Chapter 799: Long-Lost Saintess Returns
The Soul-Saint Domain of the Ninestar Starfield was the strongest out of the nine Sainthalls, possessing the greatest reputation, and supposedly the strongest Earthly Saint of the entire starfield. Amongst Earthly Saints of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, the Soul Saint King was considered within the top three in terms of talent, strength, and potential.
While the Ninestar Sainthall functioned on a unique hierarchy system divided into nine Sainthalls and Domains, the Soul-Saint Domain was widely considered the capital of the starfield. Furthermore, it housed the one and only Ennea Hall Alchemic Saint, and thus is often seen as the foremost leader of the starfield.
Exactly like the other Sainthalls, the Soul-Saint Domain had nine Lordhalls within, each ruled by a Highlord of the highest quality, and possessing world-shaking reputations. The recent commotion that stirred the masses was the announcement regarding the Worldbreaker Lordhall, made personally by Highlord Worldbreaker.
The citizens and experts of the entire starfield were within discussion.
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"Is it true? I thought she was dead!"
"It is true! You know fatty Wu? His cousin is having an affair with one of the lesser maids of the Truehand Spirithall, and she learned from a guard of the Worldbreaker Lordhall that's also her brother that she was seen! It's crazy, right?"
"Right…crazy. Wait, guard as a brother? Xun Tai? Are you talking about my wife, Tai'er?!"
"...What? N-no…"
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"Did you hear? The long-lost Saintess of the Worldbreaker Hall has returned!"
"You're a little late. Not only has she returned, I heard many of her pursuers from before organized a fancy banquet to celebrate her return."
"Oh? It seems they haven't given up!"
"Pfft! Given up? Have you seen her? I wouldn't give up even if I was dead and my soul was dissipated. I'd come back just to give it another shot, hehe."
"Ridiculous! But…is she really that beautiful?"
"Uhm, of course. My uncle once caught a brief glimpse of her and he said that his heart and soul belonged to her from that moment on. Soul snatching beauty!"
"W-wait. You haven't seen her yourself?"
"..."
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The return of the Long-Lost Saintess prompted numerous hectic and intriguing conversations, but they were all about the same topic: the Rose Quartz Saintess, also known as Yue Songli. She had vanished from the public eye for half a millennia, but prior to doing so, she was a sensation that swept throughout the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region.
Yue Songli was a stellar region-shaking beauty that had endless pursuers from all over, born from the Worldbreaker Highlord, an Ascended being that was considered the number one strongest Highlord of the Ninestar Starfield. When the topic of possible Earthly Saints circulated anywhere throughout the stellar region, that was the name that was always included without any extra consideration.
During her Immortal Saintess Ranking's generation, she ranked first in an indisputable fashion. Her return warranted heavy anticipation from those beings of her generation and those youths. As an unwed former first of the Immortal Saintess Ranking, she was a premium partner to pursue for those Ascended talents.
Furthermore, she had returned as a genuine Ascended being! Prior to her disappearance, she was merely at the Star Core Phase. This discovery brought those talented male youths of her generation who pursued other Saintess who eventually 'failed' their Ascension hope in finding a suitable Dao Companion or wife.
Cultivation was difficult; for those who properly ascended to the Soul of Mysticism Phase, they could live for ten thousand years, yet those who failed had severely depleted lifespans, and for those who remained at the Astral Core Realm, their lives barely exceeded fifteen hundred years. The difference was too depressing.
There were too many cultivators who fell in love young, pursuing the path of cultivation together with their partner, yet their partner was unable to match their achievements and successes. They fell behind and never caught up. This type of situation was far too common.
Even in the Myriad Yore Continent where cultivators were mostly at the Qi Condensation Realm, this still rang just as true. The difference of one or two hundred years was already insanely brutal, let alone eight thousand years. As such, the banquet held at the Worldbreaker Lordhall was of the utmost importance towards these male Ascended.
These intentions had overshadowed Yue Songli's centuries of disappearance. Since the exact reasoning was unclear, most assumed the most simple reasoning: she was in secluded cultivation to ascend. This justified her abrupt disappearance yet her current unharmed and elevated cultivation state. If she had been a prisoner for sinister purposes, she wouldn't have likely ascended. Most importantly, she still retained her pure Primal Yin aura.
As a virgin and an Ascended, how could she not have been in seclusion in a comfortable location? All the rumors and speculations were thoroughly swept away by these two details. Moreover, the cheerful manner at which the Worldbreaker Lordhall was conducting themselves, even allowing a banquet to celebrate Yue Songli's return to the public eye, was far too consistent with this conclusion.
In the Soul-Saint Domain, there was a small-sized lunar satellite covered in large fractures that extended throughout its surface. It seemed like cracked glass waiting to fall apart into numerous pieces, yet it remained perfectly intact as if held by some unfathomable force at its center. This lunar satellite was called the Shattered World Moon. A grandiose palace colored in a light grey that spanned across a fourth of its surface area was situated there.
The Shattered World Moon orbited no Solar Star or planet, merely rotating on its own axis in a peaceful, secluded manner. Yet it was located at the very center of the nine planets under the Worldbreaker Lordhall, each supervised by a Spirithall in accordance with the Ninestar Sainthall's allocation of forces.
This was known other than the Worldbreaker Hall's Shattered World Palace, the base of operations that oversaw this particular region of the Soul-Saint Domain. At the moment, numerous Voidships of varying sizes and opulent designs representing all sorts of heroic talents, established experts, and mystic forces were anchored outside the lunar satellite's atmosphere. These forces didn't just originate from the Ninestar Starfield but even beyond.
In the Shattered World Palace, the main hall was filled with all sorts of guests, ranging from youths to elderly experts. The youths were mostly handsome males, with a few female beauties, and they were all talented members of the current generation or Saintesses, all of which were younger than four hundred years of age.
In a particular room of a large, grand design, a female figure was running her slender fingers across her long, buoyantly effervescent dark hair that was twisted and coiled at the bottom in a wild whirlwind style, her multi-pink highlights added a glossy, impeccable finish to her enchantress looks.
This woman sat at a desk with a tall oval mirror, staring at her features that could turn men wild, and women questioning their orientation, while she carried a pair of twin peaks that put the vast majority of her gender to absolute shame in terms of size, volume, firmness, and aesthetic appearance.
This coupled with her inner and outer robes that tightly accentuated her hourglass physique and long, slender legs was overly simulating. No one would question why she ranked first all those centuries ago, understanding it all too well at first glance.
She was none other than Yue Songli, and if Wei Wuyin saw her again, he would be thoroughly shaken. Unlike her previous appearance which was just entranting, beautiful, yet lacking a certain charm, she carried herself with a unique energy that was beguiling to the senses. Her proud chin and set shoulders alongside those lively eyes that looked more alive than ever before, she was almost an entirely different person.
Moreover, her hair was purely black-colored before with a straight-laced and boring style to it that severely diminished her potential looks.
She pouted her cupid bow arched lips, "Mother, why must I do this?" Her complaint prompted a figure to arrive of a middle-aged woman with similarities in terms of facial features to Yue Songli. However, her looks were far from reaching Yue Songli level, yet she was certainly a beauty in her own right, especially during her younger years.
"Your return must be public," the middle-aged woman walked forward and gently caressed Yue Songli's luscious head of hair. Her eyes rippled with waves of love and heartfelt care, alongside a strong and steady conviction. Those who knew of her would find this outrageous! After all, this was the most feared Highlord in the entire Ninestar Starfield! The Highlord Worldbreaker!
Yue Songli gave her mother a glance, then lowered her head and looked downwards at her painted nails. "I know, but why like this?"
"What's wrong with this?" The middle-aged woman smilingly asked, adding: "This can also help you reestablish relations with the outside world. You've been gone for so long…" At the last part of her sentence, her tone shook with heavy guilt.
Yue Songli reached out to grab her mother's hand that laid on her head, giving it a soft rub to reassure her. "It's fine. I'm just worried…"
Highlord Worldbreaker, Yue Lixiang, thought she realized where Yue Songli's concerns were. "Are you certain the one who saved you was named Wei Wuyin?"
"Yes! I am, Mother. He told me not to forget, and he also had a Fire Phoenix. I didn't see that Earthly Saint before, but it must've taken down the Shadow Egg's defenses." Yue Songli hadn't kept a single detail about her escape from the Shadow Egg of Trueborn a secret. Her mother was fully aware of all, including the silver-eyed youth that waltzed in and took her away in a blazing fashion. Even recalling that event caused her heart to experience emotional tremors for quite a while.
"..." Yue Lixiang gave a slight nod in silence. The events in the Soul-Rising Domain had produced numerous changes, but this Wei Wuyin, the so-called Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn, hadn't made an appearance. However, there was no news of his involvement in either situation, merely the Fire Phoenix and the Earthly Saint that resembled an Avatar or Incarnation.
Yue Songli had learned about all of Wei Wuyin's feats after returning, including his status as likely the youngest Mortal Sovereign Alchemist to have ever appeared in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region. While this was considered 'likely,' there was far too much skepticism and uncertainty surrounding this title. After all, no one besides the Ma Clan had even come in any meaningful contact with this figure. He was swiftly becoming a mythological legend.
If it wasn't for the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill and the Everlore Domain's migration of trillions, few would even believe he existed. Not even the Heavenly Seers and Oracles could scry for any information regarding this man, placing him under a heavy fog of unfathomable mystery.
If the world knew that the Fire Phoenix and this strange Earthly Saint was likely under his orders, they might experience an even greater shock.
"If you're worried about this Wei Wuyin arriving and-" Yue Lixiang tried to reassure her, but was interrupted by Yue Songli.
Yue Songli lifted her exquisite brow upwards with curiosity. She shook her head slightly, "I'm not worried about that. If he can't handle competition, then he isn't a real man. What I'm worried about is those scumbags, Trueborn. Will this banquet be a target for them? What if they think I have something to do with the Fire Phoenix and the foreign Earthly Saint?"
Yue Lixiang's eyes lit with realization, and she softly chuckled. "My little rose, there's no need to worry. Even if an Earthly Saint were to arrive here to take you away, it'll be them that wouldn't be leaving." Her expression contained endless confidence.
Yue Songli lifted her head to see the mirror in which her mouth widened. "You've…"
Yue Lixiang smiled in the reflection, her eyes flickering with mystic runes for a brief moment before vanishing. "Let's meet some of your old friends, okay?"