Chapter 2823: The Uncrowned Leader
Chapter 2823: The Uncrowned Leader
At the beginning of the tea ceremony, the Great Sovereign had shared the history of humanity. Among the various people who were mentioned, there were a number whom not even the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages had heard of before. They were people who had lived during the same eras as the Origin Universe’s ancient Heavens Sect and Daosource Sect’s eras. Maybe it was because too much time had passed, or perhaps because those ancient eras had been too glorious, but the history of those eras was fuzzy.
Lu Yin had no idea how many powerful Progenitors might have lived before the Daosource Sect's Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, or how many may have been similar to Progenitor Chen and the others. While the man had been one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, his true strength had been exceptional throughout all of history.
The Cyclic Tribulation had already become everyone’s focus. While the battle was still being fought, the fighting was not nearly as fierce as before.
The pressure of the tribulation created a storm that swept towards Lu Yin. He floated in the sky, his white clothes bright as he looked up at the Cyclic Tribulation. Come!
Only his Semi-Progenitor breakthrough could wake Ancestor Lu Yuan, which would bring the Lu family back. That was the only option that Lu Yin could think of that might change the outcome of the current situation.
No matter how difficult this Cyclic Tribulation might be, he would overcome it.
After all, what Semi-Progenitor could stop him?
Light suddenly appeared, and a figure emerged from the Cyclic Tribulation. This person was wielding a spear, and the tip of the spear broke into small fragments that shot at Lu Yin.
"The last Sage Stone used a spear instead of a mace. His meridians were like stone, and he reforged the Stone Cudgel technique to suit a spear and used that to rise to power," Sage Jiang commented.
Lu Yin watched as the shattered spear tip suddenly reformed just as the shards drew close, causing the same stone spear to reappear. While it was nothing more than the tip of the spear, it was rock solid.
Clenching a fist, Lu Yin looked up. A purplish-black substance covered his arms as he released a punch.
No matter how your spear may have changed, or what sort of rock it is, I want to see how you can stop my punch.
Boom!
The punch connected, and the spear shattered. This time, it truly shattered. The figure of Sage Stone was also broken by the punch, unable to put up any resistance.
Sage Jiang was stunned. The former Sage Stone had been acknowledged as an exceptional genius among the various Sage Stones. He had followed his own path, abandoning the Stone Cudgel. He had been a brilliant figure of his era, and he would not have died unless he encountered the Seven Skygods. Even so, had he really been shattered in a single punch?
Was this child of the Lu family really that terrifying within his own cultivation realm?
Lu Yin’s battle against Chu Jian had already stunned people, but seeing such a well-known powerhouse be defeated by Lu Yin in one blow was even more shocking, simply because of the ease by which it had been done.
Instantly, another light appeared, and another figure emerged from the tribulation. There was a roar as a massive figure charged at Lu Yin.
"That’s a member of the Food Sage’s family, a Taotie."[1]
"Food Sage isn’t here, but his ancestor came."
Elsewhere in the Cyclic Universe, Snack Saint's eyes went wide. Which one of his ancestors had made an appearance?
However, before he could see anything clearly, the Taotie was already shattered by Lu Yin with another punch.
This punch felt like a slap across Snack Saint’s face, making him feel horribly offended.
Xuan Qi, you bastard! Do you have to be so shameless? At least slow down a bit!
More and more lights appeared as additional powerhouses appeared and attacked Lu Yin, one after another.
Every last one of them was a renowned figure.
Sovereign Lotus frowned. There had been more than one Cyclic Tribulation throughout the years. Sovereign Dou Sheng had overcome one, but there had been others as well. However, those tribulations had not solely consisted of figures at the level of the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages, as other powerhouses had also appeared to challenge the person undergoing the tribulation. However, the descendant of the Lu family had only faced former Sovereigns and Sages.
This Cyclic Tribulation was clearly at a higher level of difficulty than any before.
These first opponents are only appearing to drain his strength. The true challenge appears later on. Will she appear as well?
As that thought occurred to the Sovereign, a lotus bloomed and dropped down towards Lu Yin.
Sovereign Lotus was speechless, as her own technique had actually appeared.
Forgotten Ruins God gave a tender smile. "Isn't that Little Lotus’s power? Will this one also be crushed by a punch?"
Everyone was watching. Sovereign Ninth Lotus had appeared in the Cyclic Tribulation, but would she also be destroyed with only a single punch?
Lu Yin lashed out, and the lotus instantly shattered.
Many people glanced at Sovereign Lotus. Defeating one of the Three Sovereigns with a single punch was incredibly disrespectful. Regardless of Sovereign Lotus’s immense power and incredible defenses, she still had not been able to block even one punch.
This was a demonstration of Lu Yin's invincibility within his own cultivation level. Even if he did not use anything else, there was no one who could compare to his physical strength, not even the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages.
Corpse God looked at Lu Yin, focusing on the young man’s cosmic ring on his finger. Bi Rong was inside that cosmic ring, and Corpse God wanted to take it away.
Ancient God spoke up to praise Lu Yin. "Since ancient times, too few have been able to master Wielder - Invincible. The Lu family has gained a true genius. With his power, the Cyclic Tribulation cannot stop him."
Mu Shen shook his head. "Gu Yizhi, you are too confident. Even if the Origin Universe was once powerful and invincible and you were one of the Six Dao, that does not mean that there has never been anyone in the Cyclic Universe who could match your powerhouses. The Great Sovereign can compete with the Origin Progenitor, and the Three Sovereigns are at a level comparable to your Three Realms Six Dao."
Ancient God's expression never changed. "Comparable? Aside from Dou Sheng, who else can compare to us? How long can Dou Sheng live for? His Triumphant Brawl is constantly draining his life away.
"Do you really believe that it is possible to grow stronger every time a more powerful opponent appears? It’s not that we can’t kill him, but that we simply don’t want to be dragged down with him.
"Just watch and see. You’ll find out if this Cyclic Universe has anyone who can endure a punch from this child of the Lu family. The path to Wielder - Indestructible is the path that humans should follow."
Lu Yin lashed out with another punch, and another figure instantly shattered.
He had already defeated thirteen opponents, and the most recent one had been Arrow Sage.
Arrow Sage did not look very happy at this moment. The figure had represented him as an Ascendant, and yet he had not been able to block even one of Lu Yin's punches. This was really no different from telling everyone that the moment that Lu Yin became a Progenitor, he would be able to defeat Arrow Sage with one punch.
Wait, no. We might already not be able to withstand one of his punches.
Arrow Sage truly did not have the confidence to survive one of Lu Yin's terrifying punches.
Lu Yin stared at the Cyclic Tribulation. It had not been weakened at all, and he had no idea how long it would last for. He could not say how many Progenitor-level individuals had lived throughout the history of the Cyclic Universe, but what he feared the most was the Great Sovereign herself appearing.
How powerful had the Great Sovereign been as a Semi-Progenitor? Lu Yin did not want to find out. He simply wanted to become a Semi-Progenitor as quickly as possible, call the Lu family back, and then break free from this trap that the Aeternals had sprung.
Upon thinking about this, Lu Yin took a step forward and started moving towards the Cyclic Tribulation.
"Why are you forcing this tribulation upon me?" Lu Yin's eyes burned fiercely. He was from the Origin Universe, not the Cyclic Universe. He wanted to break the Cyclic Tribulation itself.
At this moment, everyone stopped fighting and turned to watch as Lu Yin charged upwards to attack the tribulation itself.
Had anyone ever tried to destroy a Cyclic Tribulation before? The answer should be no, but if anyone had made the attempt, they had died.
Lu Yin's action caused even Forgotten Ruins God and the other Aeternals to stop and watch.
Facing the Cyclic Tribulation, Lu Yin released another punch. He intended to destroy the tribulation itself with this punch.
Suddenly, a black lotus bloomed, shielding the tribulation.
Lu Yin punched the black lotus, and it did not break.
Sovereign Lotus shouted, "Master?"
While the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages all referred to the Great Sovereign as their master, that was only a formality, and they had each been guided by their own masters.
Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s master had been the previous Sovereign Lotus, who had been known as Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus.
If the three most powerful individuals throughout the history of the Cyclic Universe were gathered together, Sovereign Dou Sheng would undoubtedly be included, but another one would be Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus.
A green lotus that turned dark and had the power to destroy.
No one could deny the horrifying power of Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus. She had not been killed in battle, but had rather consumed herself and transformed into a black lotus. This was one of the most regrettable things in the history of the Cyclic Universe. If Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus had not consumed herself, she would not have died. If she had instead taken a step further, she would have likely obtained strength comparable to Sovereign Dou Sheng’s.
If that had happened, then the Cyclic Universe would have gained a second peak powerhouse like Sovereign Dou Sheng.
Countless people throughout the Sixverse Association grew excited at the sight of the black lotus. Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus had been one of the most widely known powerhouses, and even youths knew of her story.
Lu Yin's Cyclic Tribulation had brought out even Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus.
The black lotus blocked Lu Yin's punch.
"With Master taking action, it will not be easy for the descendant of the Lu family to survive," Sovereign Lotus muttered to herself.
Lord Xu was surprised. "Even the World-Destroying Technique has appeared? The child of the Lu family is in for a bit of trouble, but it’s not enough to stop him."
Sovereign Shao Yin's expression showed frustration and uncertainty. He had known Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus, and he had feared the woman. The woman was wearing a black dress that looked like a blooming flower, and while she seemed flirty and was lovely to look upon, she had been so dangerous that Sovereign Shao Yin would never forget her.
This was a level of strength that would not be easy for the descendant of the Lu family to deal with.
Everyone believed this to be true.
That is, until cracks started to appear across the black lotus. Before long, the lotus shattered.
Everyone was stunned.
Sovereign Ninth Lotus was utterly shocked. "Impossible..."
One punch. Once again, just one punch. While the black lotus had not immediately shattered, it had merely managed to endure for a short while before shattering from a single punch.
As an Ascendant, the most powerful Sovereign Lotus in history was incapable of stopping Lu Yin's punch.
While the appearance of Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus had shocked people, the results of Lu Yin’s punch were far more shocking.
Sage Jiang took a deep breath. "Even Sovereign World-Destroying Lotus is unable to stop a single punch. Who else from the Cyclic Universe can appear?"
There was no one else who anyone could think of. Would Sovereign Dou Sheng really appear? Or even, the Great Sovereign herself?
Just as Lu Yin was about to release another punch, a figure appeared from the Cyclic Tribulation. This figure was sitting cross-legged, blocking Lu Yin's path.
Inexplicably, the punch that he had been about to unleash stopped.
Lu Yin looked at the figure sitting before him, cross-legged. For some reason, Lu Yin no longer wanted to fight.
His punch stalled.
"Sage Yajna?"[2] Lord Wei was surprised.
Mu Shen, Lord Xu, and the others all stared. "He appeared?
Sage Jiang, Arrow Sage, and the other Sages were caught off guard.
In Proximity, Sage Bodhi was leading the forces of the Sixverse Association to respond to the Aeternals’ sudden attack. Nearly all of the Seven Skygods had gone to the tea ceremony, so Sage Bodhi wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to press humanity’s current advantage on the Endless Frontier. Regardless of what happened at the tea ceremony, Sage Bodhi’s responsibility was the Endless Frontier alone.
The battles raging across the Endless Frontier were not much better than the one at the tea ceremony. Food Sage, the new Sage Stone, and the other peak powerhouses from the Sixverse Association were all fighting on the Endless Frontier, and Aeternus had received reinforcements from outside experts. The entire megaverse was in chaos.
However, despite the brutal battles raging on the Endless Frontier, Sage Bodhi could not ignore the fact that Sage Yajna had just appeared from the Cyclic Tribulation.
Sage Yajna was another one of the Nine Sages, and his status could not compare to that of Sovereign Lotus. However, he drew a large amount of attention due to his status as a mysterious character.
If Sage Bodhi was regarded as mysterious, that was due to her absence from the Sixverse Association, and it also only applied to the current period of time. Throughout all of history, such time meant nothing. After all, Sage Bodhi was not too old, and she was close to the same generation as Sage Jiang and the others.
However, Sage Yajna was completely different. No one knew just how old the man was, and also, no one had any idea what his strength was.
Sage Yajna was the only one of the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages who had never fought in even a single battle.
Not only had no one ever seen Sage Yajna fight, but he had also never once served on the Endless Frontier.
Even so, no one dared to underestimate the man. To begin with, he had lived for too long, and he was even older than Sovereign Dou Sheng. If he had never fought, it should have been impossible for him to become one of the Nine Sages.
There were rumors that claimed that Sage Yajna lived only to stabilize the Cyclic Universe and to assist the Great Sovereign.
There were even rumors that, while others could only drink the Great Sovereign's tea during the tea ceremony, Sage Yajna was allowed to enjoy it freely.
Sage Yajna was the uncrowned leader of the Nine Sages.
1. As a reminder, a Taotie. ☜
2. This is a Buddhist term. ☜