Paragon of Sin

"Here is good." 

Wei Wuyin softly landed on a piece of desolate planetary debris at the edge of the Heptasage Pillar Stellar Region. Despite his strength and usage of Spatial Arts, using Spatial Shifting to arrive in the Aeternal Sky Starfield from here would take far, far too long. The distance was simply unimaginable, considering the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's location was roughly at the center of the Sealed Regions while the Heptasage Pillar Stellar Region was at the edge. 

"Unfortunately, I can't just conjure a Void Portal." Wei Wuyin's hands formed a series of hand-seals, his Draconic Void Force flowed into the earthen layer of the planetary debris, etching itself into its fragile surface and inscribing a gorgeously beautiful Void Point. "I can't have you find me just yet," his silver eyes lifted to view the vastness of the Dark Void beyond. 

That creature could 'smell' Void Portals. However, it was quite indifferent to Spatial Portals. Unlike Void Portals that traversed through the Void, Spatial Portals forged and connected space through spatial tunnels. As long as Wei Wuyin avoided interacting with the Void, it was easy to evade its senses. 

Unlike typical Void Points, Wei Wuyin could use it as a temporary Void Gate with a slight tweak, not as a specific designation point. This was solely due to his profound understanding of space that's sufficient to grasp the Law of Space. Without further ado, he walked to the center of the Void Point and a multicolored light flashed! 

He vanished! 

-----

The incidents of the Born True Starfield establishment, the Unchained Heart Sect's birth, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Sovereign's tyrannical display of might, Tian Yinwu's return, and the revelation of true talents, had set the stage for the acceptance that the new era had begun! While there were extremely telling signs of its beginning, it was hard to grasp when this era would begin exactly or if it had already begun!

The debate on this topic led to many, many arguments from scholars and experts in the cultivation world. What event in recent times would designate the new era, and what shall its name be? 

Some ancient scholars suggested calling it the Neo-Dawn Era; the King of Everlore hadn't been given a specific designation for his arrival despite changing drastically the society's standards, cultivation opportunities, and organizations. A few debated this as unjust, and since Wei Wuyin was ushering in new standards like the King of Everlore once did, they should respect this and forgo making the same mistake! 

Unfortunately, others were against this. A small minority even believed that the Aeternal Sky Era was still running strong, and just like the King of Everlore, Wei Wuyin's feats were supplementary to the stable existence and prosperous conditions that the Aeternal Sky Era brought forth! Those two alchemists were products of the era and they had only reinforced it. Why a new era? The Tian Clan was still the leading clan in the world!

The majority of the cultivation society, however, was still unable to decide as the intellectuals debated in their halls. Typically, a new Era's initiation was produced by a massive tragedy, vacant elites, and a change of leadership. However, the Aeternal Sky Era's leadership was going strong with no signs of collapse, and with the existence of Tian Yinwu, they were rising to the occasion with talents vastly surpassing the new standards.

The foreign concept of a Mortal defeating an Ascended being was being continuously shattered by each passing day, with the existence of the Ascendants, some of the terrifying Immortal Saintesses and Heroes recently, such as the Extreme Yin Saintess—Na Xinyi, and Chosen of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. The Chosen were defined as true Chosen by Wei Wuyin's newly established standards! 

For now, the arguments bore little progression without a clear sign. 

-----

Aeternal Sky Starfield's Truefrost Domain. 

The domain was the home of the Bing Clan, one of the Eight Noble Clans. The Trueforst Domain, at first thought, was often presumed by foreigners to be an icy wasteland of low temperatures and frozen planets, perfectly suitable for Ice-Attributed Cultivators and hostile to all others, yet when they arrived, their minds would always be taken aback by the unexpected sight.

The Truefrost Domain was normal! It contained four planets—Icejade, Iceland, Icelake, and Icesky, and a single Lunar Satellite—Darkfrost. Each planet contained saltwater oceans, lush forests, freshwater rivers and lakes, mountains both tall and short, and a frozen arctic. They each resembled a beautiful, well-maintained, entirely normal planet by natural standards. The lone lunar satellite was absent of inhabitable conditions, only having a few outposts here and there with top-tier experts.

While these planets were beautifully normal, their arctic conditions at the northern portions of each were outrageously cold, with nearly absolute zero temperatures. These icy locations served as the base of operations for the Bing Clan, while the rest of the four planets' surfaces acted as locations meant for visitors, residents, ecological growth, and cultivation for those who did not cultivate Ice-Attributed Cultivation Methods. 

Due to their gorgeous planets with diverse habitations rich in life and resources, many cultivators pour in to establish their entire lives here through the Bing Clan's integration process, especially given the gorgeous cultivation conditions bestowed to the planets by the Aeternal Sky Star's mystic-graded Solar Essence. 

The Bing Clan was a Noble Clan, therefore isolating cultivators to specific substrata of Ice-Attributed Cultivators was detrimental to their continued growth and acceptance of new talents. As such, this was their approach to solving this potentially catastrophic development. They kept their dedicated cultivation grounds cordoned off from the rest, and kept their icy worlds and ice-attributed Solar Stars in World Realms or Secret Realms such as Frost Glades Secret Realm once almost sold in the Golden Auction.

On the surface of planet Icejade, at the lakeside of a freshwater lake, a white-haired woman quietly stood while observing her reflection. She was dressed in an icy-blue robe that bore the crest of the Bing Clan, and her countenance was peerlessly gorgeous with those bright blue eyes that felt as if they could gently freeze the soul. 

This was none other than Xiao Bing!

"Sister Xiao!" A beautifully slender woman floated towards Xiao Bing from a distance upon a bed of frosty wind. When she landed beside Xiao Bing, dispersing the frosty wind, the woman smiled joyfully. 

"Sister Liya, what is it?" Xiao Bing responded with a faint smile. 

Bing Liya excitedly said, "My Grandaunt is back!" 

Xiao Bing was briefly stunned. Bing Liya's grandaunt was an illustrious figure within the Bing Clan, a Demi-Mortal Lord and one of the top-tier experts of the Bing Clan—Bing Tian! Highlord Frostwind had been absent from the public eye for nearly a decade, and no one knew what she was up to. 

Xiao Bing's expression changed, frowning at the thought of her return. She was the one who ordered that Xiao Bing be married off to a Young Master of the Bing Clan due to her awakening the rare Everlasting Ice Essence Physique. During this period, she was kept under lock and key, her treatment equivalent to a Yin Cauldron and nothing more.

But then the Young Master was killed by Wu Yu. It was said he was chased across Domains, witnessed by many Ascended beings in amusement at the time. That was until Wu Yu later became the Grand Knight of Neo-Dawn and an Earthly Saint, swiftly changing the impact of such an event. This also led to Bing Tian and several experts of the clan being restrained by the He Clan's Earthly Saint for recklessly trespassing and unleashing attacks in his Domain for years. 

Wei Wuyin's reputation continued to balloon and the Bing Clan's tone changed. She became a Yin Cauldron and designated Concubine for a Young Master, now deceased, to a Core Member of the Clan guided by its elites in her cultivation. However, her early years were absolutely hellish. She was isolated from outside news, her cultivation stagnated and imprisoned in a very small courtyard.

She…almost took irreversible action to extricate herself from being pushed to the brink of despair. Even the treasured Spatial Ring Wei Wuyin gifted her had been cruelly seized.

Seeing Xiao Bing's change of expression, Bing Liya's eyes softened. "Sister Xiao, my Grandaunt made a mistake then. She'll certainly apologize for all of it." 

Xiao Bing looked at Bing Liya quietly, her thoughts unreadable. 

Bing Liya's heart shuddered slightly. Xiao Bing's connection with Grand Knight Wu Yu and Wei Wuyin was exposed shortly after Wu Yu announced himself as Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Knight, and the elders of the clan pried out the truth from Xiao Bing's lips. At first, she was tight-lipped and begrudgingly silent, but after enough 'persuasion', she inevitably told them about her status as Wei Wuyin's woman; the Bing Clan's elders knew the issue was no longer simple.

They kept Xiao Bing isolated until they could determine what to do, but Wei Wuyin's reputation and personal strength kept expanding. They weren't fearful of Wei Wuyin yet, given their backing with the Imperial Clan, but his potential was bleeding through everywhere. The Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit cemented this belief. 

While they no longer subjected Xiao Bing to abuse, they kept her restrained with little freedom while they discussed the situation. Unfortunately for them, Wei Wuyin was incredibly elusive and hard to communicate with. Then, word of Yue Songli being assaulted by unknown Earthly Saints in the Ninestar Starfield spread quietly amongst the top-tier forces, and Wei Wuyin intervened with devastating results. When Yue Songli announced herself as Wei Wuyin's lover, the Bing Clan went wild with panic. 

Xiao Bing was also connected to Wei Wuyin! 

Now, Xiao Bing was treated as a glorious disciple of the Bing Clan, a Core Disciple!

Truthfully, Wu Yu had wanted to lay waste to the Bing Clan many times over, but the Divine Emperor was bound to act in response to such blatant aggression, and given his status as Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Knight, that'd have been no different from declaring an all-out war against the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region and giving justification for the entire world to act against Wei Wuyin.

Bing Liya reached out to grab Xiao Bing's soft hands, "Sister Xiao, it'll be fine. I promise." 

"Oh! There you two are here," a handsome male elder flew over silently, his aura of unfathomability firmly placed him as a Venerable! 

"Elder Jialun!" Bing Liya greeted him with a respectful gesture. This was a Venerable of the Clan, a respected member of the sect, and one that had just returned from an outside mission.

"So your Grandaunt is returning?" Bing Jialun curiously asked, glancing at Xiao Bing. There was a hint of a well-concealed last within his eyes. The Everlasting Ice Essence Physique was exquisitely useful for Ice-Attributed Cultivators, and it could bestow the purest Everlasting Ice Essence through dual cultivation. Even Ascended beings could benefit. 

"Uhm…she is! She'll be arriving soon," Bing Liya answered hurriedly and anxiously. Thus Bing Jialun's intentions had been clear for several weeks, and he continuously pestered her regarding becoming his eighteenth wife. He must've followed her here. 

"Oh? Then, let's see her and discuss that topic, yeah?" Bing Jialun teased. 

Xiao Bing's eyes flickered, knowing that Bing Jialun was merely saying this to get a reaction out of Bing Liya. He didn't dare to truly discuss marriage with Bing Tian. She would neuter him for having such thoughts.

Bing Liya, however, was taken aback. And then, she saw an opportunity to rid herself of this fly. "Of course! I already told my Grandaunt that you'll be coming along, and I was just about to contact you." 

"Wa-what?" Bing Jialun's expression drastically changed.

"She's expecting you, Elder Jialun. Do you want to keep her waiting?" Bing Liya sweetly smiled. 

"..."

Xiao Bing sighed in her heart, but while being pulled along by Bing Liya, the trio went off to meet the arriving Bing Tian.

-----

Wei Wuyin arrived in Icejade by connecting to a trade-based Void Gate linked to the Golden Gate Pavilion. He concealed himself using Spatial Merging, slinking away without anyone the wiser.

"The Locator Rune says she's here…" Wei Wuyin had effortlessly infiltrated the Bing Clan.