Chapter 3392: The Changes Of Karma

Lu Yin once again returned to observing the cycle of karma and watched as time passed by.

The Lu family returned, and they fought a relentless battle against the four ruling powers. In the end, Nightking Zhenwu chose to side with the four ruling powers, which led to the Lu family being destroyed. The Immemorial Citadel fell, and both the Origin Progenitor and Mister Mu perished. Nightking Zhenwu allied with the Spirit Nidus, and due to his contributions and talent, he eventually became the next High Seraph, reaching the pinnacle.

He led a group of survivors to the Spirit Nidus, which included members of the four ruling powers, his supporters, and even people from Firesmelt Planet.

Nightking Zhenwu also had people he cared about.

However, what he cared about was not what Lu Yin cared about.

"Harmonious with the common people, when the Dao of Heavens is not present, leap into the cosmos and crouch, when the Dao of Heavens is bestowed, leap into the boundless skies and crouch, gather the energy inwards, devour the hundreds of rivers..."

His mind remained as steady as stone.

The next instant, Lu Yin found himself back at San Dios. His choices had not been wrong. Regardless of whether it was part of karma or fate, since Lu Yin had made his own choices, he had to bear the consequences.

He felt as though he could hear Nightking Zhenwu’s roars of frustration.

"I simply made a choice, and yet you can't move on," Lu Yin muttered. Time moved on, and he returned to the Karma Sanctum. Nightking Zhenwu stepped out from the mist of time once more, but this time, confusion filled his eyes, just like what had happened with Jenny Auna and Yan Gang.

This was not the same Nightking Zhenwu as before. This was nothing more than a projection of Lu Yin's karmic reflections. Lu Yin could have been replaced by Nightking Zhenwu, Liu Shaoge, or even Silver. He could have been replaced by anyone.

Was it possible to alter karma?

If Lu Yin’s alternate choice had led to Nightking Zhenwu gaining access to the Mirari Realm and entering the Karma Sanctum, would he have truly replaced Lu Yin? Would the changes that Lu Yin had observed become reality in the outside world?

Who had put the laws of the universe in place? Karma was real, but was karmic replacement also real?

Everything seemed like a fleeting dream. Whose karma had Lu Yin’s own existence replaced?

Lu Yin stood frozen for a long time, so lost in his own thoughts that he even forgot about the passing of time.

He was clueless as to how much time had passed when the mist that surrounded him dissipated. Lu Yin moved in one direction, and he eventually saw Progenitor Ku’s withered form. The man was not dead, but was instead sitting cross-legged while using Extremes Must Be Reversed. Much like what had just happened to Lu Yin, Progenitor Ku was lost in his own thoughts.

Lu Yin did not dare to disturb the man.

Karma was a matter of questioning one's own soul and coming to an understanding of the megaverse. If one failed to comprehend it, it would be easy for them to be consumed by it.

In truth, Lu Yin was no longer certain if he was real or an illusion.

He walked in another direction. The aeonic fog no longer had any effect on him, though it also felt as though Lu Yin’s choices were being made for him, as the dissipation of mist guided his path.

This time, he ran into the round-faced old man, the Seraph from the Spirit Nidus.

The Seraph was not alone, as he was surrounded by an entire group of people and other creatures. Lu Yin understood that these figures were all manifestations of the man’s own karma.

The old man was standing motionless in place with his eyes closed. It was as if this was his way of questioning his soul.

Was he experiencing an alternate choice?

Lu Yin approached and reached out a hand to touch one of the figures.

His hand passed through the figure, and the Seraph’s eyes snapped open. He stared at Lu Yin in horror. “I don’t want to do it again! You—

“Ah—! I wasn’t the one who killed you! I had no choice! Go find them!

“A new choice? What should I choose? If I don’t help them, they’ll come after me. I had no choice! If karma gives only one option, then why do I have to choose again? I’ve had enough! Enough!”

The old man’s form grew as Lu Yin stared at him. The Seraph was changing.

He made an alternate choice.

The Seraph gradually faded away, only to be replaced by another.

Someone would always be in that space; it would be whoever led the Spirit Nidus’s invasion of the Tianyuan Megaverse. It would be whoever fought against Lu Yin and the others and ended up entering the Mirari Realm before being ultimately driven into the forbidden region. The process would not change, only whoever was present.

To the old man, things changed, but for the Tianyuan Megaverse and Lu Yin, nothing truly changed.

Lu Yin waved his hand, brushing past several other figures.

The figure who had replaced the Seraph suddenly disappeared, and the old man reappeared. No matter which choice was made, when it came to the cycle of karma, others would be affected, as would their karma. If the effects of that karma was already decided, then the causes of that karma was also predetermined.

Golden light erupted, and before Lu Yin could even react, the Seraph attacked, catching Lu Yin off guard.

He quickly dodged, but by the time he regained his composure, the old man was gone, as were the figures who had surrounded him.

Lu Yin let out a deep breath, realizing that he had been so caught up in contemplating karma that he had overlooked the Seraph.

Lu Yin looked around the area. Karma, cultivation, and the aeons. Each was a thread, but were all of these threads part of the same rope? They had to be the natural laws.

The manner in which a person cultivated and the heights that they could reach were all predetermined. Even if the individual changed, the karma would not.

Where did the rope begin? Who held it?

Lu Yin slowly sat down. Since he was here, he might as well examine karma and see if he could unravel the thread.

He had once believed that karma was the path to Immortality. Since he had stepped onto the path of karma, he would see it through to the end.

Let me see how this karma unfolds.

The trees around him remained the same, bearing fruits with Lu Yin’s face on them. It seemed that, as long as he remained in the Karma Sanctum, the trees and fruits would follow him, just like the karmic ties between him and Nightking Zhenwu, Jenny Auna, and Yan Gang.

Lu Yin closed his eyes, considering his past and searching for more karma that he could change.

He found one: the Pirate Port. If he had not been attacked there and gravely injured, he would not have been left for dead on Driftcharge Planet. He would have never met Old Luo, and he would have never memorized the Stonewall Scriptures or the series of numbers. What would his future have been without all that?

Lu Yin chose to not go to the Pirate Port. Zhuo Daynight died, because the only chance to meet with Zeng Die had been at the Pirate Port, and without him, Zhuo Daynight’s injuries could not be healed. Instead, Lu Yin could only watch as Zhuo Daynight perished, after which he safely returned to Astral-10.

Without nearly dying or being sent to Driftcharge Planet where he had started cultivating the Arcane Art - Fatal Revival, Lu Yin’s strength remained mediocre. During the Astral Combat Tournament, he failed to stand out. No matter how hard he worked, there were always people he could never surpass. Instead of him, the one who rose to prominence was yet again Nightking Zhenwu.

Nightking Zhenwu was far too dazzling, and he became the leader of the Ten Arbiters. It looked as though history was repeating itself.

Lu Yin recited the Origin Sutra and opened his eyes to see Nightking Zhenwu in front of him.

No matter what choices were made that affected the Fifth Mainland, if Lu Yin himself did not rise to power, it seemed that Nightking Zhenwu was always the one to do so instead.

Throughout the entire time that Lu Yin had cultivated, Nightking Zhenwu had been the only peer who had truly threatened Lu Yin’s life on multiple occasions, even killing him once. Nightking Zhenwu had not only been exceptionally powerful; he had also been cunning and meticulous in all that he did. Without his own good fortune, Lu Yin would have been killed long ago.

There was no denying that the man had been qualified to replace Lu Yin, though Lu Yin only observed up to when Nightking Zhenwu went to the Perennial World. After that, events were no different from the previous karmic reflection.

Lu Yin had witnessed the alternate series of events because he wanted to know what would happen not if he had not gone to the Pirate Port, but rather what if he had simply never learned the Origin Progenitor’s Sutra?

Karma. Lu Yin needed to repeatedly experience alternate possibilities and grasp the threads of karma in order to proceed further down this path.

A searing pain shot through his body. Lu Yin looked forward, and he saw himself on Driftcharge Planet.

Ah, Old Luo, it’s been so long

.

At the time, Lu Yin had not known that the old man was Old Luo, one of the duo that was Kui Luo. The man had escaped from the Perennial World with the Origin Progenitor’s Sutra and the numerical codes for the coordinates of the Lu family.

“Memorize it.”

Lu Yin stared blankly at Old Luo. There was actually another choice; Lu Yin could simply reveal his true identity to Old Luo.

“I said, memorize it!” Luo Zhe growled fiercely as he glared at Lu Yin. A nauseating stench emanated from the man; it was the putrid smell of white meat.

“Kid, if you don’t listen, I’ll treat you as white meat and eat you.”

Slowly, Lu Yin opened his mouth. “Old Luo.”

A tremor ran through the old man’s body as he stared at Lu Yin in shock. “What did you just call me?”

Lu Yin looked at the man. “I’m Lu Xiaoxuan.”

Old Luo stared blankly at Lu Yin. Trembling hands rose up as the man studied Lu Yin’s face, his eyes growing bloodshot. “You- you really do look so much like the young master!

“You... are you really the young master?”

Lu Yin sighed. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

Suddenly, Old Luo used a great deal of strength and twisted Lu Yin’s neck. The old man went berserk and tore Lu Yin apart. “Impersonating the young master! The four ruling powers have finally arrived, but this old man isn’t afraid! Die! Die! Die!”

Time passed, but Lu Yin had already died, perishing on Driftcharge Planet. Things continued for the rest of the Fifth Mainland, and events followed the predetermined trajectory. Nightking Zhenwu rose to power, and the events that Lu Yin had already seen in every other alternate timeline repeated.

In the Mirari Realm’s forbidden region, Lu Yin opened his eyes. Just as he had expected, there were no surprises with that alternate choice. It was only to be expected that Luo Zhe would not believe such a story.

Lu Yin had merely wanted to cause his own death with a choice so that he could see what impact that might have on karma and on how events played out over time. Ultimately, there was no difference from when he had first witnessed the destruction of the Heavens Sect. He acted as an observer and watched the Fifth Mainland’s development.

It was as if Lu Yin had become karma itself.

That’s right

. Lu Yin looked down at his hands. How was him choosing an alternate action any different from choosing exactly what his karma was? By repeatedly making alternate choices, he had gained control over karma, though he could not see the future.

Without me, someone else will benefit and take my place!

When I alter my fate, existence itself dissolves into void!

This was his current understanding of karma.

Two phrases suddenly appeared in Lu Yin’s mind, representing his current understanding of karma.

As he looked around, he saw that there were quite a few more fruits on the trees with his face on them.

He would continue to repeat the cycle, gaining deeper insights into karma. Eventually, he would be able to grasp how its threads worked.

At the moment, Lu Yin had apparently forgotten about the outside world. He had forgotten about his quests to find the Seraph, locate Wei Nu, and even his desire to leave the Karma Sanctum.

Next, he chose to not participate in the Astral Tower.

He defeated Nightking Zhenwu, crushing the man underfoot. One by one, the Ten Arbiters stepped forward. Starsibyl stood behind him and placed a robe on his shoulders. He was declared the strongest youth in both the Innerverse and the Outerverse.

“Starting today, you will take Zhenwu’s place as a representative of the Universe Youth Council, what is commonly known as the Ten Arbiters Council.”

“First you defeated Lan Si. Then, you crushed Zhenwu. Brother, you’re ruthless.”

“If you’re a man, drink this!”

“Joining the Ten Arbiters means that you have obligations to fulfill, the first of which is to join forces against those from the Neoverse.”

Lu Yin was attending his first meeting with the rest of the Ten Arbiters. The meeting took place on Nightking Planet.

Lu Yin glanced around. “I refuse.”

Liu Tianmu and the others were stunned. “What did you say?”

Lu Yin repeated, “I refuse to participate in the Astral Tower. Do whatever you want.”

With that, he simply left, much to the confusion of the rest of the Ten Arbiters.