Paragon of Sin

"A leave?" The Fourth Prince lifted his eyebrow curiously, inspecting Wen Mingna with a tad bit more interest than before. It was extremely rare for a still-developing Heavenly Seer to be allowed personal freedom without an incredible reasoning. As he said before to Wen Mingna, young seers were often reckless. After learning how to tap into the true forces of fate, they were prone to misusing these abilities or haphazardly affecting Heavenly Daos' will and receive a backlash. 

This was a golden law within the Golden Gate Pavilion. 

However, according to the Grand Seer, Wen Mingna has displayed exceptional patience and emotional control. Furthermore, she was extremely well-versed in the rules and never went off path. Her intelligence, wisdom, and critical thinking skills were all praised to the highest limits.

Despite that, the disciple named Ming Shufeng had a higher threshold towards the Heavenly Daos' patience and willingness. Her gaze observed more and her access was far greater. It was clear that she was directly touched by the Heavenly Daos—a natural-born Heavenly Seer.

The two had different gifts and talents, and the Grand Seer had got absurdly lucky to discover two young talents who cultivated the Ritualistic Fate of the Nine Worlds Method from the rubble of the Everlore Starfield. While it was outdated after the Nine Worlds Fate Seer had left for greater pastures, entering the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, establishing the Golden Gate Pavilion, it was extremely compatible and easily swapped for their new cultivation method: Exalted Fate of Nine Gates Method. 

With Wen Mingna's personality, the Fourth Prince was taken aback by this direct request. He couldn't help but wryly smile, "You know the rules of the Golden Gate Pavilion. Why make such an obviously refused request?" 

"..." The Grand Seer stared at Wen Mingna and said not a single word, her pure white eyes reflected no emotions, and her thoughts were inscrutable. 

Ming Shufeng was similarly astonished by Wen Mingna's request. She couldn't help but say: "Why would you ask this? You should know Junior Fated Seers of the Fourth Gate can only leave under three conditions—an emissary mission, when we reach the Star Core Phase and refine our Gated Fate Physique, or an untimely death. Are you asking for an emissary mission?" 

Her words were fueled by her curiosity, and she also yearned to take an emissary mission. This mission wasn't as it sounded, but was taken when a request occurred by one of the major powers to act as a divination expert. If not, only ordinary Seers not of the Nine Gates were allowed personal freedom. These were the Heavenly Seers that the Aeternal Sky Starfield was most familiar with, and they weren't nurtured or cultivated the strongest methods of the Golden Gate Pavilion. Unfortunately, her cultivation and divination skills were too low to take this mission. 

Wen Mingna didn't answer. She kept her stance low in a bow, awaiting for the Grand Seer's judgment. 

However, the Fourth Prince heaved a sigh and his smile became a little more joyful. "If you yearn for the outside world, I'll help you advance your cultivation to the best of my ability. If I take an assignment outside soon, I'll take you as an assistant then. What do you say?" The expectation within the Fourth Prince's voice wasn't well-hidden. 

"..." Wen Mingna didn't respond. She just patiently waited for the Grand Seer's say-so. While the Fated Prince of the Fourth Gate was the vice-leader of their faction, and thus she required his permission, she was aware that he'd never do so. The Grand Seer, however, possessed immense power within the pavilion. If she was willing to make an exception, few could go against her, not even the Fated Lords of the Nine Gates. 

The Fourth Prince and Ming Shufeng said a few other things, but they were washed out by Wen Mingna's thoughts. For this request, they were wholly irrelevant. Moreover, this will determine her future. 

The Fourth Prince realized that Wen Mingna wasn't listening to him, and her lack of response was quite disrespectful, causing him to feel a little irritated. Just as he was about to deliver a verbal warning to Wen Mingna, the Grand Seer spoke out. Her timing was perfect, causing the Fourth Prince's words to become choked in his throat. 

"Do you understand what you're asking?" The Grand Seer asked, her voice heavy and dark. 

Wen Mingna didn't skip a beat in her reply, "Yes, I do." 

"Then you should know the answer. You can only leave under three conditions. Unless you seek death, your corpse tossed out to face the chilliness of the void, you'll have to be expelled from the Golden Gate Pavilion. And there's no such thing as expulsion in the Golden Gate Pavilion." Her underlying meaning was clear: if Wen Mingna wished to leave, her only choices were to properly wait or die. 

Wen Mingna's eyebrows quivered slightly, but they steadied themselves soon enough. She lifted her body and revealed her limpid gaze towards the Grand Seer. She stared at the Grand Seer unflinchingly. The firm determination and unyielding resolve in her eyes shook Ming Shufeng and the Fourth Prince. They were baffled by this display. 

What reasoning could cause Wen Mingna to desire to leave, even when facing death? Ming Shufeng glanced at the Fourth Prince…

Feeling the ill-intended gaze towards him, the Fourth Prince's eyelids twitched. However, it was above his status and station to explain himself to a junior, no matter how innately talented she was. 

"Why?" The Grand Seer directly asked. She didn't seem shocked by Wen Mingna's resolve. 

"Because I must," Wen Mingna explained with only three words. Those words rendered Ming Shufeng utterly speechless. Was that an explanation? The Fourth Prince was also astonished by this development and reasoning. Could it be that Wen Mingna was testing his willingness to follow the rules of the pavilion? But with his grandmother right here, how could he dare make an exception? Even if he could, he wouldn't. The other Fated Royalty would certainly interject and criticize, using this as a justification to strip him of authority and power.

While the Golden Gate Pavilion was a unique association of diviners, it was still at its core an organization ruled by a distinctly organized hierarchy with varying levels of authority and power. How could there not be scheming among other things happening within it? It was even worse when Heavenly Seers and Oracles were involved. The machinations deployed were sinister and unfathomable. 

The Grand Seer nodded. She gave her answer: "Then leave. No one will stop you." When those words left her lips, there was a strange silence as the Fourth Prince's expression became awkward. He immediately was about to interject when the Grand Seer turned her head slightly in his direction, and his lips and body stilled.

Wen Mingna didn't bother about this. She bowed deeply, and then she flew off the stagnated planet. Abruptly, a Worldly Domain was conjured around her, causing Ming Shufeng and the Fourth Prince to be awed. 

"She's a Realmlord?" The Fourth Prince found this unbelievable. After all, when she arrived, she was only at the Sky Ruler Phase, the Second Stage of the Astral Core Realm. Barely seven years had passed since then! Had she jumped five stages in such a short period of time? 

However, when the Fourth Prince used his spiritual sense to investigate her aura, he discovered she was only at the Fifth Stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Light Reflection Phase. She lacked that innate gravitational force emanating from her. 

"A Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill?" Shocked, the Fourth Prince accurately determined the cause. He was still confused; the Worldly Domain of Wen Mingna was far more complete than the one used during the Grand Demonstration by Ma Luling. But how had she gotten her hands on a Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill?! Those were bought by the Ninestar Starfield and she's been in the Nine Worlds Domain before the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill was revealed! 

He couldn't help but look towards his grandmother, the Grand Seer, for answers. But he only saw the shadow of a smile on her lips. "Don't hinder her movements. She'll be performing an assignment on my behalf." After giving this instruction, she vanished amid a burst of golden light. When it vanished, not even her aura had been left behind. 

The Fourth Prince frowned as his eyes flickered with golden light, yet he was unable to glean anything about this event. What was happening? 

Wen Mingna took off and flew towards the nearest Void Gate. She didn't hesitate to bring out a Void Disk with set coordinates, activated the gate, tossed it in, and entered without an iota of hesitation. 

Shortly after she left, the Grand Seer appeared by the Void Gate in a mysterious manner. Her eyebrows were furrowed. She softly whispered, "Prosperity in acceptance; damnation in resistance. It seems she's connected to Wei Wuyin after all." 

After a long while, the Grand Seer performed a few hand-seals. Her white eyes became entirely golden.. This lasted for a short moment before they regained their whiteness. She heaved a heavy breath, "Is it him? Or is it Tian Yinwu…why is it so unclear?"