Solar Convict

North Continent

The land grew colder and colder each day. A snowstorm had mysteriously started three thousand years ago and had yet to cease. Rather, the cold had only gotten worse and in some regions blizzards had appeared.

Shenni watched the icy hellscape of the North Continent with no visible reaction. His residence within a simple cave was still the same even after so many years. If one were to look at Shenni, they would not see a dignified emperor sitting in a magnificent palace. They would instead see a burly red maned barbarism sitting on a stone seat.

Over the years, not much has changed. His traitorous brethren continued to fight his efforts to push further south. His own allies kept going on about the cultivation resources of the Great Wilderness and he had to grudgingly allow them to indulge to keep their loyalty. It sickened him every day to watch his allies turn towards the filth of Pangu.

Whenever he could, it was into the furnace these so called cultivation resources went. Not for refinement or any dignified use normal resources would've received in the Chaos Sea. No, the filth of Pangu deserved only destruction.

Shenni gazed longingly southwards towards the Central Continent and the vague outline of Mt Buzhou. He spat at it.

Knowing ants like Hongjun and Luohu who kept stalling his advances for the mountain drove him mad to no end. His cultivation had slowed in recent years and his frustrations kept piling up day after day. But Shenni made a promise. A promise he had every intention of keeping. No matter if it was the two rising stars or the former four legendary goldfields or even Destiny Demon God himself, Shenni would still fight tooth and nail if they intended to defend the filth of Pangu.

"Your majesty!"

Shenni tilted his head at the sound of a new arrival. Taotie's obese humanoid form stepped into his throne hall and bowed. Shenni considered the four evils to be friends and hence never forced them to kowtow as Demon Ape did for his subordinates. But that was the difference between him and his master, Demon Ape was the supreme master while Shenni was merely his dutiful subordinate.

"What?"

"Lu Ya got away."

BAM!

The armrest of Shenni's stone chair exploded sending rubble across the rocky floor. Shenni's face twisted into a snarl revealing sharp canines. "That TRAITOR!" He roared across the universe.

THOOM!

A thunderous tremor erupted across the Great Wilderness with the North Continent as its epicenter. Spiderweb like cracks appeared throughout the northern lands terrifying whatever creature that weren't innate gods. The skies across the world turned red as a fiery storm replaced regular normal white clouds.

This lasted for several hours as Shenni raged and roared. Taotie knelt at the side patiently while his superior ranted. He was used to it at this point, Shenni was relatively cut off from the rest of his allies because of his tough attitude and rough temper. It was mostly Hundun and the four evils who did management.

Things were preferable this way however. After all, if people knew Shenni's true goal, they'll abandon him in a heartbeat. Without their support, Shenni's own position would be a lot worse then now.

After calming down, the storm over this section of the universe finally calmed. Yet it did not stop entirely. Shenanigans glared at Taotie and began asking about the current situation.

Lu Ya had managed to return to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm despite being constantly busy for years. The Sun Demon God had managed to harness the power of daylight to mend his innards much faster then expected. Despite using up Shenni's own accumulated resources, he was an ungrateful man and abandoned him immediately.

To think he had the gall to use what rightfully belonged to Chaos Demon Ape grated on Shenni's nerves like a scalding stream.

Lu Ya had skirmished with Taotie and Taowu earlier. But the latter two were unable to overpower the former despite having healed to the Chaos Immortal realm sooner. Ultimately though, they were successful in dealing a serious blow to him forcing him to retreat. His exist above the Great Wilderness went unhindered.

"What a Lu Ya," he chuckled darkly. "Taotie how are our extermination around other parts of the world."

"Well your majesty, the West Continent has been sealed off and we haven't been able to mount much of an offensive. Luohu is proving to be too much of a hinderance taunting our goldfields and primordial beasts. Scattered godfiends had taken this as inspiration to harass the North Continent as well."

"Scum! What do they care about my battles?"

"Uh…I believe Hundun said something about them being annoyed you encroached upon their territory. Those who took residence in the East Continent and even the from the South Continent are interfering."

"Nosy busybodies. Are the filth of Pangu really so valuable?" Shenni ground his teeth and had to take several deep breaths to stifle his rage. "Who's not busy?"

"Daoist Earthly Sky and Shen Feng are currently in seclusion to return to the Chaos Immortal realm."

"Go get them then. I'll join the hunt against Lu Ya myself!"

"You'll take part personally?"

When I did not give Taotie an answer, merely a glare to convey his command. The chubby godfined meekly obeyed and left.

For Shenni, it didn't take a wild guess to know where Lu Ya had gone. If the Sun Demon God was injured, the fastest place he could heal was obviously the place in the Primitive World with the most intense gathering of pure yang qi. What other location was there but the Solar Star.

The Solar Star was also known as the Supreme Yang Star and shone with the hottest and most brilliant light through the cosmos. Each day, its light penetrated all dimensions from its dwelling in the Starry Skies and illuminated the blue sky.

Watching the floating eye of Pangu was sickening for Shenni. Since he'd be traveling there anyway, he might as well do the world a favor and destroy both remaining eyes of Pangu.

When the Primitive World was created, Pangu's head remained above the Great Wilderness. His eyes became the Solar and Lunar Star while the remnants of his brain disappeared never to be seen again. As such said paired stars were special among the three hundred and sixty five celestial bodies.

When I stepped into the clouds and quickly flew upwards. Below him, three other lights gathered around and followed after him.

One was obviously Taotie in his eager to please demeanor. The other streams of lights were Great Unity Golden Immortals but ones who were close to returning to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm.

Earthly Sky was a fairly strong godfiend being a wielded of a powerful high grade xiantian spiritual treasure known as the Ruler of Sky and Earth. Following him was Shen Feng also famed as the Ancestor of Divine Wind. His reputation speaks for himself.

Shenni respected them for their strength but little else. Among the godfiends who had chosen to stay with him, they were more greedy minded. Always hungering for larger split of resources from the fighting. Earthly Sky to refine pills for his cultivation and Shen Feng cause he's a greedy fuck.

Nevertheless, the four pierced the barrier of the Great Wilderness and headed into the Starry Skies.

…

Awkwardness.

Awkwardness defined the impasse Tian Hai had with Yang Mei and Wangshu.

The three sat around a table with the sole female of the group attempting to make small talk while the two old man glared disapprovingly at the young boy.

"I should go," Tian Hai said. "I've taken advantage of you."

His words were directed at Wangshu who in her startlement quickly acted in denial. Yang Mei meanwhile looked curiously at Tian Hai.

"Tell me nameless snake, what brought you here to the world of stars in the first place? One does not come to such an isolated ocean without purpose."

"I uh…"

"Speak clearly."

"Come on don't be too harsh." Wangshu attempted to interject but she was ignored.

"I followed a sense of opportunity. The threads of karma lead me to attain a collection of Three Brilliance Sacred Water." Said water appeared in a jar that manifested within Tian Hai's palm. It was also gift wrapped in a cutesy wrapping stylized to look like the night sky and twinkling stars.

"Hm unexpected. I thought you would be in hiding considering that Huoyun told you to do."

"Hiding? How did you."

"I said I spoke to him again recently didn't I? You were a topic that he brought up."

"I see."

Tian Hai's mood turned down upon hearing Huoyun's mention. It couldn't have been a positive outlook. At least not after everything they'd been through.

"Huoyun? That's daoist Five Elements," Wangshu whispered. Even she, as isolated as she was had heard of the Five Element Deity's name from Yang Mei's stories. 'Wait a sec I have heard of a Tian Hai before. But that description and this guy.'

"If I am honest, I do not understand his praise of you. This obsession over your wellbeing," Yang Mei closed his eyes and trembled. He opened them again and snorted as if saying, 'ridiculous.'

It was then that the implication hit Tian Hai like a truck. Huoyun was still concerned about him even after what he put the man through. Even after being such a nuisance his brother was still his brother. Tian Hai vowed to properly apologize to the man and make it up to him.

'I can use him!' 'Loyalty is given!'

"Nggrrh!' Tian Hai swayed side to side. He held his forehead in pain as another round of headache assaulted him once more.

"Hm?" Yang Mei grunted.

"Are you alright?" Wangshu approached Tian Hai to support him.

"Y…yeah," Tian Hai barely managed to etch out a response. But at the back of his mind, pain like sharp needles stabbed at his brain.

'Suspicious!' 'Strong opponent!'

Yang Mei walked to the other side of Tian Hai without any sign of sympathy. Wangshu looked up at him and asked for his aid.

"I don't even know what's wrong with him. How could I even help?" Yang Mei scoffed. "But attacks like this isn't natural. We're you hit by an attack or something? Soul based attacks leave obvious scars which you don't show."

Yang Mei contemplated in spite of his, 'don't care' attitude. But he ultimately could not come up with anything.

"I apologize if I…"

"Stop it. Do not…"

Yang Mei tuned the two younger immortals out while he continued to contemplate. Truthfully, Tian Hai's condition was already explained to him by Huoyun years ago. But seeing was believing or so they say.

It was curious, connote lifeforms on the scale of Golden Immortals were supposed to be complete at birth. That was why newborn innate gods never spent that long in the Golden Immortal realm. The vast majority would reach the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm within the first several centuries of life. A few thousand if they were slow. But the eight headed snake took late bloomer to a whole new dimension.

Standing there on the palace terrace, Yang Mei looked out into the stars. The distant glare of the Solar Star skimmed across his face as it panned past him. 'Lu Ya was there as well when he was born,' he recalled. He had not seen Lu Ya in many years and wondered how the old bird was doing.

'Lu Ya Lu Ya Lu Ya. He purified the frenzied snakes back then.'

Yang Mei narrowed his eyes at Tian Hai. The latter was still groaning on the floor. But with a flex of his divine sense, Yang Mei delved into Tian Hai's body without warning. He couldn't resist a Chaos Immortal in the first place either.

Within, Yang Mei found nothing unusual with Tian Hai. He was truly a whole being just as your average innate god. His soul and flesh were both normal with no irregularities. But what if it wasn't?

The possibility was nigh non existent and Yang Mei was tempted to dismiss it and leave things as it were. But looking at Wangshu who was giving him a displeased look, he couldn't help but feel conflicted. He'd always had a soft spot for the girl, almost like an adopted child.

"Nameless snake," he called out.

"Yes?"

"The only instance of a spiritual attack on your person was Lu Ya's cleansing flames before you learned to speak. Do you remember?"

"N…No?"

Tian Hai was genuinely confused, he had no clue what Yang Mei was talking about. Yet at the same time, his body shivered involuntarily. With the mention of such an event, something deep within Tian Hai reacted in fear.

"Odd reaction," Yang Mei said. 'Could Lu Ya's fire have done something to him? But neither of us sensed anything wrong back then.'

"Old man what was this fire supposed to do?" Wangshu asked.

"Lu Ya used it for the purposes of cleansing foreign influences of one's original person. Hence its true purpose is to cleanse. It doesn't matter what the original person's intention was, foreign influences would both be purged should they differ from them."

"Hm, maybe it burned out more then it was supposed to?"

"I just said it never targets things intrinsic to the person themself."

"Wait," Tian Hai interrupted. He groggily stood back up still with an arm grasping his face. "I think you may have a point. At the very least its worth looking into."

"Waste your time as you see fit," Yang Mei said dismissively and turned away.

Without Yang Mei's scrutinization, Tian Hai contemplated what was just discussed. Suddenly he felt the urge to hurt this Lu Ya.

"You know, perhaps you can try medi…"

"Daoist Wangshu I have tried that like a million times now," Tian Hai scoffed in self pity. "Re-examining myself again and again does no good."

"Have you tried using that Three Brilliance Sacred Water? It's a source of natural life energy, it could heal whatever injury you would've sustained." Her suggestion caused Tian Hai to stare at her in wonder.

"Maybe…maybe you're right," he said. "But to be honest I can't hold out much hope yet."

"Well feel free to use my pool."

"What? Just like that?"

"Sure! You're my friend aren't you?"

Tian Hai could not believe Wangshu's generosity. How could someone like her even exist in a world where most godfiends were out for themselves? But she wasn't actually a godfiend was she?

But there was such a sincerity in her worlds that just felt too good to be true. Yet Tian Hai could not deny such an opportunity. What other choice did he have?

"Thank you fellow daoist."

"Don't mention it. It's only a small matter."

…

With Wangshu's consent, Tian Hai headed for the pool below her palace. The raw accumulation of life giving water was enough to make even the most steady hearted of individuals tremble in envy. Yet Wangshu had no hesitation offering it up.

Yang Mei didn't stop her either. He merely gave her a questioning look as Tian Hai descended into the watery depths.

With all arrangements set, Tian Hai took his steps carefully as if he was being watched by an audience of spectators. The aroma of the ocean of life giving water drove him dizzy yet it was also a euphoric feeling of splendor. It attracted Tian Hai like a moth to a flame.

'Something,' he thought reaching out. A calling welled up inside him and even the disturbing emotions surfacing from the recesses of his mind could not overpower him from decision making. Hence he moved unhindered via the influence of Three Brilliance Sacred Water.

Around his figure, three volumes of light converged and danced around him. Following them, Tian Hai flopped ungracefully into the water.

SPLASH!

He disappeared beneath the surface for a brief period of time.

But when he did, he did not do so in his Dao body. Rather a scaly yellow maned serpentine head rose out instead. Following the first seven others followed, all snakes with diluted pupils. Tian Hai's true form made no other sound other then curling up and diving down, swamming further and further downwards intending to fully embrace the pool of life giving liquid.

His only two spectators watched on as his tail rose out, arced and shrank beneath the water once more. Yang Mei impassively while Wangshu clapped encouragingly.

"You know he has his own right?" Yang Mei criticized.

"Oh come off it old man. He's my friend now and I have no use for this stuff anyway."

"Really? You don't know him."

"Not well. But he did humor me." Wangshu shrugged nonchalantly. "The Lunar Star and all things in the Starry Skies is mine to do with as I please. And I say why can't I just offer my riches up? He played with me for so long so who better?

She faced Yang Mei with an air of indignation. She pulled at the hem of robe revealing the upper portion of her right breast. A seal manifested atop her chest with burning lines of power.

"I would not be so alone if you would just remove this," she spat.

"The Great Wilderness is in turmoil. Reach the Chaos Immortal realm first and they it'll naturally break through your own power," Yang Mei said.

She sighed knowing Yang Mei was right. She wasn't ignorant of the Great Wilderness, she had viewed it from the moon many times now. But being the only living being within the Starry Skies had its downsides and this was one of them.

Yang Mei for all his stern exterior was a caring man. He cared about Wangshu's safety since the third instance where they met, before she even gained a body. Her pestering of him for stories grew on him after several years and that fondness has only grown since.

But Yang Mei was an old and powerful lifeform. The opinions of lessor beings did not matter to him and that also included Wangshu. But he'd already decided that if she were to reach the Chaos Immortal realm or prove herself worthy enough, he'll formally induct her into the Chaos Godfiend civilization just as he was many yuanhui ago.

The way he saw it, he was only nurturing a later generation. This was not dissimilar to the actions Luohu took in the West Continent by spreading his cultivation techniques to native innate creatures. Of course their intentions were two entirely different topics but it

"Say old man," Wangshu suddenly asked. "I could be mistaken but there are… Have you noticed the auras nearing the boundaries of the Starry Skies?"

"Auras?" Yang Mei whirled around yet sensed nothing. It wasn't until his eyes pierced many veils and into the void between realms did he see rough movements within spatial currents.

"Ah, so my senses as the ruler of the stars is superior than yours after all," Wangshu smirked triumphantly.

"Hm," Yang Mei barely acknowledged her while continuing to examine the approaching figures. He wasn't surprised by Wangshu's intuition. She had refined the Lunar Star over many years and became its sole ruler.

Despite her lack of cultivation, the star representative of yin provided her with overwhelming power and supernatural abilities. As she was now, her abilities were heightened to the point where she was a competitor for Great Principle Chaos Immortals.

Since the Lunar Star was one of three sovereigns of the Starry Skies, it naturally possessed the ability to view external objects heading its way.

'I hadn't noticed haha. The lass has grown even stronger,' Yang Mei acknowledged Wangshu's talent for cultivation in his heart. But his full attention was focused on the energy signatures that now entered the Starry Skies.

Beast Emperor Shenni.

Four Evils Taotie.

Daoist Earthly Sky.

Daoist Shen Feng.

"What does the Primitive World's conquered want with the Starry Skies?" Yang Mei frowned. He could never guess what the beast emperor wanted. He was not the ambitious type so him even crowning himself Beast Emperor was strange.

What's more, upon entering the Starry Skies these four did not head towards the Lunar Star but the Solar Star.

"Stay here Wangshu, I'll go see what's going on," Yang Mei ordered. That was when he flew off into space leaving a concerned Wangshu behind.