Chapter 3283: Infinite Possibilities

Professor Wei stared into Lu Yin's eyes. "Your expression makes it clear to me that you still don’t truly understand."

As she spoke, she pulled out another paper cutout. Again, it was of a woman.

"Can you guess who she is?"

Lu Yin raised his hand to stop her. "Enough. There's no need to cut another. I understand."

Professor Wei frowned. "Your eyes don’t look like it."

Lu Yin sneered. "Do you really need to cut another one? You just told me that we aren’t enemies, but if you make one more cut, we will be."

Professor Wei’s eyes remained fixed on Lu Yin as she slowly lowered the scissors. "I hope that you’re being honest."

"Hope?" Lu Yin cocked a brow as he cleaned more of the blood from his mouth. "Didn’t you already build a bridge to see the future? How is it that you simply ‘hope?’

"You should have already seen my reaction and my choice."

Professor Wei's eyes flickered, but she said nothing.

Lu Yin looked down at the scissors in the woman’s hand as he said, "If you had cut that paper again just now, I would have admitted defeat. I don’t have any way to deal with you yet. However, you didn’t. That can only mean one thing: we’ve already passed the point where you built a bridge across the River of Aeons."

He raised a finger and smiled.

Suddenly, Professor Wei held up the cutout again, and she quickly cut through it.

As that happened, Lu Yin moved at the speed of time. His hand rose up, and his fingers curled as though he was holding something, despite his hand being empty. His hand swept out, and a wound opened on Professor Wei's body as she was sent flying backward. A shockwave rocked Virtue Archives as darkness enveloped the world.

Slowly, Lu Yin turned his head. At some point in time, an ancient sword had appeared in his hand. It was the Origin Progenitor's sword.

As long as it was possible to manipulate the power of time, there would be infinite possibilities.

Lu Yin had just tested one of those possibilities. He had decided that, in the future, he would ask Mu Zhu and his senior disciple brothers to use Origin Tracer to search for the moment when he used Inverse Step and created a moment that had broken free of the River of Aeons. They would then send the Origin Progenitor’s sword to Lu Yin by targeting that moment of time, which would allow him to attack with the sword.

Something that should have occurred in the future had become reality in the present.

This was not changing the future, as it was closer in line with how Lu Yin had traversed the River of Aeons, altering his location in the past in order to chase after the Aeternals aboard the Ossis Ark. This was nothing more than reversing a single ripple in the River of Aeons.

He had succeeded, and it had allowed Lu Yin to wound Professor Wei.

Three different factors had ensured his success. First, Lu Yin needed to be able to safely retreat from the battle, ensuring that he would exist in the future. Second, Professor Wei could not see the future that Lu Yin had intended. Third, he was able to ask Mu Zhu, Mu Ke, and the others to use Origin Tracer.

Through their conversation, Lu Yin had already confirmed the second point. Professor Wei had built her bridge across the River of Aeons at the moment when she had avoided his attack. If not, she would not have said so much, and she would have never used the word "hope." She no longer knew Lu Yin’s future.

As for being able to retreat safely, Lu Yin was simply confident in his own strength, even if it was only to the point of being able to stand up to Professor Wei.

If Lu Yin was facing an enemy who could truly force him to make decisions in the future to change the present through the River of Aeons in order to overcome the difference in power, then Lu Yin would hesitate. Being forced to such a point would mean that he had already exhausted all other options, and if the attempt still failed to alter the balance of the battle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Professor Wei clearly would not push Lu Yin to the point where he felt like he needed to take such a terrible risk.

Finally, Mu Zhu and the others were a limiting factor. If a truly powerful foe appeared, Lu Yin’s senior disciple sister and brothers might not be able to gather fast enough to use Origin Tracer for Lu Yin.

While manipulating events up and down the River of Aeons might seem to offer infinite possibilities, each attempt required careful preparation. This was not something that could be used recklessly.

Making changes from the future was a truly difficult task.

One other detail that Lu Yin had tested and proven was that Professor Wei’s mastery of the power of time did not allow her to avoid the Origin Progenitor’s sword.

The sword’s most powerful effect was the fact that it could stabilize time, even across an entire universe. This was why Lu Yin had once gone to such great lengths to restore a broken sword. Doing so had neutralized the Time Poison that had been ravaging the Fifth Mainland.

Professor Wei was able to walk through time, stepping on the flows to become untouchable. In such a state, only the Origin Progenitor’s sword could harm her.

The two had only confronted each other very briefly, and Lu Yin had only attacked once, but this exchange represented countless possibilities given the two’s understanding of the power of time. This battle was a contest over their mastery of time as well as a verbal battle.

Professor Wei looked down at the cut on her body. The paper cutout slipped from her hand. She looked up at Lu Yin.

He twirled the blade and swung it again. "I’m going to make you see reality. I rule this megaverse!"

Professor Wei quickly retreated. A gray haze swirled around her like an illusion. Strangely, as she stepped back, a figure stepped out of her body and moved to face Lu Yin. A single palm strike shot out.

Lu Yin stared as time seemed to slow to the point of not even moving. This was Bai Xian'er’s innate gift. The one who had stepped out of Professor Wei’s body was Bai Xian'er.

Lu Yin released his inner universe, and stars spun around, instantly shattering Bai Xian'er’s innate gift. The sword was thrust forward, and Bai Xian'er's form solidified as she stared at her opponent. "Brother Xiaoxuan, are you really going to kill me?"

Lu Yin’s eyes flared. "While Lu Xiaoxuan wouldn’t have, I’m Lu Yin."

Fay Blossoms drifted down, once more raining down across the entire Perennial World as Lu Yin’s sword stabbed into Bai Xian'er’s body. Blood stained the blade as Lu Yin’s head rose, and he met Bai Xian’er’s eyes.

Her face was deathly pale. She stared into Lu Yin’s resolute eyes and gave him a bitter smile. "Brother Xiaoxuan, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Lu Yin stared at Bai Xian'er as memories flooded his mind. In Food Paradise, inside a simple wooden cabin, a boy and a girl had happily shared a meal. Outside, a rainbow-colored deer that gave off a gentle glow had occasionally glanced at the two, its eyes full of trust.

Scenes of past interactions with Bai Xian'er flashed through Lu Yin’s mind, and a heart-wrenching agony overcame him.

Lu Xiaoxuan had truly loved Bai Xian'er, but as Lu Yin had said, he was not Lu Xiaoxuan. Ming Yan was the only one in his heart. He had an ordinary woman waiting for him.

Throughout the Perennial World, countless people stared up at the falling Fay Blossoms. They were reminded of the day when the Lu family had been banished. The same red flowers had rained down on the Perennial World that day. It was a beautiful sight, but also deeply disturbing.

Under the rain of red flowers, Bai Xian'er’s face turned even paler as blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. She raised a trembling hand to cup Lu Yin’s face. "Xian'er loves Brother Xiaoxuan, but Xian'er... had no choice.

"For banishing the Lu family... I’m sorry.

"For killing the Seven Heroes... I’m sorry.

"For imprisoning your people in Crimson Garden... I’m sorry.

"I’m sorry, Brother Xiaoxuan. Xian'er... is sorry for everything."

Lu Yin might not have had any love for Bai Xian'er, but at this moment, he felt as though Lu Xiaoxuan had suddenly returned. The sword slipped from his fingers, and he gently embraced Bai Xian'er. Her body was soft. He inhaled her scent.

"Are you really Bai Xian'er, or are you Wei Nu?"

Bai Xian'er caressed Lu Yin’s face, longing filling her eyes. "Bai Xian'er has always been Wei Nu. I’ve never changed, not since the moment I was born."

Bai Xian'er showed a faint smile as more blood drained from her face. "After the Lu family was exiled, my happiest moments were when I fought you beneath the Scourge and when we danced in Crimson Garden. I am content, Brother Xiaoxuan. Not even death will cleanse my sins, but I never meant to kill you, Brother Xiaoxuan. I’m sorry... I'm so sorry."

Lu Yin could not untangle his own feelings. Bai Xian'er had been an enemy of the Lu family, but she had never truly been her. Even with the Great Sovereign sealing Lu Yuan, the Lu family should not have been banished. It was mostly because Wei Nu had emerged from Bai Xian’er’s body and stopped Ancestor Tianyi. Bai Xian’er was the one who had moved Food Paradise to the Lu Sanctum. She was the one who had caused the deaths of the Seven Heroes and who had imprisoned the people loyal to the Lu family in Crimson Garden. She had orchestrated the deaths of the Lu family’s allies by sending them to the New World. Everything was because of Bai Xian’er.

She had even tried to kill Lu Yin during his breakthroughs in the Fifth Mainland.

Ever since Lu Yin had started cultivating, the moment when Bai Xian'er’s deadly strike had fallen on him often appeared in his dreams. The boundless rage he had felt at that moment had fueled his endless desire to kill the woman and avenge the Lu family’s banishment once and for all.

And yet, at the moment when he finally killed Bai Xian'er, Lu Yin felt no satisfaction.

Was it because of Lu Xiaoxuan? He had become Lu Yin and no longer loved Bai Xian'er, so where was this pain coming from? It was an agony so deep that it left him breathless.

Bai Xian'er stared at Lu Yin’s face in a daze, the light fading from her eyes as her hand fell limply. Blood stained the ground beneath her, much like her crimson Fay Blossoms.

Lu Yin watched as Bai Xian'er died, and pain consumed him. Even so, his mind remained clear. He knew that he should not feel this pain.

"Xian'er..." Lu Yin unconsciously uttered in a hoarse voice.

It was Lu Xiaoxuan’s voice.

Lu Xiaoxuan’s emotions died with Bai Xian'er, and his voice called out.

"I didn’t think you’d actually kill her." Professor Wei calmly watched from the distance.

Lu Yin’s head rose, a cold, endless rage filling his eyes.

"Bai Xian'er is the one who wronged your Lu family. She’s the one you ordered the Sixverse Association to find. With her dead, our grudges should be settled," Professor Wei said calmly.

Lu Yin stared at her. "Do you really think that?"

Professor Wei showed a small smile. "I’ve already given you Bai Xian'er so that you could kill her. What more do you want? Dao Monarch Lu, we are not enemies. Even if you haven’t figured out how to deal with me, I’ve already told you: we are not enemies. Don’t force me to cooperate with Yong Heng."

"Go to them, if you wish. No matter if it’s you or Yong Heng, as long as you're in this megaverse-" Lu Yin’s eyes flickered. "You will answer to me!"

Professor Wei chuckled. "You’re too arrogant. I’ve already paid more than enough to settle our grudge. Why do you insist on fighting to the death?"

"Bai Xian'er said it herself—she had no choice." Lu Yin clenched his sword tightly. "You were the one who stopped Ancestor Tianyi, which led to the Lu family’s exile. You are the one who killed the Seven Heroes, though I don’t know which one of you that was. Even if you were brought here by Bai Xian'er, you are the true culprit."

When he finished speaking, Lu Yin moved with Inverse Step and slashed his sword at Professor Wei.

The woman just sighed. "Had I known this would happen, I would have never allowed you to grow."

Another figure emerged from her body. It was another woman, and this one held a large book with grains of dust swirling around it. Her right arm rose up, revealing a bracelet around a pale wrist. She used her fingers as a sword, and Lu Yin watched as she attacked with seven slashes.

The sharpness of the attacks could not compare to the Origin Progenitor’s sword. Lu Yin was confident that he could easily overcome the attacks.

However, the attacks were not aimed at him, but at the ethereal River of Aeons. They targeted the past.

Lu Yin's expression changed, and Lightstream appeared beneath him as he and the little boat vanished.

The River of Aeons surged onwards. As he stood in Lightstream, Lu Yin watched as the seven slashes sliced into the flow of time. He moved quickly and swept all of the attacks aside.

By the time Lu Yin turned back around, Professor Wei was gone.