Chapter 406 - 382: Vigil, Return, Overwhelming Fortune

And now, seeing another giant vessel capable of tearing through the void, they subconsciously assumed it was a plunderer like the Venerable Zuo Xuan. Some even saw it as a kind of natural disaster. All sorts of conspiracy theories cropped up, with some people even claiming it was a plot by high-level Martial Artists to monopolize the world’s resources.

It wasn’t hard to see. The moment the spatio-temporal fluctuations were detected, Xia Country’s highest level of alert was approved in seconds. They didn’t even dare seek further confirmation, which just went to show how shallow their understanding of such unknown entities was.

They simply believed that whenever a powerful being arrived by tearing through the void, it was almost certainly an enemy—and an incredibly powerful one at that. An enemy strong enough to destroy the civilization of the Human Race, perhaps even all of Blue Star. Under such circumstances, how could anyone not be on edge?

Even the crucial Revival Conference was immediately halted. With a grave expression, Lin Yu instantly issued an order for everyone to converge on North Border City. This was to facilitate the activation of the Teleportation Array and transport a group of core personnel and talented individuals to the Northern Boundary to escape the danger.

But before he could finish, BZZT. The phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and saw a message from the unknown vessel: ’Esteemed Supreme Leader of Xia Country, we come from Celestial Star Oasis City in the Desolate Realm. There are some constructive matters we wish to discuss with you. Might we find a time to meet?’

"???"

He was stunned. His phone wasn’t a device that just anyone could connect to. Other than a few important individuals, it was virtually impossible for someone to call or message him privately.

Yet now, the other party had easily broken through his network defenses to deliver the message. This level of skill was not far off from when Zuo Xuan had broadcast a virtual image across the entire globe.

After much hesitation, he sent a grave reply: "What are your true intentions?"

The memory of Zuo Xuan ravaging Blue Star was still fresh in his mind. He dared not let his guard down for even a moment when dealing with such unknown, powerful Cultivators, and he would never believe they had come for a fair trade.

It was just like the Age of Discovery. When did the explorers ever negotiate with the natives?

The weak are almost never respected. Any respect they are shown is merely hypocrisy.

"Apologies, there seems to be a misunderstanding between us. Let’s do this: we will first return Zhu Weiyi. He is aware of our intentions; you can speak with him in detail."

Their wording wasn’t condescending. On the contrary, it carried a hint of caution, as if they wanted to build a good relationship with Xia Country but were worried that the slightest misstep could cause chaos.

But upon seeing the name Zhu Weiyi, Lin Yu froze as if struck by lightning. "Grandmaster Zhu?!"

Zhu Weiyi was a legendary figure known to all. He was the foremost Grandmaster who had once stood guard over North Border City, keeping the entire Northern Wilderness in check. His power was immense, and his fame was on par with Luo Beixing’s.

In the Northern Wilderness, his reputation was even greater than Luo Beixing’s. He was truly a living monument of his time, steadfast and immovable.

’In terms of status, before the great calamity on Blue Star, he was a regional commander with real power and a direct line to the Capital City. My own achievements were primarily in researching Ancient Rune Arrays. My ability to respond to matters of life and death couldn’t compare to his.’

’This was no simple man!’

’The crucial point was that he had been captured by Zuo Xuan—a fact that was easily confirmed. So why was he being returned now?’

Lin Yu couldn’t wrap his head around the crucial point. From his perspective, beyond Blue Star lay an endless void filled with countless civilizations from various races. But he had no way of knowing the connections between these civilizations, nor could he tell them apart. He had come to regard them all as plunderers, just like Zuo Xuan.

’It seemed the Celestial Star transport fleet and Zuo Xuan’s plunderer fleet were likely the same kind of entity.’

Just as the thought crossed his mind, RUMBLE! The air outside his window swirled like a storm, and workers throughout the administrative building began to shout, "An aircraft has breached our airspace!"

"We’re done for! They’ve already made it to the Capital City!"

"What do we do? It’s like our defenses don’t even exist!"

His heart tightened. Pushing open the window to look, he saw, just as he’d expected, a cube-shaped aircraft hovering in the sky. It was at least the size of a commercial airliner, and various glowing Inscriptions were carved into its surface.

’The message came just moments ago, and they’re already in the Capital City?’

With a tremor in his heart, Lin Yu issued a high-alert order but forbade anyone from attacking without permission. He then went out to greet them personally. The aircraft seemed to detect him as he exited and began to descend slowly, landing with a THUD on the plaza in front of the administrative building. It crushed a few flowerbeds, but had clearly tried its best to avoid damaging the more fragile structures.

All eyes were fixed on the aircraft. Everyone, whether an official or not, watched with nervous anticipation. Even the janitors’ hearts were pounding with apprehension.

SCREEECH—

The aircraft’s door slowly slid open, and a ramp automatically extended down to the ground. It pointed directly at Lin Yu, who was flanked by several Dharma Realm Martial Artists. The hearts of the assembled group hammered in their chests, all of them ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

Going out to greet an entity of this level was obviously risky. But since they could land here so effortlessly, it hardly mattered whether he went out to greet them or not. There was no escape anyway...

An old man of the Human Race stepped out of the vessel’s hatch. His white hair fluttered at his temples in the wind, and the wrinkled skin on his face resembled a landscape of crisscrossing hills and ravines. He had a thin, wiry frame, yet his eyes shone with a brilliant light, radiating an astonishing vitality.

Some people in the group had never seen his photograph and didn’t recognize him, whispering amongst themselves, "Why does he look like one of the Human Race? He looks just like us..."

"Could it be that humans from the Outer Realm have come this time?"

"So the Outer Realm has a Human Race too."

Their discussion was quiet, but it was overheard by a middle-aged man who recognized the old man. Clenching his fists, he turned and snapped, "What crap about the Outer Realm’s Human Race? That’s Grand General Zhu, who once guarded North Border City!"

"What?" The crowd was jolted as if from a dream, left gaping in astonishment. "Grandmaster Zhu Weiyi, the Grand General who once protected the War God on his expeditions into the Northern Boundary!"

While Zhu Weiyi’s fame in the interior couldn’t match that of provincial powerhouses like Luo Beixing, he had still been one of Xia Country’s Nine Grand Generals, so stories about him inevitably circulated online.

Especially because of his deep connection to the War God Jiang Qiu, his name and Luo Beixing’s were among the most legendary in Xia Country, and people had mourned their loss for years.

"Is... is it really you, Grand General Zhu?" Lin Yu felt a sting in his nose. He took two steps forward, his fingers twitching and his eyes growing misty. "You’re back?"

He and Grand General Zhu were not close, but they had met at several very important conferences and were contemporaries. Seeing such a figure again, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

It was like a native of Xia Country, having survived alone by defending an oasis in the desert, suddenly encountering a fellow countryman from the old days.

"Grandmaster Lin, I’ve kept you waiting." Zhu Weiyi’s eyes also stung, his voice heavy with the weight of his trials and a touch of melancholy. He walked down from the vessel and shook Lin Yu’s hand, a meeting that felt like the convergence of two worlds. "There is hope for Blue Star’s civilization to endure."

Those few words struck Lin Yu’s heart like a hammer blow. His pupils contracted. He glanced at the vessel behind Zhu Weiyi. "Are you referring to this thing behind you?"

He couldn’t see any living beings inside, nor could he probe the situation within, but he was certain there were occupants controlling the vessel. He just couldn’t determine if they were friend or foe.

For now, the fact that they had returned Zhu Weiyi suggested they leaned more toward being allies.

"There’s more to it. This aircraft is just a small shuttle from a fleet sent by a senior named Celestial Star from the Celestial Star Oasis City in the Desolate Realm. That senior wishes to help our Blue Star establish a spatio-temporal teleportation hub to facilitate future trade and travel between the various Great Realms..."

Zhu Weiyi spoke eloquently, and as Lin Yu listened, his blood began to race. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how vast the world outside was, or what kinds of beings this old man had encountered.

One could say this presented an immense opportunity, one sufficient to elevate all of Blue Star and connect it to the Primordial cluster of worlds. And all of this stemmed from the help of a Harmonization Realm expert named Celestial Star.

Lin Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Why is Celestial Star helping us? What price must we pay?"

Zhu Weiyi smiled faintly. "There is no price. It has already been paid by Jiang Qiu, the prodigy who shook the Desolate Realm."