Star Odyssey

Chapter 2867: WelcTo Join

Big Sis grew bored as she listened to the conversation between Lu Yin and Bi Teng. She had no interest in what they were discussing, and had only tagged along to make sure that Lu Yin was kept safe.

The deal had been concluded, so there was no need for Lu Yin to stay around. There was nothing worth paying attention to in the Decaying Diablo Universe, aside from the Space Diablo above the tower.

That Space Diablo was the largest Decaying Diablo Lu Yin had ever seen, and its ability to control the power of space had to be extraordinary. It seemed likely that the creature was responsible for holding back Shao Yin and the others from Aeternus.

"By the way, I heard that there is a Temporal Diablo in this universe. I was wondering if those rumors are true?" Lu Yin suddenly asked before leaving.

The question startled Bi Teng. "No."

Lu Yin stared at the man. "No?"

Bi Teng somberly replied, "Those rumors are absolutely not true. At least, from the tthat my Merchant Exchange settled in this Decaying Diablo Universe, we have never seen a Temporal Diablo."

Lu Yin stared at the man for a long moment before leaving. Not once did Lu Yin say a single word to Madam Nalan.

Once Lu Yin and the others from the Origin Universe were gone, Bi Teng released a sigh of relief.

"Dealing with Dao Monarch Lu isn’t much easier than dealing with the Aeternals. I keep feeling like he might attack us at any moment," Bi Teng complained.

Bi Lan replied, "The Origin Universe is also a member of the Sixverse Association. We have already reached an agreement with the Sixverse Association, so Dao Monarch Lu should not violate that accord."

Bi Teng quietly commented, "That was the previous Sixverse Association."

All of the members of the Merchant Exchange glanced at each other. They had all felt tremendous pressure during Lu Yin’s brief visit. It was rare for the Merchant Exchange to feel intimidated, and they did not appreciate it.

It was clear that Dao Monarch Lu was not going to be easy to interact with.

"Liu Fuxue." Bi Teng looked over at Madam Nalan.

The woman’s eyes sparkled.

"Prepare a generous gift, and then personally deliver it to Dao Monarch Lu at the Heavens Sect ," Bi Teng ordered.

Madam Nalan nodded with a smile. "I understand."

At this stime, Lu Yin and his group had already returned to the Heavens Sect. For them, despite the battle, the trip had not been particularly exciting. This was mostly because, even though the battle had included an unusual number of peak powerhouses, they had been supported by the terrifyingly powerful Progenitor Yōu Ming.

Not even the captain of the True God Guard had dared antagonize Big Sis.

With 30 trillion star essence acquired, Lu Yin's next task was to visit the Cyclic Universe and roll his die while trying to Possess one of the Nine Sages.

If he could Possess any one of the Nine Sages, he would be able to obtain everything that person had ever mastered. This was the most terrifying aspect of Lu Yin’s innate gift.

Just how many peak powerhouses were there throughout the entire Sixverse Association?

Provided Lu Yin had sufficient resources, he could get to know all of them very well.

He could not realistically try to use Possession in the Origin Universe, as there were too many people there who Lu Yin cared about, such as Arch-Elder Zen, Big Sis, Senior Brother Mu Xie, and more. Lu Yin did not want to Possess those people, as doing so would be too disrespectful.

Sometimes it was necessary to make benefits a priority, but benefits could never outweigh relationships. That was how Lu Yin lived his life, and it was also why Arch-Elder Zen and so many others acknowledged Lu Yin; he always stuck to his bottom line.

People with more powerful emotions could comfort themselves with those emotions, while people who were focused on their own self-interests could ignore others. Only people like Lu Yin struggled the most.

As soon as they had returned to the Heavens Sect and Big Sis and the others had parted ways from Lu Yin, someone arrived. Surprisingly, this was the man who had fought against Lu Yin with Mr. Daheng. If I remember correctly, I believe his nwas Wu Heng?

"Dao Monarch, a man named Wu Heng from the Arboreal Realm is requesting an audience," the Second Nightking reported respectfully.

"Show him in." Lu Yin sat in the main hall, his face calm.

Before long, Wu Heng was escorted in by the Second Nightking. Even though the man had already been aware of Lu Yin's location for stime, he could not simply bypass the Second Nightking. All that Wu Heng could do was slowly follow behind the Second Nightking each step of the way. Ascending the Stairway to Heaven was a matter of showing respect for Lu Yin.

"Dao Monarch Lu." Wu Heng bowed.

Lu Yin observed the man. "I remember you. You were with Mr. Daheng against us when we visited the Liberation Palace."

Wu Heng answered in a respectful manner, "I was not against you, but forced to be there."

"Did Mr. Daheng send you here to look for me?"

"I cto Dao Monarch Lu to ask for help in escaping from the Liberation Palace."

Interest appeared in Lu Yin’s eyes as he looked at the man. "Come, have a seat."

Wu Heng nodded and sat while maintaining a respectful attitude. "Mr. Daheng may appear to be elegant and polite, but the truth is that he is despicable and is willing to use whatever means are necessary in order to achieve his goals. For that reason, I would like to ask Dao Monarch Lu for help."

Lu Yin said, "Did you not voluntarily join the Liberation Palace?"

Wu Heng's face contorted, and he proceeded to explain how he had beca member of the Liberation Palace. Much like Chen Le, Wu Heng had had his cultivation blocked by Mr. Daheng, which had prevented the man from becoming an Arborean. If Wu Heng had not joined the Liberation Palace, he would never have successfully broken through. Also, much like Chen Le, Wu Heng also mentioned the Peaks and Rivers Rocks.

"Once Mr. Daheng had control ofand could threatenwith preventing my breakthrough to becan Arborean, he toldthat he wantedto help him acquire something. It was a stone with a landscape painting on it, though I don't know what the purpose of those stones might be," Wu Heng respectfully explained.

Lu Yin stood and walked towards the door of the Heavens Sect’s main hall, his hands clasped behind his back.

Wu Heng quickly rose to his feet and followed Lu Yin.

Lu Yin stepped into the doorway, and stared out at the distant stars. "Do you know anything about those pieces of stone?"

Wu Heng replied, "Not at first, but after many years in the Liberation Palace, Mr. Daheng started to relax his control of me. I used various methods to learn about those stones, and have learned that they seem to have a connection to the legendary Mirari Realm.

"I wonder, do you know about the Mirari Realm, Dao Monarch Lu?"

Lu Yin shook his head. "I don't."

Wu Heng took a deep breath. "The Mirari Realm is a strange place, and it’s impossible to know where it might appear. It could appear directly in front of you, or you might never find it. Even the most powerful people cannot find it. There are legends that claim that there is something in the Mirari Realm that can allow people to transcend."

"What does it mean to transcend?" Lu Yin asked. His senior brother had also mentioned this sterm.

Wu Heng shook his head. "I don't know. The stone that Mr. Daheng askedto find belonged to a sect that had an old connection to my family. It was a tiny sect, and given Mr. Daheng’s strength, there was no need for him to useat all. However, with the threat of never being able to becan Arborean, I found that stone.

"I believe that what Mr. Daheng has been searching for for so many years is the Mirari Realm. There is a pattern to the stones, which seems to be a landscape painting. It’s possible that the overall image can guide one to the Mirari Realm."

Lu Yin calmly commented, "The conflict between Mr. Daheng and I has already been resolved, so why do you think I will help you escape from the Liberation Palace?"

Wu Heng's eyes flickered. "That grudge still exists."

Lu Yin arched a brow.

Wu Heng then proceeded to share with Lu Yin what Mr. Daheng had said after Lu Yin and the others had left the Liberation Palace. "Mr. Daheng is certainly not stupid, and the Heavens Sect stands at the peak. Dao Monarch Lu even had the courage to insult the Great Sovereign, to no consequences. How could Mr. Daheng ever do that? In order to coerce Dao Monarch Lu, Mr. Daheng used the jiao as a lure, and used others to direct you to the Liberation Palace under the false premise that Chen Le could be traded for the jiao.

"However, Dao Monarch Lu never gave Mr. Daheng any chance to speak."

Lu Yin laughed. "So that's what it was all about. I misunderstood him. Tell me, just who in the Sixverse Association dares to threatenopenly anymore?"

Wu Heng took a step back and offered another bow. "Dao Monarch Lu has no peers in the megaverse, and there is no one in the Sixverse Association who would dare disrespect you. I, Wu Heng, ask that Dao Monarch Lu allowto join the Heavens Sect and serve as one of its elders."

Lu Yin looked at Wu Heng.

Wu Heng did not lift his head, and maintained the deep bow.

Wu Heng was cunning. After Lu Yin had confronted Mr. Daheng, Wu Heng had checked various old records about the Origin Universe. The Arboreal Realm had a very old connection to the Origin Universe, and so a great deal of information could be found, especially by an Arborean. Wu Heng had been able to uncover everything he wished to know.

In the past, he had not known very much about the Origin Universe, due to the Cyclic Universe’s attitude. The Cyclic Universe had led the entire Sixverse Association to being biased against the Origin Universe.

However, after searching through old records, Wu Heng had learned a great deal about the Origin Universe. Only after conducting his research had he understood just how glorious that universe had been in the past. He had learned of the peak of humanity, as well as what the Heavens Sect had once been.

All that he had read left Wu Heng yearning to join the Origin Universe. He longed to beca part of the Heavens Sect and join its glory. He wanted more than simply to be free of Mr. Daheng.

It was true that the modern Heavens Sect could not compare to the ancient Heavens Sect that Wu Heng had read about, but looking at the Sixverse Association, except from the Cyclic Universe’s Great Sovereign, who else would dare becan enemy of the Heavens Sect? Even after being insulted and yelled at by Lu Yin, the Great Sovereign had done nothing.

Wu Heng had been forced to join the Liberation Palace, and when he compared the two organizations, he felt that the Heavens Sect was a much better option.

Lu Yin stared at Wu Heng for a long time. Even if Mr. Daheng was a bit clumsy in how he handled things, he had still managed to gather several obedient Progenitor-level experts.

Chen Le and Wu Heng were both people who had been controlled while still at a level equal to a Semi-Progenitor, but that control had been maintained even after they had reached the peak. The mentality of such people was fundamentally different from most peak powerhouses.

The innate sense of superiority that most peak powerhouses gained after their breakthrough was inviable, and it would be impossible for most other peak powerhouses to show Lu Yin such a high level of deference and be willing to act as his servants. Even if it happened, other peak powerhouses would never truly regard themselves as Lu Yin’s subordinates.

For these people who had been controlled, their mindset was only half that of a peak powerhouse, while the other half was that of someone still striving for the peak.

"To your knowledge, how many of the Peaks and Rivers Rocks are there?" Lu Yin asked.

Wu Heng thought for a moment. "To my understanding, there should be about five."

Lu Yin frowned. Only five stones? That did not seem right. After so many years of effort, Mr. Daheng should not have only found five of the stones. While it made sense that not all of the stones were in the Origin Universe, Lu Yin felt certain that there should be far more than five Peaks and Rivers Rocks. From what he had seen, they looked to be a part of a much larger painting, and it seemed reasonable that they formed a painting of the Mirari Realm.

"The Heavens Sect is open to all to join," Lu Yin said.

Wu Heng was overjoyed.

"But." Lu Yin looked at Wu Heng. "Not right now."

Wu Heng’s head rose, and he gave Lu Yin a blank stare. "Dao Monarch, please explain that."

Lu Yin let out a long breath. "Even if I am willing to ignore the Great Sovereign, I still can't break the rules. The reason I was able to make trouble before for the Liberation Palace was because Mr. Daheng threatenedwith the jiao. No one could faultfor going after him. However, if I go after him again because of you, there’s no clear explanation for my actions, and it would be difficult to justify my actions to Senior Mu Shen.

"You should be aware of the current situation on the Endless Frontier. Right now, everyone is focused on dealing with the Aeternals. I cannot instigate any internal conflicts. Harming humanity as a whole is something that no one will tolerate."

Wu Heng answered respectfully, "I understand. I will remain in the Liberation Palace for now, but if Dao Monarch Lu has any instructions for me, please tell me, and I will do my best to carry out your wishes."

A smile touched Lu Yin’s lips. It was always easier to talk to smart people. "Alright, head on back now, and don’t worry. I will find a way to get you out of the Liberation Palace and let youjoin the Heavens Sect."

Wu Heng's eyes lit up, and he grew excited. "Thank you, Dao Monarch Lu. I will take my leave now."