Star Odyssey

Chapter 4095: Lan Meng

The Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm churned as lotuses blossomed, holding up the descending darkness.

Luo Chan took that opening to vanish.

It was too late for Lu Yin to attack the bug again. The Immortal Lord had just made a move to save Luo Chan, granting the bug the chance to escape.

In the distance, the humanoid Verdant Sage looked bedraggled. Cracks ran across their skin, leaking lines of blood.

Luo Chan appeared behind the Immortal. “Master.”

The Immortal panted as they looked at the Tianyuan. Still merged with the megaverse, Lu Yin took a step forward, meeting the insect’s gaze.

“Human, you have my compliments. You actually accomplished such a thing. This is regarded as an old joke in the cosmos, and yet you’ve made it real,” the humanoid Verdant Sage spoke in a hoarse voice. Clearly, they were badly injured.

Lu Yin had not expected to gain so much power after merging with the Tianyuan. This was the inconceivable method that Greater Sancte Green Lotus had mentioned that Lu Yin had access to. He had given much to the Tianyuan, and it was repaying him now.

The megaverse’s gift allowed Lu Yin to truly possess the combat power of an Immortal. Not even the humanoid Verdant Sage’s Three Revolutions of Qianyuan had been enough to suppress Lu Yin.

Of course, he was only able to use this method within the Tianyuan. If he left his home megaverse, he would only be Lu Yin once again.

“Perhaps every joke can be made real,” Lu Yin replied.

The Verdant Sage shook their head. “If that were true, the Aevum Inch would have descended into chaos long ago. Lu Yin, is it? There is no need to determine a victor in this fight. This is a war after all.”

With that, the creature vanished, taken away by Luo Chan.

Lu Yin’s mood soured. They were indeed at war, and there was no need for a decisive victory. If one Immortal failed to win, it meant that two would come next time.

He quickly merged his Karmic Dao into the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm to speak with Greater Sancte Green Lotus.

“Senior, the humanoid Verdant Sage fled. They’ll likely return with the other immortal Verdant Sage.”

“I know. I’ve already sent Awe Gate to deal with that one, but do not hope for much.”

Lu Yin grimly asked, “Who was that who just made a move just now?”

“The Immortal Lord.”

“How does the Immortal Lord compare to you, Senior?”

Greater Sancte Green Lotus hesitated. “I cannot say. That Immortal’s methods are unknown to me. We must be careful, as they may strike again from the shadows.”

Beyond the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm, the Immortal Kang Tian’s power filled the surrounding region, transforming space into a mire that the snail then infused with Lifeforce and Immortal matter to block Ku Deng and Awe Gate’s assault.

Awe Gate clenched the shaft of her weapon, Awecloud, and then both she and Ku Deng opened up rifts that tore the spatial quagmire apart.

Lightning fell from overhead, pounding against the rifts.

One of Kang Tian’s eyes was locked onto Ku Deng, while the other stared at Awe Gate. The glassy substance continuously shifted around the giant snail, maneuvering to intercept the rifts’ force attacking the creature.

Awe Gate’s gaze grew sharp. She moved forward, a gate appearing and then vanishing.

Kang Tian twitched. She was using that move again. The snail had already suffered from that technique before. The human woman had abruptly appeared right in front of the creature and nearly blinded it.

Awe Gate had just vanished for a second time.

There was no hesitation; Kang Tian blasted itself with lightning, shrouding its entire body with energy.

Awe Gate reappeared, but this time, she was beneath Kang Tian. Awecloud thrust upward, only to be blocked by the lightning.

The lightning that battered Kang Tian was the snail’s defense, and it stopped Awe Gate’s attack, though the spear’s impact still sent the snail flying.

Ku Deng’s rift devoured all that drew near, disrupting the lightning.

Kang Tian withdrew its whole body into its shell.

Right after that, the rifts spread across the spatial mire. Awe Gate arrived in front of Kang Tian yet again, Awecloud in hand and pointing at the snail from a distance. Multiple gates shrank while spinning around the spear. “Cloud Manifest.”

She dragged a hand across Awecloud, and it became a streak of light that shot straight at Kang Tian.

Kang Tian twitched at the abrupt danger. Darkness emerged from its shell, lashing out to slam against the spear.

The void shattered again and again. Beyond them, the damage rippled outwards, enveloping a group of giant snails and tearing them to pieces.

Awecloud madly spun about as the gates orbiting it shattered one after another. Despite that, the weapon continued to move closer to Kang Tian. When the final gate shattered, the spear struck the shell, creating a fine crack.

Kang Tian was horrified. This human was too ferocious. She looked more delicate than the first human, so why did she fight like this?

Was it really necessary?

Right at that moment, a drop of water swept in from the side, and it batted Awecloud away.

Awe Gate turned to look at the distant droplet-shaped Verdant Sage, her bloodlust surging.

Kang Tian took the chance to retreat. “I have no wish to be an enemy of your human civilization. Killing me will only add to your restrictions, so why do it?”

Ku Deng arrived at Awe Gate’s side, Lifeforce roiling from his body. “This old monk just broke into the Immortal realm. I don’t mind increasing my chain a bit.”

“That’s not necessary,” Kang Tian quickly replied.

Awe Gate raised a hand, causing Awecloud to sweep back into her grip. She leveled the spear at Kang Tian. “You came here, so now you die.”

Greater Sancte Green Lotus then spoke. His message caused Awe Gate’s expression to change, and Awecloud swung to point at the droplet-shaped Verdant Sage. Gates shrank and spun around the blade. “Cloud Manifest!”

Awecloud transformed into a beam of light that shot at the droplet creature. The void was locked down and time was fractured, eliminating all paths of escape.

The bug seemed to have been prepared, as a massive blue drop of water took form and swept across to crash into Awecloud. Even before the droplet and the spear met, the bug had already vanished.

Awecloud pierced the droplet and opened up an endless black fissure across the Aevum Inch.

The droplet-shaped Verdant Sage was already gone.

Awe Gate’s expression fell. She had been one step too late.

“What happened?” Ku Deng asked, puzzled as to why Awe Gate had suddenly targeted the Verdant Sage.

Her voice was grave. “Lu Yin is in trouble.”

Greater Sancte Green Lotus let out a breath. They had failed to stop the bug. He immediately informed Lu Yin while also using the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm to pressure the bugs, only for a sense of danger to reappear. The Immortal Lord was once again acting to restrain Green Lotus.

In the Tianyuan, Lu Yin’s expression grew solemn. So, they’re on their way.

He knew that he would have to face the two immortal Verdant Sages on his own. These were the creatures who had once sought to destroy the Nine Odysseys Megaverse. If he lost, the Tianyuan would be doomed.

He inhaled a deep breath. Let them come.

He would see just how far he and the Tianyuan could go.

After some time had passed, Lu Yin frowned. Why had no one arrived? Luo Chan’s ability meant that the Immortals should have arrived in no more than two instants, perhaps just one.

“This is not good. They have most likely found that Immortal beast,” Greater Sancte Green Lotus informed Lu Yin.

Lu Yin’s expression changed rather drastically. “What?”

Outside the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm, in a different direction, a deafening roar spread across the Aevum Inch. The Immortal monster appeared, howling at the cosmos.

The droplet-shaped Verdant Sage grimaced. “That thing is also hostile towards us. It won’t be easy to take it along.”

The other Immortal bug replied, “It’s karma, no doubt. It will be difficult to take it, but not impossible. Luo Chan, get ready.”

“Yes, Master.”

Humanity had risen to strength by utilizing their intelligence. They had risen from nothing to become a civilization with multiple Immortals. However, there were also many highly intelligent creatures throughout the cosmos.

During their clashes with the human civilization, the Nest civilization had demonstrated exceptional cunning.

This time, Lu Yin was experiencing not only the bugs’ intellect, but also their foresight and planning.

Back when Lu Yin had altered the Immortal monster’s karma to lead it towards the Tianyuan to attack the droplet-shaped Verdant Sage, the bug had avoided fighting against the monster. However, the droplet creature had left a mark on it, which had made it possible for it to find the monster again as long as they were within a certain range.

With Luo Chan, that “certain range” meant that it was only a matter of time before the Nest civilization found the monster. It was completely different from when Awe Gate and Ku Deng had tried to find Luo Chan.

Within just a few years, the insects had determined the Immortal beast’s location, which was just a short distance away from the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm.

The Immortal monster had never abandoned its desire for revenge, which was why it had remained nearby. That had granted the Nest civilization an opening.

Lu Yin had used the Immortal beast against the Nest civilization, and the bugs could use the monster against the Tianyuan.

There was no need for the beast to even target anyone; its size alone meant that its mere presence would be disastrous for the Tianyuan.

Lu Yin had prepared for the worst, which he had believed to be fighting against the Nest’s two Immortal Verdant Sages on his own. Instead, the situation was playing out even worse than anticipated. If the Immortal monster arrived, then even if it fought against the Immortal bugs, the battlefield would be too close to the Tianyuan. The bugs could simply redirect the monster closer to the Megaverse. Humanity would be the ones to suffer the worst.

Lu Yin quietly stood outside the Tianyuan, awaiting a showdown that could start at any moment.

Elsewhere, beyond the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm, the droplet creature left. Awe Gate launched yet another assault against Kang Tian, this one even fiercer than before. As she attacked, Ku Deng released endless Lifeforce. The giant snail had absolutely no idea what was going on.

It did not know why that droplet creature had appeared, why it had vanished, or why the two human Immortals were suddenly attacking like mad. Kang Tian knew absolutely nothing.

Its only purpose had been to serve as bait.

This was the reality of the Aevum Inch; danger lurked everywhere.

Right at that moment, a long blue sword appeared, and it blocked Awecloud.

Awe Gate fell back, her eyes locked onto the blue sword.

The void behind the sword warped, and a figure emerged. It was ten meters tall, but while it had the shape of a human, the skin looked like bark, and the hands had claws, though they were not sharp. They looked more like branches. As the creature lifted its head, it revealed a skull-like face and a blue halo that circled behind the skull.

The creature was humanoid but clearly not human.

It looked like a fusion of a humanoid skeleton and a tree trunk with scales covering its skin.

There were eight empty openings dotted across the skull-like face where eyes should have been.

Humans had two eyes, but this creature had space for eight.

There were no eyes and no way to read the creature’s expression.

They calmly stepped out and grabbed the blue sword. The creature stood in front of Kang Tian, gazing at the distant forms of Awe Gate and Ku Deng.

Awe Gate stared at the creature. “Obscura.”

The blue sword radiated a soft light. The creature grinned, their skull-like face twisting as though to express great delight as a rasping voice emerged. “My name is Lan Meng.”

As the creature spoke, their gaze seemed to move past Awe Gate and Ku Deng to the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm. “Everyone, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Behind Lan Meng, Kang Tian released a breath. Finally! Any later, and I wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

Awe Gate’s eyes remained fixed on Lan Meng. “Obscura finally makes its move. It seems like your gate is just a joke after all.”

Lan Meng casually flicked their sword. Though hoarse, their voice sounded relaxed. “This human civilization is slipping out of control. There’s no other option. We must act.

“In fact, I feel that I should thank you. Qi Xu’s death opened up a slot in our numbers. If not for that, my friend couldn’t have joined.

“Still, this civilization shouldn’t exist. So, you have my apologies for that.”