Star Odyssey

Chapter 3858: Three Fingers

Lu Yin had known that his words after his breakthrough to the Origin realm had to have offended some of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s top powerhouses. There was no denying that his breakthrough had created a huge commotion and shocked many, but it was still not enough to intimidate the peak Dukkhans. They believed that they were the strongest in existence, barring only the Immortals.

No peak Dukkhan would ever admit that they were inferior to another person.

Naturally, there were exceptions to that, such as people like Liu Li, who had reached that level by accepting a Seed Transfusion.

Those who had managed to become peak Dukkhans through their own efforts were all proud and arrogant individuals. They might not even take a Lesser Sancte seriously.

That was also why people like Lu Feichen had joined the Sixth Night Pillar to participate in the expedition and why Ru Shi had hoped to step into the Immortal realm with his Wayfinder Sutra.

Such people could never tolerate the kind of provocation that Lu Yin had made.

"Are people from the Tianyuan Megaverse only good at barking out threats? If you don’t show yourself, I, Venerable Lan Ye, will march to the Tianyuan and stomp on the faces of the people there as I ask them, ‘is Lu Yin nothing but a coward who hides in his shell?’" Lan Ye's echoed in all directions, his power shaking the world.

Countless people were startled.

Naturally, Jian Hong also heard the man, and he let out a sigh. Lan Ye was much too harsh.

Atop the Autumnspring Slip, Lu Yin slowly smiled. His hand rose, and a finger pointed at the sky. A force wave spread out from that point, rapidly expanding as the sky looked like it was a lake. The wave reached Venerable Lan Ye in an instant.

As the waves spread out, every cultivator who made contact with them was forced downwards by a crushing power.

In the current sky, there was room for only two.

As he saw the wave approach, Lan Ye raised his dark-green arm and thrust it to the side.

The void shook, and the wave twisted and bent, though it did not break. Lan Ye was startled. Had his palm strike not been enough to shatter the wave? Such immense strength!

He wanted to see just how powerful the wave truly was.

With that thought, his figure flickered, and he underwent the Nine Heavens Transformation.

Far away, Lu Yin arched a brow. The Nine Heavens Transformation? While it was a technique that anyone in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse could cultivate, very few were able to succeed in the endeavor. Despite spending years in the East Domain, Lu Yin rarely ever saw the technique, and yet Lan Ye had fully mastered it.

After undergoing the Nine Heavens Transformation, Venerable Lan Ye’s lips peeled back to show a ferocious grin. His dark-green arm thrust forward again, carrying incredible force. He was determined to not only shatter the wave, but also send the force back and have Lu Yin experience what it felt like to be shaken by his own power.

However, the green man’s expression changed yet again. Impossible!

Even after being strengthened by the Nine Heavens Transformation, Lan Ye's palm strike still failed to break the wave. He could not believe what he was seeing. He was facing nothing more than a mere wave of force, so how was he failing to shatter it? This was not even a direct attack from Lu Yin, but rather a simple wave sent across the East Domain. How could he, Lan Ye, fail to break through it?

The man lashed out with his other hand, producing a massive shockwave that thundered across the sky.

Down on the ground, countless people looked up in astonishment as Lan Ye was pushed back by the wave.

Lu Yin’s expression remained calm. Just how could this man resist Lu Yin’s power?

It was true that it was just a wave of force, and yet Lu Yin knew that it was strong enough to overwhelm most Dukkhans. Even someone as powerful as the High Seraph would have to take this force seriously, let alone Lan Ye, who had not focused on developing his physical strength.

Lu Yin raised his hand and tapped out with a second finger.

The second finger treated the sky like a drum, and a soft thump echoed out. Another force wave spread out, and it merged with the first to press against Venerable Lan Ye.

Lan Ye was infuriated. His target had refused to reveal so much as his face, and he instead sought to suppress Lan Ye with mere force waves. This was too arrogant.

High in the sky, an Awe Gate rose up. Lan Ye was moving straight to unleashing his Soul legacy skill.

He was not a Lesser Sancte, so there was no reason for him to restrain from such methods. The day he received that title, he would no longer be able to use his Soul legacy skill.

The Awe Gate blocked both waves, and Lan Ye seized the opening to shoot past them towards Lu Yin. Still, his forte was not physical strength, so the man was continuously pushed back by the waves. He first needed to get close enough to attack.

Then, a third impact rang out; a third wave had appeared.

This wave did not travel along a line, and it instead pushed out through the sky as an expanding circle, like a ripple. There was no angle from which to dodge this move. It was as if Lu Yin had drawn a circular barrier around himself, and it was cutting through the Nine Odysseys Megaverse as it expanded.

Lan Ye tried to counter the expanding ripple by repeatedly striking it, but he was viciously repelled. He was slammed back into his own Awe Gate.

With the ripple in front and the Awe Gate behind, Venerable Lan Ye was forced to retreat continuously from someone whose face he had not even seen. Never before had he encountered such a situation before. Not even the Seventh Night Pillar’s current Odyssey Commander was able to suppress Lan Ye in such a manner.

This man relies solely on brute strength and nothing else. What a savage.

From the distance, Lu Yin was quietly watching. With his third finger, Lan Ye was unable to even get close to Lu Yin. Has he still not understood the gap between us? Or... could he instead believe that he has something capable of reversing the situation even against such overwhelming force?

Lu Yin was a bit hopeful, as that would make things more interesting.

Hmm?

Suddenly, Lu Yin’s expression changed slightly. The waves had finally been broken.

What kind of battle technique had he used?

“Continue with what you were saying,” Lu Yin calmly ordered.

Qian Shu then remembered the question that Lu Yin had posed to him earlier, and he glanced back once more. Lan Ye was gasping and breathing heavily. It had been an intense struggle for him to overcome those waves, and yet Lu Yin had not even revealed his face yet.

"Venerable Lan Ye was born on a blue orchid leaf. No one knows who his parents were. When he was found, he had not yet eaten or drunk anything, and yet he managed to survive for dozens of days. It was astonishing for a newborn. He survived thanks to the miasma contained within that orchid leaf.

"The Orchid Megaverse was destroyed because it contained a miasma that humans can’t endure. Even its Mother Tree was covered in that same miasma, and it constantly corroded everything. The orchid leaves also carry it, though cultivators are able to suppress that toxicity to levels that are harmless. Still, for a newborn child without any cultivation, it should have been lethal.

"Despite that, Lan Ye was able to absorb the miasma and live. That gave rise to his unique physique, which is known as Orchid Miasma."

The distant Awe Gate vanished. Lan Ye looked in Lu Yin’s direction, his gaze crossing a vast distance to lock eyes with Lu Yin before the man charged forward.

"The Orchid Miasma physique allowed Lan Ye to cultivate without any obstacles. There are many remnants of the Orchid Megaverse still here in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, many of which, like that blue orchid leaf, contain miasma. Lan Ye cultivated by constantly absorbing that miasma. The more he absorbed, the faster his power grew. In combination with his own talent, he ended up surpassing all of his peers and became one of the top experts of his generation.

"He is arrogant and speaks without thinking, which has caused him to offend many people. Still, few are willing to antagonize him simply because his miasma is too troublesome to deal with.

"All of that is from the past. When he learned that the Seventh Night Pillar was heading to the Orchid Megaverse, he joined the Nine Odysseys. Only the Seventh Night Pillar has any idea what his current strength might be. It’s possible that he has become... very strong." Qian Shu finished speaking as Lan Ye arrived.

Lu Yin was still sitting atop the Autumnspring Slip, watching Venerable Lan Ye approach him with open curiosity.

The man’s appearance was quite unique, and he had a cigarette made from orchid leaves clenched between his teeth. His entire demeanor was arrogant and condescending, though he looked at Lu Yin with eyes that contained both a certain chill and wariness.

The man had been badly startled by Lu Yin’s physical strength. Lan Ye had never encountered such terrifying might before in his entire life. If not for the unique defenses that he possessed due to his miasma, those three finger taps would have prevented him from even approaching Lu Yin.

At this moment, the green man stood face to face with Lu Yin, though only because Lu Yin had made such bold declarations. However, as Lan Ye looked into Lu Yin’s eyes, this did not seem to be a man who spoke without thinking. This was someone who was truly qualified to challenge the Nine Odysseys Megaverse.

“So, you're Lu Yin from the Tianyuan Megaverse?” Lan Ye asked in a hoarse voice while exhaling dark-green smoke.

Lu Yin calmly examined Lan Ye. “Do you have advice to offer me?”

While staring at Lu Yin, Lan Ye inhaled from his cigarette before releasing another puff of smoke. “Since you’ve entered the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, you should forget your past. The Tianyuan is nothing more than one of the lower three megaverses. Even those from the Spirit Nidus are nothing but ants in this place. Given your strength, you should have a broader perspective.”

Lu Yin’s lips curled up. “Are you telling me how to behave?”

Lan Ye’s expression grew fierce, and his voice dropped low. “I’m warning you. Who gave you the courage to offend my entire megaverse? If you want to be part of it, show a bit of sincerity! Join a Night Pillar and earn merit for the Nine Odysseys. If you want to protect the Tianyuan by yourself, you won’t succeed.”

Qian Shu looked at Lan Ye and sensed the man’s aura. He had become a peak Dukkhan. Sure enough, he had undergone a transformation in the Orchid Megaverse. No wonder he had grown even more arrogant.

But so what if he had become a peak Dukkhan?

Even someone like Qian Shu, a genius who had entered the Scion Spire, had suffered a crushing defeat despite accepting a Seed Transfusion.

Even Sect Master Ying Mei, who had become a peak Dukkhan through her own efforts and who had wielded the Autumnspring Slip mirebound artifact, had lost miserably to Lu Yin.

Lan Ye might be strong, and what he had gained from the Orchid Megaverse may have inflated his ego. However, he would soon be forced to face reality.

Not any peak Dukkhan could have destroyed the Autumnspring Slip on their own. Even a Lesser Sancte would have found it difficult to accomplish such a feat.

From all across the land, countless eyes looked up at the sky. People had heard Lan Ye’s comments, and while they were rude and confrontational, there was also some truth to them. Lu Yin was undoubtedly powerful. His breakthrough to the Origin realm had shaken the entire megaverse. On top of that, he had a connection to the Sea of Karma and Greater Sancte Green Lotus. However, the Nine Odysseys Megaverse contained more than just the one Greater Sancte.

It had long since become common knowledge that the lower three megaverses were looked down upon by the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. Lu Yin had entered their megaverse, but not only had he done nothing to benefit them, he even sought to protect the Tianyuan. How could such actions be tolerated?

While most people did not dare argue with Lu Yin’s actions, that was only because they lacked the necessary strength. On the other hand, Venerable Lan Ye was qualified.

He was one of the most powerful cultivators in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s East Domain. Even the Four Commands Sword Sect’s Lu Sizhan was a level below the man, and Everchange Valley’s Wan Lou of Everchange Valley could not compare when it came to raw power. Only the enigmatic sect master of the Dreamsky Heaven remained unknown.

Venerable Lan Ye was certainly qualified to step forward and speak on behalf of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and criticize Lu Yin.

Lu Yin’s smile faded as he calmly stared at Lan Ye. “Speaking to me in that manner will get you a beating.”

Lan Ye’s expression remained fierce. “Even if the Immortal Greater Sancti do not step forward, there are still people in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse who can put you in your place. It’s not too late to take a step back now.”

Lu Yin exhaled and slowly rose to his feat.

Seeing this, Qian Shu quietly stepped back, though not without giving Lan Ye a sympathetic look.

Lan Ye rose from his orchid leaf, keeping a wary eye on Lu Yin. It was important that Lan Ye get the first attack in. He needed to surround his opponent with miasma and prevent him from having an opportunity to use his overwhelming physical strength.

Lan Ye repeatedly simulated his next attack in his mind.

Having become a peak Dukkhan, his thoughts were able to race through millions of simulations in a moment, and he quickly formulated a strategy.