Paragon of Sin

"GASP!" A collective suction of air produced a resounding exclamation that overtook all other sounds. The atmosphere that felt strange, uncertain, and tingled with a premonition of great tragedy was overturned with a single action! Wei Wuyin lifted his mask, revealing a handsome to the extreme face accompanied by a pair of silver, resplendent and radiant eyes.

To these elites, experts, and masters who were acclaimed and renowned within the Xue Country, how could they not recognize the distinctive facial traits that formed Wei Wuyin! While there might be those ignorant or dismissive of its importance, they definitely were not!

This face, for the last four years, had caused countless news to fly with all sorts of achievements and praise. It was tagged with the potential to be the King of Everlore's successor, and what propagated this news to the utmost was his lack of an Alchemic Soul! To have such ability at this age eluded to a much higher degree of talent than the multi-era defining King of Everlore.

Xue Yifei's heart raced as she laid eyes on Wei Wuyin's face. Like the others, she had seen artistic portraits or written descriptions, but this paled heavily in comparison to the real thing. In fact, it was as if those portraits would never be able to extract his alluring and impeccable features regardless of who was behind the brush. 

'This is how he looks?' This thought tumbled into the minds of every last one of them. It wasn't just due to his countenance or radiant eyes, but his aura that accentuated everyone of his features. With the added eyes that radiated a hint of dominance, warmth, and intelligence, it was particularly heart-snatching.

Wei Wuyin removed his mask, revealing his identity for all to see. While this would likely produce a chaotic domino effect that he'll have to withstand shortly after, it was the only way to salvage the situation if he decided to alter his original plan. 

Those in the audience were so enamoured with his looks that they hadn't realized that their lives were about to be forfeited for the ambitions of the man behind them. It was quite a hilarious thought, really.

"You're Wei Wuyin!" A more energetic and fanatical member of the crowd exclaimed. It belonged to a middle-aged looking man that smelled of herbs. His eyes flashed with a trace of seven-colored light from time to time. He wasn't at the Astral Core Realm, merely at the Ninth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. 

He was a Lord Alchemist and someone who took the path of an Alchemic Soul. Beside him were male triplets that bore facial scars and radiated a fearsome aura. They were his protectors, and all of the beastman race's ox lineage, but their ferocious looks were heavily diminished as their jaws were dropped in shock and disbelief.

Wei Wuyin turned to him and nodded, "I am." Then, after verifying this, he looked at Yuan Longshi and said, "You interrupt my ceremony with obvious ill-intentions. Prepare to leave your life behind." He tried to sound like an arrogant and unreasonable individual. But when he spoke, it didn't come off as such. In fact, many within the crowd thought it was par for the course considering Yuan Longshi's entrance.

After all, these were the words of Wei Wuyin!

Yuan Longshi was startled for a moment, clearly taken aback by this reveal. He was unsure how to handle this matter, because he was in a lose-lose situation. When he arrived, he didn't plan to become enemies with the entire Myriad Monarch Sect or his own continent, but attacking Wei Wuyin would most certainly lead to such a result.

And he wasn't stupid to think the Guardian of this world would stand idly by and let Wei Wuyin die or that Wei Wuyin didn't have some supreme expert or experts protecting him in the shadows. This was THE Prince of Everlore. He was a Heavenly King and an Alchemic King.

A single word from him could usher a war or condemn a clan, and the past spoke volumes on the veracity of this. He was now stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially considering his own emotions towards Xue Yifei. If it was any other alchemist, perhaps he would be confident, but it was Wei Wuyin!

His heart and head pounded with frustration. 

Wei Wuyin thought for a moment, and for some odd reason, he had this desire to proclaim a bounty on Yuan Longshi. It was a very odd sadistic thought with him scurrying about to fight for his life under the pursuit of many. When this thought emerged in his mind, he frowned. This was because it wasn't the Heavenly Daos influence.

It was like an innate feeling that seemed to be brought about by being near or desiring to kill Yuan Longshi. 'Is this an expression of his karmic luck? Is this Calamity Avoidance? Am I affected or is my awareness of it already a sign that I can't be?'

He recalled the Black Skeleton's recount that his calamity couldn't be avoided because his Karmic Luck Value was too low. However, in that calamity, Long Chen had beheaded him. A Blessed. From what he understood, Calamity Avoidance was under the influence of the Heavenly Daos, and it consumed karmic luck value and allowed one to have a chance to benefit in some cases.

If that's so, then having less Karmic Luck than another Blessed seeking your life made it impossible to avoid their pursuit, but if you had more, was it a hidden influence between the two that'd divert their interaction? A way to avoid Blessed conflict?

This thought circulated through his thoughts for a moment before his silver eyes became slightly solemn. 'If that's the case...' He looked at Yuan Longshi, 'He has a higher Karmic Luck Value than I do!'

He felt this assumption was the absolute correct one. This was a feeling that seemed to originate from his blood. 

A trace of greed flashed in his eyes but was hurriedly suppressed.It was best to take this one step at a time. As for issuing a bounty on Yuan Longshi? Absolutely not.

"Qi Lang, KILL HIM!" He shouted loudly without hesitation. He didn't order Zuhei to test Yuan Longshi nor did he do it himself. If he had a strange trump card that could abruptly and miraculously kill him like Long Chen, then where would he go to address that grievance? To King Yama? He'd rather wait to see such a grand figure. It'd be better if it never happened.

The crowd was startled by his declaration. 

Yuan Longshi's expression changed as a vast without equal spiritual force within the continent started to seethe above him. It was like a great ocean was about to topple before his head. He lifted his head up and his eyes shrunk considerably.

Qi Lang was the Guardian of the Bloodforge Continent. Normally, he shouldn't interfere with its citizens or issues outside of preventing unnecessary devastation to the continent. But Wei Wuyin was like a judge that held absolute authority in the Astral Territory at the moment, and he could shield him in the case of any backfire. Furthermore, he had long since thrown his lot with Wei Wuyin, and he intended to hug this golden thigh tightly.

Therefore, he descended without any hesitation from his tower. His killing intent was brimming. Before he could deal with Yuan Longshi, he heard Wei Wuyin's voice.

"Do not hold back! Kill him without everything you have! If you don't, I'll make sure you're buried alongside him." Wei Wuyin's shout made everyone realize that he was absolutely determined to kill Yuan Longshi today, and their hearts trembled. How unfortunate was this lad? He just tried to crash a ceremony and hadn't said a single word verbally before being sentenced to death!

It was quite pitiful.

Qi Lang stilled. In truth, he was about to execute a basic attack to handle someone of Yuan Longshi level. After all, while Yuan Longshi's cultivation base seemed to have achieved the Sky Ruler Phase, the difference between the Soul Idol Phase and Sky Ruler Phase was massive. However, Wei Wuyin's words overrode his innate pride and he didn't hold back. He didn't dare to.

Yuan Longshi realized the situation wasn't looking too good for him, but he would never back down from a fight. If Wei Wuyin sought his life, then he'd kill Wei Wuyin regardless of who he is or was. His eyes gained fierce determination and pure ferocity.

Did Wei Wuyin think he was an insignificant insect that could be dealt with at will? He had built his path on a pile of corpses and rivers of blood, so he was not some soft fruit that could be squashed and forgotten.

Wei Wuyin was merely an alchemist. The Dao of Alchemy might be broad and profound, but it was truly nothing before the Martial Dao! The Dao of Combat! What hidden expert? What wealth? What status? Before my saber, before my might, only death was your only result!

He grasped the hilt of his saber, and turned his eyes towards the sea of spiritual force that hung above his head. His heterochromia eyes brightened with two distinctly different glows. One was innately demonic while the other contained an ancient feeling of myths and legends. His aura flared into action and the surroundings were pushed away forcefully.

His Second Stage of the Astral Core Realm cultivation base seemed incomparably solid and potent.

Qi Lang floated within this sea of spiritual force and his robes fluttered without wind. He seemed like a true immortal. With a clench of his fist, the entire sea of spiritual force was sucked into his palm and vibrant green light surged! It was as if he was holding a brightly lit star.

This caused everyone's heart to pound in shock! Was he going to attack? Wasn't Wei Wuyin here? The attack of an Astral Core Realm expert at the third stage could shatter the continent! This was why they were completely outlawed. The exceptional power of their astral force was too much for a continental flat earth to withstand.

If it was a durable planet, he could fight to their heart's content without much environmental, but not here!

Even Yuan Longshi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Any assault would cause enormous collateral damage, and if this was a full-powered attack, this continent would be undoubtedly changed on a fundamental level. It might totally collapse.

However, Qi Lang didn't launch his attack. Instead, his eyes focused on Yuan Longshi. Just as he was about to say something, Wei Wuyin's eyes flashed. He lifted his leg and stomped.

BOOM!

This stomp didn't create catastrophic destruction, but its sound was incomparably loud. In an instant, the entire continent started to erupt in a thin layer of film that engulfed every expert, lifeform, piece of leaf, and existence on the continent that was below the Astral Core Realm.

「Continental Multi-Astral Array: Protective Layer of the Guardian」

The consequence of elites fighting was expected and prepared for by the sect. They established Astray Arrays throughout the continent that could be activated by its guardian to defend against sudden attacks from enemy forces or unexpected clashes against experts. It was activated and deployed at the speed of light and before anyone could blink, all those below the Astral Core Realm were targeted and enshrouded by this thin ward.

Even an expert at the Third Stage of the Astral Core Realm would find it horrendously difficult to pry open these wards without sufficient time, and this affected every single thing on the continent, including the working ants and the continent itself! As for Astral Core Realm experts, the protective layer blinked past them entirely as if it had eyes. The only exception being Wei Wuyin.

Yuan Longshi, Qi Lang, and everyone else was absolutely startled. Quite a few had never seen this array activated before nor even knew it existed! 

Qi Lang glanced at Wei Wuyin. Every second this Astral Array was used consumed an absolutely enormous amount of essence stones and resources. Furthermore, only he should have the ability to activate it! But Wei Wuyin had the method to do so? 

"You don't have to worry about any fallout from fighting or costs. The former is handled and I'll cover the latter." Wei Wuyin spoke once more to reassure Qi Lang. He knew that Qi Lang didn't want to attack because he could eliminate the continent. Even Zuhei didn't dare to use any Spiritual Spells or Astral Arts while fighting Duke Zhao because he could obliterate this little continent.

With his identity revealed openly, he didn't mind this. Even if the formation stayed active for an entire day, he'd at most have to pay about two hundred billion essence stones—about two hundred astral essence stones or ten Astral Sea Pills. That was such a casual amount that he ate that for breakfast.

Literally.

Xue Yifei's eyes focused on Wei Wuyin. He was going all out to kill Yuan Longshi, but she didn't have much conflict in her heart as she expected. In fact, there was a hint of expectation, desire, and excitement that swirled about endlessly. 

Qi Lang nodded with relief. Then, he opened his clenched fist and lightly threw the scintillating light towards Yuan Longshi! This light transformed into a green-colored twister! 

「Wind Astral Spell: Twisting Spirit of the Wind」