Tian Xiaolu!
The Blessed of the Imperial Clan and Tian Muyang's niece, and the disciple of the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint! That Tian Xiaolu! She was as stunning as ever, utterly gorgeous, a rare, excessive beauty with very few flaws, if any. Her sheer presence caused a shift in commotion as quite a few men and women turned her way, the light of spiritual force flashed across many of their eyes, trying to discern any signs of lines of falsity on her impeccable features.
Tian Xiaolu ignored those annoying gazes, long since used to them, only focusing her bright blue eyes on Wei Wuyin. In her eyes, Wei Wuyin's presence was unfathomable. "Why are you here?" Her question was dripping with veiled vigilance, her tone grim, and her big, bold brows furrowed, granting her a different type of heart-arresting quality.
"You came from the other side?" Wei Wuyin replied with a question instead of an answer. This actually confused him. He could've sworn that he had felt Tian Xiaolu's presence before the Alchemic Expo alongside Tian Dingjian, the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint.
How did she bypass the unique blockage going into the World Between the Fold? No, more importantly, why would she even need to? Tian Xiaolu was already qualified to enter from either pathway, so there was entirely no need to expend extra energy to go back and forth.
Tian Xiaolu's eyebrows twitched oddly as if she hadn't expected the question but she grasped the implied meaning.By this point, the two cut an exceptional duo, attracting all sorts of attention from others. One part of it was their astounding looks, both exceedingly outstanding amongst their respective genders, likely to an excessive level, while the other was that the thousands here couldn't pinpoint who Wei Wuyin was.
At first, his presence was curious, then it became shocking as transmissions were sent confirming that Wei Wuyin simply wasn't anyone they knew. Moreover, he had no signs of any lines of falsity or a strange haze in their eyes, so he wasn't concealing himself in any way.
Who was he?
As for Tian Xiaolu, they knew who she was; she was a Dao Instructor who had tied with the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint's unexpected elven-raced disciple, leading to them sharing the legacy during the last few decades, establishing themselves strongly amongst top-notch talents. The heaven-shaking presence of an inferior-raced Elf was already shocking, but Tian Xiaolu's talents and skills were even more terrifying! To many, she was a potential challenger to watch out for.
After Wei Wuyin was discovered, a perceptive few noticed that there were a dozen or so unfamiliar figures in unfamiliar robes that they couldn't identify. What was going on?
While the Alchemic Sovereigns clamored curiously among themselves, Wei Wuyin asked: "Where's Qingye Ying?" The Princess of Everlore, the elf that was formerly designed to be assigned to likely Long Chen or Lin Ming by the Heavenly Daos, and later sent to Tian Xiaolu as a bonded partner!
"She's here," Tian Xiaolu's furrowed brows deepened as she looked about. When they were transported, they were taken to random locations. The place was rather vast so she could be at the edge or somewhere else. At the first glancing sweep, Tian Xiaolu couldn't find her. Her anxiety began to rise inexplicably.
Finally, Wei Wuyin decided to observe the others present as they sent curious, inspective gazes towards him. This was one of the hidden mysteries of the Chosen King Competition, the Everclash Platform! It could only be reached after the first stage had been conquered and only by those who've gained the approval of the Alchemic Daos, obtaining the Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality! In other words, only Mortal Sovereign Alchemists!
Moreover, since the Chosen King Competition gated those over the age of five hundred, they were all outstanding figures that could send the Sealed Regions into a twist from their sheer presence and ability.
They all belonged to the World Beyond! Wei Wuyin spotted different races, from Titans to Celestials, and finally Humans! These were the three 'superior' races of the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone! As pursuers of the Dao of Alchemy, especially those who've achieved the peak of the Mortal-rank Alchemic Dao, they stood all out, regardless of their race, incredibly extraordinary in appearance, aura, bearing, and breadth of knowledge. Moreover, a vast majority of them were Alchemic Soul cultivators!
Wei Wuyin's alternative life path was the Void Voyage Sect's Sect Master, so he wasn't shocked or taken aback as the Alchemists under him, who were like children in a zoo, were shaken by the enlarged figures of the Titan and the fluffy tails, sharp ears, and star-pupils of the Celestials.
Wei Wuyin stared at the alchemists who had come along, and he frowned slightly. He was indiscriminate in his tutelage or choice of potential targets for nourishing, yet the only ones present were humans. The others had disappeared. He couldn't find their auras at all.
"Where is she?" Tian Xiaolu at this point couldn't find Qingye Ying at all. She discreetly executed a hand-seal. Her Yin- Pairing Bond began to subtly activate.
Wei Wuyin also tapped into his powers, sensing the spatial rings of his alchemists. He discovered that they were elsewhere, but in the same dimension of space-here. When his gaze shifted downwards, he discovered a second globe, much smaller in size with various figures standing about. Along with his non-human Alchemist was a stunning goldenhaired elf that was anxiously looking about, similarly executing her Yin-Pairing Bond's connection, glancing upwards soon after.
Tian Xiaolu's eyes turned downwards as she frowned. After a long moment, she sighed with a mixture of relief and frustration. The segregation of humans, celestials, and titans from the non-trio of 'superior' races of the Azure-Prime Galactic Zones was very telling of how they were perceived there. She was already fully aware and was largely unconcerned as she grew up being taught that elves were 'inferior', unable to ascend, but after forming a Yin-Pairing Bond, her perception changed greatly as she found that type of term extremely derogatory and insulting to those races.
Wei Wuyin was infuriated.
He looked at Wang Yutian, whose eyes betrayed his helplessness, especially since he had been watching Wei Wuyin since the very beginning, including the developments of the Neo-Dawn Starfield and the utmost equality he enforced as the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn!
"I'm sorry," Wang Yutian sent over. "The Everclash was designed to be divided in this way." The Everclash would have two fields of challenge, one for 'superior' and one for 'inferior' races, further segregated in potential prizes.
Wei Wuyin frowned, "The King of Everlore?" That didn't make any sense. While the King of Everlore had certain peculiarities that Wu Yu described, he was never one that discriminated.
Wang Yutian responded hastily, "No!" He seemed to not want Wei Wuyin to think that the King of Everlore would add such a rule. "By those who came later," was all he could say before his expression distorted slightly. There were some things he couldn't actively talk about. The fact he tried was enough to see how he was aware of Wei Wuyin's inclinations and thoughts on the matter.
Wei Wuyin nodded. Then, he looked at Tian Xiaolu with a slight smile. "Be right back." His words caught her off-guard.
"Back? Where are you going? Where can you go?" She asked, confused.
"To get the Princess and my alchemists," Wei Wuyin smilingly uttered as his body sank into the platform like a ghost, vanishing mysteriously. Tian Xiaolu and the others were instantly dumbfounded by Wei Wuyin's disappearance.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Wang Yutian's eyes widened, instantly destroying the illusion of his mechanical and imposing bearing as an unfeeling automaton. But he could care less about that as he felt the auras of several Minor Laws begin to pulse throughout the strange space. The auras permeated throughout as the smaller globe began to rise, the most notable was the Minor Imperial Law. Its will was downright world-shaping! Somehow, it was changing various intricate formations inexplicably and rapidly, seamless and unhindered.
The platform from the World Beyond was on began to tremble violently, and a few couldn't keep their footing despite their cultivation bases being exceptional.
The smaller globe began to ascend, rising speedily toward the larger globe. Since it was beneath them, the World Beyond's Alchemists present weren't able to observe the rising globe due to the platform of white jade.
"What a terrifying power of Law!" Wang Yutian exclaimed internally as he observed Wei Wuyin use a single hand with only a cold, tyrannical gaze to lift the smaller globe. He was single-handedly-quite literally, changing the circumstances of the competition!
The two globes collided immediately after. The trembling intensified yet the globes didn't truly'collide'. Instead, they began to merge with the smaller globe adding to the larger one, causing the latter to grow a tad bigger.
Wang Yutian watched as dozens of other figures began to appear throughout the platform in a burst of light. Their appearances startled those from the World Beyond, especially their long ears, differently-colored skins, or animalistic qualities. In his eyes, these individuals were 'meant' to be here now.
Right beside Tian Xiaolu, a familiar golden-haired elf appeared inexplicably. "Qingye Ying?"
The golden-haired elf was a little fearful as the platform had felt as if it was rumbling, but when Tian Xiaolu appeared beside her, she instantly felt calmer. "What happened?!"
Tian Xiaolu was unable to answer.
"I just made it fair," Wei Wuyin somehow appeared beside them, giving them both a fright as they visibly jumped. He was like a ghost!
"You?!" Qingye Ying was soon shocked after nearly screaming her heart out at Wei Wuyin's sudden appearance. "Aren't you dead?" She asked almost immediately with confusion in her eyes. Wei Wuyin looked toward Tian Xiaolu. The Imperial Clan's descendant realized that Qingye Ying had inadvertently revealed something about her, and her expression darkened slightly.
"What did you do?" She changed the subject.
"Just made it a little fairer," Wei Wuyin smiled as he inspected his non-human alchemists, satisfied with their calm responses to the change of situation.
"Fair? With you here?" Tian Xiaolu uttered flatly. How could it be fair with Wei Wuyin present?
"Who knows?" Wei Wuyin shrugged.
This was a contest of the World Beyond's elite alchemists of the younger generation and the Sealed Region's, brought together by the illustrious name of the King of Everlore and his established competition. Fairness never existed to begin with on the path of cultivation, so Wei Wuyin's words were simply playfully said, not meant to be truthful.
"Wait! AREN'T YOU DEAD?!" Qingye Ying was unwilling to drop this topic. In the World Between the Fold, it was uttered that Wei Wuyin had perished after encountering difficulties in the Time Vortex, having lost his life decisively as a result. This was the news that spread, and they came from up high. How was he even here?Wei Wuyin's eyes suddenly turned serious, his voice deepening, "Are you cursing me?"
"Wha ? What?! No! I'm not...I didn't mean to..." Qingye Ying was still perplexed but she averted her gaze, realizing how rude she was by asking that question.
"Haha!" Wei Wuyin instantly brightened up, smiling to the point that many of the women watching were unable to focus on anything but him. "It's okay. I'm here alive. That's all that matters, right?"
"Right!" Qingye Ying was slowly infected and smiled gleefully as well.
Tian Xiaolu watched as Qingye Ying was pulled expertly into Wei Wuyin's pace, and turned away from her line of questioning instantly and willingly. It was fascinating to watch, but also worrying considering their Yin Pairing Bond. She had to pay extra attention so that he wouldn't deceive her somehow. She shook her head internally, turning her gaze to Wang Yutian.
"The Everclash shall begin in sixty seconds! Ready yourselves, Alchemists." Wang Yutian realized that he had almost forgotten his duties, and hastily sent out an announcement. While the Alchemists from the World Beyond were stunned by the new arrivals, they couldn't help but mildly accept it for now.
It was uttered that this Everclash would be slightly different than past ones by those old foxes, so they had to simply accept it for now.
The Everclash was more important anyhow!
