Paragon of Sin - Chapter 1882

"Oh!" Wei Wuyin abruptly exclaimed, catching the immediate attention of the other Supreme Sages. Simultaneously, albeit somewhat slower in their reactions, every last one of their expressions underwent drastic changes as their heads snapped to the existential-threatening battle of three Supreme Sages.

A series of cataclysmic explosions rippled across the Dark Void as the dwarf-sized Solar Star that was Sovereign Primal Star was sent hurtling through the Dark Void, exhibiting signs of incessant and sporadic fluctuations of solar radiance. Her form expanded and contracted as if it were in a repeated cycle of supernova and recovery. The sight was beyond strange to witness.

Moreover, it was increasingly terrifying as spurts of heat pulsed outwards with the temperature to eradicate any mortal-tier level of lifeform.

’Her Star Core is destabilizing; the art of hers that allows her to merge with her World-Bound Star Domain to generate an Astral Idol-like effect is on the verge of complete collapse,’ Wei Wuyin carefully deduced Sovereign Primal Star’s current dilemma.

The other Supreme Sages could determine the same. Their level of understanding when it came to the Mortal Realms was only inferior to Wei Wuyin, a cultivator blessed by the Mortal Dao, and they had surpassed the Mystic Ascendant Realm, so they sensed the intricacies of Sovereign Primal Star’s art.

The foundation was the emulation of an Astral Idol and a concentrated Domain of Mysticism using a World-Bound Star Domain as a base to internalize both, then cultivating a Star Soul and integrating it within the World-Bound Star Domain, and then relying on the properties to resonate her soul with the World-Bound Star Domain. This, by extension, allowed her to transform into a Solar Star, albeit her cultivation of the art seemed lacking as she was only dwarf sized.

This was what Wei Wuyin had inferred from his knowledge of the Mortal and Mystic Daos, including what little he knew of the Resonant Soul Realm. While it might have greater parts, his gut feeling that he trusted, including his Second Mind, gave him the feeling that his understanding was 90% correct.

This technique was risky, even if it bestowed the user with significant energy reserves and greater protection for their physical bodies, while trying to elevate all-enhancing powers of an Astral Idol that one had during the peak of the Star Core Realm.

The primary issue was the fuel required to form a resonance with the Star Soul and the resulting strain. She was overexerting her Soul Energy, akin to recklessly imposing a Major Authority over the heavens. It was a herculean burden. Star Souls and World Souls were not like normal souls of living things, and they had access to unimaginable forces via the heavens and great daos.

Her art was not just linked to the Star Soul, but every Heavenly Law it normally relied upon to exist, grow, and eventually die. She would have to carry the burden of using multiple laws with her Soul Energy while simultaneously resonating with the Star Soul, controlling her new body, and executing Soul Resonating Arts, the higher form of Mystic Ascension Arts, in a high-level battle like this.

That said, the subsequent strength she could exert was significant. This was the reason she could fight off the Golden Night Sovereign, who had consolidated her cultivation base and didn’t hesitate to use resonant qi in her clash against Suo Haoran when he decided to act as a Dharma Protector, utterly fearless, and yet she resisted her for several exchanges.

With her abundant reserves of pure energy, she could rival resonant qi without using it, creating something she referred to as Solar Qi, allowing her to maintain her foundation while possessing the strength of a consolidated Microheaven Envoy.

However, while Sovereign Vilesnow was unconsolidated as a Microheaven Envoy, his combat tactics were slippery, insidious, and his movement art was extraordinary among those of his cultivation. He released existence-affecting poison in every strike, and while her refined body could resist alongside the circulation of her Resonant Qi as long as it didn’t exceed a certain threshold, her Solar Star form was vulnerable and her Solar Qi had no natural defense against it.

She had tried to end it with a sneak attack for this very reason, fearing a long-drawn-out battle, and every Supreme Sage understood why, hence why they didn’t chastise her, given they were aware of each of their goals. While she wasn’t exhausted of her solar qi, what was happening was worse; her Star Soul was poisoned by his Miasmic Yin Qi, experiencing a rapid state of degradation.

As a cultivator of a Miasmia Resonant Soul, he was cultivating the art of poison in its purest form, alongside the cold yin energy that emulated snowflakes. Both were terrifying to face.

Witnessing her Solar Star form pulse in and out of the supernova process, threatening to explode, the Supreme Sages were all intensely focused, not out of fear, but out of sheer curiosity about what her self-detonation would look like. None of them had any strong feelings for the Primal Star Sovereign, nor were they invested in her life or death. Not even Sovereign Darkmother.

"She’s exhausting her resonant qi to resist Sovereign Vilesnow’s Soul-Snow Divine Miasma. Seems like she won’t be able to last, even with that pathetically dirty pirate’s assistance," Sovereign Seafather commented with a hint of schadenfreude. It was abundantly clear he had severe disdain and distaste for Sovereign She-Devil, with no love for Sovereign Primal Star.

Those who knew of his story fully understood his attitude and ignored it.

"I’LL HANDLE HIM!" The red-haired, scantily dressed beauty wielded her sword with greater vigor; bursts of resplendent red sword light bore down upon the white cloud that was Sovereign Vilesnow’s protective ward. She sliced into it as it expertly split apart, and then reformed as it passed through. Her sword cut nothing but the void.

Despite the slippery nature of her opponent, he rushed forward valiantly as her muscles bulged and her aura erupted with resonant qi. She was using what little she possessed since her ascension over the last twenty thousand years to take the attention off Sovereign Primal Star while simultaneously preventing him from entering the fiery zone to threaten Su Yi.

As a grandmaster of poison, Sovereign Vilesnow was unperturbed by this effort as he dodged and evaded while sending bursts of his poisonous snowflakes and bits of cloudy energy. For this, She-Devil Sword Sovereign, he only needed patience. If he played this correctly, he could potentially kill all three of them with a flawless victory.

"Seems like Sovereign Vilesnow is going to claim victory. How unfortunate for those two," Sovereign Earthmother spoke with pure apathy. Her last sentence lacked any hint of genuine concern.

Wei Wuyin was brought into a private Spiritual Transmission by the Incandescent Star Palace Lord. "Skyfather, Earthmother, Rainmother, and Honeygold are planning to establish a private wager between them. Want to join?"

Wager?

"About what?" He asked curiously.

"Which of the two will flee first or have their physical body destroyed, be forced to execute Soulguard Absconding, or rely on a treasure. There are two separate wagers, firstly, who’ll go out first, and then in what way. Those voting in the same category can compound their wager with the first winners."

Wei Wuyin glanced at the gentle Rainmother. Her gentle demeanor, while likely not false, possessed a hidden layer of viciousness. She was betting on who would suffer without batting an eye. And when he looked at her, sensing his gaze, she revealed a picture-perfect smile of a pure-hearted maiden.

’Right. All cultivators who’ve reached their level must have fought for any and every opportunity. And wagers are the traditional basis of Utmost Purity Galaxy amongst alchemists.’ Wei Wuyin expected that if not for his presence, the Incandescent Star Palace Lord and Honeygold Star Palace Lord would not have the qualifications to get into a wager with these Heavenly Saint Alchemists.

And as he expected.

"Sure. Why not? What’s the minimum entry?" Wei Wuyin was down for this. He was by no means a saint, and he didn’t have any particularly strong feelings towards either of these women.

The Incandescent Star Palace Lord’s voice was laced with a sullen tone, "One Mystic-Heaven Stone."

"Wow. Two for each person?" He sent the Incandescent Star Palace Lord a look as if to say: ’Can you afford that?’

He bitterly replied, reading that look, "If I offered transportation services as a substitute. It’ll take a while, but I can."

’A while.’

For a Resonant Soul Realm expert who can live for over a million years, that type of time descriptor was useless for any reasonable estimation.

"I think you should sit this one out," Wei Wuyin honestly said.

"...Yeah…" The incandescent Star Palace Lord knew his pockets weren’t deep enough for this. He was used as a literal informer of the wager, and he couldn’t even be mad.

"If I win, I’ll give you a mystic-heaven stone’s worth of the bet. You can tell them, I’ll bet on the third option: Sovereign Vilesnow will flee first via executing Soulguard Absconding."

"Vilesnow?" Not only was the Incandescent Star Palace Lord shaken, but the other Heavenly Saint Alchemists involved were taken aback. However, they didn’t argue as the wager was set.

Meanwhile, while they were rooting for a specific result, Wei Wuyin observed the She-Devil Sword Sovereign. There was something special about her. Despite her aura fluctuating as her Resonant Qi was expended rapidly, she wielded her sword with conviction. He didn’t sense any Karmic Luck on her, but given her cultivation base, if his conjecture was correct, all sin and active luck might be within her Microheaven.

As for Sovereign Primal Star, she was in a state of chaos. She wouldn’t be able to do anything for a while, battling several internal issues at once, from poison to her Resonant Soul Art on the verge of deviation to the exhaustion of her soul energy.

Unless she decided to self-detonate, he didn’t think she would take any further action here.

"Let’s see what surprises this She-Devil of a pirate can bring out."