Paragon of Sin

ethod, he didn ’t need to sever his spirit, but draw upon his soul directly once more.
He had created a third spirit!

As he devoured the mist that was the ’new ’ Wei Wuyin, he was connected briefly with his Alchemic Heart of Qi.
Alchemical energy was rainbow colored, and embodied seven traits: Extraction, Growth, Containment, Refinement, Creation, Transformation, and Fusion.

While these were its seven traits, many were rather broad in their abilities.
For example, transformation and creation both included recovery and production of new things, such as cells.

With his everything, he connected his Alchemic Heart of Qi with his two other Hearts of Qi.
It was just this action that he could do before the chains restraining his mental image grew stricter, making him once more sealed within his own mind ’s eye.

As he was sealed, a mist formed from within his Mind ’s Eye by some unknown force, as it had done hundreds of times already, producing a new ’mind ’.
Wei Wuyin became helpless seeing this, unsure of what or how this was even happening.

He didn ’t understand why he was sealed or why his mind ’s eye kept producing fresh minds.
At first, he thought it was damage to his brain, but that had long since been healed.
It was far more complex than just that.
However, he knew that, as long as he continued devouring those newly produced minds, he wouldn ’t be replaced.

He was afraid, deeply afraid that one of those new minds would become the new him, which was why he devoured them without question before they could fully develop.
Unfortunately, he had to time it right, otherwise…

He stayed in his mind ’s eye, watching as the fresh mind grew, filled with knowledge and sometimes even a distinctive trace of personality.
When he felt it might become a threat, he would go all out to draw it in, wiping its slate clean.

The only benefit was that all its knowledge and memories would become ’his ’ and so he hadn ’t missed anything in his life.

However, when he recalled the calamity trial, all those horrific, mind-crushing memories, his heart nearly shattered into a thousand pieces.
Those memories were vivid, and if he faced any of those as himself, perhaps he would ’ve immediately failed the trial.
With his fragile soul, death was a certainty.

He got immensely lucky.

While chained by these unknown shackles within his Mind ’s Eye, he continued to look at the growth of his new mind, unable to tell what was happening on the outside.

He didn ’t have a good grasp of time, but he could tell the knowledge portion of this new mind was growing rapidly.
He was about to devour it, but he hesitated.
If it was growing at such a rapid rate, then that meant he was learning, being taught.

If he devoured it now, he would lose the ability to grow.
He would have to start over.
Should he risk it? Thinking about it for a bit, gritting his teeth, he became decisive!

He will risk it!

The Eden Earth Sect was one of, if not, the top alchemist sect in the Xin Country, and that ’s saying something considering the innumerable legacies and alchemists in its territory.

While the previous him didn ’t understand the implication of an Alchemic Heart of Qi, how could he not? They wanted to enslave him, make him a tool to craft high-level pills, elixirs, pastes, and pellets for them.
If he learned their methods, his alchemic talent would rise to its limits!

Unlike others, he had two other Hearts of Qi and Sixth Phase cultivation base, he didn ’t fear them.
The moment he recovered, he would leave! Therefore, he decided to take the risk of being replaced despite his fears.

He watched the mist grow firmer and firmer, his mind anxious at the rate of its growth.
Hopefully, it ’s just knowledge and skill, not memories and personality development.
Fortunately, the sect only wanted a puppet, so they didn ’t care about his personality.
As long as he wasn ’t suicidal, that was already a blessing!

Ohn!

Oh?

Wei Wuyin felt strange.
His body was changing.
He frowned as he also felt a tingle.
This was familiar to him, it was the loss of karmic luck!

A lucky chance!

As he thought of this, he hoped this version of him could grasp it completely! Unfortunately, he didn ’t know if it was a tiny or large chance, but it ’s been a while since his last one in who knows how many years!

Come on!

Zroom!

A sound erupted within his mind ’s eye space, the mist rapidly started to transform into something else.

What?!

No!!

Wei Wuyin panicked.
With his true ’self ’ sealed, if his mind ’s eye gave birth to another complete mind, it could become completely independent to himself, and if he was unsealed, he could develop multiple personality disorder, or even worse! It could try devouring him and succeed!

He couldn ’t allow that to happen, he absolutely couldn ’t! The risk from before went on for far too long, he had to take action.

With a soundless roar, his mental image transformed into a silhouette of himself and grasped towards the transforming mist.
It was pulled towards him, but it was incredibly difficult.
He felt this ’self ’ was becoming more and more tangible, growing outside of his control.

He opened his mouth and roared with his entire mental being, the space quivered as waves of oscillating energy emerged from his mouth.
They started to flow towards Wei Wuyin.

”You! You want to devour me?! ” A voice, one that didn ’t seem like ’his ’, echoed from the mist.

What?!

His eyes flashed as he came to a realization.
His expression became frightened, and true horror emerged in his heart.

Someone was trying to invade his mind?! He was in the process of being ’possessed! ’

This was way outside of his expectations, but it only fueled his desire even further.
If this person entered his mind, he would no longer be ’him ’ in any sense of the word!

He sucked in, drawing upon the full strength of both his minds! The transforming mist screamed, shouted, cursed, and was pulled in slowly.
It fought vigorously, but it couldn ’t pull away.
Its shape became more distinct, however.
It was a tree!

When Wei Wuyin saw this, he nearly had his mind collapsed with shock.
Wasn ’t this the Tree of Eden?!

What the fuck!

As he retained the memories of his previous selves, he knew this was the exact shape of the Tree of Eden, the headquarters of the Eden Earth Sect.

”You agreed to allow me to take over you, you agreed! Why, or even how, are you even doing this?! ” The Tree of Eden spoke, its voice filled with the same horror that suffused Wei Wuyin ’s heart.
After all, ’Wei Wuyin ’ had not only agreed, but allowed him to directly claim his mind.

The Tree of Eden was flabbergasted.
How could he be trying to devour him? His mind was already his?!?!

It made absolutely zero fucking sense to it.

”No! Please! I ’m sorry for tricking you, but don ’t, don ’t kill me! ” The Tree of Eden begged upon seeing his situation, but Wei Wuyin didn ’t care.
In fact, the Tree of Eden should be able to, with a thought, abolish Wei Wuyin ’s mental strength like it was nothing.
The issue lay in that it took over a mist of ’Wei Wuyin ’ giving over complete control somehow.
In the same way Wei Wuyin devoured the other ’minds ’ of his, the Tree of Eden was unable to break whatever mysterious force that allowed it.

It couldn ’t fight back, and the fact it could even resist for this brief time, showed how incredibly strong it was.
Yet, it was useless.

Die!

Wei Wuyin ’s eyes turned cold.
In fact, a sense of deadly crisis emerged in his heart when he heard the Tree of Eden ’s words.
He knew his ignorant self had foolishly been tricked by this old fox of a tree and gave up his mind!

He directly pulled the Tree of Eden into the tip of his saber that was his true mind and devoured it ruthlessly!