Chapter 988: SCR Summit, A Hungry Man
"A what now?" Luo Ning felt as if she had misheard Wei Wuyin's words. They must've been a figment of her age-laden imagination, a far-away consequence of her nostalgia-filled daydream, an illusion of the heart and-
"I've decided to make you a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist," Wei Wuyin firmly repeated his intent. Luo Ning was stunned; Wei Wuyin's eyes contained an unswerving seriousness that lacked any indication of this being what it felt like—a joke.
She was unable to speak, strictly confused as to how someone can casually decide to 'make' someone an Alchemic Sovereign of the Mortal Dao! It was ludicrous to say, and anyone within the grand profession of alchemists would surely laugh themselves into an early grave hearing it.
"Don't be too stunned; this is an experiment. I will not be taking you as my disciple, and while I'll be your teacher and you, my student, I will not be responsible for you after. Do you understand?" Wei Wuyin's words left Luo Ning as shell-shocked as one could imagine.
After taking a long while to process it all, staring intently at the silver eyes of this exceptionally handsome young man, she finally eked out a single word: "Why?" This was a question that should've come later after a series of disbelieving rebukes to remind Wei Wuyin to know his limits, yet it was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
She couldn't find it in her heart to sustain the slightest doubt, and whenever doubt emerged, she was reminded time and time again by her innermost instincts that this was one of the youngest Mortal Sovereign Alchemists in the stellar region's known history, saddled right next to the King of Everlore, her idol.
Wei Wuyin didn't hesitate to give her a direct answer. Glancing at the thrones floating above, he indifferently spat: "To settle a debt." Four words that carried an exceptionally sharp edge, and they caused Luo Ning to shiver, knowing in her heart and soul that there was a sinister, lethal scheme brewing within them.
"How?" Luo Ning's expression grew abnormally dark and solemn, putting aside her humorous self and revealing a downright serious side.
Wei Wuyin faintly smiled, "With effort. How else?" After saying this, he swept his gaze across the platform, noticing that He Yanglei had sealed himself off by a thick astral ward preventing inspection. Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes pierced through this obstruction, finding an ashen-faced, sweaty, and fearful He Yanglei that couldn't stop trembling. From time to time, he would grimace in pain as saber light flitted within his eyes.
Wei Wuyin knew that if it wasn't for the golden mats passively infusing He Yanglei with diluted Astralis Essence, he would not be in any type of state to cultivate. He was slightly startled by the self-inflicted harm He Yanglei was committing against himself. After all, the saber light was not his but a byproduct of trauma that He Yanglei's mind was conjuring. His Saber had left a heavy imprint on his soul and mind despite being reversed.
If he could overcome this trauma, he might be able to escape his calamity and gain insight into Saber Intent.
Right now, the alchemists were discussing with their instructors the intricacies of their cultivation methods, specific alchemical products suitable for their stages of development, and the type of disciple they would find easier to mold—this enveloped age, cultivation base, gender, previous cultivation method, etc.
An idea emerged in Wei Wuyin's mind. He turned to a calm, sitting, and ruminating Luo Ning with a spark of interest. "I think I have the perfect use for your ability, Alchemic Emperor Luo."
"What?" Luo Ning was confused.
Wei Wuyin nodded to himself with approval, "Three birds with one stone; you'll be concocting the products for my future Chosen." Ignoring the wide-mouthed Luo Ning, Wei Wuyin took to the air, looking at the massive crowd of over a million cultivators. There actually weren't that many candidates to choose from at present, but his actions of inviting everyone into the Main Hall had certainly made this type of clash possible.
There were a lot of parents, masters, and organizations that brought along their young to observe this event. However, there were fewer eligible candidates than Mystic Star instructors, barely exceeding eight thousand. This greatly limited the field of choice. Moreover, the majority of them were citizens or inhabitants of the Everlore Domain.
Wei Wuyin's eyes found a specific person amongst the crowd; his eyes brightened as his emotions stirred. Vivid memories of the past flowed into his Sea of Consciousness from when he was just a kid with an adventurous spirit and a willful spirit. It felt as if it was so long ago, yet not at the same time.
Those silver eyes of his glazed over with nostalgia. But after a while, his smile faded, his eyes dimmed, and his mood dampened considerably. Not all memories felt good to remember. The good, peaceful, and exciting memories were often accompanied by the bad, chaotic, and depressing ones.
Wei Wuyin drank in those memories, reminding him of his sense of self and life's principles, never allowing them to be repressed as they defined him. Eventually, Wei Wuyin landed as he settled on his choice. San Luoyang was already taking action, removing all the non-instructors from the disk and bringing over every cultivator that met the requirements to be selected.
They simply needed to be beneath the age of five hundred; specifically, they couldn't be older than 496 and a half, and they had to be at or beneath the Sixth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, the False Reality Phase. There weren't many that fit, with most being minor servants of various forces or children. The vast majority of crewmates that operated Voidships were at the Astral Core Realm, and those that weren't were beyond the False Reality Phase.
During all this, Wu Yu was abnormally silent. To the outside, it seemed as if he was thoroughly tamed by the Imperial Clan's united front. But inside, Wu Yu was greatly amused, not bothered in the slightest by the suppression. That said, he couldn't help but glance at Tian Lingyu, Tian Muyang, Yang Chaoyue, and the two other Sky Monarchs that were aware of Wei Wuyin's status as a Saintmaker, trying to slide into his favor.
Given the seat prepared for Ma Zheng, with the exact specifications of an Earthly Saint, this was likely leaked somehow through them or divined by the Golden Gate Pavilion. He wasn't too shocked that they acted in a concerted effort with their Empress' desire, that was an act of loyalty, but he was taken aback by their willingness to allow Xun Yicao to speak so viciously towards Wei Wuyin without warning him.
If Tian Muyang and the others knew of Wu Yu's thoughts, they would have the bitterest of smiles, especially Tian Muyang. He had repeatedly hinted to Xun Yicao that Wei Wuyin was unordinary and to form a relationship with him, but it only caused Xun Yicao to develop animosity and distaste for Wei Wuyin. And it was all due to jealousy that was as clear as day, and possibly feeling threatened considering Wei Wuyin was currently unaffiliated and touted as a 'Grand' Mortal Sovereign Alchemist.
If Wei Wuyin sought to ally himself with the Imperial Clan, this would threaten his position and relevance within the clan. As such, he was deliberately antagonizing Wei Wuyin to avoid that possibility.
Even Empress Xiaocheng felt helpless towards this. While her position was lofty, it was difficult to rein Xun Yicao in, especially given the legitimacy of his paranoid thoughts and unquestionably high merits performed for the Imperial Clan for the last ten thousand years.
As for the Sky Monarchs, such as Yang Chaoyue, they simply didn't have the status to discuss that topic with the Imperial Alchemist of the Tian Clan, head of their Alchemist Division. At this very moment, Yang Chaoyue's mind was swirling with plans to appease Wei Wuyin.
Soon, the selections of Chosen Knights, a hybrid between prospective Chosen and Alchemic Knights, of the 188 Mortal Sovereign Alchemist were finished. All that was left was a single alchemist: Wei Wuyin.
"Alchemic Sovereign Wei," San Luoyang called out. Since Wei Wuyin was revealed to be a genuine Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, San Luoyang's tone carried undisguised respect, including a bit of timidness. Whenever he looked at Wei Wuyin, especially those gorgeous silver eyes of his, he kept being subconsciously reminded of the King of Everlore. It was hard not to see his image.
The only thing that brought him back to reality was that Wei Wuyin wasn't an alchemist with an Alchemic Soul. This meant his achievements, according to the King of Everlore, would be forever gated, never sufficient to truly step foot on the genuine path of the Alchemic Dao. At best, he could make do with exceptional talent and fortune, but it would reach its limits soon.
After all, the King of Everlore had invented and concocted a ninth-grade product—the Everlore Ascension Pill—becoming a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist at the Qi Condensation Realm. While beings here, with mystic-graded alchemical energies, were unable to become Earthly Saint Alchemists after spending twenty or thirty thousand years studying the Alchemic Dao, a tragedy of this hellish reality.
Wei Wuyin flew upwards after being called out, arriving above the disk and the crowd of nearly eight thousand Qi Condensation Realm cultivators. When he saw those selected, standing beside the thrones of those Mortal Sovereign Alchemists, he inwardly shook his head. They were all youths, not a single one over twenty. Those selected had reverential and excited expressions.
They had become Chosen Knights! Given this chance, they might experience a meteoric rise in power and status! The original course of their lives was about to change.
Not a single of these youths came from outside the Everlore Domain. So when Wei Wuyin turned his gaze back to the disk, seeing that familiar, chubby face with a silly smile, tearful eyes, and quivering lips despite holding his little boy, clearly resembling him, Wei Wuyin couldn't resist the urge to grin.
Wei Wuyin slowly floated downwards and landed amongst the crowd. As he descended, those nearby subconsciously took several steps back. He walked forward for a short while until he stood directly before an unmoving chubby man wearing an opulent outfit typically worn by mortal nobles. It's style was extremely similar to the ones worn in Wu Country, with a dazzle of the Everlore Domain's cultural touch, bringing Wei Wuyin a flood of memories once more. In his arms was a young child with big, bright, and curious eyes that embodied innocence and fearlessness.
The young boy in his arms tugged at his father's clothes, leaning in and whispered into his ear: "Daddy, daddy. He's here." The young boy pointed out the obvious, an unmissable truth, yet his father was already too emotional to react, tears slithering down his face in two clear streams.
This scene caught everyone off-guard. Did this chubby man with a turbid and weak cultivation base know Wei Wuyin? How? Why?
With a sniffling, tearful, and stuttering voice, the chubby man sniveled out: "M-m-master!"
It's been so long. Too long.
Wei Wuyin joyfully chuckled, bringing out a fresh red apple. The apple seemed as if it was freshly picked, looking as delicious as could be. The chubby man's tearful sniffles hiccuped to an abrupt halt, and his eyes widened uncontrollably, glossing over with indescribable emotions and unforgettable, life-changing memories.
-----
"I'm innocent! I'M INNOCENT!"
"I did nothing wrong! Nothing wrong!"
"Do you have any last words?"
"I..."
"I'm hungry."
"Hungry?! Have fun eating dirt in hell!"
"Did he really just say that? Well, he's about to get a blade full of metal, so at least he'll be full! Haha!"
"No, no. Perhaps, haha, that won't fill him up so he'll regrow a head to get a second helping! Haha!"
"Wait!"
"Haha! You're pretty funny and unlike any criminal I know."
"Uh...thanks?"
"You hungry?"
"Then, Du Ling, let's get you something else to eat."
-----
Wei Wuyin lifted the apple and pushed it towards the little boy. Subconsciously, the young boy reached out and took the apple with both of his little hands, giving it a once-over, before biting into it without hesitation. Since it was given, it was capable of being eaten—the innocence of a child.
"Just as hungry as your father was, haha!"
Bam!
"Uh." Wei Wuyin was shocked as he was tightly hugged by the chubby man. The observers were similarly taken aback by the man's actions, even bringing his son into the hug, slightly squashing the little boy between the two.
"Master! Master!" He cried.
Wei Wuyin could only warmly smile as he hugged back. "Du Ling, it's great to see you again too."

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