Star Odyssey

Chapter 2541: Determined By Aptitude

Lu Yin remained in the same position and casually waved a hand, which caused a green bubble to drift over to him. It was time for him to find a place where he could focus on absorbing the power of the Arboreal Realm.

It was not long before news of Lu Yin's performance at the entrance of the Arboreal School spread. He had gone from initially picking a Monochromatic fruit, to a tri-chromatic fruit. The, he had picked a tetra-chromatic fruit before finally a penta-chromatic fruit had taken the initiative to literally jump into his hand. His demonstration of talent raised a storm throughout the entire Sixverse Academy, and the name Xuan Qi was elevated above even that of Shao Qingfeng, He Shu, and the other famous geniuses. He was hailed as the most talented individual in the Sixverse Academy at the moment.

Zuo Yu was astonished. Was this really the same man who had been so clueless in the Cloudflow Universe? How could he be so unbelievably talented?

Shi Hong’s arm grew weak and her sword clattered to the ground. No wonder he had seen through her Dragon Flash so easily. It was possible that his talent for cultivating had always been so exceptional, but that it had simply never been discovered. No, she should have realized it herself. He had seen through Dragon Flash with but a glance; what could have allowed that if not pure talent?

The news left Luo Lao'er ecstatic, and he began sharing the news that Xuan Qi was his brother-in-law. This was terrifying to those who hated Luo Lao’er due to what had happened in Cliff Town, and no one else tried to attack him. It was clear that Xuan Qi was peerlessly talented, and that talent would eventually be transformed into strength. Who knew how far Xuan Qi would go?

Xu Yue’s jaw clenched when she heard the news. Xuan Qi had surpassed her older brother? First he had ruined her trial, and then he had started overshadowing her older brother. She would definitely keep an eye on Xuan Qi.

Lu Yin had no idea how many enemies he had created. For him, he was simply playing a game, the goal of which was to learn more about the Sixverse Association. After he obtained sufficient knowledge of the association, the person known as Xuan Qi would disappear. Instead, the one who would appear would be Lu Yin, Dao Monarch of the Fifth Mainland. Lu Yin was looking forward to seeing the reactions when that day came.

Green bubbles drifted about the entire Arboreal School. Lu Yin spent his time seeking out and absorbing the bubbles in order to cultivate the power of the Arboreal Realm. Whenever traces of this power entered the unique power system in his chest, green shoots would sprout on the continent of fatesand that lay there. The greenery shone brightly.

Lu Yin had never considered that the power of the Arboreal Realm would actually sprout from the land that was fatesand within his chest. What would happen next? Would the plants grow into a tree?

The power system developing within his chest was beyond Lu Yin’s comprehension. Voidforce energy gathered like a river, True God’s divine energy hung like a red star in the sky, alone with the Withered Bark and the black and white mist. As time passed, it looked more and more like an embryonic universe was forming. This was vastly different from other people’s inner worlds.

Could a universe really grow inside of him?

He wondered how things were developing between Xu Xiangyin and the others.

Several days later, Lu Yin received a notice that instructed him to prepare to visit the Arboreal Sanctuary.

"The Arboreal Sanctuary?" Lu Yin was surprised. You Teng had arrived to deliver the message.

The man sighed. "Because of you, the Arboreal Sanctuary is opening early."

"I don't understand," Lu Yin said.

You Teng explained, "The Voidforce Universe and the Arboreal Realm are both vying to take you as their own. We cannot favor either side, so it was decided that your aptitude will decide which universe you end up in. Mu San immediately submitted a request to the Arboreal Realm that the Arboreal Sanctuary open ahead of schedule. As long as the innate gift you obtain there surpasses the quality of the voidforce puppet you obtain in the Voidforce Universe, you will go to the Arboreal Realm. Otherwise, you will go to the Voidforce Universe."

Lu Yin anxiously replied, "I feel guilty that I’m disrupting the normal process for opening the Arboreal Sanctuary."

You Teng gave Lu Yin a flat stare. "Do you know how many people envy your talent right now? You are already being hailed as the most talented student currently in the Sixverse Academy, and there are no contestors. Xuan Qi, work hard. It is possible that I will be looking up to you in the future."

Lu Yin quickly replied, "You will always be my senior. I don’t dare entertain such grandiose dreams."

You Teng smiled. "Prepare yourself. We need to head to the gathering point. Some people might feel grateful towards you, but others will likely resent you."

The man then started leading Lu Yin away from the Arboreal School and into outer space.

Lu Yin did not initially understand what You Teng meant, as the man did not offer any clarification. Only when they met with the waiting group of people did Lu Yin finally understand.

"In one month, Grandpa Dao was intending to head back to the Cyclic Universe to familiarize myself with a marvelous tree and cultivate a relationship with it before making the trip to the Arboreal Sanctuary, but now, the date for opening the Arboreal Sanctuary has been moved forward, and it’s all because of you! Well done, Xuan Qi," Jiang Xiao sneered, his eyes darkening with irritation as Lu Yin joined the group.

Beside to the young man, Xu Yue coldly snorted, "Same for me. I've already prepared to get closer to several great trees back at home."

Of the people present, nearly half of them were looking at Lu Yin with resentment.

The people who had gathered were the select few who had obtained tri-chromatic fruits from the Arboreal School. It was no surprise that people had been utilizing influential backgrounds in order to locate unique or powerful trees before visiting the Arboreal Sanctuary. It was even possible that some of them had established a connection with specific trees even before entering the Sixverse Academy. Such a task would pose no challenge for such people.

Picking a Wood Fruit was simply the first step. The significance of a good Wood Fruit actually lay in the Arboreal Sanctuary, which was the most crucial step. The Arboreal Sanctuary opened on a fixed schedule, and everyone would always prepare as much as possible beforehand. Who could have imagined that Xuan Qi would disrupt that process? There was incredible resentment in many of the eyes staring at Lu Yin.

Only a few people were happy. They were the ones who had picked tri-chromatic fruits with their own abilities. Even if they were given more time to prepare, it would not be any help. Opening the Arboreal Sanctuary worked out perfectly for them, and made things fair and square.

Of course, this did not mean that people like Jiang Xiaodao were unable to pick a tri-chromatic fruit on their own. Even without their powerful families, their personal capabilities far outstripped others. However, they also found being merely outstanding to be far from sufficient. They sought perfection.

In the Sixverse Association, the word "perfection" held a special meaning.

Lu Yin paid no attention to the resentment directed his way. As his eyes swept the crowd, he saw the Sixverse Academy’s geniuses arrayed before him: Xu Ji, Xu Yue, Jiang Xiaodao, He Shu, Shao Qingfeng, and a man who bore a strong resemblance to Luo Lao'er, but with a more elegant appearance. Clearly, he was Luo Zang. He was supposed to be Monarch Luo's most cherished son; the child of two Progenitors. He was a true second-generation elite.

None of the others were ordinary individuals, either. Any who could join this particular group had some sort of connection or another to Progenitors. In the Fifth Mainland’s Perennial World, each of these people would be considered a Junior Progenitor, even if their specific progress and cultivation varied, given their home universes.

If a comparison were to be made, even the most exceptionally talented cultivators from a cultivation universe might not surpass the geniuses from the Transcendent Universe, Voidforce Universe, or the Lost Clan Universe, given the same ages. For example, Bai Shaohong, one of the Perennial World’s Junior Progenitors, had become an Enlighter, which was an achievement few individuals from the Transcendent Universe could achieve by the same age. In fact, doing so was practically impossible. However, the Transcendent Universe compensated for that disparity with their energy converters.

Shi Hong was a cultivator as strong as an Enlighter, yet he could unleash a power level almost at the same level as a six-tribulation Envoy when he used an energy converter. This was far beyond anything Bai Shaohong was capable of.

The same principle applied to the Voidforce Universe. The fact that their cultivation method allowed them to control a voidforce puppet with multiple times more energy than themselves was no different from being able to unleash a level of strength multiple times their own.

Despite the Lost Clan’s unique aspects, they had individuals who spent years, or even decades, honing their skills and designing the traps within their cards. Any battle fought against such people were predetermined.

The differences in strength between the different universes Lu Yin had encountered were quite significant.

The Cyclic Universe and Fifth Mainland were both typical cultivation civilizations. The Cyclic Universe’s strength lay in its ability to bestow strength to individuals. Once they were recognized by the Great Sovereign, anyone could reach the peak. This ensured the continued existence of the Three Sovereigns and Nine Saints. The Fifth Mainland was unable to do the same.

Six different universes formed the Sixverse Association. The more Lu Yin interacted with each of them, the more curious and fascinated he became. Still, he did not believe the Fifth Mainland was inferior to any of them. The Heavens Sect era was a legend in the Three Monarchs Universe, and was possibly the same in the rest of the Sixverse Association as well. However, there was no reason for Lu Yin to not use the powers of the Sixverse Association to enhance the Fifth Mainland.

He wanted to equip cultivators with energy converters that could dispel an enemy's power while also delivering devastating attacks with the Bestowal Art that could send beams sweeping through outer space. Every cultivator would have an innate gift from the Arboreal Realm, and would also not need to risk their lives in battle, as they would instead be able to control voidforce puppets. At critical moments, they could use cards to drag their enemy to their death. Even so, the most crucial detail was the ability to bestow power.

The fusion of the various powers of the Sixverse Association could allow a person to truly soar. This was not only what the Sixverse Association aimed for but also what Lu Yin wished to see come to be.

However, Aeternus would never allow this to happen.

With what Lu Yin knew of Aeternus, he was certain that they would eventually make a move. The quieter they were, the more perilous the situation would eventually become.

"Allow me to introduce myself; I am Shao Qingfeng," a man said with a smile as he approached Lu Yin. He wore a pale golden robe that gave him a noble appearance.

Lu Yin felt he needed to ask, "Do you also wear that outfit on the battlefield?"

The question took Shao Qingfeng completely off guard. "Is that a problem?"

"Just curious," Lu Yin replied.

Shao Qingfeng was not offended, and actually proved to be quite friendly. In fact, he acted completely different from the arrogant attitude he had demonstrated when he had challenged Lu Yin outside the Heavens Sect. It was clear that the young man was intrigued by Xuan Qi. "Your performances in the Voidforce School, the Lost Clan School, and the Arboreal School prove that you deserve to be acknowledged as the Sixverse Academy’s greatest prodigy. Xuan Qi, I am very much looking forward to seeing what kind of innate talent you will acquire from the Arboreal Sanctuary."

Lu Yin remained rather quiet, opting to maintain a low profile. He considered the possibility of encountering a Progenitor-level expert when visiting the Arboreal Realm. In stark contrast to the Fifth Mainland, the Arboreal Realm was the home of a formidable Arboreal Overlord, who was capable of reshaping the universe. Should that powerhouse take notice of Lu Yin, he had no idea if his identity would be exposed and his Mask of Death would be seen through. As he looked at his recent behavior, Lu Yin realized he had been too reckless. In the future, he resolved that he would adopt a more inconspicuous approach. Additionally, word had spread that a Progenitor-level expert from the Voidforce Universe would soon pay him a visit.

Time passed, and more people quickly arrived. Aside from students who were already in the Arboreal School, there were others who had moved on to other schools as well. No less than twenty more people arrived.

Each of these people was a genius who had obtained a tri-chromatic fruit. Among them were people like Xu Ji, who had obtained a tetra-chromatic fruit, as well as Lu Yin, who had obtained a penta-chromatic fruit. Before long, the entire party of those qualified to visit the Arboreal Sanctuary had gathered.

Looking at the crowd, Mu Sanye expressed his amazement. "Never before have we seen such a sizable gathering for the opening of the Arboreal Sanctuary. In my universe, the largest group to enter was a mere fifteen individuals. This is a truly spectacular sight."

As he spoke, he glanced over at Lu Yin and offered a smile. "And there is also a rare penta-chromatic fruit recipient, which have been rarely seen throughout all our history."

Lu Yin smiled politely and acted humble.

Jiang Xiaodao’s irritation was leaving him almost twitching. That bastard was truly an incredible actor.

"Everyone, we will now be traveling to the Arboreal Realm," Mu Sanye announced. Right at that moment, a green light instantly enveloped everyone, including Xu Xiangyin and You Teng. Then, Mu San tore open the void and stepped through.

Before long, people were able to clearly make out their surroundings again. They had already arrived in a strange and unfamiliar space.

Lu Yin looked forward. He could see outer space and a starry sky, yet it was decorated with innumerable green bubbles that scattered across the dark canvas. Even so, what truly caught his attention were the countless tree branches that stretched out endlessly into the distance. No matter how far he looked, it was impossible to see the end. Did these branches fill the entire Arboreal Realm?