Hell.
A spherical orb of unknown power existed within this hellscape of unimaginable horrors and indescribable vastness. It was larger than ten Sealed Regions combined. Yet above this orb, a shadow loomed over. This shadow was utterly gigantic, its ends unable to be seen from any stretch of a mortal's imagination. It possessed infinite eyes of infinite colors and infinite arms stretching even further than its enormity as if it grasped the entirety of the observable reality.
"The Sinful Pride Mortal has returned."
Serving as a stark contrast to the indistinct body of the looming shadow was a thin, dark crimson-winged figure. The wings were cracked and dry. The thinnest layer of flesh served as its sole reliance for structure and strength, with every fiber of muscle and bone protruding through. While the wings felt as if they would give the feeling of an object of absolute malevolence, the figure exuded not the slightest hint of such within its aura.
"Sinful Pride Mortal!" Another voice resounded. A silvery orb flew in from an indeterminate direction and an indeterminate distance. It seemed to have always existed yet just been born into existence, a true conundrum of the senses. It belonged to a silver-winged figure. Unlike the dark crimson wings of earlier, the silver wings of this figure were robust, healthy, and exuded endless radiant energy. In a similar vein as before, the expected holy aura of these wings was absent.
Sinful Pride!
If any figure of Hell were to hear this, they wouldn't have any particular individual in mind. Too many have come and gone, fought and resisted, lived and died, failed and been eradicated in body, essence, and soul! However, adding the word 'Mortal' to the name and only a single figure would emerge in their minds!
Sinful Pride Mortal!
"So soon?" The silver-winged figure said questioningly, its voice extremely rough and gravelly, unbefitting the majestic beauty of its wings. The Sinful Pride Mortal was the only Inheritor of Sin that had entered Hell as a Mortal and survived, not just once but twice, and the last Calamity hadn't simply been survived but conquered! It was an unbelievable development that stirred a few of Hell's residents.
The two winged figures gazed at the spherical orb with unswerving interest. The sphere's immensity didn't hinder their perception in the slightest, viewing all they wanted to see and experience.
Another mysterious orb manifested. The orb was violet in color, seemingly having existed beneath the looming shadow since time immemorial yet equally as recent as an infant's birth. The figure had violet-colored wings. The wings had no feathers but tooth-like lizard scales. The wings themselves were robust, possessing firm, ample muscle, and they exuded a type of charm that was irresistible.
It, too, lacked the aura that one would expect from it, but it was an aura that was difficult to describe in simple words. The best description of the impression it gave was a mixture of beast and demon.
"He's here?" The figure's voice was silky to the ears, pleasant and gentle. The new arrival immediately focused on the sphere in the immeasurably far distance. "The Agonized Road Dimension? With a Mortal Soul?" The voice questioned curiously.
"I agree with you; surviving this dimension will be impossible." The crimson-winged figure asserted with a hint of amusement. Unlike the Calamity of True Loss or the Calamity of Endless Regret, the Calamity of Blade and Fire cleansed the soul through a direct approach, not indirectly through emotions.
"..." The silver-winged figure remained silent. Since this Sinful Pride had survived two Calamities in a row, even having conquered one, the silver-winged figure felt it unnecessary to add its commentary or opinions. It firmly took its position as a speculator, unwilling to add anything else.
Seeing the silver-winged figure not arguing, the crimson-winged figure seemed less inclined to continue, and the violet-winged figure was similarly disinclined to open a discussion of opinions and thoughts. As beings of their level, they were acutely aware that the thoughts of others were irrelevant to the outcome of Hell's Eighteen Cleansing Dimensions. They simply observed quietly.
Beneath the looming shadow, three other distinct orbs of different colors also manifested, but they were far away from each other. Each situated themselves beside one of the many infinite arms of the looming shadow, their focus on the sphere. They didn't approach or speak to each other, but it was clear that Wei Wuyin's incredible feats had brought his existence to these residents of Hell's attention.
A Mortal Soul that hadn't just survived the Memory Abandonment Dimension but conquered the Regretful Heart Dimension!
If Wei Wuyin knew the waves he'd caused as a mere mortal, he wouldn't know whether to laugh, cry, shiver, run away, or hold his chin up with enormous pride.
"The Calamity of Blade and Fire is initiating." A voice of indifference and remarkably leveled cadence, deeply mechanical, resounded. It belonged to the looming shadow, reaching into the depths of the soul with every syllable! The sphere shook!
Despite his decision earlier to not speak, the crimson-winged figure couldn't help but say: "The Agonized Road isn't a mental-influencing dimension that can be overcome with intelligence or willpower. It's impossible to stop the cleansing process. You either last the eighteen cycles, or you're cleansed—there's no way out early.
"Unfortunately, he's still a mere mortal; his True Soul's Outer Shell lacks any type of refinement. He can't last on the Agonized Road." The crimson-winged figure voiced what was likely all their thoughts. Despite being so far away, the other existences all reacted with their auras fluctuating slightly. One of them even left, seemingly no longer interested in the outcome.
"Don't underestimate this mortal," the silver-winged figure warned. Since this Sinful Pride Mortal had been selected as an Inheritor of the First Sinner, having survived the First Calamity and conquered the Second Calamity, it wasn't suitable to judge him by ordinary standards. It was best to wait and see!
"..."
-----
The world was empty as far as the eye could see. The sky had no color, the ground had no texture, and the sensation of wind was absent. There was a stillness in the breathable atmosphere that felt stifling.
"So this is the Third Calamity?" Wei Wuyin's casual tone resembling that of an intrigued tourist was highly unfitting for a mortal about to tackle Hell's greatest purpose—cleansing! Of all the Calamities, of all the bits of information he'd acquired from Wen Mingna's efforts, Wei Wuyin held the greatest confidence in surviving this calamity the most!
Wei Wuyin inspected his hands; the faint silvery glow on them caused his eyes to flicker with a wry light. After consuming the physique-establishing Neo-Dawn Paragon-Forging Pill, his body exuded a unique mucus that enveloped him in a thick cocoon. This vastly exceeded his expectations as he felt his body had entered a unique state of metamorphosis.
After the first hour of trying to refine it, he was sent into hibernation, which caused his consciousness to grow foggy and indistinct. Despite that, as a possessor of the Minor Authority of Time, he could accurately determine the passing of time. Unfortunately, he couldn't break out of the cocoon.
Wei Wuyin could still hear the muffled cries of confusion and concern of women weeping tears from outside the cocoon. These voices belonged to his seven beauties after they unceremoniously entered his Alchemic Chambers out of worry for his state after what they had experienced. A reasonable, faultless response.
Yet, he was unable to escape. Fortunately, his mental connection with Bai Lin was strong, and she arrived and protected his cocoon from the others. Who knew what would happen if Lin Xianxian acted and used her Ascended might to split the cocoon?
This led to him staying in the cocoon for the remaining months leading up to the Third Calamity's initiation and entering his semi-metamorphic state, hence the silvery light on his skin.
The light was some kind of embryonic fluid that was generated by the cocoon, much like a mother's womb, that adhered to his skin like protective armor. Typically, physique-establishment products only took a month at most, so he felt confident in taking it before the Third Calamity, adding an additional trump card to resist any unexpected variables.
"Seems like my initial impression of the pill was wrong? But how?" He wrestled with this question for so long. If there was anyone that could predict 100% of the effects of a product, then it was the creator, especially if it was a new product. This could be considered a blessing of the Alchemic Dao, granting them this knowledge and assisting them in their understanding.
However, it was clear that the pill hadn't aligned with what he expected. Something had changed. He didn't know when or how, but something had changed! After being left with his thoughts for months, he could only deem that the outlier was the unfathomably eternal aura that had accompanied the Mortal Dao and Mystic Dao Auras.
Using his experiences, the only conclusion he could conceive was that the pill had transcended beyond his understanding somehow. This was similar to how he couldn't grasp the effects of his transcendent products due to his lack of understanding of the Mystic Dao, either causing wildly amplified effects or entirely different ones that heavily diverged from the original effects.
This was very troublesome; he couldn't determine what this change would eventually lead to or if the Third Calamity would ruin his physique. Furthermore, he didn't have the materials to concoct another Neo-Dawn Divinity-Forging Pill at the moment, especially after exhausting all of his Utmost Purity Mist, the totality of three decades and countless successes.
Szzzt.
A sound of flames searing subtly sounded, catching Wei Wuyin's attention.
"It's beginning," he softly whispered as he touched his chest to feel the pumping of his fleshy heart.