Star Odyssey

Chapter 2482: A Leak

Lu Yin gave instructions to the Second Nightking and others to make sure that he was not disturbed, and he also delegated a few tasks to Lu Buzheng and the rest before announcing that he was going into seclusion.

This had been his plan for quite some time, but Attendant Wu’s appearance had forced Lu Yin out of seclusion after just a short while. Fortunately, some good had come of that. He had forced Nutjob Lu out of the Perennial World, which had temporarily removed a thorn from his side, and he had also learned the Wang family's secret.

Thus, after a short delay, Lu Yin returned to seclusion.

He raised a hand, and his die appeared. He tapped it and then watched as it spun, hoping for six pips: Possession. He had more than enough resources and time to spare on this endeavor.

Two years later… There was a place in the Perennial World’s Middle Realm that was perpetually shrouded in darkness. This darkness was different from the gloomy and desolate atmosphere of the Yinshan District, and it brought about a feeling of despair.

Everything was filled with darkness, including the sky, the earth, the rivers, and even the air that one breathed. This place was Specter Abyss.

Many people in the Perennial World knew of this place, but few dared to venture within it. Even those who wished to join Specter Abyss found it difficult to leave after entering, and some who entered were never seen again, not even their corpses.

Dense death energy enveloped every part of Specter Abyss, and the deeper one went, the thicker the death energy became. The region that was covered with death energy was hundreds of times larger than Gaia's Swamp.

In this land filled with the silence of the dead, a group of people slowly pushed forward. There were both men and women with expressions of fear as they surveyed their surroundings with absolute focus and tread forward with extreme caution.

"Brother Wan, do we really have to enter Specter Abyss? Isn't this too dangerous?" someone asked, shattering the silence.

Brother Wan was the person leading the group. He was a muscular young man with dry skin. It was clear that he was used to the sun and wind. Under a sparse beard, his face was covered with a concealed mishmash of scars. He nervously stared up ahead, clearly quite reluctant. "The person who killed Brother Qian must be around here. We have to find him."

The others glanced at each other.

"That man isn’t from Specter Abyss. If he entered this place, then he's probably already dead. Shouldn't we just wait outside?" one person suggested.

"Specter Abyss is vast. If we leave and that person manages to survive, he'll easily escape," Brother Wan answered determinedly.

A woman whispered, "But it’s not worth it if we all die here."

The man beside her quickly covered her mouth. "Keep your voice down! Brother Wan is Adventure King's disciple. If you offend him, you can forget about remaining in Root!"𝓯𝙧𝒆𝒆𝔀𝒆𝓫𝒏𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝙘𝒐𝙢

While no one else spoke, everyone was thinking the same thing. After all, why else would they risk their lives to find this criminal? Brother Qian was the one on close terms with Brother Wan, but the rest of them were not.

Brother Wan's full name was Wan Wu, and he was Adventure King’s disciple who had once made it to a Junior Progenitor Planet decades ago. He had nearly succeeded in accompanying Long Tian to the Dominion Realm. However, he had been forced to withdraw from the competition due to Lu Yin's interference.

"The title of Adventure King wasn't nearly as useful a few decades ago. At the end of the day, he's basically riding on Lu Xiaoxuan's coattails," someone muttered quietly at the back of the group.

Someone next to the man agreed. "Exactly. Who would have thought that Adventure King was actually a former vassal of the Lu family? It’s no wonder why he was given all the assignments that no one else wanted, though that did allow him to eventually earn his title. It looks like the four ruling powers wanted to use him as a pawn, but didn't expect Lu Xiaoxuan to rise to power and stop them from going after the former Lu family vassals. Honestly, Lu Xiaoxuan is incredibly ruthless."

"Enough chatter. Stay sharp, or else you'll end up dead," someone shouted sternly from the front.

Wan Wu's expression grew ugly as he stopped. "Let's turn back."

While he did want to get revenge, his companions were also right. There was no reason for them to risk their lives for his own goals.

Wan Wu's decision thrilled everyone else in the group, and they eagerly turned back.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in their ears.

Everyone instantly grew pale, terrified that they were being targeted by Specter Abyss. However, as the voice grew louder, their expressions changed. Was this… a battle technique?

Everyone quietly listened, but the more they heard, the more that something seemed off.

"This is the Xia family's saber intent!" someone gasped in horror.

"Shut up!" Wan Wu shouted with a look of horror on his face. This was absolutely the Xia family's saber intent. He started to circulate his star energy according to the instructions that they heard from the voice. To Wan Wu’s complete shock, he produced a terrifying slashing attack. He was already a peak Enlighter and was but a single step from breaking through to the Envoy realm. The Xia family's saber intent had provided him with an epiphany, and he could no longer wait to break through.

Still, he forcibly suppressed that desire. "Retreat!"

"Brother Wan, this is the Xia family's saber intent!" someone protested, unwilling to stop listening.

Wan Wu sternly answered, "If you don't want to die, then we leave now. If the Xia family's saber intent has appeared here in Specter Abyss, do you really think that Shenwu's Sky will just let things go? A war’s about to break out here."

The others grew even paler after hearing this warning.

Some followed Wan Wu as he left, but others stayed behind.

People who joined the Root Organization and adventured in the Lower Realm were those with fiercer natures. They followed Wan Wu because they hoped to receive help from Adventure King, as that would alter their futures. Even if they feared death, they had still followed Wan Wu into Specter Abyss. This was something that most people would never dare to attempt. Upon receiving the opportunity to learn the Xia family's saber intent, how could they just give it up?

Even after Wan Wu exited Specter Abyss, the voice that spoke of the Xia family's saber intent continued to ring in his ears. This voice not only reached all of Specter Abyss, but also echoed throughout the surrounding regions.

Wan Wu’s expression continuously changed. He knew that big trouble was about to appear very soon.

In the depths of the Specter Abyss, an old man opened his eyes and frowned. How could Adventure King’s disciple be so timid? The old man had already shared the Xia family's saber intent, but they had actually run away. How unfortunate. It seemed they were not fated to learn it.

This old man was Specter Abyss’s Semi-Progenitor and was second only to the Specter Progenitor. However, at the moment, he was actually Lu Yin.

For two years, Lu Yin had successfully Possessed many different people, most of whom were Envoys. He had also succeeded in Possessing Semi-Progenitors on more than ten occasions, including people from both the Fifth Mainland and the Perennial World. He had even Possessed Semi-Progenitors from the four ruling powers, such as Xia Yan, Wu Yao, and… Bai Qi.

Through these experiences, he had managed to learn many of the four ruling powers’ secrets, including cultivation arts, battle techniques, and even secret techniques.

It would be a shame to not make use of such secrets, and that had led to the current situation.

Specter Progenitor was currently in the Outer Realm, so Lu Yin had decided to take advantage of the opportunity to inject a bit of entertainment into the Perennial World.

The people of Specter Abyss did not hear the voice that was sharing the Xia family's saber intent. Lu Yin was not able to Possess a Semi-Progenitor for very long, so he quickly imprinted the Xia family's saber intent and Divine Martial Armor, the Celestial Frost Sect's God of Wind technique and Celestial Suppression, as well as other battle techniques onto jade slips that he threw out. "My Specter Abyss is hereby extending the offer of charity as a blessing to all living beings. Starting today, humanity should abandon their differences and work together to fight against future disasters."

Numerous jade slips flew out from the Specter Abyss to various points in the Middle Realm, the Lower Realm, and even the Higher Realm.

After a few days, the entire Perennial World exploded. Countless people fought over the jade slips, resulting in fierce competition.

Shenwu's Sky and the Celestial Frost Sect were both boiling in anger.

"What? The God of Wind technique was leaked? How is that even possible? Ordinary disciples are not able to share it even if they do manage to learn it. Only Envoys and Semi-Progenitors are able to share that."

"Elder, it's true! Not only has our Celestial Frost Sect’s techniques been leaked, but Shenwu's Sky’s Xia family's saber intent and the Divine Martial Armor has also spread to the outside world. Countless people across the Perennial World are fighting over these jade slips."

"How could this happen? Who leaked this information?"

"Specter Abyss."

In Shenwu's Sky, Xia Luo was staring at a jade slip in his hand. This piece of jade recorded the Celestial Frost Sect's Celestial Suppression. "What a powerful battle technique. It allows the cultivator to absorb an opponent's vitality. Apparently, it was developed from the Lu family’s Lifeseizer Palm."

Xia Meng appeared. "Both the Divine Martial Armor and the Xia family's saber intent have been leaked as well. Senior Progenitor Xia Qin will be arriving soon.”

Xia Luo stared off into space. Just who was behind these leaks?

Not just anyone could have leaked these techniques, but more importantly, powerful battle techniques from multiple sects had been leaked simultaneously. Who could have done it? Specter Abyss? If so, what were they planning?

In the Middle Realm, when Qing Chen learned of what had happened, he immediately thought of Lu Yin. The young man had once commented that, in order to stop the spread of Aeternus’s Corpse King Transformation, it would be necessary to publicize a battle technique that could replace it. What was happening seemed to be exactly what Lu Yin had been referring to. Both Divine Martial Armor and the God of Wind were among the best techniques that belonged to the four ruling powers, and there were many other techniques that had been publicly leaked as well. What were Specter Abyss’s intentions ?

No one could determine Specter Abyss's intentions given what had happened, and that included the members of Specter Abyss itself.

In the Dominion Realm, Bai Wangyuan released his strength, crushing a branch of the Mother Tree. "Specter Progenitor, get out here!"

However, there was nothing beneath the branch.

Bai Sheng left Azure Hills in the Outer Realm and descended onto Specter Abyss. With a strike of his staff, the land of Specter Abyss was split apart.

This was the first time that a Progenitor had ever truly attacked Specter Abyss.

Specter Abyss’s Crown Prince Gui Qian was struck by the attack’s shockwave, and blood pooled in his mouth. As he looked up, he saw Bai Sheng approaching. "Where is Specter Progenitor?"

Crown Prince Gui Qian spat out a mouthful of blood. "I don't know."

Bai Sheng's staff swept out once more, shattering the earth beneath Specter Abyss.

It was at that moment that Xia Qin arrived. While she hated the Xia family’s direct line, she herself was still a member of the Xia family. Having their Divine Martial Armor be publicly leaked had dealt a blow to the entire Xia family. Could they even still call it Divine Martial Armor after such an event?

The woman looked quite upset. "Where is Specter Progenitor?"

The disciples of Specter Abyss were all terrified and dared not show themselves, hiding within the death energy.

Bai Sheng looked over at Xia Qin. "He's not in the Dominion Realm either. Find him. We must find him."

Not only did they need to know why Specter Abyss had leaked their sects’ battle techniques, even more importantly was how Specter Abyss had even obtained the techniques. Every last one of them was among the sects’ greatest secrets.

In the Fifth Mainland, in the Heavens Sect, Lu Yin was leisurely enjoying some tea. "What's going on? Tell me about it."

"I myself don't know what's happening. Techniques like Divine Martial Armor and God of Wind have been leaked from my Specter Abyss, but the problem is that I've never obtained these battle techniques," Specter Progenitor replied. At this moment, there was an extremely ugly expression on his face. No one had even imagined that the man might be with Lu Yin.

After Specter Progenitor learned about what had happened, he had immediately left the Dominion Realm and gone to visit the Fifth Mainland. At this moment, the Fifth Mainland was the only place where he could try to hide. If he was discovered in the Perennial World, nobody could save him.

There was only one fate that awaited people who leaked battle techniques from other sects: death. The same had been true even when the Lu family had been in power. This was something that was forbidden throughout the entire cultivation world.

Lu Yin turned to look at the older man. "Specter Progenitor, by coming to me when you're in trouble, you're putting me in a difficult position."

Specter Progenitor shrugged and said, "Seeing as how we both cultivate by relying on the God of Death’s inheritance, I ask that you please help me, Dao Monarch. I'm sorry if I've offended you in the past, and I will show you my thanks for this in the future."

Lu Yin chuckled. "You want me to protect you? I can't do that. I have no reasons to."

Specter Progenitor was well aware of this. "Is there anywhere in the Fifth Mainland I can hide? As long as I can survive this ordeal, I will definitely uncover the truth of this matter."

"Even if you do learn the truth, what good will it do you? Will the four ruling powers just forgive you?" Lu Yin mocked the man.