Star Odyssey

Chapter 3837: Wither Peak

Jian Hong's eyes grew cold as an Awe Gate erupted from him and crashed into the Blood Tower.

Clang!

There was a thunderous crash that sent Jian Hong staggering back, coughing up blood. His opponent extended both hands out, and shadowy sequence particles spread out, enveloping the world and giving it the appearance that everything had fallen into a vast abyss. “Die, brat!”

Right at that moment, wind pushed against the clouds in the sky. Elder Sword-Stepping froze in the middle of his attack and looked up in horror. This was a surge of consciousness, and a terrifying amount of it. Why was there consciousness in this place? He had sensed the surge earlier and had assumed that a powerful expert had simply passed by. The only reason why the man had taken action was because that expert’s presence had vanished. Why had they returned at this moment?

Jian Hong panted heavily as he stared upwards. The terrifying consciousness altered the sky itself, and the overwhelming pressure stifled the two men’s breath.

Jian Hong was an Ortuser, while Elder Sword-Stepping was a Dukkhan. Both could be considered elites of the megaverse, and yet neither could move due to the suppressive pressure of this consciousness. Who could it be? Jian Hong could not think of anyone in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse who possessed such terrifying consciousness.

Is it possible that it isn’t consciousness at all, but rather manifested thought?

If it’s manifested thought... Could it be Lesser Sancte Yue Ya?

A figure abruptly appeared out of nowhere and slowly descended to the ground. As the two men nervously watched the newcomer, they landed just a few dozen meters away, and they saw that it was a young man.

Of course, Lu Yin had arrived. He glanced to the side. “Jian Hong?”

The swordsman trembled. He’s looking for me?

Lu Yin then turned to Elder Sword-Stepping and casually waved a hand, as though brushing the man away.

Elder Sword-Stepping's expression changed as he stared at Lu Yin. “Who are you?”

Lu Yin frowned. “It’s a good thing Jian Hong isn’t dead, or else you’d join him. Now, get lost.”

Bloodlust flickered in Elder Sword-Stepping’s eyes. This man’s consciousness was unbelievably powerful, but what about his actual combat strength? Was it possible that everything was just a bluff? Very few people in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse cultivated consciousness, and Elder Sword-Stepping had never heard of anyone achieving such a terrifying level with the power.

He was reluctant to abandon Jian Hong, but the young man was truly intimidating.

If he was not bluffing, then just the wave of consciousness that had appeared earlier was enough strength to overwhelm Elder Sword-Stepping.

Ultimately, the man chose to back down. The oppressive consciousness had completely erased his desire to fight. Even if it was just a bluff and the consciousness was not as powerful as it appeared to be, he still did not want to make a move. First, he would return and thoroughly investigate this person.

Just as the man was about to leave, Lu Yin spoke up again. “Wait.”

Elder Sword-Stepping’s eye twitched. “Is there something else, sir?”

Lu Yin looked at him. “I understand that you’re Elder Sword-Stepping, who hunts down the greatest swordsmen alive. That’s quite a coincidence, as I happen to have a bit of skill with the sword myself. Let’s see if you can step on my sword.”

Elder Sword-Stepping’s heart dropped. The young man did not even want to use his consciousness, just his sword skills alone. Such confidence could only mean that the young man was a peerless expert.

The old man’s tone grew much more respectful. “My Sword-Stepping is hardly worth evaluating, Senior. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Nonsense.” Lu Yin merely waved his hand, but an invisible power swept out. Elder Sword-Stepping’s eyes flared, and he lashed out with a palm strike. While he had not been able to see anything, he was certain that something had just appeared.

Jian Hong frowned. This sword skill was a comprehension technique at its core.

The Sword Sect’s Thirteenth Sword: Emotion. As long as emotion existed, it could become a sword.

The technique could no longer be considered rare. Lu Yin had been able to overcome the technique long ago, but as his cultivation advanced, he had started to perceive it as a comprehension technique Emotions were not limited to just familial bonds, romantic feelings, or friendship; it also included emotions regarding reality itself, obsessions, and even life and death.

There was no one alive who could truly let go of their emotions.

Even those who were able to face death without regrets were still constrained by emotions. If they were truly emotionless, why would they have nothing to cling to? It was precisely because they had once had something... that they were able to lose it.

Lu Yin used a slash that was completely different from the Thirteenth Sword.

The Thirteenth Sword struck at the emotions of humans, but his sword struck at the emotions of the universe itself.

If even the cosmos possessed emotions, how could a human lack them?

Elder Sword-Stepping was a formidable expert. He was able to see through emotion with a glance, and he naturally tried to step on it. However, the slash passed right through his body, and he stepped onto air.

Red sprayed from his back. The single sword slash had cut through him.

He stared at Lu Yin intently and then slowly bowed and withdrew. His blood stained the ground where he had once stood.

After Elder Sword-Stepping left, Jian Hong regained his senses and bowed low to Lu Yin. “This junior, Jian Hong, greets you, Senior.”

Lu Yin looked the man over. “You’re quite lucky. If I had been one step later, you’d be dead.”

Jian Hong spoke bitterly. “May I ask your name, Senior?”

Lu Yin glanced at the basket on Jian Hong’s back and was surprised. “Is that... an otherborn?”

Jian Hong was uncertain of how to respond, and so he remained silent.

“I’ve never heard of anyone carrying an otherborn on their back. It looks like there’s some secret here. That’s a fascinating creature. Can you tell me about it?”

Lu Yin sounded intrigued, which heightened Jian Hong’s wariness. “Are you also here for it, Senior?”

Lu Yin chuckled. “I’m here for you.”

The swordsman’s face fell.

“If you don’t want to say anything, then just forget it. Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“The Sixth Night Pillar.”

Jian Hong’s eyes flickered. “Were you entrusted with escorting me to the Sixth Night Pillar, Senior?”

Lu Yin glanced back at the man. “Be smart and don’t ask too many questions. Your caution and testing mean nothing to me. As far as I’m concerned, you might as well be an ant.”

As he spoke, an unseen power enveloped Jian Hong. Lu Yin took a step forward and vanished along with Jian Hong.

The Seventh and Sixth Night Pillars were not far apart for cultivators at their level, but because Jian Hong had been constantly attacked during his journey, he had not been able to complete the trip, despite his best efforts.

Just one step from Lu Yin rendered the blockade completely meaningless.

By traveling through the void, they would quickly arrive at the Sixth Night Pillar.

Still, what was meant to be, would happen.

The void suddenly froze around Jian Hong, and space twisted and expanded. Finally, his surroundings grew calm again.

In front of him stood Lu Yin, with his hands clasped behind his back. “Come out.”

Jian Hong’s heart dropped. Someone else had arrived to attack him. Who could it be this time?

A man slowly stepped forward, though he appeared to be both surprised and puzzled by what he saw as he looked at Lu Yin. “Are you Mr. Lu Yin?”

Lu Yin met the man’s stare. “That’s right.”

The man sighed. “Why are you involving yourself in this matter, Mr. Lu? This concerns the Nine Odysseys and has nothing to do with Temporal Heavens, much less you.”

“My only goal is to deliver him to the Sixth Night Pillar,” Lu Yin calmly stated, “If you want to do something to him, do it after I’m gone. If not, things won’t end well for you.”

Jian Hong stared at the newcomer in shock. This man was Lian Jing, and it was completely unexpected for him to appear. As one of the candidates for the Fifth Night Pillar’s Odyssey Commander, Lian Jing stood equal to the Azuresword Sovereign. This was another peak Dukkhan.

While Jian Hong had assumed that his mission would draw out some top experts, he had not expected someone like Lian Jing to get involved.

In fact, why was he?

Also, he knows this man... Lu Yin? That name sounds familiar.

Lian Jing nodded. “Mr. Lu, you are strong enough to destroy the Autumnspring Slip, which I could never accomplish. I believe you, and yet I must take action. The Fifth Night Pillar needs what Jian Hong carries in his basket.”

Lu Yin chuckled. “Then have everyone from your Fifth Night Pillar come. We’ll see if they can take it from me.”

Jian Hong was startled. Such arrogance! Wait, he destroyed the Autumnspring Slip?

He suddenly remembered something. “Are you that Lu Yin?”

Even though Jian Hong had been on the lam for two years, he had still heard a few rumors about the outside world, especially about how Ridgeplain had been soaked with blood. That tale had shocked the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse.

The Autumnspring Slip, one of the megaverse’s top sects, was hated by those of the Sixth Night Pillar, yet they had remained untouchable due to its strength. Even so, that sect had been destroyed by a single man, whose name was Lu Yin.

In one day, Ridgeplain had been stained with blood, and the Autumnspring Slip had fallen. Famous powerhouses like Ying Mei had all been killed, and the Scion Spire’s Qian Shu had been captured, along with the sect’s mirebound artifact. Everything about the incident had horrified countless people, and it sounded like something from a fairytale.

In particular, after the fact that the Autumnspring Slip had been stealing cultivated spirit seeds was exposed, the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse had been enraged.

But regardless of their fury, there was nothing to be done. The Autumnspring Slip was already gone, annihilated by the man called Lu Yin.

He was someone from one of the three lower megaverse.

So this is him. No wonder he’s so powerful.

Still, Jian Hong could not make sense of one thing: why was such a powerful expert determined to escort him to the Sixth Night Pillar?

That was the same thing that confused Lian Jing. “Mr. Lu, you emerged from the Sea of Karma. Does this matter concern the Sea of Karma? If so, the Fifth Night Pillar will step back. Please, speak plainly.”

Lu Yin found this question odd. “You know who I am, so where do you get the confidence to continue standing in my way?”

“Because I am Lian Jing.”

Lu Yin automatically glanced over at Jian Hong. Lian Jing’s confidence suggested that he was someone with an incredible status. Could he also have the backing of an Immortal? Could he be someone like Qing Yun and also be the child of a Greater Sancte?

Seeing Lu Yin's confusion, Jian Hong whispered, “Sir, don’t you know about Whither Peak?”

Lu Yin shook his head, which allowed Jian Hong to understand the situation. Lian Jing overheard their conversation and was rendered speechless. More importantly, he felt a flicker of fear. This man actually doesn’t know about Whither Peak? No wonder he didn’t recognize me. That was an incredibly dangerous moment! If he was even the slightest bit reckless, I would have died.

How could anyone not know about Whither Peak?

Even if Lu Yin was from the Spirit Nidus, he had still emerged from the Sea of Karma, so how could he be so ignorant of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse?

Naturally, Lu Yin had researched the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but neither Si Jiushi nor Lu Siyu had ever mentioned Whither Peak.

Sometimes, the more that something was considered common knowledge, the more likely it was to be overlooked.

Besides that, Whither Peak was rather unique, or possibly a subject that had no connection to anything else.

Lian Jing said nothing as Jian Hong quietly started sharing some information regarding Whither Peak with Lu Yin.

“Whither Peak is a mountain in the Southern Domain. It’s not a faction, but rather a choice. Anyone who steps onto Whither Peak is regarded as the disciple of an Immortal...”

As Jian Hong continued explaining, Lu Yin quickly understood, and he also learned the reason for Lian Jing’s utter fearlessness.

Put simply, Whither Peak was not a faction, yet it was one of the most influential groups in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. Anyone who set foot on the mountain’s summit would attract the attention of an Immortal and earn the title of Immortality Disciple. This was not a normal discipleship, but protection. From the moment that person descended from the peak, they could not be harmed or slain for 100 years. Once that century elapsed and they ascended Whither Peak again, they would vanish forever from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse.

No one who had ever climbed Whither Peak had returned alive, and not a single corpse had ever been recovered.

The only way to explain the matter was to say that the people truly vanished.

Throughout history, many cultivators had stepped onto Whither Peak and vanished without a trace. Some became legends while others were simply lost to time, completely erased from existence.

No one knew where those people went, aside from the Greater Sancti.

Those 100 years would be the most peaceful window in a cultivator’s life. No one would dare to make trouble for them during that time; they were the disciples of an Immortal, which meant that they were protected by the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse.

Lian Jing was one such disciple. He had stepped onto Whither Peak, and when he next set foot on the mountain after a hundred years, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse would lose him forever.