Chapter 3856: Not One Step Back

Liu Li explained, "The Skyswings hang from the branches of the Mother Tree. To travel from the East Domain to the West Domain, it’s necessary to go through either the North or the South Domains, around the Mother Tree at the center. Each of the four domains is vast, and even with your strength, going around the Mother Tree will take you a considerable amount of time. However, one of the Skyswings can directly fling you from the East Domain to the West Domain. While you will still go around the Mother Tree, either to the north or the south, you will travel the shortest distance possible at incredible speed, which spares you a great deal of trouble."

Lu Yin was caught off guard. "Is that an option? I’d like to see that."

Liu Li continued to say, "However, our Sixth Night Pillar stands on the edge of the East Domain, which means that you still need to cross the entire East Domain and approach the Mother Tree to reach the Skyswings. That’s the only way to use it to reach the West Domain. Of course, that is still a long journey, but it’s much quicker than normally traveling to the West Domain."

She gave a small sigh, and then added, "While there is an even faster option, it’s not something that an ordinary person like I could manage."

"Ordinary? You’re a peak Dukkhan."

"You flatter me, Mr. Lu. My strength is something that was merely obtained through a Seed Transfusion. Even if I had managed to become a peak Dukkhan through my own efforts, it would still be far inadequate to take that path." She then solemnly looked up at the sky. "A green lotus leaf."

Lu Yin’s eyebrows rose. "A green lotus leaf?"

Liu Li said, "Green lotus leaves aren’t limited to traveling outside the Nine Odysseys Megaverse to reach the three megaverses. They offer what is truly the fastest speed available. Unfortunately, unless one visits the Consciousness Megaverse, most of us will never have a chance to see one."

She then looked over at Lu Yin. "Since you emerged from the Sea of Karma, there is no doubt that you will one day ride on a green lotus leaf. The Seven Fairies often use one when traveling about the megaverse."

Lu Yin had nearly forgotten about the lotus leaves. It was possible to use one to complete the journey between the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Consciousness Megaverse in just a year. He had not understood that before, but he had since learned how. It was not that the lotus leaves themselves traveled quickly, but rather that they traveled in another world: the world of the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm. Within that world, a green lotus leaf could quickly reach any place that was within the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm’s scope.

Lu Yin had already seen that the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm enveloped the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Aevum Inch surrounding it. The shock of that revelation still had not faded.

"If you wish to go to the West Domain, there’s no rush," Liu Li added, "In just another month, we will be setting off."

Lu Yin was surprised. "You’re leaving in a month?"

Liu Li nodded. "While it’s not often that the Nine Odysseys set off for war, it does happen. For the last decade, news of this expedition has spread. All of the cultivators who were planning to join have already arrived, and we have sufficient numbers. So, we can set out at any time. All we are waiting for now is the order of the Immortal Greater Sancti.

"We are expecting to receive that in a month’s time."

Lu Yin's eyes flashed. "Alright, I’ll head out in a month. I’ll wait and see you off as a gesture of goodwill."

Liu Li took a step back and bowed low. "Thank you, Mr. Lu."

The fact that the Sixth Night Pillar was leaving for the expedition had little to do with Lu Yin. Liu Li’s hopes were that, by keeping Lu Yin around for a month, he might change his mind and join the expedition.

Only those at her level could truly understand how earth-shattering Lu Yin’s breakthrough to the Origin realm had been.

To her knowledge, no one beneath the Immortal realm had ever created such a commotion.

If Lu Yin joined the war, their chances of success would spike.

Lu Yin did not mind waiting for a month. He was also curious to see what it looked like when the Nine Odysseys launched an expedition.

The month passed by quickly. During that time, Liu Li spoke with Lu Yin on several occasions, and she spent most of those conversations discussing the benefits that cultivators could enjoy by participating in the Nine Odysseys' expeditions to foreign megaverses. But despite her hopes of persuading Lu Yin to stay, he remained unmoved, which rather disappointed Liu Li.

The Nine Odysseys Megaverse was home to both the Nine Odysseys and the Temporal Heavens. If Lu Yin wanted to protect the Tianyuan, he needed to take action, or he needed to become an Immortal. Unfortunately, even becoming an Immortal might not be enough to ensure the safety of his home.

There was an Immortal powerhouse in the Spirit Nidus, and yet Master Qing Cao was incapable of protecting his home.

Lu Yin also met with Qiunan Hongye during that month, and he was a bit impressed to learn she was also joining the expedition.

Qiunan Hongye was a member of the esteemed Qiunan family, and she was highly respected herself. She was also one of the Seven Fairies, which meant that she had the Sea of Karma’s support. Despite such an impressive background, the fact that she was willing to risk her life on the front lines was truly admirable.

"I will never forget the destiny of my family members. Even if I one day become an Immortal, I will still beat the war drums for the Nine Odysseys and be the last to fall in battle, ensuring that those standing at the front, fighting, are never alone," Qiunan Hongye explained.

Lu Yin stared at the woman and then suddenly commented, "This expedition suits you well; everyone has to be blindfolded."

Qiunan Hongye could not help but turn to face Lu Yin, unsure of how to respond to such a comment.

"I hope you come back alive. Those Omnifeels don’t seem like they’ll be easy to deal with. As soon as they evolve, whoever’s closest to them will suffer first," Lu Yin said.

Qiunan Hongye stood as though staring off into the distance. "I will beat the war drum and not take even one step back."

"Your courage is admirable."

"You strive to protect the Tianyuan Megaverse, which saw you travel to the Spirit Nidus alone, and now to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. In terms of courage, I cannot compare to you. I will have comrades both before and behind me, while you stand alone," Qiunan Hongye replied.

Lu Yin smiled. "That might not be the case."

Qiunan Hongye looked puzzled.

"So long as the Nine Odysseys Megaverse has no plans to reset my megaverse, there’s no reason for us to be enemies. Just think of me as a visitor."

Qiunan Hongye gave a small smile. "Let’s hope so."

After a brief pause, she then said, "My Nine Odysseys Megaverse harvests the Spirit Nidus and uses the Consciousness Megaverse as a shield and the Tianyuan as a reserve. If the Nine Odysseys Megaverse faces danger, no one will be able to escape. If you truly wish to protect your megaverse, you must first protect the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. Under that premise, we will all help you protect the Tianyuan."

Lu Yin was taken aback. "You all?"

"Us Seven Fairies."

"Why would you help me? That brat Lu Siyu clearly doesn’t like me."

"I heard differently."

"Is that so?"

"Call us naive or willful if you like. Given your perspective, our help might be pleasant to accept, but from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s standpoint, if our two megaverses become enemies, we will be seen as traitors and condemned by all."

"And yet you’d still help me?"

Qiunan Hongye smiled. "The image that outsiders have of us Seven Fairies is that we can be as reckless and willful as we please because we have the Sea of Karma behind us. If we like someone, we’ll help them, no matter the cost. Even if it means being seen as traitors by others. On the other hand, if we dislike someone, then no matter how powerful they are, we won’t care.

"Our confidence comes from the Sea of Karma and our master, not our own strength. But so what? This is what it means to be one of the Seven Fairies."

As Lu Yin stared at Qiunan Hongye, images of the mischievous Lu Siyu calling him a little thief every chance she got and Ming Xiaolong angrily reprimanding him appeared in his mind. In hindsight, those two girls were actually somewhat cute.

He finally understood why outsiders never dared to offend the Seven Fairies and instead did everything possible to marry one of them.

It was because the Seven Fairies were brazen about their willfulness. To put things harshly, they acted without thinking and cared more about people than principles. To phrase it more kindly, they were people of genuine emotion.

"Just what did I do to earn your favor?" Lu Yin asked curiously. He could not remember doing anything that would stand out enough to move the Seven Fairies.

Qiunan Hongye thought for a moment. "You apologized to the Four Commands Sword Sect and helped Lu Sizhan enter Dukkha.

"You rescued Ming Xiaochou while destroying the Autumnspring Slip, which was a terrible sect that plundered spirit seeds.

"You escorted Jian Hong and demonstrated your respect for the Sixth Night Pillar.

"You kept your promises, even when they cost you your own goals, and you accepted our tasks without complaint."

Lu Yin arched a brow. Had he really done so many things that the Seven Fairies found pleasing? Also, how did they know he admired the Sixth Night Pillar? While he certainly did, he could not think of any actions that had explicitly shown that. The truth was that he had personally fought in many wars, and because of that, he respected all who fought on behalf of humanity as a whole.

"We’ve witnessed much of your past. You are highly respected throughout the Tianyuan Megaverse, you have a straightforward personality, and you even dared to challenge the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse for the sake of your home.

"While Master values fate, he values humanity even more. The fact that he holds you in such high regard speaks volumes about your character.

"Is that enough? Or should I keep going?"

Lu Yin replied, "That’s enough. Those are some very fair points."

Qiunan Hongye nodded.

"Still, you don’t know me well enough."

Qiunan Hongye seemed puzzled. "Not well enough?"

Lu Yin looked at her. "When the Sixth Night Pillar returns from this war, you’ll probably see that there are already more stories about me in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. We’ll talk again then."

Qiunan Hongye was speechless. She then realized that this man had already left her unable to even respond to his remarks several times now.

Was this really how a peerless expert who was devoted to serving humanity should talk? There was not even a hint of humility.

Suddenly, the ground trembled.

Liu Li's voice echoed through the sky. "All who belong to the Sixth Night Pillar, silence!"

The entire Sixth Night Pillar, with its millions of cultivators, fell completely silent.

Deep underground, the Morrow Behemoth opened its eyes and let out a few heavy breaths. On the surface of the ground, a line trembled, and then the earth tore open to reveal a band of elastic, grayish-brown skin.

A scarlet light shone down from the sky as a blood-colored tower slowly appeared. It illuminated the eyes of all who looked at it, and their breath quickened.

The tower could only be seen by those occupying the Sixth Night Pillar. No one outside of the Night Pillar’s territory was able to see a thing.

At this moment, only cultivators who had been officially acknowledged as members of the expedition were allowed to remain on the Sixth Night Pillar. All others had been driven away, except for Lu Yin alone. No one dared to drive him away, and Liu Li was even hoping that he would join the expedition. No one would disturb Lu Yin, no matter how long he stayed on the Sixth Night Pillar.

The light from the Blood Tower enveloped the entire Sixth Night Pillar, also shining down upon Lu Yin.

It felt warm, yet it also carried an indescribable pressure and majesty that caused him to instinctively become more alert. This was the aura of an Immortal. Previously, Lu Yin had clashed with Master Qing Cao and also escaped from the Immortal beast, so he was somewhat familiar with the pressure.

The pressure from the Blood Tower was within Lu Yin’s level of tolerance, and he realized that it was no more than what he had felt from Master Qing Cao.

He wondered how overwhelming the aura would be if Greater Sancte Blood Tower appeared in person.

Lu Yin had not felt any pressure from Greater Sancte Green Lotus, though he was very eager to meet Greater Sancti Blood Tower and Awe Gate.

No one on the entire Sixth Night Pillar dared to lift their head while they were shrouded by the scarlet glow, no one but Lu Yin. He even considered releasing a Tri-Azure Sword Intent to test Greater Sancte Blood Tower’s strength. Lu Yin knew that his physical strength had transformed after his breakthrough into the Origin realm, and his newly acquired power of Word Manifestation could only be truly tested against an Immortal opponent. He eagerly awaited battle again.

Of course, this was not the time.

Greater Sancte Blood Tower’s voice rang out. "The cosmos conceals unfathomable depth. No one knows what may lie within the Aevum Inch, and no one can see it entirely.

"My Nine Odysseys Megaverse is powerful. I, as an Immortal, am strong and believed to be invincible. Even so, I still cannot see the end of the omniverse.

"Do you still remember our war with the Skyveil Megaverse?

"Do you still remember our war against the Morrow Behemoth Megaverse?

"You may not remember, yet I do. During every expedition to a foreign megaverse, five or six out of ten fall in battle. Yet still, we fight. This is not for any particular reason, but rather simply because we must. That is the most fundamental rule of the cosmos. There is no hatred, and there never will be. We destroy all who invade. We destroy all whom we encounter.

"We destroy all... whom we wish to destroy."

The Sixth Night Pillar boiled with excitement and bloodlust. Qiunan Hongye stepped forward, appearing before a massive war drum. The drum thundered in bursts. It was time for war.

"War."

"War."

"War..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.