Guan Yu's excitement was enthusiastically explosive, but his mouth and heart had acted faster than his mind. The sheer promising prospect of dual cultivating with an Ascended as a mortal had driven him to speak out his willingness. That said, it didn't halt his brain from processing the implications of the mysterious woman's words.
Guan Yu blurted out, "You're an Ascended?" His expression noticeably paled as he stepped backwards a few times, his eyes glinting with traces of fear. As if to seek verification, he stared at the unsurprised facial expression of Wei Wuyin. His heart was doused in cold water and he felt a chill flow through his spine.
While not betraying his emotions through his expressions, Wei Wuyin was considerably surprised internally at the offer he was given. While he didn't understand Ascended culture very well, he did comprehend Astral Core Realm culture towards those lesser cultivators, especially amongst females.
The benefits of being with a virgin woman of far higher cultivation base than their male counterpart provided an ungodly level of benefits to the male. Primarily, Primal Yin contained the essential insights of cultivation, including a vast quantity of pure, high-end yin energies. The former needed no explanation, while the latter could strengthen one's physique, foundation, and spiritual aspects. There were a few specific dual cultivation methods to use yin energies to elevate a Spirit of Cultivation's Mortal State retroactively.
The usage was numerous and the value was unimaginably high. It created such a divide that a woman's purity was held in the highest regard, especially if they were talented, with many women refusing to be with lesser cultivators, and many men refusing to dual cultivate with women who've lost theirs to others. The latter was even more so as the first yin and yang merging process would guide the dual cultivation process, so the next male that entered would receive less than a tenth of the benefits that was originally possible.
While all this has been said, it must be noted that women too had tangible benefits and reasons to preserve their Primal Yin for their cultivation. The Primal Yin contained pure energies that they themselves could use to internally cultivate, elevating the state of their Spirit of Cultivation, refining their physique, or heightening their comprehensive abilities.
Qin Rui, a former Grand Imperial Sage of the Myriad Monarch Sect, now a member of the Eternal Monarch Sect, had kept her purity intact, allowing her to push herself to be the strongest female in the Myriad Monarch Sect. She was tangible proof of the benefits that a Primal Yin could provide.
These were only surface level benefits of the Primal Yin, yet there were far more long term benefits, and issues when not doing so.
The Primal Yin's and innate yin energies growth would forcefully halt at the moment a female cultivator lost it, except in unique Yin Physiques. This meant that, if a female lost their Primal Yin at the Qi Condensation Realm, even if they reached the Astral Core Realm eventually, their innate yin energies for dual cultivation would stagnate. These innate energies were extremely useful for long-term dual cultivation efforts. While their innate yin energies might be better than Qi Condensation Realm cultivators due to being refined by their own powers, it certainly wouldn't be remotely comparable to women who waited with similar cultivation bases, or even some Qi Condensation Realm cultivators.
This only elevated the belief towards the importance of maintaining your purity in certain societies, especially amongst male cultivators. Yet it was still extremely difficult to do, since breaking through to the next level wasn't a guarantee, in any stage or realm. To wait your entire life to be intimate with another, was it worth it?
The topic of Primal Yin for higher level cultivators was extremely sensitive, but also extremely rare.
Guan Yu was extremely aware of all these details, which was why he was unable to hold himself back when an Ascended offered herself. Even back home, unless his grandparents decided to nurture a few female servants of astonishing talent to the Ascended level before he was even born, just for his own cultivation, it was impossible to even consider being with a female Ascended as a mere mortal.
The mysterious woman ignored Guan Yu. To her, Wei Wuyin had barely met her standards. Barely. While he was a mortal, his handsome appearance was almost otherworldly, like a masculine demi-god depicted in fairy tales told to children, even causing her long-dried heart to stir. From the Essence of War armor he wore, he had infused his World Heart Intent into it, and he was willing to face the Obelisk of War despite knowing what it entailed.
At first, she thought he was an ignorant mortal about to commit suicide, and while she still believed his act was a suicidal one, it wasn't an ignorant decision. Even knowing that she was an Ascended, warning her to leave for her safety, and still showing no fear in her approach in a Battlefield where most mortals thought everyone was their enemy, unlike that other fellow beside him.
Even at this moment, Guan Yu kept distancing himself out of fear and caution. Yet Wei Wuyin's emotional and mental state was perfectly tranquil.
If she was going to be conquered by a man, in her heart, it should be one like this—talented, intelligent, and brave.
Unfortunately and woefully, almost to the extent that numerous wails of fallen men cried out in a ghastly manner, Wei Wuyin's response was not what one would expect from a mortal being offered the endless benefits of a Demi-Mortal Lord's Primal Yin.
"I'll have to refuse." Those four words had taken both Guan Yu and the mysterious woman by surprise. Guan Yu became flummoxed and speechless. His first instinctive thought was that Wei Wuyin preferred the same gender, but even those types of cultivators would unhesitatingly put aside that preference for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The mysterious woman's first thought was different, directly saying: "So you have a Dao Companion." Her voice carried a wisp of disappointment. In her mind, this was the only possible reason to refuse.
Guan Yu was enlightened. The Dao Companion's Heavenly Oath was quite peculiar and iron-clad, and without your spouse's permission, sleeping with other women could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Wei Wuyin shook his head, "I don't."
"…" Now they both were rendered speechless. Unable to comprehend the reasoning for refusing this godsend opportunity! Guan Yu felt an urge to viciously shake Wei Wuyin until he got an answer. Fortunately for his life, he didn't have to resort to that.
"If I was younger, I wouldn't have any issue with accepting desperate women, like yourself, who were driven to the brink by their circumstances. I've done it a few times. But I've understood myself more since, and I refuse to take advantage of women in such a way again." Wei Wuyin's experiences since becoming an Inheritor of Sin had changed him, not just his mindset, but as a person.
Whether it was Na Xinyi, Jiao Ning, that girl from the Violet Moon Sect, Xue Yifei, Long Chen, Yuan Longshi, Lin Ziyan, the Heavenly Daos' influence, Ai Juling, or Yue Songli, his experiences with them each had slowly evolved his own principles and morals, establishing a strong, very strong foundation of his own self-confidence as a person, as a man, and as a leader, including what he wanted from his women. He didn't want nor need to take advantage of fragile, desperate, or despairing women to satisfy himself or his ego. He had developed his own unique sense of pride.
This was especially cemented when he met Ai Juling. While they had only met once in the Four Extreme Continent, she had the most impactful reflection on his insight into what he wanted. Despite being kidnapped and taken away by force, after revealing his intentions to court her, she wasn't terrified or repulsed, and she even wanted to be with him due to his revealed value and personality.
This thoroughly instilled into him the understanding that he didn't need to take advantage of women or place them in precarious positions. His life, his strength, his means, personality, wealth, and just his overall value was sufficient to court and obtain a woman he desired. It was absolutely beneath him to do anything else. If his value wasn't enough, then it wasn't enough. It just wasn't fated.
In a way, he wanted to be their choice.
Not their only choice.
"How about this," Wei Wuyin reached out and grabbed the mysterious woman's hands, realizing her skin was quite smooth and exuded a comforting warmth, and touched her spatial ring. This startled her, but as an Ascended, and a Demi-Mortal Lord at that, she held no fear towards any of Wei Wuyin's actions. So she watched on curiously.
Wei Wuyin exerted a little bit of spatial power, shifting 10,000 War Souls from his Spatial Ring to the mysterious woman's. This was enough for her to leave. He calmly continued, "If you still want to after this, I won't refuse."
Wei Wuyin wasn't able to see the woman's expression, wasn't able to determine her exact appearance, or anything about her, yet from the vigorous shaking of her body leading to her hand. He felt all her intense emotions. He could feel her gaze on his face, so piercing and suffused with incredible shock, extreme confusion, an entire array of emotions, that it seemed as if it tried to penetrate his Sea of Consciousness.
Wei Wuyin revealed a smile. He didn't say anything but let her hand go, proceeding to walk towards the direction of the Obelisk of War. As he stepped closer, he could feel a faint wave of cascading pressure battering his face. The sounds of clashing weapons, blood-curdling screams of agony, roaring shouts of rage and bloodlust, and blood splashing endlessly into the world. The hymn of war echoed out endlessly.
Guan Yu watched, confused by what just happened. He glanced at the mysterious woman and felt tempted to once more express his willingness.
However, the mysterious woman moved. She was shockingly swift, arriving beside Wei Wuyin in almost an instant. She reached out and grabbed his hand with her own, causing him to halt his steps and turn around. While he was unable to see her, she had undone her facial concealment, revealing herself to Wei Wuyin.
"…" There were faint sounds of breathing escaping from the woman's mouth, but not a single coherent word. She wanted to ask how, why, and who, yet none of it came out. She had never felt so incapable before than in this moment. Her greatest life wish had been fulfilled without any reasoning that made sense to her, overturning her entire understanding of the world in seconds, and in men as a whole.
Wei Wuyin was still inundated by the hymn of war, facing the waves of pressure, yet he answered her unspoken questions: "I earned all of them myself, and I gave them to you because I don't want anyone to choose me because I'm the only choice available. I want to be chosen because I'm the best choice. Now, you have an entire world to choose from."
Be it the Ascendants, Valkyries, those three Ascended from the United Source Starfield, the crew of Vanishing Colossus, or the Golden Life Pavilion, his approach towards them has always remained consistent. They had the agency to decide. Those he courted were no different.
"Now, am I still an option?" Wei Wuyin revealed a bright smile.
"…" The woman found herself enlightened. The sheer degree of confidence to take such a bold action and allow it to be her choice, not out of bleak desperation that she was going to die here, alone and barren in a hellish world, but because she wanted to. There was certainly no mortal man in this world who she thought would ever do anything like this, refusing her, giving her back her agency, and then asking her that question.
They would've first taken. Then, they would've left her here to slowly die in despair, or as she planned to do—take her own life to end it, but only after taking everything that they needed from her. Everything she readily offered.
Clench!
She pressed heavily against Wei Wuyin's hand, grabbing so tightly it seemed as if she didn't want to let go even if the sky collapsed.
Wei Wuyin felt the stinging pain, but his expression didn't change. "I'll take that as a yes," he nodded while grabbing her hand and slowly moving her fingers, freeing himself. "We'll talk more after this; for now, step back."
After saying this, he continued walking forward and felt the pressure reach another level! With a heavy breath, he held his right hand to the direction of the pulsating waves of pressure.
"I DECLARE WAR UPON THE NEXUS!"
On his palm, the Mark of Annihilation formed!
