Serenity and stability were found by countless souls as Wu Yu grabbed his mighty spear of Imperial Heaven Power, flying directly into the Aeternal Sky Starfield through a gaping, inviting opening in its array.
The world-shaking, void-rending, and heaven-suppressing battle between Tian Weilong alongside the two Sky Monarchs and the Grand Knight of Neo-Dawn had come to a surprising end as the latter didn't retreat nor directly state his purpose, simply rushing into the Aeternal Sky Starfield's territory fearlessly, by invitation no less! The outcome left those wily foxes scrambling for reasoning.
What was happening exactly?
Tian Lingyi had already moved. Out of many experts present, she was one of the few who truly didn't believe the Aeternal Sky Starfield was in danger. Whenever she had her doubts, she recalled her intimate moments with Wei Wuyin and her heart settled almost immediately. Her confidence didn't stem from believing that Wei Wuyin was a good person, but simply a belief that Wei Wuyin wouldn't hurt her in that way. While some might call that thinking naive given their limited interaction, it was her instincts that convinced her.
She flew past Wu Yu who streaked across the various Domains unhindered, her eyes watching as his beautifully transformed figure soared intently. She could tell that he was rushing toward the Aeternal Sky Domain, the capital domain of the starfield, the home of the Tian Clan.
Wu Yu glanced her way, they were separated by tens of thousands of miles, yet he still gave her a look. When she saw his eyes that resembled the gorgeous night sky riddled with colorful stars, her heart shook. Before she could say anything, Wu Yu sped up, zooming through the starfield with incredible speed.
Tian Lingyu eventually arrived by Tian Weilong's Unconscious body that was covered in cuts, bleeding from all his orifices. His already aged and frail-looking body seemed to have been worse, but his life source was unharmed. While he suffered some outward damage, Wu Yu showed notable mercy, preventing him from losing any lifespan from these injuries.
Careful and deliberate in a battle meant being overwhelmingly stronger than your opponent.
Woosh!
A woman arrived beside Tian Lingyi, her burgundy hair and robes fluttered slightly. "The remnant power here is incredible," she commented lightly. Yang Chaoyue's eyes glowed as she realized that Wu Yu, Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Knight, was most certainly a main recipient of his greatest available products.
There was a lingering, very plausible theory that Wei Wuyin had been an Earthly Saint Alchemist for a long, long time. This theory was going around solely based on how abruptly some Earthly Saints had appeared, including his title as Saintmaker given very early on, decades ago in fact. Ma Zheng and Wu Yu were notable evidence of this conclusion, including his invention of a ninth-grade, convention-toppling Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill.
Tian Lingyi hurriedly sent some wood-attributed Mystic Power into Tian Weilong, causing the slicing wounds to rapidly heal. She was exhausting quite a bit of her own cultivated powers, a sight that shocked Yang Chaoyue as every iota of Mystic Power was incalculable in value, and extremely difficult to recover without certain materials of Mystic-Earth products.
If it was before, Yang Chaoyue didn't doubt that Tian Lingyu would have simply brought Tian Weilong back safely and have him heal himself over time, even if immediate aid would assist in his recovery long-term.
"Look at you, already enjoying 'his' benefits." Yang Chaoyue's teasing comment caused Tian Lingyu's expression to change slightly, realizing her actions, she also blushed shyly, refusing to answer or look toward Yang Chaoyue. In her heart, she knew Yang Chaoyue was right; she was only so careless with her Mystic Power because she had already received a few recovery-based transcendent ninth-grade products and a Mystic-Earth product from Wei Wuyin.
Unbeknownst to her that the Mystic-Earth product came from a fallen Worldly Saint.
Yang Chaoyue didn't blame her, and in fact, felt her respect grow a little. Soon, Tian Shangyang arrived alongside a few other Earthly Saints, all curious about Tian Weilong's situation. As for trailing Wu Yu? He was in their territory and the Divine Emperor had personally told him to 'come', they had no fear towards any further incidents.
While they were fearful of Wei Wuyin, and by extension Wu Yu somewhat, their Internalized belief in the Divine Emperor, especially in their Aeternal Sky Star and the array that guards their territory, was unshaken and utterly flawless.
"I only sense six types of runic impressions on his body. I thought Wu Yu was an 8th Runic Ascendant?" He Bojing commented on the side. This was the Aeternal Sky Starfield, so the Earthly Saints from the Noble Clans, World Sects, and Mystic Associations were already present. Zhang Ziyi and Han Yuhei were among them.
"..." The observant left a few stunned initially, but they quickly deduced the reason.
"Heh," Yang Chaoyue snorted, barely containing her disdain, as she said: "He lowered his cultivation base to fight him, and he still lost this badly? If this doesn't show the absurd difference, I don't know what does." The 'difference' here being the presence of a Saint Alchemist and the absence of one.
"..." Everyone went solemnly silent.
While Tian Dingjian, the Sky-Zenith Alchemic Saint, was present in the Imperial Clan, she was notorious for being stingy with her time and products. Not even Tian Muyang had received one in his entire lifetime from her. Almost all of them had to make do with cultivating the typical way, through refining mystic-graded materials and incessant tempering of their innate energies.
However, Tian Weilong had been an Earthly Saint for over ten thousand years and lost to a small pup that had only been an Earthly Saint for a few decades. While their talents could be a huge factor in their strength, with one having eight mystic runes and the other having six, Wu Yu had deliberately lowered his cultivation base to his level!
If before their hearts had always felt that Wei Wuyin was the gateway to a greater, higher path of cultivation, then today, this all but confirmed it!
In truth, Yang Chaoyue had been enjoying treatment from Wei Wuyin for a few decades now too, and she felt that she could fight and defeat Tian Weilong as well, despite being an entire rune lower! This was a stark benefit of enjoying the favoritism of an Alchemic Saint; however, she was fully aware that among the others, her position wasn't very high, so what she obtained was likely a paltry sum in comparison to Wu Yu or the Armored Saint.
Tian Muyang and Han Yuhei were both extremely sullen; they had both tried to become a second Wu Yu to Wei Wuyin, but the former had the immovable obstacle that was the Imperial Clan and the latter was essentially unable to display his value over the decades, missing some crucial opportunities due to circumstances.
Even if they went to war, Wei Wuyin was too valuable to fight against. Unlike the King of Everlore, Wei Wuyin seemed far more willing to accept. A few of the Noble Clans and World Sects, both the Demi-Mortal Lord elders and the Earthly Saints, felt an increasingly fervent desire to obtain Wei Wuyin's favor and even held thoughts of...
As the upheaval of loyalties and opinions occurred in the hearts and souls of numerous Ascended beings of the Aeternal Sky Starfield, Wu Yu held his spear that thrummed with egregiously alarming power as he arrived at the borders of the Aeternal Sky Domain.
The Aeternal Sky Domain was notably different from the rest, possessing the highest density of Mystic Essence throughout, contained by an exquisite formation that outlined its borders. Wu Yu didn't need to speak as an opening within the formation appeared. There was no hesitation in his heart or movements as he flew right in.
The Aeternal Sky Domain was a pinnacle of beauty and art. Just the planets themselves had gorgeously lightly colored atmospheric layers, like sea blue or verdant green, denoting an essence of life and nature. The lunar satellites glinted with fine, mystic radiance from the Aeternal Sky Star, seemingly acting as mirrors to reflect its beauty and presence to each planet they orbited.
Wu Yu saw some towns and cities on these planets, each thriving with vibrant life and activity. There was ceaseless activation of Void Gates as individuals freely traversed from planet to planet. Moreover, these Void Gates seemed to be offered at a considerably fair and cheap rate.
His starry eyes continuously glowed with interest as he observed the miraculous civilization from extremely far. Observing all these mortals live, thrive, struggle, and overcome truly made one feel like a god. Without any thought, he sent a wisp of power screeching through the Dark Void, seeping into a planet's atmosphere harmlessly and landing before a young lady that was being chased by armored soldiers, her opulent dress was ripped and torn asunder by the bushes and branches of the woods, and she had faint bloody scratches all over her arms and legs.
When the wisp landed a few hundred meters beside her, her eyes filled with abject fear and incredible resolve for survival noticed a starry glow in the distance and she rushed toward it instinctively.
Wu Yu looked away. That woman looked remarkably similar to Junia in her youth, when she was vibrant and young, and even her eyes carried that same resolve...
Whether it was a coincidence or not, he couldn't help but act. Suddenly, he felt a type of peace enshroud his heart, mind, and soul. It was as if something had left his shoulders, an invisible tether that hung heavy and low.
Unbeknownst to Wu Yu, Wei Wuyin had lost some Karmic Luck Value at that very moment.
Eventually, Wu Yu found himself near a titanic-sized planet that greatly exceeded large planets. It was utterly massive, taking up a large portion of the Aeternal Sky Star's exuded Mystic Essence.
Imperial Sky!
This planet was a manifestation of grace, elegance, beauty, nobility, and strength. It stood high, its towers reaching the highest Sky Layer of the planet, siphoning the purest solar essence from beyond the sky, refining it into thick, enriched astral and mystic essence.
The air it possessed was one of exuberant exceptionalism, a holy land for cultivators. Simply breathing this refined air was like cultivating for hours on end, absolutely breathtaking!
Wu Yu first saw the heart-stopping, outrageously gorgeous Tian Xiaocheng standing atop a jade lotus platform at the edge of the planet's atmospheric sky layers. While in his 3rd Grand Transformation state, he instantly appeared a few meters away from her, the thrumming of the spear was despotic and oppressive to the soul.
Tian Xiaocheng's outward expression was unmoving, but her heart went aflutter with shock at Wu Yu's power.
"He's expecting you," she calmly said before turning around, seemingly unbothered about the possibility that Wu Yu might attack her, and flew into the planet, opening up a host of formations, both invisible and completely noticeable.
Wu Yu followed her. As he grew closer to the planet's surface, he felt an increasing sensation of an omnipresent will permeating the air. His mystic energies within his body began to grow turbulent as his 3rd Grand Transformation grew unstable.
Mystic Heart Intent!
Wu Yu's Imperial Mystic Soul throbbed slightly as it interfaced with the World Rune-the Exalted Heaven World Rune! This was the World Rune blueprint that he'd obtained through Wei Wuyin's ascension phenomenon of a Worldly Saint! As wisps of its aura exuded outward, his transformation grew stable and unshakeable.
Tian Xiaocheng was taken aback, sensing Wu Yu's calm aura in the face of Mystic Heart Intent. Typically, when Ascended beings enter Imperial Sky, they would find themselves restrained by its aura, lowering their heads in deference and growing their sense of reverence.
However, if Wu Yu couldn't do at least this much before the Divine Emperor, he might as well not have come. And he certainly wouldn't be worthy of being an Alchemic Knight of a Worldly Saint.
They soon arrived at the center of the Imperial Clan's noblest bloodline, its home of all homes: Heaven's Sky Palace! While called a palace, it was a gargantuan palatial city that could be seen from hundreds of thousands of miles out, utterly splendid and domineering.
As they arrived at the main gate to the true palace of the Heaven's Sky Palace, Tian Xiaocheng paused.
Wu Yu kept holding his spear, but he also paused. He eyed the Number ONE Beauty of the Aeternal Sky Starfield.
"There's no turning back once you do this," she said.
"..." Wu Yu's expression remained unchanged by her words of warning. "I know."
"Then, I hope you find what you're seeking." She stepped aside and gestured toward the gate as it opened with a great, ancient-sounding hum as if it was a hymn from immortals. Since the beginning, Wu Yu's steps remained undaunted by any obstacle, and even this grand experience was unable to hinder him in the slightest.
He entered the palace!
The moment he stepped foot into the palace's hall, there was a solemn, oppressive air that battered his heart, mind, and soul. But after experiencing that moment earlier, he no longer felt encumbered by any feelings of regret or doubt; he smoothly entered.
At the end of the hall was a throne.
Sitting atop this throne: a man.
If one could call him that. To most of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, he was like a divinity of legend and authority, a figure of myth and reality, the one with the most power throughout the known world-he was the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor!!
"The Grand Knight of Neo-Da-" As the voice of unimaginable will, presence, and authority resounded, Wu Yu's eyes shone with bright, radiant light as he gripped his world-sundering spear.
WOOSH!!
He launched it toward the throne with an impeccably flawless throw!!!
