Paragon of Sin

Freedom!

A word that was craved by many; the existence of the Sealed Regions had more or less been made known by Trueborn's ill-intended decision to avoid Wei Wuyin's suppression, and this spread of information generated a wave of desire for freedom. However, to those like Cao Cuifen and some of the true elites, this word had existed in their hearts since the beginning. 

Wei Wuyin's mind stirred as he knew that this desire was propelling the motives of many behind the scenes, even if he wasn't aware of them. The Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor was certainly fighting for his freedom with sly designs and manipulative tactics. In his life, to eke out any opening, he was using anyone and everyone as a chess piece.

From a figure such as Xun Yicao to his own Empress, Wei Wuyin didn't fault him for his decisions. Every cultivator fought for something if not freedom, then power; if not power, then authority; if not authority, then vengeance; if not vengeance, then ambition; if not…

The list could go on and on without end. Since everyone was fighting for something, Wei Wuyin wouldn't carelessly judge one's tactics to achieve that. This was the reason why he never disrespected Trueborn's goals, only their existence. Even he was fighting for something—to live. And not simply to live but to live a life that his eldest brother would be proud of.

Cao Cuifen grew emotional, her slender fingers clutched at the armrests of her chair a little tighter, and her eyes grew hazy. "It was my opportunity, so I took it." Her eyes cleared up slightly, and her pupils reflected Wei Wuyin's gaze, which was equal parts solemn and comforting. 

She exhaled a wad of turbid air before continuing: "This opportunity, you might have guessed, was the Myriad Transformations Alchemist Saint's legacy. Moreover, while I may be an Alchemic Saint, it must be understood that this doesn't automatically make me far better than the other Dao Instructors in regards to Mortal-grade alchemical product concoctions." She paused awkwardly, then helplessly sighed: "I'm getting ahead of myself; I did participate in the Swift Dao Clashes, but I lost. Before that, I decided to ensure that I had an opportunity to vie for the cauldron or an avenue to obtain it.

"I used my connections and found Sky Zenith's disciple, Tian Xiaolu, and I made a deal with her. In exchange for safe passage into the Endless Void Realm as well as a temporary cover for her identity, including an escape route, she would participate in the competition for the legacy. Then, she'd have to ensure that the result was a tie." Cao Cuifen explained her plan, and Wei Wuyin's eyes shone with light.

This explained why and how Tian Xiaolu was present at the competition and how a tie was achieved despite the statistical implausibility. Moreover, Cao Cuifen was indeed completely aware of the circumstances of a tie and its laws. It was she who nudged Wei Wuyin to participate, including informing him that the youngest alchemist had priority to challenge. 

Suddenly, Wei Wuyin frowned. 

Cao Cuifen felt her heart shiver slightly, and a wave of anxiety surged across her body as she instinctively knew that Wei Wuyin had discovered it. He had discovered the truth of her plan. The crux that it all relied on, especially since she failed.

She hastily explained, "I was desperate." But this explanation only caused Wei Wuyin's frown to grow deeper and his eyes to become increasingly darker. 

"..." Wei Wuyin.

"..." Cao Cuifen.

"Qiao Leng?" Wei Wuyin's gaze met Cao Cuifen's bright green eyes. She nodded, her lips pursed, her eyes lowered, and her fingers tensed. Qiao Leng was the youngest Dao Instructor, and he had priority rights. When Tian Xiaolu had deliberately fixed the match to be a tie, he would have priority to receive the legacy. 

Wei Wuyin recalled that handsome Mortal Sovereign Alchemist and his gleeful look as he tried to palm Cao Cuifen's lower back intimately, including the warning the Dao Instructor she was an assistant for had given her on that day. She had evaded his touch expertly and avoided interacting with him then.

Eventually, Wei Wuyin's expression eased considerably. "In the end, you chose me; what happened matters more than what didn't. Moreover, I already knew that you wanted something. I just couldn't figure out what. But I do have a question."

"Hm?!" Cao Cuifen jolted; she was stunned at how swiftly Wei Wuyin dismissed it. She honestly thought that he would consider her a lowly woman, albeit she didn't do anything with Qiao Leng, the intentions were there, and the implication that she had used Wei Wuyin was likely more egregious of an offense. This was what she truly feared, that Wei Wuyin would see her schemes and treat her differently. The comforting gaze, the warm touch, and the feeling and emotions he had displayed thus far would vanish like ice in the summer heat. 

She feared that. 

Wei Wuyin, however, no longer thought about it. From henceforth, Cao Cuifen was his woman. There was no need to get tangled up on how they met or why, only focusing on that fact it happened and their intentions going forward. After all, he fully intended to slaughter Xue Yifei and her entire family when they first met. He wasn't so hypocritical to harp on it. 

"The legacy prevented any passing of knowledge; how were you going to obtain it?" Wei Wuyin asked. This was a question that had bothered him until now.

"...I was going to dual cultivate and execute a spell that allowed a transfer of information between two parties. It's something that the Cao Clan had specialized in long ago. It's only effective on male-female bonding, however." She held nothing back, and this spell intrigued Wei Wuyin. She even explained the fundamentals of the spell, causing Wei Wuyin's thoughts to elevate as he realized Eden's abilities could be emulated under certain circumstances.

"Can it bypass the Inherited Spiritual Wisdom Rune?"

"Inherited Spiritual Wisdom Rune?" Cao Cuifen was confused. What was that? 

Her baffled expression answered Wei Wuyin's question. Cao Cuifen would've never been able to obtain the legacy. It was legitimately impossible because only Qingye Ying could get it, the disciple of the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint. At best, she would've obtained the high-grade Pure Excellence Cauldron that was Bai Xiu's former body, but since she didn't have any ownership of it due to the rules, it wouldn't have mattered. The spell wouldn't have worked with two females, so all the benefits would've gone to Tian Xiaolu.

"If you had known where I was at the time, would you have come found me?" Wei Wuyin inquired, his eyes staring into hers as if trying to read her thoughts. Cao Cuifen thought for a moment and honestly replied, she shook her head: "I never thought of it. Tian Xiaolu was the best choice to tie, and I might not have even approached you if it wasn't for the clash being at its end with only the tie remaining. If I had done so, I would have no idea if you would've monopolized the legacy for yourself or not."

"I see," Wei Wuyin could see it all now—the Heavenly Daos' influence. Cao Cuifen was a pawn that the Heavenly Daos had set up for a long time for Tian Xiaolu. Moreover, if things went as planned, it would've been a two-for-one Blessed combo of Tian Xiaolu and whoever Qingye Ying was prepared for, Long Chen or Lin Ming. If he had to guess, it'd have been the former.

He decided to be honest, "the Inherited Spiritual Wisdom Rune, which contained the legacy, could only be obtained by the one who possesses the Mark of Myriad Transformations—Qingye Ying, her disciple. Everyone else would've been out of luck. But Tian Xiaolu and Qingye Ying used a unique Yin-Pairing Bond to share the legacy, and they met the complex requirements to do so." Wei Wuyin proceeded to explain everything regarding the rune, the bond, and the conditions to inherit or share.

The more he explained, the darker Cao Cuifen's expression became. She realized that all her planning had been useless, and she likely would've lost her purity that she had kept for tens of thousands of years for a chance that would never be realized.

Simply put, her schemes would've led to her irredeemable ruin. 

Unlike Wei Wuyin, Qiao Leng was an Ascended being, and there was no way she would've thought about the rune or any of the circumstances that Wei Wuyin explained, only focused on the spell to transfer knowledge. Moreover, Tian Xiaolu's obligation was over, and she'd return to Sky Zenith. Given the conditions of their oath, she would be unable to act against Tian Xiaolu for her portion of the legacy. A legacy she couldn't receive even if she had acted against her!

Her planning, her years of effort, all wasted. No! All given to someone else! 

While Cao Cuifen immersed herself in her emotions, her hands pressed against her face, and her heart throbbed with indescribable frustration. While she wasn't aware, she was essentially a tool to grant someone a fortuitous encounter they would have otherwise been unable to have. Tian Xiaolu's fortune relied on her, and without Cao Cuifen's centuries of planning and effort, it would've been impossible for Tian Xiaolu or Qingye Ying to have the cauldron. 

The Heavenly Daos' machinations were profound and far-sighted. Even Wei Wuyin had a type of respect for such in-depth planning. It was simply unfair; Cao Cuifen's only chance at freedom would've turned into sand in her mouth and gold in someone else's. 

Once again, Wei Wuyin was utterly wowed by the passive interfering powers of the Bloodline of Sin. If the Heavenly Daos' influence and planning that was like an unseen hand was astonishing, then the Bloodline of Sin's hidden force that drove seemingly coincidental interception of opportunities from Blessed was equally as terrifying! 

It didn't matter what Blessed, be it Long Chen, Lin Ming, Yuan Longshi, Jing Jiu, Yun Che, San Yongli, or Tian Xiaolu—all of these individuals had their fortune taken by Wei Wuyin either indirectly or directly. If it wasn't for how his free will was still his own, and that each situation was his choice to interfere in, and by how much, he might have been questioning his free will.

Even the Black Skeleton had once said that his interaction with the Temporal Reincarnator was his choice, whether to avoid, interact, or kill—it was his choice, and that was the point of being an Inheritor of Sin. After all, he could've taken everything from Tian Xiaolu due to Bai Xiu but hadn't, despite it relying solely on the need for him to be far more outstanding than her. If he had been lacking in alchemic skills, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Tian Xiaolu in the Swift Dao Clash.

"I'm happy and relieved that you approached me that day," Wei Wuyin softly said. While Wei Wuyin wasn't a saint, he followed his heart and wants now more than ever before. 

"...!" Cao Cuifen's hectic emotions were jolted apart within her mind, and her eyes lifted to see a pair of silver eyes gazing at her with genuine happiness. She bit her lower lip tensely, and her eyes, in who knows how many years, began to become wet. Those eyes were truly happy that her plans hadn't ended horribly, and she realized her thoughts were pointless. 

Regardless of whether it could've ended in failure, it hadn't. She had already acknowledged and accepted Wei Wuyin, given her most precious experience, and fully intended to give him her Primal Yin that had been nurtured for twenty-thousand-plus years. This was undoubtedly a blessing from the heavens for her efforts.

She smiled brightly and beautifully, "Yeah. Me too."