Paragon of Sin

"A proposition?" Wei Wuyin's interest was immediately caught by Tian Muyang's words. What could the Imperial Clan want? The Imperial Clan and its members were certainly amongst the wealthiest, resourceful, and most powerful entities within the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. They had legacy, authority, and might.

Wei Wuyin kept an intrigued, sly smile on his face, amusement glimmered within his eyes, and he folded his arms as if saying: "I'm waiting." This calculated gesture of his allowed him to gain leeway in navigating any upcoming negotiation. If they saw him as being the decider, he could retreat or aggressively extort. Because to them, he had the cards, and he did.

But internally, Wei Wuyin was actually concerned. He knew that there was an imaginary image of his identity forming, unable to be verified, but able to be speculated and disproven. While he controlled strong personal forces, connections, and potential, it would be for naught if he was viewed as a threat that had no backing.

He didn't think that he was invincible. A slight mistake, and even Trueborn might act against him, or the Evergod of the Everlore Association. He knew that his existence and treasures would certainly threaten and tempt others.

For example, his world-defying tribulation can be dismissed by his overly exaggerated imaginary backing, a consequence of higher methods. It was possible because it exceeded their understanding, so anything exceptional revolving around him will be irrationally rationalized by their own ignorance and elevated belief in the unknown beyond their world.

It was a complicated thought process that could shatter with the slightest chink in his armor. An untimely probe, an unanswerable question, or inability to accomplish a feat. Soon after, conjectures would pour in, and disadvantageous lines of thinking would form.

This will certainly change when he reaches a strong enough individual power, such as becoming an Ascendant. For now, he had to act prudently to safeguard himself. The worst case scenario was being subjected to Mythical Oaths, bound by the culture of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region.

Tian Muyang didn't seem too nervous either, smiling slightly as he sent his proposition through spiritual transmission. The expressions of the others changed witnessing this. Even Tian Lingyu was taken aback by Tian Muyang's approach of deliberately privatizing their conversation, excluding the others.

They all could sense the spiritual strength cruising towards Wei Wuyin, gentle and carrying those nail-biting and mind-trembling words. Some of their expressions darkened, a little anger within their eyes, but they could only look to Wei Wuyin hoping to catch a glimpse of their conversation's outcome.

Wei Wuyin frowned initially, then his eyes widened slightly with ripples of unconcealable shock through his silver eyes. He gave Tian Muyang a heavy look, and Tian Muyang replied with a bright, relaxed smile. The hearts of the watching Earthly Saints felt a little seized.

Wei Wuyin released a soft breath, closing his eyes while tightening the cross of his arms around his chest. His intentions of acting arrogant and domineering to upkeep a grand status vanished. Not because it had been seen through but because there was no need.

Tian Muyang had just given him a clear, straightforward, and simple proposition. It was so simple that Wei Wuyin felt there was no need to keep up any appearances. Why?

Tian Muyang's proposition was extremely succinct. He was a firm believer that Wei Wuyin was of a powerful faction, fully felled by Wei Wuyin's illusory paint brush, drawn by the image that Wei Wuyin plastered before him. He was so confident that he outright proposed himself! He was hooked beyond a shadow of a doubt!

From Tian Muyang's perspective, regardless of where Wei Wuyin came from, Earthly Saints must have value, especially those of talent. If he could become an Earthly Saint in an impoverished, lower-tiered stellar region, imagine if he was given genuine resources. Right?

This Tian Muyang had boldly offered 5,000 years of himself as an Alchemic Knight, willing to give life and limb for Wei Wuyin. In exchange, he wanted Wei Wuyin to free him from the Mythical Oaths that bound him.

The product that the King of Everlore theorized! One of the Seven World Wonders of Everlore, capable of dispelling oaths. It was a Mystic-World grade Elixir!

When Tian Muyang saw Wei Wuyin drop his arrogant act, seriously considering his offer, his eyes shone with clear excitement. It was the same exact excitement a gambler might have in the middle of a dice roll. And this was a gamble, one that might have tremendous pay-offs or horrendous consequences.

Normally, if one thought about Tian Muyang's offer, they might consider him as a slave to oaths, unable to express any sort of freedom, restrained by all sorts of trivialities, and while that might be true, it wasn't his main goal—Wei Wuyin knew this.

Tian Muyang wanted the Alchemic Knight title and the nurturing that came with it; the access to higher-leveled methods, arts, spells, and avenues beyond his current means, the various things he firmly believed Wei Wuyin possessed, or the force that's backing him. A man genuinely invested in Wei Wuyin's big lie. The oaths were merely a pretext to bind himself to Wei Wuyin, guised as seeking freedom but actually seeking benefits extending far beyond.

As long as Tian Muyang does a good job as an Alchemic Knight, adopting in a way similar to Wu Yu, then it would be well within his rights to plead his case to stay as one beyond the five thousand year contract. Or, if brought to greater heights, find greener pastures.

A segway.

He might even believe Wei Wuyin had a way outside, just like the King of Everlore.

This was one of the things that Wei Wuyin was legitimately concerned about. It wasn't that he didn't wish to gather more subordinate power for now, but that this condition would mean he couldn't. Cai Liuyang was a Demi-Mortal Lord with exceptional talent, likely bound by certain Mythical Oaths to protect certain interests.

What force would ever give their geniuses an escape option?

It would be counterproductive. And if it was so easy to obtain such a product, Mythical Oaths would eventually become obsolete in that society, being extremely unreliable. Perhaps if the King of Everlore's product was produced even a little bit, the entire Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's culture would've changed by now. So they might have placed other restrictions on Cai Liuyang, unaffected by this theorized elixir, so why would she need it?

Even if he had the product, he had to seriously consider this issue for other reasons. Not just for gathering subordinate forces, but obtaining allied powers as well. These Mythical Oaths reminded him that it was best to nurture his own force from young seeds for his plans, as the old have been bogged down by seemingly unbreakable shackles. Who knew when he'd reach the level of a Worldly Saint Alchemist?

Just looking at how Tian Muyang couldn't enter the Elementus Domain without permission, it could be seen how restrained he was, and how limited and useless he would be as an Alchemic Knight, unlike Wu Yu who was bound by none.

At that time he could make that product, if all goes as planned, he wouldn't need a Tian Muyang fostered by an outdated stellar region. He would have a Zuhei, a Ying, a Su Mei, and the Valkyries.

He slowly opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze across those behind Tian Muyang, who were watching him intently. When his gaze fell on Yang Chaoyue's sensual figure and lips, he suppressed an urge to loudly sigh. They all had come with fiery ambitions and radiant hope in their hearts.

But he couldn't resort to hiring old heads with their wild ambitions and personalities, bound by unknown oaths, hopeful to use him as a stepping stone to greater pastures. They would consume his time, and after saying yes, it would be difficult to upkeep that imaginary image. So even if he had the product, he didn't think he should use it.

Wei Wuyun had to think deeply about how to handle this, navigating as to not reveal any flaws, so he decided on a specific approach. While he could say no or simply say he didn't have the product, this wasn't advantageous to him.

Spiritually, he seriously replied with: "State your foundation, prior to the Mystic Ascendant Realm, such as Soul Rings, Spatial Resonance, Primary Light Source, comprehended Intent, etcetera, including your current mystic foundation and cultivation base."

Tian Muyang's eyes widened slightly. When Wei Wuyin asked about these details, his expression changed immediately. He had believed that any Earthly Saint was of value, but he had neglected to consider that, to Wei Wuyin, he could be low-tier amongst Earthly Saints in his view. Recalling Wei Wuyin's possible background, he actually felt nervous, as if he was being interviewed about his qualifications for a higher position. If anyone knew that an Earthly Saint of the Imperial Clan felt this way to a mere mortal not even a hundred years old, they would be rendered absolutely speechless.

Aa for Tian Muyang, he was genuinely stunned!

In the end, he regained himself and proceeded to detail certain aspects of his cultivation base, foundation, and attainments. Not factoring in cultivation methods, Tian Muyang had been at the Mystic Ascendant Realm before the Imperial Clan had taken the throne, his Astral Core Realm foundation was not supplemented prior by rich resources.

This was actually indicative of his natural talent. He had been one of the few to reach an Apex-level Elemental Intent, Dark Lightning Intent, and had used that to establish a powerful foundation to ascend. He wasn't an average joe, even now that was the case.

Listening intently, Wei Wuyin was a little surprised. Tian Muyang hadn't just comprehended an apex-level Intent, but reached the ninth soul-ring, the eighth spatial-ripple, and violet-colored Primary Light. While the standard for Chosen in this generation was ninth, ninth, and white being the lowest, it was fascinating for him to have such accomplishments prior to the Tian Clan's rule.

Tian Muyang made sure to allude to that fact, that he had done all this prior to obtaining his grand position within the Tian Clan. As for his ascension, he had reached the 6th Rune Ascension, comprehending 46 Mystic Rune Seeds to ‘completion', a full 2 Mystic Rune Seeds short of the Divine King Han Xei's benchmark.

During his Soul of Mysticism and Demi-Mortal Lord phases, he kept diligently cultivating for roughly ten thousand years until he inevitably awakened his Mystic Intent, directly obtaining the qualifications to succeed as an Earthly Saint, much like Wu Yu had. However, he only reached the 4th Runic Ascendant State, comprehending four Ways of Mysticism—Mana, Spirit, Infusion, and Conversion. After his Earthly Ascension, he slowly comprehended his Spatial and Radiant-type Mystic Runes, fully becoming a 6th Runic Ascendant.

That was his current limit.

Wei Wuyin nodded acceptingly, verifying that reaching beyond your Rune Ascension level was incomparably difficult for Ascended beings without a trigger.

In his view, Tian Muyang wasn't weak. In fact, he was much stronger than Han Yuhei on paper, and he cultivated something similar to the Imperial Heaven Qi Method. But if he compared him to Wu Yu or the abnormally patient 9th Runic Ascendant Ma Zheng, he was grossly inferior.

However, he had his uses.

He directly transmitted: "I currently don't have an Oath Breaking elixir on me that'll work for you. I hadn't expected this," Wei Wuyin honestly and seriously responded, rubbing his chin contemplatively as he continued, "however, I might be able to obtain some in a few centuries."

Tian Muyang's initial response was disappointment, but after hearing that Wei Wuyin hadn't accounted for an Earthly Saint to request this, he felt it made sense, and that consoled his state of mind. Why would a mortal keep an oath breaking product meant for an Earthly Saint? All those under him would either be under oaths or never swear an oath for others, only for Wei Wuyin or the force behind him.

The logic was the same as why keep the keys to someone's chains on you or nearby. It only gives them an opportunity to free themselves.

But when he heard that Wei Wuyin might be able to procure one in a few centuries, his eyes brightened considerably. For someone who lived for so long, what was a few centuries or more of waiting for a chance to reach the next level? Wei Wuyin will likely spend that time trying to ascend with the highest Rune Ascension, not rush it at all. In fact, maybe he can't gain further access to resources from his force until he ascends. That was normal too.

This meant he simply had to wait.

"How about this," Wei Wuyin interrupted Tian Muyang's hopeful thoughts, "when I obtain it, I'll take you as my official Alchemic Knight. After all, you barely qualify. That said, we can have a trial period of a century. While you'll still be under oath, I'd imagine it doesn't restrict you from assisting me in some simple matters, right?"

Tian Muyang's brows furrowed. There was no member of the Imperial Clan's Sky or Imperial Monarchs that could become the Alchemic Knight of an alchemist outside of the Imperial Clan, an explicit oath established by the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor, for obvious reasons.

However, offering some assistance that wouldn't violate any outstanding oaths was…doable. This was also his chance.

This was the chance they all wanted!

However, the ‘barely' qualified hurt a little. But it also empowered his desire to a greater extent. He couldn't help but ask, "If you don't mind me asking, what's Grand Knight Wu Yu's runic state?" While it was extremely improper, the urge to ask was irresistible.

Wei Wuyin looked towards the others, "You want to know the initial foundation of my current Alchemic Knight?" He said this in an open manner, allowing everyone to hear, shocking Tian Muyang for a brief moment. He wasn't slow, so he quickly picked up on what Wei Wuyin intentions were. Wei Wuyin wanted to tell the others his standards, allowing everyone to know how his ‘current' Alchemic Knight was. After all, how many of them here wanted the exact same thing as him? An avenue to greater pastures? But did they have the qualifications?

"I do," he replied solemnly.

Wei Wuyin held out his two hands, revealing 7 fingers, "7th Rune Ascension." This shook those watching, even the spectators. While revealing Wu Yu's foundation might be seen as unnecessary, it wasn't harmful at all. After all, the Everlore Association certainly knew, and when he eventually fights, this will become public information.

There was a gloomy expression on a few of their expressions, except Tian Lingyu, who felt unconcerned. After all, she also reached the 7th Rune Ascension! Unlike Tian Muyang, she was born during the total reign of the Tian Clan. She lacked neither instructors, resources, products, or methods.

Then, Wei Wuyin lifted an additional finger. "But after a little assistance, he's at the 8th Runic Ascendant state."

"…!" Startled gasps and trembling gazes could be heard and seen everywhere, not just from the Imperial and Sky Monarchs, but those who were observing silently from beyond! 8th Runic Ascendant! But he just ascended!

The way the Imperial Clan members looked at Wei Wuyin hadn't just changed, it morphed into an entirely different emotion. Especially Tian Muyang, as his expression became deathly pale, the first time he revealed anything besides brief astonishment and a smile. The act of breaching one's Rune Ascension was absolutely terrifyingly difficult! Han Yuhei's already was aware of this, but even he still paled a little after hearing this.

Seeing this response, Wei Wuyin was internally satisfied. "I know that you all wish to discuss certain things with me, but this isn't the proper venue or time. How about you leave me your transmission jades, and we can discuss later? I still have to familiarize myself with my cultivation base, so I can't entertain you all. I do apologize."

Before Wei Wuyin could even finish his last sentence, a sparkling jade shot gently through the border, arriving beside him, carrying a faint fragrance. He looked at it in surprise, lifting his gaze to see a smiling Yang Chaoyue. After that, she didn't stay or linger, turning around to reveal her tempestuous backside, shooting away without speaking a single word.

Wei Wuyin was a little speechless, but her actions were definitely memorable. When he finally looked away, inspecting the jade, his expression changed as he got a stronger whiff. There was a prerecorded message, and it seemed to have been made long ago from its temporal aura.

After listening to it, Wei Wuyin couldn't help but look in Yang Chaoyue's direction with eyes of amazement. He suppressed the urge to swallow a wad of saliva.

"How bold…"