Star Odyssey

Lu Yin felt like one of the people who ascended from a pond civilization into the greater universe, only to learn that their entire universe before was nothing more than a speck of dust.

He saw people talking, praying, and fighting with blades. There were all kinds of strange creatures that looked like blades. There was life, and an entire world, but everything was composed of blades.

Lu Yin turned his head back to stare at Xia Shenji. Was this the power of a Progenitor?

At this time, everyone in the Higher Realm was similarly startled to discover that the world around them had changed. When they looked around, they saw the same sights as Lu Yin. It was as though a world had been superimposed on top of the Higher Realm and replaced it.

It felt like there was one world on top of another.

Everyone in Shenwu's Sky dropped down to their knees and began to worship. "We welcome Ancestor’s arrival."

People from the other three ruling powers bowed low. "We welcome Progenitor Xia's arrival."

Every last person was bowing in respect. Many had no idea who they were showing respect to, but they understood that the power around them had completely replaced everything.

If a comparison were made, a Semi-Progenitor's inner world looked like a little toy and a complete joke. Such an inner world could do nothing against such power. It would be like a firefly and the bright moon competing for dominance of the sky.

Progenitor Smoke's expression turned serious. "Your Shenwu World has completely changed. It used to be a cold world of nothing but blades, and even the creatures were cold. Your Divine Martial Armor has been used to replace the air, form chains, and blades, and even life, taking away the coldness. You’ve improved greatly over the years, Xia Shenji."

Xia Shenji calmly gazed at Progenitor Smoke. He had not wanted to use this power, as all of the Perennial World’s Progenitors had agreed that a Progenitor’s power could only be released and used in the Dominion Realm and on the rear battlefield. Unfortunately, the man felt that he had no choice. Lu Xiaoxuan had already blocked multiple attacks from a Progenitor, proving his peerless talent and strength. In addition, the presence of Progenitor Smoke, an ancient powerhouse, had also roused Xia Shenji’s memories from their deep slumber. He was eager to demonstrate his power and show the two people that they were nothing but ants.

At this moment, not to mention Lu Xiaoxuan, even if Progenitor Smoke regained her full power from the past, she would face nothing but defeat if she tried to confront the Shenwu World.

"So what if you inherited one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas? All of you were recorded in history, and I will be as well. You might no longer be my opponent," Xia Shenji stated in a low voice. The jiao raised its head and roared from behind Xia Shenji, trying to threaten the man, but the Progenitor simply ignored the beast.

The jiao felt that something important was happening, and it started to panic.

Progenitor Smoke laughed. "Clearly, you never stopped caring about inheriting one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas. How could you not care? You obviously don’t need to use this power to deal with us, yet you still brought it out, just to show it to me."

Xia Shenji casually replied, "How is it, compared to Xia Shang’s?"

Progenitor Smoke frowned. She had no way to compare the two, and that was no exaggeration at all. Because she was weak in combat, she had never sparred with Xia Shang, and even at this moment, the woman did not want to fight against Xia Shenji.

"You can't compare to Progenitor Chen," Lu Yin said, still staring at Xia Shenji.

Xia Shenji had been ignoring Lu Yin for some time. Given the power of a Progenitor’s world, the entire Higher Realm was under Xia Shenji’s complete control, so why bother with Lu Xiaoxuan? However, Lu Yin's words caught the man’s attention. "What did you just say?"

"I said that you’re still no match for Progenitor Chen," Lu Yin repeated.

Xia Shenji was unfazed. "How could a mere ant comprehend the power of a Progenitor?"

Lu Yin lifted his head up higher. "I said that there’s no comparison, and there clearly isn’t. If Progenitor Chen were here, he’d be able to pinch you to death with his fingers."

"How presumptuous." Xia Shenji still acted indifferent, but the air in the sky transformed into chains that smashed down upon Lu Yin. These chains were formed from the Divine Martial Armor that formed the air of the Progenitor’s world, and they were far more terrifying than the chains that were part of Shenwu’s Sky’s defensive sourcebox array.

Lu Yin instinctively wanted to take out the God of Death's left arm and fight back, as he had nothing else that could help him escape. He had spoken because he hoped to coerce Xia Shenji into taking him back to the Fifth Mainland. It was clear that Xia Shenji wanted to compete against Progenitor Chen, and while the chances of coercing a Progenitor into taking such a specific action were incredibly slim, Lu Yin felt that it was not completely impossible. However, against all of Lu Yin’s expectations, Xia Shenji showed no intention of speaking to Lu Yin at all. As far as Xia Shenji was concerned, Lu Yin was nothing more than a tiny, meaningless ant.

Progenitor Smoke suddenly appeared in front of Lu Yin. "Kid, all I can do is help you block one last attack. Whether you can survive will be up to you."

The woman’s wei then condensed into a solid form that protected Lu Yin in all directions. However, the moment the chains made contact, they tore right through Progenitor Smoke’s hastily arranged defenses.

Even though the wei had failed to block the chains, there was still a momentary delay, which allowed Lu Yin to evade with Inverse Step. Unfortunately, Progenitor Smoke was unable to access her full power, and her avatar was already fading away.

Xia Shenji remained indifferent. "Even in your prime, you would not be able to save the child. Is your body trapped inside that mirror? Don't worry, I will rescue you. As for our grudges with the Lu family, all of that has nothing to do with you."

Progenitor Smoke shrugged. "I’ve already repaid the debt that I owed Senior Lu Tianyi. I helped this kid because he allowed me to see the universe once more. Without him, I have no idea how long I would have remained trapped and alone. Xia Shenji, is it really impossible to spare his life?"

"Yes," Xia Shenji answered coldly.

Progenitor Smoke shook her head, and then looked back at Lu Yin. "Kid, take care of yourself."

Even as she bade him farewell, her body slowly disappeared. The mirror fell, and while Lu Yin wanted to grab it, he was unable to move.

Despair overcame him as he watched Progenitor Smoke's avatar disappear. The woman had helped Lu Yin a great deal since they had met, and he would have never been able to accomplish much of what he had done without her. To begin with, Lu Yin would have never been able to escape from Shenwu’s Sky alive without Progenitor Smoke. She was the reason why he was still alive.

With Progenitor Smoke and her strength gone, there was no way that she could return anytime soon. Lu Yin would have to face Xia Shenji on his own.

Behind Xia Shenji, the jiao was frozen, as if dazed. While it might have been rendered stupid due to its injury, certain powers still felt familiar, such as the broken saber and Xia Shenji’s power. The broken blade suppressed the jiao, while it had fought against Xia Shenji’s Shenwu World before. The unforgettable sensation emanating from the Progenitor’s world made the jiao want to flee.

It followed through on its desires. After all, the jiao was not intelligent, and it only acted on instinct. It turned and fled into the Middle Realm without any hesitation.

Xia Shenji did nothing to stop the beast. As long as the broken saber remained, the beast would eventually return for it. The Perennial World was only so large, so where could the jiao flee?

"Young master, run away!" A shout rang out, and several people charged towards Xia Shenji from where the jiao had just been. They had leaped off of the creature’s back.

The sight of them startled Lu Yin. "Stop!"

The people charging towards Xia Shenji were the surviving vassals of the Lu family whom Lu Yin had rescued and placed atop the jiao’s back. He had not expected them to leave the jiao and race towards Xia Shenji as though chasing death. The man was a Progenitor!

Xia Shenji's eyes grew cold. "You maggots."

The man did not even move. The people charging towards the Progenitor froze in place, and then their bodies simply shattered. Blood filled the sky and rained down onto the ground below.

Lu Yin's eyes blazed, and he clenched his fists as he glared at Xia Shenji. Endless hatred filled his gaze.

Xia Shenji had never even looked at the people he had killed. In his mind, they did not qualify for even that much acknowledgement from him. “I'll give you a chance to say your last words."

Lu Yin and Xia Shenji stared at each other. As he looked at Xia Shenji, all Lu Yin could think of was the sight of the people he had rescued being killed and their blood staining the ground. He slowly asked, "Do you regret what you all did?"

Xia Shenji arched a brow. "Regret what? Banishing the Lu family?"

Lu Yin stared. Nothing on his face changed.

Xia Shenji proudly stated, "I regret nothing!"

Lu Yin exhaled. "Go ahead and attack me now."

Xia Shenji’s eyes narrowed. The Shenwu World that enveloped the Higher Realm grew heavier. A single blade formed, and it dropped down upon Lu Yin from above. Given Xia Shenji's power, a mere look was enough to destroy Lu Yin and leave him without even any bones, but the man had decided that this would be the manner of Lu Yin’s death. This was the last respect that Xia Shenji would offer the Lu family.

A true descendant of the Lu family deserved Xia Shenji’s blade.

Lu Yin stood high in the sky. He looked up and watched as the blade fell. This blade was sharper than any that he had ever seen before, and it destroyed all of his hopes. He knew that it was possible to pull the corpse out again, and the blade would not cut the corpse, but that would not change anything. This was the power of a Progenitor, and even with the corpse, Lu Yin would simply be crushed by this blade. It did not truly need to cut him, as smashing him would be just as effective.

Was this the end?

Lu Yin stared at the approaching blade. At that moment, he remembered everything that had happened. However, he was not thinking about when he had united the Fifth Mainland, nor when he had reached the pinnacle of power. He did not see the eyes that gazed at him with fear or desire for revenge. He did not recall the joy he felt from improving his cultivation. No, all that appeared in Lu Yin’s mind in perfect clarity were the familiar faces of those dear to him: his family and friends.

Last, he saw Ming Yan smiling at him. She looked so pure and beautiful.

At that moment, Lu Yin was struck by the desire to return to Shenwu Continent. To go back to the days when he had acted as a coachman and had silently protected Ming Yan from her side while simply enjoying her familiar presence. That had been the most beautiful feeling in the universe!

The blade fell the rest of the way, and Lu Yin closed his eyes. He prepared to take out the God fo Death’s left arm, even though it was unlikely to help at all. After all, this was a Progenitor’s attack.

However, as he waited, Lu Yin was not struck by the blade, but instead by a voice. "Junior brother, it's not like you to simply close your eyes and wait for death."

Lu Yin’s eyes snapped open, and he was met with a shocking scene.

In front of him, what appeared to be a round pebble was floating in the air. It radiated a dazzling light that somehow managed to erase the Shenwu World. Not only had it stopped the descending blade, but it had also replaced the colors brought about by the presence of the Shenwu World. The pebble replaced the center of the Progenitor’s world, and it removed all of the pressure that had been suffocating Lu Yin. Instead, all he felt was a comforting warmth.

A man stood above the pebble. He looked gentle and had a refined appearance. He was a middle-aged man whom Lu Yin recognized. This was the commander of Humility’s Gate: Mu Xia. Lu Yin’s senior brother.

Was his appearance a surprise? Not at all. Lu Yin had been expecting his senior brother Mu Xie to arrive. Lu Yin had not been trying to kill himself when he had gone to Shenwu’s Sky to save the captured members of the Lu family. While traveling there, he had sent messages to both Kui Luo and Qing Ping. Mu Xie had already been informed of Lu Yin’s actions.

The only surprise was how late Senior Brother Mu Xie had decided to show up.

Still, Lu Yin had been certain that his senior brother would eventually arrive.

"Senior Brother, I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused you the first time we met," Lu Yin said with a wry smile.

Mu Xie turned around to look at Lu Yin. "I never thought that the person who nearly became my disciple would actually be my junior brother. Master never told me a thing."

"Master didn't tell me anything either," Lu Yin said with a shrug.

Mu Xie just gave a small smile. "It doesn't matter. It’s not too late given that we know now."

Lu Yin looked past Mu Xie to see the astonished expression of Xia Shenji. "I’m in a bit of trouble. Will this be an issue?"

"Just a bit, but that’s fine."