"You?" Syi was startled. Then, his gaze transitioned into one of deep solemnity.
"You're awake," Zhou Xiuhei slightly smiled, arriving before Yan Zaizen and surveying his physical condition. Narrowing his eyes momentarily, he breathed out a sigh of relief.
Confused by Zhou Xiuhei's reaction, Yan Zaizen asked, "what's wrong?"
Syi snorted and stood, "You've been in a state of existential slumber for over three thousand years, we should ask what's wrong!" He seemed slightly enraged.
"What?!" In disbelief, he immediately rejected it. He had just entered a spatial rift and woke up. To him, it was like sleeping and being awakened by a jolting shock. It's impossible he was in whatever slumber for three thousand years.
However, when he turned to Zhou Xiuhei to receive answers, all he received was a slight nod of affirmation.
"..." Mind blank, he checked his body. To him, there was no change to anything, not even his soul cultivation base. It was like nothing happened.
"Enough with this, give me the Sirius Core Method," Syi demanded, unwilling to wait one more second.
Zhou Xiuhei glanced at Syi, his eyes calm but frightening.
Witnessing this, Syi coldly snorted, "Fine! If you have the method, I'll pay a fair price."
"Sirius Core Method?" Things were moving fast and confusion. At the moment, his mind was still processing the three thousand years.
"You're awake!" A teary voice erupted from Yan Zaizen's soul.
"Pinaka?" Yan Zaizen would recognize this voice anywhere. It was soft and gentle, but now it was even more so. Suddenly, Pinaka projected her soul form before Yan Zaizen. Her eyes were a beautiful silver-blue, her long hair as black as night itself, and her beauty mind-bogglingly. She was like a spiritual goddess descending from the heavens.
Her eyes were happy and she seemed to have cried. Despite being unable to produce tears, she had an expression as if she was originally depressed to tears and shifted to utter happiness. This was what Yan Zaizen felt.
"You…" Just as Yan Zaizen wanted to say something, he felt a warmth wrap around his body. It was odder than bodily warmth and more so one that touched the soul directly.
Pinaka embraced him completely. It was only now that he realized that Pinaka was quite tall, buxom, and curvaceous. As she had a long robe, he never got a good look. This was also the first time they ever came into direct contact.
"I'm happy you're alive!" She whispered softly in his ear with a hint of weakness. Unconsciously, he wrapped his arms around her body and tightly embraced her. When this happened, even Pinaka realized the circumstance, but she stayed.
To her, Yan Zaizen soul had essentially been shut off. She could leave and exit as she wished, but she couldn't connect with him. It was like he was truly dead. Unlike before, Yan Zaizen's state was even scarier because she couldn't feel any hint of his existence.
This terrified her. More than she ever thought it would.
Zhou Xiuhei watched this and smiled slightly, "you have a good companion, she cared for your body while you were in that state. Even washing and redressing your body. Haha." After hearing this, Pinaka didn't grow embarrassed but her eyes grew softer.
A spatial rift appeared not too far away. It attracted Syi and Zhou Xiuhei's gazes. From this rift, three men appeared. One was a middle-aged man with a tranquil gaze, another was a young man dressed in a white scholar outfit with exceptionally white teeth and slim figure, and the last was a bespectacled violet-robed scholar with a silver dot at his glabella.
Yan Zaizen recognized the aura and turned his attention towards it. He still held Pinaka, however. She didn't let him go so it'd be awkward if he did so first. As if noticing his thoughts, she turned into a ball of light and entered his body.
"Brother, you're awake." The pearly-teeth, slim scholar said with deep excitement in his voice.
"Wait!" Syi was nearly fuming, his eyes were like seething blood. "Give me the method so I can leave. As agreed, here's payment!" He didn't wish to deal with this any longer. After three thousand years, he came to an agreement with Zhou Xiuhei. He threw a heavenly dimensional box towards Yan Zaizen.
Catching it, Yan Zaizen was a little startled. He tried checking its contents but couldn't. Only those who developed heavenly sense could penetrate through this dimensional box.
"Young one, do you have a method called the Sirius Core Method? If you do, the price is worth it," Zhou Xiuhei patiently asked.
After thinking about it, he did. He had already memorized its contents, but it was too profound even for him, a Non-entity, so he never tried cultivating it.
Yan Zaizen couldn't cultivate the Sirius Path even if he wanted to, for two reasons actually. One, it conflicted with the Herculean Path, literally following the same foundational development. Evolution and refinement of the physical body. Two, only those with the Sirius Regalia for reference and refine a Sirius Heavenly Shrine would be able to cultivate it.
As for why Ezekiel had stolen it, it was the cultivation method of a Heavenly Creation expert, why not? Any reference was capable of enhancing one's knowledge and experience. If Yan Zaizen was given the same opportunity, he would make the same choice.
He brought out the book and threw it towards Zhou Xiuhei unwilling to quibble. After all, if a Heavenly Commander says it's worth it to sell, then it was worth it. He also trusted Zhou Xiuhei and didn't wish to delay his answers with Syi's incessant complaints.
Inspecting it briefly, Zhou Xiuhei delivered it to Syi who coldly snorted and left. As he left, a smile of deep excitement plastered itself solidly on his face.
"Good that that is dealt with," Shi Yan, the violet-robed scholar smilingly said. "Now, before I let you all have a delightful reunion, I have a few questions."
Zhou Xiuhei was calm unlike three thousand years ago. He stayed silent and waited. Bai Lufeng and Tao who stood beside Shi Yan remained silent as well. They seemed to respect Shi Yan a lot. Yan Zaizen was confused, but before he could inspect the situation, Shi Yan bombarded him with questions.
"Do you cultivate the Violet Way of Spatial Law? Did you develop an Imperial Law of Spacetime? If so, what is it and how far have you progressed?" He seemed excited as he spoke but maintained the pose of a scholar.
Yan Zaizen briefly glanced at Zhou Xiuhei only to get a soft smile and slight nod. With that, he didn't hide anything.
"...Yes. Yes. Realm of Chaotic Space and Minor-Manifestation." He was succinct with his answers.
Shi Yan's eyes lit up, "Then, what do you think about becoming a Guest Elder of my Violet Source Palace?"
"..." Another guest elder position? He was shocked to see that Zhou Xiuhei didn't seem to be against it. Being a guest elder of two forces? What if conflict erupts from them? He felt an instinctively desire to refuse, however…
"You can accept, Young One. But be sure to get maximum benefits." Zhou Xiuhei calmly advised.
This gramps!
However...maximum benefits?
"What would I receive in this Guest Elder position?" He inquired.
"You'll be below one, me, but you would have the authority of a Head Elder. You can mobilize any and all available forces you wish as long as it isn't against an ally. If you wish to do so, come to me first. You have access to a majority of our resources. You can create your own force, whereby we'll instantly be equal allies. You'll receive your own Grand Realmship to travel as you wish, whenever you wish. Unless the force is at war, you can do anything you wish."
"..."
"..."
"..."
They. Were. All. Shocked.
Wasn't this the same as a Patriarch?! Even Zhou Xiuhei felt it ridiculous. He also felt a little embarrassed.
Yan Zaizen side-eyed Zhou Xiuhei, muttering how cheap Zhou Xiuhei was in comparison.
"Mhm!" Zhou Xiuhei coughed and looked away.
"Why me? What do you want from me?" Yan Zaizen didn't rush into this. He understood Zhou Xiuhei's motivation, but not Shi Yan. Sure, he cultivated the same art, but wasn't this too much?
Shi Yan smiled despite Yan Zaizen's suspicions, "I just have one condition…" he lifted his index finger, "when you reach the sovereign-level of your Imperial Law, you produce a Regalia for my, mhm, OUR Violet Source Palace."
"...Sure." He was quite casual with that. He didn't know how long that'll take but considering his status as a Non-Entity, it shouldn't be hard. Shi Yan and Zhou Xiuhei's eyebrows twitched at his casualness. Imperial Laws were so difficult that many Heavenly Creation experts still haven't reached the Sovereign-level in one.
"Then, welcome!"
Yan Zaizen turned his eyes towards Bai Lufeng and Tao, his gaze turned odd. "What?"