An incoming VESSEL!
HALT!!
POWER DOWN YOUR FORMATIONS IMMEDIATELY! OR BE TREATED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE AND DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY!
Those aboard the Minor Elysium retched dryly as nausea bombarded every cell in their body.
The only exception was Wei Wuyin, who held onto Yue Songli's slender waist tightly as she tightly clutched her fingers around his robes for stability. The passage through Void Portals was often as easy as stepping through an open door for all except those with low spatial tolerance, which usually led to some form of spatial sickness developing. Zuhei was one of the few who had this issue early on. They all seemed to be subjected to that type of sickness.
Young Master Shang didn't just dry-heave, he directly spewed out rivers of alcoholic liquid mixed with digestive fluid onto the deck, his appearance utterly wretched with messy hair and bloodshot eyes as he was on his knees with his head hung low.
Ming Shufeng was sprawled out on the floor with semi-conscious eyes and incessant hiccups. It felt like her soul was spinning and her Sea of Consciousness was flipped upside down.
Not even Su Mei was spared; the trip left her dizzy as she used her saber's scabbard to balance herself upright, trying her best not to fall. She had to repeatedly circulate her innate spatial energies to ease the discombobulating effects on her body and spiritual sense. The other Ascendants reacted swiftly too, preventing themselves from falling on their knees or on the floor. With a hazy arrow in Yao Houyi's hands that was used like a crutch, he remained upright, his innate spatial energies circulated with purpose and intensity.
Shui Fengbao had become an amalgamation of distorted flames in a vaguely humanoid shape. He floated a few inches off the deck like a ghastly, flickering will-o-wisp.
Even Su Mei's shadow took the form of a more masculine figure, seemingly contorted out of shape in discomfort.
Cao Cuifen and Liu Suyin found each other inexplicably, holding each other upright in a full embrace. Their faces were pressed together so closely that they were on the verge of touching lips. This instinctual 'synergy' was most certainly developed due to their unique circumstance of repeated tag-teaming against that ferocious dragon.
"Well," Wei Wuyin commented lightly as he cleared his throat. This was the first time he'd executed Void Portal Creation: Galactic Range in reality, having only run mental simulations prior using his Second Mind's calculation abilities. To think it would have such an effect on others.
No amount of warnings would have assisted them. After all, traversing quadrillions of miles in a single go was an unprecedented experience that was hard to describe. Fortunately, they had all lived.
Within his heart, Wei Wuyin could hear the faint draconic laughter from Kratos as if amused by the group's pathetic response to traveling such a 'short' distance. Wei Wuyin didn't know whether to laugh in amusement or cough awkwardly.
Shui Fengbao and Yao Houyi had lost control over the ship due to their disorientated states and had released the Shroud of Law and the formations to deploy certain passive contingencies that caused energy fluctuations to pulse through the Dark Void. The slowly transitioning fiery red to multicolored Minor Elysium was exposed to the nearby outpost.
As Wei Wuyin wondered whether he should seize control of the ship temporarily or wait until they acclimated, the ship's atmospheric layer was bombarded and breached by thunderous booms of Spiritual Power carrying with it domineering orders.
Finding the origin of that voice, Wei Wuyin discovered a tiny-sized rogue planet that housed hundreds of thousands of living beings, the vast majority of which were human. There was a developed civilization there.
The civilization wasn't too powerful, as the gaps between the strongest and the most common were unnaturally massive. There were mortals and those at the Qi Condensation Realm living in cities, towns, villages, and in the wilderness, lacking any Astral Core Realm cultivators, but they had experts at the Mystic Ascendant Realm at or above the Soul of Mysticism Phase.
Sensing the weaker existences, the majority had bloodline fluctuations that were faintly similar as if they were relatives, some closer than others, most extremely distant, but likely derived from the same ancestral lineage.
It was clear that this planet doubled as an outpost and a housing unit for a specific person's familial lineage, perhaps as a safety net or contingency for their bloodline's continuation.
"Those at the Mystic Ascendant Realm should be guards assigned here," Wei Wuyin muttered. He expected an outpost after Young Master Shang's detailed experiences of what he came across traveling through the four galaxies, but he didn't expect a planet. According to Young Master Shang, most outposts were Void Vessels, like the Shadow Egg of Trueborn, and possessed miraculous sensory abilities and means of escape to report any invading forces.
The White Abyssal Galaxy was divided into four Galactic Zones, but none of them occupied more than fifteen percent of the territory, as the Absolute Void Region at the heart of the galaxy occupied more than ten percent of the galaxy, while there were tons of unclaimed regions of Dark Void due to their potential dangers or the Galactic Zones preoccupation with internal matters.
Not every Galactic Zone was as developed as the Azure-Prime Galactic Region with three-way hegemony over their galaxy and all its secrets excavated nearly a million years of agreed-upon unity.
"POWER DOWN ALL YOUR FORMATIONS! BE PREPARED TO BE BOARDED! ANY SIGN OF RESISTANCE WILL BE MET WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE AND DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY!!"
Wei Wuyin didn't pay much attention to the thunderous orders as he gazed at the White Abyssal Galaxy. There was a region of hazy whiteness. It didn't emit any light from within. The properties of the mana itself that constituted the Absolute Void Region caused the whiteness, giving off the impression of being bright. It was gargantuan, almost impossible to miss while at the border of the galaxy.
"How interesting," Wei Wuyin commented. Just from a glance, Wei Wuyin could tell that the celestial arrangements of the White Abyssal Galaxy fell in line with the Ancient Sealed Regions' standards. They had stellar regions, starfields, Solar Stars, planets, and lunar satellites. They didn't have any flat continental earths, however.
Furthermore, he didn't notice any Realm Regions within the depths of fixed space, and while there were World Realms and Secret Realms, they were few and far between throughout the galaxy like scattered pebbles on a sandy beach. It was clear that the practices of this cultivation society didn't highlight developing spatial realms.
If anyone knew that a mortal was inspecting the depths of a galaxy with a single glance, gathering all sorts of intimate information, they would be utterly shaken with disbelief.
Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes and Spiritual Strength was the tyrannical manifestation of all-seeing perception, to the point that not even unseen divinities could escape his sight. When combined with his grasp of Minor Spatial Law, Minor Origin Law, and four Astral Souls' Spiritual Strength, his perception was best described as godly.
At the planet outpost, atop the highest mountain peak, the guards were dressed in violet-colored lightly plated armor that seemed to contain a world of dripping ink on its regions of metal. The armor was form-fitting and exuded a strong feeling of fluidity and durability. They exchanged wary glances as they observed the multicolored vessel that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
How had it gotten so close?! Who were they?!
They were tense and they gripped their tridents. If there were standardized weapons based on civilizations, then the Azure-Prime Galactic Regions weapon of choice would be polearms such as halberds, spears, and javelins, while the Galactic Zones of the White Abyssal Galaxy adopted tridents and bidents as their standard weapons.
Wei Wuyin's usage of a saber was rare, even for the Everlore Starfield's standards, with swords being the dominant weapon of the Myriad Yore Continent.
It was common practice among cultivators to cultivate with weapons that could adapt to close-range and far-range combat easily, so this wasn't unexpected.
The Minor Elysium's lack of response only made them more anxious.
The leader of the outpost, a tall, dashing human male with dark green hair with youthful looks in the middle-twenty range gestured toward a guard at the Soul of Mysticism Phase. "Send a report in."
The guard nodded with steel-like resolve in their eyes as they sprinted off. They didn't Spatial Shift in case this was misunderstood as an attack or alert those aboard the vessel of his urgent departure.
The outpost leader had a cultivation base at the Worldly Saint Phase, a genuine World Emperor, yet he was gripping his trident so heavily that their knuckles were white. Was this the beginning of an intergalactic war? His imagination was going wild. Just as he was about to issue a third order, his pupils shrunk to their limits.
"...!" Gasps resounded.
"Normally, I would've had my subordinates handle this part, but I didn't expect them to be out-of-sorts due to the trip. Haaa..."
A voice that was soothing, strong, and unforgettable entered their ears and burrowed into their minds. Each guard felt their hearts gripped by an invisible force as they turned to the origin of that voice.
At the edge of the planet's atmosphere, a young man blessed with unearthly handsome looks, garbed in a unique mixture of alchemist and martial robes, floated without any Worldly Domain as if he was gazing upon the world like a divinity or an indomitable Emperor. The demeanor of majestic dominance was innate and bellowing, as the oppressive urge to kneel emerged in the hearts of those guards.
The World Emperor outpost leader was shaken to the core. When...when did he get there?! He had been paying attention to the vessel and locked onto it with his Spiritual Sense, which includes the range of over a hundred thousand miles in every direction, yet the young man had appeared at the edge of the atmospheric layer which was no more than a few dozen miles away!
He instinctively swallowed a wad of saliva out of anxiety. It was quite loud. The outpost leader, however, was a trained cultivator who was extensively instructed on how to react to foreign individuals.
"State your identity and purpose!" Earlier, he had treated the white vessel as an enemy, demanding them to prepare to be boarded or dealt with accordingly, yet the mere sight of Wei Wuyin left his mind in shambles, and he didn't dare to treat him lightly. This was an instinctive sense of survival kicking in for him.
Wei Wuyin's eyes transformed; the Alchemic Stars of Spiritual Transcendence were invoked, shown without holding anything back, even diffusing the scent of Utmost Purity Mist that stimulated every last living being within a million miles.
"ALCHEMIST!" The outpost leader exclaimed. The Alchemic Stars were unanimously associated with talented alchemists, but the Alchemic Stars of Spiritual Transcendence were linked with Saint Alchemists!
"My name's Wei Wuyin. I've traveled far and wide in pursuit of the Alchemic Dao, and have found myself stumbling upon this galaxy. I seek entry," Wei Wuyin stated directly. He originally wanted Luo Ning or Cao Cuifen to act as the spearhead of their visits, but the former was unconscious while the latter was dazed.
The other guards were stunned. Their eyes glistened almost in unison as if finding an unprecedented treasure. An Alchemist! Was that the Alchemic Stars of Spiritual Transcendence?!
The outpost leader was astonished and his mind hurriedly whirled with all sorts of thoughts. Then, he probed as his tone changed, growing respectful and cautious.
"May I ask what level of the Alchemic Dao you've grasped, Senior?"
Wei Wuyin's felt internally awkward. Senior? They may look similar in age, but the truth was far, far from simply looks. He was barely over a hundred yet this guy was over thirty thousand years old. However, since he wasn't revealing his soul aura to prevent unnecessary underestimations And troubles, he decided to ignore it.
"I've been very fortunate enough in my years to traverse the path of the Alchemic Dao to the Mystic-World level. I wonder, am I not allowed entry?" Wei Wuyin smiled. The Alchemic Stars of Spiritual Transcendence should support his Earthly Alchemic Saint or Worldly Alchemic Saint identity. Since he's long since decided not to hide his brilliance without reason, he didn't conceal his skills.
WORLDLY SAINT ALCHEMIST!!!
The outpost leader's expression changed immediately. Then, as if recalling something, he moved but stopped unnaturally. "Senior! Please wait one moment." After saying this politely, the outpost leader vanished.
A shriek of pain unfolded. Then, the other guards' expressions immediately changed as the outpost leader arrived and gazed upon them. They all grew tense, their Mystic Auras circulating. Besides the outpost leader, the strongest cultivator was only at the Demi-Mortal Phase. The disparity was massive.
Moreover, they seemed to understand something as a few gritted their teeth with eyes shining with vigilance and hatred. It was as if they were readying for a battle.
"Do I have to do it or will you all do it?" The outpost leader said coldly.
"Oh?" Wei Wuyin was taken aback by this development.
"You won't..." A guard hesitatingly said.
"I'll only seal you guys up for a few hundred years," The outpost leader said, and the others seemed to relax slightly after. Then, one by one, they began to fall unconscious as they sealed their own Sea of Consciousnesses and Mystic Cores. Doing it themselves meant they could avoid harm to their soul or cultivated foundation. As Ascended beings, what was a few hundred years?
The outpost leader was swift as he kept each member in his Internal World. Then, he looked at the planet and began visibly trembling. He slowly started to change as if he was conducting the process of cellular replication. The sight was odd as his skin and armor stretched and his aura distorted.
When he was done, two exact copies of themselves remained standing on the mountain peak. They were indistinguishable by ordinary means. Wei Wuyin could tell the first was an Incarnation akin to a physical copy. It was an extraordinary method for sure.
"Apologies for the wait, Senior." The outpost leader said as he left his Incarnation behind, floating toward the atmospheric layer and halting a mile away. From a mere glance, Wei Wuyin could tell that this World Emperor had no ill intentions. It was all quite curious.
"I, Vajarn of South Hallis, can offer myself as a guide to my humble Violet Abyss Galactic Zone, if you desire Senior."
He seemed ready to abandon his duties for this chance to act as a guide. Wei Wuyin wasn't exactly speechless, but this truly left him wondering about a lot of things. From his mental fluctuations, Wei Wuyin could sense the idea of 'potential compensation' and 'change of fate' echoing within the man's Sea of Consciousness.
"Sure." Wei Wuyin had no reason to deny a native's guidance. The prestige of a Worldly Alchemic Saint seemed to have no diminishment between galaxies.
"Thank you for this honor! I will not fall short of your great expectations of me, Senior! I can swear on my name as Vajarn of South Hallis!" The passionate words were moving and it was hard not to think that he was going to give it his all. The fact he had captured his subordinates by forcing them to seal themselves was a little jarring though.
"May I know your alchemic title, so that I may better refer to you." The outpost leader realized that Wei Wuyin's response to being called senior wasn't indifferent or good, and he hurriedly sought out an alternative even if it was a little disrespectful.
"Neo-Dawn," Wei Wuyin announced. The mere utterance of his Alchemic Dao title caused the scent of Utmost Purity Mist to skyrocket in the area, and Vajarn felt his cells and spirit thrum with greed and desire.
"World-Saint Neo-Dawn!" Vajarn greeted with a three-quarters bow while holding a strange gesture of an extended closed fist pointed at Wei Wuyin's chest.
