Paragon of Sin

"Shall I count, or will you?" 

The person, the voice, and the words—nothing felt logical. 

'This doesn't feel right.'

'Something's wrong…'

'What is he doing?!'

Uncertain thoughts chaotically arose within the minds of these veteran experts, these representatives of the greatest forces of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, and they produced a shroud of tense, solidified silence within the world. The reasons why these experts were sent here were either because of their loose association with Wei Wuyin or their extremely logical, quick-witted, and unbiased thinking—they were mediators and negotiators. 

It was predicted by those wise and educated that the recently-established, incredibly youthful, and highly talented Wei Wuyin would be arrogant in the face of this imposition of shackles; therefore, they were sent to handle the bellyful of tempestuous rage that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign would undoubtedly have. 

They calculated various scenarios, while other, more knowledgeable experts, such as Empress Xiaocheng, believed that, should Trueborn reveal the slightest traces of their true strength, Wei Wuyin would fold in compliance out of sheer fear, burying any grudges formed thus far.

They calculated and considered, thought and devised, planned and executed, and yet, facing a situation where Wei Wuyin was at an absolute disadvantage, where he was faced against impossible odds against unfathomable strength, Wei Wuyin didn't take a step back in an act of self-preservation! 

Instead, the handsome silver-eyed youth removed his mask of deep-rooted fear and trembling shock, replaced by the most relaxed, confident grin that one could muster as he urged this unassailable tribulation to descend within thirty seconds! It defied their understanding, and the situation didn't feel right. 

Was this fueled by his belief in his Fire Phoenix's power? That beast might be powerful, but it wouldn't survive the assault of dozens of Earthly Saints. Was this caused by the belief in his reinforcements? They could all feel the space being sealed and the area locked down by a joint-linked Spiritual Aura emanating from each Earthly Saint. It was an impregnable seal that not even an ant could enter without being intercepted or delayed! 

Ignorance? It had to be! 

The Aeternal Sky Starfield, the strongest starfield in the entire stellar region, possessed only forty-four Earthly Saints. While this number had changed erratically over the last two decades, mostly due to Wei Wuyin, this was a startling number for any starfield. However, the Unchained Heart Sect had revealed thirty! THIRTY! 

Wei Wuyin must be ignorant. Wei Wuyin must be wildly arrogant, dismissive, foolish, and suicidal! Nothing else made sense, and they were unable to conceive of any other possibility. This wasn't an underestimation of Wei Wuyin's power; they all knew he wielded unfathomable strength with his forces; this was a realization of the situation that Wei Wuyin was in, and it was completely against him in every way imaginable! 

However, that unearthly handsome face revealed not a single sign of fearfulness or hesitation, and this greatly exacerbated their feeling that something just wasn't right. In fact, he seemed to have been liberated from his mask, bringing to light his true feelings.

They all bore witness to it. They saw his bright eyes and silver irises burned through the Nirvanic Flames searing light. It could be summed into a single word: "Amusement." The way this mortal looked at the Earthly Saint leading twenty-nine of his equals in cultivation was similar to how an educated adult looked at a petulant and ignorant child, downright condescending! 

"..." The leading Earthly Saint of the Unchained Heart Sect was caught off-guard by the sudden shift in demeanor. The illusion of a mask dissipating behind the burning Nirvanic Flames sunk into his perception. 

The greatest strength of a cultivator could be summed up into two words: Survival Instinct—the ability to sense, react to, and survive danger. It separated the extraordinary from the peasants in the cruel world of cultivation. It was these survival instincts that formed their Heart of Cultivation and drove them to pursue greater strength, cultivate for extensive periods of loneliness, and to resist in the face of overwhelming odds. 

Right now, the leading Earthly Saint felt his Heart of Cultivation thrum deeply in his chest, granting him a preternatural sense of crisis that urged him to flee. Flee! 

FLEE RIGHT NOW!

Unfortunately, instinct and willpower often clashed against each other, and within the most discomforting sensations laid the greatest benefits. The very same Heart of Cultivation also contradicted its natural survival instinct, fueling a drive to push further. To this Earthly Saint, the danger only came from a single force—the Tian Clan.

His piercing gaze shifted openly to Empress Xiaocheng, and he heavily prepared for a fight against the Tian Clan in his heart.

"Oh? You won't? Let me count, then. Thirty…" Wei Wuyin energetically said with a wisp of impatience. He patted Bai Lin, and her Nirvanic Flames abruptly dispersed, essentially leaving him unguarded. This was an open invitation! 

Come!

"Twenty-seven…" Three literal seconds passed, and these Earthly Saints all experienced a time equivalent to entire hours compared to mortal perceptions. They had many thoughts, calculating and considering from every conceivable angle, and yet they hadn't moved.

Wei Wuyin lightly tapped Bai Lin's wings and then proceeded to separate from her, floating upwards via his Mana Dominance.

"Twenty-four…" Wei Wuyin was no longer near Bai Lin, segregated by hundreds of meters. The Fire Phoenix, which seemed to be Wei Wuyin's most faithful protector and treasured mount, proceeded to put a greater distance between them by the passing second, her golden eyes looking threatening as she did so. 

Ba-dum! Ba-dum!

Tian Muyang's heart uncontrollably began to pound in his chest. Was Wei Wuyin trying to seek an escape path for his Fire Phoenix? To send her out and give a message to Wu Yu and his Armored Saint? Or perhaps the allies he rallied? This thought wasn't solely Tian Muyang's, as almost all of them thought the same. 

"Twenty-three."

The Earthly Saint that was leading the others began to count as well. He stared directly at Empress Xiaocheng as if giving her a count to establish her stance. It was also a great threat to everyone as the others began to exude stifling levels of killing intent. The Dark Void faintly rumbled from the sheer Spiritual Strength being exerted. 

If these representatives were smart, they would retreat promptly. They wouldn't be foolish enough to assist. Doing so would be the same as declaring war against them, breaking the Mythic Oaths sworn, and allowing the Unchained Heart Sect to retaliate with the greatest degree of aggression. While the Aeternal Sky Starfield's forces might be able to hide by seeking shelter under the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor's heaven-spanning wings, those not of the starfield would be easy pickings. 

"Twenty."

"Twenty."

Soon, both Wei Wuyin and Earthly Saint were counting down, and five other Earthly Saints part of the Unchained Heart Sect were openly moving to intercept Bai Lin's attempts to escape. Was this a counting game?

Tian Muyang's eyes narrowed. Was Wei Wuyin testing the Empress to see her response? Was he pressuring everyone to see who would dare to stand with him? In his heart of hearts, he felt that Wei Wuyin was giving them a deadline to state their stance. Both of his fists tightened, but he was unable to act without Empress Xiaocheng's order unless he breached her earlier one, which would violate his standing Mythical Oath. After all, the Empress was acting as the proxy of the Divine Emperor!

"Good, you can continue counting." Wei Wuyin happily smiled, seeing the Earthly Saint take the count from his hands and then turned toward Empress Xiaocheng, who was in deep contemplation. There was a wisp of conflict and confusion forming between her brows. 

The Earthly Saint's eyes flared with killing intent, but he didn't stop counting. "Nineteen." 

"Empress Xiaocheng," Wei Wuyin called out, grasping the attention of many organizations. They were similarly conflicted, especially considering Wei Wuyin's potential, and this was a crossroads of opportunity. If they helped and Wei Wuyin lived after pressuring Trueborn to back down, then they could seek asylum with other strong forces and receive benefits from a grateful Wei Wuyin; unfortunately, in return, they would be hunted down by the Unchained Heart Sect that showed a force of thirty Earthly Saints! Of course, all that was irrelevant if they died here and now.

If they stood aside at this moment, they'd technically offend neither party, but all chances of attaining Wei Wuyin's good graces would become ash in their mouth. This wouldn't matter if Wei Wuyin died here, of course. The dead—talented, heaven-defying, or era-defining—had no value. 

Empress Xiaocheng's beautiful brows relaxed as she observed Wei Wuyin. Her choice wasn't an easy one, especially given her knowledge. The others looked towards her for direction because only with the Tian Clan's support could they mediate the situation and end the conflict without violence!

However, before either of them could speak, Xun Yicao coldly laughed! "Do you think you'll get the support of everyone here? That we'll throw our lives away to save you? None of that will happen; your forces aren't here, and we aren't pawns that'll move to your rescue simply because you're dumb enough to seek death with an arrogant, disgusting grin. Fool! You're too young and unaware of reality! Too young! Too stupid!" 

"..." Numerous eyes shifted to Xun Yicao, who was cackling with madness, rage, and schadenfreude. He hated Wei Wuyin. While this hatred resulted from something minor in the grand scheme of things, he hated him nevertheless. His cockiness, his talent, his looks, his youth, the incessant praise of everyone and their freaking mothers, the endless reverence of a mere shitty mortal, and all because he was lucky enough to invent an exceptional pill! 

Who knew if he was even the one who created it?!

"Seventeen."

Wei Wuyin no longer ignored Xun Yicao; his eyes slowly moved until they directly reflected Xun Yicao's image within his pupils. But this action didn't scare Xun Yicao; he reveled in Wei Wuyin's plight and enjoyed his gaze. He could not deem a more fitting end from an arrogant youth. No, this was too good of an end for him! 

"Today, you'll die," Wei Wuyin flatly stated. His words felt as if it was an Imperial Edict from the heavens, unquestionable and irreversible. Within his Dantian, the Imperial Law Seed thrummed ferociously. 

"No matter what, no matter who stands before you, even if the Empress or the Emperor begged for your life today on their knees, today, next year will be the anniversary of your death." Urged by the indescribable power of the Imperial Law Seed, Wei Wuyin couldn't resist saying these words. As he did, his Imperial Law Seed brightened on the verge of sublimation. 

At the moment, the Imperial Law of the Heavens' aura was gathering surreptitiously toward Wei Wuyin.