Star Odyssey

The jiao soon exited the New Corridor, and Lu Yin was back in the Fifth Mainland. He sent a message to Lu Buzheng, asking him to meet them and collect Lu Gong.

Upon seeing Lu Gong, Lu Buzheng's first words were, "Greet your ancestor."

Lu Gong instantly became furious.

Lu Yin sighed and then proceeded to explain that Lu Buzheng really was their ancestor. Lu Gong's anger transformed into confusion. How had he suddenly gained another ancestor?

"Where is Lu Xun?" Lu Buzheng asked.

Lu Gong looked over at Lu Yin. Lu Xun? The Qin Mountain branch’s elder?

"Dead."

Lu Gong's eyes went wide in shock. "Dead? Young Master, how did Lu Xun die? I must avenge her!"

Lu Yin waved the question off with a hand and then left Lu Buzheng to explain everything to Lu Gong. As that happened, Lu Yin went and paid Attendant Wu a visit. "You previously mostly told us about the Three Monarchs Universe. Today, I want to learn more about the Main Universe."

Attendant Wu stared at Lu Yin in shock and utter disbelief.

Lu Yin was amused by the reaction. "What? Are you surprised to see that I know about the Main Universe?"

Attendant Wu's mind was in chaos, and his fear of Lu Yin rose to new heights.

The last time the two of them had spoken, Lu Yin had not even known about the Three Monarchs Universe, but he now knew about even the Main Universe. Attendant Wu considered something for a moment and then mumbled, "Is it possible to travel between this universe and the Main Universe?"

Lu Yin inquired, "Is that not normal?"

Attendant Wu explained, "The Main Universe is the leader of the Sixverse Association, and they possess unimaginable power that’s even comparable to the once-prosperous Origin Universe. However, they are restricted and can only travel to a few other universes. At least, that is what our Monarch said. So why is it that…"

The man suddenly cut off and stared at Lu Yin in horror. It had just dawned on him, but from what he remembered, the Heavens Sect had been in the Origin Universe, right? In that case… "Is this the Origin Universe?"

Lu Yin remembered hearing Sage Yuan call their universe the Origin Universe. "That's right."

Attendant Wu's scalp went numb. "How is that possible? Was Gu Yue from the Origin Universe? He never mentioned that! If this is the Origin Universe, then why did he seal it off from us? Our Three Monarchs Universe can’t even hope to compare with the terrifying power of the Origin Universe!"

The realization of where he was shocked the man to the core. Why would a giant block an ant's path? Gu Yue had even used such an intricate method, sacrificing himself in the process.

Lu Yin did not bother to explain to Attendant Wu that Gu Yue had been born in the Fifth Mainland’s Perennial World. As far as Gu Yue was concerned, the Fifth Mainland was the Forsaken Land that lacked even a single Progenitor. How could the Forsaken Land possibly hope to compare to a parallel universe? On the other hand, if the passageway had instead connected to the Perennial World, things would likely have played out very differently.

"It seems like there are many things that you haven’t told me," Lu Yin commented.

Attendant Wu shrugged. "Senior, I didn't purposely leave things out. Rather, I was ignorant of the fact that this place is the Origin Universe. The chances of two parallel universes intersecting is infinitesimally low, and aside from Aeternus, there is no universe that would dare to claim to intersect with more than ten other universes. That includes even the Sixverse Association itself. If we exclude the Sixverse Association, then no universe, not even the Main Universe, can connect with more than five parallel universes. This is not only because of the small chances of two universes intersecting, but also because the only way to acquire a universe’s coordinates is to steal a coordinate seal from Aeternus.

"Given the strength of Aeternus, it is extremely difficult to steal anything at all from them. This is why I never said anything about various parallel universes before now," Attendant Wu explained.

Lu Yin did not argue with him. There had been no reason for Attendant Wu to deliberately keep such things hidden from him. The only possible argument that could be put forth was that, by concealing certain things, Attendant Wu could ensure his safe return to the Three Monarchs Universe. However, such assurances simply did not exist.

"Tell me about the Main Universe, the Origin Universe, and the Sixverse Association," Lu Yin ordered.

Attendant Wu answered in a respectful tone, "Absolutely. This small one will not leave out even a single detail…"

Several days later, Lu Yin arrived at Shenwu Continent to meet with Arch-Elder Zen.

"The five sealing planets have been incorporated into the Sealing Path sourcebox array. How is Grandmaster Gu Yan doing?" Lu Yin asked.

"Just the same as everyone else. The flow of his stellular energy has reversed, but since he is an Array Grandmaster, his injuries aren't grave. He simply appears to be any ordinary human. Right now, he is at the base of the Tower of Resonating Light."

Lu Yin nodded. "That's good."

"A few days ago, I drove a Progenitor from the Perennial World named Bai Sheng away," Arch-Elder Zen mentioned casually.

Lu Yin smiled. "He's still upset about that."

Arch-Elder Zen chuckled. "He’s quite decisive. The moment he realized that there was nothing he could do, he immediately retreated.”

“What brings you here now?"

Lu Yin's expression turned serious. "Senior, the state of the universe is far more complicated than I previously understood."

Arch-Elder Zen's expression grew sharp. "Tell me more."

Arch-Elder Zen had become a Progenitor, and thanks to the Tri-Yang Ancestral Qi Technique that he cultivated, his strength was unfathomable. Even Bai Wangyuan and those at his level were wary of the new Progenitor. Lu Yin might be the ruler of the Fifth Mainland, but he still needed to consult with Arch-Elder Zen on all matters.

Fortunately, Arch-Elder Zen was not Hen Xin, and the old man held no desire to compete with Lu Yin for authority. Arch-Elder Zen had ruled the Fifth Mainland for an extremely long time. Before the Heavens Sect’s reestablishment, his Hall of Honor had ruled over the Fifth Mainland, and Arch-Elder Zen had always been the one to lead the Hall of Honor.

"Our reality consists of countless parallel universes, but they rarely connect with each other. Even if someone accidentally travels from one universe to another, it’s nearly impossible to actually connect the two universes. The only ones capable of doing so are Aeternus. They possess coordinate seals that can allow people to sense other parallel universes, and thus travel to them. They are able to freely travel to any new universes that they discover, and due to their aggression, these new universes are eventually transformed into battlefields.”

"Some universes are so weak that sending a single Envoy is enough to seize control of them, but there are others that are incredibly powerful, to the point where not even Aeternus dares to push them too hard. Right now, our universe is the only one that has ever truly intimidated Aeternus, but that was during the Heavens Sect’s peak.”

"That period of prosperity didn’t last, and as our Mainlands shattered one after the other, we were eventually left with just the Fifth Mainland and the Perennial World. These two regions make up our universe, which is known as the Origin Universe. Beyond our universe, many others are still at war with Aeternus, and the situation has reached an impasse. These parallel universes have varying levels of strength, and the strongest power is known as the Sixverse Association. They aren’t actually a parallel universe, but rather six parallel allied universes that are connected together, forming a massive battlefield against Aeternus.

"The Three Monarchs Universe that Attendant Wu comes from is a member of the Sixverse Association, and the Main Universe that Sage Yuan comes from is another. In fact, the Main Universe created the Sixverse Association…"

Although Attendant Wu did not know many specific details, he had learned a few things. While his level of cultivation was relatively low, he had still been an Attendant chosen by the three Monarchs of his universe. This meant that he was relatively close to the Progenitor-level powerhouses, and he had gained a fair amount of knowledge from them.

Based on Attendant Wu’s understanding, the Main Universe had replaced the Origin Universe as the most powerful known universe. Even the three Monarchs of Attendant Wu’s universe were cautious of the Main Universe. The Main Universe also had another name: the Cyclic Universe.

"From what Sage Yuan said, I now know that the Main Universe was the universe that helped exile my Lu family," Lu Yin said in a low voice.

Arch-Elder Zen considered everything that Lu Yin had told him. "I never thought that our reality was so vast. We haven’t even fully explored our own endless universe, but now we're learning about the existence of parallel universes. Are the people who live in some of these parallel dimensions identical to us?"

Lu Yin nodded. "Possibly, though we might not be connected to them. Attendant Wu confirmed to me that there are no two universes in the Sixverse Association that have identical individuals."

Arch-Elder Zen nodded. "Some parallel universes are essentially exact copies. I've seen some myself. Others experience various changes after a period of time, which leads to them giving rise to all sorts of different creatures. Even-"

The man stared off into the distance. "The allied universes that make up this so-called Sixverse Association may not necessarily be mirrors of our known universe. They could reflect parts of the Astral Wilderness."

Suddenly, Arch-Elder Zen asked, "Is the Perennial World also part of the Sixverse Association?"

Lu Yin smiled. "That's the most interesting thing. They're not."

Arch-Elder Zen was surprised. "The Perennial World isn't a part of it?"

Lu Yin replied, "According to Attendant Wu, his universe only knows about one of the Seven Skygods: Forgotten Ruins God. They have no knowledge of the other six Skygods. This means that most of the Three Monarchs Universe’s strength is spent fighting against Forgotten Ruins God. In comparison, the Perennial World is much, much stronger. While the Perennial World is nowhere close to the level of the ancient Heavens Sect, the Three Monarchs Universe still can’t even come close to it.”

"However, the Perennial World isn’t part of the Sixverse Association, while the Three Monarchs Universe is. It makes you wonder."

Arch-Elder Zen looked at Lu Yin. "What are you thinking about?"

Lu Yin replied, "I want to join the Sixverse Association."

Arch-Elder Zen did not appear surprised at all. He knew Lu Yin very well, and while the young man appeared quite cautious, he frequently took unconventional approaches to his problems. Most of the time, his methods led to unexpected success. Without these methods, Lu Yin would have never made it so far. "There are two possibly reasons why the Perennial World isn't part of the Sixverse Association: they either don't wish to join, or they have been deliberately excluded. If you want to join, then not only will you have to deal with the hostility that the Main Universe holds towards the Lu family, but you'll also become the target of a great deal of public criticism."

Lu Yin casually said, "I never said that I would do so while representing this universe."

This caught Arch-Elder Zen off guard. "Then you…"

Lu Yin pointed down, and Arch-Elder Zen immediately understood. He nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

"The only thing left to do is to restore the true universe," Lu Yin said.

"How do you intend to remove the Time Poison?"

Lu Yin looked at Arch-Elder Zen and said, "This junior can only give it a try."

Arch-Elder Zen was taken aback. "You found a way to remove the poison?"

Lu Yin glanced at his cosmic ring as he replied, "I'm going to try. Regardless of whether it works or not, I’m going to need a new status. I can no longer remain as the Dao Chosen."

Arch-Elder Zen stared at Lu Yin intently. "Dao Monarch?"

Dao Monarch. The title for the ruler of a Mainland. These two words represented both the ancient era and a true leader of humanity.

Since the time of the Heavens Sect era to the current era, only six people had ever received the title of Dao Monarch, and those were the six rulers of the original six Mainlands. Those six, together with the God of Death, Destiny, and Wu Tian, had made up the invincible Three Realms Six Dao. Those nine people had formed a power that had left Aeternus trembling in fear.

Lu Yin's current strength was still far from enough for him to claim the title of Dao Monarch.

Upon hearing the two words from Arch-Elder Zen, Lu Yin could not help but feel a bit of anticipation. However, it also seemed that the title of Dao Monarch was not something that could be taken lightly.

"We’ll talk about that later," Lu Yin replied.

He had intended to immediately take the Origin Progenitor's sword out upon returning to the Fifth Mainland and attempt to restore the true universe. But while Enhancing the sword, Lu Yin had considered many things. The most prevalent thought had been that it was not worth it.

He had spent more than 10 trillion star essence to repair the cracked sword. That was enough to tempt even Progenitors. Not just anyone could gather such an excessive amount of wealth, as it was enough to represent a significant portion of all of humanity’s collective wealth. Since Lu Yin had used all of that on repairing the Origin Progenitor's sword, then how could he pay such a steep price to merely restore the true universe?