Star Odyssey

Shi Zhongjian slapped out with the flat of his sword yet again, only to be welcomed by the interchange of day and night. This was the Daynight Punch, Lu Yin’s only battle technique that could make use of his spiritual force.

Lu Yin believed that his spiritual force was able to rival even the Ten Arbiters’. Although he might not have caught up to them quite yet, he definitely was not that far behind. However, he had never been willing to use spiritual force attacks against the Sixth Mainland cultivators who were at the level of a Realmling. This was because the Sixth Mainland’s cultivation focused heavily on imprints, and Lu Yin knew that imprints could refine spiritual force. Thus, he had been worried that his spiritual force would be insufficient to pose any threat to such powerhouses.

However, at this time, Lu Yin wanted to take the risk. Even if his spiritual force could not threaten this Realmling, Lu Yin wanted to see if it could at least create an opportunity.

The Daynight Punch shot out, and Lu Yin’s spiritual force erupted as Shi Zhongjian swatted down with his sword. The Realmling was stunned by the punch, which caused his stone sword to fall from his hands, out of his control. Lu Yin then activated the Yu Secret Art to teleport the sword away while also slapping at Shi Zhongjian with his left hand with a One Hundred Stacks, One Hundred Fiftyfold Shockwave Palm.

There was a soft thump when Lu Yin’s palm connected with Shi Zhongjian’s abdomen, and the swordsman spat out a mouthful of blood, though he did not take even one step back. Instead, he raised his hand up high and swung it down at Lu Yin. "Heaven Splitter.”

Even without his stone sword, Shi Zhongjian was still able to use his most powerful Swordstar technique. However, Lu Yin had already been prepared for this, and his Fatesand as well as his eight lined battle force both emerged to defend him from this attack. However, the Fatesand was only able to partially cover Lu Yin’s body. As a result, the Heaven Splitter was able to bypass the uncovered sections and strike down, tearing right through Lu Yin’s eight lined battle force to leave a massive wound on Lu Yin’s back.

The two both retreated after trading blows and injuries.

Lu Yin had tried to plot against Shi Zhongjian, but Shi Zhongjian had also been trying to scheme against Lu Yin.

Lu Yin had forgotten about one particular detail: Shi Zhongjian came from the Rock Realm, which was part of the Progenitor of Secret Arts’ territory. Thus, Shi Zhongjian had also comprehended the Reversal Cycle.

Lu Yin stared on, stunned, as Shi Zhongjian’s injuries visibly recovered at an astonishing speed. Then, the stone sword suddenly tore through the void and returned to the Realmling’s hand. “You are one of few who have ever injured me. Even if you can’t match up to the Ten Arbiters, as long as we are suppressed by this cosmic phenomenon, the difference between us is not too much. Still, this fight is over.”

After he finished speaking, Shi Zongjian’s figure flashed.

A ripping pain spread out from Lu Yin’s back, as the Heaven Splitter was not an attack that merely cut once. Rather, each stroke from the Swordstar would continue wreaking havoc within a person’s body, exactly like how the White Knight had suffered from Shang Rong’s remnant energy in the past. In fact, back then, Lu Yin was actually the reason why the White Knight had been able to recuperate so quickly. However, at this moment, the remnant destructive energy of the Heaven Splitter was still rampaging through his back.

Shi Zongjian’s words were true. Lu Yin was indeed quite a bit weaker than the Realmlings and the Ten Arbiters; even with the cosmic phenomenon’s suppression minimizing the difference between realms, there was still a disparity between them.

Lu Yin did not hesitate, and he quickly fled as he took out one of Shamrock Enterprises’s special medications to treat himself. A smear of shadow also appeared on his back, which was the Ghost Monkey. Lu Yin had ordered the monkey to help him take care of the Swordstar’s remaining energy in the wound on his back.

The Ghost Monkey wailed, “Seventh Bro, how am I supposed to have the ability to remove a Realmling’s remnant energy?”

“Aren’t you a Lockbreaker?” Lu Yin endured the pain, but Shi Zhongjian appeared behind him and smashed down with his stone sword.

The Ghost Monkey was so frightened that he instantly vanished.

Lu Yin simultaneously activated both the Yu Secret Art and his Truesight to divert the stone sword’s path while also weakening its power. In the end, the sword slap still smashed into Lu Yin’s right side, blasting him to the ground.

The Time Reversal Technique was too absurd, or at the very least, that was what was racing through Lu Yin’s mind at this moment. Just how could it heal someone’s injuries so quickly?

Shi Zhongjian’s gaze focused as he looked below him. Then, he picked up his stone sword once more. This time, he sliced out with a massive Heaven Splitter, and at the same time, from another direction, countless arrows shot through the sky, piercing the void as they streaked towards Lu Yin.

Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. Little Arrow Saint, not good!

The attacks from the two Realmlings arrived at the same moment, and Lu Yin’s heart skipped a beat as he tried to dodge. Why were there two Realmlings here? Had everyone else died already?

Lu Yin managed to dodge the arrows and the sword, but he could not escape from Shi Zhongjian, who was still chasing after Lu Yin. The tip of the Realmling’s sword hung low in the sky, as he was in the stance to launch the heavy sword technique again. At that exact moment, the void broke open, and Xin Nü appeared, who swatted a hand at Shi Zhongjian. Shi Zhongjian was startled, and he hurriedly shifted his stone sword to block this new attack, but his body was still sent flying with a bang.

He looked in front of himself, amazed when he saw the calm Xin Nü. “What are you doing?”

Xin Nü arched her brow. “I want to challenge you for the position of Realmling.”

Shi Zhongjian was caught off guard.

Lu Yin was also stunned.

Even Little Arrow Saint, who was approaching them as fast as he could, was also stunned. Was she really challenging Shi Zhongjian for his position of Realmling right now?

Shi Zhongjian squinted at the girl. “You want to save this person?”

Lu Yin also looked over at Xin Nü. She had already rescued him once back when he had been attacked by both Zhi Yi and Little Arrow Saint. Now, she had saved him yet again, and it was even during a public battle. The repercussions that she would face from this move would be severe, as this was no different from betraying the Sixth Mainland.

Just what was she trying to do?

Xin Nü replied, “Any Realmling can capture him alive, but I want to give him to Sky Zhi to obtain the opportunity to meet the Progenitor of Bloodlines.”

Shi Zhongjian’s eyes flashed. Although this reason was rather far-fetched, it was at least somewhat plausible.

Nearby, Little Arrow Saint said, “In that last battle, you also blocked Zhi Yi to save this person. There must be some relation between you two.”

Xin Nü ignored Little Arrow Saint and continued to stare at Shi Zhongjian. “We are both from the Rock Realm, so decide: either give up your Realmling position or fight me!”

Shi Zhongjian replied in a gloomy tone, “What exactly is your relationship with this person? Why do you need to help him so much?”

“I’ve already told you the reason. I just want to meet with the Progenitor of Bloodlines,” Xin Nü answered.

Lu Yin’s brows rose up, and he looked over at Xin Nü. “Woman, as long as you defeat him, I won’t resist, and I’ll follow you.”

Shi Zhongjian glanced over at Lu Yin and then swatted out with his stone sword again. Xin Nü jumped up to block the attack before it could reach Lu Yin. “He’s mine.”

She threw out a palm strike, and although it looked completely ordinary, it made Shi Zhongjian nervous.

Although he was the Realmling of the Rock Realm, he was not invincible within the realm’s younger generation. Xin Nü was not any bit weaker than him, but she had simply never desired the position of Realmling. This was why, when facing off against Xin Nü, Shi Zhongjian did not dare to be careless. Although he did not believe Xin Nü’s words, he did not have any proof that this woman was blatantly siding with Lu Yin. Anyone would want to seize an opportunity to meet the Progenitor of Bloodlines, and it was thus normal to do something unreasonable to win such an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Little Arrow Saint raised his bow and fired at Lu Yin. He was familiar with this scene, as Xin Nü had blocked Zhi Yi during the previous battle. This time, her target had simply changed to Shi Zhongjian.

Lu Yin was still suffering from some remnant injuries as a result of his battle with Shi Zhongjian. He knew that all of the Realmlings were extremely strong, and he did not dare to underestimate any of them. Of them all, he was especially cautious of Little Arrow Saint. The young man’s arrows’ ruthlessness and destruction were different from a sword’s. On a battlefield, an arrow was even more deadly than a sword.

Lu Yin did not want to directly fight against these people, as none of these people were fools who were easily deceived. On top of that, Little Arrow Saint was also from the Progenitor of Secret Arts’ Territory’s East Realm. Lu Yin hated fighting against people from the Progenitor of Secret Arts’ Territory, as the Reversal Cycle was simply too outlandish.

Lu Yin wanted to dodge these arrows and run off, but Little Arrow Saint refused to let Lu Yin go. This Realmling was also determined to meet the Progenitor of Bloodlines, as he hoped to become a Progenitor’s disciple.

The center of the miniature mainland was the battlefield occupied by the older generation, and there were World Imprinters, Imprinters, and Enlighters fighting there. However, the Champions' Stage was located in the southeastern region of the miniature mainland.

On top of the Champions' Stage, Bu Kong was facing off against two people on his own: Shu Jing and Qiu Shi.

Outside of the Champions' Stage, Liu Tianmu was fighting alone against Zhi Yi. Although the Arbiter could not break through the Daosource Three Skies’ member’s Sky Dipper, it was not easy for Zhi Yi to defeat the swordswoman either, especially since she was afraid of the Thirteen Swords. The Eleventh Sword was able to counter her most powerful attack that she could use while under the cosmic phenomenon’s suppression. If Liu Tianmu used the Twelfth Sword, then it might even be possible for her to break through the Sky Dipper. However, if she used that technique, then it was also possible that her attack might surpass the power level limit of the cosmic phenomenon.

However, Zhi Yi did not want to gamble on such a thing, as her personal defenses were not very impressive for her level. If her Sky Dipper was breached, then there was a good chance of her being severely injured if not defeated outright.

The invasion of the Fifth Mainland had already come to an end, and she did not want to be defeated or even injured after just stepping onto the battlefield. And that wasn’t even mentioning the shame such an outcome would bring to the reputation of the Daosource Three Skies.

Not everyone could qualify to make someone from the Daosource Three Skies apprehensive.

Every inch of the miniature mainland was covered with battling cultivators, and during this entire time, the mainland continued to speed towards the Innerverse.

News of the changes in the Cosmic Sea’s cosmic phenomenon had already spread across the Innerverse and the Cosmic Sea, as two Empyrean Imprinters and two Cosmic Imprinters had been directly erased. This had dealt a huge blow to the Sixth Mainland’s forces, but the cosmic phenomenon was still present.

None of the Sixth Mainland cultivators felt safe anymore, and all of their ambitions crumbled away when they received this news.

The World Imprinters were especially nervous, as if the cosmic phenomenon intensified anymore, then they would be the next group to be erased.

At this moment, they all felt as if the cosmic phenomenon could descend upon them at any moment.

As a result of this fear, all of the World Imprinters moved to leave, not one of them daring to remain behind. Right behind the World Imprinters were the Imprinters, and finally, not even the Enlighters felt safe.

Normally, if the sky collapsed, there would be a stronger powerhouse who would prop it back up. However, everyone had turned tail and was running away, as none of them wanted to be the one to carry such a heavy burden.

The Sixth Mainland cultivators had devolved into a chaotic mess, and everyone only felt the fear in their heart grow when they looked up at the cosmic phenomenon.

Subsequently, within just ten days, all the cultivators who had joined the three Realms to invade the Innerverse had fully retreated to the Mara River. They had already abandoned any and all thoughts of invasion, unless the cosmic phenomenon vanished.

Of the cultivators from the three realms, every single expert at the Imprinter level or above withdrew, and the Enlighters left one by one soon after.

After the older generation left, the remaining Sixth Mainland cultivators could not possibly fend off the various experts of the Fifth Mainland. Thus, they also left, and without any other choice, the invasion was postponed. Every cultivator from the Sixth Mainland started heading towards the Mara River to return to the Sixth Mainland.

From their perspective, even if their invasion had failed this time, they could always make another attempt later. They did not believe that another cosmic phenomenon would appear after the present one vanished.

They also did not believe that the cosmic phenomenon would buy the Fifth Mainland enough strength to qualitatively improve its strength to the point where it could resist the Sixth Mainland. It had to be stated that only three realms had invaded the Human Domain during this attempt, and the Sixth Mainland still had its own Progenitors.

The Sixth Mainland’s experts constantly withdrew, and the Fifth Mainland powerhouses popped back up like weeds to launch a counterattack that covered the entire Innerverse.

The battle on the miniature mainland had lasted for more than ten days now, and it still had not ended. Constant reinforcements from the Sixth Mainland arrived and joined the battle, but the same was true for the Fifth Mainland’s side. The most noticeable example was the numerous Daynight clan cultivators who arrived.

Lu Yin was still being chased about by Little Arrow Saint. He had decided not to fight back against the Realmlings and was instead focusing on evading them. Little Arrow Saint could not really do much to Lu Yin as long as he could use his secret technique and Truesight. In fact, not even an Imprinter could do much to Lu Yin as long as the cosmic phenomenon’s suppression existed.

In the meantime, Lu Yin tried to gradually move a bit closer to the Champions' Stage. As he approached it, he discovered that it was Bu Kong’s battlefield. There were a few of the Ten Arbiters and several Realmlings engaged in battle all around this area. Finally, he saw Liu Tianmu’s sword qi and Zhi Yi’s Vitality Qi clashing, and he no longer wanted to get any closer.

He also saw Gu Xiao'er, though by this time, the young man’s white smoke had been severely depleted, and he could only envelop himself within the smoke. Still, he found the occasional opportunity to ambush some Sixth Mainland cultivators, though he did not fight against anyone head-on. For some reason, Gu Xiao’er reminded Lu Yin of Ling Que, though Lu Yin had not heard any news about Ling Que ever since he had fled the thunder region.

One day later, the miniature mainland passed over the Cosmic Sea’s border and entered the Innerverse.