Star Odyssey

Chapter 2645 – Hollow

As Lu Yin listened to You Fang, he subconsciously rubbed his cosmic ring. “If the former is true, then what you’re telling me to do would be no different from cutting off my own arm. If the latter is true, then this junior has no choice but to fully commit to this investigation. Even if this matter has nothing to do with me, your You family loses nothing by having me lead this investigation. You’ve thought things through well, Senior."

"Will you do it?" You Fang asked.

Lu Yin shrugged. "I’m at an impasse in uncovering more spies. This person might be deliberately trying to stir up trouble between Monarch Luo and your You family, and they might very well be a spy. It’s certainly worth looking into."

You Fang nodded. "I hope to hear good news from you."

He turned to leave, but before exiting, the patriarch added, "I heard that you offended the Heavens Sect’s Dao Monarch Lu Yin in the Origin Universe. Is that true?"

Lu Yin's eyes went wide, but his voice remained steady. "Yes."

"Lu Yin… I’ve heard of him. He’s rather capable. If possible, I would like to meet him and resolve things between the two of you." With that, You Fang left.

Lu Yin's gaze flickered. What did You Fang mean by those words? What was the man hinting at?

Even if everyone in the Sixverse Association knew that Xuan Qi was from the Origin Universe, no one would ever connect him with Lu Yin. However, the same could not be said of You Fang. He was already convinced that Monarch Mu's disappearance was somehow connected to Xuan Qi, despite the fact that Xuan Qi lacked the necessary strength. It was impossible for Xuan Qi to do anything to Monarch Mu, but if there was a peak powerhouse from the Origin Universe supporting him, then the situation was completely different.

There was no question that You Fang had figured out Xia Shenji's identity. With a bit of analysis, the man might have even guessed that Monarch Mu's disappearance was connected to the Origin Universe’s Heavens Sect.

You Fang's guesses were leading him in the right direction. This was not because others could not think of the same possibilities, but rather because they would never even consider such a line of reasoning.

Lu Yin took a deep breath. He could not deny his own fault in this matter. He had voluntarily approached the You family, which had immediately roused You Fang’s suspicions. After that, Lu Yin had tried to probe the information broker by using some important information as bait, which had ultimately caused Monarch Luo to barge into the Ziyou Realm, which had roused You Fang's suspicions again. Lu Yin’s actions had made You Fang suspect Xuan Qi every step of the way, which only made the man’s conjectures increasingly accurate.

Even so, Lu Yin did not have any other choice. If he had not probed the information broker, it would have been very difficult for him to uncover any spies in the Transcendent Universe. He also had to approach the You family, as how else would he be able to start scheming against the Transcendent Universe? The You family and He Ran were on opposite sides in a political confrontation, which meant that Lu Yin needed to get close to the You family.

It could only be said that the You family was too unconventional. You Fang and You Lele were both eccentrics.

By following his string of assumptions, just how far away was You Fang from the truth? The man did not require any evidence to support his conjectures, as he treated his assumptions as no different from facts.

Just to be careful, Lu Yin considered the possibility of abandoning his identity as Xuan Qi. If anyone in the Sixverse Association managed to connect Xuan Qi to Lu Yin, it would be very easy for them to verify it. 

However, how could Lu Yin simply abandon this important identity that had been so useful already? He felt incredibly conflicted.

If all else failed, he would simply avoid the You family.

After coming to this conclusion, Lu Yin quickly left with Boss Guan and the others from the Voidforce Universe’s Bureau. He had decided to meet with He Ran as his next destination was the Three Monarchs Universe.

Since You Fang had tasked Xuan Qi to go to the Three Monarchs Universe and uncover the person who had given the information to Monarch Luo, Lu Yin had decided that it would be best to follow Patriarch You's instructions. That way, he would avoid anything that might possibly negatively impact him or his identity.

However, before making his way to the Three Monarchs Universe, he first needed to understand the three Monarchs, especially Monarch Luo.

For that reason, Lu Yin decided to speak with He Ran.

"You Fang told you to go to the Three Monarchs Universe? And you need to investigate the person who supplied Monarch Luo the information that led to his attack on the You family?" He Ran asked, surprised.

Lu Yin nodded helplessly. "Sister Ran, this person was able to reach Monarch Luo while still remaining anonymous, which is proof of their ability. Your little brother isn't confident that I can handle this on my own."

"Should I speak to You Fang? This matter should be the Three Monarchs Universe's responsibility. It has nothing to do with you," He Ran offered.

Lu Yin replied, "This person is suspected of deliberately creating trouble between Monarch Luo and the You family. Given that, they might even be a spy. It's my duty to deal with spies, so talking to You Fang won't be of any help. Besides…"

Lu Yin trailed off, leaving words unsaid.

Appearing concerned, He Ran asked, "Is there a problem?"

Lu Yin sighed. "You Fang's attitude towards me has completely changed, and he’s even been speaking ill of you, Sister Ran. I can't stand it any longer, and I'm afraid that I'll get into an argument with him before much longer. So, I'd much rather go to the Three Monarchs Universe before anything happens."

He Ran became indignant. "You Fang has gone too far! Regardless of his feelings towards me, the You family invited you from the Voidforce Universe to help them capture spies. How can he treat you badly just because of our relationship? Uncle Mo, do you mind taking a trip to the You family for me?" 

Lu Yin quickly spoke up, "There’s no need for that, Sister Ran. I don't want to get into an open conflict with the You family, so let's not trouble Uncle Mo."

Uncle Mo looked at He Ran, who nodded. "Alright, we will avoid getting involved with the You family in the future."

He Ran had never intended for Xuan Qi to interact with the You family. She was far more concerned about what Bai Qian might be up to. Thus, for her, it would be better to simply avoid the You family for the moment.

"Sister Ran, what kind of person is Monarch Luo?" Lu Yin suddenly asked.

He Ran felt puzzled by the question. "Why are you asking about Monarch Luo?"

Lu Yin replied, "I'll be visiting the Three Monarchs Universe, and Monarch Luo and You Fang are both peak powerhouses. I might not be able to avoid the two of them."

"You won’t come into contact with Monarch Luo," Uncle Mo's voice echoed from a hidden space.

Lu Yin felt genuinely confused. 

Uncle Mo explained, "The Three Monarchs Universe is constantly being watched by Forgotten Ruins God. While it is the weakest official member of the Sixverse Association, the warfront in that universe is no better than any other universe’s, and it is actually even more intense than most. This is why the Cyclic Universe immediately stepped in when Monarch Mu went missing and forced people from the Origin Universe to help the Three Monarchs Universe.”

"Monarch Luo's recent intrusion into the Ziyou Realm was because of Monarch Mu’s disappearance. This means that the rainbow wall’s defenses have dropped significantly, which is unacceptable to many parties. The Sixverse Association does not want any problems to arise in the Three Monarchs Universe. Even if Monarch Mu's disappearance is truly connected to the You family, Monarch Luo should have first asked the Transcendent Universe to investigate the matter. His absence from the Three Monarchs Universe could cause the rainbow wall to quickly fall, which would lead to irreparable losses. Not to mention, he also brought a peak powerhouse from the Origin Universe with him.”

"After the Cyclic Universe’s formal declaration, Monarch Luo won't be able to leave the rainbow wall for the foreseeable future."

Lu Yin sighed in relief. While the Three Monarchs Universe was the weakest member universe of the Sixverse Association, that did not mean that Monarch Luo himself was weak. On the contrary, both Xu Leng and You Fang were very wary of the man, and of particular note, Xu Leng had even referred to Monarch Luo as a legend. Such words were not lightly used.

"Uncle Mo, is Monarch Luo very strong?" Lu Yin asked, even though this was almost the same as his first question.

Uncle Mo glanced at He Ran, and he only responded after receiving a slight nod from her. "The Sixverse Association may distinguish between strong and weak universes, but the three Monarchs themselves are far from weak. Monarch Luo, whose full name is Luo Shan, is one of the rare individuals who emerged from the Hollow alive."

Lu Yin's pupils shrank. The Hollow was the absolute darkness that appeared when Progenitor-level figures shattered the void during a battle.

No one understood precisely what the Hollow was. Lu Yin had already asked several different people, including a few peak powerhouses, what would happen if a person fell into that strange dark space. Every time, he had received the same answer: certain death.

The Hollow was a place with no light, no sound, no touch—nothing at all. Everything that was known about it came from observations made outside the Hollow, because no one actually knew what lay within its depths, as no one had ever emerged alive.

There were many strange things throughout the megaverse. The space that normal people could observe was nothing more than reality’s surface level. The void that cultivators could tear open, the true universe that Envoys absorbed stellular energy from, and many other examples were all actually different layers of reality. No one knew how many layers actually existed.

The Hollow was a layer that humans could enter but were unable to comprehend.

This was no different from how the first human cultivator to tear the void open could not have understood the implications of their actions. It was possible that future generations of humans could master the Hollow, but for the moment, no one could.

Lu Yin had never heard of anyone returning from the Hollow alive.

"Did Monarch Luo really emerge from the Hollow alive?" Lu Yin was shocked.

Uncle Mo solemnly stated, "There are sixty two universes in the entire Sixverse Association. When the association was first established, there were other universes that were more prosperous and powerful than the Three Monarchs Universe, but the Three Monarchs Universe was chosen to become an official member universe over all the others. This is because of Monarch Luo.”

"Truthfully, it is possible that, aside from the Great Sovereign himself, no one else truly knows the full extent of Monarch Luo’s power. While some people have the impression that Monarch Luo needs to work together with Monarch Mu and Monarch Xing to use the Three Monarchs Formation to counter Forgotten Ruins God, many others believe that Monarch Luo, who returned from the Hollow alive, can stand up to Forgotten Ruins God on his own. Of course, that is all pure speculation. The only hint of evidence to support such beliefs is the Great Sovereign's attitude towards Monarch Luo.”

"The Great Sovereign himself shows Monarch Luo a certain level of respect."

After hearing Uncle Mo's explanation, Lu Yin thought back to the battle that he had witnessed in the Ziyou Realm. Throughout the entire ordeal, Monarch Luo had only ever used his monarch essence and an ability that was very similar to a Progenitor's world. Not once had the man used a single battle technique. On top of that, Monarch Luo’s aura had always given Lu Yin a vague sense of danger.

Was the man hiding some deep secret? Did the You family know what it was? Could that be the reason why the You family had not tried to fight Monarch Luo to the death?

"Little Brother, don't overthink things. You and Monarch Luo will not cross paths for the time being, and Monarch Luo also has a cooperative relationship with our Transcendent Universe. While you are there, he will certainly support you. You will fare much better while you are in the Three Monarchs Universe," He Ran said reassuringly.

Lu Yin felt bitter. Fare much better? If Monarch Luo took one look at Xuan Qi, he would definitely recognize him as Lu Yin. The man was no weaker than Xu Wuwei.

The Three Monarchs Universe was the only member of the Sixverse Association that tried every possible way to interact with the Origin Universe. Monarch Luo was definitely familiar with Lu Yin.

The more Lu Yin learned about the Sixverse Association, the more he understood the powers of the various parallel universes. None of them were as simple as they first appeared to be; there was the Voidforce Universe’s Lord Xu and Xu Wuwei, the Transcendent Universe’s ruler with their black energy converters, Bestowal Art, and ongoing research into cultivation technologies. This was not considering the Cyclic Universe either. Even the Three Monarchs Universe, which appeared to be the simplest and easiest to deal with, was no pushover.

Just what was Luou Shan hiding? Despite his strength, he was still cooperating with others and using the Three Monarchs Formation to resist Forgotten Ruins God. He made sure that people had the impression that the Three Monarchs Universe would be defeated without outside help. Even Uncle Mo and the others who cooperated with Monarch Luo could not see through the multiple layers of the man’s facade.

This man was exactly the same kind of person as Luo Zang.

After considering the situation, Lu Yin decided to try to get some more information from Monarch Mu. Only she and Monarch Xing might have a better understanding of Monarch Luo than He Ran.

Lu Yin did not waste any time. After bidding farewell to He Ran, he traveled to the Three Monarchs Universe along with Boss Guan, Skinner, and Xu Ji. As for Xu Yue, she was left behind in the Transcendent Universe. At least officially, Xuan Qi had accepted the You family's invitation to help them capture spies in the Transcendent Universe.

… 

The Three Monarchs Universe gave off a completely different feeling from the Transcendent Universe. Lu Yin could clearly feel the difference since he had also cultivated monarch essence.

While the Three Monarchs Universe was not very large, the entire universe had been transformed by monarch essence. It would be possible for Lu Yin to use his die’s Possession ability in the Three Monarchs Universe, as long as he used monarch essence to power it. This meant that his next task was very simple: he needed to make money.