"Fuck! I always hated this," a sharp voice resounded with a deep, rumbling growl. Zuhei was the first to speak amongst the four, and his words were immediately filled with dissatisfaction. Since he could remember, traveling via Void Gates had always caused his head to hurt, his body feeling like it wanted to regurgitate his lunch, and sweat would accumulate without cause. According to the medical sages of the starfield, this was called Spatial Sickness.
"Grrgh!" His gorgeous appearance was completely shattered as he gagged abruptly, leaning forward and blew chunks. Bits of meat, paste, and milk left his stomach and hugged the grassy ground.
"Ew." Wei Wuyin, Su Mei, and Xiao Bai simultaneously stepped away from him, their eyes were filled with a hint of repulsion. A natural human or beast response.
Seeing Wei Wuyin, his master, step away in disgust made him feel somewhat horrible, but what could he do?
Wei Wuyin truly did not expect Zuhei to vomit out chunks without warning, and while he knew of spatial sickness, he didn't expect Zuhei to have it. According to his studies, spatial sickness was caused by a rejection of spatial energies infused stealthily within your body. It hinted at a particularly low affinity towards spatial energies, so the Fourth Stage of the Astral Core Realm was a greater difficulty for these individuals.
Luckily, there was an elixir for that!
Unfortunately, he hadn't concocted it due to its highly specific nature. While he was fond of concocting all sorts of pills, elixirs, pellets, and paste simply to test out the process and efficiency at which he could do so, there were more than one hundred thousand recipes for sixth-grade pills alone, and over half a million for all four products. And this was merely sixth-grade products!
Regardless of how fast he could concoct, it just wasn't practical to do in three to four years, even if he spent every waking moment doing so.
"I'll concoct a Spatial Regulation Elixir for you later," while it was a peak-tier, seventh-grade elixir, it wouldn't be hard to concoct for him, especially with his newly formed Alchemic Force.
Zuhei stilled for a moment. Spatial Regulation Elixir? That's the elixir that can enhance one's compatibility with spatial energies, right? His heart was still somewhat shocked for a moment, but when he thought of Wei Wuyin's status and abilities, even restoring his crippled self, he calmed down and said with the deepest and earnest feelings, "Thank you, Master."
Wei Wuyin gave him a slight nod. Even if a Spatial Regulation Elixir cost nearly ten astral stones on the market, which was equivalent to one hundred million essence stones, it was truly irrelevant to him. The materials to make it merely cost about ten thousand essence stones, and he could finish such an elixir in merely ten or so minutes before. Now? It might take him a single minute or a few seconds.
The ragtag group of cultivators were originally stunned into silence by the new arrivals, but hearing about the Spatial Regulation Elixir, their eyes were suffused with blaring shock! While they were merely Qi Condensation cultivators, they weren't idiots and had long since taken it upon themselves to learn about rare things like top-grade alchemical products.
Boss Bai's eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze onto the newcomers, especially the black and white striped pegasus behind them that looked at them with a curious and haughty gaze. His pupils shrunk immediately.
Pegasus?
Only the elites of the elites were capable of owning a pegasus! Moreover, even the youngest pegasus had combat strength rivaling the Astral Core Realm! He heavily gulped. He was merely an Eighth Phase expert with twenty-two Qi Essences, how could he hope to challenge this?
Wei Wuyin didn't pay any attention to their reactions. He sent a gaze towards Xiao Bai. Xiao Bai then gave off a low neigh and brandished its wings, causing fierce gusts to blow all these cultivators away, and the carriage lifted up and fell, shattering to pieces with a crumbling crash. With a flap, a kick off, it caused the earth to quake and he shot into the sky before transforming into a black lightning bolt that pierced swiftly into the Sky Layer of the Bloodforge Continent.
Star-grade beasts could not only pierce into Sky Layers of celestial bodies, but they could survive in the dark void. This innate ability to survive in a hazardous environment like the dark void was why they were termed 'star'-grade beasts. Like the stars in the sky, they could swim freely in the darkness!
It was truly impressive.
Su Mei stepped forward, swept her gaze on the gawking and moaning men below and her eyes focused on Boss Bai, who held that delicate girl still within his grip.
Wei Wuyin calmly said, "You two can go locate her first." Zuhei lifted his head and took a deep breath, circulating his astral force to help stabilize his bodily reactions. With a curt nod, he turned into a flickering shadow and vanished. When given an order by one's respected master, the only thing one must do is act in accordance to it.
Su Mei similarly left. However, unlike Zuhei whose cultivation was at the Second Stage of the Astral Core Realm, she was merely at the Eighth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, the Infused Spirituality Phase, and couldn't flash away via flight. She found the direction to the nearest city and kicked off, jumping and flashing into the distance.
Wei Wuyin turned to Su Mei's disappearing figure. While she was merely at the Eighth Stage, he felt a strange force within her that even his Celestial Eyes could barely see. However, he had the feeling that even when he was at the Infused Spirituality Phase, he was not her current match. This somewhat intrigued him deeply, considering she only had ninety-eight Qi Essences and one Natal Soul, this was quite shocking!
Regardless of his faint feeling, he didn't investigate or interrogate her. Su Mei's cultivation was going smoothly; soon, she'll reach the Zenith Mortal State and overcome her Astral Tribulation. Her talent was truly exceptional, especially to refine ninety-eight Qi Essences while constantly training her arts and spells after three years.
It was quite something.
The band of cultivators rose up, but vigilance and fear filled their gazes. Towards this newcomer who spoke about concocting seventh-grade elixirs, had a pegasus, and two subordinates whose cultivation bases they couldn't sense, they used the utmost caution. None of them dared to speak arrogantly or even breathe loudly.
Wei Wuyin turned his eyes, and with a faint smile, he said: "I'm looking for someone. Do you guys mind helping me out?" His attitude was friendly as he waltzed over with a calm, stable gait.
"W-who?" The dark brown-skinned giant was the first to rise and speak, and his tone was rather shaky. His fear leaked without his consent. If anyone saw such a monster stutter and quiver in his speech, they might feel as if they were dreaming.
"I'm looking for a blind man. According to what I know, he usually hangs around this area." Wei Wuyin had two targets for this trip, and this was his first one; his future shadow. It was why he opened a Void Portal to these specific coordinates. Unfortunately, his spiritual sense alone might not be able to notice this person.
Boss Bai and the others looked at each other in confusion, seeking if the others had an idea as to who he was speaking to.
Ruffle!
From the crushed wreckage of the recently shattered carriage, a young girl, that looked no more than ten or eleven years old, lifted her body out with her qi exerted to its utmost limits. After freeing herself, her eyes were bloodshot and her head, which was injured, had streams of blood leaking from it, and shouted with her nascent and cute voice: "I know where he is!"
Her voice lacked fear or a stutter, being incomparably clear.
Boss Bai and the others turned their gazes. Who was this girl?
That lapse of confusion caused the older woman to free her mouth and she shouted at the young girl: "Run!" Her tone was filled with pain and emotion. She clearly didn't want her to be subjected to what she likely will suffer. Thinking of that hand that tried to invade her everything, she kept shouting again and again until Boss Bai clasped her mouth with his large hand.
However, the young girl didn't run. Perhaps she knew she couldn't, or maybe she simply didn't want to, but she wouldn't leave. Her blue eyes and blonde hair that was similar to the young woman easily allowed one to see their relationship; they were sisters.
The pig-like beastman lifted his eyes up, and perhaps it was a subconscious action or simply because he liked little girls, he pounced at the young girl in an attempt to grab and restrain her, as he had done countless times before.
Psuush!
This startled the young girl as she shrieked slightly before her face was splashed with blood, drenching her entire body in crimson. Before then, a spurting sound resounded and directly before her fearful gaze, the pig-like man exploded. His bones, organs, flesh, and brain matter liquefied and melded with his blood. They were no longer separate existences.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Simultaneously, the sound of craning necks echoed as they all looked towards the smiling Wei Wuyin who was casually walking over, his right index finger stretched out a little and it glimmered with faint light of draconic force flashing on the tip. The faint roars of a true dragon could be heard if one focused incomparably hard.
Each step caused their hearts to throb in response, and even the young girl that seemed to have turned into a bloody person, stilled with wide eyes. Wei Wuyin arrived before her and squatted to her level, ignoring the wreckage, and asked: "Can you tell me where?"
"…" The dozens of men were all silent. They didn't even dare to take a breath, not even the young woman in Boss Bai's hands. She didn't even struggle, fear engulfed her heart to the extreme. She had never seen someone explode into pure blood before, their corpse and bones were nowhere to be found. That was utterly horrifying!
Wei Wuyin realized the little girl might've been traumatized. In truth, he just wanted to push the beastman away, breaking a few bones. He hadn't expected him to explode like that. This was his first usage of his Draconic Void-type Astral Force. It held domineeringly tyrannical physical power without being used to invigorate, activate, or sustain his bloodline powers or Dragonification.
Just its raw power was exceptionally frightening. He had restrained himself to just 1% of his power and concentrated it to merely meet the beastman. Who would've thought this would be its outcome?
"If you tell me, I'll owe you a favor." Wei Wuyin made his voice calm and friendly as he said.
The young girl seemed to have been snapped out of her daze as her thoughts seemed to rapidly circulate. She looked at these dozens of men, the corpses of those who protected her, and the vast destruction within the plains brought about by them. The middle-aged man who held her sister hostage, and she knew what she had to do.
Each of these men felt an icy-chill in their spines as they realized their lives were no longer their own. Before this expert, what could they do?
Boss Bai was smarter than the others, and he was just about to threaten the young girl with the woman in his hands, but before he could, just as he took out his dagger and tried to place it to her neck, his head slid off his neck.
Thud.
Gush!
A geyser of blood rose from his neck and his body collapsed without any power.
Wei Wuyin's finger flashed with a saber intent.
"What do you say, hm?"
The young girl's eyes lit up as if she just gained a wish from a deity and her eyes flashed a malevolent glow. This was revenge, hatred, and more brought about by power, even if it was external.
The next set of events were graphic and swift, and not a single scream was heard.
—–
A few minutes later, the young woman was bathing the little girl in water qi, cleaning the blood from her clothing and hair. As for the little girl, she had an incomparably content toothy smile on her face. After going through such immense fear and then experiencing safety left her feeling a heavenly sensation of utter bliss.
Who says revenge felt empty? It felt fucking great!
As for Wei Wuyin, he was quietly looking towards the sky while they made themselves decent. His Celestial Eyes viewed Xiao Bai linger above the Sky Layer lazily cultivating. He had sent Xiao Bai above to ensure that he wasn't too much of a beacon signaling out his location and existence on the continent. While he still needed a mount, and a fierce fighter, he wanted to execute his plans in a low-key manner.
For now.
'Astral Force…I have several types: Elemental Force, Saber Force, Draconic Force, Void Force, Spiritual Force, Eden Force, and Alchemic Force. I can fuse a few to increase their strength.' Spiritual Force was Astral Force with immense spiritual energies infused within, changing the balanced ratio from twenty-five physical, twenty-five spiritual, twenty-five essence, and twenty-five mental energies to seventy-five spiritual and twenty-five essence. It was the driving force for Astral Core Realm-level Spiritual Spells and Formations. As he slowly rummaged through his current powers, he truly felt his strength settle.
As a possessor of four Astral Souls, all of which were at the Zenith Mortal State, he was frightening. 'Could I face Third Stage Cultivators? Maybe even Fourth…' He really wasn't sure his upper limits currently, and his foundations haven't been fully enhanced.
With seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade products, he could expand his Astral Core's size, refined Astral Force quality, and reserves. This could be even further enhanced by increasing the intensity, quality, and quantity of his mental, physical, and spiritual energies—the building blocks of Astral Force.
'I'll need to test out my current limits later. While eighth-grade pellets were exceptional, everything had its weaknesses and only my own strength is the most reliable and flexible in true combat.' Just as he thought of this, he heard the soft steps behind him.
The young girl had washed away the pig's liquids off her and calmly bowed, and even the young woman followed. When she did, Wei Wuyin couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. She was quite a decent woman.
"Thank you, Senior." The two girls uttered simultaneously.
"…Senior?" Wei Wuyin quietly muttered in shock. His eyes twitched somewhat. When one's cultivation base rises at a young age, their rate of aging slows, and the more talented and nurtured one is, the worse this becomes. This young girl's cultivation already reached the Fifth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, and she was over forty years old. As for her older sister, she was in her seventies at the Seventh Stage.
While this was impressive for their age, it wasn't exceptional. Except perhaps the young girl, likely breaking through the Fifth Stage a decade or two ago.
Wei Wuyin had ascended into the Qi Condensation Realm nearing twenty, and his progression was quite slow in comparison, only breaking through to the Second Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm at twenty-three. At the moment, he looked to be in his early twenties.
His eyelids somewhat twitched at this form of address. It felt inappropriate.
"It's nothing," he hurriedly waved away and revealed a friendly smile. "Now, can you tell me where that blind old man is?" His eyes glowed faintly.
The young girl nodded, her expression diligent and focused as she explained with hand gestures. "He's usually in a thatched hut near the lake, over there."
Wei Wuyin looked towards that direction, and his eyelids twitched again. That lake was literally two miles away. Just from here, he could sense a faint heartbeat and feel a life aura. Shaking his head slightly, he gave his thanks and was about to leave.
"Senior, wait a minute!"
