"THREE?!"
"AN ALCHEMIC SOUL?!?!"
Wei Wuyin held nothing back after revealing Eden, exuding a distinct aura of Alchemical Energies. Its purity, quality, density, and intensity were all at levels that Earthly Saints would find difficult to convert properly, even with time. This energy was stable and natural, without any signs of having been transformed through an externally designed method.
But that wasn't all; Wei Wuyin's Dantian-contained Astral Souls, the Alpha Origin Soul, and Omega Saber Soul exerted the faintest aura, roaring out their existence from the background! Unfortunately, the spectators could only determine that those two souls were an Elemental Origin Soul and Saber Soul.
With his soul age freely displayed, his cultivation base revealed, and three Astral Souls exposed, Wei Wuyin kept focusing as the first process of alchemy started. He diligently, quietly, and perfectly began extracting the mystic-graded essence and energies from each material before him. The first material's method was tailored perfectly to the material's age, type, attribute, and species, bringing forth a flawless extraction of sky-blue radiance. The sky-blue radiance poured into an alms bowl at the side, filling it to the absolute top with light and liquid.
Then, Wei Wuyin switched Extraction Methods; the second material experienced a different type of extraction, causing a scarlet brilliance to roar to light as the essence was once again flawlessly extracted and poured into another alms bowl! Not only was the extraction process incomparably smooth, but the pace at which it was done was mind-blowing!
FREESTYLE PROCESS!
ADVANCED METHOD!!
The Freestyle Process that Wei Wuyin utilized was fundamentally different from the Predetermined Process and the typical Freestyle Process, a very different style of concoction. The Freestyle Process typically used seven distinct methods to complete a concoction process, but that was at its minimum requirement. Alchemists who relied on this focused on increasing their production quality by getting the best out of the process.
The Predetermined Process focused on Mastery rather than flexibility, aiming at skillfully exerting the same Extraction, Growth, Containment, Refinement, Creation, Transformation, and Fusion. Alchemists who relied on this focused on increasing their success rate by being consistent above all else.
"How is this possible?!" The Radiant Wave Alchemic Sovereign, the Twilight Alchemic Sovereign, and every single other Mortal Sovereign Alchemist asked nearly the same question simultaneously in their hearts. How could Wei Wuyin have an Alchemic Soul?!
By the time most of them gathered their thoughts, Wei Wuyin was already extracting the fourth material into a fourth alms bowl. Eventually, they mostly calmed down their chaotic thoughts and intensely gazed at Wei Wuyin.
"Thi-this...this makes sense!" San Luoyang exclaimed in realization. At first, many believed that Wei Wuyin was using an Alchemic Proxy or a uniquely designed Alchemical Method that could generate greater levels of refined alchemical Energies to assist him in the concoction process. Otherwise, how else could he have become a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist prior to reaching the Ascended level?
Given his mysterious background and the fact this was a well-known method that some Alchemists relied on to increase their success rate and production quality, this made sense at the time! This was especially so when the Armored Saint and Wu Yu were regarded as Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Knights. Why?
Because Alchemic Knights weren't solely meant to protect an alchemist, but since their cultivation bases often greatly exceeded their Alchemists, they could assist them by converting their Mystic Power into Alchemical Power via the typical conversion method!
Sam Luoyang was a step ahead of most in realizing that this all made sense, and the eyes of most turned his way from all over the world, all trying to understand what he could mean. How could any of this make sense?
San Luoyang didn't hold back after realizing the elites of the world were looking to him for an explanation. As a globally recognized Alchemic Saint, he didn't feel the slightest hint of pressure. "During the early years of the King of Everlore, there was a cultivator by the name of the Sacred Elven Queen who cultivated the Multi-World Clan's lineage method and had given birth to three different Spirits of Cultivation after modifying it. Seeing how Wei Wuyin likely cultivated that method, it makes sense that he has three Spirits of Cultivation and not two."
"..." The crowd was silent as they stared at San Luoyang. The Tri-Vision Alchemic Saint had answered the one question people simply didn't care about. So what if he had two, three, or seven Spirits of Cultivation? There were quite a few cultivators, even amongst their Chosen, that had multiple spirits. While there had never been a Starlord with multiple Astral Souls, due to the nature of the Star Core's formation process, which included the assimilation of one's entire cultivation, it wasn't that shocking to see.
The most important detail wasn't how Wei Wuyin acquired three; it was how he acquired three different Astral Souls, with one of them being an Alchemic Soul!
Furthermore, he still possessed his combat abilities!
This was the most important!
"I..." San Luoyang was stumped. While all of Wei Wuyin's feats could be explained with him already possessing an Alchemic Soul, none of that was as relevant as how he possessed an Alchemic Soul alongside two others and maintained his combat prowess!
The discussions went wild!
Wei Wuyin had just completed the eleventh extraction when an unexpected voice that hadn't shown itself until now resounded!
"It's possible that Alchemic Sovereign Wei cultivates a unique isolation method that segregated his Alchemic Soul's intrinsic properties away from his innate energies, only releasing it in intermittent bursts, such as now." The voice instantly deliberately highlighted that person's existence, showcasing their appearance to the world.
The Imperial Advisor!
She was tall, middle-aged, with an elegance that spoke of the quality of her temperament and wisdom. Her primly-styled grey hair stood out, adding a touch of age to her presence. Those closed eyes of hers made people feel as if they couldn't read her at all.
Similar to the Sky-Zenith Alchemic Saint, she had maintained a distance from the Imperial Clan's main group. When she appeared, she instantly enlightened quite a few minds as they felt that it was indeed a possible method to approach this issue. Isolation!
A few other theories had been thrown in but were swiftly argued against and dismissed.
The discussion went to another level!
While everyone was engrossed in this, from throughout the World of Eden, new members began to show themselves.
"His Majesty is finally deciding to no longer hold back, I see." A smug grin and a bald head were the two features one would instantly notice in Zu Zun! The demon Ascendant was alongside Bei Yunhan.
"Aren't you happy?" Bei Yunhan commented while rolling his eyes.
"Of course I am! It's about time the world understood just how amazing His Majesty really is!" Zu Zun proudly exclaimed.
"...An Alchemist that can kill a Demi-Mortal Lord, beneath the age of a hundred..." Hong Chunhua was beside them. They had been together since the early days of the Ascendants. And while they had taken leadership of their own units, with Hong Chunhua being the boss of the entire Legion, they were still a tightly-knit group of inseparable friends.
Unlike the rest of the world, the Ascendants fully believed that Xun Yicao had been killed on that day. While being a Timelord, Wei Wuyin one-shotted a Demi-Mortal Lord. Moreover, he had an Alchemic Soul!
There was no facet of talent that he was lacking at all. He was at the highest possible limits in terms of cultivation speed, level, or skill.
Li Yungu was crunching on some sunflower seeds while eyeing Wei Wuyin, "His Majesty can already dominate the world. There's no need to feel worried, Boss." In a non-official capacity, they referred to Hong Chunhua as 'Boss' instead of 'First Commander'.
"..." Hong Chunhua didn't respond. Who knew the ripples this would cause in the future?
Wei Wuyin completed all eighty-one extractions in under six days. His technique was perfect, causing Alchemists to gradually grow silent as they observed wholeheartedly. He was flawlessly executing an Advanced Freestyle Process without the slightest incongruity within any of his actions. Some of the Extraction Methods belonged to well-known Alchemists; some were even among those currently present!
Wei Wuyin didn't stop as he began the Growth Stage of the Alchemical Process. He started to formulate hand-seals as strands of Alchemical Power split apart and poured into each of the eighty-one alms bowls. The radiance within some bowls increased while others dimmed.
"A Multi-Growth Method?!" Eyes bulged from their sockets as Wei Wuyin executed a method typically reserved for a type of mass production assembly line! Moreover, he was doing so using eighty-one different materials!
Each strand of Alchemical Power contained its own unique Growth Method! The degree of concentration and skill this required wasn't small. No! It was insane!
"It seems I have to work harder," Na Xinyi was standing amongst the Dark Yin Palace's forces. She faintly smiled, not feeling the slightest bit daunted by Wei Wuyin's extraordinary growth as an Alchemist. She still intended to establish her legend, one not one whit inferior to Wei Wuyin's.
For cultivators, this wasn't based on skill but on the limits of the cultivation path they could reach. This was what Long Chen believed, and while it had come from him, there was some truth to it. She had all her life to establish the greatest legend she could. And more importantly, Wei Wuyin would be supporting her throughout.
Even now, was she not hiding her brilliance from the world? When fully exposed, the world as a whole would know her name.
After three days, Wei Wuyin finished the Growth Process.
"His Alchemical Power is so terrifyingly powerful!" An Alchemic Sovereign commented disbelievingly. Wei Wuyin was a Starlord, yet his Alchemical Power was not the slightest bit inferior to most Earthly Saints in any way! This was the benefit of having an Alchemic Soul, but not even Luo Ning was remotely close to this quality!
"This likely has to do with the difference in their Innate Alchemic Talents," San Luoyang said thoughtfully. It seemed pretty clear that Wei Wuyin was far more talented than Luo Ning, and not by a small margin. It was once said that raw Alchemic Talent could exceed conventional beliefs. For example, despite not having an Alchemic Soul, there have been cultivators at the Mortal Realms who could convert Alchemical Force to have a similar quality as the Alchemical Power of lower-stage Ascended beings.
While rare, these cultivators were often high-level Alchemists relative to their cultivation base. Xun Yicao was one of them. However, he refused to become an Alchemic Soul cultivator.
The following process was Containment. This method was extremely difficult! Wei Wuyin proceeded to execute a single Containment Method, pouring all eighty-one extracted energies and essences that experienced considerable growth in their intrinsic quality, prepping them for further refinement, into his cauldron.
The cauldron might be mystic-graded, but it was entirely ordinary. Besides its quality, it was a fresh cauldron with very few assisting formations etched onto its surface.
"He doesn't seem to want anyone to say that his feat is based on the quality or functions of his cauldron," Tian Dingjian finally regained her mental calm as she lightly commented. She was a fellow Alchemic Soul cultivator and was completely aware of its drawbacks and flaws.
Tian Xiaolu had a unique ancient method to avoid those drawbacks, and since one existed, how could another not? This thought did little to calm her turbulent emotions, especially as envy spread across her heart alongside unrestrained greed! While Tian Xiaolu's method was impossible for her...
If she could obtain this method of isolation, perhaps...just perhaps...
"I agree," the Boundless Martial High King said while unleashing the biggest sigh of awe in his heart.
At this point, all the elites and powerhouses of the entire world were gathered via Proximity and Projection Links, no longer segregated by anything.
The process of Containment went smoothly as all eighty-one essences and energies were brought together without the slightest disharmony. This stage was often the most precarious because the Growth Stage often increased the volatility of these extracted essences and energies, and their clashes have led to the most deaths of amateur alchemists.
By the eleventh day, Wei Wuyin was starting the fourth process-Refinement!
"I always knew he was special," A gigantic azure-scaled dragon with a single horn said through mental transmission. A lovely figure in blood-colored robes mixed with inner clothes of black and white sat on its forehead, her eyes gleaming with happiness and excitement.
They were Ann and Xue Yifei! Beneath Ann were countless intelligent beasts that were obediently quiet, all observing Wei Wuyin's figure as he performed movements that beguiled the mind, controlling copious amounts of Alchemical Power with the skill of a Grand Maestro.
"Oh? I remember you telling me that you thought of eating him at one point because of how arrogant he was?" Xue Yifei smiled as she leaned closer as if to get a better look at her husband. The love and heat in her eyes were hard to miss by even the blind.
"Eh? You're misremembering! I said I was tempted to feed him cause he was so precious! You know. Precious!" Anu's large eyes shifted in guilt.
The World of Eden's audience soon became fully engrossed by the innate beauty of Wei Wuyin's technique, falling into a lull of appreciated silence. As he refined the gathered essence and energy into a single whole, causing a beautiful array of spurting radiance and harmonious sounds reminiscent of music, the entire world went silent.
From time to time, Mystic Rune fragments would flutter out of the cauldron, threatening to unleash mayhem, but Wei Wuyin accurately brought each into a state of serenity, lightly pushing them back into the cauldron. It seemed utterly effortless!
Only after the thirty-third day did he finish, and it seemed as if time itself had simply passed everyone by in the blink of an eye.
"What is he concocting?" The material that had just been refined in the cauldron exuded a terrifying aura!
"..." Evergod felt as if giant ants were crawling upon his entire body. His negative emotions had been boiling since Wei Wuyin revealed his Alchemic Soul. The image of that man! That silver-eyed bastard from all those years ago flashed endlessly within his mind alongside all sorts of repressed memories.
Now, overlaying with it was the image of another silver-eyed bastard! He didn't know when, but he had started gnashing his teeth with a feral expression. The killing intent in his heart threatened to spew over, and those in the area had subconsciously stepped aside with worrying and fearful gazes.
Tian Dingjian glanced at Evergod's state, which seemed to be on the verge of a complete breakdown, but she didn't comment on that. She instead answered the other question, "Without a doubt, a mystic-graded product. But it's strange..."
"You've noticed it too?" San Luoyang instantly chimed in.
"Oh?" The Imperial Advisor alerted them of her presence, clearly intending to jump into the conversation.
The two Alchemic Saints had experience with mystic-graded products vastly exceeding everyone else. While San Luoyang may have taken a shortcut thanks to San Yongli's treasure, he had participated in many joint sessions of Mystic-Earth grade product concoctions, oftentimes leading them.
"Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Dao is not at the Alchemic Saint level, but the way he moves show's a deft understanding of manipulating mystic essence and energies. It's almost as if he had done so for a long, long time," Tian Dingjian noted.
"You're right; Alchemic Sovereign Wei's skill with mystic-graded materials is considerably higher than mine, showcasing a degree of practice and experience that couldn't be gained without continuous concoction." San Luoyang said without any shame, frowming as he did. Skilled Alchemists could easily understand another alchemist's level while they were concocting. It was subtle, but it had to do with the way the Alchemic Dao moved.
Wei Wuyin was undeniably a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist! But the way he moved made him seem like an experienced Earthly Saint Alchemist!
"Simulations?" The Imperial Advisor asked.
"Possibly," Tian Dingjian softly replied.
It was hard to reason out such perfect skill with only mental simulations. There was a practical element in it.
"He's already starting the Creation Process!" Mu Yura exclaimed as her heterochromatic eyes shone brightly. Her words caused many to realize that Wei Wuyin wasn't taking any breaks, simply pushing forth!
One of the main reasons alchemists took an exceptionally long time was to recover their Alchemical Energies, Alchemical Forces, and Alchemical Power. These things either required a conversion method or diligent cultivation to replenish-almost always both unless one had an Alchemic Soul.
What was converted would rarely be sufficient to undergo the entire process. They would slow down and gradually recover their energies while maintaining the balance of whatever process they were at.
The Creation Process determined the state of the product-Pill, Pellet, Paste, or Elixir. This would also give them some understanding of what type of product he was creating, given the various materials used.
"It's a pill!" San Luoyang pointed out.
"It is," Tian Dingjian calmly concurred.
The other Alchemic Sovereigns had no place to say anything more, but their excitement began to bubble. If, at first, they believed that Wei Wuyin would unhesitatingly fail the concoction as a mortal, with his Alchemic Soul revealed, the doubt vanished like snow on a hot day.
Their hearts have already been swayed into believing, especially after watching the sheer beauty of Wei Wuyin's technique.
"Will he run out of energy?" Mu Yura asked in concern. If Wei Wuyin didn't pace himself and kept speeding through the process, there was a chance that his Starforce would dry out and leave him in a precarious position.
"..." This concern began to echo in everyone's hearts.
Yet Wei Wuyin seemed like a bottomless chasm of energy, unleashing floods of it as he began to shape the refined energy and essences into its state of existence.
"He has three Star Cores!" The Soul Saint King remarked, reminding everyone that Wei Wuyin had three times the amount of Alchemical Force than the typical Starlord.
"Three!" Understanding started to dawn on many as they realized why Wei Wuyin was pushing through so fearlessly.
"Are you suggesting that his two other Astral Cores can contain Alchemical Starforce too?" The Imperial Advisor asked curiously.
"If not, how could he possibly keep this type of expenditure up? Moreover, it is not very different from conversion methods." The Soul Saint King stated firmly.
The pill's shape had fully formed in the cauldron. Wei Wuyin's hand-seals had been well-timed as bursts of varied Alchemical Force kept the pill consistent despite the continuous threat to unravel. The pill, however, seemed slightly faint in substance and radiance.
Wei Wuyin stared into his cauldron for an entire day, his silver eyes gleaming with light.
"What is he doing?" A princess asked as her heart fiercely pounded.
"Shh!" Tian Lingyu put her hand over the princess' mouth. The last two steps of the Alchemical Process, Transformation, and Fusion, were extremely dangerous and sensitive. The slightest mishaps were sufficient to cause all the past effort to be wasted. Luo Ning nearly failed her Fusion Process.
WOOSH!
Without any prior indication, Wei Wuyin's palms reached out and clasped the pill between them. With a slow, violent roar, they unleashed an explosive sound!
Wei Wuyin was the type of alchemist who performed both the Transformation and Fusion Processes in one domineering act! His actions were obscenely reckless, but his exceptionally heaven-defying concoction times were due to these reckless actions!
For example, throughout the entire process, Wei Wuyin never once used his Spiritual Sense!
For example, Wei Wuyin never once paused his concoctions at any stage!
For example, Wei Wuyin applied the Growth Process to each simultaneously, not spending time on them individually!
All of this had cut down what could've taken several years to decades into three months!
As his hands clamped down fiercely, Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes penetrated through his palms, seeing the rampant energies and essences that refused to fuse perfectly. They desired freedom through violence! But who was Wei Wuyin?
He was the first Mortal Saint Alchemist!
Without even being able to manipulate Mystic Energies, he could concoct transcendent ninth-grade products. Now that he was at the Star Core Phase, his Starforce capable of interacting with mystic energies at the lowest possible level, how could he possibly fail to subdue this pathetic resistance?!
As veins began to bulge on his hands and arms, Wei Wuyin poured an unfathomable amount of Alchemical Force vastly exceeding what any Starlord should be able to possess, sufficient to drown a small starfield several times over!
A woman observed Wei Wuyin calmly from afar, sitting atop a winged beast. Her black hair and black eyes were unfathomably pure, without the slightest turbidity. The woman and beast weren't alone; a barefooted, long-haired beastman sat to her right; a shadowy indistinct figure covered in void-black mist that absorbed light stayed to her left; directly beneath the winged beast was a young woman with a pair of resplendent golden eyes; behind the winged beast was a man with an empty quiver on his back, his eyes closed yet it felt as if he could see all.
These six existences were together.
"Here it comes," the black-haired, black-eyed woman said. The aura of the six started to solidify as they readied themselves.
"Kree!" The winged beast cried out.
"This...isn't a Mystic-Earth product!" Evergod's eyes widened as he blurted out in his shock!
"What?!" The field of powerhouses all had changes in their expressions. Before they could discuss further, the world started to tremble!Not just the World of Eden! THE REAL WORLD!!
"IMPOSSIBLE! IT'S...IT'S..." Evergod's eyes nearly shot out of his sockets in both worlds.
BOOM!!
A wave-like surging quake erupted. A sensation of pressure against one's body, mind, and spirit. That feeling of being surrounded, engulfed, and then tightly strangled.
SPIRITQUAKE!
The Imperial Advisor's calm shattered for the first time in countless years as her almost always closed eyes jolted open, revealing a burst of blinding light!
"A WORLD AWAKENING OF A TRUE SAINT?!"
