Paragon of Sin

An eventful series of days had unfolded in the White Abyss, and while short, every last individual walked away with significant expansion of their horizon and fortune. Wei Wuyin's frequent expounding on the Dao of Void involving the principles of space and time left many inspired and ready to attain their Temporal-type Mystic Rune or grasp higher levels of Ascension Arts.

The trip back was smooth.

"I originally intended for you all to play a more active role in their venture. Unfortunately, plans changed after entering the White Abyss and figuring out some matters of significant importance, so I decided to take a direct route of achieving my goals at the cost of additional personal expense," Wei Wuyin said as he eyed Su Mei, Shui Fengbao, Yao Houyi, Tuo Bihan, and those within his Saint Ring.

The Ascendants had long since been informed to be ready to ambush and inflict fatal injuries at critical points at a moment's notice to the three Abyssal Overlords as a way to test their means, power, and decision-making while Wei Wuyin assisted from behind, delivering the finishing blow to add to his Nexus War Flag's occupants. However, Wei Wuyin had decided to cancel such plans after learning of the shocking truth of the White Abyss' origins.

"No problem! No problem! Haha," Shui Fengbao had recovered his non-fiery humanoid form as he easily shook off any signs of disappointment. He knew that this was a test of courage and a chance to exhibit their full strength to gauge where they stood, so just agreeing to fight fearlessly was sufficient to complete half that objective.

Yao Houyi had been readying to deliver a single all-out strike, eyeing Crimson Blade from the very beginning, so the built-up stress of maintaining his cultivation base at full strength was a little wasted. However, since Wei Wuyin had decided against it, he was entirely unfazed and willing to sit aside.

Su Mei blinked. She didn't mind either way, and neither did her shadow.

Wei Wuyin chuckled while a particular beastman went back to cultivate diligently, their scarlet eyes closing as a predatory will entered a slumber.

When they finally exited the White Abyss, Cao Cuifen stretched her body, displaying some feminine curves as she felt relaxed and fully at ease. The White Abyss was a truly wondrous trip with all kinds of strange events. This was a vast world with miraculous things, and she reveled in that reality.

If before she was confident that Wei Wuyin would protect her, then now it was a foregone conclusion as all sense of urgency faded from her body and mind. While they lingered at the edge of the White Abyss, she approached Wei Wuyin who was standing alone as Yue Songli and Qing Qiumu were plotting their next artistic designs. They both cut an astonishingly breathtaking image as they excitedly talked.

Both had broken out of their shells when it came to the others while Wei Si listened off to the side with a silly smile. The Spartan was enjoying all this, especially given the great wonders of this world, and the kind-hearted Qing Qiumu's attitude. Wei Wuyin always chose the best partners, such as the sweet and lovely Dai Lyn.

Dai Lyn...

Wei Wuyin stood tall at the railing, gazing at the White Abyss as Cao Cuifen approached. The Abyssal Overlords had things to do, such as placating the elders and elites of their territory and deciding how to take the next step of officially becoming Wei Wuyin's Galactic Vassal State, which would require an in-depth change in ruling policy and laws.

Wei Wuyin had already given them an overview of some non-negotiable rules that must be abided by that the Neo-Dawn Empire stood by, reflecting Wei Wuyin's own principles, especially anti-discriminatory policies. On the surface level, their society wouldn't change much, but on a fundamental level, they would be subtly changed to better suit Wei Wuyin's image and beliefs.

"I want to focus on my cultivation," Cao Cuifen said with a strong, immovable tone. Her staunch will emanated from each syllable and it was easy to see that her heart had been set.

Wei Wuyin turned to her, his silver eyes shining with a mystifying allure. As his pupils reflected Cao Cuifen's image, she felt seen, and her entire body was suffused with a comforting warmth. It was hard for people to often understand others, as hard as it was for them to understand themselves, but Wei Wuyin in Cao Cuifen's eyes was different; Wei Wuyin understood her the best in this world as if he could sense her every thought, every emotion, and he never rejected any of them.

In truth, when she first met Wei Wuyin, her mindset was filled with desperation and a desire to seek out an opportunity, all for the alchemic lineage held within that cauldron, and she was willing to give up everything for the chance to acquire it. Perhaps she was willing to break her over twenty thousand years of chastity because she found him extraordinary, handsome, and brilliant, and if there was anything, she wouldn't mind giving it to someone like that, or perhaps she was just at the end of her rope, desperate for a chance to advance to greater heights of cultivation and secure her and her nephew's legacy.

However, as time passed, as each time Wei Wuyin never treated her as a cunning woman, but as his woman through and through whom he showed care and consideration, this mindset changed from opportunistic to true feelings of love. She could no longer see herself without being with Wei Wuyin and she didn't want to.

However, in the same vein, Wei Wuyin's actions were like a torch of warmth that guided her to being herself. She felt extremely fortunate to have chosen to take that risk.

"I was waiting for you to say those words," Wei Wuyin revealed a bright smile as he brought out a Spatial Ring, and grabbed Cao Cuifen's hand, gently placing it within her grasp. "This will allow you to start over and establish firmer foundations. Your path forward will be determined by your effort invested."

While she was an Ascended being and couldn't restart at the Foundation Establishment Realm, or could she truly reset at the Mystic Star Phase, the Dao of Alchemy was limitless, and using various products could allow her to retroactively build her foundation with a greater degree of effort than others. As long as she was willing to spend the time, she would have the chance to become an elite Mystic Ascendant Realm cultivator.

While talent will be a factor, she could take the route that Wu Yu has taken, and with Wei Wuyin's cultivation base and Alchemic Dao vastly exceeding Wu Yu's return to prominence, Cao Cuifen will certainly experience a drastic change.

Cao Cuifen felt the ring in her hand. Her eyes stared at Wei Wuyin with a realization that he had always been waiting for her to come forth, to speak out what she truly wanted in her heart, and that was not to pursue the Alchemic Dao, but to become a truly powerful cultivator and have the strength to choose her fate. The edge of her ears grew wet. Before long, tears flowed without any urging.

Before she could say anything, Wei Wuyin grabbed her waist, pulled her into his embrace, and caressed her hair with a lover's touch. He whispered into her ears words that she needed to hear since the Dark Stars Era began, and her soul was no longer restrained.

What those words were-only she and Wei Wuyin knew.

Witnessing this moving sight, the Ascendants, Young Master Shang, and Wei Si didn't interrupt. While Yue Songli and Qing Qiumu began to smile beautifully. While they didn't understand Cao Cuifen's desire or history well, they did understand the emotions she was experiencing as it resonated deeply with their own.

Ming Shufeng watched from the side. She felt more and more that Wei Wuyin was far too terrifying, and that he was the best choice for her.

The Minor Elysium had returned to the Violet Abyss.

Wei Wuyin floated alone in the Dark Void at the edge of the White Abyss without any signs of draconic transformation or unfurled Worldly Domain. For a mere mortal, this was still an astonishing sight.

"The fragmented graveyard of a Leviathan," The Heavenly War Spirit muttered as she observed the White Abyss, the heart of an entire galaxy.

Leviathan!

They were Genesis Beasts of astonishing myth such as True Dragons and the Progenitor of Avian Beasts. They were known as beasts of great, unfathomably great sizes that could swim through all forms of reality, including time, and space.

There were stories of leviathans in the Myriad Yore Continent, much the same way as there were legends of Phoenixes and Dragons. It was quite interesting how varied the mythological stories of the Myriad Yore Continent were despite its continental state.

The Heavenly War Spirit said, "According to what I know, Leviathans don't have innate Spatial or Temporal abilities, but their bodies can interact with the world on levels that are unimaginably fantastic and are known as being ancient treasure troves of fortune. They aren't like dragons or phoenixes that are highly adaptable, and are usually known for just their massive bodies that exceed imagination."

"That's not entirely true," Wei Wuyin commented but didn't elaborate. "Have you noticed yet?" Wei Wuyin asked suddenly as he slowly approached the White Abyss.

"That the Abyssal Race are likely divergent humans tainted by the fragmented graveyard's aura? The Leviathan is renowned for its ability to interact with the world, and the foundation of the world is Mana. Given their innate ability to control mana at levels vastly exceeding their cultivation base even as non-cultivators, there is a lot of evidence supporting that theory." The Heavenly War Spirit had considered the possibility long ago and mused how abnormal the situation was.

However, Anu's grandmother and the Demonic Sovereign had both devised ways to mutate other races. The former created the True Dragon Transmutation Method that either gave birth to children with innate draconic lineage-such as Lian Yu, beastial humanoids mutated by the draconic lineage, or true hybrids like Wei Wuyin that were neither fully human nor fully beast. Meanwhile, the Demonic Sovereign had created a batch of Aberrant Demons.

It wasn't unheard of for races to be altered at varying levels. After the Blessing of the three Daos, Ai Yin had transformed into a member of the Celestial Race, foregoing her Elven Racial Lineage. This was sufficient to suggest that elves were mutants of Celestials, in some way. This improper form of transformation hindered their compatibility with the Dao, likely due to their paths of cultivation being divergent between two races-Celestials and something else.

Wei Wuyin was unsure if it was humans or if Ai Yin's transformation was because she had more celestial bloodline origin within her than human while Nyla Shur had more human than beast.

Only demons were unaffected. Even after Da Shan changed, her Demonic Energy and racial features remained the same. Clearly, demonic lineages were compatible with every cultivation path, taking whatever suited their origins the best.

"You decided to not eliminate them because you want them to inherit the legacy of the Leviathan, right? They should be compatible enough to make terrifyingly powerful Ascension Arts on its innate Bloodline Abilities or elevate their ability to control mana." The Heavenly War Spirit guessed.

Wei Wuyin didn't refute that. "I have to obtain it first. A graveyard for Genesis Beasts often contains essence blood and blood energies. The greatest concentration would be where the bodies were buried or rested. Did you sense any?"

"Blood energies? No. I didn't sense any bloodline auras at all, only the chaotic mess of time and space within. It was hard for even more to push my sense out to a certain point," the Heavenly War Spirit commented with a pouting tone.

"No, you have." Wei Wuyin shook his head as he corrected the Heavenly War Spirit. She was unsure what Wei Wuyin meant. Then, as if struck by lightning, she recalled the sight of Wei Wuyin splitting the White Abyss as if it was being devoured.

"You don't mean?!" Her shock was apparent in her voice and she couldn't believe it, even with her knowledge. "Isn't that the fragmented graveyard?! That can't be a Leviathan's body?! It's not solid! And shouldn't there be more than one?"

Wei Wuyin's eyes morphed into a True Dragon's, exuding boundless draconic might. "It's been countless years. The bodies have already merged with the fragmented graveyard or the graveyard has merged with the bodies, either or is why there's so much chaos. A graveyard is typically a special secret realm established by Genesis Beasts. Not even the Vermilion Graveyard could be found easily by experts or Heavenly Seers, not due to the Tang Clan's interference, but solely due to its properties being a special realm with unique properties.

"The chaotic pressure you felt? That's the Bloodline Pressure of the Leviathan. The two have intermixed as one and created an entire zone of distorted space and time, suppressing the world and all that existed within. What a marvelous development," Wei Wuyin was like a researcher making a discovery as his eyes brimmed with interest and raw delight. Even he was unsure how that came about exactly, simply that it did.

That said, he didn't know how a graveyard fragmented either.

"As you said before, a Leviathan is renowned for its ability to interact with the world on levels that were unimaginably fantastic!"

"But I don't understand something. What about the fortune within? The whip of Violet Sea? The damaged blade of Crimson Blade? The Cultivation Method of that Mystic Lord named Grey Amulet? Even the spatial boxes in that zone? Why would a graveyard contain all these things? Is it solely due to the space and time distortions? Are they things from the future or past sucked in by vanishing points or another?" The Heavenly War Spirit was a Spirit of Dao relating to the Dao of War, her grasp of beasts, time, space, or the world itself wasn't too high.

"Haha. You're thinking too complex," Wei Wuyin laughed as he touched the White Abyss' hazy mist and light.

"Too complex? Should I think simple? Hm. Simple..."

After a short while, the Heavenly War Spirit's golden mass trembled. "Food!"

"Hahaha! There you go!" Wei Wuyin was amused that the Heavenly War Spirit forgot that the leviathan was a beast and ate many, many things. Given its rumored size, perhaps the Tiangou might be small in comparison. After all, this White Abyss was the heart of an entire galaxy yet was a mere fragment of a graveyard while the Vermilion Graveyard was far, far, far from comparable in size. Devouring stars? Planets? Entire starfields?! PERHAPS EVEN STELLAR REGIONS!

"The things that survived were special and sealed in sturdy things. Such as those spatial boxes that they used instead of Spatial Rings we used. They couldn't be properly digested and just lingered, either converging to certain regions or jetted out due to the chaos. There's even a chance that they belonged to a society that lived and thrived within the Leviathan itself after being devoured whole," Wei Wuyin explained. Due to the chaotic nature of space and time, these items were gathered in strange areas or spouted out at odd times by the chaos. Regardless, by its lonesome, the chaotic pressure or distortion of space and time wasn't very effective on inanimate objects or materials, especially if they lacked space or time energies.

"Ooooh! So that's why legends say Leviathans are ancient treasure troves! " The Heavenly War Spirit was enlightened. As for societies living within the Leviathans, the Heavenly War Spirit wasn't too surprised by that given the Leviathan's compatibility with the world's Mana. In fact, the Abyssal Race might have been the cultivation society that had thrived within and was vomited out after some time!

"So what now?" The Heavenly War Spirit settled down and now looked at the White Abyss differently. If this was true, this was a treasure trove. But it was far too large to take away. ...Right?

"I'm going to take a portion away," Wei Wuyin declared as Little Defiant began to pulse with activity.

"A portion? How big of one?"

"Oh, not that much. A tiny amount. Just a hundredth of the whole."

DRACONIC TRANSFORMATION!