Paragon of Sin

Xiang Ling gathered her thoughts for a moment and started to explain. "As I've said before, the Myriad Monarch Sect is one of the five hegemons of the Tri-Vision Starfield. It's main headquarters and the location we're currently at is on a spherical mass called a planet. Unlike the Myriad Yore Continent, which is a continent flat earth floating amongst the starry skies with an half-dome atmosphere, a planet contains a complete atmosphere.

"This atmosphere is divided into different layers, and its these layers that create the greater environment and overall stability than flat earthen structures like the Myriad Yore Continent. You see, each planet or flat earthen continent has a natural refinement system that absorbs the chaotic essence within the starry skies and filters it out for living beings to use and thrive in, and we cultivators absorb this essence to cultivate.

"It is this very reason that planets have a richer environment, because its refinement system is greater than an incomplete version such as the flat earthen structures."

Long Tingyu interrupted mindlessly, "Where does this chaotic essence come from?" 

Xiang Ling smiled at her disciple's thirst for knowledge. "Chaotic essence of the starry skies comes from the suns you see above you." She pointed towards the three suns. "The size of the suns and its inherent properties can also affect what type of essence is refined on the planet and how strong it is. The more exposure, the greater the essence."

Wei Wuyin's heart trembled with wonder. The Myriad Monarch Planet had the complete exposure to the three suns, while the Myriad Yore Continent had one. Furthermore, it had a complete natural refinement system within its atmosphere. How incredible!

He had never known that the sun above provided the means to cultivate. Then, was it true...that the suns above were cultivators of legends who've ascended and gained immortality? Is that the final goal? To become a brilliant and burning sun that watched over the starry skies? This thought caused his heart to throb intensely.

Would he become a sun one day?

Each one of them seemed to have thought of this and their expressions changed.

Seeing their obvious thoughts, raised by the outrageous mythological legends of their continent, Xiang Ling lightly chuckled and explained, "I've heard that cultivators can give birth to their own star, but I don't think they become one. That is legends of countless years, but its probably more true than what you're all thinking of."

Qing Qiumu felt embarrassed at having her thoughts seen through, even though she wore a veil. Wei Wuyin thought, 'So is the Astral Core Realm related to Astronomy studied and explored by scholars? While I originally never believed in such a silly thing, perhaps it's all true. After all, they talked about spherical land masses in their journals...'

This thought felt ludicrous at first, but the more he pondered, the more it seemed the case. The First Phase of the Astral Core Realm was called the World Sea, and the second allowed one to manipulate mana, a force produced by the world. Even the Qi Condensation Realm required absorbing mana and refining it into one's Natal Soul. Could the Astral Core Realm be gearing others into making their own world or even a star?

Xiang Ling allowed them to digest this information before continuing, "The Myriad Monarch Planet total size is about twenty thousand times larger than the Myriad Yore Continent, and it houses tens of billions of lives. Even still, as you can clearly see, it still has an immense amount of empty space uninhabited. As for the entire starfield, likely tens of trillions of lives throughout. Countless."

This population sent their hearts into shock. So many?!

"And, it's not limited to just humans. As you should know, this includes the Elven and Demon races. But, there's another race that occupies this world: Beastmen."

"Beastmen?!" They jointly exclaimed. Even Qing Qiumu was unaware of this.

Xiang Ling nodded. "Beastmen...their origins are somewhat unclear, but likely demons, humans, and elvens have at one point engaged in sexual reproductive relations with beasts that you see, such as this crane before you. They're likely the byproduct of such relations. They're the minority race in the starfield, but each one of them have an innate physique, strong physical energies beyond the average human, demon, or elf, and with longer lifespans.

"Each one of them can not be underestimated. Just their long lifespans give them a greater chance to reach higher heights of cultivation." Xiang Ling's expression contained a hint of jealousy and solemnness. Unlike humans, beastmen had exceptionally long lifespans just naturally and their talent can rival or even exceed humans. If it wasn't for their poor ability to reproduce and a strange phenomenon where their beast bloodline dilutes if they copulate with non-beastmen until it vanishes completely, perhaps they would've been the undeniable rulers of the starfield with utter ease by now.

Xiang Ling turned to Long Tingyu, "but demons are probably the scarier race amongst the four. They can cultivate with demonic energies that can suppress other forms of energies and strengthen their physiques. And, they seem to be superbly naturally talented or entirely useless. There is no real exception, and this is related to their own bloodline origins. They have the least amount of cultivators due to this very reason, but each is far, far more impressive than the average of any other race."

Long Tingyu felt a tad bit uncomfortable as Xiang Ling stared at her. She grew up in the Myriad Yore Continent, and demons were a hated existence because their aura felt malicious and vicious. It was this eerie feeling that caused them to be ruthlessly hunted, exterminated with prejudice, and forced to hide within the far corners of the continent in fear.

°So this is why demons have such an aura...I...° Wei Wuyin felt exceptionally emotional as his past memories resurged. His clan was eliminated because of demons, because of his choice...because of their hate.

Xiang Ling's senses felt the turbulent emotions and shifted her gaze. She was aware of the discriminatory and prejudiced matters of the Myriad Yore Continent."I'll say this now, demons are not hated existences here. They are treated fairly, equally as all races, and even have a power that is just below the five hegemons of this starfield, and were deeply integrated in the Myriad Monarch Sect. If you're going to be prejudiced, you need to change that mindset now as its absolutely intolerable. Regardless of your status, only death will be met with such an attitude."

Her voice was stern and unrelenting. It seemed she was absolutely against racism, even harbored immense hate towards such limited thinking.

Wei Wuyin was shocked, but these words only continued to cause his heart and mind to surge with emotions. But they weren't negative. In fact, they were blooming with excitement and relief. 'You'd absolutely love it here, big brother.' 

Xiang Ling could only hope Wei Wuyin didn't have an inclination to discriminate. As an Alchemic King at such a young age, if he did harbor immense hatred for a race, the possibility of them being suppressed to the point of genocide was entirely possible on the planet. This scared her, but she could only hope.

'It's truly unfortunate that we're not allowed to intervene with the Myriad Yore Continent outside of uniting it...otherwise...' As she recalled this inviolable order, her heart was filled with helplessness. In the vast starfield, only the Myriad Yore Continent was strictly human-dominated and prejudiced towards other races.

Demons are hated existences, elves are forced to hide in their forests to be left alone, forced to hide their identities in public, and beastmen are considered abominations. It was an unfortunate continent filled with unnecessary hate.

Softly sighing in her heart, she began to explain various other details, and they paid full attention to each syllable.

The Myriad Monarch Sect was on a vast, sky-reaching and boundless sierra—an interconnected mountain chain. These mountains were exceptionally tall, but they were reshaped to accommodate cultivators and even had farms, cascading and winding rivers that descended like waterfalls, and buildings. Within this sierra, five particular mountains stood out the most, and they were all man-made.

They pierced into the clouds and broke the first layer of the sky, entering an entirely new domain. According to Xiang Ling, the essence there was so rich and ever-present that it was like air. If she could cultivate there, a single day could amount to a single year of cultivation. Unfortunately, only Sky Noble rank disciples and Earthly General rank elders and above were capable of venturing and living there.

When she mentioned this, the jealousy in her eyes were clear as she glanced at Wei Wuyin.

As for the system for Elders, she explained earlier that all cultivators at the Astral Core Realm were eligible, but she left out a small detail: Only those who've reached the 5th Mortal State qualified. While you only needed a 4th Mortal State to assail the Astral Core Realm, the sect had strict standards.

Furthermore, those who are at the 4th Mortal State, and beyond five hundred years old, are still considered disciples but are sent to handle matters on continental flat earths. For example, Wu Jiao.

Elders rankings were divided into three: 

Mortal Captain, for those at the First to Third Stage of the Astral Core Realm. 

Earthly General, for those at the Fourth Stage of the Astral Core Realm.

Heavenly Commander, for those at the Fourth Stage of the Astral Core Realm but had combat ability beyond ordinary experts.

The level of authority possessed by Elders are determined by their cultivation and combat ability, and their duties were assigned as such. Xiang Ling was a Third Stage Astral Core Realm expert, so she could be considered amongst the peak of Mortal Captains. Before those Mortal Captain rank elders beneath her in cultivation and ability, they had to follow her directions if they weren't underneath someone equal or above her.

But there was a ranking beyond Elders: Imperial Sages. They were the true pillars of the sect, divided into three ranks—Imperial Sage, Prime Imperial Sage, and Grand Imperial Sage. Even she wasn't clear on their strength and cultivations, but she did know that each possessed exceptional authority far beyond her own that was accompanied by exceptional combat strength in their respective stages. 

'These Sages likely had nothing to do with the Realm of Sages...just titles.' As Wei Wuyin heard this, a surge of disappointment entered his heart. It seemed it wasn't going to be that easy.

Each of the five main mountains that pierced into the sky were ruled by a Grand Imperial Sage, and shockingly, the Myriad Monarch Sect did not have an official sect leader. It was divided and managed by each Grand Imperial Sage and the relations and networks were incredibly complex and difficult to accurately navigate.

According to Xiang Ling, only a Realmlord, a figure of the utmost legends that have reached the Upper-Phase of the Astral Core Realm had the right to become the head of the Grand Imperial Sages. This meant no cultivator had reached the Seventh Stage of the Astral Core Realm...yet.

While they continued to talk about the various details of the sect, in the horizon, a chain of uniquely connected mountains dominated by five imposing and heaven-reaching mountains appeared.

"Wow!" They all exclaimed simultaneously without exception, even Xiang Ling. She could never not marvel at the sight of those mountains piercing into the sky, and the endless chain of majestic mountains that seemed like the surging and endless waves of the ocean in static form. Even though they were unable to even see a tenth of the entire sierra now, it was simply that boundless and majestic.

'It's like five Immortal Mountains described in the legends and stories!' Wei Wuyin's heart raced with uncontrollable excitement. Was this going to be his new home?