Star Odyssey

Lu Yin had only met the Cosmic Sect’s second true disciple once before, in the Cosmic Sea when they had attacked Starlight Island. At that time, they had fallen into a trap, and Lu Yin had raced over to the Whitecliff Region right after. Thus, he had not had the time to talk to this person. 

“Brother Mu, we meet again,” Lu Yin replied courteously.

Mu Ziying smiled. “Our encounter in the Cosmic Sea feels like it took place an era ago. Since then, not only has Brother Lu defeated the Ten Arbiters’ Divine Fist, but you have also personally killed your mortal enemy, Nightking Zhenwu, and taken his place as one of the Ten Arbiters. You have my full admiration.”

Mu Ziying had just been given this news. Since the Neoverse was currently sealed off, the Cosmic Sect had received this information straight from the Hall of Honor.

When they had seen the provided information on Lu Yin’s background, no matter if it was Elder Hai Yan or Mu Ziying, they were both taken aback. The two had been speechless for a long time, particularly Mu Ziying. He had actually conversed with Hua Xiao about how one of the Neoverse’s elites had been suppressed by Nightking Zhenwu when the Nightking had been guaranteed an inheritance, and the second true disciple had never dreamed that Nightking Zhenwu would die so soon after. 

Furthermore, the person who had dealt with Zhenwu was someone who everyone had assumed was dead: Lu Yin. 

Mu Ziying could not understand what had happened in the Innerverse and Outerverse, as Nightking Zhenwu had made a solemn vow that he had killed Lu Yin. However, despite that, Lu Yin had managed to reappear. And not only had he returned, but he had also unified the entire Outerverse, defeated the Ten Arbiters’ Divine Fist, and practically destroyed Daynight Flowzone. 

When the Sixth Mainland had invaded, although the Neoverse had been shocked by the strength of the Sixth Mainland cultivators, they had been just as surprised by the Innerverse’s Ten Arbiters. Mu Ziying had believed those ten to be absolute freaks, but Lu Yin had already defeated two of those monsters on his own. 

Regarding Lu Yin at this moment, Mu Ziying felt sincere admiration, and he was not simply following the required decorum.

Mu Ziying was someone from the Neoverse, and he had always enjoyed an exceptional advantage in terms of resources. But despite that, he held no confidence in being able to defeat Arbiter Divine Fist or Arbiter Zhenwu, which Lu Yin had done.

Lu Yin smiled, as he heard too many similar praises before. Defeating Nightking Zhenwu was indeed a major accomplishment, as was uniting the Outerverse, which had been a difficult and closely managed task. However, Lu Yin would not allow himself to become complacent. Nightking Zhenwu had truly been very powerful, but he was not guaranteed to be the most powerful youth.

Lu Yin also could not forget about the Tri-Yang Technique that Highsage Shenwei had mentioned, the Mavis family’s so-called Treeheart Descendant, or the All Rounder Fairy, Qiu Shi. She had thrown the entire Champions\\\' Stage, along with Bu Kong, Nightking Zhenwu, Lu Yin, and others, into outer space. 

“Brother Lu, please follow me. You now have the status of an inner disciple in the Cosmic Sect, so you will receive all the treatment due an inner disciple, and you will also need to follow their rules. Right-” Mu Ziying paused for a moment as he took out a chip and passed it over to Lu Yin. “This is the first layer of our Cosmic Art, and it also holds the secret to our Cosmic Palm. Brother Lu, you absolutely cannot give this to any outsiders.” 

Lu Yin solemnly received the memory chip, though his breathing quickened.

Mu Ziying smiled. No matter who it was, even an Honor Chosen would drool over the Cosmic Art. This was the foundation of the Cosmic Sect, and it was a technique that had shocked the entire universe.

Lu Yin remained serious as he stored it away. “Thank you, Brother Mu.” 

Mu Ziying smiled. “That’s simply how things are supposed to be. Brother Lu, please, I’ll take you on a tour of the places that the inner disciples can go to.”

With that, he flew into the sky.

Lu Yin followed closely behind. 

The Cosmic Sect had every climate imaginable since it covered an extensive territory. Even if Lu Yin was given a full month to explore it, he would not be able to visit all of its public areas. However, he was not interested in such places as he did not plan to cultivate here for an extended amount of time. He was more interested in being promoted to a true disciple, as only true disciples were allowed to access the higher layers of the Cosmic Art. 

“The first layer of Cosmic Art can allow you to simulate eight stars, and the second layer of the Cosmic Art has a maximum of ninety nine stars. Brother Lu, with your talent, you should be able to quickly cultivate the entire first layer of the Cosmic Art,” Mu Ziying explained.

Lu Yin asked, “How can I get the second layer of the Cosmic Art?”

In the past, Mister Mu had given Lu Yin a scroll of the Cosmic Art as an apprenticeship gift, and that scroll had been the second layer of the Cosmic Art. Hence, at the moment, Lu Yin could manifest ninety-nine stars.

Mu Ziying explained, “It’s not too difficult to get the second layer of the Cosmic Art, as many inner disciples of my Cosmic Sect have already learned it. As long as you make some contributions or receive some guidance from some of the elders, you’ll get it.”

Lu Yin understood.

“Since Brother Lu has only just arrived at the Cosmic Sect, and since you’re also a nominal disciple from Eversky Island, no elders will take you as their disciple. Thus, it’ll take you a bit of time to make some contributions, so it’s not too realistic for you to get the second layer of Cosmic Art in a short amount of time. Still, you’ll have plenty of time in the future, and the first layer of Cosmic Art should be enough for Brother Lu to use for now.” Mu Ziying smiled.

Lu Yin nodded, as what he really wanted was to obtain was Cosmic Art’s third layer.

“Right, Brother Mu, how many stars can the third layer of Cosmic Art simulate?” Lu Yin asked curiously, his gaze betraying his expectations.

Mu Ziying rearranged his expression. “720.”

Lu Yin was overwhelmed. “720?”

Mu Ziying nodded, now serious. “The third layer of Cosmic Art is a dividing line, and it’s something that differentiates the disciples from the elders. Since ancient times, very few disciples of my Cosmic Sect have been able to cultivate the Cosmic Art to the third layer, and all those who were able to have long since grown out of the younger generation, as such a thing takes time.” 

“Has Qiu Shi cultivated the entire third layer?” Lu Yin asked.

Mu Ziying shook his head. “I don’t know, but she shouldn’t have. Otherwise, the entire sect would have been notified.” 

Lu Yin had never expected the difference between the second and third layers of the Cosmic Art to be so large or for it to be this exaggerated. It was no wonder why there were so few youths who were able to successfully cultivate the third layer to completion. 

“Right, Brother Mu, if I can get promoted to a true disciple, then can I receive the second layer of Cosmic Art?” Lu Yin asked with a burning look. 

Mu Ziying thought about it. “That’s possible. Still, unfortunately, if Brother Lu can make some contributions to the sect, then you’ll be given the second layer. And with Brother Lu’s strength, getting promoted to a true disciple would be very simple. Then, you would instantly have the qualifications to gain access to the third layer of Cosmic Art.”

Lu Yin smiled bitterly. “I’m only here as an exchange disciple, so I don’t know how long I’ll be here for.”

Mu Ziying said, “That’s true. Since that’s the case, then I’ll take Brother Lu to where you can participate in the exam to be promoted to a true disciple.”

Lu Yin was grateful. “Thank you.”

Although it was said that there were opportunities to obtain even higher layers of the Cosmic Art in the Cosmic Sect, Lu Yin did not hold any hopes of obtaining them. The contest at the Astral Tower was right in front of him, and it would be very difficult for him to obtain the third layer of the Cosmic Art within such a short period of time. At the moment, all he wanted was to be able to use the Cosmic Art without fear in the future.

Although he had tried to conceal his use of the Cosmic Art so far, those who were able recognize it were not few, and he would eventually run into trouble if he was exposed some day. This cultivation art was just like the blood-red bell, which felt like a time bomb that could explode without any warning. Lu Yin did his best not to think about such a thing, but that matter was like a knife hanging over his head that could fall down at any moment, and it made him very nervous.

It was better to have fewer matters that could trouble him at any given moment.

The contest at the Astral Tower was a grand occasion for the entire Neoverse, and countless youths were in the midst of preparing for it. 

The Cosmic Sect had its own rules, and only true disciples were allowed to participate in the contest. 

At present, there were three true disciples within the Cosmic Sect. The first true disciple was the All Rounder Fairy, Qiu Shi. The second true disciple was Mu Ziying, and the third true disciple was Hua Xiao. The other top disciples were all experts on the sect’s internal rankings. 

Not only was this particular day the day when Lu Yin represented Eversky Island as an exchange disciple at the Cosmic Sect, but it was also the day when many of the experts on the internal ranking would battle and work towards being promoted to a true disciple. 

They had to become a true disciple more than a month before the contest began at the Astral Tower, as only then would they have the opportunity to represent the Cosmic Sect at the Astral Tower and fight for a slight chance of becoming one of the Cosmic Five. 

It was not easy to be promoted to the true disciple position, as that position represented not only one’s strength, but also a chance to learn the Cosmic Sect’s core techniques. The disciples needed to demonstrate more than an adequate power level, and it was actually more important for them to have offered sufficient contributions to the Cosmic Sect. 

Mu Ziying had evidently forgotten that his promotion to the true disciple position had been very smooth because he had grown up within the Cosmic Sect, which meant that he had already met all of the required conditions. The true disciple promotion was quite organized, but things were different for Lu Yin. 

Mu Ziying felt rather embarrassed. “Brother Lu, I’m really sorry. Who knew that being promoted to a true disciple would require such qualifications?” 

Lu Yin said, “I’m here representing Eversky Island, so isn’t that enough of a qualification?”

Mu Ziying thought about it. “I’ll try.”

He then sent out a request towards the True Elder. It wasn’t long before he received a reply. “He can only be evaluated by the third method.”

Mu Ziying was astonished. “Actually, you can only use the third method.”

Lu Yin was curious. “What’s the third method?”

Mu Ziying solemnly explained, “There are three methods to be promoted to a true disciple within my sect. First, you can bang on the promotion drum under the watch of ten experts on the internal rankings and make the sound spread across the Cosmic Sect. Of the ten experts on the internal ranking, one of them has to be among the top three. Second, you can cultivate our sect’s Cosmic Art to ninety nine, become a three star Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker, and then bang on the promotion drum. These are the two standard ways of taking the test to be promoted to a true disciple.”

Lu Yin gasped, as neither the first nor second methods were simple. The first meant that a person basically had to force their way through an obstruction formed by ten people at the level of the Top 100 Rankings, and one of them would even have the strength of the top three of the Top 100 Rankings. Although these people were only an obstacle, only the top three experts could possibly overcome such an obstacle, and even then, they were not necessarily guaranteed to succeed. The second method involved cultivating the Cosmic Art, which was still alright. However, becoming a three star Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker was very difficult.

If Lu Yin remembered correctly, then the Innerverse Lockbreaker Society’s Distinguished Five were only at that level. In the past, if Ku Wei had not relied on the upgraded gemspring water, then he might not have become a three star Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker during that exam. 

These two methods ensured that the true disciples would be around as strong as the Ten Arbiters. 

“Then what’s the third method?” Lu Yin asked.

Mu Ziying let out a long breath. “The third evaluation method to be promoted to a true disciple is to endure for an entire day without falling and then sound the promotion drum.”

Lu Yin was confused. 

Mu Ziying explained, “Any disciple from the Cosmic Sect can challenge you, and you can’t fall in front of the promotion drum an entire day. After that, you have to bang on the drum to be promoted to a true disciple.”

Lu Yin’s arched a brow. “All of the Cosmic Sect’s disciples?”

Mu Ziying nodded. “All of the disciples, including me, and even including that Grand Senior.”

Lu Yin was left speechless. If the All Rounder Fairy attacked him, then wouldn’t that be the same as facing off against one of the Ten Arbiters? No, she might be even more difficult than one of the Ten Arbiters, as he simply did not know what she was capable of. “Brother Mu, when you say all of the disciples, then does that mean all of the disciples who are a part of the younger generation, or all of those who haven’t completed their apprenticeship yet?” 

Mu Ziying smiled. “Of course it’s not all of them. This is limited to members of the same generation. Otherwise, if a true disciple from an older generation attacked, then nobody would ever stand a chance. On top of that, not all of the older disciples are willing to complete their apprenticeship, as some prefer to stay behind and look for ways to become sect elders. Thus, it wouldn’t be fair for those older disciples to attack Brother Lu either.” 

Lu Yin nodded. “Alright, then I accept.”