After the All-Alchemic Clash, the inhabitants of the starfield continued to simmer with the news of the upcoming new era. There was a stream of never-ending excitement, some even referring to this new era as the best era possible. With the Princess of Everlore and Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn's joint birth during this time, the legacy of alchemy will certainly experience great leaps. It will likely exceed the now considered 'archaic' era of the King of Everlore.
The hope of ascending their phases and touching the realm beyond lit a burning fire within the hearts of numerous youthful geniuses. The idea of being the next Founding Monarch Wu Yu or Divine King Han Xei was infectious, spreading faster amongst these youths than a contagious virus.
There were an incalculable number of young men that sought to either be a subordinate to Wei Wuyin or obtain the Princess of Everlore's divine favor. There were countless women of outstanding status and beauty that sought to invest themselves into Wei Wuyin's lovelife. The very thought of becoming the wife, concubine, or even the mistress of such a figure was far too heavenly. Not only was he a talented cultivator that awed the world with his strength, he was a man of unearthly handsome looks and skills. While numerous women desired with their hearts, there were a few women that actually had the opportunity to make this true.
On the Myriad Monarch Main Planet, the first level of the Extreme Imperial Mountain, was the sect's Void Gate for public usage. While it still required the overseer's, Mortal Captain-rank Elder Li Ling, permission to activate, it was regulated and used by the majority of those that needed to traverse the stars. While there were numerous personalized Void Gates in the Myriad Monarch Sect, few could ever use them unless connected to the owners.
At the moment, several figures were talking near the Void Gate. One of these figures was easily recognizable by the disciples and members of the sect as the recently declared Grand Prince of the sect, Long Chen. His dark eyes, black hair, and sharp eyebrows made his facial features rather distinct. This is especially so after the fiasco with Wei Wuyin where he seemingly challenged their Ascendant Emperor to Imperial Combat.
He was booed off stage, insulted by the crowd, and then taken away by Ji Changkong, the Grand Imperial Sage of the Extreme War Mountain. It was quite a humiliating affair. If it wasn't for Wei Wuyin diffusing the situation, silencing the crowd with simply his presence, who knows what other outlandishly vicious words would've been shouted at this so-called Grand Prince.
Due to this event, few even considered Long Chen an actual Grand Prince of the Sect. Of course, no one antagonized him directly, but the whispers and jeers in the surroundings were there. As a Grand Prince, he had similar authority as a Heavenly King, and few could withstand that Power of Authority. It wouldn't even be far-fetched to say that if Long Chen heard any insults towards him from a lesser ranked member, it was in his right to execute them.
It was quite a sensitive edge to walk, but there were still the brave few who took the challenge. Fortunately, Long Chen had grown used to ignoring the opinions of others from his early years. In fact, he used it as a fuel to empower himself further to give these people a resounding slap as their opinions would usually change after sometime. The thought of leaving them with red faces and bitter smiles was a natural tonic to Long Chen's thriving spirit.
Beside Long Chen there were other five figures, and they were discussing seemingly stressful matters. These five figures were Lian Yu, Long Tingyu, Xiang Ling, Na Xinyi, and Qing Qiumu.
Lian Yu's facial expression that was normally gentle like water was slightly unsightly, twisted in with a frustrated frown and a pair of furrowed brows. Her water-like pupils rippled with displeasure.
"How can you say this?! Especially after everything we've been through together!" Lian Yu didn't hide her anger. She spoke with a frank and aggressive tone. Her words were directed to Na Xinyi, the only figure that seemingly lost her right to be considered a beauty, with her sickly pale skin and dried hair. Even her normally bright grey eyes lacked any brilliance.
She was still dealing with the fallout of sacrificing her Primal Yins for Long Chen, extracting them using a very dangerous method. It had damaged her Yin Sources, causing a decline in her physique and difficulty in maintaining the quality of her skin and self. Her womanly charms were draining from the damage, still continuously inflicting her with consequences. At the time, she hadn't regretted it, but now she was brought to the lowest form of acceptable beauty and felt the fierce difference.
To the eyes of the people around, they looked at her with faint hints of disgust and indifference. There was no more envy, desire, and appreciation. Even before she awoke her Three-Point Yin Physique, she was still an average looking woman.
She pouted her lips at Lian Yu's questioning, but remained silent.
Na Xinyi had decided to take Wei Wuyin's offer, to become his wife. This was a decision that had been made with much deliberation, an internal conflict that had eaten at her since before he was the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn, before he was the Prince of Everlore, before he was even a Heavenly King.
Wei Wuyin was her first man, and he had spared her life in a moment where there was no benefit in doing so, allowing her to live freely and cultivate with her newfound physique and talent. Others would have simply taken everything she possessed in her moment of weakness, and disposed of her corpse in the wild without a second thought.
In the beginning, she hated Wei Wuyin for forcing her to choose between freedom or death, feeling as if she didn't have a choice in the matter. She felt violated and her liberties had been taken away from her by a despicable man. Her hatred grew and even passed along to Long Chen who emotionally swore to get revenge on her behalf.
But after being exposed to the greater world, to seeing the true meaning of a 'vile and despicable' man or woman, she reflected on the event. Her emotions towards it changed to understanding the sheer amount of grace and mercy shown at that moment. Furthermore, he actually freed her. Most would've lied, kept her as a pet until her usefulness was over.
Furthermore, he didn't shy away from taking responsibility when confronted. This only served to better her thoughts of him. She at least wanted to give him a second chance. If they had met under better circumstances, who knew what could've happened?
When she informed Long Chen of her choice, he went deathly silent and stared at her with a blank and seemingly indifferent gaze. It shook her to the core. She was even frightened that he might harm her. Fortunately, she was with Qing Qiumu, Long Tingyu, and Xiang Ling. She felt comforted by her foresight to declare this in a public place with mutual friends.
His stare truly gave her dangerous vibes, like a beast about to be driven to the edge. Lian Yu, however, was rather vocal. This comforted her a little. After all, sound was much better than silence to the human psyche.
Lian Yu's berating hadn't stopped, "Do you think he'll treat you like an actual wife? He's merely using you to attack Long Chen! Are you truly too much of a fool to see this?" She had her opinion, and since Wu Baozhai and Lin Ziyan had left for Wei Wuyin, her calm and quiet demeanor had become corrupted by her dark emotions of rage and disgust.
One by one, all of Long Chen's female companions were leaving. Worse of all, they left for Wei Wuyin. Even Hong Ru and Xiao Bing, those two who should've owed Long Chen the world, were currently cultivating in Wei Wuyin's Sky Palace doing who knows what with him!
Her words caused Qing Qiumu and Xiang Ling's brows to twitch almost simultaneously. They both held an extremely high opinion of Wei Wuyin.
Qing Qiumu interjected, "You have no real evidence that Wei Wuyin even wants to attack Long Chen."
Xiang Ling added with a hint of frustration, "Wei Wuyin had spared Long Chen on many occasions, and has not once used his authority over him. You shouldn't slander others!"
Qing Qiumu fired off right after, standing by Na Xinyi, "It is Na Xinyi's choice if she wishes to take Wei Wuyin as her husband, and his choice whether he is willing to accept it. You have no right to interfere with or insult her choice. She's not Long Chen's wife, his woman, or his possession. Frankly, she's sacrificed much for Long Chen already. If this is what she truly wants, then we all should respect it."
While Qing Qiumu spoke words of defense for Na Xinyi, her heart felt conflicted. She didn't know why but she did.
Lian Yu was taken aback. The unified rebuttal caused her to be unable to speak further. She didn't know what to say, only looking at Long Chen in her shock as if seeking his support.
Long Chen's expression darkened. His eyes slowly roamed on Qing Qiumu's face. The two had known each other the longest, but she also seemed to have a very close relationship with Wei Wuyin. The fact she was speaking up for him, especially so that Na Xinyi could be taken by him, caused his heart to twist and distort. While others couldn't see, the latent rage hidden within his mind was burning without end. The fuel for this rage was an image of Wei Wuyin.
Na Xinyi felt warmth suffuse her heart after witnessing Qing Qiumu defend her. Just as she was about to say some words, a few gasps and exclamations of the surrounding crowd resounded, drawing away their attention.
"It's Grand Sage Tuo Bihan!" A voice pointed out, causing the heads of numerous others to shift. They saw a grey robed old man with a slight smile, who seemingly just exited out of a Void Gate transport.
"OH MY GOD, who's that?!" A male who wasn't really a member of the silent thought club shouted. His index finger trembled as he pointed to a figure that stood beside Tuo Bihan. While there were others nearby, this figure stood out far more than others. If this figure had to be summed up in two words, they would be: Breathtaking Beauty.
Dressed in a form-fitting crimson-colored phoenix cheongsam, with long sleeves. It hid the legs, but the exquisite shape and length was betrayed with every step. There were golden and red feathers on the lower edges of the dress, giving it an ethereal vibe. It almost seemed at times that the figure was being carried by a cloud of feathers.
But the magnificent dress was outshined by the one who wore it. Her waist-length silky hair was black as night and as wavy hair, like a cascading waterfall within the immortal world. Every shift of her head, of her body, caused it to produce a mesmerizing sight that snatched one's gaze. This was only further accentuated by her gorgeous countenance.
Thinly figured s-shaped brows alongside her teardrop face was already a prelude to an extraordinary image, but they were enhanced by her hazel eyes that contained faint navy blue flecks that seemed as if blessed by the Goddess of the Sea, and rich and smooth caramel skin. Coupled with her double-lobed full lips that seemed as soft as water, as sweet as immortal candy, and seemingly shaped by divinity to symmetric perfection completed her.
Her body was the last aspect individuals would be drawn to, but it was unforgettable no matter who saw it. Her slim, curvaceous bodily frame was supported by a pair of large, perky, and curvy breasts that seemed almost sculpted even through her brassiere. Even her romp wasn't lacking, accentuating her curves and having a firm, bounciness to it that invoked the hottest feelings in a man.
A breathtaking beauty might not even do her justice, but she certainly took everyone's breath away.
The gawking gazes of numerous figures focused on her, be it man or woman.
Tuo Bihan noticed this and faintly smiled, turning to the young woman and saying, "Xue Yifei, little lass, this is the Myriad Monarch Sect. What do you think?"
