and acupuncture points with chaos mana."

Kun Yiming was baffled, "What?! Why?" 

Venerable Slayingsword wasn't slow, so he immediately realized what Wei Wuyin intended. World Aura? This wasn't just a beating, but an opportunity! He looked towards his grandfather, rampant excitement leaked from his eyes. 

Venerable Bluecloud was also unable to contain his excitement either, exchanging heated gazes with this grandson of his. "I heard the Lord had mastered Elemental Heart Intent, and from his Worldly Domain's energy signature, it was mostly composed of Elemental Origin Aura, so it seems it's true.

"If I refine the energy in my body, I might be able to strengthen my physique enough to…challenge the next stage." Venerable Bluecloud said as he sensed the various energies intermixed in his body.

Three days?

To recover?

Venerable Slayingsword's eyes brightened considerably. The World Aura had traces of unrefined mental and spiritual energy, waiting for him to slowly refine it into his Sea of Consciousness, and likely grasp World Heart Intent! If he could do so, then he would…

It soon dawned on Kun Yiming that what Wei Wuyin had left behind the two was abnormally exceptional. She instinctively sensed her body yet found no change. Disappointment surged through her pupils. Was it because of her actions? 

Venerable Slayingsword had always been attuned with his wife's mental state, paying attention to it, and despite his raving excitement, he caught the glint in her eyes. Instinctively, he consoled her with a few words and a gentle rub of her shoulder. This was merely an opportunity, not a certainty.

When he did so, his finger uncontrolled moved by itself, nearly causing him to jump. He looked at her back, finding two fueled wings that glinted with silver. There was a faint radiance of grayish light. 

"Your Silverflow Wings…" Venerable Slayingsword pointed out, causing Kun Yiming to bring her wings to the front, seeing its faint grey radiance. It was infecting the spatial materials the wings were composed of…

Venerable Bluecloud's attention shifted to the wings. He faintly smiled, "I see; he didn't intend to give you any type of improvement opportunity but helped you externally." This was a type of punishment, but definitely all done to suit his goal—a better fight.

Venerable Slayingsword's confidence experienced a slight jump after seeing the Silverflow Wings have some changes. His eyes glinted as he confidently said, "We can't let the Lord's efforts go to waste. We have three days!" He no longer felt the slightest trace of frustration from Wei Wuyin or Venerable Bluecloud after realizing this heaven-defying fortune. World Heart Intent! What swordsman didn't desire Sword Heart Intent? 

The trio became increasingly aware that Wei Wuyin was no mere mortal, from power, means, wealth, or skill—he was their Lord! 

-----

Wei Wuyin arrived at the entrance of the Original Dawn Palace on Bai Lin's back, looking back to see the extremely far trio huddled together basking in their discoveries. He revealed a faint grin, "Don't disappoint me."