Paragon of Sin

Spectators of the trial had just witnessed an unprecedented reveal. With their jaws dropped, minds tumbling, the world outside the trial was about to explode onto an exciting and vibrant mess. Wei Wuyin had consecutively caused the starfield to leap with shock, disbelief, and expectations, but this reveal had changed everything.

If before Wei Wuyin was just the Prince of Everlore, now…

He had displayed a talent befitting of the number one genius of the entire starfield. With barely half a century of cultivation time, his skill in alchemy had reached pseudo-Alchemic Emperor levels, but his cultivation level entered the Sky Ruler alongside an outstandingly superior combat strength of a Spatial Resonance Beast!

Furthermore, his next actions elicited endless gawks.

Wei Wuyin was unaware of the immense chaos he had unleashed. While he had some idea of the possibility, he hadn't realized the intensify that it would have. Currently, he chatted with Qing Qiumu. They were sitting on a large patch of white fur that glistened with a faint luster. This patch of fur belonged to the White-Blaze Tiger, who was currently resting with folded paws as it obediently allowed Wei Wuyin and Qing Qiumu to lay on its expansive back.

The two sat down as if on a field of grass, looking at the gorgeous scenery that Junia offered. The Three-Eyed Tenebrous Crow was circling their location above. It was silent as it inspected the area around the two like a sentry. The Titanic Mudworm Snake was unseen, but those with exceptional awareness might find the seismic events beneath the ground to be odd and shifting.

Wei Wuyin had subdued the three beasts and while they were unconscious, utilized a Beast Taming Spell on their sea of consciousness and bodies. Suppressing their feral instincts amplified by the Myriad Monarch Sect's spells, he then linked his will to theirs allowing ease of communication. This was a very domineering method to control beasts, and he hadn't used it before.

Bai Lin had no such thing within her body, sea of consciousness, or soul, nor did she need it. Xiao Bai had a spell integrated into its soul at birth. When Wei Wuyin had received Xiao Bai, he received an item that gave him complete control over this spell and allowed him to decide its life and death with a mere thought. The spell was more humane as it didn't restrict the beast's thought or developments, allowing it to retain its natural cognizant way of life.

In truth, this type of method also worked on other living beings and was often deployed to nurture death warriors meant to protect or serve a certain group or person. If the owner died, so did these warriors, and their thoughts and wills were suppressed and restrained to benefit the controllers.

Wei Wuyin had temporarily deployed this method to subdue their wills. But he didn't restrain their ability to think or form thoughts nor alter their thoughts like puppets. They still had their independent capabilities, but their fates were now fully within Wei Wuyin's control and they knew this. A mere thought and the spell would be able to kill them. It was similar to Xiao Bai.

He hadn't set-up several layers of protection, merely communicated with them their newfound circumstances. Shockingly, they adapted rather quickly. Considering they weren't free beasts to begin with, they simply went from one master to another.

From what he could gather, these beasts were nurtured by the Golden Coin Pavilion as guardian beasts or combat beasts for top-tier Beast Tamers, giving exceptional strength to sects and forces if needed. According to them, there were seven of them that had arrived here and were placed in random locations.

None of them were unrestrained, and they could only act when provoked. This was the innate restriction placed on their seas of consciousness, and if they disobeyed this, the spells would detonate and obliterate their minds in an instant. Wei Wuyin had removed this restriction and replaced it with his own, giving them freedom in some regards.

Now, they belonged to him.

Myriad Monarch Participant.

Sky Ruler Cultivation.

Spirit Points: 1500.

Qualification for Next Round: Met.

"So using taming spells on the beasts also counted as capturing them?" Qing Qiumu asked as she held Wei Wuyin's jade tablet, seeing the fifteen hundred Spirit Points brightly lit on its surface. It seemed the formation had recognized Wei Wuyin's action as capturing the beasts.

Wei Wuyin was laying on his back, his hands behind his head, and his eyes staring straight at the encapsulating platform above that acted as an artificial Sky Layer. "It seems that way. This Trial of Beasts has too many hidden intricacies. While it was explained vaguely in the rules, it is more that it was open for interpretation to begin with to test the contestants' intelligence."

Qing Qiumu pondered for a moment, sighing lightly. The Myriad Monarch Sect truly didn't explain everything in detail, but it wasn't as if they didn't imply this possibility. She just couldn't figure out why.

Wei Wuyin closed his eyes and inhaled softly. "It's likely the goal of this Trial isn't about accumulation of spiritual points or establishing extra time to cultivate, but survival and gathering forces."

"What do you mean?" Qing Qiumu considered herself as intelligent, but the idea of the Trial of Beasts being used for this way eluded her. Whether it was due to the rules of the future conflicting with that possibility or simply the trial itself was too mystifying, she didn't know.

"There are restrained beasts and unrestrained beasts here. This is something explained, but who knows the actual ratio. Furthermore, taming beasts equated to capturing them. It was never said that the beasts captured can't be used in the next trial. All we really know is that the second round is about a contest between us.

"But gathering forces with other geniuses is not the way to victory, it's the same as conceding your opportunity to become first. With the rules that state killing beasts led to a penalty, taming beasts and developing your forces with them held the most benefit to your objective," Wei Wuyin explained.

Qing Qiumu thought for a moment, her emerald eyes soon became brightly lit with realization. "The rules state that killing beasts has a penalty, but what if beasts killed beasts?" She had understood a faint bit of truth within the hidden layers of the trial. If one can use beasts to kill other beasts without a penalty, then it was the only way to fight each other without losing anything.

"There's something else you're forgetting," Wei Wuyin faintly smiled.

Qing Qiumu frowned briefly. Her light furrowing of her brows that gave off a sense of ponderance was gorgeous as an Immortal Painting of a fairy in contemplation. Few could resist her allure, their thoughts would unintentionally wander from that look. But this beautiful picture was removed a moment later as she smacked her delicate fist into her palm with an enlightened exclamation.

"The rules also state that you can't actively act against those of a lower cultivation base, but the beasts here aren't under the same rule!" Qing Qiumu had finally grasped it. The central idea of the Trial of Beasts was to open the field of contest amongst all forces.

Wei Wuyin nodded his head, "That's right. If I wanted, I could have these Gold Starred Beasts slaughter all the contestants." While his words were casually spoken, any who heard it would experience a chill down their spines.

From this, the various mysteries of the trial would be easily deduced. For example, there was a spell that acted as a gate to these beasts. Unless one had sufficient spiritual strength or ability, forget about taming these beasts, even getting them to act according to your will was difficult. It could be guessed that each class of beast had varying degrees of strengthened restrictive spells.

"The feral beasts…" Qing Qiumu slowly spoke. The feral beasts had no restriction so anyone with any understanding in taming spells could easily deploy these spells into their sea of consciousness, adding them to their forces.

They sat there peacefully, deducing the mysteries of the trial while chatting. The two would go back and forth with logical deductions and soon mapped out the entire Trial of Beasts.

"If that's the case, wouldn't this mean...you'll win?" At the end of this conversation, Qing Qiumu asked Wei Wuyin. Wei Wuyin's eyes finally opened as he met the brilliant gaze of Qing Qiumu. She was truly as gorgeous as a painting, and with the backdrop of a forest-dominated planet like Junia, she was even more so.

"The moment I entered the trial, there was no other outcome," Wei Wuyin lifted his body with a light push as he stated plainly. Originally, he didn't want to participate. It was only after Su Mei's tribulation that he decided to do so. He had left the goal of claiming victory to Zuhei, who had attained a Nine-Ringed Soul Idol.

He knew that each ring was doubling the pre-existing strength of one's physical, mental, and essence energy quality, producing a frighteningly powerful spiritual strength. This would translate to a level of Astral Force that would exceed everyone currently in the trials. While he can't be certain that he would succeed, he felt it would be a good opportunity to sharpen his fangs and claws.

Qing Qiumu exclaimed lightly. The confidence Wei Wuyin exuded was incredibly heart-racing, slightly intoxicating. She couldn't help but feel a faint sense of admiration within her heart. From the moment he decided to enter, the outcome was decided? Others might think it was arrogance, but she could feel the absolute truth within his words.

Just from his dominance and taming of three Gold Starred Beasts, he revealed a strength that wasn't possible to be matched. In her mind, even the image of Long Chen overcoming all obstacles faded somewhat as Wei Wuyin's figure entered her thoughts.

She couldn't help but wonder: What if she had his strength?

Wei Wuyin turned to Qing Qiumu with a smile. He asked, "Do you want to cultivate together?"

His abrupt question caused Qing Qiumu to enter a brief lag. "Cultivate together?" These two words…they could have many meanings.

Her thoughts soon caught up as she started a little. A faint pink blush appeared on her expression, revealing an alluring look that could throw a man's thoughts into the flames of insanity and desire. This moment could test any man's willpower.

But Wei Wuyin merely laughed, chuckling as he explained: "I'm an alchemist, remember? Since this trial is already decided, why don't we cultivate? You're a little...lacking." At the end of his words, he revealed a solemn expression as he 'thoroughly' inspected Qing Qiumu's curvy, delicate figure that was seemingly blessed by the gods.

Qing Qiumu swiftly noticed that Wei Wuyin's eyes lacked that lust that men typically had despite his inspective gaze. It was inherently pure, and this caused her heart to calm down slightly after the clarification. But...a tinge of a strange emotion entered her heart. Was it...disap...no...it couldn't be.

"You sure? I'm not a cheap girl," Qing Qiumu shrugged her thoughts aside and jokingly said. To which Wei Wuyin replied, "Damn, what's it going to cost me?"

"An arm and a leg."

"Pfft. Just that? thought you said you weren't cheap?"

"I meant your third leg!"

"...!"

The two went tit for tat as three beasts that could dominate the planet protected this moment.