Paragon of Sin

"Mortal Annihilation?" Wei Wuyin's heart and mind shook. Just the name evoked a strong sense of reverence from his soul. Due to his cultivation base, he was a mortal despite his strength and foundation. On the most fundamental and intrinsic level, this was true. 

After releasing the unintentionally pent-up breath in his chest, he kept reading. 

"Don't get too excited; the Will of the Alchemic Dao is harmless. No matter which ability we have, the power of the Alchemic Dao can never harm someone directly. This is why this ability, despite its name, is called the most 'aggressive' not 'offensive' power of the Alchemic Dao." Zhao Yun seemed to catch others' doubts before they could fully form, instantly correcting a cultivator's line of thinking.

"To annihilate Mortality, what does that mean? Why does the Alchemic Dao possess such means? Such power? And why do Mortal Sovereigns grasp this mighty strength, granted it by the Will of the Alchemic Dao? Even though I've searched and searched, I have yet to find out…perhaps you will." Zhao Yun's writing didn't end here, but effectively, the information that could be profound was over. 

It didn't delve into what Mortal Annihilation was, merely continuing on his thoughts between the link of Mortal Sovereigns, the Will of the Alchemic Dao, and the connections they have with the Mortal Dao and Spirituality. It was further expounding on his thoughts, his theories, and evidence of those theories' possibilities left for others to explore.

Wei Wuyin wasn't dissatisfied; he kept reading with a strong, vigorous heart for learning. After finishing, he closed the book. 

The Enlightened Scholarly Mist within the Palace of Eden grew thicker as it kept exuding from his body, conjured by an unseen force, mystical and inscrutable. This was Wei Wuyin's Second Mind. 

"The mysteries of the Alchemic Dao are unbelievably fascinating and boundless." Wei Wuyin gently placed the book back, waving his hand as a scroll zipped out of a shelf from extremely far away and flew gracefully into his hand. These scrolls, books, and spiritual jade recordings were all copied by his Primary Mind and then left here, meant for the Second Mind to thoroughly study and comprehend every iota of information. 

These comprehensions, filtered and condensed into only relevant information, were sent to the Primary Mind. Their knowledge grew, but the Second Mind suffered slightly. It was bloated with all sorts of excessive bits of information, repeats, and irrelevance. 

In terms of Scholarly Enlightened Mist, the difference in thickness could be seen between the two. The Second Mind's manifested mist was thin, expansive, continuously in motion, and somewhat murky. But outside the Palace of Eden, the Enlightened Scholarly Mist was thick, incomparably so. It glided softly, and beautifully, and contained an innate purity that was mesmerizing to witness. 

This was its sacrifice. At times, the Second Mind was besieged by mental waves resembling heavy seismic activity. Essentially, hardcore headaches. However, all of Wei Wuyin's Primary Mind's knowledge was organized, condensed, and purely relevant without misguided bias of its writers and containing the most profound aspects. 

All things had their ups and downs, and while Wei Wuyin's Second Mind was a wealth of knowledge, it was also filled with garbage that burdened it. As for severing these portions? It couldn't. It needed references. 

Sometimes, originally irrelevant information could be seemed such, but when paired with other journals, a few arts, and a mindlessly added comment by the author, an exceptional detail manifests that reveals an unseen, unimaginable secret.

For example, it was widely believed that the Alchemic Stars had three Core Abilities and four Sub-Abilities. The three core abilities were: Mortal Spirit Moulding, the Creation of Fragmented Souls, and Mortal Annihilation. The four sub-abilities were: Unity of the Alchemic Stars, Cessation of Concoction, Phenomenon Manifestation, and Curse of the Alchemic Stars.

The Unity of the Alchemic Stars was a rare ability that could only be used within certain time limits, allowing Alchemic Sovereigns to share their comprehension of the Alchemic Dao. Wei Wuyin experienced this before during the summit, gaining tens of thousands of years of experience in a matter of a short while. It was mind-blowing, but its cooldown time, the copious amount of Mental Energies, and the sporadic nature of its activation made it unreliable and seen as a sub-ability.

All four of these sub-abilities were deemed 'unreliable' or restricted. The Cessation of Concoction can exhaust an amount of lifespan to halt the Alchemical Concoction process by evoking a Temporal Alchemic Manifestation. The cost was heavy, and it only paused for seven days. Moreover, using it on a Mystic-tier product was an impossibility. This was why even the Alchemic Sovereigns of the Everlore Association and Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint were unable to stop their products from being ruined during those disruptions.

Phenomenon Manifestation was essentially useless. It can manifest all formerly generated Alchemical Manifestations at a cost, but the sensation was relatively hollow and easily seen through by other Alchemic Sovereigns. Many Alchemic Sovereigns couldn't find its purpose except to show off or fake a product's success. 

The last ability was extremely harsh, carrying the vindictive will of the Alchemic Dao. The Curse of the Alchemic Stars imbued a cultivator's body with a strong, terrifying force that would make all products made by the curse-giving Alchemist ineffectively. Moreover, all other alchemical products' effectiveness would be reduced by half. A harsh blow to any cultivator. 

But just like the Cessation of Concoction, it cost a lifespan to use. And it was no small amount. Furthermore, it lasts forever, yet is ineffective against Mystic-tier products, unless they were concocted by the curse-giver, then the ease of Refinement is reduced, but the effect will still be the same. 

Wei Wuyin had read eleven legacies regarding the Alchemic Curse, and there were a few mindless comments that suggested the next level of Alchemic Stars could inflict a curse so great that Ascended beings would be brought to their knees, begging for it to be removed. 

However, these were all abilities with either a cost, useless, or a cool down, unlike the three main abilities, hence they were segregated. Additionally, they didn't focus on the seven aspects of alchemy, their effects straightforward and inflexible. 

However, despite being widely believed to only have these seven abilities, various annotations, journals detailing slight odd occurrences, and comments made out of frustration or ignorant ease, Wei Wuyin felt that another ability was left unexcavated. 

By now, an entire month had passed. Wei Wuyin's speed and pace of copying were monstrous, and the mile-long shelves and platforms of spiritual jades were all inspected with the briefest of glances or unleashed spiritual sense, and directly added to the Palace of Eden. His frantic actions resembling a manic search for something caused the three women to have strange expressions for a very long time. 

Shockingly, besides cultivating on the side, they kept watching Wei Wuyin's antics. Their eyes revealed varied emotions between them from time to time. Not even Zhangjie Wushu left, somehow allowing others to accept leaving her post. Her focus was most concentrated on Wei Wuyin's actions, trying to figure out what he was looking for or doing. 

Every material here was profoundly complex, involving subjects that might require cultivators years to properly digest for their gains. Was he looking for the Concoction Method for a specific product or a specific alchemist's insights? When she saw him delve into the areas with the Language of Mysticism, left behind by Ascended beings, her expression didn't just become stranger, but her mouth slightly gaped.

She knew that the Language of Mysticism, especially its written characters, while written down, could be said to be completely incomprehensible, sometimes outright invisible to mortals. Why inspect these materials? And it wasn't just one, but all of them! 

Who exactly was this person? What was Liu Yinlan up to? And what was he searching for? 

When Cao Cuifen couldn't hold her curiosity after a week of this, she walked over to a red-eyed Wei Wuyin seemingly engulfed by madness and a devilish ferocity. When those normally gorgeous silver eyes that one could lose their soul into turned to her, she felt her heart shake. She felt as if she was being ravaged in the most intimate manner, as if everything she is, was, and ever will have been inspected.

She gulped subconsciously with such heaviness that the two other women heard it from afar, causing their hearts to tremble. 

"Librarian Li can help you in your search…so you don't harm yourself," she hesitatingly offered. Wei Wuyin's reaction caused her to be stunned; he warmly smiled, his reddened eyes vanishing, and he humbly thanked her for the thought. When Cao Cuifen saw that expression, the care, kindness, and emotion, she felt her heart pound fiercely. 

Perhaps if Wei Wuyin wasn't so talented, so handsome, or so uniquely mysterious, she might never feel such emotions for a mere mortal who's yet to live for even a hundred years, but he was those things, and her body and mind reacted naturally. 

When she returned to the trio of women, her expression was dazed for a long, long time. 

After obtaining everything that was inside the Alchemy Section, even the parts inscribed with Mysticism, Wei Wuyin heaved a relieved sigh of unfathomable heaviness. He had his worries about copying the language of Mysticism to his Sea of Consciousness, fearful of unintended effects, but shockingly enough, his Sea of Consciousness only shook after each copying effort yet remained firm. The books, scrolls, and spiritual jades generated with mystic-grade spiritual power were all perfectly replicated and stored.

According to the Heavenly War Spirit, this was because his Sea of Consciousness' mental energies were all refined by a lesser form of mystical strength. This was due to the Mystic Rune Seeds inside Eden's Astral Core. That said, they were still incomprehensible to him.

But at times, he would discover parts of these materials of knowledge that felt as if they were readable. But after trying to understand it, either due to only knowing a small portion of a complete sentence, he couldn't.

"Finally, I've fully compiled everything regarding Mortal Annihilation and filtered it." The Second Mind exclaimed excitedly, closing a thick book. It double-checked the information and then made a slight tap of its foot, sending a wave of mental power into Eden's roots. Eden did a cursory check of it, then sent it to Wei Wuyin after shaving off bits that felt unnecessary. 

The two joint efforts allowed Wei Wuyin to have a fully edited version of a book, written by those two, enough to cause the entire world to go crazy. Of course, while Wei Wuyin's Second Mind was acting, its mental comprehension and intelligence levels were equal to his Primary Mind's. 

"Mortal Annihilation - Written By Wei Wuyin." Wei Wuyin chuckled a little after seeing such a simple title, and from a book 'technically' written by him. He changed the title with a thought.

"The Alchemical Essence of Mortal Annihilation, A Profound Truth - Written by Wei Wuyin, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign." With a delightful nod, he consumed the knowledge entirely. 

What was Mortal Annihilation, exactly?

It sounds aggressive to the limits! But was it? It was! It wasn't just aggressive, it was completely and totally heaven-defying! There were many, many legacies concerning the usage of Mortal Annihilation, most originating from violent Alchemic Sovereigns, especially those detailing their usage of destroying others.

Mortal Annihilation was considered as having one power, and that was to affect the inherent Mortal Will within a cultivator's soul and alter it! The consequences were effectively an annihilation of sorts.

To have this part of you changed, no longer tethered to, or adjusted to your Soul Aura is to no longer be accepted by the Mortal Dao. To be rejected by it!

In any aspect.

The mortal-graded essences of the world will no longer heed your will, gather and allow you to refine them.

Your Mortal Dao cultivation path, the three Realms of the Mortal Dao: Foundation Establishment Realm, Qi Condensation Realm, and Astral Core Realm, will no longer be things you can tread. Your cultivation base will halt then and there. The Astral Tribulations will not descend!

The ambient mana of the world will reject you, like a sickening plague, it will flow away from you with caution and disgust. You will no longer be able to soar using its might, survive off its graciousness, or connect with its powers.

Your mortal-graded refined forces will no longer stay within you, leaving in the greatest forceful exodus the world has ever known. Should you survive, you'll be nothing more than a desiccated body, a literal walking half-corpse. Just like those records had described that cultivator before.

It was spine-chilling. 

There was no offensive strength in its ability, but it was the worst type of aggressive power.

Rejection!

This power was horrific to an unimaginable degree. It was worthy enough to call Mortal Sovereign Alchemists 'terrifying existences'! But, this wasn't very effective against Ascended beings. They've soared beyond the Mortal Dao, exceeding its limits, and nestled themselves within the Mystic Dao. Why would beings like Wang Yutian call these Mortal Sovereigns terrifying when they no longer sustained themselves off mortal-graded energies? They've shed their mortal coils and transcended. 

Enemy!

It was a single word, but when etched into the Will of the Mortal Dao latent within your soul, one can only imagine the consequences. To be labeled as an 'Enemy' of the Mortal Dao!

The greatest recorded instance of this power that exceeded Wei Wuyin's belief was a record of its usage on an Ascended being at the Soul of Mysticism Phase. It was said that, without warning, the developing Star Cores of countless perished Starlords all congregated in an instant, as if manifesting from the depths of space, surrounded this cultivator, and without any warning whatsoever, suppressed this cultivator and imploded!

They were devoured entirely.

The only evidence of their existence was a gargantuan black hole in its place. It's said this place still existed outside the Sealed Regions.

Wei Wuyin was only comforted by the fact that this power had specific conditions to activate, and that was only if one's Alchemic Spirit Remnants had been built-up to a high level where the Alchemist can affect your soul using Mortal Spirit Moulding or if one allowed an Alchemist to infuse their power into you. 

The latter event had been recorded. Long ago, a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist had been robbed by a Demi-Mortal Lord. He had consumed his product that was purposely Infused with his alchemic power and triggered Mortal Annihilation. According to the records, the Demi-Mortal Lord had fled throughout Stellar Regions for ten thousand years until his life was exhausted and then annihilated by the ambient mana and energies, corroded until his corpse was unrecognizable.

A terrifying…horrific…fate. 

Since then, no one dared to offend a recklessly Mortal Sovereign Alchemist or steal their products unless they had made sufficient precautions. This also put into practice certain standards of cultivation that expelled Alchemic Spirit Remnants despite their beneficial uses. 

Of course, this only existed outside the Sealed Regions. 

No wonder Wei Wuyin never felt this power before. With these specific triggers, he seldom manifested his Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality in the Sealed Regions, and almost everyone outside the Sealed Regions practiced this preventive measure. 

"Is there really a hidden ability here?" Wei Wuyin grew excited at this potential to unearth an extraordinary mystery, and finally having so many legacies at his fingertips to reference was a dream. With all this here, it'll be extremely easy to form his own elite Alchemical Corps in the future! Perhaps, just perhaps, improve his already created products!