Paragon of Sin

The end of the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit signaled the precursor of a grand era of cultivation, especially for the upcoming Chosen King Competition. The reshuffling of organizational rankings, eligible qualifications, and true Chosen had instigated the largest shift in focus of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. 

The disappointing showcase of the Everlore Association and Evergod's ability was merely a single highlight of the last eight years. The most important highlight was the race to obtain one of two products, the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill and Sharded God Domain Pill. They constructed the foundation of all Chosen; the Chosen Standards set by the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit, and by extension—Wei Wuyin, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign, had made it absolutely necessary. 

There was no reasonable way for a Soul Idol Phase cultivator beneath a hundred years old to defeat a Lesser Realmlord without it. Moreover, only by virtue of possessing a Worldly Domain, could they strive for the perfect foundation prior to reaching the Realm World Phase—Nine-Ringed Soul Idol, Nine-Ripple Spatial Resonance, and White-colored Primary Light Source! 

The struggle for excellence was vicious. The betting stations only exacerbated the issues; the heavy risks these organizations had taken by placing their trust in the Everlore Association and Evergod had almost entirely been fueled by the need for wealth to support their Chosen. The cost of products was too expensive, especially as inflation hit and scarcity rose due to the upcoming Chosen King Competition.

It wouldn't be an understatement to say these organizations and former Chosen were incredibly desperate. 

As a result, the expected tumultuous period occurred. With alliances being wildly established, the need for wealth and resources instigated no small amount of wars between organizations. The long-standing peace of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region fragmented as the need for resources grew. It was unimaginably difficult to meet those new Chosen Standards, and this was the only way these organizations would have a semblance of a chance to survive. 

While consolidating their resources and efforts to a select few had worked for some alliances, most alliances shattered due to the inability to properly abide by this agreement. Who didn't want to be an expert in the new age? To have a greater chance of producing an Ascended? The forces that belonged to former Chosen and those with wild ambitions of creating a new ten thousand-year legacy clashed without end. 

Yet, as the flames of war and battle rained upon the entire Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, the current developments were only the beginning of the chaos to come. 

-----

The Golden Life Pavilion was a merchant organization that offered a plethora of resources, including, but not limited to, Secret Realms. These Secret Realms heavily resembled the Devil War Realm, a former True Element Sect's Chosen Trial Secret Realm, that was turned into a training ground for prospective Chosen such as Ming Yuling of the Ming Clan or Tang Xingyun to train and gather rare, limited-in-number resources and fortuitous opportunities that only these Secret Realms possessed. 

At a price, of course. 

The Secret Realms themselves often had the potential to gain far greater returns than the initial price. With the War Devil Realm as an example, its four seasons provided unquestionably astonishing stages for cultivating one's arts, spells, and Intent. Furthermore, even Apex-level Elemental Intent can be manifested with the right talents, while items such as Desolate Pearls could be acquired. 

After the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit's end, the Golden Life Pavilion announced that five years later, they would open these Secret Realms with limits to their cultivation base entry, providing an explanation of the possible advantages, while birthing a healthy type of competition. Furthermore, if the organization wanted, they could pay an additional fee to allow an Ascended vagabond to ensure that their Chosen or genius wasn't killed, but was unable to interfere directly with the competition. 

Furthermore, in some of these Secret Realms, a Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill could be acquired in a variety of ways.

When these Secret Realms opened, despite the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's lesser forces being at war, they sent their geniuses and talents. Most had done so as a way to save them from the flames of conflict and icy death should they lose in battle, while others had done it with the faint hopes of producing top-tier talents for the upcoming Chosen King Competition. 

-----

Golden War Realm, Endless Prosperity Domain. 

"FLEE!" A group of black-clothed men, numbering nine, dashed away in different directions. They seemed experienced in fleeing.

"NO ONE IS LEAVING!" A white-clothed young man with a nine-colored dot at his forehead, handsome and dashing, held a white-colored spear that glinted with an aura of origin power, and he slammed the butt of his spear against the ground. 

CRACK!

Fissures formed in an oddly shaped circle with the group and young man at the center. A wall of white, slicing wind erupted from the cracks. A black-clothed man roared, producing a longsword as his cultivation at the Temporal Eye Phase roared to life! He stabbed at the wall with his all. 

BOOM!

Despite the deafening explosion of a windy howl, the wall maintained itself. Shock overwhelmed the black-clothed man's eyes as his arms quivered. He was a former Chosen at the Timelord-level, having cultivated for four hundred years, and he was unable to break through this flimsy wall of wind?! Moreover, it belonged to a younger Realmlord?! 

Before he could cry out in indignant rage, a spear protruded out of his chest. He spurted out a mouthful of blood, but before he could beg for his life, his flesh expanded, and then BOOM! He exploded with a torrential outpour of wind force. 

A spatial ring flew into the air, and with a wave of the white-clothed young man's hand, it sucked into his palm. He smiled with relief after scanning it with his spiritual sense, but then his eyes grew vicious with killing intent as he turned to the other black-clothed men who realized that the wall wasn't something they could break. They gathered together to put forth a last act of resistance.

With a spear in hand, the white-clothed young man slowly walked toward them. 

A few minutes later, the wall went down. 

The white-clothed young man walked out, his eyes glimmering with joy as he held a resplendent key. "While it took so long to track them down, those thieves had the last piece of the Golden Essence Key as I thought. Now, I just need to find the Radiant Door." 

"Lin Ming, the Radiant Gold Fruit should be your priority. Your body is your weakness at the moment, and refining them will bring your primary physique to another level." A voice in Lin Ming's head echoed, giving him some advice towards cultivation. 

Lin Ming nodded; he decided to do some more preparations before challenging the Radiant Door, one of the few trials in the realm, and refining his body will definitely go a long way, especially since he didn't want to miss any opportunities in the Golden War Realm.

Just as he was about to leave, a figure walked into his view. A scent of flowers flowed through his nose, and his eyes narrowed as he turned around.

A gorgeously valiant figure walked forward, dressed in red embroidered with a myriad of flowers. Her auburn hair stood out alongside the rose petal-covered hilt of her sheathed sword. 

"Hand it over," the woman demanded indifferently. She exuded an air that was fragrant and commanding, absolutely breathtaking in both the most aggressive and lovely way possible. 

"Be careful, Lin Ming. This girl isn't ordinary." The voice warned grimly. 

"You are?" Lin Ming controlled the ambient mana to keep the Golden Essence Key behind him, his hands now free to face this new arrival. 

"Hong Chunhua." The woman announced plainly, but Lin Ming's pupils constricted. This name wasn't unknown to him. The First Commander of the Ascendants! He clutched his Origin Spear tighter in response.

"Foolish," Hong Chunhua casually commented as she no longer decided to discuss, seeing this white-clothed's youth willingness to fight. She gripped her sword's rose-covered hilt, a surging Sword Intent erupted alongside a sweet fragrance and piercing sword hum! 

-----

Martial Mountain Realm, Endless Prosperity Domain. 

A jointly-owned Secret Realm of the Golden Life Pavilion and the Boundless Martial Sect. 

A black-haired young man with platinum highlights was scouring an underground temple ruin. When he arrived at the end, finding a staircase that led to a crystal that contained a silver-colored Pill, his eyes brimmed with excitement.

The Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill!

"A half-elf? So you're Yi Yun. " A voice echoed out in the shadows, revealing a human with a hundred spatial rings hanging around his neck and wrist, yet none on his fingers. 

The black-haired young man's eyes shrunk as he turned to see the human, his eyes sharpening by the moment. He was intent on gaining this pill. He didn't hesitate to take the initial and strike!

A fist containing vast physical power shot forth explosively.

Zu Zun, the human, wryly smiled as he flickered effortlessly to the side, dodging the fist that slammed against the wall and caused the temple to shake. "Powerful, definitely." He commented, bringing out his bow. "Let's see how powerful you are for his Majesty to be so interested."

-----

In the depths of a dead rogue planet, waves of undulating mystic power surged out explosively, filled with a vibrant and raging energy. A heavy shout came from within and the planet fractured endlessly until it could fracture no more.

BOOM!

It exploded!

At the epicenter of its destruction, a cloaked figure stood there, their Mystic Aura was incredibly stable and flourishing. "Using this darn sword is too difficult. Shit, Yun Che, why does it take so long to recover Mystic Energy?" the cloaked figure sighed to himself, feeling that as one's cultivation base grew, so did the preciousness of every ounce of energy. 

This was one of the reasons why Ascended beings rarely fought unless it involved life and death, the recovery period was stupendously long if one didn't have Mystic-Earth grade products to assist. It took him nearly a decade to recover fully without any! 

Of course, if others who knew of his outstanding strength in his cultivation stage were to hear that, they wouldn't know whether to cry alone or cry to their mother's at the unfairness of the world.

But now that his strength was back, he felt that he could finally seek out those thieving bitches!

"The Bing Clan."