Paragon of Sin

The surrounding experts and crowd was deeply shook by the abrupt developing events. They were relegated to mere spectators as they observed. With Wei Wuyin and Long Chen as the center battleground, hundreds of meters of distance had been transformed into an elemental land of chaos and danger.

This expanse of death was the workings of Wei Wuyin. His nine dragons that slithered through the skies with vivid and lifelike features reminiscent to the dragons of legends, and his aura ascending to the heavens. The elemental energies in the surroundings were rapidly extracted, gathered and channeled into each elemental dragon, fueling and empowering their titanic and ferocious actions.

A Spiritual Qi Formation had been born under Wei Wuyin's direction, and not a single expert present dared to underestimate the utter power it was emitting.

"How did he set up such a large multi-linked Spiritual Qi Formation so quickly?" A Godking exclaimed as he regarded the impressive scene of Wei Wuyin riding atop a water dragon's head, staring domineeringly downwards at Long Chen.

Spiritual Qi Formations and Spiritual Qi Arrays were similar yet drastically different, in much the same way as Spiritual Formations and Qi Arrays. Formations were constructed and deployed on one's own strength, usually a byproduct of a Spell or Art. It relied on one's innate energies, qi, or other forms of power to revolve and maintain itself.

While Arrays relied on external forces, such as essence stones, qi rich locations such as the Scarlet Solaris Mountain's Scarlet Qi, or ambient energies. However, Spiritual Qi Formations absorbed the ambient energies by relying on one's spiritual qi.

It was a highly advanced application of power. Many Godkings weren't capable of using Spiritual Qi Arrays, let alone deploying a Spiritual Qi Formation!

"How does he have so much qi and spiritual strength to maintain such a vast array?!" A young elite questioned shockingly. His cultivation was similarly at the Godlord stage yet he couldn't imagine deploying a Spiritual Qi Formation using his own reserves of qi, let alone a multi-link Spiritual Qi Formation!

Typically, these types of formation required numerous experts to simultaneously exert their energies and qi in unison, gathering their spiritual strength to control the formation. But Wei Wuyin was doing it by himself! Furthermore, it wasn't just one formation, but nine acting as one!

Each individual dragon that seemingly dominated the elements was its own Spiritual Qi Formation! They each individually gathered the ambient energies suitable for themselves and acted with Wei Wuyin's will. 

"To control all nine of these creations, he has to have an exceptionally high level of mental focus and astonishing reserves of spiritual energies! It…" A female Godking gawked, adding her own belief at the absurdity of it all.

The sheer aura and power exuded by each dragon was so great that they all had to retreat, leaving just three people in this elemental battlefield!

Long Chen, Wei Wuyin, and Mei Mei!

Mei Mei's heart quivered intensely as she regarded the situation. It had all happened so fast that she didn't even get a chance to react, but when her eyes met the broad back of Wei Wuyin, she calmed down naturally. She didn't know why he was acting this way, but if he did, it must be for her sake. 

This made the bitter feeling in her heart sting even more.

Long Chen wiped the remnant blood from the sides of his lips as he became unnaturally calm and focused. Against enemies that seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle, his heart and mind would reach an unprecedented state of clarity and unyielding will. And each time, he'd overcome all challenges.

With sword in hand, he calmly warded off the ambient energies directed towards him with sword qi. As silver rays of light flashed in retaliation, he continued to retreat.

Wei Wuyin stood imposingly upon the water dragon's head, his eyes surging with intense power. This was the first time he'd galvanized his full cultivation base, using the Divine Spirit of Elemental Qi as the lead. He was startled to truly witness its immense, awe-inspiring power and unfathomable reserves of qi.

It had to be an unintentional effect of gathering and refining 99 Qi Essence motes, because his Natal Souls were brimming with boundless qi. He felt like a literal ocean. Furthermore, this ocean was multiplied by four, then connected with each other. 

With a thought, his innate qi could connect and refine the saber qi into elemental qi. This was likely due to its base composition of energies, nine elements, yin, yang, yin-yang, saber, alchemical, and draconic were shared amongst all his spirits. So absorbing and refining the others qi were a simple matter.

He clenched his fist and felt the qi surge swiftly within. Despite the alchemical energies, it didn't hinder or act as a deterrent to his offensive power, but even furthered the compatibility amongst his other spirits. While he knew the alchemical energies hadn't given him the weakness other alchemists possess, he still found it extraordinary how useful it is!

ROAR!

Crackle!!

The white lightning dragon spiraled upwards, and twisted to gaze downwards at Long Chen with imperialistic might. With a sharp roar, it shot downwards at lightning speed! 

Long Chen's heart nearly skipped a beat as he hastily reacted. Ray after ray of sharp sword qi was sent to clash with the elemental lightning dragon. The clashes between sword qi and lightning body produced continuous and heart-shaking thunder! But it did little to impede the body of the lightning dragon as it smashed atop his head.

With widened eyes, he created a silver and sanguine qi ward as he guarded his body with his sword. The lightning dragon opened its crackling maw and chomped at Long Chen. He was swallowed whole!

"Long Chen!!" Simultaneously, four female voices echoed in unison as he was undoubtedly swallowed. These voices, filled with worry and horror, belonged to Na Xinyi, Lin Ziyan, Wu Baozhai, and Lian Yu. Their eyes were radiating with intense concern as they watched at a safe distance.

Lin Ziyan's eyes became bright with determination and killing intent as she withdrew her sword and prepped her qi to take to the skies! She would aid Long Chen! However, before he could take off to engage in battle with her man, Ming Shufeng grabbed her shoulder.

"He's fine. If you enter now, you'll only distract him." Her words shook Lin Ziyan's heart as she felt an unfathomable sense of uselessness. Would she merely be a burden?

While Lin Ziyan wallowed in her inability to enter such a high-level fight, the light dragon coiled around itself as the lightning energies within started to continuously erupt. It was clearly suppressing Long Chen within its body.

Wei Wuyin's eyes narrowed as he observed this scene. Within the lightning body, he felt Long Chen continuously fire ray after ray of protective sword art, seemingly executing some spherical defensive Spiritual Sword Art. His defense was air-tight as the elemental lightning qi couldn't penetrate.

However, Wei Wuyin wasn't going to simply allow this to continue. The type of fights he hated the most were those of attrition. With a thought, simultaneous roars echoed as the elemental wind and fire dragon rushed towards the lightning dragon.

"No!" Lin Ziyan cried out in horror. If those two elemental dragons emerged with the lightning dragon, an incredibly deadly explosion would definitely be its result and Long Chen might not live!

Ming Shufeng similarly felt pressured by this tense battle, using her calculative abilities to see the outcome. In a flash, her expression grew ugly as she realized she couldn't deduce anything due to Long Chen and Wei Wuyin's dual Blessed characteristics! 

Shit!

Long Chen could die!

From what she knew, Long Chen's strongest Spiritual Qi Art was the Sword of True Slaughter that contained his vast spiritual qi of both his Natal Souls and dual Intent. Yet this strongest art was being ruthlessly suppressed by three elemental dragons, all of which were renowned for their ability of contain and suppress!

Earth! Metal! Wood!

If this continued, he might be killed. Her heart started to unnaturally race. She still needed him for now!

Wei Wuyin gave zero fucks about their cries or thoughts, his actions were decisive and clear. He showed no hesitation in ridding the world of Long Chen. Just as the three dragons were about to combine into one, a worldly force encapsulated and surrounded the fire and wind dragons, instantly restricting their movements.

"Halt!" A domineeringly powerful voice filled with imperial authority resounded. But within this voice, a tinge of reluctance and disgruntledness could be heard. While merely a tinge, it was sufficient to realize it didn't wish to take action.

Wei Wuyin didn't hesitate. He heard the direction of that voice and withdrew ten seventh-grade pellets!! These were low-tier pellets, but they were all of a high-quality and contained ferocious explosive strength.

Without any hesitation, he used his mountain-crushing strength and flung the pellets in their fully activated state directly towards the voice.

"Ah!?" The voice was shocked by the abrupt incoming projectiles, but reacted with haste. It used the world's force to restrict these pellets in mid-flight!

"Explode!" 

BOOM!!!

Wei Wuyin instantly detonated them simultaneously. A raging wind storm whipped upwards and sent everyone flying hundreds, and some even thousands of meters, spitting blood or with broken bones. A few who weren't well protected were likely at a near-death state. All these experts and elites didn't even conceive the possibility that Wei Wuyin would throw out seventh-grade pellets so decisively!

Wei Wuyin leapt forward. His body transformed into a light filled with saber and elemental qi, and draconic power! With Element as its core, this energy shot him forward at vanishing speeds!

He had Element in hand and he swung!

"Ah!!" A shriek of pain and horror resounded, originating from the owner of that once imposing voice. In a flash, Wei Wuyin returned back atop the water dragon, his eyes calm, and his hand held an entire arm severed at its base, still dripping shining blood!

"The next time you dare order me or stop me with your nonsense, I'll take your head!" Just as he shouted this, his fire and wind elemental dragons regained their freedom and once more attempted to merge with the lightning dragon, likely producing a beautiful deadly explosion as a result!

Unfortunately!

The dragons dispersed by some ungodly spiritual power, shattered at their spiritual foundation.

Wei Wuyin's eyes lit up as he felt his control of the dragons slip entirely. They unraveled and became pure elemental energies of their respective bodily compositions. However, he wasn't too shocked.

Instead, his eyes focused on Long Chen's location unblinkingly. The reason he didn't use the pellets on Long Chen was the unassuming black ring in his possession. This ring seemed to contain some unfathomable spirit, and he felt that even now, he likely wouldn't be able to take Long Chen's life as long as it was present, even if he used a hundred pellets of this level.

This was a feeling, but also an instinct. 

He wanted to draw out the spirit, figure out a way to distract it, then slaughter Long Chen instantly. He had prepared numerous methods to do so, and its also why he didn't rely on his close range abilities. That unassuming black ring was a variable that caused his heart to tremble ceaselessly, and he would definitely not make the mistake of Hu Jiwei!

But, after witnessing Long Chen tumble out of the dragon yet the ring's power was nowhere to be seen, his heart inevitably calmed down.

"Fairy Blessed Spirit?" He hadn't even felt her presence when she acted, but she had effortlessly and utterly dispersed his dragons and dismantled a portion of his multi-link Spiritual Qi Formation. If so, she could likely effortlessly kill him without him noticing. After all, he didn't have some magical trump card of an unfathomable spirit in his possession. Considering she had interfered, he halted his actions.

Long Chen was not worth dying for.

He was definitely, utterly, and absolutely not worth dying for.

He calmly breathed as the Spiritual Qi Formation dwindled until it dissipated. The energies calmed down and returned to their natural dormant states. While the entire venue was irreversibly damaged, no lives were lost.

Gently, Mei Mei and Wei Wuyin met the ground. 

"You bastard! Give me back my fucking ARM!!" A raging voice descended alongside an unfathomable amount of power. This was astral force and it was truly world-shaking! The quaking of the earth was constant as if it was a heart beating with fear.

Boom!

Wu Jiao landed crushingly on the ground. He held his left arm socket that had been severed at its base. It was patched up, not dripping blood, but the fact it was gone shook everyone!!

Wei Wuyin's gaze was like electrifying lightning as he shot Wu Jiao a cold, vicious, and murderous gaze. "Speak again." This seemed like an order, but it was most certainly a daring request to see if Wu Jiao had the guts.

Wu Jiao's voice choked. His immortal bearing and exceptional aura was diluted with messy strands of his hair and labored breathing. Wei Wuyin's ten seventh-grade pellets had caused severe injuries to his entire body, and in his moment of shock, Wei Wuyin claimed an arm! In fact, he nearly claimed his head!

If it wasn't for his senses being sharp, dodging at the last moment, and Wei Wuyin's lack of control at that speed, it damn well would've!

So he felt choked and indignant! Wei Wuyin should've been an ant to him, yet he could make him feel fear?! Despite his emotions, he didn't dare speak another word in fear of Wei Wuyin throwing even more pellets at him.

Everyone who saw this had gaped mouths, even while tending to their various wounds. Wei Wuyin, in the midst of fighting Long Chen, claimed the strongest expert on this continent's arm! 

Holy fuck.

With a casual shrug, Wei Wuyin threw back the arm like it was trash. "Leave. I don't want to see you again until the examination. In fact, I don't want to see you again in this lifetime. The next time I do, I claim that head of yours." His declaration was fierce, imperious, and mighty! What did it mean to be domineering? This!

What did it mean to not fear the strong?

This!!

Wu Jiao was enraged, but considering the monstrous pellets Wei Wuyin could deploy, and his current injuries that'll likely take years to recover from, he could only coldly snort, take his arm, and leave while he had some face. In truth, he had absolutely none left.

Wei Wuyin wanted nothing more than to turn and talk to Mei Mei. Speak to her, touch her, but he couldn't. Her Dao Companion Oath would restrict her from close relations with any member of the opposite until that was over. If she broke it, she'll be punished by the heavenly daos and her spirit will shatter.

After all, they swore this oath to both themselves and the heavens. That was what it meant to be Dao Companions. The most frustrating issue was his inability to kill Wu Chen. Dao Companions fates were tied during the oath, so if one died, so did the other. It was an absolutely frightening oath. The only way to break it was naturally, with a death unrelated to the other side entirely.

You can say this was heaven's way of helping Dao Companions complete their oaths. If their former lovers wanted to kill the newly decided Dao Companion, doing so would kill her or him too, so the Dao Companion usually had a hostage. It was cruel, but highly effective.

"..." Mei Mei.

With a cold sweeping look at everyone present, he spoke with dense killing intent. "Anyone so much as touch the edge of her clothes, I'll kill them and every last ancestral lineage and generation they have on this continent!"