Star Odyssey

Chapter 1902: Who Is This?

One day later, Lu Yin arrived in the Primal Zone.

Already, cultivators like the Sixth Mainland’s Cloud Valley Master were making their way towards the eastern side of the Primal Zone, and Lu Yin wanted to find the planet where he had left the desiccated corpse in a stunned state so that he could retrieve the piece of Progenitor Wushang’s hide.

Suddenly, Lu Yin and the Second Nightking stopped in place, and they glanced at each other at the same time. They had both sensed that something was off: it felt as though they were being watched.

The Second Nightking’s spiritual force was incredibly powerful, and he was a monstrously strong powerhouse, so it was no surprise that he had managed to notice something.

As for Lu Yin, it was nothing more than a gut feeling. After he had become an Envoy, his instincts had become much sharper.

"Who’s there? Come out," Lu Yin ordered as his gaze swept the area.

The Second Nightking had turned very serious. While it was unlikely that they were wrong, as they had both sensed someone’s eyes at the same time, the fact that this person was able to remain hidden from even the Second Nightking indicated a very powerful person.

Space twisted a short ways away from the two men, and a kind looking old man appeared. He gave Lu Yin a small smile as curiosity and admiration filled his eyes.

He was well dressed, and he gave those near him a feeling of comfort. There was a strange but refreshing medicine fragrance that appeared when he revealed himself.

"If I’m right, you should be Herb Immortal, one of the Four Empyreans, Senior" Lu Yin spoke in a respectful manner.

The old man nodded. "I’ve admired you from a distance for quite some time, Alliance Leader Lu."

Lu Yin was struck by a feeling of dread. "I don’t dare accept such a compliment. I’m nothing more than a junior to you, Senior."

"Hehe, there’s no need for such modesty. You’re the only newly risen Envoy in the entire universe who’s able to sense this old man’s presence. You even managed to sense me at the same time as the man from the Daynight beside you." Herb Immortal smiled as he looked at Lu Yin with growing admiration.

Lu Yin stared at Herb Immortal. Regardless of how kind this man looked or how he complimented Lu Yin, he was still one of the Sixth Mainland’s Four Empyreans. The fact that the Second Nightking had not been able to find the man spoke of his power.

The Second Nightking stared at Herb Immortal. "You must be a Semi-Progenitor."

Lu Yin’s gaze grew even more wary as he stared at Herb Immortal.

Herb Immortal smiled, neither denying nor admitting to anything. "Alliance Leader Lu, there are rumors that you are a direct descendant of the Lu family and that you possess the family’s innate gift, the Champions' Stage. Could you show it to this old man?"action

Lu Yin felt increasingly nervous. "What do you mean, Senior?"

Herb Immortal quickly apologized. "I’m sorry for my rudeness, but I’m merely curious and have no further intentions. The Champions’ Stage is simply too famous, and I heard of it many times in my youth, though I was never able to see one for myself. I already have one foot in the grave, and there’s no telling when I might pass. I only asked to fulfill an old dream, so I hope you won’t take any offense from my words, Alliance Leader Lu.”

Lu Yin had no idea whether or not he could trust Herb Immortal. He glanced over at the Second Nightking, only to see the old man had taken a step forward and was growing increasingly vigilant.

Herb Immortal continued to give Lu Yin a faint smile, showing no hostility from the beginning.

Lu Yin hesitated a bit as he considered the old man’s request further. “If you want to see it, I don’t have a problem with it, Senior.”

The Champions' Stage appeared in front of him.

Herb Immortal's eyes flared when the Champions’ Stage appeared, and he exclaimed, "This is the Lu family’s hereditary innate gift, the Champions' Stage? This is the power that can make one person as strong as an entire nation? Are those markings on it those who have been anointed?"

Lu Yin quickly dismissed the Champions' Stage and said, "They’re merely some patterns."

He did not make a habit of revealing his trump cards. He had recently fought quite a few people, and thus did not want to expose any more of his techniques than necessary.

Herb Immortal gave a small smile and sighed. "Back then, the Lu family's Champions' Stage was considered invincible. Any one of them who possessed it was able to suppress an entire battlefield. Everyone who saw a Champions' Stage would lose all will to fight, no matter if they were an enemy or even a comrade-in-arms. It was an invincible power that could deter anyone."

Lu Yin was puzzled: back then?

Herb Immortal raised a hand and tossed a thin, translucent paper over to Lu Yin. No, it seemed to be a piece of skin.

The Second NightKing reached out and took it.

"This outer skin of a pill is a coincidental by-product from refining some pills. It’s not very useful, but it does possess a decent degree of toughness, as it can withstand attacks with power levels of over a million without issue. This is my thanks for fulfilling an old man’s wish," Herb Immortal explained.

Lu Yin was amazed as he took the skin from the Second Nightking. His pupils transformed into runes, and he saw a shocking number or rune lines from the skin that were comparable to what Yuan Shi possessed, despite the skin being as thin as a cicada's wings. He used his full strength to try to tear the skin, but nothing at all happened to it. It really could endure attacks with power levels of over a million.

Lu Yin immediately thought of making some clothing with this skin. If he had a bit more of it, he could fashion some clothes to wear, and then he would be able to brashly roam about as he wished. He looked back up and was about to say something, only to discover that Herb Immortal was already gone.

"Where’d he go?"

"He left," the Second Nightking replied.

No shit! That’s obvious! "Which way did he go?"

The Second Nightking looked to the east.

Lu Yin pursed his lips as he put away the pill skin. He remembered Herb Immortal’s earlier words: “Back then.” The old man had spoken as though it had been something he had witnessed himself. Wait, what if that was exactly what had happened?

Herb Immortal was someone from the Rock Realm, and Xin Nü had mentioned that many people from the Rock Realm had previously been sealed within stone. Could Herb Immortal be someone who had been sealed in stone during a battle in that ancient war as well, only to be unsealed much earlier than Xin Nü? It could even be possible that the two had lived during the same era.

It was actually a possibility.

"Let's go." Just as Lu Yin and the Second Nightking were moving to continue searching for the planet where Lu Yin had suppressed the desiccate corpse, a terrifying aura spread out from far to the east. It shook both the Primal Zone and Ironblood Weave before spreading even further.

Lu Yin turned to look to the east in shock. "A Semi-Progenitor!"

At the eastern border of the Primal Zone, the people of the Sixth Mainland were preparing to push into the Astral Beast Domain. This was to be the first step of their counterattack.

However, a middle-aged man in a black robe suddenly appeared before the army. At the exact same time, Herb Immortal appeared as well. Two terrifying forces clashed and tore space apart.

This collision of Semi-Progenitors’ strength sent a shockwave sweeping through the Primal Zone, leaving only destruction in its wake.

Everyone from the Sixth Mainland retreated.

Herb Immortal’s expression grew ugly. "Yao Di."

The black-clothed middle-aged man who had appeared at the border of the Primal Zone was the Celestial Demon Emperor of the Celestial Beast Empire. The Astral Beast Domain’s only known Semi-Progenitor.

It was no surprise that Yao Di had made an appearance. Xu Qing was somewhere that he could not be contacted, and the Sixth Mainland had invaded the Primal Zone and was pushing into the Astral Beast Domain. Apart from Yao Di, there was no one else who could stop the Sixth Mainland’s invasion.

At this moment, Herb Immortal revealed the strength of a Semi-Progenitor, confirming the rumors that he had reached that level.

However, not even a Semi-Progenitor was able to stop Yao Di. Herb Immortal was overwhelmed during their clash.

"Leave the Primal Zone. This war ends here." Yao Di had the appearance of a man in his thirties, and he was just as good looking as Yao Xuan. The emperor’s eyes held a majestic and refined quality, though it did not detract from his arrogance. He held his place like an immovable mountain, blocking all of the Sixth Mainland cultivators from proceeding any further.

Herb Immortal refused to retreat. "Your Astral Beast Domain invaded the Outerverse, yet you now want this war to start at your whim? You think too highly of yourself."

Yao Di glanced at Herb Immortal. "Killing you is only too easy."

A glint flickered across Herb Immortal's eyes. "Try it."

As he spoke, he gestured for Yao Di to proceed. Qing Hua and others quickly backed away from behind Herb Immortal. This had become a Semi-Progenitors’ battlefield.

A terrifying spiritual force materialized and created a storm that swept through space and crashed towards Herb Immortal. The void was distorted in front of the man. It was the appearance of a famous battle technique: Herb King Dispersion. Everyone who had fought Herb Immortal before had learned that entering his Herb King Dispersion meant defeat was a certainty.

His Herb King Dispersion had just made another appearance, and it colliding directly with Yao Di’s terrifying spiritual force.

Howling winds formed from the force of the spiritual force. As it touched upon the Herb King Dispersion, Yao Di’s battle technique dissipated. Herb Immortal's face turned pale, and he was slowly pushed further back into the Primal Zone.

Qing Hua and other powerhouses from the Sixth Mainland were all startled. How was it possible that Herb Immortal, a Semi-Progenitor, was unable to stand up to Yao Di's spiritual force?

Yao Di raised a hand and pointed a finger forward. The maelstrom of spiritual force condensed, releasing a terrible pressure.

Herb Immortal's pupils instantly constricted. A medicinal cauldron appeared in space, and it sealed off Yao Di's spiritual force. This was Herb Immortal's inner world, and anything that was sealed within it would be incinerated.

Yao Di’s brows rose. "Force Explosion."

The moment he spoke, the medicinal cauldron shuddered, and a crack appeared that started to spread.

Herb Immortal trembled violently and spat out blood. The difference in strength between him and his opponent was simply too vast. Compared to Yao Di, Herb Immortal was as weak as an Imprinter up against a Semi-Progenitor. Yao Di had absolutely opened his third meridian point.

Yao Di was the only Semi-Progenitor in the entire Astral Beast Domain, and the Astral Beast Domain possessed the Fourth Mainland’s inheritances as well, which was what had allowed the emperor to open his third meridian point.

Herb Immortal's face turned ashen as he questioned whether or not he would die in this battle. Of the Sixth Mainland’s Semi-Progenitors, only Jiu Yao could face Yao Di.

"As I said, killing you is too easy," Yao Di’s voice was relaxed, yet the crack in the medicinal cauldron widened, and a trace of spiritual force leaked out. With a wave of the Celestial Demon Emperor’s hand, the spiritual force gathered in one place before lashing out at Herb Immortal. This attack seemed able to draw in all things, and even space itself was parted like a curtain of water.

From the perspective of Qing Hua and others, it looked as though the entire Astral Beast Domain had just been focused into a single point that had been sent crashing into Herb Immortal.

The medicinal cauldron quickly moved in front of the man to act as a shield. However, a bit of the spiritual force pierced the cauldron and continued on towards Herb Immortal.

Just as the man believed his life to be over, he heard an exclamation. "Is this the spiritual force the Celestial Demons possess? It truly is terrifying."

Boom

Countless people watching from outside the Primal Zone were left stunned as space shattered and cracks spread throughout the Primal Zone and the Astral Beast Domain.

Yao Di's expression froze and he looked up to stare into the distance. Someone had managed to stop his spiritual force.

Herb Immortal stood within the Primal Zone, blood leaking from a corner of his mouth. At some unknown time, a person had appeared in front of him. This man was Kui Luo.

A Semi-Progenitor’s speed meant that they were able to easily cross vast distances almost instantaneously, and Kui Luo had been able to travel to the Primal Zone very quickly.

His arrival had coincidentally helped Herb Immortal block a killing blow.

The next moment, Xue Laogui appeared. He stared blankly at the scene before him, unsure of what was going on. He arrived at the Primal Zone by chasing Kui Luo, and thus had witnessed Kui Luo blocking Yao Di's attack and saving Herb Immortal. Was this man not an enemy of the Sixth Mainland? Why had he helped Herb Immortal?

"Who are you?" Herb Immortal and Yao Di asked in unison.

Kui Luo stared at Yao Di in amazement. "As expected from the stories, you’re a creature that’s most suited for cultivating spiritual force. Even in ancient times, the Celestial Demons were the top species in the Fourth Mainland. Truly impressive."

Yao Di was much more solemn when facing Kui Luo than he had been when confronting Herb Immortal. "Who are you?"

"Just an outsider who has nothing to do with this war. My hands just got itchy when I saw your spiritual force and I wanted to give it a go," Kui Luo replied in a cheeky tone.

Yao Di frowned. He had assumed this man had to be one of the Sixth Mainland’s hidden powerhouses, but he was nothing but an outsider and an idiot!

However, Xue Laogui’s appearance drew a bit of Yao Di’s attention as well. Three human Semi-Progenitors were present, and Kui Luo was even capable of blocking the astral beast emperor’s spiritual force. This battle looked to be much more challenging than he had assumed.

Herb Immortal also felt confused by the arrival of Xue Laogui and the mysterious Semi-Progenitor. "Who is this?"