Paragon of Sin

"...Are they this scared of me?" The changes on Blueglow did not go unnoticed by Bai Lin. While she was in a resting state, she was not asleep and ignorant of her surroundings. The constant vanishing of life auras was keenly noted. Even the Skyships that observed her from afar had distanced themselves.

To evacuate the entire planet due to her, a seed of pride emerged in her heart. There was also a little wisp of vigilance that flitted through her golden eyes. As a Genesis Beast, her instincts were particularly strong, and she felt the exceptional life aura of a single person flashing about, moving other weaker life auras about.

It was the most potent life aura Bai Lin had ever sensed before, and this was a cause for some concern. Even those from that egg-like structure weren't close to this level of life-based vibrance. That said, she wasn't afraid. After refining those Ascended beings, Bai Lin had fortified her bloodline energies and stabilized her lineage cultivation at the Second Stage of the Nirvanic Rebirth Realm.

She even had access to a few more bloodline abilities unique to her current stage. She hadn't had the chance to test them out yet, merely pieces of details in her memories, so if the opportunity presented itself, she wouldn't back down in a fight.

"But what if the planet is destroyed and he can't find his way back?" Her thoughts diverted to Wei Wuyin and the cascading beam of torrential light that took him away. If the planet was destroyed, would he return here or somewhere else? Her thoughts, while uneducated in the functions of the Stellar Transit Light and its formations, was perfectly warranted. If the planet were destroyed, Wei Wuyin would've become a passenger without a destination.

If he was lucky to enter after, he would've been sent to the nearest available destination. If he was unlucky and was in the Stellar Transit Light just before, he would've kept going in his determined direction until the energy of the Stellar Transit Light dissipated, whereby he'd be dropped off then and there.

"..." The growing concern for this possibility kept bombarding her mind. It was as if something was thoroughly telling her that the devastation of the planet would result in disastrous circumstances. However, despite feeling an urge to depart elsewhere, she couldn't bear to leave. After a brief internal debate, she decided to hunker down and await his return, even if it took years or decades. After all, didn't he do the same for her?

They've never abandoned each other before, and she wasn't going to start now.

-----

The Ninestar Starfield was becoming turbulently active after news of a fleet of combat-type Voidships bearing the Tang insignia, one of the Eight Noble Clans of the Aeternal Sky Starfield, had entered their territory widely spread to almost every corner. There were whispers of confusion, speculations, and even the possibility of war circulating.

It stirred the nest even more than the rumored appearance of the Fire Phoenix's sighting in the Soul-Rising Domain. However, this rumor slowly became an accepted fact among the Ascended beings and talented, well-informed elites after numerous sources verified the fleet of Voidships cruising towards the Soul-Rising Domain. This enlightened almost everyone as to why the Ninestar Starfield had allowed this.

The Tang Clan was extremely well-known for being a paramount clan of fire-attributed cultivation. They adopted the Vermillion Bird, a legendary being of exceptionally rich and renowned history, as their idol and symbol of power. Even their Matriarchs and Patriarchs over the years have adopted the title Vermillion as their Daoist titles regardless of their cultivation base.

A Fire Phoenix and a Vermillion Bird were said to have an mystical and rich history together. According to some stories, the Fire Phoenix was a direct descendant of the primordial origin of all avian creatures having mated with an Immortal Solar Demon, the largest Solar Star in existence. The Fire Phoenix later mated with a strange floral demon that only bloomed during the summer season of the Immortal Realms, thereby producing the Vermillion Bird.

In other stories, the Vermillion Bird and the Fire Phoenix were both equal in birth, originating from the primordial origin of all avian creatures as identical twins born on the same day, indistinguishable from each other. The former was taciturn and diligent; the latter was playful and lively.

One day, while flying freely through the Realms of Gods, the Fire Phoenix was said to have mocked the Divinity of Fire for being too hot, saying it couldn't live as fire and that it'd rather die if it had. After telling the Divinity of Fire that its existence was unbearable and that it should extinguish itself for the sake of others, it flew off chuckling in its jubilant excitement.

The Divinity of Fire grew enraged at this, so to punish it, the Divinity of Fire refined the bird with an immortal stone and an essence of itself, forcing the bird to become the living embodiment of immortal flames, constantly subjected to being incinerated into ash and reborn without end as a punishment for its mouth. It was only after its mother descended, coming to an agreement with the Divinity of Fire, that the Fire Phoenix would only forcefully suffer this punishment nine times. From then on, Its true body was no longer flesh, just flames.

Both stories were outlandish, yet it was merely two of many mythological stories of their origins. All this aside, there was a verifiable and undeniable connection between the two beings.

-----

The Endless Prosperity Domain, Grand Horse Realm.

Xue Yifei and Ma Zheng were seated across from each other, but they both had complex expressions.

"What do you mean it's too late?" Xue Yifei asked anxiously. She didn't know why, but after thinking more about it, she felt a stronger sensation that the Fire Phoenix was the same being that Wei Wuyin once talked about, and this caused her heart to grow taut with worry. What if Wei Wuyin was there?

"...I don't know the exact details, but it seems the Tang Clan…" The old Ma Zheng started speaking but halted himself mid-sentence as his expression grew even more solemn. This situation could rapidly escalate. If only he knew this before! Now that he thought about it, both Wei Wuyin and this Fire Phoenix's location were unable to be gleaned upon by Heavenly Seers!

If Wei Wuyin was carrying something that disguised himself from their prying eyes, then it made sense that the Fire Phoenix would be under the same protections.

"Why does the Tang Clan want the Fire Phoenix?" Xue Yifei asked after hearing about this illustrious Noble Clan with heavy connections with the Imperial Clan itself. She was now well-learned about the intricate dynamics of the Aeternal Sky Starfield's sixteen mystic forces. The Tang Clan is deeply intertwined with the Imperial Clan, many of their beautiful female members serving as wives and concubines to many upper-echelon figures, including some princes.

Most importantly, one of the Tang Clan direct lineage descendants had married as an official wife of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor, which later gave birth to one of his most beloved princesses known! Their connections ran abnormally deep in that pool of authority—inseparable.

Ma Zheng heard Xue Yifei's question and frowned. "Long ago, phoenixes and dragons were not as rare as they are today. The Desolate Dragnet Stellar Region was but one of the many regions ruled by beasts; even phoenixes had their own stellar region that they dominated. According to certain records, a war between beasts occurred and wiped out over 99% of the beasts' population with indiscriminate ferocity. I'm unsure of the exact details because this happened hundreds of thousands of years ago, long before my own birth, but these beasts all severely deteriorated soon after.

"Their territories were marked as desolate, uninhabitable for cultivators. The ancient recordings that detailed this was from a nearly extinct race within our own stellar region. There are only some bloodline remnants left, but they aren't pure. This race was said to be giants in form, human-like in appearance, boasting terrifyingly powerful bodies as cultivators. When the Tang Clan originally formed tens of thousands of years ago, they had an exceptional genius who found a unique cultivation method left behind by this ancient race in one of these desolate regions.

"It was called the Blazing Unity of Twin Flames, and it was divided into two parts: Vermillion and Phoenix. The Vermillion version, I have never read myself, only heard rumors as the Tang Clan is extremely secretive, but the Phoenix version, I've not only extensively read but tried to extrapolate some of its essence to cultivate myself." Ma Zheng paused here, his brows furrowed even deeper as he recalled such an ancient memory that carried heavy disappointment.

Xue Yifei's heart fiercely pounded. She was receiving a history lesson that she hadn't expected, and it revealed a few extremely terrifying details! However, during the first half of Ma Zheng's words, her mind felt that memories in her Spirit of Cultivation had been triggered awake. She couldn't help but press against her chest as it sped up.

Ma Zheng continued, "The Vermillion half of the cultivation method focused on refining a physique. The Blazing Unity Physique, one of the strongest physiques known in the entire stellar region. Those who cultivate it seldom fail their Third Ascension, and even if they did, they have a strange spell that allows them to survive without refining Mystic Origin Liquid. This is rumored to be why the Tang Clan currently has the highest number of Demi-Mortal Lord figures as a single power in the entire Aeternal Sky Starfield, outside of the Imperial Clan, of course.

"I don't know how it is cultivated, but it's said that they found a Vermillion Bird's ancient burial ground and it contains their bones." Ma Zheng stopped here, his eyes wistful as he drifted in thought.

Xue Yifei settled her heartbeat down. "What about the Phoenix half?"

Snapping back to reality, Ma Zheng coughed a few times before heaving a breath of relief. "It's said that Fire Phoenixes have perfect control over their flames, being direct extensions of themselves, allowing them to burn what they want and only what they want. A strange will of sorts. The Phoenix half states that the Essence Blood of a Fire Phoenix contains the will of the worldly fire, capable of harnessing this unique Intent. If cultivated in accordance with the method, one can comprehend the Nirvanic Flames Intent, something that exceeds the Fire Intent, integrated with life, death, and annihilation laws of the world itself."

Xue Yifei jolted in disbelief, "Unique Intent?" She had learned much since entering the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, so she knew that the Material Dao, like actual materials, were divided into levels of low, mid, high, and apex. The Apex-level Intent was the strongest of that type of Intent, such as Absolute Zero Ice Intent and Absolute Hot Fire Intent.

She had never heard of this type of unique Intent before.

Ma Zheng coughed a few times again, his eyes growing emotional, "This type of unique Intent isn't the same as the others, because while they can fall into classifications of normal Intent, divided into Seed, Awakened, and World Heart, it's been infused and modified thoroughly by strange laws and worldly forces. They are, however, unable to be comprehended from the world unlike all things within the Material Dao. The Nirvanic Flames Intent, for example, can only be comprehended from the Essence Blood of a Fire Phoenix and only if one has cultivated the correct physique to handle its overbearing power."

"Like the Blazing Unity Physique?" Xue Yifei asked.

"Like the Blazing Unity Physique," Ma Zheng smiled. "But it doesn't end there, the Nirvanic Flames are beyond Mortal Limits, so mortals can't harness its power. At least that's what the cultivation method itself said, I can't be certain. Still, it states that the Essence Blood contains the mysteries of the Mystic Dao. If one can extract it, refine it, and diligently cultivate with it using the method, one has a chance of gaining insight into the Awakened Mystic Intent, reaching...reaching…" Ma Zheng slowed down here, his breathing growing more and more tired. Despite sitting down, his expression gradually grew pale.

Xue Yifei saw the exhausted and sickly state Ma Zheng was in, knowing that his life was approaching its end. She bit her lower lip anxiously as she waited for him to regain his breath. This extended period of discussion must've exhausted him greatly.

Only after a few minutes did Ma Zheng regain a somewhat healthy complexion, breathing out heavily as he closed his eyes. He continued with a hoarse voice, seemingly willing to stop without finishing his words: "They can reach the Earthly Saint Phase! There were also other benefits noted in the method, alluding to it allowing those who cultivate it to reach higher phases, but I can't be certain if its true. No one can. Not even the Golden Gate Pavilion verified it. They once said that the secrets of cultivation are the most difficult to glean."

Xue Yifei now understood why Ma Zheng said the Tang Clan couldn't be stopped. If she was them, she would mobilize all of her available forces to capture the Fire Phoenix alive. She wouldn't even allow others to interfere. Who knew if an Demi-Mortal Lords, or even Earthly Saint level figures, might scheme against her in the shadows.

"But...if this is the case, will the Ninestar Sainthall allow them to take it? Why don't they capture the Fire Phoenix themselves?" Xue Yifei felt that there was more to this story left unsaid. Because, from her point of view, she would unhesitatingly destroy the Fire Phoenix before allowing it to fall into another forces' hands. Even the other fifteen mystic forces should intervene, right?

Ma Zheng sighed. "This actually has to do with an agreement made long ago. But it doesn't matter; no one will stop them, not even I can."

Xue Yifei frowned, "But does anyone want to see them fail?"

Ma Zheng coughed once, swallowing a little and saying smilingly, "Everyone wants to see them fail."

----

Kree?

Bai Lin released a low, gentle cry as she lifted her neck towards the sky.. The outline of over a dozen voidships reflected in her golden eyes.