Chapter 3597: Gathering At The Ascendant Hall

Elsewhere, Emperor Wu had already arrived in the domain where Meng Sang had been granted the title of Seraph, but he could find no traces of Meng Sang. It was also impossible to find any traces of Old Salamander.

More than a month later, Emperor Wu returned to the Primal Beastland.

As soon as he arrived, he went into seclusion. He felt tremendous pressure from

Boundless

, especially after the final three-way battle between himself, Lu Yin, and Old Salamander. When Emperor Wu had first broken past Lu Yin's Universe-level consciousness and Skyshearer Millstone, he had thought that Lu Yin’s consciousness had not truly reached the Universe level, though it was close enough to still affect Emperor Wu. Later on, when Lu Yin had kicked him, Emperor Wu had gotten a true sense of Lu Yin’s power.

The young man was clearly human, yet his strength had reached a level that made even Emperor Wu wary. On top of that, physical strength was no more than one of Lu Yin’s powers.

Emperor Wu needed to fully master his own technique. Without that, even if he was victorious during the battle at the source of the River Fu, he would struggle against the High Seraph.

As for Old Salamander, no one asked about him again.

No one in the Primal Beastland mentioned Old Salamander, and the rumors regarding the Ascendant Hall vanished entirely. Emperor Wu had proven how terrifyingly powerful he was, and during the three-way battle, he had fearlessly attacked even Lu Yin, proving his own overbearing nature. Emperor Wu had proven himself once again, and everyone awaited the forthcoming battle at the Fu River’s source after the Day of Offering.

...

In the blink of an eye, the Day of Offering had arrived, and it was time for the Seven Seraphs to gather at the Ascendant Hall. This time, the ceremony was going to be held at the Ascendant Hall.

It took just a few days for the entire Spirit Nidus to experience a change. Every cultivator who was connected to an interstellar civilization solemnly awaited the Day of Offering. During this time, cultivators bathed and burned incense before sitting cross-legged in all parts of the megaverse. Everyone was looking in the direction of the Ascendant Hall, awaiting the beginning of the ceremony.

While the Day of Offering marked the day that a ceremony was conducted by the High Seraph and the Seven Seraphs, it was also a day that marked the end of a cycle for the Spirit Nidus as a whole.

Rumors spread that the strange scene might not only be visible to the High Seraph and possibly the Seven Seraphs, but also to others.

This rumor was truly ancient, and there was no evidence supporting it. Even after the passing of eons, there was still no proof to the rumor. The Ascendant Hall had even publicly denied the rumor, but even if there was only a one-in-a-billion chance, everyone wanted to at least try. Every person believed that they were destined by fate; when one died, so too did their world.

The workings of the megaverse and the vastness of existence were nothing more than a solitary person's game.

Who did not, on some level, believe themselves to be the sole master of reality?

In the Hundred Grasses Domain, Lu Yin and Yuan Qi left

Boundless

and made their way towards the Hundred Grasses Universe.

The Hundred Grasses Domain was one of the thirty-six domains, which naturally meant that it was connected to the Hundred Grasses Universe, which was in turn connected to the Ascendant Hall.

Yuan Qi entered the Hundred Grasses Universe, where he found a great many people who were searching for Hundred Grasses. Even people who were not in one of the Spirit Nidus’s thirty-six domains remembered the Day of Offering, and they also sat cross-legged on that day, awaiting the moment of the ceremony.

"I never thought that I would live to revisit the Ascendant Hall," Yuan Qi commented emotionally.

Long ago, he had left for the Tianyuan Megaverse to deal with the rising Heavens Sect and weaken the megaverse’s future potential. Later on, he had fought at the Immemorial Citadel and had never considered the possibility of returning home.

His ultimate goal had been to wait for the Tianyuan Megaverse to be reset, attempt to enter the Immortal realm, and if not, then die.

Yuan Qi could be said to hold the greatest secret of the Spirit Nidus, and that secret had prevented him from ever being able to return home.

Lu Yin had no fear that Yuan Qi would suddenly turn against him at this point in time. The old man was incapable of betraying Lu Yin anymore. Even if they both died and the Tianyuan Megaverse was reset, everything that he had done so far had stained his reputation, and Yuan Qi was no longer welcome in the Spirit Nidus. It would be better for him to remain utterly loyal to the Tianyuan Megaverse.

There had been a time when Yuan Qi had seen no hope at all, but after the battle that had broken out during the Everstone Discourse, he had found hope.

The High Seraph might not actually be capable of eliminating

Boundless

.

Still, Yuan Qi feared Master Qing Cao more than anyone else.

Despite that, there was simply no choice. Even though Yuan Qi knew that Master Qing Cao wanted to reset the Tianyuan Megaverse, he could only stay where he was.

"It's a pity that your Dao Bell is gone. Don’t let anyone notice that, or else anyone who challenges you will be able to win," Lu Yin reminded.

Yuan Qi sighed. His Dao Bell had indeed shattered, which had greatly reduced his strength. Naturally, he would never let anyone discover that weakness.

In the Spirit Nidus, cultivators would either undergo a human-form or a beast-form Spirit Rebirth, and after that, the truly powerful individuals would also undergo a Spirit Transformation. That transformation would allow them to acquire a new innate gift or a spirit weapon.

These spirit weapons and innate gifts were based on the individual’s cultivation and habits, which meant that what appeared could not be fully controlled.

Of the two, spirit weapons generally brought about a greater increase in combat ability, but if the spirit weapon was damaged, it would be extremely difficult to restore. The affected individual would need a tremendous amount of time to recover.

Innate gifts that were acquired from a Spirit Transformation were different, as there was no risk of them being damaged.

Yuan Qi had become a Seraph by relying on his Dao Bell, which could be considered one of the strongest spirit weapons in the Spirit Nidus. However, just as his success had come about from his Dao Bell, so too did his weakness. As soon as his Dao Bell was damaged, his strength had fallen drastically, to the point where even Lu Yin had been able to defeat him.

Being so weakened made Yuan Qi very nervous about visiting the Ascendant Hall.

The two men quickly passed through the Hundred Grasses Domain and reached the Ascendant Hall. Their journey was quite fast.

This was Lu Yin's second time visiting the Ascendant Hall. He looked around and saw the Apex Palace, which seemed as unreachable as ever, as well as the beautiful attendants and Lan.

When Lan saw that Lu Yin had arrived, her expression did not change at all, even as she slowly bowed. "Lan greets Seraph Lu and Seraph Yuan Qi."

Yuan Qi was surprised to see Lan. "You’re still alive?"

Lan turned to Yuan Qi and smiled at him. "It’s been a long time, Senior."

Yuan Qi sighed. "It really has been. I never thought that you would be able to reach the Spirit Origin realm, and yet not only did you succeed in doing that, but you’re also in the process of overcoming Dukkha. There really is no predicting the future."

Lan smiled. "I didn’t expect to see you again, Senior, let alone under the present circumstances."

Yuan Qi shook his head. He felt ashamed in front of a junior whom he had once favored.

"It’s been some time, Yuan Qi." Zhan Ming had already arrived. He was shrouded by a sense of darkness, and his eyes were clouded. Despite that, no one would dare to underestimate him.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Yuan Qi cocked a brow at the sight of Zhan Ming. "It has been a very long time, and yet you’re still alive. Surprising."

Zhan Ming’s voice sounded truly ancient. "Thank you for caring for Zhan Yan."

"It’s nothing. It’s the girl’s own abilities that kept her from dying in the Tianyuan Megaverse," Yuan Qi replied.

Zhan Ming then looked at Lu Yin and gave him a faint smile. "I heard that Seraph Lu and Emperor Wu have a battle scheduled to take place in half a year. I would like to congratulate you now on a great victory, Seraph Lu."

Lu Yin looked at Zhan Ming. "Why hasn’t Old Salamander been taken to await death in your Gate of Laws despite how long he’s lived for?"

Zhan Ming sighed. "There are certain powerhouses who don’t wish to contribute to the Spirit Nidus, and we are unable to force them to do so. As for Lord Yuan Qi, your time is also running out. Would you care to enter the Gate of Laws?"

Yuan Qi replied, "I’m definitely going to outlive you."

"Then we’ll wait and see," Zhan Ming responded.

At this moment, Su Shidao arrived. When he saw the other three Seraphs already present, he smiled at them. "I expected to be the first, but surprisingly, all three of you arrived so early."

Lan turned to Su Shidao and offered a slow bow. "Greetings, Seraph Su."

Su Shidao chuckled bitterly. "This title of Seraph that I have is overinflated. Lan, the more respect you show me, the more uneasy I become."

Yuan Qi interjected, "If it weren’t for others breaking the rules, you would have become a Seraph long ago. Why wait so long?"

Su Shidao turned to Yuan Qi. "We meet again."

"Brother Su," Zhan Ming spoke up, causing Su Shidao to turn to him.

Zhan Ming asked, "Have you ever considered using the danger zone of a spirit treasure to form a sequence base?"

Everyone turned to look at Zhan Ming in surprise.

Even Lu Yin was taken aback, as he had certainly never considered such a possibility.

Su Shidao’s eyes lit up. "Is that even feasible?"

Zhan Ming answered in a somber tone, "Sequence particles can be used to construct sequence bases, and a spirit treasure’s danger zone is far more defined than a group of sequence particles. It may very well be feasible. Also," the man paused as he glanced at Lu Yin. "Brother Su, your Floral Transposition formation should have been impossible for anyone else to learn, and yet Seraph Lu has learned it. There must be some method behind it, correct?"

Su Shidao shook his head. "You’re asking the wrong person. I have no idea how Seraph Lu managed to learn it."

Zhan Ming looked at Lu Yin, who met his gaze. "Old man, are you trying to pry into my secrets?"

Zhan Ming smiled. "Seraph Lu, don’t misunderstand me. If we can use this to create a sequence base, it would greatly benefit both of us. After all, the Spirit Treasure Society has gotten quite close to you now."

Lu Yin’s lips curved up. "Alright, I’ll consider it. If it is possible, the Spirit Treasure Society will fully cooperate with you."

Zhan Ming nodded. "Good."

Su Shidao complained, "I never agreed to anything!"

Everyone completely ignored him. While he certainly possessed the power of a Seraph, everyone knew that Su Shidao had been forced to accept the title by Lu Yin. In a sense, Lu Yin's opinion carried far more weight, especially after

Boundless

had bullied the Primal Beastland. At this point, everyone in the Spirit Nidus feared him.

If not for the fact that Lu Yin was an enemy, everyone would have believed him to be the next High Seraph. Even if everything else was ignored, he was simply way too young compared to the other Seraphs.

Lan listened in silence. The individuals gathered here represented the highest echelons of the Spirit Nidus, and any decision made by this group could alter the balance of the entire megaverse. Still, the Ascendant Hall had always retained the highest position, at least as long as the High Seraph was alive.

This thought prompted Lan to look at Lu Yin. Just how long could he survive?

Coincidentally, Lu Yin also looked over at Lan.

The two stared at each other. Lan’s expression was calm as water. Not a single hint of her anger back when she had tried to drive Lu Yin away from the Ascendant Hall could be seen.

Lu Yin continued to stare at Lan. "I heard that you cultivate the 22nd-ranked sequence technique, Projection. Is that right?"

Lan responded, "That’s correct."

Lu Yin asked out of curiosity, "That sequence technique is nearly useless in combat, so why would someone as strong as you pursue it?"

Lan replied, "Projection may not be useful in combat, but it’s very convenient when it comes to relaying the Ascendant Hall’s decisions to the entire Spirit Nidus. I have no need for a sequence technique that is strong in benefits. Projection suits my needs best."

"Announcements? I heard that the sequence technique offers tremendous advantages for assassination," Lu Yin slowly stated.

Yuan Qi glanced at Lan, and her expression grew serious. "I heard that there have been several attempts to assassinate you, Seraph Lu. Twice, those attempts were performed by someone who cultivates Projection. Could I be one of your suspects?"

"Absolutely." Lu Yin denied nothing.

Lan denied it, "I had nothing to do with any of that."

Lu Yin looked away and stopped asking questions.

At this moment, someone else arrived. Lan stepped forward and respectfully greeted them, "Lan greets Seraph Meng Sang."

Lu Yin and the others all stared at the newcomer. Meng Sang had arrived.

Meng Sang was hidden within a black robe as he slowly walked towards the rest of the Seraphs. When he faced Lu Yin and the others, he acted as though he could not see anyone at all.

"Meng Sang, where have you been all this time?" Zhan Ming suddenly asked.

Meng Sang replied in a low voice, "I’ve been training in seclusion."

Su Shidao frowned. "The entire Spirit Nidus has been looking for you."

"That’s none of your concern," Meng Sang retorted coldly.

Zhan Ming continued to carefully observe Meng Sang. "If you’re going to die, please come to the Gate of Laws. Your sequence technique is very useful."

Meng Sang stopped speaking.

Lu Yin ignored the newcomer. There had been several times when the Seraph had acted at Yong Heng’s orders, the most recent incident being when he had visited the Primal Beastland and saved Old Salamander. While Lu Yin wanted to use Meng Sang to find Old Salamander, it was not the proper time right now.

Meng Sang was not the main culprit behind what had happened. Yong Heng was the true mastermind.