Paragon of Sin

The ninety-nine pearls vanished; the white flowing light that danced beautifully on the inner shell of the barrier faded; the white glossy layer on planet Origin dissipated. The entire situation began to de-escalate into normalcy. The various Ascended beings holding the reins of various formations, restocking depleted resources or fueling it with their own power, were freed as these formations wind down into inactivity. 

Gleeful exclamations and several exhalations of relief resounded throughout planet Origin, the Paramount Jade Realm, Ultimate Elementus Realm, and the several dozen of planets within the Elementus Domain. The Ascended beings tasked with opening and maintaining the planet's core energies for the Paramount Jade, Ultimate Elementus Array felt unimaginable emotions of thankfulness. It had ended!

These cultivators were natives of these planets, considering it their homes. To see it suffer from exhaustion was heart-breaking, and their spirits were drained from the intensity of every use. Some planets, especially the tiny-sized ones, suffered the worst. They were nascent; all of them formed for various purposes of cultivating certain specific materials. This process could take centuries to millennia to complete, yet now all their hard work had been eradicated.

A single moment was all it took. 

The battle between Wu Yu and the three Earthly Saints had occurred in an extremely short period in relation to the eyes of mortals, especially lower-ranked cultivators. A mere twelve or so seconds. 

"It's finally over!" A sweaty farmer, just a Second Stage Astral Core Realm cultivator, shouted with relief. He looked at his fields, seeing yellowing and signs of decay. The fruits of his three-year long effort to grow these crops had amounted to nothing, yet besides a brief frown, he wasn't too bothered. 

"Who do you think it was? The Imperial Clan?" A young girl with fair skin, opulent attire, and a cultivation base at the Spatial Resonance Phase, asked her merchant father. Her father was a heavy-set male, his belly slightly larger than normal, and he had beady-like eyes.

"Of course not; it was certainly one of the Noble Clans. Maybe the Jiang Clan, those sword maniacs. Or those evil bastards." The merchant sighed, reeling in his Worldly Domain. 

"You think? Well, they'll know not to mess with our True Element Sect now, right father?" The girl giggled in excitement. The reputation of the True Element Sect will skyrocket.

"..." The merchant remained silent, only looking at the greying skies of their planet. He could feel the severely considerably weakened Sky Layers, a direct result of planetary core energies exhaustion. The filtered essence would be far more impure and in less quantities. Their planet will have some dark days ahead.

'Let's hope the True Element Sect upkeeps their promises of compensating us…can they?' He frowned, feeling a headache arise.

In the eyes of the average cultivator, the True Element Sect had just fought against a Domain-threatening force and won. Why did these cultivators see this as a win? Because the array had stopped naturally, clearly under the direction of an Earthly Saint being that they revered to the highest limits. 

The only ones who could do such a thing was the True Element Sect's Earthly Saints, likely their legendary Guardian of the Elements, Han Yuhei. To the vast, vast majority of cultivators, Han Yuhei was their pillar of confidence and strength. As long as he was there, no other Earthly Saint could threaten them. 

On some planets, even before an official announcement was sent out to explain the situation, they celebrated their victory with parties of all varieties, including the lustful indulgent type. They had survived an assault, so it was fair to celebrate, right? Perhaps a baby boom would happen nine months from today. 

-----

While the planets sighed with relief, partied to exhaustion, or had various wicked schemes ongoing to steal stored, secure resources to sustain their cultivations for the dark days ahead, on planet Origin, Wu Yu stood before three kneeling Earthly Saints. 

Gong Lau's broken neck hadn't been fully fixed, so his head leaned unnaturally to the side, and cracks resounded from time to time alongside a gurgle or two of the throat. 

Zhang Ziyi's arms were healed; Wu Yu had allowed her to exhaust her lifespan to do so using Time Reversion. If she didn't do so now, if time passed a little longer, the cost would be horrifically high. She could be an armless woman for life if not handled swiftly. After all, the bodies of Earthly Saints were notoriously difficult to repair. Even an Ever-Rebirth Pill wouldn't work. They would need a genuine Mystic-Earth grade equivalent. 

As for the reason for all this, Han Yuhei, he had already awakened earlier. At the moment, he kept his head completely down with his facial expression hidden.

Since the resounding defeat, roughly ten minutes had passed as Wu Yu had taken over the arrays and formations of the planet, directly turning them off. He had only kept the barrier aspect active, concealing from the other Earthly Saints from other Domains of the embarrassing outcome of Han Yuhei's reckless and demented act of vengeance. This was a lot harder than he expected. If it wasn't for Zhang Ziyi's cooperation, it would be much harder. 

Despite her position being the weakest, her knowledge of these formations and arrays were extensive. She belonged to the Shattered Elements Faction that originated from the Jade Element Sect before the Lin Clan's desperate merger, so she was thoroughly aware of these arrays which had the groundwork of her ancestors forged within.

The three with their kneeling postures and Wu Yu's upright stance, arms folded at his chest, and his eyes carrying wisps of judgment formed a strange scene resembling a teacher scolding their students. 

Wu Yu felt an urge to shake his head. He had already ended his 3rd Grand Transformation, reverting back to his normal appearance. While he seemed perfectly okay, his Mystic Soul and physique was extremely stressed. 

As an Earthly Saint, Wu Yu was in a state of a perpetual Mystic State, a result of his Mystic Runes merging with his physique. There was no need to summon its power, because he was always using it. This costless advantage was one of the vital differences between Demi-Mortal Lords and Earthly Saints. It made their difference almost insurmountable. 

However, the Grand Transformations using the Imperial Heaven Aura fostered in his Mystic Soul to execute unique states. The 1st Grand Transformation merged his Imperial Heaven Aura with his World Pressure, changing it into Imperial Pressure, a stronger variation with terrifying suppressive powers. 

The 2nd Grand Transformation merged the Imperial Heaven Aura with his dantian, the center for all his energies and reversed itself, affecting all four types of his innate energies. He received a hefty boost to his mystic power. It could be referred to as mystic-graded Imperial Power.

If his body hadn't been refined to a sufficient point, he could undergo cultivation deviation due to the vast power of his energies and go boom. This was why each Grand Transformation had strict requirements. 

As for the terrifyingly powerful 3rd Grand Transformation, it was merging one's Mystic Runes with the Imperial Heaven Aura, then infusing them into various areas of one's physique. It required a Demi-Mortal Lord Phase cultivation base to even initiate, but an Earthly Saint Phase cultivation base to bring out the fullest extent of its power. 

When Wu Yu entered the 3rd Grand Transformation, tens of thousands of his external runes had merged inside him, then infused with his Imperial Heaven Aura, and elevated his Imperial Heaven Physique to the utmost limits of its potential, at least the limit that his current foundation allowed. It exhausted an incredible amount of mystic energy and Imperial Heaven Aura to sustain. 

However, he had only tested it out before, and feeling danger, he did something he hadn't before—infused ALL of his Mystic Runes into his Imperial Heaven Physique. Normally, he would only send one or two types of Mystic Runes to activate the 3rd Grand Transformation. This time? He used all eight types. 

He had never felt much power before.

Yet it wasn't enough; he faced that beam of absolute death in that state and felt certain that it was over. When the pearl was breached, he was a sitting duck at a shooting range. The sheer aura emitted from the beam prevented him from moving. 

He was absolutely, totally, completely certain, beyond a shadow of a fucking doubt, dead if hit. The elemental beam might have been 70% charged, but it could injure or outright kill a careless Worldly Saint. It was the accumulation of millennia of concentrated effort and boundless resources of Earthly Saints. That couldn't be underestimated. Facing his impending death, the only thing he could think about was how he grossly underestimated the strength of these formations and arrays, so severely that it cost him his life.

He was once again reminded, no, outright humbled by his overconfidence. He swore to never belittle an opponent again. Ever. Fortunately, he was saved again at the last moment.

Wei Wuyin had opened a Void Gate that enveloped him just short of being struck, sending him outside the Worldscape, to the edge of the Starfield. A Void Anchor had been set prior to arriving, for safety sake. It was Wen Mingna who felt her death incoming, being a Heavenly Seer, and Wei Wuyin acted without any hesitation.

Wen Mingna had saved their lives twice. And while those both involved her life being threatened too, it was enough to bail them out of a very, very dangerous situation. Thankfully, almost every spatial restrictive array in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region only targeted Spatial Shifting, a fixed space ability. His Void Powers were a godly advantage that could shatter expectations.

Right after, Wu Yu swore to never let his guard down again. He would conclude any battle with the swiftest, merciless means. If he had outright used his full power, none of this would've happened. He was far stronger than Han Yuhei, even empowered by his arrays, especially in the 3rd Grand Transformation. 

"Don't kill me," Gong Lau's voice squeaked out of his broken throat, causing his neck to break a little more. Despite his lofty status as an Earthly Saint, he begged for his life as pathetically as any mortal. 

He wasn't begging to save them all, just himself. Considering Han Yuhei seemed to have a relationship with Wu Yu, still alive despite using every means available to him, then Wu Yu would definitely not kill him. And Zhang Ziyi was a beautiful female Earthly Saint, her use for a male counterpart was incredibly apparent. All she had to do was spread her legs, and her life would be spared. She might even experience boosts in her cultivation if Wu Yu was kind to mutually dual cultivation. 

This was how it went for mortals. When he was younger, Gong Lau didn't hesitate to slaughter males and take women, stealing, plundering, and scheming. He didn't reach the Earthly Saint Phase from being kind-hearted.

Wu Yu gave Gong Lau a cursory glance. Out of the three, he was the only one who wanted to kill Wei Wuyin. His thoughts and character were obvious. If it wasn't for Wei Wuyin's order, he would slaughter this parasite.

Oh right! Wasn't he the Earthly Saint that handled the True Element Sect's parasitic factions that fed off the World Sect's protective oath? He had no idea why Han Xei and little Yu would keep them alive, but considering the theme of this stellar region, mythical oaths must've been sworn. 

Fortunately, he had none of those oaths. 

"Hm? Where's your other Earthly Saint?" A thought shot into Wu Yu's mind. He recalled from Ma Zheng that the True Element Sect might have three official Earthly Saints, but those parasites had two. One handled the True Element Sect, keeping them in line, ensuring their resources were properly given and maintained, and the other led the various clans that sucked the sect dry. 

"...!" Gong Lau gurgled unnaturally. 

Wu Yu furrowed his brows, killing intent flickering within his eyes. Gong Lau's heart was racing, cold sweat littered his brow, and his fingers felt numb. If his cultivation base wasn't sealed, none of this could happen, yet he felt as weak as a mortal.

"He's injured. I think they're recuperating in the Golden Life Pavilion's healing realm." Zhang Ziyi answered. She had kept active tabs of the various Earthly Saints of the parasites outside. The absence of that Earthly Saint as of late was quite curious, so she delved into it. She learned from a member of the Ma Clan that they were healing at another Golden Life Pavilion's branch. 

"Injured? When?" Suddenly, a figure flew over on the back of Bai Lin. With the three Earthly Saints suppressed, he could enter any location on planet Origin as freely as he wanted. He had left earlier to find that familiar aura, but Wen Mingna had discovered that one of the Earthly Saints might be key to finding what he was searching for. So he returned, deciding to put it off for now. 

Zhang Ziyi gave Wei Wuyin an odd look as she looked at the Fire Phoenix. "I don't know the exact date, but it was definitely after the Fire Phoenix's failed capture." 

"You're saying?" Wu Yu was taken aback, intrigued. 

"I'm not saying anything, just stating a timeline." Despite her current predicament, she adamantly denied any suggestions towards any conclusion. Her reluctance to be associated was apparent.

Wei Wuyin, however, caught it loud and clear. He gave Wu Yu a 'look', turning his focus to Gong Lau. 

Wei Wuyin indifferently said, "Kill him." His voice wasn't cold, but the way he said those two words so indifferently made  one's heart grow incredibly cold.

Wu Yu grinned. He didn't hesitate as Gong Lau's frantic gurgles became hectic and pleading, he struggled against his internal seals but to no avail. Wu Yu simply placed his hand on his head, and then, a surge of chaotic mystic power surged into his body without mercy. Gong Lau's eyes violently bulged, popping out of his skull before his blood gushed profusely out of his seven orifices.

His body was dead.

But Wu Yu had learned from his mistakes, sending a burst of spiritual power to assault Gong Lau's Mystic Soul. It squealed pathetically before a shattering sound echoed for tens of thousands of miles. It unnaturally caused one to feel a painful urge to cringe.

BOOM!

His body, blood, bones, and cranial fluid exploded, disintegrating under the immense power. 

Gong Lau was truly dead.

Zhang Ziyi was horrified. Han Yuhei's head snapped upward as he watched everything unfold! Seeing the death of an Earthly Saint was a harsh reminder of their current reality! 

Wei Wuyin didn't bother with their intense reactions, touching Wu Yu's shoulder.

Suddenly, the world froze.