With the matter of statuses decided, the group listened to Vajarn as he led them through a spatial tunnel etched into stable space. From time to time, Wei Wuyin would inquire about certain details specifically, such as astrological arrangements, proper etiquette, etc.
The Violet Abyss Galactic Zone was one of four Galactic Zones within the White Abyss Galaxy. Each Galactic Zone respectfully regarded themselves as an 'Abyss', adding it to their names regardless of the ruling party's inclination or racial origins.
While Vajarn seemed less willing to expound upon the other zones, he did properly inform them of their names. They were named Violet Abyss, Abyss of Blades, Soundless Abyss, and Abyss of Tranquility. According to Vajarn, the two Galactic Zones, Abyss of Blades and Abyss of Tranquility, were neighbors that were in constant conflict. Supposedly, with derision in his tone, he described their relationship to be perfectly summed by their names.
The Abyss of Blades began to conflict while the Abyss of Tranquility sought only peace and resolution. Unfortunately, the Abyss of Tranquility was weaker and could only rely on a few forces of the Soundless Abyss' open support to sustain themselves against the constant assaults.
If not for the Abyss of Blades' internal strife and disunity, the White Abyss Galaxy would have long since had only three zones. Of course, there were various nuances implied as he described the situation, such as the unique natural treasures born within the Abyss of Tranquility due to their unique direction and proximity to the heart of the White Abyss Galaxy, that gargantuan Absolute Void Region.
The group couldn't help but think that the fundamental principles of the cultivation world were always present regardless of the galaxy or race.
As for the racial dynamic, that was quite divisive. According to Vajarn, who was happy to see that Wei Wuyin was of human descent, those of the Abyssal Race were the dominant race, meanwhile humans, while not considered 'inferior' beings like elves or beastmen were in the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone, were the noticeably and publicly recognized weaker race. Due to their population and rampant birth rates, they were often viewed as an essential workforce for many projects, and even among other humans of great status, they had human servants or slaves.The hegemony of each zone was ruled by Abyssals.
"Not a single human ruler?" For any of the passengers of the Minor Elysium, this came as a shock to them. The majority of them were humans, and some had come from locations such as the Everlore Starfield and entered the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, a predominantly human region. In actuality, the vast majority of the top-tier experts were human.
Thinking of this a little more, each of them realized that all of the leading organizations were humans. While there might be some mixture of bloodlines, the human race was the leading force. From the beginning, humans have been touted as having superior potential and higher rates of birth. While the Ascendants had a higher breadth of mind when it came to racial considerations, the thought that four Galactic Zones with humans as the majority race which did not have a single human ruler was strange to them.
Vajarn tried to maintain a friendly, accommodating smile while explaining this detail, but Wei Wuyin could feel the exhaustion and frustration erupting from his thoughts.
"You're a human World Emperor, so you should be aware of the top-tier human forces. Who's the strongest human expert?" A voice echoed out from the Minor Elysium as Vajarn was taken aback. There was a woman on the ship! Moreover, she seemed to speak with a formless sense of authority. While mentioning a World Emperor, she seemed to place no importance on it!
His thoughts immediately whirled as he felt that this person was either World-Saint Neo-Dawn's direct descendant or spouse. His eyes revealed a smile as he bowed in the ship's direction while flying backwards, still leading the way. "The strongest human expert is hard to properly assess amongst the many Galactic Zones, but within the Violet Abyss Galaxy, I can be considered within the top ten, while the undisputed leader is Original Magistrate of the Minor Heavens, Bjorn of Central Hallis."
That answer left the group baffled.
At that moment, Cao Cuifen couldn't help but ask again with a heavy frown on her face. "You're in the top ten? The strongest is only a Heavenly Saint? What about the peak cultivators? What cultivation are they?"
Vajarn pursued his lips slightly as he felt his great cultivation which took tens of thousands of years of effort was being belittled at this moment. Of course, he didn't dare to speak on it and only smiled brightly as he answered.
"Our Violet Abyss Galaxy's strongest expert, the Violet Sea Overlord, and the Palace Master of the Violet Sea Palace, has been said to have reached the peak of the Ascended Saint and grasped the Mystic Dao's principles to an extreme. Even amongst the other Galactic Zones, she doesn't lose out to anyone." He spoke with pride in his tone despite the target not being of the human race, showcasing that he still had a sense of national pride, at least concerning strength.
"..." The entire group went silent.
Young Master Shang took a sip as he explained at this moment, "Did you think every galaxy was ruled by Sages? Overseen by Resonant Soul Realm experts? Cultivation is difficult-always remember that." Taking another sip, Young Master Shang sighed as he thought of Teng Jiangwen. The old withered husk of a man was an absolute long-living legend among Vagabond Cultivators.
He was renowned throughout galaxies and revered despite his lack of any homes. Although his reputation wasn't exactly the best, when it came to seizing opportunities and placing his life on the line, he was well-known for being fearless and ferocious in his actions. He wholeheartedly pursued the Dao and reaped tremendous benefits, having participated in numerous fate-deciding battles of clans, sects, and even Galactic Zones for a price, and could be regarded as a mercenary of the highest caliber.
He was a genuine Sage! Someone willing to give an arm or a leg for an opportunity!
He heaved a forlorn sigh.
When they were traveling through the White Abyss Galaxy, Teng Jiangwen had left the ship for a few days and came back. He did this to many different galaxies, as if arriving to pluck various fruits, and then leaving without damaging its foundation. He seized a lot of different treasures during their travels but Young Master Shang didn't care. This was something they agreed on before setting off.
Teng Jiangwen would do as he pleased while escorting Young Master Shang as long as it didn't harm him in any way. Even use the Minor Elysium to explore dangerous regions of space! How could the old Vagabond Cultivator not take this opportunity?!
Wei Wuyin agreed with Young Master Shang's words. The story of the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone was legendary and the greatest stroke of fortune if one truly thought of it. Since it was the home of an existence said to have reached the peak of the Mystic Dao and failed in ascending to a higher stage, after which produced a single Solar Star that bathed the entirety of the region with its extraordinary essence, one could tell that the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone was unordinary.
When this opportunity was seized by the major forces and extraordinary talents, they rapidly skyrocketed in power, becoming Ascendant Saint Phase experts ahead of the pack and then jointly monopolizing that power for themselves and isolating it from everyone else. Without that Solar Star formed by the Jiao's demise, how could those experts even reach the Ascendant Saint Phase so easily?
It wasn't that the White Abyss Galaxy was weak! It was that those places with blessed environments such as the Treasured Vale Galaxy and Onestar Galaxy were far too precious! Moreover, the sheer distance and great dangers between galaxies left many forces unable to even venture out safely!
This discovery left many of their hearts rippling with realization. Wei Wuyin already had a greater sense of the cultivation difficulties of societies thanks to the Heavenly War Spirit's perspective, and the brilliance of the Onestar Galaxy, so he wasn't shaken in the slightest.
Fortunately, Vajarn couldn't see any of their shocked reactions and Wei Wuyin was the picture of serenity. As a Worldly Saint Alchemist with Alchemic Stars of Transcendent Purity who had a vessel that could traverse galaxies, Vajarn didn't think this would shake him in any way.
After all, Worldly Alchemic Saints can nurture World Emperors, Original Magistrates, and Mystic Overlords! They can even nurture Sages!!
"Why is an expert in the top ten of a race's strength acting as an outpost leader of a galaxy? You must be extraordinarily talented!" Qing Qiumu asked curiously, her voice soft, innocent, even complimentary, and while it meant no harm, the question distorted Vajarn's facial expression the instant his talent was mentioned.
He put on an easily seen-through fake smile as he hurriedly reined in his emotions, the thoughts of feeling wasted with greater potential left unexcavated echoed in his mind. "The World of Hallis has great responsibilities to protect the safety of the galaxy. I've been stationed here for eighteen thousand years, and have faithfully served the galaxy and the Violet Abyss Galactic Zone under the instructions of the U.A.A-the United Abyss Alliance."
"..."
Immediately, they all felt that something was off.
The World of Hallis had the responsibility to protect the galaxy? Wasn't the strongest human of the Violet Abyss from Central Hallis?
Young Master Shang chimed in at this moment, "He's a servant nurtured and trained to act as a guard dog by the true leaders of the galaxy. This World of Hallis is likely a region for humans, abyssals, and perhaps even other races to train and sift through those of talent to nurture for the express purpose of acting as powerful, expendable servants. If they get to a certain degree of strength, send them off to handle certain tedious tasks or act as protectors of young talents.
"Like for example, protecting the border of their galaxy and Galactic Zone. Mortal Empires would often punish generals by sending them to dangerous locations to protect the nation. Do you think the edge of a galaxy or a galaxy itself was safe? Even in your isolated world, weren't there strange phenomena and creatures of the void within? Dangerous? Deadly? Likely leading to people missing or the sort." Young Master Shang explained between several gulps.
He continued, "They oversee not just the border of the galaxy but the Void-Blank Space between Galactic Zones, Stellar Regions, and Starfields and report anything terrifying-Like an incoming Star Devourer or a rogue Kaku Eater. As for those of lesser cultivation, they likely are either throwaways with little talent or those who offended others and were subsequently punished. This isn't atypical by any stretch of the imagination.
"Chances are that those other Ascended beings he sealed away were members of different Galactic Zones as well."
Young Master Shang's knowledge was shining through as he enlightened the others, especially regarding why Vajarn decided to seal the others away and lock down the news of Wei Wuyin's arrival.
On the other hand, the incidents of hoards of people going missing while traveling the Dark Void or entire voidships being destroyed due to Stellar Rain was commonly known to the powerful of the Ancient Sealed Regions. The Tiangou existed and Vanishing Points leading to the Stellar Nest still occurred. Void-Blank Space has always been notoriously dangerous.
Wei Wuyin was knowledgeable about many things, but even this came as a shock to him. So the strongest expert of the human race in the Violet Abyss was a servant nurtured specifically to handle tasks? This felt like a galactic version of an Alchemic Knight. It wasn't inherently wrong, but it also didn't feel right.
"That's because you're assuming it's restricted to race and they're discriminated against," the Heavenly War Spirit added. She was fully aware of Wei Wuyin's principles and distaste for discrimination. "Investigate first before forming an opinion on the matter," she firmly reminded him. While Wei Wuyin wasn't a saint, the incident of Divine King Han Xei was still fresh in her mind, and she didn't know if he'd take a specific side because he lacked Abyssal lineage but had Human lineage.
Wei Wuyin wryly smiled, "You're overthinking things."
Whoosh!
They suddenly took a sharp turn at a tunnel of stable space, guided by the flow of spatial energy.
"We've entered Spatial Road 3888, World-Saint Neo-Dawn," Vajarn informed.
At this point, they began seeing planets and Solar Stars, entering a starfield. It had a single Solar Star with a yellowish-white glow, thirteen planets between small and large, and seventeen lunar satellites. At a glance, one could see void vessels with the shape of anchors, perfect spherical balls, and weaving shuttles. The anchors were the most numerous. They were organized and traveled with purpose, flying through stable spatial tunnels and preventing any collision.
"So many!" Yue Songli exclaimed in wonder. The orderly traveling was completely unlike the Ancient Sealed Regions' haphazard traveling of Voidships. Moreover, there were hundreds of thousands.
"Those spherical vessels there," Vajarn pointed out, "are void abodes used by the Allied Sanctuary, a force that maintains and often aids the United Abyss Alliance in regulating areas of safety. They often have millions of lifeforms aboard at any given point, most of which are mere mortals, and many of which are descendants of Ascended beings that serve as the primary workers. They travel in predetermined routes and periodically ensure that the spatial roads within various starfields and Stellar Regions are stable and undamaged.
The group was astonished.
Was this why there weren't that many World Realms? These void vessels acted as housing realms?!
They flew for a little longer before exiting the starfield and entering the Void-Blank Space between starfields. They saw spheres of ink-dripping metal surveying the region around the tunnels as if seeking out loose debris or potential dangers.
Just the initial exposure to a different cultivation society left them with their hearts racing.
The group began passing through multiple starfields and Void-Blank Spaces. The various Planets, Solar Stars, and Lunar Satellites weren't much different from the Ancient Sealed Regions. The only thing to note was the lack of Solar Stars with Mystic Radiance Belts. There was none. Instead, there were Solar Stars that resembled Baby Defiant, emitting mystic-graded solar essence.
"Vajarn, where are we going?" Liu Suyin asked. While Wei Wuyin likely had a plan, her curiosity got the better of her.
Vajarn was stunned. How many women were aboard this ship? Moreover, they all could just speak directly to him without consulting World-Saint Neo-Dawn? While this thought of his might seem odd to others, it was quite disrespectful to do such a thing within the White Abyss Galaxy-directly ignoring the leading figure of a party and acting on your own.
"They're my wives," Wei Wuyin explained and immediately alleviated Vajarn's curiosity.
"Oh! My apologies!" Vajarn was shocked but adjusted his mentality instantly. "I'm leading you to the Violet Sea Palace's Hollow Abyss Planet, the Galactic Capital of the galaxy, where the Palace Master of the Violet Sea Palace resides, who will accommodate any and every one of your needs during your stay. I can assure you."
"Ah. Here I thought he was leading us to the so-called World of Hallis to gather His Majesty's support and overthrow the Violet Sea Palace," Shui Fengbao commented while scratching his right cheek. Instead, Vajarn was a loyal subordinate who was trying to keep Wei Wuyin's existence at the Violet Sea Palace. In fact, doing so might lead to rewards.
Wei Wuyin had long since realized that Vajarn was thinking of short-term rewards given out by the Violet Sea Palace and not long-term benefits. But this was fine too.
"Using the identity of a World-Saint Alchemist has great benefits for sure. Ask him how developed the Alchemic Dao is in this galaxy," Young Master Shang said. While he was knowledgeable, he wasn't educated on the inner workings of the White Abyss Galaxy specifically, only the overall structure of many cultivation societies.
Wei Wuyin was curious about that too and was originally waiting for Vajarn to volunteer that information. Seeing how Young Master Shang brought it up, he asked: "How developed is the alchemic lineage of your Violet Abyss Galactic Zone? "
"..." Vajarn's face instantly became solemn.
