Star Odyssey

Chapter 1506: Desolate

"Count me in, even though I wasn't thrown here by the four ruling powers. The Purple-Gold family were the ones who did this to me, and those stupid colored birds are basically a part of Shenwu's Sky."

"I came here of my own free will, but I can't stand for it seeing the tactics that the four ruling powers employ any more than all of you. All of us here are comrades, and if we get out of here one day, I'll help you guys."

"Haha, we'll stomp on the four ruling powers if we manage to get out of this alive! We're gonna take on the masters of this Perennial World!"

"Hahahaha, how heroic, Brother."

"Heroic indeed."

…

Even Che Zhan ended up getting excited along with everyone else. "Well said! Everyone sitting here, along with all those who already sacrificed themselves, are brothers and sisters no matter what! When there are joys, we share. And when there is suffering, we will brave through it together."

"Why don't we become sworn siblings and pledge to live and die as one?" someone suggested.

"What the heck? Is there even a need for that? We're already facing a life and death situation together! Brothers, speak your desires if you have any. Any who survive will help you accomplish them after making it out of here."

"I want to overthrow the Wang family!"

"I want to turn Shenwu's Sky upside down!"

"I'm going to roast those colored birds!"

"I want to peep at a hundred bathing girls in the Celestial Frost Sect!"

…

Since they were enjoying what were essentially the last moments of their lives, there were some people who became numb to their fate while others grew incomparably excited. Their agitation only grew as they voiced their suppressed desires.

Lu Yin stood up, and an astral chessboard appeared beneath his feet. He then moved the Matriarch of the Eastern Mountains inside of the crevice as he took her place to stand guard at the entrance. He turned around and smiled at everyone. "Maybe we'll all survive."

The crowd was universally stunned. Even though they had been speaking with such heated emotions just a moment ago, none of them had ever thought that their ambitious wishes could be anything more than a pipe dream.

"Right, my name is Long Qi, so remember to keep me out of things when you guys overthrow the four ruling powers." After speaking, Lu Yin took out the Desolate Array sourcebox array. It was finally time to put this thing to good use.

What exactly did "desolate" mean? When Lu Yin had first descended into the New World, he had seen the maroon mountains, the red lake, and an endless number of corpse kings. These features did not make the place desolate, for true desolation was lifelessness. It was something that was even deprived of colors.

After the Desolate Array was activated, for an untold distance, in all directions, the surroundings were enveloped by the power of the sourcebox array, and the region was transformed into a barren land. The ground that had originally been maroon and stained red by blood suddenly turned gray as it cracked to form a dry and desolate land.

As for the corpse kings, all of them had completely vanished.

No one here could surpass Lu Yin in terms of sourcebox arrays. Highsage Grandmaster had given him the Desolate Array, and it was capable of unleashing an attack that surpassed the all out attack of an expert with a power level of more than 800,000. Additionally, because it was a sourcebox, it covered an incredibly vast area, and its destruction was also across that entire area, which even surpassed what Zhou Tang was capable of with his aurelian force.

Lu Yin had just released the most terrifying sourcebox array that he had ever witnessed.

"Look, the monsters are gone," Lu Yin commented.

Everyone stared outside in a daze. It… it was true. They were really gone.

Che Zhan blinked his eyes multiple times. "Kid, if you had such an impressive sourcebox array this whole time, why didn't you bring it out earlier?"

Lu Yin shrugged. "This sourcebox array attacks in all directions, so if I'd used it earlier, all of you would have died. If you hadn't suggested for us to hide underground, this sourcebox array would have never been a realistic option."

"Makes sense," Che Zhan agreed.

Lu Yin's heart was aching at this moment. Ever since he had stepped foot on this battlefield behind the Mother Tree, he had gone through his treasured items at an unprecedented rate. He had been constantly using them without any opportunity to restore his inventory, which was a disturbing feeling.

Mr. Guo, who had rarely spoken thus far, said, "It's no use. There are corpse kings everywhere, so even if one horde is dealt with, another will soon show up."

"At least we have a chance to catch our breath for a bit," said Brother Hong solemnly.

Everyone else also heaved sighs of relief, and they stopped carelessly venting their suppressed emotions like before. Even the Envoys were just too exhausted; what they needed more than anything at this moment was rest.

"Mr. Guo, when will more of the corpse kings arrive?" Zhou Tang asked.

Mr. Guo shook his head. "I'm not sure. It will take time for the corpse kings to gather up again. These corpse kings aren't just brainless monsters—they're actually being controlled by experts, and to those powerhouses, we're nothing but a flock of sheep awaiting slaughter. They can toy with us however they want."

His words sounded cruel, but they were also very true.

"Little brother, it's my turn." Mr. Guo stood and walked to the entrance.

"All I did was use a sourcebox array just now, and I didn't suffer any injuries. I can keep going."

Mr. Guo gave Lu Yin a small smile, and the older man looked at the youth in admiration. "Head on in and rest. You've done enough. After all, you've barely rested since everything started. Let us old people stand our last watch."

"Long Qi, come on back and take a break. Mr. Guo never goes back on his word," Che Zhan told Lu Yin.

Feeling quite grateful, Lu Yin said, "Thank you."

After he returned to the underground crevice, Lu Yin was met with Che Zhan's envious eyes. "Just as expected of someone from one of the four ruling powers. To think that you had a sourcebox array of such power!"

"I was given that by Humility's Gate," Lu Yin responded.

Che Zhan was shocked. "Humility's Gate? You're a part of Humility's Gate?"

"Long Qi, the acting Gate Master of Huiyuan Gate. He's the same person who exposed the former Gate Masters, the Guan brothers, as Redbacks. He also exposed the sect master of the Smokecloud Sect, Yun Mubai. You did all of that, right?" Everyone was shocked at Brother Hong's sudden list of Lu Yin's exploits.

If the four ruling powers were universally hated for their schemes and overbearing methods, then Humility's Gate stood at the other end of the spectrum, receiving the admiration of countless people. In particular, after all the years that Humility's Gate had spent arresting traitors and Redbacks, Humility's Gate's contributions to the human race could not be overlooked, even if they did occasionally arrest people without just cause. The Perennial World would be suffering much more without Humility's Gate.

Lu Yin modestly replied, "I just got lucky."

Che Zhan exclaimed, "I remember now! I once heard that the son-in-law of the White Dragon Clan's main family helped raise up Humility's Gate, and he even risked becoming an enemy of all four ruling powers to expose Yun Mubai as a Redback. That matter kicked up a huge uproar within the four ruling powers, and it even caused them to send down a Semi-Progenitor to capture the kid. So all of that was you?"

Lu Yin just responded with a small smile.

"You dare to do things that others don't, which deserves respect," Brother Hong said loudly.

The Matriarch of the Eastern Mountains looked at Lu Yin in a very serious manner as she said, "You have my respect as well. The Cloud Shuttle isn't a place that anybody is allowed to mess with, and the Smokecloud Sect is even more protected. Against such a monster, it'd be easy for anyone to die the moment they let their guard down. It's quite impressive that you were able to accomplish such feats given the unfavorable situation that you were placed in."

The man who had been the first to yell about wanting to overthrow Shenwu's Sky also praised Lu Yin, "Bro, you have my respect. I'm nothing but talk, but you've actually made a statement with your actions."

"We respect you."

Lu Yin suddenly looked bitter. "It's because of that that I'm about to be expelled from the White Dragon Clan."

As he spoke, his attitude changed a bit. "But nevermind that. It's just the White Dragon Clan. I, Long Qi, can still live a good life as a part of Humility's Gate."

"That's right! The four ruling powers are despicable. You're better off away from them."

"Actually, the four ruling powers' women are quite beautiful…"

"Scram to the other side, you pervert."

"Oh! Long Qi, I remember your name now! You're Semi-Progenitor Kui Luo's heir!" someone exclaimed, sounding like they had just remembered something.

Everyone initially felt confused, but after a bit, they all remembered the connection that had been publicized, and they stared at Lu Yin in surprise, and their piercing stares gave him feel a great deal of pressure.

Lu Yin was left speechless, as he had believed that everyone had forgotten about that matter.

"You're the heir of that mania- No, I mean, of Semi-Progenitor Kui Luo?" Che Zhan asked Lu Yin, clearly stunned.

Even Mr. Guo turned around to stare at Lu Yin.

Lu Yin pursed his lips and laughed dryly. "Haha… I just found some resources that he left behind. I could never be considered his heir. Absolutely not."

Che Zhan slapped a palm onto Lu Yin's shoulder. "Brother, you must have a lot of things to worry about on your mind, right?"

Lu Yin arched a brow, feeling defeated. He had never wanted to be connected to Kui Luo, and he had never expected that this random excuse that he had made up to explain his strength would become such an important matter.

"Semi-Progenitor Kui Luo was our generation's role model," one cultivator stated.

"Scram, pervert," someone else scolded.

Lu Yin leaned against the wall, exhausted. Before all this, most of the people in this crevice had not known each other, but after spending so much time fighting for their lives together, they had all become familiar with each other. Whoever had said that the battlefield was a place where people united had certainly understood some things.

If only Lu Yin could take all of these people back to the Fifth Mainland… Every last one of them was a powerhouse. Wait… Lu Yin's eyes lit up. Why couldn't he do just that? After all, he had Zenith Mountain!

This was a possibility that Lu Yin had not considered before, but after considering the possibility, he started to get excited at the prospects.

As he carefully observed his companions, it was clear that each and every person present had survived an endless slaughter on the unending battlefield, and they were all people who had emerged from the hellfire of bloodshed. They were resilient, not prone to despair, and most importantly, they also completely hated the four ruling powers. Also, each person respected Lu Yin from the bottom of their heart. All in all, these people were nothing less than perfect allies who had fallen from the sky.

The more Lu Yin considered this plan, the more excited he became, and he started thinking about how he could take everyone away with him.

"How do you cultivate aurelian force?" Lu Yin asked half a day later, staring at Zhou Tang's eyes.

Zhou Tang replied, "Once your spirit has reached the needed level, everything else will fall in place."

You don't say? Even Lu Yin already knew that much.

The truth was that Lu Yin was much more eager to ask Zhou Tang about the Lu family, but since he was trying to take everyone away with him, there were certain details that were best kept secret for the moment.

Instead, bored, Lu Yin asked, "What's Mr. Guo like?"

"He's a teacher," Che Zhan replied instantly, though the answer left Lu Yin confused.

"What do you mean?"

Che Zhan explained, "Just like I said, he's a teacher. He comes from the All-Dao family."

"The All-Dao family?" Lu Yin had never heard of them.

Upon seeing Lu Yin's confusion, Che Zhan grew curious. "You don't know about the All-Dao family?"

It seemed that the family's existence was common knowledge, and if Lu Yin had recently arrived in the Perennial World, he would make sure to cover up his ignorance, but his facade was no longer needed.

He shook his head and bluntly replied, "No."

Che Zhan found this to be odd, but he nonetheless still tried to explain. "The All-Dao family was one of the few families that was subordinate to the Lu family, and in the past, they had a territory in the Higher Realm. Sadly, after the Lu family's exile, a large portion of the All-Dao family also disappeared. Now, only a small number of them are still around, and Mr. Guo is a teacher from the All-Dao family."

Lu Yin nodded, understanding that there was another former retainer of the Lu family in this group. Who knew how many of the Lu family's former retainers still lived in the Perennial World? If Lu Yin were to reveal his true identity, there was no telling how many people would search him out, or even die while seeking him.

Unless he was absolutely certain that things would stabilize after such an announcement, he absolutely could not reveal his identity. Doing so would only implicate and harm more innocent people.

Two days passed, and there were still no signs of movement in the area around them. Finally, on the third day, Mr. Guo called out, "They're coming."

He spoke calmly, as though he had been expecting this moment.

Everyone could feel tremors reverberating through the ground as something moved closer. Curious, they all moved to peer outside. Were the monsters arriving? It seemed like they were standing at the threshold of death.

Lu Yin also moved to look outside. Since he had already decided that he would take everyone back to the Fifth Mainland, he felt that he ought to do more to help them. His previous efforts were not enough.

Unexpectedly, the countless corpse kings did not instantly charge straight towards the humans. Instead, they stopped a few hundred meters away.

For the monsters, a few hundred meters could be covered in an instant.

Mr. Guo's expression turned grim. "It looks like they're cautious of our powerful vessels. How clever."

Brother Hong quietly said, "Even those monsters aren't willing to expend the resources necessary to continuously wear us down like they were doing before. Our power vessels must have caused too much damage to them, and so they're now going to send out some real powerhouses in order to deal with us."

Mr. Guo suddenly snapped, "Don't jinx us!"

Brother Hong's eye twitched as a corpse king appeared in the distance, followed by a second one. Soon, a fifth appeared. All five of these corpse kings had the strength of an Envoy, and one of them let out a loud growl before aggressively charging towards the humans. Faster than the blink of an eye, the creature appeared in front of Mr. Guo. Its body was covered with a brown sheen that seemed to be some sort of barrier as it brutally smashed itself into Mr. Guo.

Mr. Guo's expression remained the same as before, though a wooden ruler had appeared in his hand and spun around his fingers, smacking the corpse king back. At that moment, the void twisted, and an incredible power tore through space, sending both Mr. Guo and the corpse king into the true universe.

The others were unable to clearly see what had happened, as only powerhouses with the strength of an Envoy or beyond were able to observe a battle in the true universe.

Lu Yin dripped a bit of gemspring water into his eyes in order to watch, though he did not have much of it left. As soon as he looked at where the two combatants were fighting within the true universe, Lu Yin saw Mr. Guo subdue the corpse king.