Messy.
This one word was the only thought of a single cultivator on planet Neo-Origin of the Elementus Domain. Within a large grassy clearing enveloped by rich, refined, and robust astral essence, two figures stood together amidst a strange air. This grand cultivation and training area was tainted by an uncomfortable atmosphere.
"How could you be so reckless?!" A voice filled with a tone of great reproach and frustration resounded in the clearing.
"Senior Sister Lin! I…"
Two voices were resounding, and they belonged to none other than Lin Xianxei and Lin Ming! The former was dressed in the attire of the True Element Sect's Sect Master. She was temporarily granted this position acting as her mother's proxy, as only her lineage was given the right to lead, and her mother had left to act as the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign's maid. While this position was ridiculed in the beginning, after the continuous achievements and feats of Wei Wuyin, the position was now drowned by the envious tears of countless others, mostly women.
Now, the Lin Clan's position was abnormally stable with seemingly endless resources for cultivation, self-growth, prenatal products for future talents, priority purchasing of particular products from many merchants, VIP treatments from most organizations throughout the Aeternal Sky Starfield, and territorial expansion. The Lin Clan had transformed dramatically from a single person's position as a maid!
Now, no matter where the Lin Clan's members went, they were treated with respect and ingratiating tactics. Everyone wished to join the Lin Clan on their exclusive wagon of fortune. Of course, the only exception was the Everlore Association's branches. Considering how the Golden Life Pavilion had recently acted to sever several layers of reputation from their scalps, it was to be expected.
At this moment, Lin Xianxei wore the prime example of a helplessly disappointed expression. Moreover, there was a tinge of anger within her eyes that was hard to perceive.
"When did this happen?" Lin Xianxei cut Lin Ming off viciously.
"A few years ago, shortly after we left the Golden War Realm," Lin Ming confessed.
"You!" Lin Xianxei's hands became tightly clenched fists, and her pearly white teeth clenched tightly as well. Lin Ming lowered his head, knowing that he should expect a scolding from this Senior Sister of his, but it wasn't likely that she was truly angry, but that she was trying to think.
"Out of all the women! You entangle yourself with the Tang Clan's Young Mistress! The one with a standing engagement with Tian Yinwu!" But Lin Xianxei was genuinely angry, her eyes slowly seething with that hidden anger from before, and the longer she thought about it, the more infuriating it all was.
Just a while ago, the duo was training to help Lin Ming master a Spiritual Art that originated from the Jade Element Sect's legacy. After he'd grasped it, he asked her a curious question about its potential.
"Can this Spiritual Art allow a mortal to defeat an Ascended?" It was a presumptuous question, and if this were the past era, there would be no reason to ask such a ridiculous question because this would generally be directed towards a mortal facing a 'genius' Ascended, a Soul of Mysticism Phase cultivator at the Second Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm. The difference was utterly massive!
But now, during this new era of rising geniuses and great legacies, the situation had become increasingly likely. For example, the Ascendants had taken down a few Ascended beings despite being exclusively composed of mortals, a feat that was originally seen as impossible as numbers couldn't bridge absolute strength.
No longer was the term 'genuine' Ascended considered an impossible obstacle to overcome for mortals anymore, and Wei Wuyin had ensured that with his base standards for Chosen. The new would surpass the old!
Lin Xianxei answered casually, but Lin Ming's following question allowed her to understand what he was talking about! News had spread that Wei Wuyin had used his own strength to defeat a Demi-Mortal Lord! While this Demi-Mortal Lord was an Alchemist, Xun Yicao did not have an Alchemic Mystic Soul, and he possessed the minimum extent of strength a Demi-Mortal Lord must have!
That said, countless following bits of information verifying Xun Yicao's still living status proved that Xun Yicao was merely an intricate Incarnation and that its strength was only equivalent to the Soul of Mysticism Phase at best. Hence, it was less impressive but still absolutely mind-blowing! Moreover, Wei Wuyin was a Timelord!
Lin Ming asked, "Do you think Wei Wuyin truly used his own strength to defeat a Demi-Mortal Lord's Incarnation?" Their time in the Elementus Chosen Trial's Four Extreme Continent convinced him that Wei Wuyin had the means to explode with great power at great sacrifice, further supported by Wei Wuyin's excellent acting skills.
However, neither her response nor Lin Ming's curiosity was important because the topic shifted to Tian Yinwu and then to Tang Xingyun! Lin Ming slipped with his words and, after heavy prying, revealed that she and Lin Ming had essentially been in love.
Moreover…
They had been in 'love'.
Lin Ming was high of fortune and unstoppable momentum, having comprehended Elemental Heart Intent, refined an exceptional physique, and even transformed his Spirit of Cultivation's Mortal State into the world-shaking Origin State after finding a metallic shard infused with refined Heavenly Mana in the Paramount Jade Realm. He was close to meeting the requirements to become a legendary cultivator of ancient history—A Spiritualist!
With his cultivation base explosively rising, his cultivation path having been incredibly smooth recently, while he felt that he was on the way to becoming unmatched, Tang Xingyun and Lin Ming had shared a passionate night made by all sorts of cultivated emotions and coincidences. She had, shockingly, proved her feelings by giving herself pre-Ascended!
This was a gesture of unimaginable love and fortitude, given her exceptional strength. Shockingly, however, their dual cultivation led to gains that vastly exceeded the Primal Yin's potential, as she had also sublimated her Spirit of Cultivation through transformation, entering the Origin State!
With this, her chances of becoming an Ascended, and one with high Rune Ascension, had explosively increased by several-fold. An Origin State truly outweighed the importance of an untainted Primal Yin at the Starcore Phase when it came to comprehending the Mystic Dao. There was no comparison.
After all, the profoundness of the Mortal and Mystic Dao all stemmed from the glue of the world: Mana. Sensing and dominating Mana at a greater level was even higher than having a Worldly Domain at the Soul Idol Phase when it came to comprehension!
However, Lin Xianxei's frustration stemmed from Lin Ming's concerns as well—Tian Yinwu, the Seventh Son of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor! The two, Tang Xingyun and Tian Yinwu, had a marriage agreement! A prenatal agreement that the Tang Clan's Matriarch, Vermillion, had with the Divine Emperor!
The Seventh Son for the Seventh Daughter.
It was a fated matter with much cultural significance!
"Does anyone else know?" Lin Xianxei knew why Lin Ming never mentioned this, especially considering that news that Tian Yinwu was 'dead' had been fluttering about. With all the incredibly explosive events happening, Tian Yinwu's reputation was remembered many times, and his situation was inquired about. Many hired high-level Heavenly Seers to grasp his status, and there was a leak from the Aeternal Sky Domain that Tian Yinwu was officially missing, his life status uncertain.
Why?
His life talisman had died out. It hadn't shattered but died out. This was a strange, uncertain development that left many questions. Unfortunately, the world moved on, and the news was suppressed as being part of an 'ongoing investigation', and this investigation ended just recently with news that Tian Yinwu was simply trapped in a Secret Realm, the life talisman unable to 'verify' his life due to the world's unique properties.
Lin Ming shook his head, "No. Besides us, just you. We swore to keep it a secret until we've grown strong enough to cancel the marriage contract."
"..." Lin Xianxei.
'Strong enough' was equivalent to telling the world about your affair and humiliating Tian Yinwu as a cuckold! While they weren't officially married, perhaps their relationship hadn't reached an intimate level, but what the world will see, no, what they'll love to dwell on, was that Tian Yinwu had his woman taken by another man! No different than a cuckold, perhaps even worse!
As for Lin Ming and Tang Xingyun, they could either be an empowering love story or an adulterous couple of the highest stupidity.
"Shit. If word gets out…It'll be no different than smacking the Divine Emperor's face! Not to mention, Tian Yinwu has just defeated a Demi-Mortal Lord in combat, revealing himself as this generation's most likely Chosen King." Lin Xianxei's frustration was what everyone else would feel because Lin Ming's actions of indulgence were no different than condemning the True Element Sect and the Tang Clan to destruction.
Reckless children.
"No, given Tian Yinwu's return, there's no way a girl as smart as Tang Xingyun has kept this a secret. There's a reason you told me, and if I had to guess, she likely told someone else for the same reason," Lin Xianxei deduced.
"Reason?"
"Damage control; you're both too young; your instincts after discovering Tian Yinwu's return and outstanding means will be to find protection, an umbrella to stave off the hail from pelting you to death. Perhaps…have you contacted her?" Lin Xianxei's mind was circulating a thousand cycles a minute with thoughts, trying to find a line of survival.
"I have," Lin Ming admitted.
"So you sensed it. No wonder you told me," Lin Xianxei frowned. She was now operating as a Sect Master for a period, and she grew adept at delving into hidden thoughts and meanings through predictable actions.
"Sensed what?" Lin Ming was unable to gather what Lin Xianxei was thinking.
Lin Xianxei gave Lin Ming a sidelong glance, "If I were in Tang Xingyun's position, there would be only two choices that could be made swiftly if my priority was to save you. First, to kill myself and destroy my body entirely. That way, there would be no evidence of my infidelity."
"WHAT?!" Lin Ming panicked instantly; his body tensed as his Innate energies spiraled out of control, and he was about to take flight to the nearest Void Gate. He was already thinking of ways to stop her!
"Calm down!" Lin Xianxei shouted. "Tang Xingyun shouldn't do something so stupidly naive unless she's a rash idiot that wouldn't find a capable person to explain everything to."
"What?" Lin Ming was still unable to fully calm down, but he stayed where he was to listen to the rest.
"If she acted like you, then she found an intelligent cultivator who is more experienced in worldly affairs, and if so, then that will never be their first choice. The second choice, however, is more generalized."
"What's the second choice?" Lin Ming urged for an answer with his hands as if trying to hold hope.
"Find a way to hide the affair to buy enough time to think of other solutions," Lin Xianxei concluded. While it was a general solution, it was the best one to come up with in a short period. Given their agreement, Tang Xingyun would've likely been invited to the Imperial Capital, and she contacted Lin Ming due to this trigger.
"Hide it?" Lin Ming frowned darkly, growing angry that he had to hide his love from others. But he wasn't so selfish that he would throw everything away and bring ruin to his sect and her family, so this was the best course of action…for now.
"What will she do?" Lin Ming asked anxiously.
"..." Lin Xianxei.
In the Aeternal Sky Starfield, on board a Tang Clan Voidship traveling towards the Aeternal Sky Domain, two figures stood side-by-side while looking at the endless stars beyond the atmospheric barrier.
They were both world-renowned beauties of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region!
If Wei Wuyin, Lin Ming, or any hot-blooded male of exceptional taste were here, they would recognize them as Tang Xingyun and Na Xinyi! The Extreme Yin Saintess!
"Thank you," Tang Xingyun sincerely said.
"Don't mention it," Na Xinyi pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear, her eyes staring deeply at the Aeternal Sky Domain.
