Star Odyssey

Chapter 3786: Breath Of The Mortal Life

Despite the many people fighting them for the karmic bud, the clan chief was unwilling to give it away. He hoped to leave it as an opportunity for future descendants. If any future members of the clan were able to pass the trial and become Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple, the entire Yan Clan would rise to a new level, eventually even becoming a major power.

Unfortunately... The old man let out a heavy sigh.

He took out the karmic bud and tossed it to Si Jiushi.

It had been half a year since the karmic buds had fallen from the sky. No one knew just how many had fallen or how many people had obtained them. Some people kept them hidden, while others ended up being robbed. Far too many deaths had occurred because of the karmic buds.

There were even groups who would send people to wait along the path to the Sea of Karma. Anyone who attempted to reach that place was already doomed.

While Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciples had purged the area of such predators, it was impossible to suppress human greed.

Karmic buds were green objects that were shaped like a lotus. They were called karmic buds, but they could not be eaten or even used. Over the years, countless people had made various attempts, but no one had been able to do anything with the karmic buds. Over time, it became apparent that their only purpose was as a ticket to the Sea of Karma and to the Greater Sancte’s trial.

Si Jiushi delivered the karmic bud to Lu Yin.

It was accepted with the release of a breath. Si Jiushi could not see the fiery excitement smouldering in the depths of Lu Yin’s eyes. These scabs were karma, karma that had taken on a physical form. Lu Yin had never considered the possibility that such a thing could even exist.

If a karmic brick contained the karma that an ordinary person had gathered over the course of 100 years, the karmic bud far exceeded that. Just how much karmic power did Greater Sancte Green Lotus possess for him to produce such a thing?

While others were incapable of using the karmic buds, Lu Yin was different. He could use it to directly strengthen his Karmic Dao.

Fighting against the Immortal monster had drastically weakened Lu Yin's Karmic Dao, and he was reluctant to use what remained due to how pitiful it had become. In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, what he most wanted the most was karma and Immortal matter, despite having no idea where to search for either.

He could extract karmic bricks to restore his power of karma, but he was not foolish enough to do so right under the nose of Greater Sancte Green Lotus.

This karmic bud had appeared at the perfect moment.

Lu Yin looked up at Si Jiushi. “Tempted?”

Si Jiushi shook his head. “Not in the least.”

"You don’t want to take the trial to see if you can become Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple?" Lu Yin asked.

Si Jiushi sat down. “I would be lying if I said that I don’t want to, but I’m already a member of the Five-Palm Sect, and I’ll never betray them. For the rest of my life, I will belong to the Five-Palm Sect.”

Lu Yin put the karmic bud away. “Let’s stop at the next city and rest.”

“You don’t want to continue on to the Four Commands Sword Sect?”

“There’s no rush. We still have time. Driver, let’s take a break.”

The carriage slowly rose into the air and then moved in a different direction.

Down on the ground, the members of the Yan clan watched the carriage leave with conflicted expressions. While losing the karmic bud did mean that they were no longer in any danger, they had also lost an incredible opportunity.

Too many people had challenged the trial since ancient times, and while very few had ever succeeded, those few had instantly risen to greatness. What a pity.

“Is the Five-Palm Sect actually stealing karmic buds now? I thought that those lunatics hated the Sancti and refused to ever compromise. Hypocrites,” someone spat resentfully.

“Who alive wouldn’t want to become Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple? You actually believed their nonsense?”

“True. Just look at the East Command. It’s clearly the weakest of this generation’s Four Commands Sword Sect, and their sect master is completely unqualified to compete for the position of Four Commands Grand Swordmaster, but they’ve still received more gifts than even the North Command, which is the strongest. It’s all because the daughter of the East Command’s master managed to enter the Sea of Karma. Even if her connection to Greater Sancte Green Lotus is ignored, just her status as one of the Seven Fairies is enough to attract endless attention.

“Whoever wins that little princess’s favor will also rise to greatness. Even if the North Command’s master becomes the Four Commands Grand Swordmaster, they will never dare to be disrespectful to the East Command.

“Everyone dreams of the Seven Fairies...”

“Shut up! You think you’re qualified to even dream about them? You’d better be careful—if the wrong person hears you, your life’s forfeit. There are some things that are simply unattainable. You’re not even allowed to think about them.”

“Let’s go to the Four Commands Sword Sect. I suddenly want to see how the North Command will deal with the East Command’s connection to Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple, given that the northern sect master obtained his position through pure sword skill.”

“Let’s go.”

“What about that guy just now? The karmic bud was taken so easily?”

“What should they have done? You think that you can take on those lunatics?”

“Don’t worry, someone else will deal with it. It’s said that fate will favor men for the next century, so all of the major forces are looking for karmic buds. None of them will give up easily. One karmic bud means one chance at the trial, but a hundred karmic buds mean a hundred chances. It’s not unheard of for pure numbers to sway Greater Sancte Green Lotus.”

“That’s true...”

***

Inside the beast carriage, Si Jiushi curiously asked, “Seventh Bro, are you baiting people into trying to steal the karmic bud from you?”

“Yes.”

“Why? You already have it.” Si Jiushi was not stupid. Given that Lu Yin had asked the carriage to travel slower and even take a detour to a nearby city, his intentions were obvious. However, Si Jiushi could not understand the motives behind his intentions.

Lu Yin looked at the other man. “My palm strike wasn’t too bad, was it?”

Si Jiushi’s eyes lit up. He could not deny that he had been quite moved by Lu Yin’s attack. “Very impressive!”

“Anyone who still dares to try to steal the karmic bud after seeing that handprint won’t be an ordinary cultivator. That means that they will likely either have a karmic bud themselves or will know where to find others,” Lu Yin calmly stated.

Si Jiushi understood. “So, you’re fishing. Still, if they’re confident in coming after you, they’ll be very strong.”

“I’m no weakling myself. Besides, I’ve got you guys, don’t I?” Lu Yin chuckled.

Si Jiushi was initially puzzled, but then his eyes bulged. “You’re dragging my Five-Palm Sect into this mess?!”

Lu Yin gave a small smile. “Don’t phrase things so harshly. Friends help each other out.”

Si Jiushi grew furious. “My Five-Palm Sect has never behaved so shamelessly! No way! You can’t use our techniques anymore!”

Lu Yin arched a brow. “What I use is none of your business.”

“You-!” Si Jiushi trembled with rage, but he had no idea how to stop this Seventh Bro. The fat man was incapable of winning in a fight, and it also looked impossible to defeat the man in a debate. The man had absolutely no shame.

Lu Yin tried to soothe the fatty. “Alright, don’t get so upset. People can only have a breakthrough when they’re pushed far enough. Just think of this as me helping you. I’ll even compensate you. Tell you what—one day, when I’m strong enough, I’ll help you kill Yue Ya. What do you say?”

Si Jiushi’s pupils shrank, and he stared blankly at Lu Yin. “What did you say?”

Lu Yin met the man’s gaze. “Don’t tell me that you don’t want to kill Yue Ya.”

Yue Ya... Yue Ya... A burst of terrifying bloodlust exploded from Si Jiushi’s eyes. It was not directed at Lu Yin, but rather at Yue Ya.

Yue Ya was the Five-Palm Sect’ sworn enemy who was designated as a kill-on-sight target. The greatest goal of every member of the Five-Palm Sect was to slay Yue Ya.

That man had stolen the body of their third-generation master.

The Five-Palm Sect had a tradition of striving to challenge the Lower Sancti. With such a goal, dying in battle was perfectly normal, and no hatred was held towards those who killed their sect members. However, not only had Yue Ya killed their third generation master, but he had also possessed the man’s body. That was something that the Five-Palm Sect could never accept, and it was the reason for their bone-deep vendetta against Yue Ya.

It was also why members of the Five-Palm Sect were forced to scatter; they could not give Yue Ya an opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

Si Jiushi found it very surprising that Lu Yin, who knew so little about the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, was actually aware of the intense hatred between the Five-Palm Sect and Yue Ya.

“How do you know about that?” Si Jiushi asked in confusion.

Lu Yin replied, “I know more than you realize. Before, I asked you about the Ruler Garden, and while you looked calm, the truth is that you hate them as well. After all, the Ruler Garden submitted to Yue Ya.”

Si Jiushi did not deny it.

“You’re cautious, but there’s no need to bother with me. Since I’ve borrowed the name of your Five-Palm Sect, I’ll naturally repay this favor. Trust me, in the current megaverse, I’m the only one who can help you deal with Yue Ya,” Lu Yin said in a lazy tone.

Si Jiushi fell silent. He did not dare to speak at this moment. He had initially believed that Lu Yin was a reclusive brute, only to later realize that the man was a foreigner. This new information further complicated the situation, and it was clear to Si Jiushi that he needed to carefully tread around this man.

A short while after they left the Yan Clan, someone descended onto the mountains and noticed the handprint.

“It really is the Five-Palm Art. What do we do now?”

“We proceed as planned.”

“The Five-Palm Sect is not to be antagonized. Should we fail-”

“The stronger our target, the better. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

Some time later, other people also arrived. “Hmm... judging by the handprint, the person must be at least a sequence powerhouse, possibly even an Ortuser.”

“Can we attack them?”

“Alone, it would be much too risky, but there are others in the shadows. Together, we can manage it. Rest assured, Young Master. Your father entrusted you to my care on his deathbed, and I will ensure that you will have a chance to become Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s disciple.”

“Thank you.”

...

Tree branches stretched across the universe, connecting mountain ranges, oceans, and cities.

There were countless cities drifting through outer space in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. The one closest to the Yan Clan’s mountain territory that was also in the direction of the Four Commands Sword Sect was known as Misty Steps City. People reached the city by climbing up on clouds that served as runners, connecting steps of fog.

The carriage flew straight into Misty Steps City. Such a small place could not afford to block cultivators from entering.

Countless towns and villages had been destroyed because they had attempted to forbid entry to people they could not afford to offend. Unless a city possessed a true heritage and power, travelers were simply allowed to pass through unhindered.

“Seventh Bro, will we rest here?” Si Jiushi asked.

Lu Yin stepped out of the carriage. Cultivators had filled the city, and hawkers’ cries filled the air. It sounded like any other marketplace where people sold both artifacts and living creatures.

Si Jiushi led Lu Yin to a tavern, and they took a seat by a window. They could see the busy street stretched out below, and the scent of food occasionally drifted up to them.

As Lu Yin listened to the lively clamor of everyday life, he felt a sense of peace that he had not felt in a very long time.

The comfort of the common life was something that ordinary folk could not escape, but not even the most powerful of cultivators were any different.

Wherever people gathered, that same warmth existed. No shroud of dignity could conceal it.

Each person sought truly simple goals; no matter how long one’s life might be, they sought a single moment of brilliance that would last for an eternity.

Lost in his thought, Lu Yin watched the street for several hours without moving. As for Si Jiushi, he had finished one meal and already ordered another.

Just as his name attested, he needed nine meals a day to maintain his strength.

The fat man occasionally glanced at Lu Yin and then down at the bustling street. He considered his master’s words: From the mundane we are born, through the mundane we pass, and to the mundane we return.

No matter how high one’s cultivation might reach, there was a sense of mundanity that would forever remain out of reach, even for Immortals.

The Five-Palm Sect sought to defeat the Lower Sancti, casting down those above so that they themselves could rise up to stand at the finish line.

His master’s cryptic words had stunned Si Jiushi and altered his perspective of his normally blustering master. However, not long after that, Si Jiushi’s master had gotten drunk and admitted that the words were not his, but rather a great expert’s. Exactly how impressive that person was, the man never revealed.

“What are those people?” Lu Yin suddenly asked, his voice startling Si Jiushi. The man swallowed the food in his mouth, and then looked down.

“Oh, those are otherborn from a foreign megaverse.”