"Father! Father!" A work-worn young teen with scattered traces of dirt and soil gestured toward the sky; his voice was extremely loud as awe, surprise, curiosity, and fear permeated his heart.
"What?" A hearty voice resounded. A middle-aged man dressed humbly turned to the child with a hoe in hand, his sun-tanned cheeks dirtied by soil. The father walked toward his son, curious about the reason for such an urgent shout, and as he arrived, he naturally followed the outstretched hand of his son.
"What in the heavens...?" With an agape mouth, his eyes reflected the unimaginable image of a long serpent slithering across the sky. It was growing larger and larger with each passing second. "Serpent?!"
"Father, what is that?"
"..." Unable to answer his son's doubts, he instinctively ordered: "Go get your mother and sister." The son was taken aback, but the father followed with a strong, authoritative shout: "NOW!"
Stumbling slightly, having never seen such a severe expression on his father's face, he rushed back to their recently built home. "Mother! Sister!" He called out.
The father's gaze never left the serpent roaming in the sky, beyond the limits of their planet, likely far, far away. However, it was undeniably getting closer. He gulped heavily. "Please..." After years of struggling, fighting, and suffering, they finally found a peaceful home, and the sight of this creature felt as if it was undeniably threatening their serenity.
"Ascendant Emperor Wei, please..."
The Neo-Dawn Starfield, both Defiant Dawn and World Dawn, began to have sightings of the Void Wyrm's approach. It was a creature attuned to space, so as it traveled, naturally, even realms were affected by its image. They saw it in the most incomprehensible manner, and this left questions, concerns, and curiosity to erupt.
The experts of the Neo-Dawn Starfield noticed this as well. Seeing the Void Wyrm approach, they left their homes and realms, took to the Dark Void, and began gathering at specific points of the Neo-Dawn Starfield. They ranged from those at the Star Core Phase, the ninth stage of the Astral Core Realm, to the Earthly Saint Phase, the fourth stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm.
"Grand Knight Wu!" Pope Huoyan called out as he shot toward Wu Yu's location. The Grand Knight of Neo-Dawn was located on the furthest moon of the Neo-Dawn Starfield upon an extensive mountain range. Wu Yu was currently observing the incoming serpent, his expression calm.
Those who arrived near him were elite members of the cultivation world, such as Pope Huoyan-Huoyan Xingshi, the Great Sea Oceanic Queen-Hai Shuilin, and Sanguine Demon Evil King-Ye Mufeng-the three who submitted to Wei Wuyin's reign all those years ago. In comparison to the past, each of these renowned figures had a small increase in their respective auras. They had clearly received noticeable benefits from their early acts of submissions.
Feng Qjngchu was also present, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Wu Yu. The Grand Knight and Lady Clearwind's relationship had long since solidified to a point of no return, committed and open.
After Wei Wuyin's Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo came to an end, more Ascended beings had left their homes to establish themselves in the Neo-Dawn Starfield, but many of them were still in the process of bringing along their assets, organizations, and clans. Still, there were a few new, unfamiliar faces among the top-tier experts of the Neo-Dawn Starfield, especially the Earthly Saints of the Inferno Solaris Church, Hexaflame Starfield, and Great Blue Starfield. By now, there were thirteen Earthly Saints present.
Before long, there were thousands upon thousands of Ascended beings and peak mortals near the or on the moon. They either floated in the distance or stood beside the experts.
"Is that the Serpent?" Huoyan Xingshi inquired calmly. As one of the most well-read existences of the eighteen stellar regions, he was aware of the existence of the Serpent, a near mythological figure that a scarce few believed in this day and age.
"The Serpent?" Hai Shuilin was as baffled as many of the younger generations who grew up in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, not exposed to the tyranny and chaos of the Dark Stars Era. What was this so-called Serpent?
"A legend," Ye Mufeng said in a voice that was thrashing to the senses, rough and uncomfortable. However, his words caught the attention of most present. Especially those Demi-Mortal Lords that felt worthy enough to enter the area, eavesdropping on the conversation of Earthly Saints.
"Is it a threat?" Hai Shuilin asked.
"It devoured Evergod..." Feng Qingchu softly said.
"WHAT?!" The crowd was instantly shaken by her words.
Feng Qingchu had been here with Wu Yu since the beginning, observing the situation and Evergod's imminent approach. He was hindered by the Void Wyrm in the Earthbound Wave Stellar Region and then devoured shortly after he called forth his reinforcement. It was almost a blink of a literal eye later, and her heart was still shaking intensely at the sight.
If it wasn't for Wu Yu's state of calm and the feeling of security he brought, she would honestly take to the Dark Void and flee. There was no doubt in her mind that this thing was extremely dangerous.
"Wha-what do you mean devoured?!" A Demi-Mortal Lord of the Star Sanctum Starfield couldn't resist asking, stirring the hearts of everyone else. A seed of fear began to infect their hearts.
"..." Feng Qingchu didn't respond. Instead, she clenched her fists tightly. While she felt that she was a strong woman and an even stronger cultivator, the power that Evergod had brought forth was unfathomable, and the Serpent had simply devoured him in an instant. He couldn't resist or react; his aura simply...vanished.
It was terrifying!
Extremely terrifying!!
"Do we prepare for combat?" Huoyan Xingshi's eyes stared at the slithering creature, approaching closer in a menacing and determined fashion. While it was slow, there was no doubt in his mind that it was traveling here. Out of everyone here, he was the only one as calm as Wu Yu.
His words caused many to look to Wu Yu, the Grand Knight of Neo-Dawn, and they sought leadership and orders. While many were fearful of the creature's existence and mystery, including how it devoured Evergod, there was a mountain of reliance in their hearts. Wei Wuyin, the one they took as their Emperor, possessed eighty-odd Earthly Saints, including them, and they had a Supermassive Solar Star as a base to defend against this incoming creature.
There was little reason to begin panicking.
"Fortunately for you all, I'm not the type to pointlessly test your loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for your new home." A voice rippled through the Dark Void, startling quite a few cultivators, while Wu Yu faintly smiled.
Pop.
A soft sound later, and a Void Portal manifested in front of Wu Yu. From this Void Portal, under the astonished gazes of everyone, especially the Earthly Saints who hadn't felt anything before its appearance, Wei Wuyin strode out. Instantly, he became the center of attention.
The hearts of these Ascended beings began to pound. This was the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn, a Worldly Saint Alchemist, and a mere mortal beneath the age of a hundred! When he arrived, few could take their eyes away from his astonishingly heaven-shaking visage that could dominate an entire gender.
Feng Qingchu's heart rate increased violently. She had met Wei Wuyin when he was merely a rumor, a legend, yet despite being a mere mortal, despite only a few middling decades having passed, the temperament of Wei Wuyin was a thousand-fold more intense.
She felt overwhelmed.
The urge to kneel threatened to sunder her heart.
Thud!
Ye Mufeng, however, already beat her to it. He kneeled on one knee, lowering his head in Wei Wuyin's direction as if it was his very nature to do so. Even his uncomfortable voice became gentle and neutral-sounding, bringing with it no hint of intimidation or unease. "Your Majesty," he called out with the utmost respect and reverence.
Thud! Thud!
Hai Shuilin and Huoyan Xingshi followed suit. "Your Majesty!"
Thud! Thud! THUD!
Like dominoes collapsing, the Ascended beings of the Neo-Dawn Starfield began to fall to their knees in waves, starting from the most prominent to the Starlords with their Worldly Domains unfurled. In a matter of seconds, thousands upon thousands of elite experts of the Sealed Regions all bowed their heads, lowering their positions and paying their respect to their Ascendant Emperor.
Wu Y11 and Feng Qingchu were also kneeling. The former had a bright smile on his face that was hard to hold. He could still remember that nearly sixty years ago, Wei Wuyin was a small, insignificant figure on the Myriad Yore Continent.
Now, here he stood before a sea of peak mortals and Ascended beings that have long since exceeded Mortal Limits, all while being a mortal himself. More impressively, there was no sign of disingenuous air within this moment.
"..." Wei Wuyin's heart underwent indescribable waves. A type of dignified pride birthed in his heart as the Imperial Law cycling his soul howled joyfully. Throughout Neo-Dawn Starfield's dual-dawn territory, he could sense the calls of concern and prayers of hope from countless beings.
Instinctively, these beings could feel the threat the Void Wyrm posed. It was similar to how beasts could feel an incoming calamity; while it wasn't clear, they all felt it the moment they saw the Serpent. They 'knew' that it was coming here.
Wei Wuyin was intrigued by this phenomenon, but he didn't delve into such a profound response or the sensation he felt.
"Rise," he raised his hand. As he commanded, like another wave of unfathomable synchronicity, the knees of these cultivators began to straighten out in the order they were bent. They began to stare at him with respect, worship, and reverence, looking to him for further commands or words. While a few doubted that Wei Wuyin understood the situation, none of them voiced their concerns.
Wei Wuyin didn't care about their doubts. He pointed towards the Void Wyrm, "That is called a Void Wyrm; it has a complicated origin, but today, none of that matters. What matters is that this is an opportunity-for each of you."
An opportunity?
The eyes of quite a few couldn't help but glance at the Void Wyrm. This included those top-tier Earthly Saints. After hearing that Evergod was devoured, the doubt in some of their hearts grew.
"Your Majesty, will we be hunting it?" Huoyan Xingshi asked the question on everyone's minds, doing so respectfully as he lowered his head. He had spoken out without permission, so he tried to showcase his lack of ill-intent in doing so. These types of matters were important to Emperors, especially the Divine Emperor. Because of this, certain rules of etiquette were naturally followed.
Wei Wuyin glanced at Huoyan Xingshi, "Absolutely not."
A hint of relief surged in the hearts of countless souls. If Feng Qingchu told the truth, then even Evergod was done in by this Void Wyrm.
"You all are too weak," Wei Wuyin calmly pointed out. Within his tone, there was no hint of deception. Furthermore, few doubted him. The only exceptions were the prideful Earthly Saints that have towered over trillions upon trillions after their ascension.
Fighting spirit raged in Wu Yu's eyes. Unexpectedly, Wei Wuyin's words inspired a will to battle in Feng Qingchu's eyes too. Despite her earlier fear, she was a strong woman who refused to yield easily to the concept of being weak. How else was she able to reach her current level by herself? The will to take risks and strive for the greatest gains w'as forged in her bones.
Wei Wuyin could see why Wu Yu found her pleasing.
Wei Wuyin continued, "No, you all will be given a much greater task. You'll have to be swift, careful, and precise. You'll be transporting and protecting them-"
Wei Wuyin gestured to the area beneath the mountain. Suddenly, thousands of Void Portals manifested with a series of soft sounds. From these portals, mortals began to walk out in droves. They were children, teens, and young adults, all mortals and all cultivators at the Qi Condensation Realm. Their auras were all extremely weak, with not a single one above the External Flow' Phase.
They were dressed in light grey uniforms, exuding a type of unique Void Aura that made sensing them difficult for some of the Starlords. The fact that they numbered in the hundreds of thousands startled everyone. So many!
"Grand Knight Wu Yu," Wei Wuyin called out.
"Yes!" Wu Yu instantly replied.
"You have the most important task. If you fail, the chances a re...everyone here, even these mortals, will all die." Wei Wuyin held nothing back, as he openly said, causing countless hearts to shiver. The tension in the air grew' thicker.
"I will not fail," Wu Yu stated firmly.
Wei Wuyin nodded; he walked over, briefly touched Wu Yu's Saint Ring, and then placed his finger on his glabella as a wisp of Alchemic Eden Starforce surged into his Sea of Consciousness.
Wu Yu was dazed for a short while, and then his eyes brightened considerably. "I understand." His reply w'as extremely solemn, and Feng Qingchu was unable to contain her w'orry as she w'as about to speak out, but Wu Yu turned to her and gave a firm, steady gaze.
Seeing his determined look, she remained tactfully silent. Partners often had an unspoken connection, and she could feel that he was certain of his success and safety. There was also no turning dowm or questioning this assignment.
Wei Wuyin gave his subjects all a sweeping glance and then turned around. Slowly, he began to ascend into the sky.
"Your Majesty!"
Wei Wuyin slightly turned his head, stopping his sky-ascending steps. The owmer of that voice belonged to Huoyan Xingshi, the Pope of the Inferno Solaris Church, and one of the first to submit to him.
"What about the Void Wyrm?" Wei Wuyin hadn't gone in-depth on far too many things, so most were utterly baffled about wdiat to do.
"Wu Yu will explain everything else on my behalf. Follow his every order. As for the Void Wyrm, I'm going to say hello." Wei Wuyin chuckled at the end, exuding a type of carefree demeanor as his steps resumed and his body instantly transformed into a ray of light that shot into the Dark Void!
-Erdiul
