Paragon of Sin

Severed!

The Soul Saint King's lime-green eyes were exuding exuberant spiritual light, sensing the connection between his Mystic Soul and the Mystic Ninestar Unity Array. It was hard to describe this particular feeling he felt as he tried to actively interface with the overall array or its individual formations. 

The Mystic Ninestar Unity Array was still active, evident by the vibrant rays of light and rumbling power, but all his orders and commands were seemingly ignored. A vague, disconnected sensation swept his senses. It would be a gross understatement to describe the current Soul Saint King, one of the top three Earthly Saints of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, as confused and lost. 

The concept of severing an individual from their geographically constructed array wasn't a foreign concept. It simply meant that one had to damage their spiritual strength or destroy the control key within their possession. There was also the direct, violent, overpowering method of outright destroying the formations. 

However, the last method was clearly not deployed here with the nine Solar Stars remaining lively and effusing copious amounts of energies and essences. As for the other two, he was unharmed and the control key was in his possession, refined inside his Mystic Soul, so it was unable to be stripped from him without crippling him first. 

"..." The Soul Saint King observed the army of Ascended beings and his expression grew abnormally dark and gloomy. Before, he and everyone else was too focused on the events unfolding, the battles of Earthly Saints, the capture of these masked assailants, and then his arrival. But now, they all examined the 1,000 Ascended beings led by a dragonhead helmet wearing, skeletal warhorse riding Earthly Saint! After making his move that seemed to level out the playing field, they became the center of everyone's attention!

Sun Li, Huoyan Liulan, Lady Clearwind, and Han Yuhei were all deeply shaken! 1,000 Ascended beings! The mortal youth riding atop an ancient, extinct beast with the strength of a Demi-Mortal Lord had the means to call forth 1,000 Ascended beings! Furthermore, they were all exuding dense battle intent, slaughter intent, various ethereal intents, and a unified aura that could shake the mind and weaken the spirit.

It was daunting, to say the least.

Yet the question on everyone's lips was simply: How? 

While the others were Earthly Saints, absolute powerhouses in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, they were all well-known figures that had established themselves for thousands of years. They had public connections and irrefutable history that interlinked each of them in some way, but they recognized not a single Ascended being's aura! 

Unlike before, the War Commander and the rest didn't come off as Wei Wuyin's incarnations, but independent existences that felt somewhat strange, yet still true cultivators. They had Mystic Souls or Mystic Cores. They had Spiritual Strength, Mental Energies, Physical Energies, and Intent. The only strange thing was that none of them had a tangible life aura. True cultivators, not true living existences. 

Wei Wuyin hadn't used any of his own energy or War Souls to fuel these Spirits of War this time around. The Nexus War Flag, upon 100% refinement, had its own battery of prepared energy that was currently fueling their existence. You can say that this energy was a rechargeable battery that Primary Soul Light and War Souls can be converted to generate. It was named Forged Soul Energy. 

It felt like a mixture of Essence of War and Soul Energy. The former was extremely malleable, capable of taking the properties of any type of will that integrated within it. The latter was something that even Earthly Saints had no control over, except those who've reached the Primary Soul Light, to which only a portion was genuinely Soul Energy, the majority composed of Light and Spirit Energies.

"Who trained this army? Cultivated them?" Lady Clearwind was the most stupefied out of all of them. Her information network wasn't the greatest, and there were many things she was ignorant of, and for a mortal that was barely above 50 years of age to have genuine Ascended beings at his beck and call was extremely abnormal, but a mysterious army should be completely impossible. 

The one responsible for this army must be an Ascended being of incredible strength and means. 

Wu Yu made sense; his legend stemmed from long ago and had a lot of unknown history, but his talent was definitely prodigious after attracting the King of Everlore's interest. Thus, there was little doubt that he was on the verge of reaching Earthly Saint. His decision to become Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Knight is a little surprising, but not impossible if he was a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist. It's not as if Wei Wuyin was the first Mortal Sovereign Alchemist with an Earthly Saint level Alchemic Knight. 

"It seems it must be true," Sun Li said darkly. A grunt sounded out beside her. It belonged to a captured Earthly Saint, who seemed to be a rather talkative individual as they tried to speak. Sun Li gave the masked Earthly Saint a glance before giving them a heavy slap that spun them around thrice. They fell silent instantly. 

The Soul Saint King might be a little confused, but he wasn't panicked or horrified. In fact, he still floated calmly within the Dark Void, his demeanor exuded an aura of total control, brought solely about his own personal strength. 

However, he had also noted the army that had ascended long ago, including their numbers. He inspected their cultivation base: 1 Earthly Saint, 6 Demi-Mortal Lords, 43 Soul of Mysticism, and 950 Mystic Stars. This was an astonishing line-up, all with astonishing strength and auras. 

However, facing this line-up, the Soul Saint King hadn't batted an eye before and he wouldn't now. 

Wei Wuyin noted the calmness in his stance and facial expression despite the sudden act of Zhan Zheng severing his access to his all-powerful Starfield Array, removing a staunch reliance of his. A surge of uneasiness slipped in mind and permeated within his Sea of Consciousness. And when those lime-green eyes turned to him, deliberately neglecting the army of 1,000 Ascended beings before him, the uneasiness grew. 

"Your means are arcane, your rallying power…" the Soul Saint King briefly swept his glance towards each Earthly Saint present, including his subordinate who hid her true strength, continuing with a wisp of mirth: "...is exceptional. I must say, you've intrigued me. However, if your confidence stems from these toys of yours or this little trick, you're truly just a child unaware of his circumstances." 

Toys?!

The term caused the various Earthly Saints to stare at the army with spiritual light. They had their suspicions, but they couldn't outright verify it. 

"Uhm!" The masked Earthly Saint that was smacked by Sun Li squirmed a little, as if saying: "See! I was right!" Yet no one understood what they meant before or now. Everyone's attention was all gathered on the army of 1,000. 

"Puppets?" Huoyan Liulan frowned as she questioned. However, Faye Liying shook her head and replied: "Puppets lack all signs of life, they are unable to emit lively Intent, an expression of living will, borne out of our Souls connections to the Daos of this world." She was an Earthly Saint, her knowledge comprehensive and rich, so she instantly refuted that possibility.

"If not puppets, then what?" Huoyan Liulan grew further confused as her senses inspected the army before her. 

In truth, they shouldn't be focused on this, but none of the Earthly Saints felt a sense of urgency. They knew that the Soul Saint King wouldn't try to claim their lives, so their demeanors and actions were quite relaxed. They were mere spectators at this point for the conflict between Wei Wuyin and the Soul Saint King that was unfolding. What they do will depend on these two beings that had set up a thorough trap for Trueborn and another who acted as a nominal leading representative of the Ninestar Sainthall based on intelligence and strength. 

Wei Wuyin's eyebrows wrinkled. The War Talisman was an existence that originated from the Nexus Battlefield's Champion's list, and it was tremendously profound, revolving around concepts of souls that even Earthly Saints hadn't grasped an inkling towards. It was shocking that the Soul Saint King had an inkling of their true nature.

While he was likely unable to pinpoint their origins, he could determine they were toys, beings under his will and control. When it came to this, Wei Wuyin's uneasiness grew. 

Then, Wei Wuyin's heart and mind throbbed with a pulse of realization. With slightly widened eyes, he inspected the Soul Saint King, and instantly realized how he was able to determine this difference. The uneasiness began to gradually dissipate.

With a faint smile, Wei Wuyin said: "I hadn't thought that the Soul Saint King would live up to your name, tapping into the profundities of Primary Soul Light. A true talent, it seems."

The Soul Saint King's brows furrowed ever-so-slightly. It seems that Wei Wuyin's words had pricked a point in his heart. 

The others were confused. Primary Soul Light? They were aware of Primary True Light, but Primary Soul Light? What was that? There wasn't a single Earthly Saint present besides the Soul Saint King and Zhan Zheng that wasn't completely baffled by this term. Even the masked Earthly Saints, if one could glimpse behind their concealments, would find them with curious expressions. 

Wei Wuyin inwardly nodded; his assumption was correct. The Soul Saint King understood principles of Primary Soul Light, and thus could determine that the 1,000 Spirits of War were all refined by Wei Wuyin's Primary Soul Light, and thus weren't genuine existences such as them. 

"Enough." The Soul Saint King seemed to be on the brink of losing his patience. Wei Wuyin and all these Earthly Saints had disregarded his face, stomping on the rules of the Ninestar Sainthall, treating him and his organization like nothing while capitalizing on his absence. In fact, he was told to stand aside and allow it by a youth? There was no need to continue this game with a mere mortal. Even if he belonged to some great force from beyond, he had an inkling of the truth of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, and a certain sect's core purpose, so he wasn't afraid of any consequences. 

"Surrender yourselves, You'll all be dealt with by the Ninestar Sainthall's laws; if you resist, I will use lethal force, and I can not ensure your lives." The Soul Saint King threatened, his voice rippling with tremendous power that shook the nearby fixed space. 

The expressions of the Earthly Saints brought here by Wei Wuyin all became grim. They were currently unsure what to do. While they were willing to concede to the Soul Saint King, they didn't-

Before their thoughts could be completed, Faye Liying flew forward. She directly surrendered!