Star Odyssey

Numerous metallic arms glinted in the sunlight as they crashed down towards the youth. Huang San opened his mouth. He knew that he was doomed, but at the critical moment when one of the arms descended, a shadow flickered past.

Boom boom boom boom!

Four successive loud sounds rang, and Huang San was stunned to see all of the metal automatons fly away like punching bags. He then felt something wrap around his neck as he was picked up by someone. The scenery before his eyes constantly changed, and the remains of the metal automatons vanished.

Huang San was hyperventilating as he looked around since he finally got an opportunity to check his surroundings. He quickly found the person who had rescued him, and he appeared to be about his age.

“Br- brother, thank you. I, Huang San, will never forget your kindness in saving my life.” Huang San was breathing heavily, and his forehead was beaded with sweat. He even had to lift his pants to move forward.

Lu Yin stared at the fatty who evidently had no strength left, and although his eyes flickered, he did not speak.

“May I know this brother’s respected name? Since you easily defeated a First Divine Gate Guardian, I believe that you must not be someone unknown. I am Huang San of the Bloodburn Realm.” The fatty rose to his feet with a bit of difficulty as he politely spoke to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin looked at him in the same manner as before, but he still did not speak. He had not yet made any sense of his present circumstances, so he simply pretended to be deaf and mute, as it was better to be cautious.

The fatty blinked. “Brother, I’m Huang San, from the Bloodburn Realm.”

Lu Yin remained silent as he looked up at the sky.

The fatty raised a hand and waved it in front of Lu Yin’s eyes in order to get Lu Yin’s attention. “Bro! I’m Huang San.”

Lu Yin just calmly looked at him.

Huang San was speechless. “Is Bro a mute?”

Lu Yin’s gaze remained unruffled.

Huang San’s expression turned sour. “I can’t be that unlucky! I finally met an expert after suffering all kinds of problems, but now it turns out he’s a mute! How tragic...”

Lu Yin started walking to a higher part of the mountain.

Huang San immediately moved forward as well. “Brother, even if you can’t speak, you should still be able to make a few gestures! Where are you from? Which progenitor’s path are you from? The Progenitor of Bloodlines? The Progenitor of Combat? The Progenitor of Secret Arts?”

Lu Yin’s gaze abruptly changed. What? The Progenitor of Bloodlines? The Progenitor of Combat? The Progenitor of Secret Arts?

“What the @&*$? Progenitor of Bloodlines? Progenitor of Combat? Progenitor of Secret Arts? Could that fatty really be talking about Progenitors? That’s impossible! The universe shouldn’t have any more Progenitors! That’s supposed to be a title reserved only for a certain level of super powerhouse!” the Ghost Monkey shrieked.

Lu Yin thought about the fatty’s words for a moment, and he looked at the sky again before continuing his leisurely walk up the mountain.

“Bro, don’t tell me you can’t hear me either! Can Fat Bro really be so unlucky as to meet a deaf mute?” The fatty lamented even as he chased after Lu Yin.

“Bro, can you really not hear me? Are you trying to fool Fat Bro? There’s no need for such a thing! I’m just a puny Explorer without much talent, so there’s no benefit in deceiving me. You can go ahead and say something!”

“Bro, you look pretty decent, though not half as good as Fat Bro.”

“Bro, let’s become sworn brothers.”

…

Apparently, the fatty was someone who could not remain still, and he continued to chatter away next to Lu Yin. Although it was mostly a bunch of nonsense, it still gave Lu Yin the opportunity to learn some certain details, such as the fact that the fatty was an Explorer, that he was looking for his fiancée in this place, and most importantly, that this place was called the Daosource Sect.

And through the youth’s words, Lu Yin quickly realized that he did not know any of the places that the fatty was mentioning, and some of the terms that he used were foreign as well.

“Bro, which powerhouse did you get your imprint from? A regular Imprinter? A World Imprinter? A Cosmic Imprinter?”

“Bro, can you really not hear me?” The fatty’s voice jumped an octave higher.

…

Finally, the youth became completely confident that Lu Yin truly could not hear him, and at that point, he began to share his life story. “Fat Bro was born in the Bloodburn Realm, and the Huang family was originally an Imprinter clan that made contributions during the ancient war between the mainlands. But after that Imprinter ancestor died, the clan started to deteriorate. Fat Bro was fine with that, as I would be satisfied just muddling my way through life and simply waiting for death, but heavens like to turn humans into fools. Fat Bro coincidentally met Xiaojing and fell into the river of love. And since my Huang family and Xiaojing’s Yan family have an agreed upon engagement contract, Fat Bro felt like I had reached the peak of my life.

“Unfortunately, their Yan family looks down on my Huang family. Did you know, Bro, that the Yan Family has an Imprinter right now? That means that they’re a true Imprinter clan. If my Huang family was still an Imprinter clan, then this engagement would still be valid, but now… Sigh, it’s just a story of tears.

“The most frustrating part is that the Autumnfrost family has started to interfere, and that shameless Autumnfrost Qing actually wants to woo my Xiaojing! The Yan family can’t wait to latch onto the Autumnfrost family since they’re one of the strongest families in the entire Bloodburn Realm, and there’s actually a world Imprinter in their clan! That’s a world Imprinter! Even in the glory days of my Huang family, we couldn’t compare to such a family. Sigh, Fat Bro’s love life has been too turbulent, and even though Xiaojing and I could live together harmoniously, there are just too many obstructions.

“But Fat Bro will not give up! Fat Bro is determined to marry Xiaojing! That’s Fat Bro’s lifelong dream.”

…

The fatty spoke nonstop for an entire hour, and Lu Yin listened to him in silence. As for whatever Imprinter, world Imprinter, and whatnot, Lu Yin did not understand a single word. However, that was still alright. As long as he spent enough time with the fatty, this fellow would definitely spill all the beans.

“Brother, Fat Bro’s also had it tough. When I was three, Fat Bro saw a lady’s skirt being blown up by the wind, and I moved forward to help her pull it down. Who knows which wretched person pushed Fat Bro, but I fell into her skirt. Fat Bro was just three back then, but the more important thing is that the lady was forty or fifty! So how could Fat Bro have liked her? Yet I was still called a pervert by others, and from that point on, Fat Bro became famous, and I was known as the little prince that burrowed into skirts. There are still legends about Fat Bro circulating in the city.

“At the age of four, I used my allowance to buy a heaven-shattering technique, and that book said that a child’s urine could be used to promote one’s talent in cultivation. Fat Bro decided to show my respect to my parents. So, I personally gave my father a cup of child’s urine, which caused me to be hung and beaten by him for three days!

“When I was five, Fat Bro liked a very beautiful person the same age as me, and I mustered up the courage to declare my feelings, and I even succeeded! Fat Bro was excited, and I remember those feelings even to this day. But that wretched person was a boy! Shouldn’t it be a crime for a boy to be so beautiful? And that guy still pesters Fat Bro even now, wanting Fat Bro to take responsibility!

“At six…”

…

Lu Yin gave the fatty a strange look. Was this fellow fabricating all this crap, or was he telling the truth? If these stories were real, then his experiences were absolutely legendary, and it was quite impressive that the youth had survived up till the present day.

“Seventh Bro, it’s no mean feat that this stupid fatty has survived until now! Bring him along with you.” The monkey sighed, as he actually sympathized with the fatty.

They heard a whooshing sound from up ahead. Then, a First Divine Gate Guardian charged out of the forest and swiped its hand at the fatty. The youth was stunned, as the guardian had actually been hidden so close by them. It was extremely fast as well, whereas the fatty was not very agile.

Fortunately, Lu Yin was right beside Fat Bro and he pulled him out of harm's way. He then kicked the guardian five meters backwards, which startled Huang San.

When Lu Yin had saved him the first time, he had been lost in terror, so he hadn’t even seen what had happened. But this time, it was clear. “Bro, you used your leg to kick that thing! You’re good!”

The First Divine Gate Guardian advanced towards them again, and Lu Yin’s figure turned into a streak as he avoided its attack and then pressed a hand against the First Divine Gate Guardian’s head. He unleashed a Hundredfold Shockwave Palm, and with a resounding thump, the guardian’s head flew away as the automaton was crippled.

From start to finish, this exchange did not even take ten seconds.

The fatty’s mouth fell open, and he looked at Lu Yin blankly. “Bro, you’re definitely not from some nameless background! That thing was one of the Fifth Mainland’s Daosource Sect’s First Divine Gate’s Guardians! A lot of elite disciples from large families might not be able to beat that thing in a one-on-one, but you destroyed it in just a few seconds without even using any imprints or battle techniques!”

Fifth Mainland? Lu Yin’s eyes flashed, but he continued to walk along in silence.

The fatty licked his lips and beamed. “Bro, I know that you must have made adequate preparations before coming to the Daosource Sect, so where are you headed to? Oh!, I forgot, you can’t speak or hear. Why don’t you let Fat Bro follow you? Bro, you’re such a good person, so you definitely won’t mind, right?”

Another First Divine Gate Guardian was patrolling ahead of them, and Lu Yin stopped and looked at Huang San.

The youth just blinked. “Bro, what do you mean?”

Lu Yin looked at the guardian and then at the fatty while remaining frozen in place.

the fatty’s expression soured. “Bro, you can’t expect me to fight that thing!”

Lu Yin walked to the side of the small road and leaned against a tree. He then simply stared at the fatty without moving. This fatty had mentioned so many strange things along their way, and Lu Yin had not understood most of it. However, since many of the terms seemed to be related to combat, he wanted to observe the fatty’s fighting style.

“I get it! Bro wants to see if I’m qualified to follow you! Alright! I, Fat Bro, will try my luck!” Fat Bro gritted his teeth and moved towards the First Divine Gate Guardian.

The guardian quickly discovered Fat Bro, and it fiercely charged towards him, causing the ground to quiver.

The fatty’s face went pale and his eyes widened as he watched the construct get closer. Behind his back, a vague phantom image appeared. With that, the fatty’s demeanor seemed to change, as an indescribable pressure suddenly appeared.

He shouted as he lashed out with a fist. “Thousand Elephants Punch!” A strange energy seemed to twine about his arm, and Lu Yin could hear bellows from all sorts of creatures as the other young man’s fist crashed into the First Divine Gate Guardian.

Boom!

A shockwave blasted out and crushed the trees that were beside the road, and the guardian was actually forced to retreat a dozen steps by the attack. The fatty took that opportunity to attack again, but the phantom image behind him became even more indistinct the second time around.

“Thousand Elephants Punch!” With another bellow, the fatty’s face flushed red. This punch landed squarely on the First Divine Gate Guardian’s head and dislodged it as Huang San landed on the ground beside the guardian. They both collapsed onto the ground at the same time as the phantom image behind the fatty vanished.

Lu Yin watched this exchange in shock. What was that just now? He had been able to observe the fatty’s strength, but as soon as that phantom image appeared, the youth’s power had spiked, and the strength of his attacks had risen impressively. It almost seemed like he had become a different person.

With the fatty’s power, he was incapable of eliminating a guardian with one punch, but he had just done it. Could the phantom that had appeared behind him be one of those imprints?

Lu Yin slowly walked over and bent his head to look at the fatty.

The fatty grimaced and smiled bitterly at Lu Yin. “Bro, I did my best, and I managed to defeat a First Divine Gate Guardian! Can I follow you?”

Lu Yin offered a hand that the fatty grabbed. He was pulled up by Lu Yin, after which he gingerly massaged his fist. At the moment, his fist was flushed red and even slightly swollen. It seemed that the two punches had taken a toll on his body.

He seemed rather ordinary, but he had relied on some strange strength to defeat a guardian. This place caused Lu Yin to feel very curious, and he felt as if he had seen a new path of cultivation.

The fatty’s explosive strength could only be used to deal with a single First Divine Gate Guardian, but Lu Yin brought his new companion along as he continued on towards the mountaintop, dealing with the First Divine Gate Guardians that they encountered along their way.

Huang San was very curious about Lu Yin, as this person did not use any imprints, battle techniques, or innate gifts. However, despite all that, he was able to easily defeat the First Divine Gate Guardians, which showed just how terrifyingly strong his physical body was.