Paragon of Sin

A youth exited an opening at the base of a volcanic mountain within the Scorched Skies of the Four Extreme Continent. His normally handsome expression was marred by confusion and uncertainty. It was Lin Ming!

"Senior Sister said the caches in this world realm were far greater than the outside world, its entire purpose was for the complete usage of one person. She even estimated it to be roughly a thousand times more valuable, at least. But…" Lin Ming softly murmured to himself, recalling the previous three weeks. 

When he had entered the cache using the Fire Element Token, he discovered cultivation resources within, but not nearly as much as he expected. It wasn't that different from the outside caches, and while it helped his cultivation improve, it hadn't caused any leaps to occur. 

"..." Lin Ming felt something wasn't right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. With a baffled pout, he calmed his thinking and took what he could. His cultivation base had improved and he should be stronger than Zhang Yu now, capable of making him regret his actions. With a clenched fist, his grey eyes gleamed with a fierce, icy-cold killing intent.

-----

In the Desolate Lands, Four Extreme Continent.

Four months had passed since Wei Wuyin had entered seclusion once more, concocting and refining products of the highest grade within the Mortal Limits. One day, a man-made cave hewed into a mountain was sealed and black-clothed figure re-entered the outside world.

Wei Wuyin touched the grey sandy desert with his bare feet, feeling the desolate power within. He animatedly moved his toes within, enjoying the grainy sensation of the sand against his skin. The desolate power attempted to enter his body, desiring the siphon his bodily moisture and energies, but when it entered, it was absorbed and refined into his own strength.

"This world truly is different in comparison to the starfield. There's far too much ambient power within the air, volatile and lethal. The other lands can't be much different." Wei Wuyin remarked, feeling that the world of cultivation, the creation of cultivators, never ceased to amaze him. 

When he learned that the Bloodforge Continent and two Solar Stars were made by cultivators, designed and fashioned by their wills, he was secretly blown away with his heart racing with awe. Now, he was in an isolated World Realm with a functioning ecosystem that can sustain life for thousands of years, had ambient energies and mana freely flowing within the world. Even the solar star above existed in this isolated world, only meant to provide warmth and life-bearing conditions to the inhabitants of this continent.

The feat of this far exceeded what he had ever heard of before. Was it possible that cultivators could create entire starfields? Something even grander? Was there a limit? 

"It really does exceed the Mortal Limits," Wei Wuyin daydreamed about the Mystic Ascendant Realm. The possibility of existing as a spiritual being had never come across his thoughts until he met Wu Yu, or that cultivators could create continents, planets, solar stars, or isolated realms. His horizon had expanded endlessly.

The Heavenly Daos, the Calamities of Hell, the Yellow Springs, and Deities, these might be things he'd come across before he'd ever known any of this, but the shock wasn't nearly as great or impactful as learning the possibilities he could reach, not what others have or what this endless world possessed. 

As he was contemplating the world of cultivation, its exquisiteness and limitless potential, he felt his four Astral Souls vibrate intensely. Over the last four months, he started to actively use foundation-enhancing products of the ninth-grade, leaving behind eight-grade products. 

The taste of these four little souls were becoming more picky, only seeking the highest after being spoiled senseless. They must've consumed dozens of ninth-grade products each with utter satisfaction. Of course, the sheer power of ninth-grade products slowed their astonishing refinement speed by a little. 

"So what's the plan?" He asked himself, glancing at the direction of the Desolate Lands holy city—True Desolate. While he called it a city, he knew this wasn't the actual case. It was more of a monastery than a city, and only named as the holy city by the continent's natives as a form of utmost respect.

The so-called trial is in a little over ten days. He had a few choices he could take in approaching this, and he still hadn't decided yet. His intent to shake up his actions, act differently than he would have in another timeline, stayed at the forefront of his thoughts. Wei Wuyun didn't wish to be a victim, wanting to grasp his own fate and disrupt any potential assaults on his karmic fortune. 

"..." Shockingly, Ori was silent. Her energetic disposition was subdued by this question, seemingly left just as baffled and uncertain. 

Kratos and King gave off their signature nonsense or single word answers, not really offering any help. To one, there was no where they couldn't go, no where they couldn't leave, and no one who could threaten him. To the other, a swing of its edge can solve ninety-nine problems out of a hundred, and if he met that single problem he couldn't, he'd just use two. 

Their thought process regarding the matter was simple, and it doused Wei Wuyin's worried heart with a warm, chuckling spray of reliable nonsense. 

With a soft exhale, he thought for a moment that might be too concerned about this Temporal Reincarnator. But just when he thought this, when he was about to relax a little, Eden sent surging waves throughout his Sea of Consciousness. 

This wave contained lessons of suffering from lack of vigilance in his past, of downplaying certain suspicions of allies who betrayed him, of feeling absolutely safe and it nearly claimed his life. The most recent being hunted by Qu Xiaoying unexpectedly. 

His eyes brightly lit, once more regaining its stability and strength. He couldn't lower his guard against anything, always had to prepare for the worst! He nodded to himself and Eden, sending it his heartfelt thanks. 

"I'll do whatever I need to." Wei Wuyin's lips tugged into a confident smile, a smile that could swoon the hearts of trillions. With a stretch, he put on his shoes, and took off towards True Desolate. 

-----

The Desolate Lands spanned for 158,000 miles in every direction, but at the center of this land was a grand temple that was grey and golden. It effused faint light that turned the surrounding grey sand gold, dispersing the desolate power and transforming it through an exquisite conversion formation into pure astral essence. 

The golden sand stretched for 158 miles, 1/1,000th of the total landmass of the Desolate Lands, but the temple itself was fashioned like most, filled with a peaceful and awe-inspiring grace. There were 158 large stairs etched into a large mountain, and led to the top of the mountain where the grand temple was built. 

The first stair was at the base of the mountain which was occupied by various buildings and people of all types, a mixture of humans and elves. They seemed to be moving about and living in harmony, completely different from the outside world.

Here, at the base of the mountain and holy city, these elves did not need to hide within underground cities for fear of being killed or harmed, their bodies and souls protected by the deity in the hearts of all who lived within the Four Extreme Continent. 

There were thousands of buildings of varying colors, each notably having a singular symbol of distinct design at the top of their doors, as if signifying to others a specific belief. This symbol was of a lone mountain surrounded by a desert, at the top of this mountain was a golden solar star that sent out rays of multicolored light.

From the lowest portion of the depiction, there was grey, but as one lifted their eyes towards the solar star, the multicolored light would shimmer more prominently until the peak revealed its radiance. It provoked various feelings within the natives, but this depiction was revered by all as the symbol of True Desolate.

At the moment, the entire base of the mountain was filled with people of various backgrounds, most notably very prominent figures in both cultivation and reputation. This wasn't a minor event, held to the highest degree by all those in the city.

Several individuals were sitting at a group table within an eatery, being served drinks and food. Amongst this group was Ai Shenwu and the white-haired elven beauty Ai Chyou. There were two others as well, their auras not a slightest bit inferior to Ai Shenwu. The rest had powerful auras as well, but completely subduer. 

Ai Chyou took a sip of her iced tea, looking out the window. A wistful look emerged in her eyes. "To think all the Clan Leaders of the Nine Elven Clans are here." This event was grander than she imagined, a faint pressure weighing heavily on her shoulders.

An old elf without any wrinkles but grey hair slowly spoke in a deep voice, "Not just the Nine Great Leaders, but the Ganshu have sent ten of their Grand Kings." His voice was somewhat strange as he spoke, sighing at the end.

"Who cares! Those pompous Ganshu just wish to show-off. We send nine, they send ten. What's next? We're measuring our girth? Length? How pathetic." A younger elf with a fiery light in his eyes spat, feeling greatly indignant. The others clearly agreed within his words, but they didn't voice it.

Ai Shenwu glanced at the table as a heated discussion regarding the humans actions was launched. He turned to look at Ai Chyou, then at the window. In his mind he thought, "Will he come?"

Just as those words entered his mind, a figure walked into the range of sight of the various buildings, the so-called city, and lifted his head to the sky, "Made it in time."