"Na Xinyi."
The dark-haired woman garbed in pristine white robes turned, and Wei Wuyin's heart experienced the softest of tremors; the bearing of this woman had become exceptional, containing a type of innate supremacy and authority, possessing a refined demeanor befitting an Empress of a Nation. He had only recalled sensing this type of disposition and self-attained aura from either Earthly Saints that ruled over trillions of lives such as Lady Clearwind of the United Source Starfield or Empress Xiaocheng, a legitimate Empress of a Nation—the strongest one in the Sealed Regions, the Aeternal Sky Starfield.
While the intensity wasn't at their level, it was nevertheless sprouting and present. This alongside her natural beauty from head to toe, her potent and alluring Yin Aura, and her empress-like demeanor, made her an up-and-coming challenger for the Number ONE Beauty title of the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Wei Wuyin pointlessly wondered if Empress Xiaocheng felt her position was being threatened.
Na Xinyi's thin eyebrows furrowed slightly, a wisp of displeasure emerging in her eyes. She looked behind Wei Wuyin, finding no one there, and said aggrieved: "Na Xinyi?" Her tone was soft, enough to sway the heart, and Wei Wuyin's smile grew slightly awkward.
"Xinyi." He corrected himself. His tone contained a warmth and gentleness that only a lover possessed the right to hear, and Na Xinyi's frown melted away without a trace, replaced by a content smile.
Wei Wuyin could only chuckle in his heart, finding this side of her quite cute. She walked over with graceful steps, arriving before Wei Wuyin, and staring into his eyes. They had a noticeable height difference, with Wei Wuyin towering over her by more than a head.
"You don't have to be so distant, especially when no one's around." Na Xinyi complained, lightly pressing her right hand on Wei Wuyin's chest, and rightfully so. After all, she was Wei Wuyin's fiancée. This was a status that Wei Wuyin had given her, proposed and accepted, all to take responsibility during their younger days.
Wei Wuyin tactfully stayed silent. His powerful heartbeat which was slightly elevated in pace was enough to convey his thoughts, and Na Xinyi had deliberately touched his chest to feel that. She smiled beautifully with genuine elation.
"No one's coming, right?" Na Xinyi quietly asked, looking up at his radiant silver eyes. Wei Wuyin shook his head; those seven were all either asleep, cultivating, or both, and they wouldn't leave the room for twelve or so hours. As for the others, they were cultivating or training in a Secret Realm.
As if to verify this, Na Xinyi swept her Spiritual Sense throughout the room, flowing into the hallways and nearby rooms, finding not a single sign of life. She tightly gripped Wei Wuyin's robe with one hand, and pulled him down to her, bringing Wei Wuyin closer before their lips joined together in a warm union.
The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity, and soon Wei Wuyin grabbed Na Xinyi's waist, took control, and brought her in until her prideful chest was pressed against his. After who knows how long, Na Xinyi gently pushed Wei Wuyin away, her grey eyes containing an enchanting allure were misty, and her lips were slightly perked as if enjoying the lingering blissful feeling.
This wasn't their first kiss; they had shared many kisses during their first time together, those dangerous days on the Myriad Yore Continent, and Wei Wuyin had been Na Xinyi's first time in everything then, but it felt as equally as significant as their first.
While Na Xinyi was immersed in the lingering feeling, Wei Wuyin wasn't satisfied, and pulled her to him this time, stealing another kiss. Then, another. Then, another. Their lips barely left each other's for a full two minutes, exchanging all sorts of spirited emotions and Na Xinyi's occasional moans as Wei Wuyin's hands roamed.
It was only when her body trembled, feeling extremely heated as an impressive bulge pressed against her most intimate part, that Na Xinyi regained her senses, pushing Wei Wuyin away again. "I can't," she breathily said. Her breath was fragrant alongside the scent of her hair and body, and that facial expression was hard for any normal man to resist. Fortunately, Wei Wuyin was no longer the type to persist without thought, and slowly loosened his grip until Na Xinyi regained herself.
She had to take a few minutes to herself before she fully calmed down, giving Wei Wuyin a gaze that once again openly contained her aggrieved feelings. Seeing that cute expression, Wei Wuyin could hold back his teasing laugh.
"You're one of the few women in the cultivation world that can regrow their Primal Yin, and you have multiple of them, while I can give you the alchemical products to do so, and yet you're so insistent on not taking that step." Wei Wuyin couldn't help but mention, finding her actions amusing. Especially since she was almost always the one to initiate it in the past five years, and then stop herself just before, wasn't that a form of self-torture?
Na Xinyi calmly fixed her wrinkled robes, regaining that bearing that exuded a refined bearing. She disapprovingly said, "Do you know how difficult it was to reach the Nine-Point Yin Physique? How long did it take for them to be refined individually to their current level?" There was a wisp of anger in her tone.
Wei Wuyin threw his hands up into the air, admitting defeat. She wasn't wrong; the refinement times for normal cultivators still existed despite his products' ease of refinement being one of the best, if not the best, in the entire Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. While she had reached the heaven-defying Nine-Point Yin Physique, possessing a total of nine Primal Yins that were all nurtured by her cultivation base, which was a result of exceptional effort and time on her part.
If she lost one, it'll take her time to regrow and then to nurture it again to the same level as the others, stalling her cultivation by a few years. Moreover, her Nine-Point Yin Physique might downgrade. Considering her physique, Na Xinyi was the best dual cultivation partner in the entire Sealed Regions, and likely amongst mortals, she might rank near the top even in the World Beyond the Fold.
Then, she angrily turned to the side, muttering: "It's not as if you don't have others." Who didn't know that Wei Wuyin was outstanding? The entire world was already aware that Lin Xianxian, the True Element Sect's Sect Master, was serving as Wei Wuyin's maid. Moreover, the Titanic Hell-Crushing Queen's personal disciple was rumored to be his lover, causing quite a ruckus amongst the Boundless Martial Sect.
This didn't even include the public declaration made by Yue Songli, the former Number ONE Saintess of the Immortal Saintess Rankings and daughter to the recently ascended Highlord Worldbreaker, now known as the ruler of the Soul-Breaking Domain, the Soul-Breaking Saint. This world-stirring woman had announced Wei Wuyin as her one and only in this life, shocking the entire world.
Others tried to follow suit, but the Grand Knight of Neo-Dawn, Wu Yu, would descend upon any baseless accusations and punish those who falsely declared themselves as having any relationship with Wei Wuyin. One of the former Saintess ranked third two generations ago had followed suit, and when Wu Yu arrived, he severely crippled her ancestor, destroyed the portion of the planet that they based themselves on, and gave her a public slap, humiliating her deeply.
Since then, not a single person dared to make false announcements for fear of the consequences.
Over these last eight years, countless cultivators and nation-toppling beauties sought Wei Wuyin's favor or eye. What woman didn't want him? Not only did he have a beautiful ancient Fire Phoenix that was said to rival an Earthly Saint, but he also he had two Earthly Saint Alchemic Knights, was a true Grand Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, and he was a Mortal beneath the age of a hundred who helped define the next era.
More importantly, Wei Wuyin was flawlessly handsome, enough to put many men to shame. His handsome looks were different from the beautiful and refined appearance of those like Cheng You or Tian Yinwu in the Immortal Heroes Ranking, instead possessing a masculine flavor that suited a true Immortal male of myth.
"..." Wei Wuyin could only wryly smile in his heart seeing her disgruntled attitude. She was jealous? Wasn't it her choice? But, intelligently, he kept silent and didn't comment.
Na Xinyi eyed Wei Wuyin, "At least you're not ruled by your lower half." While her words came off a little scathing, this was a type of praise that contained a type of hidden happiness. Not even a former third-ranked Immortal Saintess who had suitors lining up from the Everlore Domain to the Skyrend Domain was accepted.
A man that could have any woman yet was selective was endlessly valuable and worthy of any status he earned. After all, who didn't want a harem of 3,000 nation-toppling beauties like some peerless Emperors of legends? It was hard to resist such temptation.
Wei Wuyin smartly changed the topic, "Isn't it a little risky to make a trip here considering your goals? Why did you need to see me in person?"
Five years ago, Wei Wuyin had met Na Xinyi, reminding her that he would stay true to his word, allowing her to grow and develop without a shadow lingering over her, establishing herself as her own person, and not as the pretty foil of another. That was her role while with Long Chen, a damsel that could only follow, an existence that was cultivated solely to be used by a man.
Wei Wuyin deeply respected her ambition to pursue her own fame and fortune, and he, as her future husband, supported her silently without any indication of their relationship. At most, the world had some inkling of her relationship with those in his circle, affording her certain benefits. But she wasn't the sole one with such loose connections. Those who were friends with Yue Songli, Da Shan—like the Titanic Hell-Crushing Queen, and the True Element Sect's Lin Clan, all openly benefited from their association. She was one of many.
Na Xinyi's expression changed slightly, growing increasingly solemn. "I want to first say this: I didn't come here to get your help for this of mine. I came to inform you of this, and that I'll handle it myself." Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Wei Wuyin nodded in understanding.
Seeing him accept her choice, Na Xinyi sighed lightly. "When I ascended to the Temporal Eye Phase, the Imperial Clan approached the Dark Yin Palace, and the Second Son of the Aeternal Sky Divine Emperor, Tian Guyan, proposed marriage."
"..." Wei Wuyin continued listening, not showing any emotion.
"It was conditional on my successful ascension to the Mystic Ascendant Realm," Na Xinyi explained. Then, her eyes radiated a murderously intense light as she recalled his smug, smitten look. "I, of course, refused; however, the Emperor himself wrote an Imperial Edict hosting a private competition among the Tian Clan for my hand in marriage. It no longer had the condition attached."
"Oh?" Wei Wuyin was somewhat stunned by this development, but he remained entirely calm. Wei Wuyin was already well aware from Wu Yu's research that the Dark Yin Palace was a nurturing sect for breeding outstanding women cultivators, and they were under certain obligations to those in power. It was borderline Evil Cultivation Practices, only saved by various rules that gave them some power of choice.
As for the Imperial Edict, it had been silently issued due to its shameless nature, but openly accepted by the organizations. Supposedly, the Bing and Xing Clans had similar obligations. They were simply the strongest breeding grounds for female cultivators in the Aeternal Sky Starfield, only saved by their lofty strength and connections to the Imperial Clan formed due to doing so.
"So, you…?" Wei Wuyin lifted his left brow curiously.
"I'll handle it." Na Xinyi strongly stated. It was clear there was a way for her to obtain her freedom from this situation, and while difficult, she was intent on handling it herself. Wei Wuyin could only smile, holding a type of approving warmth in his heart.
"Alright. But that can't be it, right?" Wei Wuyin asked. Did she really want to tell him just that? He already knew all of it, except the removal of the condition until marriage.
Na Xinyi shook her head, "It's not; I think I've found a clue to where Long Tingyu is." Her voice contained a relentless resolve, clearly a sign of her determination to find this little girl that she considered her sister.
"..." Wei Wuyin finally went silent, his eyes flashing with memories of another life.
"I think…she might have been taken by the Demonic Abyss Master, the one renowned as the Demonic Hegemon of our starfield." This was information she gained from sightings on the planet Abyssal Dawn of a woman that resembled Long Tingyu and a demon that resembled the ancient descriptions of the Demonic Abyss Mountain nearly eleven years ago.
"I know that you don't care about her as much as I do, but I was hoping if you could…" While she had refused to ask for Wei Wuyin's help with her own matter, she unhesitatingly asked for his assistance in finding Long Tingyu. One could easily see her love for that little girl.
"I'll look for her, and see if I can find anything out." Wei Wuyin smilingly promised. This reassured Na Xinyi who released her stifled sigh, feeling a little more certain. She didn't stay for long. They talked for a few more minutes, and Wei Wuyin stole a few more kisses before she entered the Void Gate to return to the Dark Yin Palace.
Wei Wuyin stayed at the Void Gate for a while, his silver eyes flashing intensely.
The Demonic Abyss Master…