Paragon of Sin

After Wei Wuyin gathered his thoughts, he was greeted by Su Mei. She rapidly flew toward him, inspecting Wei Wuyin's with her pure black eyes. When she landed, she wanted to say something but was uncertain what.

Wei Wuyin smilingly grabbed Wu Yu's ring and conjured a string of astral force, placing it around his neck. "Inspect the conditions of everyone present. Also, mark their names and backgrounds. For those who've died today, make a list. We'll ensure their families want for nothing for the next few centuries. As for those alive, give them each one of these elixirs." As he spoke, simultaneously sending a box containing vials of life-rejuvenating elixir, Su Mei's eyes lit up. She nodded, diligently shooting off to perform her task.

Wei Wuyin didn't have the time to feel guilt or sadness for those who've lost their lives. They were dead, there was nothing else left to be said or feel about it. He could only try to lessen the struggles their families would suffer or pain felt from their passing. While he knew this was merely a patch to some, most would be ecstatic from his support. Knowing the character of some living creatures, they might even yelp in happiness at the deaths of their kin.

Tuo Bihan heavily sighed. "Little Boss, you should warn us before you perform these experiments." He wasn't sure why Wei Wuyin was conjuring Void Portals or how, but Wei Wuyin kept performing one extraordinary feat after another without end. He could only bitterly smile at this.

Wei Wuyin realized that Tuo Bihan's naming sense was becoming rather consistent when he referred to him, somewhat shocked by this. Briefly taken aback by this consistency, he responded: "Sometimes, its a spur of the moment." While most times it wasn't, this was a truly unexpected event.

He had no idea that his Astral Souls would provoke a tribulation that would send him across multiple starfields and almost make it his burial sight. He wasn't certain they knew.

Hearing this, Tuo Bihan was startled for a moment before his bitter smile became a little warm. In cultivation, there were numerous incidents outside of a cultivator's expectations. For example, nearly being trapped on the Bloodforge Continent for decades. There were times where experimentation and quick action had to take place.

If Wei Wuyin hadn't left the Bloodforge Continent, would the Grand Spirit Trials have happened? Would the Alchemist Association be merged with the Myriad Monarch Sect? Would he be the era-defining character named the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn?

Absolutely not!

Sometimes, risks had to be made for the future. He understood this principle.

Wei Wuyin glanced over at Long Chen's group, seeing Su Mei arrive to deliver a vial of elixir to Qing Qiumu. She turned to look at Wei Wuyin, her eyes coated by a faintly pink shade and brimming with wetness. She smiled gratefully, pouring it into Na Xinyi's mouth without question and helping her refine it. He frowned, realizing that his actions had brought a lethal danger to the lives of everyone present.

He didn't know how to feel.

Wei Wuyin lifted his right arm once more, inspecting his Bloodline of Sin tattoo. He was silent for a long moment.

"Lord Wei!" A soft voice resounded from his side, snapping Wei Wuyin out of his stupor. He turned to see the crimson dressed Xue Yifei walking towards him with a faint happiness in her eyes, but the core emotion was still sadness. She had just inspected the corpse of a nearby individual that was in front of them. They were a young woman no more than twenty-five whose cultivation base was only at the Sixth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. She had flopped dead right in front of them.

When she inspected her and sensed not a hint of lifeforce, she couldn't help but feel a bout of sadness, seeing a little of herself in that young woman. While she tried to feign happiness, Wei Wuyin could see her beating heart through her eyes. This brought him some relief, despite not knowing Xue Yifei for long.

If she was emotionless, uncaring for others, then she would only be a manipulatively cunning woman with some intelligence, but she actually felt for someone she didn't know. While she was happy to see him, putting on a facade, this was merely a display of strength.

Perhaps she wanted to cry, perhaps she wanted to find the cause of that young woman's death, or numerous other things, but she masked it all behind her other genuine emotions.

Xue Yifei arrived, but right when she was about to speak, Wei Wuyin grabbed her and brought her into his embrace. His tall stature caused her to bury her head into his chest, feeling his powerful heartbeat that was throbbing with unsaid emotions. She was startled by the sudden embrace.

"I'm happy you're safe," was all Wei Wuyin said into her ear. Xue Yifei felt herself nearly melt into Wei Wuyin in a warm bliss. But this only broke her facade, causing tears to well within her hazel eyes as she recalled the numerous corpses nearby. She started to tear up before they fell like gentle streams.

Feeling the wetness on his chest, he felt as if Xue Yifei was crying for him by proxy. It was a strange feeling, making him realize that his emotions were more hidden and kept close, unable to spill so easily. While he didn't believe in holding onto guilt or regret, always with the mindset of moving forward, he was still human. Unintentionally causing the deaths of so many impacted his heart, no matter how little.

That being said, even if he slaughtered millions, as long as he wanted to, he would remain unflinching in the face of such carnage. But it was these moments that he felt like he was not an emotionless monster that lived for cultivation. He's reminded of his older brother's principles and morals, to never lose his original heart.

-----

After Qing Qiumu had Na Xinyi drank the elixir, her life signs started to rapidly improve. This brought a wave of relief to their group, but everyone's emotions were in a turmoil. Long Chen was still silent, looking as all this took place. He didn't know what to say or how to say it. Even Long Tingyu was looking at him as if he was a stranger, tears flowing ceaselessly in her eyes.

Regardless of what he said, what excuses he used, he knew the truth. He had nearly allowed Na Xinyi, a woman who had helped him for so many years, to die an abrupt death. Even if he wasn't certain she would die, that invisible force triggered his deadly crisis instincts, so he reacted. Therefore, it was certainly harmful.

But he...avoided her.

He didn't have an explanation.

Qing Qiumu finally lifted her wet and reddened eyes towards Long Chen. She bit her lower lip harshly, nearly drawing blood, before she took a deep breath to calm herself. Then, her eyes revealed a frightening serenity as she regarded Long Chen.

This caused him to feel a chill course through his spine, unable to understand why this calm gaze was more terrifying than her rage.

Qing Qiumu slowly spoke, "I didn't want to see it before, but now I know what type of person you truly are. I can't be friends with someone like you. Whatever relationship we had, consider it concluded." She slowly lifted Na Xinyi up, about to take her to someplace more suited to treat her.

"W-wait!" Long Chen's heart nearly exploded from those words, feeling his world start to collapse. He couldn't believe Qing Qiumu right now. They've been together for nearly two decades, traveling alongside each other, fighting together, and protecting each other, but she was willing to end all that because of one slip-up?

Qing Qiumu halted. She turned towards Long Chen, her expression still the picture of serenity. Her beauty at this moment lacked a hint of her usual warmth, feeling cold and distant.

Long Chen felt his mind tumble. Qing Qiumu was looking at him with those eyes? AT HIM?! A swelling sense of rage and anger emerged within his mind, feeling as if he was being unfairly judged on this matter. He had already given his explanation! She should trust him!

Then, like a bolt of lightning, he recalled the scenes of Qing Qiumu standing together with Wei Wuyin. They stood together like the perfect immortal couple, beautiful and warm. When his eyes shifted to Na Xinyi's face, recalling her choice, his anger erupted!

"After everything we've been through, you're JUST going to END it like that?! You...YOU! You must want to be his as well, right? RIGHT?! From the beginning, it's always been like that, hasn't it?! You were just looking for an excuse to leave me to be with HIM!! You'd rather be his than mine!" His words were spewed with all his negative thoughts, not even that organized.

Long Chen hadn't realized that his face had become contorted and twisted in rage, becoming extremely unsightly.

His actions and words caused the expressions of everyone present to shift, looking at him with shock.

Qing Qiumu's eyes flashed with a chilling coldness like never before, "You're delusional. I wasn't looking for an excuse, never had a reason to. But YOU could've protected Na Xinyi, saved her from nearly dying. If you can do this to her, what's to say about me? How can I trust you?" Her words were fierce and cold. She added: "And I'm not some possession of yours to begin with, so who I'm with or decide to be with has nothing to do with you."

"I-I...I didn't mean it like that Qiu'er..." Long Chen hurriedly explained with a frantic stutter.

Qing Qiumu had witnessed Long Chen in a new light, uncertain how this came about. The little boy that held dreams of one day reaching the stars had devolved into a spiteful individual, someone who lost their original heart. She didn't hesitate to walk away with Na Xinyi in her embrace.

Xiang Ling was startled by this development, but felt disgusted by Long Chen's words. She grabbed Long Tingyu and sought to leave, but Long Chen didn't simply allow that.

"Where do you think you're taking MY little sister?!" Long Chen aggressively questioned, his spiritual aura flaring as it pressed against Xiang Ling. Caught off-guard, she let loose a groan of pain. But she was similarly at the Soul Idol Phase, so besides a brief spell of pain, she regained herself. Without hesitation, her spiritual aura flared outwards to face Long Chen's.

But Long Tingyu cried out, "Stop!" Their spiritual battle came to an abrupt end, with Long Chen staring at Long Tingyu with seemingly crazed eyes. Long Tingyu had never thought Long Chen would attack her master, feeling unfathomably lost at the moment. All of her thoughts were a complete mess.

"Just stop!" She shouted again, grasping her master's hand with her own. "Let's go." She told Xiang Ling, who glowered at Long Chen with a hostile gaze. In the end, she took Long Tingyu and flew away.

Long Chen was frozen, only able to stare blankly at the situation. The last gaze Long Tingyu gave him was as if she was looking at a complete stranger. 'How am I a stranger? What is this?! Are you all abandoning me? ME?!' His thoughts were in utter disbelief.

Soon, he felt a soft hand enter his own. Turning around, he saw Lian Yu gently smiling towards him. This caused his raging emotions and mental instability to become better.

"I'll always be here for you, no matter what." Lian Yu said with the gentlest expression, caressing Long Chen's heated cheek.