Paragon of Sin

A cataclysmic battle was about to begin in the Elementus Domain, likely one that'll affect its future forever. While this was at the edge of beginning, Wei Wuyin, Wen Mingna, and Bai Lin were in Wu Yu's Internal World for the first time.

It was an overly spacious flat plane of existence, reminiscent of flat continental earths. The ground was solid, flooded by ghastly mist that glimmered with multicolored stars. It bore a strong resemblance to Wu Yu's Demi-Mystic State, as if it reflected endless stars. The starry mist was roughly an entire foot high, covering Wei Wuyin and Wen Mingna's lower bodies.

The Internal World wasn't bereft of light, heat, or life-sustaining gases. It felt like a Worldly Domain materialized, infused with the properties of a Spatial Ring. The air was actually rich in quality, sweet to the taste. As for the light, it had an origin. If one looked up, one would find a Solar Star-like existence that resembles the night sky, littered with gorgeous multicolored stars. It illuminated the entire area with soft, warm light. This was certainly a reflection of Wu Yu's Mystic Soul.

The world had clearly defined limits of size unlike the Stellar Nest. There was a shimmering silver wall that curved in the far distance, enveloping the entire flat ground and Solar Star. If one looked even closer, one could find white streaks painted on the silver wall, giving off an aura unique to Origin Essence. 

Wei Wuyin couldn't help but feel like a person trapped within one of those fist-sized glass spheres that had 3D sculptures inside, and upon shaking those spheres, the white flakes inside simulated snowfall. They were fashioned by those artistic creationists, depicting all sorts of mythological beings or legendary locations. 

"I can try to glimpse into the likely outcome." Wen Mingna spoke out at this moment. She wasn't nervous, mainly because Wei Wuyin wasn't nervous. Outwardly, he seemed to possess an unshakeable mentality. Even when facing the destruction of an entire planet, the wrath of a mighty force that clearly wanted him dead, or the killing intent of an Earthly Saint, he remained incredibly calm. 

But if needed, she could expand her lifeforce in the hopes of obtaining any information. While Ascended beings, especially Earthly Saints, were heavily protected against her divinations, a slight glimpse or clue of the overall situation might be enough. After all, it served them well enough to escape Rainbow Sky before its destruction.

Wei Wuyin shook his head with a hint of a smile, "No need; Knowing Wu Yu, the outcome was decided the moment he chose not to take us and run." Caressing Bai Lin's soft feathers, Wei Wuyin began to reconsider his future plans. This development had thrown a wrench into the dynamic of his goals, so he would have to reassess.

-----

A turbulently domineering aura was unleashed by Wu Yu, inducing environmental changes throughout the Dark Void. Even the ninety-nine pearls of jade and nine colors shook intensely; their position was being affected. 

In the eyes of Ascended beings, the handsome Wu Yu was surrounded by a storm of Mystic Runes, numbering tens of thousands. They were animated, radiant, and varied. He hid nothing of his power, and the three Earthly Saints felt their Awakened Mystic Intent react. 

Zhang Ziyi was aghast. She had heard of Wu Yu's power, and as an Earthly Saint at the 1st Runic Ascendant State, she clearly understood the difference between possessing Mystic Runes of a different type. They denoted one's control of the Mystic Dao, an expression of their will that could be exerted. It defined their strength, their limits, and their talent. 

Like the Spatial Resonance Phase, each additional Mystic Rune was accompanied by a unique, terrifyingly powerful ability. Furthermore, the subsequent Mystic Runes increased the power of these abilities. For an Earthly Saint at the 1st Runic Ascendant State comprehended Spatial-grade Mysticism, their World Prison being miles ahead of others who hadn't or lower-stage Ascended beings. But a 2nd Runic Ascendant could have comprehended and awakened Spatial-grade Mysticism and Temporal-grade Mysticism, so their World Prison would be markedly stronger, more stable, restricting, and under their control. Moreover, they would have access to the corresponding ability of Temporal-grade Mysticism, Temporal Reversion of Mysticism. 

From what she knew, there were a total of nine abilities called the Way of Mysticism; all expressed in nine types of complete Mystic Runes. They could be used to some extent by those who've established their Seed of Mysticism, but not to their fullest potential. These nine types were: 

Mana, Spirit, Radiant, Spatial, Temporal, Oceanic, Infusion, Permanence, and Conversion. They often reflected greater versions of abilities renowned within the Astral Core Realm, enhanced to extents that exceeded Mortal Limits. There was no set order to which these Way of Mysticism needed to be comprehended or to know which was completely formed during their Star Core Phase.

Only cultivators at or above the Earthly Saint Phase, those who Awakened their Mystic Intent, their will of the Way of Mysticism, could harness the true qualities of these abilities. Using Temporal Reversion of Mysticism as an example, an Ascended being could perform the complete version at a far lesser cost; in some cases, there wouldn't be any need to exhaust their lifeforce to revert the flow of events. 

Zhang Ziyi had only comprehended Mana-grade Mysticism, capable of unleashing a higher form of Sky Pressure, bringing her Mystic Aura to an extreme in terms of suppressing Mystic-grade abilities and beings. This was the Mystic Rune most gained insight into, completing fully.

So when Wu Yu revealed his state, the eight different unique Mystic Runes that repeated in a sea of tens of thousands of power runes, how could she not be terrified? Afraid? Shaken?! Her heart began to rapidly race uncontrollably. She could hear her booming heartbeats in her Sea of Consciousness. 

"EIGHT RUNES!" 

It wasn't just Zhang Ziyi; Gong Lau mentally and visibly reeled at the reveal. He watched with his mouth agape, the killing intent within his eyes vanishing like snow melting in the raging heat. A pain of regret began to fester within the pit of his stomach. An 8th Runic Ascendant! 

AN 8TH RUNIC ASCENDANT! 

Han Yuhei's nine-colored eyes were incredibly wide with astonished disbelief. While he was fully aware that Wu Yu had ascended with a 7th Rune Ascension into the Mystic Ascendant Realm, he could never have imagined that Wu Yu had gained an 8th. He had spent thousands of years trying to gain insight into another, using all sorts of pills, elixirs, and treasures, yet he had no success. 

Furthermore, your Rune Ascension bore little relation to your end result. It denoted, typically, your limit of Runic Ascendant State, not your beginning after awakening Mystic Intent. 

Zhang Ziyi had ascended to the Soul of Mysticism Phase with three complete runes, but when she awakened her Mystic Intent at the Earthly Saint Phase, she had only entered the 1st Runic Ascendant State after gaining full insight into the Mana-type Mysticism. She still had the latent potential to rise to the 3rd Runic Ascension State, but potential was potential. 

This was the very reason why Han Yuhei reached a plateau in his cultivation after entering the 4th Runic Ascendant State. He hadn't reached it at his Earthly Ascension, but earned later through immense effort and cultivation, but gaining a 5th was absurdly difficult. When one completed their ascension, failing to reach a certain Rune Ascension level, it meant they now lacked the blueprint of that Mystic Rune, much like the Mortal Star Formation Tribulation's bestowal of Intent-type blueprints. It was almost impossible to create it without alchemy or worldly treasures, losing that guidance, Ascended cultivators could only rely on their comprehensive intelligence, scouring for answers and insights amidst the vast and intangible Mystic Dao.

Han Yuhei felt confident to fight the nascent Earthly Saint that was Wu Yu because of this. He couldn't be higher than him right after his Earthly Ascension! It shouldn't be possible!

Yet not only did he awaken seven Mystic Runes, but he gained one more!!! 

Talent. 

High Comprehension. 

Rich Resources. 

Cultivation Methods.

One couldn't lack a single one of these things in other to achieve this. A twistedly heavy feeling rolled within Han Yuhei's stomach, rampaging across his emotions. The light in his eyes grew increasingly chaotic, likely filled with intense, hectic thoughts. Their focus? Wu Yu! 

Wu Yu felt the power invigorate his entire body, and his Mystic Soul grew increasingly active. The Ultimate Elementus, Paramount Jade Array's suppression on Wu Yu was thoroughly nullified, obliterated by his tens of thousands of revolving Mystic Runes. They ravaged all external forces.

Since consolidating his cultivation as an Earthly Saint, he had grown ever-curious about the Mystic Ascendant Realm and its limits. His enlightening discussion with Lady Clearwind had allowed him to grasp an in-depth understanding of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's power scaling. Wei Wuyin had even traded some Stellar Rain for information, coaxing out more details out of Lady Clearwind. 

"Let's see," Wu Yu had taken in their shock, relishing in their revelation that they offended the wrong individual. A sense of satisfaction swelled within him, especially that glowering expression on Han Yuhei that concealed his cowardice. "Since you won't make your move despite your bold declaration, then I will." 

Wu Yu summoned the Myriad Monarch Canon in book form. He clenched his fist and it began to morph, becoming a halberd. It seemed to be forged from the starry skies, and as Wu Yu stood within the Dark Void, his Mystic Aura unleashed in full, he seemed like a ruler of the night sky and all of existence behind him. 

He gripped the halberd's shaft, and with surprising quickness, launched it at one of the ninety-nine pearls. It created a cosmic trail of multicolored stars that shone with gorgeous radiance. It was breathtakingly beautiful, yet as it traveled, fixed space distorted violently around it. 

BOOM!

Like a cannonball piercing through a watermelon, the pearl exploded without resistance. The fragments of it disintegrated. The ninety-eight pearls dimmed considerably, shattering their unity! The exuded pressure was greatly weakened.

With a wave of his hand, the halberd returned to Wu Yu's hand as if it had teleported. "Easy enough." 

Han Yuhei's eyes, however, grew abnormally calm. He formed a hand-seal. The entire world trembled; even those on Origin and the other planets in the Elementus Domain could feel a rumble course through their bodies. A subtle vibration started emitting from all these planets! Their internal cores seemed to experience a change in power, losing heat and energy.

Han Yuhei's Mystic Aura began to rise to incredible limits, his body encapsulated by scintillating jade and nine-colored sparkles of light. The pearl that had been destroyed reformed instantly, and the connection with the others was reestablished but even stronger than before! 

"I'll show you the power of a World Sect, Wu Yu! The true power of a Domain Array!" Han Yuhei roared. All ninety-nine pearls started to change.