Paragon of Sin

Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, Moonfall Starfield.

A starfield with no star, only a single Lunar Satellite called 'Moon'. It was ranked the lowest out of all the nineteen remaining starfields within the stellar region. It had sixteen planets across its domain, and they were all small-sized. It was smaller than most domains in other locations, such as the Ninestar Starfield and the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Despite this, the forces of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region regarded it as a starfield and respected its territory. There were even three Mortal Sovereign Alchemists residing there.

Why?

The Moonfall Lunar Queen was terrifying!

She had created a single moon in her lifetime, and it had the unique power of absorbing solar essence from across starfields and exuding a richly refined lunar essence throughout the starfield. No formation or array could stop it. More importantly, no one dared to prohibit it from absorbing solar essence, not even the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor. 

Their reputation could be described in a single word: Arrogant. 

No, there was a second word, too: Weak. 

Actually, there was also a third word: Poor!

The Moonfall Starfield was unbelievably weak in comparison to every other starfield. While they had the Moon and the Moonfall Lunar Queen, they had an extremely small pool of prospective talents, they had an even smaller source of resources, their economy was in complete shambles, and the Moonfall Lunar Queen only created a single celestial body and refused to allow a Solar Star or World Realm to be created in her space.

During the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit, the Eternal Monarch Sect was mistaken by an older Ascended cultivator as being a part of the Moonfall Starfield solely due to their name. The dissatisfaction and disdain in his voice were evident to everyone. Just this was enough for one to understand their horrible reputation. 

While they had issues, their population was relatively peaceful for a cultivation society. Under the leadership of the Moonfall Lunar Queen, they could live without fear of external threats and simply kept to themselves. Moreover, few would dare try to invade because it had the largest population of Stellar Rain. In fact, it was extremely dangerous to traverse the Dark Void of the Moonfall Starfield. Fortunately, the Moonfall Lunar Queen had methods to pacify Stellar Rain for her people, creating a shroud of mystery around her.

On one of the sixteen planets, a young girl, no more than twelve, was peeling a pear-like fruit for her little baby brother who seemed to be at least one or two years old. She was dressed in farm-girl attire, with traces of dirt between her nails and cheeks. The little boy was standing and walking unsteadily as if practicing to walk. At times, he would fall into the mud and giggle cheerfully as if falling was just as fun as walking. 

Suddenly, the boy's cheeks felt a hot new feeling on the back of his neck. He turned his little head and big eyes up, and the radiance of the Moon had grown by at least half. "Wah! Si-Big Sis!" The boy might be small, but he could speak out names and titles when referring to his family. 

"Woah!" The girl lifted her eyes, her pupils enlarging as the radiant light suffused her sight. She had lost herself in the beauty of lunar light.  "Mom! MOM! The Moon!" She cried out only to find that her parents were already beside them, staring at the Moon in awe. They seemed to have lost themselves as well.

This happened across the Moonfall Starfield to countless of its inhabitants. 

On the Moon, a silver-robed figure walked across the lone environment barefoot. From the curves, both from above and below, including the painted toes and nails, it was clear that this was a woman. She looked up at the Dark Void. The direction she gazed upon had a sparkling new light. Even from where she was, she could feel its warmth and harmony. 

"How?" She asked a single question and then took a step forward. She turned into a streak of silver light that shot across the Dark Void! Her destination? The new star!

-----

Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, Ninestar Starfield. 

Countless Ascended beings had flown beyond their planet's atmosphere, entering the Dark Void; every last one of them was staring in a single direction! 

The Soul Saint King was amongst them, hovering within the Soul-Saint Domain's Dark Void. His lime-green eyes were suffused with spiritual light, and his expression carried a frown infused with curiosity, uncertainty, and a little dread.

Woosh!

A beautiful woman arrived beside him. She was Yue Lixiang—Yue Songli's mother! After revealing herself as an Earthly Saint to defend her daughter against Trueborn, she was given the title of Soul-Breaking Saint and the status of a Soul Monarch, taking over the former Domain of the Soul-Rising Saint. 

She was the first, but not the last. Soon, seven different lights flashed around the Soul Saint King, and they all stared at the radiant glow in the far, far distance! Nine Earthly Saints! They gawked and glared at this newfound event. 

"What is it? A star?" The Soul Erupting Saint asked with a tense expression. It had to be extremely large to be seen from here! It was really, really far away! 

"Impossible. It just appeared out of nowhere…" the Soul Waking Saint said unconfidently. She was the newest and most recently ascended Earthly Saint out of the nine, taking over the position of Soul Monarch from the Soul Enlightening Saint, who was caught as a Trueborn spy, allowing them to freely enter and capture Yue Songli, bypassing the oaths, and then left without a trace.

There were rumors that the Armored Saint and another cloaked figure fought during this turbulent time, but no one could verify the end result. That said, the Soul Enlightenment Saint's life talisman had similarly vanished, so it was impossible to determine his life or death.

The last few decades had been quite turbulent for the Ninestar Sainthall, but they remained extremely strong. 

"Or it was hidden until now," Yue Lixiang pointed out, and the rest went silent. The Soul Saint King hadn't spoken, but everyone here was waiting for his orders! While the hierarchy of the Ninestar Sainthall was complex, when events like this happened, they defaulted to a very simple rule: the strongest decide!

"Let's go," the Soul Saint King coldly ordered. He didn't bring any Voidships; he simply took off! The rest glanced at each other, but they understood the Soul Saint King's thoughts. They summoned their Earthly Saint-level Mystic Power and, with a burst of Mystic Aura, followed closely along. Yue Lixiang frowned as she was the last to leave, giving her Soul-Breaking Domain a look. 

Her daughter should be safe. And now she needed to ensure that whatever this was, whatever it could be, she would remain safe. With a light breath, she left! 

-----

Across the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, top-tier forces and Earthly Saints, even some Demi-Mortal Lords, began to set out to the distant Heptasage Pillar Stellar Region to investigate this sudden event! 

As they got closer, these Ascended beings started to realize that this radiant light was indeed a star, and it was emitting indescribably intense solar essence! Moreover, there were traces of the Mystic Dao infused within, and there was a strange feeling to it.

Unlike the Aeternal Sky Star, whose solar essence was refined, purified, and filtered through the Mystic Radiance Belt, thereby infusing solar essence with Mystic Intent, this solar essence seemed both Mortal and Mystic compatible by default. No Mystic Radiance Belt was surrounding this star, yet the solar essence could be refined into either astral-grade energies or mystic-grade energies with complete ease by any cultivator of any stage and with any spirit.

Usually, planets or continental flat earths needed Sky Layers to filter and dilute the mystic-graded solar essence to obtain astral essence. This severely limited the development of planets dependent on how much mystic-graded solar essence was let through. However, the solar essence here seemed to have already been thoroughly refined and was completely unaffected by the Dark Void's Chaos Mana!

This was simply unheard of!

-----

"It's huge!" Zhang Ziyi was flying through the Dark Void beside Han Yuhei. Their Mystic Auras were much stronger than thirty years ago, and they both seemed to have advanced in cultivation base by a step or two. Within Zhang Ziyi's eyes floated three Mystic Runes; she had reached the 3rd Runic Ascendant stage in a few decades! This was unprecedented! 

Despite her advancement, she didn't hide it at all! 

"Indeed," Han Yuhei's eyes grew solemn. The closer they got, the more he realized that it wasn't just huge; this thing was utterly massive! 

-----

Several blazing lights flashed across the Dark Void together, but a particular silver light stood out among their numbers.

"Can a Solar Star even be so thick?" Huoyan Liulan curiously asked Ma Zheng who was beside her. In terms of age and knowledge, she wasn't so delusional to believe she exceeded her husband. Despite not having an official ceremony, she already considered Ma Zheng hers and vice versa. Moreover, she didn't hold back in reminding him whenever they had time, even bringing him to the Hexaflame Starfield. If it wasn't for this event, she would've continued to 'remind' him. 

Ma Zheng's eyes were unreadable, but he replied: "Since a Supermassive Solar Star like the Aeternal Sky Star exists, so can larger ones. After all, there are Absolute Stars."

"But how did it appear so suddenly? Was it really part of an ancient World Realm that recently collapsed?" This was the most logical theory floating among Earthly Saints! Considering the location was where the Seven Sages Tower once was and what started the Wars of Fallen Stars. Many believed the War of Fallen Stars had depleted the various Stellar Regions' resources of natural Solar Star, converting them into the Echoing Stars of the Vastness Pill!

Could it have been that some of them were funneled into a private Solar Star project? Kept secret? 

Pope Huoyan was slightly ahead, but he slowed himself down as he arrived beside Ma Zheng. His aged eyes probed Ma Zheng. His eyes spoke a thousand words, yet he said not a single one.

Ma Zheng gave him a look, and his expression slightly changed.

Pope Huoyan's eyes flashed, and he nodded. He didn't ask anything; he simply shot ahead once again and left the two to their conversation. 

"..." Ma Zheng.

"What did Grandfather want?" She was speaking in familial terms, but besides a few glances, no one told her off. Did this woman already think she was married off? No longer a part of the Inferno Solaris Church? But when they thought of the strength Ma Zheng had revealed over the last few decades, they didn't dare to instruct her otherwise. 

"...to know if Alchemic Sovereign Wei is involved." Ma Zheng answered honestly through a concealed transmission. 

"Is he?" Huoyan Liulan was unrestrained in seeking answers. 

However, Ma Zheng didn't answer her this time. Regardless, he knew that this star was bound to cause an unimaginable conflict if it wasn't owned by Trueborn, the Imperial Clan, or Wei Wuyin. Perhaps…even if it was, it could still lead to a conflict…