The announcement swept across the Neo-Dawn Stellar Region, eliciting a spur of discussion and invigorated celebration. The celebration was simply because they could. The Neo-Dawn Stellar Region was in the primary stages of its development, and while the Ascendant Empress, Xue Yifei, handled matters directly and indirectly, the citizens largely had only their own matters to deal with.
This left a notable lack of tension across the region. The invaders were dealt with and remained locked into a specific territory, extremely obedient, and the various leaders of the most elite forces and organizations were finalizing geographical and geopolitical matters. Those of lower cultivation and status were left without anything to do except celebrate.
This was a great period of welcoming the era!
Additionally, Yue Songli was renowned as the former Number ONE Beauty of the last era and a great Saintess. Very early on, she had one-sidedly declared herself as Wei Wuyin's woman with numerous skeptical eyes upon her. There were only a few who knew that Wei Wuyin's forceful incursion of the Born True Starfield and its leading Sect, the Unchained Heart Sect, was due to Yue Songli's assault.
The sect had gone underground since then, seemingly focused on stabilizing their starfield and ruling over their territory. To those of sufficient cultivation and status, Wei Wuyin had crushed them into submission, and they dared not cause the slightest bit of chaos. Those of greater status and cultivation knew that Trueborn, the clandestine organization operating in the shadows, had stopped operating outside of the Bone True Starfield.
While there were Shadow Eggs still existing beyond the starfield, quite a few had been weeded out and sent packing back to their starfield or outright destroyed. The latter circumstance was mostly due to the late Tian Taizong's enraged retaliation.
It wasn't exactly strange or shocking that the general peace of the starfield had been established. Xue Yifei had always been a proponent of 'safe zones', 'clear travel paths', and the prevention of rampant Evil Method cultivation that harmed the general, innocent populace. While she's been given verbal declarations of efforts, only the drastic drop of missing cultivators in populated areas and destruction or hijacking of passenger Voidships through the stellar region.
The Ascendants could be spotted in various locations. There was a sighting of a Void Pirate ship lurking on the tail of a large-sized transport ship heading to a small-sized planet in the former territory of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, and the pirate ship was besieged by several cultivators bearing the Ascendant's insignia.
The ship vanished into fixed space, transported elsewhere.
It was clear that certain areas still being defined were under strict overview and protection by Xue Yifei's orders. This drew greater praise toward Xue Yifei. Countless lauded the Ascendant Emperor as a great selector of capable and exceptional women. At the very least, Xue Yifei was undoubtedly suitable for the task of leadership, and her way of subtly showing the effects of her influence and decisions was exceptional.
Meanwhile, Yue Songli was on the same level as Tian Xiaocheng. While beauty didn't correlate to capability, Yue Songli was exceptionally talented in the eyes of cultivators as well, considering she was an Ascended being and a former Saintess. Her backing wasn't small either, with her mother as a trusted subordinate of the Soul Saint King and a leading member of the Ninestar Sainthall. She had a fellow Alchemic Saint and several Earthly Saints behind her.
His pursuit of Yue Songli was heavily supported by the common man if only to further solidify Wei Wuyin's hold over the recently established Neo-Dawn Stellar Region. Unbeknownst to most, their Ascendant Emperor did not need to curry favor with the former top-tier forces of the past era or select partners based on their background. Also, Cao Cuifen! The Ninestar Sainthall was already his.
Many speculated that Yue Songli was bound to be his second wife. While she might not take the role of Ascendant Empress, she would be very highly renowned. To them, that was enough! Quite a few forces were already considering multiple avenues to better their relationship with Yue Songli. A few contemplated hunting any remnant Shadow Eggs that might exist or members of Trueborn with extreme prejudice.
Wei Wuyin's true body was seated in a spatial bubble, holding Qing Qiumu's slumbering body in his arms. He hadn't let her go once. Every few seconds, he'd send pulses of gentle energies into her body to nourish her. He was already placing pills, pouring elixirs, and gently applying alchemical paste across her body to assist in the process with hands forged of Alpha Origin Force. The effects were phenomenal as he cultivated in her stead.
His eyes were particularly gentle as her complexion greatly improved. Her body was in a state of complete rest. Moreover, her mental fluctuations indicated a type of instinctive belief of being safe and secure. It was similar to an infant's mental fluctuations in the hands of their father or a wife in the hands of her husband. The stress she built up over the decades of captivity was decreasing with each passing second in his presence.
Wei Wuyin sent wisps of Alchemic Eden Force into her Sea of Consciousness, slowly repairing any stress cracks as well. He didn't want to leave behind any hidden flaws.
While he took care of Qing Qiumu to the fullest extent of his power, Bai Lin and his False God Avatar were down below, visiting Yue Songli with smiles. The Wei Wuyin concealed by the spatial bubble was his Second Mind! The False God Avatar held his true, primary Mind.
Wei Wuyin deeply considered the matter and decided to devote his entirety to meeting Yue Songli today. It would be unfair to her to appear with another woman in his arms or place a remotely controlled Avatar before her to make such an important announcement. At the very least, 'he' had to be there in person.
Wei Wuyin's Second Mind softly sighed. Like most divisions of minds, there were subtle differences between the two, but they shared memories of the main body, while the Second Mind spent their time pursuing a recently discovered passion of cultivating and studying. Since the creation of the Library of Eden within Wei Wuyin's Sea of Consciousness, the Second Mind enjoyed the Library of Eden more than the outside world. If possible, it would rather spend its lifetime in books, scrolls, and such.
That...was better than what his Primary Mind had to deal with. The juggling of social dynamics.
The Calamities of Hell. The dangers of dancing on the edge of life and death.
Despite its inclination to stay in the Library of Eden indefinitely without a single issue, it still retained its emotions, and Qing Qiumu was as resonating with him as Wei Wuyin. They were the same, after all.
"You didn't deserve this. I should have...been more thorough," the Second Mind whispered. While Wei Wuyin was aware of the four Hegemon of the Everlore Starfield in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, even warning Qing Qiumu long, long ago, she still fell for the machinations of the Sacred Elven Queen because he wasn't decisive enough or considered that she might be more...vicious than he originally thought.
Moreover, she was smarter and more capable than the rest. Qing Qiumu's ring wasn't brought into the Void Nestling Realm. If it had, this would have been easier.
"I know myself. I won't make the same mistake again," the Second Mind was the only existence that knew Wei Wuyin's thoughts, principles, and patterns. He never made the same mistake twice. While he could make two mistakes on the same issue, they would never be in the same direction, and he would always learn from it.
Always. Yue Songli had rushed forward once again as she had originally done, but this time, she didn't stop her steps, only being stopped by Wei Wuyin's wide arms and broad chest obstructing her, grabbing her firmly. Her painter's brush marked Wei Wuyin's robes.
Wei Wuyin was shaken by Yue Songli's natural endowments. She could suffocate mortals easily. Bai Lin's comment long ago about her being 'bigger' than Da Shan was far more apparent now.
Bai Lin nudged Yue Songli with her cheek. A gleeful smile on her face.
Yue Songli's eyes were wet with near-flooding emotion. However, she was not someone who often verbalized or displayed her emotions in herself. After flashing Bai Lin a bright, beaming smile that could make the shine of the stars dull, her expression swiftly returned to a neutral state. She cleared her throat and slowly extracted herself from Wei Wuyin's strong embrace.
"You still haven't reached the Mystic Ascendant Realm," she eyed Wei Wuyin worriedly. While this was a False God Avatar, it emulated his cultivation base to an extent. However, the supreme concealment of his Void Bloodline needed to be actively circulated rather than passively active like his True Body. He had no reason to hide his cultivation base from Yue Songli.
"Yep," Wei Wuyin chuckled. "But my body has reached the Mystic-Rank," he said confidently, "I wonder if that's enough to bypass your requirement of reaching the Mystic Ascendant Realm?" Wei Wuyin knew why Ascended beings, especially females, insisted their partner be an Ascended as well, but the fact these highborn women told him that was a little frustrating.
After all, his cultivation was heaven-defyingly difficult. While it might seem that he was extremely powerful, every step was filled with danger and required stupendous levels of resources. He had 'just' consolidated his Star Core Phase cultivation base, while his Stellar Paragon Physique, his Astral Physique, was only at the peak initial-stage. The Mystic Ascendant Realm was still a little ways away.
Fortunately, he already had the most difficult part completed: the World-Bound Star Domain. Little Defiant was a Defiant-sized Solar Star, the largest Solar Star in the Mortal Dao. More importantly, the further his Stellar Paragon Physique progressed, the higher his innate talents will rise. He already felt his innate talents on the verge of breaking the Heavenly Chosen level on all fronts with his minor advancement.
"Body?" Yue Songli's eyes brightened. She was wondering how rumors of Wei Wuyin having Mystic Ascendant Realm lovers were true given the harsh punishment of copulation with mortals as an Ascended being, especially a female. While she believed it, who would willingly lose their everything when they could mutually benefit?
Wei Wuyin's eyes sparkled. "I have no incompatibility with Ascended beings," he said with a sly smile.
Yue Songli pouted, looking annoyed. But inside, her heart was racing and her mind was already imagining certain explicit things. However, she hurriedly cooled herself down. While she didn't desire to be the withering white rose, she didn't want to be the colorful ribbons either on the silver crane's legs, but placed within its mouth like the baby dragon.
However, how could she say this? "You'll still have to get my family to agree. And her standards...they're almost impossible." Despite saying this strongly, they had no true effect. Standards? Wei Wuyin was the HIGHEST standard.
He didn't bother disturbing her attempts at a strong front. Instead, his expression grew solemn, and even his vocal depth lowered slightly. "I'll give it my all," he promised.
Ba-Dum! Ba-Dum! That serious face and firm words of Wei Wuyin were too much for her, and the blush she wanted to keep was slowly leaking.
But then Wei Wuyin laughed heartily, "And then after that, we still have to do things properly. A date. I'll take you out on one." Those words were timely as they assisted Yue Songli with maintaining her visage, and she looked away with a turn of her head. "One thing at a time, Mortal. Hmph."
Yue Songli was just far too cute in Wei Wuyin's eyes. If she had a more subtle body rather than one that could put voluptuous vixens to shame, she would be even cuter. Instead, she had a deadly allure that ignited one's desire for conquest.
Whoosh! The sounds of a person soaring into the courtyard caused the two to look over. A middle-aged woman with facial features bearing a strong resemblance to Yue Songli arrived. She was a great beauty, only her body was a little more reasonable. She was modest and average throughout. It made one wonder where Yue Songli received her explosiveness from.
Yue Lixiang, the Soul-Breaking Saint!
"I guess it's my time to convince her!" Wei Wuyin laughed. He straightforwardly grabbed Yue Songli's hand and brought her along as Bai Lin followed behind while nudging against Yue Songli softly. Wei Wuyin could tell that the two were having a mental transmission.
Yue Lixiang watched all this with a wildly fluttering heart. This was what she hoped for!
The trio soon arrived before Yue Lixiang.
"Mother-in-law, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Wei Wuyin greeted.
"..." Yue Lixiang.
"..." Yue Songli.
"..." Bai Lin. So direct! Wei Wuyin didn't hide his future intentions in the slightest! By this point, Yue Songli could no longer conceal her blushing and shy expression. The next events were bound to be something that extracted Yue Songli's truest feelings!
After two whole hours, Wei Wuyin hadn't just convinced Yue Lixiang. He directly bribed her with Mystic-Earth and a few Mystic-World products and materials that he had acquired from Tian Taizong's treasury within his Internal World and concocted himself.
He essentially was buying her daughter!
And she didn't reject any of it! With a bright smile and a held out hand, she accepted it all with a delightful laugh. The more she accepted, the redder Yue Songli's cheeks became. It was only when Wei Wuyin said something along the lines of being unable to give more at this time but that this moment was priceless that Yue Lixiang finally retracted her hand. After all, he was saying that all the treasures in the world couldn't match up to Yue Songli! Although, in an indirect manner. How could she insist on continuing?
The matter of convincing was completed and with himself having a Mystic-Rank body born from his True Void Dragon Bloodline, he was exempted from needing to be at the Mystic Ascendant Realm due to the special situation.
Yue Songli and Wei Wuyin sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, leaning against its trunk. Wei Wuyin hadn't let Yue Songli's hand go since he first grabbed it, and she had subtly gotten used to the close contact and warmth. Yue Lixiang had already left the two to their own devices.
"Where do you plan to take me?" Yue Songli's lively eyes glittered with wondrous dreams. What young woman wouldn't want to experience something fantastical like a marvelous date that could bring envy to immortals and gods? While she didn't have such high expectations, she didn't think the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn was stingy or uncreative.
Wei Wuyin held her hand a little firmer. "There." He pointed at the sky. The radiant sky covered in clouds parted into two. A starry sky emerged with glistening and colorful stars. It resembled a great painting.
Yue Songli's eyes widened in wonder.
"I'm going to take you to see a world unlike this one. A world beyond ours. Out there, you'll experience wondrously magical scenes. Meet unfathomably powerful cultivators. Eat mysteriously delicious or perhaps even disgusting food. I'll find a landscape of great beauty and presence, and then...I'll..." Wei Wuyin leaned forward and then whispered into her ears his intentions.
While he hadn't announced it yet, his direct speech had already established her as one of his future wives. He didn't intend to just have one. Long, long ago, he wanted to have at least ten wives of great beauty and talent. At least.
Yue Songli heard every word and her entire face grew unbearably hot. She turned away shyly.
Wei Wuyin laughed heartily, "I can't wait to see the painting you leave then. So for the next two years, that'll be our date. What do you think?"
"...Two years? The entire two years?" Yue Songli was perplexed. Weren't mortal dates just a few hours?
"As cultivators, why do things normally? That said, there will be times when I'll have to do some things and be away for short periods. So we can consider that, at minimum, three different things must be done within those two years for it to be considered a complete date. One: we see a scene of great wonder and phenomena together." Wei Wuyin felt Yue Songli's hand tighten around his own. This was the first time she exerted force willingly.
"Two: we'll have a banquet of powerful, influential cultivators far beyond our levels. We'll both act as hosts to these cultivators from a world beyond ours. There, we'll try food from all over the various societies and civilizations of cultivation! Enjoy great wine and boisterous or refined entertainment."
Yue Songli's eyes were already brightened with spiritual light as she imagined a scene of hosting a grand banquet in honor of their relationship. Moreover, with the attendance of influential and powerful cultivators! How glorious would that be? The mere thought excited her heart. The urge to paint such a scene was blazing within her soul.
"Three: Unity." Wei Wuyin announced with a sly, mischievous smile. Yue Songli's thoughts stirred as she questioned what that meant for a little while until she looked at Wei Wuyin and she knew. She pursed her lips, but her hand grip grew tighter.
"Objections?"
"..." Yue Songli didn't answer, but her hand strength transmitted everything that needed to be said. Moreover, she shook her head very, very slightly to signify a 'no'. The imagery of unity was too much for her.
"Good!" Wei Wuyin was already planning a few things, and this aligned perfectly with what he was going to do. His silver eyes locked onto the vast starry sky.
"Just a few more things left then..." Softly, he muttered to himself.

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