Paragon of Sin

An odd transitional peace swept the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. The intensity of certain bloody conflicts simmered down into a temporary truce. While the Non-Aggression Pact was an agreement between the top-tier experts of the stellar region and their organizations, it somehow translated to silver, gold, and mystic-tier forces mimicking their efforts. 

This ushered in a forced state of peace. After all, no organization or force wished to be ganged up on by the experts and geniuses of their enemies after they destroyed their home and family. Moreover, they might have to deal with alliances formed through various pacts. It might bring about mutual destruction. 

That said, the various forces didn't leave themselves defenseless. There were still established arrays and planet-wide, realm-wide, or even citywide defensive formations that had long since been prepared. 

Time slowly passed as almost everyone had set off, covering the usually empty vastness of the Dark Void to feel slightly less empty. A day went by; a week went by; a month went by…and then some.

The Everlore Association was soon occupied by countless forces. The location of the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit, the planet Ever-Sky, wasn't filled to the brim, but its neighboring planets in the Everlore Domain were absolutely thriving with bustling cultivators, and Voidships docked at the edge of these planets. 

More was still to come. 

The Everlore Association had opened its doors, bringing out all sorts of products and opening up various dedicated areas for foreign and domestic alchemists to freely trade their alchemical products with regulated oversight. This was a rare opportunity for alchemists. This was an even rarer opportunity for cultivators!

Some Timelords, those at the eighth stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Temporal Eye Phase, may have never refined a peak-tier eighth-grade product before, but now there was some heavy availability as long as you were willing to spend a little extra money. 

The best opportunity here was the selling of rare herbs, materials, and essences that alchemists fully desired. There was even Stellar Rain was being traded, an extremely rare and difficult resource to acquire for Ascended beings, let alone mortal cultivators. 

There were even certain cultivators that met their future husbands, wives, bosom buddies, or masters at these events.

The activities unfolding were magical. 

Unfortunately, while peace, growth, and connections were taking place there, in the Ninestar Starfield's Soul-Saint Domain, the opportunity was neglected in favor of a single woman's freedom or the desire for it. 

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"Not again. Not again…" Yue Songli was the embodiment of anxiety, her hands clasped tightly, and her enchantingly pink eyes trembled ceaselessly as she felt the explosive auras unfold above her. 

Her father, Song Yunhai, was absentmindedly staring at the crushed remnants of a spiritual crystal. It was none other than Yue Songli's beacon given to her by Wei Wuyin shortly before their departure. 

Suddenly, he felt the explosive surges, and his gaze lifted upwards, spewing out spiritual light as an Ocular Spell was initiated. His expression drastically changed, contorting greatly as he exclaimed: "She's an Earthly Saint?!" He was thunderstruck as the familiar aura he could never forget had intensified to exceptional levels. 

That aura was fighting heavily against four others, unleashing their Mystic Aura in a world-defying manner that clashed against the others. Shockingly, she was not at an absolute disadvantage, staving off the four Earthly Saints auras and seventeen Demi-Mortal Lords.

However, the heavy permeation of her Mystic Aura indicated a rapid, reckless exhaustion of her mystic power. She was holding nothing back while the others were hard-pressed against such defensive and offensive efforts. They could only cautiously approach this battle to ensure a mutual demise did not unfold, taking it slow—slow for Ascended beings.

Yet these assailants had locked on their position, mostly Yue Songli, so she wasn't able to escape. It was clear who their target was. 

BOOOOOM!

"ARRRGGGHHH!" 

A devastating explosion followed by a howl of deathly regret, pain, and unwillingness resounded. A Demi-Mortal Lord's aura vanished outright. Yue Lixiang, Yue Songli's mother, had eliminated an attacker in the first few seconds of fighting! 

Unfortunately, after four more seconds, there were no repeats of such a praise-worthy achievement. The Mystic Auras above seemed to intensify, and the sixteen remaining Demi-Mortal Lords' auras elevated to incredible levels.

They unleashed their Demi-Mystic States! 

Yue Songli felt the rising power, crying out: "Why isn't anyone helping?!" This was the Soul-Saint Domain, the central location of the Ninestar Sainthall and home to at least nine Earthly Saints! The Soul Monarchs! For beings of this level, they only needed a few seconds to arrive anywhere in the starfield if they exerted their fullest efforts.

She bravely stepped forward, hoping to assist her mother, but a world-crushing force cascaded downwards on her body, causing her to harshly collapse. She was forced to sit on the floor, her eyes on the brink of flooding with tears. 

Another Earthly Saint!

There was another! ANOTHER EARTHLY SAINT! This elite expert had targeted her with their spiritual strength, preventing her from taking any action, bypassing all the defensive formations of the Shattered World Palace. Whoever was performing this had exceptionally insidious spiritual strength. 

Song Yunhai wasn't affected by this crushing strength. Whether it was because he wasn't deemed important enough or something else, only the Earthly Saint and Song Yunhai knew. 

Five Earthly Saints had made a move! 

Five!

There were less than two hundred Earthly Saints throughout the entirety of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, yet five had taken action today to take her away! Yue Songli felt unimaginable despair and fear. 

BOOM! BAM! BOOM!

Amidst the explosions, Yue Songli's mind was drawn to over five hundred years ago. She was merely a bright-eyed, arrogant, and prideful young woman with countless admirers and seemingly endless potential. She possessed heaven-shaking beauty, was desired by all and was treated with the utmost kindness and respect by her seniors. 

Then, she was forcefully taken away on one of her impulsive trips. For centuries, she was locked into a single room, forced to cultivate, forced to extract the yang energies of unsuspecting horny idiots, and having her hope and willpower slowly chipped away. She had all but given up on escaping, on seeing her mother again, but then a shining hope arrived that changed it all. 

It wasn't her mother, father, or those numerous geniuses that proclaimed their love for her, but a mere mortal that wasn't even born when she was captured. She wasn't his target, but he saw her sealed hope and extracted it from the depths of her heart. 

He saved her from her restricted world.

She was lucky.

Yet the trauma couldn't help but crush her heart. The experts knocking on her doorstep were like an ever-encroaching siren of panic and gloom. Will her mother be okay? Will she be locked back in that room? If she had known this, she…she might have chosen to just…stay. 

To have your freedom given to you after centuries, then have it threatened by the strongest beings imaginable, and then get it taken away alongside the possible life of your most cherished person, your mother, her emotions were at an all-time low. She couldn't process much as her eyes stared blankly at the ground, tears dripping from the edges of her eyes.

Song Yunhai saw this all but remained where he was. He heaved a sigh. 'You shouldn't have come back.' His thoughts were completely unlike what anyone would expect a father to think at this moment. Furthermore, his eyes were a little dark as he sensed Yue Lixiang's Earthly Saint aura. She had taken another step beyond him once again! 

Pop.

A strange sound, not too loud, not too soft, but just right and seeming extremely close and far at the same time, resounded. 

The sound prompted a brief pause in the fierce clash outside. The Mystic Auras were all flaring with great strength, yet the sounds of explosions ceased instantly. The air of vigilance enveloped the world.

"Ooh? What's this? I didn't expect so many people during my visit." A playful voice resounded throughout the void, permeating wildly with gushing, vast spiritual strength. 

Yue Songli's gaze lifted towards the sky. She instantly recognized that voice! The hope that had nearly buried itself again in her heart had burst out of its casket.

"Wow! So many Earthly Saints and Demi-Mortal Lords! Fortunately," the voice sounded as if they were amused by the elite experts of the stellar region, not scared a single bit, continuing: "I brought my own to accompany you all." 

WOOSH! WOOSH! WOOSH! 

Three Earthly Saints auras manifested out of thin air! 

But that wasn't all!

WOOSH! WOOSH! WOOSH!

Three MORE Earthly Saint auras blasted outwards, taking over the Dark Void with their gushing mystic might!

"Oh, I almost forgot." 

Suddenly, another Earthly Saint aura manifested, but alongside this aura was a united presence, accompanied by six Demi-Mortal Lords! A roar, chanting out the truth of war, was unleashed in a unified shout! It was brutal, forceful, and filled with killing intent.

"Young Lord!" A voice sounded out, drenched in respect and obedience. The Mystic Auras before were instantly cowed. "By your order!" 

Yue Songli's eyes brightened considerably! 

"Kill those who resist; capture and seal those who surrender." A cold, imposing voice echoed out. An absolute order! 

Kree! 

A blazing ray of light erupted, nearly mimicking the bright radiance of a Solar Star! 

Fourteen new auras! 

Seven Earthly Saints and seven Demi-Mortal Lords! 

Yue Songli's hope was ignited!

Song Yunhai paled. Then, he felt space become like a heavy marsh. His eyes shrunk considerably! 

The fixed space was sealed!