Star Odyssey

"Senior, would you like to go see your descendants first?" Lu Yin asked.

Hongyan Mavis shook her head. "There’s no need for that. Let's go to the Lu Sanctum. It's better if my existence remains a secret for now."

Lu Yin nodded. "It would be best to only reveal yourself after you regain your strength. Alright, I'll take you to the Lu Sanctum."

Lu Yin and Hongyan Mavis quickly left the Heavens Sect and moved to the Perennial World.

They moved quickly, stars whizzing by until they arrived in the Perennial World.

Upon seeing the distant form of the Mother Tree, Hongyan Mavis felt a surge of emotion. "There it is, the Mother Tree. From my very first memories, aside from Master, it was the Mother Tree that always accompanied us. I thought that it had been destroyed, so it’s wonderful to see it still standing."

"The Mother Tree isn’t easy to destroy. Our Fifth Mainland was only able to hold off Aeternus’s constant attacks thanks to it," Lu Yin remarked, not fully understanding the depth of Hongyan Mavis's feelings regarding the Mother Tree. He then directed them towards the Lu Sanctum.

Hongyan Mavis’s eyes were moist as she silently followed Lu Yin. Seeing the Mother Tree felt like seeing home.

Soon, they arrived at the Lu Sanctum.

"When the Lu family was exiled, so was the Lu Sanctum. Of course that led to some changes," Lu Yin explained.

Hongyan Mavis had already heard of the Lu family’s exile from Lu Yin, so she just nodded and followed him silently.

Lu Yin chose not to make a grand entrance, and he merely notified Ancestor Lu Tianyi.

Lu Yin's message allowed Lu Tianyi to breathe a sigh of relief. He was greatly relieved to learn that Lu Yin was alive.

The sight of Hongyan Mavis prompted a respectful bow. "Junior Lu Tianyi greets Senior Hongyan."

Hongyan Mavis scrutinized Lu Tianyi. "So, you're the famous Lu Tianyi? Time really flies. When I last saw you, you were just a child."

Lu Tianyi reminisced, "Senior, you haven't aged a bit."

"Ancestor Tianyi, Senior Hongyan will be staying in the Lu Sanctum for now. We'll discuss other matters after I handle a few issues," Lu Yin said.

"I understand. There are pests which need to be dealt with," Lu Tianyi replied grimly.

Lu Yin suddenly remembered something important. "What about my father?"

"Lu Qi was never informed of your supposed death. The news was completely sealed from entering any part of the Middle Ocean."

"Good." Lu Yin felt relieved. Given his father's temperament, if he learned that Lu Yin had died, there would be trouble.

…

Ten days after Hongyan Mavis arrived at the Lu Sanctum, a shocking bit of news shook the Sixverse Association.

Cheng Feng, the spy that Lu Yin had caught long ago, finally died, but not before revealing a list of names of Aeternal spies within the Sixverse Association. It was a list with hundreds of names that included spies from every single part of the Sixverse Association, including the Origin Universe and the Endless Frontier.

There were five names on the list that were far more important than any others: Luo Shan, Wu Heng, Arch-Elder Zen, Mu Xie, and Sovereign Lotus.

These five names belonged to five peak powerhouses.

Arch-Elder Zen was a highly esteemed Progenitor within the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect, and he was often seen with Lu Yin.

Mu Xie was Lu Yin's senior disciple brother.

Most important of all was the fact that Sovereign Ninth Lotus was included on the list.

As one of the Cyclic Universe’s Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages, if Sovereign Lotus was proven to be a spy, it would make the Great Sovereign the biggest joke in the Sixverse Association.

However, it was not just the Great Sovereign, as Lu Yin would also become a joke if it was proven that Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie were spies given their close connections to him.

The list spread like wildfire across the Sixverse Association. In no time at all, everyone in the parallel universes started arresting the people whose names were on the list, and not one was found to be false.

Many people whose names were on the list tried to escape, but most were either captured or killed. Very few managed to flee.

Of the five peak powerhouses, Wu Heng escaped. As one of the Arboreal Realm’s Arboreans, as well as someone who had spent a great deal of time stationed on the Endless Frontier, this verified that Wu Heng was a spy, as it also revealed that he had hidden a great deal of his true strength.

At the same time that Wu Heng escaped, one of Sovereign Lotus’s disciples discovered a cosmic door in the Lotus Realm, which cast further suspicion on the Sovereign. Could Sovereign Lotus really be a spy?

At this moment, Sovereign Lotus was thrust into the spotlight. Could she truly be a spy?

Chu Jian, Arrow Sage, and other peak powerhouses immediately made their way to the Lotus Realm to confront the woman.

Given the fact that both Sovereign Lotus and Wu Heng were suspicious, what about the other three peak powerhouses?

Within the Heavens Sect, Lu Yin remained calm. Before him stood an unusually serious Wang Wen. "This is very serious. The list has been proven accurate, and everyone who managed to escape has been confirmed to be a spy. Hundreds of spies were exposed at the same time. Aeternus is incredibly ruthless. Even I question how accurate the list is."

Lu Yin frowned deeply. He had not expected Aeternus to be this ruthless, sacrificing hundreds of spies to target Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie, though it was possible that Sovereign Lotus and Luo Shan were also being targeted. By extension, the Heavens Sect was being attacked.

If it were just the hundreds of spies, things would be manageable. But the fact that Wu Heng was actually a spy was unexpected.

The Arborean had originally been under Mr. Daheng’s control, but Wu Heng had secretly allied himself with Lu Yin in order to escape from Mr. Daheng’s control. Lu Yin had even used Wu Heng to provoke Mr. Daheng into targeting Luo Shan, which had eventually resulted in Mr. Daheng being condemned to the Endless Frontier.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Lu Yin had never once suspected Wu Heng of being a spy. The man had performed his role perfectly.

However, Wu Heng had proven his identity as a spy through this upheaval, which meant that there was nothing more to be said about the matter.

What truly elevated suspicions to the peak was the discovery of a cosmic door in the Lotus Realm.

This incident was the straw that broke the camel's back, and the entire Sixverse Association suddenly believed that the list had to be genuine. If Sovereign Lotus and Wu Heng were both spies, then why not Arch-Elder Zen, Mu Xie, and Luo Shan as well? Could any of them be more valuable to the Sixverse Association than Sovereign Lotus?

In fact, even within the Heavens Sect, many people started to doubt Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie. This was why Lu Yin and his comrades were taking the matter so seriously.

The list was a lie, but it was mixed with nine parts of truth. Exposing the lie could be done depending on the true parts, but there was no denying that the Aeternals had paid a truly hefty price this time. At least, as far as outsiders could see, it was a shocking price.

Arch-Elder Zen entered the Heavens Sect’s main hall. The old man appeared to be perfectly calm. "Dao Monarch, you must imprison me now, or else the Sixverse Association will not let go of this matter."

The Cyclic Universe was already confronting Sovereign Lotus, and countless people from all parts of the Sixverse Association were demanding that the Heavens Sect purge itself of all traitors. There were even people surrounding the Heavens Sect, waiting for a response.

As far as these people were concerned, Lu Yin was already dead, so there was no need to be overly intimidated by the Heavens Sect. While the sect still had a large number of peak powerhouses, none were as intimidating as Lu Yin himself. That man was unpredictable and could never be tracked down.

Lu Yin looked at Arch-Elder Zen. "I know that these allegations are a lie, and yet you want me to allow you to suffer regardless? I can’t do that."

Arch-Elder Zen sighed. "Dao Monarch, Aeternus wants to use this matter to sow discord between the Origin Universe and the rest of the Sixverse Association. No matter what else may happen, imprisoning me needs to be a priority."

"Me as well." Mu Xie entered the main hall. While both men’s names were on the list, the Origin Universe had never acted against them.

This was not even a matter of blind trust, as only the inhabitants of the Origin Universe would understand that it was impossible for either Mu Xie or Arch-Elder Zen to be spies.

Mu Xie had established Humility’s Gate in the Perennial World. With the Lu family's support, he had spent many years hunting down and killing Redbacks. How could such a person be a spy? If he were, then what could be the motive for his actions? Could he be more important to the Origin Universe than even Wang Wen? Mu Xie had practically acted alone in the Perennial World, and he had lacked the power to contend against the four ruling powers or wield much influence on the Endless Frontier. Even if he was valuable due to being a Progenitor, that alone was not enough reason to sacrifice so many Redbacks.

As for Arch-Elder Zen, it was even more impossible for him to be a spy. Without the old man, the Aeternals would have completely conquered the Fifth Mainland long ago. Why would Aeternus hide Arch-Elder Zen and have him fight against them for so many years? It made no sense.

The most crucial point was, why would Cheng Feng, even if he had a list of spies, name Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie? At the moment of Cheng Feng’s death, how long had the Origin Universe and the Sixverse Association been interacting? Why would Aeternus disclose such secrets to a minor figure like Cheng Feng?

Cheng Feng had been tasked with infiltrating the Voidforce Universe’s Knowledge Nexus, and Lu Yin had known this for a long time. Beyond that, Cheng Feng had been worthless to the Aeternals.

Aeternus was clearly trying to cut the Heavens Sect off from receiving any sort of outside support. Either the Heavens Sect would protect Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie, which would create a rift with the Sixverse Association, or the sect would deal with Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie. Either way, Aeternus would not lose out.

"Senior Brother, we both know the truth of this matter, as well as Aeternus's goals," Lu Yin replied.

Mu Xie solemnly stated, "Which is precisely why we must not fall into their trap."

Lu Yin looked at Wang Wen.

Wang Wen smiled at Mu Xie and Arch-Elder Zen. "Both of you are forgetting that this is exactly what we wanted Aeternus to do. As long as they believe that the Dao Monarch is dead, they will go all out. Their goal is to leave the Origin Universe stranded, without any external support.

"If we don’t allow them to succeed now, they’ll simply try again. Now that they’ve moved against us, the Aeternals must be getting anxious."

Arch-Elder Zen was worried. "If there is too much discord, then even when the Dao Monarch reappears, we won’t be able to easily and quickly drive Aeternus out."

Lu Yin turned to look beyond the Heavens Sect. "Then let’s see what sort of forces Aeternus will send against us. No matter how they try to provoke us, those who can see the truth will see things clearly, while those who can’t will remain blind. Problems are being exposed right now, and that is precisely what I need to deal with next."

Issues related to the list of spies continued to escalate, and more and more cultivators from the Sixverse Association gathered outside of the Heavens Sect. All of them were demanding that Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie be arrested to cleanse the Sixverse Association of all spies.

However, the Heavens Sect remained unmoved.

In the Cyclic Universe, Sovereign Lotus had a grim expression on her face. She had been rudely disrupted during her seclusion, only to be confronted with countless suspicious eyes.

She had no way to explain why a cosmic door had been found in the Lotus Realm, but why did someone want to frame her as a spy with just a single cosmic door? That was impossible.

Who in the Cyclic Universe could challenge her? Those capable of doing so would not suspect her due to just a cosmic door.

On the Endless Frontier, Luo Shan fled as soon as he learned about the list. It was clear that someone was orchestrating something, and he did not want to be used as a stepping stone.

Time passed, but the Heavens Sect still refused to act against Arch-Elder Zen and Mu Xie. More and more voices within the Sixverse Association demanded that the sect take action against the two men. Even the old grievance regarding Yao Lan being wrongfully accused as a spy and punished was resurrected, and people demanded that the Heavens Sect apologize on Lu Yin’s behalf.

The most outrageous demand was that the Heavens Sect send a Progenitor to kneel as an apology for Lu Yin’s actions.

OMA's Thoughts

Translated By: OMA

Edited By: Neshi/Nyxnox

TLC'ed By: OMA