Star Odyssey

Lu Yin turned to look at Master Shan in surprise. "Incredible defense?"

Master Shan said, "It's nothing much. I’m just a bit more durable than others."

Lu Yin stared at Master Shan, but no matter how long he looked, this man did not seem to be someone with impressive defenses. Regardless, it was always good to have another Semi-Progenitor.

Master Shan’s existence was a glimpse into the terrifying strength that the Lu family had once possessed for Lu Yin. A Semi-Progenitor whose defense was considered to be practically invincible had been Lu Xiaoxuan’s personal guardian. How could such an impressive powerhouse have willingly accepted such a role?

If one wanted to be delicate when referring to the thin old man, they would call him a guardian, but he had basically been Lu Xiaoxuan’s personal bodyguard.

"Old Shan, you don't need to bother protecting this kid anymore. Anyone who comes to this place to make trouble for him will end up in a bad situation. He already beat up Xia Shenji," Kui Luo stated.

Master Shan's expression remained solemn. "The person just now was Bai Wangyuan, while Xia Shenji was also present. Young Master, what sort of agreement did you reach with them?"

Lu Yin asked Kui Luo to fill Master Shan in on all that had happened. Lu Yin himself went to find Yao Di. The former emperor of the Celestial Beast Empire was being sent to the rear battlefield to serve as a general of the fourth array base.

Yao Di was shocked. "Me?"

Lu Yin nodded. "Is there a problem?"

Of course there’s a problem! That’s the rear battlefield! Despite his internal thoughts on the matter, Yao Di would never say anything aloud to Lu Yin. The young man had already fought against Progenitors, and he had even beaten back someone with the strength of a master of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas. The youth was simply terrifying, and Yao Di knew that he did not have the qualifications to raise any objections to Lu Yin’s decisions. "I understand."

Lu Yin felt quite satisfied. He was assigning Yao Di as the general because the Astral Beast Army was going to be the primary force defending the fourth array base. However, they were certainly not going to be alone.

In addition to a general, it was important for an array base to have colonels, and Lu Yin’s first thought had been Hen Xin. Of course, the Semi-Progenitor might harbor ulterior motives, but that did not matter. He still represented a powerhouse from the Fifth Mainland.

Lu Yin also intended to send an additional two Semi-Progenitors. There were many Semi-Progenitors in the Fifth Mainland, and sending four of them to the fourth array base would not place any pressure on Lu Yin. Besides, he also wanted to demonstrate the strength of the Fifth Mainland to the entire Perennial World.

The third Semi-Progenitor would be Jiu Yao. The people of the Sixth Mainland were not nearly as loyal to Lu Yin as the people of the Fifth Mainland.

This meant that Lu Yin was sending a Semi-Progenitor from the Sixth Mainland, the Astral Beast Domain, and the Heavens Sect era. The fourth Semi-Progenitor would therefore have to be one from the Fifth Mainland.

Lu Yin started considering his options. Elder Gong? The man was too lazy for such an assignment. Highsage Grandmaster? Big Sis would tear Lu Yin apart. Jiu Chi? The man was practically useless given his constant drunken state. Xia Ji? No, Xia Ji was still a prisoner in Zenith Mountain. Lu Yin would never release that man. Qing Ping was also not an option, while Jue Yi had already been arrested and was simply awaiting sentencing. Who else was there?

"It's time for me to go to the rear battlefield." Arch-Elder Zen suddenly spoke up.

Lu Yin looked over. "Senior, you want to go to the rear battlefield?"

Arch-Elder Zen replied, "I wanted to join you on your last trip to the Perennial World, but I was unable to do so. This time, allow me to go to the rear battlefield. Forgetting all of my former responsibilities is the only way for me to become a Progenitor. I started on my path of cultivation on the battlefield and earned a senior’s kindness there. The battlefield is where I will become a Progenitor."

Lu Yin thought for a bit. "Alright. I'll have to trouble you then, Senior."

War was constantly being waged on the rear battlefield, but in truth, it was very rare for Semi-Progenitors to die. Furthermore, Lu Yin was sending four Semi-Progenitors to defend a single array base, which was more strength than any of the other array bases that were protected by the Perennial World’s forces.

Additionally, none of the four Semi-Progenitors that Lu Yin was sending could be considered average cultivators.

Hen Xin needed no explanation at all. Arch-Elder Zen had cultivated the Tri-Yang Ancestral Qi Technique and was someone with the same level of strength as the gatemasters of the Heavens Sect’s Twelve Heavenly Gates. Jiu Yao was the Sixth Mainland’s strongest Semi-Progenitor. As for Yao Di, he was a Celestial Demon and his spiritual force was strong enough to compare to Kui Luo’s.

Any one of the four Semi-Progenitors that Lu Yin was sending to the Perennial World could absolutely crush a Semi-Progenitor at Xia Ziheng's level. They were comparable to the Twelve Marquises of Aeternus.

With his selection of Semi-Progenitors finalized, Lu Yin ordered the Lu Elite Troops, the Redemption Army, the lesser giants, and the Astral Beast Army to prepare to go to the fourth array base. He intended to make the fourth array base a forbidden region that the forces of Aeternus would not dare approach.

Everyone selected to go to the Perennial World gathered near the New Corridor in the Technocracy. Lu Yin reached out to Humility’s Gate through Tong Yu, and they put Lu Yin in touch with Supervisor Qing Chen.

Shortly after the New Corridor had been fully repaired, Lu Yin had discovered that his wireless jincan could communicate with Tong Yu’s.

Wireless jincans were able to communicate with each other regardless of distance or being separated by spatial pockets or anything else. However, they had not been able to communicate between the Perennial World and the Fifth Mainland, which had left Lu Yin dissatisfied with the wireless jincans.

Wireless jincans could communicate between the true universe and the visible universe, so why not between the Perennial World and the Fifth Mainland?

As soon as the New Corridor had reconnected the two places, wireless jincans had been able to communicate between the two places.

In the Perennial World, Qing Chen and Tong Yu found a place to meet. The supervisor stared down at the wireless jincan, a little dazed.

Tong Yu quickly shared instructions on how to use the wireless jincan, and Qing Chen sent a message to Lu Yin.

"Supervisor Qing Chen, it’s been a long time," Lu Yin sent back.

Qing Chen took a deep breath. "Lu Xiaoxuan, you’ve stirred up a great deal of trouble in the Higher Realm."

Lu Yin smiled. "You don’t have to worry about that. Nothing will happen for now. I’ve reached an agreement with the four ruling powers, and they’ve agreed to not touch me until I become a Semi-Progenitor."

Qing Chen was shocked. "The four ruling powers agreed to leave you alone?"

Such an agreement was nothing less than a slap in the face to the four ruling powers. So, very, very few people in the Perennial World were aware of this agreement. Most of the Perennial World were completely ignorant.

However, once the Fifth Mainland took over defending the fourth array base, news of the truce would quickly spread to everyone in the Perennial World.

"I'm looking to speak with the commander, and I was hoping to get your help with this. Could you put me in touch with Commander Mu Xie?" Lu Yin sent.

Qing Chen glanced over at Tong Yu. "Do you still want to become the commander’s disciple?"

Lu Yin laughed. "Commander Mu Xie is my senior disciple brother."

Without going through Qing Chen, Lu Yin could at best try to get some news to Mu Xie, but Lu Yin had no way to contact the man directly.

The only way to reach Mu Xie was through Humility’s Gate’s Semi-Progenitor, which meant Supervisor Qing Chen.

It was not long before Mu Xie was looking at the wireless jincan. He was looking at it through a call from Qing Chen’s communications crystal, and as Mu Xie observed the wireless jincan, he saw the messages from Lu Yin.

Lu Yin soon put his own wireless jincan down and let out a sigh of relief.

He had wanted to ask his senior brother Mu Xie to keep an eye on the four ruling powers. Even if they had agreed upon a truce, if a Semi-Progenitor tried to attack Lu Yin with a Progenitor’s weapon, it would be quite dangerous. He was not willing to rashly return to the Perennial World.

If it was possible to kill Lu Yin by sacrificing a Semi-Progenitor, the four ruling powers would absolutely consider the results worth it. Lu Yin could not constantly have a champion summoned, and he could not always guarantee that the jiao would be by his side. So, he still needed to take adequate precautions.

From Mu Xie, Lu Yin also learned that Progenitor Smoke had been freed from her mirror, which put Lu Yin more at ease.

Progenitor Smoke would not help Lu Yin fight against the four ruling powers, but she also most likely would not help them attack Lu Yin.

He needed to personally return to the Perennial World.

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He could not avoid returning since he was sending an entire army from the Fifth Mainland. After all, how would be able to reap the benefits without showing himself? Not to mention, there were many tasks that Lu Yin still needed to complete in the Perennial World.

… 

Everyone from the Fifth Mainland who had been conscripted by the Heavens Sect and gathered through tremendous efforts was released after the truce was formalized.

For most people, being released was a relief. They had expected to fight in a massive war.

However, a war had not been fought, though the battles between Lu Yin and the powerful Progenitors who were his enemies had had a massive impact on everyone. An unprecedented faith in Lu Yin’s abilities had taken root in people’s hearts. Even if they faced an enemy Progenitor again in the future, the Fifth Mainland would not easily lose heart.

As time passed, people had started to develop a growing faith in Lu Yin.

At the moment, Lu Yin and Master Shan were sitting on the back of the jiao. Lu Yin had questions about what had happened the day the Lu family had been exiled.

Master Shan spoke in a bitter tone of voice, "Young Master, you’ve lost all your old memories, but all of us have also lost portions of our memories. None of us remember certain parts of the day that your family was exiled."

Lu Yin felt disappointed, though not surprised.

His memory had been erased, and the people closest to him had been imprisoned in Crimson Garden. It only made sense for their memories to have been erased as well.

"Our memories about what happened regarding the Lu family’s exile have all been erased, but our memories from earlier in that day remain." Master Shan stared at Lu Yin. "I remember Young Master's smile the most clearly. You were very, very happy on that day."

Lu Yin muttered to himself, "I was very, very happy?"

Master Shan nodded as he thought back. "You were indeed very happy. The entire family was entertaining guests, and you also entertained your own guests in Food Paradise. The patriarch brought your Food Paradise up beside the Lu Sanctum1 so that you could properly entertain your guests there."

"What’s the Lu Sanctum?" Lu Yin interrupted to ask.

Master Shan was taken aback. "You’ve even forgotten about the Lu Sanctum?"

Lu Yin felt quite confused, as no one had mentioned this to him before, not even Kui Luo.

Seeing Lu Yin's confusion, Master Shan became infuriated, and his hatred for the four ruling powers soared higher than ever. "The Lu Sanctum was your family’s home in the Higher Realm. The Perennial World has its Lower Realm, Middle Realm, and Higher Realm, but only the Lu family and their followers lived in the Higher Realm.

"The soil of the Higher Realm is the sky of the realms below it. That is Lu Sanctum.

"It is an informal title given to the Lu family by the Perennial World as a whole. Only the Lu family can live on the Lu Sanctum. Young Master, the Lu Sanctum is your home! It is the most highly regarded location in the entire Perennial World. Even if a Progenitor such as Bai Wangyuan wished to visit, he would have to send an announcement requesting access in advance. The Lu Sanctum represents the pinnacle of all of humanity.

"The family allowed Food Paradise to be moved adjacent to the Lu Sanctum so that you could hold your banquet there, which was a sign of how highly they regarded you, Young Master."

Lu Yin stared at Master Shan. "What was the banquet that was held on that day?"

Master Shan answered softly, "It was to celebrate your marriage to Bai Xian'er."

Lu Yin nodded. Long Xi had once said that the day the Lu family had been exiled had been the day his dreams were supposed to have come true. It had been a day when red flowers had rained down the Mother Tree and across the Perennial World. The day that was supposed to have been the happiest day of Lu Xiaoxuan’s life had ended up being the worst disaster the Lu family had ever suffered.

Aeternus had destroyed four of humanity’s Mainlands. During the Daosource Sect era, the Fifth Mainland had been at war with the Sixth Mainland. However, no matter what had happened throughout the eons, the Lu family had always endured and led the Fifth Mainland. However, because of the four ruling powers, the Lu family had disappeared.

Lu Yin would not deceive himself into believing that his family’s disappearance had nothing to do with him. The wedding, Bai Xian'er, and the red flowers all had to be related.

"What else can you remember?" Lu Yin asked.

Master Shan replied, "All I remember is seeing you drinking with the rest of the Seven Heroes and hearing the patriarch’s laughter as the rest of the family offered their congratulations. Then, nothing more."

Lu Yin stared at Master Shan. "Do you remember anything about the White Dragon Rolls Over?"

Master Shan shook his head, clearly confused.

"Yellow Springs?" Lu Yin asked again.

Master Shan shook his head again.

"Prison lock?"

"Doesn’t that refer to Shenwu's Sky?"

"Celestial Frost Fruit?"

At that, Master Shan's eyes finally lit up. "The Celestial Frost Fruit? Yes."

"What do you remember about it?"

Master Shan thought back. "That day was to be your wedding with Bai Xian'er, and it was a happy event bringing my Lu family together with the Celestial Frost Sect. My Lu family hosted a banquet, and the Celestial Frost Sect did as well. They sent someone to deliver a number of their Celestial Frost Fruits to the Lu Sanctum."

"Was there some sort of problem with the fruit?" Lu Yin asked.

Master Shan frowned. "There shouldn't have been. While the Celestial Frost Fruits are precious treasures, our Lu family was always able to eat them whenever we wished, especially you, Young Master. You frequently went to the Celestial Frost Sect with your eldest sister and the second young master from your Seven Heroes to steal Celestial Frost Fruits. You would never admit it, but you had grown tired of eating the fruits.”

[1] This place is literally named the "Lu Sky Realm." "Lu" means earth or continent, so this name can be interpreted as "Earth and Sky Realm," or "Lu Celestial Realm," as the 天 (tian) means both sky and heaven. It's an arrogant name placing the Lu family literally and figuratively above everyone else. ☜