Paragon of Sin

The strike was abrupt, and despite all his intelligence gathering, there was never an indication that Trueborn's intentions were three Starfields of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. However, hindsight was twenty-twenty, and Wei Wuyin could now see the signs that were as obvious as can be. The attack and migration were an act of preparation for a siege and station operation.

The Great Desolate Starfield(6th), Beyond Light Starfield(9th), and Verdant Paradise Starfield(19th) were all neighbors separated by Void-Blank Space, and with the Great Blue Starfield(20th) and All-Fury Starfield(8th), they formed a type of pentagram-shaped structure, all closer to each other than the other starfields by a considerable distance. 

For an average Voidship's top speed, it would take at least three whole months to cross each starfield's Void-Blank Space without stopping—border-to-border; without using Void Gates, it would take at least two years minimum to go to the other nearest starfields. Their locations relative to the Supermassive Solar Star, the Aeternal Sky Solar Star, could easily be guessed based on their rankings, with the Verdant Paradise Starfield(19th) and the Great Blue Starfield(20th) being at the furthest distance from the Aeternal Sky Starfield, while the Great Desolate Starfield was the closest, directly neighboring the Aeternal Sky Starfield.

This was a strategic location that Wei Wuyin had eyed before, so he knew full well the benefits of seizing it. 

"But why?" Wei Wuyin wasn't bothered by them delivering a decisive blow to the three starfields, conquering them, and establishing strongholds without pause, but why did they do so? Trueborn was a clandestine organization with unclear motives and hooks attached to many forces, both openly and discreetly. It was hard to think they'd lose that anonymity and elusiveness for three starfields. 

"..." Wei Wuyin began to ruminate for a lengthy period; the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region had a complex astronomical orientation that wasn't as two-dimensional as planets, composed of solar stars, lunar satellites, and planets. The Aeternal Sky Starfield acted as the nucleus of the Stellar Region by a neutral default, and if neighbors were considered by proximity, then the Aeternal Sky Starfield had seven of them divided by Void-Blank Space of varying depths.

The Great Desolate Starfield was one of them. 

"Prelude to a proper declaration of war?" The possibility of Trueborn intending to declare war against the Aeternal Sky Starfield was there, but…

"The last core node they seek wouldn't be close to the last one near the Aeternal Sky Starfield; they had already destroyed the one closest to them in their recent attack. They should know this, so why? The last core node isn't located in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region." Wei Wuyin had the memories of his alternate self who had become the Void Voyage Sect Master by force and was thus privy to extensive knowledge of the Sealing Array's vulnerability and functions. While this wasn't given knowledge, the debonair version of himself was in heavy pursuit of knowledge to escape his predicament. 

He had a good idea of where the last core node was, and it should be outside the borders of what's defined as the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. If his other self's guess was correct, it was somewhere at the edge of the Sealed Regions. 

Trueborn's goal had never been to conquer but to shatter the Sealing Array; it didn't make sense for Trueborn to declare war against the Aeternal Sky Starfield and likely all of its allied forces without a specific purpose that suited that goal. In fact, it was detrimental to their plans should they do so. Furthermore, he was acutely aware that Trueborn's hooks hadn't grasped every top-tier organization.

Despite his knowledge of two lives, he couldn't quite grasp their thought process. He kept reading the messages in an attempt to glean something useful to formulate a reasonable theory. The next important message came from Wu Yu again, and it caused him to smile in amusement.

"Young Lord, there was an attempt to siege the Great Blue Starfield that involved five Earthly Saints, fifty Highlords, and two thousand Venerables. However, after Ma Zheng and I showed ourselves, they fled despite having the numbers advantage. It seemed they planned to assault the Great Blue Starfield as well but turned tail after seeing us. They fled fast, so I wasn't able to reduce their strength. Unfortunately, they have completely turtled themselves in the three starfields. However, if you receive this, by your order, I can lead an assault team to deal with their strongholds and root them out entirely." Wu Yu's voice was incredibly domineering, brimming with confidence. It seemed their last assault was exciting for Wu Yu.

"Trueborn doesn't want to fight against me, or did they simply retreat because any losses were intolerable? The more I learn, the less I can comprehend their intent. Since I've made my intentions clear about war, they should've launched an offensive to eliminate Wu Yu and harm Ma Zheng. Strange." This event showed that they didn't just want three starfields but likely all five. But why didn't they attack the fifth starfield—All-Fury Starfield? 

"Ah!" Wei Wuyin realized how and why the assault was so sudden and coordinated without any actionable signs of the strike. They had long since completely conquered the All-Fury Starfield, and it was likely their base of operations within the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. This allowed them to quietly establish Void Gates at crucial locations and use them to place their units without alerting anyone at the quickest speed. 

"They have Void Energy Talismans, so their Void Gates should be able to bypass restrictive starfield-wide formations. Dangerous," Wei Wuyin thought. This was a strategic advantage that he possessed as well with Void Anchors. 

"Young Lord Wei, there's been a development; the organization that's conquered the three starfields of the Pentastar Cluster is attempting to open a line of communication with the Golden Life Pavilion. They seem to be seeking a business contract to maintain the Golden Life Pavilion's imports, exports, and businesses, desiring to pre-order certain products and resources within their territory. They even offered to voluntarily add a thirteen-percent additional tax to their purchases for the next decade." Ma Zheng spoke; his voice carried a hint of grimness that Wei Wuyin easily pinpointed. 

"I'll await your thoughts on the topic before making any decision. Until then, I'll stop all operations of the Golden Life Pavilion and keep the members on standby." 

The Pentastar Cluster was the name used to describe the five neighboring Starfields that were shaped in a pentagram in the starry sky of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region from almost every angle. 

Two days after that message: "The unknown organization, which I strongly believe to be Trueborn, has decided to announce something in three days. The entire world will be watching.

"...I'm uncertain when you'll get this message. Wu Yu and I investigated the Desolate Dragnet Stellar Region, but it turned into a land of death that even I don't dare to enter. We found the spiritual transmissions we've sent lingering at the edge but considering their idle nature, it seemed they were waiting for you to receive them.

"I searched for your armored Earthly Saint and found him in the Ninestar Starfield, and when I inquired about your situation, he said you were currently preoccupied but alive, and he didn't seem too worried, so perhaps I shouldn't be either, but I do hope you extricate yourself safely from whatever you're endeavoring.

"Also, Grand Knight Wu Yu is quite a domineering figure. He likely hasn't made a report, but he chased, no, hunted a group until they returned to the protection of their arrays. I can see why you chose him as an Alchemic Knight, a valiant figure indeed." Ma Zheng's message ended here.

Wei Wuyin felt warmth suffusing his heart. While Ma Zheng had invested in him early on and received exceptional returns as a result, Wei Wuyin felt that Ma Zheng was someone he could genuinely call a reliable ally and friend. At the very least, there was a kind of mutual trust and belief that both had in each other. 

It was different from his other relationships because Ma Zheng had never explicitly submitted to him. Ma Zheng operated the Golden Life Pavilion as a separate entity, a power that he wielded, and only assisted as much as possible. It was clear that Ma Zheng was a deeply prideful figure that refused to surrender his efforts to another. Still, he was willing to form a tight cooperation without hesitation and devote his fullest to it.

A sign of a good business partner.

This was the basis on which genuine friendships formed, not a type of subordinate-master relationship. 

The following message read: 

"The announcement…I can't believe it, but they've merged the four Starfields as one. Furthermore, they've declared themselves a World Sect—the Unchained Heart Sect. Their starfield will now be named the Born True Starfield!"

"..." Wei Wuyin's eyes constricted slightly. They're actually doing this? They're putting themselves out in the open and establishing a World Sect! The next Superpower of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region! 

The Unchained Heart Sect! 

Wei Wuyin's eyes soon regained their calm, and a smirk slowly surfaced on his face. 

Bai Lin, feeling his simmering killing intent, asked excitedly: "Where to next?!" 

Wei Wuyin laughingly answered, "To find out why the change, and then…to kill!"