Paragon of Sin

Ancient Sky Realm, Everlore Domain.

Presently, Evergod's rampant search for the culprit of the greatest, inconceivable heist of the era was underway. In this World Realm owned by San Luoyang, the Grand Secretariat was standing before a crystalline cauldron the size of a baby's fist that sparkled with gorgeous seven-colored light in his personal Alchemic Chambers. There was faint lingering mist scattered across the room, exuding a purity of the utmost variety, infused with the latent principles of successful Alchemy. 

San Luoyang stood with his eyes fixated on the cauldron's alluring form. A rare type of heated passion effused from his eyes as rippling, vigorous spiritual light. There was something primal about his gaze, laden with the truest emotion a man could possess—ambition. 

"Are you sure?" San Luoyang asked, his voice slightly hoarse. 

Behind him, standing close to the wall of the chamber, San Yongli gave him a solemn look. "I am," she answered. Her eyes which were like ruby treasures in a sea of white, flashed with an emotional light, reflecting her frustration and helplessness but also her determination. 

"This is our only choice left. Wei Wuyin exposed the Heaven World Cores to the world, and I can't, no—I refuse to lose mine." San Yongli stated firmly. Shortly after the rumors started to spread, the Everlore Association led by San Luoyang barged into the Ancient Sky Realm, and Highlord Spiritwalker was seized right there and then. She couldn't escape even if she wanted to. As for herself, she was taken aback and nearly lost the Heavenly World Core to Evergod.

San Yongli had to think swiftly to extricate herself from that precarious situation and retain the Heavenly World Core by using a combination of quick wit and a unique mental transmission spell.

San Luoyang had played along, and he skillfully lied with vague implications. To Evergod, San Luoyang had reported that he had paused the concoction of a genuine Mystic-Earth grade product due to the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit and the demand for the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill. The lie: ONLY the Fusion Process remained, the very last step. 

This shook Evergod and his Ever-Knights' souls, but the former was too excited at the prospect of such an event and naturally felt that San Luoyang wouldn't lie about something like this, especially not for a treasure. After learning of the fleet of ships arriving at his doorstep and the circulating rumors, he swiftly concluded that the situation was disadvantageous to them. However, given the situation, there was still a way to keep both cores.

The Soul Saint King would soon come knocking on his door and demand compensation for Highlord Spiritwalker's property while claiming her as per the Saint Cyclic Accords. There might be a way to defend against this, but the Soul Saint King was not a dull foe in the battle of intellect. If Evergod could find a loophole or flaw, then the Soul Saint King had a counter, or two prepared.

At best, he could delay it but not stop the result. But wealth could solve it, so why complicate the problem or offer unnecessary resistance? The Everlore Association was not poor; there was nothing they couldn't solve with their wealth and resources. 

Evergod decided to allow San Luoyang to finish his attempt. If he succeeded, then all of the Everlore Association's perceived weakness would be swept aside, and those fleets of ships demanding a piece of the pie would turn into fawning fools reminded of the Everlore Association's greatness. They wouldn't demand a single thing—they wouldn't dare. 

Indirect intimidation, that was the plan. While seemingly simple, it required a heaven-shaking feat that could shock the world!

"But will it work?" San Luoyang asked doubtfully. 

"Yes. That's the Cauldron of Utmost Awakening. The cauldron is something the Six Paths Empress had used to pave her way to becoming a true Alchemic Saint," San Yongli informed her adopted father as her eyes lit with nostalgia. She had followed the Book of Heaven's Path to seize this before the Six Paths Empress could inside an ancient ruin left behind by an alchemist of a bygone era. This was a year into her arrival in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, and it was one of the first few successes she had in seizing a blessed fortune in this greater cultivation world.

The cauldron was a unique treasure that could generate Utmost Purity Mist by infusing the Soul Light of an Alchemic Soul. The cauldron had two uses: 

It could be used to transform impure-grade products into low-grade ones post-production, essentially expunging all the impurities from a product. This was very effective for all Mortal-rank products and below. If Wei Wuyin knew of this treasure, he would be extremely amused, considering he had devised the Eighth Source Transcendence Spell on a similar principle. The core difference was the spell could elevate the product while this simply purified it. 

The second ability was incredibly miraculous. It could act as a safeguard for the concoction process. Should an alchemist fail at their concoction, they could siphon the Utmost Purity Mist that would otherwise disperse from their cauldron!

"Six Paths Empress? Who's that?" San Yongli's words sparked San Luoyang's curiosity. The Six Paths Empress sounded like a peerless cultivator, and given her title as an Empress, was she also a Worldly Saint-level figure? 

"..." San Yongli realized she had misspoken. She changed the subject, "She doesn't matter. What matters is that the cauldron has an extraordinary function that can only be used once, and that's the ability to convert itself into an Alchemic Rune Seed." 

"Alchemic Rune Seed? What?" San Luoyang was instantly confused. The Dao of Alchemy had runes? 

San Yongli knew that her knowledge had become far more advanced after returning and experiencing the blessings of future Emperor-level characters. The secrets of the unknown era were seemingly showing up for these future legends and she was now exposed to them unlike in her past life. In fact, she only learned about it from finding a dilapidated and near-faded journal along with the cauldron; not even in her past life had she heard anything about it. This was the Six Paths Empress' fortune, not hers. 

"An Alchemic Rune Seed…" San Yongli frowned, trying her best to answer: "It's born… it's…I-I…" She stalled, and her thoughts became increasingly muddled as words and images flitted across her mind. It wasn't that she didn't know, but she simply couldn't find the right words to explain. This baffled her, as she had fully understood the journal when she read it.

Suddenly, she realized that the journal was special and had infused her with obscure knowledge far beyond her cultivation base or achievements in the Alchemic Dao as if it were etched into her soul. While she dabbled in alchemy due to San Luoyang's influence in her past life, she was no Mortal Sovereign Alchemist. Unfortunately, the journal turned to dust shortly after she learned its contents. 

"It's fine," San Luoyang didn't ask anything else. "It'll make me an Earthly Saint Alchemist?" 

"No, it won't, but it will trigger an Earthly Awakening of a Saint, and the rune seed will give you the appearance of an Alchemic Saint." San Yongli honestly answered.

"So it's a lie…" San Luoyang's eyes grew dim. 

"Not necessarily. You can only trigger this function by having the latent potential to become an Alchemic Saint, and the Alchemic Rune Seed will grant you unimaginable benefits when you're concocting. Within a decade at most, you're bound to reach the level of a true Earthly Saint Alchemist." San Yongli consoled and assured. This was the path of the Six Paths Empress, but she had only taken three years by using the fortune as recorded by the Book of Heaven's Path. However, she had a genuine Alchemic Soul at the time, but her insight into the Mystic Dao as a mortal could never rival the Earthly Saint San Luoyang.

The dimly lit eyes of San Luoyang brightened considerably in response. "Then, let's do this."

San Yongli nodded. She was willing to give up this chance of obtaining the Alchemic Rune Seed for the Heavenly World Core. While the Alchemic Rune Seed would benefit her cultivation of the Alchemic Dao in the future, the Heavenly World Core would elevate her Spirit of Cultivation and draw her closer to the Mystic Dao right now. It was a loss, but it was greatly reduced thanks to San Luoyang's status as her adopted father, as she could benefit from his ascension to an Alchemic Saint. 

San Yongli began to form hand-seals to stimulate the cauldron and activate its hidden functiob. While doing so, her thoughts flashed with Wei Wuyin's visage. He was like her, and this event only confirmed that they were at odds against each other, vying for the same benefits. She needed to grow faster. 

-----

"The Earthly Awakening of a True Saint!" The Boundless Martial High King took to the Dark Void, standing amidst the condensed Mystic Runes that floated about randomly. He was followed by hundreds of Ascended beings that left their respective Voidships' formations to feel the changes clearer. 

Han Yuhei was right behind the Boundless Martial High King, accompanied by Zhang Ziyi, whose eyes were wide as saucers, her mind filled with pure awe and astonishment. There were other Earthly Saints, too, such as the Imperial Clan's Imperial Monarch, Tian Lingyu. 

She was accompanied by her sole disciple, a beautiful young woman and a Saintess within the top twenty rankings. 

"What is happening? Is this an Earthly Ascension?" The disciple was too young, and she had never experienced an Earthly Ascension in her lifetime. Besides Ma Zheng and Wu Yu, there had been no other unconcealed Earthly Ascensions in the last few decades. "Or is this like what happened over a decade ago? The Worldly Awakening?" She was deeply interested.

Tian Lingyu took a deep breath and exhaled her awe; she explained: "This isn't an Earthly Ascension. An Earthly Ascension is also called an Earthly Awakening of a Mystic Saint, and the event you're speaking of was mistaken as a Worldly Awakening of a True Saint; they are two different paths of Awakening. 

"The Awakening of a Mystic Saint is toward cultivation, essentially the Mystic Soul seeking out the Mystic Dao's approval, but the Awakening of a True Saint, what we're experiencing now, is for Alchemists to mold the Mystic Dao, shape it in accordance to their wills via the Alchemic Dao, creating miraculous products that can harness the will of the Mystic Dao. It's not seeking out the qualifications of the Dao but attaining a level in the Dao. Those experiencing the Awakening of True Saints have acquired the Alchemic Dao's approval. 

"Do you understand?" Tian Lingyu's explanation left her beautiful disciple with a face full of awe, the light of enlightenment rich in those big, bright eyes. She lightly nodded, "Yes, Master. I understand."

"If you want, you can refer to the Awakening of Saint Alchemists as True Earthly Recognition. There are records of ancient, long-extinct cultivators that refer to it as such." Tian Lingyu finished her explanation as the phenomenon began to fade. "Try to remember these runes!" Tian Lingyu gazed at the Boundless Martial High King and Han Yuhei, and her heart shook as she realized that several mortals had left their Voidships and were meditating with their Worldly Domains unfurled.

She had forgotten!

"Go!" With a wave of her hand, her disciple was sent blasting out into the Dark Void. Due to her being a mortal, she instinctively unfurled her Worldly Domain to resist the Chill of the Dark Void. This was a heaven-sent opportunity!

Twenty seconds…

One minute…

One minute and ten seconds…

The runes dispersed with abnormal suddenness. They simply vanished. 

Tian Lingyu was stunned. So quick? Seventy seconds? The True Earthly Recognition of the King of Everlore lasted seven whole minutes! The opportunity had given countless cultivators within the Aeternal Sky Starfield an advantage in pursuing the Mystic Dao. The consecutive True Earthly Recognitions of the King of Everlore, Evergod, and Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint greatly contributed to why the Aeternal Sky Starfield had an overwhelming number of Earthly Saints. 

While being within the Aeternal Sky Starfield was already a great benefit, these awakenings had compounded that advantage! 

"I heard that you all wish to discuss the matter of my Heaven Relic?" A voice erupted throughout the Dark Void as a handsome, dark-haired, middle-aged man with a well-trimmed stubble and short-tied ponytail appeared. He had a transcendent bearing, as a rich alchemic aura caused the ambient Chaos Mana to gather around him in a beautiful spiraling double-helix.

"..." Everyone.