"What?!" San Luoyang rapidly rose from his seated position as the Ascendants began to awaken. He hastily formed several hand-seals, interfacing with the Ever-Key as eagle-eyed view-pointed images across Everworld flashed before him within a hazy mist. His eyes flared intensely with spiritual light, piercing and pervasive.
"Vortex-Zones? Hidden within the folds of space?" San Luoyang was perplexed as he concluded his investigation. How had these people eluded his overseer's senses? Why did they hide away? What about the various fortunes of Everworld?
Gradually, as time passed, his expression grew increasingly darker as insight dawned on him. Little by little, he assessed why. To verify this, he actively executed a few hand-seals, investigating the folds of space left by the Vortex-Zones' recent dissipation.
"...!" A few minutes later, his pupils constricted. "What a genius!" He grabbed the screen before him with his left hand and gently moved his right hand across its surface. The area where the First Legion had awakened was revealed, and then layers of flamboyant colors replaced the normal colors of the image. They were astonishingly beautiful to behold.
Everworld was an interdependent World Realm-this was a well-known fact by most in the know, but what most didn't know was that it was supported by existing in a sub-dimensional layer of space between three planes. The first plane was the natural spatial region that was the eighteen regions, the utter pinnacle of 'stable' space; the second plane was the artificial region of 'fixed' space generated by the Endless Void Mirror-the Sealed Regions enclosure, while the last one was the 'chaotic' space that permeated silently beneath.
It drew power from those three sources while simultaneously existing as an independent subspace of a World Realm. The sheer ingenuity of it was boundlessly wondrous; it was the greatest realm wonder known amongst the eighteen regions, exceeding even the Neo-Dawn Starfield and Endless Prosperity Domain's Realm Regions! More importantly, it could only be created with the active participation and explicit permission of the Void Voyage Sect.
No-it was more accurate to say the creators of the Endless Void Mirror's permission was needed!
The King of Everlore had accomplished this. He was the only one that could.
It was also why no force or power, not even the Chaosnova, could disturb Everworld's peace. However, as the world connected to these spaces, it had unique and exceptional qualities. For example, the potency of ambient spatial and temporal energies within was phenomenal! There was nowhere in the entire Sealed Regions, not even in the obscure World Between the Fold, with such quality of time and spatial energy.
Time and space-attributed objects were both deeply restricted while simultaneously being unfathomably empowered. Time and space-attributed objects like the Neo-Dawn Vortex-Zone Pellet! It would increase the pellet's strength by manyfold! The pellet was also a source of enlightenment! He had experienced that himself!
If used correctly, this could leapfrog one's comprehension of space and time to absurdly high levels. For Realmlords, Timelords, and Starlords, comprehension of those attributes was undeniably the most important. San Luoyang was utterly awed as he gawked at the sheer audacity and genius to use the Everworld as a foundation to assist one's cultivation! Additionally, the Vortex-Zone's temporal difference would significantly increase.
No...that wasn't all...
The pellet was a temporary existence, naturally dissipating as time passed, requiring the compounded expenditure of pellets for every ten days desired. Moreover, continuously entering and exiting was a hectic and dangerous act, so cultivators had been advised to stay within one as long as possible by preparing lest they suffer dissonance of time and space.
But if used with the unique spatial and temporal potency of Everworld, wouldn't that be unnaturally elongated? A single pellet could last...
"Indefinitely?" San Luoyang immediately realized the implications as an Alchemic Saint who had studied the pellet. Not only would this make a single pellet last for as long as needed, but the ninth-grade limitation of ten days for every one day would be grossly expanded.
How long were those cultivators in that zone? For the rest of the Chosen King Competition, it was only eighty days, but to them...was it eight thousand days? Eighty thousand days? Was it adjustable?!
The more he thought about it, the greater his disbelief. Could they have been training for decades? Centuries?! Millennia?!?!
"Wait! Such a long time would definitely cause a level of unimaginable dissonance, if not outright death. That shouldn't be possible." San Luoyang soon realized a critical issue as he inspected some of the Ascendants. Then, his pupils constricted to their limits as he found a peculiarity between their lifespans and their soulspans' ages.
Each Ascendant's lifespan was vibrant and at its maximum potential allowed by their cultivation base, possessing nearly two thousand years, some even more, of lifeforce within their bodies while their age was all beneath five hundred years old.
"Unless!" He exclaimed as he once again conducted a series of investigations, his heart racing intensely, and he finally found his answer. "A frequently timed state of repeated hibernation of consciousness and soul! And the segregation of the body and mind! How genius! How fantastic!!"
At this point, San Luoyang had literal stars in his eyes as he was deeply shaken by his discoveries. The hibernation aspect was ingenious; by doing so, those within could experience a thousand years with such rich, condensed spatial and temporal energies without exhausting their soulspan. However, it was more intricate than that because even while in hibernation, the flow of time affected the soul equally within the area, so if a thousand years passed in a single area, no amount of hibernation would prevent the soul from experiencing a thousand years.
Unless!
A cultivator's soul and mind were segregated prior, existing in a normal flow of time while their physical bodies hadn't. In the right circumstances, one could temper the body in accelerated time for tens of years without exhausting the same quantity of their soul's age! By going in and out of hibernation, they could cultivate and rest without suffering dissonance.
It was an eccentric idea, extremely difficult to pull off! Yet if a cultivator succeeded, the cultivator could undergo tempering for a long time as long as they replenished their bodies' lifespan continuously. To ensure that, a paste product such as the Waters of Life was needed. These seem like methods used by immortals!
San Luoyang was unaware, but this type of temporal bodily tempering and refinement was standard amongst true Chosen of the World Beyond! It was simply outside of the Sealed Region's current depth of cultivation to achieve it without incredible support and personal cost. Without Everworld and his ability to leverage its unique existence, Wei Wuyin wouldn't dare do such a thing on a grand scale!
"Tch!" San Luoyang clicked his tongue as he began to calm down. He deeply regretted not applying this method to San Yongli. As an Earthly Saint, he could easily replicate the Spacetime Vortex-Zone of that pellet, including forcefully segregating San Yongli's consciousness and soul from the accelerated flow of time. Wu Yu had done something remarkably similar as a discarnate spirit at the Soul of Mysticism Phase to Hong Ru, saving her life.
Unfortunately, replicating everything as a whole would likely cost San Luoyang thousands of years, perhaps even tens of thousands of years of his lifespan! The cost of using the Mystic Dao's grand powers was not easy!
A single Earthly Saint could achieve it but at the cost of their entire future! Was it worth it?!
As he finally calmed down, his eyes located a dark-haired elf's body that was zipping through Everworld with ease. If Wei Wuyin had done all this, then not only was his understanding of the Sealed Regions substantial, his knowledge of space and time was unfathomable.
Unbeknownst to San Luoyang, in another time, Wei Wuyin was the Void Voyage Sect's Sect Master, and he currently had comprehended the Minor Law of Space and Time as a mere mortal!
However, he grew increasingly worried as he kept watching the body of the elf rapidly move about, agile and effortless. "Their physical bodies might have experienced...hundreds... perhaps thousands of years of refinement and tempering..." Even if one's bodily talent was absolute garbage, this advantage was indescribably great, but the cost would be equally terrifying! What type of force was this Wei Wuyin trying to create?!
As his thoughts led to this point, the image shifted to San Yongli. She was currently rushing toward the grade five fortune zone with a determined light in her treasured-like ruby eyes. A wisp of fatherly worry floated between his brows.
The Chosen of Everworld all looked toward the light; no matter where they were, from within cities or caves, the piercing glare of golden radiance was unmissable.
Atop a grassy knoll, two figures were sitting on a stone bench, calmly looking at the pillar piercing the sky. One of them wore a nondescript porcelain mask with simple features and a neutral expression, while the other was a middle-aged man with a scruffy dark-colored beard in grey swordsmen robes, his sword hung at his hip, and his expression was nonchalant and lackadaisical.
Yet within his hazel-golden eyes was a latent imperialistic will that could reign over all. Those of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region would instantly recognize this figure as the one and only Tian Jianghan, the Sixth Prince of the Imperial Clan!
"Seventh Brother, it seems like the hidden forces you noticed before have begun to move." Tian Jianghan said as he lazily looked toward the moving shadows. While most Chosen resided in cities, these existences had just emerged from seemingly nowhere.
The masked figure was thoroughly concealed, from aura to gender. Internally, however, he was quite helpless as this half-brother of his had easily identified him at a glance.
Seeing that the masked figure wasn't responding, Tian Jianghan was unbothered as he naturally changed the topic, "Have you found out who was protecting them?"With his aura concealed, this was the only indicator of his change of emotional state. His gloved fists clenched.
An androgynous voice emotionlessly resounded, "No."
"I see," Tian Jianghan glanced at the masked figure. When he thought of those two, he couldn't help but feel helpless. While this brother of his didn't care about her affairs, seeking to sever the agreement with an unwilling power, the moment he came back with sufficient power to do so, the matter had become too tainted. The fact that she dared to do so, even under the unverifiable presumption of his death, while their marriage agreement was still in effect was no longer a simple matter but one of personal pride and disrespect. "I'm shocked you couldn't get through them."
The masked figure's breathing relaxed suddenly, "I could have." Those words were said with the utmost confidence as if it was a matter beyond the shadow of a doubt. This took Tian Jianghan by surprise. The masked figure continued, "That strange shadow cultivator said that I simply had to wait until the end of the second stage of the competition. Then, no one would stop me."
"Oh? If you could've pushed through, you should've just done so." Tian Jianghan was of the mind that the sooner it was done, the easier he could move on. This was the perfect environment too, where Chosen died in droves.
"I was handsomely paid to hold back. Moreover, neither of them is worth offending 'him' for," the masked figure calmly stated.
"Him?" Tian Jianghan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, granting his lazy expression some hint of seriousness. Then he regarded the various shadows, and his hazel-golden eyes lit with the light of realization. "So he's not missing?" The confrontation with the Void Wyrm was a matter spread amongst the higher-ups, and the sight of Wei Wuyin facing it and being devoured like F.vergod had widely circulated. However, not a single person thought he was dead, especially since both the Everlore Association and the Neo-Dawn Starfield acted normal without the slightest change.
In most people's minds, Evergod and Wei Wuyin had seized some unfathomable opportunity by being devoured, especially when there were reports of Wei Wuyin mining the Void Wyrm's scales with his forces. Otherwise, why would Evergod bring out such a soul-staggering hidden force before the world? And Wei Wuyin's forces had even caused it to retreat!
It seemed too calculated to think otherwise, so no one thought of seizing this moment to take advantage of other forces.
"This mask is pointless," the masked figure abruptly said. Then, they reached toward their mask and removed it, exposing their appearance to the world.
Handsome! Beautiful! Beautifully handsome!!
From his softly curved cheekbones, bright hazel-gold eyes, sword-like eyebrows, a confident, charismatic light flickering ceaselessly within his unfathomable gaze, and each strand of his flawlessly healthy black hair with a dark luster, he exuded a transcendent aura that made one form the preconception of a fallen immortal!
"I told you it was," Tian Jianghan calmly smiled.
Tian Yinwu! The Seventh Prince of the Imperial Clan! The worldwide sensation that had shaken the world time and again!
"Will the Chosen King be determined this time?" Tian Jianghan asked lazily.
"Yeah," Tian Yinwu answered without any hesitation.
The two brothers from the same father shared a bench, watching as the last stage of the Everworld Venture unfolded.
As time passed, more Chosen began to gather at the golden pillar. They stood out by a few tens of miles, yet the sheer radiance was blinding that most had to execute Ocular Spells just to protect their eyes.
No one noticed the tens of thousands of new figures that hadn't been in Everworld in the last eighty days, and they didn't act either.
Tang Xingyun stood next to Na Xinyi. After they shared time at the Imperial Clan's palace, they could be considered acquaintances. While they hadn't teamed up prior, they had met on the way here and wordlessly agreed to stand next to each other.
After the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo concluded, Tang Heihei had taken her daughter away, bringing her to a strange space utterly devoid of essence and energy that the Ancient Fire Phoenix lived, so the Imperial Clan couldn't take her back as they originally intended. Even if they wanted to, the Absolute Void Region was extremely dangerous without someone like Bai Lin or Wei Wuyin.
"There's only three," Na Xinyi suddenly said.

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