Paragon Of Sin

Chapter 1914: Chapter 1906: Family, Athena

The Heavenly War Spiritʼs changes were extraordinary yet unexpected. Observing the cloudy feminine humanoid figure that was absorbing gargantuan amounts of light from the Heavenʼs Gate within his Mindʼs Eye, floating aloft like a divinity at the dawn of its creation, Wei Wuyin could sense that the Heavenly War Spiritʼs true external form was in the process of being made.

She always had the voice of a little girl despite her vast knowledge and constant advice- giving attitude, and this meant her spirit was aligned with the principles of yin rather than the essence of yang. This was long before she had ever entered his Sea of Consciousness, her only home for the last few decades.

Seeing that she had likely transformed from a golden egg to a mass of golden light that was chaotic in form, resembling surging water or a turbulent cloud, to becoming this Heavenʼs Gate that possessed the immensity of a peak Absolute-sized Solar Star, Wei Wuyin was genuinely elated for her.

Throughout the years, she had to wait for him to be useful, only capable of acting as a database of knowledge that his Second Mind extracted with great interest, resorting to acting as a realignment compass for his goals with timely reminders of the risk. Despite his and the Astral Souls’ penchant to court maximum gains regardless of the prospect of death, he had always taken her words to heart.

She was just unable to understand his urgency and purpose. She saw the fruitful brilliance of his efforts, not the literal Hell that refused to allow him to exist if he didnʼt generate maximum profit amidst maximum effort. The line of death that he had skirted continuously in that pursuit, from offending the manifestation of time to challenging Hell!.

The slightest misstep was enough to condemn him to existential erasure. He had no recourse but to push through. Now, she had achieved her own purpose.

“The cloudy figure has my Seed of Law at its core,’ Wei Wuyin noticed this as he accepted the situation. The Heavenly War Spirit had informed him that she needed him to devise a Law Seed of War to evolve into her true form.

”Yes,” his Second Mind manifested beside him, garbed in scholarly wear with thin- framed, circular glasses on his face. He lightly pushed the glasses frame up the bridge of his nose with his middie finger, gazing intently at the Heavenʼs Gate. Unsurprised by his abrupt arrival, Wei Wuyin waited for further explanation from this studious mind of his.

”She needed a body to contain her Quintessential Source—the Law Seed of War—to create a Spiritual Source. That form right there. It had to be genuine for her to establish a perfect form. But her “perfect’ might not be close to what you achieved. Youʼve grasped all nine concepts, merged into one.

”She also needed a Spiritual Soul that could resonate with the Heavenly Realms to establish a connection with the Law of War and its myriad of Intents. The Spiritual Soul must have at least reached the Ascended Saint Phase, the Seventh Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, also known by advanced societies as Mystic Overlords to not limit her potential. Youʼve acquired not a simple Spiritual Soul, but the Enlightened Spiritual Soul of the True Soul Phase. If it were just that, perhaps that might be nothing, but this soul had won the recognition of the Mystic Dao as a peak Mystic Ascendant.

“With these two critical components, whatʼs left was to form her body and resonate with the heavens. How else would she do so without becoming a Heavenʼs Gate?” The Second Mind asked in a know-it-all tone.

Wei Wuyin frowned slightly, ”So she was always meant to transform into a Heavenʼs Gate? Thatʼs incredible. But why is she so massive? What are those sanguine stars within the gate?”

”...” The Second Mind cleared its throat, going silent with an expression of knowing.

Wei Wuyin gave him the side-eye. This guy was bluffing his ass off. Know-it-all bullshit. A few simple questions had stumped him instantly.

”Ahem!” The Second Mind cleared its throat again, seemingly having organized all the information within its vast library of the mind, ”Because weʼve made her so fat. All these decades of feeding her apex-quality mental energies were bound to have some benefit.” Wei Wuyin didnʼt even bother to say anything. He just knew that was incorrect. There was no basis to believe so, he simply felt that his Second Mind was bullshitting harder than when he acted. Instead, he was going to wait for the Heavenly War Spirit to finish her transformation first.

“I think we should name her,” Ori suddenly said.

“I concur,” the Second Mind echoed almost instantly.

Wei Wuyinʼs eyes grew sharp, turning to see the bold-faced Second Mind who seemed to be studying the runes on the gate. ”She didnʼt want us to,” he reminded.

”So?” Kratos asked with a devil-may-care attitude.

“I agree; the Heavenly War Spirit is as much part of our family as Bai Xiu,” Eden shockingly added its opinion. Eden was biased, of course. It had essentially breast-fed the Heavenly War Spirit, nurturing and protecting her for decades, often keeping it company. This was no different than King and Ori taking care of Element.

Bai Xiuʼs naming was reckless and abrupt, done out of ignorance and impulse. His action of granting her a name that she didnʼt have since her creation despite her vague and mysterious history was a sign that even experts of mind-shaking cultivation bases had refused to do so. He was young and careless, learning his lesson not to jump into things without knowing the implications that they may have.

However, Ori, Kratos, Eden, and his Second Mind seemed to be of the opinion to go ahead with it now that she was effectively incapacitated mid-transformation, unable to protest or interrupt.

Wei Wuyin sighed, ”She has to accept her name.”

“She will,” King said.

Wei Wuyin took a deep inhale before exhaling, asking with a cloudy expression, ”What did you all do?”

”No...nothing...” Element’s saber form manifested by his Second Mind, hovering while releasing soft saber howls.

”Who taught Element to lie?” Wei Wuyin glared at the entrance to his Sea of Consciousness, focusing on his dantian, locating those two troublemakers.

“Letʼs put it to a vote!” Ori suggested mischievously. Wei Wuyin had the urge to strangle something. A vote? How useless! It was abundantly clear that it was six against one, with Little Defiant— When the immense star released an excited solar flare, Wei Wuyin knew he was all but defeated. Not even an abstain. In the end, Wei Wuyin desired more than any of them to name the Heavenly War Spirit. However, she had refused, so he respected her wishes, but this little decision created a thin, invisible divide between them. Perhaps that was her intention, not wanting to harm him with whatever tribulations naming a Spirit of Dao came with.

But she was part of this family.

Looking at her, Wei Wuyinʼs heart flowed with warmth and inspiration. He had to ask himself—would he die for the Heavenly War Spirit? When he thought about it, he realized that he wouldnʼt.

He would live for her.

He would survive for her.

He would thrive for her.

So that when he grasped the power to change fate, he could ensure that she would remain by his side, and if they were to die, they would do so together only in a situation where his life could no longer live, survive, or thrive.

So that when he grasped the power to change fate, he could ensure that she would remain by his side, and if they were to die, they would do so together only in a situation where his life could no longer live, survive, or thrive.

This feeling was shared by all the others. The Heavenly War Spirit had ingrained herself into their hearts, an incomparably crucial piece in the final puzzle that led to happiness. it couldnʼt be missing.

He began, ”Okay. From henceforth, youʼll—”

”Donʼt name her Zhan,” Eden interrupted.

Rolling his eyes inside his mind, “From henceforth, youʼll be—”

”Donʼt use Bai either,” King added.

”...” Wei Wuyin blinked. In truth, his initial thought was to name her Zhan Bai, so that was a little on the nose. ”Ahem,” clearing his throat, he glanced at his Second Mind to see if he had any words he wanted to speak, but the know-it-all scholar remained straight- faced. However, a subtle link formed between the two, transmitted directly a mythological tale from the Myriad Yore Continent of a divinity of greatness, regarded as the peak of feminine beauty, martial strength, and intellectual dominance across all known forms of warfare.

Inspired, Wei Wuyin didnʼt hold back in sending a gaze of admiration to his Second Mind.

After ensuring he wouldnʼt speak further, he continued: ”From henceforth, youʼll be Ath Ori interrupted, ”Can we use—”

”NO!” Wel Wuyin shut down any further suggestions. With a huff, he exuded his paragonic aura throughout the metaphysical space, lacing it within his thunderous voice: ”FROM HENCEFORTH, You will be known before all of creation as my goddess of war, of victory, and of utmost excellence—Athena!”

Within his Mindʼs Eye, ripples spread as far and as large as Little Defiantʼs entire form, reaching the metaphysical limits of this vast space.

The cloudy humanoid figure ceased absorbing sanguine and golden radiance, using its head to stare at Wei Wuyin. He could swear there was a bright smile on her featureless face. And this was verified as a more mature voice, belonging to someone who had just entered puberty, resounded across the entire metaphysical space: ”Thank you, Master.”

Wei Wuyinʼs eyes stared at the figure. While the term “master’ wasnʼt necessary, he understood that this might be needed to complete some hidden profound ritual as Bai Xiu had said those exact words with the same cadence.

Just as before, wisps of soul aura entered her—entered the Heavenʼs Gate. He could now feel her and himself within the Heavenʼs Gate, and her cloudy humanoid form gained silvery irises that bled through the cloudy features, staring at him with glistening tears threatening to fall.

Wei Wuyin brightly smiled, ”Iʼve always wanted you to be a part of this family. We all have.” Those feelings echoed from every last one of them. She had been with them for far too long, even before Little Defiant was born. ”Thank you for accepting us.”

When those five words resounded, the tears that threatened to fall no longer were a mere threat as they were unleashed without restraint. She could cry tears of joy, a sign of a true living soul.

Wei Wuyin was slowly understanding the implications of naming a Spirit of Dao, seeing the changes that were occurring as her true external form was created. Bai Xiu always had her name, so there was no way to compare. However, he finally understood that he was bestowing her a tiny portion of his soul.

It doesnʼt matter.

“Give it your best to transform, Athena” Wei Wuyin and the rest left words of encouragement.

Wei Wuyin returned, observing the grand cage that had sealed that Supreme Existence. It did little to hinder his ascent to the Heavenly Realm of War, but it had acted as an unexpected suppressant to the grand phenomena that had occurred around him during or after his return. He could already sense that sending his soul to heaven likely left behind some type of power, an eternal power, protecting him from harm. How else would that bridge return his soul to his body?

“Letʼs ascend,” Wei Wuyin declared without hesitation. The gains in the Heavenly Realm of War were extraordinary, and he still needed time to digest them all, but Athena was preoccupied with completing her transformation. Despite her addition to the family, this wasnʼt her path to take.

It was the path of Ori, King, Eden, Kratos, and Little Defiant. Not even Element or Bai Xiu was able to interject directly, only providing minimal assistance via combat-related or concoction-related matters.

It was time to shed their Astral Forms and the last remaining remnants of mortality to become a true Ascended being.