Chapter 1827 Chapter 1820: ACT II (4) |
"Kneel? Haha!" Long Shiya coldly chuckled, the seething anger manifested as spatial turbulence, yet due to the Sempiternal Resonance Domain, it was severely limited in world-distorting influence, resembling a smelly fart unable to topple a house of straw.
Upon seeing this result, his chuckle puttered out, setting lyrics onto a dark, solemn expression with an eerily severe glinting stare. With his Soul Perception, the Sempiternal Resonance Domain felt as if it was a byproduct of a Supreme Sage, and it quite evidently could suppress his aura and action, yet the starry-eyed, earthly handsome Worldly Saint Alchemist before him was irrefutably exuding an aura as a Mystic Star Phase, lacking all qualities of any and every other stage or realm.
The signs of Mystic Force pulsating within and around him were apparent for the weakest Ascended being to see, let alone him!
He was confused, utterly baffled! Was there another Supreme Sage present? Was this the result of a unique Cultivation Method or treasure? He could not determine or settle on any particular answer. After all, all evidence suggesting any other answer was immediately disproved by his own senses and knowledge of cultivation.
To put it simply, this was impossible!
Laws? No.
Intent? No.
Heavenly Treasures? No.
Aberrant Cultivation Path? Unlikely?
The last possibility was the most likely, but with Soul Perception, he should be able to sense two distinct Soul Auras, much of what Wei Wuyin sensed within Shang Wanqing. Unfortunately, the philosopher of another world who devised the principle of parsimony would be severely disappointed—the simplest conclusion might very well be the best!
Wei Wuyin was a Mystic Star Phase Cultivator!!!
However, to Long Shiya, this conclusion wasn't simple, but outright an impossibility that could never occur. His countless years of understanding regarding all things cultivation prevented that! Even if he took ten thousand steps back, and weighed the potential might of an existence that maximized their foundation in accordance with the limits of the Mortal Realms, he wouldn't be able to conceive a being that could rival a Supreme Sage as the Mystic Star Phase! Su Yi, for example, someone who likely took that very path, had only gained the strength of a Supreme Sage after becoming a Mystic Overlord.
The various feats that Wei Wuyin achieved, even his status as a Grand-tier Worldly Saint Alchemist, the strength to resist and manipulate multiple Authorities of Laws, all of these things pointed towards a Supreme Sage or peak Ascended being that had lived for an absurd number of years! Those at the Mystic Star Phase could, at most, have a lifespan of a few thousand years!
Furthermore, there was not a single cultivator born and raised in the Utmost Purity Galaxy that would think anything differently! In fact, reality proved this very statement! A Supreme Sage, Enlightened Sage, True Sage, or Mystic Overlord with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years in age who achieved the Alchemic Stars of Transcendent Purity and acquired the title of a Grand Worldly Saint Alchemist was understandable.
An Exalted that's only a few thousand years? Perhaps even less?
Inconceivable.
Utterly Inconceivable!
Regardless of his thoughts or the how, Long Shiya was beholden by the agreement to persist against three moves by this anomaly.
"Have you calmed down?" Wei Wuyin asked. Long Shiya's mental state held many, many openings. They were ripe to be taken advantage of, yet that did little to serve his purpose, so he quietly allowed this Supreme Sage to adjust to his reveal.
Long Shiya inhaled gently and then bellowed out a tempest of qi that, despite its tremendous strength, was unable to stir the natural ambient energies within this realm. After this, he discarded all unnecessary thoughts and focused on the opponent before him. He had to remind himself of the riches awaiting him for his participation by the Zeniths. They were enough to emotionally move a Microheaven Envoy Supreme Sage like him.
He wasn't foolish, however. The thoughts and feelings that Suo Kai-Ming had back then were held in his heart as well.
This was something that this foreigner had tried to incite since he stepped foot in the Utmost Purity Galaxy. Seeing as he immediately wanted a Mythical Oath sworn for secrecy and directly sealed off all observers, this meant that he sought to hide his intentions.
As for killing him?
Suo Kai-Ming was ignorant of the difficulties of killing a Resonant Soul Realm cultivator. The Soulguard of Sages were insignificant when compared to their natural protections, not counting any of their trump cards developed to protect their lives after ascending to the Resonant Soul Realm against their peers. At most, he feared entering a situation like the Elephant-Tigress Sovereign, injured and depleted of resonant qi. It took significant effort to cultivate a single iota of resonant qi. Even now, the Elephant-Tigress Sovereign had no resonant qi, only innate energies far surpassing the Mystic Ascendant Realm and a supreme physique.
"I apologize for losing my composure. Your baffling state momentarily confused me," Long Shiya temporarily discarded the identity of a foolish oaf, exhibiting the unrivaled poise and confidence of a Supreme Sage. To reach his current level, he was not lacking in intelligence, cunning, grace, or caution.
The path to the Supreme Sage was difficult, paved with blood and bones and death. He had already concluded that Wei Wuyin, despite his oddities, was an equal. "Since you've allowed me this brief respite, I'll let you act first without preparing any defenses prior."
Long Shiya offered a baffling proposal, seemingly punishing himself for losing his cool for a moment and embarrassing himself while simultaneously establishing an unprecedented foundation on the self-confidence of his strength.
Wei Wuyin thought for a moment as his Celestial Eyes observed his surroundings. With a knowing smile, he shook his head. "Your Law of Momentum," was all he said. Long Shiya understood and nodded in response. He began to prepare his resonant qi.
However, Wei Wuyin held his hand out without any malicious intent. "Instead of trying to leverage your words to gather a burst of momentum of will, increasing the power of your Intent, why not yield to a request of mine? That'll be a proper punishment."
Frowning slightly, Long Shiya silently assented with a small nod. It was obvious that Wei Wuyin saw through his intentions, not allowing him to gather momentum. He didn't expect it to work anyhow, but as a cultivator, he had lived his life fighting, biting, and kicking for every advantage, and even before equals, his cultivation path thus far refused to allow him to do anything else.
Wei Wuyin was pleasantly surprised by Long Shiya's willingness to undergo self-imposed punishment. "Answer a question for each move of mine you survive. "
Long Shiya's frown deepened before easing into a neutral position. As a Supreme Sage, he could offer a piece of critical insight that many True Soul and True Sage Phase cultivators would be ignorant of. It could even impede their advancement into the next stage and certainly has left many baffled, unable to even strive for the next realm despite living for hundreds of thousands of years. It was no different than Wu Jiao's Lecture on the Astral Core Realm back in the Myriad Yore Continent, especially when it was asked of him.
With all things settled, Wei Wuyin gathered his strength.
The Sempiternal Resonance Domain stirred. All things— energy, essence, and mana were seized under his control, synchronizing with his breathing. Then, stimulating his bloodline to its utmost limits—
—DRACONIC ASCENSION!
Wei Wuyin's body grew to thirteen feet in height, tridecagon grey scales formed as divinely beautiful silvery light flowed between their gaps, and those starry eyes shifted, becoming True Dragon Eyes. Every alchemic star turned silver, emanating a vastly ancient aura of myth, unleashing limitless tyranny and dominance.
By leveraging Little Defiant's vast stores of solar energies, Kratos interlinked itself intimately with it, allowing a lone Mystic Core to support the transformation! After his fight against Pakhet, Wei Wuyin had grown rather adept at using his Mystic Core and cultivation base, not just his Laws.
"Martial Cultivator?!" Long Shiya was taken aback. Wei Wuyin exerted a fantastical physical transformation art akin to pure Martial Cultivators, his sheer physical presence vastly exceeded any Mystic Ascendant Realm cultivator.
"Divine Beast?!" Unlike Pakhet, Long Shiya could sense the divine qualities of Wei Wuyin's form, capable of vaguely observing the Unseen Divinity form of his body.
No longer holding back, Wei Wuyin unleashed his Spiritual Aura of four Astral Souls!
The Spiritual Strength within was absurd! Various spiritual manifestations formed naturally from the ambient mana and light, creating vividly majestic scenes of past, present, and potential future.
Long Shiya was once again shaken, "Spiritualist?! No. Wait…"
The Spiritual Strength was excessive, containing qualities of the State of Origin, otherwise known as the Origin State.
However, it was just slightly different.
After releasing his strength to this extent, Wei Wuyin wanted to test his power, gathering his Spiritual Strength and Physical Strength into a single fist. He executed his Minor Ascension Art—Stellar-Dragon's Lancing Fist!
Then, with aggressive speed, he flashed through the void arriving before Long Shiya in the blink of his eye. Clenched fist, he lanced forward with his entire strength of four Astral Souls and his True Dragon Bloodline at the peak of the first level!
The entire world realm trembled, shaking violently from the sheer strength within this single fist!
Long Shiya's pupils widened slightly.
BOOM!!!
An world-sundering sonic blast erupted!
"...!" Wei Wuyin's pupils shrunk.
"Hm?" Long Shiya had, with understated ease, enveloped his resonant qi around his fist, held it out, and then grabbed Wei Wuyin's incoming fist as if it was telegraphed a thousand miles away! All of the force within the fist was neutralized.
All of it!
"Must you insult me with a probing attack?" Long Shiya questioned with dissatisfaction apparent in his voice.