Paragon Of Sin Chapter 1985 Chapter 1977: Venturing Higher

"Slow! Slow! Slow!!!" Kratos grumbled, sounding as though time itself was committing a personal offense against him. His frustration was understandable. Following the distribution of merit and War Souls, Wei Wuyin had earned the privilege to join the Ascendant Battlefield as a 'Soldier' despite his current cultivation base. While such an irregular occurrence was rare, it wasn't unheard of among demonic geniuses, particularly in recent eras where the multi-galactic standards of cultivation had seen significant advancement.

However, after obtaining his permit and the necessary upgrade, he was forced to endure a two-week journey through a spatial channel from the Stellar Battlefield to the Ascendant Battlefield. According to the Envoy of Order responsible for the merit rewards, these three Battlefields were structured like an inverted cone, tucked away within a bizarre, isolated pocket of chaotic space.

Entering from the outside was a simple matter, but navigating between them was far more difficult. Wei Wuyin had initially considered traveling to the Ascendant Battlefield on his own, but he faced a major obstacle: the marking of an accepted entity. This mark could only be acquired through specific access formations, whether from the inside or outside. If he departed without it, he would be barred from returning unless he reached the Earthly Saint Phase and used a proper access formation.

This specific marking was the reason he had steered clear of the Nexus Battlefield, which forced the immediate expulsion of any Soldier or Commander upon their victory. Under the governing laws of the Battlefield of Order & War, the Nexus Battlefield served as the final stage of its category, making this expulsion an unchangeable law of the realm.

There was another deterrent, though it mattered little to a True Void Dragon: the environment of this isolated spatial region was lethally hostile. Even Supreme Sages would struggle to traverse it, and in certain conditions, it was outright impossible. Furthermore, locating the next Battlefield was a monumental task, given that they were tucked away within Chaos Realms.

With no other choice, Wei Wuyin begrudgingly accepted the sluggish pace of Tilly’s escort. On the bright side, the suppression and pressure he usually felt were absent during the transit. In theory, this provided a flawless window for advancement; it was common for Demi-Mortal Lords to use this time to ascend into Earthly Saints to prepare for their roles as soldiers. It was an intentional design by the architects of these rules.

Yet, Wei Wuyin couldn't capitalize on this opportunity even if he desired to. His cultivation remained at the Soul of Mysticism Phase, and the process of ascending would require more than a mere two weeks. Consequently, he spent his time idling with his escort, Tilly Winehart.

Among his Mystic Souls, only Kratos was vocalizing his boredom. Ori and King were busy looking after Element, who was cautiously refining and absorbing the Mote of Heaven. Meanwhile, Magus had retreated into silence, processing the mental crystals packed with the lineages, legacies, techniques, and insights plundered from the Creationists of the Inner and Outer Stellar Battlefields.

His ruthless extraction of knowledge and fortune from others would surely provoke a backlash from those galaxies eventually. He had exploited oath-dissolving potions in a situation where their leaders were powerless to intervene or even anticipate the theft. Typically, organizations at every level—from planets to galaxies—employed safeguards to prevent such legacies from being extorted through force or blackmail.

Such chaotic theft of knowledge threatened the very foundations of their power. While many of the stolen legacies were of minor value, the Creationists in the Outer Stellar Battlefield were elites or individuals with immense luck. For instance, Mu Yura was a false Earthly Saint Alchemist, but her ties to a Blessed had provided her with a unique alchemical spell that enhanced her success rates.

Ancient Concoction Methods, rare arts, and specialized spells like those were priceless. Wei Wuyin had shown no mercy in seizing them, particularly those guarded by strict oaths.

For most people, such a massive influx of information would be useless; trying to digest it would be like a gluttonous mortal choking on food they couldn't possibly swallow. It would offer no benefit. However, for Wei Wuyin—and Magus specifically—this wasn't an issue.

Out of curiosity, Wei Wuyin had once checked the functions of the Library of Eden before Magus transitioned into his fifth Spirit of Cultivation. What he discovered had redefined his understanding of organization and precision. Back then, thousands of Mental Incarnations acted as scholars, authors, and librarians. Magus possessed a terrifying capacity to function as a hive mind.

He had seen a specialized chamber where Magus's Mental Incarnations engaged in debates with one another. It was a surreal sight—both sides presented valid arguments while an arbiter, yet another Magus, presided over the discussion. Every wing of the library was meticulously categorized. Most impressive, however, were the condensed regions of critical knowledge that distilled everything down to the most vital points.

Once Magus became his fifth Spirit of Cultivation, the palatial Library of Eden was integrated into his very being, creating a world beyond imagination. Wei Wuyin had once glimpsed Ori's world, which resembled a massive white star.

Was this new library as vast as a star? Did it house thousands of Incarnations? Millions might be a more accurate estimate. As a Spirit of Cultivation, it was unclear if Magus even needed to create separate Mental Incarnations anymore. The proof of his work was evident in the waterfall of Enlightened Scholarly Mist pouring into Wei Wuyin’s Sea of Consciousness. Magus was perpetually refining theories, fixing flaws in arts, and identifying errors in Cultivation Methods while generating entirely new concepts.

Resting comfortably next to Tilly on a makeshift bed inside the spatial transport bubble, Wei Wuyin reached out to Magus mentally: "How much time do you need to process all that data?"

Lately, Magus had shifted to transmitting only perfect manuscripts of organized insights. These were essentially annotated textbooks for Wei Wuyin to study, complete with references and clarifications. This allowed Wei Wuyin to absorb the information efficiently without falling into the trap of false conclusions.

These manuscripts also detailed common mistakes and explained why they occurred in the insights of others. Often, these errors stemmed from the difficulty of translating cultivation experiences into words. Magus broke down these complexities perfectly, providing clear instructions. This ensured Wei Wuyin didn't just understand the material, but could master it well enough to teach or debate it.

Magus adhered to a specific scholarly philosophy: "If you cannot explain a subject with total clarity, acknowledging all sides of a debate without bias, then you have not truly mastered it."

This mindset was a massive boon for his alchemical insights, particularly when using the Freestyle Method of Alchemy. If he couldn't justify why a specific spell was the most effective choice for a certain phase of concoction, he shouldn't be using it. To truly know its value, he also had to understand why alternative spells would fail.

This rigorous standard pushed his growth as a Creationist to new heights.

If needed, Magus could still share his mind directly, a process that was now even more potent, allowing knowledge to be etched directly into the soul.

In another corner of his being, Eden was busy sustaining the Neo-Dawn Ascension Cauldron, which housed both versions of Bai Xiu. The two had suffered significant damage but also gained much during the Transcendent Mystic-Heaven grade concoction. Eden nurtured them within its Mystic Form with maternal care.

With nothing else to do, Kratos continued to whine about the travel speed. Eventually, he slipped into the Mind's Eye to pester Athena like a boastful dragon. His ramblings about his own greatness made little sense, but after Magus had intimately experienced the unique state Kratos existed in, the dragon's strange habits finally began to seem logical.

"Magus," Wei Wuyin called. The grand library within his Primordial Expanse—not his Sea of Consciousness—vibrated gently in acknowledgment. Magus remained non-verbal, communicating only through waves of emotion. "Are you still intent on taking the lead in the Ascendant Battlefield of Order?"

The library that comprised his Mystic Form trembled with a resonant "Of course!"

Wei Wuyin had only asked for confirmation. Magus's current state was peculiar, and he was deeply focused on a task that demanded everything he had. Wei Wuyin could feel his mental reserves draining at an incredible speed, nearly matching his naturally high recovery rate. "Understood," he thought, relaxing once more.

"Tilly," Wei Wuyin said suddenly. Tilly looked up, her eyes watery, letting out a muffled hum of acknowledgment because her mouth was too full of food to talk. "Is it possible for a person to take part in both the Battlefields of Order and War during a single run?"

She blinked at the question, then nodded. After a quick swallow, she caught her breath. "You... you can only participate in one as a Soldier or Commander per entry. So, you could join the Battlefield of War as a Soldier and the Battlefield of Order as a Commander in the Inner and Outer Battlefields, but not the other way around. Every time you upgrade your rank or status, it counts as a fresh entry, mostly because demotions don't happen unless there are extreme circumstances."

"Excellent. That means I can go check on the Prime Ascendants," Wei Wuyin’s eyes sparked with curiosity. He couldn't help but wonder how Su Mei was faring.

Outer Ascendant Battlefield of War.

The air was filled with the screams of the dying and the final gasps of the fallen. Fortified camps lay in ruins, and severed heads were scattered across the ground like dry weeds.

A sudden, devastating disaster had arrived!