Lu Yin endured Ku Wei’s flurry of whining, remaining rooted to the ground. However, he now looked at Ku Wei in a new light. “I remember you being quite dependable when I first met you, but it seems that you’ve become increasingly sloppy.”
Ku Wei exaggeratedly replied, “Little Wei only behaves like this when I see Your Highness! Please, you have to treat me fairly.”
“Little Lu, this guy’s super gross.” White suddenly showed up, though she was looking at Ku Wei with disgust.
Ku Wei’s eyes went wide. “Preposterous! How dare you speak to His Highness like that? Hurry up and apologize to His Highness!”
“Brown-noser,” White mocked.
“That insult is only a compliment in my ears. I proudly serve His Highness and him alone,” Ku Wei proudly stated.
Lu Yin was rendered speechless, and so was White.
Ku Wei had gradually taken on more and more of a subordinate’s mindset as he interacted with Lu Yin. By now, he was tightly fixated onto a single belief, and he was determined to cling onto Lu Yin and never let go. After all, not even the Neohuman Alliance had been able to keep Lu Yin down. That accomplishment, combined with Lu Yin’s various backings and his own status, meant that Ku Wei felt that he could rely on Lu Yin regardless of what happened.
Ku Wei had already completely discarded any bit of self-respect stemming from his background as a member of the Seven Courts’ Ku family. Rather than meeting his end there, Ku Wei would much rather leave and be free.
…
Highsage Shenwei had brought Lu Yin into the Neoverse, and he was also the one escorting Lu Yin out.
Half a month later, Lu Yin arrived at the Innerverse’s First Flowzone. This was the Sword Sect’s territory.
Highsage Shenwei then turned around to return to the Neoverse while Lu Yin whipped out his radiant-grade collapsible Aurora. This was the ship that he had received from Hai Qiqi, and he had always kept it stored away within his cosmic ring. He still hadn’t found an opportunity to use the blackhole-grade collapsible Aurora that he had received from the Lockbreaker Society since that ship was meant for personal use and was quite small. The radiant-grade Aurora was able to seat two, but otherwise, it was quite similar to the personal vessel.
“Your Highness, this is the Sword Sect’s First Flowzone. When I think back on it, Your Highness has managed to defeat the Thirteen Swords multiple times, which still amazes me to no end,” Ku Wei said in a shocked manner. It appeared as if he had completely immersed himself in the role that he had created for himself.
The First Flowzone and the Sword Sect—Lu Yin had been looking forward to seeing this place for a long time. “Do you know how to get to the Sword Sect?”
Ku Wei shook his head and immediately spoke up again, saying, “We can just grab any random person and ask them. Does Your Highness wants to visit the Sword Sect?”
Lu Yun nodded. He had never found out about what had happened to Li Zimo after sending him to the Sword Sect, and Lu Yin had invested quite a bit of effort into getting to know the sword genius. On top of that, Lu Yin was essentially the ruler of the Outerverse. Surely, that gave him enough weight even with the Sword Sect. Also, if possible, Lu Yin wanted to experience the Thirteen Swords again.
All of a sudden, Ku Wei shouted, “Your Highness, news about ZENITH is out!”
While shouting in excitement, he shared his screen with Lu Yin.
At the video’s start, all that could be seen was darkness. After a moment’s pause, a tall mountain appeared out of nowhere. One black shadow after another flickered about, fighting each other as all of them struggled towards the peak of the mountain. Strangely enough, even though this was just a promotional video, it still ignited flames of passion within the viewers’ hearts. More shadows continued to appeared, and battle technique after battle technique was unleashed. The unending flood of attacks and energy was all focused on a single point: the mountain peak.
At last, one figure arrived at the top. It lifted its hand and set it down upon the mountain peak. This one hand enveloped the entire mountain.
There were no words, and it was just a video. However, the background music combined with the battle techniques that were both familiar and unfamiliar made Lu Yin’s blood boil.
He envisioned those figures as being Shang Qing, Yuhua Mavis, Liu Tianmu, Wen Sansi, and the other matchless powerhouses who dominated the universe.
Everyone had their eyes on a single prize: the peak.
This was ZENITH. Although Lu Yin had been told to place within the top ten, a mountain only had one peak. For him, placing second would not be enough. If Lu Yin was to participate, then how could he merely aim for the top ten?
Ku Wei clenched his fists. “Your Highness, you’ll definitely be able to stand at the very top.”
Lu Yin focused on the towering mountain and on the figure that had set down their hand to cover all the other shadows. That was the peak. That was the pinnacle that Lu Yin and all his peers striven for, both from the Fifth Mainland and the Sixth Mainland.
Taking that position was the only way anyone would ever be recognized as truly invincible within their generation.
During the trip back to the Innerverse, Lu Yin had asked Highsage Shenwei about what it meant to be a gatekeeper. Highsage Shenwei had explained that ZENITH would be held on Zenith Mountain and that the mountain had five entrances located in the north, south, east, west, and center. Only the participants who managed to break through the entrances would actually be allowed to participate in ZENITH.
This competition was meant to encompass both the Fifth Mainland and Sixth Mainland. Thus, the number of prospective participants would be so high that it was simply impossible to even estimate. As such, they had created this elimination round to limit the number of participants. From these entrances known as gates, five individuals out of the entire generation would be chosen, one for each entrance. Only by making it past these entrance guardians would a person receive a ticket to participate in ZENITH.
Two entrances had been reserved for the Fifth Mainland’s Human Domain, two for the Sixth Mainland as well, and the last for the Astral Beast Domain. These five youths would be the five gatekeepers tasked with filtering out the competition.
Lu Yin, as a nominal disciple of the esteemed Highsage Grandmaster, had been recommended to be one of the five gatekeepers.
With the opportunity to step onto the greatest stage in both the Fifth and Sixth Mainlands that included all of humanity, it was a given that everyone would want to participate and show themselves. The five gatekeepers would undoubtedly be the center of attention. After all, simply being gatekeepers meant that they had already been recognized as individuals capable of taking one of the top ten positions without exception.
Essentially, by becoming a gatekeeper, Lu Yin had been given the task of suppressing a fifth of the universe’s ambitious youths by stopping them from reaching Zenith Mountain. Lu Yin would be seen as an obstacle by countless people, but he would simultaneously be recognized as one of the strongest members of his generation as well.
When he first heard of this elimination round, the first thing that Lu Yin thought of was the Three Academies Guarding the Gate event during the Astral Combat Tournament. Even though he had not returned in time to witness that scene for himself, he had still watched videos of it afterwards. To his surprise, the rules were quite similar to what ZENITH was employing.
With so many people clamoring to participate from all over the universe, this mass elimination round was already the best solution possible. Otherwise, ZENITH would never end.
Highsage Shenwei had also told Lu Yin that the elimination round with the five entrances would cut the number of contestants in half.
With Lu Yin’s strength, the number of opponents that he was to face had already lost all meaning. Additionally, it would also be impossible for him to be knocked out by just a single formidable opponent. He planned to allow anyone who could persist for two or three breaths after receiving his attacks through. His job as a gatekeeper was simply to weed out the weak while also demonstrating the absurd power of the five gatekeepers.
There were only two spots for the entire Human Domain, so Highsage Grandmaster’s confidence in recommending Lu Yin for this prestigious position made it abundantly clear how highly he regarded Lu Yin’s potential.
The youths who had fought for the position of the Cosmic Five at the Astral Tower had basically already reached the pinnacle of the Human Domain’s younger generation. Shang Qing, Lei Nu, You Qi, Yuhua Mavis, Qiu Shi, Xia Jiuyou, Wen Sansi, Unseen Light, and the rest were all already Enlighters. However, aside from Shang Qing, none of the others could confidently be recommended to be a gatekeeper.
Lu Yin himself was not entirely certain that he would be confirmed, but he was feeling nonchalant about the whole affair. He was fully confident that he would make it to the final ten regardless of what happened.
“Your Highness, there’s a spacecraft heading toward us from the distance,” Ku Wei announced.
Lu Yin raised his head to take a look, but he did not see too many rune lines from the approaching vessel, which meant that the most powerful person aboard was a Hunter. Of course, Lu Yin’s calculations would change if the person had hidden their true strength.
“Ask him for directions,” said Lu Yin.
Ku Wei immediately exited the vessel and stood before the approaching ship. He watched as a sword-shaped spacecraft quickly approached them.
Lu Yin was taken by surprise. Since it was a sword-shaped spacecraft, it had to belong to the Sword Sect, right? What a coincidence!
The occupants of the sword-shaped spacecraft did not seem to notice Ku Wei, and the ship crashed straight into him.
Ku Wei was incredibly offended, and he instinctively raised a hand to attack whoever was trying to plow through him. Although Ku Wei was still just a Cruiser, he was also a realmbreaker who was perfectly capable of standing up to a normal Hunter. His one attack completely destroyed the spacecraft.
A man’s angry groan could be heard from within the wreckage, and aforementioned man quickly rushed out, angrily wielding a sword as he tore through the void. Clearly, he was a high-level Hunter.
Ku Wei scoffed. Although he willingly debased himself in front of Lu Yin, Ku Wei was still an untamed and obnoxious man against all others. In fact, he regularly went around and calling himself “Brother Wei.”
Ku Wei watched as the sword approached him, but he merely raised his hands and countered with a Finger Tap.
Finger Tap was a battle technique that came from the Ku family’s legacy, and it was famous for quelling the target’s battle intent. And without any intent, the tip of a sword would lose its sharpness.
Ku Wei’s Finger Tap struck the tip of the sword, and the blade shattered into multiple pieces that flew in all directions. The swordsman in the Hunter realm was shocked when he realized what had happened, and he stared at Ku Wei in aghast. “Who are you?”
The Sword Sect’s cultivators were usually the challenged ones, so he had not expected to be challenged like this on this day. Additionally, he was thoroughly embarrassed that he had not even been able to hold his sword correctly against his challenger. Still, despite his raging emotions, the Hunter did not continue his attack. He was someone who had managed to become a Hunter, and he was definitely experienced enough to understand what sort of situation he was in.
Ku Wei’s Finger Tap had left quite an impression on the Hunter, as it was an extraordinary battle technique.
“Judging from your appearance, you must be from the Sword Sect, correct?” Ku Wei asked.
The man warily stared at Ku Wei before shifting his focus over to the spacecraft where Lu Yin was still sitting. Suddenly, the Hunter went pale. He had recognized the collapsible Aurora after noticing the Sea King’s Dome’s emblem that decorated the hull. “Are you from the Sea King’s Dome? Why did you block my path? I’m a Sword Sect cultivator who’s carrying out his duties.”
Ku Wei lazily replied, “Brother Wei here isn’t trying to block you. I’m just trying to get some directions. Which way is the Sword Sect in?”
The man stared at Ku Wei with open suspicion. “Just who exactly are you? Why would you ask me for the Sword Sect’s location?”
Ku Wei was losing his patience. “Just do what I tell you to do! Stop yapping!”
The man’s eyes narrowed further, and he secretly tapped his fingers against his gadget. While doing so, he kept a close eye on Ku Wei. This person did not appear to be a decent human being no matter how he looked at him.
At that moment, Lu Yin emerged from the spacecraft. He faced the man and courteously said, “Please report to the Sword Sect that Lu Yin wishes to visit.”
The man was momentarily stunned, and then his expression quickly changed to one of surprise. He stared at Lu Yin and asked, “Are- are you Lu Yin?”
Lu Yin nodded.
The man repeatedly scanned Lu Yin up and down. “Are you really Lu Yin?”
“Why? What is there to doubt? Don’t you feel his domineering aura and invincible aura?” Ku Wei roared loudly as he moved over to stand beside Lu Yin.
Lu Yin frowned; was this bastard Ku Wei trying to mock him? If not, then why was it so uncomfortable to hear him spout all this flattery?
The man hurriedly replied, “Please wait a moment. I’ll make the report now.”
With that, he raced back to his ruined spacecraft.
Ku Wei complained, “Your Highness, that guy was so blind! Despite Your Highness’s endless grace, he wasn’t able to recognize you even though he’s from the Innerverse. How useless! It’s no wonder why he’s stuck as a Hunter even after all his years of cultivation. He’s certainly not young.”
Lu Yin calmly responded, “Don’t ever refer to me as ‘domineering’ or ‘invincible’ in the future. I haven’t reached that level yet. Actually, call me Seventh Bro from now on.”
Ku Wei was thrilled. “Seven- Seventh Bro? Does Little Wei have the right to do so? Your Highness, you’re too good to me! Little Wei will give you my all! I’ll gladly lay my life down for you.”
Lu Yin was rendered speechless, and he suddenly recalled that this bastard was actually Lu Yin’s lockbreaking disciple. If Lu Yin asked Ku Wei to address him as ‘master,’ then would Ku Wei start another insane session of bootlicking right away? The thought sent chills down Lu Yin’s spine.
Before much time passed, the man returned and respectfully informed Lu Yin, “Alliance Leader Lu, we are quite far from the Sword Sect. So, Elder Liu has invited you to join him at Charm Mountain Flowzone before traveling to the Sword Sect together.”
Lu Yin asked in confusion, “Charm Mountain Flowzone?”
The man nodded and replied solemnly, “The Sword Sect is about to wage a war against the Charm Mountain Sect and exterminate them.”
