Star Odyssey

Chapter 3442: Afraid Of The Light

Inside Boundless, Ba Liu and the others were stunned by the fight. The Nine Heavens Transformation was the High Seraph’s ultimate technique, and yet it had been instantly overcome. Yu Shan had been badly beaten. Would the High Seraph appear next?

Their Third Boss was just too ruthless.

Cai Keqing was also stunned as she had felt Lu Yin's overwhelming power. This Third Boss had easily dealt with Yu Shan, which meant that he could deal with her in less than an instant. It was no wonder how he had defeated Cai Sandao so easily.

Just how many powerful experts were hiding within the Grandverse Manor?

On the bow of Boundless, Lu Yin looked down at his hand. It was stained with blood, though not his own. It was Yu Shan's.

The bones in Yu Shan's arm had been shattered, and those broken bones had pierced his skin.

Lu Yin took out a cloth and cleaned his hands before staring back out into outer space. He shook his head, looking quite disappointed. "Is this the person ranked second on the White Spirit List? Is this the caliber of the High Seraph’s disciple? What a letdown.

"Go tell the High Seraph that his disciple is in the Grandverse Manor. If he wants his disciple back, he can come beg me in person. Hahahaha!" With that, Lu Yin turned around and disappeared back into the depths of Boundless.

Arrogant!

This was the impression that Lu Yin had given everyone at that moment.

Even then, what of it? Lu Yin had easily crushed Yu Shan, preventing the man from stepping foot onto Boundless. He had not even used any battle techniques or abilities. He had completely overwhelmed Yu Shan, leaving him unable to so much as lift his head. That was something that only the High Seraph was capable of doing.

While there were many fierce individuals in the Spirit Nidus who had fought for the High Seraph position, each of whom was more legendary than the last, only one had succeeded. All of the others had been a slight bit short.

People could see the same kind of strength as the High Seraph’s in Lu Yin.

Where had this Third Boss of the Grandverse Manor come from?

The Big Boss and Third Boss were both incredibly strong. In comparison, the Second Boss, whom people were most familiar with, Old Tao, appeared quite ordinary. All that stood out was that he had better connections.

Boundless resumed its journey through the Hundred Grasses Domain. Yu Shan was strung to a tree branch in the Rain Observatory so that he faced away from Boundless. He looked half dead and was unable to escape, though he was also unable to die. He served as Boundless's warning to all outsiders.

Each time Boundless took action, the Spirit Nidus grew more and more reluctant to directly confront the ship. Many people changed their strategies, and they started sending individuals to join the Grandverse Manor. While using the guise of creating a new ally, people sought out Old Tao.

Lu Yin did not stop these people, and he simply allowed people to handle things however they pleased.

Yu Shan's situation enraged the women who followed him. They firmly believed that Yu Shan had acted for their sake. Why else would he have followed Boundless for so many days without ever attacking the battleship? These women started to use their influence to unite various sects and families while planning a counterattack on Boundless.

The results of their efforts were straightforward: all of the women were placed under house arrest.

Anyone with half a brain would avoid antagonizing Boundless without an unavoidable reason or some guarantee of victory.

When the Grandverse Manor stopped in the Hundred Grasses Domain, many were caught by surprise. People had expected Boundless to continue its journey.

The Spirit Nidus consisted of thirty-six interconnected parallel universes that were in turn connected to other universes, which formed domains. Those spirit threads formed the spirit character (灵). The further up the domain’s position in the character, the stronger it was. For example, places like the Primal Beastland, Heavenspire, Gate of Laws, and Bifrost Palace were all located in the upper section of the character.

The Hundred Grasses Domain was located right at the middle, but if the interconnected domains were all counted, then the Hundred Grasses Domain would be splitting the megaverse by a third. Eleven domains stood above the Hundred Grasses Domain, while twenty-four lay beneath it.

To reach the Hundred Grasses Domain, Boundless had passed through eleven domains.

Everyone started speculating about why the Grandverse Manor had stopped in the Hundred Grasses Domain.

Some remembered the domain’s fall, as well as its connection to the High Seraph. This led them to link the domain to how Yuan Qi had openly challenged the Ascendant Hall and repeatedly violated the megaverse’s edicts. Those people believed that the Grandverse Manor was about to challenge the High Seraph.

After all, it currently seemed as if the only real enemy that the Grandverse Manor had was the High Seraph himself. As long as no one antagonized the Grandverse Manor, it seemed to have no intention of creating any trouble. Well, that was provided that no disciples like Cai Jun had been accepted, people who had been persecuted by their own family or other forces.

There was never a dearth of clever people in the megaverse. Some individuals had already come up with plans of their own, and they started moving their various forces around, intending to counter the Grandverse Manor.

The first proclamation that the Grandverse Manor released after stopping in the Hundred Grasses Domain was that anyone who entered the Hundred Grasses Universe to search for the Hundred Grasses could only use a plant that they had found themselves. In fact, whatever an individual found, they had to use for themselves.

While this rule seemed quite normal at first glance, when compared to what Yu Shan had done and said, it appeared incredibly selfish. If not for what Yu Shan had previously done in the Hundred Grasses Domain, no one would have said anything, but because of that incident, countless people instantly started criticizing the Grandverse Manor.

Did Lu Yin care? Did the Tianyuan Megaverse care? None of them did.

In fact, most cultivators in the Spirit Nidus let out sighs of relief. Many had wanted to enter the Hundred Grasses Universe in order to find seeds to grow a plant in the hopes of improving their own strength, but they had been tormented by Yu Shan’s image and had held back. People had simply given up on the Hundred Grasses seeds. The Grandverse Manor's proclamation provided them with a way out, which meant that people would once again be allowed to search for the seeds without suffering condemnation.

Immediately, many people were tempted, and some even began planning to go to the Hundred Grasses Universe.

On a large tree at the edge of the Rain Observatory, Yu Shan heard the declaration, though he did not react.

His comment had been endorsed by the High Seraph. If anyone dared to defy the High Seraph, Yu Shan’s comment would become meaningless, and all that had been built on that would be easily shattered.

Public condemnation would accomplish nothing, while hidden blades were always the most dangerous.

When the Grandverse Manor stopped in the Hundred Grasses Domain, no one moved to establish a base or headquarters. Instead, Boundless itself was treated as the home of a new sect.

People started to join the Grandverse Manor. They had not been sent by any family or sect, but were instead individuals who had voluntarily chosen to join the Grandverse Manor.

Some had suffered or given in to despair, while others carried precious treasures. Unless forced into a corner, no one would be willing to join an organization that opposed the High Seraph. After all, joining the Grandverse Manor meant no longer being welcome anywhere in the Spirit Nidus, aside from the Hundred Grasses Domain.

During this time, Lu Yin continued to use his spirals of karma to investigate applicants, and he developed a new understanding of his Inner Clarity Technique. He felt that he was on the verge of an epiphany.

...

Lu Yin stared at the person in front of him, who was completely wrapped up in a blanket. Lu Yin looked at the man oddly. Was this real?

"This junior is Jiang Qi. I ask to join the Grandverse Manor."

Lu Yin looked at the young man who was wrapped up in a blanket and trembling. Lu Yin had seen the young man before, though that was in the branch stream of the River of Aeons, during the thirty-seven years that had been rolled back.

This person, along with everyone else who had been on the Spirit Nidus’s battleship, had been captured by Lu Yin and taken to the Heavens Sect.

This applicant had been one of the geniuses allowed to join the vanguard battleship that had invaded the Tianyuan Megaverse. At that time, Lu Yin had been curious about the young man, and he had even examined him carefully, but he had found nothing unusual. After that, the man had been thrown into the Tower of the Fifth.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yin was seeing the same young man again now.

The man appeared to be perfectly ordinary, and yet he insisted on wrapping himself in a blanket, and he did not stop trembling.

There was also no doubt that this young man had been the most powerful among the youths who had joined the Spirit Nidus’s vanguard.

"Why do you want to join the Grandverse Manor?" Lu Yin asked.

Jiang Qi trembled so violently that his blanket shook. "I... I have nowhere else to go."

Lu Yin stared at Jiang Qi, and his fingers moved as he flicked out a spiral of karma at Jiang Qi. The spiral should have passed right through Jiang Qi, but the moment it touched the man’s blanket, the spiral was shockingly stopped and diverted.

Lu Yin leaped to his feet and stared at Jiang Qi in horror. Impossible.

On Boundless, Chu Yi and many others turned to look at Lu Yin, confused by his reaction.

None of them had ever seen Lu Yin lose his composure in such a manner.

Jiang Qi trembled more violently than ever, and he quickly retreated. "I’m sorry I disturbed you. I'll leave."

Lu Yin stared at Jiang Qi in utter disbelief. He had failed. His Inner Clarity Technique had actually failed. How was that possible? The man before him was only a Spirit Warrior, as strong as an Envoy, so it was impossible for him to block Lu Yin’s Inner Clarity Technique. Was it the blanket? Could there be another reason?

Lu Yin’s comprehension of karma had prompted the High Seraph to race to the Tianyuan Megaverse from the Spirit Nidus. That same matter had earned Lu Yin the Origin Progenitor’s praise and Wei Nu’s envy. Despite all that, Lu Yin’s Inner Clarity Technique had just been stopped by someone so weak. It was unbelievable. He could not imagine how this had been accomplished.

He was just as shocked as when he had seen the High Seraph slaughtering everyone in the Heavens Sect.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Jiang Qi."

"You want to join the Grandverse Manor because you have nowhere else to go?"

"That’s right. I’m sorry for disturbing you. I'll leave now."

"You don’t need to leave. Stay."

Jiang Qi looked confused. "Why?"

"Didn't you say that you have nowhere else to go?" Lu Yin replied.

Jiang Qi thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have some ulterior motive for accepting me?"

Lu Yin let out a breath as he slowly sat back down. "You approached the Grandverse Manor and asked to join. Now that I'm accepting you, you’re questioning me?"

"Your reaction just now felt off. Did I do something to upset you?"

Lu Yin casually replied, "Your blanket is too dirty. I have a bit of an obsession with cleanliness."

Jiang Qi fell silent for a moment. "I'll wash it."

"Mm, it would be healthier to have it clean. You should also air it out when you have time. It's quite filthy."

"I'm sorry," Jiang Qi answered. He tried to make his blanket look smaller, and he even bent down to clean the floor with his hand.

Seeing an opportunity, Lu Yin sent out another spiral of karma. Just as it was about to touch Jiang Qi, the spiral was once again stopped and deflected.

Lu Yin's pupils shrank. He could not make any sense of this person.

Jiang Qi was absolutely normal. To anyone else, aside from his impressive talent and his strange habit of wrapping himself up in a blanket, everything else was perfectly normal. Only Lu Yin could sense something unusual, and even then, only with his spirals of karma.

During the previous timeline, the young man had never revealed any hint of abnormal behavior, even after he had been tossed into the Tower of the Fifth.

"Why do you wrap yourself in a blanket?" Lu Yin asked.

Jiang Qi replied, "I'm afraid of the light."

"Is that some sort of sickness?"

"I don't know. I’m just afraid."

Lu Yin allowed the young man to leave. Boundless had a designated place for newly accepted members to stay, which was in the Sand Ocean. However, people were also allowed to find their own place, as Boundless was vast.

After Jiang Qi left, Lu Yin sent his voice to Ba Liu, Yi Yao, Cai Jun, and several others, asking them to approach Jiang Qi and see if they could discover anything unusual about the man.

Over the course of the next half-month, three more people joined the Grandverse Manor after Jiang Qi’s arrival.

During this time, Ba Liu and several others repeatedly approached Jiang Qi. He did not avoid their visits, and occasionally poked his head out of his blanket to chat with people. He seemed quite easygoing and displayed no abnormalities. The only unusual thing was that Jiang Qi was extremely dirty. He was completely filthy.

Lu Yin also asked Chu Yi, Ce Wangtian, and others to see if they could see anything unusual about Jiang Qi.

No one could find anything abnormal about the young man.

They could easily pull Jiang Qi out of his blanket. He was afraid of the light, but that was nothing more than a psychological issue. He could survive without his blanket.

Lu Yin pondered. Nothing unusual? Was it the same as what he had found himself?

Without using a spiral of karma, there was nothing even the slightest bit odd about Jiang Qi. He was just an extraordinarily talented genius who had a psychological fear of light and who hid in a blanket. He was no different from the person that Lu Yin had seen in the alternate timeline.