Star Odyssey

The Neohuman Alliance was the deepest darkness that lurked within the Fifth Mainland's Human Domain. The moment they were discovered, every human was required to obliterate them at any cost. Anybody and anything found to have worked with or have even a hint of a relationship with the Neohuman Alliance, regardless of their faction, organization, or location, would be immediately erased.

This was a decree from the Hall of Honor, and it was an iron-clad rule.

Lu Yin had not understood this rule very well in the past, but everything clicked into place at this moment.

This was the Neohuman Alliance, the stain of humanity. No, they were not actually human, but rather monstrosities that wore the skin of humans.

"You're also a human, so why did you fall so low?" Lu Yin asked incredulously.

Silver's eyes were icy when he met Lu Yin's gaze. "I've always believed in one thing since I was young: being alive is the most important thing. Even if that means becoming a monster."

Lu Yin chose to remain silent. Just staying in this place gave him the urge to throw up. He felt a compulsion to lay waste to Aeternus Nation and raze everything to the ground.

"Captain, shall we continue with our tour?" Silver smiled.

"If possible, I'll definitely destroy this place," Lu Yin growled.

"I believe you, but I also have faith that such a day will never come." As he spoke, Silver glanced at his gadget and said, "All of the preparations are done. Let's go, captain. It's time to join us now. There's someone who wants to meet you, so put on your best behavior!"

There was an ominous darkness that lay behind this sun soaked city. Lu Yin felt extremely stifled as they walked around it.

The oppressive feeling filled him with the desire to vent his rage and destroy everything in his path, especially the zombies that treated humans as toys while calling this place paradise.

"There are many cities in Aeternus Nation, but everyone, humans, zombies, and even me, have a figure whom we worship. It's over there." Silver pointed to a distant location.

Lu Yin looked at where Silver was pointing to see seven monumental black towers that stretched high into the sky.

He had noticed them before.

"Seven towers? The Seven Skygods?" Lu Yin indifferently asked.

Silver grinned and nodded. "The Human Domain was able to create the Mountain and Seas while our Neohuman Alliance's Progenitors created the Towers of Darkness. The seven towers you see are the Seven Skygods. But very soon, there will be an eighth, ninth, tenth, and even more towers to form an entire forest. This is the magnificent future of the Neohuman Alliance!"

Lu Yin's eyes flickered past Silver and he fell deep into thought.

What a joke! If the Neohuman Alliance could build that many towers, then they would have already conquered the Human Domain. The power levels of the Seven Skygods are definitely higher than a million, and they should be on the same level as an Empyrean Imprinter. They're definitely not Progenitors.

Once, in the past, Mister Mu had easily destroyed a strand of Blackless God's spiritual force that had been residing within a corpse king. From the way Blackless God had acted in front of Mister Mu, the Seven Skygods were at best on the same level as Mister Mu or actually weaker.

There's still Mister Mu.

No matter how infinitesimal it may be, Lu Yin still wanted to clutch onto any bit of hope he had.

This was Aeternus Nation, a place that not even the Hall of Honor was able to destroy. Lu Yin could only soothe himself by putting his hopes in Mister Mu. However, even if Mister Mu was able to reach this place, would he be able to rescue Lu Yin?

Silver led Lu Yin past the towering mountain ranges and flowing rivers. SIlver was right about one thing: the picturesque beauty of this place was truly mesmerizing, to the extent where it felt like a fantasy. It was so extreme that everything seemed a bit forced.

Still, the beauty was not able to conceal the lurking darkness.

Contrary to Lu Yin's expectations, the Seven Towers of Darkness were not surrounded by guards, and they actually seemed like a forsaken territory.

The two young men continued walking towards one of the towers.

Lu Yin assumed that this was Blackless God's tower, as the Skygod had already contacted Lu Yin several times during his time in the Outerverse. Additionally, during their third encounter, Blackless God's spiritual force had been destroyed by Mister Mu. Blackless God was extremely welcoming towards Lu Yin, and he had almost used Ming Yan to threaten Lu Yin.

However, contrary to Lu Yin's expectations, the person who wanted to meet him was not Blackless God, but rather the one who had captured Lu Yin: Shaman God.

Lu Yin's hair stood on end when he saw a spooky doll floating in midair. Once again, he felt like he was no longer in control of his own life. This sensation was something that he only ever felt when nearby major powerhouses.

This was a shadow that hid next to humanity. One who had reached the pinnacle of the Fifth Mainland. One of the Three Dark Hands: Shaman God of the Seven Skygods.

"Captain, even if you're not a part of the Neohuman Alliance yet, you still have to show basic respect for your elders. You're facing Shaman God."

Lu Yin looked at the floating doll and said, "My apologies, but you don't deserve my respect."

Silver remained grinning.

Shaman God cackled in an eerie manner and said, "No matter. You'll soon be one of us."

While speaking, Shaman God violently trembled and produced a buzzing sound.

Lu Yin felt as if all of his secrets had been pulled out of the dark, and he felt as though an icy knife had sliced down into his spine.

Suddenly, the Ghost Monkey's body appeared, and he melted into the ground. "Seventh Bro, save me!"

Lu Yin tried to reach out toward the monkey, but his actions were to no avail. He found that he had been immobilized, and his entire world flipped upside down. His vision soon went dark afterwards, and he helplessly crumbled to the ground. He had lost all control of his body at this moment.

His vision deviated from what he was accustomed to, and things seemed taller than what he was used to seeing. He realized that his sight now somehow originated from his nose.

His five senses had been completely mixed up. Lu Yin moaned in agony.

In front of him, the creepy looking doll began fusing with the Ghost Monkey's shadow. "Save me, Seventh Bro!"

"Heuheuheu, save you? This is Aeternus Nation! Who can save you?" Shaman God teased.

Lu Yin remained rooted in place, unable to move. He had lost his sense of spatial awareness.

He was like some kind of toy being subjected to all sorts of whimsical playing.

"Interesting, interesting. You're a shadow, aren't you?" Shaman God incredulously observed the Ghost Monkey and cackled.

The monkey's phantasmic figure began to tremble. "Please don't look at me like that! I'll get scared."

Silver's eyes widened a bit, and he began to focus his attention on the Ghost Monkey.

Lu Yin's sight was focused on the monkey as well.

Shaman God floated in a circle around the Ghost Monkey and began to study him. "Interesting… You've piqued my interest. I'll release from this human's clutches, but you'll have to join the Neohuman Alliance. How about it?"

The monkey stopped resisting.

Lu Yin furrowed his brows, but he remained silent.

Silver grinned.

Shaman God flew another circle around the Ghost Monkey and waited for his reply.

Right at this moment, Silver spoke up. "This creature actually absorbed the blood of a Progenitor back in the Mountain and Seas Zone, and it suddenly jumped from the Explorer realm to the Hunter realm. It was completely bizarre."

Shaman God turned to stare at Silver, causing him to shudder and his pupils to constrict. He then spat out a mouthful of blood that was a strange black color, and he half knelt on the ground.

"Did I allow you to speak?" Shaman God's voice boomed, shaking the Tower of Darkness atop its foundation.

Silver hurriedly dropped his head. "My sincerest apologies, Shaman God."

Shaman God shifted his attention and returned his focus to the Ghost Monkey. "Heuheuheu, you only have one chance. Join our Neohuman Alliance, and I'll get rid of that subjugation spell. Else, you can die."

The Ghost Monkey promptly replied, "I'll join you!"

Lu Yin was not surprised at all, and he observed the situation in a calm manner. The Ghost Monkey would not be the Ghost Monkey that Lu Yin knew if he did not make such a choice. What's more, Lu Yin did not blame the monkey, as each person had to choose how to live their own lives in such a situation.

Shaman God sniggered and turned to look at Lu Yin. His arm suddenly felt scorching hot, and the heat rose until he felt it spread all the way to his heart, almost causing him to faint.

Beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead, and he could not help but adopt the same half-kneeling position as Silver. The half of Lu Yin's arm that held the monkey tattoo had been burned.

Shaman God snickered for another moment before saying, "This is the ultimate fate of all humans. I'll offer you the same choice as well: join us or live a life worse than death. It's your choice."

The shadow that was the Ghost Monkey went still.

Lu Yin huffed and snorted. "I'm not afraid of death, but I believe that I'm worth more to you alive than dead. How are you planning to use me?"

Shaman God laughed out loud. "Your temperament is definitely different from others. It's no wonder why you were able to unite the Outerverse. You wish to be used?"

Lu Yin shook his head in a helpless manner. "Nobody wants to become a tool, but if I can escape death and have a future, then so be it."

"Your future is with the Neohuman Alliance," Shaman God replied.

Lu Yin stayed silent.

Shaman God looked down at Lu Yin. "Actually, you have my admiration, along with the admiration of all Seven Skygods. If you're willing to join us and accept having your body remodeled, then you might be able to create a tower of your own with your own strength in the future. Do you still remember that kiddo from Amethyst Exchange?"

Lu Yin pupils dilated.

Shaman God laughed. "He accepted remodeling himself, and he was then able to cultivate himself into a corpse king, which increased his powers significantly. Aren't you moved by this, boy? Think about it! You were abandoned by the Hall of Honor. The Hall of Honor only took away those top ranked talents and left the rest of you behind. Why? It's because you haven't reached that level yet.

"Is Shang Qing really that much better than you? Is he really that much more talented than you? No. From my perspective, you are actually far more valuable than Shang Qing. If not for his Tri-Yang Ancestral Qi Technique, how else could he have reached his current position? All of those talented youths have their own backing, unlike you, who clawed your way to this place on your own.

"Don't you feel the injustice of it all?

"Don't you bear a grudge from having been forsaken? So what if you've united the Outerverse? You were still abandoned. Join us—join the Neohuman Alliance and obtain powerful techniques beyond your imagination, ones far stronger than what Shang Qing possesses. Become greater than even the Cosmic Five! You will stand at the very top of the Human Domain, you'll have a great chance of breaking through to the Progenitor realm!"

Shaman God's words were very compelling, and Lu Yin was somewhat moved. The part that nearly convinced him was the allure of becoming stronger than Shang Qing. Ever since the true nature of the Tri-Yang Technique had been revealed, nobody had claimed to be stronger than Shang Qing. Lu Yin craved the idea of defeating Shang Qing and having his name resound throughout the universe.

However, not by relying on the Neohuman Alliance.

Although Shaman God was powerful, and his words were rather captivating, they actually ended up having the reverse effect; the words only strengthened Lu Yin's desire to escape. He wanted to stand at the top of the Human Domain through his own strength.

The Neohuman Alliance did not provide a future for humans. And if there was no future, then what would be the point of beating Shang Qing? Absolutely none at all.

Aeternus Nation seemed to be a regular mortal world from the outside. As long as the outer clothes were not peeled off of the humans, and as long as the blood and the tearing of flesh remained hidden in the dark, it would look to be a utopia.

It was a facade of a utopia that covered up the darkest sides of humanity.