Star Odyssey

Chapter 3957: The Past And Speculation

Lu Yin nodded. “That’s fine. Go ahead and do it. I hope that your Jue family’s legacy that you’ve accumulated for so many years can bring some pleasant surprises to this war.”

Jue Ling and Yu Jing exchanged glances. It felt like Lu Yin was mocking them, but it was also possible that he was not.

They moved away and started studying how to integrate Heaven and Earth as One into the Immovable Skyveil Formation.

Jue Huang then arrived, expressing her deep gratitude to Lu Yin.

She did not thank him for his efforts in the war itself, but rather for saving her.

“These bugs have no humanity. I would rather die than become a tool for them to use. Mr. Lu, in saving me, you not only spared my life, but you also saved the Jue family’s honor, possibly even all of humanity’s honor.” Jue Huang bowed again.

Lu Yin waved her thanks off. “You overstate things. Jue Rou, take your ancestor away to rest.”

Jue Rou nodded and helped Jue Huang move away.

Next, Ye Ge arrived, and he also bowed to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin was speechless. “I saved a lot of people after arriving on the battlefield. There’s no need for everyone to come and thank me in person. I’m not that friendly.”

Ye Ge gave a wry smile. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Lu. I am Ye Ge. I just want to thank you for saving my life.”

With that, the old man bowed low and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Ye Ge turned back around, directing a look of puzzlement towards Lu Yin, who was staring at the old man. “Did you say that your name is Ye Ge?”

Ye Ge nodded. “Yes.”

“Ye Ge, the former guardian of the Wisdom Domain?” Lu Yin pressed.

Ye Ge said, “Yes, I once served as the guardian of the Wisdom Domain. Oh, right, since you entered the Nine Odysseys Megaverse through the Spirit Nidus, it makes sense that you know my name.”

Lu Yin nodded. “I have heard of you. You seem to be from quite an ancient generation. It’s truly a miracle that you’ve managed to live until now.”

Long ago, when Lu Yin had discussed the Wisdom Domain’s Codex 15 with Su Shidao, the man had mentioned that he had once tried to examine the spirit treasure formation, only to be stopped by that generation’s guardian, Ye Ge.

Ye Ge had been old even back then, coming from a generation that predated even the High Seraph’s. Su Shidao had also mentioned that Ye Ge had to have died, as otherwise, he would be about as old as Master Qing Cao, who was an Immortal. Not even cryostasis could allow someone to live for so long.

Ye Ge sighed. “Originally, I certainly couldn’t have lived for this long, but I coincidentally suffered an internal hidden injury, which led me to go into cryostasis early on in my life. I was frozen for far longer than anyone could have imagined, which is what’s allowed me to survive until now. However, I don’t have much time left. That is why I wanted to earn some merit in this war against the bugs, in hopes of asking an Immortal to heal my injury, which would give me a while longer.”

The man’s voice then took on a self-mocking tone. “After all, everyone has a reason to pursue Immortality. Who doesn’t want to live longer?”

Lu Yin understood how Ye Ge had managed to survive for so long.

It was possible that, if his time in cryostasis was not taken into account, Ye Ge had lived for a much shorter amount of time than the average peak Dukkhan. Without his hidden injury, he might enjoy many more years of life, but that injury had cut his life short.

Ye Ge was curious. “What led you to hear about me? I was the guardian of the Wisdom Domain a very long time ago.”

Lu Yin asked, “Do you remember Su Shidao?”

Ye Ge took a moment to think before he managed to remember. “That youth who wanted to test Codex 15? Did he mention me to you?”

“That’s right. When we were discussing Codices 15 and 16, he mentioned you. At that time, I was still rather hostile towards the Wisdom Domain and was afraid that you might still be alive and ruin my plans,” Lu Yin stated frankly. He had nothing to hide.

Ye Ge felt relieved. “I’m lucky that I didn’t stay in the Wisdom Domain. Becoming your enemy would caused me to die long ago.”

Lu Yin chuckled. “Not necessarily. I might have been the one to have died.”

Ye Ge gave a small cough and quickly said, “Mr. Lu, don’t joke around. How could I possibly be your match?”

While that was true at the moment, if Ye Ge had indeed stayed in the Wisdom Domain, Lu Yin would not have been the old man’s opponent during his time in the Spirit Nidus.

After all, Ye Ge was strong enough to team up with Jue Huang to fight against Shan Lie.

The man was a peak Dukkhan, even if he had not reached that level through his own efforts. He had accepted a Seed Transfusion, which meant that he had always belonged to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse rather than the Spirit Nidus.

The High Seraph was aware of the difference between how the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Spirit Nidus cultivated, so had he ever considered changing things?

Yong Heng was an extremely calculating man, and he had gone so far as to target Tian Ci’s mirebound artifact spirit seed in order to alter his cultivation method. In that case, what about Mo Shang? Had Mo Shang not known that Tian Ci had possessed a mirebound artifact that was a spirit seed?

Thinking of Mo Shang brought the Origin Progenitor and the Willbound Spire back into his thoughts, ruining Lu Yin’s mood again.

“If there had been an expert like you in the Tianyuan Megaverse back then, the Spirit Nidus would never have dared to target it. I suppose that I was lucky. I was almost the one sent to deal with your megaverse, but ultimately, they replaced me with Yuan Qi,” Ye Ge remarked.

Lu Yin’s eyes glinted sharply as he looked back at Ye Ge. “Yuan Qi replaced you?”

Ye Ge nodded, and thought back to that time. “The Spirit Nidus wanted to lower the Tianyuan Megaverse’s potential as part of their preparation to reset it. That was why they sent a top expert to assist Yong Heng in eliminating the strongest people in your megaverse. There were initially several candidates, myself among them. At the time, they didn’t know that I was from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, as the Wisdom Domain couldn’t openly admit to that. After all, sending people to the Tianyuan Megaverse was not a matter that the High Seraph or the Wisdom Domain alone could decide, as it was part of the Spirit Nidus’s overall strategy.

“It’s said that, at that time, Yong Heng personally asked Yuan Qi to be sent, and the High Seraph also intended for Seraph Yuan Qi to go. In the end, that was exactly who was sent, despite his unwillingness.

“Sending Yuan Qi to the Tianyuan Megaverse was quite the scandal at that time. After all, he was one of the Seven Seraphs, and it was quite a thing to send a Seraph so far away when no one knew how long it would take for him to return. There were even some who suggested that his title be revoked, as well as a number of other suggestions.”

Before the man was able to finish reminiscing, Lu Yin interrupted him. “Yong Heng asked for Yuan Qi? Are you saying that Yong Heng was in the Spirit Nidus at that time?”

Ye Ge was not at all upset that he had been cut off. He was speaking with Lu Yin, whom the old man instinctively regarded on the same level as an Immortal. “That’s right. Yong Heng once visited the Spirit Nidus.”

“It takes a long time to travel between the Tianyuan and the Spirit Nidus,” Lu Yin commented.

Ye Ge smiled. “Such time means little to cultivators, especially to a top powerhouse like Yong Heng. Even tens of thousands of years can pass in the blink of an eye. Mr. Lu, are you saying that the history you know of indicates that Yong Heng shouldn’t have been able to travel back and forth between the Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan Megaverse back then?

“The truth is that everyone’s speed is a bit different, and Yong Heng may even have some special means. As far as I know, Yong Heng first went from the Spirit Nidus to the Tianyuan Megaverse, and then he later returned. It was when he returned that he asked Yuan Qi to be sent to help him. After that, he hurried back to the Tianyuan Megaverse from the Spirit Nidus, and Yuan Qi made the journey after that.”

Lu Yin frowned. Something was definitely wrong with that timeline. He was aware of some of the Tianyuan’s history from that era, as it was the time when the Three Realms and Six Daos had risen to power and when the Heavens Sect had been at its greatest heights. There was simply not enough time for Yong Heng to have traveled back and forth between the Tianyuan and the Spirit Nidus. If Yong Heng had really made that trip, it would contradict the order of events that had taken place in the Tianyuan. There was only one possibility: Yong Heng had not made the trip on his own.

There was no question that Yong Heng had made the journey between the two megaverses in a fraction of the time that Yuan Qi had taken. Yuan Qi had taken an incredibly long time to reach the Tianyuan. If he did not believe that he had discovered Mo Shang’s secret and been afraid of being eliminated, the Seraph would have never gone on such a lengthy journey. What about Yong Heng? Would he really have taken the time to travel to the Spirit Nidus just to request Yuan Qi be sent over? No matter how Lu Yin considered the matter, it simply did not make any sense.

There was only one answer; Yong Heng had traveled between the Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan at the speed of an Immortal. That meant that he had not made the journey on his own, but rather been taken by the one supporting him: either the mysterious Immortal or Master Qing Cao. Back then, Yong Heng and Master Qing Cao must have already agreed to cooperate.

That meant that there really was a secret behind Yuan Qi. For an Immortal to take Yong Heng to the Spirit Nidus just to request Yuan Qi’s presence, it could not have been because of the man himself. It had to be because of whoever or whatever had controlled him at some point in time. That was the entity who had learned that Yuan Qi had been cuckolded. Yong Heng, or possibly the Immortal behind him, had targeted that unknown entity. That was the reason why Yuan Qi had been forced to leave the Spirit Nidus.

Why had it been so important for Yuan Qi to leave the Spirit Nidus?

Lu Yin suddenly looked down at the green lotus leaf beneath him and then in the direction of the Spirit Nidus. Could that be it?

Ye Ge had no idea that a casual remark had allowed Lu Yin to see a certain possibility, though it was one that sent a chill through him.

Seeing that Lu Yin had fallen deep into thought, Ye Ge repeatedly ran back through all that he had said to the younger man. Was there some problem? The only possibility was that something had to be related to the history of the Tianyuan Megaverse. Yong Heng must have done something there that contradicted what Ye Ge had recounted, and Mr. Lu had picked out that contradiction.

However, Ye Ge had not mentioned anything that could be considered a secret.

Lu Yin finally looked back at Ye Ge. “When Yong Heng visited the Spirit Nidus and requested Yuan Qi, was Yuan Qi unwilling to go?”

Ye Ge grew far more cautious of his words, despite not knowing exactly which details Lu Yin was concerned about. The old man’s caution was useless. “That’s correct. Seraph Yuan Qi refused to go, even after the High Seraph ordered him to. Still, a Seraph is ultimately just a Seraph, and how could Yuan Qi have stood up to the High Seraph? In the end, he was still forced to leave.”

Lu Yin stared at Ye Ge. “So, Mo Shang put pressure on Yuan Qi, forcing him to go to the Tianyuan Megaverse?”

Ye Ge nodded.

“Did that happen before or after Yong Heng arrived and requested his presence?” Lu Yin continued.

Ye Ge knew that this answer was important. Lu Yin’s expression made that much clear, and the old man thought back carefully.

Lu Yin said, “There’s no rush. Think it through before you answer. This is very important.”

Ye Ge regretted his earlier comments. He should have just walked away. Why had he gotten sentimental about the past? It was a symptom of old age. He had grown fond of reminiscing about the past, and doing so had just gotten him into trouble.

Lu Yin waited patiently. He was not worried that Ye Ge might be lying. The old man did not even understand the importance of what he was saying. While his answer was very important to Lu Yin, to almost anyone else, these historical details were trivial.

Quite a while later, Ye Ge finally said, “Before.”

Lu Yin’s eyes flashed. “Are you sure?”

Ye Ge nodded. “I’m certain. I carefully recalled that time. When Yong Heng was demanding that Yuan Qi be sent to him, Yuan Qi once said, ‘The High Seraph is going through quite the trouble to send me to the Tianyuan Megaverse if even you’ve come.’

“I remember that comment very clearly. Yuan Qi had very clearly refused Yong Heng. As for why he eventually still went, I can’t say.

“It was after that that rumors spread that the High Seraph wanted to deal with Seraph Yuan Qi, and many people believed it. After all, the High Seraph had made repeated efforts to send Seraph Yuan Qi to the Tianyuan Megaverse.”

Lu Yin stared intently at Ye Ge and nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”

Ye Ge breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re welcome. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Lu Yin stared out into the Aevum Inch, his expression inscrutable.