Chapter 3811: Orchid Megaverse

Seeing the two people approaching, Shui Su grew embarrassed and awkwardly moved to the side.

Lu Yin took a step forward, and a path appeared beneath his feet.

Ming Xiaolong glanced at Shui Su, and with a raised eyebrow, said, "Let's go."

Shui Su was grateful. "Thank you!"

She quickly followed the pair.

Ming Xiaolong did not care about Shui Su at all, and it was clear that Lu Yin did not either. Shui Su was nothing more than a passerby that they had both helped along the way.

The woman was rather clever, but she was not capable of handling anything of true significance.

Behind them, Everchange Valley gradually faded from view.

Only after Shui Su passed over the abyss did she finally relax. She bowed to Lu Yin and Ming Xiaolong. "This Shui Su thanks you both for your help. We can part ways here, and if we one day meet again, I will be sure to repay your kindness."

With a nod from Ming Xiaolong, Shui Su offered a second bow and left.

Lu Yin silently stared as Shui Su left. He never said a word.

Ming Xiaolong glanced over at him. "What? Reluctant to see her go?"

Lu Yin calmly replied, "We’ll meet her again soon."

Ming Xiaolong frowned. "Keep your mind focused on what’s important. I don’t care what sort of connection you might have with that woman, but completing my request is your top priority."

Lu Yin looked at her. "How are we getting to Ridgeplain?"

He could move quickly enough to reach Ridgeplain on his own, but not with Ming Xiaolong tagging along. After all, Lu Yin was certain that she would never allow him to simply carry her. Besides, he wanted to deliberately stall, just as she was hoping to delay him.

Ming Xiaolong snorted while taking a leaf out of her cosmic ring. The leaf expanded with the wind until it was even larger than a carriage, nearly the size of a house.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Surprised, Lu Yin touched it. "It’s quite sturdy."

"Of course." Contempt oozed from Ming Xiaolong’s voice. "This is an orchid leaf from the Orchid Megaverse. It’s as durable as a sequence powerhouse’s defenses."

She gave Lu Yin a look as though seeing a country bumpkin.

"Orchid Megaverse?"

"A destroyed foreign megaverse."

Lu Yin’s heart sank. "Why was it destroyed? Did the Nine Odysseys Megaverse destroy it?"

Ming Xiaolong stepped onto the orchid leaf while looking at Lu Yin. "That’s right. I might not know why you left the three megaverses and entered the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but it was probably to escape. It’s inevitable that some of the three megaverses will be reset, which is essentially the same as destroying them. Just stop thinking so much about such things and settle in here. If you manage to become a part of the Sea of Karma by fulfilling our requests, you’ll stand above all, aside from the three most powerful beings in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse."

Lu Yin also stepped onto the orchid leaf. "You don’t need to bother with all of that. I’ll do my best. Still, I am curious: why was the Orchid Megaverse destroyed?"

"I’ll tell you as we travel," Ming Xiaolong said. Her eyes flickered, and the orchid leaf started moving.

Lu Yin was waiting for her to find some way to stall.

Supposedly, the orchid leaf should move extremely fast, and yet Lu Yin noticed that it was quite slow. Still, he did not comment on it.

It moved even slower than a carriage.

"Help!" A familiar voice rang out.

Lu Yin looked over and laughed. It was Shui Su. As expected, she had chased after them.

Earlier, Lu Yin had noticed a few familiar people waiting outside of the Everchange Valley. They were the same people who had been hunting Shui Su previously. They were unable to enter the valley, and they did not have the courage to even try, but they were also unwilling to simply give up. Thus, they had waited outside. Sure enough, a chance had eventually appeared.

They were quite bold, willing to wait outside of the Everchange Valley to steal a karmic bud. These people had to be desperate.

After thinking for a bit, Lu Yin realized that this was quite understandable. One karmic bud represented a chance to become Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple. No matter how remote the chances of success might be, who would abandon such an opportunity? Even without going to the Sea of Karma, a karmic bud could be sold for an astronomical price. It would be more than enough to secure an abundant amount of cultivation resources. It was not unusual for cultivators to risk their lives for a chance to advance. Life was cheap.

Ming Xiaolong stopped and turned to look at Lu Yin, puzzling him. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Aren't you going to help?"

"What does her situation have to do with me?"

"That girl is quite pretty, and she is as attractive as us Seven Fairies. You peeked on us. Are you really trying to tell me that you have no interest in her?" Ming Xiaolong asked with a sneer.

Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you say 'peeked' again, I'll replace your veil with your sock."

Ming Xiaolong blushed furiously and glared at Lu Yin. "Shameless!"

It was at that moment that Shui Su caught up, and she begged, "Please sir, save me! Those criminals are after me again!"

Lu Yin laughed. "It must be fate, us meeting again so soon."

Shui Su continued in a bitter tone, "I’m begging you, please save me!"

Lu Yin casually replied, "Just tell them that you gave your karmic bud to the Everchange Valley."

Ming Xiaolong cocked a brow.

What a cunning fellow, shifting problems over to others so naturally. He’s too used to doing this

.

Shui Su turned pale. "They won't believe me! They said... that they're going to sell me to a brothel if they can’t get the karmic bud."

Lu Yin shook his head. While he was aware that he was not exactly a good person, he still had some sense of responsibility and a bit of compassion. If not for that, he would have already left.

Shui Su’s pursuers were radiating genuine killing intent. Of particular note, a sequence powerhouse could just barely be detected in the distance. While it would be easy enough for Lu Yin to deal with the hunters, he had no reason to slaughter everyone. Shui Su was not enough reason for so much killing.

Such incidents were all too common in the world of cultivators. No one would ever dare to claim to be truly righteous; anyone who could had already died long ago.

The pursuers were hesitant to approach the orchid leaf, given that they had immediately recognized it. In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, anyone who could travel on an orchid leaf had to be either wealthy or some sort of nobility. Given their close proximity to the Everchange Valley, this orchid leaf most likely belonged to someone from that sect.

The sight of Shui Su begging with her eyes brightly flushed, roused a sense of pity within Ming Xiaolong, and she casually raised her onto the orchid leaf.

Shui Su was thrilled. "Thank you! Thank you, Sister!"

Ming Xiaolong said nothing as the orchid leaf continued to fly towards Ridgeplain.

The group chasing after Shui Su exchanged glances as they broke off their pursuit. All they could do was watch the orchid leaf move away.

At the same time, far away in Ridgeplain, the entire region was bustling. There were floating pavilions, lakes, and streams. Numerous bookstalls lay scattered across the ground, each manned by disciples of the Autumnspring Slip. Visitors gathered around these stalls, searching for useful characters. The disciples acted mysterious, with some even closing their eyes to avoid revealing any hints.

Most of the stalls had no writings on display, but if an Autumnspring Slip disciple discovered any characters during the Worldscript, they were obligated to present them publicly. That was the rule.

In addition to bookstalls, there were also taverns, weapon shops, and other establishments that had been set up. The originally tranquil Ridgeplain had been transformed into a bustling marketplace.

Above Ridgeplain, a massive bamboo slip released a soft glow as it hung in the sky. It was the Autumnspring Slip, and the mirebound artifact was large enough that its shadow covered nearly half of Ridgeplain. People occasionally ascended or descended from the bamboo slip, eliciting exclamations of admiration whenever a famous cultivator appeared.

"Brother, you can look, but don’t touch. Whatever you touch, you must buy," one Autumnspring Slip disciple cautioned the man in front of his stall.

"I didn't touch anything. I just wanted to get a bit closer to sense it. Hmm... there’s something interesting here."

"Don't get so close! Your breath stinks!"

"How can you say something like that? Is this how a disciple of the Autumnspring Slip should behave?"

"That depends on who we're talking to. You've been haunting my stall for ten days! Ten whole days! Your stench has driven others away, allowing you to take your time choosing. Did you really think I didn’t notice?"

"Don't change the subject. Your attitude is awful! Is this how the Autumnspring Slip teaches its disciples to behave?"

"You think it's your place to say anything?"

"Hah! With an attitude like that, there’s no way I’m leaving. I'll stay here and keep an eye on your stall."

"Brother, I was mistaken. Please, leave. Couldn’t you stand just a bit further away? Which character caught your eye? I'll give it to you—consider it a gift from me."

"I'm not going anywhere! I’m staying right here."

"Why stay here? You shouldn’t waste your time. All of these characters are fake, I swear! Just go. You don’t want to miss an opportunity elsewhere."

"They're all fake?"

"I swear it, Brother."

"Hah, liar!"

...

"Isn't that Senior Brother Luo? He's the Autumnspring Slip’s most outstanding disciple of this generation! His stall should be very trustworthy."

"Don’t be ridiculous! Even the Autumnspring Slip elders have set up stalls. Why should we trust a mere disciple?"

"Good point."

...

"Sister Liu, Uncle entrusted you to me! I'm responsible for you while we’re here. Don't run so fast, Sister Liu!"

"You, with the surname Zhong, stop being so disgusting and just go away! You’re ruining my mood."

"Sister Liu, don't be like that! Which character do you want to buy? Just tell me, and I'll buy it for you. If nothing else, your brother here has plenty of money!"

"Alright, you offered, so you can’t take it back now! Hey, you! The sneaky-looking guy! Pack up all of your stall’s characters. This lady is buying everything!"

"Ah? Well, thank you, Senior Sister! Thank you..."

"Sister Liu..."

"Young lady, you clearly possess incredible talent and unparalleled beauty, as well as remarkable generosity. You are simply a precious gem which is admired by countless heroes, destined to always remain beyond their reach. Even the Lesser Sancti must feel inferior in your presence. I have with me here an extraordinary jade pendant, which has been passed down through my family from an unknown ancestor. Every night, a celestial fairy appears in my dreams. She whispers to me, but sadly, I cannot understand her. It might be that I simply don’t have sufficient destiny. If this pendant is fortunate enough to earn your favor, young lady, it would be a blessing to my family for multiple generations, as the pendant will have finally found its destined owner."

Sister Liu stared blankly at a man who had suddenly stepped forward. While she was taken aback by his lengthy speech, it sounded pleasantly flattering, especially given the way that he looked at her with open admiration, yet also evident respect. That alone was simply delightful. With a wave of her hand, she declared, "I’ll take it."

The man named Zhong stood there with his mouth agape. She was not even buying a character!

"Thank you, young lady. Your matchless grace will surely become renowned throughout the Nine Odysseys Megaverse." The man bowed gratefully.

Zhong glared at the man, clenching his teeth. It was clear that the bastard was a con artist. "How much?"

The salesman flashed a brilliant smile and, like magic, revealed a number of jade pendants from his chest. "For just-"

Before he could finish speaking, a massive explosion shook the ground, and everyone turned to look over.

Zhong’s eyes lit up, and he immediately tossed the jade pendant aside and ran towards the source of the commotion.

In a corner of Ridgeplain, someone was awkwardly fleeing, cursing as he moved. "You Brocade Clan bastards! You still won't let this go? Do you really believe that I'm afraid of you? Don't push me, or else I'll lead the Five-Palm Sect to exterminate your entire clan!"

An arrow pierced the sky, vanishing. As it flew by, it was accompanied by a resonant voice, "The conflict between the White Jade Clan and War Clan involves the Five-Palm Sect, which the Spirit Coalition deeply regrets. However, this matter has nothing to do with our Brocade Clan. The Five-Palm Sect’s attack on us must be explained!"

"Go demand answers from whoever attacked you! Why bother me? I’ve been in Ridgeplain this entire time."

"Do you have any witnesses?"

"Are you really shameless enough to demand that I provide

proof

?"

"Then please come with us."

Boom!

Another massive explosion erupted, and then a palm strike fell from the sky. At that moment, someone appeared out of nowhere and blocked the attack. They had clearly used the shield (盾) character to stop the attack. "If you want to fight, take it elsewhere. Far from Ridgeplain."

"I am the Brocade Clan’s Xiu Bie, from the Spirit Coalition. If we have offended the Autumnspring Slip in any way, please forgive us."

"I am from the Spirit Coalition’s..."

"I am from the Spirit Coalition’s..."

"We respectfully request the Autumnspring Slip's understanding in this matter."

The voices eventually faded into the distance.