Chapter 3948: Chosen

Lu Yin’s words left Greater Sancte Awe Gate speechless. She glanced at the young man.

Sometimes, this kid really doesn’t know how to talk

.

When Green Lotus shamelessly tried to push the Seven Fairies onto him, it’s no wonder that he couldn’t even pick up on the hint.

Then what about my own daughter? Though on second thought, someone like this is more dependable.

For a moment, she gave Lu Yin a look of even greater appreciation than before.

As for Lu Yin, he was currently thinking of someone else entirely: Yue Ya. He had been born from the manifested thought of an Immortal who had died.

Whenever Immortals were involved in matters, things became disturbing.

Qi Xu, Yue Ya, the Willbound Spire—all of them were rather creepy.

Lu Yin rubbed his head. Only by becoming an Immortal himself would he be able to sweep aside all obstacles.

Right.

Something had suddenly occurred to him.

“Senior, Qi Xu was able to control human emotions, while the Allsenses could perceive emotions. Could there be a connection between the two?” Lu Yin asked.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate considered the question for a moment. “I don’t know. From what you’ve told me, the Allsenses came from that transparent moth, which had been hiding in the Allsense Megaverse for far too long. It refused to ever interact with creatures from other megaverses, so it seems unlikely for it to have had any connection to Qi Xu.

“Still, it is quite the coincidence that the two had very similar abilities.”

She let out a sight. “Qi Xu was a carefully chosen adversary selected to target us humans. We all possess emotions, and not even entering the Immortal realm is enough to fully erase one’s emotions. Qi Xu was the perfect counter to us, which demonstrates the cruelty of the cosmos.”

Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. “Chosen” did not sound good at all.

Just who had been behind Qi Xu?

Inexplicably, he was reminded of the meteorite and Che. Could there be a connection there?

Also, on the same Frightened Sparrow Terrace, Master Qing Cao had once stated that Immortals would not enter Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm, as doing so would be considered offensive. Only the Nest civilization’s Immortal Lord could be considered an exception.

In that case, what had happened with Che? How did he enter?

Lu Yin carefully considered the matter. Master Qing Cao must have some knowledge of the Nest civilization, as he would not have said such a thing without cause. In that case, why had he not taken action when the insects had first been discovered in the Tianyuan Megaverse?

Master Qing Cao clearly had his own goals, and Lu Yin felt that they were quite cruel.

“Senior, where did Greater Sancte Green Lotus and Blood Tower Greater Sancti go?”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Then what should I do now? Should I go defend the Consciousness Megaverse? I still don’t know if I can find the white skeleton or the Netherfiends.”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate nodded. “For the time being, thanks to the battle at Cragpeak, both Silent Death and the Netherfiends who’ve exposed themselves have been dealt with, which means that things should quiet down for a while. That’s just as well. Spend this time focusing on exterminating those bugs. You might not be limited to just the Consciousness Megaverse, as some of the other battlefronts might request your support. I appreciate your effort.”

Lu Yin replied, “Things may not quiet down.”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate looked surprised. “Why do you say that?”

Lu Yin looked down. “Because Yong Heng is still here. He was connected to the battle at Cragpeak, and I have no idea what he’s planning. He might succeed, or he might fail. But if I’m gone from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, there is no question that he will be taking action to prepare himself to deal with me when I return.”

At this moment, Lu Yin suddenly realized that something was wrong with his words. What he had just said could be taken as belittling Greater Sancte Awe Gate. It almost sounded as if, in Yong Heng’s eyes, only he, Lu Yin, mattered.

Lu Yin quickly added, “This junior means no disrespect, and I certainly don’t mean to disregard you, Senior, but I know Yong Heng too well, and he-”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate cut him off with a raised hand. “No need to explain. I’m not as narrow-minded as Blood Tower.”

“?”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate calmly said, “There are some schemes that remain hidden in the dark, and not even I can truly see them. Not even Immortals are omniscient. If we were, how could Silent Death and the Netherfiends still be in this megaverse? From the time that you entered the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, we have been studying the history of your Tianyuan Megaverse. Aeternus was established entirely beneath the brilliance of the Heavens Sect’s peak. Wherever there is light, there must also be darkness. Your Origin Progenitor couldn’t see that darkness, and neither can we.

“The history of your Tianyuan Megaverse is a stark reminder for us. Go ahead and act as you see fit. Use your understanding of Yong Heng. While he may not be an Immortal, he is unique. We are also concerned about when he might break through.”

Lu Yin nodded. “I understand, Senior. I have another question I’d like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“Is there any method that can allow a person to cultivate two spirit seeds simultaneously?”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate frowned. “Did you see that? Was it that Netherfiend?”

“Yes.”

“Normally, it’s simply impossible. Even for us Immortals, each of us can only cultivate a single spirit seed, unless there is something particularly unique about the spirit seed. Even so, no matter how special the spirit seed might be, the path will eventually converge into a single spirit seed that can be used to enter the Immortal realm. That is unchangeable. That is also why the Nine Odysseys Megaverse has never pursued cultivating two spirit seeds, with the exception of the Netherfiends. They don’t pursue Immortality, only overwhelming combat power. As for the methods that they use, our powers can’t replicate it.”

Lu Yin fell into thought.

Is this something that only a foreign megaverse can pull off?

“We’ve long since been aware that the Netherfiends are able to cultivate two spirit seeds, so you must be careful whenever you encounter one. Two spirit seeds may not be their limit,” Greater Sancte Awe Gate warned.

Lu Yin thought back to the terrifying strength that Jie Zun had revealed. That alone had suppressed both Li Guo and Cheng Hongyuan to the point where they had struggled to breathe. What sort of strength would be possible with multiple spirit seeds?

"Where did they get so many spirit seeds?"

"Historically, the Netherfiends are the ones who have stolen the most cultivated spirit seeds."

Lu Yin understood, and he recalled the box that he had found in the Autumnspring Slip’s vault that had been capable of blocking Deathmound’s Spirit Search technique. The character written on the box also indicated that there was a connection to the mysterious Immortal, who was in turn somewhat connected to Yong Heng, and Yong Heng had a connection to the Netherfiends. The relationships involved were too tangled.

Lu Yin wanted to mention the mysterious Immortal, but he ultimately held himself back. It was currently impossible to deal with even hidden groups like Yong Heng and the Netherfiends. There was no need to even mention a hidden Immortal. On top of that, if the Nine Odysseys Megaverse learned that there might be an Immortal hiding in the Tianyuan, there was no predicting the potential consequences.

At least so far, that Immortal had done nothing to interfere with Lu Yin’s cultivation. Thus, the only thing that he needed to do was become an Immortal himself. At that time, everything would be revealed.

"There’s one more thing," Greater Sancte Awe Gate said while looking at Lu Yin, "You don’t need to worry about the Seven Fairies. Greater Sancte Green Lotus is simply bored. Don’t pay that matter any mind."

Lu Yin blinked. If Greater Sancte Awe Gate had not offered him that reminder, he would have forgotten that two of the Seven Fairies still had not given him their tasks.

Bored?

A gate appeared in front of him. Lu Yin bowed low to the Greater Sancte and then stepped into the gate, leaving the Frightened Sparrow Terrace.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate stared across the suddenly empty Frightened Sparrow Terrace and muttered to herself, "I hope that you can clear away the shadows. If we must stay hidden, then humanity must hide itself completely. There really is too much bait in this megaverse."

...

Elsewhere in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, Yong Heng was staring up at the starry sky, peering in the direction of the Frightened Sparrow Terrace.

He had influenced the battle at Cragpeak with the hopes of using Lu Yin to find Silent Death’s white skeleton. Exposing Jie Zun had simply been another ploy to see if it might be possible to locate any other Netherfiends. Regardless of who Lu Yin found, it would work to Yong Heng’s advantage.

Unfortunately, nothing had appeared. Everyone was hidden too deeply.

Yong Heng had expected to reveal his involvement to Lu Yin. There would always be traces after taking action, but the outcome had been far from ideal.

“Sir, will Lu Yin leave? Or was supporting the Consciousness Megaverse just a pretense from the start?” Cheng Xue asked.

Yong Heng’s tone remained indifferent. “He will leave. He’s not a prophet. He couldn’t possibly have foreseen the battle at Cragpeak. He merely returned to check on things here. If he found a problem, he would act. If not, he would simply leave again. The Consciousness Megaverse absolutely needs his support.”

Cheng Xue let out a pent up breath. “That’s good.”

She felt a tremendous amount of pressure from Lu Yin. She was well aware of how strong Cheng Hongyuan had been. When he attacked Li Guo, if not for Cheng Hongyuan’s plans and preparations, her father would have been at a disadvantage throughout the fight. However, even when the two had worked together, they had not been able to handle Jie Zun alone. But after that, Lu Yin had casually defeated the Netherfiend. That level of power was overwhelming.

With him gone, even breathing felt easier.

Yong Heng sighed. While Lu Yin was gone, it was imperative that Silent Death be located and other arrangements be completed. Without that, after the bugs were dealt with and Lu Yin returned, nothing would be possible.

If Silent Death was not a possibility, then Yong Heng would have no choice but to turn to the Netherfiends.

There had to be an opening somewhere.

He turned to Cheng Xue. “You, go change your clothes.”

...

A green lotus leaf sailed through the Aevum Inch on its way to the Consciousness Megaverse. Upon the leaf, many cultivators sat in calm silence. Even those who felt forced to come because of the Five-Palm Sect could only settle their minds for the time being. They were waiting for the grand and vast battlefield ahead of them.

At the very front of the lotus leaf, Lord Ting Chao peered into the darkness of the Aevum Inch. He had once joined a few expeditions to foreign megaverses, so he was no stranger to the Aevum Inch.

The only difference was that those previous journeys had been offensive expeditions, while this time, they were on their way to defend their borders.

The man could not help but hope that the battlefield would not have too many incomprehensible enemies present.

Humans were creatures that started out weak and rose to strength one step at a time. However, there were other creatures in the cosmos who were born extremely powerful. What a human cultivator might achieve after an entire lifetime could be the starting point for other creatures. Such situations were far from rare.

Lord Ting Chao could not help but wonder how many of the people traveling with him would live to return home.

In front of him, a gate appeared. Lord Ting Chao’s focus sharpened.

He’s back.

Lu Yin had originally left for the Consciousness Megaverse on the green lotus leaf, but shortly after their departure, he had suddenly headed back, saying that he needed to check on something.

Lord Ting Chao had then understood that the large, very public efforts to gather reinforcements to travel on the green lotus leaf had simply been a part of some greater scheme that Lu Yin had put in play. However, Lord Ting Chao did not yet know how things had played out for Lu Yin.

Clearly, the things in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse had involved Greater Sancte Awe Gate.

Lu Yin stepped through the gate and smiled at Lord Ting Chao before sitting down cross-legged.

The gate slowly disappeared.

“Did you settle things, Mr. Lu?”

“No. It’s rather a bit of a problem.”

Lord Ting Chao grew puzzled. Who in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse could possibly qualify to be regarded as a problem by Lu Yin?

“Senior, have you ever heard of Silent Death?”

Lord Ting Chao shook his head. “I have not.”

“Then what about the Netherfiends?”

Lord Ting Chao was taken aback. “You went to confront Netherfiends?”

“Something like that,” Lu Yin replied before turning his back to Lord Ting Chao.

The man sighed. “The Netherfiends are killers who have always existed in the darkness. They break all taboos, including stealing cultivated spirit seeds and wantonly slaughtering other cultivators. They are Deathmound’s highest-priority. How did you stumble upon them, Mr. Lu?”

“It was an accident. How much do you know about the Netherfiends, Senior?”

Lord Ting Chao took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Not much. There are mentions of the Netherfiends in the Five-Palm Sect’s records. Our first generation sect master managed to kill several of their elites, but he also left a warning for the later generations. Should any of us encounter Netherfiends, we are to immediately contact Deathmound. We should never attack on our own. Personally, I’ve never run into any.”

Lu Yin nodded. “That’s quite accurate. If you encounter any Netherfiends, contact Deathmound right away.”