Paragon Of Sin

Chapter 1920: Chapter 1912: Three Months of Scheming

Unbridled, hellish rage.

Out in the depths of the Dark Void, a single man’s fury quaked the void.

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Turning back the clock…

Two months ago, a month after Wei Wuyin departed for secluded cultivation, Luo Ning’s public announcement regarding the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint’s initiation of seclusion had failed to stymie the stirring of rumors and uncertainties despite the flourishing business of the Neo Zenith Tower.

These rumors were like an infection, permeating throughout the galaxy’s information network and reaching the ears and hearts of several entities. It was made apparent that a major superpower was stirring chaos, acting against Wei Wuyin for one reason or another. Moreover, they were attempting to actively disrupt his seclusion, resorting to using deathsworn assassins that unhesitatingly erased their own existence upon capture.

A prominent lady who was openly known as one of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint’s female companions, Xi Ning—the Catalyst Body that was resurrected by his order, was the target for this assassination. The viciously insidious attack was swiftly thwarted by one of Wei Wuyin’s safety contingencies—his Alchemic Knight Pakhet.

To go after the companion of a Heavenly Saint Alchemist and a cultivator with the strength to rival Supreme Existences, even if he wasn’t one himself, was outrageously brave and extraordinarily stupid. Countless knew that the one who issued the attack, and even the assassination organization that dared to take the contract, was bound to be wiped out regardless of the reason.

Moreover, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was known as a cultivator of the Imperial Dao, so his reputation should lay a foundation for his authority. This move directly infringed on that authority. All those who heard immediately believed a swift counterattack would occur.

However, that’s not what happened.

Despite Luo Ning issuing a galactic bounty for the culprits, no official public declaration of acceptance was made, and every interested Supreme Existence had unanimously sought a meeting with the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint. This news wasn’t too much on its own, as negotiating with the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint would directly allow them to ensure a finalization of deals and gains, including the extent they could act given the rules of the galaxy. That was until no news came from the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint. Not even an Incarnation or Avatar in sight.

This ignited suspicions, but only a little.

Fortunately, Luo Ning had a Supreme Existence of her own—the She-Devil Sword Sovereign, Hong Xuannu! Initially reluctant to do so given the assassination, she sent Hong Xuannu to locate the culprits wherever they were to hide.

Three days later, world-shaking news spread through every high-tier subscriber of any new agency; Imentet’s Void Vessel, Hidden Wind, carrying Luo Ning encountered a hazardous void region while traveling between Stellar Regions. The hazard was akin to a spatial quicksand known as a Sunken Void Chasm. It was one of the top three greatest perils of Void Travel, and even Stellar Transit Light, if extremely unlucky, would find itself trapped within.

It was insidious. Without a Supreme Existence, only a Supreme Heavenly Treasure linked with the Law of Space or a Resonant Qi Spatial Talisman would allow those caught in to extricate themselves from this void hazard without harm. This was only mild news. After all, the Neo Zenith Tower’s Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was rumored to have multiple Supreme Heavenly Treasures at his disposal, reportedly four, perhaps five, and of those known was none other than a Spatial Treasure.

Even if the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint decided to maintain his cultivation, the She-Devil Sword Sovereign could act with ease to handle the situation.

But what made this news exceptionally shocking was that the void hazard persisted, unbroken and untouched. Not a single effort was made to extricate Luo Ning and her entourage from their perilous situation.

Hong Xuannu had gone missing.

No one knew where or when, but within the three days of her investigation, she was nowhere to be seen or located. A few cultivators trying to gain favor with the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint had even gone out to attempt to assist with public declarations. This did little as the Sunken Void Chasm was far sturdier than normal.

The spark of suspicion began to grow hotter.

What were those Supreme Existences doing? What about the Zeniths? At first, most thought they were allowing cultivators to try and grab this opportunity to make themselves known to the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint, but after four Heavenly Saints with Spatial Souls and under the lead of a Heavenly Treasure-wielding Mystic Overlord suffered a backlash from attempting to negate the trapping effect of the chasm, leading to their untimely deaths, the situation began to suggest something far greater at play.

What was happening?

All attempts to communicate with Luo Ning were unsuccessful. It was unclear if she was alive. The only thing they knew was that all divinations pointed to the Hidden Wind being intact and trapped within the Sunken Void Chasm.

Many matters that sought Luo Ning’s attention were handled by Cao Cuifen, one of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint’s wives, and while she was effective in continuing the profitable business and expanding reach of the Neo Zenith Tower, there was a public attempt to rescue Luo Ning.

Was this a lover’s spat gone horribly vicious due to a potential affair, or could it be that the Neo Zenith Tower had no other Supreme Existence-level means? Speculations went extremely wild, and it didn’t stop at just these two outrageous claims!

Where was the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint?

A Heavenly Saint Alchemist needed only a single word to handle this, gathering Supreme Sage-level power with ease using alchemical promises or products. Even if that wasn’t the case, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint’s displayed power itself was enough to diffuse all problems, turning major troubles into irrelevant dust.

…right?

However, four days after Luo Ning’s hazard-bound imprisonment and the awareness of Hong Xuannu’s disappearance, news began to spread that those who used the Star Disc developed by the Incandescent Star Palace and the Neo Zenith Tower were defective. Numerous accounts across the galaxy were taken regarding using a Star Disc and suffering catastrophic damage upon entering certain regions or appearing at final destinations that were far, far outside of their original designation.

Some had even needed to be saved after entering dangerous regions. The Incandescent Star Palace had to take action directly, but despite the ongoing claims, spreading like a vicious parasite, Sovereign Incandescent Star remained radio silent without a statement.

Only days after the 8,000th report of problems was it revealed that Sovereign Incandescent Star was off-galaxy, handling external businesses, and he was unable to issue a direct statement. The news forced the Incandescent Star Palace to apologize, directly compensate those affected, and then recall all Star Discs with a sales ban until further notice, deeply affecting the reputation of these Star Discs.

The trust in them had declined significantly, and most demanded outright refunds, not wanting to lose their lives or get lost in the vast and cold Dark Void without direction, which was arguably worse.

A week later, an attempt was made on Cao Cuifen’s life as she traveled to delegate tasks. During the assassination attempt, Alchemic Knight Pakhet was struck by an offensive Resonant Qi Talisman, suffering catastrophic damage. It was fortunate that Zhou Yiyin and Grey Rose protected her, including her own strength, escaping via an explosive escape of sending out hundreds of thousands of fiery pellets, shaking multiple stellar regions, and producing a brief phenomenon of a burning star.

The act was outrageously insane! Attack the wife of a Heavenly Alchemic Saint? Attack the wife of a cultivator with Supreme Sage-level strength?! Who was so suicidal?!

However, the culprits were nowhere to be seen, and those who participated had all used existence-erasure suicide-assisting tools, removing all potential evidence of their origins, and stoking the suspicions until a full-blown burning fire was made.

With bated breath, countless awaited the wrathful retaliation of the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint. With this, he was bound to leave seclusion, no matter how vital, and handle business with decisive action.

…right?

Yet…no response.

After three days, not a single word, only that Cao Cuifen had returned to the Neo Zenith Tower and the Alchemic Knight Pakhet had survived the assassination. Her durability was impressive. Not every Enlightened Sage could survive a Resonant Qi Talisman’s offensive blast. Their godly power on a galactic scale could lead to existential erasure.

To those paying attention, it was becoming clear: something had happened to the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint! More importantly, someone was acting against this newly ascended Heavenly Saint Alchemist and former foreigner of the galaxy!

Soon, robberies began to occur.

Markets and Pavilions that were selling or soon to sell the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Lineage products were hit ruthlessly by bandit groups, some known and some unknown. Shipments with banners of those associated with the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Lineage’s Neo Zenith Tower began to be targeted with brutal attacks. Deaths began to occur.

And whenever the small forces tried to resist, they would be crushed out of existence.

It didn’t stop there. Rumors began to spread that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was a fraud of a Heavenly Saint Alchemist. The rumor suggested that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was inhabiting the body of an extraordinarily gifted Alchemic Soul cultivator of his empire. The true Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was a mere Ascended being of middling cultivation that had found a Cardinal Sage’s treasure hoard, establishing a new empire, and possessing the body of an unprecedentedly talented alchemist of the ages.

Evidence began to pile alongside the speculation. The most important was verified reports that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was restricted to using Mystic Force. Meanwhile, he had enough Soul Energy to handle multiple Supreme Heavenly Treasures.

This began to stir the pot! A heavy allegation that was vilified by the laws and rules of the Utmost Purity Galaxy’s Alchemic Dao, refusing to allow anyone to possess the body of an Alchemic Soul cultivator. Only this rumor grew teeth, biting at the hearts of everyone in unpredictable ways, because there was potentially some truth within it!

By this point, only fools would be blind to it. This exploded even further after spiritually recorded events began to circulate of the Alchemic Clash between the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint and the seven Zeniths.

During which, the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint used Alchemic Soul-level Mystic Force to concoct. This was clear for all to see. Meanwhile, the Abhorrent Sky Sovereign had personally attested galactically that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint’s innate power was capable of harming others, and that his main weapon was a treasured saber that was like a Supreme Heavenly Treasure but not a Supreme Heavenly Treasure.

This took countless by surprise with the accusation and a Supreme Sage’s personal witness statement. Was the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint a fraud? Was he a possessing piece of garbage that was ruining the future of an unprecedentedly talented alchemist of his empire?!

Half-truths and vague uncertainties began to steer into an unfavorable narrative for the Neo Zenith Tower, bringing into question their qualifications to be a part of the beautifully pure Alchemic Dao of the Utmost Purity Galaxy.

Before the second month since Wei Wuyin’s seclusion began, all dealings with the Neo Zenith Tower were halted, and they sought to talk to the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint himself. However, Luo Ning was still trapped in the Sunken Void Chasm, and Cao Cuifen had gone into hiding. All of Wei Wuyin’s relationships were hidden away in the Neo Zenith Tower.

A bubbling outrage began to form within hearts and minds. Was the lack of a response evidence of guilt? Perhaps the original owner of his stolen body was fighting for control after becoming a Heavenly Saint Alchemist, acquiring a strong will of the Alchemic Dao, and was unable to extricate himself from the situation.

Perhaps…perhaps he had already lost the fight!

Speculation, rumors, uninformed conclusions, and thoughts of doubt burned through the hearts and minds of everyone who heard them. There was even a small yet growing voice of ousting the Neo Zenith Tower from the galaxy! This voice continued to grow after it was confirmed by Zenith Transforming Worlds that the Neo-Dawn Empire did have an unprecedentedly talented alchemist who had become a Worldly Saint Alchemist as a Mortal!

A MORTAL!!

A MERE MORTAL!!

An uproar of the highest erupted across the galaxy! While Zenith Transforming Worlds’ words hadn’t confirmed that the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint was possessing anyone, the idea had already fermented within everyone’s minds, sprouting with great nourishment, sparking fury of the heavens at such a despicable act!

Possession!

It was rare, but possible in some cases.

And if they pieced together the puzzle that was laid before them, then the Mystic Force and Worldly Saint Alchemist-level of recognition by the Alchemic Dao had all but verified that the body of this Neo-Dawn Sovereign, even the naming sense changed, was this unprecedented mortal genius of the Alchemic Dao that had failed his ascension due to possession.

All of it began to make sense, clicking seamlessly!

Demands for an explanation roared to life! They beseech the Zeniths! They beseeched alchemists! Any alchemist! All alchemists! SEEK JUSTICE!! SAVE THE GENIUS!!!

At about two and a half months after Wei Wuyin’s seclusion, where he was undergoing extensive infusion after ascending into a True Ascended Existence, a Soul of Mysticism Phase cultivator, the Neo Zenith Tower was surrounded by cultivators.

Among them, Supreme Sages!!

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Erdiul’s Note: Ah… They’re so dead. GG bruh, Utmost Purity Galaxy > Neodawn whatever galaxy