Paragon of Sin

Chapter 1618 1611: The Nine Belts & Karmic Blessing

[RIGHT ARM]

Karmic Luck Value: 159,664.3.

First Calamity: Survived - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

[LEFT ARM]

Karmic Luck Value: 74,740.

First Calamity: Claimed - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

-----

'Cloud of Sin's Sinner descends to Hell, the Heavenly Daos acknowledges the arduous task with positive karma.'

Wei Wuyin's thoughts were inexplicably profound and abnormally relaxed. Despite all of his experiences, even daring to peer into the depths of the Heavenly Daos' secrets, Wei Wuyin had yet to fully understand the illusive mysteries of negative karma-Sin-and positive karma.

Fortunately, none of that was overly relevant at his current stage of cultivation or development, especially as he had yet to gain control over his Bloodline of Sin or cultivate a True Soul of Sin. So while floating within the Dark Void, the backdrop being the severed void, Wei Wuyin awaited for his rewards to arrive as the Heavenly Daos' aura stirred even greater than when he acted to grind and end the Chosen King Competition's Evil Sentinels.

If before he could sense an incoming harvest of great abundance, now he felt the harvest was incomparable. After all, he received an item worth 8,000,000 War Souls by the Battlefield's standards, and it was no different than a second life. Moreover, given the cultivation disparity between Blessed and Sinner, and the unseen cultivation discrepancy multiplier that he theorized existed, Wei Wuyin expected nothing less as he quietly observed the Heavenly Daos' aura brewing all around him, and he was simply going to let it cook as needed until his meal was ready.

Meanwhile, in this idle time, he couldn't help but regal in his memories of recent karmic-related events. The most recent deduction of 8,159.9 karmic value from his Bloodline of Sin: Pride tattoo. The Worldly Saint Alchemist named White Sky and the heavenly suggestion to spare her life. After contemplating a little, he felt that he could use her for plans going forward with the Utmost Purity Galaxy. Moreover, he could defame the deceased Sage Springfield and expose his vile intentions given her involvement, including painting himself in a good light while establishing firm relations with the forces there and a strong reputation of power.

This could facilitate and ease his visit into the Utmost Purity Galaxy and build a base of strength and character while visiting the Treasured Vale Continent. White Sky herself should be rather useful to obtain her expertise in the Alchemic Dao given her level as a Senior and knowledge.

While Wei Wuyin was by far an abnormal 'Junior' Worldly Saint Alchemist, he was fully aware of this, especially since he could feel himself on the verge of reaching the Heavenly Saint Alchemist level despite never concocting a peak-tier Mystic-World product, especially after the phenomenal insights gained from refining the Mystic-Heaven Soul Pill.

Before that karmic surge of over eight thousand, Wei Wuyin had lost a considerable degree from an external karmic fortune. It had cost 44,706.3 Karmic Luck Value and was centered around the Ascendants. Observing them the past two or so weeks, Wei Wuyin knew where that fortune lay, especially Yue Songli forming a close relationship with a beast that rivals a Mystic Overlord and Yao Houyi finding extraordinary materials to craft astonishing arrows and a new bowstring.

It was quite interesting watching karmic luck encounters manifest in real time, almost like spectating a round of Mystics, the ancient game that allowed powerful cultivators to emulate divinities and the Heavenly Daos. It was enlightening, to say the least.

Not only had Yue Songli gained benefits from this, but Liu Suyin's cultivation was facilitated by a ray of inspiration. Unlike the Alchemic Dao and concoctions in general, the Heavenly Daos could influence the cultivation path of others with astounding results, especially when it came to refining existences that could be influenced like a Living Vortex of Space and Time with great spirituality.

She remained undisturbed and her cultivation was very effective. Liu Suyin wouldn't need much before fully transforming the Living Vortex of Space and Time into her post-ascension World-Bound Star Domain, directly changing her talent and foundation as a cultivator without alchemical assistance.

Wei Wuyin also had a very solid idea as to how Blessed continuously improved as they cultivated, maintaining a type of dominance in their area, and that was largely due to the Heavenly Daos delivering foundation-altering treasures that could allow them to repeatedly keep up with the typical elites of their area. Liu Ming and Long Chen's repeated growth and advancements were due to this despite both of them originating from the lowest of the low in terms of beginnings.

This wasn't the first time Wei Wuyin's Karmic Luck had benefited those he had karmic ties to and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Before then, during his Alchemic Expo, the Ascendants received guided hands when obtaining their World Runes.

'Thinking about it, it's a little frustrating that the Heavenly Daos haven't rewarded me much recently despite my vast Karmic Luck Value.'

A wisp of bitterness emerged in his heart as he realized that most of the recent Karmic Luck deductions could be categorized as benefiting his karmic ties. And while this was largely due to his overwhelming increase in strength and restrictions in his location, it was a little annoying, to say the least.

Then again, it was hard for the Heavenly Daos to rival his rapidly increasing alchemical skills relative to his region, especially since he often dominated a region and seized all the available resources that he needed for concoctions.

'I wonder how much Karmic Luck Value San Yongli had before she was given a second chance...'

By now, Wei Wuyin's thoughts shifted from the fortunes of being a Blessed to the fortunes of a Blessed. San Yongli was by far the greatest Blessed fortune that he encountered. She was extrapolated in soul from a potential timeline's future and brought here, merging the two as one, and greatly elevating the fortune of the existing San Yongli.

Learning about the mysteries of time, Wei Wuyin surmised that San Yongli was not a single person but two compatible souls that were merged-one from an untainted present and one from a substantial future, both with an actualized past. It would be as if the debonair Wei Wuyin had entered his body right before a significant divergence, merging with his soul, and allowing both to co-exist as one.

She might be unaware of the fact she was two different San Yongli. But having two souls might give her insanely immeasurable benefits upon reaching the Resonant Soul Realm or while resonating with the Three Thousand Realms of Heaven's Laws.

'I wonder if I died, would my Karmic Luck Value be enough for such a reversion of space and time? Such self-sacrifice of the Heavenly Daos?'

Pondering this, he swiftly dispelled the idea. As a Bloodline of Sin Inheritor possessing two Primordial Seeds of Sin, chances are his True Soul would be obliterated upon reaching Hell by virtue of his exposed status.

No reincarnation.

No reversal.

But he wondered...

'What if someone I have karmic ties with dies in the future? If my Karmic Luck Value is enough, could they be brought...back?'

The thought was almost ludicrous to conceive, but if it would benefit him in the long run, could he gain a Temporal Reincarnator with foreknowledge of the future?

'Haaa...if only I had control over my Karmic Luck Value.'

Wei Wuyin sighed in his heart as the presence of the Heavenly Daos grew increasingly intense. It seems the reward of the elimination of a Sinner was coming first.

'How will my Karmic Luck Value be split?'

He stared at both Bloodline of Sin tattoos on his left and right arm, lifting both sleeves as he observed them for changes.

[RIGHT ARM]

Karmic Luck Value: 159,664.3.

First Calamity: Survived - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

[LEFT ARM]

Karmic Luck Value: 74,740.

First Calamity: Claimed - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

By now, the world had long since frozen. However, Wei Wuyin's body was no longer affected by the Heavenly Daos' temporal stasis, and his Astral Souls no longer needed to consciously act to maintain his awareness or mobility. Instead, faintly, a halo of faint golden light hovered above his head, no larger than an average-sized hula-hoop often sold to children in Red Dove City's toy market.

This halo also belonged to Little Defiant. She had nine 'belts', and of those nine, two were halos that existed above and below. There was an outer layer of belts and an inner layer of belts that existed as well.

The outer layer consisted of three orderly belts that spun quietly. The inner layer consisted of four crisscrossing and animated belts that sometimes formed '+' and 'x' shapes, and even aligned perfectly as 'I' and '-'. Whenever they aligned, there was a sense of unity as one.

After fighting in his Idol of the Stellar Paragon state and observing them actively, Wei Wuyin had already concluded that the three outer layer belts had an aura of Mortal Intent, simple, gentle, and all-encompassing, an aura of unfathomability that was undeniably Mystic Intent, and an aura of eternity and everlasting. The same aura of eternity that he had felt after forming his Stellar-Paragon Physique that day during his bestowed blessings by the Mortal and Mystic Dao.

These belts didn't activate during his battle and seemed unresponsive besides spinning gently around Little Defiant and his body. This was even when he unfurled his Worldly Domain.

However, the inner layer, those four animated belts, did display faint responses. Some were significantly more subtle than others, but they were also increasingly weak in intensity regardless of which. He noted each aura and determined what they were.

After his repeated exposure to daos, especially the great daos that gave him blessings, the Heavenly Daos that kept trying to influence him, and his two Spirits of Dao, he noticed the rings gave off an aura of the daos.

'Material Dao and Ethereal Dao...' Wei Wuyin didn't need the innate knowledge of Wei Xiaotian to recognize these two auras. While they were weak and brief, his Astral Souls who cultivated these respective paths since the beginning would have noticed even if he hadn't.

"The Primordial Dao of beasts!" Kratos growled. There were quite a few Primordial Daos, and the term 'Primordial' definitely had a great significance that Wei Wuyin or his Astral Souls hadn't grasped yet given his Primordial Seeds of Sin.

"Mind Dao..." Eden chimed in thoughtfully. Given that Eden possessed two fundamental paths of cultivation, the Dao of Alchemy and the Dao of the Mind, including its strange connection with demons that were discovered long ago, it was difficult to gauge whether this suggested certain things regarding the belts' limitations or simply that the Alchemic Dao wasn't on the same level.

Each Astral Soul had their own paths, their own great daos. Unfortunately, while Wei Wuyin was knowledgeable about dao auras, the depth of knowledge when it came to them was lacking. Perhaps after gleaming into Sage Springfield's memories and extrapolating his knowledge will he obtain a better grasp on their profound concepts.

"The halo above is without a doubt...the aura of the Heavenly Dao, but it feels slightly altered. Meanwhile..." Wei Wuyin turned his head slightly and noted the faint and almost translucent halo beneath him. If the halo above gave the aura of the Heavenly Daos then the halo below possessed a Sinful Aura, like his Bloodline of Sin. It was pure, not as egregiously vile and repugnant as the Cloud of Sin around Sage Springfield earlier.

Each 'belt' was like a ring of a dao, the faintest spark of their power surrounding Little Defiant. Her transformation...the profound qualities she possesses, it was just beginning.

Before he could think about the development and its wondrous implications, the Heavenly Daos' grand manifestation of karmic blessing was unleashed in a flourish of golden wind and liquid, rushing toward him with torrential force. Not closing his eyes for a moment, he allowed it to wash over him as he observed with a steady gaze.

[RIGHT ARM: Pride]

Karmic Luck Value: 159,664.3 ??? 322,801.3.

First Calamity: Survived - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

[LEFT ARM: Lust]

Karmic Luck Value: 74,740 ??? 237,877.

First Calamity: Claimed - 7/7.

Second Calamity: Claimed - 1/1.

Third Calamity: Claimed - 3/3.

Fourth Calamity: Suppressed - 1 Year.

Both his right and left arms attracted the karmic blessing with equal strength, dividing it equally amongst them. However, the amount caused Wei Wuyin to feel quite surprised. So much?! SO MUCH!!

Even his Bloodline of Sin: Lust tattoo had exceeded the Bloodline of Sin: Pride's former peak value by a considerable margin! Was this unreasonable sum the result of their existential differences? Their cultivation differences? Or simply the degree and intensity of the Cloud of Sin?!

326,274!

SHATTER!!!

Suddenly, Wei Wuyin could hear an indescribably heart-pounding shattering sound as if the heavens themselves were the origin and a throbbing pain in his right arm. Before he could grasp where or what had occurred, time itself resumed and he found himself in the void, floating aimlessly about.

"..." Dazed, he gazed at his right arm. Not only were there the original dark-red characters but a newly added design of dark gold that intertwined within. It was harmoniously beautiful and perfectly adherent to the obscure theme of the tattoo, yet faintly different enough to differentiate it on a scale greater than just color. The most notable difference was the cursive style the characters within were written. The intensity and aura of this dark-gold design bestowed an indescribable sensation as if painted by the Heavenly Daos.

After he blinked, time once again froze.

Floating a distance away from him, its robes fluttering without wind, once again...was the Black Skeleton.