Paragon of Sin

Chapter 1603 Chapter 1596: Springfield Arrives

As the days came and went, the Ascendants scattered across the Sky Heart Galaxy caused incident after incident, while the birth of Wei Xiaotian, an existence blessed with life by the heavens themselves, went unnoticed by the galaxy's rulers.

Wei Xiaotian's early days began with her first steps as a living being; she cultivated her innate Cultivation Method, bravely embarking on the path of cultivation. She stayed within the first city, under the protection of Tuo Bihan, using this chance to familiarize herself with the various aspects of mortals. She was quick-witted and adaptable, finding her stride with ease, while slowly developing her sense of interest, like, dislike, and understanding that went beneath the heavens.

She slowly adapted to the most primitive culture, and with the lack of complexity of tradition, its single-minded harmonized culture, and lax societal standards, it was much easier for her to settle into her newfound circumstances of life. Moreover, she wasn't cuddled by Tuo Bihan's protection, and Wei Wuyin hadn't advised her to hide her outstanding beauty or otherworldly demeanor, which led to conflicts and her exposure to greed, jealousy, lust, and suspicion of living things.

None of these conflicts were things she couldn't handle, and most of the time, Tuo Bihan didn't need to interfere. Wei Xiaotian had a charismatic way with words that could tug at the heart and soul, charming typical mortals and influencing their thoughts. It was phenomenally mystifying to witness, as if it was a natural-born skill of hers.

Meanwhile, the other events happening during these days were far from peaceful or easily handled. In fact, chaotic and destructive were words that vastly underestimated the situations that transpired across the Sky Heart Galaxy.

Within the Sky Heart Galaxy, the beasts were diverse, from Rocs to Almirajs, even silver-scaled fishes, and the titanic Hyena. Many second-tier races existed, holding strong dominion over their own territory of a large variety, including some nomadic races that went from place to place across the stars. Amongst these nomadic races was a branch of canines known as Dholes.

Inexplicably, a grand war had begun. A single white wolf rode upon a river of sanguine blood, leading the dholes by the billions, and fought against the Rocs with a brutality that was unmatched in savagery and viciousness. It was unexpected by the more intelligent beasts of the galaxy, but over half of the Rocs' territory had been dyed in feathers, fur, and bloody corpses within a matter of days.

The battle was still ongoing. A victor had yet to be decided, but the growing number of casualties on both sides continued to rise.

While this chaotic and bloody battle kept going after seemingly occurring without reason, many planets housing beastmen across the galaxy vanished within a flash of silvery light. Most of this went unnoticed given the ongoing chaos that attracted almost every beast's attention.

Moreover, the entire Sky Heart Galaxy was shocked that the Almiraj was remaining silent. In truth, they were dealing with an issue no less dangerous than a war. They couldn't quite explain it, but a fiery blazing catastrophe was sweeping across their territory as internal conflict rose and an inner uprising was on the verge of breaking out.

The consequences of this blaze were calling into question their competent leadership. Amongst the bestial races, the Almiraj was most certainly the most intelligent with a leadership selection process that was built on competency and power, and this dilemma was calling into question the current ruling class of Black-Horned Almirajs.

The main perpetrators of this discussion of no-confidence were the Red-Horned Almirajs. With the Almiraj busy trying to figure out the source of these blazes, a hard-pushed campaign for shifting leadership was unfolding most strangely. Additionally, grave accusations of the Red-Horned Almirajs being responsible for the continued depletion of cultivation grounds and farms kept being thrown about and pushed the situation further up the cliff as conflict on the level of civil war tethered on the edge of erupting.

While the two groups clashed, countless human farms were burned away and entire cultivation grounds were burnt asunder by raging flames. The tragedy of losing their food source only exacerbated the issue, especially among the common Almiraj who were beginning to be affected.

The incidents weren't over either as word of a human allying with the gigantic Hyena that ate stars began to spread, furthering the anxiety of the growing situation. The two beasts at the head of the galaxy, the Rocs and Almirajs, were far too busy to investigate and the others didn't dare to personally arrive for fear of dying.

The Hyena's territory was off-limits to other beasts without its explicit permission. Moreover, the Rocs carried Solar Stars to the gigantic Hyena while the Almiraj delivered blood essence to placate its hunger and need for cultivation for fear of it coming towards them. While they didn't fear it, they didn't want unnecessary conflict.

It was clear that while these beasts were beasts, they could understand situations, intimidate, and grow a society with an established hierarchy reminiscent of the animal kingdom. The Hyenas weren't too high, but the gigantic, star-eating Hyena was exceedingly high on the food chain.

-----

"What developments," Young Master Shang took a huge swig of his flagon as he eyed the Sky Heart Galaxy. Beside him was a standing Wei Wuyin with his arms crossed behind his back, his silvery eyes calmly gazing at the night sky. The two were on a tiny-sized rogue planet whose atmosphere was incredibly thin and the surface barely inhabitable, almost desolate.

Young Master Shang was in awe. It had only been a few weeks yet the Sky Heart Galaxy was thrown into absolute chaos by a few mortals. Whether it was Zuhei's acquisition of billions of dholes to fight alongside him, leading a literal crusade across the stars to hunt Rocs, or Shui Fengbao's deliberate disruption of the Almiraj's society, dismantling them from inside out. Heck, even Yue Songli's engagement with that gigantic Hyena was causing issues that were being felt by the galaxy.

None of them were remotely ordinary. Each was more outlandish than the other, especially Tuo Bihan finding a Shard of Heaven by sheer chance. What type of godlike luck was that? If not for his ignorance and loyalty, Tuo Bihan would have ascended into the heavens.

Moreover, Su Mei and Ming Shufeng were traveling across the world using silver-scaled fish and acquiring all sorts of priceless resources that went largely unnoticed by the beasts. They were bonafide treasure hunters.

Yet out of all of them, Young Master Shang found Yao Houyi the most obscene. This blindfolded archer was snatching portions of the cores of natural Solar Stars and Planetary Cores, using a refinement process to create extraordinary arrows and empower his bow. The guy was on a cultivation mission with absolute focus.

Even now, Yao Huoyi was like a stealthy snake, refining a Colossal-sized Star Core, absorbing a portion for his World-Bound Star Domain, and using the rest to temper his bow. The act was something mortals shouldn't be able to do with ease but this mortal was doing it!

"Abnormal, tch. So abnormal," Young Master Shang remarked with a faint smile. The more he involved himself in the matter of the Ascendants, especially Wei Wuyin, the more amazed he was at their uniqueness. They truly defied what it meant to be mortals in a world of cultivation, especially when Mystic Ascendants ruled territories like this.

He directed his gaze beyond the Sky Heart Galaxy's borders where the Prohibition of the Heavens ended. The void vessel that had met them upon arriving was welcoming several humanoid figures. Those humanoid figures were none other than the Enlightened Sage and his compatriots. They arrived on a ray of resplendent stellar transit light and each of them exuded fantastical auras.

Young Master Shang pursed his lips, "I know you won't tell me what your plan is, but I gotta ask." He probed the quiet Wei Wuyin. The Neo-Dawn Ascendant Emperor's gaze was not focused on the new arrivals but on a location in the far-off distance in a completely different direction. Curious, Young Master Shang looked that way as his Ocular Spell activated in full force.

Besides a few isolated World Realms, rogue planets, Solar Stars, and normal planets, he didn't see much in that direction. However, he knew that that specific direction was heading toward the heart of the galaxy-its center.

Wei Wuyin lowered his gaze at this moment, the light of contemplation raging within his silver irises and dark pupils. Then, lifting his gaze toward the void vessel, his expression grew solemn, causing Young Master Shang's heart to skip a beat as he felt an imposing presence exert itself for a fragment of a fragment of a fragment of a second.

Looking over at Wei Wuyin, Young Master Shang felt a bubbling intensity slowly rise. He didn't even mind that his question wasn't answered or even hinted at with an answer and felt that the situation was about to change drastically. This was all his instinctual feelings yet he had to stifle the urge to gulp his saliva.

Ohn!

"..."

Wei Wuyin's eyes narrowed. The arrival of the Enlightened Sage caused Wei Wuyin's plans to change. He hadn't been able to sense it from so far away despite his Celestial Eyes, because his Celestial Eyes was not tethered to his Bloodline of Sin's awareness.

However, upon sensing the Enlightened Sage, he saw something he hadn't across the Ancient Sealed Region, two galaxies, and two lifetimes. An influence by the Heavenly Daos that was so strong, so loud, and so explosive that it was almost as if it was screeching at him at the top of its lungs.

A cloud of sin enveloped the new arrivals.

A cloud of sin so dense that Hell itself would require far greater than three layers to cleanse, and it all originated from a single individual:

A Sinful Sage.

A Sinful Enlightened Sage!