The atmospheric changes were only felt by a few individuals, and it produced different reactions from each of them. While Wei Wuyin gazed to the sky in rumination, and San Yongli involved herself in the various changes in the Book of Heaven's Path, Ming Shufeng, the Heavenly Seer, was shivering with such intensity it was as if she was within a stormy blizzard completely naked.
The chill wasn't icy, nor did her bodily temperature change. It felt more like the feeling of suffocation than freezing. Her ocean-blue eyes kept shimmering with bits of chaotic gold light. "What's this?" She quietly asked herself. The Heavenly Daos felt closer than ever before.
San Yongli had her eyes closed, slowly reading the contents of the revised Book of Heaven's Path. When she did, her expression slightly changed. 'Such a thing happens? But why? Could it be it's destined for him to become Chosen of the True Element Sect?'
When San Yongli opened her crimson eyes, a trace of hesitation emerged in her heart, which was soon replaced by steel-like determination. 'I can benefit from this.'
—–
Karmic Luck Value: 944.6.
First Calamity: Survived – 7/7.
Second Calamity: Suppressed – 4 Years.
Wei Wuyin stared at his Bloodline of Sin Tattoo for several minutes, unmoving and with furrowed brows. Afterwards, he swiftly rose and left the True Desolate Temple in an explosive flight. With the Octa-Elementus Token in hand, he was a raging blitzing comet as he flew.
'There's only a few individuals that could provoke that level of response from the Heavenly Daos, and that degree of Karmic Luck Value usage was definitely massive. The timing of it was too coincidental, and from what I know, this means that Heavenly Daos has just taken action to influence a situation.
'There's a chance it was due to Long Chen, but its incredibly unlikely. Whatever happened to Lian Yu and Long Chen occurred a while ago, and from what I gathered, Long Chen's Karmic Luck Value was bottoming out like mine's had before, perhaps already being thoroughly exhausted. This is clear from Lian Yu's death.
'Of course that could be due to changes brought about by the Temporal Reincarnator's interfering actions, or even my own. I can't know for sure, but if he had such a massive amount of karmic luck remaining, he and those around him would've certainly lived and prospered unless he provoked a calamity so great that even the Heavenly Daos could do nothing to halt it.
'This leaves Lin Ming or the Temporal Reincarnator. If it's the latter, I can't imagine the amount of Karmic Luck they had to not only be sent back in time, screwing up the laws of reincarnation, but to instigate such a massive change. Actually…could it be the piece of the Heavenly Daos they possess? But that doesn't feel right either.' Wei Wuyin's thoughts were extremely rapid as he picked up the pace, his astral force urged as he arrived at a certain area in the Desolate Lands.
The grey sand was intermixed with a faint silver sheen that reflected the sunlight. It was extremely faint, but those with acute senses could notice the difference. "There's a unique Astral-level Metal Essence Vein?" He noted the traces of metal essence buried within the grey sand, leading to an underground deposit of a metal ore.
He lifted the Octa-Elementus Token and activated the Omni-Alloy Metal Badge, sending a ray of divine light into the sky. After a brief moment, it descended into the grey sand with silver sheen, opening up a gaping hole that led to an underground chamber hidden from the world.
The Omni-Alloy Metal Cache!
This was the location that Lin Ming hadn't claimed yet. He was likely avoiding doing so out of fear of being discovered by Wei Wuyin, then being contested for its contents. Furthermore, as long as Lin Ming held the token, there was no way for others to enter. Well, unless you already entered and knew the specific spell to open it. A design so that later generations of the Holy Bloodline could use it.
Now, it belonged to Wei Wuyin.
'Since it's unlikely Long Chen and shouldn't be the Temporal Reincarnator, from the specific timing, it has to be Lin Ming. Normally, he shouldn't be a threat, but if I had to guess, whatever the Heavenly Daos is influencing, it's bound to eliminate all others from this competition, allowing him to claim the Chosen title or something of that nature.' Wei Wuyin deduced, his mind logically navigating the possibilities, taking from his experience of his own fortuitous events.
He knew that the Heavenly Daos influence others mentally, warp certain events in this world, instigating those unlikely occurrences to veer in the Blessed favor. If this Karmic Luck usage was as vast, as heavy as he felt it to be, the possibility that it influenced a group of powerful individuals, maybe even a Mystic Ascendant, was incredibly likely, if not certain.
It might even twist events, veer a specific circumstance heavily in Lin Ming's favor all at once.
He didn't have much time, so he acted. With a thought, he entered the Omni-Alloy Metal Cache. After several minutes, he left with a faint frown. The cache was lacking. Clearly, someone had taken a portion of it away.
"The Temporal Reincarnator?" With heavily furrowed brows, he could somewhat understand. With their foreknowledge, they didn't wish to drastically change certain events that they were aware of, so they had only taken an nearly unnoticeable portion. Just enough for them, but not enough for others to delve into it deeper.
'At least this meant they hadn't touched the Grand Earth Cache. After all, it wasn't missing anything in comparison to here. But the question was, why didn't they? Was it because I became the Holy Son of Grand Earth before they could reach it? Fear? Or did they not know its location and how to unlock it? Maybe one? Maybe all?' With this thought, he realized that his actions of disruption and changing his approach had altered certain things, effectively working.
'I wonder how much of Lin Ming's caches did they take? Or did they touch the Absolute Hot Fire Cache or Transformative Water Cache?'
Regardless of this, the fact that this Temporal Reincarnator could take a portion of this cache without knowing meant the Black Skeleton was correct; the Temporal Reincarnator can plunder a Blessed's fortune.
If it wasn't for their restraint, who knows if Lin Ming would've come across any caches to improve his cultivation base and foundation. This could've been extremely disastrous to him in the long run, derailing his path of prominence. It could've even led to his death. With his concerns proven real, he felt assured about his earlier actions.
With the pressing unknown before him, he shot off and returned to the True Desolate Temple. He had three hours before the challenge was issued, leaving him with roughly two hours and fifty minutes. Whatever was bound to happen, will likely happen during that time or during the challenge itself.
With the Octa-Elementus Token in hand, Wei Wuyin clenched his fist and absorbed all the Origin Essence within. He didn't wish to leave anything left, even siphoning the Apex-level Intent aura from within until there was nothing. He didn't know if it'd refresh, but he left a tiny portion of chaotic alchemic power within.
If it did refresh, the aura would be refined and tainted, ensuring no one can accurately comprehend it. "The chances of me being able to retain my right as a Token Wielder is extremely, extremely, extremely unlikely. The Heavenly Daos may very well push me out of the trial altogether, but I can't leave. Not yet."
There was much to be done, and he didn't need this so-called Chosen title. To hell with it, his main goal was different. Since the Heavenly Daos wanted Lin Ming to have this title, then he can have it.
Most might fight to the bitter end, struggle against the Heavenly Daos influence, and most owners of the Bloodline of Sin might do so, unable to throw down their pride due to how unfair it might seem, but Wei Wuyin understood what pride truly meant. It wasn't about fighting to the end to retain some construed sense of dignity, but always being able to triumph against all obstacles with assured success, knowing you're right and believing in yourself.
He had acted against He Yanglei, killing him once, because he was certain he could even before a Mystic Ascendant. That was his pride in himself. The pride that drove him forward to fight against the Heavenly Daos, to challenge the Calamities of Hell, and to see beyond victory. To revel in the challenge, unafraid and unhindered.
With a smile of confidence, he felt a tingle in his right arm. The tinge spiked into a sharp pain in his head, causing him to grimace. It was so painful that his senses shut off, unable to see the glowing dark red of the Bloodline of Sin Tattoo. Only after it faded did he regain his senses, inspecting his body thoroughly.
"What the hell was that?!" That was the first time he experienced such a pain. When he asked his Astral Souls, his heart quivered as he realized that they too had felt the pain, closing them off from sensing what happened. This meant the event wasn't physical but soul-based.
With a heavy frown, looking at his right arm. While there was nothing different about the arm itself or the tattoos, his instincts, which were rarely ever wrong, felt there was a distinct change. He couldn't help but recall that dirty figure in the Myriad Yore Continent, that man with silver hair and black eyes. He had bit him, transferring the Bloodline of Sin and forcing him to become an Inheritor of Sin, spouting off words of unfairness and morality.
"Why am I thinking about him? Enough with that, let's do this. As I said once before, I won't be passive in my actions in this World Realm," Wei Wuyin shot off towards the Zephyr Plains after assuring Ai Yin and Grand Priest Si De of his safety. After informing them of the changes and why these changes were happening, they responded as one might think of two strong women.
They went to organize their members and halt the spreading panic. If the final trial continued, there will be creatures showing up soon, so they should make extra preparations. As for coming with Wei Wuyin? They were essentially at the World Sea Phase level without their aspects of cultivation, so they stayed.
