Paragon of Sin

"Luo Ning."

Her asking price for her services was minuscule in comparison to others, a mere thousand astral stones, amongst the lowest throughout the twelve thousand Mystic Star Phase experts present, yet it was entirely justified! Why? Because she was a 'failed' Ascended being who was unable to change her Alchemic Astral Soul into an Alchemic Mystic Soul!

She wasn't entirely uncommon as many pursued the fantastical glory of the King of Everlore and the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint! One of the critical reasons why those who were unable to reach the Soul of Mysticism Phase were considered failures was because their Spirit of Cultivation remained Astral Souls enveloped by a Mystic Core. 

Luo Ning had only listed her price due to San Luoyang's decision to have every Mystic Star Phase cultivator participate. She was originally merely a formality. In truth, she wouldn't have even listed thousand astral stones for her price if she was honest about her worth in competitions like this. 

The few Mortal Sovereign Alchemists originating from the Imperial Clan formed a slight smile tainted by subdued mirth. While there were those from the Everlore Association, such as Mu Yura, who carried frowns on their expressions. 

Luo Ning! She was a character for sure. She was a legend amongst alchemists—a disastrous legend. There were very few that were ignorant of her 'extraordinary' journey. 

San Luoyang's brows furrowed slightly; he directed a question toward Wei Wuyin in a deep, confirming tone: "Are you certain of your selection? I will say this once, the rules only allow you to choose a single instructor, no other." 

Wei Wuyin said with a clear nod, "I am." There wasn't the slightest regret in his eyes as he observed Luo Ning. The old woman looked downwards, finding the enchanting silver eyes of this youth extremely bewitching, as if he could see through the truths of this world and carried the essence of limitless imagination.

"Come, Alchemic Emperor Luo." Wei Wuyin respectfully gestured with a faint smile, seemingly far more approachable and amicable than his earlier indifferent self. She hesitated for a second, glancing at the smirking Xun Yicao before moving slowly to the edge of the disk, flying downwards. 

When she left, and Wu Yu remained silent, the selection continued as San Luoyang resumed the selection process through typical rules, allowing those at the Official tier of the Mortal Sovereign Alchemist priority, then Prime-tier, and finally Grand-tier for the sake of fairness.

The average listing of legitimate instructors roughly reached a million astral essence stones or a single mystic stone. These Mystic Star Phase experts weren't selling themselves short, with some with higher fame and notable combat prowess shamelessly asking for three up to five mystic stones. An outrageous price, yet this didn't sway any of these Mortal Sovereign Alchemists away from selecting them.

It didn't take long before the 244 Mortal Sovereign Alchemists chose their instructors. Surprisingly, Su Mei's Sect Master, the Solitary Saber Sect's Sect Master Dao Yuwen, was selected by Mu Yura, the Twilight Alchemic Sovereign, for three Mystic Stones and two hundred thousand astral stones. 

While that was happening, Wei Wuyin sat on, leaning against Bai Lin's furled right wing. She was always the most comfortable pillow and given her large size, she was capable of covering his entire body with her wing if he sought any warmth. 

Luo Ning stood before him, exuding the distinct aura of an Alchemic Soul. Her energies were pure, yet she hadn't touched upon a greater source of stable mystic-graded alchemical energies. There was a clear imbalance due to her Alchemic Astral Soul and Mystic Core. The former was entirely unable to control the full strength of the latter. 

She was nothing more than a glorified Starlord at this point. However, she didn't carry herself poorly or with disgrace, instead emanating a bone-deep pride and unyielding will. 

Wei Wuyin took his time as the Mortal Sovereign Alchemists began their next segment of selections—choosing a promising Chosen candidate. They used various methods in their arsenal to determine those of the greatest innate talent, even establishing miniature trials to test comprehension and potential at grasping insights. 

They didn't hold back at all, seeking help from Ascended beings of their factions to conduct the tests. There were no limitations to external usage of resources for these selections. This was the main reason why instructor selections went by fast, as all these Mortal Sovereign Alchemists used their various sources to grasp detailed histories and cultivation methods of each Mystic Star Phase expert. 

"Alchemic Emperor Luo, here." Wei Wuyin took out a mystic stone and handed it over. Luo Ning hesitated for a brief moment before grabbing the stone cautiously and placing it within her robe. She, however, gave Wei Wuyin a confused look.

How did this youth contain this mystic stone? She didn't sense it on his person before. How curious.

"I won't be able to help you," Luo Ning flatly stated. 

"Oh? Tell me why." Wei Wuyin waved his hand, bringing out a wooden chair with a cotton-padded cushion and armrest that slowly moved behind Luo Ning. It wasn't large, just enough for a single person to comfortably rest on. Luo Ning didn't stand on ceremony, laying her aged tushy on the chair and relaxed. She had no qualms about letting Wei Wuyin use her to insult Xun Yicao—she never liked him. 

After getting into a comfy position, she said: "I've devoted my entire life to the Alchemic Dao, the last nine hundred and forty-four years of my life since I was three years old. I have no deep comprehension into other methods, spells, or arts that don't relate towards the Alchemic Dao." 

Wei Wuyin wasn't surprised by her age. She was definitely nearing death, not via soulspan, but lifespan. She had exhausted her life force in her failure to ascend, using 800 years, yet as an alchemist, it wasn't difficult to concoct some life-extension, life-infusion, or life-replenishing products. But considering the fragile state of her innate energies, it was clear her body's degradation might very well prevent her from concocting with any tangible success.

She was likely here to spectate the central ignition of change for the next era or to bring along a descendant, Alchemic Knight, or Chosen of hers. 

There were many alchemists like Luo Ning that sought to take the King of Everlore's path, cultivating an Alchemic Soul and reaching the heights of the Alchemic Dao through a puritan status. Unfortunately, the difficulties in cultivating were unimaginable. 

She faced the same issue that most alchemists who fully devoted their lifetime to the Alchemic Dao came across—time. The Alchemic Dao was separate from the typical realms of cultivation, supplementing yet independent. It was equally, if not more, complex than the Mortal Dao and Mystic Dao. 

Despite using various methods to bypass the lethal tribulations of the Realm World Phase, Temporal Eye Phase, and Star Core Phase, Luo Ning was faced with an insurmountable challenge—comprehending the Mystic Dao. She had exhausted her time focused on the Alchemic Dao and muddling her way through the Mortal Dao, yet as an Emperor Alchemist, he comprehension of the Mystic Dao was horrendous, and the time she had to grasp insights by comprehending the profundities in the Mystic Rune Seeds was horrifically low. 

She failed. 

Although she gained the qualifications to challenge the Mystic Ascendant Realm, refining eighty-one Mystic Rune Seeds, she grasped little to nothing with the limited time she had. However, if she wanted to take the path of the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint and King of Everlore, she must reach the Mystic Ascendant Realm.

Unfortunately…

Wei Wuyin nodded, not spouting out unnecessary words. He only asked her to tell him about her past. The various expressions from the Everlore Association and Imperial Clan hadn't escaped his Celestial Eyes. She thought Wei Wuyin wanted to waste time, not giving this competition any genuine seriousness due to his lack of experience, so she obliged. 

She was born in the Everlore Domain. During her younger years, she was obsessed with the Alchemic Dao, deemed to have enough Alchemic Talent to cultivate an Alchemic Soul, and so she did. Her beginnings were laced with bouts of brilliance, yet she was extremely arrogant. While she trounced those of the Everlore Association, she felt they weren't worthy enough for her.

She was merely a teenager at the time, barely a King Alchemist. However, her attitude effectively got her blacklisted by a powerful figure of the Everlore Association. Despite later growing up and becoming more mature, her entry into the association was blocked continuously.

So she did what any enraged youth would do: she kept challenging the Everlore Association geniuses to Alchemic Clashes. And she won each of them.

She became renowned in her generation as the top King Alchemist in the last thousand years. How brilliant was she then? How much of a slap was it to them? It was harsh that reality was often cruel, smashing one from the clouds to the dirty, filthy earth.

She entered the Astral Core Realm through an Everlore Ascension Pill gained by her grandfather. She forged an Alchemic Astral Soul! With excitement, she began to practice the Astral Core Realm-level of Alchemic Dao, or the later stages of the Mortal Dao, but found herself increasingly puzzled. 

She met roadblock after roadblock, suffering repeated failures. It was obscenely difficult! Her previous glory was ripped from her hands as those non-Alchemic Soul alchemists of the Everlore Association began destroying her in Alchemic Clashes. It was one-sided.

Luo Ning instantly realized the issue! She was alone! Unlike the Desolate Dragnet Region, the Alchemic Legacy of the King of Everlore was highly restricted, protected by various Mythical Oaths of secrecy and various protective spells. While the various associations gathered their accumulated knowledge of the Alchemic Dao through trial and error, keeping their secrets extremely secure.

She attempted to rectify this issue by finding an association, but she found herself continuously blacklisted. They rejected her without reason! But she knew the reason—the Everlore Association! Even when she tried to conceal herself, they instantly discovered who she was, swiftly kicking her out, and leaving her hapless without guidance. 

She was left without another option but to join the Imperial Clan, the one organization throughout the entire Aeternal Sky Starfield that wouldn't copulate to the Everlore Association's domineering ways. With a little luck and diligent effort, she successfully passed their examination! 

When she was younger, she was an exceptional beauty that could easily rival some Saintesses. Her status as an Alchemic Soul alchemist was one of her greatest protections, with an unwritten rule by most cultivators to avoid killing or harming these cultivators without a justified reason. The Golden Gate Pavilion had an agreement with the Everlore Association to inform them if any Alchemic Soul cultivator was killed prematurely, captured against their will, or forcefully violated.

This was the utmost sign of dutiful respect towards those who dared brave the King of Everlore's difficult path. To those found breaking this rule, their entire family was slaughtered to the last.

It's been a long, long time since an Alchemic Soul cultivator was murdered by the hands of another cultivator knowingly, except through unintentional casualty—a consequence of behemoths of extreme power clashing. At most, they would be captured and ransomed off back to the Everlore Association with evidence as to why to ensure that the alchemist swore an oath to not seek revenge on their captors. 

Luo Ning's beautiful appearance became an issue in the Imperial Clan. Long story short, Xun Yicao wanted Luo Ning to be his concubine. For male alchemists, those virgins with Alchemic Souls were extremely beneficial to their cultivation. Xun Yicao used this method of enhancing his alchemical energies to increase his success rates, refinement speed, etc. 

Yet Luo Ning refused. She was obstinate and direct, refusing to become the concubine of someone. However, she had no issues with being a wife, but that wasn't on the table. Her fiery personality in her youth and unyielding stubbornness caused her to insult Xun Yicao, later getting kicked out of the Imperial Clan, and swearing multiple oaths to never use or spread methods, spells, and arts learned during her time in the Imperial Clan.

She was essentially brought back to step one after wasting decades of her life. Yet she remained stubborn, refusing to beg Xun Yicao to accept her as his concubine to continue her cultivation into the Alchemic Dao, so she strove to cultivate alone without a strong, stable legacy to guide her. She became a rare vagabond alchemist with an Alchemic Soul, the first…

Wei Wuyin listened to every detail of her story. At the end of it all, his silver eyes looked upwards and found Xun Yicao's throne. 

"Satisfied?" Luo Ning felt her throat was dry, desiring some tea. It's been a while since she told anyone of her story, been a while since anyone was willing to listen. 

Wei Wuyin lowered his gaze and looked at Luo Ning, faintly smiling: "Not yet." 

"Oh? Do you want to know more? Maybe how I looked when I was younger? I wasn't that inferior to you, y'know. I mean, inferior to your three little women over there. A genuine smoke show, I swear." She realized comparing herself to a man was a little inappropriate, hurriedly changing the target of comparison.

Wei Wuyin chuckled, "I don't doubt it."

"You know, I still am pure," Luo Ning jokingly winked, her wrinkles twisting in an unsightly manner that might induce a little vomit. Wei Wuyin wasn't the slightest bit creeped out, realizing that a woman as stubborn as her was unlikely to surrender to any man in her lifetime. She bravely went at it alone until the bitter end and still reached her current cultivation and alchemist rank. It was nothing short of amazing.

"The good ol' days…" Luo Ning nostalgically lost herself in those memories. How it felt to be young and proud, completely different than old and proud for sure. 'Who knows, maybe I could've been the next Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint if I wasn't so stubborn.'

Wei Wuyin closed his eyes. After a long, long while, he opened them and called out to Luo Ning. She awoke from her daydreams with a start. 

"What is it, young prince? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to this old woman's untouched body." Luo Ning had an unapologetic sense of humor, freely capable of joking around, but her genuine desires were leaking. 

Wei Wuyin couldn't help but be reminded of that mysterious woman in the Nexus Battlefield. She was at the end of her ropes, and all she wanted to do was experience how it felt to be a woman before she decided to end it. He inwardly shook his head. 

"Alchemic Emperor Luo, I've decided: I'm going to make you a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist," Wei Wuyin declared.

"A what now?" Luo Ning jolted.