Star Odyssey

Chapter 3775: Encounter

A spiral of karma shot out from Lu Yin’s fingertip, and he wove karma.

The karma passed through Lu Yin himself as it flew backward. There was no need to aim; the claws were so massive that Lu Yin could not possibly miss.

The karma that had merged with the specks of light pierced the claws, and the moment that contact was made, his Karmic Dao shrank by a hundredfold. Despite his dire situation, Lu Yin still winced at the loss. He had gathered the combined karma of the top cultivators from two megaverses, as well as an equal amount from the meteorite, and yet half of it had disappeared in an instant.

At that same moment, the claws stalled while slashing through the universe. A distant roar of a beast rang out, carrying a tinge of wild excitement. It was as though vengeance had been served.

This was karma that Lu Yin had woven. He set his own death as the result and delivered it to the monster, creating the illusion that its vengeance had been fulfilled. Seizing that moment, Lu Yin charged into Boundless and slammed into Wilderness God’s back.

“Go! Now!” Lu Yin could barely croak.

No one needed any urging. None of them wished to stay behind. Everyone trembled at the sight of the monster behind them that could overshadow an entire universe.

Boundless shot towards a springboard. Fortunately, it was not far from the boundary, so in mere moments, the battleship struck the springboard and instantly disappeared.

Right as the vessel was hurled away, the beast’s roar rang out again, but this time, it sounded absolutely furious. The roar swept out like a gale. The monster knew that it had been deceived.

Those aboard Boundless stared back at the rippling void in a daze. The ship had already been launched by the springboard.

Only when the Consciousness Megaverse’s boundary vanished from their sight did people let out sighs of relief.

Their limbs went limp, and many people nearly collapsed.

It was only at this moment that they were able to process what they had just faced: they had fought back against an Immortal beast and escaped from its claws. It was impossible to believe.

Ever since Ancient God had been casually defeated by Master Qing Cao, the concept of an Immortal opponent had cast a shadow over every Tianyuan cultivator’s soul, both the more average cultivators and the few Dukkhans. Confronting an Immortal was like an ant fighting against a human. Throughout all the battles between the Tianyuan and the Spirit Nidus, there had never been an encounter with an Immortal. Even so, everyone had been wary during each clash with the Spirit Nidus, ready for the wrath of an Immortal to descend.

All they could offer before such power was their own lives.

To trade their lives in order to restrict an Immortal with their karmic chain. It was a tragic method, and yet it was the only way.

And yet, they had actually just escaped from the claws of an Immortal monster. That meant... they might actually be capable of confronting other Immortals.

The aftermath of such a great calamity was the advent of equally great joy.

They had just trembled from terror and were again trembling, but this time from the exhilaration of surviving.

Not everyone could be fortunate enough to survive such an incredibly dangerous situation.

Even so, Lu Yin was not celebrating at all, and neither were Chu Yi and the other top experts. One and all, their expressions remained grim, and their eyes remained alert as they watched the rear.

They had just been attacked by an Immortal. It would not be at all surprising if it was able to catch up to Boundless.

Lu Yin’s thoughts were particularly heavy. Master Qing Cao had recently shared the current situation in the Tianyuan Megaverse with him, and given how recent the news was, it was clear that Qing Cao had traveled from the Tianyuan to the Consciousness Megaverses far faster than was possible with springboards. That was the power of an Immortal.

What about the monster?

The somber mood that affected Lu Yin and the other top powerhouses soon influenced the rest of the crew. Excitement quickly faded and was replaced by a growing sense of unease. All anyone could do was wait in silence.

One day passed. Then two. A month. Two months, yet still nothing. The beast had not followed them.

When two full years passed without the creature appearing, everyone on Boundless was finally able to relax.

Even Lu Yin let out a pent up breath. For a creature so driven by revenge, it made no sense for it to wait so long. Also, where had it even come from? Could it have been lurking near the Consciousness Megaverse all along?

Over the course of the past two years, everyone on Boundless had managed to fully recover from their injuries. Despite the brevity of the clash, many had been hurt, with some even permanently traumatized.

Lu Yin’s injuries had been the worst of anyone’s, but fortunately, they had been superficial, allowing him to recover within half a year.

When he checked, he found that his Karmic Dao had been severely depleted, and his Immortal matter had also been greatly reduced. From nearly a thousand specks of light, he was down to less than 500. He had lost the efforts of years of work. It was utterly devastating.

Such losses were the result of a single brief clash. If it had been a real fight, there was no chance that Lu Yin would have had enough Immortal matter.

It was true that Lu Yin had achieved Immortal-level attack power, but his strength was shallow, and it could even be argued to be false. It was not nearly enough to face a true Immortal.

Lu Yin did not need Immortal matter to deal with a Dukkhan, while the amount of Immortal matter that he had collected was useless against an Immortal. It was an awkward predicament.

He stared out at the Aevum Inch and let out a long breath. He simply hoped that the Origin Progenitor would be fine.

Boundless approached another springboard and was thrown forward, continuing its journey to Beacon City.

Six years had passed since they had escaped from the Consciousness Megaverse. Everyone was fully relaxed, as the monster could no longer catch up to them.

Even Lu Yin was no longer on edge.

Six years had passed, and they just had four more before reaching Beacon City. It was time to return home.

As for the Tri-Azure Sword Intent, Lu Yin felt that it would be best not to use it again. It would be a true catastrophe if the monster was drawn to the Tianyuan Megaverse.

Around that same time, Emperor Slayer arrived at Beacon City.

As he stared at the city floating in the middle of the Aevum Inch, Emperor Slayer’s eyes welled up. He had nearly, very nearly, not made it back. His latest journey had been too difficult, but at long last, he was home.

He would enjoy a long rest. Right, that despicable Jiu Xian should still be in Beacon City.

That woman is completely immoral! She used me to escape. As soon as I find her, there will be no mercy.

No, he could not afford to linger. What if those freaks arrived from the Consciousness Megaverse? There was also Mo Shang, Yue Ya, and Lu Yin. Just thinking of seeing them again sent chills down Emperor Slayer’s spine.

“Who’s there? Halt for inspection!” someone standing guard outside the city barked. Then, when they caught a clear sight of the one approaching, the guard’s eyes bulged. “Em- Emperor Slayer?”

The beast grinned broadly. “Have you missed your grandpa? Emperor Slayer is back!”

No one from Beacon City dared to try to block Emperor Slayer’s path, and he was allowed to barge right in.

Chaos soon erupted throughout Beacon City. Banners with the character “Virtue” on them rose up everywhere. They did not appear at Emperor Slayer’s command, but rather by the residents’ own will. No one dared to speak badly of him. They knew nothing of what had recently transpired in the Consciousness Megaverse, but given Emperor Slayer’s great excitement, he must have accomplished something of great merit, right?

If Emperor Slayer had not done anything of note, then why would Lord High Seraph have allowed him to return?

That thought seemed to cast a shadow over all of Beacon City. People silently decided to escape as soon as possible. None wanted to stay behind. Just recalling their days beneath Emperor Slayer’s thumb made their scalps go numb.

Yi Xia’s expression was quite ugly. Why has Emperor Slayer returned?

The city lord immediately decided to return to his seclusion within the sequence base that protected the massive springboard. No matter what, he could not afford to allow that guy anywhere near him.

To everyone’s surprise, Emperor Slayer merely passed through. He did not even stay for a full day. He simply gathered a few supplies, enjoyed listening to a bit of flattery, drank some wine, asked about a few people, and then left without a backwards glance.

But, why was he headed towards the Tianyuan Megaverse?

Countless people within the city stared at the retreating figure, dazed and still unable to believe their eyes.

“What’s he doing? That’s the direction of the Tianyuan Megaverse. Why’s he going there?”

“Who knows. Did something happen there? Is it going to be reset?”

“The Consciousness Megaverse is supposed to be reset, not the Tianyuan. Not to mention, those people on Boundless aren’t easy to mess with.”

“Didn’t you talk to Emperor Slayer?”

“Don't jinx it.”

“Don't jinx it.”

“Don't jinx it.”

“Shh! Don’t jinx things! You’ll bring him back...”

One year later, Emperor Slayer saw a springboard. It was one that had been built by Boundless, and the sight of it left him excited. Perfect! There really is a springboard! Tianyuan Megaverse, here I come! Huh? Someone’s already there?

The one standing on the springboard was none other than E' Nan. He was carrying a Nest, determined to fulfill his mission of delivering it to the Spirit Nidus on behalf of the Tianyuan Megaverse.

He had reached the final springboard. One more jump, and after a year, he would arrive at the largest springboard that would send him to the Spirit Nidus. He had heard that the Spirit Nidus’s invasion force had used that springboard when traveling to the Tianyuan, and it reduced the travel time to just a single year.

Who knows how many powerhouses from the Spirit Nidus are now guarding that springboard.

How is Boundless?

E' Nan did not race off. He needed some time to recover. During his time traveling between springboards, he had not been able to move almost at all.

As he rested, a colossal figure came hurtling towards him from the distance.

E' Nan’s eyes instantly turned to look. What on earth is that?

Boom!

Emperor Slayer landed on the springboard so that he was face to face with E' Nan. The two stared at each other, neither saying a word.

After a moment’s silence, Emperor Slayer decided that E' Nan posed no threat. The beast’s expression grew solemn. “Kid, who are you?”

E' Nan could sense Emperor Slayer’s terrifying presence, and he grew pale. He had never encountered such an intimidating aura throughout his entire time in the Tianyuan Megaverse. This is no human! This is an unfathomable astral beast!

Could this be an astral beast that’s been hiding in the Aevum Inch?

“I asked you a question, kid!” Emperor Slayer’s sudden roar startled E' Nan from his daze.

He hoarsely croaked, “My name is E' Nan.”

“Where are you from?”

E' Nan hesitated. He did not want to send any trouble to the Tianyuan Megaverse, but given the springboard he was standing on, there were few doubts. He also had not delivered the Nest to the Spirit Nidus yet, which was his primary mission. The man’s thoughts grew chaotic and confused.

Emperor Slayer grinned. “You’re from the Tianyuan Megaverse, aren’t you?”

E' Nan’s eyes flared. “Are you from the Spirit Nidus?”

“Heh, not bad. At least you’re not completely ignorant. Still, Boundless has already reached the Spirit Nidus, so what are you doing here?” Emperor Slayer then frowned. “Don’t tell me that the Tianyuan’s been destroyed.”

E' Nan quickly asked, “How is Boundless?”

“I asked you first.”

E' Nan hesitated, but then he replied, “I’m here to look for Boundless. They’ve been gone for too long, and someone needs to report back on whether they’re dead or still alive.”

“That’s all? You, a peak powerhouse, came out here to die?” Emperor Slayer refused to believe it. Boundless may have brazenly roamed the Spirit Nidus, but the people of the Tianyuan did not know that. To them, entering the Spirit Nidus should be a death sentence.

It defied all reason to send a cultivator who was capable of withstanding the force of a springboard just to check if those on Boundless were still alive.

E' Nan’s eyes flickered. “I’m already dying, so I might as well be useful to the end. The information that I can gather will help my megaverse make the best decisions.”

Emperor Slayer frowned. “What do you mean that you’re dying?”

E' Nan explained the Scourge Occupation’s situation. Emperor Slayer immediately examined the man, confirming his words to be true. He had been forcibly given power without cultivating, which had resulted in his lifespan being extremely short. Emperor Slayer could dig a hole to take a nap, and it would last longer than this man’s entire life.

“The greatest use my people can offer is to ferry information back and forth,” E' Nan concluded.

Emperor Slayer pitied the man. “How sad. You possess the strength of a sequence powerhouse, and yet your lifespan is no better than a common mortal.

“Tell me, what is the current situation in the Tianyuan Megaverse?”