Chapter 3496: The Ninth Step

Grandmaster Yu Ran angrily shouted, "The Tomb of Mountains and Streams has always had two layers! Either one or both can be used, whereas you changed your spirit treasure formation on a whim. You are clearly driven by hatred, as everyone can see. The Spirit Treasure Society unanimously elected to expel you. Leave now!"

"At worst, I merely need to change my spirit treasure formation back. The Third Boss has not yet entered the formation, which means that he has not been affected in the least."

Qian Huifeng immediately snapped, "Cheng Liang, leave the Spirit Treasure Domain! Don’t speak another word."

Zhi Shan also spoke up. "Leave!"

Grandmaster Yu Ran shouted again, "Leave, immediately!"

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Some people would overly focus on certain details, leading to a lack of experience.

Cheng Liang was one such person. Because of his unique background, he had been exposed to spirit treasures at a very young age, and he rarely interacted with the outside world. His future had already been planned out far in advance, and as long as he followed that path, he would achieve all that he desired.

While the process might have been long, nothing had changed along the way. Already, Cheng Liang believed himself to have gained the upper hand.

However, the unexpected arrival of the Third Boss had opened up a shortcut. As long as Cheng Liang could deal with the Third Boss in the Spirit Treasure Domain, he would shorten the time he needed to achieve his goals. That was why he had taken action against Lu Yin.

As for the consequences, he had not been concerned at all. After all, he was supported by the Spirit Treasure Society. At worst, he would lose his title as a society Grandmaster, but killing the Third Boss would be more than worth that loss.

It was completely outside the man’s expectations to not only fail to eliminate the Third Boss, but to also be expelled from the Spirit Treasure Society. On top of that, he had been forced to suffer in his own spirit treasure formation’s danger zone. How could he accept such an outcome?

It was clear that the entire Spirit Treasure Society had grown hostile. He was one of them, and he was supposed to be on his home turf.

Cheng Liang became enraged, and he glared at Grandmaster Yu Ran. "You’re all afraid!"

Yu Ran and the others' expressions changed.

Cheng Liang raged loudly, "All of you are afraid of this Third Boss! He says to expel me, and you obey? What kind of Spirit Treasure Society is this? Where is the unity that is supposed to exist? You expel me, one of the nine Grandmasters, for

him

? You’re all useless!

"All I did was alter my spirit treasure formation. He hasn’t suffered at all, but because I’m from Heavenspire, you all decide to expel me from the society? What kind of trash are all of you?"

Cheng Liang’s voice echoed across the Spirit Treasure Society, and his words left everyone dazed.

Lu Yin laughed. Things were getting interesting. The entire Spirit Treasure Society had interceded on this man’s behalf, begging Lu Yin not to kill him, but in the end, that same man was blaming the Spirit Treasure Society.

Does he not know about me? Or did he not understand the Spirit Treasure Society?

In the plaza, Old Tao stared at Cheng Liang. "This person is talented."

Palace Master Yao was staring at Cheng Liang with disdain and contempt in her eyes. Cai Keqing refused to even look at the man.

Some distance away, Qian Huifeng trembled from rage. "Cheng Liang, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Cheng Liang roared, "Am I wrong? You hypocritical ants! You always talk about being united! You always claim that the Spirit Treasure Society is cohesive! What happened? You don’t dare to even make a move against someone who broke our rules. So what if I changed my spirit treasure formation? So what if I tried to eliminate him? None of you dared to do so, so I did! You’re all trash! Nothing but trash!"

Qian Huifeng wished to slap Cheng Liang dead.

This person had already disgraced the Spirit Treasure Society by changing his spirit treasure formation on the eighth step, and now, he was making these accusations.

Not only were members of the Spirit Treasure Society present, but there were also many outsiders.

Qian Huifeng could already imagine how this matter would spread throughout the Spirit Nidus. Their society would become the biggest joke in the megaverse.

How could the Spirit Treasure Society allow such a person to retain the title of Grandmaster? What kind of respect would the society be able to keep?

Lu Yin was curious, "How did someone like this become a Grandmaster? Grandmaster Yu Ran, can you explain this to me?"

Grandmaster Yu Ran closed her eyes. This day’s events were the greatest disgrace throughout the Spirit Treasure Society’s entire history. One of their own had defiled the Grandmaster's Trial. After that, the entire Spirit Treasure Society had been humiliated by one of their own. It was ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

Cheng Liang had lost all sense of reason because of his anger. He turned and glared at Lu Yin. "How impressive! You’ve rendered the entire Spirit Treasure Society too frightened to do a thing, and to even expel me for you! If you’re so capable, come and defeat my formation. I specifically set it up for you. If you’re bold enough to break the rules and even dare to offend Heavenspire Mountain, then I’ll make sure you die a horrible death!"

Lu Yin’s eyes flared. "Impudent!"

A crushing pressure dropped down like heaven’s judgement, crushing the entire Spirit Treasure Domain.

In an instant, the domain trembled, and space itself started to warp. People felt as though they were being crushed by the universe as an unimaginable pressure descended.

The air they were breathing suddenly felt a thousand times thicker.

The Spirit Treasure Society instantly fell utterly silent. These people were not directly facing the pressure, and yet they were struggling to breath. Instinctively, everyone bent their knees in order to avoid being crushed, and each one dropped their head slightly. Sweat dripped down from their brows to soak their bodies.

Cheng Liang crumpled down on the eighth step, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he was overcome with horror.

What… what kind of pressure is this? I’ve never experienced anything like this! How could he be this strong? He’s too young

.

The Grandmaster’s vision grew blurry, and his thoughts were thrown into chaos as he started to bleed from his seven orifices. He was completely incapable of stopping the spasms causing his body to shudder. His blood stopped flowing, and he was overcome with numbness across his entire body.

The world started to turn gray.

Lu Yin looked down at Cheng Liang. He looked like a divine being staring down from the heavens.

From the moment he had first started cultivating, Lu Yin had run into countless people like Cheng Liang. He was someone with such a powerful backer that he believed himself able to control everything. However, all of those people had eventually lost everything.

Nightqueen Yanqing had been one such person, but after clashing with Lu Yin on several occasions, she had been able to see the truth.

Nightking Zhenwu had possessed an overwhelming background, and yet his actions had all been meticulous. Even when he had been completely certain of victory, he had resorted to things like poison and plots. He had been one of the most terrifying people Lu Yin had ever met.

Cheng Liang had to have someone supporting him.

However, no matter who that might be, they could not pose a threat to Lu Yin. The ruler of the entire Spirit Nidus was the High Seraph, and yet not even he was able to suppress Lu Yin. There was no need to even consider anyone else.

As he looked down at Cheng Liang lying on the floor, Lu Yin realized that he had already become the same kind of person he had once admired so greatly: someone who could see all other creatures as mere ants. Such an outcome was inevitable, provided that a person continued down the path of cultivation.

A person needed to look down from a certain height to see all creatures as ants. However, Lu Yin was still focused on protecting the Tianyuan Megaverse and all of the people who supported him. He still desired to lead others toward goodness, though whether or not he could accomplish that was another matter entirely.

As for Cheng Liang, Lu Yin truly saw the man as nothing more than an ant.

A foot rose up, and Lu Yin stepped over Cheng Liang. A second step took him away.

Being stepped over was a tremendous humiliation for Cheng Liang. It was severe enough to form an irreconcilable enmity between him and Lu Yin, though that did not matter. Cheng Liang would not live to see another day.

Lu Yin proceeded towards the ninth step.

Behind him, Cheng Liang’s eyes turned bloodshot, even as his body trembled beneath the immense pressure. He gritted his teeth even as blood leaked from a corner of his mouth. “If you are so bold, then defeat my formation!”

Lu Yin stopped, but did not even turn his head. “You have enough pride to withstand my pressure. Tell me, who gave you such pride?”

Cheng Liang coughed up blood as he continued to glare at Lu Yin’s back with pure hatred.

Lu Yin turned to Grandmaster Yu Ran. "I think it’s best to remove trouble at the root."

Yu Ran’s eyes flickered, but she stayed silent.

Cheng Liang’s eyes bulged, and he barked a harsh laugh. “Remove trouble from the root? Fine, fine! If you are so courageous, go to Heavenspire and find Cheng Gong! He gave me my pride, my status, and the path I have taken! If you cut my path short, he won’t let you off!”

Lu Yin gave a hint of a smile. “I’ll do that.”

Cheng Liang coughed yet more blood. “You won’t dare. You aren’t even brave enough to enter my formation. You will never dare find him! You don’t dare—”

Lu Yin raised a hand and reached into the Heaven's Wrath, Earth's Ruin formation. A casual fling of the wrist caused him to yank out a strand of the sourcebox array’s danger zone and send it stabbing into Cheng Liang’s body.

The man froze, overcome with disbelief and frustration before he dropped to the ground.

How… is this possible?

Neither Yu Ran nor anyone else tried to stop Lu Yin from killing Cheng Liang, though he had done so in a completely unexpected manner.

By drawing the danger zone out from the Heaven's Wrath, Earth's Ruin spirit treasure formation and using that to kill Cheng Liang, Lu Yin had demonstrated that he was not merely capable of resolving the spirit treasure formation, but that he could even control it.

The Third Boss had not killed Cheng Liang with overwhelming personal strength, but with the spirit treasure formation that Cheng Liang himself had set up, Heaven's Wrath, Earth's Ruin.

Cheng Liang could never accept or believe such a thing, not even at death’s door. The Third Boss had clearly never even entered the formation. So, just how could he have possibly taken control of it?

Not even Grandmaster Yu Ran could understand this. Just how skilled of a Spirit Treasure Master was the Third Boss?

The other members of the Spirit Treasure Society remained silent. Cheng Liang was dead, and while he had not left the Spiritual Domain alive, no one blamed Lu Yin. This was especially true since Cheng Liang had been killed by a spirit treasure formation. In a way, such a death saved face for the society.

All blame fell upon Cheng Liang for being arrogant and underestimating an enemy that he had chosen for himself. He had tried to kill the Third Boss while constantly bragging, and he had even insulted the Spirit Treasure Society.

No one blamed Lu Yin for his actions.

Lu Yin lowered his hand. Heaven's Wrath, Earth's Ruin started to shift, as its danger zone had been manipulated. While it was possible for the sourcebox array to become even more terrifying, it would most likely gradually stabilize into another array.

Lu Yin did not even glance at Cheng Liang’s corpse. The man was not even worthy of being thrown into the Champions’ Stage Purgatory. He had not been very strong, as he had only ever focused on being a Spirit Treasure Master. He had likely possessed insignificant karma, which made him meaningless to Lu Yin.

Cheng Gong? He’s also from Heavenspire, and he’s the one behind Cheng Liang.

Cheng Gong had caused Cheng Liang to possess such arrogance, which indicated that the man was not someone to take lightly. However, Lu Yin was unconcerned. Heavenspire was already his enemy.

He raised a foot and took another step forward, climbing onto the ninth step.

Everyone’s attention moved away from Cheng Liang’s corpse and focused back on Lu Yin.

He had stepped onto the final step of the Grandmaster's Trial. If he conquered that step as well, the Third Boss would become the Spirit Treasure Society’s tenth Spirit Treasure Grandmaster, or rather, the ninth Grandmaster, seeing as how Cheng Liang was already gone.

In the plaza, Old Tao’s expression had soured greatly.

Cheng Gong…

That seemed to be a familiar name, though Old Tao knew nothing specific about the man.

He glanced at Palace Master Yao. Her expression was similarly grave, but this was not the time to discuss such things.

On the ninth step of the Grandmaster's Trial. Lu Yin looked forward, only to see nothing at all.

Grandmaster Yu Ran stepped forward.

Grandmaster Zhi Shan cautioned her, “Things might not be the same as before. It’s up to you to handle this.”

Yu Ran hesitated briefly and then nodded. After that, she proceeded on to the Grandmaster's Trial.

Lu Yin watched as the woman climbed to the top step, and then cocked a brow. "What is this? Do you intend to follow in Cheng Liang’s footsteps and try something drastic against me?"

Yu Ran glanced at Cheng Liang’s corpse. "He brought his fate upon himself. What happened has nothing to do with anyone else. However, this matter will lead to tremendous bloodlust. Third Boss, you need to be careful of Cheng Gong."

Lu Yin clasped his hands behind his back, clearly relaxed and unphased. "There is no one in the Spirit Nidus who can threaten me, not even High Seraph."

Yu Ran stared at Lu Yin for a moment. "Third Boss, do you truly intend to become one of my Spirit Treasure Society’s Grandmasters?"

Lu Yin met the woman’s eyes as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If I say yes, would you have the courage to allow it?"

OMA's Thoughts

Translated By: OMA

Edited By: Neshi/Nyxnox

TLC'ed By: OMA