Chapter 1590 1583: Ruled by Beasts (6)
Chapter 1590 1583: Ruled by Beasts (6)
On a planet of scurrying cultivators, black trees with sanguine leaves, and a destiny set for a fiery blazing collision in the near future, a Child of Fire set himself ablaze against the monstrosities that ruled the region.
A speck of incandescent light that was as bright as a luminous star could be seen on the planet from the far reaches of the region, followed by screams of agony, pleas for mercy, and cries of despair that had never been heard by those cultivators who lived with fear in their hearts and gloom in their souls knowing that tomorrow was never promised resounded.
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The beasts of the Sky Heart Galaxy were unaware of the seeds of calamity that were planted in their backyards. By the design of Wei Wuyin, their fates would be determined by their attitudes and the response of those who selected that location at random.
Wei Wuyin stared at the Sky Heart Galaxy from its galactic border, the Minor Elysium was casually anchored, unmoving, and stable. He was leaning forward upon the railing gazing without purpose, glancing at his left arm from time to time.
"You seem overly focused on your left arm. You've been stealing glances as if it was a world-class beauty. Something you want to get off your chest?" Young Master Shang drank as he said, lackadaisical and a tad bored. Since Wei Wuyin had sent that subordinate of an Enlightened Sage packing, displaying his status and abilities, the two had been idle at the edge of the Minor Elysium. While that was all but five or so minutes ago, it still felt long.
"Off my chest?" Wei Wuyin briefly pondered that question, his lips twisted into a half-frown, and his eyebrows wrinkled with thought. The Rite of Sin was pressing heavily on his chest, and that was an impossible subject to get off with simple words. It can only be dealt with directly-by surviving.
This faint anxiety he felt was far different than the nihilistic-inducing despair he felt all those decades ago. Unlike before, when he had completed his main objective in life-violent vengeance-and had zero responsibilities after Wei Si had become an adult and a cultivator who was no weaker than him due to his divine strength. Wei Si's prospects were exceptional then.
He had no children, no living blood relatives, and no marital responsibility. Even his intimacy with Mei Mei always had a film of uncrossable distance, a conscious choice on both of their parts. Whether it was Du Ling, Su Mei, or his other subordinates, they would all have grown into independent figures with time. This was what he believed then.
If he died, so what? A smidgen of grief would be felt, no more.
Now, things were different. Oh so different. Perhaps his decision to live to the fullest, pursue the peak amidst risk and danger, while acting as he desired without regrets in this life had changed things, but it had always come with responsibilities far beyond his younger self's imagination.
Whether it was his growing bevy of exceptional women and men by his side, his nascent empire, or his growing family, he now had reasons to exist.
To survive.
It was this difference that birthed those wisps of anxiety lingering within his heart, mind, and soul, no matter how faint it was or how little it affected his abilities, it was now there.
Those wisps of anxiety however were not detrimental. It was like an incessant flood of heavenly tonic. Constantly, it refined his Heart of Cultivation with every passing second, furthering his resolve, and strengthening his motivations. Moreover, those motivations relied on nothing but his truest desires born from the darkest of times, so it was inextinguishable for as long as he lived. It was all furthered by his goal of seeing tomorrow.
"Off my chest, huh?" Wei Wuyin repeated as his frown twisted upwards, forming a hearty smile that originated from the depths of his soul. There was no weight on his chest, only premium fuel for the pursuit of a future. A future he had once believed had been ended by the Bloodline of Sin. A future that he was slowly seizing with his own hands.
Young Master Shang found himself at a loss at the sight, feeling inexplicably awed by Wei Wuyin's unearthly visage and that dazzling smile of introspective clarity. A twang of shame was felt in his chest, and he couldn't explain why.
"Oh?" Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes illuminated with spiritual light, peering into the vast, unfathomable distance out into the Void-Blank Space. As if magnifying to the absolute extreme, Wei Wuyin perceived the approach of a ray of Stellar Transit Light. It didn't carry a vessel on par with Minor Elysium, but a few humanoid figures headed by a single individual. The leading figure was engulfed in an aura of law and an unfathomable presence of dominance, perfectly exuding the might of an existence at or beyond the Ascended Saint Phase!
This was either a Mystic Overlord or a Sage!
Moreover, the entourage accompanying that figure was not insignificant. Eventually, Wei Wuyin sighed as the energy consumption to exert such perceptive abilities was exhausting, relying on his Stellar-Paragon Physique and Eye of Immortality to rejuvenate and prevent ocular deterioration.
When Wei Wuyin's visual magnification ended, he was unable to perceive the Stellar Transit Light. It was countless miles away, scorching a path through the Dark Void towards them while guarding against any void creature. If not for his grasp of the Minor Spatial Law, he wouldn't have even sensed the disturbance. A spatial method similar to the transit formation that the Battlefield used was being utilized here. The cost was likely excessively high.
"That is a lot slower than I originally expected," he commented with a light, airy tone free of concern. If his calculations were correct, they should arrive within thirteen or so days. This was a little too much time, but he wasn't complaining. And if Young Master Shang caught a whiff of his thoughts, the drunkard would've drowned his sorrows harder in liquor.
Not every force or expert has the means to breach the Void. After all, Void Gates was convenient in a controlled territory but utterly dangerous when deployed beyond one's territory. While Wei Wuyin had exhibited means of coming and going as he pleased for decades, even back during the former Imperial Clan's Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, traversing using Void Gates had severe limitations as forces established all sorts of spatial restrictions that could and would interfere and leave one stranded in chaotic space or disjointed time.
The vast majority of advanced cultivation societies relied on Stellar Transit Light in some way to accelerate their travels, such as the Minor Elysium or the transit formation of the Battlefield. It was much easier to defend and since it occurred within stable space, the dimensional layer they currently resided in, it was difficult to disrupt or block without heaven-defying strength or means.
While this wasn't to say they couldn't use Void Gates, it was simply more convenient and safer to use Stellar Transit Light instead, even if the consumption was slightly higher.
Moreover, if Young Master Shang knew that Wei Wuyin had sensed the existence of Stellar Transit Light from that far away, he might have just given up on any estimations of Wei Wuyin's strength. Because that was...insane!
"How are your 'wives' doing?" Since Wei Wuyin didn't want to talk about what was on his mind and he had felt slightly ashamed for reasons unknown, he decided to drink a little more and change the topic. When he thought of well-endowed and exceedingly gorgeous Yue Songli, the immaculate demeanor and gentle warmth-exuding of Qing Qiumu alongside her unique elven charm, Cao Cuifen's recent shift of possessing an aura of a true-blue, domineering cultivator, and Liu Suyin's usually indifferent yet short-bursts of alluring emotion, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
That mother of his definitely won't like all this, especially given that each was being molded into great talents by a Worldly Saint Alchemist that was Wei Wuyin. In fact, she might have had issues with the women themselves before having issues with Wei Wuyin. However, she will definitely have issues with Wei Wuyin.
Wei Wuyin didn't care about Young Master Shang's surface thoughts despite sensing his concern. All those matters would be dealt with when they needed to be. "They're exceeding my expectations," he answered with a smile. He turned his gaze toward the Sky Heart Galaxy and found three figures riding an asteroid-
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-"Woah!" Cao Cuifen exclaimed in awe. Reflected in her pupils was a sight that she had never thought she would see in a lifetime nor had ever imagined. Upon the asteroid they stood upon, Yue Songli, Wei Si, and her orbited the waving and dwindling gravity of a Solar Star.
The Solar Star wasn't dying exactly, but being devoured like a boiled egg by a four-legged large creature that was neither feline nor canine yet exhibited features of both. The creature had golden-brown fur that seemed to be the epitome of soft and tall, with darkish spots that had a glittering of stars, and a short tail with thick hairs at the end. The hairs were like a dust sweeper for the stars.
It lay lazily atop a cloud of hazy stars that seemed to be composed of thousands of incomplete, developing stars that hadn't yet reached dwarf in size.
It was humongous in size, likely hundreds of thousands of kilometers. It was a beast yet Bai Lin's Nirvanic Transformation and Anu's large body would be ant-like when compared. If someone had mistaken it for a Star-Devourer, few would question it as it ate into the Solar Star, molten core and all, without flinching due to its size. However, most Genesis Beast can consume Solar Stars, just few had the size to do so like Leviathans.
Its dark eyes moved lazily and curiously toward the asteroid that was a million or so miles away from it. The natural aura it exuded was extremely oppressive, and a mere glance was enough to rile a mana storm and disrupt celestial movement within the area of a million miles.
"It noticed us!" Qing Qiumu's heart began to race as she instinctively got into a battle-ready state, but then she recalled that her cultivation base was still recovering, and her strength was currently significantly lower than either Yue Songli or Wei Si. If it wasn't for Wei Wuyin providing invisible support to her perception, she might not even be able to see anything at all. Still, she readied herself even after coming to this conclusion. One could tell that she still retained the will of a fighter developed during her younger years.
Yue Songli's eyes sparkled.
It had only sparkled like this on three occasions.
The first was when Wei Wuyin brought her out of that horrid Shadow Egg and freed her from her prison, shortly after she departed from him and felt the warmth of genuine solar light on her skin after five hundred years.
The second was when Wei Wuyin arrived with an army to dismantle Trueborn's attempt to capture her.
The third time was when Wei Wuyin announced to the entire world his intentions, giving her an answer that he hadn't given up or that he had forgotten her.
While all three memories belonged to Wei Wuyin, there was a reason why Yue Songli felt such strong emotions. However, after seeing the creature that was neither feline nor canine, sitting atop a nebulous cloud of miniature stars, while munching on a star like a boiled egg, her eyes sparkled once again!
Yue Songli imagined herself riding atop this beast as Wei Wuyin had on Bai Lin that day, cruising across the stars and the world with ease and laughter. It was an inexplicable feeling! It was one she wanted to experience!
Wei Si looked at this creature with a tilted head and a confused expression, "Is it a cat or a dog?"
It yawned at the trio, and then ignored them, finishing its solar meal.