Chapter 1703: War Within The Void (1)
Chapter 1703: War Within The Void (1)
Seeing Wei Wuyin take action without expressing his opinion, the Sages couldn't relax, the only exception was Pakhet, whose eyes radiated a competitive spirit and unyielding force. Her Heart of Cultivation was undaunted by her precious loss or near-death experience. In fact, it had grown firmer and her pursuit for resources and fortune grew. How could she possibly give up?
Using the principles of the Alchemic Dao—Containment and Refinement—Wei Wuyin began to gather the lingering strands of remnant chaotic energy within the surroundings. As the seven-colored light swept across the Dark Void, droplets of silvery liquid formed that contained soul-ensnaring chaos that brought a sensation of discomfort to look at. They formed rapidly, each the size of a single raindrop, and incredibly numerous.
They formed all around. Imentet's anxiety flashed as she was surrounded by tens of thousands of droplets of pure chaos, her movements restricted as the closest was mere inches off her skin, and most of the droplets started forming directly on her skin, especially her luscious lips. Seeing it visually was unsettling, and it dawned on her how insidious this type of energy was.
"What's the source of this energy?" She asked in an attempt to both seek answers and distract her discomfort.
Nepri, Nepit, and Pakhet were surrounded as well. There wasn't a single exception as the entire Minor Elysium was surrounded by billions of droplets that were closely gathered, almost enough to form a sea of disruptive chaos if not contained and segregated. Nepri felt the soft, familiar hand he held tighten. Inside his heart, he sighed, feeling as if his loss of cultivation was worth it.
"The source isn't hard to deduce: Chaos Mana. But the method by which it was formed, and how it was transformed to this deadly, disruptive energy, that's something I can't figure out easily without knowing more." Wei Wuyin honestly answered.
Chaos Mana!
The ambient glue that existed in the Dark Void with the most hazardous effects on living things excluding Void Creatures and Beasts that could explore the stars. It was also referred to as the Chill of the Dark Void, why it was abnormally cold in the vast expanse of the Dark Void.
Nepri's eyes brightened after Wei Wuyin pointed out its origin, and several things clicked in his mind as multiple conclusions were reached in a flash. "Chaos Mana…no wonder!"
The others were similarly enlightened, and they finally realized why it was so adhesive to their bodies and invasive to the various energies and their overall cultivation base where expelling it caused them to lose a significant portion of their cultivation base. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that mana formed the very glue of their cultivation.
During the False Reality Phase of the Qi Condensation Realm, cultivators merged their Yin and Yang energies into Yin-Yang, and gained the ability of Creation, using the foundation of the world—Mana. The difficulty for this particular cultivation stage that has served as an impassable obstacle for countless was due to needing to create one's own mana. After that stage of cultivation, the Sublime Qi, Infused Spirituality, and Qi Essence Phases all required the connective tissue of mana, whether it was to enrich mana, infuse the Spirit into the physical, and mental, or form Essence Qi to combine them.
If mana, that material that could bind all forms of energy, including physical and mental, was given a disruptive property, the effects could…affect everything, even the soul!
Wei Wuyin grew nostalgic when he thought of Chaos Mana. When he first learned of it long ago as a learning fledgling of cultivation, Tuo Bihan had been the one to explain the principles of Chaos Mana. Looking back, it was a rather simplistic explanation laced with ignorance.
For example, Chaos Mana wasn't generated by Solar Stars. It existed in regions without Solar Stars in its purest form, and he had even created Absolute Void Regions before that were solely Chaos Mana after executing Ori's profound Law of Origin and establishing his Original Dawn Palace within that very region.
Now, he knew that Solar Stars, planets, pretty much every celestial object, even cultivators, naturally refined Chaos Mana into mana. The most familiar Chaos Mana found in Starfields were already refined once by the Solar Star's Solar Essence and Light, and then planets further refine it through their atmospheric layers and Planetary Core's properties to assist in the sustainable conditions for life, essence, and energies.
Fuxi showed him the history of Magi and Creation, and he discovered that mana was fundamental to the creation of everything else.
Wei Wuyin, however, didn't stop containing and refining this chaos into droplets. However, as his range extended with flourishes of seven-colored light, the number of droplets escalated. Before long, after just twenty miles, trillions of chaos droplets formed.
This was just the remnants of that chaotic energy.
"Why did they use such a terrifying power if they just predicted our arrival?" Nepit asked, finally gaining some breath in her lungs after the chaotic energy was extracted and contained. She no longer feared that speaking or breathing would bring about ill effects. That beam of chaotic energy could have wiped them off the face of this world.
The current battlefield was violently raging with the strongest cultivator having a True Sage Phase cultivation base, yet they unleashed such a devastatingly lethal attack towards them, newcomers, without hesitation?
"The divination cultivator must have been able to deduce our general cultivation bases, and didn't dare to hold back for fear of four Sages involving themselves in this matter, especially a foreign, unknown force." Nepri presumed. None of them disagreed with his conclusion.
When they were cultivating long ago, there was a moment when Amunet had warned them of an arriving expert two stages of cultivation higher than them while they were fighting for treasure amongst themselves. They instantly halted their confrontation and plotted a strategy to take that expert down. They didn't succeed and had to run, but they survived.
They had firsthand experience with relying on divination to get an advantage against newcomers. Just a short while ago, Amunet used her powers of divination to observe the trend of thefts occurring and set up a trap for the culprit, which worked surprisingly well if not for the scope of the thefts forcing them to lie in wait across the galaxy and Zhang Jiangwen's tyrannical strength.
Two hundred miles.
The scene of countless droplets began attracting the attention of those on the Void Vessels. As the chaos was contained, while it was difficult to sense through the gaps, they could see the abnormal developments regardless and an uncertain tension started to form.
Wei Wuyin was working the fastest he could conceivably achieve, but he was still too slow. The Sages didn't dare to rush him or warn him. There was no need to explain the obvious. The droplets of chaos were genuinely difficult to handle even with Alchemic Akashic Mystic Force and his stupendously terrifying cultivation.
Using his Celestial Eyes, he realized that the fluctuations of war were on a steady decline. The Void Vessels must be communicating with those in the Shell World regarding the newcomers and their potential survival, preparing for any and all upcoming changes to the situation.
Did Wei Wuyin want the Edict Seed? Yes!
However, he realized that his containment and refinement were temporary as the chaotic energy within was actively disrupting his mystic force. This was certainly a higher form of energy, and his Mystic Star Phase cultivated energies were not remotely capable of containing it long-term. The issue didn't stem from anyone else but himself. His Mystic Force was considerably stronger than most Mystic Ascendant Realm cultivators' Mystic Power.
Unfortunately, Mystic Force =/= Mystic Power.
There were fundamental differences as Mystic Force was Starforce infused with externally refined Mystic Essence in the most superficial sense, while his Spirits of Cultivations were still intrinsically Astral Souls, unable to generate true Mystic Energy or Mystic Essence. If he was a single stage higher, this task would have been half a breeze in terms of difficulty. Moreover, if they did something unexpected like send the Edict Seed away after obtaining it, there was a chance for further unexpected variables to arise.
Pakhet sensed the changes outside and furrowed her brows. The intensity of the battle within the Shell World containing the Edict Seed was rising to its peak. They were likely just informed of the developments outside by their forces. Perhaps the divination cultivator had deduced their general cultivation bases by calculating somehow.
"I'll be occupied for a few hours," Wei Wuyin didn't hide his current situation. He needed to not only contain each form of chaos but find a way to store it that wouldn't just be a temporary measure. While he had freed two hundred miles, he wouldn't be able to freely Void Shift beyond that due to the disruptive energy still present.
"A few hours?" Imentet bit her lips reluctantly. She didn't dare venture out into the Dark Void and circulate her cultivation base carelessly. She couldn't afford to lose more of her cultivation base.
Even Pakhet was shaken.
"Is there any alternative?" Nepri was unwilling to concede this opportunity for great fortune. They were the strongest party! And they came late! They were in a prime position to take advantage of the situation. How could he accept this in his heart?
"Wei Si!" Wei Wuyin called out, causing the muscly giant to stand at attention and look over curiously.
"This is what I can do: I'll open a path for you four. Take Wei Si with you and send him into the Shell World. He'll retrieve the Edict Seed. In return, I'll compensate you for your efforts." Wei Wuyin said, but he wasn't giving them an offer, but telling them the only option available.
Pakhet's eyes shined brightly. Unlike the others, she experienced Wei Wuyin's means for compensation, and while an Edict Seed was valuable, she had long since grasped a Major Authority. She was originally roaring to go to compete, but this option wasn't too bad.
"Compensate?" Nepit was immediately dissatisfied by Wei Wuyin's vague meaning, and how he wanted them, who could use an Edict Seed for their cultivation, to serve his interests with only that promise.
"..." Nepri stayed silent and contemplative.
Imentet might not have experienced Wei Wuyin's wealth, but Luo Ning didn't hold back at telling how exceedingly plentiful his supply of alchemical products was. "Fine. But are you sure he could retrieve the Edict Seed?" She asked as she glanced at Wei Si, whose cultivation base was rather low. In comparison to the five Original Magistrates in that Shell World, it didn't seem too likely for him to come out on top.
Wei Wuyin didn't explain, only calmly smiled in response.
Imentet could only accept such a response, giving Wei Si another look. She silently agreed with a shrug.
"You're agreeing so easily?" Nepit was shaken.
Pakhet looked at Wei Wuyin, ignoring Nepit. "Ready when you are."
Wei Wuyin didn't delay it after receiving Pakhet's agreement. She was the only one he needed. With a clap of his hands, a burst of silvery mana surged out of the openings of his sleeves as the droplets were pushed away from Minor Elysium. Then, Wei Wuyin palmed both hands against the air.
Boom!
After a sound of exploding air, a human-sized tunnel formed for thousands upon thousands of miles. Wei Wuyin's eyes dimmed slightly. Not even his Zenith Origin State could dominate this different form of Chaos Mana, so he had to rely on pure energy to do so. The loss drained him of roughly ten percent of his total reserves in an instant.
Considering his foundation, this could have completely drained any ordinary Sage multiple times over!
Pakhet didn't hesitate; she grabbed the blinking Wei Si by the shoulder and kicked off like a rocket, causing the Minor Elysium to shake. Imentet followed behind.
Nepri acted immediately after. He pulled the shocked and disbelieving Nepit with him. She was injured and couldn't easily resist. However, after getting dozens of miles through the newly formed tunnel surrounded by walls of condensed chaos droplets, she tried to pull her hand away from anger.
Nepri's expression hardened and had no time for Nepit's unreasonable stubbornness. He exerted his spiritual strength, temporarily sealing her ability to circulate her cultivation base, before rushing forward at full strength. The utter disbelief on her face was heavy, and then deep frustration and unwillingness flashed in her eyes, laced with regret.
All the goodwill he had formed earlier was certainly lost in that single moment.
Wei Wuyin began to recede his power as the tunnel closed. He glanced at the cultivating Ascendants and the others. There was another reason why he decided to stay.
The true opportunity was hiding right here.