"A nine-ringed Soul Idol? Quite impressive." This calm voice that resounded attracted the trio's attention. A young man slowly walked forward with a slightly solemn and intrigued pair of eyes that inspected Zuhei. From within his grey-colored gaze, a sense of battle intent was forged and emitted.
Zuhei's eyes narrowed. Who was this? From his strong and exquisite senses, he felt a dangerous aura emitting from this young man's body. It caused his hairs to stand, his muscles to tense slightly, and his heart to race just a step faster.
Wei Wuyin was surprised as he recognized this youngster. He was heroically handsome, his grey eyes, short-length black hair, and sported a nine-colored dot at his glabella. This was the young man that accompanied that mysterious woman of untold beauty within the Myriad Yore Continent. Furthermore, he was also someone he was certain as a Blessed.
To add to his assumptions, this young man had to have found the Divine King Han Xei's inheritance and embarked on his own heaven-ascending path. If his assumptions were correct, this young man had a potential that matched or even exceeded Yuan Longshi or Long Chen.
"This young man…" Wu Yu, who had remained silent thus far had sent Wei Wuyin a spiritual message from his ring. He seemed to wish to spew out a few words of caution to Wei Wuyin, especially considering that he had invested his eggs into the basket that was Wei Wuyin.
"I already know: he has Divine King Han Xei's Inheritance." But Wei Wuyin instantly halted his words. He wasn't Long Chen. He didn't need to be babysat or warned of every little danger. He had his own mind and thoughts, and he likely knew far more than Wu Yu regarding the peculiarities of this young man. As for the past of Divine King Han Xei? He didn't want to invest too much thought into it.
Regardless, his current path of cultivation was already exceptional and decided upon, a path forged by himself and no one else.
"…" Wu Yu was clearly shocked by Wei Wuyin's words.
Lin Ming stopped a distance away, sufficient enough to carry out a conversation. "You must be Wei Wuyin, the so-called Prince of Everlore," he smiled slightly. This smile wasn't ill-intended. In fact, it was rather amiable, but the tone of his voice carried a subtle underlying reverb. It felt like…
Mockery of ignorance.
Wei Wuyin didn't frown or show any outward expression. Instead, he nodded in reply.
Lin Ming's heart was truly lacking in terms of ill-intent, not wanting to mock, but his heart also contained what he believed to be the truth. This was the knowledge of a grander world. The truth about the King of Everlore's accomplishments, the Inheritance of Divine King Han Xei, an existence that has left this barren land for pastures, revealing a dazzling talent that couldn't be stopped. He was influenced by this and felt the title that was the 'Prince of Everlore' was quite interesting.
Lin Ming eyed Zuhei, "A nine-ringed Soul Idol; to reach such levels, it isn't something just anyone can accomplish." His comment was true, but if he knew that Wei Wuyin was a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist that even faintly eclipsed the King of Everlore, his words might not be directed towards Zuhei.
In fact, he didn't even feel that Zuhei had used a tenth of his strength against Wei Wuyin. From afar, he merely noted their cultivation bases and Wei Wuyin's declaration of his loss in the exchange. To him, Zuhei was merely testing Wei Wuyin.
"…" Zuhei didn't respond to Ling Ming. He looked outwards and found his army of canines were making their way back after their abrupt trip through the sky. He turned towards Wei Wuyin, "Master, shall I sweep everyone away?"
Su Mei's hand was already on her hilt. Her eyes similarly swept through the crowd and noticed the figures that were hobbling back to observe the result. A faint spiritual fluctuation emitted from her eyes and the azure-scaled serpent slithered its way over from nearby. A single order and she was ready to unleash untold levels of hell.
Wei Wuyin gave off a wry smile. This was what he was unwilling to see, if the trial was rendered useless because of their cooperation, then wouldn't it be unfair? But when was he a soft-hearted individual? In the end, he nodded. "If you see Qing Qiumu, don't act against her. It's best not to kill." After saying this, he whistled softly.
The three Gold-Starred Beasts started to grow restless. Their eyes became suffused with a bestial ferocity.
He was a leader, and this competition was originally meant to temper Su Mei and Zuhei, as well as accomplish his plans with the Alchemist Association. The wagers were secondary. Moreover, he had obtained Wu Yu from Long Chen. While not originally planned, it caused his priorities to change somewhat. It was best to end this competition.
Being ignored, Lin Ming lightly frowned. He wanted to talk to Zuhei, to get more familiar with this genius, but he was clearly not their priority. If Lin Ming knew that the trio had just decided to eliminate everyone and their pets from this competition, perhaps his expression might be more lively.
"Him?" Su Mei was already about to step out. She was intent on finding other Soul Idol cultivators and eliminating them, and Lin Ming was directly before them. His pillar of light was bright and powerful, likely only below theirs.
Wei Wuyin gave Lin Ming a look, "You can ignore him for now." His words caused Lin Ming to frown, a hint of displeasure between his brows. But his self-confidence was astonishing so he dismissed Wei Wuyin's words with a mere smile.
"En," Zuhei and Su Mei nodded simultaneously. In a flourish of energies, the two shot off in two different directions. Their bodies became comets of light with the crushing steps of the beasts under them following along. The three Gold-Starred Beasts in Wei Wuyin's command exclaimed in their unique ways before turning their gazes towards the surrounding competitors.
Their eyes revealed a single intent: Eliminate!
Lin Ming watched all this silently, particularly watching Zuhei. Despite wanting to fight Zuhei, this was not the best platform to do so. The final trial was. There, combat was singularly focused and being ganged up on or having the support of beast companions were disallowed. It would be a fair battle between geniuses, so he didn't particularly care if they decided to not fight here.
To him, this was also his thoughts. This was just not the right time.
"He's your subordinate?" Lin Ming asked Wei Wuyin, his stance and expression relatively calm despite the hyperactive movements in the background. The sounds of unwilling wails filled with anguish, pain, and fear resounded. In the matter of seconds, several individuals had already been directly eliminated by beasts. Even Wei Wuyin's pillar of light started to become brighter, bigger, and more noticeable thanks to his beasts.
Wei Wuyin nodded, "If you want to fight him, you can wait until the third trial." His words carried his intent. As for personally fighting Lin Ming? He didn't have that intention at all. It gave him no benefits, and even if he sought to claim his karmic luck from his corpse, it would inevitably speed up his own calamity. He wouldn't do something so reckless, even if he was already prepared.
He still had numerous plans he had to set-up to rest his mind before tackling that nightmare. And if he miscalculated, who knew if he'd face the second and third calamity simultaneously or directly after each other. The very thought gave him goosebumps.
Lin Ming's attitude was casual, "I wouldn't mind fighting you too." The confidence he had was brimming to a peak. Earlier, when Zuhei and Wei Wuyin exchanged three moves, he felt the power within and knew it wasn't at a level that threatened him. But Wei Wuyin still exchanged three foundational moves with a nine-ringed Soul Idol, that was quite incredible even if he lost.
The fact he's still standing was likely, to him, Zuhei holding back to prevent harming this so-called 'Master' of his. Considering Wei Wuyin's rumored potential and Zuhei insane talent for cultivation, this pair was definitely to be given caution.
However, when he thought about Wei Wuyin's lack of an Alchemic Astral Soul and his Senior Sister's words about its absolute requirement to reach the greater limits in the Dao of Alchemy, he felt that Wei Wuyin wasn't that important.
He stretched slightly, ignoring the chaos behind him. "Then, I'll see you later." He left, arriving atop his Gold-Starred elephant, and they departed with an aura of ease.
"He's a weird one," Wei Wuyin remarked. Lin Ming's journey must've been filled with challenges, all of which he had overcome, likely thanks to the Heavenly Daos. But it was this continuous degree of success that gave him apex levels of self-confidence in his own ability and sturdiness of his life.
Yuan Longshi must've been the same, just a tad more bloodthirsty.
"If he obtained Han Xei's inheritance, he definitely deserves his attitude." Wu Yu commented, eliciting an eye-roll from Wei Wuyin.
"Was he stronger than you?" Wei Wuyin asked as he decided to find a spot to sit.
"No. But he was definitely more talented, more determined, more intelligent, and more vicious than I was. While I used absolute strength, he used other means. Unfortunately for him, the King of Everlore favored me and others more than him. I eclipsed him easily during our time, reigning over the top." Wu Yu's words carried a hint of pride and also nostalgia.
Wei Wuyin felt that the King of Everlore truly defined his era, the next, and the next(which is the current). His brushstrokes in life left an unerasable mark on history and the future.
"I suffered a calamity, while he remained. He should've left the starfield and improved even further. Knowing him, his caution and abilities, he's probably alive and well today." A soft sigh of resignation and defeat emerged in his voice. When he attempted to tackle the next stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, he failed due to the King of Everlore's departure. Without his support, his lack of talent started to show itself.
But Divine King Han Xei was talented to begin with, relying more on himself than others.
Wei Wuyin felt this. As an Alchemist, those he nurtured needed a strong foundation, but foundational products were the most difficult to concoct. Furthermore, unlike a single pill that would allow someone to enter the Gravity Emission Phase of the Astral Core Realm, foundational products needed numerous products, dozens, hundreds, or even thousands to accumulate a sufficient base to ascend at the peak.
It wouldn't be hard for him to pick a random nobody off the street and develop them into a current era Grand Sage level character with a few products, but that character would be weaker than Zuhei at his current level. They would even be weaker than Tuo Bihan. Forget about nine-rings, they might not even reach five rings.
"Foundation and innate talent is important," this once more reaffirmed his decision to decide on people who've developed their own Intents, such as Ying and Zuhei. They reeked of innate talent, lacking merely the foundation. With it, their growth and ascension through cultivation stages would be natural and perfect.
This was why he never once gave his subordinates products that can directly increase their cultivation levels.
But the King of Everlore was different from him. He didn't have the luxury, time, or ability to refine products with such extreme speed. If he wanted to wholeheartedly invest in a single individual, to produce a Zuhei during his Mortal Sovereign Alchemist days, he would've needed to spend decades of his life.
Wu Yu precisely lacked that foundation. Even if he reached the Mystic Ascendant Realm, even if he created a star in the sky, his lack of talent and foundation gated his cultivation without the appropriate support.
While he was thinking about these things, the world above was in utter chaos.
