Paragon of Sin

"I, Lin Xianxei, greet Venerable Spiritwalker," Senior Sister Lin, whose full name was Lin Xianxei, spiritually transmitted with a respectful tone, removing her displeasure of being directly intercepted. 

The Voidship before her, that was utterly massive in size, and far more complicated in form and structure than the Voidships found in one of the Nine Lesser Elementus Caches, had arrived without warning and forced them to halt. From the lettering and aura, it clearly belonged to Venerable Spiritwalker.

She was a figure that was extremely prominent, and outside of the sixteen Mystic Tier forces of the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Lin Xianxei couldn't fathom why such an illustrious figure would arrive before them. 

Bai Yuxi, however, went ghostly pale at the arrival of Spiritwalker's Voidship. She clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles went white, yet she tried to remain outwardly calm. Fortunately, she wore a facial veil otherwise her bloodless countenance could clearly give away her current level of outrageous fear.

Lin Ming frowned. He wasn't aware of who this Venerable Spiritwalker was nor why they would go out of their way to halt their travels. After the World-Shifting Net descended, they were taken away as well after Lin Xianxei, the formerly Senior Sister Lin, had informed those operating the net her identity. They had arrived alongside the others, entering the Aeternal Sky Starfield after five days.

Lin Ming was utterly amazed that they had traveled entire starfields in a few days, but even more so after learning the sheer vast size of the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Just the smallest domain was roughly the same size as their starfield! As for the Solar Star with the strange ring around it, it occupied enough space to rival half their entire starfield.

It was MASSIVE!

The level of shock and marvel he experienced on that day was beyond anything he'd ever felt his entire life. While he knew that his Senior Sister had originated from an advanced civilization with a much larger population, he wasn't expecting such a massive difference. 

It was only after learning that the Aeternal Sky Starfield was originally more normal sized, but it kept expanding its borders continuously as the forces developed, birthed new planets, and established new areas of control. Soon, the nearby starfields were assimilated entirely, and the Solar Star with a Mystic Radiance Belt was conjured by the Ascended Cultivators of the Aeternal Sky Starfield after centuries of concentrated effort.

In fact, the Aeternal Sky Starfield had even taken control over some stellar regions outside of its own. For example, the Desolate Dragnet Region that the Imperial Dawn Starfield was a part of had portions of it made into an off-shot Domain not attached to the Aeternal Sky Starfield. As for the Desolate Dragnet Region itself, it had been abandoned due to its poor quality and the Tiangou's presence that kept eating Solar Stars.

He was awed by the domineering manner that the Aeternal Sky Starfield functioned, even claiming regions outside their own Stellar Region. How powerful was that?!

Yet now, on their way to the True Element Sect, they were intercepted by individuals with unknown intentions. He couldn't help but feel tense, and he wondered if his Senior Sister would be able to handle this unexpected development. 

Lin Xianxei was quiet as she observed the Spiritwalker Voidship with a heavy gaze, awaiting a response. It took a long while before a voice resounded from the Voidship. The voice was carried by spiritual waves, as the Dark Void was absent of air particles, making sound unable to travel. 

"Lin Xianxei? The Little Saintess of the True Element Sect? I didn't expect you to be here." The voice was light, masculine, yet aged. A spiritual image manifested in the dark voice, firstly possessing a faint cyan color and then gaining substance and form.

It slowly shaped into an middle-aged man dressed in grey and blue robes. He had long hair tied into a bun, and a thick horseshoe mustache. With an upright posture, his shoulders seemed as if they could hold heaven and earth. From the faint radiance in his eyes and his countenance, one could tell he was once a devastatingly handsome youth that contained a unique and reliable charm.

Lin Xianxei was briefly startled after seeing this figure, her eyes flickered as she clasped her hands and bowed slightly, "Exalted Yu."

The Exalted Yu gave a faint smile at her respectful attitude. The incarnation he formed approached the Voidship at a swift speed, arriving in a matter of a few breaths. When he did, his eyes swept the Voidship. "Quite the design. Seems to be over six thousand years old in terms of version. Intriguing." With this comment, he moved forward and the barrier protecting the Voidship from the Chill of the Dark Void was easily bypassed.

Lin Ming's eyes fiercely widened as the figure arrived on deck, standing before them with a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "I wouldn't have expect the Little Saintess of the True Element Sect to be riding such a vessel. But I guess it would hide your presence, so it makes sense."

Lin Xianxei was unaffected by the man's arrival. He was just an incarnation conjured to act as a vocal medium. Its unlikely that he was even on the Spiritwalker Voidship, and he might have been called forth via a treasure. 

"Exalted Yu, how may I help you?" Lin Xianxei asked, wanting to know his purpose.

Exalted Yu faintly smiled, removing his inspective eyes away from the voidship and onto Lin Xianxei. "As an Envoy of the Spiritwalker Hall, I've been directly tasked by the Venerable Spiritwalker herself to find a Chosen by the name of Lin Ming, and…"

Bai Yuxi and Lin Ming's hearts clenched. The latter couldn't help but think that this would be his first obstacle on the path of cultivation. However, he was ready to face it! 

Exalted Yu's pause was accompanied by a quick glance at Lin Ming, a glint of interest flashed, before his sightline was blocked by Lin Xianxei's exquisite figure and calm yet fierce expression. Clearly, she was highly defensive of Lin Ming.

Exalted Yu didn't mind, continuing: "Take the agreed upon share of resources obtained from the Elementus Cache." 

"The agreed upon share?" This startled Lin Xianxei. She wasn't aware that Bai Yuxi had promised eighty percent of the Elementus Cache to Venerable Spiritwalker to perform the Engorging Foundation Method, allowing Lin Ming to establish his Domain Seed. 

Lin Xianxei looked at Bai Yuxi whose heart was racing, fists tightly clenched, and breathing slightly irregular. She figured out what happened just from that sight, and how Lin Ming obtained the Chosen title via an outdated shortcut. She sighed, turning to Exalted Yu, and explained:

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Oh?" Exalted Yu wasn't bothered, just intrigued.

"When Lin Ming arrived at the Elementus Cache, it was empty. So he obtained nothing. A 80% share of 0% is still 0%." Since this was an agreement between them, she didn't feel good being unable to uphold their end of the deal, but the facts were unchangeable.

Exalted Yu's eyes looked at Lin Ming with a knowing light and then back at Lin Xianxei. He faintly smiled and said, "Absolutely impossible." 

"What do you mean?" Lin Xianxei frowned.

"Venerable Spiritwalker had verified the contents of the Elementus Cache with several other Venerables shortly before the deal was struck. The resources were untouched, and with the Third Manager of the Golden Life Pavilion acting as an overseer, it's incredibly unlikely for it to have been taken. After all, they had all sworn oaths not to use their powers to plunder or damage the resources of the training ground, only those participating in the training grounds and the natives can safely touch it.

"So it's absolutely impossible that there was nothing when he arrived. Unless someone could act in secret before the watching eyes of the Third Manager of the Golden Life Pavilion. You and I should know that's...unlikely. Even if it was possible, a cultivator at that level has utterly no need for those trifling resources." After explaining this, Exalted Yu walked to the side and observed the side of the railing. He seemed fascinated by this old Voidship.

"..." The three were utterly silent. Lin Xianxei and Bai Yuxi both looked towards Lin Ming whose expression was slightly unsightly. Lin Xianxei's eyes darkened. Was she lied to? 

Seeing the emotion suffusing his Senior Sister's eyes, Lin Ming's heart raced as he hurriedly explained: "I told you the truth! I don't have any of the resources of the Elementus Cache. I can swear an oath to that!" 

This caused all three of them, Exalted Yu included, to look at Lin Ming with baffled expressions. "Then what happened?" Lin Xianxei asked. She needed to know the truth. When she first heard Lin Ming explain, they were distracted by the net, and she didn't feel the need to interrogate. After all, Lin Ming wouldn't lie to her.

But with Exalted Yu, an Envoy of Venerable Spiritwalker here, she could only press for answers.

Lin Ming took several deep breaths and said, "When I arrived, the Elementus Cache was untouched. I tried to claim the cache, but…" he hesitated as he recalled that silver-eyed figure that brought out his vengeful emotions. If he were to tell the truth, wouldn't the existence of a second Chosen and all the events before be revealed? 

"Hurry and spit it out!" Lin Xianxei urged loudly. She was clearly getting mad and impatient.

Lin Ming heavily sighed after a moment of acceptance, "Wei Wuyin somehow took all the resources away. Likely with a unique spatial tool or something. I wasn't able to get any of it." 

"Wei Wuyin?" Lin Xianxei recalled the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn, the sub-fifty Alchemic Emperor, the one she feared would be a competitor to Lin Ming after he entered the Elementus Chosen Trial. 

"The Second Chosen?" Exalter Yu curiously added.

"The Second Chosen?!" Lin Xianxei exclaimed in shock. 

What?!