Star Odyssey

Chapter 2599: Replacement

Upon hearing Lu Yin’s question, Xu Wuwei's expression darkened noticeably. "The pressure that we are facing from Aeternus is increasing. They can't afford to abandon the Sixverse Association Territories that we’ve taken back from them, as losing them will force them to fight an uphill battle on the Endless Frontier. Thus, I have no choice but to take action. One day, you will inevitably find yourself on the front lines as well."

"Senior, would you allow me to leave a mark on a coordinate seal for the Voidforce Universe? This junior has become a part of this universe, and if I ever find myself lost in a parallel universe, I would like to be able to find my way back," Lu Yin quickly requested.

Xu Wuwei gave the youth a look of consideration before nodding. "Very well."

The very next day, the old man accompanied Lu Yin to a coordinate seal.

There were many people’s marks already on the coordinate seal, showing that it was used to help people from foreign universes find and return to the Voidforce Universe.

Lu Yin left his mark on it as well.

This meant that he now had access to the Three Monarchs Universe, the Voidforce Universe, and the Sixverse Academy within the Sixverse Association. The rest of the universes remained out of his reach, and every trip he took to the Sixverse Academy also required him to use up a Lotus Artifact, which was a steep price to pay.

Xu Wuwei left for the battlefield.

Lu Yin’s brow furrowed. The pressure on the Sixverse Association had already escalated to the point where even Xu Wuwei needed to join the battlefield. Those troubles would soon spill over into the Origin Universe. With this in mind, Lu Yin tore through the void to return to Aeternus Nation.

He had intended to return straight to the Heavens Sect, but after arriving, he remembered that Monarch Mu was still imprisoned in the small parallel universe.

She had been confined for a bit of time, or at least long enough that Lu Yin felt the need to check on the woman.

He disappeared and reappeared deep underground, where the pervasive death energy became almost suffocating. The Fenglei clan stayed on the surface, and none of them were able to venture deep underground.

The corrosive nature of the death energy was what kept Monarch Mu captive.

The amount of time that had passed was not enough for Monarch Mu to change her mind since Lu Yin’s last visit. For a person with the strength of a Progenitor, a few hundred years were but a fleeting moment.

Monarch Mu said nothing when she saw Lu Yin arrive, and she merely looked at him.

"I have some good news for you. I've sent some reinforcements to your Three Monarchs Universe," Lu Yin announced.

Monarch Mu was unphased. "You were forced to do so by the Sixverse Association, weren't you?"

Lu Yin agreed, "That’s right."

Monarch Mu's face remained expressionless. "Before, I suggested to you that we should collaborate to deal with your Origin Universe’s four ruling powers so that you could maintain your power, but you refused. I knew then that the Sixverse Association would do everything in its power to force you to send aid to my Three Monarchs Universe. They won't stand by and allow my universe to be destroyed, nor will they simply watch as you grow stronger."

"If that's true, then wouldn't working with me turn you into an enemy of the Sixverse Association?" Lu Yin asked, intrigued by the idea.

Monarch Mu answered seriously. "Your real enemy is the Cyclic Universe and Sovereign Shao Yin, not us."

Lu Yin's eyes went wide. "Sovereign Shao Yin?"

Monarch Mu sneered. "Haven't you been investigating the Sixverse Association? Surely you've learned that the idea to push the sins of the Origin Universe onto the Lu family was first proposed by Sovereign Shao Yin."

Lu Yin's eyes turned cold as he stared at Monarch Mu. The woman could not help herself from laughing. "It seems like you actually did not know about that! Aside from my Three Monarchs Universe, every other member of the Sixverse Association harbors a deep resentment towards the Origin Universe. This is because the Origin Universe was the one that failed to eliminate Aeternus when they first appeared, and that negligence allowed them to grow stronger during the height of the Heavens Sect era. This building resentment was ultimately pinned onto the Lu family because of Sovereign Shao Yin’s words. Now, the Lu family has been banished, and the ancient resentment that was passed down has disappeared. Aside from a few individuals, no one is going after the Origin Universe anymore. At most, people merely dislike it."

"What if I want to bring the Lu family back?" Lu Yin asked.

Monarch Mu’s eyes went large. "Bring the Lu family back?"

Lu Yin looked deeply at her. "What if I seek revenge?"

Monarch Mu reacted as though she had just heard something completely unbelievable. "Is the Lu family still alive?"

Lu Yin replied, "I’m not sure, but I do know that I will definitely get revenge for them. Will you really work with me, even if doing so means offending Sovereign Shao Yin?"

Monarch Mu replied, "Dao Monarch Lu, I believed you to be an intelligent person, but you've already chosen the dumbest path possible. Revenge? Against who? Sovereign Shao Yin? Or the Great Sovereign?”

"Regardless, you will achieve nothing. No matter how powerful you become, how exceptional your talent might be, or how many people assist you, it's impossible for you to ever surpass the Great Sovereign. As long as the Great Sovereign lives, you similarly will not be able to touch Sovereign Shao Yin. That’s not even mentioning that Sovereign Shao Yin himself is extremely powerful and is capable of facing off against a powerhouse like Forgotten Ruins God on his own.”

"I strongly suggest that you abandon your thoughts of revenge. I want to live, and I know that you do as well. Let go of your hatred. The grievances involving the Lu family have already ended.

"You have achieved great things already. You can reestablish the Lu family once again. There's no need for you to court death. The Great Sovereign’s strength is beyond anything you can imagine."

Lu Yin remained silent for a long time as he thought over her words. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should let go of my hatred."

Monarch Mu exhaled. "It's good that you understand."

Lu Yin stared at Monarch Mu for a moment before suddenly laughing. "I didn't misspeak just now. You heard me correctly."

While Lu Yin’s comment was rather confusing, Monarch Mu understood what he meant, despite desperately wishing that she had not. "What do you mean?"

Lu Yin stared into her eyes. "I told you that I want to bring the Lu family back."

Monarch Mu frowned. "The Lu family is gone."

"They are still alive."

Monarch Mu's expression fell. "You're bluffing."

Lu Yin chuckled. "It’s actually you trying to bluff me. You clearly understood what I said, but you still tried to convince me to abandon my hatred and work with you. The moment I release you, I’m certain that you’ll run off to the Cyclic Universe to betray me."

"That’s ridiculous! The Lu family cannot possibly still be alive! The Great Sovereign himself personally exiled them into Aeternus’s territory, so how could the Lu family have possibly survived?" Monarch Mu vehemently protested Lu Yin’s claim, trying to prove her sincerity with her argument.

Lu Yin shook his head. "For someone of your level to stoop so low just to survive is pathetic."

Monarch Mu's expression grew even worse. "Just what is it that you want?"

Lu Yin answered bluntly, "I want to replace the Three Monarchs Universe within the Sixverse Association."

Monarch Mu felt as though she had just heard something beyond her ability to process. "What did you say?"

"Don’t believe me?" asked Lu Yin.

Monarch Mu's eyes flickered. "You must be out of your mind! How could the Sixverse Association ever accept your Origin Universe? Even if my Three Monarchs Universe disappears, your Origin Universe will never be able to join the Sixverse Association. Never!"

"Why don’t we put that to the test? I refuse to believe that there is anything impossible in this megaverse," Lu Yin countered, his eyes icy cold, "You either help me get the Origin Universe to become a part of the Sixverse Association, or you'll find yourself trapped here for the rest of your life. I promise you that no one will ever find you."

With that, Lu Yin turned around and walked away.

"The Sixverse Association will never accept the Origin Universe! Never!" Monarch Mu screamed. Her voice faded into the distance as Lu Yin headed to the surface. There, he found Luo Lao'er and Fenglei Guanqin.

When the two men saw Lu Yin, they both bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Dao Monarch."

They had already become accustomed to their new roles during Lu Yin’s absence, especially Fenglei Guanqin. When he looked at Lu Yin, his attitude was no different from when he had previously looked at the three Monarchs. It was possible that, in the man’s mind, Lu Yin was even more terrifying than the Three Monarchs. After all, Lu Yin had captured Monarch Mu.

Lu Yin gave a noncommittal hum. "Patriarch Fenglei, you should be well informed of the situation in the Three Monarchs Universe, right?"

"I’m aware of most matters there, Dao Monarch."

Nodding, Lu Yin asked, "Make a list of all the most important people in the Three Monarchs Universe, as well as their relationships, circumstances, and connections with other universes."

Fenglei Guanqin agreed in a very deferential manner. "Of course, Dao Monarch."

He already understood that Lu Yin was planning to move against the Three Monarchs Universe.

At the moment, the Three Monarchs Universe only had Monarch Luo and Monarch Xing, which meant that it was not possible for them to activate the Three Monarchs Formation. This meant that it was possible for Lu Yin to deal with the universe at this point in time.

Overall, the situation was rather messy, and there were complicated matters on all sides. The Three Monarchs had tried to ally with the four ruling powers and split the Origin Universe apart, while Lu Yin had secretly captured Monarch Mu in order to eliminate the threat of the Three Monarchs Universe. The Sixverse Association had a rule that forbade anyone from entering the Origin Universe without informing the entire association, but Lu Yin had not bothered even thinking about that. Instead, he had passed that matter over to Wang Wen. Lu Yin was confident that Wang Wen would give him some suitable solutions.

Raising his hand carefully, Luo Lao'er asked, "Brother-in-law, what can I do to help?"

Lu Yin looked over at Luo Lao'er. "What do you want to do?"

Luo Lao’er first glanced over at Fenglei Guanqin before steeling his resolve and asking, "Brother-in-law, do you have a plan to deal with the Transcendent Universe?"

Lu Yin was taken aback. He had expected Luo Lao'er to make some sort of request, or possibly just contribute by offering a bit of knowledge regarding the Three Monarchs Universe. Bringing up the Transcendent Universe had not been within Lu Yin’s expectations. "Whether I do or not, how can you help with that?"

Luo Lao’er stared at Lu Yin, his resolve clearly visible. "I can."

Lu Yin arched a brow. Could a mere hostage help him act against the Transcendent Universe?

"You might not believe this-" Luo Lao'er cleared his throat before continuing to say, "But do you know why I’ve always been so well-informed? When I first met you, you and Zi Jing had only just arrived in the Transcendent Universe, but I already knew about it and the connection between you two."

Lu Yin's eyes narrowed. He had not thought about it before, but only a select few members of the Ruling Council and other top authorities from the Transcendent Universe could have been aware of him and Zi Jing arriving within such a short amount of time. It was impossible for the news to leak to the public so quickly, especially since all the information regarding Zi Jing was top secret in the Transcendent Universe. If not for Luo Lao'er, no one would have known that Zi Jing had returned with someone. How had Luo Lao'er found out so quickly?

Luo Lao'er did not hesitate to elaborate, "I learned about it so quickly because I paid for it. Even without the resources that the Fenglei clan tried to send me, someone with my status wouldn't normally be as poor as me. That’s because I spent the vast majority of my wealth on buying information.”

"The person who sells me information knows everything that happens in the Transcendent Universe, the decisions the Ruling Council makes, Zi Jing's return, and even the latest research on the new cultivation technology. The prices for the information varies, but if you want to deal with the Transcendent Universe, then this information channel will definitely be helpful," Luo Lao'er added.

Lu Yin grew increasingly intrigued. "Who is your information broker?"

"I don't know. He’s extremely cautious and never reveals anything that might give away his identity. He doesn't even use a codename. I only managed to first get in touch with him by chance. It’s impossible to get to this guy."

Lu Yin told Luo Lao'er to share the contact method to communicate with his informant. It immediately became clear that Luo Lao'er had not been hiding anything, as records of the information received and the resources sent were recorded in a digital platform on Luo Lao’er’s dark green lens. It was something that was only accessible to Luo Lao'er, as it was keyed to his identity.

"Does this person really have access to so much information?" Lu Yin felt incredibly curious.

Luo Lao'er remained utterly confident. "The information that this guy sells is always complete and accurate. Also, he works fast."

Lu Yin's eyes flashed as he started running some calculations. "How can I persuade him to make a deal with me?"

Luo Lao'er replied, "I can give it a shot, but I don't know if he’ll be willing. Even if he is, in order to try it out, we need to be in the Transcendent Universe."

"We'll try later on, then," Lu Yin decided. He was not yet in a position to go after the Transcendent Universe, as that would be a complicated and long-term plan. His identity as Xuan Qi had already been partially compromised with Xu Wuwei seeing through Lu Yin’s disguise. Lu Yin had been forced to create an explanation for his hidden strength, and he would have to be extremely cautious when moving against the Transcendent Universe. The most difficult challenge would be the ruler of the universe that Bai Qian had mentioned.