Elsewhere, Lu Yin had already left Mt. Microcosms with Highsage Wudi. The two of them were currently riding on the back of a cniu.
Every time they passed by a hidden world, Highsage Wudi would briefly introduce Lu Yin to it, leaving Lu Yin envious of the man’s knowledge.
These hidden worlds were arranged in a cluster around the Hall of Honor, possibly as a form of protection for the heart of the Human Domain. But more likely, it was so that experts from the Hall of Honor could conveniently and easily access these hidden worlds whenever they destabilized and needed maintenance.
“Why doesn’t the Hall of Honor allow hidden worlds to exist in the Innerverse?” Lu Yin asked in a puzzled manner.
Highsage Wudi explained, “It’s too easy to destroy hidden worlds. If someone powerful shows up and destroys a hidden world, then none of the people inside it would be able to escape. It would be too late for the Hall of Honor to even try to stop it even if they wanted to.”
It was just barely an acceptable explanation, but Lu Yin seemed to have understood something.
At this moment, his gadget beeped with an alert. Ku Wei was calling. Lu Yin had almost forgotten about this qualified lackey.
“Your- Your Highness, you must save me!” Ku Wei’s voice was weak as it came through the gadget.
“What happened to you?” Lu Yin asked.
Ku Wei shared everything that he had recently suffered through before bitterly begging, “Your Highness, I can’t stay with the Ku family any longer! Ku Lei’s going to kill me! Please, take me with you.”
Lu Yin felt troubled, as the Ku family was a part of the Seven Courts, and they were in no way subordinate to Lu Yin. It would not be easy to go through them and take Ku Wei away.
Lu Yin looked at Highsage Wudi, who had overheard the entire conversation.
Highsage Wudi shook his head. “Eversky Island has never had much contact with the Seven Courts, but there’s also no bad blood between us. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to stick our heads into this situation.”
Lu Yin sank deep into thought. Ku Wei had helped Lu Yin in the past, and he was also the captain of the Great Yu Empire’s Tenth Imperial Squadron. In essence, Ku Wei was one of Lu Yin’s men, and if Lu Yin did not even try to save one of his loyal followers, then he would look bad. Still, trying to help Ku Wei would get Lu Yin involved with the Seven Courts.
Lu Yin had no intention of looking down on the various powers of the universe just because he had managed to topple Daynight Flowzone. The Seven Courts had dared go against the Hall of Honor after joining together, so they clearly had their own hidden strengths. Even if Lu Yin tried to deal with each family separately, each and every single one of them had their own incredible powerhouses. Lu Yin simply was not in a position to interfere.
“Your Highness, I understand that it’s a difficult task, but I’m begging you. You have to take me with you! If I stay here, I’m dead.” Ku Wei started panicking, as Lu Yin’s silence had sent Ku Wei’s heart plummeting straight into the abyss.
Lu Yin was also pondering how he could take Ku Wei along.
Ku Wei anxiously pleaded, “Your Highness, I’m one of your men.”
“Give me some time to figure this out. It’s not a simple situation,” Lu Yin said.
Highsage Wudi casually said, “You’ve just become a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker, so you’re able to take in disciples. Lockbreaking disciples, that is.”
An idea instantly flashed through Lu Yin’s mind. “Thank you, senior.”
Lu Yin instantly turned back to Ku Wei and asked, “Do you have any problem with becoming my disciple?”
“Of course not! I’ll even become your grandson!” Ku Wei exclaimed.
Lu Yun was left speechless by Ku Wei’s shamelessness. “I will officially bring up the matter of taking you in as my disciple to the Lockbreakers Society. All I need for you to become my lockbreaking disciple is your consent.”
Ku Wei’s eyes flashed, “Your Highness, you’ve become a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker?”
“That’s right.”
Ku Wei was overjoyed, and he immediately accessed the Lockbreakers network.
In no time at all, another line was added to Ku Wei’s profile page on the Lockbreakers network. In addition to his title as a three star Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker, he also gained another line as Lu Yin’s disciple. It noted Ku Wei as a disciple of a Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker.
Lu Yin immediately filed the application with the Lockbreakers Society and requested for Ku Wei to immediately be transferred over to the Lockbreaker World so that he could watch over Lu Yin’s planet.
With that finished, Lu Yin put his gadget down. Whether or not Ku Wei could be saved was now up to the Lockbreaker Society. Lu Yin did not hold any high hopes for success; even if Ku Wei had become Lu Yin’s disciple, he was still a part of the Ku family, and the Lockbreaker Society would never meddle in internal affairs.
Ku Wei also put his gadget away and braced himself, ready to accept whatever came his way.
In the center of the Voidsoul Region, the Ku patriarch, Ku Pu, stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Ku Lei was kneeling in front of him.
“In both the Mountain and Seas Zone and in Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum, your performance was greatly disappointing for the Ku family,” Ku Pu said solemnly, his tone brimming with discontent.
Ku Lei suppressed his frustration, as he currently felt helpless.
Ku Pu stared straight at the youth for some time, as the patriarch was not sure what to say. If he were to be compared to the geniuses of past generations, Ku Lei was certainly not weak, but in the current era, far too many freakishly talented people had been born. Thus, it was easy to overlook Ku Lei’s abilities.
“ZENITH is coming up, and if your strength has not increased substantially by then, then reaching the Enlighter realm will at least allow you to seize a decent position. Whatever you do, do your best to make it into the top ten, as only the top ten spots are worth anything,” Ku Pu said.
Ku Lei’s eyes revealed his determination. “I will. I must uncover the Yu family’s whereabouts and then master the Yu Secret Art. Gaining the Ku and Yu families’ secret techniques will allow us to defeat any and all foes.”
Ku Pu silently shook his head. Surpassing one’s foes was something that was easier said than done. Even without taking into account the other domains, the Tri-Yang Technique alone was already indomitable, which meant that one of the top positions was already taken. The Mavis family, the Cosmic Sect, and Burial Garden were all powers to be reckoned with as well. On top of that, it was still necessary to consider the Astral Beast Domain, the Technocracy, and the Sixth Mainland. Powerful opponents were simply everywhere.
The Seven Courts’ only hope in ZENITH seemed to be the Xia family’s Xia Jiuyou. If he managed to fuse with his clones created by the Nine Clones Secret Technique, then his abilities would absolutely become strong enough for him to compete for one of the top ten positions.
In the end, hopes would always be hopes, and Ku Pu was hoping for a miracle. “If you want to find the Yu family, then do that on your own.”
Ku Lei grunted in acknowledgement as his eyes lit up with excitement. The Ku family no longer cared about whether Ku Wei lived or died, which was good news for Ku Lei. He was fully confident that he could extract the Yu family’s location from Ku Wei.
At this moment, Ku Pu’s gadget started beeping, and he glanced at it. Immediately, his expression transformed into one of rage. “This is ridiculous!”
Ku Lei was confused.
Ku Pu suppressed his anger and tried to speak with the person on the other end of the call. Before long, he looked over at Ku Lei and helplessly said, “Let Ku Wei go. Just leave him alone.”
Ku Lei was shocked. “Why?”
Ku Pu became annoyed. “Just do as I say. Don’t touch him again, and let him go.”
After that, Ku Pu left with a dark expression on his face.
It was rare for him to feel so frustrated and offended since becoming the Ku family patriarch.
The Lockbreaker Society had summoned Ku Wei to the Lockbreaker World as the disciple of the Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker, Lu Yin. Ku Pu had assumed that he could simply refuse the arrangements given his position, as the Lockbreaker Society would likely not try to suppress the Seven Courts. However, the one who had issued the request for Ku Wei’s transfer had actually been the president of the Lockbreaker Society, Xiu Ming. This grandmaster had always been an enigma to Ku Pu—even when he had been young, Xiu Ming had already been the president of the society. However, even though Ku Pu had become an old man, Siu Ming still held the same position, and he even looked exactly the same as he always had.
There were not many people in the Neoverse who were able to leave a lasting impression on Ku Pu, but Xiu Ming was certainly one of them.
Since Xiu Ming had personally submitted the request on Lu Yin’s behalf, Ku Pu could not respond disrespectfully. Not even the Ku family’s strongest experts could afford to refuse that man’s request.
Ku Pu was completely baffled; just how had someone from the younger generation managed to get Xiu Ming to help him out with such a request?
The truth was that Lu Yin had never even considered the possibility that Xiu Ming would make the request for him.
On an island, above the Ancient Spirit Sea, Xiu Ming slowly leaned back and forth on his rocking chair, looking incredibly relaxed.
Arch-Elder Zen was nearby, and he chuckled lightly. “You’re doing a favor for that little rascal?”
Xiu Ming laughed. “I didn’t have to do much, and if he does well in the future, then we’ll all need to pin our hopes on him anyway.”
Arch-Elder Zen nodded in agreement. “With that guy here, nothing will go wrong.”
“Let’s certainly hope so.”
Ku Wei left the Voidsoul Region in a miserable state. He looked back with hatred blazing in his eyes. “Just you wait! Ku family, I’ll be back.”
Lu Yin and Ku Wei had agreed to meet at Eversky Island, and during the journey to the island, nothing much happened.
After traveling for half a month, Lu Yin and Highsage Wudi finally left the Honor Zone. With Highsage Wudi’s abilities, he was able to directly tear through the void and bring Lu Yin across the Neoverse. Thus, they arrived at Eversky Island in no time at all.
When Lu Yin had first arrived at the Honor Zone, he had not felt much, but upon leaving, all sorts of strange emotions suddenly welled up within him. It was as though this place was where he needed to stay and that returning to outer space was the same as becoming a rootless, wandering ball of duckweed.
Lu Yin did not mention these feelings to Highsage Wudi, as Lu Yin was guessing that it might be related to how humanity might have been originally born on that landmass.
This land was the root of humanity. Six mainlands had once existed in the universe, and this had been the Fifth Mainland.
Lu Yin remembered that Highsage Shenwei had once mentioned how people could cultivate more quickly when on the soil of the Fifth Mainland. The reason why cultivators from the Sixth Mainland were able to receive imprints and why they possessed an innate suppression over people of the Fifth Mainland was because the Sixth Mainland had not been shattered.
There was some sort of connection between humans and their native mainlands.
After returning to Eversky Island, Lu Yin finally met the famous Highsage Grandmaster.
On Eversky Island, there was a shriveled and scrawny old man who was standing rather close to Lu Yin. This old man was wearing a gray robe, and he had a rather ordinary appearance. In fact, he looked no different than a common old man who could be seen walking down any random street. His appearance would never catch anyone’s eyes, as he was simply too commonplace.
If not for Highsage Wudi and Highsage Shenwei standing before the old man with great respect and Highsage Wudi calling him “Master,” then Lu Yin would have thought that the old man was simply another one of Black and White’s pranks.
“Junior Lu Yin pays his respects to Highsage Grandmaster.” Lu Yin bowed in a courteous manner with a serious look on his face.
Highsage Grandmaster nodded and admiringly scanned Lu Yin from head to toe. “This old man has lived for a long time, so long that it would be difficult to even trace my history. Throughout all the ages I’ve lived, I’ve seen too many blessed with an exceptional innate gift, but you, my boy, are unlike any I’ve ever seen before. For you to cultivate your skills to this level where you stand at the pinnacle of your generation in merely twelve years, it’s possible that your cultivation talent might only be rivaled by Progenitor Chen during his rise.”
Lu Yin quickly replied, “You flatter me, Highsage Grandmaster. I’ve just been lucky.”
Highsage Grandmaster laughed. “Well, luck is also a type of strength. You possess powerful physical strength, spiritual force, a domain, and the highest quality battle techniques. There are far too few whose abilities can stand on the same level as within your generation. Even that Tri-Yang Technique hailed as being invincible would struggle to defeat you.”
Lu Yin was thrilled to receive such recognition from Highsage Grandmaster.
The Tri-Yang Technique had always been universally praised as a truly invincible technique. It was true that everyone believed that Shang Qing was unbeatable after he had revealed the technique’s true power, as it was simply unreal. Despite that, Highsage Grandmaster still saw Lu Yin up as comparable to the user of the Tri-Yang Technique, which vividly expressed Highsage Grandmaster’s admiration and praise for Lu Yin.
“Wudi,” Highsage Grandmaster called out.
Highsage Wudi bowed and answered, “Master.”
“Contact the Hall of Honor and let them know that I, Highsage Grandmaster of Eversky Island, recommend Lu Yin to be one of the gatekeepers at Zenith Mountain,” Highsage Grandmaster said.
Highsage was not surprised, and he simply acknowledged the orders, “Yes, your disciple understands.”
Lu Yin was confused. Zenith Mountain? Gatekeeper?
Highsage Grandmaster did not give bother explaining anything to Lu Yin. Instead, he simply waved his right arm, causing all sorts of images to appear in midair. Some of the images took on the form of tiny humans that unleashed incredibly powerful battle techniques. Other images morphed into arrays that were impossible to derive due to their complexity and mysteriousness. The final group took on the form of pictures that could not be properly interpreted.
“My Eversky Island possesses thirteen ultimate techniques, which consists of one secret technique, five sourcebox arrays, and seven peerless battle techniques. You may choose any one that you wish to learn,” Highsage Grandmaster informed Lu Yin.
