"Sure," Wei Wuyin replied curtly. Then, his gaze swept the scene of idle spectators, adding with a voice of raw invitation: "If anyone desires to participate in this game of ours, you're free to do so. Just be sure you can handle the consequences of losing. Oh, and that you have the appropriate qualifications."
As for the owner of the voice, there was near alchemic intensity within, clearly an Alchemic Saint of some level, sufficient enough to enter a stage of Supreme Sages with a tone of ease. It belonged to a woman, yet there was carefree loftiness to her attitude.
She was announcing her participation for the sake of Su Yi. This Blessed must have accumulated great karmic ties during his stay within the Utmost Purity Galaxy, and it wasn't something that Wei Wuyin could easily match given his short time here. Yet he was unbothered by any of it.
It was a pity, however. The Supreme Sage Dao Enforcer decided to act cool-headed despite his deliberate attempts at being belligerent and direct. He understood that the Dao Enforcer was mostly posturing with such a generic edict, and the authority they had to act within the Armored Boon Stellar Region of the Growing Immortality Galactic Zone was not on the same level as a Supreme Sage of the Zenith Growth Tower.
Su Yi's expression was utterly fearless as he stood before Wei Wuyin, segregated by a wall of resonant qi of the heavens. "What of Wanqing?" He asked.
The light within Wei Wuyin's eyes sparked with amusement. This Blessed swordsman refused to allow Shang Wanqing to remain in Wei Wuyin's possession, especially given her Catalyst Body that was ripe for the taking. With his strength, Wei Wuyin could claim her first and speak reason with force second—game or no game.
And if everything erupts into a hellscape, Wei Wuyin as a foreigner could flee at any time. How could Su Yi accept this? Moreover, his involvement had already complicated things, and certain truths were bound to be investigated if he acted too slowly.
'I can't let Wanqing be exposed here, not by anyone.' Su Yi's thoughts were interesting as Wei Wuyin subtly peered into his mental fluctuations. He grew increasingly interested in this tri-soul possessing Catalyst Body Shang Wanqing by the second. What secrets were she hiding?
In truth, he half-expected a repeating Blessed theme of Lin Ziyan or Xue Yifei's wedding fiasco. But this changed entirely when the person herself, Shang Wanqing, wanted to be the concubine of another person, especially a foreigner she had never met without the threat of death. That particular detail truly piqued his interest.
"I'll return her to her father. I have no intention of forcing her into anything she doesn't wish for herself. As for whether she chooses a different fate in the end, that'll be up to her. I'm sure you have no disagreements with this?" Wei Wuyin asked.
Su Yi frowned, but he didn't insist. "I d—"
"Not you," Wei Wuyin casually interrupted with a flat tone. His gaze focused on the wall of resonant qi belonging to the Supreme Sage hiding while openly protecting Su Yi.
"..." There was no reply. Clearly, they didn't wish to expose themselves here by performing any extra actions before countless observers. There might be additional reasons for that person's reluctance. The prophecy was not some half-assed divination, and it clearly stated: Silence at the time of knights three—fortune, calamity, and fate's inevitable mystery awaits the Supreme and the Enlightened who dares speak, absent of fortune, acceptance of calamity, and indelible involvement of fate.
Wei Wuyin smirked while Su Yi silently fumed.
In truth, if the Zenith Growth Tower had Enlightened Sage or Supreme Sage Dao Enforcers, they wouldn't dare to intervene. The Zenith Creation Tower wasn't acting directly either, only issuing a long-range Alchemic Edict adhering to the prophecy. Meanwhile, in the eyes of everyone, Wei Wuyin was openly giving zero respect to this prophecy, speaking and acting with total disregard.
If the prophecy hadn't been taken seriously, it was a wonder if the Supreme Sage Dao Enforcer of the Zenith Creation Tower wouldn't have already launched a multi-billion mile-long attack to blast Wei Wuyin or that the hidden Supreme Sage protecting this Blessed swordsman wouldn't have acted already. They didn't dare to disregard the prophecy given their strength and cultivation. They were keenly aware of the potential consequences of doing so.
In actuality, it was hard to say if the Supreme Sage protecting Su Yi was avoiding this prophecy.
"Then that settles that. I don't know who you are," he paused and looked at the origins of the voice from earlier, the one who wished to enter the game, "or you, but we can discuss the details of our game and the wagers after things have settled. In three days, you can come to my Original Dawn Palace. I'll position it at the edge of the Armored Boon Stellar Region to await any challenger."
Then, he faced Su Yi, "I don't think Pavilion Master Shang is going to appreciate an unknown challenger fighting for his daughter's hand after he went through the trouble of setting up a contest, but you're free to try and obtain his blessing. If you don't want to, that's fine too. I won't act against you during this time either way." He didn't give an oath or anything, but the word spoken by an Alchemic Saint of his level in public was no different than an unbreakable promise.
If your word has no weight, then you can garner no respect from the masses or a sense of reliability from those who seek your products.
"..." Su Yi's eyes slightly narrowed in response. Asking that old bastard for his blessing? The biggest joke in this world had just been spoken. However, this would inevitably question his intentions, making him no different than the mountain-slinging Sage.
Wei Wuyin brought Shang Wanqing a little closer, gently fixing her loose hair. A flap of his Infinite Void Wings caused him to vanish before Su Yi's eyes, causing his eyes to widen ever so slightly in shock and anger. This situation had both become simpler and greater in terms of complexity. He had to rethink his strategy, especially since a Supreme Sage-level existence like Wei Wuyin dares to disregard prophecy and spit on an Alchemic Edict with fearlessness as if he had impunity.
"If my cultivation broke through once more, becoming a Mystic Overlord, I'd..." Su Yi didn't finish his statement, but the mere implications would have shaken the entirety of the Utmost Purity Galaxy if it was heard. He looked about, finding that the mountain-slinging Sage was missing. He could only use a spell to locate the Seven Greater Spirits of Sky Harbor Mountain, Dai Yangdao, and Wu Yintian.
He had to act fast. He extricated the Seven Greater Spirits from their reflected spiritual imprisonment from the Faux-Resonance Array: Cage of Boundless Dreaming with his Sword Intent. Then, he found the two halves of Dai Yangdao and the still-flying Wu Yintian as she had already been sent across dozens of Stellar Regions with that slap.
It was easy to find Dai Yangdao, but stopping Wu Yintian was a herculean effort, mostly because she was unconscious and hurtling through the Dark Void from pure physical strength. What did this Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint slap her with?!
He returned to his asteroid with the nine of these strange spiritual beings in tow. They gathered around him, their expressions a mixture of gloom and embarrassment. The Seven Greater Spirits had claimed to be able to hold off a Supreme Sage with their Faux-Resonance Array, and the two other Spirits—Dai Yangdao and Wu Yintian—were confident in assisting, only improving their ability to hold a Supreme Sage down.
Yet they didn't even hold him for a few meager seconds and had their array seized and used against them! How embarrassing was that? While Wu Yintian, this beautifully imperialistic woman, was slapped across the stars. Her pride was in tatters. When she woke up, she was raring to go against Wei Wuyin, even if it meant putting her life on the line to do so. If not for Su Yi's attempts at calming her down, she might have already flown back to the Armored Boon Stellar Region.
"This World-Saint Neo-Dawn was prepared for us, having counters to our every move. Even possessing a Void Way Ascension Art that could bypass the Cage of Boundless Dreaming, an independent spatial dimension that would take even Supreme Sages a few hours to escape without paying a hefty cost, and a soul-protecting armament to defend against our joint assault." The old Taoist, Dai Yangdao, assessed with a rather unreadable face.
A Void Way Ascension Art was an advanced Ascension Art that brought the Spatial and Temporal aspects of the Ways of Mysticism to an extreme, relying on one of the unique intertwined Mystic World Runes of the Mystic Dao, the Void Rune. It was exceedingly difficult to cultivate a Void Rune, much like how Wu Yu gave birth to the Blood Origin World Rune.
For Earthly Saints, cultivating a World Rune was a requirement to ascend to the Worldly Saint Phase, becoming a World Emperor, but few Ascended beings stop after cultivating a single World Rune and advance their powers by diversifying their mystical powers. The Void Rune was one of those supreme runes of the Mystic Dao, accessing the powers of the Void Dao without needing a Void Spirit or Void Soul to do so. It was how various high-level mystic-graded Void Treasures were created, by imbuing this rune into them alongside others.
Su Yi shook his head, "When have Supreme Sages been simple? I should have accounted for that."
"Don't blame yourself for our failures," one of the Greater Seven Spirits said hurriedly. It belonged to a robust, twenty-foot-tall middle-aged man, but he was not human but of the Titan Race.
"No one could know much about this person. He's an enigma. I don't even know why he dared to take action despite the prophecy looming about. Does he not care about Supreme Seers?!" A young, teenage-looking girl spoke, yet her eyes exuded great age and wisdom, with the appearance of an Abyssal Race member. freewebnovel.com
Each of the Greater Seven Spirits was of seven different races, none of which were human, while the two others were human.
"Actually, that's something that's been bothering me," Dai Yangdao waved his horsetail whisk as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, adding amidst the curious gazes of the others: "When he tore me into two, I sensed faint traces of Mystic Force...not Mystic Power or True Qi..."
It was embarrassing to say the first half, but the second half was enough to divert attention.
"Impossible!" One of the Seven Greater Spirits, a male Celestial Race member, exclaimed adamantly. The implied meaning behind Dai Yangbao's words was ridiculous to a godly extreme.
Mystic Force? Only a single cultivation stage within a single cultivation realm has access to Mystic Force, that unholy and incomplete mixture of Mystic Energy and Astral Force! The very first stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, the Mystic Star Phase!
No Mystic Star Phase cultivator in existence would be able to break through their Cage of Boundless Dreaming or reflect its effects on them, let alone send Wu Yintian flying across the stars with a single slap.
"..." Wu Yintian's gaze lowered to the asteroid's icy surface. Dai Yangdao was a Taoist, he didn't outright deny all possibilities as the path was wider and more profound than any of their imaginations. "Even if I sensed it incorrectly, there's a possibility that, given what happened after, this Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint isn't a Supreme Sage. If so, it explains a lot of things."
"That's just impossible. You're being ridiculous," the Celestial Spirit refused to accept such an outrageous claim. Su Yi was a special circumstance, which is why he had the strength of an Enlightened Sage despite being a mere Heavenly Saint, but this?
Su Yi wasn't narrow-minded either, "If he was a Sage who birthed a ninth-tier True Breath of a Sage, or the legendary tenth-tier True Breath of a Sage, then it's possible. Taking a step back, even if he was a Mystic Overlord, given his lineage, he could be in possession of half a dozen or more Heavenly Treasures, perhaps even a few Supreme Heavenly Treasures, and Mystic-Heaven Armaments. If we think about it like this, then the edict from the towers wouldn't have any effect on him, and he would genuinely be fearless before a Supreme Sage."
"..." They all went silent contemplating the possibility. Su Yi also didn't delve into how his ancient ring was infiltrated and robbed. However, a Void-level Mystic-Heaven treasure should be able to do such a thing. Fortunately, he kept the most precious items of his nurtured within his Internal World linked to his dantian, so there was no way that could have been taken without his knowing.
"What about this game?" Wu Yintian asked. "A game of Mystics is never simple."
"That Dazzling Jewel Alchemic Saint has decided to add herself to the ring too. She really has strong feelings for the Young Master," Dai Yangdao smilingly remarked. Despite being ripped in two, he could still tease, genuinely a carefree attitude.
Su Yi ignored Dai Yangdao's remark, focusing on Wu Yintian. "A game of Mystic largely is determined by the goal set. I have confidence in winning."
"But what if others decide to participate? That will complicate things further. Make it harder to win," The Abyssal Spirit said worriedly. Wei Wuyin had given an open invitation.
"Few will do so. And for those who do, it doesn't matter. Nothing will stop me from freeing Wanqing," Su Yi said with staunch resolve, his eyes slowly becoming colder as he strongly stated: "Absolutely nothing."
Main Hall of the Knightly Dao Pavilion.
"Another one?" Cao Cuifen softly asked, her eyes focused on the slumbering Shang Wanqing who was being fiercely protected by her father, the Pavilion Master Shang Liu. This was the third Catalyst Body that Wei Wuyin had met. The first was Yue Songli, the second was Xi Ning who dared to proclaim herself as his wife one-sidedly, and the third was Shang Wanqing who wanted to be his concubine.
What type of fortune was this? Sages would and have killed for a single one, yet Wei Wuyin had inadvertently acquired three, and not a single one was obtained by force!
Yue Songli held Dakarai in her arms as she eyed Shang Wanqing curiously without the slightest hint of competitiveness or fury. Xi Ning, however, had a subtle cold light in her eyes that sparkled at times.
Wei Wuyin grabbed Cao Cuifen by the waist, knowing that her question held several meanings, and one of those was his continuous acquisition of new lovers. She had long since accepted Wei Wuyin's rampant ways, as long as she held a place in his heart, and he had never shown her otherwise. In fact, he continuously showed her that he did have her in his heart. Wei Wuyin then gently kissed her right cheek, and all of Cao Cuifen's concerns melted away as she pouted in faux anger.
"At the very least, you need to have Xue Yifei look at them. You are the Founding Emperor of a great galactic empire, and the title of concubine isn't something you should give out easily," as for Xi Ning's declaration of being his wife, she knew the absolute work Xue Yifei put into becoming his wife, so that was treated as mostly air, and she had already told Xi Ning about this detail, instructing her to try to pull a Xue Yifei, starting as a concubine if Wei Wuyin accepted her and then becoming a wife recognized by their citizens.
Xue Yifei genuinely earned her position as an Empress and wife and was considered an unofficial empress long before she won the contest. Moreover, her wish was praised by all, only further establishing her position as the Empress of the Neo-Dawn Empire.
Wei Wuyin smiled but didn't verbally reply. That would start to complicate things. "Pavilion Master Shang, do we have a deal?" Cao Cuifen was immediately distracted as her eyes lit with an excited radiance.
Shang Liu was inspecting Shang Wanqing's condition. She was put to sleep by his spell, so her condition wasn't caused by anything devious. Fortunately, her Catalyst Body and Primal Yin were intact.
He sighed heavily before looking at his three students who were torn apart by various attacks, either assassination or talisman that far exceeded their strength. They all lay on jade tables, tended to by Medicinal Sages of the pavilion, including Azure Rain who was sweating bullets as she focused on the dire situation of Su Yuan.
"We have a deal," Shang Liu could only begrudgingly agree.
The sale of the Continent of the First Knight...
"Perfect!"

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