Chapter 195 - 193: The Spirit In The Ring
"It’s about time to see who’s in here." Now that his cultivation base had not only reached the Astral Core Realm, but consolidated within the World Sea Phase, he was finally confident enough to tackle the issue of Long Chen’s unassuming black ring. Since the Myriad Monarch Sect, Wei Wuyin had always been abnormally cautious against this object and what resided within.
Fortunately, he could satiate his curiosity and discover Long Chen’s secrets. During his time in the Myriad Monarch Sect, others constantly sought out reasons for his abrupt rise in cultivation, attributing it to a cultivation treasure, and while that wasn’t true for him, he couldn’t say the same for Long Chen.
While there wasn’t an absolute certainty that the ring was a reason for his success, it at least provided crucial protection to him. For example, his clash with Ji Yu, an Astral Core Realm cultivator, had ended in his favor. Wei Wuyin knew this was due to the ring, and it was similarly due to this power that he was hesitant to kill or take action against Long Chen. Otherwise, Wei Wuyin could easily cause a non-Astral Core Realm expert to disappear.
°A Blessed with exhausted luck value isn’t worthy of my attention, but I wonder...° Wei Wuyin had a sneaky suspicion that Inheritors of Sin weren’t the only ones capable of regaining or earning Karmic Luck Value. He had a theory he wanted to test on the clear devoid of sufficient luck Long Chen. Therefore, he wanted to experiment; will Long Chen somehow earn Karmic Luck Value?
If so, how?
Unfortunately, while he was a Blessed and an Inheritor of Sin, details regarding them were incredibly insufficient. In fact, he not only was largely ignorant of Blessed capabilities but his own Bloodline of Sin’s abilities. Since the beginning, he’s been learning as he went, only capable of using the Scripture of Sin as a reference to build off assumptions, theories, and conjectures.
After outfitting himself in his black alchemist robes, he gained a very regal air that seemed to sweep the world with a calm authority and wealthy power. He soon arrived in one of his many rooms, which were altered by elite Array Masters. The cubical room with a square feet of two thousand and largely empty.
The only noticeable object was a podium that reached about four feet high and on its flat top was a small cube with various esoteric markings etched onto its surface that glowed with an spiritually oppressive light from time to time.
Wei Wuyin closed to door, executed a few handseals, and his astral force poured outwards and interfaced with the rooms nine hundred and ninety-nine Spiritual Formations and the three Astral Arrays that drew power from various spiritual-based items that were unfathomably rare.
While each formation and Array had a name, their purpose was simple: to suppress and restrict. As an Alchemist, and a wealthy one at that, it wasn’t hard to have numerous elite Architects work around the clock to devise the best cage for an undefined spiritual existence during these three years.
Since the beginning, he’d always intended to make a play for Long Chen’s ring at the right time, but when he did, he needed cards to play to further enhance his certainty in coming out on top, and this room was just one of many.
After sealing the room so tightly that not even air could escape or enter, he brought out five clear bottles that each contained four pellets of different colors and visual emissions. Each bottle seemed to contain an astrological phenomena within, mostly varied aurora borealis. With a thought, each bottle was uncorked and the world was exposed to these lights as they shot out from them.
The room was drenched in multicolored light as various aurora borealis and starry glimmers beautifully consumed it. These were the phenomenal manifestations that were conjured by eight-grade alchemical products. It was the dense medicinal efficacy and immense energies stored within, enhanced countless times by alchemical energies. Furthermore, they were all high-quality pellets.
When he first discovered this manifestation, even he was taken aback and awed, but after three years, he’d long since gotten used to this scene.
CRUSH!
With a wave of his palm, the pellets flew out and entered his powerful palm before they were clenched, crushed and mixed into the finest of powder. He continued to squeeze until it became so fine that it was nearly like dust particles. This immediately caused the various manifestations and lights to abruptly vanish.
"Woo!" He opened his hand and lightly blew, causing the various pellet dust to litter the world and float about like literally dust. In moments, these particles seemingly vanished from physical, spiritual, and mental perceptions.
After a while, the room regained its normalcy, as if his actions had never taken place. With a nod, he walked towards the Soul Sealer Cube and waved his hand slightly above its surface, causing it to open. With a strand of astral force, so thin that it was like a string of fabric, he sent it within the tiny hole and brought out an black ring.
When he saw this, he took two steps back, and regarded the ring with a calm gaze. As it floated there, seemingly dead, Wei Wuyin’s Celestial Eyes saw its hidden activity as it seemingly inspected the ring with exceptional stealth. If Wei Wuyin hadn’t cultivated out the Celestial Eyes of Spiritual Divinity, he would’ve easily missed this flicker of activity.
He might even believe the spirit was indeed dormant.
After a long moment, Wei Wuyin finally spoke. "I don’t want to waste your or my time. So I’ll be direct: Reveal yourself or I’ll send the order to have Long Chen executed." His voice held the utmost calm and serenity yet was absolutely chilling to hear.
"You have three seconds."
"..." The ring remained inactive.
"One," Wei Wuyin calmly declared.
"..."
"Two."
"..."
"Thre-" Before his words could finish, he felt the world quake slightly as an abnormal force seemed to exert itself on the world. His pupils shrunk slightly, but his heart remained unfazed and calm, simply observing this force.
It was as if a figure was descending onto the world, and this figure seemingly contained the might to engulf and dominate heaven and earth, carrying a tyrannical air and imperious authority that could not be questioned. In its presence, only obedience and reverence could be felt. It carried a truth of hegemons and how they ruled supreme through creation.
Wei Wuyin was briefly disturbed, but nine-hundred and ninety-nine Spiritual Formations started to brightly glow inside the room, and this aura was suppressed to its limits. An unfathomably conjoined and vigorous spiritual suppression was fully focused on the ring, causing a faint exclamation of shock to resound within the enclosed room.
This broke off its influence towards Wei Wuyin, and while it was small to begin with, it still severed it thoroughly. Wei Wuyin’s silver eyes regarded the ring with a brilliant brightness effusing interest. If he hadn’t reached the Astral Core Realm, and had his new high-level mental, physical, and spiritual energies thoroughly enhance his body, mind, and senses, this aura could’ve overtaken his everything.
Even if he was an average Astral Core Realm expert, he might’ve been subjected to its will. Fortunately, Eden sat protectively over his Sea of Consciousness and continuously empowered his mental energies to an even higher quality than normal cultivators, and Kratos sent vigorous bloodline power and physical energies to ensure a stable, firm, and exquisitely powerful body.
This coupled with four Astral Souls, his spiritual energies were numerous times greater than normal.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Wei Wuyin said: "Now that that’s over, shall we have a proper discussion, spirit in the ring?"
As he said this, the ring’s aura that it tried to emanate receded and it became ordinary. It was only after a long moment did it vibrate slightly and a cyan-colored, blurry, indistinguishable silhouette manifested. It was in the shape of a six foot and seven inches tall man with a muscular physique and upright back. Wei Wuyin couldn’t distinguish any other feature besides being male and its height.
However, when he saw the outline of the figure, his Celestial Eyes were capable of observing things to the smallest detail and his heart shook.
°No...no. No way. It’s...him?° His thoughts stilled for a moment as a picture that every elite expert in the Myriad Monarch Sect should know, and he felt immense disbelief for a mere moment before regaining his calm.
Now it made sense.
It all made sense.
"Talented Junior, you’re quite resourceful and scheming for your age." The spirit’s voice was exceptionally powerful and ancient, giving off a natural sense of being before a Monarch or Sovereign of the world. Even it was shocked by the suppressive might exhibited by the numerous formations. Most of its safeguards and confidence was blotted by this move.
While it obviously wasn’t truly sealed within the Soul Sealer Cube, the cube did limit its perceptions, so it was unaware of what was happening besides its limited connection to Long Chen. Considering that connection was still lively, and faintly even thriving, it was safe to say Long Chen wasn’t harmed. However, it never expected to get itself into this predicament, and even be noticed by this young man.
"Coming from you, that’s a compliment that I’ll take to my grave with joyous pride," Wei Wuyin gave off a faintly respectful bow and clasp of his hands together, causing the spirit that stood before him to slightly reel in shock.
"...you know who I am?" The spirit disbelievingly asked, clearly feeling unsure if this was a probing tactic. In truth, this junior before him was frighteningly terrifying, and even he couldn’t gauge his limits. However, this feeling of all his secrets and concealments being teared down and discovered truly left him, a figure that dominated his portion of creation for so long, to feel a wisp of unexpected fear in his heart.
Wei Wuyin briskly nodded. "Of course; Wu Yu, founder of the Myriad Monarch Sect, and the first Grand Monarch. It is my honor, Grand Monarch Wu."