Chapter 4024: Annihilate Them

As a whole, Spirit Nidus cultivators were stronger than Tianyuan cultivators, but after everything that had happened, the Spirit Nidus’s top experts had been almost completely wiped out. People like Su Shidao completely understood that there was no way home for them, and they did not dare to stir up trouble within the Heavens Sect. Ultimately, Lu Yuan had simply waved his hand and forced the dissenters out.

“You must be joking! You still think that you can go back? Have you ever heard of anyone returning after coming here?” Lu Yuan bellowed, his voice rang from the main hall and reached the ears of the Spirit Nidus cultivators who had just been driven out. They were furious to the point of cursing, but they could only swallow their anger.

The man’s words even reached the Origin Universe’s Sixth Mainland and many of the Tianyuan’s parallel universes. The people in those places could also only resign themselves to their fate. They were also unable to return.

“All right, quiet down. You’re making my ears ring,” Wu Tian complained.

Lu Yuan shot him a sidelong glance. “Big Thug, you’ve been looking weak recently.”

Wu Tian frowned. “Do you have too much time on your hands, Loam?”

“He hasn’t been idle—he’s just showing off. He happened to get himself a fine descendant, didn’t he?” Hongyan Mavis interjected.

“You’re really starting to see yourself as the ruler of the Tianyuan,” Ancient God observed in a cold tone.

Lu Yuan flashed his teeth. “That’s right. What of it? If you have the ability, bring out your own impressive descendant. Can you? If not, stop running your mouths.

“Especially you, Musclehead. Quit acting all tough. Who was lying flat on the ground like a dead dog?”

Ancient God frowned. “I was lying down.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Lying down is dignified.”

“What about you, First Blood? If not for Little Seven, you’d still be doing embroidery in the Mirari Realm,” Lu Yuan mocked.

Hongyan Mavis shot the man a glare. “Who was doing embroidery? That was Lassy!”

“Wasn’t it Flora?” Big Thug chimed in.

At that moment, Garan Zhiluo arrived, and she directed a pointed stare at Big Thug. Embarrassed, he coughed twice. “Uh, well... I’ll go... look for more bugs. Maybe I can find some.”

“While you’re at it, try finding your brain,” Garan Zhiluo called out with a frigid voice.

Big Thug scurried away.

Ancient God turned and left without speaking another word.

Hongyan Mavis snorted before also leaving.

Lu Yuan happily laughed. “It feels good! None of you can even tell who’s the real boss here.”

Garan Zhiluo calmly sat down.

Lu Yuan grinned. “Thanks for your hard work, Flora.”

“It’s not hard work. Just a hard life.”

???

...

In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, there was a faint smile on Lu Yin’s face. Everything was in order in the Tianyuan. His efforts to save it had not been in vain. His next task was to deal with the Immortal monster.

Several days passed before Lu Yin finally saw the beast. The Immortal creature was racing towards the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, using the same method to move as when it had been hunting him.

Come. I’m not who I was back then

.

If the monster had arrived earlier, it might have succeeded in getting revenge. If it had attacked the Nine Odysseys Megaverse with the Nest civilization, both Master Qing Cao and Greater Sancte Awe Gate would have been forced to take action.

In that scenario, would the Immortal Lord have also appeared?

Lu Yin and Greater Sancte Awe Gate both believed that the Insect Lords were nothing more than pawns intended to strengthen the karmic chains of Immortals. The Immortal Lord would surely intervene, but only if an Insect Lord successfully increased the burdens of the karmic chains of humanity’s Immortals. There would be no reason for the Immortal Lord to personally take action otherwise.

If the Immortal monster had joined the assault on the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, the outcome would have become completely unpredictable.

The next question was if the Immortal beast had a karmic chain of its own. Why did it seem capable of acting without any restraint?

Lu Yin asked this question to Greater Sancte Awe Gate.

The woman replied, “All Immortals are bound: us, the Immortal Lord, and even that beast. The only difference is that you cannot see its karmic chain. It might have slept too long, shrinking its chain.”

“Can karmic chains shrink?” Lu Yin asked in surprise.

“If that were not possible, every Immortal’s ultimate fate would be to sit around and wait for death. What would be the point of cultivating in such a situation?” Greater Sancte Awe Gate retorted, “You can’t expect an Immortal to simply take a beating without fighting back.”

Lu Yin thought it over and agreed. “Then, what happens if a karmic chain is completed?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Greater Sancte Awe Gate replied, “But according to Greater Sancte Green Lotus, once an Immortal’s karmic chain is completed, they will suffer backlash from the cosmos itself.”

“Backlash from the omniverse?”

“Exactly. Immortals also live in the omniverse. As for how vast it truly is, or if it even has an end, no one knows. The unknown is always the most terrifying thing.”

“Is there any historical record of an Immortal suffering from that kind of backlash?”

“I’m sure that there is, but we have no knowledge of it. There are gaps in human history. The people that you saw during your Origin realm breakthrough lived in an age older than what we can even imagine. You don’t need to dwell on this for now. Just focus on what you need to do before that beast arrives.”

Lu Yin gave a low grunt. “Actually, there’s something that I’ve always been worried about.”

“What’s that?”

“Will the Nest civilization abandon the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and target the Tianyuan instead?”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate said nothing.

Lu Yin waited a moment before continuing, “Senior, you’ve considered this possibility too, haven’t you?”

“Lu Yin, if you were forced to abandon either the Nine Odysseys or the Tianyuan, which would you give up?” Greater Sancte Awe Gate suddenly asked.

Lu Yin’s expression grew conflicted. In the past, he would have abandoned the Nine Odysseys Megaverse without hesitation. It was not that he had recently grown attached to it, but rather that it was also a part of human civilization. He could not easily abandon it.

Immortals had the perspective to make such choices: should they forsake the Tianyuan or the Nine Odysseys?

But Lu Yin could not. The Tianyuan was his homeland, and he could not abandon it. The Nine Odysseys was also a part of human civilization, and he did not want to abandon it either.

He understood the point of Greater Sancte Awe Gate’s question.

If the Nest civilization abandoned Nine Odysseys and targeted the Tianyuan, Greater Sancte Awe Gate would not be able to intervene. If the Immortal Lord decided to get involved, the Tianyuan would face a terrible crisis. Luo Chan’s existence would also prevent Greater Sancte Awe Gate from acting. In that situation, she would only be able to choose to abandon the Tianyuan.

What about Lu Yin?

It would mean little for Lu Yin to help the Tianyuan. Immortals also possessed different levels of strength, and the Immortal monster could not possibly compare to the Immortal Lord.

It would be suicide to try to help the Tianyuan. Greater Sancte Awe Gate would prefer Lu Yin to consider the bigger picture and remain in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, defending that place in order to protect human civilization as a whole.

But Lu Yin could not do that. While he understood the Immortal’s thoughts, he knew that he could not act in such a manner.

Also, if the Nest civilization did decide to attack the Tianyuan, it was nothing but a fantasy to expect Greater Sancte Awe Gate to abandon the Nine Odysseys Megaverse to help protect the Tianyuan. From any perspective, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse could not be forsaken for the Tianyuan.

A crisis was inevitable, and making a choice and abandoning one place was a decision that life would always force upon people.

“I choose... to destroy the Nest civilization,” Lu Yin finally responded, his expression dark.

Greater Sancte Awe Gate gave a small smile. “I hope so.”

“I don’t want to wait around. I’ll enter the Aevum Inch to confront the Immortal beast.”

“And move closer to the Tianyuan?”

“Yes. When the battle ends, I’ll return to the Tianyuan.”

“What about the Nirvana Tree Path?” While Lu Yin had not directly stated which megaverse he would forsake, the fact that he was returning to the Tianyuan made his stance clear. He would share fates with the Tianyuan. If the Nest civilization did not abandon their goal of destroying humanity, they would return to attack again. Given how difficult it would be to defeat the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, the Tianyuan would most likely be their target.

Lu Yin had said that he preferred to destroy the Nest civilization, but where were they?

So long as Luo Chan lived, the Nest civilization could disappear whenever they wished. They could not be found, which meant that waiting was their only option.

Lu Yin chose to wait in the Tianyuan Megaverse.

The Nine Odysseys Megaverse had Immortals, but the Tianyuan did not.

However, if Lu Yin left, how would the Nirvana Tree Path be shared?

Lu Yin said, “Senior, please make the arrangements. In one month, I will share the method.”

Greater Sancte Awe Gate offered a grateful bow. “Thank you, Lord Lu.”

That title of Lord Lu demonstrated that she understood Lu Yin’s choice, and also that she respected it.

Lu Yin dismissed such thoughts and turned to stare at the horizon. The Tianyuan Megaverse... It was time to go home.

...

In the dark, unfathomable depths of the Aevum Inch, the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm of human civilization stretched outward, extending into the unknown...

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

There was a megaverse that was being reset.

Universes collapsed, appearing to be nothing more than illusions. The Mother Tree fell, burning. However, there were no cries or sounds of despair. The creatures of the megaverse had been wiped out long ago.

From afar, the shattering megaverse in the middle of being reset gleamed like a brilliantly colored sphere of glass.

At that moment, Luo Chan waited quietly outside the megaverse, staring at it. There was no way to know what the insect was waiting for.

The days passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by.

Luo Chan continued to stare at the megaverse being reset.

That continued until a streak of white appeared, accompanied by a suffocating pressure. It was an Immortal. Such pressure could only belong to an Immortal.

Luo Chan trembled with excitement while prostrating in outer space in a completely submissive manner. “Master.”

The white figure moved closer. It had the appearance of a droplet of water, but with antennae and eyes. Glistening eyes studied Luo Chan as a gentle, melodious voice spoke. “This body has finally completed its transformation.”

“Congratulations, Master! At the cost of resetting five megaverses, the transformation has succeeded.”

“Heh... You are also me, and yet you speak better than I do. Do you also look forward to the day when I use your body to enter the Immortal realm?”

“I eagerly await that day.”

“It’s such a pity. In life, there are gains and losses. Your ability is too strange, which means that you will never have such a breakthrough. Such a waste.”

Luo Chan said nothing, remaining prostrate in the stars, head bowed.

“Come. Take me to see it. I very much look forward to this perspective.”

The next instant, Luo Chan delivered the droplet-like creature to a certain megaverse. In front of the two stood Shan Xiao.

She stared at the creature that looked like a droplet and bowed low, causing her golden hair to cascade downwards. “Master.”

Right after that, another figure emerged from the void to stand before the droplet. The two stared at each other.

Shan Xiao and Luo Chan both turned to the newcomer and offered another bow. “Master.”

The droplet-shaped creature locked eyes with the figure. Its antennae twitched as it gazed in obsession. “Perfect... This body. Who would have thought that a frail human civilization could hold such vast potential? It has given me a second chance at metamorphosis.”

At the same time, the figure lifted a hand and brushed the droplet’s antennae, speaking with the exact same voice, steeped in the same obsession. “This creature is remarkable as well. To endure endless cycles of decay and rebirth... Given enough time, it is destined to reach the Immortal realm. It’s a pity that only one may emerge from an entire race.”

“The cosmos is full of marvels, teeming with countless kinds of beings. Who can say what creatures we’ll meet in the future? Heh.”

“And how much might those beings change us? Metamorphosis—that is the one constant theme of the cosmos.”

“Our transformation alone can truly reshape the cosmos.”

“So perfect. I savor this wondrous feeling.”

Luo Chan and Shan Xiao remained prostrated as they listened to the conversation between the identical voices. It sounded as though someone was speaking to themselves, and yet there were two creatures staring at each other. It was eerie, and unsettling.

“Luo Chan.”

“Here.”

“Broken Time is dead, and Chang has gone missing as well.”

“Yes.”

“Both of them were creatures whom I favored, ones who might have succeeded in eventually transforming. What should we do?”

Luo Chan’s body trembled. “Exterminate the human civilization. Wipe them out.”