Lu Sizhan replied, “There are many things in existence that are predestined. During any time of great upheaval, certain unfathomable figures will inevitably emerge. You can interpret that as people rising up in response to the times, or being shaped by those times, but no explanation truly suffices. Regardless, the appearance of such a person will surely alter many things. As soon as some people learn of this, they will not be able to refrain from taking action.”
Lu Siyu rolled her eyes. “Do you have to be so cryptic?”
“Girl, it’s fine if you don’t want to marry that man. Your father only ever wanted you to live a simple, happy life, while that man is destined for anything but a quiet existence,” Lu Sizhan stated. With that, he turned and left.
Lu Siyu continued to stare at the horizon. The carriage had already vanished.
...
Inside that carriage, Lu Yin was staring out the window. Far away, he saw streaks like meteors racing across the sky. Those lights might represent people or other creatures. The Mother Tree rose high, connecting the earth below with the sky above to create the most spectacular backdrop.
Drops fell onto Lu Yin’s hand. Is it raining?
He stared off into the distance. Lu Sizhan had listed many various requirements to become a Lesser Sancte that Lu Yin had just learned about. One that Lu Yin had not questioned further into, but which he knew to be among the most important was that a Lesser Sancte could not have cultivated sequence particles.
Sequence particles were seen as a cornerstone of true strength in the other three megaverses. Any cultivator who was capable of cultivating sequence particles would never refuse to do so. It was common knowledge that they were a necessary step to take on the climb to power.
However, after entering the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, speaking with Si Jiushi, and experiencing other exchanges, Lu Yin had come to understand that sequence particles could both strengthen and restrict a person.
Sequence particles were essentially a shortcut to the Immortal realm. Unfortunately, that shortcut was extremely treacherous until one reached the end of the road on the path to Immortality.
For example, say that an ordinary human attempted to climb a mountain. While it might take five hours to walk from the base to the peak along the normal path, one could also reach the summit in just an hour if they climbed straight up a treacherously steep path. While that shortcut initially matched the difficulty of the gradual path, as one approached the peak, the shortcut would grow steeper and steeper until it became a smooth, glossy cliff face at the very end. An ordinary person would never be able to climb such an obstacle, and they would only be able to helplessly peer up at the peak.
That was the price of cultivating sequence particles.
One would be able to see the peak much more quickly, but they would never be able to actually reach it. Climbing the steep, narrow path required far greater effort than walking the main path, and it also took much more time. Granted, this depended entirely on which sequence particles a person cultivated.
The reason why Yue Ya and the others had feared the Origin Progenitor so much was precisely because his sequence particles still offered a level path to the peak. His method was the path of rectitude, and his path to the peak of cultivation was still open.
In contrast, the vast majority of people who cultivated sequence particles would never succeed.
In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, many cultivators, particularly those who were confident in their own abilities, refused to cultivate sequence particles. This was not just because the narrow path was difficult. Even if cultivating sequence particles seemed to offer rapid growth early on, only to become difficult later, it still hindered those on the main path from reaching the peak. In essence, cultivating sequence particles could be regarded as a final weapon.
After all, how could anyone think about the Immortal realm if they could not even preserve their own life?
There were some people who did not choose to cultivate sequence particles, but were instead forced to do so.
Lu Yin did not know if he should feel lucky or unfortunate. He had always intended to start cultivating sequence particles, but because the timing had been off, he had never gotten around to it. This meant that, just like Luo Ning and the other geniuses, Lu Yin could always choose to pick up his next weapon and step onto the steep, narrow path.
That moment, when one picked up their next weapon and committed to sequence cultivation, was known as Path Initiation.
...
The Mother Tree stood between the earth and sky, looking as if it held up the entire universe. Far from its base, near the unseen top, the Blood Tower slowly rotated. Everything nearby rotated with the tower; some moved fast, and others slow. None could clearly see the tower, despite the fact that it stood high in the sky, eternal and unchanging.
“Yue Ya, for your second offense, you are permanently stripped of the title of Lesser Sancte, and you are banished to the Fifth Odyssey, effective immediately. Also, Path Initiation.”
Yue Ya stumbled out of the Blood Tower, humiliated and disgraced. He looked up and started begging, “Don’t make me take Path Initiation! Greater Sancte Blood Tower, give me another chance! Just one more! I can enter the Fifth Odyssey and fight for the Nine Odysseys Megaverse! I’ll do anything! Just don’t make me take Path Initiation!”
“Yue Ya, right now, begin Path Initiation!”
Yue Ya let out a wail of despair, but he could not defy the Blood Tower’s punishment. The dark-gold cloud boiled violently before suddenly racing off into the distance. Even so, the Blood Tower reappeared in his path. Yue Ya turned to escape in a different direction, only for the Blood Tower to appear yet again. Over and over, Yue Ye tried to flee, but the Blood Tower appeared everywhere.
“Why? Why can’t you just give me a chance? I want to transform my manifested thought! I want Word Manifestation! I want to become an Immortal! I want to become a Greater Sancte! You’re afraid! You’re afraid that I’ll surpass you! You’re afraid! Hahaha, you’re afraid! The three Greater Sancti fear a single Lesser Sancte! You’re afraid...”
No matter how much Yue Ya screamed and wailed, the Blood Tower remained impassable, trapping him and preventing him from escaping.
At last, the dark-gold cloud stopped churning. “Fine, I’ll start Path Initiation! Who says that sequence particles can’t lead one to Immortality? Just wait! I will find Lu Yin, and I’ll use his consciousness to transform! I will become a Greater Sancte! You won’t be able to stop me. You can’t stop me!”
After that, everything fell silent.
...
Across the vast lands of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, some regions were shrouded in darkness, while others were bathed in bright sunlight. There were places where rain joined hands with rainbows, and others where howling winds stirred the clouds. The land was massive and endless.
They had already crossed a great distance since leaving the Four Commands Sword Sect. Given the carriage’s speed, they would arrive at the Everchange Valley in just five more days.
The colossal beast that was pulling the carriage was an entirely different species from the one that Si Jiushi had used.
As they traveled, Elder Le enthusiastically shared the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s current state of affairs with Lu Yin. The man did not give any indication of looking down upon Lu Yin because he was from a different megaverse. Elder Le did not dare to be disrespectful.
Once one achieved sufficient power, their origin ceased to matter. This was especially true given that Lu Yin had emerged from the Sea of Karma, which meant that Greater Sancte Green Lotus knew of the young man. His next task was to assist the Everchange Valley, which made Lu Yin their most honored guest.
“Your young lady might not consider me a guest,” Lu Yin casually mentioned as he leaned back in his seat and looked out the carriage window. The scenery of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse gave off the impression of infinite beauty. It was completely different from the other three megaverses that Lu Yin had visited, and it looked like a fusion of fantasy and reality. It was a place that could be both ephemerally dreamy and utterly merciless.
Elder Le respectfully asked, “How could that happen? My young lady is gentle and kind. She will certainly treat you well.”
Lu Yin smiled. Gentle and kind? He wondered if anyone in the Sea of Karma had spoken to him gently and kindly, as Ming Xiaolong was being described.
There had been at least four women who had spoken against Lu Yin in the Sea of Karma. Of them, Lu Siyu’s voice had been the loudest.
“By the way, does your Everchange Valley have any karmic buds?”
Elder Le was taken aback. “Karmic buds?”
Lu Yin did not look at the man and instead continued to gaze at the passing scenery.
“This old man doesn’t know. You’ll need to ask the Valley Master. Do you require karmic buds?”
“It was just a question,” Lu Yin replied. Of course he needed karmic buds, but he could not say that directly. He was supposed to be helping the Everchange Valley. Because of that, asking for things would not be rude or out of line. However, Ming Xiaolong knew that Lu Yin was acting solely for his own gains, and she might consider him a sneaky little thief. If he demanded karmic buds outright, he might very well end up with a tongue lashing.
There were certain things that could only be understood through intuition. Such things could not be spoken or explained, but Elder Le understood perfectly.
“Karmic buds? Ah, the symbol of having a bit of fate. Those who receive one are considered fated, but those who give karmic buds away are also fated. Greater Sancte Green Lotus has reached that level, while we are far from reaching it,” Elder Le said with a sigh.
Lu Yin slowly smiled. “I’m certainly very fated.”
Elder Le was startled. He had only been mulling over certain things, not speaking directly to Lu Yin. Why was the man so eager to obtain karmic buds?
Several more days passed, and after passing over a vast stretch of land, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.
“Have we encountered the Everchange Valley’s Elder Le?”
The driver, who was also from the Everchange Valley, observed the group which was blocking the road with a solemn expression. “Indeed, this is Elder Le’s carriage. What business do you have with him?”
One man stepped forward and offered a respectful bow. “We are searching for a thief, and we respectfully request Elder Le’s assistance. We can promise that he will be handsomely compensated.”
The driver remained silent, as he was waiting for Elder Le to respond.
Elder Le said, “There’s no need to concern ourselves with this.”
The driver coldly replied, “Elder Le is weary, and we are on our way back to the Everchange Valley. Please move aside.”
The people in the group glanced at each other. They were clearly unwilling to accept the elder’s refusal and wanted to say more. However, the driver urged the carriage forward, and the people had no choice but to step aside.
After the carriage had traveled some distance away, Lu Yin looked down and said, “Come up.”
Elder Le was quite confused. “Who are you addressing?”
Lu Yin pointed to the floor below, and Elder Le looked down.
A hand rose up and grabbed the edge of the carriage. A person quickly climbed up. Their appearance startled the driver, and he snapped his long whip, only for the hand to catch it. A muffled voice rumbled, “Don’t, I’m not an enemy.”
“Allow them in,” Elder Le ordered as he glanced out. The hand was followed by a figure covered in dirt who climbed up from under the carriage. They had been hiding beneath the road, and when they saw a passing carriage, they had hitched a ride.
Lu Yin looked at the newcomer with open interest. While Elder Le was not particularly powerful, he was still a peak powerhouse. For this stowaway to have remained undiscovered proved that they were quite talented. It also seemed apparent that the people of the Everchange Valley could not observe Heaven and Earth Aura at all times.
The stowaway appeared cautious, though their movements remained both respectful and measured. As they faced Elder Le, they offered a polite bow. “I- this junior greets the elder of the Everchange Valley. I was being pursued by enemies and had no choice but to catch a ride on your carriage for a while. I beg your pardon, Elder.”
Elder Le looked over at Lu Yin. The stowaway had only been allowed in the carriage at Lu Yin’s request. Lu Yin had seen the person hiding beneath the carriage all along, but he had chosen not to expose them. Only after the carriage had traveled some distance did Lu Yin speak up. Elder Le was not certain of Lu Yin’s intentions.
The stowaway noticed Elder Le glancing at Lu Yin, and they quickly picked up on the implications. They quickly bowed to Lu Yin. “This junior greets you, Senior. You appeared to be a refined and learned man, and you must possess extraordinary cultivation. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my rudeness.”
Lu Yin met the woman’s gaze. “You’re a woman?”
The stowaway showed an embarrassed smile. “There are often inconveniences when traveling across these lands, so I frequently use a disguise. Please don’t take offense to this, Senior.”
“How did you manage it?”
“Manage what?”
“How did you predict that our carriage would directly pass over your hiding place?” Lu Yin asked.
Elder Le looked back at the stowaway. It was true. Given the size of the universe and the fact that carriages could travel across the ground or soar through the sky, depending on how they were driven, it was impossible to predict where one might pass. This woman had been hiding underground, and she would have been discovered by her pursuers if Elder Le’s carriage had not coincidentally traveled directly over her hiding place. How had she managed to pull that off?
The woman pulled out a small vial from her cosmic ring. It held a bit of powder. “There are countless different species of beasts that are used to draw carriages in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, but only a few are able to attract the attention of the powerful. One such beast is the Bluethorn Beast. This road directly leads to the Everchange Valley, and most of the people from that sect use Bluethorn Beasts to pull their carriages. To avoid conflicts, the Everchange Valley holds a monopoly over the rearing of these beasts. I personally prepared this powder to lure Bluethorn Beasts over.
“Before hiding, I scattered a bit of this powder near my hiding place. Even if a Bluethorn Beast flew through the sky, it would have been drawn down to me. No matter how a driver directed the beast, after smelling this powder, any Bluethorn Beast would have completely ignored their driver.”
Elder Le was astonished. “This powder can attract Bluethorn Beasts? How is that possible?”
The woman’s cheeks flushed. “Well, astral beasts are still living creatures, and all living creatures have certain needs... such as reproduction...”
Elder Le understood, though he found the woman’s expression to be a bit odd.