Xue Yifei and Tuo Bihan weren't alone, having arrived with three others via the newly constructed Void Gate in the Bloodforge Continent. They were Ying, who was garbed in complete black, from head to toe, and even his eyes weren't visible. He quietly stayed behind Xue Yifei.
Despite his dark attire, his presence was extremely minuscule, and unless one was staring directly at his figure, they wouldn't be able to notice his existence. That shadowy-like presence was extremely particular, suitable for those of his occupation.
Xiao Bai, Wei Wuyin's pegasus, had returned! His arrogant smirk and imposing figure had grown considerably, reaching eighty meters in height. Despite his size, he still was unable to take the scene's attention due to Xue Yifei.
The last was Yu Beimei, a multi-colored robed female Heavenly Commander of the Myriad Monarch Sect. She was a middle-aged human with a disinterested gaze. Her slightly muscular form and imposing physical presence alluded to her physique being refined to an extraordinary extent.
She had been sent by Wei Wuyin to the Bloodforge Continent after the collapse of the Void Gate, designated as Xue Yifei's instructor. She had been brought to Wei Wuyin's side relatively early. As she was someone who was also a human and someone who cultivated her spirit of cultivation in her heart, she was extremely compatible with Xue Yifei.
Yu Beimei was known as being stoic and direct, but having a kindhearted nature hidden beneath her hardened form.
Xue Yifei glanced at the surroundings, awe in her heart as she observed the sky-reaching Penta Dao Extreme Mountains that defined the Myriad Monarch Sect. She had lived in the Bloodforge Continent since she was born, never getting the chance to explore the greater world. As for visiting the Myriad Monarch Sect? With her talent and status, she didn't believe she would ever have the ability to do so.
Her 'wowed' expression induced numerous gulps from the surrounding men, their hearts leaping out of their chest as they observed this astonishing woman take in the sights.
Long Chen's group was similarly shaken by her presence. Especially Long Chen. His eyes were extremely wide as he saw this gorgeous woman that didn't lose out when compared to Na Xinyi at her peak or Qing Qiumu at present. Furthermore, her presence was far more noticeable and aggressive than theirs, forcefully demanding attention. In fact, she might be slightly higher than them.
When he thought this, his eyes were burning with interest.
Lian Yu was startled, witnessing how all these men were losing themselves over some random woman. But she couldn't help but turn to Long Chen, observing his signature light of desire within his eyes. She couldn't help but frown, but she always knew that Long Chen wasn't a one-woman man, so she soon soothed out her expression.
Qing Qiumu's thoughts were slightly different, not intimidated by her beauty, but intrigued by her escorts. Yu Beimei was a well-known Heavenly Commander-rank Elder of the sect and Tuo Bihan was the strongest figure within the sect at the moment. Yet she was being brought here by those two, especially Tuo Bihan. Furthermore, he seemed to be rather amiable.
This pricked her curiosity.
As for beauty, she was never one to feel inferior. She was absolutely confident in her own looks, and Xue Yifei was a human, not an elf, so it was rather difficult to compare anyhow. They were physiologically and anatomically different, from body type to facial features. For example, her eyes were naturally sharper and she sported pointy ears. Even her figure was more slender than the other races.
Xue Yifei answered Tuo Bihan's question, revealing her soft and velvety voice: "This is amazing! I can't believe these mountains reach beyond the clouds, stretching to the highest heavens like the legends say!"
Tuo Bihan felt some pride. After all, these mountains were man-made, not naturally formed. The design was a product of their ancestors, and so he couldn't help but feel smug. He swept his eyes casually over the crowd when he paused his gaze on the group of six.
"Baby Prince?" He said aloud, not expecting Long Chen to arrive. His odd naming sense once more was revealed, but it caused the nearby crowd to hear it. They turned to Tuo Bihan, then to Long Chen, and then a few couldn't help but laugh. Some were so purposely loud that it felt fake, but they were truly laughing.
Xue Yifei was startled, turning to see Long Chen.
Long Chen's gaze became dark after being called Baby Prince, but when he felt Xue Yifei's gaze meet his body, his entire self started to faintly tremble. He faintly smiled, disregarding the laughter and Tuo Bihan's words. He seemed entirely undisturbed by the event.
Xue Yifei saw this and frowned slightly. She didn't get a good feeling from this man, but she didn't know why. After a brief moment, she turned away and asked Tuo Bihan, "Will we be going to the Sky Palaces?" Her hazel eyes brightened with excitement. She was particularly excited to meet Wei Wuyin again.
They hadn't seen each other for so long. While she frequently exchanged transmitted messages with him, it wasn't the same as in person. Furthermore, she still intended to change her title of concubine to wife one day. But she knew it might be far more difficult than before, especially with his newfound fame in the entire starfield.
She had not expected that this arranged union was to be a figure that will likely define the next era. She didn't know if she was lucky or…no, she was certainly lucky.
Tuo Bihan responded, "I'll let 'him' take you on that tour. For now, I'll take you to meet the various major figures of the sect, familiarize yourself with them." And, he quietly thought, they could have an opportunity to establish a relationship with one of the few women Wei Wuyin had a real relationship with. He knew many would kill for this opportunity. Furthermore, he owed some favors that had been cashed in by a few after learning he was going to retrieve Xue Yifei.
Xue Yifei's eyes brightened even more, intrigued by these major figures of the sect. These were characters that she might've never been able to even see in her lifetime before. She nodded with a hint of joy. But she still wondered where Wei Wuyin was. She was surprised that he hadn't picked her up personally.
Yu Beimei stayed close to Xue Yifei, especially as her instructor. She was waiting for Wei Wuyin to arrive, so she could be judged on her work and receive her rewards. Considering Wei Wuyin's status, it will likely be extremely rewarding.
Woosh!
A dark light shot from the distance, causing Xiao Bai to neigh in joy at the familiar sight. Su Mei shot through the skies and arrived, landing next to Tuo Bihan, Xue Yifei, and Yu Beimei. She calmly swept her gaze by Yu Beimei, inspecting Xue Yifei briefly, and then turned to Xiao Bai who was moving very animatedly.
She faintly smiled, reaching her hand out. Xiao Bai acted in the most practiced, most familiar manner and brought its large head forward to be caressed by Su Mei. After spending years with Su Mei, he had already recognized her as his true master.
'It's her!' Long Chen was startled by Su Mei's arrival. He knew she was Wei Wuyin's female companion. Thinking about her being his female companion, a dark thought emerged in his mind. A thought to allow Wei Wuyin to experience what it meant for a woman to leave him for another. Those thoughts were festering and fueled by his memories of Lin Ziyan, Wu Baozhai, Hong Ru, and Xiao Bing.
Xue Yifei had never met Su Mei before, so she observed this new woman who seemed overly familiar with Xiao Bai. She then recalled watching the Grand Spirit Trials and noticed her meeting Wei Wuyin. She was interested in who she was, especially the black ring that hung around her neck. She remembered seeing it around Wei Wuyin's during the All-Alchemic Clash.
"Lord Wei is currently preoccupied with some important matters. He's sent me to welcome you," Su Mei calmly explained.
Tuo Bihan's eyes brightened. This was a good opportunity. "I was intending to bring her around to meet some people, tour her around the mountains."
Su Mei glanced at Tuo Bihan, clearly knowing his intentions. But she didn't object, "If that's what she wants." As Xue Yifei was Wei Wuyin's concubine, she knew the level of importance she had to these old fogies and wily foxes. She was a perfect opportunity for others to establish closer relations than a mere subordinate or tool.
Na Xinyi was startled. 'That woman is here for Wei Wuyin?' She felt a sudden crisis of threat for some reason. Just as she thought this…
Pop!
An unexpected popping sound erupted in the surroundings, causing numerous heads to toss and turn in shock, trying to find the origin of the sound. Before they could react, however, a black sphere emerged directly above the Void Gate. From the Void Gate, streams of silver steam-like gas were entering the black sphere.
Woosh!
BOOSH!!
An object shot out of the black sphere, causing it to instantly close. The object was rapidly moving, smashing heavily into the ground and directly caused a twenty meter crater to form. Even the Void Gate below was toppled, having some cracks form on it as its silver radiance seemingly dimmed.
Fortunately, everyone present was an expert. They conjured numerous qi and astral wards, with Tuo Bihan reacting the fastest, shifting away the weaker members with a flick of his finger. He then brought everyone else not at the Astral Core Realm or under their protection away forcefully. Xue Yifei was protected by Su Mei's darklight ward, thoroughly defended from everything.
"Urgh…" A faintly audible groan was heard from the crater.
"What the hell was that?!" An elder exclaimed, shocked by the abrupt popping sound and black sphere. But Tuo Bihan was familiar with both, realizing the possibility, he shot forward and arrived above the crater. When he saw the familiar figure laying in the crater, he couldn't help but arc his lips upwards.
He was just about to act when his eyes widened, "The Chill of the Dark Void?" His expression instantly distorted. He exclaimed with urgency, "Everyone leave, NOW!" His shout was fiercely explosive, but it was too late.
The faint eerie aura emitting from the figure started to permeate throughout the world, traveling extremely fast.
As the closest, he was infected by the coldness first. He had to instantly conjure his Worldly Domain, suppressing the Chill of the Dark Void, but he found it incredibly difficult. This coldness was far, far greater than the coldness in their starfield's Dark Void. But the others weren't at his cultivation level, having it enter their bodies in the blink of an eye with no defense.
They shivered uncontrollably, many losing consciousness instantly.
Long Chen's mind boomed with a sense of crisis, causing his Imperial Slaughter Sword Astral Souls to react. He and the others were immediately shrouded in a very unique aura, containing a strange power that deflected the coldness. However, whether intentionally or subconsciously done, he hadn't shielded Na Xinyi.
She immediately spiraled into unconsciousness, falling like a ragdoll.
The coldness touched Su Mei and Xue Yifei. When this happened, the figure within the crater opened his eyes revealing a silver radiance. The world erupted with cyan-colored light that traveled even faster than the Chill of the Dark Void. It swept the world, entering the bodies of everyone present, and vanished as swiftly as it emerged. It was as if it wasn't real to begin with.
Tuo Bihan was startled, noticing the coldness had left his body instantly. He looked towards Wei Wuyin then towards Su Mei and Xue Yifei, looking at the unassuming black ring that hung on Su Mei's neck. He had witnessed the cyan-colored flash, felt the light enter his body, and it had taken away the chill. He was utterly baffled.
What just happened?
