Star Odyssey

Chapter 1930: Strange Lightning

Also, teardust itself was not that rare, and Lu Yin could simply Enhance some more teardust to get more heart of teardust.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yin let out a long breath and sincerely said, "I can feel your honestly, Patriarch Hui Zhi. Very well, one Root of Intelligence and 20 billion star essence for all of this heart of teardust."

Hui Zhi was taken aback, and he stared at Lu Yin in surprise. Was that it? Was Lu Yin giving in so easily?

Lu Yin spoke earnestly, "I'm not merely looking to make a deal with you, but also trying to establish a friendly relationship with your Hui family with this transaction. While the Seven Courts are considered one of the Three Dark Hands, you're not guilty of any evil deeds. As for the people who see me as an enemy, it's just the Xia family so far, and I hope that the Hui family won't side against me just because of the Xia family."

Hui Zhi nodded. "There's no need to worry about that, Alliance Leader Lu. While I'm not sure why the Xia family is so hostile towards you, my Hui family is not a part of the Xia family. The only reason why the Court of Seven Names ever united was to protect Progenitor Chen's Mausoleum."

Lu Yin smiled. "Alright then."

He then pushed the pile of heart of teardust over to Hui Zhi.

The patriarch was excited, and he carefully took the pile while staring at the heart of teardust as though seeing a peerless treasure.

The man had not been entirely open with Lu Yin. While it was true that it took a great number of rare substances to grow a true Root of Intelligence, the Hui family had gathered a great deal of the various materials over the years, and they were only missing the heart of teardust. Since they had just obtained that, the Hui family would finally be able to cultivate some true Roots of Intelligence, and while it took a very long time to raise a single root, they could afford to wait. After all, they had already been waiting for so many years.

After collecting the heart of teardust, Hui Zhi left for a bit, but he soon returned and handed Lu Yin an authentic Root of Intelligence.

Lu Yin's eyes lit up, and he quickly put the root away with a very satisfied smile.

"Alliance Leader Lu, here is the 20 billion star essence as well. We've stored it for you." Hui Zhi handed Lu Yin ten cosmic rings as he spoke, agony clearly visible on the man's face.

This was the wealth of the Hui family. While it might be impossible for other families to gather so many funds in an instant, as this was an absurd amount, the Hui family's business was selling Roots of Intelligence. On top of that, the family was known for their intelligence, and they had managed to gather a tremendous amount of resources over the years. Still, Lu Yin was taking away a large percentage of their accumulated wealth, and Hui Zhi could not help but show an ugly expression.

Lu Yin took the cosmic rings, and he realized that there were ten rings. These cosmic rings were too small, and he actually felt a bit disgusted at their size.

"Alliance Leader Lu, I have an uncomfortable request, though I hope that you will agree," Hui Zhi said.

Lu Yin was in a great mood. "Tell me."

Hui Zhi coughed awkwardly. "I'm hoping that you can keep this matter from Elder Hui Kong, Alliance Leader Lu."

Lu Yin looked back at the man and nodded. "I also don't want to embarrass my brother. This matter is simply between me and the Hui family. It has nothing to do with my brother."

Hui Zhi heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Alliance Leader Lu."

After finishing his negotiations with Hui Zhi, Lu Yin returned to the region of Nature's Manifestation where the Hui family grew their Roots of Intelligence to meet back up with Hui Kong.

Hui Kong was sitting on the ground. He had a straw hat on his head and was sipping on tea made from a Root of Intelligence. He looked incredibly relaxed.

The man patted the ground next to him when he saw Lu Yin approaching.

Lu Yin smiled and sat next to the older man.

"Brother Hui, I'm heading out."

"Off to see the Ku family?"

"That's right."

"Want me to go with you?"

"Worried that I'll be in danger?"

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"Not at all. That old man, the Second Nightking, is going with you, so the Ku family won't be able to do a thing. Still, they're a part of the Seven Courts, just like us, and when it comes to matters of seniority, Ku Pu needs to call me ancestor, which can make things easier for you."

"Haha, there's no need for that," Lu Yin laughed. "I don't want to see Ku Pu's mournful expression."

"What are you talking about? What's this bullshit? I'm not going to die soon!" Hui Kong angrily retorted.

Lu Yin suddenly remembered something. "Brother Hui, does your Hui family have any teardust?"

Hui Kong was caught off guard. "Teardust? Why are you asking about that? Do you want some? It's useless, as only heart of teardust is actually useful."

"Bring me some. I'm rather curious about it," Lu Yin said without giving any real explanation.

He had wanted to get more teardust from First Edition City, but it was possible that they would not have any. Even though heart of teardust was the most important substance for growing Roots of Intelligence, normal teardust was still an extremely rare substance. It seemed much more likely for the Hui family to have some, as the family had always been searching for heart of teardust.

Hui Kong did not hesitate at all. He stood up, dusted off the seat of his pants, and simply left. About half an hour later, he returned and tossed Lu Yin a bit of teardust. "Those guys are too fussy. Just take this, as it clearly doesn't have any use."

Lu Yin's eyes lit up, as he had just been given twice as much teardust as he had acquired before. "Thank you, Brother Hui!"

Even as he spoke, Lu Yin pulled out a cosmic ring and tossed it over to Hui Kong, who grabbed it by reflex, but he was puzzled by Lu Yin's actions.

"That should be a bit of help to you, Brother Hui," Lu Yin said.

Hui Kong frowned. "What are you doing? Are you trying to pay me for something between us brothers?"

"Of course not, but isn't it normal for a younger brother to give their older brother a gift?" Lu Yin replied.

Hui Kong rubbed his bald head. "Alright, if it's a gift from you, then I can't say no, Brother Lu."

It was only a short while later that Lu Yin left Nature's Manifestation.

It was only then that Hui Kong checked to see what was in the cosmic ring: heart of teardust.

Lu Yin had not given all the heart of teardust that he had obtained to Hui Zhi during their transaction, instead deliberately saving some for Hui Kong.

…

After leaving the Hui family's territory, Lu Yin and the Second Nightking entered the Voidsoul Region.

Ku Pu led an entire group of the Ku family out to welcome Lu Yin.

Back when Lu Yin had emerged from Progenitor Chen's Mausoleum, he had been surrounded by people from all of the Seven Courts' families, and they had all stared at him with open suspicion. The way that these people looked at Lu Yin had changed drastically in the present.

Ku Pu had initially been quite hostile towards Lu Yin, but at the moment, the patriarch was being almost overly polite.

"Alliance Leader Lu, welcome to the Voidsoul Region." Ku Pu stepped forward and greeted Lu Yin with a polite smile.

Lu Yin responded with a similar degree of formality. "I, Lu Yin, feel truly honored to visit the home of Progenitor Ku's descendants."

Lu Yin then looked past Ku Pu and at an old man who stood behind the patriarch. The two men looked quite similar to each other, but the older man's aura felt immeasurable. Lu Yin would only get this feeling from experts with power levels of at least a million.

However, this was only to be expected from one of the Seven Courts' families. The Xia family had a Semi-Progenitor while the Hui family had Hui Kong. As for the Ku family, they had this old man. This was the true power of one of the Three Dark Hands.

It was believed that the Seven Courts possessed as many as five old monsters with a power level of at least a million, as well as Semi-Progenitor Xia Ji. As for Envoys, they had to have at least six or seven such powerhouses with the same level of strength as Ling Qiu. This was the level of strength needed to guard Progenitor Chen's Mausoleum.

Despite the Great Eastern Alliance's increased strength, they still could not compare to the Seven Courts when it came to sheer strength. This was even including the absence of the Yu family and after the Yōu clan had split. The power of the Seven Courts at its peak could only be imagined.

Of the Three Dark Hands, the Court of Seven Names possessed a similar level of power to Burial Garden. Burial Garden also had a Semi-Progenitor as well as the four captains of the Dead Regiment, each of whom possessed a power level of over a million.

This was the strength of one of the Neoverse behemoths. In comparison, the Great Eastern Alliance still had a long way to go.

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"This is my Ku family's elder, Ku Rong." After seeing Lu Yin observing the old man who was the Ku family's strongest powerhouse, Ku Pu quickly proceeded with the introductions.

Ku Rong continued to simply stare at Lu Yin, but when the old man heard Ku Pu's introduction, he slowly said, "As expected, you are a member of the younger generation whom not even us old men can see through."

Lu Yin showed a slight smile. "Is there something that Senior wanted to see through?"

Ku Rong shook his head as he sighed. "I can't see anything. If my Ku family's juniors had even half of your talent, there would be no worries for us, Alliance Leader Lu."

This compliment to Lu Yin caused Ku Lei to flush bright red from where he stood at the back of the welcoming committee, but there was nothing that he could do or say.

It was undeniable that Lu Yin was already an Envoy. Ku Lei felt something completely different when he looked at Lu Yin at this moment, as though Ku Lei was in the presence of a true powerhouse. Although Lu Yin had been terrifyingly powerful in the past, Ku Lei had never felt such a sensation from Lu Yin before.

They were no longer even close to standing on the same level.

Lu Yin smiled. "Senior, your compliment is too exaggerated. This junior fought with Ku Lei in the past in the Mountain and Seas Zone, and your junior is far from weak. He's also built up quite the reputation in the Neoverse."

Ku Rong shook his head, unwilling to say anything more, though he frowned when he glanced at the Second Nightking standing behind Lu Yin.

The Second Nightking greatly surpassed both Ku Rong and Hui Kong in age and strength, and yet because he stood behind Lu Yin, people unconsciously ignored the old man. This was a terrifying phenomenon, as it indicated that Lu Yin's brilliance was more than able to compensate for his own lacking strength.

This was something far more frightening than mere personal strength.

"Alliance Leader Lu, please introduce us to the gentleman behind you," Ku Rong requested.

The Second Nightking looked up at Ku Rong, and for a moment, the Ku family's elder felt a tremendous amount of pressure that caused his expression to subtly change.

Lu Yin waved a hand dismissively, and the Second Nightking's body suddenly disappeared.

"Introductions are unnecessary, as he's merely a loser who tried to enter the Neoverse but failed," Lu Yin replied. "Senior, this junior is very interested in your Voidsoul Region. Could I ask you to show me around?"

Lu Yin was already ignoring Ku Pu, who was the family's patriarch.

When it came to knowledge regarding Progenitor Ku, who in the Ku family could compare to an old monster like Ku Rong? The only thing of value that the Ku family possessed to Lu Yin was knowledge of Progenitor Ku, which made Ku Pu worthless to Lu Yin.

The Ku family patriarch was unbothered by such treatment, and he quietly stood to the side and watched the interactions unfold.

Ku Rong nodded. "If you're interested, I don't mind escorting you, Alliance Leader Lu, though you'll have to forgive an old man for moving slowly."

"Thank you, Senior."

There was a very high level of star energy in the Voidsoul Region, and it caused everything to grow extravagantly and the entire place to look very beautiful. However, due to constant lightning strikes, dead trees could be seen everywhere. These trees were also not cleared away, but rather left where they stood. The older the tree that was struck by lightning, the more valuable the wood that would be produced. These dead trees were the raw materials used to produce the Ku family's Withered Bark.

There was a crack, and despite the sky being clear and sunny, a bolt of lightning fell down, striking an ancient tree and burning it.

"Ku Wei mentioned that the Voidsoul Region constantly has lightning falling without any warning, and I see that it's true. Senior, where does the lightning come from?" Lu Yin asked as he followed Ku Rong around the Voidsoul Region.

Ku Rong replied, "It's just a natural occurrence. There's nothing mysterious behind it."

"Really?" Lu Yin stared out at the burning tree in the distance. Was this lightning really nothing more than a natural phenomenon? How could that be? The lightning had struck so suddenly that not even Lu Yin had been able to sense it. Given his current might, let alone mere lightning, Lu Yin was able to easily sense astral phenomena and avoid catastrophes in outer space.

However, it was clear that Ku Rong did not want to say anything more, so Lu Yin dropped the matter.

"Alliance Leader Lu, I heard from one of my family's youths that you've learned Extremes Must Be Reversed," Ku Rong bluntly asked.

"That's true. You must already know, Senior, that this junior visited another place, and it was there that I learned Extremes Must Be Reversed. I was even able to visit the Voidsoul Palace where Progenitor Ku himself once lived."

"Could you tell me more about that?" Ku Rong asked. There seemed to be absolutely no change in the man's emotional state.

Lu Yin hid nothing as he spoke of his time in the Perennial World, particularly in the Dominion Realm. He focused on the desiccated army that they had faced, as well as the battles that had taken place in the Voidsoul Palace.

It had not been an overly complicated experience, so it did not take Lu Yin long to tell his story.

Ku Rong laughed. "I didn't expect those people to still believe Progenitor Ku to be the weakest! They actually gave him a position in the center of the Dominion Realm!"