Si Xiao’er felt that while Lu Yin’s words seemed to make sense, there was something that just felt off.
She was usually good at remaining calm, so she quickly figured out where the issue was. She was just about to speak up when Lu Yin suddenly asked, “What did your master promise Yang Kong?”
Si Xiao’er’s eyes instantly dimmed, and her mood seemed ruined. “Master promised Yang Kong that she would accompany him into Burial Garden’s gate.”
Lu Yin was surprised. “Into Burial Garden’s gate? Didn’t you say that the Aeternals have announced that those are death gates and that humans aren’t allowed to enter them?”
Si Xiao’er replied, “Yes, but Yang Kong knows that they’re really Burial Garden’s gates, and my master knows that they need to enter one of the gates in order to complete a task that the Aeternals assigned. Yang Kong was placed in charge of this task, and he was told to put together a team to enter a gate.”
“And your master was chosen?”
“Well, my master’s an Envoy, and she’s also the second most powerful person in the East City after the city master, so naturally she was one of his first choices. However, she refused, and the Aeternals didn’t make any moves to force her. Thus, Yang Kong made a bet with Master. If she won, Master would have been free to choose whatever she wanted, but if she lost, she agreed to enter the gate with Yang Kong.”
Lu Yin’s eyes flickered. The Aeternals had assigned Yang Kong a task, but they had not tried to press Dojo Master Si into participating. Instead, everything was left entirely up to Yang Kong, and he seemed to be very proactive in completing his task.
Lu Yin remembered that corpse kings could not enter any of Burial Garden’s gates, as doing so would result in them dying without fail. This had been quickly discovered as soon as the gates first appeared, so why was Yang Kong willing to enter? He had clearly used a Corpse King Transformation, so was it possible that the Aeternals had developed the Corpse King Transformation to the point where regular humans could use it?
If Yang Kong was still completely human and not someone who had undergone any of the Aeternals’ transformations, then there was a big problem with his reported death. He might not have actually been resurrected from death, but very likely never died at all. In that case, what had actually happened?
The only way to get an answer was to get close to Yang Kong. However, Lu Yin’s top priority was to enter Burial Garden’s gate. The only way to accomplish both of these two goals was to gain Yang Kong’s attention and be selected as one of the people chosen to assist him with his assigned task.
“Are they controlling your master somehow?” Lu Yin asked.
Si Xiao’er’s voice dropped to a whisper, “She’s been poisoned. If she doesn’t get an antidote regularly, she’ll die. Even her strength as an Envoy can’t help her. It’s some sort of poison that the Aeternals developed that humanity doesn’t have any treatment for.”
“Vitality Poison?” Lu Yin was startled.
Si Xiao’er shook her head. “I don’t know. How does Senior know about that poison?”
“I ran into it once in my youth.” He then stood and stretched. “Accompany me to the West City tomorrow.”
Si Xiao’er was startled by this request. “The West City? Senior, why are you going there? There are corpse kings there!”
Lu Yin grew serious. “That’s why I want to go take a look. Only by knowing yourself and your opponent can you achieve victory. When I was last active, corpse kings were rare. I didn’t expect the entire Starfall Sea to fall to the Neohuman Alliance before I left seclusion. I have no idea if you juniors will be able to take back the Starfall Sea, but I want to visit the West City and see just how many corpse kings there are.”
“Not because of the gate?” Si Xiao’er was not stupid, so she nervously questioned Lu Yin’s motives.
Lu Yin looked at her and smiled. “Is the gate in the middle of a street?”
Si Xiao’er shook her head.
“Then how will I even get close to it? Force my way in? I’m not seeking death. Alright, head on back for now.” Lu Yin waved Si Xiao’er out.
When Si Xiao’er left Lu Yin’s courtyard, the old woman approached her. “How did it go? What did you ask?”
Si Xiao’er repeated everything that Lu Yin had said. “I didn’t really ask anything, but he’s planning to go visit the West City with me tomorrow.”
The old woman was stunned. “The West City? What does he want to do there? What did he tell you?”
Si Xiao’er nodded. “And he wants me to accompany him.”
“No! Absolutely not! The West City is too dangerous! If those corpse kings are really all under control and can keep themselves from hurting humans, then why does the West City prohibit them from leaving the city, and why don’t any humans have the courage to enter the West City? If he wants to go, then let him. That’s his business,” the old woman said flatly.
Si Xiao’er bit her lip. “I also want to go and see the West City.”
“No.” Dojo Master Si suddenly stepped out of the void, her face solemn. “You are not allowed to visit the West City. Let him go by himself if he wants to go.”
Si Xiao’er grew stubborn. “Master, this disciple wants to learn about the corpse kings. Since this Aeternus Kingdom has two cities, and the corpse kings are stuck in the West City due to being strictly forbidden to leave, it means that the Aeternals don’t really want to hurt us humans here in the East City. If we don’t visit the West City, then if they attack and we have no understanding of them, how can we fight them?”
Dojo Master Si suddenly shouted, “Shut up! What do you know?”
She then ordered the old woman, “Take her back. She isn’t allowed out, or to go anywhere at all!”
Si Xiao’er wanted to say something else, but the old woman dragged her away.
Dojo Master Si stared towards Lu Yin’s courtyard, and Lu Yin also happened to be looking out. The two were far apart from each other and were even blocked by walls, but they still both seemed to see each other’s eyes.
One was a weak character who had succumbed to a strong enemy and was only able to act meek while enduring.
The other possessed an overbearing personality and was eager to explore and move forward and excelled at breaking free of a current stalemate.
They were two completely different people.
Lu Yin had heard the conversation that Dojo Master Si had held with the others, but he did not blame them for their choices. Needless resistance was nothing more than asking to die. If Lu Yin were in Dojo Master Si’s position, he also would not be willing to take risks because of an unknown person.
For Lu Yin’s hosts, living peaceful lives was enough for them. Even if their dignity was stomped upon, they would endure as long as they could survive.
The next day, Lu Yin went to visit the West City, and Si Xiao’er was right next to him.
She had been snuck out by Lu Yin. He could have visited the corpse kings’ city on his own, but since Si Xiao’er wanted to join him, Lu Yin had taken her out of the dojo.
Si Xiao’er already knew that Lu Yin was very powerful, but she had not thought that he would be strong enough to get her out of Water God Dojo without raising any fuss at all. Not even her master had sensed anything.
“Senior, what realm has your cultivation reached?” Si Xiao’er asked.
Lu Yin indifferently replied, “About the same as your master’s.”
“I don’t believe you! You were able to sneak me out of Water God Dojo under her nose, and you were in seclusion at the deepest depths of Skyblaze Dojo. It’s said that not even Tian Yanzi dared to go that deep. One time, my master once said that a person would need a power level of at least 600,000 if they wanted to go that far down into the flames,” Si Xiao’er retorted.
Lu Yin paused. “We’ve made it to the West City.”
At the moment, the two were at the peak of a small mountain. The Aeternus Kingdom was split it two by a short mountain that split the metropolis into the eastern and western cities. At the moment, Lu Yin and Si Xiao’er were at the top of this mountain, and they were staring towards the west.
The two cities’ architectural styles were quite similar in design, but the corpse kings’ West City was dead silent when compared to the humans’ East City. There were still many people out on the streets, but they were like the ones that Lu Yin had seen in the Neoverse’s Aeternus Nation. These figures were dead and lifeless. When they moved, it was as though they were walking solely for the sake of walking.
There was no noise throughout the entire city, and the only occasional sound was a disturbing chewing noise.
Lu Yin had heard this same sound once before, in the Neoverse’s Aeternus Nation.
“Has anyone else ever visited the West City before?” Lu Yin asked.
“I don’t know. Our city master should have since he’s the city master of the East City.”
Lu Yin took Si Xiao’er and jumped down from the mountain. They stepped into the West City and immediately confronted a corpse king.
The corpse king stared at Lu Yin and Si Xiao’er with its cold, slitted, scarlet eyes.
Si Xiao’er grew pale and swallowed hard.
After a moment, the corpse king walked away without doing a single thing to the two humans.
Lu Yin led Si Xiao’er further into the West City.
Given the Aeternals’ current plan, Lu Yin and Si Xiao’er’s safety was absolutely guaranteed. The reason why they had entered the West City was not mere curiosity, but also so that they would attract certain people’s attention.
The humans in the East City did not dare to step foot in the West City, but Lu Yin had done exactly that. This was enough to attract the attention of people from both the eastern and the western cities.
Given Lu Yin’s appearance after using Extremes Must Be Reversed, no one was able to recognize him, and he did not need to hide any of his strength either. He was Lie Yanzi at this moment. A powerhouse from Skyblaze Dojo who had once failed to win the position of sect master and who had then entered seclusion for countless years to ultimately become an Envoy-level powerhouse.
Si Xiao’er stayed very close to Lu Yin as they moved through the West City.
The buildings on either side of the street made her think that she was back in the East City, as the two were nearly identical. She even saw the same buildings that her Water God Dojo used, as they could also be found in the West City.
A corpse king passed by the two humans, which was frightening. It was chewing on something, but there was no way to know what the creature was eating.
Si Xiao’er constantly felt as though a corpse king was staring straight at them.
Lu Yin seemed much more relaxed. “Don’t worry. The Aeternals have spent so much time and resources to build the eastern and western cities while also forbidding the corpse kings from leaving the West City. They are clearly trying to create an image that corpse kings and humans can coexist, so there’s no way that they’ll allow us to suffer any accidents. Do you want to know more about the corpse kings?”
Lu Yin then stretched out a hand and grabbed a random corpse king that had been passing by. Si Xiao’er was startled, as she had not expected Lu Yin to be so bold.
The corpse king was similarly startled, and its scarlet eyes stared at Si Xiao’er in a horrible manner as it growled softly. It kept trying to break free, but it could not get loose from Lu Yin’s grip.
Many of the other corpse kings on the street turned to stare at the commotion, and Si Xiao’er instantly grew pale. “Senior, let him go! Let him go!”
Lu Yin threw the corpse king away.
After landing, it whirled around and roared, clearly wanting to attack. However, in the end, nothing at all happened.
Lu Yin glanced around and then suddenly looked up to stare into the distance. He was staring at a pair of slitted scarlet eyes that caused him to feel an incredible amount of pressure. This creature was an absolute expert and was not an opponent that Lu Yin could deal with.
Lu Yin’s eyes tightened as he stared into the scarlet eyes for a moment. He suddenly turned around. “Time to go. Let’s head back to the East City.”
Si Xiao’er felt utterly confused. “We’re going back?”
“Do you want to stick around to visit?” Lu Yin retorted.
Si Xiao’er instantly caught up to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin had only gone to visit the West City to make sure that people took notice of his existence, and he had succeeded. He was someone who had dared to step into the West City, and he had even attacked a corpse king. This would absolutely draw the attention of Aeternus Kingdom’s top officials.
That night, Lu Yin was staring up at the crescent moon high above him in the sky again when his eyes shifted and he looked behind him. Right at that moment, a figure stepped out of the void and threw an attack at him.
This attack was not unfamiliar to Lu Yin, as Yang Kong was attacking. Or rather, Bu Kong.
This palm that Bu Kong threw out was no different from the first attack that he had launched at Dojo Master Si during their match.
The hand was about to strike. Bu Kong was absolutely certain that his attack would strike true, and he saw a dead person when he stared at Lu Yin.
At that moment, Lu Yin disappeared. He had entered the true universe.
Yang Kong’s attack failed, but the force of the palm strike struck the ground and caused the East City to tremble. The terrifying power of the attack crushed the buildings of Water God Dojo.
Many of the dojo’s people were caught up in the attack, and some people even had their legs shattered.
Dojo Master Si was furious, and she instantly appeared and glared at Yang Kong. “What are you doing?”
However, Yang Kong completely ignored Dojo Master Si. A terrifying aura burst forth from his body, powerful enough to distort the sky above Aeternus Kingdom as Yang Kong’s eyes turned green.
He stepped forward and instantly entered the true universe.
