Star Odyssey

The underground portion of the Energy Research Institute continued to crack and break. The head researcher was badly shaken, and his face was filled with disbelief. Since cracks had appeared in Supreme, it meant that the mecha had surpassed its limits and that it would no longer be able to endure. Aside from the emperor himself, the old man understood Supreme the best.

Hong Nian clenched his fists, excitement rekindling in his eyes. He had won his gamble. It had been the right choice to surrender to the cultivators.

“Your Majesty, surrender,” the old man advised, his message reaching the emperor inside Supreme.

The emperor was overcome with both grief and rage, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. As the cracks in the mecha’s hull continued to increase, he had no choice but to shout, “I concede! State your demands!”

Darkness covered the Infinity Empire, casting a pall of doom over the Imperial City.

To the countless inhabitants of the Infinity Empire, Lu Yin looked like a deity, as only a god could force Supreme to its knees.

As soon as Lu Yin heard the emperor's surrender, he clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lu Yin, the Dao Monarch of the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect. Starting today, the Infinity Empire will obey me."

The emperor’s expression turned grim, but he did not argue.

The people of the empire had always known that their relentless conquest of other parallel universes would eventually result in them encountering an unimaginable adversary. Even so, what choice did they have? The Infinity Empire always needed more resources. Without conducting their invasions, they would lack the resources they needed to even sustain themselves, let alone increase their power.

It was a vicious cycle, and destruction was the inevitable destination.

The vicious cycle would inevitably lead to their doom. They had hoped against hope that they would not meet a civilization that was capable of destroying them, or at least that it would happen to a future generation.

However, the day had finally come, and it had arrived so abruptly.

The landmass overhead disappeared, and the sky grew bright once again.

In the imperial palace, Lu Yin sat on the emperor’s throne while looking around with open curiosity.

He had never used such a seat himself. A throne was a symbol of absolute power, and Lu Yin did not aspire to sit on something so ostentatious.

Big Sis watched from down below, clearly amused.

Xu Wuwei rubbed his shoulders. The battle had been intense, but fighting against machines instead of people was strange.

The emperor and various officials were also present in the room. The empire’s mechas had been repaired, which meant that their physical presence demonstrated that Lu Yin currently controlled whether they lived or died.

All the people here were ordinary humans, and they were utterly incapable of resisting.

Among the gathered people were the Pillars of Heaven, all of whom had been captured, the Energy Research Institute’s lead researcher, Hong Nian, and the imperial princes and princesses: Shang Tianzong, Shang Cheng, and Shang An’an.

Shang An'an glanced at Bu Qing, who was standing beside Hong Nian. The princess understood that the invaders had found their way to this universe because of Bu Qing and the other captives.

The princess then looked at Lu Yin, marveling that a human could single-handedly overpower her father’s Supreme.

Shang Tianzong felt incredibly resentful. He had not yet taken the throne, but it had already been lost.

Shang Cheng was more resigned than resentful. He had competed for the throne out of necessity; if he had not done so, he would have perished long ago. Competing for the throne had given him a fighting chance. The prince accepted his fate more readily after Lu Yin seized control of the Infinity Empire.

Lu Yin's eyes swept over everyone present before they finally settled onto the emperor himself. "How is Supreme?"

Lu Yin’s question caused the crowd's demeanor to shift, and the mutual scrutiny instantly stopped.

The emperor answered, "It has been sent for repairs."

"What is the source of its impressive defenses? The materials that it’s made from?" Lu Yin was curious.

Mu Ke and the others were also quite curious about this question.

Mu Ke had experienced Supreme’s defenses firsthand, as his saber had not been able to damage the mecha at all.

The emperor nodded. "Yes, its materials. We can produce and utilize ring energy, and we are also able to refine various materials into their most effective forms in order to produce even more durable substances."

Lu Yin praised, "What impressive technology. While such a thing might not be of much use to those at our level, it's still quite remarkable. Continue your research, especially on developing thirteen-ring energy."

The white-haired old man spoke up, "Lord Lu, you want us to continue researching thirteen-ring energy?"

Lu Yin nodded. "Of course. I want you to develop that technology as it will provide me with even greater support. Without that, your current capabilities are of limited use."

The emperor was baffled by that statement. He regarded his empire as very powerful, before encountering Lu Yin, and this comment made the emperor wonder if Lu Yin had even more powerful adversaries.

That was a chilling thought. Exploring parallel universes was truly perilous.

"Lord Lu, may I ask what you want of us?" Shang An'an asked in a respectful tone after bowing.

Lu Yin replied, "Help me connect a few parallel universes and then serve as my vanguard."

Shang An'an was taken aback. "Vanguard?"

…

Ring energy cut through the void to form a massive passage. On one side of the passage lay the Origin Universe, and on the other side lay the Lost Clan's universe.

This was the first thing that Lu Yin did after he returned to the Heavens Sect; he personally watched as the Infinity Empire used their ring energy to create stable passageways that connected parallel universes.

From this point forward, there would be no need to tear through the void to move between the Lost Clan's universe and the Origin Universe. People could simply pass through the passage.

Of course, people who were capable of tearing straight through the void would still find it more convenient to do so, butvery few people were able to travel directly between the two universes.

The most crucial aspect of this connection lay in its strategic advantage. Regardless of whether Aeternus attacked the Lost Clan or the Origin Universe, either universe would be able to react instantly. The person standing guard over the ring energy passage was a Pillar of Heaven, and it was a task given to the Infinity Empire.

The emperor had been reluctant to send the Pillars of Heaven to assist the Sixverse Association, but there was no choice in the matter. The emperor himself no longer had the authority to make any decisions for his people.

In the entire Infinity Empire, there were seven twelve-ring mechas, five of which were the Pillars of Heaven. Another was the emperor's Supreme, and the last was piloted by the marshal of the empire’s armed forces, Bu Wu’s Fortress.

However, the empire’s armies had stopped their invasions, and Bu Wu had returned to the Imperial City, where he awaited orders from the Heavens Sect.

The empire’s smarter individuals were all looking to the Heavens Sect, as in the future, the Heavens Sect would be the one making decisions for the empire.

As for Hong Nian, he retained his position as the empire's Minister of the Armory, but he now answered to the Heavens Sect, acting as their eyes and ears within the Infinity Empire.

The Energy Research Institute continued studying how to develop thirteen-ring energy. Lu Yin hoped for the research to succeed, as it would add even more powerful warriors to their ranks.

Naturally, Lu Yin had already placed certain measures to ensure that he would maintain control and that the Infinity Empire would not be able to escape from him.

With a connection established between the Origin Universe and the Lost Clan's universe, Lu Yin finally felt a sense of relief. This step would give the reestablished Heavens Sect a real chance at regaining is ancient glory.

He stared intently at the passage created with ring energy and then turned towards the Perennial World. There was something that he had always wanted to do, but had not done yet: speak with the Divine Eagle and the Ancestor Python. The two massive creatures lived in the Perennial World, and unless absolutely necessary, they refused to participate when Aeternus attacked. Lu Yin could not accept their refusal to fight.

He needed to find out just what the two colossal beasts were up to.

He intended to first approach the Divine Eagle, and then visit the Ancestor Python. There was a simple reason; Lu Yin remembered that, when he and Bai Xian'er had asked the Ancestor Python for help in dealing with Undying God, the massive snake had recognized the Lu family bloodline and then spat at Lu Yin multiple times. If not for the Origin Progenitor’s Sword, Lu Yin had no idea how much more he would have had to endure.

Lu Yin was ignorant of any grudges the Ancestor Python might have with the Lu family, but the Divine Eagle should be easier to communicate with, despite the bird’s apparent arrogance.

Before long, Lu Yin entered the Perennial World and made his way straight to the Dominion Realm and the top of the Mother Tree. He looked out at the sprawling branches and saw traces of the Progenitors who had lived in the Dominion Realm in the past.

In hindsight, placing Progenitor Ku in the center of the Dominion Realm might have been the most ironic assignment. That Progenitor was a monster who had managed to survive through invading the First Scourge on his own. However, if not for Progenitor Ku being given a central region of the Dominion Realm, Lu Yin would have never acquired Extremes Must Be Reversed.

That technique had played a truly pivotal role in Lu Yin’s cultivation.

He passed through the Dominion Realm and arrived at the very top of the Mother Tree, where Lu Yin saw the Divine Eagle.

The bird was majestic and intimidating. It radiated arrogance and pride. The Divine Eagle had stayed at the very top of the Mother Tree for countless years as endless generations of humans lived and died. This had continued since the Heavens Sect era. The Divine Eagle and Ancestor Python had both lived since that ancient era, and they were most likely not much younger than the Origin Progenitor himself.

Lu Yin stood in front of the Divine Eagle.

The bird continued to stare straight ahead, much like a statue gazing into the distance.

Lu Yin was directly in the Divine Eagle’s line of sight, but the beast showed no reaction and behaved as though it had not seen Lu Yin.

After a while, Lu Yin realized that he would not be able to outlast the bird’s patience, so he spoke up first. "I’m talking to you. Can you understand me?"

The Divine Eagle did not react at all, and it continued to stare straight ahead.

Lu Yin arched a brow. "I'm speaking to you."

The Divine Eagle still did not react.

Lu Yin frowned, and then shouted, "Divine Eagle-!"

Still, the bird did not react at all.

Lu Yin looked at the beast as it continued to stare straight ahead without revealing any indication of being alive. Had it died?

Lu Yin tested that question by waving a hand and sending a blast of wind towards the Divine Eagle. Its feathers were ruffled, but there was no other reaction.

Lu Yin suddenly looked down, where he saw someone approaching him. It was Nong Yi.

Nong Yi had heard a commotion and had hurried over. As soon as the man saw Lu Yin, he offered a slow bow. "Greetings, Dao Monarch."

Lu Yin acknowledged the man with a nod. "What brings you here?"

Nong Yi replied, "I happened to be in the Dominion Realm when I heard a loud noise, so I came to investigate. Your shout was quite loud, Dao Monarch."

Lu Yin knew that he had been very loud, as he had been hoping to startle the Divine Eagle, but not even his shout had managed to elicit the slightest reaction.

"Are you trying to communicate with the Divine Eagle? That's not going to be easy. The Divine Eagle is very arrogant and doesn't react to anyone. Even when the four ruling powers’ Progenitors tried to speak to the beast, they failed. They ended up spending many years up here in vain," Nong Yi cautioned.

Lu Yin nodded as he continued to stare at the Divine Eagle. "So it’s arrogant, huh? Maybe it's just deaf."

The Divine Eagle's pupils suddenly shrank, and a sharp gaze fixed upon Lu Yin as the bird gave him a cold glare.

The Divine Eagle was incredibly powerful, and it had lived since the era of the Heavens Sect, when it had perched on the Origin Progenitor’s shoulders. Even if the bird’s strength was not equal to the top human powerhouses, such as the Three Realms and Six Daos, it could not be very far off. Lu Yin had seen the scene of the Divine Eagle snatching a massive fish out of the water in the memories of a martial art that Wu Tian had shared with him.

Being stared at by such a creature would cause almost anyone to quiver, but Lu Yin was unfazed. He had already faced death, and not even True God had been able to kill Lu Yin. What was there to fear from a mere eagle?

"So, you can understand me," Lu Yin stated as he met the Divine Eagle's gaze.

The bird’s glare grew even colder.

"What’s that look for? You don’t like being called deaf?" Lu Yin mocked.

Down below, Nong Yi quickly left, though not without leaving a parting remark. "There was once a traitorous Progenitor who fought in the Dominion Realm. He cursed the Divine Eagle and ended up being torn to pieces. Dao Monarch, it seems to absolutely hate being insulted."

Lu Yin chuckled. Who enjoyed being insulted? What mattered was the one saying the insults.

He called the Divine Eagle deaf again, and the bird’s stare intensified. It glared at Lu Yin with increasing malice, and the pressure in the area intensified as the light faded a great deal.

OMA's Thoughts

Translated By: OMA

Edited By: Neshi/Nyxnox

TLC'ed By: OMA