He Yanglei's outstanding success ushered a wave of unstoppable progression for the summit. With the reduced difficulty established for those refiners of Ever-Domain Pill, the next series of challenges grew easier. The accumulation of time, instruction, resources, and tools began to show themselves in a rightful manner befitting geniuses.
As if consciously allowed the stage, the next dozens of challengers all originated from the eight Noble Clans of the Aeternal Sky Sect. They included the Lesser Noble Clans, those without Earthly Saints: Ming, Bing, and Tang. The Greater Noble Clans, those with Earthly Saints: Jiang, Yu, Chen, and He. And the sole clan in a strange limbo, their Earthly Saint sealed by the Imperial Clan: Liu.
"Chosen of Ming Clan. Age: 123. Cultivation Realm: Astral Core. Cultivation Stage: Fifth. Format: Ever-Domain. Entity Level: Mortal, Greater Realmlord."
"Chosen of Bing Clan. Age: 83. Cultivation Realm: Astral Core. Cultivation Stage: Fourth. Format: Ever-Domain. Entity Level: Mortal, Lesser Realmlord."
"Chosen of Tang Clan. Age: 104. Cultivation Realm: Astral Core. Cultivation Stage: Sixth. Format: Ever-Domain. Entity Level: Mortal, Lesser Timelord."
"It's her! Oh my heavens! She's…she's…"
When Tang Xingyun took the stage, many talented male youths stirred into an uproar of admiration and desire. She did not wear a veil, her exceptional countenance and gorgeous figure revealed before everyone present. Her sleek, glistening, waist-length black hair was mesmerizing, filled with volume and luster, while her ruby-like eyes were like precious jewels of the heavens. With but a glance, she could away the heart of myths and immortals.
Her beauty was downright heart-rending, as many clenched their chests as they felt the rapid thumping of their fleshy source of life. Tang Xingyun was one of the few female cultivators that had the title of Chosen and a Saintess. Like He Yanglei, she only recently gained her Chosen title, but solely due to her reluctance to accept it.
She was, after all, the Tang Matriarch's sole daughter. She had originally refused to take the title of Chosen or even prospective Chosen, but after suffering an injury to her soul, forcing the Tang Clan to exhaust a tremendous amount of resources to invite Earthly Saints to heal her injuries, she was left without much of a choice. It was either become a Chosen or be married off now—the choice wasn't much of one.
Tang Xingyun hadn't wanted to enter the spotlight before, focused solely on cultivating herself, finding the Chosen King Competition akin to hot-blooded and youthful monkeys trying to prove themselves worthy of scraps left behind by the King of Everlore. It was demeaning.
However, those vexed thoughts of hers eased when she saw Lin Ming manifest as the cultivator she believed he could be. She decided to use this opportunity to closely observe his steps, see how far he could reach, and enjoy the show.
Her fight with the Entity wasn't much of one. Unlike the others, she had a peak astral-graded robe that was forged by World Power and various exquisite materials, naturally resisting the World Pressure. She used her advantages of a robust cultivation base and powerful flames to incinerate her opponent.
Since He Yanglei's victory and the distinction of pills refined, the challenges became easier for those beneath the Realm World Phase, the seventh stage of the Astral Core Realm. An unspoken rule was established, with all those beneath the Realmlord level leading this newly fueled charge. Of course, not everyone passed, with a few 'Core Disciples' or prospective Chosen losing due to over-exhaustion and insufficient strength.
Despite this, the passing rate had gone from abysmal to decent, with more than half of the prospective Chosen passing, and all Chosen passing. The fights allowed many to learn a lot, paving the way for future successful challenges. No one feared the two-hour limit any longer.
While the Main Hall was getting filled with talented youths seated on golden mats with floating thrones hovering above them, the two women—Wu Baozhai and Na Xinyi—were both unable to stop giving He Yanglei perplexed gazes leaking killing intent. Their eyes caused the young man to squirm a little on his golden mat, confused as to why these two women were giving him stares of ill-intent.
Did he sleep with them and forget their existence? But that was incredibly unlikely considering their beauty. If it wasn't for the venue, he definitely wouldn't allow two women from weak forces to give him such looks. Unfortunately, with the Earthly Saints observing alongside the Mortal Sovereign Alchemists, he, alongside everyone else, was on their best behavior.
The two women were spiritually communicating. Wu Baozhai asked solemnly, "Do you feel it?"
"I do; It's like this ball of sorrow and hatred is growing in my chest." Na Xinyi explained her current turbulent emotions that kept pulsating in her chest. She was unable to stop it, and as she looked at He Yanglei, the feeling only grew out of control. The urge to cry and kill coincided perfectly.
"I can sense Lian Yu on him, but I don't know why." Wu Baozhai was confused as well, unable to figure out why this young man felt similar to Lian Yu. Remembering their blue-haired sister that they shared meals, baths, beds, and at one point, a unified future centered upon a single man, she felt a heart-ripping, gut-wrenching, and mind-shaking emotion.
Na Xinyi's expression darkened, "I heard from Sister Qiumu that she met Wei Wuyin after he thought she was someone else, a hated enemy of his. That enemy used her essence blood to cultivate." Na Xinyi recalled the story Qing Qiumu told them about how she met Wei Wuyin. It was shortly after she met him at the gathering on the Myriad Yore Continent when Wu Baozhai and the rest were trying to calm her down.
Wu Baozhai then decided to ask for compensation for his actions, and seek revenge later if she wanted due to the ill-timing. She begrudgingly agreed, and Qing Qiumu explained that Wei Wuyin wasn't inherently bad, that he had saved her life once. It was one of the reasons Na Xinyi had called out his name during Qing Qiumu's execution.
If Wei Wuyin saved her once, with his reputation at the time, he could do so again. And he did.
No one expected that Wei Wuyin would be so bold as to say he didn't regret it and that if she wanted, he would take her as his wife. Moreover, at the time, no one thought she would accept it. Not even her.
"He's using her Essence Blood to cultivate?" A glint of anger and happiness surged in Wu Baozhai's pupils. If that was the case, then Lian Yu was alive! The hope born in her heart was extremely genuine. After all, a cultivator has to be alive to continuously extract their essence blood. "But why? Lian Yu didn't have a special physique like Qing Qiumu."
"..." Na Xinyi didn't know, but her intuition was telling her that He Yanglei had something to do with Lian Yu. They just had to figure out how to approach this. She lifted her head to see the throne which sat the He Clan's Earthly Saint. She could feel his gaze despite not seeing him. Their killing intent was noticed, but the Earthly Saint was either unconcerned or couldn't take action due to the Mythical Oaths.
Na Xinyi was a little scared after discovering that she couldn't contain her killing intent. However, since she was still alive, she reminded herself of the Mythical Oaths in place. After all, an Earthly Saint could deal with her with a single breath. With heavy relief, she firmly decided to try to find out more about Lian Yu's situation while she was under the oaths' protection.
Up above, a willowy bearded middle-aged with an aquamarine robe sat comfortably on his throne. He exuded a watery aura, reminiscent of a torrential storm in the seething ocean, fearsome and mighty. His gaze lifted from the two girls that were staring daggers at He Yanglei.
"He Bojing, it seems like your little droplet has accumulated some love debts," An Earthly Saint with a burly appearance and a head of feral auburn hair laughed uproariously. He was the Chen Clan's Earthly Saint—Chen Yibo, and he exuded a terrifying physical presence. Every breath he took caused the ambient mana to undergo turbulent changes.
"Heh, just youngsters being youngsters." The He Clan's Earthly Saint casually dismissed the comment. No one below reacted to their conversation. Unless they willed it, no one below was privy to their verbal conversations.
"When they have his manhood in their hands, severed from the root, I wonder if you can still be so nonchalant? Haha!" Chen Yibo kept his energy rowdy, spouting indecent things unbefitting of his status and power, yet no one dared to speak about his behavior. They were fully aware that the Chen Clan and He Clan had their rivalry, but they were also great friends, closer than any other Noble Clan.
He Bojing faintly smiled, "Worry about your little rock. I heard he's built up numerous debts, and there's already a cult dedicated to severing his line."
"Haha! Men being men. He likes to tame the unruly women of outstanding talents, but he doesn't like titles. Not his fault; he takes after his old man." Chen Yibo glanced at the burly young man below, a Chosen of the Chen Clan. That was his youngest son, Chen Dong.
All those who knew Chen Yibo knew his flippant ways with women during his pre-Ascended days, indulging excessively. So it only made sense that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
The two Earthly Saints bantered freely as they enjoyed the show. When Tang Xingyun arrived, they both stopped and glanced at her, their expressions were strange as they eyed the Imperial Clan's Earthly Saints. At one point, the two had tried to propose marriage to Tang Xingyun, but supposedly, Tian Yinwu was interested and they were forced to withdraw their proposals.
It was quite humiliating, but this woman was an exceptional member of her gender. If she became an Ascended being, she'll be the perfect partner with how beautiful she was, and the Tang Clan was renowned for birthing Highlords, an amazing partner for any potential Earthly Saint. In the end, they looked at each other and shared a regretful sigh.
"The Golden Life Pavilion hasn't entered the summit?" Han Yuhei asked Ma Zheng with a reverb of anger in his voice. He thought that Sun Li and the Golden Life Pavilion would escort the True Element Sect to the summit. However, Sun Li shadowed them under concealments and hadn't shown themselves, only ensuring they made it safe to Ever-Sky.
Han Yuhei was a little tense after learning of this. He didn't want the True Element Sect to be bullied. His granddaughter was there alongside a few other core members of the Bai Clan. While the Mythical Oaths were present, the possibility of covert schemes that could lead members to their deaths was ever-present. If his granddaughter died because of Sun Li's disobedience and negligence…
"Calm down, Guardian Han." Was all Ma Zheng said, not giving any sort of explanation whatsoever. He didn't care about Han Yuhei's anger in the slightest. Instead, he looked to Wei Wuyin for his response.
"I understand," Wei Wuyin waved his hand in an unbothered manner. It was clear that Sun Li was to act as a sentinel in case the Everlore Association intended to use backhanded methods to harm him through exceptions of the Mythical Oaths.
Ma Zheng slightly smiled, "As long as you understand."
"..." Han Yuhei narrowed his eyes with a sharp glint.
Wei Wuyin and the others had arrived at the border of the Everlore Domain, and at the cusp of this border was the Golden Life Pavilion's Voidships. They were waiting for his arrival.
Wei Wuyin stared at the distant Ever-Sky surrounded by colorful dots of light emanating from Voidships.
"I can't wait to see everyone again!" Bai Lin mentally sent to Wei Wuyin, ecstatic and incredibly hyped.
"Me too," Wei Wuyin smilingly said.
