Gone.
An illustrious and fearsome character of the Earthly Saint Phase vanished without a trace; the only evidence of his disappearance was the wild, ravaging news of several life talismans breaking simultaneously. While slightly delayed, word spread as many sought explanations from the Everlore Association, causing a ruckus of sorts.
This wasn't an isolated event; the Golden Life Pavilion had experienced a similar incident of abrupt disappearance very early on, but they had solved this issue somehow, and it had never occurred again. Unfortunately, while the Golden Life Pavilion had guarded against this deathly crisis of the Dark Void which very few could pinpoint the cause, the other organizations and associations hadn't.
In small droves, luxurious Voidships carrying various personages of reputable status, outstanding talent, and bright and meaningful futures vanished with the annoucement of their, and everyone else on board's death, crew included.
Devastating!
Few knew that this creature that even Wei Wuyin was guarded against, which tracked him across the Dark void decades ago, was being stimulated by the unintentional rampant usage of Voidships. The only historical record of similar events was during the Dark Stars Era, and even that was obscure and remained a mystery to this very day. The only detail others knew was that the Dark Void had all sorts of dangers that involved exotic, strange creatures and phenomena, including Stellar Rain and Vanishing Points.
Besides the Ever-Knight that lusted silently for revenge against Grand Knight Wu Yu, a few Mortal Sovereign Alchemists were on these luxurious Voidships, dwindling the publicly known number of 244--including Wei Wuyin and excluding San Luoyang--to 240.
An Earthly Saint and four mortal Sovereign Alchemists vanished during these three months, setting of a rampage of fear throughout the Dark Void. Only the Golden Life Pavilion's ships were safe, as as such, many wealthy cultivators in transit resorted to using Void Gates or hitching a ride to the Golden Life Pavilion's ships they were shadowing.
Shockingly, excluding the members of the Everlore Association, the Golden Life Pavilion did not reject a single one of them. Moreover, they merely had to pay the small fee that others had, relative to their cultivation base, family size, etc. It was another act of philanthropic generosity that shook the Sealed Region once again. While others felt schadenfreude from their situation, many thought that the Golden Life Pavilion and Wei Wuyin stayed true to their word. Of course, the refusal of the Everlore Association's members was simply common sense due to the well-known fact that Evergod had once made an attempt on Wei Wuyin's life.
Despite their stance on such an incident, which they vehemently denied, even the mortal farmer tending his corps with a low cultivation base could realize the truth of that matter, so it did them little good. If not for the presence of two Alchemic Saints, their downfall in terms of reputation might have been almost unstoppable. This was increasingly apparent as they were losing on almost every field of competition except the level of their tried and proven legacy that helped create two Alchemic Saints!
They clung desperately to their title as the number one Alchemist Association, albeit just barely, as the business side was being crushed ruthlessly by the Golden Life Pavilion, with their signed contracts with various merchants maintaining their wealth, and Wei Wuyin had yet to establish an Alchemist Association of any kind yet. If not for these established contracts, the various scandals, such as the up-charged and diluted products like the Ever-Domain Pill, that were unnecessarily placed at a higher price and grade for sale, and the devastating loss of confidence in their wagered competition would've lost all signs of goodwill and respect from the public.
Even today, the eigth-grade Sharded God Domain Pill, which had slightly better effect than the ninth-grade Ever-Domain Pill, kept pressing this pus-leaking sore of a topic for the Everlore Association. The claim that it wasn't a perfected version but a 'derived' version meant the Everlore Association had deliberately elevated the grade of their product! Of course, while this might not necessarily be true, the facts sometimes spoke louder than the truth.
The Ever-Domain Pill had more or less been discontinued, but the Everlore Association refused to give refuns or compensate the difference to those who were essentially 'scammed'. This was especially so to those who lost their sons, daughters, and disciples from tribulations due to the faulty weakness of the Ever-Domain Pill! If they hadn't paid absurd amounts to acquire the pill, they could've gotten a better product to strengthen their young talents.
Unfortunately, their loud cries did little to hinder the Everlore Association's rising presite, thanks to their two Alchemic Saints.
But who knew what the future held?
Returning to the eve of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo...
The Neo-Dawn Starfield was utterly massive, but keeping the incoming population of trillions upon trillions of cultivators with families of all ages in the forty-nine planets and eighty-one lunar satellites was an unrealistic expectation. Due to this, the Voidships were properly and diligently shuttled to housing areas of the World Dawn, the grand Realm region that spanned the entire former Heptasage Pillar Stellar Region's boundary.
Countless astonishing and cultivation-friendly Secret Realms and World Realms were opened up, allowing early arrivals to enjoy incredible conditions. The most notable difference was the sheer quality of astral and mystic essence prevalent in some of these realms' environments, especially the ones that got solar light directly from the Neo-Dawn Defiant Star!
Most of those present didn't come from the Aeternal Sky Starfield, so they were profoundly unaware that astral and mystic essence refined from solar essence could ever reach such terrifyingly incredible heights in terms of quality. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that a single day's worth of cultivation in the Realm Region equated to ten or a hundred days in their starfield! The cultivation frenzy of its citizens soon infected the new arrivals, and a peaceful period of cultivation unfolded.
World Dawn, the Elemental Tree Realm.
The True Element Sect resided within one of the many World Realms of the Neo-Dawn Starfield's Realm Region. The Elemental Tree Realm was named such due to the lack of a conventional Solar Star, but a uniquely grown tree that reached heights of over thirty-thousand meters, that absorbed solar essence and released astral-graded and mystic-graded elemental essences into the flat continent's environment, including birthin wonderful fruits that contained various Elemental Intents and pure energies for cultivation.
The World Realm originally belonged to the True Element Sect but later lost it to the parasite clan's greedy machinations, who then sold it to the Chen Clan, one of the Eight Noble Clans, which passed a few hands until Wei Wuyin bought it back with the Golden Life Pavilion's assistance.
It was brought over as one of the many realms, planets, and lunar satellites that Wei Wuyin used to form the Neo-Dawn Starfield.
Roughly two hundred miles from the base of the Elemental Tree, the True Element Sect was housed in various building structures that had been renovated after the purchase, far better than what the True Element Sect remembered.
Standing about fifty miles from the tree, a lonesome yet lovely golden-haired figure in white robes started at the resplendent tree that was exuding multicolored lights representing the nine elements and the exuded solar radiance. Her eyes were watery, filled with nostalgia and near-spewing emotions.
''Senior Sister Lin!'' Another figure walked over, a tall, strikingly handsome grey-eyed youth. This was none other than Lin Ming, the Archaic Chosen of the True Element Sect!
The golden-haired woman of incredible allure, beauty, and graceful aura was Lin Xianxei, the Saintess of the True Element Sect! She didn't turn around; her eyes slowly closed as she suppressed her feelings inside, losing the faint traces of tears hanging at the edge of her golden-colored eyes.
''You've finished your cultivation session?'' When she opened her eyes, a calm look replaced her emotional visage of lonesome beauty.
Lin Ming faintly smiled, ''Yeah.'' When he arrived by Lin Xianxei's shoulder, standing next to her, he felt a sense of peace and confidence in his heart. Over the last few decades, his cultivation and adventures were not little, and he had gained unimaginable experiences and an even greater cultivation base. He feared no one in the same cultivation stage--no one!
In his mind, he felt that if he fought Tian Yinwu in a fair competition, the one with the greatest chances of becoming this era's Chosen King, it would be difficult to determine the winner and loser!
''...'' Lin Xianxei didn't follow up with a question.
Ling Ming's peace began to shatter as he felt that, while they stood shoulder to shoulder, there was an indescribable distance between them. It wasn't very noticeable before, but after he told her about his messy encounter with Tang Xingyun, it was hard not to notice at times.
So Lin Ming decided to follow up himself in an attempt to ignite the conversation, ''My Origin State has reached the Second Level. That piece of the Heaven Relic was as heaven-shaking as you said.'' The Origin State was one of the main reasons why he felt he had reached an unmatched status! The power of Mana Dominance could not be understated; neither could the breathtaking benefits of possessing a greater affinity to Mana--the glue of the world.
''Second Level?'' Lin Xianxei's eyebrows lifted slightly.
The delightful burst of shock and pleasantly excited reaction Lin Ming expected was not was he received. Lin Xianxei merely nodded, ''As expected of the Heaven Relic, even a fragmented piece of it could create heaven-defying changes with the right method.''
Lin Ming didn't get the reaction he wanted, but this indirect praise of his talents and current outstanding cultivation soothed his heart and elevated his pride. ''Unfortunately, the Heaven Relic was exhausted. There were only thirty-three strands inside.''
''That's enough,'' Lin Xianxei said. ''The Origin State is said to be the key to reaching the stage beyond the Wordly Saint Phase and has untold benefits to comprehending the Mystic Intent through Mana. Moreover, you'll have more opportunities to elevate your state. I fear that there are no less than four youths that have the Origin State, including you and Tang Xingyun, throughout the world. After all, finding the requiste art compatible with the Heaven Relic isn't easy.''
''Only four?'' Lin Ming was stunned. ''Who are the other two?''
''Tian Yinwu should have it.''
''Tian Yinwu? That makes sense.'' Lin Ming nodded acceptingly. He was widely considered the Number ONE talent throughout the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region.''And the other?''
''Wei Wuyin.'' Those two words were accompanied by the flowing wind brushing past, lifting Lin Xianxei's hair and robes. Ling Ming was dazed by her looks for a second but immediately regained himself as that name was uttered. He went solemnly silent.
Eventually, he asked: ''What do you think this Alchemic Expo will bring?''
Lin Xianxei was caught off-guard by the question, her expression changing swiftly. ''...I don't know, but I can certainly say this: Wei wuyin hasn't made a single move that didn't shake the foundation of the world; this event will only be greater than before.''
''...'' Lin Ming's eyelids lowered thoughtfully.
Lin Ming hadn't noticed, but Lin Xianxei was no longer referring to Wei Wuyin as Alchemic Sovereign Wei. It was a minor detail, given the private nature of their discussion, but it was a sign of a change that couldn't be ignored!
If Lin Ming paid closer attention, the spatial ring on Lin Xianxei's slender finger was none other than the same brand that Wei Wuyin equipped his Ascendants and Valkyrie with!
Within Lin Ming's mind, the voice that had guided him thus far spoke up at this moment: ''Brace your heart; the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo's scale is unprecedentedly massive, and given his temperament and past actions, this is bound to change the very nature of our world.''
The voice reminded Lin Ming that since Wei Wuyin's entry into the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, even before then, there's never been a single event of his that hadn't stirred the world or changed its entire climate.
''Do you think the Expo will bring products that could break conventions again? Is that even possible? What could that possibly even be?'' Lin Ming was doubtful that Wei Wuyin could bring forth another great change on par with the Neo-Dawn Eclipse cultivation stages.
''Just...be vigilant. Whatever it is, you must seize the good fortune that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo will surely have, as all Expos have.'' The voice couldn't answer or predict, so it moved to reinforce that this was an opportunity Lin Ming had to seize.
''Good fortune. Are the Elemental Tree Realm and its fruits not the 'good fortune' you speak of?'' The Elemental Tree had various fruits that contained Intents, and Lin Ming had grasped three additional high-level Elemental Intents from cultivating here in the last month alone!
''That's only a sign that the good fortune here is bound to be unordinary! Every Alchemic Expo is like a display of an Alchemist's wealth, foundation, and brilliance. It's a way to brag to the world about their accomplishments and set the tone for their future. Since a mere housing unit can grant such good benefits, the oncoming benefits are bound to be unimaginable. Do not underestimate it!'' The voice firmly said.
Lin Ming's expression grew increasingly solemn before becoming decisive! He'll seize this good fortune for all its worth!
