Star Odyssey

Lu Yin panted heavily. His finger had already ruptured, and fresh blood flowed from its tip and slowly dripped down to the ground. His eyes were flushed red. “Antidote, there must be an antidote.” 

He leaped down. 

Ming Yan was lying some distance away, and tears flowed from her closed eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.” 

Outside the courtyard, Bei Hong ordered the gathered cultivators to evacuate the people of Shanhai City, as underground magma continuously bubbled up from the fissures in the ground, quickly filling the sky with a thick smoke. 

Underground, Lu Yin found a pathetic looking Wu Shang. He grabbed the Corpse King and then dashed back up towards the surface. 

Suddenly, Wu Shang opened his eyes and struggled free from Lu Yin’s grip before rushing into the distance. At this moment, he put the fearsome physical strength of a Green Eyes Transformed Corpse King on full display. Anyone else who had been attacked by Lu Yin in this manner had always ended up severely injured if not dead, but Wu Shang was still able to make use of the Corpse King Transformation and even seemed fine as he fled. 

Lu Yin tightened his right fist as his eyes lit up. “Day-Night-Punch.”

The sky turned dark, and the colors of black and white interchanged as the punch shot through Wu Shang. Whistling winds swept across the entire Qiong Island, knowing countless residents unconscious. 

The Daynight Punch was the battle technique that Lu Yin had obtained from the Daynight inheritance stone, but he had not used it in a long while. The Daynight clan’s battle techniques were all related to spiritual force, so the stronger one’s spiritual force was, the greater the might of their battle techniques. 

Lu Yin did not know how powerful his spiritual force had become by this point. After absorbing that ball of light, he had a feeling that his own spiritual force might not even be inferior to the Ten Arbiters’. At this moment, when his punch shot forward, its overwhelming might pierced directly through Wu Shang, and even just the aftershocks were enough to knock all of the inhabitants of Qiong Island, and even those of the surrounding islands, unconscious. The shockwave continued traveling into the sky, causing even the five sealing planets to tremble slightly. 

The power of this punch was amazingly formidable, not in its destruction, but rather in its spiritual force. Lu Yin was certain that even a Hunter would be knocked unconscious by this punch. 

Wu Shang’s gaze changed, and his Corpse King Transformation was forcefully undone as his body slammed into the ground. Fresh blood flowed down onto the stone slabs once again. His expression became complex as he looked at the sky. He showed an indescribable reluctance to leave, but then he died. 

Lu Yin landed beside the body and looked at Wu Shang’s corpse as his strength seemed to leave his body all at once. He immediately grabbed Wu Shang’s cosmic ring and opened it with the fresh blood. Lu Yin glanced through it and then closed his eyes bitterly. There really was no antidote. 

In the distance, Ming Yan hoarsely called out, “Brother Lu.”

Lu Yin turned around and immediately appeared at Ming Yan’s side, and he hugged her tightly. He watched as her hair gradually turned bone-white, and his heart trembled. “Yan'er, I’m sorry. Brother Lu came too late.” 

Ming Yan wept. “Brother Lu, it’s Yan'er who let you down. Yan'er didn’t want to implicate you, and I’ve also grown tired of living. It’s Yan'er who’s selfish and is abandoning you.”

Lu Yin hugged her tightly, out of fear that, if he let go, the girl in his arms would vanish into dust.

He could not imagine Ming Yan becoming as aged as Ming Zhaoshu, nor the desperation that it would bring him. That agony of her fading vitality would not only bring him a physical sense of desperation, but also a spiritual one. 

Ming Yan’s skin began to shrivel, as her poison was even more potent than Ming Zhaoshu’s. Outside the vial of Ming Yan’s poison, there was a label that read, “Regression No. 88,” while Ming Zhaoshu’s poison had been “Regression No. 91.” 

“Brother Lu, did you know? Yan'er is tired, and I wish to rest,” Ming Yan weakly mumbled as she hugged Lu Yin.

Lu Yin’s eyes flushed red, and he felt a needle of agony stab his heart. He was completely powerless at this moment. 

“Yan'er is too selfish. Father already paved the way for me, and he was even willing to be cursed for eternity, but Yan'er still chose death. 

“Brother Lu was willing to cooperate with those freaks for me, but Yan'er doesn’t want to burden Brother Lu anymore. Yan'er is really tired and wishes to go accompany Father…” 

Fresh blood kept flowing through Lu Yin’s hands, and his chest still felt agonizingly breathless.

Some distance away, Bei Hong had everyone leave the area, and the older man sighed. The Shenwu Empire’s fate had faced many misfortunes, and even their soon-to-be empress was about to die at this moment. What would tomorrow hold for them? 

Lu Yin did not know what to say as he held onto Ming Yan. He had never felt pain like this before, as this pain had penetrated into his inner soul, and the entire world felt bleak. 

Ming Yan raised up a hand to touch Lu Yin’s face, and he could see affection in her eyes, as well as a sense of relief. “Brother Lu, I’m sorry.” 

Lu Yin held her hand, his eyes bright red. “It’s Brother Lu who let you down. When you needed help the most, I wasn’t here.”

Ming Yan shook her head and smiled even as her skin shriveled even further. “Brother Lu, did you know? Yan'er’s most blessed moment was that time when I cut my hair for you. Yan'er will never forget that moment.” 

Lu Yin pulled out Ming Yan’s lock of hair from his cosmic ring and held onto it tightly. “You are Lu Yin’s wife, and even through life and death, you always will be. We tied our fates together when we bound our hair as one.” 

Ming Yan smiled beautifully. “You fool.”

Lu Yin embraced her tightly and bent his head to kiss her lips, which were already icy-cold, completely devoid of warmth. Her vitality was quickly draining away, and there were no natural treasures that could counteract this speed. Those natural treasures had not even been able to save Ming Zhaoshu, let alone Ming Yan. 

"Yan'er, let’s get married. I want to help you put on your bridal gown,” Lu Yin said gently to Ming Yan as tears streamed down his face.

Ming Yan shook her head. “Brother Lu, Yan'er is already satisfied with your words. Yan'er is destined to burden you in this life, and if there’s a next life, then Yan'er will be willing to marry you. I wish for you live to an old age. 

“Brother Lu, Yan'er doesn’t want to grow old. Let Yan'er go.” Ming Yan looked at Lu Yin with pleading eyes. 

Lu Yin’s face turned pale as his eyes filled with agony. Even his body trembled slightly.

“Brother Lu, please. Yan'er doesn’t want you to see me age to my last moments. Let go of Yan'er,” Ming Yan feebly pleaded as she hugged Lu Yin. 

Lu Yin closed both eyes as his tears continued to fall. He hated this. He hated himself for not searching through Shenwu Continent for a little longer and for forgetting about Wu Shang. He hated himself for not leaving the short old man alive and making him develop an antidote. At this precise moment, Lu Yin felt a boundless hatred for the Neohuman Alliance, but also for himself. 

He slowly raised a hand even as his palm trembled ceaselessly. He was going to personally send his most beloved woman off on her journey. 

Ming Yan smiled and kissed Lu Yin before closing her eyes. “I’m sorry, Brother Lu. Let’s meet again in the next life.” 

Lu Yin growled and then swatted down. Suddenly, his surroundings turned grey, as his actions were frozen in the void, and there was a deathly stillness all around. In the distance, the surging magma had stopped, and Bei Hong and the others froze in place with their shocked expressions. It was as if time itself had come to a halt. 

A sigh was heard beside Lu Yin’s ears. “Since you summoned Master, there’s no need to be so desperate. Was there really a need for this?”

Lu Yin became ecstatic as he whirled around to see Mister Mu staring at him.

“Master!” Lu Yin carried Ming Yan over and knelt before Mister Mu. “Master, save her. Please, save her!”

Mister Mu looked down at Ming Yan’s body and shook his head. “A poison that causes one’s life to pass. So the Neohuman Alliance is still manufacturing these kinds of poisons.” 

“Master, you know about this? Then please, save her.” Lu Yin looked at Mister Mu with hope filling his eyes, much like how a person in the desert would look at an oasis.

Mister Mu sighed and shook his head. “Master has no antidote, and there’s only one way to save her: the Twin Souls.”

“The Twin Souls?” Lu Yin did not understand what Mister Mu was saying as he tightly held onto Ming Yan. 

Ming Yan opened her eyes and looked at Mister Mu in a daze.

Mister Mu explained, “Master has a way to concentrate all of the poison in her body into a different personality, but you must consider this carefully. If this is done, this child will have two personalities, and while one might care for you, the other one may not necessarily feel the same. Also, the opportunity that Master had originally prepared for you will instead be given to her.” 

Lu Yin answered without hesitation. “Master, no matter what, please save her.”

Mister Mu nodded and casually waved his hand. Lu Yin suddenly appeared outside the courtyard, and within it, Mister Mu pressed a single hand against Ming Yan’s head, causing the girl to be lost in a daze.

Lu Yin watched on from outside the courtyard, but he only saw Ming Yan’s hair turn from black to white, and then back to black, and then back again to white. It constantly fluctuated back and forth between these two colors, and Lu Yin could only really see that her rune lines were incessantly rising.

Lu Yin relaxed. It was fortunate that he had called for his master.

Bei Hong arrived behind Lu Yin. “Alliance Leader, what is happening?”

“Immediately seal off Shanhai City, and move everyone who lives here over to Mingdu. Without my orders, nobody is to approach this place. There’s no need for any further explanations, and whoever dares to ask anything more can be killed instantly,” Lu Yin coldly ordered. 

Bei Hong hurriedly set out to carry out Lu Yin’s commands.

Lu Yin remained standing beside the courtyard, all the while feeling slightly nervous.

An hour passed, during which Mister Mu and Ming Yan remained in the exact same position. However, to Lu Yin’s eyes, the way Ming Yan’s rune lines were increasing was a little strange.

Originally, Ming Yan had not been a powerful cultivator in any sense. At best, she was a Seeker who was not much different from a commoner. She had possessed pitifully few rune lines, but at this moment, her rune lines had reached the point where they matched a Melder’s, and they were still rising without stopping. 

Lu Yin watched on in disbelief as this treatment apparently could also raise her cultivation. He did not understand what Mister Mu was doing, as in Lu Yin’s eyes, Mister Mu did not have any rune lines at all. In some sense, he appeared to exist completely independently of everything else. 

Soon, two hours passed, and Ming Yan’s rune lines had already surpassed a Limiteer’s, but they still did not stop increasing, which was very odd. 

When the third hour passed, Mister Mu finally lifted his hand, allowing Ming Yan to fall onto the ground. 

Lu Yin hurriedly entered the courtyard and rushed over to support her. He then looked at Mister Mu. “Master, what happened?” 

Mister Mu replied, “She won’t die, but she will have two souls in her body from now on. You must be mentally prepared for this.”

Lu Yin had not considered what “Twin Souls” actually meant before, as all that had mattered to him was saving Ming Yan. “What exactly is the Twin Souls?”

Mister Mu looked at Ming Yan, who was lying in Lu Yin’s arms. “See for yourself.”

Lu Yin looked down, only to exchange glances with a pair of cold eyes. In them, he saw an icy chill and an emotionless expression. These were Ming Yan’s eyes, but this expression was completely foreign to him. He stared at Ming Yan in shock, whose head was now covered with white hair. 

“Let go of me with your dirty hands!” the white-haired Ming Yan barked, her gaze frosty as she slapped at Lu Yin. 

Lu Yin was smacked away by the white-haired Ming Yan, and he stared at her, lost. "Yan'er, it’s me, Brother Lu.” 

The white-haired Ming Yan shot Lu Yin a look and frowned at him. “I know.”

“How are you?” Lu Yin felt like she was acting strange.

She barked, “Shut up! Lest Her Majesty bury you.”

Lu Yin blinked, and was stumped.

Mister Mu sized the white-haired Ming Yan up and down in surprise, as though this was his first time encountering such a situation.

Ming Yan glanced at Mister Mu, but she did not even greet him. Instead, she briskly walked out of the courtyard. 

"Yan'er!”

Lu Yin wanted to chase after her, but he was stopped by Mister Mu. “There’s no need to go. She’ll be better once her other personality awakens. Before then, even if you go after her, it will be useless.”