Paragon of Sin

Guan Yu exhibited caution, slowing down his pace as Wei Wuyin was a few paces ahead. While they remained a few meters apart at all times, neither truly trusting the other in this Battlefield, his actions were indicative of the developing situation's increasing intensity.

"What's this?" The spiritual aura permeating the air induced a strange reaction from Wei Wuyin's Astral Souls. All four, without fail, started to pulsate with astral force. Something within this spiritual aura was stimulating them.Â

"You...don't know?" Guan Yu was astonished by Wei Wuyin's question, very curious why a Soldier of War was asking such an easily understood phenomenon. Almost immediately after his bout of doubt, it dawned on him that Wei Wuyin likely thought the Nexus Battlefield had the exact restrictions of the original Battlefield.

"In the original Battlefield, there's a severe restriction on spirituality, astral force, intense gravitational forces, pure essence, and turbid light energies. However, the Nexus Battlefield is quite different. You've noticed the refined physique and Astral Cores?

Wei Wuyin nodded as he touched his fingers together, feeling the aura within the air.

"This is to facilitate the difference: The invoking of your Astral Idol!"

Wei Wuyin was startled, "Astral Idol?" He was deeply unfamiliar with this term. He had only known of Soul Idols, not these so-called Astral Idols.

Guan Yu was becoming increasingly uncertain. "You don't know? You really don't know what an Astral Idol is? How could...you not?" Guan Yu slowly descended into the abyss of disbelief, but as he continued speaking, his scarlet eyes fixated itself on Wei Wuyin's body for a long, long moment before his eyes bulged outwards.

Wei Wuyin couldn't sense Guan Yu's emotions or see his facial expression, but he could hear the racing heart beat of realization dawning on Guan Yu. Clearly his ignorance had betrayed a certain fact about himself. He couldn't help but wryly smile.

He really needed to find sometime to properly learn about cultivation in detail, simply read up on the intricacies of each. Unfortunately, even Jing Jiu's memories were of little help. It seemed the War Blessed of the Battlefield was similarly unaware of what an Astral Idol was, so he was just left plain ignorant.

"Im-Impossible!" Guan Yu shook his head, vehemently rejecting this possibility. Yet the gaze at which he looked at Wei Wuyin became more and more peculiar as time passed. Before they could continue, a sound erupted from the distance.

It was a howl of extreme pain, anguish, and bone-deep hatred. The last sounds brought about by a throat that knew of its approaching death yet refused to submit. Unfortunately, fate brought its shrieking scream to a decisive end after a bone-crushing sound, followed by a spurt of flesh and oozing blood. Even after its end, it was as if one could still hear that scream, yet it slowly turned vengeful and ghastly.

It was rather far away, yet the two heard every detail in excruciating detail. Guan Yu's spine suffered a cold chill. He had killed many individuals, but that scream was something he had never heard before. It was as if the person wasn't just killed, they suffered the limits of their sanity. He gulped heavily.

Wei Wuyin turned to Guan Yu, giving him a closed-eyed 'stare' that said: "Really?" Considering Guan Yu was a Soldier of War, a soldier that earned premium merits on the Battlefield, Wei Wuyin truly hadn't expected for him to feel fear. It was a little unexpected.

Guan Yu felt Wei Wuyin's 'stare' and kept his own gaze averted. He didn't want to be judged. And wasn't it normal to feel terrified after hearing such a heart-wrenching howl echo in the air? There was even a lingering reverb that allowed it to hang in one's ears. How was that even possible?!

Step. Step. Step.

A series of soft steps resounded from afar, approaching them. Guan Yu's eyes grew dignified. He brought his bident from behind his neck to his dominant hand, spinning it around before grasping it with both hands. His stance steadied and his right foot slid to a forward position.

"Tell me what an Astral Idol is," Wei Wuyin demanded. His expression also became severely dignified. Even if he wanted to gather an army, it didn't mean he was capable of doing so. Every plan needed to firstly possess a will, structured by a mind, and then be driven forward by the heart.

"What?" Guan Yu was getting into a battle ready state. While he might feel fear at the cause of such a horrific scream, it was just as Wei Wuyin thought; he was a Soldier of War that had forged himself in the flames of war and death. While he hunted new arrivals, they were all still outstanding talents who had similarly forged themselves in the fires of combat. He was by no means a coward, merely someone who had gamed the Nexus Battlefield with information.Â

Step. Step.

"Astral Idol! Tell me!" Wei Wuyin urged. He didn't want to fight at a severe disadvantage regarding this. He wondered why Guan Yu hadn't used this so-called Astral Idol after being struck.

"...This...Okay!" Guan Yu was still shaken by Wei Wuyin's ignorance and his likely cultivation base while being in the Battlefield. Wasn't he just a little too monstrous?

"When a cultivator refine their physiques to the limits of the Mortal Dao, the limits of the Astral Core Realm, they can withstand conjuring a special ability of their Astral Souls. Unlike Soul Idols that are ethereal, only elevating spiritual aspects, Astral Idols are tangible, and it enhances the four energies of a cultivator to an extreme limit!" Guan Yu rapidly spoke, but he was clearly in a hurry as the information was very basic.

Wei Wuyin's expression changed. "Does this mean every Soldier of War here has the means to use Astral Idols?" He was of the belief that his body was refined to their physical limits in accordance to his physical energy quality. This didn't coincide with his thoughts.

"No, no. Only those who've reached the limits of their physique." Guan Yu elaborated, but Wei Wuyin frowned. He didn't understand that explanation entirely.

Guan Yu wryly smiled, realizing that Wei Wuyin wasn't getting it. This was why cultivation details were difficult to disseminate, that inability to convey their meanings. Trying to explain any detail of it was outrageously difficult.

Step.

Guan Yu refocused, his tone grew more severe. "There's different levels of physique, and these physiques have different needs to reach the limits of refinement via starforce or other means to gain this ability. The stronger it is, the more difficult it is to achieve." He tried to push his understanding to the limits and simplify it.

Wei Wuyin's mind stirred. He faintly understood.

"So there's two?" A fragrance dispersed into the world alongside the vocal soundwaves of this voice. It was female. It sounded like the hymn of the heavens, beautiful and elegant.

Guan Yu's stance grew unsteady. "Oh my god, you're..." His tone became ghastly, as if he just saw a ghost of hell. There wasn't just fear, but a quiver to his voice. He halted his sentence, and Wei Wuyin could sense the shifting of his feet, almost as if entering a defensive posture.

"What did you do to that person who screamed?" Guan Yu asked, yet his tone firmed. There wasn't any fear any longer.

Wei Wuyin merely stood still, uncertain what was happening. However, his head was slightly lowered and his thoughts were circulating at a rapid pace, communicating with his Astral Souls.

"Death is delicious, isn't it?" The voice asked instead of answering, a smile bleeding through it. Whether that smile was sick and twisted or gorgeous and enchanting was anybody's guess.

"..." Guan Yu gripped his bident firmer.

At this time, Wei Wuyin's head faintly lifted towards the sound of the female voice. He smilingly said, "I don't know; I haven't tried it."

The female seemed to have been caught off-guard by Wei Wuyin's answer. Her voice grew sweeter, more heavenly, saying: "Oh...you will.. You will."