There was a saying that before absolute power, everything else was meaningless.
Ye Ziling had been told this as a cultivator from a young age, especially in the fiercely competitive Myriad Monarch Sect with the greatest example of absolute, unquestionable, and irresistible power—Founding Monarch Wu Yu! However, she had never truly seen absolute power before…until today!
Wei Wuyin's mere swing shook the very heavens, eradicating the world, and obliterating all enemies! This was absolute power!
And with the same leisure pace as before, he walked forward without a care. The falling specks of dust from destroyed armor and weapons still danced downwards in defeat. There was no trace of life left. Even the bloody scent had vanished.
She stood for a few seconds in a state of shock before Wei Wuyin turned around slightly, beckoning her forward with the tattered saber, those silver eyes of his radiating an eased smile. "Don't fall too far behind," was all Wei Wuyin said before she found her feet subconsciously following.
The beings of the battlefield didn't stop forming. After they trekked a mile, hundreds more formed. They seemed more violent, more bloodthirsty, and equally as strong! They fearlessly rushed towards them, arrows filling the sky, and blades glinting with murderous intent.
Wei Wuyin's saber-wielded hand shook slightly. He swiped it across the sky and the sheer force of it sundered the world before it! None survived!
Was this all physical strength? It felt as if it was enough to crush planets, shatter solar stars, and produce black holes! Ye Ziling had never seen anyone use brute force in such a direct manner, slaughtering hundreds without blinking an eye.
They walked for hours. The numbers increased from hundreds to thousands, from thousands to tens of thousands, and from tens of thousands to millions. For hours, a single swing was enough to clear everyone. Her heart that raced at a thousand miles a second had gradually gotten used to it. She began to observe Wei Wuyin intensely, more curious about him than fearful of these creatures being dealt with like wet paper.
After thirty hours, they had faced tens upon tens of millions of beings, all at the Realmlord level of strength, and they stood before another silver vortex at the end.
Ye Ziling clenched her bow. A bow that saw no use thus far, and pushed out her voice: "Who are you?" The question had eaten away at her heart, nestled into her soul, and needed nourishment like a parasite lest it drains her away.
Wei Wuyin halted his steps just short of entering the vortex. He was now genuinely curious about these trials. For example, this battlefield's bloody scent was wisps of condensed Battle Intent. It inspired battle, and with each death of those beings of desolate dirt, this Battle Intent grew in abundance. However, it was corrupted slightly, elevating the sense of battle to retreat.
It would become increasingly difficult to muster up the courage to continue under this influence without a strong will, especially facing endless enemies for hours without any end in sight. It could shatter one's spirit.
It truly felt as if it was a Voyage of the Unyielding. Without trust in your Spiritual Strength in the Voyage of the Spiritual, one would find themselves dying at the red sea. Without one's fighting spirit, one would find themselves dying at the hands of endless enemies.
The next was the Voyage of the Wanderer. What will this Voyage entail?
Ye Ziling had interrupted his momentum, however. He looked towards her, not really surprised that she didn't recognize him. He was a Heavenly King soon after joining the Myriad Monarch Sect. Their statuses were extremely far apart, like heaven and earth, never having the opportunity to meet before her fortuitous departure.
In just two decades, she reached beyond the limit of the Everlore Starfield. A fantastic feat worthy of praise.
"My name's Wei Wuyin. It's finally a pleasure to formally meet you," Wei Wuyin humbly spoke without any ounce of superiority in his voice.
"Wei Wuyin?" This name sounded familiar, yet she couldn't exactly recall from where. She frowned slightly, plagued with her mind's rampaging search for an answer. But besides some highly impossible candidates, she couldn't link Wei Wuyin's incredible visage and strength to anyone.
"I guess my name's not enough," Wei Wuyin chuckled dryly, a self-deprecating chuckle, yet Ye Ziling found it fresh and amusing. "I entered the Myriad Monarch Sect twenty-three years ago. While I was forming my faction, I wanted to recruit you, but you had already left the starfield."
"What?!" Ye Ziling's mind was thoroughly jolted. Myriad Monarch Sect? Recruit?
Wei Wuyin sighed with a smile, "Your talents in Spatial Arts were incredibly notable for your cultivation. And seeing your success as a Destined of the Void Voyage Sect and that Realm World cultivation base, it seems you've done outstanding for yourself. A little unfortunate I couldn't snag you before the Void Voyage Sect had." The regret at the end of his voice was clear for all the hear, especially seeing how courageous she could be.
The explanation was not what Ye Ziling expected, so she was tongue-tied for quite a while. Eventually, she gathered herself and breathily sighed. Her eyes showed signs of slight tearing, the signs of remembrance of the past flowed throughout her dark pupils. "Is the Ye Clan…is it still okay?"
Wei Wuyin expected this question, a satisfied smile painted his expression. "When you left, I didn't know if or when you were coming back, so I ensured that the Ye Clan, including Ye Muling—her younger sister, was well taken care of and protected, awaiting your certain return."
This was merely him being cautionary. He had done thousands of acts like this, preparing for possible futures that took little effort to complete. If all went well, Ye Ziling's family should be on New Everlore, likely housed in the Eternal Monarch Sect, and held with a high status due to his past instructions.
Ye Ziling's eyes grew teary and emotional, threatening to spew over like waterfalls. But she kept it in—a sign of strength!
"When I return, I'll check up on them to ensure they're okay." Wei Wuyin consoled. He couldn't be certain if the Ye Clan was thriving in the sect, but if they weren't, he'll have them tracked down.
Ye Ziling sniffled lightly. She calmed herself down, then looked at Wei Wuyin curiously and strangely. "You can leave?"
"Hm?" Wei Wuyin caught the disbelief in her tone. Were those of the Void Voyage Sect not allowed to leave? Well, considering the City of Endless had Celestials yet the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region had none, it was definitely unlikely for the citizens here to leave. "You can't leave?"
"...When did you become a Destined?" Ye Ziling asked genuinely.
"Uhm, thirty-four days ago I was brought away here, forced to take this trial by the Vice-Sect Master." Wei Wuyin calculated the time thus far, considering it a little too long. He couldn't help but wonder if the summit had any strange events since his departure. What were everyone's faces like when he left?
"..." Ye Ziling froze. "This is your first time?" She asked after a long silence. Wei Wuyin nodded. This was indeed his first time taking this Trial of the Three Voyages, and he was forced to become a Destined by Liu Suyin. A fact he still had some gripes with.
"So you don't know?" Ye Ziling's eyebrows lifted as if she was seeing an ignorant creature with a weird appearance. Wei Wuyin found it a little funny, his heart still extremely calm despite her words.
"Know what? I wasn't told much. I think a 'certain' someone was scared that I was reading her mind or something," Wei Wuyin joked as he emphasized towards the sky, clearly meant for Liu Suyin to hear. Since the Vogages prevented all types of forces except certain strengths, spiritual transmissions using spiritual energy weren't allowed. All conversations thus far were verbal.
Ye Ziling didn't react to Wei Wuyin's joke, still in disbelief. "We're Destined. Our job is to protect the Endless Void Mirror and guard the World Between The Fold. We aren't allowed to leave here—ever."
"..."
"..."
"...? Ever? Like, forever?" Wei Wuyin blinkingly asked.
"Forever." Ye Ziling firmly stated.
She expected Wei Wuyin to feel the way she did, wallowing in the five stages of grief at the loss of his past life. It was what most went through for a while, accepting their circumstances and the exceptional opportunity that came along with it. In the Myriad Monarch Sect, it would be impossible for her to have reached the Realmlord level in her heart even after a thousand years, yet in twenty, she succeeded while possessing incredible powers.
If she became an Ascended in the future, she could live for tens of thousands of years. The cruelty of cultivation meant that her family would long since turn into dust, so she reminded herself of this. She was striving to live for thousands if not tens of thousands of years, guarding the World Between the Fold, and that meant her past life was meaningless.
Memories that'll fade away…
Wei Wuyin shook his head, "I'm not used to chains or shackles. If I want to leave, I can assure you of this—gods, devils, and ghosts wouldn't be able to stop me. Let alone any Earthly, Worldly, or Heavenly Saint. Haha, maybe an Ascended Saint. Maybe." He didn't conceal his voice as he laughed lightheartedly.
While he was joking while exaggerating, he did have absolute confidence in escaping from any Earthly Saint, and a high chance of escaping a Worldly Saint. If not, he was certain he could damage this world to the point they'd wish he left.
So he was unbothered by this statement. However, he still sought benefits, so he gave her a smile before entering the silver vortex leading to the Voyage of the Wanderer!
When he arrived, he found himself engulfed by a world of silver fuzziness, indistinct and endlessly changing. There was no sense of distance or direction, no sense of color or form, merely endless chaos.
Chaotic Space!
