Paragon of Sin

1458 Chapter 1452: CKC, Maximized Gains

Cultivation is difficult—the three-word phrase existed and echoed throughout the various worlds of cultivation, ringing true for anyone who decided to embark on this long, arduous path with struggles, seen and unseen.

Currently, the tens of thousands of Chosen talents were all silently cultivating with fierceness in their hearts for this blessed and spontaneous opportunity. After a short ten or so seconds, every last Chosen present was enveloped in their own cocoon, painting this vast canvas of black and darkness with the beautiful glory of youthfully exuberant effort and continuous struggles.

Despite these Chosen gathering mile-long cocoons, the rate of gathering was not very reflective of their rate of absorption, refinement, and gains. This heavily relied on innate talent, dependent on each solid, sturdy step they've taken to bring their bodies' potential outwards, either through various methods including earthly treasures and heavenly waters or alchemical products.

The ease of refinement for these pure, heavily enriched, and thoroughly refined essences and energies was startlingly high, yet the rate of processing by their Meridians, storage of their Dantian and Astral or Mystic Cores, and limitations of their Cultivation Methods disparities began to show themselves, dividing gains into tiers. The Chosen from the Sealed Region, not including the Ascendants, mostly all reached their limit by the twenty-first second.

While their foundations had ballooned in quality and sturdiness, their limitations of talent and bodily strength were hindering them from taking another step. A few roared in frustration as they still had a mile-long cocoon of incoming energies but could only helplessly devote their efforts to digesting what they'd already obtained, consolidating all they'd acquired.

This was mostly attributed to their limited cultivation and the unsteady, incomplete path they've traversed thus far. Unlike some cultivators, most of the Chosen had made consecutive breakthroughs on sub-par foundations. This included Violet Primary Light, Eight Soul Idol Rings, and Eight Spatial Resonance Ripples, and while they might not all have each one, they would likely have at least one or two relative to their talents.

This inevitably affected the size of their Astral Cores, the strength of their Astral Souls, and thereby the amount of energy that could withstand and process before reaching that limit.

Many of the Starlords had suffered from this, forcefully having to resort to absorbing the refined mystic essence emitted from the Solar Stars, rapidly gathering eighty-one Mystic Intent Seeds, and acquiring the qualifications to assail the Mystic Ascendant Realm. They were left with no choice but to consolidate their foundation, not daring to carelessly breakthrough.

Of course, there were exceptions; for example, the two Blessed couples, Zhu Dandan and Long Gua, had established a joint effort of a unique gathering array and a dual cultivation state. They were leaning on each other to increase their gains and limits, rapidly consolidating what they've obtained to make space for more. Unfortunately, the rate of their consolidation was considerably less than the sheer amount available.

They eventually reached their limits by the thirty-seventh-second mark.

There were other Blessed scattered throughout that had survived the hectic and bloody battle of the Chosen King Competition, and they resorted to all sorts of means and extrapolated the best gains for themselves. There were colorful runic stones, strange talismans, the auras of ancient experts, and exquisitely profound cultivation methods. They resorted to all sorts to better seize whatever they could.

Meanwhile, the opposite was true. While the cocoons of the regular Ascendants were only two or three miles, they were properly absorbing and refining 100% at an absurdly effective and rapid pace. At times, their cocoons would shrink as if unable to sustain the rate of absorption relative to their gathering speed. They possessed exceptionally bolstered innate talents thanks to various Alchemical Products.

However, even the Ascendants had their own limits; Yi Yun was no longer carried by Yi Xuehan as he formed his cocoon. Yi Xuehan had a one-and-a-half-mile cocoon. Despite her cultivation base at the Demi-Mystic Lord Phase, the Third Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, it was largely misunderstood that one's talent elevated significantly upon ascension, but that wasn't true. While they could absorb mortal-grade energies and essences at a stupendously faster rate due to their dominance established after exceeding Mortal Limits, mortal-grade energies and essences were utterly useless to them. As for mystic-grade energies and essences, they were very consistent with their previous cultivation talent and ability.

This was how innate talent translated, flatly and simply.

While there were exceptions, such as developing an astonishing, heaven-defying physique that was different from one's initial physique in the Mortal Realms, the chances were extremely slim. After all, the elementary physique, Astral Physique, and Mystic Physique were just various stages of the same foundation. Even if one didn't cultivate any particularly special physique, they had an innate physique that illustrated their innate talents and affinities naturally.

As for Yi Yun, he was enveloped in an eight-mile cocoon. Wei Wuyin's influence had affected all Ascendants, including him, thereby increasing his origin five-mile cocoon to eight. The True World Resonance Body assisted greatly in his gathering of these energies and essences.

Suddenly, his and the other Ascendants' cocoons expanded another three miles. The Commanders, Valkyrie, and Prime Ascendants cocoons expanded by five miles. Wei Wuyin had noticed that their cocoons were shrinking too fast. Their ability to gather energies and essences paled in comparison to their ability to absorb and refine these energies and essences.

The only cocoon that didn't visibly increase was the sole individual that had none.

Su Mei floated in the dark space absent of air, moisture, and sound with her eyes closed, and her breath steady and even. To most, they would think she wasn't cultivating due to the complete lack of energies and essences surrounding her. However, the truth was far, far more terrifying.

Su Mei was like a black hole, siphoning the energies and essences as they came at speeds that were impossible to perceive with one's naked eye. She was absorbing and refining them TOO FAST! Thus, she seemed as if she had no cocoon.

Despite Wei Wuyin diverting the majority of his efforts to increase the rate of her gathering speed using the array's power, he felt helpless as she remained the same. She was like a bottomless abyss. Her bodily talent caused Wei Wuyin to grow gradually solemn.

One must know that Wei Wuyin was exerting his Stellar-Paragon Physique, and while it hadn't been elevated to its limits yet, not even close, he and his Astral Souls were absorbing so fast that their cocoons were growing, shrinking, vanishing, and reappearing repeatedly. Meanwhile, Su Mei was constant.

Not even Tian Yinwu was such an oddity. He, similarly, was somehow absorbing at a stupidly fast pace that his cocoon would abruptly vanish before returning at absurd speeds. Oddly enough, from afar, it looked like they were beating hearts of solar radiance. San Yongli was the same, except her cocoon would fluctuate between seven and nine miles. This was curious. Was she storing energy somewhere?

The more Wei Wuyin noticed Su Mei's irregularity, the greater his concern for her future Mystic Ascension. Fortunately, the Evercrown situated firmly upon her head brought him some relief. He could only ensure that he didn't experience what those alternative versions of himself felt.

He would do everything in his power to prevent it.

He couldn't lose her.

That worry caused an inexplicable sensation of warmth and conflict within him. However, he ignored that feeling of conflict, elevating only the warmth, and resolved himself completely.

After a minute, the Solar Stars had already dropped to the middle-limits of Supermassive. They had experienced significant decreases.

Wei Wuyin realized that other forces were subtly extracting what they could from the five Solar Stars. He felt the aura of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor. Clearly, he had a channel to this space somehow. The man was an endless mystery. There were a few others. Notably, he felt the presence of Xia Jia, the Rainbow World Starfield's sole Earthly Saint. Cao Cuifen's aura was present. The Trueborn's leader as well.

He felt a few familiar auras from the Endless Voyage Realm.

These cultivators were all using incredible methods to take what they could. While the distance caused their gains to be fairly limited, the act itself was commendable as they displayed the attributes of true cultivators, trying to seize advantages whenever possible.

He briefly wondered how the Endless Voyage Realm was doing so given their circumstances, especially considering they were siphoning advantages from here. But given that each of those cultivators had profound cultivation bases and connections to space and time, he quickly realized they likely had many different methods.

He didn't interfere with their efforts, not wanting to distract himself from obtaining everything he could and pushing the gains of the Ascendants to their limits. He wasn't alone, and as the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn, he had to set a higher priority to his subordinates.

Moreover, he had to cultivate!

His last absurd jump of cultivation, during the penta-cultivation session with two Demi-Mortal Lords and two Earthly Saints, had gone from 25% of their fully consolidated state to 39%. Since then, he hadn't slowed down his rate of downing Echoing Stars of the Vastness Pills and countless others, including continuous dual, tri, quad, or penta-cultivation sessions when potentially viable, including continuous cultivation with Little Defiant, and he still hadn't reached a hundred percent despite the years.

The absurdity of his cultivation foundation was indescribable. However, given his strength in the Mortal Realms, he wasn't too bothered. Now, however, each of his Astral Souls had reached 100%! All four! He could feel the sense of perfect consolidation of strength. They were pulsating with indomitable, inscrutable, and heaven-shaking power.

The feeling of completeness was extraordinarily euphoric for both him and his Astral Souls. For the first time since his Star Core Phase ascension, he could be considered to have truly entered into the peak stage of the Mortal Realms! He was a true Starlord!!!

His Astral Souls kept pushing forth, gathering more and more energies and essences, refining them as their Star Cores rapidly advanced in size, aura, and brilliance. He still had to reach his peak. Earlier, he was too busy to concoct Mystic-Earth and Mystic-World products repeatedly for his cultivation base, having to prioritize his Ascendants, but with the Hepta-Dawn Alchemic Corps growth, after they've properly digested their gains from the competition, he could focus himself on concocting cultivation-enhancing products in the Mystic-Earth and Mystic-World grades.

His goal was the absolute limit of his cultivation base!

After the six-minute mark, the five Solar Stars had shrunk from Supermassive to dwarf-sized. By this point, the Ascendants were all at their limits, except a notable few such as Su Mei, digesting all they'd acquired. The Chosen, both Mortal and Ascended, had long since reached their own limits and were deeply in a cultivation state.

Wei Wuyin felt content. He hadn't just consolidated his Star Cores completely, but he had driven his Stellar-Paragon Physique by a stage. It was only at its most base stage prior, but the varied, enriched, and vast energies and essences helped him go from the elementary development of the initial-stage to the peak initial-stage of his Astral Physique. It might seem minor but the advancement was heaven-shaking!

His brows suddenly furrowed as he felt as if his Meridians, Dantian, and Psyche were pushing forcefully against an invisible barrier, threatening to shatter something indistinct. Was this the level beyond Chosen? The thought and feeling remained yet he couldn't yet reach it. Will reaching the early-stage of his Astral Physique cause his talents to surpass that limit?

RUMBLE!!!

Without warning, a chaotically earth-shattering tremble spread across the dark space. Wei Wuyin's gaze focused as he felt the seeping rays of violet light. They lunged toward the dwarf-sized Solar Stars. He instantly found their origin.

The Stellar Nest!

It was making a move for what remained!

Wei Wuyin calmly observed the changes as it attempted to seize three Solar Stars with thick wisps of claw-like violet-colored demonic gas. Wei Wuyin's eyes blazed with six laws and immense spiritual strength. With a single glance, the thick wisps dissipated like smoke. A rumble followed, yet there was nothing else.

He grinned, "I've already said to stay." Wei Wuyin didn't allow the sly actions of that existence. He had said he would steal the bakery, and he meant the entire Vickery. Besides those present, no one else should hope to obtain a crumb.

"Oh?" Wei Wuyin's blazing eyes surged once more. Yet again, he felt the auras of others encroaching, attempting to seize the Solar Stars from beyond the dark, empty canvas of space. Their methods were varied and exquisite, seeking to viciously seize and take the benefits of his efforts for himself.

"Same for you all," Wei Wuyin commented, his tone leaking with disdain and contempt. Waving both hands before him, he pulled towards himself, summoning Little Defiant's devouring force toward Solar Stars. The five Solar Stars began to move towards him, breaking away any link from those external forces, and siphoning back whatever they had taken.

The dark space quivered as enraged power gushed forth from various angles. Wei Wuyin ignored them all, allowing them to stew in their fury.

Tapping into his True Void Draconic Bloodline, Wei Wuyin executed Void Crystallization on each star as they neared, instantly shrinking and sealing them into five marble-sized, beautifully gleaming diamond-shaped crystals. They were properly stored, containing the unique Star Cores of these Solar Stars.

"This should be enough for the Ascendants back home. I can also use them as a core for certain secret realms. Let's hope this will be an effective calming charm for her as well," Wei Wuyin wryly smiled thinking of the headache that was about to occur after he returned. He kept the crystal in his Saint Ring.

A full seventeen minutes passed before every cultivator eventually regained clarity of consciousness, ending their cultivation states as they stored the energies and essences within their Meridians, Dantian, and Sea of Consciousness for proper cultivation later. They were all stuffed to their limits.

When the last person awoke, Wei Wuyin, who had waited benevolently, looked toward Tian Yinwu. The seventh Imperial Prince was frowning deeply as he glanced about the thousands upon thousands of young talents. It seemed he was thinking of how to bring everyone back, perhaps feeling responsible for this entire incident. Surprisingly, Tian Jianghan was next to him.

The other prince looked equally as full, his aura chaotic from holding in so much. The desire to go through extended cultivation was on all of their faces. Unfortunately, this was not a good place to do so.

Without the ability to send transmission or speak, people were left baffled, especially the Chosen from the World Beyond.

How would they return home?

RIP!!!

A soul-stirring tearing sound resounded despite the suppressive restraints, causing these Chosen to all shiver as they turned in a specific direction.

Kratos, King, Eden, and Ori had long since returned to their respective homes, and Wei Wuyin's figure flashed as he arrived by Xue Yifei's side. Her hazel eyes and eyelashes battered curiously at Wei Wuyin, her cultivation base aura was equally as erratically and extremely full.

"What's that?!" She was one of the only few that could speak and Wei Wuyin was one of the few that could hear.

"Our ride," Wei Wuyin laughingly replied.

Just then, the rip started to churn with silvery light.

A Spatial Vortex!

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