Paragon of Sin-Chapter 1834 - 1827: Final Act (I)

'It actually worked.' Suo Haoran was beside himself with relief. When this foreigner had leveraged his possession of their Mythical Contract, he had originally been under the impression that their Zenith Tower was going to suffer a gargantuan loss. As a cultivator who had ascended to this level of cultivation, he was pragmatic, and his view of things was grounded by realistic expectations.

Not once after the entire fiasco had he believed that the Zenith Creation Tower would suffer a catastrophic calamity that would plunge it into ruin. At the very most, if he was a little slower, just like how he, Su Yi, and Golden Night Sovereign had taken advantage of the Zenith Refinement Tower, they would have taken a significant hit by another's hand. It was acceptable. And given their reputation and influence, there was no way any of them would be too excessive in their demands.

Only World-Saint Neo-Dawn, this foreigner, would have the mindset to drain them dry in exchange for safety.

In hindsight, the Zeniths severely underestimated the decisiveness of this foreigner and his degenerate desire to go all out, leading to a highly abnormal game of Mysticism with rules and conditions that perfectly evaded any potential objections they could muster. While they wouldn't admit it, the foreigner had outplayed them on a grand scale with a few moves requiring great foresight and greater courage.

Sadly for Suo Haoran and the rest, they were unaware that Wei Wuyin's ability to read minds was world-defying, and his capability to adapt and calculate was godly, only reinforced by his ability to maximize his gains. These were abilities acquired by defying Hell and the heavens.

Suo Haoran thought about that dimensional subspace anchored in the Void. The foreigner had revealed his possession of the Mythical Contract, and began negotiating for his terms to destroy it on their behalf, a process that went far outside of his and Tianshi Zaoxuan's every conceivable expectation.

Suo Haoran couldn't initially understand why this foreigner hadn't taken advantage of them by demanding absurd

wealth. Additionally, his request was simply put: Induction.

He desired the introduction of the Utmost Purity Galaxy's Alchemic Dao into his society's cultivation while gaining access to the Zeniths' teachings for a particular talent.

They had to enact his plans to create a situation where that was a potential possibility. Simple yet difficult to navigate.

Fortunately, they had surprising assists from the other Zeniths, allowing them to reach their goal with very little assistance.

At first, Suo Haoran and Tianshi Zaoxuan were rightfully skeptical of this plan, but after learning of this unique talent within the Neo-Dawn Empire, and his intentions to adapt what they considered as the greatest form of Alchemic Dao of the Utmost Purity Galaxy into his empire, they accepted it as a form of long-term successful thinking rather than short-term benefits.

Win or lose, the foreigner had completed his goal.

To fully understand why this roundabout way was necessary, the Utmost Purity Galaxy, no—the Seven Utmost Towers— were not an invasive force or too incessant on territorial reign and defined borders. While they had outlined territory for themselves, the Utmost Purity Galaxy was divided by mostly just territorial influence that was determined by alchemical dominance, not imperial dominance, which was more or less just accepted by the inhabitants.

While other forces in the Utmost Purity Galaxy might involve themselves with other forces, embedding themselves into these societies to grow their powerbase, the Seven Utmost Towers were a legacy force of high status that was both stationary and highly selective, only dealing with greater galaxies. Even then, the greater galaxies came to them. The costs for transportation, materials, and the like, including the abundant dangers within the Dark Void and the Void-Blank Space between galaxies, were all carried by everyone else—their customers.

These customers included extraordinary figures that were, in simplest terms, galactic powerhouses such as Mystic Overlord-led organizations and greater.

They never—NEVER—established external branches. It wasn't because they couldn't, simply because they didn't want to. No, they didn't need to. All the top-tier alchemic talents were brought to them. They incentivized other galaxies and top-tier organizations to make the pilgrimage for the slim chance to embark on their path of the Alchemic Dao. Moreover, they were outrageously selective.

If candidates sent from other galaxies weren't fit to join, they could either return home or join the lesser organizations such as the academies and institutions within the Utmost Purity Galaxy. The branches that do exist solely belong to the other organizations. And even then, these institutions practiced a similar stationary practice, but only towards lesser galaxies, having a rather accepting policy toward greater galaxy talents and elites, especially descendants of powerful cultivators.

For example, whether it was the Resolute Dusk Galaxy, the Sky Heart Galaxy of the past prior to its imposition of the Prohibition of the Heavens, or the White Abyssal Galaxy, the Seven Utmost Towers were nowhere in sight. They would never sell or trade an inferior Mystic-Heaven legacy, tarnishing their reputation by potentially being labeled as unfair scammers, teasing weaker forces with rotten cheese while robbing them blind. They were above that nonsense.

The Sages of the Resolute Dusk Galaxy had to send a liaison to do business. Shang Liu had relocated here, building his Knightly Dao Pavilion, showcasing how open they were to foreign powers and integration. Despite this, they unanimously prevented the development of any grand Imperial Dao, snuffing any signs of it in its cradle with prejudice.

Normally, Wei Wuyin wouldn't have been able to enter freely given their restrictions on Imperial Dao cultivators, but he arrived under the identity of an Alchemic Stars of Transcendent Purity possessing Alchemist, which triumphed over any other status or identity in their opinion, granting him certain implicit rights. Everything that happened thus far, such as all of Wei Wuyin's aggressive actions, was evidence of this overt bias.

An ordinary cultivator would have long since been dealt with. But to the Zeniths, Wei Wuyin held qualifications to act as an equal, not due to his Supreme Sage-level strength, but his alchemy skill that was proven and accepted by the Alchemic Dao itself showcased by his Alchemic Stars.

Even then, Wei Wuyin had to rely on this sly-executed form of manipulation so that establishing branches in an unknown, likely far-eclipsing empire, was their decision.

This was why Suo Haoran and Tianshi Zaoxuan were skeptical at first, but he had succeeded in what they thought was extremely unlikely since their goal was only to naturally bring up or establish these conditions.

However, not even Tianshi Zaoxuan could remain indifferent to the possibility of this heaven-defying mortal that transcended common standards, tempted to throw his lot into it, and even doing so by wagering his tower's legacy.

The core component was that the Dao of Alchemy was not a path of luck, but one of skill and talent that could defy the heavens. In their eyes, their side of the wager was irrelevant —they couldn't lose.

Wei Wuyin's cultivation was superior, and while he showed himself outwardly at a Mystic Star Phase, none of them felt that this was genuine. Whether Wei Wuyin's True Soul was temporarily inhibiting a descendant's body while traveling away from his empire, or something else within logical reason, mattered not. Only Dongfang Yue believed that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint, an individual with Supreme Existence-level strength, multiple Authorities of Minor Laws, and a Worldly Saint Alchemist was an Exalted—a Mystic Star Phase cultivator—less than a hundred years of age.

Wei Wuyin observed the thoughts of the Zeniths as they communicated in ways they thought were undetectable, and his heart relaxed significantly.

'Every step I took, subtle and overt, was all to get to this point. It really is a testament to cultivation that cultivators of this level have absolute confidence in their ability. In some ways, they're easier to manipulate than mere mortals after severing their ability to sense emotions or grasp details using future-scrying spells.' Wei Wuyin thought as he recalled his other dealings.

The Seers of the Night and Shadow Veil were working in the background in tandem, and they've either kept up a guise by hiding or releasing certain information or directly influenced the situation like the All-Shrouding Dusk Sovereign implying while simultaneously reminding the Zeniths of their self-believed invincible Alchemic Dao relative to Wei Wuyin's.

From beginning to end, everything was calculated and well-executed.

Additionally, Wei Wuyin briefly glanced at Heavenly-Saint Refining Skies' arrogant smile. Contingencies had to exist, while instigatory boosters were naturally deployed to further elevate success.

From the very beginning, when he first set his sights on the Utmost Purity Galaxy with Zhan Jiangwen's and Enlightened Sage Springfield's memories, Wei Wuyin was playing a game far beyond their understanding. His own game of Mystics.

The objective?

This very moment.

All that was left was to rely on his skills to either accept suboptimal gains or maximize his gains. And to do that, he had only one task left to complete:

'I have to win.'

"What medium of Alchemic Clash will be used to resolve this matter of ours?" Zenith Transformation asked with an eager gaze. This was a contest of all seven of their Alchemic Daos.

Additionally, they were already mentally deciding on using this as a platform to wager amongst themselves, not even taking this foreigner seriously. In a way, after their botched game of Mystics regarding the Knightly Dao Pavilion, this was a good conclusion to settle gains and losses.

"A proper Alchemic Clash is the only answer. Since it's a clash with all of us having stakes, it's only right to have each of us as participants vying to prove our skill in alchemy as superior to the others. What do you think, World-Saint Neo-Dawn?" Zenith Fusion suggested with a smile.

Wei Wuyin silently assented with a solemn nod.

"While a proper Alchemic Clash is, as you say, 'proper' in this situation, I'd imagine that Heaven-Saint Transforming Worlds would be around a disadvantage due to his age and inexperience. We should use a Swift Dao Clash to give him a chance," Zenith Extraction offered kindly with a voice laced with thinly veiled mockery.

Zenith Transformation's expression briefly transformed into a scowl before relaxing. "I'm more than capable of handling my own against any competitor in an Alchemic Clash of any type," he indifferently spat. He was a proud alchemist who dared to face any challenge bravely. How could he possibly accept a handicap?

A Swift Dao Clash usually was reduced to a few days, weeks, or months, with the product concocted being four grades lower than the various participating alchemists. For Saint Alchemists, however, this was reduced to two grades, with Earthly Saint Alchemists using eighth-grade products while Worldly Saint Alchemists used ninth-grade products. For these Heavenly Saint Alchemists, would use Mystic-Earth grade products, and the time limit would extend from a few months to a year.

"Good!" Zenith Fusion brilliantly smiled. With those words, any arguments for a Swift Dao Clash were eliminated since only Zenith Transformation's youth was a significant factor as to why it should be deployed.

Suo Kai-Ming smiled as she eyed Wei Wuyin directly, "You don't have any issue with an All-Alchemic Clash?"

Instantly, all except Zenith Growth experienced a change in their facial expressions. An All-Alchemic Clash was the basis of a true Alchemic Clash and tested all four products.

An eight-way All-Alchemic Clash was indescribably heavy.

"You must be joking," Zenith Extraction chuckled, trying to casually dismiss Suo Kai-Ming's suggestion. An All-Alchemic Clash was the pinnacle of competition in regards to the Alchemic Dao. The only way to win is to defeat your opponent convincingly with no ability to object.

It could shatter an alchemist's confidence and Heart of Cultivation.

It was one of the main ways that Alchemists killed each other in the Utmost Purity Galaxy!

'She must be pissed about his comment about taking her to his bed,' Suo Haoran knew Suo Kai-Ming's personality, and she was going for the throat. While it might be an emotional response, it was easy to tell why any woman would have developed murderous intentions toward a man who dared to publicly insult them that way in public.

If it wasn't for Dongfang Yue's injuries and others repeatedly calming her down to not fall for his ploy to benefit this foreigner, she would have long since rushed in and fought Wei Wuyin to the death.

"..." Wei Wuyin silently stared at the smiling Suo Kai-Ming whose lips held a sinister curve despite her beauty.

"Why not? I say we do it!" Zenith Transformation exclaimed excitedly.

"An All-Alchemic Clash with all of us could redefine the entire Utmost Purity Galaxy…" Zenith Refinement had to deeply emphasize this. An event of just two Zeniths performing an All-Alchemic Clash was unprecedentedly impactful and enough to send quakes across all the lesser and greater galaxies without fail.

They all went silent.

Except for one person.

"You're all misunderstanding something: this isn't a clash against ourselves—this is a clash against the Alchemic Dao of the Neo-Dawn Empire. We're not battling each other. We're facing only a single opponent." Zenith Growth explained slowly and clearly.

Wei Wuyin shifted his gaze at this person, giving them a thumbs up in his heart while outwardly growing increasingly solemn.

Long ago, he was robbed of a challenging clash in his All-Alchemic Clash against Qingye Ying. He could only hope…that wouldn't happen again.

"Heaven-Saint Growing Immortality is correct; our only opponent is World-Saint Neo-Dawn, not ourselves. There will be no world-changing situation," Zenith Transformation excitedly leaped onto Zenith Growth's logic.

Instantly, every single Zenith's eyes lit up as they exchanged glances. While not a single mental transmission was exchanged here, they were all coming to a unified understanding of a single prospect!

A test clash with all seven of them with very little consequences!

That's right—as long as one of them won against Wei Wuyin, there was no loss on their part.

Additionally, Wei Wuyin didn't have any reason to object!

And each of them had every reason to participate! After all, their legacies were on the line.

"So it's settled! An All-Alchemic Clash it is!" Zenith Fusion chortled with glee.

They all had the same thought: 'I'll win!'