Star Odyssey

"Do you really think that Aeternus will come after us?" Lu Tianyi asked.

Wang Wen nodded. "If I were Aeternus, I would first cut off all of the Origin Universe’s external support and then attack. To begin with, the Origin Universe holds humanity’s greatest combat power as well as the greatest number of powerhouses. On top of that, the Aeternals have been recently suppressed, and that’s mostly because of the Origin Universe’s actions. Finally, they can use this to confirm His Royal Chesspiece’s death and sow chaos in the Sixverse Association. It's a triple win.

"If I'm right, then unrest is already erupting in the Sixverse Association. News of His Royal Chesspiece's death is just the Aeternals’ first step. They're going to test the Sixverse Association and His Royal Chesspiece, because even Aeternus can’t be sure that he’s really dead."

As he spoke, Wang Wen leaned closer to Lu Tianyi. "Senior, just to confirm, how is His Royal Chesspiece?"

Lu Tianyi did not know how to respond, as not even he was certain if Little Seven was dead or alive.

By all reason, Lu Yin should be dead. True God had attacked a mere Semi-Progenitor, so how could Lu Yin have survived? However, Ancestor Lu Yuan had said that things were not certain. Mister Mu had taken Little Seven away, and according to Ancestor Lu Yuan, Mister Mu was someone who was qualified to sit and discuss the Dao with the Origin Progenitor as equals. Since that man had acted, Little Seven might not be beyond saving.

Wang Wen sighed. "It seems that you don't know either. No matter what, we have to find some external reinforcements now. Aeternus will attack us soon, as they won’t give us much time.

"Don't forget, there are still many spies and Redbacks in our Fifth Mainland, but there are even more in the rest of the Sixverse Association. Our greatest threat is Whiteless God, who holds Aeterna."

The cosmic doors had been destroyed, and Wang Wen immediately ordered that information to be sealed away. Even so, the news still reached the Sixverse Association.

Not only did the information reach the Sixverse Association, but it also spread to the Five Spirits Alliance, the Luna Alliance, and the civilizations in other parallel universes. Not only that, but the information was altered.

Instead of merely mentioning that the cosmic doors had been destroyed, word spread that the Origin Universe had lost all outside support.

Countless people throughout the Sixverse Association started secretly discussing the matter. "It seems that the rumors of Lord Lu's death are true! How else could the Heavens Sect be attacked. Do you know what attacked? It was frenzied corpses!"

"Frenzied corpses? The creatures that Lord Lu was best at dealing with?"

"Exactly! Frenzied corpses are very difficult to deal with. If one was thrown into our universe, it would be an absolute disaster. Supposedly, Aeternus has very few of them left, and yet they were still willing to throw their last ones at the Heavens Sect. What does that indicate? You can figure it out yourself."

"I heard the Heavens Sect's alliance with the outsider civilizations fell apart."

"I heard that their cosmic doors were destroyed."

"In any case, the Heavens Sect can't work with the outsider civilizations anymore. This all happened as soon as Lord Lu died. Aeternus must be planning to attack the Heavens Sect."

"What about our Sixverse Association?"

"No matter what others may think, I firmly support Lord Lu. If the Heavens Sect goes to war, I'll help them. If not for Lord Lu, we would have never had any peace, and I would've died a long time ago."

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Hmph, idiots! Lord Lu did it all for himself. He had to hide his real identity and join us because of the pressure that our Sixverse Association was putting on him. If he hadn't helped the Sixverse Association, where would the Origin Universe’s current status have come from? Do you really think that the Three Monarchs Universe disappeared all on its own? And who do you think controls the Transcendent Universe?”

“That’s right. I heard that Lord Lu invited Lord Xu and Mu Shen to invade the Scourge on multiple occasions. He was hoping for them to be injured or even killed so that he could gain control over the Voidforce Universe and the Arboreal Realm.”

“I heard about that, too. This is retribution…”

…

All across the Sixverse Association, rumors denouncing Lu Yin spread like wildfire. It seemed as if, overnight, the Sixverse Association had become the Origin Universe’s enemy. While the majority of people still supported Lu Yin and did not believe the rumors, as time passed, some started to be convinced. With careful planning, even if the rumors were unable to convince everyone, they could become a significant barrier for those who wanted to support the Heavens Sect.

Little Lian overheard the rumors and scolded those she heard speaking. “Stop spreading lies! Brother Xuan Qi isn't dead, and he never plotted against the Sixverse Association!”

A group of Sovereign Lotus’s disciples dispersed, none of them willing to argue with Little Lian.

The girl was left speechless.

Yao Lan approached from behind. “Little Lian.”

Little Lian felt quite frustrated, and said, “Senior Sister, why do they believe those rumors? Brother Xuan Qi has done so much for the Sixverse Association. Without him, the war would have never ended. I might have been sent to the Endless Frontier and could have died there. The fact that the Aeternals have been suppressed at all is entirely thanks to Brother Xuan Qi.”

Yao Lan gently replied, “Don’t worry too much. These rumors are merely the schemes of petty people, though some of them aren't entirely baseless.”

Little Lian gave Yao Lan a look of confusion.

Yao Lan’s eyes grew cold. “Do you really think that the Transcendent Universe is still independent? Lord Lu has many means at his disposal.”

Little Lian stared at Yao Lan as though looking at a stranger. She had never realized that her senior sister could be so cold.

After Little Lian left, Yao Lan went to speak with Sovereign Lotus. “Master, the Heavens Sect has been attacked. Given the current situation, Aeternus seems poised to strike the Origin Universe. How should we respond?”

Sovereign Lotus replied, “I am already injured. Lord Lu forced me to go to the First Scourge, which aggravated my wounds. I can't help the Heavens Sect. You can go help them.”

“Yes, Master.”

On the Endless Frontier, Mr. Daheng heard the rumors, and his expression turned grim.

Was Lu Yin dead? The man was not sure how to feel about that. He had never been able to determine whether Lu Yin had plotted against him. If Lu Yin had been targeting Mr. Daheng, then the Peaks and Rivers Rock should not have been given to him, but if Lu Yin had not been targeting the man, the situation should not have escalated the way it had.

Regardless, Mr. Daheng had obtained the stone, so it did not really matter to him if Lu Yin was alive or dead.

Mr. Daheng’s current focus was to collect as many Peaks and Rivers Rocks as possible and enter the Mirari Realm. If he could do that, he might have a chance to become an Ortuser.

The Origin Realm… he had no clues about how he could reach that level, but the Mirari Realm surely held a path.

As for Heavens Sect being attacked, that was none of the man’s concern.

In the Three Monarchs Universe, Luo Shan also heard the rumors. He stared out at the stars, and muttered, “Our grievances were resolved, but hearing of your death still brings me joy, Lu Yin. Now, we’re truly even.”

In the Decaying Diablo Universe, at the Merchant Exchange’s headquarters, Bi Teng could not hold back a laugh when he heard of Lu Yin’s death.

The man may have helped the Merchant Exchange once, but he had used that as an opportunity to manipulate the Merchant Exchange, and Bi Teng had been very reluctant to reject any of Lu Yin’s demands. Lu Yin’s death was good news for the Merchant Exchange, as it had removed a significant obstacle from the Sixverse Association.

"Come here."

"Yes, sir."

"Toss Liu Fuxue back to the Origin Universe. Never allow her to work with us again."

"But sir-" the person behind Bi Teng trembled, as they were fully aware that Madam Nalan, Liu Fuxue, was supported by the Heavens Sect. Was the boss really intending to sever all ties with the Heavens Sect?

Bi Teng glanced back, his expression frigid. "Do it now."

"Yes, sir."

Bi Teng sneered. Without Lu Yin, there was no need to worry about the Heavens Sect. Even if they targeted the Merchant Exchange, what of it? There were plenty of excuses to fire Liu Fuxue, and since the Heavens Sect was already struggling to protect itself, he did not need to even consider them. The only pity was that Lu Yin had taken so long to die.

Bi Lan got wind of what was happening, and she quickly went to find Bi Teng. "Lord Bi Teng, are you really going to fire Liu Fuxue?"

Bi Teng had calmed himself and simply replied, "What of it? Do you object?"

Bi Lan replied, "Liu Fuxue has the Heavens Sect behind her, and we have a good relationship with them. Firing her will antagonize the Heavens Sect."

Bi Teng frowned and slowly turned to face Bi Lan. "Do I need to explain myself to others when I fire a subordinate?"

Bi Lan hastily bowed. "That's not what I meant. It's just that…"

"Enough. Liu Fuxue has violated our rules and revealed our secrets to outsiders. That alone is grounds for dismissal. We used to need to give face to the Heavens Sect, but that no longer matters. Send her to the Origin Universe and never work with her again."

Bi Lan cautiously asked, "And what if Lord Lu returns?"

Bi Teng shuddered, and a flicker of anxiety passed through his eyes, but he quickly remembered that Lu Yin was dead. The entire Sixverse Association knew this. What was there to be scared of? "Then let him come. No one can break the Merchant Exchange's rules. You’re dismissed."

Bi Lan withdrew, feeling helpless.

Shortly after that, Madam Nalan returned to the Origin Universe, personally escorted by Bi Lan.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen," Bi Lan said with a sigh. While it was true that Madam Nalan had the Heavens Sect’s support and that she had held a special position within the Merchant Exchange, she had never fought with Bi Lan. The two women got along well, and Bi Lan had even been the one to bring Madam Nalan into the Merchant Exchange.

Madam Nalan smiled gently. "There’s no need to apologize. We’ll meet again soon."

Bi Lan felt quite puzzled.

Madam Nalan stared off into space. "While people claim that Lord Lu is dead, I don't believe it. He isn't that easy to kill, so just wait for me to return."

With that, the woman started making her way towards the Heavens Sect.

Bi Lan observed Madam Nalan’s smile, wondering where the woman’s confidence came from. Was she not alone? Did the entire Origin Universe have such faith in Lu Yin?

If Lu Yin really was not dead and did return in the future, then what would happen to the Merchant Exchange? Bi Lan did not even dare to imagine such a future.

Lu Yin was no ordinary cultivator. The Heavens Sect had peak powerhouses capable of shaking the Sixverse Association, but Bi Teng was not concerned about them. That was because those experts were predictable and would not make trouble for the Merchant Exchange without just cause. On the other hand, Lu Yin was different, and there was no telling how he would act. This was why the Merchant Exchange feared him.

If Lu Yin returned… Bi Lan took a deep breath. She could not even imagine the potential consequences.

Bi Teng was too impatient.

He had felt suffocated under Lu Yin's pressure, and he had been waiting a long time for such a day.

In the past, the Merchant Exchange had never needed to consider anyone, but after Lu Yin appeared, the Merchant Exchange had been forced to look to him for direction.

This was also just the beginning. As news of Lu Yin's death spread, more and more things grew unfavorable for the Heavens Sect.

…

Lu Yin had spent a very, very long time in the Mirari Realm, which was a place beyond time. If this much subjective time had passed in the Sixverse Association, many people might have forgotten all about him, and he would have likely become a legend.

Lu Yin was continuously trying to transform Lightstream, forcing it into a specific shape.

Time passed, and Lightstream constantly shifted and changed.

Finally, one day, Lightstream took the full form of a boat. It was blurry and transparent, to the point where it almost seemed to not exist, but Lu Yin could see it clearly. It had finally taken on the form of a boat.

"Senior, do you see this? I did it! It’s a boat! I made it into a boat!" Lu Yin exclaimed excitedly.

OMA's Thoughts

Translated By: OMA

Edited By: Neshi/Nyxnox

TLC'ed By: OMA