Paragon of Sin

The lingering words sent across an indescribably vast distance of space caused Lin Ming's eyes to brighten and his brows to furrow as the situation began to dawn on him. Not requiring his hand held through the explanation, he was fully able to guess that his heart's quintessential energies carried qualities needed to complete his Spiritualist transformation. The grimness of his situation quickly sank in.

While his pulsating Spirit Core remained somber, as it was currently replaced by his throbbing heart, he couldn't ignore the vast, unimaginable changes that he was experiencing. As his Spiritualist state was incomplete, the fundamentals had still been perfectly changed; his physical cells were no longer cells of physical energies, but carried properties of a Spirit of Cultivation's intrinsic property, transforming them into Spirit Cells. Meanwhile, his Sea of Consciousness no longer contained his uniquely refined mental energies but was replaced by mind-attributed spiritual energies.

If Wei Wuyin was present, he would find that it bore remarkable similarities to his Eden Energies. Considering that Eden was an Alchemic Eden Soul under the Mind Dao, this would've felt aligned with the principles of cultivation he understood.

Obviously, his Star Core had been thoroughly transformed, 'evolving' into a Spirit Core. There was no longer the slightest sign of Astral Force within his Spirit Core, all of it was Spiritual Force! Moreover, it was far different than typical Spiritual Force as the spiritual aspects seemed to have been dialed to a hundred out of ten!

The air, mana, light, gravity, essence, and energies of the immediate area seemed to come deeply within his senses, far greater than ever before. With a mere thought, a single intention, conscious or subconscious, these aspects moved to accommodate. Lin Ming didn't try to exert Mana Dominance, but the mana of the world seemed to freely accept him as one of their own. He felt as if he was one with the world!

"Wow!" Lin Ming could no longer hold in his surging awe as he basked in this miraculous feeling. He immediately realized that he barely felt his Astral Soul's presence. It was there, no, it was everywhere within him, but he couldn't find it in his Spirit Core. "Am I a Spirit of Cultivation?" He questioned as he softly clenched his fists. The surrounding air churned and crashed, creating thunderously explosive sounds!

Boom! Boom!

Spiritualist!

This was a Spiritualist!!

HE FELT LIKE A GOD!!

"...Spiritualist?" Lin Ziyan breathily whispered. She had only heard Wei Wuyin talk about it casually as he excited her with stories about his adventures in a strange, miraculous battlefield with titans and beings that had stars in their eyes.

It was the story of how countless had mistaken him for a Spiritualist, fear and terror reigned in their hearts as they tried to run and flee at the mere sight of his presence.

Lin Ziyan couldn't help but gulp, roughly rubbing her cracked bracelet a few times to calm her pounding heart down. The aura that Lin Ming was emitting was causing her Spirit of Cultivation to thrum endlessly.

Na Xinyi moved her fist wreathed in yin mist lightly, ignoring Lin Ming and focusing on Zuhei.

"..." Tian Yinwu seemed equally as unbothered by Lin Ming's aura that could shake the foundations of entire worlds, focused on the silver-haired, bare-footed beastman below.

The sight was quite something. However, while these two focused on Zuhei, the person in question's eyes was solely focused on a single existence. Those eyes were savagely Inhuman, the epitome of an apex predator. There was a lack of serenity and intelligence, purely emitting a wave of raw, primal instincts.

Tian Yinwu flatly said, "He's been overtaken."

Na Xinyi's beautiful brows furrowed slightly, not responding.

"I won't disrespect you by telling you to run, but you should know that what happens next will not be easy. Right?" Tian Yinwu's words were smoothly said as if the situation wasn't intensifying and continuously developing in a direction that was going to be world-shaking.

Na Xinyi's furrowed brows evened out, and serenity infused her alluring eyes as yin light flowed. "Seventh Prince, your attempts to simplify the situation are beneath you." She gave him a sidelong glance, speaking with flat indifference.

Tian Yinwu faintly smiled as he shrugged, unaffected by her tone.

He tried.

Four Chosen Starlords, each representing their own interests, quietly waited as Lin Ming's unstable aura grew increasingly stable. The pulsating aura was like a ticking clock.

Woooosh! Wooosh! Woosh!

Two figures arrived on the scene from different directions- Qiao Shulin from the east and Yi Yun from the west! The two were sweating as they felt the violently oppressive aura emanating from Lin Ming. His freshly formed Spiritualist Aura was crushing upon their Astral Souls without any mercy. If it wasn't for both of them being Chosen of greater than typical standard, they would've long since undergone Cultivation Deviation and gone...BOOM!"Lin Ming!" Qiao Shulin cried hoarsely. Her thoughts were stunned as she saw six figures, five of which were floating in the sky, while a silver-haired, bare-footed beastman stood on the marble flooring, his eyes directed at Lin Ming.

Qiao Shulin was stunned to see that the Extreme Yin Saintess, the Tang Clan's Saintess, and the Seventh Prince were all here along with an unknown woman. She couldn't make heads or tails of the situation, but her instincts told her that Lin Ming was being targeted.

She took out her shortbow and nocked an arrow as her hands trembled. Her pearly white teeth were clenched tightly, gritted to their limits as resolve and determination flowed fully into her heart and soul.

Yi Yun saw this from across the way, his eyes constricting. He tried to send a Spiritual Transmission to her, but Lin Ming's rampant aura obliterated all attempts. His heart began to pound fearfully.

Abruptly, a brilliant flash blasted through his mind. From this flash was a familiar image, beautiful and enchanting, with a gentle and comforting smile.

Qiao Shulin!

POP!

Qiao Shulin's visage popped like a balloon!

Yi Yun's heart was stuck in his throat, his body shaking as the feelings crashed against his soul. When he finally regained consciousness, he had cold sweat on his palm and back. He saw Qiao Shulin from across the sea of bitterness, pulling her nocked arrow back slightly.

"...!" Yi Yun had always followed his instincts, and his instincts screamed that...

Wosh!

Wsh!

Lin Ming's spiritual aura settled.

It was as if the raging thunderstorm within a chaotic, seething ocean had suddenly become a dead sea, flat and utterly calm. The difference was enough to shatter simple minds.

But to these individuals-the Extreme Yin Saintess, the Seventh Prince, the Claws and Fangs of the Ascendant Emperor, and the Archaic Chosen-this was it.

THIS WAS IT!!!

"HOWL!" Zuhei's howl was downright primal, savage to the extreme! He no longer had the slightest trace of humanity within him, rushing off the instincts of his ancestor, one of the greatest apex predators known throughout the universe! His silvery hair grew double its length in the blink of an Ascended's eye. The will emanating from his body intensified instantly, permeating through the world, converting all!

Heart of the World, World of the Predation!

The entire world exuded the presence and dignity that only the greatest of predators could ever emit! It was incredibly harrowing!

Zuhei's scarlet eyes reflected only a single image throughout the vast universe: Lin Ming!

Prey!

To a predator, upon marking them, that was their quintessential purpose for its existence!

Lin Ming's brows slightly furrowed as he felt as if the entire world saw him as a tasty existence meant to be devoured, to be eliminated, all to satisfy their hunger and ego and prove its existence. This feeling was skin-crawling, but as he felt the Divine Origin circulating throughout his newly acquired Spiritualist state, he was fearless. In fact, he sneered.

WOOSH!

He moved!

Lin Ming made the first move! He broke the stalemate! His body was preternaturally fast, vastly surpassing Mortal Limits! Waving his right hand, the Origin Spear on the ground flickered into his grasp, its shaft clenched tightly by his fingers. In a flash, he arrived a few feet from Zuhei!

His posture was incomparably stable, his focus entirely concentrated, and his move was seamlessly performed; he lanced the Origin Spear toward Zuhei's chest, aiming for his heart! He didn't hold back at all! The power was enough to sunder Venerable-level experts with ease!

"Fool!" A voice erupted with glacially-tainted disdain, dripping with reproach. It did little to stop Lin Ming's violent, heart-claiming strike! But what did was a rough, long-nailed hand.

A sound that was hard to describe, like air collapsing upon itself, gravity distorting, and light twisting and shaking resounded! It was explosive but also gushing like an impeded tsunami!

Lin Ming's eyes of white pupils widened; the hand had calmly, easily, accurately, and perfectly grasped the spearhead of his Origin Spear! In his current state, this strike could kill any Ascended being at the Soul of Mysticism Phase without any issue, and he hadn't held back at all, yet it was stopped!

SLASH!!

Through space, time, light, gravity, energy, essence, and mana was devoured, cut apart as a similar hand of ferocious claws sliced toward Lin Ming! The claw attack was enough to snuff out stars and turn starfields into shambles!

WOOSH!

A graceful, light, and airy figure flashed before them, a fist moving precisely between the two, aiming for Lin Ming's chest! The Archaic Chosen was utterly thunderstruck as the fist was incomparably fast, seemingly having emerged out of existence just now! It smashed against his ribs, producing several devastatingly thunderous cracks, as his body was propelled across the sea of bitterness!

With a twist, Na Xinyi gracefully spun as she used her palm to tap against Zuhei's incoming claw. The energy within seemed to vanish, becoming incomparably gentle, nullifying.

However, her expression paled slightly.

Zuhei's eyes darted about, following Lin Ming's figure with eerie accuracy, not even giving Na Xinyi a single look as if she wasn't there. His legs bent.

Na Xinyi inwardly groaned as she couldn't pay any additional attention to Zuhei, withdrawing her sword. She swung it behind her! A slicing wave of yin sword light pierced through space and time, arriving before Tang Xingyin! A ray of golden light arrived at her neck, a mere two centimeters away, when the yin sword light smashed against it, distorting yin and Yang, and nullifying all signs of confrontation!

Tang Xingyun was still in a state of shock and disbelief, barely able to process the situation. All she saw was a brief flash of gold and grey in her peripheral vision, but her entire focus was on Lin Ming and what she could follow. She was entirely unaware that her life was dangling at the edge.

"Hm?" Tian Yinwu held his two fingers toward Tang Xingyun with fingers of glistening gold sword light. He turned to Na Xinyi with praise in his eyes. But that was all.

However, his eyes suddenly became brightly lit. He swung his fingers at Tang Xingyun, sending a slicing wave of golden sword light! It pierced through space with peerless momentum and a keeping sword howl! Sword Intent!

Na Xinyi rushed back in an illusory state, standing before Tang Xingyun and Lin Ziyan with eyes of faint vexation. Just as she arrived, she held her sword before her, exuding a burst of misty yin light. The golden sword light entered into it as if pounding into cotton, the slicing force within was strangely nullified!

BOOSH!

Zuhei moved! His bent knees were lifted alongside a thunderous explosion, and the marble flooring rippled throughout, sending titanic waves across the entire black path! His body was like a shadow, flickering before Lin Ming whose expression was distorted as he felt the monstrous blow from Na Xinyi's fist. Despite her beautiful appearance, she struck with enough force to shatter dozens of planets in a single move!

Suddenly, his senses began to flare chaotically. This type of feeling was entirely new to him, but he instinctively realized what it was. It was the danger senses of a Spirit of Cultivation! Incomparably accurate!He didn't hesitate to exert his Spirit Core to its fullest extent, circulating the Divine Origin currently inside his body, and he twisted his body and punched upwards! A gushing flow of Elemental Origin Spiritual Force blasted the air above him.

Howl!

Zuhei was there! His scarlet eyes were violently bloodthirsty, and he stomped downwards with a world-shaking force aiming for Lin Ming's fragile neck. His feet crashed against the gushing flow of spiritual force. The expected scene that Lin Ming had imagined of Zuhei flying backward didn't happen! Like a bloody, searing knife cutting through butter, Zuhei remained unhindered as he kept pressing down!

Eyes incomparably wide, Lin Ming was unable to believe how terrifyingly powerful a body had to be to exert such tremendous physical power! The foot was a few inches from his neck, threatening to crush it.

Sword howl!

A ray of scintillating sword light of gold sliced toward Lin Ming, aiming for his head.

"What?!"

While stunned at the sudden threat, a silvery light flew forward, inserting itself between his spiritual force with great precision and slicing force, rotating as it met Zuhei's violent foot! It was a spiral, circular shield!

BAM!

Lin Ming was unable to even process what was happening before the golden light was a few inches away from his glabella, clearly intending to wipe him out in body, mind, and soul at once! Insidiously vicious!

"I-" He wanted to speak, but before he could-

A misty yin light erupted from within his body, turning his body illusory. The golden sword light passed through him as if he didn't exist! Intangibility! The feeling was incomparably strange, possessing form and no substance! Yet this only lasted momentarily as he regained his form almost at the same instant as the sword finished passing through him.

Surviving this crisis, Lin Ming hurriedly exerted his Spirit Core and Divine Origin, bringing forth his Elemental Heart Intent, exploding with tremendous power as he borrowed the power of the world to execute a profound, lightning-attributed movement art! In a thunderous boom, he flashed tens of miles in an instant.

"Oh?" Tian Yinwu turned to Na Xinyi who was currently flying over with surprise. What an incredible woman! He was unable to marvel for much longer as Na Xinyi swung her sword his way, slicing a wave of sword light that could pierce through planets and stars.

Tian Yinwu held out his right hand, forming a silvery kite shield enough to cover his entire body. It glistened with profound, extreme-type of yang force!

Na Xinyi instantly furrowed her brows as she inwardly groaned at Tian Yinwu's calculated countermeasures. This was the cost of showcasing your abilities too much. She didn't give him another glance, rushing toward Lin Ming as her body had a dozen trailing illusory afterimages! Each illusion brought her a mile forward at speeds surpassing spatial shifting!

Boom!

Zuhei broke through the silver shield, blitzing toward Lin Ming! Only the thrill of the hunt existed in his eyes.Na Xinyi was right beside him, no less inferior in speed! Her eyes glistened with desire toward Lin Ming. Her Nine-Point Yin Physique was throbbing intensely, reacting avariciously for Lin Ming's Spirit Core!

Lin Ming grasped his Origin Spear tightly as he glanced at the 12th Wall! He rushed towards it!

-----

Author's Notes: As interests collide, all sorts of things happen! If you're curious as to why Tian Yinwu isn't working together with Zuhei, it's because one's a laser scalpel and the other is a sledgehammer. Which would you rather try to retrieve a diamond intact? If that's unclear, it'll be made clear in the next chapter. Ofc. <3