Paragon Of Sin

Chapter 1752: Continent of the First Knight; Arising Sage Elixir

”What a venue!” Qing Qiumu exclaimed as they broke through the atmospheric layer of the planet, instantly seeing how a heavily refined continent that exuded rich mortal and mystic energies was floating above a sky-piercing mountain. And as she turned, she saw the beautiful scenery of vessels emitting faint glows, painting an extraordinary picture as if countless dimly lit stars were bearing witness to it all.

”Great eye!” Qin Liangyu said as she stayed at the forefront, acting as a bypass to all the formations and arrays that normally restricted access. ”This is the Knightly Dao Pavilionʼs Continent of the First Knight, and it was the first piece of land that Shang Liu had created. Since then, it has been diligently cultivated to become a holy land for cultivation for over a hundred thousand years.

”The Continent of the First Knight has had a ritualistic practice of instilling graduatesʼ energies within. Furthermore, and a tradition of celebrating the achievements of its students and alumni. Whenever a graduate achieved a new stage of cultivation outside the pavilion, they were invited back to infuse their energies into the core of the continent, expanding it by a bit.

”It isnʼt too heavy a loss for them, and over time, it had created an incredible piece of land that exceeds many peak mystic-grade planets as numerous Rune Kings, World Emperors, Original Magistrates, Mystic Overlords, and the Sages of the Knightly Dao Pavilion had infused their cultivated energies within. It is incredibly envied, and countless prominent Alchemic Saints have tried to pay a hefty price to purchase it for their own uses.” Qin Liangyuʼs words were laced with immense pride and reverence.

This continent was the idol of the Knightly Dao Pavilion. The very representation of all their efforts and four Sages had infused their tremendous strength into it at one point, including the constant refinement by its native members.

Yue Songliʼs eyes sparkled. She had words at her lips, but she didnʼt say it. However, someone spoke: ”Itʼs as if the continent was originally a blank canvas and each of its successes and inherent stories were strokes of a brush, painting it vividly with wonderful colors. A true masterpiece, infused with history, tradition, hard work, and respect.”

Yue Songliʼs sparkling eyes glowed three times in intensity. She turned to Wei Wuyin, who held her close, and her heart and body felt his warmth. She leaned on him.

”What a fabulous way to put it!” Qin Liangyu had never heard of it like that, but it matched perfectly with her internal sentiment.

”No wonder people have tried to buy this piece of land,” Cao Cuifen said in astonishment. That was over a hundred thousand years of history and constant refinement. It wasnʼt as if it was the greatest piece of land in the Utmost Purity Galaxy or even the Growing Immortality Galactic Zone, but the myriad of different energies within, regulated into balance, made it a diverse piece of holy land that could accommodate most types of cultivators.

Cao Cuifen pouted slightly, glancing at the lovely Yue Songli, asking curiously: ”Whatʼs the price for this continent?”

Her words instantly caused Qin Liangyu to be taken aback. However, after digesting the question, she chuckled and replied with a smile: ”The highest offer weʼve been given was a series of materials that was worth about three million Mystic-World Essence Stones.”

”...”

Ming Shufeng almost lost her mysterious aura as she almost choked on her saliva. THREE MILLION?! That was insane!

”That was refused?” Liu Suyin asked with a tinge of disbelief. They had been exploring the galaxy for the last month, and they had more or less gotten a gist of values within the Utmost Purity Galaxy. That was an incredible amount exceeding a peak mystic-tier planet in value, which was roughly 1.5 million Mystic-World Essence Stones, without any special qualities.

These planets were often forged with the extreme and lengthy efforts of Sages or multiple Mystic Overlords, which amounted to thousands to tens of thousands of years and then sold to organizations for an immense profit. Many Sages and Mystic Overlords had projects like this ongoing, exhausting a portion of their precious energy to obtain long-term profit after short-term sacrifice.

”Indeed it was!” Qin Liangyu verified with a smirk. ”The Continent of the First Knight isnʼt just a simple continent, its core has shown signs of developing a World Soul, and the history of it certainly elevates the price.”

World Soul?

A World Soul was akin to a Star Soul. It was no different than an alternative way of birthing a soul, becoming a living entity that can grow and cultivate. Little Defiant has a Star Soul, and if a planet or continent developed a World Soul, they would be no different than touching the edge of the Resonant Soul Realm.

Worlds and Solar Stars that develop souls have great potential to become heavenly celestial bodies that can commune with the heavens on a great scale. This would allow these celestial bodies to exceed the peak mystic-grade and enter the soul-grade.

Wei Wuyin observed the continent and could sense the nascent, incomplete stage of its World Soul. It was far from becoming a World Soul without proper refinement to initiate such a grand transformation. However, if a cultivator refined a world with a World Soul with some unique Cultivation Methods, they could call forth a genuine Edict of a Sage, allowing that cultivator to birth a Seed of Law.

It was an alternative path to developing a Law and establishing resonance with the heavens. With a Seed of Law, those beneath the Resonant Soul Realm would have a greater chance of ascending beyond the Mystic Ascendant Realm. Moreover, it would grant assistance in reaching the True Sage and True Soul Phase after if one hadnʼt done so.

Out of the four Sages of the Resolute Dusk Galaxy that had cultivated Laws to completion—Imentet, Nepri, Pakhet, and Shattered Sphinx, developing a Minor Authority or higher, Sage Shattered Sphinx had taken this route, and the planet itself was not within the galaxyʼs boundaries, and was why he was seldom present in various affairs of the galaxy. He was pursuing this path.

However, it was an arduous, expensive, and risky path. There was no guarantee that a continent, planet, or lunar satellite would birth a World Soul even if it had an incomplete soul developing. Without the proper cultivation and nurturing, it could take millions upon millions, perhaps even billions of years to birth one naturally. The Continent of the First Knight was rigorously refined, so its development process was speedily pushed forward. Moreover, even millions of years of refinement might not be enough for the slightest sign of a World Soul potential.

However, for those great powers, a continent showing this was like a chance to enter the Resonant Soul Realm.

Cao Cuifen blinked as she eyed the continent intently. Then, she asked: ”How much was the counteroffer?”

”Counter offer?” Qin Liangyu frowned.

”Yeah. The offer that Pavilion Master Shang replied with,” Cao Cuifen clarified. However, her question caused Liu Suyin to give her a look, knowing exactly what was on her mind.

”Haha! I had almost forgotten about that. The Pavilion Master did give them a price, but I donʼt know the exact price. Youʼll have to ask him.” Qin Liangyu held a faint smile. It was obvious that Cao Cuifen wanted this continent. She knew of Cao Cuifenʼs ambitious personality as she challenged talents across the stars recently in spars. Moreover, she would reward them for winning or losing, making her a goddess of challenge that everyone wished to meet.

Cao Cuifen looked toward Wei Wuyin who was holding Yue Songli as they exchanged unhidden spiritual transmissions. Yue Songliʼs expression was fanatically excited and keenly interested, and Wei Wuyinʼs eyes felt enlightened. He now knew why Yue Songli wanted to participate in the event. He felt Cao Cuifenʼs straightforward gaze and looked at her.

He could only bitterly laugh internally. He wasnʼt ignorant of the value of an incomplete World Soul, especially for cultivators who wish to seek higher paths. Not everyone can naturally birth a Seed of Law, find a stupendously rare Edict Seed, or have a Heavenly Saint or higher to pay an exceedingly heavy price to call forth an Artificial Edict of a Sage, and even then, the vast, vast majority failed when experiencing that baptism like Ye Ziling had in the World Between the Folds—the Endless Void Realm.

A genuine Edict of a Sage would always generate a Seed of Law, not leaving anything to chance.

”Of course,” he gently said two words. Cao Cuifen revealed a blooming smile. She didnʼt say anything, only looked at the Continent of the First Knight with a confident glimmer in her eyes.

Qin Liangyu was confused by this exchange, but she didnʼt put much thought into it. However, she was already expecting Cao Cuifen to leave disappointed.

They soon arrived near the continent, at the docking station. There were several vessels present, most of them small-size, high in quality, and varied in usage, especially as a long-distance, Dark Void-traversing Void Vessel. While the Utmost Purity Galaxy was a highly advanced and cultivated galaxy, the Dark Void between stellar regions and the galactic zones was highly dangerous. Not even Original Magistrates would carelessly traverse between the Void-Blank Spaces of galactic zones or stellar regions.

Minor Elysium was docked expertly. The air of the Continent of the First Knight was incredibly pure, dense, and rich, laced with pinnacle-grade astral essence and high-grade mystic essence. It was no wonder that this was the main cultivation and living area for the upper echelon of the Knightly Dao Pavilion.

”Please,” Qin Liangyu gestured for the group to off-board the Minor Elysium.

”...”

Imentet frowned at this moment. Even Nepri and Nepit felt this was highly inappropriate. Even if they hadnʼt met Wei Wuyin or them outside, they should have been here upon landing, especially the Pavilion Master who was acting as a host. At this point, these were signs of disrespect, treating Wei Wuyin, a prominent Worldly Saint Alchemist, as a common guest. Even though the Vice-Pavilion Master was here to escort them, this was barely the minimum required given their entourage of four Sages.

At the very least, Pavilion Master Shang could have sent an Incarnation with an excuse and an apology.

The dissatisfaction was teeming in Imentetʼs aura. This was also an indirect gesture of disrespect toward Luo Ning, as if saying they werenʼt worthy of being greeted at the door by the Pavilion Master, and it was already hard to control her anger. If it wasnʼt for Wei Wuyin being occupied by Yue Songli and Qing Qiumu, seemingly unwilling to shake the boat, Imentet would have long since done something.

Of course, anyone who knew Wei Wuyin was aware that he was never unwilling to shake the boat. He had no fear of flipping the entire galaxy.

”Whereʼs the Pavilion Master?” Luo Ning asked with an indifferent, cold voice. Even she was unable to hide her emotions. After all, this was disrespecting Wei Wuyin on a few levels.

Qin Liangyu heard the chill and frowned. She calmly replied, as if already prepared, ”The Pavilion Master has likely lost himself in nostalgia as the three great Sages of our pavilion have returned.”

”...” Imentetʼs eyes narrowed dangerously.

Luo Ning said with clear apathy, ”Understood.” In her eyes, this Pavilion Master Shang was all but excluded from ever receiving anything from her. ”Then,” Luo Ning said openly and clearly, not hiding her words at all, ”Your Majesty had prepared an extraordinary greeting gift for Pavilion Master Shang. How unfortunate. Can I have it, Your Majesty? Iʼll give him my greeting gift on all of our behalf instead.”

”Hm?” Qin Liangyu was alerted. A greeting gift was separate from a birthday gift or wedding gift, and it was often given to the host at the door or when they first met. It was a show of respect and appreciation, especially when a guest received an invitation. Normally, she had accepted all greeting gifts on behalf of the Pavilion Master, but those who would meet the Pavilion Master in person would give it to him personally.

Wei Wuyin laughed in his heart. These fierce women were quite something and a little spiteful. ”Sure. Itʼs only a few high-quality, peak-tier Mystic-World grade products. You can do with it as you see fit.” Wei Wuyin brought out a silver box designed with swords, shields, and suits of armor. It was created with Essence of War and was roughly on par with a peak-grade Mystic-World tool.

He casually tossed it over to Luo Ning. Her eyes brightened as her spiritual sense inspected the contents. ”Oh? There was an Arising Sage Elixir? Your Majesty, youʼre too generous!” Luo Ningʼs smile was lethal and vicious at the same time, and Qin Liangyuʼs expression drastically changed.

Arising Sage Elixir were peak-tier Mystic-World grade products that were incalculably valuable. It was an ascension-assisting product that Mystic Overlords would kill for! Its primary effect was similar to the Refraction World-Light Elixir that assisted cultivators in absorbing a specific type of energy, and for True Sages, they needed to absorb and condense a wisp of True Breath of a Sage, and the higher quality of this wisp, the greater the chances of ascending after assimilating it during their Eighth Ascension.

A Sage was fundamentally different in terms of physique, and they developed a slight resonance with the Mystic Dao and a very slight connection with the heavens. The so-called True Breath of a Sage was the highest form of Mystic Essence, exceeding peak-grade essence, and was ridiculously difficult to cultivate. But only by having this and understanding its properties can one ascend with any degree of certainty.

The Pavilion Master Shang, among countless other Mystic Overlords, failed to condense a single wisp of Breath of a Sage at the lowest quality. It was simply too difficult.

Imentetʼs eyes glowed after hearing Luo Ning. Their unique cultivation method allowed them to work in tandem to forge a True Breath of a Sage, and that was a perilous effort that failed numerous times. Meanwhile, Nepri had used Dual Cultivation Methods that inevitably damaged his foundation for a long while to assist Nepit in condensing her own.

However, that was just one of the requirements, but it was by far the hardest.

The value of a single Arising Sage Elixir at impure-quality was valued at 1.8 million Mystic-World Essence Stones. It was a peak-tier Mystic-World grade product, and even Exalted Worldly Saint Alchemist would struggle to concoct a usable portion of the elixir, let alone a low-quality version. This pill could make a True Sage.

Literally.

Additionally, True Breaths of a Sage were used to strengthen the physique and dantian of a Sage after their ascension. Unless they wanted to lessen the quality of their cultivation, Sages condensed wisps upon wisps from Essence Stones for their cultivation, and many Sage-level Cultivation Methods used only these wisps.

The eight Sages were above average in strength largely because they could condense the True Breaths of a Sage with the concerted effort of Eight Sages, working in flawless tandem, and then dividing the gains between them. Even then, True Breaths of a Sage was divided into nine tiers with slight variations, and they could only condense third-tier wisps. Nothing higher!

Wei Wuyin had concocted several Arising Sage Elixirs during his secluded concoction session. Moreover, this was the only high-quality version, made only because it was his first time making it.

Skepticism invaded Qin Liangyuʼs Soul as she didnʼt think Luo Ning was being truthful, and those who were observing didnʼt believe it either. A vial of Arising Sage Elixir as a greeting gift?! That was outrageous.

Then, as if wanting to prove to those watching, she opened the box, releasing a dazzling array of alchemical light and worldly radiance. Then, she reached in and removed a bottle with a golden and violet liquid that moved beautifully within, possessing abundant worldly aura and endless tiny complete Mystic Runes that included the base nine and more complex combinations.

Arising Sage Elixir!

”And itʼs high-quality!” Luo Ningʼs eyes were exceedingly bright. She wasnʼt the only one. Every last person that was observing from a distance had their eyes brightened and their mind flared intensely. To a 200,000-year-old Mystic Overlord like Pavilion Master Shang, this was a heaven-sent gift! Not a single person here couldnʼt verify the elixir!

”Thank you for your kindness, your Majesty.” Luo Ning bowed as she kept the bottle alongside the box, leaving only the lingering alchemical light and worldly radiance, and then gave Imentet a beautiful smile. She would give this to her later.

As for giving it back to Wei Wuyin, his Majesty would never give her something and take it back. He could have given her something else.

Imentetʼs heart was pounding intensely. A high-quality Arising Sage Elixir could give birth to at least a fifth-tier True Breath of a Sage to at least a seventh-tier, and despite eight Sagesʼ effort, they had never condensed anything above third-tier! And thatʼs with eight Sages!!!

Cultivation was difficult. This single sentence was perfectly illustrated by this egregious difference, yet single-handedly exemplified the importance of resources, especially from the Dao of Alchemy!

”...”

”...”

”...”

Qin Liangyu was stunned stupid. She couldnʼt believe what she just saw. She had to try with all her might to believe that this was just a revenge plot against the Pavilion Master and that Wei Wuyin never intended to give out such a precious product as a gift. If not…

Wait…didnʼt he say it was a few peak-tier Mystic-World graded products?! And all were high-quality?!?!

Her mind went blank.

”Qin Liangyu! What are you doing?!” A figure appeared immediately, alongside several others, and four of them exuded Sage-level mystic auras. ”I told you to inform me when World-Saint Neo-Dawn arrived immediately!” The individual was none other than Pavilion Master Shang Liu! He directly scolded Qin Liangyu before everyone!

Then, he turned to Wei Wuyin and clasped his hands, ”I welcome the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint. I apologize for the blind foolishness of my subordinate.”

Young Master Shangʼs expression was awkward and slightly embarrassed.

However, Imentet didnʼt care about their faces and laughed out loud with a mesmerizing sound, yet it was filled with schadenfreude and mockery!