Paragon of Sin

As time ticked on, the day of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo approached, countless folks were roaring with excitement in their hearts and expectations in their minds. This especially included the common folk, those of the ordinary professions of dirt and sweat, those who had never thought they could ever be here, those who felt that this was a surreal experience, and those who knew that the incoming event was bound to reshape the climate of the world once more!

However, questions flew as the minutes ticked on. Countless cultivators were still at their homes, still in their training fields, and there hadn't been any announcements concerning the venue's location. There was simply a time. When many inquired about the details, those affiliated with Wei Wuyin, his subordinates scattered throughout to oversee and manage these visitors, gave a patient smile and a calm verbal dodge.

"Where will the Alchemic Expo be held?" Asked the curious.

"Who will host this event?" Asked the expectant.

"Are we leaving today or on the day of the event? Will we get good seating or sit with the peasants? Hope not." Asked the pompous bigots who felt their status was incomparably high.

There were still no movements, no explanation, simply a rehashing of the comment: "The Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo is an all-inclusive event, and the details will be revealed on the day of the event." Those at their homes, either prepared or freshly constructed, began to feel concerned. While they trusted the Ascendant Emperor Wei, the figure that achieved world-shaking feat after feat, they thought that three months were too short for such a grand project to be planned and executed well.

There were even whispers that the venue wasn't completed, and there was a hectic rush to have it finished in time.

Delays!

There could even be delays!

Despite the rumors, the vast, vast majority didn't have any issue with it. The environment of the Neo-Dawn Starfield's two Dawns, both Defiant Dawn and World Dawn, was incredible to experience. Not only were there random opportunities such as recently grown high-grade materials, but most of the realms that composed World Dawn were also locations with pre- established cultivated advantages from their past owners, only greatly accelerated or improved by the environment Baby Defiant provided. An example of which was the Elemental Tree Realm, a Secret Realm that once only grew low-level Intent- possessing fruits but now possessed high- level fruits by the tens of thousands!

Some even wished for the delays, so that they could stay for a little while longer. Others silently felt in their hearts that being here was a blessing and were unwilling to ever leave. Unfortunately, considering how valuable this new starfield was, that was incredibly unlikely in their minds.

But who knew what fate would have in store for them?

-----

Out of the top-tier forces, the Golden Gate Pavilion, the holy land for Heavenly Seers throughout the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, the creators of the now-replaced Immortal Saintesses and Immortal Heroes Rankings- the Immortal Monarch Rankings, had arrived in a shockingly overt fashion.

Their Voidship, Golden Fateful, was painted in a glittering golden color that stood out in the vast scape of the Dark Void, exuding a type of heavenly aura that ignited the flames of reverence within the eyes of countless cultivators. As it traveled, it left behind a wake of gushing liquid gold light that lingered in its wake. Some called this liquid the blood of fate, a sign that the Golden Gate Pavilion had either blessed the area with good or bad fortune. The Golden Gate Pavilion was an extremely well- respected entity and feared by the masses, a force that not even the Imperial Clan or Trueborn dared to offend, given their profound means and mysteriousness.

In the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, it was a commonly held belief to never offend a Heavenly Seer if you didn't want to experience a load of disastrous bad luck. It carried the same superstitious power as breaking glass or dreaming of snow, either a long stint of unlucky events or the preceding omen of a parent's death.

Golden Fateful carried numerous Heavenly Seers into the Neo-Dawn Starfield. Among them was a prominent group of figures, totaling three, all of the younger generation and all of outstanding origins and backgrounds in the Golden Gate Pavilion.

There was a woman, a man, and one individual whose gender was impossible to discern, having equal parts masculine and feminine features. They were all dressed in different colors, each representing a grander color of an element and each one with a golden trim.

There was an azure-robed young man, who was profoundly confident, yet short at five feet and three inches in height, the shortest amongst the group of three.

There was a crimson-robed young woman with a languid expression, seemingly lazy and uninterested in the world.

Between the two was an emerald-robed androgynous youth with a bright smile that seemed ever-present.

If one saw them, it would be difficult to determine what their gender was, but one would be able to 'see' the traits they desired. Whether it was feminine or masculine, they would find these traits in their actions.

None of them possessed heaven-defying looks, but they were all good-looking with a youthful air and astonishing aura.

They were all the Fated Royalty of the Nine Gates! Three of the nine princes and princesses of the Younger Generation!

The azure-robed young man was none other than the Fourth Prince, or the Fated Prince of the Fourth Gate, and a descendant of the Grand Seer, the figurethat handled the external affairs of the Golden Gate Pavilion and an astonishingly renowned Earthly Saint in her own right!

The crimson-robed young woman was the Second Princess, her background and origins only slightly inferior to the Fourth Prince, and so was her cultivation due to her lazy, uninterested attitude.

The androgynous figure was called the Ninth Noble; subtly, they were the center of the group of three, a sign that their status was slightly higher and more profound than the other two."This Alchemic Expo's fate is hard to scry, even while in the territory itself." The Fourth Prince remarked with a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned by his so-called 'difficulties'.

"It's not hard-great fortune belies great change; this is the trend of fate, no?" The Second Princess responded in a slow- speaking cadence.

The Fourth Prince rolled his eyes while laughing, "Isn't that too ambiguous? That's the trend of every fateful event involving great fortune. Shouldn't you be a little more reliable when trying to correct someone?"

"..." The Second Princess didn't even bother to speak again, too lazy to even argue. They had been probing the fate of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo here and there, trying to catch a glimpse of the origins of this great fortune.

"The Grand Seer brought us here to grasp this fortune, so we must continue trying to find any hint." A voice, neither male nor female, yet strangely, if one was careless with their senses, they would find it either soft-spoken and feminine or harsh and masculine. It belonged to the Ninth Noble, "The Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo is bound to cause great change, so we have to grasp it in our favor."

"If the Grand Seer didn't want us to participate in this generation's Chosen King Competition, would we need to?" The Second Princess complained with a pout.

"We have to choose our 'Blessed One' to find our opportunity to ascend the Mystic Ascendant Realm, and the Grand Seer has said that this generation has the legendary 'Nine World's Blessed"." The Ninth Noble said smilingly, a light of excitement in their eyes.

"Whoever obtains their aid is bound to become the next Grand Sage," the Fourth Prince added with a burning passion.

Even the languid and lazy-eyed Second Princess grew lively at the term 'Nine World's Blessed'. The full name was the Nine-World Twelve-Lives Blessed One. However, her eyes dimmed shortly after, "Didn't the Grand Seer give you any clues about who it might be? Could it be this Wei Wuyin who's shaking the world as of late?" She probed the Fourth Prince. Out of all the Seers of the Nine Gates, the Fourth Gate's previous Delta Seer, the current Grand See -handled the external affairs and was,therefore, more knowledgeable of Blessed Ones'.

Given their blood relation, it was likely she would hint at the possible Nine World's Blessed to him! An unfair advantage, but as Heavenly Seers, they knew that fairness in the world didn't exist.

The Fourth Prince's expression slightly changed, but he hurriedly corrected himself as he sighed while shaking his head. "The prophecy is clear-only the young and fated will obtain the Nine World's Blessed's fortune. If others interfere, especially the older generation, it'll be no different than creating karmic entanglements of disastrous calamity." Despite his words, neither the Second Princess nor the Ninth Noble believed him.

The Grand Seer might be a prestigious figure, but she was renowned as being hopelessly nepotistic and vengeful. She had even been reprimanded by the Grand Sage for interfering in the fates of Blessed in this generation openly as well. If Lin Ming knew that this was regarding his and Lin Xianxei's relationship, the trigger to his decades of failed relationship attempts, he might want to bathe the Golden Gate Pavilion in their heavenly blood.

Inwardly, however, the Fourth Prince was contemplating the subtle hints that his grandmother had given him. If he could capitalize on that, his chances of reaching the realm beyond the Mystic Ascendant Realm were bound to increase to the highest possible limit! Not even the Sealed Regions would be able to stop him.

-----

In the World Between the Fold's Endless Voyage Realm, the Spatial Vortex had grown a disturbingly large amount. The continuous efforts to expand its horrors from the Worldly Saints were causing signs of its collapse.

Liu Yinlan calmly watched it all unfold.

"At most eight years!" Her eyes glinted with excitement.

-----

In the Stellar Nest, the icy cold ground surface was flashing with silver-colored rays of gorgeously dancing solar light. The chill was lessening with each passing second, and sparks of violet light loomed beneath with rumbling as if something was trying to break through.

BOOM!!!

After a heavy, thunderous explosion from beneath, within the vast world of the Stellar Nest, a tiny crack that was only a fifth of a millimeter formed.

''Soon.''