The boatman hummed a little ditty as he rowed, and the small boat disappeared into the distance as it crossed the Great Abyss.
“Yōu Qin pays her respect to the matriarch.”
In front of Yōu Qin was a tall woman wearing a dark-colored robe made of a sheer fabric. “You have suffered.”
The woman’s voice was beguiling to the extreme, and her tone contained a mature sense of beauty. However, her face was concealed by a veil. This was the Yōu family’s matriarch, Yōu Kexin.
Yōu Qin bowed, but he did not speak.
“How was your trip to the Mountain and Seas Zone?” Yōu Kexin asked indifferently.
Yōu Qin’s gaze went soft. “Your daughter is still too weak. So weak that I was not a match for any of the people upon the golden screens. I lost face for our family.”
Yōu Kexin slowly turned to face Yōu Qin. “No worries. You were never the Yōu family’s first heir. It wasn’t easy for you to achieve what you have. Your mission is simply to live and pass down the Yōu family’s inheritances.”
Yōu Qin’s eyes betrayed her, as she did not want to accept this fate.
Yōu Kexin sighed. “Have you seen your big brother?”
Yōu Qin’s body trembled and she nodded. “I have.”
“Is… he still okay?” Yōu Kexin hesitated as she asked her question.
Yōu Qin felt extremely bitter. “Mother, are you asking about the status of his body? He is nothing but a dead person!”
Yōu Kexin suddenly shrilly yelled, “He’s not dead!”
“Being resurrected from the Burial Garden only revived his physical body and his innate gift! Big Brother has long since died!” Yōu Qin could not hold herself back as she shouted back.
Yōu Kexin raised a hand, and there was a loud smack as she slapped Yōu Qin to the ground.
Yōu Qin was already accustomed to such treatment, and she quickly stood back up. Blood appeared at the corner of her lips.
Yōu Kexin instantly regretted her behavior, and she opened her mouth, wanting to say something. However, she ended up remaining silent.
“If mother does not have any further orders, I will take my leave,” Yōu Qin said coldly.
Yōu Kexin stared at the girl for a while before waving a hand in a tired manner. “Go. Remember, your safety comes first in Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum.”
Yōu Qin did not say another word and simply left.
After Yōu Qin left, Elder Yōu Ren walked up to Yōu Kexin and said, “Matriarch, you’re being too hard on her.”
Yōu Kexin responded indifferently, “If I were to reveal the expectations that I hold for her, she would risk her life to compete with those youths who stand at the top. I have already lost a son, and I don’t want to lose my daughter as well.”
Yōu Ren sighed and said no more.
“I’m the leader of the Yōu family, but I don’t even know the family’s greatest secret. Nobody was willing to explain to me what really happened in the Mountain and Seas Zone. This is truly pathetic.”
“Elder, how much do you know?” Yōu Kexin added the last part with a complicated expression on her face.
Yōu Ren shook his head and answered, “I don’t know much, only that the Mountain and Seas Zone exploded and that any further news has been locked down by the Hall of Honor.”
“Yōu Lao would definitely know.” Yōu Kexin looked out at the Great Abyss, as if trying to catch sight of the small boat.
Yōu Ren’s face instantly went pale. “Leader, you must not ask! Yōu Lao has reasons for not mentioning these things.”
Yōu Kexin harrumphed. “I know.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but when she looked at Yōu Ren, no words left her mouth.
Yōu Ren knew what she wanted to say, so he said, “Burial Garden’s top disciple is Yōu Qi, and he had originally been chosen to become one of the Cosmic Five. However, he was defeated by the Outerverse’s Lu Yin. However, Yōu Qi was eventually saved by the Hall of Honor, so you can rest at ease.”
Yōu Kexin’s expression grew cold. “Lu Yin?”
Yōu Ren continued, “Yes, Lu Yin. He is an extraordinary genius who has cultivated for merely twelve years and yet is capable of competing with the top youths. If his cultivation wasn’t rather lacking, he might not be any weaker than the Cosmic five.”
“I’ve heard of him. He’s the one who unified the Outerverse. He has a strong determination,” Yōu Kexin commented.
Yōu Ren laughed hoarsely. “Unifying the Outerverse is a complete joke. If the Outerverse and Innerverse had not been separated, then not even the Hall of Honor would have been able to accomplish such a thing.”
“But he still did it,” Yōu Kexin countered.
“He was captured by the Neohuman Alliance. Shaman God himself took that youth away,” Yōu Ren said.
Yōu Kexin’s voice grew cold, “So the Neohuman Alliance actually values him so highly. It seems quite likely that he will be a public enemy of the entire Human Domain when he next appears.”
…
The land that was next to the Great Abyss was the Voidsoul Region, and that was where the Ku family resided.
Ku Wei had returned immediately from the Mountain and Seas Zone, and at this moment, he was standing before the Ku patriarch, Ku Pu.
“Father, things can’t end like this! The fight for the Astral Tower was organized too soon. If we had gone into Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum first, and then to the Mountain and Seas Zone second, then the results would have been completely different.”
Ku Pu turned around with a stern expression on his face. “A loss is a loss. You did not make it up any mountain, but despite that, you’re boasting before me now?”
Ku Wei tried to reason with his father. “The battle for the Astral Tower has always occurred after Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum was opened. This is the only time the order has been reversed, and it was extremely unfair to us. The Hall of Honor’s First Chosen, Shang Qing, already received his inheritance, but what about us? If we had gone to Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum before, then our strength definitely would have risen a level, and then we could have fought against Shang Qing then.”
Ku Pu snorted derisively. “Even if your power spiked up twice, it would still be useless. The Tri-Yang Technique is invincible. Don’t do anything for now and just focus on cultivating. Do your best to become an Enlighter. Otherwise, you won’t even have a chance to enter the list.”
Ku Wei was not resigned to this, but he did not say another word as he turned around and left.
Ku Pu felt exasperated.
…
Beside the Voidsoul Region was a strange area, and planets littered this region like pieces strewn across a chessboard. If one observed this place from a bird’s eye view, they would see that a full chess board had been set up here. This was the Starpiece Region, and it was where the Ce family was based.
Ce Jiu concentrated on the chessboard in front of him. He had held a piece in his hand for more than ten hours, but he still had not decided where to place it. Across from him sat Ce Laoyan, the Ce family patriarch, who was slowly sipping some tea.
Finally, Ce Jiu decided upon his move and set the piece down on the chessboard.
Ce Laoyan shook his head and said, “I’m rather disappointed. You were still too hasty.”
Ce Jiu pursed his lips. “But Father, I’ve already spent twenty six hours considering this move!”
“So what? Back when I played chess with Elder Yue, I spent several hundred years on one move.” Ce Laoyan was unhappy.
Ce Jiu was left rather speechless, and he simply replied, “I’m still young.”
Ce Laoyan chuckled. “Surely you’ve learned something from this trip to the Mountain and Seas Zone.”
Ce Jiu nodded and said, “I’m still not at the level of the Cosmic Five. For instance, the Hall of Honor’s Honor Chosens and the Innerverse’s Ten Arbiters are astoundingly strong. I really wonder how those monsters trained.”
Ce Laoyan replied, “Our Seven Courts have no lack of talent either.”
Ce Jiu nodded in agreement. “There’s Xia Jiuyou, who’s apparently cultivated the Nine Clones Technique. However, why can the Innerverse’s Starsibyl also cultivate that technique?”
Ce Laoyan said, “You don’t need to know why. Sometimes, knowledge can cause more harm than good. The only thing that you need to know is that you must do your best in Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum. However, staying alive is your top priority.”
Ce Jiu replied, “I know.”
Ce Laoyan looked at the chessboard and said, “I hear that not only does little fellow Lu Yin know the Yu family’s secret technique, but that he also knows our Ce family secret technique?”
Ce Jiu said, “Father, I was about to tell you about this. It’s true. I really don’t know where he picked up the secret technique. Should we send someone to the Outerverse to investigate this matter?”
“I already sent someone out, but I don’t have high hopes. An Outerverse cultivator actually managed to learn our Ce family’s secret technique, which is truly bizarre,” Ce Laoyan remarked with an incredulous expression.
“Could this have something to do with the Zhu family in Millions City?” Ce Jiu asked.
Ce Laoyan shook his head and explained, “The Zhu family does not know the Ce secret technique. Besides, in order to learn the Ce secret technique, one must emulate our ancestral chessboard. This is the greatest mystery at play; what if there’s another, similar chessboard in the Outerverse?”
…
Beside the Starpiece Region rose a tall and lofty series of mountains that formed a mountain range that spanned all the way to the Honor Zone. People named this range Nature’s Manifestation, and it was the home of the Hui family.
Nature’s Manifestation was the Hui family’s territory, and the Root of Intelligence had come from this place.
The Root of Intelligence had been grown by Progenitor Hui, and the Hui family’s inheritances also came from him, which were the Hui secret technique and the methods to grow the Root of Intelligence. However, the effects of the Root of Intelligence that the family grew were inferior to those that had been personally grown by Progenitor Hui.
Despite that, the Roots of Intelligence that grew within Nature’s Manifestation were still treasures that people sought.
Since ancient times, many wise people had emerged from the Hui family, and people associated that trend with the Root of Intelligence. The Hui family did not deny the rumors either.
Hui Santong had returned from the Mountain and Seas Zone, and he was standing on a region of arable land. A middle aged-looking man was in the field, bent at the waist as he tugged at something in the ground.
“Hahaha, I’ve found you! Did you think that you could hide? Nature’s Manifestation is only so big. Did you really think that I wouldn’t be able to find you? Hahaha!” The middle-aged man laughed heartily. He was Hui Zhi, the current Hui family patriarch.
Hui Santong looked at the Root of Intelligence in Hui Zhi’s hands and said, “Congratulations, Father. You’ve found another one.”
Hui Zhi looked at Hui Santong with displeasure and said, “You did not accomplish much during this trip to the Mountain and Seas Zone, and you were no different from a commoner. You cast aside our face!”
Hui Santong laughed. “We of the Hui family aren’t barbarians. Fighting simply isn’t our style.”
Hui Zhi chortled. “Hah. Then tell me of your discovery.”
Hui Santong said, “Even though the Hall of Honor hid the signs of the Mountain and Seas Zone’s explosion, my guess is that this was a part of a chess game-like plan that has been being played out for a very long time. What’s more, the mastermind should be Progenitor Hui.”
Hui Zhi stared at Hui Santong in surprise. “Not bad, you’ve become quite smart. How’d you guess it?”
Hui Santong laughed. “It was just a wild guess.”
“That’s why I’m asking,” Hui Zhi pressed.
Hui Santong pursed his lips. “It was simply a guess.”
“Based on what?” Hui Zhi could not hold back his curiosity.
Hui Santong laughed merrily. “Father, you’ve already said that I guessed it. That’s the only basis.”
Hui Zhi was momentarily taken aback, but then he burst out laughing.
Hui Santong joined him in laughing.
“Alright, enough is enough. Get some rest. Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum is about to open. This time, I want you to carefully watch the Xia family’s Xia Jiuyou. He cultivated the Nine Clones Technique, and he even managed to pull the wool over the eyes of our Hui family. Even the Starsibyl Sect’s Starsibyl knows this technique. There is something very suspicious going on between them.”
Hui Santong nodded, and he was about to take his leave, but then he suddenly recalled something. In a solemn voice, he asked Hui Zhi, “Father, the Ten Arbiters’ performance was rather peculiar. One of them was clearly an Enlighter, but they kept their strength hidden from beginning to end, and they even lost on purpose. This surely has something to do with Starsibyl. The Starsibyl Sect has sacrificed a great deal for this competition for the Cosmic Five.”
Hui Zhi replied, “Alright, I’ll take a look.”
“It’s a pity that Lu Yin was captured by the Neohuman Alliance,” Hui Santong added.
…
Beside Nature’s Manifestation was an enormous landmass. This was not connected to the Honor Zone, and rather, it remained in its own space, connected to many planets that drifted nearby.
If one looked at this from a distance, they would see that this landmass was shaped like a saber.
According to the rumors, one of the clones of Progenitor Chen’s Nine Clones Technique wielded a saber as a weapon. The Xia family was the descendants of Progenitor Chen, and they were masters of weapons. However, countless years had passed, and nobody from the Xia family had been able to wield this saber since. It had eventually transformed into a landmass that became the Xia family’s ancestral grounds.
