Paragon of Sin

"Heaven Relic!" An item that had stirred the hearts of the peak forces of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region at one point was re- emerging in the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo as originally promised!

"..." Evergod maintained an indifferent expression. It was as if he was entirely unbothered by the Heaven Relic's emergence. Those who glanced his way, trying to gauge his reaction, expected this level of apathy.

Tian Muyang moved his gaze away, "I'm somewhat shocked that Evergod hasn't launched any news of developing a product with the Heaven Relic. Given how competitive he'd seem recently, he would've had nearly three decades and two Alchemic Saints to produce an experimental product at least." His words were also the thoughts of quite a few prominent figures, as they grew disappointed that Evergod, who was known to be in possession of two Heaven Relics, was not being transparent with his plans.

"He could be waiting for Alchemic Sovereign Wei's product to be shown and then showcase something better casually, undermining the expo on some level," Tian Lingyu concluded thoughtfully. At the same time, she was examining each member of the younger generation of the Imperial Clan and ensuring that their refinement of the Pure Dream Liquid was progressing smoothly.

"It's a little unfortunate, though. Regardless of what the product is, the Heaven Relic is a precious treasure of the utmost rarity, so whatever product is developed would be severely limited in available quantity. It's unlikely that we'll be able to obtain it, given our situation," Sky Monarch Bai commented sighingly.

The lively mood of the Imperial Clan dwindled a little. The Heaven Relic was said to possess Heaven's secret of the path beyond the Earthly Saint, and countless beings wanted it for themselves. But the Imperial Clan was currently in discussion to enter a war against the Neo-Dawn Starfield; albeit the situation was extremely complex, the likelihood of them obtaining the purchasing rights to the product rife with competition was almost zero.

Except for...

The eyes of quite a few moved to Yang Chaoyue. She could feel their gazes, making her push through a smirk on her beautiful face, granting her an extraordinary charm. Envy rose in many hearts.

"How are the two doing?" Tian Muyang changed the subject. The Fifth and Sixth Princes were two of the victors of the fifth fortune. They were two of the most outstanding members of the Imperial Clan's younger generation, so this was entirely expected. After all, the numbered princes were officially recognized by the Divine Emperor, while hundreds of his other children were forgotten in the chasm of their shadow.

Tian Lingyu frowned slightly, "The Pure Dream Liquid has improved their psyche by a level or two. But their mental state is stable."

"Do you think Wei Wuyin did something to the liquid?" Tian Shangyang couldn't help but mention. Products and materials that needed to be refined by the aspects of the mind were the most vulnerable to tricks. He couldn't help but worry, especially since the Everlore Association was forgoing all these precious fortunes.

"Heh," Yang Chaoyue scoffed.

"What?! Are my concerns unwarranted?!" Tian Shangyang was at his wit's end with Yang Chaoyue's disdainful attitude that leaked with contempt. He was on the verge of attacking this frustrating woman.

Yang Chaoyue didn't give his aggressive tone a single thought. "You truly don't get it, do you?" Her words caused the Imperial Clan's experts to focus on her, wondering what she meant. After all, Wei Wuyin could have done something, and the argument that this was his Alchemic Expo might hold weight if they weren't holding ongoing discussions of war.

"...If you have something to say, then say it!" Tian Shangyang spat.

However, Yang Chaoyue didn't explain. This didn't alleviate the situation, and Tian Shangyang's aura was on the verge of total eruption.

"Enough. If Alchemic Sovereign Wei wanted to make a move, he wouldn't do so at his expo." Tian Muyang could only try to smother the flames with these words repeated far too often. It did little to assuage the worries of the concerned party, but they could only rely on doing extensive examination after the expo to ensure that these two princes weren't compromised.

"If the Divine Emperor believed that Wei Wuyin would act against his descendants, do you think he'd allow them to come along?" Tian Lingyu, however, explained an inkling of what Yang Chaoyue was hinting at. The others felt enlightened. Could it be that the Divine Emperor and Wei Wuyin had agreed beforehand to ensure no untoward actions were made against them?

Thinking about it, this made sense.

Wei Wuyin was observing all this and couldn't help but smile in amusement. He didn't know why the Divine Emperor willingly sent his descendants here, but they were in no agreement whatsoever. It was simply beneath Wei Wuyin to taint his expo and act against the youngergeneration. The Alchemic Expo exceeded the Imperial Clan in importance and purpose.

In fact, their thinking was a little self- centered. The world didn't revolve around them, and neither did his actions. The same went for the Everlore Association and their staunch display of cautious defiance. If they didn't want to obtain any good fortune, that was fine by him. Regardless, it was funded by them anyway. What was returning a little bit?

The three-week break began.

A round of dedicated cultivation was had as quintillions refined the Pure Dream Liquid they had hastily absorbed during the five minutes. The result was that countless cultivators felt lighter, their traumas eased, yet their spirits enlivened. The feeling was like ecstasy to some, as they'd been plagued by the harshest struggles and had never had a single day of peace since.

Only after experiencing the effects of the Pure Dream Liquid did they feel slightly relieved and somewhat at peace. It was as if their fleeting dreams had massaged their hearts and souls, purifying their thoughts.

There was once a man who worked on a farm harvesting Flowing Flames Beets, a type of vegetable that was inherently spicy yet sweet, and when roasted over some flames, it was exceedingly good at purifying one's internal impurities while staving away hunger. It was a mere low-tier astral- graded material.

He was happy, with a family of two-his lovely wife and his son. They worked their area of the farm together alongside a few others. For nine months, the man had pinched pennies to obtain a beautiful necklace for his wife's birthday. On the eve of that day, he traveled a hundred miles to obtain this necklace with the brightest smile filled with a sense of accomplishment. All that suffering was going to be worth it to see that smile.

But when he returned, he arrived not to smiles and a warm home but to burning flames and dark smoke billowing in the distance. The only things he found were the burnt bodies of his neighbors and fellow farmers. Hope burned in his mind.

Maybe they were okay!

Maybe they hid somewhere!

After searching endlessly amongst the wreckage and nearby, he finally found two corpses huddled together at a nearby riverbank, embroiled in flames, hugging each other, a sight that would forever be etched in his memory. The smell of burnt flesh, the signs of claw marks edging towards the river, and the cruelty of the flames' light flickered in his eyes, carved forever in his soul.

In his heart, he had sworn to obtain his vengeance with tears flowing through his eyes.

But he couldn't get it.

He was too weak; he was too untalented; he was too old; he was too poor. Too many excuses prevented any form of a future. And as he cultivated, his heart and mind were besieged by the images of his family, endlessly telling him again and again and again...that he failed to protect them.

Eventually, he recklessly assaulted the bandits responsible, and despite his weakness, he was ready to detonate himself to take at least one down!

But he was subdued within the first exchange. After hearing his mad ravings of revenge, they didn't kill him. They crippled his cultivation and broke his arms and legs, telling him to start over and try again next time with jeers and sadistic laughter- cruelty at its finest.

When he was ready to drown at the edge of a river, the news of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo resounded throughout the world. The words 'good fortune' spread about endlessly. He thought that there was little reason not to go. Not out of hope but out of despair.

He had never expected that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo's fortunes would be so astonishing. The first fortune had entered him gently, repairing his damaged body, igniting his once snuffed-out cultivation, and granting him renewed vigor. Then, he obtained resources that he could never obtain in his lifetime.

The enlightenment of space and time and the Pure Dream Liquid were all heaven- sent, far beyond anything he'd ever thought was possible. Did he deserve this good fortune? Was this right?

With this, he had a chance...a chance to fulfill his greatest wish!"What's your name?" A voice resounded in the man's mind. His clothes were a mess, and he was in complete disarray; even his hygiene was somewhat lacking, with yellowing teeth and long, uneven nails. The frizzy hair only served to highlight his lack of self-care. Despite his recent improvements in mentality, the bags under his eyes were evident as sleep was a luxury for someone who could never forget that day, the light of those flames.

"Wha?" The man was stunned as he looked around. Unlike the others, he was alone.

"You. Your name." The voice resounded once again, making the man jump in fear. After a while, he realized that it was probably a function of this strange spiritual world that the gorgeous Empress had spoken about. Gathering his courage, he asked:

"Who are you?"

"Haha. Do you not have a name?" The voice was amused by the man's response and didn't answer him.

"...My name's Shui Fengbao."

"Oh! What a shocking name. Interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you were born during a storm."

"Oh! I was..." Shui Fengbao said, then, for some reason, embarrassingly explained: "My parents didn't want to make naming me complicated.They were simple people."

''...''

"Who says the name makes the person? Haha."

"What do you want?" Shui Fengbao looked about and tried to find the voice's origins in the World of Eden, but he could not do so despite his desires. Whoever was this person might be an expert.

"You've caught my interest."

Hm? The man was astonished. Did he catch someone's interest? He was a small, old Qi Condensation Cultivator. Whose interests could he possibly capture? "Senior...do you have the wrong person?"

"Not at all," the voice said confidently. "Not many are like you. I've only met one other." "What? What do you mean?" The thought that he was special was long since buried in dreams and fantasies for Shui Fengbao.

Perhaps when he was younger did he believe that he could be an unrivaled hero after being special in some way, but not now.

"There was once a young man who was captured, scheduled to have his yang essence extracted by a dark organization. I, fortunately, saved him from his plight. Despite not having any hidden guidance or blessings, he had attained an exceptional level without noticing." The voice disclosed with an air of nostalgia and emotion. "And now there's you. You haven't noticed it yet, but you are extremely special."

"Special..." Shui Fengbao didn't know how to respond to that.

"Enough of that. Have you heard of the Ascendants?" The voice asked.

Shui Fengbao's eyes brightened. How could he not have heard of the Ascendants?! He nodded without speaking.

"Good then. Do you wish to join the Ascendants?" The voice offered.

JOIN?!

THE ASCENDANTS?!

"Ca-can I?!" Shui Fengbao was unable to believe that. Why would such a rising organization seek him out?

"If you want."

"I WANT! I WANT!" Shui Fengbao might be a mere farmer, but he had obtained a lot of information en route to the Neo-Dawn Starfield, including about the Ascendants, and that they were a force fostered by the Alchemic Sovereign Wei Wuyin! The one who was hosting this expo!!

"Haha. Good. Then after the expo, I'll bring you away." The voice said before growing fainter as if leaving.

"...!" Shui Fengbao could not truly process what had just happened or why, but it had happened! Was this also a fleeting dream? He didn't know...

Back in the subspace where Wei Wuyin resided, the image of the haggard Shui Fengbao was shown.

"What's so special about him?" Cao Cuifen asked from the side, witnessing the entire exchange. Shui Fengbao, in her eyes, was less than ordinary. He was nearly a hundred years of age and had a cultivation at the Yang Growth Phase. Given that he hadn't reached the False Reality Phase, it was clear he wasn't very talented.

Wei Wuyin smiled, not hiding his discovery from Cao Cuifen. "He's given birth to a Law Seed of Fire."

"What?!" Cao Cuifen was experienced when it came to Laws, including their various states, given her time in the Endless Voyage Realm. How could a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator give birth to a Seed of Law?! He didn't have any aura of Intent outside of the basic elements.

"While he might not be blessed by the heavens, he's chosen by the Law of Fire. I don't know why, though. But I've just acquired something good." While other abnormal cultivators have birthed strange things in the quintillions present, this was the only one who wasn't Blessed. This intrigued Wei Wuyin greatly as this was the second time he'd encountered something like this.

Both of his discoveries were seemingly on the verge of an early grave, with their talent undiscovered and their lives unfulfilled.

He had the strangest feeling that these abnormalities were crucial somehow. Instinctively, he glanced at his Bloodline of Sin tattoo.

-----

Three weeks later.

Tian Xiaocheng took center stage and riled the hype once again with a speech reminding the audience of the upcoming product with the Heaven Relic as the material. "I present to you all, a product that could be classified as 'pinnacle' but has been labeled as an entirely different tier by its creator-the Neo-Dawn Heavenly-Origin Paste!"