The feelings from that last line inspired irrational, unreasonable, and unexplainable emotions from Wei Wuyin. Those heated, ferocious, and ravenous emotions seemed not to originate from his heart or his soul, but from the depths of his psyche. It wasn't his own. If Wei Wuyin had to describe the discomforting sensation, he would find similarities to a beast receiving an instinctual response from their bloodline upon meeting a fated predator or prey.
Interestingly enough, there was no fear or hunger within these emotions. Moreover, the last line-Everlore is Imperishable-contained its own imbued fluctuations of intense hatred and unyielding determination. It was remarkable.
Inexplicably, Wei Wuyin's mind trailed toward the Star-Devourer, the Tiangou. He didn't know why, but he strongly felt on an instinctual, innate level that the Tiangou, Magi, the King of Everlore, and the Sealed Regions had a story together that was unfathomable. Originally, he hadn't put too much stock into all of this, focusing mostly on his strength, but after seeing that line, he felt that this was going to be something that was unavoidable.
He quietly maintained his silence as he considered these things, Xue Yifei by his side, her hazel eyes with blue flecks watching the proceedings of the Evercrown's final act. Despite being a little worried about Wei Wuyin's slight outburst of emotion, she felt a wave of continuous warmth and contentment.
She was only a little insignificant princess of a small continent that could barely survive because of the sense of obligation or ill-will of others. She lacked true power, strength, authority, and control of her fate. Without certain people, she would have long since been demoted to a plaything or a tool for marriage to accumulate gains for her Kingdom. She was fortunate at that time, and she knew that, but she was always extremely bitter.
This was especially so when her cultivation, the path toward true strength, was severely restrained due to the split of Yin and Yang Dragon Souls. All of that changed when Wei Wuyin entered her life. A single moment and a single decision had caused a potential red wedding to transform into this. She had personal strength, global respect, unquestionable authority, and a reliable partner who was patient, intelligent, and non-obsessive.
To her, she felt as if she had become Chosen King. And no one, absolutely no one, could take that away from her.
The observers of the finale of the competition were all silently watching. The Chosen that remained from both worlds were no longer fighting or resisting. A strange peaceful atmosphere formed where they were all reduced willingly to spectators. Regardless if the Chosen King title came with endless benefits, one had to be alive and successful to enjoy any of it.
Tambu Ma and his group of titan Chosen were huddled together a few dozen miles away from the ceremonial throne and altar. They surreptitiously caused other members of the Titan Race to gather on them, forming a crowd of tall humanoid figures of astonishing talent and cultivation.
The humans did the same, as did the Celestials.
Solemn as they were, they eventually gathered irrespective of their factions, only taking their racial origins into account. Within a few minutes, the three 'superior' races of the World Beyond were in united groups while the Chosen from the Sealed Region gathered.
Unlike the Chosen from the World Beyond, they were all exclusively mortals. They had only survived either due to their heavily exerted sense of caution, reliable talismans for survival, or tools given to them by their force's Ascended beings.
The Ascendants didn't segregate themselves from those from the Sealed Region, joining with them without any hesitation or disunity. The sight of them gathering was certainly unique as various races of numerous lineages, be it demonic or bestial, were present. The event caused quite a few from the World Beyond to communicate with shock via spiritual transmissions.
The differences between cultivation societies from two different worlds were clearly shown here. While the Sealed Regions also had issues with Demons and Demonic Hybrids, considered the 'Elven Race' as inferior, the existence of the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn was causing these differences to crumble.
This was all due to Wei Wuyin's belief of indiscriminate treatment and, subtly, the well-known fact of him having lovers from every racial origin. Since he didn't discriminate, how could those who wished to aspire to be like him or gain his favor conceive the thought of doing anything different? The world changed from the moment Wei Wuyin stepped foot in it, and the far-reaching effects were already being seen here today.
Eventually, Su Mei found herself on the throne. She appeared exceptionally majestic, a glow of seven-colored light enveloped her body, exuding an aura of alchemical purity that resembled Utmost Purity Mist. She was merely sitting, yet she seemed to have touched upon the elusive Alchemic Dao.
"Can I put it on you?" Su Mei looked at the hopeful, excited eyes of Bei Yinyin and couldn't help but smile as she nodded her head.
A yelp of excitement later and Bei Yinyin had already reached for and taken the tiara that was the Evercrown from Su Mei, jumping on the throne with a huff and held it like a precious treasure.
"Big Aunt Mei, lower your head!" She said as her little arms couldn't quite reach Su Mei. Su Mei obliged, but not by lowering her head, but by using the glow of alchemical light to slowly lift Bei Yinyin upwards.
"Woah!" Bei Yinyin exclaimed as she adjusted her little feet in the air, and after seeing that it was safe, she found Su Mei's head of hair and eyed for a good position. She slowly placed the Evercrown on Su Mei's head. After sticking out her tongue as if she was putting the final touch on a masterpiece, she maneuvered the crown until it was perfectly aligned and she was satisfied.
"Good!" Clapping with a youthful exuberance that was unmatched, Bei Yinyin looked toward Su Mei as she wore the Evercrown, her eyes as pure and dark as a starless night, yet they carried a warm radiance that was unrivaled by any star. "You look really, really beautiful, Big Aunt Mei!" These were words spoken from the heart of a child, utterly pure and without any ulterior motives. The best compliment one could hope to obtain.
"Thank you," Su Mei's gaze softened as she lowered Bei Yinyin. She swept her eyes across the world and felt as if she had truly become a King, observed by countless Chosen as none of them contested her for the right to obtain it. In their eyes, Su Mei was by far the strongest of those strange mortals.
"Let the refinement begin," Su Mei ordered.
The Alchemists of the Hepta-Dawn Alchemic Corps seemed to have been triggered by this. Shockingly, two other Alchemists were a part of this, and Su Mei ignored them. They had, at some point, been brought forth by a strange spatial power. She knew that if he wanted them here, she didn't feel the need to intervene or object.
Tian Xiaolu and Qingye Ying!
The two were among the group of Hepta-Dawn Alchemic Corps Alchemists and they were going to experience the bountiful benefit of fully refining the Evercrown and choosing a Chosen King of this generation! They all began to pour in their Alchemical Energies into the Evercrown. Their powers all split into seven streams, each demoting an aspect of the Alchemic Dao.
The Evercrown's process was almost automatic! They simply needed to provide the power! The purer their power, the more effective and hastened the refinement of the Evercrown!
The entire process didn't take too long, only three hours. During this, Su Mei's figure was enveloped entirely in seven-colored lights, and only the silhouette of the brightly radiant Evercrown and her bodily outline could be seen by those watching.
BOOM!!
A familiar intensity shook the world for the Chosen of the Sealed Regions while those from the World Beyond had their hearts pounding as their eyes glowed fiercely with excited and elated light.
"Is this...?" Xue Yifei immediately noticed the familiar sensation.
"This smells like...!" San Yongli was taken aback as his nose sniffed the air.
Yi Xuehan was more familiar with what happened, and she was already in a readied state. Soon, the entire world shook. Not just the Evercrown Ceremony's vast lands, but the entire unique realm violently trembled!!
A wave-like surging quake coursed through the entire world as if the world itself was experiencing an earthquake! Moreover, these waves impacted the body, mind, and spirit equally! The feeling of being surrounded, entirely engulfed, and tightly strangled could be felt by everyone present!
Xiao Yanyue woke up at this point. Her eyes were bright as a solar star as she exclaimed hoarsely: "Spiritquake!"
Wei Wuyin turned toward Xue Yifei, "One of the seven foundational powers of the Alchemic Stars of the Alchemic Dao is Phenomenon Manifestation. It can emulate any phenomenon an Alchemist has invoked, but its effects are considerably lessened. This is the Evercrown emulating that power."
Xue Yifei's eyes glowed, "Does that mean this has similar benefits to yours?"
Wei Wuyin shook his head, "While you can certainly try, the benefits are exclusive to those who refined Evercrown and mainly focused on the individual wearing it."
Xue Yifei nodded in understanding. However, she wasn't envious of Su Mei in the slightest. In fact, she was excited for her.
The spiritquake didn't last long either, only seven seconds. After it ended, the world resumed a state of normalcy, and the Evercrown atop Su Mei's head slowly receded its seven-colored glow, revealing itself. It no longer was its original color, but jet-black like night, adorned with seven-colored gems.
It perfectly fit Su Mei and adhered harmoniously to her body entirely. She resembled a divine princess of twilight, exuding a dark radiance that pierced through the world, overwhelming the sky, and suppressing the earth. She had a bearing of a valiant warrior and a nascent divinity. Her gaze swept across the world and enforced a wave of oppressive might on the True Souls of numerous talents.
For this generation, the Chosen King was determined.
The First Ascendant, Su Mei!!!
