Paragon of Sin

The tremors of fixed space were explosive, expanding an incredibly outrageous distance. There were cultivators from Origin to the furthest reaches of the Aeternal Sky Starfield that felt it in their Astral and Mystic Souls. The sheer intensity brought them immense confusion, many cultivators searched their vicinity for the one responsible, but could only look towards a certain direction within the Dark Void's expanse.

They looked up, down, left, or right, their gazes pinpointing towards its location.

Those within World Realms and Secret Realms felt the quaking reverberations as well, even stronger than those within the Aeternal Sky Starfield.

There was an isolated World Realm, extremely small in size, situated directly outside the Aeternal Sky Starfield. It was strongly reinforced by various layers of defenses, giving it a strong concealment that would put Shadow Eggs to shame.

The World Realm was beautiful, designed as an gargantuan garden of wood-attributed resources spliced with other attributes of varying grades, almost entirely peak astral or mystic-grade. There was a large, blazing Solar Star that exuded an eighth-colored light, seven of which perfectly connected with the Seven Aspects of the Alchemic Dao.

Moreover, there was an eighth light that surpassed the others in intensity. It was Mystic Light! It was a unique solar star, infused and refined to resemble the Mystic Core of Ascended cultivators. In fact, it seemed like a massive Alchemic Mystic Core!

Some areas of the garden had green, sparkling liquid lakes, clearly infused with rich wood energies alongside water energies. These lakes would be irrigated to supply to the other fields, supporting their natural growth into mystic-graded materials. With the Mystic Light and Mystic-graded waters, the growth rate and quality of these plants were sublime.

At the center of this world was a simple palace, a large wooden hut with a very simplistic design. There wasn't much to it, seemingly minimalized, yet there was Utmost Purity Mist permeating the surroundings. This Utmost Purity Mist seemed to be externally cultivated, not tethered to any Cauldron.

It felt as if it belonged to the world itself.

Beneath the hut were faint outlines of a formation constructed entirely from three types of Mystic Runes. If Wu Yu were here, he would instantly recognize these Mystic Runes. They were Oceanic, Infusion, and Conversion Runes.

At this time, near the hut, there was a silver platform that was engulfed in wild roots and branches. It began to release a glow of silver brilliance that slowly evaporated the surrounding roots and branches, revealing its complete form of a rectangular platform that was roughly twenty feet wide and eighty feet in length. It was only six feet in height, but there was a set of four stairs on all four sides that led down.

A figure began to come into focus amongst the silver brilliance, slowly taking form to reveal itself as a woman.

And what a woman she was.

With her long, wavy navy blue hair, exceptional figure, and sky blue eyes that could take one's breath away. If Wei Wuyin were here, he would instantly recognize her as Tian Xiaolu, the Blessed female that Tian Muyang had brought to initiate an All-Alchemic Clash again to test his skills, probing his backing.

When she fully took form, she seemed quite familiar with the surroundings as she walked forward towards the wood hut without skipping a heartbeat. When she arrived, her eyes revealed a wisp of mysterious light that was hard to discern. Before she could announce her presence outside the hut, a voice came from inside.

"How was it?" The voice was soft, female, containing a gentleness that was very rarely seen. It gave one a feeling of listening to a mother's voice, warmth and security within. However, to those with the keenest of senses, they might sense a slight trace of innate pride that was impossible to remove.

Tian Xiaolu's expression returned to her signature neutral gaze, concealing her thoughts. "It was a waste of time; Uncle Muyang couldn't get him to agree." After the events of meeting Wei Wuyin, when she was told to leave, that's what she did. She left, went back to finishing a concoction she had to halt, and finished it.

She successfully concocted thirteen high-quality Astral World-Deluge Pills using the Thirteenth Sky Concoction Method, a similar method to the Earthly Nine Concoction Method and Thirty-Three Heavenly Methods. But it was devised by a genuine Alchemic Saint, allowing a more successful and quicker process.

While it had taken her six months, she felt relieved to have succeeded.

"..." The voice didn't respond immediately. There was a distinct silence.

Tian Xiaolu waited patiently, knowing that the one inside was using a unique Temporal Manipulation Spell to halt a Concoction Process mid-way, the same one that she had used to halt hers when summoned by Tian Muyang. It, too, wasn't designed by a normal alchemist. In fact, it was the Ever-Sustain Alchemic Spell, a powerful spell devised by none other than the King of Everlore shortly before he reached the Worldly Saint Alchemist level.

After several minutes, the voice once again spoke. "What do you think about him?" The question caused Tian Xiaolu's brows to furrow slightly, giving it considerable thought.

She replied with a single word: "Interesting." This was her truest opinion. Tian Xiaolu originally felt that Wei Wuyin was despicable to act so mysteriously, as if he was truly the King of Everlore's descendant or disciple.

However, seeing his outstanding physical appearance, how he carried himself, and the way he acted, including the play he was clearly enacting, she found him that—interesting.

"Did you find the mark on him?" The voice asked.

"No; he's not his disciple or descendant." Tian Xiaolu said confidently. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she recalled Wei Wuyin's words to Tian Muyang, underplaying the value of the Imperial Heaven Qi Method, avoiding a challenge with expertly crafted words. A true disciple of the King of Everlore would never dodge a challenge with any excuse.

"I also couldn't find an inkling of Alchemic Aura on him; he doesn't seem to have an Alchemic Soul. That said, he might be from the Multi-World Clan. He definitely has a faint sign of their aura." She had an extremely keen sense, and if Wei Wuyin knew this, his levels of vigilance towards her would unquestionably increase.

"The Multi-World Clan? He originated from that starfield, right?" The woman softly asked, but it seemed rhetorical as she thought things through. "...I see. How disappointing," the voice said with a sigh.

"Master," Tian Xiaolu said and immediately paused, her expression slightly complex.

The voice seemed to be fully aware of the reasons for her hesitation, asking: "Is your Third Dao nearing completion?"

Tian Xiaolu's eyes dimmed, "I need…"

"I understand. I was in the middle of concocting the needed pill for you. Afterward, you can strive to reach the Temporal Eye Phase before you reach a hundred in age. With this, you'll have the best opportunity to complete his trial." The woman's voice said confidently, reverberating with a hint of pride.

Tian Xiaolu's eyes brightened. Meeting her master was the greatest thing that had happened to her. She hurriedly bowed, "Thank you, Master."

"If you want to thank me, be sure to obtain the treasure he left behind; it contains the secrets that'll allow me to reach the next stage of the Alchemic Dao, and that'll be the best thanks." The voice said with a heavy anticipation.

"I'll do my best," Tian Xiaolu promised.

RUMBLE!

Suddenly, the world began to tremble.

Tian Xiaolu's expression changed as her Worldly Domain unfurled instinctively, protecting her. If Wei Wuyin were to see this Worldly Domain, he would be absolutely stupefied!

It wasn't seven-colored like before, but contained endless colors and shades, exuding a dense and varied aura of the Material Dao, including all nine elements! It greatly resembled the Seed of Creation and the aura emitted from the Eye of Creation!

"What's happening?" Her astral force shrouded her, becoming a defensive ward of metal-attributed energies and metal force. It was incomparably sturdy!

"What is this? A Realm World Astral Tribulation?" The voice within the hut was startled, shock extremely evident within every syllable. "No!" A faint shout of urgency and surprise resounded, and the hut seemed to be releasing a dense alchemic power that began to stabilize the world.

Soon, the rumble ceased within the World Realm, but there was an air of tension and killing intent emitting from the hut.

Tian Xiaolu felt it first, her body shivered slightly. "...Master?"

"Go back and investigate the cause of that disturbance. It seems to be coming from the Elementus Domain," the voice said with suppressed anger. Even the Spiritquake or Earthly Ascension of Wu Yu and Ma Zheng hadn't shaken her World Realm, but this aura emitted strange spatial power that disrupted everything, mana, and the astronomical forces within.

"Yes, Master." Tian Xiaolu sensed the faint impure aura emitting from the hut. A failed product, it seems. While it could be hidden from others, she had the Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality, the Ocular Intent of the Alchemic Dao, a sign of being a genuine Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, recognized by the Alchemic Dao, so she could sense it clearly.

She left swiftly, knowing her master's mood had greatly soured. Moreover, her pill was likely the one that failed. How unfortunate.

When she left, the voice sighed heavily. If Tian Xiaolu knew that her pill wasn't the only one that failed, but a peak Mystic-Earth product, then she would understand the heaviness of that sigh and her anger.

"If that boy isn't his disciple, then who is he? Could he really be from outside the Sealed Regions? No, that's not possible. The Void Voyage Sect would never allow that." The voice sounded one last time, sighing once again.

Despite the rumbling, the beauty of this World Realm was still undisturbed.