Paragon of Sin

"..." 

The majority of the keen, wise, and intelligent cultivator's gaze lifted to the inverted stage. More precisely, at the far-off end in the vast distance—the Void Gate! With the possibility that they were experimented with by changing standards decided by the elite, a feeling of vexation emerged in their hearts. 

They were here to have their voice heard! Lulled by rich energies, powerful obstacles, and the fear of death, they were either going to obediently sit this one out or be the subjects of their discussions. It was frustrating, to say the least. 

SHATTER!

BOOSH!

Like a flying meteorite, a figure shot onto the stage and crashed into it, inducing ripples in the air of his powerful aura. When the dust cleared, there were several gasps of shock and eyes bursting with excitement. 

The first Ascended being had taken the stage! And they were not a no-name figure by any measure of metric! As the dust cleared, a heavy-set man with an amicable smile that eluded to his friendliness and approachability. Despite not being handsome, he carried a unique charm that could snag the hearts of careless beauties. 

Highlord Huang Xiaoming! 

Amongst Demi-Mortal Lords, he was known for having outstanding strength, once fighting against two Highlords and defeating them. This was an extremely difficult feat for the average Demi-Mortal Lord, let alone a vagabond such as him. He nurtured his disciples personally, not establishing any particular force, and traversed the stellar region freely. 

Many refer to those like him as sages of the cultivation world, unfettered by restrictions, and loyal to their own invested interests. They had the least amount of oaths imposed on them, and the most amount of freedom.

A sense of ease swelled within many observers, especially amongst the Ascended beings. They needed someone to take the first step, but the machinations of the Earthly Saints were too difficult to understand. They didn't want to send themselves to their deaths. Some of the youngsters turned to where Huang Xiaoming leaped from, finding them a beautiful female cultivator sitting alone in a relatively large section. She had an icy gaze and a chilly exterior, almost the exact opposite of Huang Xiaoming. She was Huang Xiaoming's disciple and Chosen for the next Chosen King Competition.

As an Ascended being, and a Demi-Mortal Lord no less, the strange force that swept against the mortal cultivators was absent. To grasp insights into Ascended beings required far too great a sacrifice for Heavenly Seers or Oracles, and as such, few refused to do so especially since they all have some degree of fate-scrying protections that made it more difficult. 

San Luoyang's voice, however, still resounded. 

"State your Runic Ascension."

The question instantly caused many to be taken aback. State his Runic Ascension? That was sensitive information that few would reveal openly, yet San Luoyang had requested this of Huang Xiaoming! This was the same as asking for the details of one's talent, future potential, and comprehensive ability. 

An extremely invasive question. 

However, Huang Xiaoming didn't seem too bothered, giving a hearty laugh and replying: "Five." 

5th Runic Ascension! Out of nine Mystic Runes formed during the First Ascension, Huang Xiaoming had formed five! This was extremely high by the current Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's standards. It was no wonder he was so strong, capable of maintaining his vagabond status as an Ascended being. 

"5th Runic Ascension; Highlord of Ascended. Age: mid-6,000. Cultivation Realm: Mystic Ascendant Realm. Cultivation Stage: Third. Entity Level: Ascended, Greater Demi-Mortal Lord."

"...!" Those amongst the Ascended beings had shocked expressions, not at Huang Xiaoming's openness, but the level of the entity's strength. 

The obelisk covered in mystic runes near the Void Gate soon lit with mystic light, forming an indistinct shadowy figure without any clear gender or shape. A mass of energy, so to speak.

When the others saw this, realization dawned on them. Lin Xianxian heaved a faint sigh of relief.

"What is it?" Lin Xianxei asked, unable to see the figure manifest out of mystic energy. While she was a Starlord, at the peak of the Mystic Dao, her senses were unable to gather any information. All she could tell, or more accurately, feel, was that mystic power was gathering at the inverted stage above her. 

The Chosen all looked to their seniors. 

Lin Xianxian faintly smiled, answering lightly: "It's extremely difficult to create an Incarnation of an Ascended, pricey and absurdly time-consuming. The Everlore Association would not be able to make one for each Ascended that would challenge, so they've used a loose amalgamation of mystic energy directed by an Earthly Saint's spiritual sense."

"What does that mean?" Zhang Yang was confused. 

Lin Xianxian's smile grew a little weary. Fortunately, Lin Ming chimed in with his eyes focused on Huang Xiaoming: "All he has to do is defend against a few attacks until the energy is depleted, not slay an entity like us." He understood what Lin Xianxian was trying to say, and it was clear from the relieved expression that she felt happy that she didn't have to slay an entity to prove her worth. 

Huang Xiaoming looked at this humanoid glob of mystic power, his expression was quite calm, yet the depths of his eyes revealed an incomparable seriousness that could shake entire worlds. This humanoid glob was being manipulated by an Earthly Saint's spiritual strength and sense, so he didn't dare be careless. 

The humanoid glob took one step forward. 

Huang Xiaoming's pupils contracted as he retrieved a dark-yellow gourd with lightning-fast speed and familiarity, placing it before him as it began to wreath in lightning streaks!

CRACKLE!

The soundwaves of crackling lightning violently exploded throughout the stage, causing it to rumble. As these soundwaves traveled upwards, it was blocked by a thin, translucent barrier. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound of explosions and ripples on the barrier scared the younger cultivators. They couldn't see what was happening! To them, Huang Xiaoming had taken out a gourd, and while it was definitely unordinary, they couldn't see the lightning! 

Huang Xiaoming then vanished, only briefly appearing around the stage in a strange, flickering manner as he slammed his palms out. His amicable smile no longer existed, replaced by a dark, violent expression that many hadn't ever seen before. He seemed to be hard pressed! His disciple stood up from her lotus stance, her icy eyes reflecting worry and concern for her master. 

Zhang Yang was shocked as five seconds passed and Huang Xiaoming was still vanishing at incredible speeds. He wouldn't be able to see anything if it wasn't for the gourd that would sometimes emerge, its waist bulging at times as if spewing out something.

"Oh." Lin Xianxian and the other Ascended elders' expressions drastically changed as their sighs of relief vanished, replaced by increasingly paler faces by the second. Their fists clenched tensely as they watched the ongoing fight between Huang Xiaoming and the humanoid glob of mystic energy.

"Isn't it supposed to be a few attacks?" Zhang Yin questioned as she saw Huang Xiaoming emerge more than two dozen times throughout the several hundred-mile stage.

BOOSH!

A figure slammed against the stage, his knees bent, the dark-yellow gourd held above his head like a deity holding up the entire world, and his teeth clenched to the point veins popped from his forehead. 

CRACK!

The gourd began to crack. Along with it, the hearts of every Ascended nearly jumped out of their chests. 

"AHH!" Huang Xiaoming mustered a mighty shout as he pushed upwards, his legs stomping against the ground with tremendous strength! Lin Ming could tell that above Huang Xiaoming, while invisible to his senses, was the mystic energy that was assaulting him! It was pushing him to a shocking limit!

"It has Permanence!" The Demi-Mortal Lord elder from the True Element Sect shouted. The mystic energy that was thought to be just a few full-force strikes at the level of a 'Greater Demi-Mortal Lord' was instilled with the power of Permanence! This meant that unless it was destroyed, it could endlessly reuse its energy without consequence. 

In the Astral Core Realm, Permanence was gained after reaching the Zenith Mortal State, but when one enters the Mystic Ascendant Realm, this Permanence is severely reduced in effectiveness, if not only extended to longevity, rather than eternal until destroyed. 

This was because, during the Mortal Realms, the Mortal Dao's worldly laws wouldn't reject its energies, qi, or force, allowing it to form a cycle of reliance and support. It could feed off the world's mana and energies to sustain itself naturally. However, when entering the Mystic Ascendant Realm, the Mystic Dao will once again reject; Furthermore and to an absurd degree, refuse to allow it to exist without permission. 

Unless Ascended used unique methods such as manifesting Star Cores to gain approval of the Mortal Dao and a hint of acceptance from the Mystic Dao to form Celestial Bodies, they would face resistance in their every creation. 

To gain Permanence again, an Ascended must comprehend the Way of Mysticism, Permanence, and gain the approval once again of the Mystic Dao with their Awakened Mystic Intent as the foundation. Only Earthly Saints and above could wield such power!

This was why Huang Xiaoming was struggling so fiercely! He couldn't conjure enough strength to exhaust the Greater Demi-Mortal Lord's mystic energy within the humanoid glob! 

Lin Ming understood the difference between having Permanence and not, especially amongst the Astral Core Realm, let alone the Mystic Ascendant Realm. Even if Huang Xiaoming was slightly stronger or equal, unless he could destroy the enemy's energy, he would be locked into facing full-force attacks without end. 

"I SURRENDER!" Huang Xiaoming shouted with anger. At the moment, his body was pressed flatly against the stage, and the gourd was unleashing vast amounts of lighting into a canopy, shielding him against the humanoid glob's attacks. His forehead and hands were covered in dark-yellowish blood. 

After his words were yelled, the humanoid glob stopped. The Mystic Obelisk released a mystic light that recalled the humanoid glob entirely, relieving Huang Xiaoming of his plight. Ripples of extreme vexation and lingering fear flowed through the once kind and amicable eyes of this big-bellied figure. 

In the end, he sighed. He didn't need the Everlore Association to send him out. He lifted his head to his disciple and sent her a spiritual transmission before he left, spatially shifting out of this area.

"..." Gloomy silence descended on the hearts of every Ascended. Huang Xiaoming was one of the stronger Demi-Mortal Lords, surpassing a majority, yet even he was unable to gain the right to voice his opinion in the Main Hall.

If not him, what about them?