Chapter 3743: Coordination

“Let’s give it a try,” Yanbo Haomiao suggested.

Yue Ya said, “I can’t climb the cliff.”

“Then how did Mo Shang manage to do it?” Yanbo Haomiao wondered.

That thought created strong apprehension in Yue Ya.

If it was so easy to scale the cliff, then the Nine Odysseys Megaverse would have never risked letting their youths train above it. After all, they would be at risk against the Thirteen Luminaries, some of whom were as powerful as peak Dukkhans. Even the smallest mistake could lead to disaster.

The fact that so many years had passed without any incident served as proof of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s great confidence in the Willbound Spire’s safety.

Mo Shang had shattered their confidence by climbing the cliff. This was proof that his power defied the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s understanding, and such a power truly deserved to be admired.

“The High Seraph has a method that ignores both space and time. It’s the attack that struck Yong Heng, gravely wounding him. That’s also why Yong Heng escaped to a parallel universe, to recover,” Old Chief stated. Then, he rather reluctantly added, “We thought that our trap would kill the High Seraph... We underestimated him.”

Yue Ya was startled. “A trap?”

Old Chief nodded and shared how the Thirteen Luminaries had used Ye Meng as bait to lure the High Seraph to the Willbound Expanse and the details of the trap that they had prepared for him. Those efforts had become meaningless, as the trap had already been dismantled.

However, Yue Ya still grew excited. “Was that trap able to restrain the High Seraph for a while?”

Old Chief replied, “Yes, but not for long. It also needs to be combined with my Heaven and Earth Lock.”

“That’s good enough,” Yue Ya said. “How long do you need to prepare the trap again?”

Old Chief and Shuangdao exchanged glances. “If we can swiftly gather enough powerful conscients, then only a few days. Unfortunately, after the battle in the Willbound Expanse and the later battles that shook the megaverse, most of the conscients have gone into hiding. It will be hard to find them.”

“I know of a few places where conscients are hiding,” Yue Ya announced. When his manifested thought had spread across the megaverse, in addition to searching for Lu Yin, Yue Ya had also examined the Consciousness Megaverse.

Yanbo Haomiao smiled. “I know a few as well.”

He had also observed the Consciousness Megaverse with his Nine-Rulers: Heaven-Defying Art.

“So, all we need to do is gather those conscients?” Yue Ya asked.

Old Chief nodded. “I can prepare a trap that will restrain even the High Seraph for a brief bit of time. Lu Yin is powerful, but he cannot surpass the High Seraph.”

“That’s our best plan,” Yue Ya stated as he stared at the hut’s doorway. He had sacrificed too much to obtain Lu Yin, and failure was not an option.

Half a month quickly passed by, and many conscients were found. There were barely enough to prepare the trap. After all, Shuangdao and Xi Wen, two of the Thirteen Luminaries, were already present, and Old Chief’s Heaven and Earth Lock was the primary component.

The next step was to enter the Willbound Spire to force Lu Yin out, and Yue Ya had prepared a plan for that long ago.

The idea was simple: Ruler Garden’s Yanbo Shu, who was completely utterly loyal to Yue Ya, and Emperor Slayer would enter to speak to Lu Yin.

Emperor Slayer nearly swore. What did any of this have to do with him? He had been staying quiet and had done nothing at all, so why was he being dragged into the mess?

Yue Ya’s threats meant that Emperor Slayer had no choice but to go in.

He just hoped that nothing would go wrong.

He had previously cursed both the High Seraph and Lu Yin, and he had thoroughly enjoyed hurling insults at the two men.

He struggled a bit to squeeze through the crack in the barrier blocking the door and then reappeared in the middle of outer space. Streams of gray swirled around him, which he used his rather weak consciousness to touch. Immediately found himself at the bottom of the cliff. When he looked up, he saw three people up above.

The moment Emperor Slayer appeared at the cliff’s base, the Origin Progenitor looked down. “They’re already here.”

Lu Yin slowly turned his head to look at the bottom of the cliff.

Emperor Slayer? It looks like he’s been captured by Yue Ya.

The High Seraph also looked down to see Emperor Slayer. The man’s expression grew dark as he remembered the last time he had looked down on the beast in this place. When Emperor Slayer had last been at the bottom of the cliff, he had mercilessly insulted the High Seraph. If not for Yue Ya, Emperor Slayer would have already been killed.

Emperor Slayer looked up the cliff, seeing the three pairs of eyes staring down at him.

He glanced at the Origin Progenitor and then at Lu Yin. Finally, the beast turned his eyes to meet the High Seraph’s gaze, and Emperor Slayer immediately grew awkward. “Haha, is that Lord High Seraph? What a coincidence! You’re here too, haha.”

Yanbo Shu appeared beside the beast and glanced at Emperor Slayer before following his gaze up the cliff. The man saw Lu Yin and let out a breath of relief. So long as that young man was in the Willbound Spire, he would not be able to escape.

Lu Yin also recognized Yanbo Shu. He was the Dukkhan from Ruler Garden who had not died while ganging up on Lu Yin. It appeared that this man had not gained his power through Seed Transfusion, but rather by cultivating his own power.

“So, um... Everyone, how have you been?” Emperor Slayer chuckled awkwardly.

Yanbo Shu glanced over again. “What are you going on about? Have you already forgotten what you’re supposed to do?”

Emperor Slayer quietly muttered, “Don’t rush things and just take it slow. Why don’t we first ease the tension a bit and create a friendlier atmosphere.”

“Beat it!” Yanbo Shu said with a glare. “You’re trying to play both sides and avoid offending anyone while keeping everyone happy. Do you think that you’re qualified to do that?”

Emperor Slayer let out a sheepish laugh and looked away, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Yanbo Shu looked back up the cliff, his eyes locking onto Lu Yin. “If you don’t want anything to happen to your megaverse, leave this place with us. Lord Yue Ya is waiting for you outside.”

Lu Yin coldly retorted, “Can you really go to the Tianyuan Megaverse?”

Yanbo Shu glanced at the High Seraph. “Just as Lord Yue Ya predicted, the High Seraph has shared a bit of information with you. It’s true, we can’t go there... But what about the Thirteen Luminaries?”

Lu Yin’s expression shifted slightly.

The Thirteen Luminaries?

Both the Origin Progenitor and the High Seraph looked down at Yanbo Shu.

The man confidently continued, saying, “The Thirteen Luminaries have already pledged their allegiance to Lord Yue Ya. You have the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn to leave this place, or else Lord Yue Ya will order the Thirteen Luminaries to go to the Tianyuan Megaverse. Since they can no longer remain here in the Consciousness Megaverse, they can make the Tianyuan their new home. Do you think that the people you left behind can stop them?

“One more thing—the Thirteen Luminaries were already planning to abandon the Consciousness Megaverse when Lord Yue Ya intercepted them. Where do you think they would have gone if he had not done so?” With that, the man shot one last cold glare at Emperor Slayer and turned to leave.

Emperor Slayer also wanted to leave, but he could not. He needed to stay in the Willbound Spire and see how Lu Yin reacted.

The one who stayed behind would be in danger. There was no telling if Lu Yin or the others would attack after descending from the cliff. If they did not care about the Tianyuan Megaverse, then the one left behind would be doomed. Yanbo Shu had no desire to take such a risk, which meant that Emperor Slayer was forced to stay behind.

The beast did not dare to try to leave.

He looked up at the cliff. “Um... I didn’t say that.”

Lu Yin and the Origin Progenitor exchanged glances. They had indeed forgotten about the Thirteen Luminaries due to their wariness of Yue Ya. After the High Seraph told them that neither Yue Ya nor any of his people from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse could go to the Tianyuan, the two men had felt relief. However, the Thirteen Luminaries were different, and there was nothing restricting them from traveling between the three megaverses.

If the Thirteen Luminaries entered the Tianyuan Megaverse, no one there could stop them.

Old Chief was a conscient who was strong enough to contend with the High Seraph, and there was also Shuangdao, Xi Wen, and possibly other powerful conscients. How could the Tianyuan Megaverse possibly defend itself?

Lu Yin did not doubt Old Chief’s resolve to conquer his megaverse. Especially after discovering that Lu Yin was capable of devouring conscients, the Luminary might start to suspect that other Tianyuan cultivators were capable of doing the same. That would spell disaster for their megaverse.

Even if the Thirteen Luminaries did not go, Yue Ya could casually select a group of conscients to send there. That would also be a disaster for the Tianyuan Megaverse. There were other Celestial and Universe-realm conscients around.

With such a limited amount of time, Lu Yin was forced to make a choice.

He was well aware that leaving would cause him to be attacked by Yue Ya and his people. There was no doubt that they had made ample preparations. Even if there were fewer people participating in the ambush than when Lu Yin had first been attacked, the attack method would be more selective. The first time had been a direct fight, but there was no way that Yue Ya would do that a second time.

“Um, may I say something?” Emperor Slayer suddenly spoke up, drawing Lu Yin and the others’ attention. “The Thirteen Luminaries were indeed planning to escape from the Consciousness Megaverse. If not for that bitch Jiu Xian trapping us, we would have left long ago. I never intended to become your enemy. We’re all on the same side, aren’t we?”

The beast then showed what he believed to be an ingratiating smile.

The Origin Progenitor asked, “What’s going on outside?”

Emperor Slayer hesitated, glanced around, and then whispered, “There’s a trap! It’s the same one that the Thirteen Luminaries prepared for Lord High Seraph before. Just don’t tell anyone that I told you.”

The Origin Progenitor glanced at the High Seraph, who quietly stated, “A sufficiently powerful consciousness can briefly restrain me, should it be combined with the Heaven and Earth Lock. Regardless of how long it lasts, it will give Yue Ya a chance to strike.”

The man then turned to Lu Yin. “As I said, reduce what they can use to threaten you, or else you will fall to an even greater disadvantage.”

“I agree,” Lu Yin replied as he turned to the High Seraph. “In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to cooperate.”

The High Seraph grew puzzled. “Me?”

A short while later, Lu Yin moved to stand with his back to the bottom of the cliff. He raised a hand and rolled his die.

He knew that he was using the die right in front of the High Seraph. Mo Shang’s eyes narrowed. This was his first time laying eyes on Lu Yin’s die.

So is this the man’s mirebound artifact? Is this the one that allows him to control other creatures?

Lu Yin needed to roll Possession and then do whatever it took to find Old Chief.

There was no way out of his current situation, so all he could do was stall for as long as possible. One stick of incense’s time was not nearly enough.

“Hey, you. Go call someone else to come in. We want to talk,” the Origin Progenitor ordered Emperor Slayer.

“Got it!” Emperor Slayer eagerly replied. He could not wait to get out.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

When he arrived outside the Willbound Spire, Old Chief and the others were briefly startled, as they had believed that Lu Yin had emerged.

“The people inside want to talk,” Emperor Slayer announced.

Yue Ya glanced at Yanbo Shu, and Old Chief warned, “Don’t easily trust Lu Yin. He’s a master at sowing discord and manipulating others.”

Yanbo Haomiao replied, “That depends on who he’s dealing with. Regardless, his time’s not up, so let’s hear what he wants.”

He gestured for Yanbo Shu to return.

Yanbo Hongli stared at the hut’s door with curiosity. She had visited the Willbound Spire before, trying to reach the palace, but she had arrived on a green lotus leaf. She had never entered through the thatched hut’s door.

Old Chief wanted to say more, but he fell silent. He was reminded of how Lu Yin had forced the people from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse above the cliff to reveal everything, as well as how Yong Heng and Lu Yin had traded insults. Lu Yin and the High Seraph had also schemed against each other. All of those humans were much too clever, and while Old Chief knew that trouble was coming, the pride of these Nine Odysseys cultivators left them utterly unconcerned.

Yanbo Shu went back inside, and under the glares from Yue Ya and others, Emperor Slayer was forced to follow behind the man.

After seeing Yanbo Shu arrive, the Origin Progenitor slowly said, “We can leave, but what about the High Seraph?”

Yanbo Shu glanced at the High Seraph. “Leave him be.”

He had already informed Yue Ya that the High Seraph was also atop the cliff, which had not surprised Yue Ya in the least. He intended to ignore the High Seraph, unless the man decided to interfere again. If that happened, both Mo Shang and Lu Yin would be dealt with together.