The Neo-Dawn Starfield's 'grand settling' proceeded with little to no hitches, as if it was all logistically planned and properly organized beforehand. The Ascendants handled their tasks efficiently and swiftly, being an accessible part of the starfield with many avenues for communication. Furthermore, the conflict-free zones and early-establishment protective regulations helped the transition.
The last thing was the transport of members of sects, clans, and their respective families. Wei Wuyin footed the bill in sending off Voidships to fetch those who were unable to come, handled by the Golden Life Pavilion, along with some supportive assistance from the Ascendants to ensure that manpower was never lacking.
Naturally, two months passed since the eight-month-long Neo-Dawn Alchemic Expo had finished. Despite the excitement, there was almost no news regarding the four Mortal-Rank Neo-Dawn lineage products shown at the expo. As the Chosen King Competition was fast approaching, only two years away, the top-tier forces urgently sought to acquire a few of these exceptional products.
Unfortunately, it was becoming increasingly clear that Ascendant Emperor Wei did not intend to publicly release these products before the Chosen King Competition. This disappointed countless souls, but what could they possibly do? Moreover, besides the Neo-Dawn Soul-Sea Elixir and the Neo-Dawn Vortex-Zone Pellet, the other two's effects were either uncertain or likely to take too long to develop for the upcoming Chosen King Competition anyhow.
Despite two months passing by like the wind, not every vessel of void-fairing capabilities returned to their homes countless miles away with urgency or immediately. There were a few that lingered, trying hard to communicate, and some simply stayed.
Ascendants would arrive on board for a while, discussing with respective leaders, and then they would return to the Neo-Dawn Starfield with the leaders. This happened quite often. After a while, those ships would make their way into the Neo-Dawn Starfield for a while before leaving with additional vessels.
While extremely late, numerous forces sought to pledge allegiance to Wei Wuyin and abandon their starfields. The fortune of the Aeternal Sky Starfield was now theirs, and they wished to occupy such great land and space. While they had to deal with remarkably higher taxation rates for a period, either for decades or centuries, these forces relented after seeing the growth of the Neo-Dawn Starfield.
The Ascendants' secondary legion and overall membership continued to expand as certain individuals were recruited directly from their clans, sects, palaces, pavilions, or associations. In contrast, others had to indirectly prove themselves by joining various organizations under the Ascendants, led by Lieutenant-level Ascendants.
One of those ships was a small, compact-sized, nondescript ship that belonged to the Sky-Zenith Alchemic Saint. She hovered at the edge of the Neo-Dawn Starfield's border. Inside, located within a deeply hidden secret realm, Tian Dingjian observed the surface of a clear freshwater lake. She was no longer veiled by seven-colored mist, exposing her tall physique and near-peerlessly gorgeous looks to the world.
She hadn't left due to her promise to Tian Xiaolu. Despite the end of the Alchemic Expo, she was unable to learn of Tian Xiaocheng's condition despite inquiring every day. It was rare for her, an Alchemic Saint, to be ignored for months! Moreover, she was feeling abnormally complex and indecisive, a rarity for her.
"Tian Xiaolu..."
Just as she was feeling a certain emotion swell in her heart, her beautifully breathtaking gaze lifted to the sky of the secret realm. Her perfectly trimmed brows furrowed inwards, causing the colors of the world to distort slightly.
"Dingjian." A voice called out, and Tian Dingjian was instantly shocked as she vanished on the spot. She reappeared on the deck of her small ship; her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the one who called out her name.
Empress Xiaocheng!
She was garbed in her imperial attire, exuding the aura of an Empress of a great nation. Her gaze contained indescribable majesty befitting one that reigned over countless lives. Her presence and bearing were exceptional.
Tian Xiaocheng's gaze softened a little, an uncharacteristic sight that briefly took Tian Dingjian by surprise. In truth, their relationship wasn't close, tethered only by the string named Tian Xiaolu. They needed to work together to assist her in cultivating her unique Cultivation Method and send her off to the World Between the Fold, among other things.
"You're relentless; you know that?" Tian Xiaocheng grinned, her beauty equally as breathtaking, siphoning off the colors from the starry void.
"...Are you free?" Tian Dingjian cautiously asked as her gaze discreetly scanned the starry void. Tian Xiaocheng was a great political hostage and an Earthly Saint of exceptional power, so it was strange that Wei Wuyin would freely let her leave. She had even silently activated her various treasures meant to protect. As an Alchemic Soul cultivator, she had very little strength relative to her cultivation base-the second stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, the Soul of Mysticism Phase!
Tian Xiaocheng's grin lowered slowly, and she openly heaved a sigh. "You haven't realized it yet? I'm as free as I can possibly be. Let me in." She moved to enter the ship, making Tian Dingjian frown slightly. But she didn't restrict Tian Xiaocheng from entering, allowing her access. They stood together on the small vessel, their combined beauty enough to outshine fairies.
"How is she?" Tian Xiaocheng softly asked.
"Is it safe?" Tian Dingjian frowned slightly.
"Earth-Saint Sky-Zenith, I'm under no restrictions. There are no foreign seals on my body, my cultivation is not restrained, and I'm not being shadowed by anyone. By all measurements, Alchemic Saint Wei had never once treated me as a hostage or prisoner. I've been a respected guest, completely unharmed and unmolested. I acquired a lot of benefits as well." Tian Xiaocheng honestly said as she formed a one-handed hand-seal, allowing her spiritual fluctuations to be freely inspected by Tian Dingjian.
As an Alchemic Saint and an Ascended being, it was extremely easy to discover lies if one opened themselves to spiritual inspections. While minute, the fluctuations produced by committing deceit were noticeable, similar to monitoring a mortal's heart rate, but far harder to deceive.
Tian Dingjian cautiously inspected the Empress before she settled on trusting her but kept her tools and treasures active.
"So, how is she?" Tian Xiaocheng asked again.
"She's doing good. While the separation was a little hard for her, she's adapting fairly well." Tian Dingjian answered; only she and Tian Xiaocheng would understand the implied meaning within her words to avoid any eavesdroppers. Those listening in would only think Tian Dingjian was referring to Tian Xiaolu missing Tian Xiaocheng but only they knew the truth.
"Good; I thought being away would be harmful to her, and she might experience a shock." Tian Xiaocheng's words were filled with undisguised relief. Seeing how she had spoken with veiled words, Tian Dingjian realized that Tian Xiaocheng was still doubtful if anyone was shadowing her or eavesdropping outside her sensory abilities.
"Will you be returning?" Tian Dingjian asked. A large portion of the Imperial Clan had voted against acting recklessly in their discussions of war because of the Empress' captive status. With her return, many would lose their main argument. That said, it was extremely unwise to launch a war against the Neo-Dawn Starfield given their strength.
Tian Xiaocheng looked back at Baby Defiant, her eyes exuding a complex light of emotions. "I'll be following you back," she said, adding: "It's the only way to finish this."
Tian Dingjian could feel the reluctance from Tian Xiaocheng. It was evident that this year-long absence had changed her feelings toward certain things. "I have to ask, do you think he'll be enough?"
Tian Xiaocheng closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "We don't have a choice," she solemnly said. When she opened her eyes, she gazed at the starry void. "The descent of 'that' place is a calamity that the Tian Clan cannot survive unless he can regain some of his freedom. Not even you will be spared. Well, you might be enslaved and sold to him, but is that what you want?"
Tian Dingjian frowned at the mention of being enslaved, and her eyes glinted fiercely at the last portion of her sentence. "I refuse," she spat.
"Then, we trust him." Tian Xiaocheng firmly said, looking at Baby Defiant once more. "That's all we can do."
After a little while, the dainty ship left, traveling back to the Aeternal Sky Starfield.
Not too far away, a figure emerged from fixed space like a ghost. Wu Yu watched as the ship went further away.
Behind him, another figure arrived from fixed space. It was Ma Zheng!
"Are you sure about this?" He asked solemnly.
"There's no need to question me-I'll get it done. Also, there's something I need to ask the so-called Divine Emperor." Wu Yu gazed at the Aeternal Sky Star in the vast distance.
"I've always been curious about you too," Ma Zheng said. As an existence that had lived through thirty-thousand years, Ma Zheng had been through multiple eras, and he had seen things that have long since been forgotten in history. Wu Yu's existence had always been an interest of his, but out of respect for Wei Wuyin, he remained reserved in his inquiries.
This Wu Yu was undoubtedly linked to the Ileaven-Bound Imperial Era's Wu Clan, the 'Saviors' of that time, bringing stability to the chaos and giving birth to the Supermassive Solar Star that was named the Aeternal Sky Star. While he was extremely knowledgeable and experienced, the Wu Clan and their lineage's Cultivation Method was a great mystery that few knew about, not even him; they only knew that the Wu clan had a strange bloodline power that was similar to the Multi-World Clan in uniqueness.
As for those who were still alive during their reign, there were very, very few. Even Ma Zheng was only born on the verge of the Heaven-Bound Imperial Era's end. The Dark Stars Era and Aeternal Sky Era caused countless experts of the Ascended level to fall in the bloody chaos. He could likely count on a single hand the number of 30,000-year-old Ascended beings that were still alive, and he was one of them.
Even the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor was younger than him, around 25,000 years old, born during the Dark Stars Era, and hadn't lived during the Heaven-Bound Imperial Era.
Additionally, the Tian Clan's Cultivation Method was mistaken for Wu Yu's. The link there was undeniable, but given that Wu Yu didn't have the bloodline characteristics of the Tian Clan, this only furthered the mystery of how they were connected, especially if Wu Yu was of the Wu Clan. Ma Zheng really wanted to know the story behind this.
"When will you act?" Ma Zheng asked.
"During the Chosen King Competition," Wu Yu answered flatly before leaving.
Aeternal Sky Starfield, Ancient Sky Realm.
San Yongli and San Luoyang had returned to the latter's World Realm.
"I'm going to make last-minute preparations for the Chosen King Competition," San Yongli informed her adoptive father. She had greatly benefited from the Alchemic Expo, and she needed to digest it all. But when she said this, she found that her adoptive father was absent-minded.
"Is everything okay?" She couldn't resist asking.
"What?" San Luoyang's concentration seemingly shattered as he looked at her with a tinge of shock as if he hadn't expected to be interrupted.
San Yongli could tell something was wrong, asking: "What is it?"
"..." San Luoyang hesitated. Then, he lowered his gaze thoughtfully. "I can't sense Evergod's presence."
"H111? Perhaps he's secluded himself," her mood was spoiled instantly upon mentioning that abominable thief.
"It's not just that...I can't sense the Everlore God Realm, either.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I mean...I can't sense the Everlore God Realm at all. It's like...it's like..." San Luoyang frowned while trailing off.
"It's a World Realm; he probably just sealed it off. What? Don't tell me you think it was taken away." San Yongli joked, not caring much about Evergod's antics, but San Luoyang's expression suggested a level of severity that caused San Yongli's expression to change. "Do you think it was taken away?!"
The Everlore God Realm was the greatest World Realm nurtured by tens of thousands of years of effort. It was the first World Realm of the Godpill Association and later was the King of Everlore's personal realm after he seized it. It was pretty much affixed to this layer of space. How could it be taken away?
"I don't know," San Luoyang couldn't quite shake this uncomfortable feeling in his heart. It was ominous and foreboding. "I don't know.."
In the vast Dark Void, a restless figure moved across at startling speeds, blasting through everywhere without any consideration. At times, incessant mutterings shook the Dark Void and nearby dead starfields.
"Never again. Never again. Never again."
The figure was moving toward the largest star in the Dark Void!
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