Chapter 1942 Chapter 1934: Dispelled Mystery; The Truth Revealed
A single word. A single look. A single transformation.
All of these coalesced into a phenomenal eruption of a single moment-the admittance of a shocking truth!
However, while this exposure of truth was roughly an expected one, what truly gave great, thunderous waves within hearts, minds, and souls were the subsequent questions that were inevitably answered as a result of that single word!
Especially the question that was echoing as rumors throughout the galaxy: "Is the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint that had established himself in the Utmost Purity Galaxy as the eighth Zenith Tower, the domineering Neo-Dawn Ascendant Emperor with supreme-level strength, possessed by the latter while the former was a hapless victim?"
No longer was this an ambiguous question!
"Me."
Wei Wuyin's lone word swept across the Utmost-Heaven Guardian Array's thin layer with grand seismic waves, rife with acknowledgment of the Alchemic Dao's aura inlaid within. With the Alchemic Stars of Unparalleled Creation unleashed, comparable in level to the Alchemic Stars of Pure Enlightenment with their own special qualities, the Zeniths all sensed an indescribable sensation of oppression. Alchemic Stars across the galaxy, of every genuinely recognized alchemist, were subconsciously activated in response!
One of the Alchemic Stars' unique abilities, the Unity of the Alchemic Stars, swelled to the surface of their minds and souls, threatening a complete eruption that would unify the alchemists, granting a potentially heaven-eclipsing fortune upon the galaxy. However, as the very taste of it was on its verge of eruption, Wei Wuyin's Alchemic Stars deactivated.
All sensations ceased. An unprecedented sense of emptiness and missed opportunity surged within the hearts of every alchemist. Few were aware of why, others couldn't fathom what just happened, only allowing the despondent situation to dwell within their hearts.
Suo Haoran's own Alchemic Stars had felt it; the delicious taste of enlightenment and unity of will and knowledge eluded his tongue masterfully. When he looked toward the silver-eyed Wei Wuyin, his heart was filled to the brim with a gloomy cloud darkened by sullen emotion.
"Answer your other questions. Then," Wei Wuyin began as he stared beyond the array, seemingly staring directly at the gathering of Dao Enforcers and Zeniths within the Mind-Realm, "I'll accept the ample compensation you've prepared to douse my vexation and fury."
"..." Suo Haoran was silent for a while. So were the others. It was true, they only required a single answer to reinstate Wei Wuyin's position because it had indirectly answered the question of possession, but they had follow- up questions! Who wouldn't?! Clarity was rare!
After all, since Wei Wuyin entered the galaxy, his entire presence was a grand mystery that was slowly unraveled, yet as they removed layers upon layers with reasonable conclusions, the layers only seemed to either return or never end. It was difficult to comfortably allow this mysterious entity to roam the galaxy without understanding any longer!
As for compensation? That was the natural order of things when it came to settling offenses for alchemists! While they hadn't exactly done anything wrong or outside of their rules, their timing and manner of handling things were outrageously unreasonable. Enforcer Shizi's earlier attempt to diminish responsibility was a clear sign of their mishandling of events and the very acknowledgment of it all.
Suo Haoran could only set aside the slight disappointment of missing out on an opportunity of the Alchemic Dao, as rare and sporadic the Unity of Alchemic Stars were, and began to state the clarity of his position: "Heaven-Saint Neo-Dawn, our position as leader of the eighth established Zenith Tower has been resumed, and none of your answers will affect your position or encroach on the Mythical Contract signed by the Zeniths that day. However, as you've expected, we have other questions. Just two. Only two more. We won't seek out your secrets, we just need an honest account of your situation."
"Mn," Wei Wuyin acknowledged with a slight nod. This was well within his plans. While the actual development was years, if not decades ahead of schedule, he was always expecting this moment within all of his planning. In actuality, everything had been rapidly accelerated by those scheming Supreme Sages!
Whether it was the exposure of his ability or the dispelling of the mysterious shroud enveloping the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint, they were all accelerated. What should have been a steady development within the galaxy was obliterated by their schemes.
Fortunately, he no longer needed to take a slow and steady path. With his current strength, he now held an undeniable Supreme Existence-level influence, and despite his cultivation base as a mere Soul of Mysticism Phase cultivator, he was no longer of that category. He could play on a grander scale, without needing to leverage mystery and uncertainty on the chessboard.
If any tactician or strategist were to delve into the depths of Wei Wuyin's schemes, they would be absolutely shaken by the brazen gall and perfect maneuvering of pieces, moments, assumptions, and emotions. Furthermore, there were scattered traces of endless contingencies within every facet. Every step taken or that could be taken was deliberate and calculated, excessively so.
Suo Haoran's Mental Incarnation in the Utmost Unity Mind-Realm sent gazes to each Zenith and Dao Enforcer. Some were tense. Some were shaken. Some were doubtful. Some were excited. Some were...
The emotions were rife with complexity, so he focused all his attention on Wei Wuyin, taking the lead of his own suggestion. However, this time, the Utmost-Heaven Guardian Array enshrouded the small region that contained Wei Wuyin and Kang Min-ji, concealing them from eavesdropping or divination by virtue of the array's power. They would have to contest against the array and the power of the Alchemic Dao to determine the contents of these two questions, a harrowing obstacle.
"Heaven-Saint Neo-Dawn, what is the highest cultivation level that you've attained as your current existential awareness?"
Wei Wuyin was fearless as the Utmost-Heaven Guardian Array enveloped him, but Kang Min-ji was notably uncomfortable, subtly circulating her resonant qi for swift action; she didn't trust these galactic regulators in the slightest.
'Current existential awareness? Attained? What an extraordinary question,' Wei Wuyin was quite amazed by how in-depth this question was despite its few words. It subtly touched upon the cleansing qualities of Hell, including the strange aspects of a variant reincarnator such as Su Yi or San Yongli. The former would have to answer their true cultivation base of the past: the Resonant Soul Realm! While San Yongli was a Temporal Reincarnator, if asked this when she first returned, her answer would be of her previous life's height.
They had the same existential awareness, untouched by the cleansing properties of Hell and the effects of the process of Samsara.
He didn't hesitate to answer, "The Second Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, Soul of Mysticism Phase."
"...!" Suo Haoran.
"...!!" Zeniths and Dao Enforcers.
"..!!!."Kang Min-ji.
They were shaken! Deeply shaken!
Suo Haoran had to struggle harshly with his mind to prevent a total collapse of his understanding of his reality. What did this mean exactly?! That the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint and Neo-Dawn Ascendant Emperor, this man who slaughtered Supreme Sages, who established a Zenith Tower, was ONLY a lower-stage Ascended being!
The implication wasn't just unbelievable, it was outright impossible!
"Your last question," Wei Wuyin prompted calmly. The mystery shrouding him, unspoken of to heaven and earth thus far, was gradually dispelling. The truth was here! And the consequences...
"Heaven-Saint Neo-Dawn, how many years have you experienced in your entire lifetime?" Suo Haoran asked.
But Wei Wuyin frowned. He couldn't answer that despite its simplicity. He genuinely couldn't. It was difficult to discern how many years he's experienced given his life of entering extraordinary regions where time and space occurred on a fundamentally different scale.
The Second Calamity was an untold number of years.
Meanwhile, the Samsara of Stars might place him in an age bracket that made these Supreme Sages of millions of years feel like infants. As a True Void Dragon hybrid, his ability to mentally process vast quantities of time and its myriad flows had never affected him negatively, such as experiencing his early life not just once but thrice due to temporal phenomena.
Sensing his hesitation, Suo Haoran's doubt grew. However, Wei Wuyin didn't conceal the reason.
"Due to the circumstances of my cultivation and experiences, I can't accurately determine my experienced age. But what I can say is that in this flow of time, my lifespan and soulspan have only experienced less than two hundred years of natural exhaustion."
This...this was enough!
Suo Haoran understood the mysteries of the Void and its temporal shenanigans, so it was understandable that lived experiences might be far wider and larger than their natural span of life, and Wei Wuyin had perfectly located the meat of the question and answered it!
And what an answer!
WHAT AN ANSWER!!!
"..." Everyone.
"..." EVERYONE!!!
"..." EVERYONE!!!!!
Silence deafened as the truth was revealed; this man, the silver-eyed Heavenly Saint Alchemist and slayer of Supreme Sages, was not only a lower-stage Mystic Ascendant Realm cultivator, but he was a youth! Not just a youth! In comparison to others, he was like a fertilized embryo! Barely beginning its process of life!!
How absurd!
Suo Haoran surreptitiously inspected the aura of the Alchemic Dao, as if trying to extract any lies, and upon sensing no reaction, his heart began to pound furiously, on the verge of escaping his chest. Even the Alchemic Dao was aware of this!
Kang Min-ji's face was twisted in disbelief and shock. She found this utterly impossible! After all, she had just witnessed Wei Wuyin slaughter Supreme Sages and kill a Superior Sage with a single stroke of his saber! Who was this person?! When did those scholarly bookworms create such an ungodly monster?!?!
With the truth finally revealed, the Utmost Purity Galaxy's fate was unable to stop the inevitable change!