Wei Wuyin accompanied Sheng Xinmei. They gathered the remains of her allies, pieces of their broken limbs, splash of crushed bones, or fragments of tools or weapons of theirs. It was all to have something to pay respect to as their bodies were crushed to near-nothing by a Godking's power.
They organized these various articles of remains, and settled down as night loomed over. Wei Wuyin could tell that Sheng Xinmei didn't have the heart to immediately return, so he suggested she rest for the day, recover her strength before returning. For now, a report was enough via transmission crystal.
When those words were spoken, while she hid it, Wei Wuyin could feel the breath of relief exhaled from her lungs. Therefore, they traveled to one of the nearby Common Growth Villages and claimed lodging. Wei Wuyin paid those villagers a few essence stones, which had them jumping with joy the moment they left his view.
To them, an essence stone was a godly object capable of helping cultivators enter the Qi Condensation Realm. A few essence stones meant a few Qi Condensation experts! The elders were already planning to select a few talented juniors to invest in, holding an all-night meeting with vigorous debate and flying spittle.
Unfortunately, greed was an unseen yet vicious force. In the middle of that night, a young woman snuck into the hut that they used to store those essence stones, slit the guard's throat, and swiftly left with the stones in hand. This treacherous act may very well be the beginning of an expert.
Wei Wuyin was quietly watching Sheng Xinmei sleep. She laid in his embrace, fully clothed of course. She was truly a beauty. Unfortunately, yesterday's incident had birthed a heart demon in her mind.
At first, she was insistent on sleeping in separate rooms, but after an hour or so, she told Wei Wuyin that she could use a little wood infusion to repair her body once more. He obliged, but in the end, he was in her room for hours.
She talked about her comrades stories, mentioning them by name and highlight. She laughed, stifled her tears, and clenched her teeth throughout the night. Her emotions were rampant and wild. When she was tired after a night of spilling her heart and mind, she attempted sleep but started to uncontrollably shiver. There were all sorts of words spoken within her dream and into the real world. She was besieged by the terrors of reality. Wei Wuyin could only hold her in response, hoping to alleviate her agitation.
His aura circulated around them. This calmed her down and she fell into a deep sleep. This was how she entered his embrace, reluctant to leave even as she slept.
"Being alone after loss…" His eyes flashed as he leaned back, allowing Sheng Xinmei to use his broad chest as a pillow. His own memories seemed to be triggered as he observed her peaceful expression. What has he not lost?
When he was merely in his teens, his entire clan was slaughtered...because...because of...! He ran away with his brother's life as the cost, later finding an unexpected home in the Scarlet Solaris Sect. He had a newfound purpose of vengeance fueled by loss and hate at the time..
Fortunately, the day he became a Core Disciple was also the day his revenge was dealt. Those who exterminated his clan until only one remained, shouting that he and his clan were devils and demons. He could still vividly remember the faces of those who shouted that he deserved death; he was just a kid, pure and innocent.
Later, their heads separated from their bodies and shoved on a spike for all to see. Their expressions vivid with the same horror he felt that day. It was gratifying at the moment but in the end—empty; his clan didn't return; his friends didn't return; his brother didn't return.
He was still alone.
But it started to change. He had Du Ling, Mei Mei, Wei Si, and others. He was growing once more to have a family, but in the end, the Inheritor of Sin was forced upon him and he lost that home too. Now, he was even losing the will to live and struggle.
He wanted to reignite his will, but before Hell itself, how could he muster such courageous and tenacious will to defy and survive? He experienced the first Calamity, and if it was truly him who experienced this trial, his life would've ended then and there.
He knew this.
There were no ifs.
He didn't have a Soul of True Sin, so the tiniest failure meant absolute death in body and soul. If he wasn't perfect, he was dead. This would not change in the other trials, and only the True Soul of Sin could survive the Calamities of Hell.
He recalled that silver-haired, black-eyed figure that day, the true Inheritor of Sin. He seemed insane as he spoke of good and evil, being weak and punished.
"How can an Inheritor of Sin be so weak?" To be captured by the weak Violet Moon Sect, it seemed unlikely. Was he truly weak? Had he experienced the Calamity of Hell and failed? Was he a cultivator at the Realm of Sages?
Also, why did he choose him of all people?
He clenched his teeth with blazing irritation. This all started with him! He could no longer stand the world, so passed his burdens onto someone else. How pathetic!
"Mmgghmm," Sheng Xinmei shifted slightly. She nuzzled deeper into his chest and placed her arm around his waist. Wei Wuyin shook his head. All his thoughts were irrelevant and meaningless. In a few decades, if he doesn't die before then, it's likely he'll die at that time.
The sun broke through the horizon and morning soon arrived. Sheng Xinmei slowly awoke from Wei Wuyin's embrace, a trace of saliva at the edge of her lips. It seemed her sleep was rather well and comfortable, especially after using Wei Wuyin like a body pillow. She realized where she was and what had happened and snapped up.
"I…" she spoke, but she realized that Wei Wuyin's eyes were closed and his breathing steady; he was asleep. She was momentarily dazed. His sleeping appearance was truly a sight to witness, one without any guard or sharpness, just pure and delicate. She reached out and traced his chin with her fingers.
"Ah." She quietly exclaimed as she pulled back her hand upon realizing her action. She lingered for a little while before rising, realizing that the sun had risen and her injuries were mostly healed. She was startled.
Wei Wuyin's aura was leaked continuously throughout the night and without end, that included his traces of elemental energies and dense vitality. Her body absorbed these refined energies and rapidly healed in its most optimal state.
She found her armor and placed it on her, hiding her prided feminine features. She inspected her body and vital yin, ensuring it was still intact. She was a virgin of two centuries, a fact in that past that she held with pride.
In truth, the close brush with death made her want to give up her virginity before a possible premature ending to prevent any lingering regrets. And she slyly gave a few hints to Wei Wuyin between her expressing of grief and recollection of heartfelt memories.
However, Wei Wuyin didn't. What she needed wasn't a fleeting moment of pleasure, just company and a friendly ear. She was vulnerable to the limit right now, but while he wasn't a saint, he wasn't a devil either.
A rare light of thankfulness emerged in her eyes as she observed Wei Wuyin. Any other man might've taken her everything in that moment. Not wanting to wake him, she wrote a note and left it to his side. With quiet steps, she left the village.
She had to return to the Royal Capital.
Wei Wuyin opened his eyes as she left. Those eyes of his contained something new, something different.
Throughout the night, he recalled his every memory and loss. He blamed everyone and everything, but in the end, there was only him. It was him who was the cultivator. It was him who was the Inheritor of Sin. It was his life. It was his fate.
Regardless of what has happened or will happen, when did he relegate his existence to something as insignificant as a sloth traveling with the flow? Since young, he dared to think against what others deemed as common sense. A little older, he started with nothing and became a top talent in the entire Myriad Yore Continent.
When everything suggested that he would fail the first Calamity, did he not succeed? When he faced the Wall of Heaven, he fought with his all to survive. He kept his original heart and even put Bai Lin's life before his at a key moment. It was that struggle for himself and the things he cared about that inevitably led to current events.
He lost his memory, gained alchemy skills, and made leaps and bounds in his cultivation. He had four Spirits of Qi/Blood! He fought against common sense since the day he was born and had never given up before.
When he recalled Phantom Rogue, an Evil Cultivator, who faced absolute death. During that moment, he experienced a moment of helplessness and despair against a seemingly invincible foe, and it was these thoughts that delayed his ability to retaliate. He became a mess of blood, bone, and flesh due to it. His end was gruesome and vicious, but it was a lesson.
Giving up led to certain failure.
Phantom Rogue lost his heart of cultivation, the heart to struggle at that last moment and lost it all.
Calmly taking in a large wad of air, Wei Wuyin felt his entire body expand with a vibrant sensation of resolution and unwillingness. It was this feeling that drove him to revenge. It drove him to survive.
He was a survivor.
And survivors don't assign blame and wallow with acceptance of their fate; they survive against all odds.
From the beginning he had merely two assets—his heart and mind. The heart to move forward, always. The mind to seek solutions, without end.
"A Soul of True Sin isn't required!" His eyes flashed with untold brilliance. All he needed was a goal in mind to seize a chance, no matter how small, and he knew how to get it. The image of a young woman with blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and a holy aura flashed in his calm pupils.
He rose up and stood tall. His entire body seemed to have become a little lighter as the world expanded in his vision. A few decades was enough. If it wasn't, then he'll make it enough. Because he was a survivor. He would not become like Phantom Rogue.
Who knew that this small investigation would lead to his shift in mentality. It was witnessing a despicable cultivator willing to do anything and fight with his all, but lose it due to his fallen will that drove his change. It reminded him of his past and all his struggles, his failures, and his successes.
It reminded him of who he was.
Weng!
Within his three-layered ring, a crystal lit with a faint glow. It was a transmission crystal. Wei Wuyin withdrew the crystal and received the message..
"Lord Wei, you've received a wedding invitation from Prince Zhen. According to it, it is between Prince Lei and Lin Ziyan. Shall I decline?" Su Mei's words were calm and indifferent.
Wei Wuyin's eyebrow lifted, a hint of recollection flashed within his eyes.
Lin Ziyan?
The information of the Godlord Dossiers he obtained from the World Life Emporium surfaced in his thoughts. Lin Ziyan is...Godlord Lin!
That woman! The one who had him cultivate the Haven Heart Qi Method!
Abruptly, a grin filled with happiness tugged on his lips and threatened to split his mouth.
"No. Tell him we'll be there."
It seems fate hadn't given up on him yet, so why would he?