Star Odyssey

Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. So far, he had conferred three gods: Progenitor Nong, Cloudflow, and Monarch Mu. However, none of them could compare to Xia Shenji. The man was among the most powerful Progenitors he had met thus far. Even when Lu Yin had used both the God of Death’s left arm and scythe to draw out all of the death energy from Gaia's Swamp into a single attack, Xia Shenji would not have been seriously injured if not for his clone’s actions. Then, Lu Yin would have been in deep trouble.

Xia Shenji could be regarded as someone just as powerful as the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, which was a level above the peak powerhouses that Lu Yin had conferred thus far.

A rather extreme comparison would be that, even if all three of Lu Yin’s previously conferred gods worked together, they might not be able to defeat Xia Shenji.

The attempt to confer Xia Shenji as a god carried a good bit of risk for Lu Yin, and if he exceeded his own limits, then he might suffer backlash from the attempt, just like when he had tried to confer his senior brother, Mu Xie.

But I am much stronger than I was back then, so I should be able to pull this off.

Conferring a god had nothing to do with the condition of the person being conferred. Even with how poor Xia Shenji’s condition was at the moment, or even if he was on the verge of death, it would not affect the chances of success. The only thing that mattered was what the person being conferred felt, and the strength of the person with the Investiture of the Gods.

Lu Yin watched intensely as the shadow slowly entered the Investiture of the Gods and as a new image appeared on the scroll. Only then did he feel the relief of success.

Arch-Elder Zen smiled when he saw that Lu Yin had succeeded. With the additional support of Xia Shenji, Lu Yin would not be completely helpless even if he confronted enemies like Bai Wangyuan or Wang Fan. Xia Shenji was a truly powerful Progenitor.

Xia Shenji was also feeling quite relieved. With him being conferred as a god, Lu Yin would keep the Progenitor alive in order to retain access to Xia Shenji’s strength.

After finally replacing the main body, the former clone simply wanted to become the true Xia Shenji.

Having met with success, Lu Yin, Arch-Elder Zen, and Xia Shenji left Evernight. After emerging, the thatched hut was still a pile of ruins. However, despite the condition of the hut, no one could have guessed that an earth-shattering battle between Progenitors had taken place at this location.

If this battle had been fought in the open instead of within Evernight, the Middle Realm and even the Higher Realm would have been affected.

"Senior Brother!" Lu Yin called out, and Mu Xie revealed himself.

Xia Shenji’s eyebrows rose. What was this? He had not even known that Lu Yin had asked Mu Xie to appear.

Lu Yin had done this as an additional layer of protection against the clone. With the Nine Clones Secret Technique, clones were invariably affected by the main body, and Lu Yin had not been confident that the clone would replace the original Xia Shenji either. For that reason, Lu Yin had asked Mu Xie to wait nearby. As soon as Lu Yin discovered that the clone had failed, Mu Xie would have instantly taken action, cooperating with Lu Yin and Arch-Elder Zen to destroy Xia Shenji as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"Success?" Mu Xie looked at Xia Shenji as he asked Lu Yin.

Lu Yin nodded. "It certainly seems that way, but we should still be careful."

He looked at Xia Shenji. "You shouldn’t mind having some insurance placed in your body, would you?"

Xia Shenji’s mouth fell open. "You still don't trust me? I was just conferred as one of your gods! How could the original Xia Shenji have done that? He definitely would not have agreed to be conferred as your god."

Lu Yin shrugged. "Xia Shenji was already conferred as a god by Ancestor Lu Tianyi, and yet he still became an enemy of my Lu family. Progenitors can change their minds, just as you took a day to adjust your mentality."

Lu Yin did not wait for Xia Shenji to respond and immediately turned to Mu Xie. “Senior Brother, I’ll have to trouble you for your help.”

Mu Xie moved, and one of his ?arīras shot towards Xia Shenji.

The Progenitor had no idea when Arch-Elder Zen had moved to his other side, but at this moment, Xia Shenji was surrounded on all three sides.

Xia Shenji was rendered utterly helpless. Of the three people surrounding him, Lu Yin did not even need to be mentioned, and Mu Xie was also incredibly strong, to the point where even Bai Wangyuan feared the man. Mu Xie was an unfathomable mystery.

As for Arch-Elder Zen, the moment he brought out Lu Tianyi's true power, the reality was that very, very few people in the entire Sixverse Association could contend with the man.

Surrounded by these three, even Wang Fan and Bai Wangyuan would feel terrified, let a wounded Xia Shenji.

He had no choice but to accept his new fate.

Xia Luo watched quietly from some distance away as his family’s ancestor, Xia Shenji, who had once been so high and mighty that it was impossible to even see him, fell under Lu Yin’s control. This was a scene that the entire Perennial World would find impossible to believe.

This was only possible because of Lu Yin.

Long ago, Lu Yin had helped Xia Luo fuse with Xia Jiuyou, though that had also been with Xia Ji's consent. At that time, it would have been utterly impossible for him to succeed if if Xia Ji had stepped in. However, Lu Yin no longer needed anyone's consent, as he was now able to control the entire situation.

Shenwu’s Sky had been dealt with, so who would be next? The Celestial Frost Sect? Or maybe the Wang family?

In the end, the Perennial World would belong to the Lu family.

The ?arīra entered Xia Shenji’s body to act as a method of control, and due to the man’s terrible injuries, Lu Yin was even able to plant a death seal. The sight left Arch-Elder Zen feeling pity for Xia Shenji. The mighty Progenitor had been forced to be conferred as a god, have a ?arīra planted inside of him, and accept a death seal. Forget the clone—even the original Xia Shenji might have fallen to despair when facing such a moment.

Xia Shenji was feeling truly desperate at this moment, but luckily, he had no desire to become Lu Yin’s enemy, which meant that these various means of control were unnecessary.

"What’s the location?" Lu Yin stared intently at Xia Shenji, his eyes somehow calm, yet also filled with nervousness.

Xia Shenji gasped. "I can sense it, but it’s impossible to bring it back. In the vastness of the megaverse, it’s difficult to bring them back, even with your current strength. The Aeternals will not just watch on as the Lu family returns."

Lu Yin remained silent. After a while, he finally said, "Head back, Progenitor Xia."

Xia Shenji let out a breath and then staggered into the void, making his way back to Shenwu’s Sky.

He could only wait for his injuries to heal on their own.

Once the man left, Lu Yin looked over at Xia Luo.

The young man approached and offered a bow. "Dao Monarch."

Lu Yin looked at Xia Luo. So many things had changed, and so had people. When Lu Yin had first started cultivating, he had left Earth together with Xia Luo, Silver, and Lulu Mavis. In the years since, each of them had found their own opportunities.

"Are you planning to return to Shenwu's Sky, or go somewhere else?" Lu Yin asked.

Xia Luo shook his head. "I want to enter the Sixverse Association and see a larger world."

Lu Yin had already known that, as more and more interactions occurred between the Sixverse Association and the Origin Universe, more people would be drawn out of the Origin Universe. Initially, the Great Sovereign had forbidden people from entering the Origin Universe without authorization, which had also made it difficult for people to leave that universe. But now that the Origin Universe had become an official member of the Sixverse Association, people from all sorts of different parallel universes would start to appear. The Great Sovereign had already lifted the ban, and with time, the Origin Universe would merge with the Sixverse Association.

The Merchant Exchange’s arrival was a sign of the zeitgeist.

Xia Luo and many others want to leave the Origin Universe and enter the Sixverse Association, and there would undoubtedly be people to help them do that.

"I wish you luck." Lu Yin smiled.

Xia Luo smiled back. "Dao Monarch, the people of the Origin Universe will not disappoint you."

Lu Yin’s smile only grew. There was no denying that the various universes of the Sixverse Association would merge and intermingle with the Origin Universe, and it was undoubtedly time for the other universes to once again be forced to acknowledge the Origin Universe.

Leng Qing had managed to become a Progenitor, but who would be next? It could be anyone.

The truth was that the one who needed to become a Progenitor the most was none other than Lu Yin himself. Other than by becoming a Progenitor, how else could he gain the strength needed to bring the Lu family back from across endless parallel universes? How much longer would he need to wait? How far away was that day?

Despite having dealt with Xia Shenji, Lu Yin was not in a good mood.

He returned to the Heavens Sect and moved over to the Astral River, feeling rather depressed. He sat on the shore while staring off at the stars, letting his mind wander.

A long time later, Kui Luo arrived, cursing, "I still didn't catch it! Why is it so difficult to catch a damn fish?"

After dusting off his clothes, Kui Luo moved over to sit down beside Lu Yin. "Bad mood?"

Lu Yin muttered, "When will I manage to become a Progenitor?"

Kui Luo sneered. "This old man’s asked myself that same question many times. Lu Buzheng, Hen Xin, and all the others—do you think that any of them haven’t asked themselves that question? I might ask myself that question 1,800 times in a single day. The more you want to break through, the harder it becomes. That uncommunicative Leng Qing, ended up being the first. What a waste."

As Kui Luo spoke, he pulled out a bottle of wine and took a sip.

Lu Yin exhaled. "How can we bring the Lu family back before I become a Progenitor? That’s too far away to wait for."

Kui Luo could not hear what he said. "What about the Lu family? What did you bring back?"

Lu Yin shared what had recently happened with Xia Shenji, leaving Kui Luo completely stunned. "You actually screwed Xia Shenji?"

Lu Yin was left speechless. "I just had his clone replace the main body."

The old man started ranting, "Why didn't you take me with you? That’s terrible, just terrible! This old man’s wanted to see the four ruling powers be destroyed for so long! You ungrateful brat, who was the one who saved you back then!? Who was the one who told you about the Lu family? Who helped you all those times? In the end, you couldn’t even be bothered to call me when something fun happened."

Lu Yin took a sip of the wine. "You wouldn’t have survived a Progenitor’s battle."

Kui Luo gritted his teeth in frustration. "Fine, so now you’re looking down on this old man? Alright, I’ll become a Progenitor soon enough, just you wait! Just don’t bother asking for this old man’s help again!"

As the man spoke, Lu Yin's heart was moved, and he turned to look at Kui Luo. "You’ve been a Semi-Progenitor for a very long time, and you have even cultivated the Origin Progenitor’s Sutra. You’re a powerful cultivator who’s managed to open three meridian points, so it’s perfectly reasonable for you to become a Progenitor. Why haven’t you tried yet?”

Kui Luo rolled his eyes. "Do you think it's that easy to break through and become a Progenitor? That boorish Leng Qing was one of the Twelve Heavenly Gatemasters of the Heavens Sect era. Do you know how long it took him to become a Semi-Progenitor? Or how long it takes most of the Sixverse Association members to become peak powerhouses? How many people in the entire alliance have reached that level?”

"It's far from easy, and you only get one chance. No one will make the attempt without being completely confident. That Lingzhi Mavis from the Fifth Mainland was too eager, and it killed her.

"Arch-Elder Zen was forced to challenge his breakthrough, but luckily for him, he was able to see his own heart clearly and succeeded in his breakthrough."

Kui Luo leaned closer. "Tell me, do you have any idea who the person most likely to become a Progenitor next is?"

Lu Yin grew curious. "Who?"

"Shao Chen."

"The headmaster?" Lu Yin was taken aback.

Kui Luo nodded and sighed with admiration. "He has seen through the world and has obtained profound enlightenment. He crossed from the realm of existence to the realm of non-existence, and then used non-existence to break through existence while abandoning his cultivation with stellular energy to create a unique path of cultivation using memories as the basis of his cultivation with the mortal world. The truth is, while it’s only been a short time since his breakthrough, there are very, very few who are his equal in the Semi-Progenitor realm. It’s possible that only your third uncle and the ancient gatemasters could even try.

"During the Heavens Sect era, Shao Chen would have undoubtedly been one of the twelve gatemasters, and he most likely would have been the most powerful of them all.

"Such a person must be either insane or a genius. It’s possible that he’ll break through and become a Progenitor at any moment. The only question is whether he is willing to try or not."

Lu Yin had not expected Kui Luo to speak so highly of the headmaster, especially since the man had apparently not opened his three meridian points. "Do you believe that the headmaster has surpassed you?"

Kui Luo rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to be so blunt? That guy saw countless things from the Stargazing Deck, only for what he saw to drive him mad. I don’t have that kind of determination. If you need another Progenitor, go talk to him. Maybe you’ll convince him to attempt his breakthrough. It all depends on how highly he regards you.

"Given his new cultivation method, he might not face the normal challenges that most run into when trying to break through."

Lu Yin was convinced. The more Progenitors the Heavens Sect had, the better. If Shao Chen could really become a Progenitor at any time like Kui Luo had said, then the man would become an incredible powerhouse, which would greatly enhance the Heavens Sect’s strength.

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