"…haaa…haaa…" A series of exasperated breaths resounded on the deck a small-sized, white-colored Voidship with grey stripes. Its propulsion cannons were inactive as it remained anchored within the Dark Void. The origin of those exhausted exhales was none other than Wei Wuyin.
Bai Lin was rubbing his back with her right wing, leaning in to inspect his condition with a concerned glint in her eye. Opposite of her was a smug and smiling Wu Yu with his hands folded across his chest. That look on his face made his middle-aged, handsome visage quite punchable.
"I told you it'll be impossible. These reclusive mystic forces all have means to halt all incoming spiritual transmissions with uniquely marked spiritual markers. There's a reason why transmission talismans are commonplace within the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region."
The trio had entered the Aeternal Sky Starfield a few days ago, quietly venturing forward in a disguised fashion. Fortunately, the border restrictions of the Aeternal Sky Starfield weren't too intense. Moreover, even though Wu Yu was an Ascended being, his cultivation level was far from being a genuine threat. The inspection was perfunctory at best. After a brief fee and a short wait, they were allowed entry through the Liu Clan's Skyrend Domain.
While Wei Wuyin could've opened a Void Portal and directly entered the Aeternal Sky Starfield, Wu Yu had advised against it. The spontaneous creation of a Void Portal could attract the unwanted attention of a Highlord or an Earthly Saint. Seeing the sound reasoning behind this, the trio took the conventional method of entry.
After arriving, it took this high-speed Voidship roughly two weeks to cross the Skyrend Domain into the Everlore Domain. This was slightly harder to enter, but Wu Yu merely had to reveal his Ascended aura and entry was freely allowed without a fee. This came as an abrupt shock to Wei Wuyin, but not Wu Yu.
Wu Yu had spent years in the Aeternal Sky Starfield, so he was completely familiar with Ascended privileges. That said, while the identities of Ascended beings weren't heavily inspected, they were all likely followed if perceived as a threat or possessing ill-intent.
They soon spent roughly ten days of non-stop movement to arrive at the border of the Everlore Domain and Nine Worlds Domain. Unfortunately, entering the Nine Worlds Domain was extremely, absurdly, ridiculously difficult. They didn't allow foreign cultivators to enter willfully, and even Ascended had to be subjected to close scrutiny. The majority of the residents of the Nine Worlds Domain were natives to the location itself.
After arriving, Wei Wuyin decided to send a spiritually transmitted message to Wen Mingna. However, Wu Yu warned against it. When it came to restricted domains like the Nine Worlds Domain, they were fortified against external spiritual transmissions and spatial fluctuations. Cultivators needed to purchase transmission talismans, and these types of talismans can be bought outside of the Nine Worlds Domain.
While the talismans could only transmit messages to specific branches or individuals that made the talisman, this was how the Nine Worlds Domain performed their business. It was difficult to personally meet Seers or Oracles of the Nine Worlds Domain, especially the stronger ones. From what Wu Yu gathered during his stay about this enigmatic organization, no outsider knew the exact population of the Nine Worlds Domain or its infrastructure.
Even now, the entire Nine Worlds Domain was encapsulated by a year-round hazy fog that made viewing it extremely difficult.
After Wei Wuyin finally regulated his breathing, he gave Wu Yu a look. He revealed a faint smile and stated plainly: "I sent it."
"…What?!" Wu Yu was stunned. As an Ascended being, he heard Wei Wuyin loud and clear—there was no reason to repeat it. He was just unable to believe it. How could he? Even he, a genuine Ascended, would have incredible difficulty sending out a spiritual transmission.
Wei Wuyin didn't answer, only smiled in response to the disbelief. Truthfully, Wei Wuyin had barely succeeded after pushing his non-Soul Idol enhanced Spiritual Strength to its utmost limits. Also, he expended roughly 85% of all his spiritual energies while doing so. This was the spiritual energies of four eighty-one-centimeter-sized Astral Cores with thirteen Soul Rings each. From here, one could see how absurdly difficult the task was. Yet despite all this, he was still only able to send just a flicker of spiritual light. There was no message.
It took Wu Yu a brief moment before the faint signs of inferiority within his heart melted away. Instead, his heart swelled with fierce pride and intrigue. He didn't think Wei Wuyin was lying for a second, so this only reinforced his decision to be a Grand Knight. An existence that could perform the seemingly impossible was worth following.
After sending the spiritual transmission, Wei Wuyin rested on Bai Lin's comfortable and soft feathers while Wu Yu observed the Dark Void vigilantly. Since they hung around the border of the Nine Worlds Domain, there was very little traffic. However, from time to time, rays of golden spiritual light would enter the misty haze and vanish. These were certain spiritual transmissions from bought talismans for divination requests. The Golden Gate Pavilion was a business, after all.
After two hours, Wei Wuyin's spatial ring flickered with spiritual light. This aroused him from his comfy nap as he inspected the contents. The message within was Dark Void coordinates and a depiction of a map of two Domains, the Nine Worlds Domain and Everlore Domain. Wei Wuyin gave the details to Wu Yu who could visually see and allowed him to drive the Voidship towards the rendezvous point.
"Are you comfortable with your subordinate joining the Nine Worlds Domain?" Wu Yu asked Wei Wuyin as he piloted the Voidship. The Nine Worlds Domain was shrouded in mysteries and uncertainties.
"I was the one who gave her the order to do so," Wei Wuyin calmly stated. Wu Yu's brows furrowed slightly. There were numerous thoughts rummaging through his mind due to that single sentence. However, Wu Yu didn't think Wei Wuyin was foolish enough to send a spy inside a force skilled in divination arts. If so, then was this an attempt to nurture his own Heavenly Seer or Oracle?
When his thoughts led up to this point, Wu Yu became further perplexed by the idea. All these forces were heavily restricted in their oaths, so nurturing your own Heavenly Seer was likely impossible. It would be like the Everlore Association nurturing a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, and then allowing the alchemist to freely leave and work under someone else. It'll be a gross oversight on their part to not set up certain drastic restrictions.
Was it a sacrificial piece?
But that didn't align with Wei Wuyin's personality, and why go through such an effort to nurture a single-use Heavenly Seer? It made very little sense. With Wei Wuyin's wealth, he could purchase their services. Baffled, Wu Yu decided to not reveal his opinions of Heavenly Seers and their scheme-brained nature.
Wei Wuyin didn't care about Wu Yu's concerns or thoughts on the matter. He had his reasons. Albeit, he would admit that he had underestimated Wen Mingna's talents. He was fully ignorant of the overall state of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region and Aeternal Sky Starfield at the time, so he merely informed her to join a Seer organization and acquire some information. For her to enter the Golden Gate Pavilion as a newly cultivated Heavenly Seer was an immense surprise.
Soon, the trio saw a figure floating in the Dark Void with their Worldly Domain fully erected. The Worldly Domain was of purist design, lacking any form of distinct individuality. Her white and gold robes accompanied by her exceptional figure was eye-catching.
Wu Yu instantly recognized this woman as Wen Mingna. Wu Baozhai had interacted with her a few times, but she was a little too unfathomable. Seeing her here, it all clicked for Wu Yu. He wondered who this subordinate was, and she was certainly one of the individuals to receive a spatial ring before.
They zoomed towards her and halted a few hundred meters away. She flew forward and the Voidship's protective formation was opened, allowing her to enter smoothly. When she landed, her limpid eyes gazed at Wei Wuyin unblinkingly. Wei Wuyin stood before her, smiling as his spiritual sense acted as his eyes.
He walked towards her and said: "It must've been hard on you." When he received no response, his smile couldn't help but turn a little wry as he added: "I'm not blind; this is just-"
Right as Wei Wuyin got a few meters away from Wen Mingna, she moved with exceptional quickness and directly interrupted his words. Sensing no ill-intent, Wei Wuyin didn't react because he thought she wanted a hug. He slightly opened his arms to allow this. While Wen Mingna was his Valkyrie, he was fully willing to give her a comforting gesture.
But…
He received that hug, but it was accompanied by a distinct warmth and a plump and soft feeling pressed against his lips. The fragrance of her mouth and breath entered his own, was felt on his face, and it was intoxicating.
"What?!" Wu Yu's eyes widened as the scene unfolded before his eyes. Shortly after, he knowingly smiled.
If Wei Wuyin's eyes could open, they would've become as wide as saucers. A delicate body pressed against his, including two perky mounds that were quite soft rubbing softly against his chest. A soft feminine moan rumbled through his mouth from Wen Mingna's.
She pressed her hand around Wei Wuyin's waist, pressing her body further into his, and her lips moved with the intent to merge with his own through repeated battles. She was relentless, and even her tongue was as animated as a rattlesnake.
Wei Wuyin was initially shocked, but his mind was remarkably quick. He replied in kind, showing off his boundless experience in this area. His hands moved towards her waist, clutching at her bountiful bottom with a strong force. An even more feminine moan resounded through their interconnected mouths.
When two handfuls were made, Wei Wuyin's eyes widened as he felt the innate energies within Wen Mingna's body vibrate intensely. A faint frown emerged on his brows as he was about to segregate as this was an ill-sign. However, Wen Mingna clutched his neck with both arms, pushing herself even closer.
Wu Yu realized something was wrong. He could sense Wen Mingna's innate energies begin to react in a strange fashion. It was reminiscent of a self-detonation, but not exactly. He hesitated whether to intervene, but Wei Wuyin must've noticed as well. He decided to wait. If the situation seemed pressing, he could easily interfere as an Ascended being. He could bring Wei Wuyin miles away before the detonation had even erupted after its point of no return.
"Don't resist!" Wen Mingna transmitted spiritually.
Wei Wuyin frowned instantly lessened. He no longer thought about anything else, realizing what this was. He accepted it wholeheartedly, ignoring everything else.
Suddenly, a burst of bright golden-colored spiritual light containing mental and physical energies erupted from Wen Mingna's Dantian. She instantly became like a light-bulb. Her entire skeletal structure, organs, meridians, and blood circulatory system was highlighted and clearly seen.
The light intensified as her Sea of Consciousness seemed to grow shaky and her body trembled with abject weakness. She was no longer holding onto Wei Wuyin, but barely hanging on. Wei Wuyin grabbed her by her soft waist and kept her in place.
Instantly, a river of golden-colored spiritual light surged upwards from her Dantian to her throat, and then entered Wei Wuyin without pause. For several seconds, the light entered his body and was brought to his Sea of Consciousness. Eden hurriedly refined the light and absorbed the set of memories into itself as if it was one of its own.
Wen Mengna's light-brown hair turned ash-grey in seconds. Her healthy and rosy complexion became pale, her skin dry and wrinkled, and her lips lost their fullness. Her once peaky pair of fleshy mounds sagged, and her bodily weight became less than a half in moments.
When the golden light vanished, Wen Mingna was a far cry from her previous youthful state. Her entire body, from face, skin, and hair seemingly aged several decades in moments. Wei Wuyin felt her body entirely slack, subjected to extreme weakness.
He removed his lips from hers, his mind stirring as he sensed her condition. She…
"Why?" Wu Yu was startled by this shocking development. Did Wen Mingna transfer her lifeforce and cultivation to Wei Wuyin? Was this his attempt to become a Heavenly Seer?! That was outrageous and obviously wouldn't work!
"…" Wei Wuyin kept silent, his expression solemn and heavy.
Wen Mingna's once clear and bright eyes were now dim and turbid. The light within was severely lacking in life, almost as if she was approaching her deathbed. Furthermore, her Sea of a Consciousness was deprived of mental energies while her body's cells lacked the slightest trace of enriched physical energies. If others saw this, they might think the same as Wu Yu!
"Di-did…it…work?" Wen Mingna slowly and weakly asked, held in Wei Wuyin's arms.
"…" Wei Wuyin softly nodded.
"…good…" Wen Mingna said with a bright smile. While her lips were thinner, her skin wrinkled, she was still beautiful to Wei Wuyin's spiritual sense. He hadn't expected her to act so recklessly, but within that light were her memories, including her own considerations. After Eden refined it all, it seemed that this was the only solution that Wen Mingna came across, and she knew that Wei Wuyin wouldn't accept it.
The cost was too high.
But she did it. The only assignment that she learned about the Eighteen Levels of Hell and their details. However, during her search, she had discovered that those who did not form a Fate Soul were unable to comprehend the exact details without suffering mind-crushing, perhaps even deadly consequences. Since Wei Wuyin had stated it was imperative, she had scoured for a memory transference method, and used her fate energies to temporarily undulate Wei Wuyin with her entire cultivation to avoid the backlash of the Heavenly Daos.
Because of her actions, Wei Wuyin now had the complete information about six of the eighteen Hells!
Unfortunately…she lost over a thousand years of her lifespan and her innately refined energies, leaving nothing more than an empty shell of a cultivation base.
A millennium year sacrifice…
