Paragon of Sin

"..." It was rare to render an entire hall of over a million speechless, trying to grasp and process what just happened. 

Some subconsciously looked at the platform, completely absentminded, as they found that Wei Wuyin's Fire Phoenix had been left behind! She slumbered peacefully beside Su Mei's cultivation zone. The ancient beast hadn't even twitched! 

What…just happened? 

Wei Wuyin had simply left without any indication. Without any explanation. Just left? It felt surreal given the recent shocks they experienced from his existence. The entire flow of the summit thus far had been heavily determined and reliant on his actions and words, so there was a lost feeling in the hearts of most. Especially when everyone learned that the cultivation opportunity and their admission into the Main Hall were due to Wei Wuyin's efforts.

Ai Juliang's eyes slowly opened. She stared at the location that Wei Wuyin originally occupied, her eyes containing concern and worry. While Wei Wuyin had thoughtfully sent her a transmission of his upcoming departure just before he left, she was still beside herself with stress. She could only pray that everything was fine. 

Within the subspace of apex figures, and Yue Songli, Evergod's eyes flickered. The space that was once occupied by a silver-robed woman was still quivering slightly. A sign of a hasty Spatial Shift. 

"Hm? I wonder what that's about? Their sect, perhaps?" The Imperial Advisor musingly inquired to no one in particular. His eyes remained shut, but his voice was soft yet extremely clear. His words provoked all sorts of light to emanate from the depths of these apex figures' eyes, except the blank sea of whiteness that was the Grand Seer's.

"Don't jump to conclusions," the Soul Saint King warned. Those words inspired greater thought to the point even the Imperial Advisor frowned slightly. While the Imperial Advisor was attempting to place the title of collaborator, ally, or member of the silver-robed woman's sect firmly on Wei Wuyin's head with his words, the Soul Saint King's words suggested otherwise. 

"We've all seen the Crescent Jade Key hanging around his neck," the Boundless Martial High King pointed out an elephant in the room. Since the beginning, they had all noticed the item used by that sect to select possible Chosen Candidates, and the main way they use to recruit members to their sect. 

"..." The Soul Saint King didn't refute; the silver-robed woman's actions alongside Wei Wuyin's abrupt departure were quite damning. But when he recalled the armored Earthly Saint and his words, he knew that it was incredibly unlikely. 

…right?

-----

Wei Wuyin and Wu Yu exited the Main Hall's secret realm, returning to the Everlore Domain's Dark Void, very close to Ever-Sky. They hadn't immediately left, engulfed by Wei Wuyin's Worldly Domain. Wei Wuyin's brows were furrowed while a solemn light flickered within his silver eyes. 

Wu Yu patiently waited. He knew that Wei Wuyin was deciding where to go. With his Void Portals, they could traverse vast distances with minor effort. However, Wu Yu was unaware that Wei Wuyin wasn't trying to decide where to go but if he should even use his Void Portals!

Since his multiple close encounters with that strange being concealed in the folds of space, he was now aware that it was tracking him somehow. He didn't know why or how, but it was likely connected to his Void Portals or usage of his Draconic Void Bloodline. There was also the slight chance that it was Bai Lin, hence why he left her behind, simply accounting for all possibilities. 

It was best if she stayed in the most secure place in the entire stellar region. 

This strange, spatially tunneling creature gave Kratos and his Draconic Void Bloodline a clear sensation of danger—absolute danger! His draconic instincts were telling him that Wu Yu was not its match. However, he didn't know if it had certain restrictions on where it could travel. 

The two times they met were in the Void-Blank Space, the empty, desolate area between starfields. Furthermore, Ma Zheng was unaware of this creature's existence despite being a part of the stellar region for 30,000 years, being a part of countless changes to the orientation of starfields and Void-Blank Space. 

'But the Void-Blank Space is the most suitable location for my tribulations; they are too destructive or noticeable otherwise.' He couldn't imagine the terrifying commotion his Gravity Source Astral Tribulation would've caused. It might've rearranged the orbits of celestial objects. As for his United Worldly Force Tribulation, it destroyed a large-sized planet! 

He was besieged by a rare indecisive moment. 

"..." His Astral Souls were radio silent on this decision. They felt the terror that the creature instilled into Kratos far greater than Wei Wuyin ever could. It wouldn't be an understatement to say they were scared! However, they were simultaneously fearless! If Wei Wuyin decided to face that creature today with all his trump cards, they wouldn't hesitate to support him.

The warm feeling of unconditional support no matter what he chose made Wei Wuyin more indecisive. Wei Wuyin had made ample preparations. He was genuinely considering taking drastic action. He couldn't live in fear. He refused to live in fear. 

Wei Wuyin looked at Wu Yu who was calmly standing there, awaiting orders. It was still strange to have an Earthly Saint who cultivated the Imperial Heaven Qi Method to be so silent and obedient. He didn't know what impression the King of Everlore left behind that made Wu Yu treat alchemists with obscene talent like gods, willing to lower his cultivated pride and suppress his unyielding personality.

The scenes from the summit were more than enough to realize that Wu Yu was not one to relent a single inch. Wu Yu was so, so close to fighting the entire Imperial Clan without a second thought. If it wasn't for him, he was certain that Wu Yu would've killed Xun Yicao and departed in maniacally taunting laughter. He might return at a later date and replace the Imperial Clan with a river of blood, bones, and corpses.

That courage was useful. 

"Wu Yu, do you fear death?" Wei Wuyin asked. 

"Death?" Wu Yu was taken aback briefly but revealed an expression slathered with a kingly smile befitting a Monarch of the Heavens. He didn't need to say a single word, his expression and radiant eyes said it all! Death? Absolutely not. He feared failure more than death. 

"Good." Wei Wuyin nodded approvingly. 'Because we just might die.' In his heart, he solidified his decision, and the Astral Souls were fully behind him. He couldn't allow such an unknown variable to threaten him or Bai Lin.

"Let's find this creature," Wei Wuyin declared—before it found him. 

Wu Yu didn't know what Wei Wuyin meant, but he knew it was going to be dangerous and a sense of thrill instilled in his heart. Suddenly, he looked into the far-off distance. A comet of mystic light enveloping a familiar armored figure was fast approaching.

The Legion Commander! 

Wei Wuyin felt as if the Legion Commander's timing was perfect. When Zhan Zheng arrived, he stood behind Wei Wuyin respectfully, like a dutiful commander awaiting orders. Wu Yu eyed Zhan Zheng. This rivaled the top Earthly Saints of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. A curiosity infected him, wanting to test his strength against this strange being. 

Wei Wuyin abruptly looked to an empty space in the Dark Void, "..." His silver eyes stared at a specific direction, a specific area, and they continued to narrow. Then, his eyes shifted a little to the right. It was clear that Wei Wuyin's eyes were following someone!

"Someone's hiding there," Wei Wuyin transmitted to Wu Yu. The Grand Knight was stunned; his eyes flared with spiritual light as he inspected the space that Wei Wuyin was looking at. Besides the typical ripples of fixed space and Chaos Mana, he couldn't find anything. But, he didn't doubt Wei Wuyin at all. He became vigilant, his Mystic Aura primed to react to the slightest disturbance. 

Zhan Zheng remained silent, not bothering to even look in that direction. 

"You can sense me?" An indifferent voice resounded throughout the Dark Void from every direction. It felt as if it was far, far away yet incredibly close, giving goosebumps to all that heard it, and disorientating their sense of distance and direction. 

Wu Yu's Mystic Aura flared! An assassin? 

Pop.

A subdued sound that caused Wei Wuyin's heart to jump echoed. This was a sign of the void being interacted with! While it was much quieter than his, it felt more intense. If one wasn't paying attention to it, or could sense the changes of space acutely, they would never notice it.

A figure shimmered into existence like a hazy, out-of-focus image growing gradually clear. The figure was clad in silver-colored robes, her willowy figure and proud twin peaks revealed her gender as a female, but her face was concealed by a veil that Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes couldn't pierce through. 

"...!" Wei Wuyin's eyes widened, subconsciously touching the crescent moon necklace beside the crystallized and shrunken Myriad Yore Continent. Why? Because the silver-robed woman had the same necklace! 

The silver-robed woman also touched her necklace. It was emitting a silvery light that glistened beautifully, of a far higher quality than Wei Wuyin's.

"Who are you?" Wei Wuyin questioned. He had been extremely curious about the existence and origins of this necklace for over three decades! 

"How did you sense me?" The silver-robed woman answered with a question, her indifferent voice was entirely devoid of all emotion causing a little discomfort to the mind. It was clear that she was more interested in how she evaded Wu Yu and the armored Earthly Saint's senses, but not Wei Wuyin's! A mere mortal! 

Of course, she wouldn't know that Zhan Zheng had long since noticed her, but she simply wasn't a threat in his eyes. 

Wei Wuyin and the silver-robed woman immediately entered a strange silence, neither answering the other's question. Eventually, after a long moment, the silver-robed woman spoke. 

"Liu Suyin."