Star Odyssey

How many Semi-Progenitors belonged to the Heavens Sect? Even if Lu Yin added in the Semi-Progenitors from the Perennial World, the Fifth Mainland might not have that many experts. The Three Monarchs Universe might not have even twenty Semi-Progenitor level figures, despite also being an official member of the Sixverse Association.

Lu Yin estimated that not even the Voidforce Universe or Arboreal Realm might have that many.

Even if being able to use a white energy converter did not mean that the person could fight a Semi-Progenitor on equal footing, it was still a terrifying number of experts.

“This is also just the number white energy converters. Do you know how many black energy converters our Transcendent Universe has?” Zuo Gong asked, swaying unsteadily on his feet.

Zuo Yu quickly moved over to steady the man. “Grandfather, you're drunk! Go back and rest.”

Zuo Gong laughed. "Your grandfather isn't drunk."

Zuo Yu smiled at Lu Yin and apologized.

Lu Yin looked at Zuo Gong with curiosity. "How many?"

Everyone was well aware that the man was not truly drunk, but they all kept it to themselves.

"Ten," Zuo Gong replied.

Lu Yin's heart dropped. Ten black energy converters meant ten Progenitor-level powerhouses. The Transcendent Universe claimed to only have five such individuals, but in reality, they had been keeping half of them hidden.

Ten Progenitor-level experts. This was even more than the number of Void Supremas that the Voidforce Universe possessed, even after both Xu Heng and Xu Leng reached that level at the same time. This was the power of the Transcendent Universe.

Lu Yin was shocked by how much power the Transcendent Universe had kept hidden, but the explanation that he received from Zuo Gong was simple.

The Transcendent Universe excelled in discovering parallel universes, and whenever they found a suitable universe, they would analyze the energy and matter there and then produce energy converters from that universe. Over the course of countless years, the Transcendent Universe had consumed a number of black energy converters, but they still possessed quite a few.

In comparison, there was a much higher number of white energy converters, and the number of energy converters continued to rise drastically with each drop in grade.

"The Three Monarchs Universe seems to be the universe pushing the hardest for the establishment of the Sixverse Academy, but my Transcendent Universe is actually no different. We have so many energy converters, but only a few can harness their power. Much of our strength is left unused, or treated as research materials for our cultivation technologies."

"Grandfather, you really are drunk," Zuo Yu commented with concern. She was worried that Zuo Gong would say something that should not be revealed.

Lu Yin did not press the current topic. The information that he had received so far was plenty, and he also understood that this was Zuo Gong's way of repaying him for saving Zuo Yu. It would be greedy to ask for anything more.

The rest of Lu Yin’s time with the two was spent in casual conversation, and Zuo Gong quickly sobered up a good deal.

Lu Yin spent a day visiting Zuo Gong before leaving.

The old man had also spoken at length about the affairs of the Bureau in the Transcendent Universe.

You Fang was the Bureau Director here, but he had not obtained the position through his own efforts. Rather, it was because the Ruling Council had wanted to divide the You family’s power. Or, more accurately, the real ruler of the Transcendent Universe had been the one to make those arrangements. That ruler, who had also started the competition between He Ran and Bai Qian, was the one who had established the Ruling Council and directed the matters concerning the entire Transcendent Universe.

That ruler was the person who had pioneered the energy converter cultivation technology.

The Transcendent Universe primarily relied on two different cultivation technologies: energy converters and the Bestowal Art. The Bestowal Art had been developed by the You family, while the energy converters had come from the universe’s ruler.

Lu Yin had never mentioned the ruler in any of his conversations, but that was because he had long since known of the ruler's existence from Bai Qian.

Looking up at the starry sky, Lu Yin wondered when that ruler would reveal themselves.

As Lu Yin left Zuo Gong's home, he saw a figure standing beside the wall. As Lu Yin moved out, that figure quickly knelt before him and kowtowed. "Thank you."

It was Xie Wu.

Lu Yin looked at Xie Wu.

"It was nothing," he said nonchalantly.

Xie Wu kowtowed again. "Thank you."

He prostrated himself again and again, smashing his head on the ground.

The words of gratitude that the young man repeated took on an increasingly heavy tone.

"If I were you, I would still return to He Shu's side. At the least, that will provide you with some measure of protection," Lu Yin said. He took a moment to carefully observe Xie Wu before leaving.

Xie Wu only rose to his feet after a long time. A profound hatred for He Shu could be seen etched deep in his eyes.

Lu Yin tore through the void of the Transcendent Universe. Instead of returning to the Voidforce Universe, he headed for the Aeternus Nation, and from there, he returned to the Fifth Mainland and to Earth.

A salty tang was carried along on a sea breeze, refreshing and invigorating as it swept through the air. Seagulls soared beneath an azure sky, their calls echoing like melodies across the open expanse.

Beneath a large umbrella lay a beautiful figure who was leisurely sipping on a cup of fruit juice. There was no one else around, as they were on a deserted island.

Lu Yin approached. "How long have you been here?"

The woman lifted her head and removed her sunglasses, revealing a stunning face. She was Bai Qian. "I just got here."

"How long has it been since you last visited?" Lu Yin asked with a smile as he laid down next to the woman. He picked up a cup of fruit juice and took a sip. It was merely decent.

"Many years," Bai Qian replied.

Lu Yin looked out at the sea and stretched. "You're not the only one who misses your hometown, but still, coming back here must feel a bit nostalgic."

Bai Qian set her own cup back down. "Are you here just to talk about this?"

"What's the current situation?"

"It’s not great. I'm practically out of the game."

"He Ran must be thrilled.”

“When you're out of the game, the only way to turn things around and win is to cheat."

"That's why I've been helping you cheat this whole time."

"You're just helping yourself."

"Still, I'm not confident that I can deal with the mysterious ruler of the Transcendent Universe. When I was in the Voidforce Universe, I met Lord Xu, and I found out that he was once friends with Wu Tian. The ruler of the Transcendent Universe shouldn’t be any weaker."

Bai Qian turned to look at Lu Yin. "Are you scared?"

Lu Yin chuckled. "I am the Dao Monarch of the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect. What do I need to fear? Still, I can’t make any mistakes, as that would bring the retaliation of the entire Sixverse Association down upon us."

Bai Qian casually commented, "As long as I can take control of the Ruling Council, I can defeat He Ran."

Lu Yin laughed. "Are you really that naive? The ruler of that universe won't possibly base a decision on just the Ruling Council."

"In that case, there's something important that you will need to do." Bai Qian gave Lu Yin a serious look. "I need you to desecrate He Ran."

Lu Yin froze. "What did you just say?"

Bai Qian continued, "I can handle everything else, and this is the only part that I'm struggling with. Only you can do it, so I need you to help me desecrate He Ran."

With that, she looked out at the sea. "The ruler is a clean freak. For example, take this calm sea in front of us. If any anomaly appeared on the surface, it would be destroyed without any hesitation. He Ran is the sea in that person's heart, while I am just a small river. I never really stood any chance of winning, which is why everyone threw their support behind He Ran.”

"However, if He Ran is contaminated in any way, it would be like introducing an anomaly to this calm sea, and that is something that the ruler cannot tolerate."

Lu Yin pursed his lips. "Have you ever considered my feelings on this?"

Bai Qian reacted with surprise, which was an unusual expression to see on her face. "Isn't that what any man would hope for? He Ran is the perfect woman."

Lu Yin looked away. He had to admit that the woman was indeed perfect, to the point where he wanted to snatch her away and use her as a mascot for the Heavens Sect. However, to desecrate her… how was he supposed to do that?

"Don't tell me you don't know how?" Bai Qian asked in an odd tone.

"Of course I know."

"Prove it."

"There’s no need."

"Should I teach you?"

Lu Yin was stunned speechless. "Are you sure?"

Bai Qian locked eyes with Lu Yin, her expression calm. "As long as that’s what you want."

Lu Yin stared into Bai Qian's eyes, which were tranquil as water. Suddenly, he raised a hand and pulled her face closer.

At this moment, the two were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Bai Qian's eyes remained completely calm. Not a single ripple of emotion could be seen, and even her breathing remained steady.

For a full three minutes, the two held their position, with neither moving at all.

Eventually, Lu Yin let go. "I remember something that Bai Xue once mentioned about you. She told me that you possessed a beauty that makes rainbows grow pale, the strategic mind of a great general, the magnanimity of a queen, and the genius of a swordsman," he paused for a moment before continuing, "However, you abandoned her, and you also abandoned Earth.

"Back then, I really didn’t think much of her comment, but I can now see that her description of you is completely accurate. All you see is your goal, and there is nothing else."

Bai Qian put her sunglasses back on. "Disappointed?"

Lu Yin chuckled. "No, that actually puts me at ease."

"On the other hand, I do worry about you." Bai Qian rose to her feet, causing her long hair to fall loose and release a subtle fragrance. "Together, we can accomplish everything that the Transcendent Universe desires, but just the two of us are not enough to change that person’s mind. Desecrating He Ran is a necessary step, and it’s something that only you can accomplish. Work hard, and maybe fall in love, if you can spare the time."

With that, the woman left, returning to the Transcendent Universe.

Lu Yin shook his head; he was actually being belittled by Bai Qian. The woman was as cold as ice and unwavering even in the face of death. Such people were truly terrifying.

Fall in love? He touched his cosmic ring, wondering when he would be able to save Yan'er.

…

Lu Yin did not remain on Earth for very long. He quickly returned to the Voidforce Universe, and to the Red Zone.

Returning to the Red Zone meant that Lu Yin was resuming his hunt for spies. In addition to his regular work, Lu Yin asked Xu Yue to introduce him to You Lele.

"Why do you want to meet Lele?" Xu Yue looked at Lu Yin, suddenly completely on guard.

Lu Yin took a seat. "I don’t want to meet You Lele. I want to speak to her family."

Xu Yue looked doubtful. "Lele is a very naive girl. Don’t try to trick her."

Lu Yin arched a brow. "Do you really think that I’m the kind of person who would try to deceive her?"

"What else?" Xu Yue continued to stare at Lu Yin.

It had become widely known that Xuan Qi had used deception to trick and arrest both Yi Jun and Cheng Feng. As far as Xu Yue was concerned, the man was basically a scammer.

Even though seeing Xuan Qi endure the pressure of Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples had slightly improved Xu Yue’s opinion of him, Lu Yin would never be able to get rid of his label as a con artist in Xu Yue’s mind.

"Alright, get a hold of her already," Lu Yin impatiently pushed.

Xu Yue huffed coldly, but she did try to call Lele.

Before long, she said, “Lele must be caught up in some research project, so we’ll have to wait. It might be quite a while.”

“What could she be researching?” Lu Yin thought that Xu Yue was lying to him.

Xu Ji suddenly spoke up, “Lele is a universally acknowledged genius, to the point where there’s almost no one who would dare to claim to surpass her mastery and knowledge of the Bestowal Art. The You family has never had a matriarch, but Lele made history by being the first woman to be in line to inherit the family. She’s forced the You family to accept her as the family’s heir.”

“She's that amazing?” Lu Yin had only wanted to make contact with the You family. He had known that Xu Yue and You Lele were close from their meeting in the Cyclic School’s pavilion before the academy’s trial in the Origin Universe. He had simply thought that it would be convenient to contact the You family through You Lele and her friendship with Xu Yue. He had not expected to learn that You Lele herself was so impressive.

Xu Ji replied, “Lele is incredibly intelligent. Even He Shu has been forced to admit that much. If you want to deceive her, you should just give up.”

Lu Yin rolled his eyes. “I just want to have a conversation with the You family. They run the Bureau in the Transcendent Universe, and I’m thinking about possibly collaborating with them in the future.”